This week there are a lot of Number One’s in the list. Normally that would be somewhat concerning, as most first issues these days rarely lead to a second. That said though, I was pleasantly surprised by some of the books that I bought.

There’s also a double shot of Stephen King comics, as the first issue in the latest Dark Tower series is out, as well as the first part of the epic adaptation of The Stand.
Don’t forget! We’ll have even more reviews and news on this week’s episode of The Watchtower, as well as a look ahead at what’s worth your four bucks this coming week.

THE DARK TOWER: TREACHERY #1
The third instalment of the expansive story of Stephen King’s Gunslinger is just a breathtaking as the first two. In “Treachery” we get our first glimpses of the war that is raging around Gilead, and the young Gunslingers as the return home. I don’t know if it’s the subject matter, or just the people involved, but this book stands about almost everything else out there, and transcends comics into works of literary magic.

THE STAND: CAPTAIN TRIPS #1
The second of Marvel’s Stephen King adaptations begins here, and it gets going with a bang. The Stand is one of my favourite books of all time, and it is given great treatment here by Robert Aguirre-Sacasa and Mike Perkins. It’s impossible to get a feel for a story of this scope in one book, but I love the first issue, and can’t wait to see more.

SECRET INVASION #6
“The invasion is complete, but the war has just begun…” The Skrulls have tried to sell the world on this “Embrace Change” business, but the Avengers ain’t buying. ALL the Avengers. Mighty, New, Old, Young, and everything in between. The splash pages in this book make Civil War look like a boxing match. This is the beginning of the brawl for all that we’ve been waiting for. Strap in and hold on!!

ULTIMATE ORIGINS #4
Wow, it only took four issues of a five issue series, but this was actually a pretty good book. Mainly because it deviated from traditional Marvel lore. The truth about Peter Parker’s parents, a better look into Nick Fury, and a (new?) Hulk origin. If issue 5 is this good, then it just might go a long way towards saving this series, and getting me pumped for Ultimatum.

MAGNETO: TESTAMENT #1
The latest Marvel Knights story doesn`t just give us a window into how Magneto became the man he is today, it also gives us a look at a particularly terrifying time in human history. Painstakingly researched by writer Greg Pak, Testament is not just about mutants and superpowers. It’s about a family’s struggle for survival as the world closes in around them. This book could end up being far more important than it meant to be, and I am totally wrapped up in it.

MS. MARVEL #30
Ms. Marvel’s Secret Invasion tie-in comes to a tiresome end as she fights the Super-Super-Skrull that that other Skrulls locked away in the Raft. It does raise the question of why the Skrulls would bring this thing along with them if they only wanted to lock it away, but whatever. It wasn’t a bad book, but “good” might be a bit of a stretch.

SECRET INVASION: YOUNG AVENGERS/RUNAWAYS #3
This Secret Invasion mini-series was all right. I’d be lying if I said it was anything special, but it wasn’t horrible. It also fills in some gaps between Secret Invasion #5 and #6, like mainly how the Young Avengers got together with Nick Fury and his Commandos. Probably could have been a one-shot though.

DEADPOOL #1
Yeah, I should have known given how much PR this book has gotten in the last few week, but it was dumb. And not even in the fun-dumb way, just dumb. The idea of Deadpool working for the Skrulls isn’t an aspect of Secret Invasion that we needed, and I think it’s safe to say the tie-ins have gone one book too far.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #571
New Ways To Die part 4, and it continues to be one of the best Spider-Man stories of the year, by far. Even though this issue featured Menace, not even that could stop it’s awesomeness. I truly wish that Slott and Romita were the new full-time team on this book.

WOLVERINE: SAUDADE
This was originally a European book that Marvel has translated for a North American audience. I really commend Marvel for looking to Europe for new and exciting comics. This is another great example of their style, and for once a fresh story about Logan. Saudade finds him in Brazil, and searching for a new Mutant that Cerebro has located. The art is stunning, and the story is a great one. Finally, a Wolverine one-shot I can get behind.

Related posts

• The Watchtower Extras - Secret Invasion! (3)
• The Starting Gun - Secret Invasion #1 (1)
• The Checklist - Week of Sept 29th (0)
• The Checklist - Week of June 9th (0)
• The Checklist - Week of June 2nd (0)

Tags: Secret Invasion, Stephen King, The Checklist, Ultimate Origins

This entry was posted on Monday, September 15th, 2008 at 12:01 am and is filed under Reviews, The Checklist. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.