The Longbox Short-List - Week of April 13, 2016

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

JACKPOT #1 – One thing I love about Aftershock is that they tend to have cheap first issues. To me, that is just smart business. With so many comics out there, I am more willing to take a chance on a series that starts with a 2 buck issue. So many companies go in the opposite direction, and that makes me far less willing to take a long shot on their books. Jackpot is the story of a group of con men who decide to play a con on the gods. That’s a great hook! Can’t wait to see how this one plays out.

STAR WARS SPECIAL C-3PO – I had actually forgotten that this comic still hadn’t come out until my brother asked me about it a few weeks ago. Strange that this comic basically slipped through the cracks, but we finally get the story of why C-3PO has a red arm in The Force Awakens. I have really enjoyed Marvel’s Star Wars books, but there isn’t all that much to get excited about here.

X-MEN ’92 #2 – As a reviewer, I have no problem changing my mind when a book improves. I hated X-Men ’92 when it was a part of Secret Wars, but the first issue of the ongoing series was much better. It finally feels like a true homage of the TV series and comics of the time, as opposed to outright parody. If there was an award for “Most Improved” I would give it to X-Men ’92.

MOON KNIGHT #1 – Is there any character that Marvel has tried to make work as much as Moon Knight? Even though they often have great creative teams on the book and unique hooks, it just seems like Moon Knight can never quite find his footing. I have been a fan of Moon Knight since he appeared in some of the first Spider-Man comics I bought, but I have to ask if there is any real audience for him. I don’t expect this series to last more than 12 issues.

BATMAN/TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #5 – Last issue ended with Casey making the jump to Batman’s universe to save his friends, and Shredder stealing canisters from mutagen and making his way towards Arkham Asylum. This comic has pretty much been everything you could possibly have wanted. Fun storytelling, great characterizations, and a real fast pace. I miss crossovers like this, and I really hope this is successful enough to give us more in the future.

SPAWN #262 – The combination of Erik Larsen and Todd McFarlane has really helped bring some fresh new life into Spawn. Amazing that a series that has gone this long can still feel fresh and unique, but McFarlane has done a great job ensuring that Spawn stays relevant no matter how long it runs.

STARFIRE #11 – I know I complain about this every month, but it continues to be true. I hate that Starfire (and Black Canary which also comes out this week) will be ended for DC Rebirth. These are two of the most unique comics that DC puts out, and it just feels like DC is moving a little bit too safe for my tastes. But I still will enjoy these series for as long as I can. That said, DC’s “Young Animal” imprint does seem like it will be doing more unique books, so hopefully I am wrong.

RED HOOD/ARSENAL #11 – Since they restarted this book, it has continued to be one of my favorite DC books. Lobdell has gone a long way towards redeeming his work on Red Hood and the Outlaws. He even made Joker’s Daughter an appealing character for me, and I would have said that was impossible. And Lobdell is sticking around on this book for DC Rebirth. I am almost positive he is the only writer who has stayed on one book all through New-52 and moving on to DC Rebirth. 

CITIZEN JACK #5 – This book has been a hell of a crazy ride. Political satire with some wild supernatural elements through in. This is the perfect book for this year’s election, though maybe a little too scary by how close it seems to reality. Which is extra disturbing since this book features demons!

WEB WARRIORS #6 – I actually thought the first arc for this series went on a little too long, but I still really enjoy the idea for this series. It’s basically Exiles, just using the various incarnations of Spider-Man throughout the Spider-Verse. It’s not quite clear if this story still makes sense in the new “Reed built” Marvel universe, but I still enjoy the characters enough to want to keep reading this one.

CHARMED SEASON 10 #18 – It looks like Zenescope is putting Charmed on hiatus after this issue comes out. The breaks in this series are actually what made me drop it a while back. I think Zenescope has created a terrific continuation of one of my favorite guilty pleasures, but I am sort of looking at this as a potential jump off point, especially if this hiatus drags on for a while.