A Matter of Tradition |
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-Joss Whedons Fray: A great deal of this books hype has come from its creator Whedon, also the creator of the popular Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel tv shows. Regardless of the success of those two series, this comic is one of the best new things to come along in quite awhile. There are some thematic ties to the Buffy television show but this series stands on its own completely. Melaka Fray, the protagonist, is a thief in a dystopian future who is recruited to fight monstrous creatures called "lurks." Whedons scripts instill a very hip and believable feel to the characters while artists Karl Moline and Andy Owens present some of the most kinetic artwork to hit comics in a long time. Fray is a great book for those looking for something outside the realm of super-heroics or for collectors looking for books to give non-comic readers. -The Flash: With the exception of stray issues, the focus on the Speed Force during most of Mark Waids Flash run never worked for me. New writer Geoff Johns has brought an incredibly different focus to his run on the Flash and has given the book a strong new direction. In less than a year on the title Johns has revitalized Flashs Rogues Gallery, once a cornerstone facet of the title. This is also much more dark than Flash has been in quite awhile, with one arc featuring a lethal cult that worships the Flash as their god. Artists Scott Kolins and Doug Hazlewood have both done various work around the industry in the past but nothing on the level theyre working at right now. Along with colorist James Sinclair, Kolins and Hazlewood have created a Keystone City that looks like a real industrial mid- west city. Top this series off with covers from Brian Bolland and you have a book that any fan of superhero comics should be giving a try. -Gen 13: A few years ago you could have never convinced me that this would be a title on my must-buy list, however writer Adam Warren has brought a very fun take on this series. In the past it has been hard to take these characters seriously due to the cheesy T&A aspects of the title, but Warren has found a way to keep these elements around while parodying them at the same time. This title is filled with great references and parodies of pop culture such as everything from 80s retro, pop music and the ever-popular arcade hit Dance Dance Revolution. Any book that can build the entire framing sequence for an issue around a cheesy video game earns points in my book. -Wildcats: After the big misfire re-launch touting Scott Lobdell and Travis Charest as the men who would save Wildcats the title seemed like a lost cause. After a short run plagued with uneven stories and frequent fill-in artists the book was handed over to the unlikely team of Joe Casey and Sean Phillips. In less than two years these creators have taken the concept of a group of heroes without a war to fight in and honed it into one of the best comics to come along in the last decade. Moody, dark and slow paced, Wildcats now feels like the Fight Club of the comics world. You might not like the characters yet they are utterly compelling to read about. If youve never read Wildcats then I highly recommend trying the Serial Boxes trade paperback. There are moments of terror in this story that rival Silence of the Lambs in horror as well as containing elements of a good noir film as well.
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