Comics of December 17, 2014 + brief update

It’s new comic day again; usually my favourite day of the week. Among my most anticipated titles are All New X-Men 34 (which was delayed), Batman 37, and both Captain Marvel 10 (100^th issue) and Ms. Marvel 10 (which was also delayed).

Before I get into talking about comics though, here’s a quick update on my blog. Because I work retail, I’m working next Wednesday. I’ll be fairly busy for the rest of that week, so I probably won’t have time to make many blog posts about next week’s releases. So I’m probably going to take the week off and just enjoy comics, and then write something similar to these first impressions posts the week after.

The comics I picked up this week include those I’ve already mentioned, along with Scarlet Spiders 2, The Weapon X Program 4, Black Widow 13, Guardians of the Galaxy 22 and Supergirl 37. Here are my first impressions, and links to my full reviews will be added below.

Captain Marvel 10 review

All New X-Men 34

Supergirl 37 review

Scarlet Spiders 2 is fun, but not quite as good as the first issue. The revelations about the inheritor clones are interesting and the three spider clones sneaking around their building is fun. Part of what makes the first issue work was exploring the whole alternate reality aspect, and not as much was done with that concept in this issue. Still, if you enjoyed the first issue you should also enjoy this one.

Weapon X Program 4 is good. It’s now made official exactly where Sharp gets his combat skills and memory flashes, and while it’s not a big surprise, it works fairly well and could lead to some interesting storytelling later on. There are also more experiments revealed, and we learn a lot more about both Endo’s backstory and her abilities. At this point, it’s hard to tell exactly how this mini-series will end. People excited for Wolverines should at least check this mini-series out.

Ms. Marvel 10 is great. After the somewhat shocking ending with issue 9, Kamala spends the first part of this issue speaking with a bunch of kids who offered to help the Inventor out. This is a very plot driven issue that leaves little room for Kamala’s family, but it’s a good one that balances fun action scenes, a compelling story and the humour through both the writing and the art that makes this series so delightful. If you read comics and you haven’t checked Ms. Marvel out yet, you’re making a huge mistake.

Black Widow 13 is good. With a close friend in the hospital and her accounts drained, Natasha begins her hunt for Chaos and anyone associated with them. There’s a strong balance between dark storytelling and lighter drama to give this issue a varied feel. If the comic’s ending is anything to go by, this storyline will get intense fast, and for Marvel’s most prominent espionage title that’s perfectly fine. Even though a lot has happened already, it’s easy to understand what’s going on. Along with the rest of this series so far, this is an easy recommendation for anyone who could see themselves enjoying an espionage series based in the Marvel universe.

Guardians of the Galaxy 22 is fun. Most of this issue pits the Guardians of the Galaxy against the venom symbiote, which is loose on their ship and infects various Guardians members. Captain Marvel also makes a brief yet welcome appearance, fighting crime on Knowhere in a quick yet fun scene. There’s not much else to say about this one. So far this storyline is fun, but there hasn’t been much of a plot yet. I wouldn’t recommend this to new readers, but if you’ve been enjoying Bendis’s run on the title so far, you’ll enjoy this.

Batman 37 is hardcore in the best way possible. The Joker is on a rampage, infecting much of Gotham City with an infectious virus that makes people laugh and become violent. The mystery behind who the joker is gets pretty crazy mid-issue and there are a number of creepy panels spread throughout. This is shaping up to be the best story arc in Snyder’s New 52 Batman run so far, and that’s saying a lot. If you even remotely like Batman, read this.