We read lots of comics

Lots and lots and lots …

And here are the reviews.

Remember, the grading is 1 (most mediocre) to 3 (best), with grades in writing, art, and tercile of the stack (“saving the best for last”).

• Alias #6 (MAX) [3/2/3]
  Jessica Jones has lunch with Carol Danvers. Funny, touching, funny, interesting, funny … This is a great title. When are the collection TPBs starting to come out?

• Uncanny X-Men Annual 2001 (MarvPG) [1/1/1]
  What’s the point of doing something interesting with the art (printing it all “sideways” so that you can get big panoramas, when the art itself is muddled and artsy beyond understanding. And it isn’t like the story was so strong that it carried it. Avoid this. Run away. Toss it. This falls into the category of “Comics I Bought And Never Managed To Finish.”

• JLA #62 (DC) [2/2/2]
  Joe Kelly’s trying to fill awfully big shoes on JLA — and he’s doing it with stuff that’s interesting, but just a bit “off,” subtly out-of-character characters doing fairly interesting things. In this case, WW is faced with a Singapore-like hidden Asian nation, a paradise on earth that can remain such if WW is willing to turn her back on her principles just this once. She doesn’t, even though the rest of the JLA aren’t so sure. Part 1 of 3.

• Codename: Knockout #9 (Vertigo) [2/1/2]
  Angela and Go-Go encounter a very odd character from their past. Sort of a filler issue< with filler art, but still entertaining in its own naughty way.

• Out There #8 (Cliffhanger) [2/2/2]
  Wraps up the saga of the Nevada ghost town and its tormented inhabitants. Weaker than most issues, but still entertaining, and offering both a glimmer of hope to the protagonists and a new mysterious element at the end.

• The Ultimates #1 (Marvel) [2/3/3]
  The origin of Captain America in the “Ultimate” universe. Millar does a decent job of a more “realistic” Cap without dropping into the cynicism of the Authority, and Bryan Hitch’s art is always a delight. So far, so good.

• Ruse #4 (Crossgen) [3/2/2]
  Continued excitement in this quasi-Victorian Holmes-meets-super-heroes storyline. Good, good stuff. I really want the TPB of these, so I can loan them out.

• Orion #22 (DC) [2/3/2]
  Simonson’s art gets better and better, as he takes a blinded Orion into a more mundane crime setting — the sort of thing that Kirby would do, too, and Simonson does just as well mixing the cosmic with the criminal. And a blind Orion is still someone you don’t want to meet as an adversary.

• Green Arrow #11 (DC) [2/2/2]
  Smith addresses the issue of “kid sidekicks,” while GA comes to grips with having a son. Smith is having fun re-exploring this character, and it’s a shame his time on this title is already limited.

• The Establishment #5 (Wildstorm) [2/1/1]
  Cynical, ugly people doing cynical, ugly things. Strange, how quickly that begins to pall. The team goes reluctantly public. This makes a difference?

• Supergirl #66 (DC) [2/2/2]
  Solid entertainment. Linda and Spike — er, Buzz continue to snipe back and forth, as some of Buzz’s old buddies show up again — and Jason Blood discovers that this is a real problem. Nice art, especially of the dancing girls.

• Catwoman #3 (DC) [2/2/1]
  The art’s a bit too cartoony, but the story continues to progress. We’ll see.

• Elektra and Wolverine #2 of 3 (MarvPG+) [3/2/3]
  Wow. I really wish I’d know how good this would be, so I could wait for the TPB. The art is too exotic for my taste, but Rucka’s novel writing here is spot on for both characters. Great stuff. Just great.

• Rose #3 of 3 (CB) [3/3/3]
  I really should have waited, because I just plain knew I was going to get the collected edition. This Bone prequel is stunning in its Charles Vess art and not too shabby in its Jeff Smith writing.

• Herobear and the Kid #4 (Astonish) [2/3/3]
  The only thing marring this is that the interval between issues has been so godawfully long. Kunkel does fine in recapping the story, but the emotional connection gets lost. If this ever gets collected, I’ll be picking it up, too. Hmmmm. Running out of shelf room.

• Powers #16 (Image) [3/2/3]
  Bendis and Oeming continue to work wonders. Pilgrim has a disturbingly graphic dream, and Walker finds himself a target of blackmail. Triffic stuff, as usual.

• Sojourn #7 (Crossgen) [2/3/2]
  Solid fantasy, beautiful art. Nuff said.

• Wonder Woman #177 (DC) [2/3/2]
  Paradise Island finally gets rebuilt, and everything looks rosy. So why am I filled with ennui over so many storylines getting wrapped up. Pretty to look at, though.

• Citizen V: The Everlasting #1 of 4 (Marv) [2/1/1]
  Nicieza is so eager to invent an entire team and its decades-long history from whole cloth, that he crams so much detail down our throat as to make his Thunderbolts look like an Archie comic. In the end, it’s impressive to look at, but it’s an almost inedible mess to consume. A shame.

• Fantastic Four #52 (MarvPG) [2/1/1]
  Ho-hum. Another Government Conspiracy, more humanity being seized by artificially induced mob violence< more ... oh, ho-frickin-hum. Some interesting twists just barely keep this one afloat.

• Exiles #9 (MarvPG) [2/2/3]
  This series remains just plain fun. McKone’s art is crisp and exciting, and Winick plays the parallel universe schtick for all its worth. So, again … when do we get a TPB I can pass around?

• Fury #6 (MAX) [2/2/1]
  Ennis keeps pulling back from actually crafting a sympathetic character here. It’s still worth reading, and I don’t necessarily want things to be too simplistic, but the title character is alternately despicable and almost heroic. Weird.

• Uncanny X-Men #402 (MarvPG) [1/2/1]
  Oh, look … Banshee has decided to use his vast fortune (?) to create the Authority by way of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Ho-hum action from Joe Casey. This title is going, going …

• Amazing Spider-Man #38 (MarvPG) [3/2/3]
  JMS continues to make Marvel’s most over-used character into someone interesting. He finally blows up the “innocent Aunt May” myth — but does it in an organic, believable fashion. So when is the TPB …?

• Avengers: Celestial Quest #6 of 8 (MarvPG) [1/2/1]
  Oh, yeah, Thanos is in this one. Kind of. Not that you’d notice him different from any other villain. Why am I buying this?

• Young Justice #42 (DC) [2/2/2]
  Secret gets help figuring out What’s What from the Spectre. It all works for her … almost. A lot of shudders here, and doubtless some repercussions for the future.

• Superman #179 (DC) [2/2/1]
  Supes goes to therapy. Supes deals with Angry Black Hero of the Ghetto. Lois’ mom learns something. Nothing special, but a reasonable read.

• Green Lantern #147 (DC) [2/2/1]
  Winick finally resolves some outstanding John Stewart storylines, albeit out of whole cloth. A few moderately interesting twists and turns, and if it gets us away from (feh) “Ion,” it’s worthwhile.