10.18.06 Reviews (Part 2)

Queen & Country #31 (Oni Press): The delays between issues of this title are, again, completely ridiculous. The tiny font size used in this issue is completely ridiculous. I literally had to squint and move the book closer to my face to read the story. It made it seem like everyone was whispering for no apparent reason and was so distracting. There were also numerous typos. One on the very first page, "It's no trouble" became "It's not trouble." And later on there was some confusion over "you" and "your." It's a shame too, because after you machete your way through all that mess, what you have is an exceptional issue of Q&C. Samnee's art suddenly looks better than earlier issues, and it's an incredibly intense read as Crocker orders CIA gal Angela Cheng and Minder 3 into the Ops Room after learning of the kidnap of Minders 1 and 2. The proverbial shit has really hit the fan with a story that is very relevant to the current geo-political situation. Was also very fun to see rookie-no-more Chris Lankford act the badass on a mission to save his colleagues. Would have otherwise been an A+, but the totality of all those nagging little issues put us at Grade B+.

Wasteland #4 (Oni Press): I still really like this book, it's just that nothing really happens in this issue. To borrow a phrase from the guys over at Comix Experience in San Francisco, it felt like "all middle." The caravan is still on its way to Newbegin. The council at Newbegin still argues and teases an uprising of the Sunners who are slaves. Some minor hints about Michael's past, and a letter than supports my theory that "A-REE-YASS-I" could be Area 51 in Nevada, but other than that... biz as usual. Grade B.

The Exterminators #10 (DC/Vertigo): I finally checked this book out after hearing positive buzz and being impressed by the pull quotes that these guys were accumulating from all kinds of different sources. And? I liked it. It was fun. Tony Moore's art is really pleasing, and looks awesome in color (compared to say his early work on The Walking Dead). The story was fun. Has a lot of heart, but didn't take itself too seriously. Is it strong enough for me to buy it regularly amid the plethora of titles I already buy? Probably not. But can I see myself buying a trade on a slow week? Sure thing. Grade B.

I also picked up the following books, but didn't have time to read/review them;

The Lone Ranger #2 (Dynamite Entertainment): Beautiful Cassaday cover and I was pleasantly surprised by the first issue. Can't wait to read it!

CSI: Dying In The Gutters #1-3 (IDW): I'm a big fan of all things CBR (www.ComicBookResources.com), including the columns of both Rich Johnston (weekly column titled "Lying In The Gutters") and fellow columnist Steven Grant (who writes this series). Just couldn't pass up the chance to read about a murder at a Comic Book Convention, guest-starring actual writers, artists, and editors from the industry! Should be fun with Grant's sharp wit and sarcastic slant on the world.