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.
I didn’t have a big week so I reached out for help and got some from the creator of the “Salt City Strangers” Chris “Hoffmangler” Hoffman. He helped me pick some panels and some covers and you can guess which ones those were. With that in mind, the first cover of the week is a really cool variant for “The United States of Murder Inc #5” by David Mack. I know there were other covers I could have picked over this one but I liked the positive and negative space and the idea that the trail leads back to the person with the gun.
I love the stylized Cold War spy stories from the 60’s. The paperback covers were the best and in that silhouetted style of those and some of the “James Bond” flicks I picked the cover to “All-New Ultimates #8” by David Nakayama. I’d given up on the title until a conversation with a fellow aspiring comic book writer at last week’s Salt Lake Comic Con. With covers like this one, how could I stay away for long?
Obligatory “Hawkeye #20” pick. This isn’t my favorite David Aja cover for Hawkeye but because there will not be too many of these covers left to pick, and because it’s bloody terrific either way, of course I picked it this week. Every issue that comes out is exciting and bitterly disappointing. Maybe we can all get together and convince Matt Fraction to keep writing more Hawkguy? Didn’t that work for the campaign to get Bettie White to host “Saturday Night Live”?
To my taste in comic book art, Dustin Nguyen can do no wrong. Scott Snyder and Jim Lee have told one hell of a cool Superman story with “Superman Unchained”. I think Lee works best in these small dose mini-series. I know he likes working on books in each book’s continuity but he is a busy guy and fans will clamor for his art any way that they can get it. I’d like a Green Arrow story next but I don’t want Lemire or Sorrentino going any where. In fact, after Snyder and Capullo are done with Batman I’d love DC forever if they let Lemire and Sorrentino take a crack at Bats.
My final pick is an Image book. That happens a lot because Image puts out quality books that make me happy. “Ghosted” is a book that makes both me and my wife happy and any book that lets my lady share in one of my passions is a winner every time. “Ghosted”, for the uninitiated, is a cross between “Ocean’s Eleven” and “The Medium” with a dash of “Ghostbusters” and a little “Uncharted”. It’s hard to nail down because it is so unique. It’s also a book you should definitely check out if you have room in that pull list and want something different.
First up in panels is a simple one from “Batgirl: Futures End #1”. Look at all of the trophies that The Black Beast, the leader of the “Batgirl squad”, has in her underground lair! Don’t mess with the lady who is part Batgirl and part Bane. I guarantee you’ll regret it.
In another “Futures End” pick I loved the tweets this week about the infamous “boob window” on Powergirl’s costume. I’m not a fan in as much as I am a fan. It always looks right even though I think we all agree the window needs to go. It is so iconic though that it’s been hard for DC to find a replacement. It is also very silly and juvenile and practically everyone in comics makes fun of it. It is such a running gag that the characters of the comics themselves bag on the overdone display of cleavage.
My favorite moment this week comes from the pages of “The Amazing Spider-Man #6” by Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos. I love these two creators on this book. They understand the core of what most fans love about the spidey characters. Agree or Disagree, you can let me know on Twitter or in the comments but I loved these panels. Peter Parker is unmasked (yet again), and even though his goose is cooked, the egomaniac J. Jonah Jameson can’t stop mugging for the camera long enough for Peter’s identity to be revealed. J. Jonah gets exactly what he deserved and we, the readers, get a good chuckle.
I’m putting in a last minute addition this week because of Scott McCloud’s Twitter feed @ScottMcloud. He tweeted a link to “Kingdom Lost” on The Bouletcorp.com. The story is short enough you can get through it in about 15 minutes tops. It is a wonderful metaphor wrapped in art that is so good you’ll weep! I’m using a ton of hyperbole to get you over to the story linked here and above but trust me, it’s amazing and worth it and it’s your bonus for the week.
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, Man your own Jackhammer!