COMICS READ in 2013: 807

COMICS READ IN 2014: 1179

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COMICS READ IN 2015:

JAN. 82

FEB. 106

MAR. 92

APR. 69

MAY 102

JUN. 75

JUL. 210

AUG. 101

SEP. 80

OCT. 108

NOV. 96

DEC. 101

Total comics and GNs read in 2015: 1222

BEST of 2015:

Stray Bullets: Sunshine And Roses #1-6 (Image, 2015) *****

Writer/artist: David Lapham

The perfect comic.

Savage Sword of Criminal (Image, 2015) *****

Writer: Ed Brubaker/Artist: Sean Phillips

This loving homage to Marvel’s B&W magazine line in the 1970s is glorious. Phillips slips in and out of his usual Criminal art style (which is the main story set in the 70s) to the more psychedelic, Spanish/Filipino-styled barbarian artwork we saw in Conan and even the Warren B&W titles. Phillips even apes a Joe Jusko-style cover. This is a fucking masterpiece.

Herbie Archives Vols. 1-3 (Dark Horse, 2008-09) *****

- originally published in Forbidden Worlds #73, 94, 110, 114, 116; Unknown Worlds #20; Herbie #1-23 (American Comics Group, 1958-1967)

Writer: Shane O’Shea/Artist: Ogden Whitney

Quite possibly the most extraordinary, bizarre, sad, desperate, loveable, strange comic I’ve ever read. An obese autistic child, who is bullied by his overbearing father and kids at school, fantasises that he is an omnipotent superhero who can travel anywhere in the universe, have amazing unreal adventures and is friends with everyone from the US President to the Queen and historical figures, who he visits whenever he travels back in time. Herbie uses the power of lollipops to achieve his fantastical aims as he loses himself deep in a fantasy world where he is loved and respected, unlike the real world. Well, that’s MY interpretation of this crazy comic and I’m sticking to it!

Minimum Wage: So Many Bad Decisions #1-6 (Image, 2015) *****

Writer/artist: Bob Fingerman

It’s back and I am sooooooooooooooooo happy! Even if I DIDN’T win that damn competition Bob was running.

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #4-8 (Marvel, 2015) *****

Writer: Ryan North/Artist: Erica Henderson

The unexpected best comic Marvel is producing this year.

Solo #5 (DC, 2005) *****

Writer/artist: Darwyn Cooke

I can’t get enough of Cooke’s retro art. And he’s not a bad writer either. So this special devoted to Cooke was a joy to read. Maybe he should try his hand at some Marvel characters one day.

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2015 (listen to my podcast about it HERE)

2000AD (Rebellion) *****

Writers/artists: various

And Then Emily Was Gone #0 (Comix Tribe) *****

Emily writer: John Lees/Artists: Iain Laurie (interior); Ryan Stegman (cover)

Oxymoron writer: Tyler James/Artist: Alex Cormack

Hard Time: 50 To Life & Hard Time: Sixteen (DC, 2004, 2012) *****

- originally published in Hard Time #1-12 (DC, 2004-05)

Writers: Steve Gerber & Mary Skrenes (uncredited)/Artist: Brian Hurtt

This certainly wasn’t the last series Steve Gerber wrote before his untimely death in 2008, but it’s arguably his finest work (Howard The Duck, notwithstanding).

Ethan, 15, is sentenced to 50 years’ jail for a high school prank gone horribly wrong. He quickly makes plenty of enemies, including the Aryan Brotherhood and an insane fundamentalist Christian inmate. But Ethan has a secret – a powerful entity that lives within him that comes alive at night to do his violent bidding. This intense cross between TV’s Oz and DC’s own Johnny Thunder works incredibly well, mainly due to Gerber’s funny, powerful dialogue. Thankfully, he doesn’t write in that exhausting purple prose he used at Marvel in the 1970s. The writing here is more subtle, nuanced and, dare I say it, realistic. Hurtt’s artwork is great (as always). This is a hidden gem of a series that deserves more consideration from fans and critics. It’s tragic that Gerber was still peaking as a writer before he passed away. He deserves to be remembered for more than just a talking duck.

Sticky Monsters (Square Peg, 2012) *****

Writer/Artist: John Ken Mortensen

Post-it notes seem so innocent, but not in the hands of this Danish artist, who creates tiny horrific images torn from the nightmares of Maurice Sendak and HP Lovecraft.

Delusional (AdHouse Books, 2013) *****

Writer/Artist: Farel Dalrymple

Assorted bibs and bobs from my favourite alternative artist. Delightfully unsettling.

Totentanz (self-published, 2012-15) *****

Writer/artist: Marcel Ruijters

Wytches Vol. 1 (Image, 2015) *****

- originally published in Wytches #1-6 (Image, 2015)

Writer: Scott Snyder/Artist: Jock

Freaks #1-2 (Monster Comics, 1992) *****

Writer: Jim Woodring/Artist: F. Solano Lopez

A pitch-perfect adaptation of Tod Browning’s classic horror film. Beautifully illustrated by Lopez. Just about perfect.

Starve #1-3 (Image, 2015) *****

Writer: Brian Wood/Artist ;Danijel Zezelj

Cooking and comics – what a tasty fucking combination.

Airboy #1-4 (Image, 2015) *****

Writer: James Robinson/Artist: Greg Hinkle

The greatest comic revival EVER. The greatest meta comic ever. This is arguably the best comic of the decade!

The Sixth Gun Vol. 8: Hell And High Water (Oni Press, 2015) *****

- originally published in The Sixth Gun #42-47 (Oni Press, 2015)

Writer: Cullen Bunn/Artist: Brian Hurtt

Dark Corridor #1-3 (Image, 2015) *****

Writer/Artist: Rich Tommaso

Fucking brilliant film noir-style comics from the creator of The Horror Of Collier County. I’m so glad I picked up this title.

The Twilight Children #1 (Vertigo, 2015) *****

Writer: Gilbert Hernandez/Artist: Darwyn Cooke

$4.99 for the first issue? Fuck me! Good thing this is just about the best new comic I’ve read in 2015. Gilbert rises above his usual overrated, mediocre self to deliver a strong script and Darwyn is fucking ON SONG. But damn! $4.99 an issue? Yeah...you guessed it, I’ll wait for the trade.

The Fade Out #9-10 (Image, 2015) *****

Writer: Ed Brubaker/Artist: Sean Phillips

Now things are getting good.

Astro City #28 (Vertigo, 2015) *****

Writer: Kurt Busiek/Artists: Gary Chaloner & Wade Von Grawbdger (interior); Alex Ross (cover)

Chaloner rules!

Pope Hats #3-4 by Ethan Rilly (AdHouse Books, 2012-15) *****

Mort Grim by Doug Fraser (AdHouse Books, 2005) *****

UR by Eric Haven (AdHouse Books, 2014) *****

Saga Vol. 5 (Image, 2015) *****

Writer: Brian K. Vaughan/Artist: Fiona Staples

New MGMT #1/Mind MGMT #36 (Dark Horse, 2015) *****

Writer/Artist: Matt Kindt

Very sad to see this great series come to an end. Also, this ends my hard-copy single issue relationship with Dark Horse. Mind MGMT was the only comic I still bought from this company (the rest I get free from the company as digital copies).

Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas (Top Shelf, 2015 ) *****

Writers: Hunter S. Thompson (novel); Troy Little (adaptation)/Artist: Troy Little

The Bus by Paul Kirchner (Futura, 1987) *****

I loved this strip when I first read it in Heavy Metal in the early 80s. Earlier this year, I bought the latest Heavy Metal and found they were reprinting The Bus again. Not surprisingly, it’s easily the best thing in the mag. Kirchner’s surrealist take on the everyman experience enduring the daily bus commute was always entertaining. This strip collection is hard to find (as is the more recent reprinting). I’d given up on finding a copy till a friend randomly sent me a link to a website filled with The Bus strips. Inspired, I went straight to eBay and found this original edition of the book for only $13. Score!

WORST:

The Collector #21 (Bill G. Wilson, 1970) -**

Writers/artists: various

I bought a bunch of comics fanzines from the 1970s/early 80s for a buck each at Elizabeth’s in January. I’ve slowly worked my way through all of them and I will write my bloggy thoughts on them down the road.

But I do want to list a few here, because some zines ACTUALLY featured comic strips and I think that makes them count as comics.

The Collector’s editor and publisher Bill G. Wilson wrote and drew Hyperman, a sub-standard, three-pager featuring his hero posing against black backdrops, confronting a generic bald villain and knocking him out. I don’t know how, but Wilson managed to “write” and “draw” an eight-panel strip where every single panel bears no logical relationship to the panel that precedes it. What’s even more incredible, he somehow managed to get industry veteran Don Newton to ink this abortion. Maybe ‘cos Newton started out as a contributor to RBCC in the 60s, he felt a sense of obligation to a new generation, perhaps.

Reagan’s Raiders #2 (Solson Publications, 1986) -**

Writer: Monroe Arnold, David George & Rich Buckler/Artists: Keith royster, Rich Buckler & Scott Gladfelter

Godawful political superhero “satire”.

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COLLECTED WORKS:

Showcase Presents All-Star Comics (DC, 2014) ****

- originally published in All-Star #58-74, DC Special #29, Adventure Comics #461-466 (DC, 1976-79)

Writers: Paul Levitz & friends/Artists: Joe Staton, Wallace Wood & friends

My New Year’s Resolution was to read a DC Showcase or Marvel Essentials book a month and I kicked off with this Showcase volume.

I loved this Justice Society of America series when I was a kid – when I first saw it, Joe Staton was drawing the series and I dug his artwork a lot. Years later, I tracked down earlier issues and marvelled at some of Wally Wood’s finest mainstream work. Even though I have most of the original colour comics, I bought this cheap trade to collect the JSA’s final stories after All-Star folded and they were relegated to Adventure Comics. Those issues are now prohibitively priced (I have no idea why), so this was a very cheap way of completing my collection. As is the case with all 1970s DC and Marvel comics, the writing is overblown and full of clichés (e.g. Power Girl is an aggressive, unpleasant feminist while Wildcat is an out-of-touch, ageing male chauvinist pig). But I love that Superman (who is the original 1940s Superman of Earth Two and, therefore, the FIRST superhero) is regarded as the father of all superheroes – a man who can arrive at a site filled with warring costumed do-gooders and stop them fighting just by his presence alone. It’s fantastic imagery that got me hooked on the JSA for life. If nothing else, pick up this volume to appreciate Wood’s input. He was the inker on All-Star #58-62, then he main artist on All-Star #63-65 (he even co-wrote #65 with Paul Levitz). His final two issues on the series see the JSA take on Vandal Savage in the era of King Arthur, and they’re magnificent.

Marvel Masterworks: The Fantastic Four Vol. 1 (Marvel, 2009) & Marvel Essential: The Fantastic FourVol. 1 (Marvel, 2008) *****

- originally published in The Fantastic Four #1-20 & Annual#1 (Marvel, 1961-63)

Writer: Stan Lee/Artists: Jack Kirby & friends

This is kinda weird. Without a doubt, this is a classic superhero comic told by the industry’s two biggest legends. But there’s no doubt that re-reading them 54 years later does reveal some...shortcomings to the title. Lee focuses so much on dumb intra-quartet bickering that it wears thin pretty quick. Invisible Girl is depicted as truly feeble and worthless. The team’s origin is just so fucking dumb. Did NO-ONE notice that a scientist, his girlfriend and her 16yo brother were stealing a space ship to ‘beat the Commies” to outer space. Isn’t that a criminal offence?

Surprisingly, Kirby’s art comes across as quite primitive (compared to what he went on to produce in the mid-to-late 60s), not helped by some shoddy inking by the likes of Dick Ayers and Sol Brodsky (the one exception comes in FF #13 when the inking is handled by Steve Ditko, who does a “Wally Wood” and stamps his own inimitable style to Kirby’s pencils).

And while I should appreciate the relative diversity of super-villains on display in these first 21 issues (as opposed to, say, Fawcett’s Captain Marvel, which featured Dr Sivana practically every issue), there’s still waaaaaay too much Sub-Mariner and Doctor Doom in these early issues.

That said, I KNOW that these were revolutionary stories back in 1961, so I need to look at them from that perspective rather than my jaded 2015 perspective.

And y’know, if I do that, these stories fucking rock.

Herbie Archives Vols. 1-3 (Dark Horse, 2008-09) *****

- originally published in Forbidden Worlds #73, 94, 110, 114, 116; Unknown Worlds #20; Herbie #1-23 (American Comics Group, 1958-1967)

Writer: Shane O’Shea/Artist: Ogden Whitney

Quite possibly the most extraordinary, bizarre, sad, desperate, loveable, strange comic I’ve ever read. An obese autistic child, who is bullied by his overbearing father and kids at school, fantasises that he is an omnipotent superhero who can travel anywhere in the universe, have amazing unreal adventures and is friends with everyone from the US President to the Queen and historical figures, who he visits whenever he travels back in time. Herbie uses the power of lollipops to achieve his fantastical aims as he loses himself deep in a fantasy world where he is loved and respected, unlike the real world. Well, that’s MY interpretation of this crazy comic and I’m sticking to it!

Vampirella Crimson Chronicles Maximum Vol. 1 (Harris, 2008) **½

- originally published in Vampirella #1-2, 8-9, 11-37 (Warren, 1969-74)

Writers/artists: various (interior); Jim Silke (cover)

I’m not sure why I bought this B&W collection...probably ’cos it was selling cheap on Lone Star. I went into reading this book with some trepidation as I always considered Vampirella a badly written T&A horror series. It certainly kicks off that way with the goofy introduction stories written by Forrest J. Ackerman. But once Archie Goodwin comes on board, the storyline kicks into gear and the quality of writing improves dramatically with the alien bloodsucker Vampi battling the evil Cult Of Chaos, whose members worship a demonic bible known as the Crimson Chronicles. Vampi is aided by a drunken magician called Pendragon and is pursued by relentless vampire killers Conrad and Adam Van Helsing. Goodwin’s strong scripts are brought to life by Jose Gonzalez’ exquisite artwork. His splash panels of our scantily clad heroine each issue are beautiful and he gives the supporting cast real character. Goodwin ties in Vampi with the Dracula mythology, then turns it on its head by having a newly-brought-back-to-life Drac repent for his past sins and try to be good. It’s an interesting journey as he tries to mend his evil ways, but keeps failing. Goodwin’s departure from the strip sees the quality of storytelling plummet, particularly the run of Flaxman Loew, who dumps the Van Helsings and reduces Pendragon to a drunken bum cracking bad puns. Even Vampirella’s ongoing struggle not to kill people for their blood – which gave her a noble, tragic quality – is summarily dismissed by Loew, who has Vampi killing bad guys willy-nilly. It’s a complete destruction of Goodwin’s carefully laid foundations and helps leave a sour note as this collection comes to an end. Only the artwork of Gonzales (and later Jose Ortiz) salvages something from the godawful scripts. Goodwin’s return to the helm in the final few pages gives hope that Vampirella was set to return to its former glory. But as it’s unlikely I’ll never pick up Volume 2, I guess that will have to remain a mystery to me.

Seven Soldiers Of Victory Vols. 1&2 (DC, 2011) ****¼

- originally published in Seven Soldiers Of Victory #0-1, Seven Soldiers: Shining Knight #1-4, Seven Soldiers: Guardian #1-4, Seven Soldiers: Zatanna #1-4, Seven Soldiers: Klarion The Witch Boy #1-4, Seven Soldiers: Mister Miracle #1-4, Seven Soldiers: Bulleteer #1-4, Seven Soldiers: Frankenstein #1-4 (DC, 2005-06)

Writer: Grant Morrison/Artists: various

After the clusterfuck that was The Multiversity, I’d lost faith in the magician. But reading this earlier, sweeping series starring a bunch of C-listers and reimagined B-listers made me a Morrison believer again. Sure, the tale is convoluted, confusing in parts and resolved in a way that I didn’t quite understand (with too many rabbits pulled out of too many arses for my liking), but damn! I enjoyed the ride.

Some of the miniseries were fantastic in their own right, particularly Klarion (creepily illustrated by Frazer Irving) and Frankenstein (strong, visceral artwork by Doug Mahnke). Other series didn’t do quite so well, but only the unnecessary reimagining of Mister Miracle failed to impress me.

All in all, a fine effort by Mr Morrison and friends, showing he can juggle multiple characters and complicated story arcs without disappearing up his own sphincter.

Hard Time: 50 To Life & Hard Time: Sixteen (DC, 2004, 2012) *****

- originally published in Hard Time #1-12 (DC, 2004-05)

Writers: Steve Gerber & Mary Skrenes (uncredited)/Artist: Brian Hurtt

This certainly wasn’t the last series Steve Gerber wrote before his untimely death in 2008, but it’s arguably his finest work (Howard The Duck, notwithstanding).

Ethan, 15, is sentenced to 50 years’ jail for a high school prank gone horribly wrong. He quickly makes plenty of enemies, including the Aryan Brotherhood and an insane fundamentalist Christian inmate. But Ethan has a secret – a powerful entity that lives within him that comes alive at night to do his violent bidding. This intense cross between TV’s Oz and DC’s own Johnny Thunder works incredibly well, mainly due to Gerber’s funny, powerful dialogue. Thankfully, he doesn’t write in that exhausting purple prose he used at Marvel in the 1970s. The writing here is more subtle, nuanced and, dare I say it, realistic. Hurtt’s artwork is great (as always). This is a hidden gem of a series that deserves more consideration from fans and critics. It’s tragic that Gerber was still peaking as a writer before he passed away. He deserves to be remembered for more than just a talking duck.

Irredeemable Vols. 3-10 (BOOM!, 2009-12) ****¾

- originally published in Irredeemable #9-37, Irredeemable Special #1, Incorruptible #25-26 (BOOM!, 2009-12)

Writer: Mark Waid/Artists: Diego Barreto, Peter Krause & friends

Murder Me Dead hardcover (El Capitan, 2002) ****¾

- originally published in Murder Me Dead #1-9 (El Capitan, 2000-01)

Writer/artist: David Lapham

Avengers/Invaders #1-12 (Marvel/Dynamite, 2008-09) ***¼

Writers: Alex Ross & Jim Kruger/Artists: Steve Sadowski & friends (interiors)/Alex Ross (covers)

Beautiful covers are the major highlight of this quirky series that sees a displaced Invaders visit the modern Marvel Universe post-Civil War. There’s everyone here from the Red Skull to Ultron to evil SHIELD LMDs to modern Sub-Mariner duking it out with junior Sub-Mariner. Ultimately, it leads to nothing except the unnecessary revival of Toro, but at least it’s fun and pretty to look at.

Doom Patrol #1-22 (DC, 2009-11) ***¼

Doom Patrol: Writer: Keith Giffen/Artists: Matthew Clark & friends

Metal Men: Writers: Keith Giffen & JMDeMatteis/Artist: Kevin Maguire

Giffen’s attempt to repair the damage from John Byrne’s previous incarnation partially succeeds. It takes a while but this series was coming together...until The New 52 initiative killed it.

Much more fun was the Metal Men back-up feature in #1-7. The old Justice League (of 80s fame) team seem to be really enjoying their reunion.

JLA/JSA Secret Files & Origins #1 (DC, 2003) ***½

100.-120. JSA #41-58 (DC, 2002-04); Hawkman #23-25 (DC, 2004) ****

Writers: David Goyer & Geoff Johns/Artists: Leonard Kirk & friends

This is the oldest comics I had in my collection in the sense that I’d never got around to reading them. I mean, 13 years is a long time. Not sure how I drifted away from JSA. I think I got sidetracked with life and the issues started piling up. After a while I had 20+ comics sitting there and I’d lost interest in the series. When a personal crisis hit in late 2003/early 2004 I made a decision at that time to cut waaaaay back on my standing order at Kings Comics. JSA was an easy cut at that point. Four years later, the JSA got rebooted, then a few years after they were retconned out of existence by the New 52. These decade-old comics gathering dust in my spare room seemed even less relevant than before.

However, in my attempt to reach my 200-comics goal, I decided to tackle them...and I’m glad I did. This was always a fun series with characters I really liked (I was a sucker for JSA in the 70s, Infinity Inc. and All-Star Squadron back in the 80s, too). The culmination of this run is the Black Reign storyline in both JSA and Hawkman, which leads to a big showdown between the JSA (and Hawkman) against Black Adam and his team of reformed super-villains and conflicted superheroes (including Atom Smasher) after they’ve violently liberated the African nation of Kahndaq (which is Black Adam’s homeland). Should heroes kill if it serves the greater need? The assassination of Kobra is an effective shock moment. This is a pretty powerful question and Johns (who was handling both books solo at this stage) is pretty much at his peak as a writer. Great stuff.

The Goon #30-39 (Dark Horse, 2008-12) ****

Writer/Artist: Eric Powell (except #35 where the writer is Evan Dorkin)

I’m not sure why I gave up on this series – it’s really very good. Funny, dark, violent and brilliantly drawn by Powell. Maybe it’s because the guy took FOUR YEARS to put out 10 issues. Yeah, maybe that’s it. Ya lazy fuck, Powell!

Powers #4-11 (Icon, 2010-12) ****

Powers Bureau #1-12 (Icon, 2013-14) ****½

Powers #1-5 (Icon, 2015- ) ****

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis/Artist: Mike Avon Oeming

Pretty cool catching up on five years of Powers in one hit. If you don’t read Bendis’ back matter, then you can rip through an issue pretty quick. The feeling I got by the end of these issues is that not only being a copy the WORST JOB in Chicago. But being a cop alongside powers detectives Pilgrim, Sunshine and Walker is the WORST JOB in the world. You are almost guaranteed of getting bitchily insulted by Pilgrim or Sunshine or winding up as dead collateral damage when some super-powered guy attacks Walker. Sucks to be a cop in Bendis’ world.

Also the three main protagonists have all spied, betrayed and lied to each other in the 25 issues I’ve read, so I can’t work out why they’re all still friends. Maybe Powers isn’t meant to be read in one massive 25-issue hit ’cos the plot flaws become too obvious.

That said, this is easily one of the best cop/crime/superhero series on the racks right now – and it has been for at least five years.

Essential Godzilla Vol. 1 (Marvel, 2006) ***

- originally published in Godzilla #1-24 (Marvel, 1977-79)

Writer: Doug Moench/Artists: Herb Trimpe & friends

Listen to podcast HERE.

Toho Productions’ gave Marvel a two-year run with Godzilla and it was bizarre.

Godzilla emerges from an iceberg in Alaska and goes on a rampage. He’s evil for the first three issues, attacking Seattle and San Francisco. But that quickly grows boring, so they make him a sorta good guy (like the Hulk).

Even though he kills thousands of people (even in Marvel’s PG world, there’s no way he couldn’t have wiped out oodles of folk in those cities he destroyed.

Dr Takiguchi, his niece Tamara and annoying grandson Rob create a giant Shogun Warrior-style robot to fight Godzilla.

After that, Godzilla fights alien monsters, battles rustlers, gets shrunk and fights New York sewer rats, then is sent back in time to fight dinosaurs.

Along the way, Godzilla tangles with SHIELD, The Champions, The FF, The Avengers and Devil Dinosaur. It’s weirdly stupid, kinda boring and ends with Godzilla getting written out of Marvel continuity.

At least it means there’s no more Rob, because he’s truly annoying.

Satellite Sam #1-15 & Satellite Sam Tijuana Bible (Image, 2013-15) ****

Writer: Matt Fraction/Artist: Howard Chaykin

An odd topic for Mr Fraction to tackle: the early days of TV. Still, this debauched crime noir tale builds to a satisfying climax after a slow start in the first three issues. Chaykin has the time of his life drawing near-naked women in sexy early 1950s lingerie. Really, the series is a cross between Mad Men and Chaykin’s own Black Kiss. Perversely entertaining.

The Rocketeer: Cargo Of Doom #1-4 (IDW, 2012) ***½

Writer: Mark Waid/Artist: Chris Samnee

The Rocketeer: Hollywood Horror #1-4 (IDW, 2013) ***

Writer: Roger Langridge/Artists: J. Bone (interior); Roger Langridge (#1 subscription cover); Walter Simonson (#2-4 regular cover)

The Rocketeer & The Spirit: Pulp Friction #1-4 (IDW/DC, 2013) ***

Writer: Mark Waid/Artists: Paul Smith (#1 interior); Loston Wallace & Bob Wiacek (#2 interior); J. Bone (#3-4 interior); Paul Smith (#1-2 cover); J. Bone (#3-4 cover)

I love The Rocketeer but these miniseries are only fair-to-middling – the first series is the best and the team-up with The Spirit is the least satisfying.

Invincible Vol. 1: Family Matters (Image, 2003) ***½

Invincible Vol. 2: Eight Is Enough (Image, 2004) ***½

Invincible Vol. 3: Perfect Strangers (Image, 2004) ***

Invincible Vol. 4: Head Of The Class (Image, 2005) ***½

- originally published in Invincible #1-19 & Image Summer Special #1 (Image, 2003-04)

Writer: Robert Kirkman/Artists: Cory Walker (#1-7), Ryan Ottley (#8-19) + friends

DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THE ORIGINAL COMICS OF THIS SERIES ARE WORTH?!!! Issue one alone is $1500 MINT! I had Invincible #1-25 and I sold the lot in 2005 for THIRTY DOLLARS on eBay!!! AAAAARRRRRGHHHHHH!

I stopped buying Invincible and sold my collection at the same time that I quit The Walking Dead (and yes, I sold the first 25 issues of TWD on eBay for a pittance, too). I’d had enough of the torture porn that Kirkman had turned both titles into – while I could sorta understand why he did in a zombie comic, I just couldn’t appreciate him taking the torture porn route in what was, essentially, a light-hearted superhero tale. To be honest, I started going off Invincible around #8 when Invincible’s dad Omni-Man was revealed to be a mass-murdering psycho from another planet. It wasn’t hard to quit the series when I did the same with TWD. Having just read the Wikipedia entry on Invincible, I’m glad I did, because Kirkman has taken the series into some truly dark territory. Still...a few years back i saw the first four volumes of Invincible for sale cheap on eBay. On a whim I bought them (along with the first two volumes of TWD...don’t ask). I didn’t know what to expect when I reread the first 19 issues. I will say that I still hate the dark road that Kirkman took the series in #8 when Omni-Man slaughters the Guardians Of The Globe. But much of the comic is endearing and Invincible is such a likeable teenager...well, he is at this stage anyway.

I won’t buy any further volumes, but I’m glad I reread it – Invincible was once a very enjoyable comic book.