Shooflypie

I spent 2011 doing what I usually do when it comes to comics - waffling. I've been playing the singles vs. trades game for a decade now and it gets pretty tiring. I started off 2011 buying quite a few series on a regular basis before I decided to stop in late May. I then picked up one comic in July and one again in August. The big DC relaunch drew me back in September and October but I resisted in November before picking up handful this month. In all, I bought 114 single issues. I also read 19 trades, which seems like less than usual. I did take long periods of time to get some trades read. Yet another product of the stress of my two semesters with English classes I wanted to do well in. The trades were mixtures of previously-read collected material and things that were new to me Here's a few of my favorite comics this year, no matter the format... Batgirl - I didn't see this one coming. Conor from iFanboy had been recommending this series, so I took a shot and disco...

This post covers the comics that I bought the week of Mar. 9 (remember, kids, a comics week begins on Wednesday!)... Legion of Super-Villains #1 - This titular Legion has fought the Legion of Super-Heroes a number of times over the years and with this one-shot, Paul Levitz begins to assemble to new iteration of the LSV. Saturn Queen is the driving force not only of the group but by use of her telepathic power - she is cold and cruel and calculating. We have familiar faces and new iterations of old villains plus some new ones. The big plot point is the destruction of The Rock of Eternity by the group. This will all continue in the Legion book but I like the approach of getting to know the villains in a little more detail before the inevitable conflict. Batman Incorporated #3 - Ah, Grant Morrison does it again. After an opening that shows us a super-team we haven't seen in the past, we dive into a team-up between Batman and El Gaucho. El Gaucho doesn't want to join Batman Inc.;...

Even though I wasn't able to sit down long enough to write this feature last weekend, that's not the main reason it never went up. No, I actually didn't buy any new comics that week because I only left my house to go to the chiropractor. Not a great week in my life. Never mind that, though. I did buy a bunch of comics this week and I'm ready to talk about 'em... Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #1 - This is not the first issue with this title I've ever bought - such is the cyclical nature of comics. This particular edition is notable for the fact it reunites Paul Levitz and Keith Giffen, who were the creative team that cemented my love for the Legion back in the early 80s. As for the story, it introduces the rise of a new Emerald Empress on Orando and members of the Legion naturally come into conflict with her. It is a solid story and Giffen (along with his inkers, John Dell and Scott Koblish) is in his Kirby-mode of drawing here and it looks a lot like his previo...

I had this week's comics read by Sunday afternoon but my school work has prevented me from posting about them...until now! Legion of Super-Heroes #9 - This issue had some of the cast split into pairs - Brainy and Cham on Durla; Timber Wolf and Tyroc protecting the UP Council; and Tellus trying to meld with a comatose Dawnstar (in a lovely painted sequence). There is nothing vital here but still plenty interesting to a fan of the Legion. Like me. Detective Comics #872 - Second week in a row that I've read this comic, which catches me up to its current publishing special. I like how a moment in the lead story is the starting point for the back-up. Mirror House gets a bit more creepy and things get more dire for Dick (the Batman of this series). Cool updating on the old undercover Batman staple, though that leads to some of the complications. This is a book to stick with. Knight & Squire #4 - We get more character work than British themes in this issue and it works very wel...