This week's picks

Slight departure from last week, where I couldn't narrow down to three picks so I cheated and stuck everything in. This week had far more books that I didn't really care for or that I downright didn't like. There were still a good handful that I really liked but it wasn't enough to make me cheat again. That door is closed. Until the next time there are too many good picks.

Longshot Saves the Marvel Universe 3

This is kind of my wild card pick this week. In truth, I think that both AVENGERS ANNUAL and INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK ANNUAL were better books, maybe along with IRON MAN and INHUMANITY. Still, it's hard for me to pick a different book than LONGSHOT because this book stuck with me most this week, which is saying a lot. I can't really even explain why it stuck with me except that it was fun. Sometimes comics trying to go whole-heartedly fun and funny can falter and feel so forced (point in case, this week's DEADPOOL). This one didn't. It flowed well, it was funny, it's hitting all of its marks, and it's a really pretty book, overall, with solid art from Camagni. Good stuff all around.

X-Men Legacy 21

Well obviously this book and obviously the next one. X-MEN LEGACY, through Spurrier's Marvel NOW! run has been such a wonderful character study for David Haller. Others have had nice little examinations throughout but the defining factor is David's personality and his very troubled struggles. I don't think there's anyone out there right now writing better, more complete single characters in any comic I'm reading. Between this one and Spurrier's ongoing weekly web-based comic CROSSED: WISH YOU WERE HERE, Spurrier has so tightly developed characters that the comic might as well run itself at this point. What's, perhaps, more impressive is that he's not content to sit on his created character; he's constantly changing David and putting him through new challenges. It's a tremendous series and this issue is no different.

Young Avengers 13

This post is taking me longer than I thought it would and mostly because I keep going back into YOUNG AVENGERS just to look at the art. It's a lot to go through and frankly, the art would be enough to put this book firmly on the pull list even if the story or writing was garbage but GOOD NEWS, this is a fantastic series with an interesting story, awesome writing, and great characters. Just overall phenomenal stuff. Like with X-MEN LEGACY, this is a perfect example of a complete journey, a book that's developed its characters throughout the course of the series to the point where their actions make sense here even as they do things we haven't seen in the series (David revealing his jealousy for Teddy and Billy in his inspiration talk to Teddy, America showing her sentimentality and her care for her teammates, something that's been building for a while, and the Kate and Noh-Varr fight, all perfect, not to even get into the main stories between Billy and Teddy and Loki). Really amazing series and an amazing conclusion to this series-long arc.