The Longbox Short-List - Week of May 11, 2016
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Welcome back to Critical Blast’s weekly look at what new comics you should check out each week. Just a warning, I make these picks pretty much a week BEFORE I actually get to read any of these comics, so if something is a stinker, I take no blame on that. Let's get to it!
HOUSE OF PENANCE #2 - I hadn't even heard of this series until a friend suggested it. It's a terrific horror comic by Peter Tomasi. Tomasi has quickly become one of my favorite superhero writers, but House of Penance shows that he has a lot of range. Definitely worth a look.
GWENPOOL #2 - Another book I was expecting to have no interest in. Picked this up on a whime, and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The first issue was funny, but with a lot of great characterization and a prettt strong shock ending. Gwenpool could be everything that Spider-Gwen was not for me...
BATMAN/TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #6 - This crossover was pretty much everything I was hoping for. They have done a terrific job fleshing out the characters and making Shredder into a convincing threat. Seeing the inhabitants of Arkham turned into mutants was crazy, but in a fun way!
BACK TO THE FUTURE: CITIZEN BROWN #1 - While I have enjoyed IDW's Back to the Future series, I was surrpised to see them trying to do a second series. I didn't really think there was a need for it, but hey if the market can sustain it, who am I to judge...
THE FIX #2 - I love Nick Spencer, and the first issue was brilliant. This series is very much in the spirit of Superior Foes of Spider-Man, and I can't ask for more than that.
VISION #7 - This series is what nightmares are made up. Kind of bummed that Tom King went DC exclusive so his run will be ending with issue 12. But to the fair, I am not sure this series could go on all that much longer. Brilliant book, but epicly disturbing.
ACTION COMICS #52 and BATMAN #52 - More DC books reach the "finish" line before DC Rebirth. Super-League has been a great Superman arc; though it looks like Batman will be ending it's run on a whimper. Scott Synder didn't even write this issue.
BLACK PANTHER #2 - I was really looking forward to the first issue of this series, but I will admit that I didn't love it. Hopefully this series will right itself quickly. For some reason, it feels like most of Marvel's "BIG NEWS" series are just kind of okay while their less shiny books are much better.
