Though this week was full of holiday joy, presents and time spent with family, there wasn't much going on in the comic book world. But hey, that's alright.
We got a brand new trailer for Deadpool on Christmas Day and, well, that't about it. The movie continues to look faithful and awesome and is brutal compared to Deadpool's current comic book persona. In his ongoing series and appearances, he's a member of the Uncanny Avengers, and he's attempting to not kill anyone in the name of justice. Weird, huh?
No matter which side you're on, let's take a look at this week's offerings:
Marvel Comics
Astonishing Ant-Man #3
Lately, Scott Lang has been dealing with this new app called Hench. Essentially Uber for super villains, Hench allows different bad guys to call in mercenaries with a set of skills necessary to take down any particular hero. In this issue, new Captain America Sam Wilson makes an appearance in Miami to hijack a S.H.I.E.L.D. shipment and enlists the help of the best thief he knows, Ant-Man.
When it looks like Lang's ex-girlfriend Darla Deering is partnered up with Hench and involved with this shipment, things get a little weird. Of course, Lang doesn't know that just yet. But as a series, Ant-Man continues to be funny, self-aware and essentially anything one could want out of a Scott Lang comic. I just wish Marvel didn't ignore Hank Pym so much.
Extraordinary X-Men #4
With the creative team that this book has (Jeff Lemire and Humberto Ramos) it's about time things started getting interesting. With Mister Sinister setting up to be the big bad and the Inhuman threat on the horizon, things are tough for the X-Men.
But what this series and this issue in particular do well is deliver on the interactions between X-Men that have taken a back seat in the last few years. Characters like Nightcrawler and Colossus are back at the forefront of the gang with Storm at the helm. The dynamic between Old Man Logan and young Jean Grey is also interesting and super weird.
Patsy Walker A.K.A. Hellcat #1
Some of you may know Patsy Walker as Trish in the recent Netflix series, Jessica Jones, but Patsy Walker as a hero has been around for a pretty long time. And this series is similar to Archie in the fact that it's bringing an old school serial character into the modern day with a classic look and relatable circumstance.
Walker has to deal with being recognized by the public for her appearances in comic books, manage her powers and work retail. Yes, Patsy Walker is going to work retail. It's another book that will hopefully broaden Marvel's creative tank and branch them out a bit.
Other releases to look out for: Spider-Woman #2, Star-Lord #2, Venom Space Knight #2
DC Comics
Batman and Robin Eternal #12
Man, this series is getting brutal. In this issue, Dick Grayson seeks to learn more about Mother and the deal she struck with Batman. Turns out that day deal happened to involve killing children, which is something Mother likes to make others do. It's awfully sickening.
But in a flashback scene between Mother and Bats we get to see the effect of Mother's abilities, which seem to border on mind control and indoctrination. But from what we know about Batman, this doesn't seem like something he'd do. He probably played the long game.
Dark Knight III The Master Race #2
Well, without spoiling it, we do learn what the title of the series means in this issue. Anyways, Frank Miller really does still know how to tell a story, and it shows. Sure, this takes place out of regular continuity, but many of these characters still feel so recognizable.
Batman is long gone, so it seems, and Superman and Wonder Woman have a daughter. Also, the new Atom is working on something very, very ambitious. You don't have to read The Dark Knight Returns and its sequel to understand what's going on here, but you'll probably want to. It's more than worth it.
Superman #47
Still no powers for Superman. At first, this was a welcome change to the character, but when you have Supes still kicking butt in the Justice League ongoing, it's hard to go back to a Clark Kent that can only punch kinda sorta hard. But this issue does have some payoff.
Hordr_root finally gets what's coming to him, and we can all only assume what that is. But, a twist! He has left his memories in the mind of Jimmy Olsen, and a villain from the past seems to be behind it all. Looks like an Action Comics / Superman crossover may be on its way.
Other releases to look out for: Cyborg #6, Robin Son of Batman #7, Sinestro #18
Winner - Marvel Comics
With a great first issue for Patsy Walker and the continued adventures of the X-Men and Ant-Man, Marvel is driving full force through their line-wide reboot, and it's awesome. While there may be a lot of confusion surrounding many of Marvel's titles and how they connect, it looks like the Inhuman threat is making its way into all of them.
And it wasn't too bad of a showing from DC this week, but we're still missing classic Batman and Superman. We're sure it's coming, but that'll be a prize for another day.
Indie Spotlight
Saga #32
While Saga recently had a pretty significant time jump, focusing on the daughter of Marko and Alana, this issue takes a look at what parents will do to find their missing child. Since its start, Saga has been known for being suspenseful, emotional and extremely graphic, both sexually and violence-wise.
And it works for the book, with this issue bringing things back into focus. We see Marko and Alana following the trail of their daughter and we get to see what some of our favorite side characters have been up to. Now, where is The Will?
Other releases to look out for: Chew #53, Deadly Class #17, Pretty Deadly #7
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