Vinny’s Comic Picks of the Week!
Future Quest Presents #10 (DC Comics)
Runners Up: Batman #47 (DC Comics), Justice League: No Justice #2 (DC Comics)
DC takes the week, but with three very different books.
Future Quest Presents gives us a tale of The Herculoids, but not one that you’d necessarily expect. Aaron Lopresti provides the type of classic imagery that Hanna-Barbera characters demand. Every panel feels like it could be a scene from an animated feature. Veteran writer Rob Williams pens this one and it is, by far, my favorite single issue of the anthology. I can’t help but feel that this clash between Dorno and the devious Animan has been stewing in Williams head for quite a long time. It is both an episode of the show I wish was animated, and an advancement of the concept. By issue’s end, it has both fully embraced its Alex Toth roots and pushed it well into Kirby territory. If they are planning any series spin-offs, I hope Williams and Lopresti get to tackle a monthly Herculoids book.
Tom King, Tony Daniel and Sandu Florea take us back to the terrifying alternate future that was meant to be a gift in Batman. I am endlessly impressed by King’s ability to take established characters and throw them into unique narratives without losing any of their essential elements. The Gift has been a truly surprising arc, especially since it fell between what one might consider far more important ones. Tony Daniel and Sandu Florea knock the visuals out of the park, especially when it comes to a Booster who has, in this tale (pardon my french) seen some shit. With King readily admitting that this is just the beginning of a resurgence for the character, I hope that we see the greatest hero you’ve never heard of in Batman again. Maybe it will have something to do with that rumored coming CRISIS.
Last up is the blockbuster Justice League: No Justice from Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Joshua Williamson, Marcus To and Francis Manapul. Just by looking at the line up of talent on this book, you know it is meant to be a cornerstone in the current DCU machinations. This second issue improved greatly over the first and the writing team does a wonderful job of balancing a large cast. I’m not sure that this needed to be separated from the most recent volume of Justice League, but the story has really gotten interesting. I won’t ruin it, but there is a surprise appearance that will interest fans of the Eighties and Nineties DCU