The Week in Comics

This week has been the usual mixed bag of comics reading.

I did finally read the 2 volume Alias trades I'd picked up a long while back, now that I've seen the Jessica Jones Netflix series. I'm glad they've reissued it, so if you haven't read the series, you should. Be aware it's a Marvel Max series, so lots of cursing and sex. I was surprised by how different the original is compared to the show, especially how much the Marvel superhero community is part of the comic. I loved it, and just got a copy of the follow-up, Jessica Jones: Pulse, which is part of the Marvel 'verse proper. So, less sex and cursing with asterisks inserted.

Now, on to the monthlies!

Gotham Academy 14
Yearbook is a strange issue, with short stories of no consequence, all by different creative teams and tied together with a framing story of Olive giving Maps a blank scrapbook so she can put together her own yearbook after she's rejected for the official yearbook club. Of note is the short story written and illustrated by the always delightful Katie Cook.

Red Hood Arsenal 8
I honestly have no idea why I'm still reading this. I would say, for Roy Harper, but really, this book is no longer serving him well. Our intrepid duo, plus Joker's Daughter (a character I've long disliked) end up in the under underground of Gotham where lots of weirdos live. I'm really getting tired of Jason's narration always including references to his past. Time for some forward thinking, Jason!

Descender 9
The Tim bots get in some bonding time, and Andy gains a clue as to the whereabouts of his childhood chum, Tim-21. I love this book, and am constantly amazed at how much more I enjoy Lemire's writing on his original material, than on an established property such as....

Hawkeye 3
Billed as chapter 3 of 3, it's merely the end of part one of an ongoing story I long ago lost interest in. Instead of concluding the arc, this issue just meanders around in two time periods to get to the point where current Clint tells current Kate, after he visits brother Barney on Barney's new island he bought with Clint's money, that they need to go rescue the weird kids after all. And we still don't know why those kids matter and how being prisoners of SHIELD all the years into the future affected... well, anything. Meaning, I still have no idea what this story is about. And the flashforward art is just plain ugly. I'm dropping this.

Starfire 8
A bit of fluff as Kory and Dick Grayson have a friendly reunion. Not much happens, but what does, looks nice as usual.

Codename Baboushka 4
Ah, Baboushka wasn't fooled by Stirling, though she figured it out too late to avoid being captured. But! She escapes and the chase in on! Stirling is still trying to find the mystery intell that was to be auctioned off in the clandestine meeting on the ship and it's up to Babouska to find it first. A fun romp under a lovely cover.