As always, “Five & Three” brings you my favorite things in comics this week. Every week I pick my five favorite covers and three favorite panels to create “Five & Three”. I like to talk about why I picked the covers and panels and welcome hecklers and trend setters alike.
From one comic book movie weekend into another, “Five and Three” keeps rolling on. The “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” movie isn’t my favorite thing in comics this week because I haven’t had a chance to see it yet. If you’d like to know how I feel on it you can read both Neverbot’s positive review and CitizenBot’s very negative review. My opinion will probably fall somewhere in between the two.
Starting us out on a strong note is “Batman ‘66” digital issue #40 with a spectacularly big, shiny bat robot. If you’re reading this Paul Rivoche (the artist on the book), thank you!
Next is a juxtaposed delight for the eyes from Ryan Sook as he fills in on the cover to DC’s weekly look at the future of The New 52 in “The New 52: Futures End” #14. Brandigirlio helpd me whittle down to this issue but I had to explain it was Barda fighting Deathstroke and not Wonder Woman. She didn’t care about that though, only that there was one more bad ass lady hero fighting the good fight in the comic book realm.
From Millicent Barnes Comics I present you with a very cool indie cover to “Mack & Mondo” by S. J. McCune. I’m not a huge cat fan but if McCune drew them all I might be. You can find his wonderful book at the rock bottom price of $.099 cents from your favorite digital comics retailer.
I’ve always been a fan of Stan Sakai. His art in the “47 Ronin” comic from last year was one of my favorite stories of 2013. He is taking his character Usagi Yojimbo far into the future with “Usagi Yojimbo: Senso”. With the first cover to the six part mini-series he is also taking comic book fans on a journey of visual delight.
My favorite cover of the week goes to Marvel’s “Figment” #3 by John Tyler Christopher. It’s one of the most original and charming covers I’ve seen all year. I’ve had no interest in Figment up to this point but with covers like these I’m about to make the dive. Wish me luck, although I doubt I’ll need it.
Art Baltazar can make anything meant for kids an instant buy for adults. His simple cartooning in “Tiny Titans: Return To the Treehouse” #3 is every bit of the word perfection. It also helps that book is enjoyable on all levels with jokes and gags for all-ages to enjoy.
Another artist that elevates everything he puts pen to is Skottie Young. If you’re not reading the new “Rocket Raccoon” book that he is writing and drawing you’re missing out. Young’s “Rocket Raccoon” is so mystifyingly good you’ll think the comic was enchanted.
I’m posting both Phil Noto’s and Mitch Gerad’s interpretation of a Punisher and Black Widow moment. The two books, “The Punisher” #9 and “Black Widow” #9, had a cross-over this week courtesy of their shared writer Nathan Edmondson. His high octane spy thriller starring everyone’s favorite female Avengers met up with the action packed, and ultra-realistic, Punisher. In a moment on a boat that’s just about to blow up, the stories synchronize and then split.
Reading both books was fun because the point of view is slightly different in each book for the shared time-lines. That being said, I know I’m probably in the minority, but I prefer Mitch Gerads gritty inks and dazzling colors to Noto’s fantastical paints and gorgeous tones. That’s not always the case, but in this shared story line, Gerads past hyper-realistic work on the US Operators spy comic “The Activity”, gave him the edge.
That’s all for this week. If you disagree with a pick, let me know in the comments or on Twitter @MarkAvo or on Instagram @TheMarkAvo. If you think I should’ve picked something else or if you have a pick in mind for next week, give me a shout out and let me know. If you’d like to check out more “Five and Three” comic book moments start with “Five and Three” from last week. Until next week, “Go Ninja, Go Ninja, Go!”