When I sit in a movie theater for two hours plus I don’t mind an event. I don’t expect a serial that will be concluded with the next movie although the ties that bind can sometimes be very pleasing and/or rewarding. Having just seen Iron Man 3 I wish Marvel could make Iron Man comics like that! And it only takes me half an instant to realize what a stupid statement that is… I don’t read the Iron Man comics. They could be very good, I’d never know it. The attraction I have to Iron Man is probably the same thing that kept me away from Transformers. I like seeing the armor move and fly and ‘suit Tony up’, and the comic book page just can’t do that visual justice. I never got into Transformers because I just didn’t ‘see’ the transformation or the change. By the time the movie came along I just couldn’t have cared less.
Now Iron Man, I’ve read some good Iron Man stories, but I’ve been so turned off to Marvel Comics lately that I’m learning to just not care. In the comics everything seems to be an event. These are serializations that need to continue into next month and beyond. I don’t even mind the approach that everything should be written as a story arc to be later collected as a hardcover or trade. What’s so wrong with just telling a story? Remember the “good old days” when a month might bring an issue when absolutely nothing happened? There might be supporting cast issues, or a residence change, or a graduation... but they were threads moving along the story or setting up something that would happen later. It was those character moments that had us attached to and invested in our favorite characters and books.
We need more moments. This week these are some of the comics that I might be looking for moments in, starting with the Dragon Resurrection graphic novel, $17.99, by Mark Byers, Erfan Fajar, Sakti Yuwono, and Dark Horse Comics. When Jesse Chang discovers the remains of an actual dragon frozen in the mountains of Tibet and sends a DNA sample to her geneticist twin brother Jack, he sets to work unlocking its potential to improve the human genome. However, a rogue American general has a plan of his own after learning of this discovery and unwittingly unleashes the ancient powers of the dragon…
Exile to Babylon tp, $14.99, written by David Lapham and drawn by Patric Reynolds and Matthew Southworth is a post-apocalyptic story I’m not quite sure about, but I’m mostly a fan of Lapham’s work so this has hit my radar…
Aquaman hardcover volume two The Others, $22.99, by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, and Joe Prado has to be mentioned, but it’s a bittersweet release. Collecting Aquaman #7 – 13, this is the follow up to the highly praised The Trench, and it deserved every good thing that could have been said about it and more. My problem with this is #20 is currently due and that’s a long time to wait for a collection. DC Comics should have released this book six months ago…
Valiant Entertainment is just the crown jewel of the comics industry for my money and this week we’ve got Bloodshot #11, $3.99, by Duane Swierczynski and Barry Kitson with a cover illustration by Matthew Clark continues the Harbinger Wars. Now that started a little slow for me considering everything else the new Valiant’s done but that’s become a moot point as I’m still waiting impatiently for each next chapter…
While we're talking about waiting for what’s next? X-O Manowar #13, $3.99, written by Robert Venditti and illustrated by Cary Nord with cover art by Trevor Hairsine is part III of the explosive Planet Death story, and that has been super-spectacular. When I think it can’t get any better, this year’s Free Comic Book Day book teases Unity and further communications from Valiant have said that the Road to Unity starts in X-O. Now THAT, I can’t wait for!
.. And plenty more that are not listed. For a more complete list, feel free to visit your local comic store or favorite site. If you’re interested in more of what I think, follow me on Twitter at Mycomicstore001 or like my Facebook page.
Michael R. Murray is a full time Letter Carrier for the United States Postal Service who’s really hoping that the Valiant Masters hardcovers are a preparation for the hardcover collections of the new material. Please!