Weekly Reading: "Darn You, Hickman!"

Slightly out of focus fresh (albeit small) pile o' comics!

It seems as tough each week, one book is concluded either via cancellation or simply conclusion, and another rears it's attractive head to be picked up and collected. Such is the burden of the fanboy... this week saw the conclusion of the initial "chapter" of Dark Horse's sci-fi book Dark Matters. Though additional "chapters" are suggested, one never knows when (or if) these plans will ever reach fruition as that call is likely dependent on sales--a factor I haven't tracked since reading the now defunct Wizard magazine back in the Nineties.

Taking Dark Matters' place on my pull sheet is yet another zombie book, '68 Scars from Image. Set during (and in) the Vietnam War, this book is actually the third miniseries of  larger story about the presence of zombies as part of the Vietnam conflict. I asked fro it to be pulled (and the trade paperback leading up to it) sight unseen in hopes of a new and interesting twist on the zombie genre. I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but a quick perusal reveals satisfactory art and ... you guessed it, zombies.

The third notable inclusion was the intended exclusion of the most recent Fantastic Four. About two months ago, I gave up on both this book and its sister series, FF, after throwing my figurative hands in the air following the recent (very well received) epic by writer Jonathan Hickman. I have even gone so far as to have both titles taken of my regular pull sheet. But, 30+years of purchasing makes one develop a strong appreciation (or habit) and after leafing through this week's issue #605, I did reluctantly purchase it.

Darn you, Jonathan Hickman! After resolving to discontinue this run of the Fantastic Four, you come up with, what is in effect, a pretty solid Reed and Ben story--a dynamic which has in the past brought out the best in many writers. As the panel to the left suggests (it's not spoilery in nature), this is a melancholy story of sorts that extends a previously established (new) aspect of Ben's "condition" while revealing potential future for many of the series' characters. This may be the best issue of the run and while I won't be adding the title back to my list just yet, you've likely bought my (apprehensive) interest for another issue or two.

This week's rather smallish list of purchases consists of:

'68 Scars #1 (Image)
Conan the Barbarian #3 (Dark Horse)
Dark Matter #4 (Dark Horse)
Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #8 (DC)
Fantastic Four #605 (Marvel)
Halo: Fall of Reach #3 (Marvel)