Vinny’s Comic Picks of the Week!
The Terrifics #1 (DC Comics)
Runners Up: Thanos #16 (Marvel Comics), Milk Wars Part 5 – Doom Patrol/Justice League America #1
It has been quite a long time since I’ve been as excited for a new book as I was for The Terrifics. With Jeff Lemire coming off of a stellar run on Thanos, I couldn’t wait to see him back in the driver’s seat of a distinctly Superhero title. What I didn’t know at the time was how artist driven The New Age of Heroes initiative was to be. Ivan Reis gets top billing here and, after seeing this one, he and frequent collaborator Joe Prado deserve the credit. The Terrifcs is an action-packed book, with stunning visuals. They waste little time giving out origins and, honestly, that’s refreshing. The three principal characters (well, the fourth isn’t really one here) are all long-standing figures in the DC Universe, and I can only hope that this book encourages new fans to dig through some back issues for insight. Hitting the ground running allows the narrative to unfold quickly, without ever feeling rushed. A lot of buzz around this book deals with its rather overt tribute to the currently absent Fantastic Four, but even by issue’s end, it is clear that there are plenty of unique adventures to come. It also felt quite a bit like Johns’ JSA, which makes me quite happy.
Donny Cates and Geoff Shaw’s Thanos might be the biggest buzz book Marvel has today, and that’s for good reason. The pair are crafting one of the most enjoyable yarns in all of comics, dashing away the serious tone of most of the Marvel Universe for a romp through an especially bizarre alternate future. This issue features the origin of the red-hot Cosmic Ghost Rider, and is apparently already selling for more than it’s cover price. While I’m not big on speculation, if you want this one, you should probably act fast.
This week’s final nod goes to Doom Patrol/Justice League America #1, written by Steve Orlando and Gerard Way. The book changes looks throughout, and features art from the team of Dale Eaglesham, Nick Derington, Tamra Bonvillain and Marissa Louise. The Milk Wars event, while always entertaining, has had a hard time really catching as it moves through its mind-bending narrative. In this final installment, the team really brings it together, not only creating a satisfying issue, but capping it off with a big reveal. If you’ve been reading and felt like maybe it wasn’t worth the investment, pick this one up. I’m sure you’ll be satisfied.