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 29, 2017

Transformers Lost Light #11 (IDW Publishing)

Wow. The escapologist known as Getaway relates his rise to power over a motley, easily manipulated crew full of weirdos and maniacs and ... it's something. For writer James Roberts to have made a gripping, almost terrifying character-driven thriller about giant robots, that's a major accomplishment after years of them (political thriller, twisted love story, and so on). This title transforms as much as the denizens of its ship and its amazing to see. Kudos go to Jack Lawrence, Alex Milne, Joana LaFuente, Priscilla Tramontano and Tom B. Long for bringing this amazing visual presentation, showing the fear and megalomania and uncertainty in the players here. Simply outstanding -- again.

WHAT'S THE PROGNOSIS?

Well, that didn't cost much and it was engaging ...

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THIS WEEK'S READ PILE

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

Aquaman Annual #1 was a surprisingly effective holodeck episode with the title character and his queen aging together, ruling peacefully, procreating and more, only to have it be an old narrative trick. On two sides it didn't work because the events cannot matter, storywise, and its muddy visual presentation wasn't engaging. On the other hand, the characters' sense of loss felt real, which would mitigate the first concern if it became a lasting effect on the characters. Rarely happens in an annual, so don't hold your breath.

Batman Annual #2 is a poignant but some ways predictable look at Bat and Cat, a love story told throughout decades, which levels her up in many ways like Grant Morrison leveled up Batman years ago, giving her an almost Irene Adler approach. Not bad, but more for the dyed in the wool fan than anyone else.

New Talent Showcase 2017 #1 is true to its name, a showcase of DC Comics Talent Workshop participants. Some astonish -- please hunt down the artwork from Matt Merhoff and Dave McKaig on that Poison Ivy story. Some display great cleverness -- the internal monologues in Al Letson's Nightwing story are perfectly characterized and entertaining. Some were better than others, but all of them were good ... but not great. For eight dollars, there isn't anything here to justify that kind of sticker price, but if these were each back ups in a full length comic, they'd each shine, which goes to indicate that each creator here has enormous capacity to produce at a professional level, given time and space.

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

Nothing terrible came across the pile this week.

SO, HOW BAD WAS IT?

Impressive steps towards improvement from DC this week.

WINNERS AND LOSERS

Not much to spend, what was worthwhile was very rewarding ... that's a week that wins no matter how you add it up.

THE BUSINESS

A review in a reviews column? How meta! The first issue of the new Wunderman Comics series Scoundrel will be out in two weeks but you can read a review now!

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!