Who's In Your Five?

I don’t know if T-Mobile would approve of my five this week, but I have selected Tony Stark, Buffy Summers, Peter Parker, Dave Lizewski and Kara Zor-El as my favorites. Of course with T-Mobile’s flexibility, these names could (and probably will) change next week. But let’s enjoy them for now, shall we?

Peter Parker – It looks real good that my “Pick of the Week” will be Amazing Spider-Man #555. Zeb Wells and Chris Bachalo have been able to do something that none of the other Brand New Day “teams” have been able to do thus far – make me forget the disaster that this book has become. This week’s Spidey felt like a normal, good-old fashion story about everyone’s friendly neighborhood web-head and it was complete with guest stars Wolverine and Dr. Strange. Perhaps even better for my money was the absence of a certain “cracked”-up super villain and Jackpot.

Tony Stark – I will say this for Secret Invasion #1, Brian Michael Bendis sure knows how to suck me into a story and leave me wanting more. Without giving too much away from the premiere issue of this eight-issue mini-series, does a Skrull ship that crashes into the Savage Land make a noise if no one is there to see it? How about if the Avengers and New Avengers see it? And wait until you see who gets off that ship – in the words of the immortal Keanu Reeves, “Whoa.” I am so counting the days until issue number two.

Dave Lizewski – Just as I did with issue number one, Kick-Ass #2 had me rooting for this guy. Here is an ordinary everyday teenager who decides he is going to become a super-hero. Of course, being an everyday teenager with no super abilities whatsoever (or even Batman-like training), he fails awfully bad in issue one. Issue two picks right up from the end of the premiere and hooked me back in once again – nice job Mark Millar.

Buffy Summers – The Season Eight launch of Buffy the Vampire Slayer has been a mainstay for me each week of its release, with issue #13 being no different. Drew Goddard’s second issue of the “Wolves at the Gate” arc actually poses more questions than gives answers about the mysterious Asian-vampire thieves who swiped Buffy’s magical scythe. But as strong as the issue is, it’s the last page that had me going, “damn.” ‘Nuff said (thanks Stan).

Kara Zor-El – I have been a big fan of the latest incarnation of Supergirl. However, she seemed to have peaked storywise with Jeph Loeb and Michael Turner’s introduction in Superman/Batman. It has just seemed to me that writers have not quite figured out what to do with her. Supergirl #28 is part three of its current arc which has Kara doing something that when I first read it made me annoyed, but now has me feeling intrigued – she has vowed to save a dying child of cancer. I think this is a daring storyline. There is just no way she can succeed in this quest. To just take on this topic is very brave. The latest issue was a fun one, but had me asking throughout, how are they going to pull this off? I am guess I am just going to have to stick it out.

Anyway, that’s my five for this week.