Written by Guest Contributor: Jordan North J.R. Christ has it been a week. Prepping for school, working on various projects and killing members of a shadowy ninja clan have all taken their toll on me this week, resulting in a man who has time/energy for little else than drinking Dr.Pepper, smoking liberally and finally finishing Alan Wake on his Xbox. In between that I fit in a smattering of gratuitous napping and chipwich experimenting. And then, and only then do I engage in my other favorite pasttime—comics. Yes, Nerdy America`s favorite sport is the slack off activity I engage in between slack off activities but it cant be said I don’t do so diligently, never missing a single week (though that heavy Doritos-pastrami pairing on Monday a few weeks back almost had me laid out on pull day) heres what`ll be getting me off this week. Long live sloth.
B.P.R.D #110
Ah Mike Mignola you brilliant bastard. At any given time i`m reading almost all that Darkhorse turns out related to Hellboy and his motley crew of monster hunters. Of all those perhaps B.P.R.D takes the cake. A crew of hunters wade through the massacred cities of America searching for...like, people who haven’t been partially digested or something in a comic set after giant mutant moth-egg beats attack and mutate the shit out of most of the world (evil always has illogically destructive goals). Its fun, refreshing, dumb fun and with an issue focusing on a larger world as a whole and tying some other books back in, B.P.R.D is better than ever.Oh and also, John Arcudi kills it with bold, simple art that's worthy of the Hellboy name.
Dream Thief #4
I spend hella time confused by the plot so then, why can't I put Jai Nitz Dream Thief Down? Maybe its the ridiculous plot itself, revolving around a tiki mask that allows our hero to get body hacked as he sleeps and then access that ghosts memories by day. Cool right? Maybe its the ultra realistic world that the story is set it, the maturity and thoroughness of which make me feel like all this crazy shit is really going down. Maybe its spot on facial work and overall art by Greg Smallwood. Or the amazing post-story art that the book so awesomely puts at the end of every issue. Whatever it is, Dream Thief is a book that has got its hooks on me and even for its imperfections, I can't turn away.
X-O Manowar #16
A book I just started X-O Manowar is just strange. Featuring a medieval knight gone alien-race slaying space demigod, X-O is never short on originality. Ripe with space action the entertainment value here alone is worth purchase. And with our Metriod-esque hero returning to Earth recently with about two millennium of time-lag. X-O Manowar is set and primed to be as great a time as ever.
Thunderbolts #14
Marvel's Thunderbolts features a crew of bad, bad men with large guns being far more kickass than they have any right to. Red Hulk, Venom, Punisher and Electra have proven throughout comic canon that they have serious cajones and now someone had the balls to put them all in some pages together to FSU. Seeing these characters together in panel is enough to induce squees.
Daredevil #30
Do I need to say anything? Mark Waid`s current Daredevil run is legendary in quality with no signs of letting up. Featuring a better time than most darkness-obsessed comics on shelves these days and old-school sensibilities, Daredevil is as beloved as still-running titles get. Chris Samnee does things on art that`ll make you swoon.
Venom #39
I love Venom, always have, always will. The story, the costume, even when he's been a straight villain I’ve been a fan. The only bust I have of a comic character in my room is Venom (it's really a piggy bank—shh!) and now that he`s a hero that carries automatic weapons? All the better.
Wonder Woman #23
Another recent read, Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang`s Wonder Woman has been critically enough acclaimed that I figured now is a better time than ever to jump on and learn a little more about a character I’ve always been curious about. Featuring a fast paced (more of a blessing than you realize in the big 2 these days) and compelling plot line and a sleek, stylish update on princess Diana herself that never strays from the original character and isn’t afraid to explore any facet of what that character may be, Wonder Woman is a must read for fans new and old. It doesn’t hurt that Cliff Chiang`s art looks like David Aja on beautiful, beautiful steroids.
Animal Man #23
God Damn do I love Animal Man. Another ongoing classic, Animal Man is in the middle of a ridiculous run with Jeff Lemire at the helm. Equal parts horror and hero Animal Man just keeps getting better and better. Last issue I almost cried at a conversation Buddy Baker had with a giant spider-lady. Seriously. Also, Steve Pagh is one of the sickest artist out there right now and is perfect for the surreal darkness of the title. One of the best and maybe my favorite on the list.
Batman Beyond Universe #1
I haven’t read this title yet, but Batman`s Beyond universe has always been a favorite of mine. Born in a strange year, the tale of Terry Mcguiness teen hero was almost as impactful to me as the original animated series was and ever since watching it as a kid I’ve had an infatuation with a dystopian Gotham city and that smooth-ass red and black suit.
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Alright you bastards good day and good luck. I hope you got some ideas to add a little zest, a little swordplay, a few scares, or whatever gets you going to your pull list this week. You'll need all the good stuff you can get to help you stay sane as the school year nears again. Have fun. Be lazy. Read comics.