The Longbox Short-List - Week of December 30, 2015

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!

Comics shipping this week

This is the last week of comics in 2015. Not a lot of new series coming out, but still quite a few books I want to talk about...

MEGA MAN #55 - This issue actually came out digitally last week. I have really been enjoying Mega Man, and it is a shame that the series ended...or is "on hiatus" as Archie has said. Either way, it means no Mega Man comics for the foreseeable future. As a fan of the stories, I was disappointed in the way the series ended. This entire issue is a series of pinups of the various Mega Man incarnations over the year as the characters try to figure out what the legacy of Doctor Light will be. It was a cool concept, but I would have rather seen some of the hanging plotlines dealt with instead of paying $4 for a bunch of pinups. 

INJUSTICE GODS AMONG US FOUR ANNUAL #1 - DC has started their fifth season (they aren't really a year long) of digital comics set before the video game Injustice: Gods Among Us. Honestly, I would have never believed there was enough content there to make this work, but the digital comics have been very good. I think this is the last season. I kind of hope they make some epilogue series set after the video game as this has been a terrific expansion of a very unique alternate version of the DC Universe.

SAVAGE DRAGON #210 - For the first time in maybe the history of comics, we got a very beautiful and uninterrupted wedding issue. BUT, the last page was still pretty horrific. A few issues back, an ex girlfriend had claimed that she had gotten pregnant by Malcolm. She later retracted it, saying it was all a publicity stunt. Issue 210 ended with the reader finding out that not only was she pregnant, but when the baby was born it ended up killing her...and now drags her dead body along with him. Savage Dragon is often a disturbing comic, but I give Larsen a lot of credit for never pulling any punches. 

OBI-WAN AND ANAKIN #1 - I have been enjoying Marvel's Star Wars comics quite a bit. But most of them have been set during the events of the original trilogy. It is nice to see them expanding a little more, though Clone Wars seemed like it told us pretty much everything we could ever need to know about Obi-Wan and Anakin. But I am looking forward to this series anyway.

SQUADRON SUPREME #2 - I wasn't expecting much from this series, but James Robinson really blew me away on the first issue. A lot of people have complained about how they killed Namor, but Namor has been in need of some justice for a very long time now. The Squadron Supreme seem determined to remake the world, by any means necessary, which is definitely in line with what makes Squadron Supreme such a unique comic.

RINGSIDE #2 - Another solid new series from Image. It is always great to see someone trying new genres in comics. Too often, the market is oversaturated with superhero comics. Ringside focuses on the world of professional wrestling, and I really enjoyed the first issue. Can't wait to see where this series goes. 

CAPTAIN AMERICA: WHITE #5 - I love when Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale team up to tell stories set in the past of characters. Long Dark Halloween and the various "Marvel color" series are some of my favorite comics. It took a while for Captain America: White to come out, but it's definitely classic Loeb/Sale. Definitely a nice way to get pumped up for Captain America: Civil War.

FLASH #47 - The current Reverse Flash story has been a very fresh take on the character. It shares some similarities with the Flash TV series, but there is still plenty new here to keep me interested. This storyline has dragged on a little, but I still like that it's trying to do something very new. I am real curious how it all ends.

ROCKET RACCOON AND GROOT #1 - Looks like this is the only new #1 I am buying this week (other than Obi-Wan and Anakin). While I do think Marvel has been doing a little too many Guardians of the Galaxy series lately, I have been enjoying the Groot and Rocket Raccoon solo series. Skottie Young has really brought some new life to these characters. Right now this is the only Guardians series I am buying. Guardians has not been faring well since All-New All-Different Marvel. It's pretty much the only Marvel line I don't care about.

SUPERMAN ANNUAL #3/SUPERMAN WONDER ANNUAL ANNUAL #2 - With all the different series in the current Superman Vs Vandal Savage series, it seems odd to have to continue the story in annuals. I've said before that I actually hate annuals. They tend to be overpriced, and for the most part they tell pretty forgettable stories. And yet, I keep getting suckered into buying them. 

JUGHEAD #3 - This series hasn't quite been as good as the Archie relaunch, though I do think Chip Zdarsky has been able to do some clever things here. A lot of the first two issues has focused on the strange fantasy worlds that Jughead imagines himself in. If nothing else, this is a very new take on the character, and I'm always glad to support something new.

BATMAN AND ROBIN ETERNAL #13 - We're at the halfway point of Batman and Robin Eternal. There have been a lot of cool surprises in this one, especially the introduction of characters like Azrael into the New 52. This series has been light on Batman, but I think that is a the perfect decision. For me, I am much more curious to see characters like Grayson, Red Robin, Red Hood, and Harper taking more of a spotlight. I do like Batman, but at this point, there isn't a whole lot new to say about the character. Sadly, he will be back by the time Batman 50 comes around, but I actually think DC should consider putting him on the shelf longer...maybe permanently.