WCBR’s Top Picks

Dean’s Picks

Best From The Past Week: Transformers: Robots in Disguise #19 – Honestly, it was kinda slim pickings last week and if not for RiD #19, I’m not sure what I would have picked.  Even though I think the storyline that is taking place back on Cybertron with Bumblebee and Starscream is more interesting, it is pretty cool how the series has buit this temporally-shifted story of what Orion Pax (i.e. Optimus Prime) as he digs more deeply into a longterm plot by Shockwave and Jhiaxus.  These two storylines are going to connect in the very near future and it’ll probably be spectacular when they do.  This series and it’s sister title (More than meets the Eye) are really hot and you should be reading them.  You could start at the beginning, but these are about as new reader friendly as comics used to be back in the old days.

Most Anticipated: 

1. East of West #4 – The first three issues of this series have been really hot, and I expect the fourth to continue the tread.  I love the blend of science fiction, alt-history and the Old West.  Of course, somewhere around issues #4-#7 a series needs to turn the corner from “interesting concept” to “engaging storyline”.  Seeing a comic make that transition successfully is one of the most rewarding things about reading comics, so let’s hope we start to see it happening here.

2. The Walking Dead #112 – Because it’s The Walking Dead and I always look forward to the next issue regardless of anything else that is going on…..  Seriously, last month’s issue showed some progress toward this eventual Negan v. Rick showdown, but I tend to think that the eventual “battle” won’t be exactly what we expect.  Hopefully this issue gives us more time with Negan because he is a seriously charismatic villain….

3. Batman #22 – The first issue of this Zero Year storyline was “good, but not great” for me.  I was tantalized by the vision of this “6 months later” Batman that is riding around a post-apocalypse Gotham on a Bat-dirt bike with a crossbow and ripped up costume, but we didn’t get to see much of HIM.  What we did get was a bunch of “early Batman” and I think I may be too much of a prisoner Old 52 continuity to really appreciate it.  But…..given that it is from the team of Snyder/Capullo/Miki/Plascencia, it can’t really be anything less than a wonderfully executed comic book.

4. Chew #35 – Funniest and cleverest comic on the market.  Every month.

5. Rachel Rising #18 – You won’t see much better character development than what Terry Moore has done with his words and art in this series.  The main characters of Rachel, Jet, Aunt Johnnie et al are about as three-dimensional as you’ll find.  At some point, this series does need to make a turn towards a climax, though.

6. Sheltered #1 – I usually don’t list a 6th comic, but I’m intrigued by the pitch of this Image series.  They use the term “pre-apocalypse”.  It sounds like it is about a bunch of Doomsday Preppers who end up having problems with their children.  It’s an interesting concept to think about the effect on kids of growing up with their parents building bomb shelters and caching weapons and survival gear….

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Hugo’s Picks

Best From The Past Week: Abe Sapien #4 – This issue, despite not much actually happening, was a real treat as far as it goes. It showed us a glimpse on just how great this book could be and the thoughtful approach to the protagonist and his surroundings made for a really good reading experience that I actually wanted to read more right there on the spot. I sincerely hope this series make a trend out of such an issue, as it would make for a fascinating read each month.

Most Anticipated:

1. East of West #4 – Good world-building? Check. Interesting mysteries and characters? Check. Great mix of western and sci-fi with terrific art? Double check. This book has been terrific from its start, as Hickman and Dragotta gives us a whole world to discover and explore through their story, a thing they do really well. If this issue is as good as the others, we’re in for something special.

2. Six-Gun Gorilla #2 – The first issue of this mini-series had been an unpredictable and inventive pile of fun that I was dying to see more. There aren’t a lot of western/sci-fi/political and social satire/ war comic out there, which makes this title quite unique. There should be more comics like this one and the quality of the first issue along with the audacity to release something with so much creativity makes it really deserving of the second place.

3. Astro City #2 – I always liked this series by Busiek and Anderson, yet I never really held it up highly in my favourites. As time went on, though, my appreciation of what the creators tried to went grew as I read the first issue last month. If Busiek can capture the general feeling of respect of what makes superheroes great in this new volume, I will always look forward for more.

4. Superior Spider-Man #13 – Despite the controversy over the main character, I do have to say I have enjoyed this new take on the Spider-Man mythos very much as the series went on. Otto’s unpredictability has been entertaining and I am curious to see just how this prison arc will conclude and just how it will affect the series as it goes forward.

5. Hawkeye #12 – Any week with Matt Fraction’s and David Aja’s take on the main archer of the Marvel universe is a good one, as we are usually treated to some delightfully well-drawn and innovative pages and to some pretty good situation involving our aloof Avenger. I do not know where this book is going, but I cannot wait to find out.