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 DECEMBER 27, 2017

WWE #12 (Boom! Studios)

Jump from the Read Pile. This very effective issue encapsulated the story of three men chasing their ambitions while not understanding the costs of achieving it. The whole series has focused on the wrestling trio The Shield, but you really only need this issue that wraps it all up into a neat, single story. Writer Dennis Hopeless really made the connection between the characters effective and the visuals from Serg Acuna, Tim Lattie, Doug Garbark and Jim Campbell make the tension between the characters really work. This is a refreshing step up for this run.

Transformers Lost Light #12 (IDW Publishing)

<i>Transformers Lost Light</i> #12
Cybernetic chickens come home to roost in Transformers Lost Light #12.

If you're new, it might be very hard to keep up here. Sorry about that. If you're a fan of certain old school G1 Transformers, there is a moment here that is rough, but fair. If you know how close it is to 100 issues with this crew, then this episode (and it is that, an episode, despite telling a complete story) is amazing. Getaway is, to be frank, a horrible sentient. The fact that he wears an Autobot badge and is freely followed by anyone proves that so much of what started the Decepticons was in the right.

Here, betrayals and murder and lies all swirl together in a delicious stew of narrative intensity as this issue changes from cover up to escape mission with deftness. James Roberts will not relent as he continues writing perhaps the best Transformer run in the history of comics. Given the huge number of cast members here, he's ably helped by Jack Lawrence, Andrew Griffith, Joana LaFuente, John-Paul Bove, Priscilla Tramontano and Tom B. Long. Brace yourself for the big dance number, which goes deep in the crates.

WHAT'S THE PROGNOSIS?

Interesting and encouraging start from the licensed properties.

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THIS WEEK'S READ PILE

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

Bonehead #1 is a gorgeous, stylistic symphony of parkour and melee violence, a near future urban sci fi adventure that focuses a bit too much on sizzle with a teensy deficit of steak. The taciturn lead is a literal cipher, not giving the reader enough to grab, but this is an intriguing start if the story picks up some momentum in terms of characterization.

X-O Manowar #10 had some amazing, efficient character work establishing a new antagonist. It was lost all too soon, however, in a plot that failed to connect and make this matter.

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

Kamandi Challenge #12 is enormously disappointing for its ending, which is both derivative and cheapens the stakes of everything that happened here. Gorgeously depicted, insultingly conceived.

Moon Knight #190 has a wholly whack last page reveal that further reveals why this title character should be locked up, not roaming free as a fictional protagonist. It has a character so sadly stereotypical and hackneyed, summed up in one panel, it's almost as bad as racially charged fraud, embezzlement and corporate malfeasance. This has to stop.

SO, HOW BAD WAS IT?

Tie game. Hm.

WINNERS AND LOSERS

Two worth buying, two truly bad books, two somewhere in between with a kiddie pool full of "meh" between them ... the week's too close to call as it all kind of ends up a wash.

THE BUSINESS

Did you get the latest comic by this columnist on on ComiXology or on Amazon for just two bucks?

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 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!