What I Read during Week 4 of 2019

This week, DC and Marvel pretty much dominated my reading with a focus on 1998 for DC and 1963 for Marvel. I did finish off a pretty good science fiction novel this week though as well. Rounding out the week, I jumped on board the new Buffy the Vampire Slayer and continued my X-O Manowar reading. On the whole, it was a pretty good week of reading for me.

Ninefox Gambit

By Yoon Ha Lee. Published by Solaris Books, 2016.

This was an interesting SciFi novel in which mathematics takes a primary role. I thought it might be a bit rough but once I got into the story though I really enjoyed it. Kel Cheris is a military commander who must fight against the mathematical heretics who’ve taken the Fortress of Scattered Needles. The cool part of this title happens when Cheris takes on the consciousness of Shuos Jedao who is an undefeated military genius. So along with the wild weaponry and crazy, almost magical mathematics, we get a mad general who battles inwardly with the protagonist and externally with the heretics.
While the story takes a bit of effort to get started it is definitely work the time. I rate this a Read. Even better, there are a couple more follow ups in The Machineries of Empire Trilogy.

DC – Young Justice

• JLA: World Without Grownups #1 by Todd Dezago, Michael McKone, and Humberto Ramos. Published by DC Comics, 1998. This was a pretty interesting start to a 2 issue series. Someone with a lot of power was able to make all the kids disappear…or is it the adults that disappeared? Whatever the case is, the results are the same, in one “world”, the adults are running around trying to figure out what happened to all the kids, while in the other, the kids are throwing a big party as they realize they don’t have to follow anyone’s rules anymore. At the core though, Robin, Kid Flash, and Superboy have to figure out what’s going on and work to correct the chaos. I’d say you can Read it if you’re interested in the young team since it was pretty good.
• JLA: World Without Grownups #2 by Todd Dezago, Michael McKone, and Humberto Ramos. Published by DC Comics, 1998. The conclusion to this short 2 part series worked pretty well in my opinion. Robin, Impulse (I kept calling him Kid Flash), and Superboy worked together and took on Bedlam who had split the world in two – with kids on one and adults on the other. Creating the nucleus of a team that will be called Young Justice in the future, these 3 young heroes saved the day where the adults were powerless to prevent the birth of a new god. I rate this a Read.
• Young Justice: The Secret #1by Todd Dezago, Todd Nauck, and Lary Stucker. Published by DC Comics, 1998. This one-shot features the first real team up of Young Justice as a group since the previous JLA issues just saw them thrown into a situation together. In this issue though we see them work as a team and help a gaseous being escape captivity from the DEO. It was a nice little story that highlights some of the particulars of each of the young heroes and gives a nice window on how they could work together as a team in the future. I rate this a definite Read.
• Young Justice #1 – Young, Just Us by Peter David , Todd Nauck, and Lary Stucker. Published by DC Comics, 1998. Robin, Impulse, and Superboy are calling themselves “Young Just Us” and they’re actually forming a team that will come to be known as Young Justice. In this first issue the team heads to an archeological site where someone has dug up the wheel of some ancient/futuristic vehicle. The Department of Extra-Normal Operations also showed up at the site and when they all got together things get a bit interesting. For a first issue of a title, this one leaves a lot to be desired for me. I really didn’t like it but I’ll give the series a couple more issues to see what I think. Skip it for now though.
• Young Justice #2 – Sheik, Rattle and Roll by Peter David , Todd Nauck, and Lary Stucker. Published by DC Comics, 1998. This second issue of this title does a better job of convincing me that I should Read the series, particularly since the dilemma of the super-cycle was portrayed so well.
• Young Justice #1,000,000 by Peter David, Todd Nauck, Lary Stucker, Angel Unzueta, Norm Raymond, Craig Rousseau, Sean Parsons, Roberto Flores, and Wayne Faucher. Published by DC Comics, 1998. This is an interesting one since it seems to be part of some event that DC had back in the late 90s. In it, Robin (aka the Toy Wonder), the millionth clone of Superboy, and the whatever incarnation of Impulse brag about how they saved the day against Doomsday, the Sun Eater, and the Millennium Chicken. It was a whimsical, fun read, Read it.
• Young Justice #3 – The Issue Before the One Where the Girls Show Up! by Peter David , Todd Nauck, and Lary Stucker. Published by DC Comics, 1998. The series is getting better as the trio face their final foe without “the girls”. This issue is called “The Issue Before the One Where the Girls Show Up!” and the boys take on a young Mr. Mxyzptlk and I’d say it was worth the Read.

Relatively Current Comics

• Buffy The Vampire Slayer #1 – Welcome Back to the Hellmouth by Jordie Bellaire and Dan Mora. Published by BOOM! Studios, 2019. This feels like a fun reboot of the wonderful adventure Joss Whedon created in the 90s. Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Giles are all here but things are evolving a bit differently. For one thing, Anya is already running a magic shop and the vampires are using devices to make themselves impervious to spikes. This is a Must Read for any fan of the show.
• X-O Manowar #2 by Matt Kindt, Tomas Giorello, and Diego Rodriguez. Published by Valiant, 2017. Moving on from his battles in issue #1, Aric of Earth is given command of a team and pointed in the direction of the Cadmium’s power generators and targeting towers. A pretty good battle ensues but even after they’ve won another test awaits them. This is a definite Read and I’m enjoying this title a bunch.

Marvel 1963

• Amazing Spider-Man #2 – Duel to the Death with The Vulture! and The Uncanny Threat of the Terrible Tinkerer! by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Published by DC Comics, 1963.I read this issue a way back in 2017 but I re-read it here for my trip through My Marvelous Year and even though I’ve been here before, I still believe this is a Read for anyone interested in Silver Age Marvel or Spider-Man.
• Amazing Spider-Man #3 – Spider-Man verses Doctor Octopus by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Published by DC Comics, 1963. Doctor Octopus shows up in this issue which I read early last year. I still consider this battle a Must Read as I re-read it for My Marvelous Year.
• Fantastic Four #13 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Published by Marvel Comics, 1962. The team fights against one of the Commie’s leading scientists, the Red Ghost and his crew of super apes. But not only do the Fantastic Four meet the Reds on the Moon but they also encounter the Watcher for the first time. While the Red Ghost’s plan is kinda mediocre at best I did enjoy seeing the Watcher and learning about some of his abilities so I rate this a Read.
• Fantastic Four Annual #1 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Published by Marvel Comics, 1962. Namor is back and he’s found Atlantis but not all his subjects are pleased that he’s taken the throne. Regardless of that, he draws the FF into a trap where he delivers an ultimatum – the seas and the air above them are his and the landlubbers need to stay away or face destruction. This was a pretty good story and along with the Spider-Man appearance and Rogues Galley at the end, this was a good Read.

Roundup

Only a single Skip this week and 2 Must Reads and while I’ve enjoyed Young Justice I can’t wait for the girls to show up to temper some of the teenage testosterone. I’m gonna finish off this first graphic novel and see if I want to read any further since I haven’t found anything that makes it something I Must Read. As for Marvel 1963, I’m still plugging along and am getting close to moving into 1964. With additions to Spider-Man’s rogue’s gallery and the growth of the Fantastic Four’s team dynamics, these are shaping up to be more interesting beyond seeing the origin stories and first appearances.
My favorite issue of the week is a close call between Buffy and Doctor Octopus and I think I’d go with the Doctor because we get to see the origin of an iconic villain in the Marvel Universe. Sure, it’s fun to see Buffy get a new start in Sunnydale but Spider-Man #3 is a foundation of 50+ years of comics.

Comics Corner | My Week 4 of 2019 Reading List