Single Issue Comics | Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Oh the agony and ecstasy of being a bonafide nerd.

My weekly comic pull list has been getting increasingly out-of-control ever since I made th

e decision to start buying single issue comics again in September of 2007, a decision prompted by the recent drop in cover price on most comics due to the decline of the once mighty U.S. dollar. All of a sudden it seemed like the Loonie was actually worth something, and local comic shops across the country were forced to begin selling trade paperbacks, hardcovers, and single issue comics at the U.S. cover price if they intended to stay in business. Now, I'm not going to get into the economics of this, what this meant for the comic industry, U.S./Canadian trade relations, blah blah etcetera, but I am definitely sympathetic to the fact that this wasn't exactly welcome news to a lot of independent booksellers and comic shops, who have a hard enough time staying in business as it is. But keeping that in mind, I can't exaggerate enough just how great this was for us true believers: the monthly readers. 

Canadian comics fans like myself have been envious of the always-cheaper U.S. cover prices for a long time, and so, with the dollar up and comics becoming more affordable than ever before (in my lifetime, at least), I couldn't resist increasing the size of my weekly pull-list to unsustainable proportions.  It started innocently enough, with the first couple issues of The Boys, The Sword, and Warren Ellis's summer blockbuster mini-series, Black Summer. Then things got out of hand, and by September 2008, my monthly pull-list had swelled to at least 17 titles.

It was around this time that it became clear to me that some titles had to be let go. 

Below is a list of six monthly titles, three of which I've decided to continue collecting, three of those I've decided to drop. Generally speaking, these titles either deserve your immediate attention or your indifference. You be the judge. These are just short, succinct capsule reviews; I'll save the in-depth stuff for later. I'll be doing more of these capsule reviews in the near future, so time will only tell which of these comics I'll keep on reading. In any case, enough rambling, onto the reviews! 

Titles I'm Dropping.

Sorry, but these three titles just aren't cutting the mustard. Or, at least, they just don't appeal to me enough to warrant buying on a monthly basis with a thinning wallet. 

Manhunter, written by Marc Andreyko and illustrated by Michael Gaydos 

What hooked me: This critically-lauded but commercially underperforming title was on it's second (third?) reboot by the time I jumped in at #31, which promised to be both a fresh start for new readers and a continuation of what came before, in an attempt to appeal to new fans while placating those who had supported the title since it's inception. That, and his work in the Brian Micheal Bendis penned "Alias" placed illustrator Michael Gaydos in a category I reserve only for artists like David Mack. In any case, picking up Manhunter seemed like a good idea at the time. 

Why I'm dropping it: This most recent Manhunter reboot started out strong with an interesting and plot in which attorney-by-day, Manhunter-by-night Kate Spencer becomes fed up with the grinding frivolity of fighting costumed villains, and decides to take action in finding out what the hell is going on with all these missing women in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and why no one is doing anything to solve the deaths and disappearances of more than 370 women. This plot initially drew me in, but has been dragged out over the past five issues with no clear resolution in sight, a meaningless brawl with the Suicide Squad, and more sub-plots than I care to deal with in a title I only care for in a purely platonic way. Apparently, I'm not the only one bored to tears with Manhunter's electric baton/staff thing, as the title has recently been cancelled, again, and will be put to rest with Manhunter #38. 

The Invincible Iron Man, written by Matt Fraction and illustrated by Salvador Larocca

What hooked me: One word: Casanova. Matt Fraction's schizophrenic super-spy action-adventure is among the very best comics being printed today, so anything the man comes out with next is going to catch my attention. This title came hot off the heels of both the Iron Man movie, and Fraction's ill-fated first try at a new Marvel series, The Order, so I couldn't resist dropping some coin on a copy of the first issue of his Invincible Iron Man. 

Why I'm dropping it: First of all, Salvador Laroccas heavily photo-referenced "realistic" makes human beings look so greasy that I don't want to touch the already glossy pages. I've already showered once today Salvador, why do you insist on making me shower again? Secondly, this is a good Iron Man story, but that's just it, Fraction isn't just a good writer, he's a great writer! He could be the next big name in comics! Sorry, but good just doesn't cut it when it comes to Fraction, as far as I'm concerned, and his status quo Iron Man just can't sustain my interest or my desire to pay money for this. Next up: Iron Man vs. Spider Man! Yawn... Call me when Kang shows up to the party, or Joe Casey pens another Iron Man mini-series.

Gravel, written by Warren Ellis and Mike Wolfer, illustrated by Phil Jimenez 

What hooked me: More than any other working comic scribe in the business today, Warren Ellis is a writer who I feel I can trust. If I were to list many of my favorite titles of all time, and you'd find a great deal of them (Transmetropolitan, Planetary, et al) with his name on them. And for that reason alone, I buy pretty much everything new with his name on it. Also, Ellis' work for Avatar Press is generally less creatively restricted, and he's given a level of creative freedom which allows him to express highly controversial ideas that neither Marvel or DC would touch with a 60-foot pole (see: Black Summer). Time and time again, Ellis' wanton creative abandon has resulted in original works that push the boundaries of what can (and should) be conveyed in a funnybook. That is, until Gravel. 

Why I'm Dropping It: 

Once again I buy into a new series from a creator whose work I follow only to find that it doesn't quite live up to that creator's usual standards. 

Sorry, but there is just no way that "Combat Magician" Sgt. Major William Gravel even remotely measures up to previous Ellis character creations like Spider Jerusalem or Elijah Snow. That, I get a terrible feeling of deja vu with each issue of this comic. I'm sure Ellis will buck the trend and throw a creative curveball in here somewhere. But so far, the repetitive grind of Gravel vs. a string of weak-sauce sorcerers who pose no real threat to an unlikeable anti-hero is just, well, bollocks. Sorry Ellis. 

Titles I'll Keep Reading (To the Bitter End). 

The following three comics are, IMHO, among the best single issue comics being published in today's market. If you really trusted my opinion, you'd quit reading this and start picking up back-issues now. For those of you who need a little more convincing: proceed.

The Sword, written and illustrated by The Luna Brothers

What hooked me: The Sword is the story of Dara Brighton, a young paraplegic college

 student who life is destroyed when her family is murdered by a mysterious trio of demi-gods demanding the return of an ancient sword. Dara is left to die in the burning wreck of her family's home, until the floor collapses beneath her, and she finds herself in a room she never knew about, and a sword she'd never seen before. The Sword magically heals Dara's broken vertebrae, and she begins her quest for vengeance. 

Why I'll continue reading: The Luna Brothers first burst onto the comics scene illustrating Bendis' "Spider-Woman" mini-series for Marvel, but it was their creator-owned survival horror drama, Girls, that put The Luna Brothers on my radar. Girls was my favorite ongoing series of 2006 and 2007, so when the opportunity to start in at the very beginning of a brand new original series came along, I jumped at the chance. Issue #13 is on it's way, and The Sword has yet to disappoint. In fact, The Sword is promising to be The Luna Brothers best work to date: a dramatic and emotionally charged revenge story, and in my estimation, an examination of mankind's endless cycle of violence and hate. 

The Boys, written by Garth Ennis and illustrated by Darrick Robertson

What hooked me: Nevermind the premise, what really got me into this title was that it was so badass and edgy that the suits at DC Comics' upper management got hot under their collars and cancelled it, leading to a massive bidding war amongst the smaller comics publishers, resulting in what is probably a better book than it ever could have been under the watch of DC's parent-company Time Warner. Series artist Darrick Robertson was the artist who gave life to the 30th century in Warren Ellis' Transmetropolitan, and writer Garth Ennis' Preacher was one of, if not THE, best comics of the '90s. Any comic that claims to "out-Preacher, Preacher" has got my attention, but when it's actually being penned by the writer of Preacher, well, now you've got my attention.

Why I'll continue reading: What began as a gruesomely violent and silly tale about CIA spooks who keep tabs on "supes" and bust them down to size when they get out of line, has slowly been morphing into something so much more. Where Preacher was in many ways an indictment of organized religion, The Boys is an equally scathing indictment of the military-industrial complex and superhero comics. Of course, it's all in good fun, right? Wrong. Ennis makes sure to throw in some jokes now and again to keep things light (live hamster in a dead supe's ass anyone?), but after the harrowing parallels to 9-11 in Issue #21, it's becoming increasingly clear that things are going to get a lot worse in this title before they get better. I've introduced this title to at least a half dozen non-fanboy friends of mine, and that reaction is always the same: The Boy's is a must-read.

Doktor Sleepless, written by Warren Ellis and illustrated by Ivan Rodriguez

What hooked me: Anything I've already said about Warren Ellis plus this. Where The Boys promised to "out-Preacher Preacher," Ellis made no bones about Doktor Sleepless being the spiritual successor to Transmetropolitan (the other "best" comic of the 90's, apologies to The Invisibles and The Sandman), and that alone peaked my interest in this title. 10 Issues down and we've got tulpas, imagined thoughtforms materialized in the flesh, posing as people (or possibly, multiple people posing as tulpas), a sexy nurse in fetish gear with a mercenary past, designer diseases that make you bleed from the eyes and hallucinate mecha-angels, and a titular character who hasn't sleep for an entire year because he's been too busy plotting our collective doom (or salvation, depending on your point of view). 

Why I'll continue reading: Warren Ellis' backwash in an empty can of Red Bull would probably contain a great story. The man practically sweats ingenuity in storytelling (see also: Fell). Even when slumming it in the Marvel Universe for a paycheck the man is a master. His tossed off mini-series are often more thought-provoking and inspired than most of what Marvel and DC publishes each and every month. And when Warren Ellis embarks on a project that is in many ways the personified text of his personal obsessions, he doesn't hold back. This is pure, undiluted, full-on gonzo Warren Ellis, and it doesn't get much better than this. The first Doktor Sleepless trade paperback was released this month, titled "Engines of Desire," and if you haven't already been picking this series in single issues, I highly recommend that you do. 

Now, where's my jetpack? 

Afterthoughts: Barely a few hours before the time of which this post had finished completion, I had a falling out with my LCS, Comic Readers, in Regina, Saskatchewan. Long story short, they fucked with my pull-list for the last time, and I've shut down my file. I will not patronize them any longer, and I do support a boycott of both locations in Central and South Regina. I guess I'll either have to buy my single issue comics online from now on, or pick them up in trades and hardcover only. Bummer. So...anyone want an incomplete run of The Boys from #7-23? No? EBay, here I come!