That didn't have any conscious bearing on today's posts, it had just been gnawing at me for a few days. Related to yesterday's intro paragraph about the artists, I checked and yes, mini-series and one-shots were a larger slice of the pie in 2010. In 2009 it was about 41 of 144 (28.5%). 2010 was 49 out of 134 (36.6%). That probably doesn't explain it by itself, which brings us back to the Marvels series I bought being canceled left and right. All I can do is keep buying, hope the title survives, and enjoy what I got when it ends.
Power Girl #8-17 - Lo, there were five issues by the Palmiotti/Gray/Conner team, and they were good. Then the guard did change, and it was Judd Winick and Sami Basri, and things were significantly less good. Then I dropped the book.High Point: Just about anything with Vartox was gold. The bit in his ship, when Peej asks 'is that supposed to be on fire?' Vartox asks if she can see his heart, to which she responds, 'No idiot, your kitchen is on fire.' I need to work 'By the fifteen hells of Granutash!' into my everyday vocabulary. That's 8 more Hells than what the Thanagarians have, isn't it? Also, when she beats up Vartox and Galaxorg until they get off Earth. There was one bit Winick had I enjoyed, in #17, when she and Batman are beating up power-suited thugs, one shoots her in the face while calling her some profanity. When the smoke clears, she's singed, but unharmed, and casually flicks his helmet off while asking if he'd like to repeat that.
Low Point: Most everything else about Winick's run. Dismantling the company. The death of one of Karen's employees. The harsh tone she took with Nicholas, threatening him with his past indiscretions. Drawing the plot in closer to Generation Lost. I know, she was JLI so it fits, but I don't care about Generation Lost, so I have to like a book a lot more than I did this to stick around through tie-ins to stuff I don't care about.
The Question #37 - One of two of those resurrected series DC trotted out for Blackest Night I gave a whirl. I thought the solution Shiva came up with for surviving a fight with reanimated Vic Sage was clever enough, but I also thought Montoya and especially Aristotle Rodor were able to use it too readily. You can just shut off all emotions like flipping a switch? Anyway, Denny O'Neil and Greg Rucka cowrote it, and Denys Cowan and Bill Sienkiewicz handled the artwork.
R.E.B.E.L.S. #22, 23 - This was the title I started buying to replace Power Girl on my pull list. I haven't bought anything he's written since he switched to DC, but I still have a fair amount of fondness for Tony Bedard from his work on Exiles back in the day. Early returns have been promising, though I kind of doubt Cosmic DC is ever going to equal Cosmic Marvel for me. Then again, 5 years ago, I wouldn't have thought cosmic Marvel would entertain me as much as it has.
Red Robin #10 - I bought this because it was crossing over with Batgirl, and I liked this half of the crossover more. Marcus To's artwork was a big part of that, but I also have some fondness for Fabian Nicieza's writing. Also, this half of the crossover had Tim unclench a little. He'd been so uptight, grim, and hostile around Steph in Batgirl #8, it was nice to see things be a little more cordial between them, while still recognizing there's some rough history there.
Secret Six #17-28 - When I dropped Deadpool, this became the title that had been on my pull the longest (they'd been sharing the title for the 2 months since Nova ended). It's a very hot and cold reading experience for me. Every time I read a few issues I like, then I hit a story I don't like. I think I prefer the book when the characters are reacting to something done to them, rather than actively taking jobs which require them to do horrible things. Now the book is crossing over into other titles for a couple months, and if Action Comics was any indication, it's going to be disappointing. At least the creative team has been mostly stable, with Gail Simone writing and J. Calafiore drawing. John Ostrander cowrote the Blackest Night tie-ins, and wrote #23 solo, which was drawn by RB Silva.High Point - If not for all the zombies, it would have been the Secret Six vs. Suicide Squad arc. Alas, there were zombies. I'll give the nod to the following arc, with Catman hunting down the men who abducted his son. I'm still not entirely clear on the point Old Man MacQuarrie was trying to make, but overall, it was a good story. Also, Waller was awesome over the course of the Skartaris arc, which is as it should be.
Low Point - Even with Ostrander writing it, I wasn't a big fan of #23. The story was fine (though his Catman felt off), the art didn't work for me, because I felt it confused things in places. Also, the zombies in the Blackest Night tie-in. Also, the Skartaris arc felt strangely put together, like it was drawn out and not allowed to go where it was originally intended at the same time. I thought it was strange the two sides stop fighting so they can don Savage Land costumes and then start fighting again, later in the same issue. Plus, most of the Warlord continuity stuff, while not confusing (Simone explained it well enough) had zero impact on me.
She Hulks #1, 2 - This was the other mini-series (besides Ant-Man and the Wasp) I gave a chance one week back in November. This was the one I kept buying, I suppose because I like the characters involved more than I do Hank Pym or Eric O'Grady. I do like seeing Jennifer Walters have to be a mentor, and the fish out of water aspect of Lyra in school has been fairly entertaining so far.
Suicide Squad #67 - The other of the resurrected issues. This one was really an issue of Secret Six with a different title, which is maybe a little disappointing. But I haven't read the end of Suicide Squad, so I don't know what kind of situation there was to build off, the way I do with The Question. Anything I could say about this I already said in the Secret Six entry, so basically, woulda been better without zombies.
Thanos Imperative #1-6 - The only game in town for cosmic stuff over the last half of the year. Thanos and the Guardians of the Galaxy try to bring Death back to the Cancerverse, while Nova and everyone else tries to keep their universe from being overrun by the Cancerverse. Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning naturally handling the writing chores, while Miguel Sepulveda was the artist.High Point - The Scarlet Witch serving as a mole for the forces of good in the Cancerverse was a nice change of pace from how things have gone for Wanda the last six years or so. Thanos tricking Mar-Vell, and Nova making everyone stop bickering and realize they have to work together.
Low Point - There were a lot of developments in the last issue I thought were pretty lousy, and they diminished my enjoyment of the series overall. The Cosmic Cube Star-Lord had suddenly, maybe have a couple of charges in it, whereas it had been portrayed as burnt out previously. Richard taking all the Nova Force, then accomplishing very little with it, which really only served to sweep the Nova Corps off the board entirely. Thanos' plan being "I'm going to let you stab me until Death shows up and kills you", which seemed a little basic for the Mad Titan.
Thanos Imperative: Ignition #1 - Also written by Abnett and Lanning, but with art by Brad walker, the prologue for Thanos Imperative, where Adam Magus and his followers rip the Fault wide open, so the Cancerverse can come through, which causes Thanos to go berserk. On the upside, Adam Magus was dispatched in a single panel by Mar-Vell, which warmed my heart.
Valkyrie #1 - Another one-shot, this one detailing how Valkyrie came back from the dead, and how this Valkyrie isn't like any of the others that have been running around the Marvel Universe previously. Bryan J.L. Glass wrote it, and Phil Winslade drew it, and it was OK. I wonder if there's going to be much of a difference in how Val's portrayed, now that she's an actual Valkyrie, and not some mortal woman inhabiting a Valkyrie's body.
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