WHAT IS THE BUY PILE?

Every week Hannibal Tabu (winner of the 2012 Top Cow Talent Hunt/blogger/novelist/poet/jackass on Twitter/head honcho of Komplicated) grabs a whole lotta comics. These periodicals are quickly sorted (how) into two piles -- the "buy" pile (a small pile most weeks, comprised of planned purchases) and the "read" pile (often huge, often including comics that are really crappy but have some value to stay abreast of). Thursday afternoons you'll be able to get his thoughts (and they're just the opinions of one guy, so calm down, and here's some common definitions used in the column) about all of that ... which goes something like this ...

THE BUY PILE FOR NOVEMBER 8, 2017

Daredevil #595 (Marvel Comics)

Jump from the Read Pile. The best thing about this issue, and many before it, is that it's stretching unusual, if not new, muscles. With all the certainty of Kelsey Grammar in the series Boss, Wilson Fisk has been legally elected the mayor of New York: campaigning as an outsider, promising to crack down on the chaos, and using his harsh reputation as a selling point. With all the power now at his disposal, he immediately works to undo the work of the title character to bring justice and order to the city. Sound familiar? Scarily familiar? This work from Charles Soule, Stefano Landini, Matt Villa and Clayton Cowles is nuanced, clever and insidious in the best possible ways.

Eugenic #2 (Boom! Studios)

Jump from the Read Pile. Wow. Humanity is a dead end, and its successor is unified in its condescension and "care" for the remnants. There are a number of very, very compelling twists in this plot and the work of James Tynion the Fourth, Eryk Donovan, Dee Cunniffe and Jim Campbell is haunting and awful in that it's so possible, but undeniably entertaining. Take your time with this one, it's worth it.

Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #26 (Marvel Comics)

This is not a comic book everyone will enjoy. This isn't even a straight narrative. This ridiculous and often laugh out loud collection of meta-narrative snippets is a wholly humorous intent. As might be expected, "Brain Drain's Olde Tyme Feel Good Inspiration Corner" and "The Wonderful World of Loki" are particularly entertaining and multiple other installments connected too (nice surprise on the Wolverine one). The credits list is as long as a city bus (seriously, look it up) and fans of this book will eat this up but no, this is not for everybody -- only the nutty people.

WHAT'S THE PROGNOSIS?

Mind-expanding, enjoyable stuff to start us off, yay!

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THIS WEEK'S READ PILE

Honorable Mentions: Stuff worth noting, even if it's not good enough to buy

Port Of Earth #1 was an intriguing start, establishing a status quo for a procedural story. The artwork is solid and the pacing may remind some of Top 10 or the TV show Alien Nation but it needs a little more meat on its characterization bones.

Falcon #2 turned out to be a not-half-bad Doctor Voodoo book as the dreadlocked mage struggles against the cause of Chicago's challenges, the demon prince Blackheart. What's that? The title character? Well, unfortunately, Sam Wilson continues his reign as a national embarrassment by whining, ignoring the best parts of his power and punching way out of his weight class (above and below) to the detriment of hundreds of thousands of Chicago residents. This is a real mixed bag.

Birthright #28 stepped on the gas a little with some dazzling action scenes and really stepping up the game. The plot could use a little more clarity but there were great character moments and strong meta narrative development.

Fighting American #2 is a cutting look at the dichotomies of two warring ideologies that, each in their way, failed miserably. The plot takes quite a long time to get to its point, but it's a cute enough analysis of the failings of both points of view.

No, just ... no ... These comics? Not so much ...

Bruce Wayne is the second smartest man in the world and one of the greatest heroes in history ... or is he? Batman: Lost #1 attacks the myth of the Bat-God with the fervor of a frothing Redditor. As a story it's a train wreck, and as an expenditure of your money it's an insult. This book is bad.

Wonder Woman #34 literally doesn't ring true. Diana, the alleged goddess of truth, takes many things she is told at face value to truly deleterious effect. It's dumb. Lasso or no lasso, she has been evidenced to smell shenangians as they develop. Sure, there's a shock factor here, but the dragging plot, the tedious small talk, the pointless reveal ... it all smells fishy, pardon the pun.

SO, HOW BAD WAS IT?

... they really don't have a grasp on what makes their "trinity" work, do they? Yikes. At least some indies swung for the fences ...

WINNERS AND LOSERS

That much bold, innovative new thinking trumps all the boredom and retrograde revisionism. This week wins.

THE BUSINESS

The writer of this column writes two weekly web superhero comics: Menthu: The Anger of Angels and Project Wildfire: Street Justice -- free every week. Can't beat "free."

The writer of this column isn't just a jerk who spews his opinions -- he writes stuff too. A lot. Like what? You can get Irrational Numbers: Addition (a supernatural historical fiction saga with vampires), Project Wildfire: Enter Project Torrent (a collected superhero web comic), The Crown: Ascension and Faraway, five bucks a piece, or spend a few more dollars and get New Money #1 from Canon Comics, the rambunctious tale of four multimillionaires running wild in Los Angeles, a story in Watson and Holmes Volume 2 co-plotted by 2 Guns creator Steven Grant, two books from Stranger Comics -- Waso: Will To Power and the sequel Waso: Gathering Wind (the tale of a young man who had leadership thrust upon him after a tragedy), or Fathom Sourcebook #1, Soulfire Sourcebook #1, Executive Assistant Iris Sourcebook #1 and Aspen Universe Sourcebook, the official guides to those Aspen Comics franchises. Love these reviews? It'd be great if you picked up a copy. Hate these reviews? Find out what this guy thinks is so freakin' great. There's free sample chapters too, and all proceeds to towards the care and maintenance of his kids ... oh, and to buy comic books, of course. There’s also a bunch of great stuff -- fantasy, superhero stuff, magical realism and more -- available from this writer on Amazon. What are you waiting for? Go buy a freakin' book already!

Got a comic you think should be reviewed in The Buy Pile? If we get a PDF of a fairly normal length comic (i.e. "less than 64 pages") by no later than 24 hours before the actual issue arrives in stores (and sorry, we can only review comics people can go to stores and buy), we guarantee the work will get reviewed, if remembered. Physical comics? Geddouttahere. Too much drama to store with diminishing resources. If you send it in more than two days before comics come out, the possibility of it being forgotten increases exponentially. Oh, you should use the contact form as the CBR email address hasn't been regularly checked since George W. Bush was in office. Sorry!