A Descent into Dullness

New New Warriors with some Avengers attacking like jerks.  I don't like the current interpretation of Captain America as Commander Jerkass.  This is one case where I'd very much like to see the character move back towards the version in the film MCU...

Thanks to a friendly undead sorceror-king, King Conan gets the magic gemstone of McGuffin and heads back to his kingdom.  To gather a big ol' army for a royal ass-kicking..

Non-royal Conan the Avenger parts ways with his new witchfinder friend in order to take a job guarding a sexy arrogant princess.  Plus a nice speech from his dad in a flashback that a GM for old-school D&D can explain why barbarians won't adventure with wizards.  Because fuck wizards, thats why...

The Unwritten: Apocalypse has Tommy and his friends and family begin their quest for the Grail.  And Marionette lady and Ol' Man Killer make plans together...

Wonder Woman's eldest half-sibling, the Firstborn, continues to be a big violent, sulky baby even after conquering Olympus and Hades and I think the Ocean as well.  Next up, the Garden of Life.  Seriously, hes such an emo whiner...

Decided to get the singles for the new TMNT: Turtles in Time mini-series.  Mostly 'cause the first issue is done by Ross Campbell who draws an awesome Ninja Turtle and some great dinosaurs and brain aliens as well...

Aku's latest attack on Samurai Jack involves a gravity manipulating spherical robot.  You can guess how it works out...

In Adventure Time, PB explains to her people why they're all ghosts now.  And then Finn & Jake figure out how to defeat ghosts with ghosts thru the power of cooperation...

So it turns out the missing Prince Robot of Saga has been at the intergalatic whore house of Sextillion.  Which may be for the best as the social order in the Robot kingdom looks to be due for some shaking up...

Man, that is a lot of deaths in Invincible as Robot makes his play for global domination.  And I'm not talking nameless background people.  Like named, secondary characters.  Seriously when making plans, a sign they're stupid and wrong should be "How many of my closest friends will I have to murder?"

Malcolm Dragon continues in his father's footsteps of getting attacked by super-goons and then getting yelled at for the people caught in the spillover in Savage Dragon.  Plus his girlfriend's parents are still pushing her to date some nice Chinese boy...

Fatale closes in on its finale, with magic sex rituals and more revelations about Jo's past.  Awful, terrible revelations...

The Wicked & the Divine is a new series from Kieron GIllen and Jamie McKelvie.  The set-up here is that every 90 years, groups of "gods" reincarnate and hang around for several years, incarnated as teen-agers apparently...

And finally a new Alien Legion series from Chuck Dixon, Larry Stroman and Carl Potts.  Stroman's pencils look a lot tighter and more focused than the last thing I saw him do (probably a random issue of X-Factor).  Anyway, something Harkilon civil war something something refugees something.  All that matters as the Legionnaires of Nomad will be at the forefront wading hip-deep in the muck and blood before long.  I was dissapointed not to see the 'icks, who I'm pretty sure survived the last AL mini...

Samurai Jack and the Scottsman go after a stone giant on behalf of some asshole leprechauns in order to get their magical transgender curse lifted...

Having just finished a session involving several level 10+ clerics I question the current campaign in Knights of the Dinner Table.  Sure the evil PCs and their intelligent sword boss have an army of undead.  But I'm pretty sure assaulting a major city means dealing with at least a couple temples that have clergy capable of dropping some Holy Word or heavier divine magic.  Also the Black Hands story where Newt's character gets molested by an owl bear because of reasons may be a step over a humor line...

Tomas, the lead of the Saviors seems to have survived the butchery of the alien resistance he had just joined thru sheer luck.  And the alien attacker's desire to toy with potential prey.  Also artist J. Bone draws a nice Day of the Dead celebration...

Not even a Savage Dragon cameo in his own book, just Malcolm flashing back to some childhood trauma, dealing with some wannabe hangers-on and a super-villain fight.  New baddie Tantrum does a pretty unique visual.  Larsen can often pull out some great character designs...

Invincible gets back to his home Earth only to get dumped by Atom Eve and then raped by one of the female Viltrumite who wants to conceive a child with him.  So yeah, that happens...

Grabbed the first issue of Kaboom!s new Lumberjanes book.  Action girl adventure at a kind of summer camp for adventurer/sort of girl scouts.  I could wish that co-writer Noelle Stevenson was also doing the interior art, by Brooke Allen is pretty talented...

The lastest Adventure Time has Finn & Jake trying to engage in ghostly activities, which they are not very good at.  But it also has BMO going on a pretend date with Ice King, which he is good at.  And in the back-up story Ice King manufactures a civil war in the Jelly Donut kingdom...

So I guess Dead Boy Detectives is an on-going?  I could have sworn it was just a limited.  Anyway Charles and Edwin move into Crystal's mansion after the whole burning down the school.  Or at least the tree house of the mansion.  Plus Edwin takes on a case of a cursed mirror and a pair of 19th century ghost girls...

Another one-shot story for Astro City with a day in the life of the equivilant to the Sorceror Supreme.  Or day in the life of her secretary anyway...

While the First Born consilidates his hold on Olympus Wonder Woman and her allies attempt to rally the restored Amazons to their cause.  Also a brief look at the ongoing torture of Olympian predecessor Cronus...

Conan the Avenger by Fred Van Lente picks up as the new Conan ongoing where the Wood series ended.  Artist Brian Ching is far from bad, though his Conan is kind of skinny.  Plus he gives really huge mouths.  One panel of Conan quaffing wine almost looks like the top of his head is unhinging.  Still, miles better than the guy Van Lente was working with on his Conan limited...

The latest Dark Horse Presents is a bit short on content that interests me much.  Still the first story in it is a start of a "Usagi Yojimbo" tale.  Also some more "Mr. Monster" and "Davey Jones"...

Saga finishes up its first big arc and goes on a brief break with remarkably few casualties.  Which is to say, new casualties...

I'm still on the fence with the Saviors, James Robinson & J. Bone's secret alien invaders book.  But that is a strong team worth giving more than a couple issues too, to see what they're building towards...

I wasn't expecting that betrayal in Invincible.  Though Ottley seems to be slacking a little on some of the pencil work...

Pretty Deadly finishes its set-up and I'm definitely intrigued by its cosmology to want to see more.  Something I'd been pretty hesitant of from the first couple issues...

Volume Two of the Unwritten starts off with a couple fables and visits to various talking animals of a Wonderland, Narnian and 100 Acre Woods varieties.  And then a return to the "real" world...

Its always good to get a Wonder Woman issue where Chiang does all the art not just the cover.  And Olympian family continues to put the Dis in dysfunctional...

Samurai Jack's quest for a piece of the time travel thread leads him to a frozen land with a cruel and selfish un-aging queen...

The Adventure Time 2014 Winter Special presents a variety of winter tales.  With magical sweaters and snow and fire dogs and ice and Lemongrab and ice cream...

The Brian Wood Conan the Barbarian comes to close with a Queen's funeral and a pile of dead monsters...

And finally some Dark Horse Presents with some Hellboy, Nexus and Alabaster.  And Roman dragon fighting, crime noir and apocalyptic invasions...

How strange to be getting this done on the actual day.  Been a while since I've managed that...

Starting with Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard.  This second issue of the second volume has a silent mermouse story by Christian Slade, a spelunking and badger avoidance tale from Rick Geary and finally a ghost story from Jemma Salume.  Plus the always wonderful words and pictures in the cover and bridging pages by David Petersen...

Then both Invincible and Invicible Universe.  The latter has the Guardians taking on a super-powered stand in for North Korea's Kim Jung-Un.  And tthen the original is basically moments in a day in the life for Invincible, OmniMan and Robot...

Though I've also got the one title from last week, Saucer Country. Which hopefully isn't the final issue like I thought, since it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger involving the origin of the Naked Magic Couple...

Wonder Woman, War and Orion (the New God not the Olympian) continue on their Baby Rescue mission...

New Dark Horse Presents, but sadly no new "Finder" this issue. There is an alt-history story about Custer by Howard Chaykin. And a "Fish Police" story, except in some pre-historic setting. Oh and an interview with artist Geof Darrow...

Poor ol' Conan the Barbarian still having relationship problems. Even after following Belit to Shem. And artist Mirko Colak comes close to making me not miss Becky Cloonan on this book...

Between Foggy's cancer and seeing if his last relationship is salvagable, Daredevil hasn't had much time to dedicate to finding out who is screwing with his life. Which means that person mails a box of experimented on attack dogs to his his office...

The Dark Avengers may be getting closer to solving the mystery of Marvel Super Gang Fight World. Or maybe they're just getting close to falling afoul of one of the battling warlords...

Saga has a happy rescue and a sad death and some boning. And Alana has a filthy, filthy mouth...

Still in the picking up the pieces stage on Invincible from Dinosaurus' attempt at population control. Also I can't help but smile at how the major weakness for male Viltrumite's is love...

Adventure Time finishes up the crazy jerk A.I. thats taken over all the other robots story. Plus a second Princess Finn back-up story. With Ice King princess-napping Finn...

And finally decided to check-out the relaunch of Poison Elves. It picks up right where Drew left things before his death and then changes things up by having Luse move away from the Gather Up All My Buds Rescue Jace/Wisp plan...

Starting with Marvel we've got Dark Avengers. Where the newly repaired USAgent takes the lead of the titular Avengers' knock-offs, comes up with a bare bones plan to free Moonstone and Skaar and then rescue Reed Richards from King of the Monsters Ben Grimm before Sue, Queen of Atlantis drops the Atlantic Ocean onto Manhattan...

The new Kieron Gillen written Young Avengers is off to a pretty great start. Hell, he and artistic partner Jamie McKelvie actually get to show Wiccan and Hulkling kissing. PLUS Kid Loki and Marvel Boy. The Morrison created one...

Moving over to DC/Vertigo with Wonder Woman. Where the accidental super-hero fight gets stopped almost before it can begin. Also Zola and Hera go out drinking. AND Still Unnamed First Son of Zeus dude beats up some giant ice dudes..

Saucer Country has a story about faeries and how they may be connected with current UFOology stuff. Its a real pity this series is getting cancelled, so early in its run. Hopefully, Paul Cornell will find a way to do more with this, since there is no possible way for him to wrap this up in the few remaining issues...

The Unwritten is back to the "real" world. In that its a world where dyslexic Aussie cops team up with a vampire reporter to investigate a case of murder-by-zombie...

Stumptown ends its second volume, with the mystery of the stolen & returned guitar solved, some skinhead drug dealers busted and Dex even gets a bonus out of it...

Courtney Crumrin attempts to take refuge with the Lady of Goblin Town, but her uncle follows her even into that twilight realm...

The latest Adventure Time tricks you into thinking its going to be one of those damned Lumpy Space Princess centric episodes, but then its all about giant bunches of wizards. I personally want to find out more about Otter Magi...

Given the grim ads of the last few months. And the very death centric covers, the 100th issue of Invincible is more than a bit of a fake out...

Glory and her gang take a break to chill and check in with loved ones before preparing to face the apparently unstoppable Knight of Thule...

Amidst all the regular super-weird scifi awesomeness of Prophet is a sort-of cameo by Supreme. Making three somewhat unexpected eXtreme Studios characters showing up. Maybe next they'll have, I don't know, Brigade or Vogue...

The strips of the latest Knights of the Dinner Table are book-ended by the Knights to start, with a off his game Brian. And the Black Hands at the end, where poor Gordo's campaign setting is getting thoroughly trashed...

The Massive ends with a surprising supposed betrayal aboard the floating drilling rig/city state....

And finally the latest Dark Horse Presents with more "Finder", "X", that Pokemon parody, "Resident Alien", some supers thing by Michael Avon Oeming and other stories...

Not much this week, though I flipped thru the latest Spider-Man book because it had him teamed with Devil Dinosaur. They should bring back Marvel Team-Up as a webcomic or something...

From the books I actually bought, Guarding the Globe doesn't have any Le Bruiser this issue, but it does have a heroic sacrifice. And Best Tiger the blind Hong Kong gunfighter who is almost as cool as Le Bruiser...

And Invincible is repowered but still having Bulletproof use his name. Wanting to spend more big picture time with his pal Dinosaurus. Who has decided to engage in another desperate act that he thinks will save humanity from itself...

And lastly Stumptown where we get two car chases because rock star Mim can't listen...

Two weeks worth of comics because..well because..um..because shut up thats why. Yeah, thats why...

Starting with some Courtney Crumrin, with Courtney and her teacher on the road and battling the hunters of the Council...

Then a one-shot return to Marvel's zombie Earth for Van Lente with Marvel Zombies Halloween. And a survivor story with a holiday appropriate guest spot...

Next Daredevil reveals the mastermind behind the whole Matt-is-crazypants plot. And while I can always appreciate a good D-level villain reinvents themselves tale I still am amazed that Daredevil figures out who it is without ever even thinking "vampire". 'Cause I totally would have gone with vampire...

the Dark Avengers face off against the returned full team of Thunderbolts. They don't come off so well. Especially as that includes a re-empowered Cain Marko...

Saucer Country is past the world/mythos building to get back to the focus on the joint presidential race/x-files investigation...

Decided to at least try out the new Sword of Sorcery title from DC, since Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld was always one of those off-genre bits of the DCU I've been curious about. Its a decent if somewhat stereotypical lost heir to the magical kingdom thing. Still its a hard sell at $4 for 20 pages with the "extra" value of a re-imagined Beowulf back-up story....

Wonder Woman begins its new big story arc with Diana and her allies, including a banished from Olympus Hera, looking for allies amidst Zeus other demi-divine children...

Glory and company set off from her base to begin searching for her little sister, Nanaja. Who is basically Glory with all the brakes taken off...

And then we've got Savage Dragon with more alien invasion aftermath for Malcom and Angel Dragon. Plus some more violent overreaction by the new Overlord...

Then its this week starting with the Unwritten. And Tommy goes on a walkabout back into the world's of fiction by after hearing the Australian whale origin myth of Kondili...

I also grabbed the A-Babies Vs. X-Babies one-shot. 'Cause Skottie Young and Gurihiru writing and drawing half the Marvel Universe as brawling babies is too adorable for words...

Over on Adventure Time Finn & Jake engage in multiple time trips and crazy Princess Bubblegum science-ings in order to get back to the status quo they started from...

The majority of the Knights of the Dinner Table cast is still at Garycon. Where we learn that Felicia Day is so magical she can even overcome Brian's near crippling shyness around women he's attracted too...

And then a doubleshot of Brandon Graham. First off with the scifi crazy awesomeness of Prophet. And then a different kind of scifi crazy with the return of his Multiple Warheads series. Which is totally crammed with visual puns and concepts, much like his King City. MW follows Sexica, former alien organ smuggler and her werewolf boyfriend Nikou as they go on a road trip in search of a new life and home...

After that Invincible wraps up the Flaxan/Robot/Monster Girl story. Relationships are rebuilt, secrets are revealed, secrets are kept, love is confessed and awkward sex is had. Not necessarily all by the same people...

And finally a new Dark Horse Presents. With "Finder" getting the main cover this time around. Plus a "Mr. Monster" story that features Munden's Bar...

First up I went and grabbed Godzilla: the Half Century War off the older racks. This is the Godzilla book from IDW by James Stokoe, who does the sublime Orc Stain. There is at least one other Godzilla ongoing, but its kind of crap from what I've seen of it. Stokoe's book is pretty darn sweet...

Next up is the Scalped final issue. Some people die, some people step into new roles and on the Rez not much changes at all. Still a few characters manage to find some kind of redemption of a sort...

The Unwritten has Tommy giving a speaking engagement and meeting up with the remains of Tommy cult. As well as Detective Patterson, Danny the Reader and the unicorn...

The latest Courtney Crumrin is mostly flashbacks to the back-story for the tragedy of Skarrow the Changeling...

The comic portions of Knights of the Dinner Table step away from the various campaigns to focus on Gamer's Court and Bob's trial. Though there is a nice moment where Nitro basically tells Skip and Hard8 to basically go fuck themselves over trying to exploit his kid's table gaming group...

Jake & Finn are now stuck in their near future on Adventure Time thanks to messing around with Bubblegum's time machine. And the near future is all messed up with the evil robots...

More flashbackery as Invincible continues to cut between the current Flaxian invasion and Robot and Monster Girl's long sojourn on their home world...

And finally Dark Horse Presents. Not my favorite installment of the anthology series. Yeah, Carla Speed McNeil's "Finder" bit is always great. And its always nice to see some new "Nexus" from Baron & Rude. And Nate Cosby & Evan Shaner's "Buddy Cops" and Mike Russell's "Sabretooth Vampire" are pretty darn funny. But most of the rest of the stories or chapters are mostly meh. Sadly including the latest for "Ghost" and "Aliens"...

Invincible continues to only have a limited amount of its titular character. Instead mostly focusing on Invinci-Bulletproof. And also what happened with Monster Girl and Robot when they trapped in that alien universe...

The creepiest part of Saucer Country isn't the possibility of actual aliens. But that the UFOologist stuff is based on real people...

The Shade moves into its final arc, with a return to London and Frazer Irving as the new artist...

With Resurrection Man slated for the next round of cancellation it looks like DnA is working to at least finish up their main story. Sadly, I think I'll have to consider Resurrection Man to have been similar to the relaunched Static Shock. Something that never really approached its potential...

After numerous prequel samples in DHP, Brian Wood launches the Massive. A post-apocalyptic oceanic scifi story...

And also from Wood is a new Conan the Barbarian. Still Harren instead of Cloonan on art. And the dude on the cover really, really, really doesn't look like Conan. But on the plus side Conan totally messes up a dude and his girlfriend does a number on some guards...

And lastly Knights of the Dinner Table has the Knights back on their regular campaign world after pretty much blowing up Bag World. Plus Tank helps to coach Crutch for another attempt to pass his GM credentials test. I'm always glad to see strips with Crutch in them...