WLG #223: Maybe The End of the World ISN'T So Bad

By Michael A. Diaz

My introduction this week was basically going to be something about how when it comes to WildStorm and my rant from a couple of weeks ago I was pretty much wrong, but I think I covered that pretty well as I wrote up the piece about Gen 13 this week. Instead of repeating myself I think it would just be best if we dive immediately into What Looks Good…

DC

GEN 13 #21 (Scott Beatty / Mike Huddleston)

So maybe you’re thinking “Michael, I know you’ve been away from comic books for a while and you’re getting your feet wet again, and the last column you were whining about the entire WildStorm universe, so why are you geeking out about Gen 13, a book you’ve never really gotten into in the past?”

Here’s the thing: I did whine about WildStorm and how I think they’ve made mistake after mistake as to how they’ve handled the universe over the past couple of years, but I read the first issues of both The Authority and Wildcats and dang it if I didn’t thoroughly enjoy both of those comics so very much. On top of that, I was found myself enjoying the small sub story in the back of each of those issues starring Lynch from I/O. I didn’t think I’d enjoy those little snippets of story, but I did.

Then I saw this week that Gen 13 was coming out; true enough, I don’t know that I’ve ever collected the book for any stretch. I think I have the original first issue, or maybe even the first mini-series. I find myself drawn to the book now because of what has happened to the WildStorm universe, this event that has left the world on the brink of destruction. I initially thought that the end of the world event might be devoid of enough interesting stories, but like I said, the first two relaunches really grabbed my attention, so I am very eager to how this event plays out here within this book as well.

I’m not eating crow yet, but if WildStorm can keep up the quality that I saw in the first two issues I picked up I might be eating it soon.

GREEN ARROW / BLACK CANARY #11 $2.99 (Judd Winick / Mike Norton)

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know I keep raving about this book, so I won’t bore you again with how much I love it. By now either you love it too, or your sick of hearing me go on about it, so I will keep it short this week.

Basically, I am just really interested to see the events that took place immediately prior to Connor getting shot by that arrow.

There, that’s all I’m saying. I love this book, I can’t help myself.








GREEN LANTERN CORPS #27 $2.99 (Peter Tomasi / Luke Ross)

Pretty much every that I said above about Green Arrow can be repeated here, save the bits about Connor. It’s well known that I love this book very much and I ramble on and on about it. That’s nothing new.

So why am I particularly geeked THIS week? Well, for one thing we’re going to meet a new Green Lantern, one that can apparently see the dead. That’s neat enough, but my geek level shoots through the roof when I couple it with what we already know about the future of the GLC: that the Black Lanterns will rise from the dead. This new GL can already see the dead, so once again more groundwork is being laid out, leading us to that ultimate conclusion that is slowly simmering beneath the future.

GLEE!

It’s a good time to be a Green Lantern geek!!!!

MARVEL

ASTONISHING X-MEN #26 $2.99 (Warren Ellis / Simone Bianchi)

Sometimes I think it would be a lot of fun to be Warren Ellis because then you could pretty much do whatever you want to do when it comes to comics. Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed Whedon’s run on this book, but right with his first issue Ellis clearly showed that his run was going to be fundamentally different. Of course, I pretty much figured that going into the book. True, I enjoy Whedon and Ellis it is usually for different reasons.

On top of that, I love how the creative team has decided to use some of the uniforms that were used during Morrison’s tenure on New X-Men. It’s a nice throwback, but also indicative of a stylistic change. Whereas Whedon’s take was very much in the superhero style, I think the inclusion of some of the Morrison-era uniforms shows that Ellis is going to be taking the book in a more “realistic” style. I say “realistic” because obviously this is a comic book, but I think the tone we’re going to be seeing from Ellis and company is going to be a little darker and a little closer to home. Which, as well all know, is right up my alley. I can’t wait to see where he takes this book!

THE PUNISHER #60 (Garth Ennis / Goran Parlov)

I can’t say that I’m all that geeked about this book this week, not because I’m not looking forward to the story, but because I know that this is the end of a long, strange, violent, and wonderful trip. I collected comic books all through junior high school, high school, and partially into college. Eventually I had to give up comics because as a poor college student I just couldn’t afford them anymore. Occasionally I would pick up a book or an issue of Wizard and think about comics, but there was a lot that I missed. Heck, I even remember seeing the first issue of Preacher on the shelf the week that it came out and I considered picking it up, but didn’t because I didn’t know when I would be able be able to afford another issue and I didn’t want to start a new series if I couldn’t follow it if I ended up liking it. Of course, I look back on that day now and wished that I HAD bought that issue, but that’ another story.

It’s funny, though, because Preacher was written by Ennis as well, and it was Ennis that really brought me back to comic books. I had been away from them and I didn’t immediately pick them back up even after I was done with college. I had heard some of the things that had happened to Frank Castle, even that he had died and came back as the angel of death or something. I just remembered that seeing Castle as an agent of the hereafter was not something that I was interested in seeing.

However, I also heard later that Frank Castle was coming back, as the Punisher that I had known and loved all throughout those formative years. I was working then and had some money, so why I figured a single comic book a month wouldn’t be so bad. Of course, around that time I noticed that the X-titles were getting a relaunch by Chris Claremont as well, so why not pick those up as well. Soon after I was collecting about 20 titles a month, just like I was in high school again.

What does that have to do with Ennis? Well, as I said, it was his relaunch of the Punisher that brought me back into comics. I’ve been back now for eight years (or more) and love comics as much as I ever have. Would I have come back if Ennis hadn’t brought back Frank Castle? Probably at some point, but I will say this: Garth Ennis got me EXCITED about comics again, enough so that my little toe-dip into the water became a full-on plunge within weeks of buying The Punisher #1 (from the maxi-series).

Really, words cannot do justice to the gratitude I have to Mr. Ennis; I could try, but I think that I would fail. So, suffice it say this: thank you Garth Ennis for giving us back Frank; you showed me how much fun comics could be again and brought back and old, dear friend.

Thank you!

SECRET INVASION: X-MEN #1 (Mike Carey / Cary Nord)

I’m not really a big fan of the entire “Secret Invasion” event, and even less of a fan of most companion books that are obviously produced in order to milk us, the comic book readers and collectors. That said, I do like that Marvel had one of the X-writers pen this tale instead of some fill-in. On top of that, I absolutely fell in love with Nord’s work on Conan and knew that it was only a matter of time before one of the big boys picked him up. I know he’s done some work for Marvel and DC before, but I’m eager to see his work on some of the X-characters.

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What has you geeked this week? Stop by the What Looks Good message boards (see link below) and let me know what has YOU excited.

See you next week!

Peace!

-Diaz

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