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 22, 2018

Justice League #38 (DC Comics)

Jump from the Read Pile. There's a lot of fascinating things here, bracketed by the Flash as a framing device for what's happening in, essentially, "Justice League Disassembled." A currently unseen antagonist answers the "who built the Batcave" question in the most lethal possible way. The discord within the world's protectors as they struggle with geographical separation and cliquishness in the light of this is credible and creative. This Christopher Priest script again really digs into who the characters are (especially a nice play on public perception and one often less regarded Leaguer) while the efficient, cinematic artwork of Marco Santucci, Alex Sollazzo and Willie Schubert created a great visual tableau for the tale.

Rise Of The Black Panther #2 (Marvel Comics)

Jump from the Read Pile. An origin story, in this day and age, is a hard sell. This effective, concise Evan Narcisse script makes what was old brand new as his Black Panther: Year One approach makes the Wonder Woman-styled gladiator competition shtick have legitimate tension and still fits in an entire adventure for the new king with a team up to boot. Balancing that many plot elements is a feat for experienced creative teams, but with the visual work from Javier Pina, Stephane Paitreau and Joe Sabino, this reads as smoothly and effectively as the works of the masters. A Wakanda unrevealed stands on the precipice of change and here, for the first time since Hudlin's solo run, we get the Black Panther we deserve.

Transformers Lost Light #14 (IDW Publishing)

If you don't know anything about this series, just stop. You're gonna need a lot of background information. There's TFWiki for this series and More Than Meets The Eye, and you're gonna need a while. Go on, swing back when you're done. Nah, it's cool, this review will hold. Sure, see you in a bit ... are they gone? Okay, great. You already know the Scavengers -- some of the biggest losers in the Decepticon line up (despite the amazingly named Spinister) and the apparently brain damaged Dinobot Grimlock (like, he makes his animated version look smart). Desperate for cash, they take a job that brings up all kinds of old business (like, deep continuity stuff, manna from heaven for longtime readers) and showcases fantastic character work while delivering a complete, personal story. The Barkbots are the weirdest thing here, and after much you've seen, they shouldn't shake you too badly. If James Roberts, Sara Pitre-Durocher, Brendan Cahill, Joana LaFuente and Tom B. Long have completely abandoned the concept of being transparent to new readers (are they back yet?) it gives them more time to create these sweeping tapestries filled with dozens of characters for the long time fan.

Wicked + The Divine 1923 #1 (Image Comics)

Jump from the Read Pile. This book is a must-have, not because of its excellence as a comic book (but there are some great comic book moments, to be certain), but due to the amazing prose sections littered with gorgeous language from Kieron Gillen and enthralling design from Clayton Cowles (who surely earned his keep this issue). Some examples: "The island looked like a threat, a fist of rock that had forced its way through the waves." "The champagne he sipped added to the sense that he was an academic dressed for an awards ceremony, his demeanor indicating it was an award he felt sure he would win but that was also beneath him." Between diaphanous language like that and entrancing dialogue dripping with tragedy, this is a big story about love and betrayal and longing and ambition told in a relatively small amount of space. This is a deep, engaging read and further explores how the "gods" really work, again showing Anankhe's timeless plotting. In a word: wow.

Deathstroke #28 (DC Comics)

Once upon a time, Slade Wilson decided killing was bad and went to turn over a new leaf by training would-be young super heroes. It seemed like one of the best and brightest turned up dead and they all lost faith in Slade's tutelage, so what's left for an assassin who failed at redemption? This fractured, intentionally messy narrative shows the titular character outwitting another Superman (he's really more Ultra Boy, really) while bouncing from one horrible situation to the next, a morally dubious digital Jiminy Cricket yammering in his ear all along the way. Writer Christopher Priest started this series with the intention of making this "like the Sopranos with super villains" and it's working wonderfully, here with art from Diogenes Neves, Trevor Scott, Jeromy Cox and Deron Bennett.

WHAT'S THE PROGNOSIS?

Sweet Kwanzaa, five books in the Buy Pile? Wave a freaking flag, that's awesome!

Page 2: [valnet-url-page page=2 paginated=0 text='Why%20Didn%27t%20Green%20Lanterns%20and%20Avengers%3A%20No%20Surrender%20Make%20It%20Home%3F']



THIS WEEK'S READ PILE

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

Black Lightning Cold Dead Hands #4 was very, very close to making it home as writer Tony Isabella craftily weaves in lots of character work into a very lengthy combat scene. With as well as that characterization went, the issue didn't make it because the antagonists were (at best) throwaways (despite the weird reveal) and the action didn't move the plot along efficiently enough. This is a valiant effort that just missed greatness.

Star Wars #43 was also very, very close to making it home as it both entertained and frustrated simultaneously. Literally every issue before it was not needed as this issue used bits and pieces of previous storylines to put together a good look at the struggle between the Empire and the Rebellion, showcasing how it took so long to settle. Unfortunately, as part of a storyline itself, there were maybe only five pages before this issue worth keeping. Not bad, but this series is still (yes, still) finding its voice.

Green Lanterns #40 has a number of interesting ideas centering around an anonymous dating app for superheroes but despite several great moments (Jessica Cruz swiping left and right is fantastic) the issue didn't complete the thought as a satisfying single installment. This idea is big -- if this was Astro City you could get four issues out of it easy, with this first part being two separate stories alone -- and the 20 page cut off did the creativity a disservice.

Avengers #679 changed the nature of its storyline by adding significant stakes and a soupcon of betrayal. This issue shows that the entire weekly story buried the lead of two friends, no, two brothers caught up in ambition and contrary natures. That is kind of interesting, but played large as a weird kind of Street Fighter meets Overwatch kind of fight it doesn't exactly ring true.

Jetsons #4 presents some interesting moral quandaries in the face of disaster, but does them in a significantly less urgent fashion than the situation warrants. There are a few odd moments which are red herrings, and the color palette seems a little flat, further siphoning dynamic energy from this issue, but the ideas underneath are fascinating.

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

Nothing was bad enough to complain about? All you sinners stand up, sing hallelujah!

SO, HOW BAD WAS IT?

This week is shaping up pretty well, with these numbers.

WINNERS AND LOSERS

Astounding books demanding a ride home. Nothing terrible happening. Let the record show this week is a winner in the grandest possible way.

THE BUSINESS

The writer of this column writes a weekly web superhero comic -- 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 Scoundrel (historical fiction set in 1981 east Los Angeles), 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!