Coming This Week: “I Dare You To Do Better”

While there are lots of “maybes” this week, I’ll definitely be picking up Demo: Volume 2 #2 (DC/Vertigo) and it’ll be interesting to see where Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan take us next. The late, disjointed, and overwrought series finally comes to a close, and I can’t wait to get my hands on Justice League: Cry for Justice #7 (DC). Since I’ll definitely be dropping the main JLA title, this will be my last little fix for the foreseeable future. Matt Fraction never fails to disappoint on this title, with Invincible Iron Man #24 (Marvel) shipping this week. It’s a shame the same crisp precision that this title offers isn’t to be found anywhere near his Uncanny X-Men work.

Speaking of those “maybes,” I have a feeling I might not be buying Detective Comics #862 (DC), which stumbled quickly without JH Williams III. I’ll flip through Green Hornet #1 (Dynamite Entertainment), but doubt its Kevin Smith-iness will lure me in. I expect First Wave #1 (DC) will also not pass the casual flip test, but I’ll give it the requisite once over. In the “Pigs Really Do Fly!” Department, we have Planetary HC: Volume 4 (DC/Wildstorm). Yep, 11 years later, you too can have the final chunk of 27 issues collected. I’m not sure if I’ll cave and purchase this or try to hold out for the second Absolute Edition, which DC has supposedly promised some time in 2010.

Girl Comics #1 (Marvel) is the type of book that I read, enjoy mildly, and then quickly decide who I’m going to give it to since it’s not strong enough to hold my attention for repeated readings and stay in the collection. I’m supposed to be buying fewer books like this to trim the fat, but with names like Devin Grayson, Trina Robbins, Amanda Conner, Valerie D’Orazio, Colleen Coover, Carla Speed McNeil, and Laura Martin, I might just give in. Along those lines, Punisher MAX: Butterfly #1 (Marvel) is a one-shot that seems kinda’ futile, but I’m very curious to see how Valerie D’Orazio’s foray into the Marvel U pans out. Lastly, I’ll note the debut of the Strange Tales HC (Marvel), collecting the sometimes entertaining, always wildly uneven, recent three issue series.