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 AUGUST 23, 2017

Daredevil #25 (Marvel Comics)

Jump from the Read Pile. Much of what appeals to many people about the Marvel Universe is its close similarity to our own world -- New York, not Metropolis, and the like. In this issue, writer Charles Soule makes simply brilliant use of the shared legal system (and some metaphorical looks at an action scene) to implement change in a way that is, in fact, heroic. Following through the storyline that's played out for a while, it makes brilliant arguments and the visual representation from Alec Morgan, Matt Milla and Clayton Cowles showcases everything you need in this single issue. This is very enjoyable work.

WHAT'S THE PROGNOSIS?

That's a fascinating start!

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THIS WEEK'S READ PILE

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

Hi-Fi Fight Club #1 has the humor of High Fidelity, the enthusiasm of Clueless and a sly undercurrent that almost gained it a trip home. The characters needed more room to breathe -- which was odd, since the set up dragged far longer than it should have, but there is a charm here that's undeniable. Let's see where this goes.

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

Turning the happy-go-lucky Dick Grayson into a grim fascist is probably one of the worst ideas ever, so Nightwing: The New Order #1 went ahead and did it, doubling down with a muted color palette and a bloody Clark Kent with rebar shoved through his femurs. There are a number of people even in the issue that find this all implausible and wrong, but this un-self aware Grayson plods through this flat plot with all the joie de vivre of a tax audit. Terrible.

Secret Empire #9 is a masterpiece of sarcasm over substance. There are a number of engaging instances of dialogue, but the seams are starting to show as there are far too many Captains America to go around and there's less storytelling than paste-together montages. Treading water until Legacy puts the toys back in place, this doesn't do anything to fix the damage this story has done. Blech.

SO, HOW BAD WAS IT?

The books were mostly forgettable, and what was memorable was less than inspired.

WINNERS AND LOSERS

The single jump was a major accomplishment, but the preponderance of rote fascists (not even creative fascism like Uber) and their predictable storytelling elements weighed the week down like a lead balloon.

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!