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 1, 2017

Black Lightning Cold Dead Hands #1 (DC Comics)

Jump from the Read Pile. First of all, the craft on this issue is stellar. Tony Isabella's script has wonderful characterization for lead and supporting characters, deft and concise plotting. The artwork from Clayton Henry, Pete Pantazis and Josh Reed is dynamic and vivid and engaging. The facts of the matter that underlie the story may be problematic -- aggressive police behavior towards a proven hero -- are all too relevant for our time. Newly developed applications of his powers give him freedom from worry about errant bullets (which are hard to argue against as the character's creator is writing this stuff) but the threat against the genre-standard altruism is jarring. This is an incredibly well made comic, but includes inconvenient truths.

WHAT'S THE PROGNOSIS?

It's great to see the greats back in fine form -- great start.

Page 2: [valnet-url-page page=2 paginated=0 text='What%20Happened%20to%20Captain%20America%2C%20Deathstroke%20%26%20The%20Rest%3F']



THIS WEEK'S READ PILE

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

Captain America #695 was very close to making it home by taking on the challenge of redeeming the character during the Secret Empire debacle ... mostly by brushing past it. Seriously, take out two panels and this story could have happened at any point since the origin of the Marvel Universe. What makes Cap such an effective and inspirational hero is on full display, from his martial prowess to his ability to capture the imagination. Had this not happened literally on the heels of the same character goose stepping across the Marvel Universe, it might be a little easier to swallow, but it goes a long way towards literally making Captain America great again without the fascist baggage.

With a very odd take on Vandal Savage, Deathstroke #25 breaks protocol and drops from the purchases with an odd super villain trial that's less logical than it is a thought exercise, doing nothing for the ongoing plot or the development of the character. If you were standing around your local comic shop and having this conversation, it'd be gold. For actual money, though ... this well drawn and sometimes funny book isn't enough to maintain its standing as a standing purchase.

Lazarus X+66 #4 is a fun but disposable done-in-one featuring two of the genetically modified super operatives from barely seen families working together on a mission. The work was barely a challenge for either, making the stakes of the plot less than engaging, but their repartee and energy together was fun.

Batman White Knight #2 raises important questions about the validity of the Dark Knight's war on crime, but boils down into a more simple struggle that's less compelling. There's still room to get interesting, but it's not happening here.

Inhumans Once And Future Kings #4 had some fantastic character moments -- a young Crystal revealing her true motivations, Maximus getting caught up in a tangled web. Likewise, the artwork. was engaging. However, its plot had too many characters for its good (Triton was wasted, as was the king as a threat) and needed more going on.

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

It's very good that nothing was very bad.

SO, HOW BAD WAS IT?

Nothing being bad is a huge gift.

WINNERS AND LOSERS

This week's easy to call a win.

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!