ArtisticallyChill

More titles picked up, more titles put on hold, slowly removing titles from my pull list. To our surprise, there were some new releases from Aspen Comics. Not to my surprise, Marvel’s NECROSHA storyline is wrapping up, only one more issue to go, and yet I still can’t make out WTF is exactly going on. There was also a FREE comic out today by Marvel called X-Men SECOND COMING: PREPARE. Basically it previews the next big X-title story arc, SECOND COMING. Cable and Hope Summer return to the present and all hell breaks loose apparently. The title of the arc is aptly named but what is this Second Coming? The rebirth of the mutant population? The rebirth of Phoenix or Dark Phoenix through Hope, the first mutant to be born since M-Day? It sounds interesting enough, but I think I’ll wait for the graphic novel. There’s a lot more interesting things going on with DC that I want to keep updated on.

• BLACKEST NIGHT # 7
• BLACKEST NIGHT: JSA # 3
• THE FLASH: REBIRTH # 6v
• THE MARVELOUS LAND OF OZ # 4
• SOULFIRE # 2
• SOULFIRE: NEW WORLD ORDER # 5
• X-FACTOR # 202
• X-FORCE # 24
• X-Men SECOND COMING: PREPARE

MY PICK OF THE WEEK: BLACKEST NIGHT # 7

Written by Geoff Johns; Art and cover by Ivan Reis & Oclair Albert; Variant cover by Rodolfo Migliari; Sketch variant cover by Ivan Reis

As Nekron continues to wage war on life throughout the universe, Hal Jordan discovers the grim, true mission behind the villain’s return. But the truth is so cosmically abysmal that it threatens to expose a secret that could tear the very universe asunder. You can’t miss this stunning, penultimate issue to the year’s biggest event!

SERENA’S PICK OF THE WEEK: THE MARVELOUS LAND OF OZ # 4

COVER BY: SKOTTIE YOUNG
WRITER: Eric Shanower
PENCILS: SKOTTIE YOUNG
INKS: Array
THE STORY:
The New York Times bestselling team of ERIC SHANOWER and SKOTTIE YOUNG continue their historic interpretation of the world of OZ! In this stunning chapter, Tin Woodman has a badge, and he’s afraid to use it to make sure law and order are preserved in the Land of Oz…

Happy Reading!

~ LoneWolf

This week’s pull was pretty big and on top of that there were the comics I didn’t pick up from last week. Still I have to prioritize, decide which I have to have this week and set aside those I can hold off on reading. Luckily, Keith is pretty understanding and doesn’t mind holding the comic books I didn’t pick up for another time. Most of those set aside were all the X-titles that are part of the NECROSHA storyline. So most of the comic books I’ll be reading this week are from DC Comics.

• BATMAN AND ROBIN # 7
• BLACKEST NIGHT: JSA # 2
• BLACKEST NIGHT: THE FLASH # 2
• DETECTIVE COMICS # 861
• ECHO # 19
• GOTHAM CITY SIRENS #8
• GREEN LANTERN # 50
• JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA # 41
• JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA # 35
• KICK-ASS # 8
• THE MARVELOUS LAND OF OZ # 3
• SKY PIRATES OF NEO TERRA # 5

PICK OF THE WEEK: GREEN LANTERN # 50

Written by Geoff Johns; Art and cover by Doug Mahnke and Christian Alamy; Variant cover by Jim Lee; Sketch Variant cover by Doug Mahnke

BLACKEST NIGHT spreads with an oversized anniversary issue! Surrounded by friends and enemies, Hal Jordan goes into battle with a being he will never defeat – the Black Lantern Spectre! Can Saint Walker, Sinestro and the others put a stop to this bizarre Spectre rebirth?

Plus, Atrocitus reveals a tie to a power that may make him the most unbeatable of all the Lanterns!

Happy reading!

~ LoneWolf

Last week, there wasn’t much coming out for New Comic Book Day. But BLACKEST NIGHT # 6 did come out and it is definitely worth mentioning. With both Marvel’s NECROSHA and BLACKEST NIGHT running side by side now, I must say that BLACKEST NIGHT has been a more entertaining read. Both stories involve the dead rising from their graves but I’m finding NECROSHA a bit harder to follow. NECROSHA is also a bit more localized to the mutant population while BLACKEST NIGHT is on a more universal scale. Unfortunately, NECROSHA is an X-title crossover event. So if you don’t collect certain X-titles, you’ll have to pick them up if you are following the NECROSHA storyline. Whereas in BLACKEST NIGHT, the story unfolds in its own mini-series. Any tie-ins that involve other DC titles beyond GREEN LANTERN and GREEN LANTERN CORPS are merely supplemental and aren’t required to fully understand what is going on in the storyline.

December 30, 2009 Pick Up:
• BLACKEST NIGHT # 6
• ECHO # 18
• NECROSHA: THE GATHERING

PICK OF THE WEEK: BLACKEST NIGHT # 6

Written by Geoff Johns; Art and cover by Ivan Reis and Oclair Albert; Variant cover by Rodolfo Migliari; Sketch variant cover by Ivan Reis

The secrets of Nekron are revealed as darkness consumes the DC Universe. Everything else: TOP SECRET.

After reading this issue, I was rather surprised at the turn of events that unfolded. I’m also excited to see what happens next. I’m hoping that with only two issues left in the series that BLACKEST NIGHT ends with a rather big ‘OMFG’ of an ending.

SERENA’S PICK: ECHO # 18

writer/Artist – Terry Moore

Julie Martin channels the other woman living inside her to break into HeNRI’s top-secret research facility and steal the rest of the Beta Suit. But what they find is more than they could have imagined – and far more deadly!

If there’s something about Terry Moore’s work that is easily noticeable, it’s that with each issue, the story and its characters keep getting better. And with the way the story unfolds, it’s almost a mystery with every issue. You’re given enough story to see something big is coming up on the horizon but you can never predict what that will be. And that’s a bit rare in comic books these days, especially if you’ve read comic books mostly from DC and Marvel growing up. After a while, the story arcs become rather predictable no matter how epic or universe shattering it may be.

~ LoneWolf