An Open Letter Anyone Not Reading Invincible
Dear anyone not reading Invincible,
What is wrong with you? Why are you filled with such self-loathing that you won't afford yourself such a simple pleasure? You are a good person and should not deny yourself the joy of reading the best pure superhero book on the stands.
The latest issue couldn't have been timed better, coming out on the heels of Superman fighting Superman in Infinite Crisis. As Fin Fang Doom pointed out, this latest issue is Mark and his dad fighting three other Viltrumites, which is the equivalent of Superman and Superboy versus Superman, Superman, and Superman. How does it go? Do they knock each other around a little and yell at one another about how upset they are with each other?
Hell no, they bust each other up in one of the most brutal fights in comic history. This is what it would look like if Superman fought Superman. Mountains would shake with every blow. Hell, I'd even forgive someone who used the phrase "no quarter asked and none given." Ryan Ottley's art is brilliant and gruesome (one of the best parts is the Viltrumite who continues fighting while holding his intestines in with the waistband of his pants). Robert Kirkman's pacing is perfect and--as evidenced by his inclusion of the "Be sure to check out Invincible #33" blurb in Marvel Team-Up #14, around the same time Invincible #26 came out--he has this storyline plotted out tightly for the foreseeable future.
If you are not reading Invincible, buy this issue and worry about picking up the trades later.
Rating: 4.5/5
Other books I read this week:
Fables #47
I didn't see that twist coming at all. Last issue was the beginning of an obvious fill-in arc which I largely dismissed as a trgic romance. In #46, two wooden soldiers (or technically one soldier and one medic) fall in love, but love doesn't work when you're made of wood. They want to be turned to flesh, but that prompts accusations of treason. I expected #47 to be about them running away, trying to find someone to turn them to flesh, getting caught, and being chopped up into firewood. Instead, Bill Willingham--as he always seems to do when I question the direction he's going with a story--slapped me around for my lack of faith.
Rating: 3/5
The Pulse #14
If Bendis had been writing like this since the beginning, the readership from Alias wouldn't have dropped out, driving this book to cancelation. Bendis is at his best when he's writing about people with superpowers instead of superpowered people. I'm not sure if that made sense, but the point I was trying to make is whether the person or the superpower comes first. Plus, Jessica Jones is finally portrayed like she was in Alias instead of a shrewish crybaby, making her likeable again. This issue made me weep for the waste the previous thirteen had been.
Rating: 3.5/5
Ultimate Spider-Man #91
I like the Peter/Kitty Pride chemistry. If you don't, you won't like this issue. Following the Spider-Man/Spider-Shadowcat team up at the beginning, however, it feels like an Ultimate X-Men issue, which, again, will affect your opinion of this issue depending on whether you like Ultimate X-Men or not.
Rating: 3/5
8 Comments:
I've read the first three trades and although they were good, they didn't WOW me. It was good stuff, drawn very well, with an eye on the kind of super hero stories that weren't be told. At the time, it just didn't reasonate with me. It wasn't what I was looking for. Everyone hyped both this and Walking Dead to me so much that when I read both, they were big let downs.
Maybe I'll check out that fourth trade, who knows. That is one damn good looking panel, though.
I'm not buying Invincible because I spent all my money on Mouse Guard!
Okay, that's not true. I bought the first trade and thought it was decent but nothing spectacular. Maybe I'll pick up the other trades, but I'm not rushing into it.
I'll buy Invincible if you buy Noble Causes, which I think is the best superhero book out there. Interesting that they are both published by Image.
Greg, the first trade was decent, but where the series really skyrocketted to greatness was issue #13.
I'll tell Robby to add Noble Causes to my pull list, but you have to promise to read issues 11-13 and 25-29 of Invincible.
I'll get the trades. Much easier than digging through the long boxes.
Hey, that was me and my blog, Jake. I'm saddened when people say they've never even heard of Invincible. It's the best superhero comic being published today, period. I think what turns most off that read it though is the fact that the stories aren't self-contained, that there's a huge overarching storyline going throughout the entire series, and appreciation of one story relies largely on knowledge of previous stories. Strange thing is, every comic used to be like that, but nowadays publishers fell the need to dumb down the stories so new readers don't feel overwhelmed.
Love Invincible. Kirkman has created a great,modern superhero-- a new Spidey. In fact, the Marvel team-up of Spidey and Invincible was priceless.
Jesus that's bloody.
That's right! I will edit to include a link, Herr Doom.
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