Vinny’s Comic Picks of the Week!
Superman #37 & Super Sons #11 Super Sons of Tomorrow (DC Comics)
Runner Up: Quantum + Woody #1 (Valiant Comics)
This week, Pete Tomasi and Patrick Gleason, along with their art team of Doug Mahnke, Jaime Mendoza and Jorge Jimenez, treat us to a single arc tie for my pick. Running through both Superman and Super Sons, Super Sons of Tomorrow brings back Geoff Johns’ brutal Titans Tomorrow Batman, a Tim Drake from an alternate future who carries the gun that killed The Waynes. This isn’t the first time that the possible Bat has shown his face in the Post-Rebirth DCU, he was being held by Mr. Oz alongside his more familiar version in Detective Comics’ A Lonely Place of Living arc. While I expected to have either Dark Nights: Metal or Batman on my picks this week, these books simply pushed those two excellent titles out of the picture. Some of the best rebuilding of both the standard DCU and its multiverse is being done outside of event books. This arc has ties to both that and ye olde Hypertime, a concept that would allow many familiar alternates to return to the fold. That said, the crossover is anchored in Superman and that alone leads me to believe that something bigger is happening here. Since Rebirth, and even with the crossovers, Superman has remained the linchpin of continuity. They might not always get the spotlight, Tomasi and Gleason have been doing a lot of the heavy lifting continuity wise. I’ve written about this in length before, so I won’t dig too much deeper, but if you’re a long standing fan, Superman is built for you. There must be a reason that Oz took this future Batman out of play and we’ll probably know why very soon, Heck, even if you’re just looking for the next hot story, you should probably check this one out.
Colbert writer Daniel Kibblesmith and veteran artist Kano bring us Quantum + Woody #1, a relaunch of the cult classic comic. The team does a wonderful job of reintroducing the characters and moving into a storyline that will intrigue readers both new and old. It reads like a genuine first issue, but rings true as a reboot as well. Kano’s work is especially impressive here, as it often veers away from typical superhero action. It’s nice to see the pair back on shelves and I can’t help but mention that Christopher Priest is one of their creators. Priest should be a legend in this business already, and I think he might be soon. Oh, also, if you buy the awesome chromium cover, you’ll be happy to see that it is made with authentic 90’s materials. Seriously.