Short and Sweet Reviews

Having finished with the Ed Brubaker Captain America/Winter Soldier run, I'm now reading Hawkeye: Avenging Archer. I'm about halfway through. I've only read Hawkeye in Matt Fraction's recently concluded run, and now Jeff Lemire's take on the character, so I thought I should read some older stories, especially since they included Mockingbird (who I know from the TV show "Marvel Agents of SHIELD") and Black Widow. So far, it's been entertaining. Not at the level of Brubaker's writing, but fun. And it got me to thinking about the differences between Marvel and DC, how they handle emotional angst and couples in love. I'll write more about that later, probably after I've finished reading this.

As for monthlies, bi-monthlies, or whatever-the-heck-the-release-schedule-is, comics, here's what I read this past week.

Barb Wire 2
I love the cover by Adam Hughes. As for the story, things escalate between the gangs, with Barb caught between as she tries to nab a seriously dangerous dude while trying to keep her bar afloat. I like Barb, but the story seems a bit meh. But it isn't bad, so I'll keep reading, because I like Barb and like to support kickass female characters.

Dream Police 7
This is the  whatever-the-heck-the-release-schedule-is comic. I honestly can't recall when I read the previous issue. The renegade dream cops are trying to find answers, which take them out to the Verge. They run into Nightmares, and are so close to maybe learning the truth about the dreamscape, but then... the issue ends and I guess it's another 2-4 months of waiting for the next installment. I love this book, but Argh! I hate waiting for the next issue.

Ms. Marvel 17
Everything's about to end, and Kamala gets an assist from her hero, Captain Marvel, to save her brother, but that might not go too well. I love this book. Pure fun, true coming of age storytelling, and lovely art.

Broken World 3
In her quest to leave Earth to rejoin her family, Elena and her former student and former student's brother reach a town controlled by soldiers. I'm not sure where this is all going. Is it about adjusting to a world where most of the population has left due to an impending catastrophe that ended up not happening, or is something more afoot. With the focus on Elena and her attempt to leave, not as much time is spent on the way things now are. It's an interesting concept, though.

Copperhead 9
This western in space comic has grown on me. I liked it well enough from the first issue, but the main character, a human sheriff on an outlying planet, and the quirky aliens have slowly come to life for me. With her deputy missing/captured, the sheriff rounds up a rather diverse posse and heads for the hills! Oh, and someone from her past might be showing up sooner rather than later. That doesn't bode well. This isn't must-reading, but it is fun-reading.

Lazarus 18
Damn, I love this book. Dark, brooding, dystopian comic that it is. The Carlyle-Hock war heats up, with Forever commanding a small team to infiltrate Hock territory in Duluth, MN. Best science fiction in comic book form I've read in ages, except for Saga. Nothing can beat Saga for me right now.