Hey Kids! New Comics!

For the last two weeks, I've done posts about Golden Age artists Lily Renee and Matt Baker. This week's comic book post is about something recent.

What comics am I reading right now?

My pull list at Acme Comics is pretty slim at the moment due to trying to manage my expenses and quite frankly my changing tastes in comic books.

I'm still following Batman which recently saw new writer Chip Zdarsky take over the title with a pretty strong opening storyline involving the Penguin and a new villain called Failsafe. Jorge Jiminez is back on the art which is a good thing; he's my favorite modern Batman artist.  

Art by Jorge Jiminez

I'm also still reading I Am Batman, the monthly series written by Academy Award winning screen writer John Ridley that features Jace Fox as Batman. 

I found the opening issues of this series to be bit wobbly with inconsistent art.  But Jace Fox moving out of Gotham City into New York City has revitalized my interest in this series. And artist Christian Duce is a major find for this series.

Art by Christian Duce

I am also reading Dark Crisis which recently rebranded itself as Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths. Writer Joshua Williamson does excellent character work with a sprawling cast but I'm not quite sure what the through line for the actual plot.  In the aftermath of the death of the Justice League, Deathstroke is leading a massive Secret Society of Super Villains to rise up against all the surviving heroes on Earth for the purpose...  well, apparently just to stir shit up.  That does seem to Deathstroke's marching orders from Pariah.  

Daniel Sampere is an excellent choice for artist, perfectly capturing a variety of characters from street level to cosmic powered.  

art by Daniel Sampere

I am also reading the mini-series Justice League vs. the Legion of Super Heroes (which I assume takes place before Dark Crisis.) 

Brian Michael Bendis's take on the Legion has been admittedly frustrating. Legion by it's very nature has a sprawling cast and Bendis when he relauched Legion about 2 years ago decided to reinvent every one of them. All at once. Which means his Legion run has been a bit of a mess. Which is a shame as he really has some really cool takes on some classic Legionnaires.  His version of Triplicate Girl has been particularly fascinating.  

So adding the entirety of the Justice League to the mix is a recipe for disaster. And the first couple of issues were a slog to get through.  But as the series reaches it's denouement, Bendis has found his groove and I'm quite enjoying this exploration of the DC Universe. When you have a time travel epic that brings in the Golden Age Justice Society of America and Jack Kirby's Kamandi, the Last Boy On Earth, well, you have my attention. 

JL vs. LSH also benefits from an artist well suited to the task of juggling a "cast of thousands" with Scott Godlewski who has a very clean line and is very good with expressive faces.  

Art by Scott Godlewski 

I'm not entirely sure but I might have a potentially valuable comic with Justice League vs. the Legion of Super Heroes#5. My copy was printed with double covers. I wonder how many others were printed like that? Printing glitches like that can make a comic more valuable.