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The Longbox Short-List - Week of March 30, 2016
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Submitted by Mike 'Ace' Maillaro on Tue, 03/29/2016 - 07:07
Welcome back to Critical Blast’s weekly look at what new comics you should check out each week. Just a warning, I make these picks pretty much a week BEFORE I actually get to read any of these comics, so if something is a stinker, I take no blame on that. Let's get to it!
STRAYER #3 - The last few weeks, I have had a lot of kind words for After Shock Comics. In a lot of ways, they remind me of Crossgen (though After Shock's books all seem to be stand alone). They are taking on a wide variety of genres and using some of the top names in comics. Strayer is basically a fantasy quest comic, and it's been a long time since I've read a good one of those. For that alone, it would grab onto a place on my pull list. And then you have a great writer like Justin Jordan on this book. Definitely worth a look.
BATMAN AND ROBIN ETERNAL #26 - This terrific weekly series finally comes to an end. I've really enjoyed the mysteries around Mother, and I am glad that for a change we didn't really get a "deep dark hidden chapter" that makes Batman look like a jerk. Batman's actions in the past were all around stopping Mother, and when he found out what Mother did to Harper's family, he did everything possible to try and protect her. It's a terrific story where Batman looks like a hero all the way through, and the Robins all work together to save the day. Can't beat that!
STREET FIGHTER X GIJOE #2 - To be honest, I thought the first issue was kind of crappy, mostly because the characters they used were some of the least interesting Street Fighter and GI Joe characters. This second issue promises to be a little better in terms of characters, but I still don't have a lot of faith in having a book that respects everything I love about either franchise.
DAREDEVIL #5 - I was really looking forward to Charles Soule's take on Daredevil. Ten Fingers has made for a real unique threat, and I even like Blindspot as Daredevil's "sidekick." To be honest, this is a really strong run, though I will admit that it sort of pales in comparison to the terrific work that Mark Waid was doing the last few years. I think that is the problem with Daredevil, there are so many great runs for the character, it's real hard for writers to stake out new claims. But Soule is still going solid work here.
CAPTAIN AMERICA SAM WILSON #7 - This is a big anniversary issue. Also a part of Avengers Standoff, though the inflated price tag is a bit of a turnoff for me. $6 for a bunch of backup stories I probably won't care that much about? Wow, I sound so horribly cynical this week.
MOON GIRL AND DEVIL DINOSAUR #5 - Last week, I had mentioned that Totally Awesome Hulk was an underrated book. Moon Girl also belongs on that list! This has been a real fun book, and sadly after it's initial announcement, I've never really seen any more press on it.
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