The Walking Dead (15+ volumes) - Robert Kirkman
Good
solid horror storytelling with lots of raw human emotion, but
unrelentingly bleak. Like getting repeatedly hit in the gut. Makes you
feel masochistic for reading. Begs to be devoured, but not much
re-readability. I stopped around vol. 17 or so. Too much of the same.
[4]
War Stories, Vols. 1-4 - Garth Ennis [Avatar Press]
Military
historical fiction. Tales of WWII, the Spanish Civil War, and other
modern battles. An homage to the heroism on the grand scale, as well as
the sad sacks, schemers, angels, and idiots who went out and put their
lives on the line in the face of unimaginable horror. [4]
Watchmen - Alan Moore
Superheroes are outlawed, and someone's killing them off. Who knew too much, and what did they know? This is what started the grim-n-gritty fad, and it has much to answer for in that respect, but is impeccable as a work of art. [5]
The Way of the Hive - Jay Hosler
Whatever Happened To the World Of Tomorrow? - Brian Fies
When Stars Are Scattered - Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed
Whiteout: Melt - Greg Rucka [Oni]
Carrie
Stetko, badass, is called back to the Antarctic to chase down some
Russians who have stolen nuclear warheads. A tense potboiler, with the
usual Rucka trademarks: tough woman agent toes the line between daring
and unrestrained, who cares more than she lets on. He really makes the
dangers of the setting seem close and terrifying. Read twice. [4]
William and the Lost Spirit - Bonneval & Bonhomme [Graphic Universe]
Apparently
called "William, the lost spirit" in French, so already I wonder about
the quality of the translation. A boy in a medieval setting tries to
track down his sister, who has gone after their apparently dead father.
He meets bandits and is protected by a strange knight. They find a
goat which William forms a strange bond with. Then he wakens in the
land of Prester John and meets all manner of odd beings: talking fish,
dog-men, and Blemmyes. Unusual and interesting, but not very weighty or
affecting. [3.5]
Winter Soldier - Brubaker
Typically
gritty spy superhero drama from Brubaker. The first half is somewhat
thin, with a vague resolution. The combination of Bucky and Dr. Doom is
enticing but maybe it just doesn't work; Bucky telling Doom to "shut
your metal face" doesn't ring true, somehow. In the second half of the
series, Brubaker takes the Soldier to his roots, bringing back sleeper
soldiers, KGB agents, Cold War weapons caches, brainwashing, and the
Black Widow. Excellent super-spy drama. [4]
Wolverine - Greg Rucka
The best Wolverine. [4.5]
Wolverine and the Black Cat: Claws - Palmiotti & Gray
The
two heroes get kidnapped by Kraven, who has sold the rights to hunt
them down and kill them to a bunch of clueless mercenaries. Or is it
Kraven?! Silly fun, mostly. A terrible portrayal of Spider-Man as a
fool mars the first few pages. Lush art. Decent superhero stuff. [3]
Wolverine Weapon X (3 volumes) - Jason Aaron
Superhero
drama, with black humor and a bit of human pathos. Nowhere near as
good as Aaron's epic Scalped, but he tries to carve a flesh-and-blood,
sympathetic Wolverine out of the disparate elements of the Marvel U.
For example, Aaron has the character's over-saturation in books present
itself as Logan driving himself to exhaustion in order to forget his
brutal past. He also gives Logan a girlfriend. In the end it's still a
superhero book with its usual limitations and superhero logic, but damn
if it isn't the best Wolverine this side of Rucka. [4]
Wonder Woman - Brian Azzarello
- 1. Blood - A woman named Zola carrying Zeus' child is hunted by Hera, while Hermes, WW, and a stone man named Lennox try to save her. With Zeus missing, Hades and Poseidon (in decidedly non-traditional forms) vie for the throne, with other gods interfering as they do. It's at times a bit confusing because of the way Azzarello tweaks the mythology, and his trademark street-level banter is off-putting in this format ("I could care less" coming from Hera? No, not acceptable). Gorgeous art by Cliff Chiang and a pretty decent story. [4]
- 2. Guts - The contest for Zeus' throne continues, and Hades tries to win WW for his queen. This is suspenseful and darkly comic stuff, but Azzarello is really very much a one-note writer, and I don't think he's helping build up the WW legacy and mythos so much as retconning and rebooting it. This is "100 Bracelets" maybe. Still, fun! [4]
- 3. Iron - WW tracks down more of Zeus' children in her quest to recover Zola's baby. Meanwhile, a mysterious giant with a mission is brought to life by some researchers in Antarctica. Gangsta Greek! [4]
