New Avengers 3
SURPRISE! New Avengers makes this list. I really can't say enough about this series. The questions that are raised issue to issue are enough to keep me fascinated, let alone the characters and the choices they have to make. Their interactions are intense, their history is all muddled, and the choices they have to make are incalculable. You have characters like Hank, with a strong moral center who doesn't agree with the principles of the team, making hard decisions that, though they're extremely difficult, fit the character. Of course, there's also Captain America, who absolutely makes the decisions he would make any other time. There is a quality about Cap that good writers see in him, which is that he's willing to make difficult decisions and is able to kill if he thinks he needs to. He's a soldier and he lives his life as one. That said, Hickman's right to have him blatantly object to this, completely assured of his moral standing. He's a soldier and kills if it's necessary and, at that, if the person he's facing needs to die. Captain America is the definitive example of a hero because he wouldn't even consider destroying another planet. They invoked memories of Civil War when Cap asked Tony where this all stops. It reminds me of a moment in Civil War when Cap and Tony, in secret, met and Tony told Cap that if everyone in the world was like him, there wouldn't be the need for registration. But no one is like Cap. This was an amazing issue of an amazing book. Frankly, I'd be recommending it on the art alone. I'm so happy I have so much more to say.
Secret Avengers 37
I'm a sucker for these kinds of hard choices, apparently. Clint and the team are faced with the choice of sacrificing a possible better life AND an entire species of sentient beings to keep their humanity. It's not a choice you make easily. It's an even harder choice for someone like, brilliantly used, the Human Torch, who has strived so long for a place to fit in and finally had one, only to give it away in the hopes that he could keep humanity intact. Human Torch is a wonderful character. I'm not a hundred percent sure when he came back into regular continuity (last I had seen of him before Invaders Now! was Bucky tracking his remains, stolen by an evil scientist), but he has plenty of things still to explore. He's a little like Vision in that regard. Okay, maybe a lot like Vision, but without the long-standing history of being an Avenger and spending all his time with humans. This finale should really be put to good use by another writer soon, someone willing to explore Torch's view of himself and of society as a whole. There's plenty to delve into there. I'm looking forward to the new incarnation of Secret Avengers, starting next week. However, this was a great send-off to 37 solid issues.
Superior Spider-Man 3
I tend to go into each post-game with one or two books pretty firmly in mind and one spot as a toss-up. In this case, I knew from the outset that New Avengers was in and was confident, barring two tremendous books I hadn't already hit, that Secret Avengers was in (I read New and Secret Avengers pretty much first, alongside Avengers, Avengers Assemble Annual, and Winter Soldier). The third one was up for grabs all week, even up to this very sentence. I'm choosing Superior Spider-Man because I think it represents a good change of pace from what I was worried about last issue. We have some intrigue in Doc Ock's history and in Peter's new ability to see that history. We also have some precedent in violence out of this new Spider-Man and now we have a full-on violent attack. Although I'm not a big Carlie fan, the fact she's apparently aware of Spider-Man's new identity leads to some intrigue. There's a lot going on and I think this issue was a great example of that. Still, hard work beating out Venom and other books this week. I wouldn't be surprised if Iron Man 7 is in this list when it comes out; 6 was a good book but too much of a stepping stone issue to rate top three in a tough week.
Alright, hopefully I have something for you tomorrow. Just started a new job so I'll do what I can to get things rolling. HOPEFULLY won't affect the rest of the week, which is more straightforward. I don't know about you guys, but I like the new set-up. Going forward, I'm doing five pre-game picks on Tuesday, and splitting each day of reviews into two separate posts, if the amount of new releases allows it. Anyway, if you read all this, I appreciate your reading things that only interest me. Thanks so much!
SURPRISE! New Avengers makes this list. I really can't say enough about this series. The questions that are raised issue to issue are enough to keep me fascinated, let alone the characters and the choices they have to make. Their interactions are intense, their history is all muddled, and the choices they have to make are incalculable. You have characters like Hank, with a strong moral center who doesn't agree with the principles of the team, making hard decisions that, though they're extremely difficult, fit the character. Of course, there's also Captain America, who absolutely makes the decisions he would make any other time. There is a quality about Cap that good writers see in him, which is that he's willing to make difficult decisions and is able to kill if he thinks he needs to. He's a soldier and he lives his life as one. That said, Hickman's right to have him blatantly object to this, completely assured of his moral standing. He's a soldier and kills if it's necessary and, at that, if the person he's facing needs to die. Captain America is the definitive example of a hero because he wouldn't even consider destroying another planet. They invoked memories of Civil War when Cap asked Tony where this all stops. It reminds me of a moment in Civil War when Cap and Tony, in secret, met and Tony told Cap that if everyone in the world was like him, there wouldn't be the need for registration. But no one is like Cap. This was an amazing issue of an amazing book. Frankly, I'd be recommending it on the art alone. I'm so happy I have so much more to say.
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