The Outhouse - The Greatest Comic Book Forum

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Comics are fun.

The Review Group should be fun too.

Ugh, I forgot when I took back over it meant that I'd have to come up with something to say here each week. Anyone care to discuss the pros and cons of the potential Big XII raid on the ACC?




DANCER #1
story NATHAN EDMONDSON
art / cover NIC KLEIN
"OUVERTURE"
Retired assassin Alan Fisher and his ballerina companion must escape a ruthless sniper who stalks them through the streets of Milan. To survive and protect the love of his life, Alan will unravel the tapestry of the past he's kept hidden and discover the killer's impossible identity. From the writer of WHO IS JAKE ELLIS? and the artist of VIKING comes a spy thriller with a 21st Century twist.




BATMAN INCORPORATED #1
Written by GRANT MORRISON
Art and cover by CHRIS BURNHAM
Retailers: This issue will ship with three covers. Please see the order form for more information.
• BATMAN, INCORPORATED makes its NEW 52 debut with an all-new first issue!
• The series hits the ground running as BATMAN and ROBIN face off against the assassin GOATBOY!
• LEVIATHAN’S sinister mission revealed!

YOUNGBLOOD #71
story JOHN McLAUGHLIN
art JON MALIN & ROB LIEFELD
It’s the 20th anniversary of the comic book that launched the Image Revolution in 1992! ROB LIEFELD’s YOUNGBLOOD returns bigger and better than ever with an all-new look at the next generation of superheroes, courtesy of screenwriter JOHN McLAUGHLIN (Black Swan, Parker), up-and-coming artist JON MALIN and YOUNGBLOOD creator and Image founder ROB LIEFELD!
In this first issue, a young reporter is embedded in the Youngblood team. Her assignment is to gather enough information for a humiliating puff piece, but she quickly discovers Shaft, Vogue, Lady Photon, Die Hard and Cougar are a team to be reckoned with. Badrock would be part of the group too... if he wasn't in a coma with wounds that have nearly pulverized his otherwise rock-hard hide.





4 Reviews Posted
amlah6
Victorian Squid

3 Reviews Posted
BlueStreak
guitarsmashley
Jude Terror
Stephen Day

2 Reviews Posted
bkthompson
doombug
Sacred Mantle

1 Review Posted
john lewis hawk
Ntikrst
Punchy




Review as often or as little as you like. Once you've posted 5 reviews, you will be awarded 1 pick. You can post 5 reviews, right? That's a totally achievable goal and with day and date digital releases becoming the standard, it shouldn't matter if your shop ordered enough copies of this weeks comic or not.

When multiple Review Groupers have posted 5 (or more) qualifying reviews, they will be awarded their pick in the order that they qualified. What constitutes a qualifying review? Any review posted (with a score on a scale from 0-10, that's right 0!) within 1 calendar month of the thread going live. Reviews posted while waiting in line for your pick will be applied to your next pick.

I'll be keeping track of everyone's progress with the newly christened Spreadsheet of Fantastic (RIP, Spreadsheet of Doom) and reporting the results in the Current Members list in the weekly OP. When it's your turn to make a pick, I will PM you. If you do not respond to me by Midnight EST the following Sunday, you will lose your pick and I will start a poll to determine that week's selection.

Any week in which we do not have a Review Grouper with 5 qualifying picks, we will determine the week's comic via poll.

If it's your week to pick, remember to keep it under $3.99.

Naturally, this new system is new and it may be necessary to make changes as we go.

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001. Daredevil #82 - 8.13
002. Exiles #77 - 6.29
003. Jonah Hex #5 - 6.26
004. American Virgin #1 - 7.7
005. Birds of Prey #92 - 6.41
006. Squadron Supreme #1 - 7.66
007. Blue Beetle #1 - 5.95
008. Aquaman: SoA #41 - 6.67
009. DMZ #6 - 7.65
010. Captain America #17 - 7.43
011. Thing #6 - 7.03
012. Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #8 - 7.68
013. Cable & Deadpool #28 - 7.45
014. Fell #5 - 8.81
015. X-Factor #7 - 7.84
016. My Inner Bimbo #1 - 6.38
017. Wonder Woman #1 - 7.3
018. Green Lantern Corps #1 - 5.65
019. Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #1 - 5.38
020. New Avengers #21 - 6.12
021. Detective Comics #821 - 8.05
022. Ultimate Spider-Man #97 - 7.86
023. Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters #1 - 4.17
024. Batman #655 - 7.69
025. Usagi Yojimbo #95 - 6.41
026. Sonic the Hedgehog #165 - 6.5
027. The Boys #1 - 7.3
028. Heroes for Hire #1 - 6.25
029. Ultimate Fantastic Four #33 - 5.75
030. Local #6 - 9.1
031. Thunderbolts #106 - 6.14
032. Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. #8 - 8.34
033. True Story, Swear to God #1 - 7.69
034. Criminal #1 - 7.63
035. Fables #1/#54 - 8.83
036. WildCats #1 - 6.51
037. Action Comics #844 - 7.22
038. Incredible Hulk #100 - 7.5
039. Franklin Richards, Son of a Genius: Happy Franksgiving - 4.32
040. Texas Chainsaw Massacre #1 - 4.34
041. Punisher War Journal #1 - 6.54
042. Immortal Iron Fist #1 - 7.35
043. Spider-Man: Reign #1 - 4.79
044. The Spirit #1 - 7.67
045. New Avengers: Illuminati #1 - 7.33
046. Winter Soldier: Winter Kills - 8.27
047. Amazing Spider-Man #537 - 6.94
048. Thunderbolts #110 - 6.75
049. Red Menace #3 - 7.43
050. Moon Knight #7 - 5.86
051. Ultimate Civil War Spider-Ham Crisis #1 - 6.21
052. Action Comics Annual #10 - 7.87
052. All New Atom #8 - 6.98
052. Dark Tower #1 - 8.61
052. Fantastic Four: The End #5 - 8.55
052. Fell #7 - 9.03
052. newuniversal #3 - 8.13
052. Pirates of Coney Island #4 - 7.93
052. Ultimate Spider-Man #105 - 7.7
052. Uncanny X-Men #483 - 6.47
053. Batman #663 - 3.83
054. Civil War #7 - 7.2
055. Runaways #24 - 9.01
056. Punisher MAX #45 - 7.47
057. Blade #7 - 6.08
058. Army@Love #1 - 6.38
059. Blue Beetle #13 - 6.4
060. Avengers: The Initiative #1 - 7.27
061. Nova #1 - 6.92
062. Cable & Deadpool #39 - 5.92
063. Catwoman #66 - 7.06
064. 52 Week Fifty-Two - 7.15
065. Countdown #51 - 6.8
066. Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #12 - 6.31
067. Captain America #26 - 8.28
068. Witchblade #106 - 5.81
069. Invincible #42 - 8.35
070. Sub-Mariner #1 - 5.54
071. Highwaymen #1 - 7.87
072. Superman/Batman #37 - 4.6
073. Dynamo 5 #5 - 6.28
074. Annihilation: Conquest - Wraith #1 - 6.63
075. Lone Ranger #7 - 7.54
076. X-Men #201 - 4.76
077. Metal Men #1 - 6.18
078. Green Lantern #22 - 7.85
079. Pilot Season: Ripclaw - 5.89
080. X-Men: First Class #3 - 7.53
081. Teen Titans #50 - 8.02
082. Buffy the Vampire Slayer #6 - 6.96
083. Punisher War Journal #11 - 5.22
084. World War Hulk #4 - 6.96
085. All-Star Batman & Robin #7 - 6.43
086. Vinyl Underground #1 - 5.73
087. Green Arrow & Black Canary #1 - 8.27
088. The Sword #1 - 6.89
089. She-Hulk #22 - 7.38
090. Tales of the Fear Agent: Twelve Steps in One - 6.18
091. Annihilation: Conquest #1 - 6.93
092. Batman and the Outsiders #1 - 6.87
093. Flash #234 - 5.72
094. Gotham Underground #2 - 5.52
095. Ultimates 3 #1 - 4.8
096. Amazing Spider-Girl #15 - 6
097. Birds of Prey #113 - 7.16
098. Pax Romana #1 - 8.59
099. Hack/Slash #7 - 6.97
100. HULK #1 - 7.19
101. Booster Gold #6 - 7.68
102. Order #7 - 6.97
103. Narcopolis #1 - 5.37
104. Reviewer's Choice -
105. Tiny Titans #1 - 6.81
106. Loaded Bible 3: Communion - 8.68
107. Project Superpowers #1 - 5.93
108. Echo #1 - 8.34
109. Mighty Avengers #10 - 7.12
110. Iron Man: Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. #27 - 7.73
111. Proof #6 - 8.48
112. Secret Invasion #1 - 7.95
113. Titans #1 - 6
114. Noble Causes #32 - 7.26
115. Hulk vs. Hercules: When Titans Collide - 7.39
116. DC Universe 0 - 4.94
117. House of Mystery #1 - 7.77
118. Captain Britain and MI:13 #1 - 7.36
119. Checkmate #26 - 4.09
120. Final Crisis #1 - 6.91
121. The Boys #19 - 8.3
122. Skaar: Son of Hulk #1 - 5.53
123. Transformers Spotlight: Cyclonus - 5.92
124. Trinity #4 - 5.15
125. Jonah Hex #33 - 8.7
126. I Kill Giants #1 - 7.55
127. Batgirl #1 - 5.23
128. Uncanny X-Men #500 - 6.22
129. Wildcats #1 - 7.33
130. Venom: Dark Origin #1 - 7.16
131. Astonishing X-Men #26 - 5.12
132. Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds #1 - 7.67
133. Runaways #1 - 7.34
134. Marvel Apes #1 - 6.15
135. Star Wars: The Clone Wars #1 - 6.22
136. Iron Man: Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. #33 - 7.25
137. Back to Brooklyn #1 - 5.58
138. Four Eyes #1 - 9.26
139. Green Lantern Corps #29 - 6.16
140. Ghost Rider #28 - 7.44
141. Unknown Soldier #1 - 8.66
142. Amazing Spider-Man #575 - 6.98
143. Final Crisis: Resist - 6.44
144. Batman: Cacophony #1 - 7.37
145. Deadpool #4 - 6.57
146. Ms. Marvel #33 - 5.97
147. Secret Invasion #8 - 7.15
148. Punisher: War Zone #1 - 7.17
149. Ex Machina #40 - 8.11
150. Immortal Iron Fist #21 - 8.21
151. Incognito #1 - 8.65
152. Punisher #1 - 6.25
153. G.I. Joe #1 - 6.68
154. Hellblazer #251 - 6.94
155. Justice Society of America #23 - 6.53
156. Watchmen - 9.88
157. Batman #686 - 8.84
158. Amber Atoms #1 - 4.25
159. Runaways #7 - 5.25
160. Superman: World of New Krypton #1 - 6.68
161. Guardians of the Galaxy #11 - 6.41
162. Invincible #60 - 7.08
163. Muppet Show #1 - 6.66
164. Flash: Rebirth #1 - 6.93
165. Wolverine: Weapon X #1 - 6.52
166. The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft #1 - 7.82
167. Ghost Rider #34 - 8.82
168. Phonogram: The Singles Club #2 - 6.33
169. Final Crisis Aftermath: Run! #1 - 7
170. Unwritten #1 - 8.53
171. The Boys: Herogasm #1 - 7.09
172. Last Days of Animal Man #1 - 6.23
173. Batman and Robin #1 - 8.01
174. Amazing Spider-Man #597 - 7.19
175. Transformers Spotlight: Cliffjumper - 7
176. Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Utopia - 6.62
177. Justice League: Cry for Justice #1 - 6.71
178. Wednesday Comics #1 - 7.84
179. Blackest Night #1 - 8.87
180. Immortal Weapons #1 - 7.17
181. Mice Templar: Destiny #1 - 7.81
182. Doom Patrol #1 - 5.12
183. Ultimate Comics Avengers #1 - 7.14
184. Daredevil #500 - 8.62
185. Fantastic Four #570 - 6.9
186. Sweet Tooth #1 - 8.1
187. Dark Reign: The List - Avengers - 5.95
188. Beasts of Burden #1 - 8.73
189. Wolverine: Giant Size Old Man Logan - 7.95
190. Teen Titans #75 - 4.67
191. Haunt #1 - 6.6
192. Unwritten #6 - 7.41
193. Azrael #1 - 4.11
194. Dark Avengers: Ares #1 - 6.79
195. Deadpool Team-Up #899 - 5.24
196. Locke & Key: Crown of Shadows #1 - 6.96
197. Punisher #11 - 7.39
198. Image United #1 - 3.53
199. Jonah Hex #50 - 9.23
200. Invincible Iron Man #21 - 7.45
201. Walt Disney Comics & Stories #701 - 5.85
202. Hellboy: The Bride of Hell - 7.32
203. Webcomics Week -
204. Siege #1 - 7.84
205. Amazing Spider-Man #617 - 8.39
206. Joe the Barbarian #1 - 7.97
207. Robocop #1 - 3.59
208. FREE4ALL -
209. Choker #1 - 6.17
209. Tails of the Pet Avengers - 7.04
210. Supergirl #50 - 5.34
211. X-Men Forever #18 - 5.35
212. First Wave #1 - 6.98
213. Daytripper #4 - 7.19
214. Irredeemable #12 - 6.28
215. Amazing Spider-Man #626 - 5.18
216. Blackest Night #8 - 6.41
217. S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 - 9.23
218. Kill Shakespeare #1 - 5.36
219. X-Men Forever Annual #1 - 6.41
220. Siege: Secret Warriors - 6.53
221. I, Zombie #1 - 8.22
222. Heroic Age: Prince of Power #1 - 7.25
223. Avengers #1 - 7.51
224. Gotham City Sirens #12 - 4.39
225. Red Hood: The Lost Days #1 - 6.71
226. S.H.I.E.L.D. #2 - 7.57
227. New Avengers #1 - 6.15
228. Bullet to the Head #1 - 4.5
229. Deadpool: Wade Wilson's War #2 - 4.2
230. Batman & Robin #13 - 6.24
231. Gorilla-Man #1 - 4.81
232. Time Masters: Vanishing Point #1 - 4.79
233. Justice League: Generation Lost #6 - 7.39
234. Baltimore: The Plague Ships #1 - 6.46
235. Thor: The Mighty Avenger #3 - 6.21
236. Tiny Titans #31 - 5.17
236. New Avengers #3 - 4.88
237. Garrison #5 - 4.71
238. 1 Month 2 Live #1 - 6.02
239. Billy the Kid’s Old Timey Oddities and the Ghastly Fiend of London #1 - 7.82
240. Steve Rogers: Super Soldier #3 - 7.73
241. Nemesis #3 - 5.17
242. Franken-Castle #21 - 6.14
243. Ultimate Comics Thor #1 - 5.88
244. Victorian Undead Special - 6.25
245. Kick Ass 2 #1 - 6.58
246. Incognito: Bad Influences #1 - 8.05
247. Superboy #1 - 6.81
248. American Vampire #8 - 8.17
249. Hellboy: Double Feature of Evil - 8.5
250. Batwoman #0 - 8.04
251. Daredevil #512 - 5.87
252. Booster Gold #32 - 7
253. Suicide Forest #1 - 8.16
254. Larfleeze Christmas Special - 4.89
255. Action Comics #896 - 6.92
256. Weird Worlds #1 - 2.02
257. Casanova: Gula #1 - 8.53
258. The Spirit #10 - 6.72
259. Fantastic Four #587 - 5.1
260. Week 260 -
261. Heroes for Hire #3 - 7.24
262. Hellblazer #276 - 5.28
263. Avengers #10 - 4.16
264. Secret Warriors #25 - 6.61
265. Ultimate Spider-Man #155 - 6.68
266. Morning Glories #8 - 7.5
267. Lorna: Relic Wrangler #1 - 3.46
268. Butcher Baker: The Righteous Maker #1 - 7.09
269. Brightest Day #23 - 4.38
270. Uncanny X-Men #535 - 7.5
271. Thunderbolts #156 - 5.92
272. Walking Dead #84 - 7.3
273. Avengers Academy #13 - 6.42
274. Fear Itself: Youth in Revolt #1 - 5.4
275. Hawkeye: Blindspot #4 - 5.5
276. Iron Man 2.0 #5 - 5.57
276. Secret Avengers #13 - 4.49
277. S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 - 5.67
278. Flashpoint: Emperor Aquaman #1 - 5.48
279. Northlanders #41 - 6.83
280. All Nighter #1 - 6.36
281. THUNDER Agents #8 - 7.95
282. Jonah Hex #69 - 8.84
283. Red Wing #1 - 6.1
284. Daredevil #1 - 7.92
285. Amazing Spider-Man #666 - 6.15
286. Severed #1 - 8.26
287. Detective Comics #881 - 8.81
288. Damaged #1 - 7.31
289. Ultimate Comics Ultimates #1 - 5.41
290. Uncanny X-Force #14 - 8.11
291. Static Shock #1 - 6
292. Criminal: The Last of the Innocent #4 - 6.5
293. Batman #1 - 6.98
294. Aquaman #1 - 5.87
295. Animal Man #2 - 8.04
296. Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #3 - 5.1
297. HP Lovecraft's The Dunwich Horror #1 - 3.67
298. Wolverine and the X-Men #1 - 8.09
299. Six Guns #1 - 7.6
300. Unwritten #31 - 7.8
301. Avengers #19 - 5.5
302. Infinite #4 - 3.5
303. Flash Gordon: Zeitgeist #1 - 5.58
304. Defenders #1 - 8.55
305. Black Panther: The Most Dangerous Man Alive #526 - 4.19
306. Amazing Spider-Man #676 - 4.19
307. American Vampire #22 - 9
308. Fatale #1 - 7.8
309. Severed #6 - 8.5
310. Hellblazer #287 - 9
311. Secret Avengers #21.1 - 6.06
312. Winter Soldier #1 - 8.88
313. Batwoman #6 - 3.88
314. Daredevil #9 - 7.33
315. The Sixth Gun #19 - 8
316. Moon Knight #10 - 6.75
317. Hulk #49 - 7.5
318. The Shade #6 - 7.13
319. Amazing Spider-Man #682 - 7.13
320. Avengers vs. X-Men #0 - 5
321. Swamp Thing #8 - 7.88
322. America's Got Powers #1 - 5.5
323. Reset #1 - 8
324. The Goon #39 - 7
325. Dial H #1 - 4.45
326. Dan the Unharmable #1 - 7.3

[bkthomson]

Stir has two copies. I bought one of them

[bkthomson]

Dancer #1
Story by:Nathan Edmondson
Art By:Nic Klein

Price:$3.50
Diamond ID:MAR120410
On Sale:May 16, 2012

I am fan of Edmondson work; I think he writes some clever and engaging comics that are on the stands today. Well that not 100% true, I should preface that I am a fan of Edmondson Image Comics work, sorry DC Comics but whatever you are doing to Edmondson that was stifling him on Grifter your blew your chance at having a talented writer do some real good with that book. I cannot recommend enough to people who have not tried Edmondson work to pick up the latest issue of his ongoing The Activity or look for the trade of Who Is Jake Ellis both from Image Comics to just get a flavor of what he is capable of and that is why I have been looking forward to the Dancer.

Dancer starts with Quinn a ballet dancer in Italy and her boyfriend Alan. Quinn is a twenty-something Irish dancer who is leaving the ballet to pursue a life elsewhere and hopefully with Alan. Alan on the other hand is a much older man to Quinn. Grey in the temples, worn and weathers face of an American with a past that he told about to Quinn. Unfortunately Alan’s past seems to come back to haunt him as he and Quinn are chased through the streets of Milan avoiding police and a very determined sniper. During a brief intermission of bullet flying and dead bodies Alan admit to Quinn that he has not been honest with his past, telling her he used to work for the C.I.A as an assassin to her response is throwing up at the subway platform. Charming. Still Alan is committed to Quinn and wants to ensure nothing happens to her, but as he is defenseless the duo make way back to his apartment for some stashed necessities to ensure their survival but only to run into the persistent sniper once again, only this time Alan gets a better look at the man and without spoiling anything more than ever he wants to escape with Quinn more than ever.

Quinn is written like most female character who is being dragged by the wrist whose world is suddenly spinning out of control, asking the ‘Who, What, When and Why’ questions all through the issue and Alan slowly feeding her, and the readers, her answers. Alan a stoic man who does not seem to be one to waste words, no long rambles or soliloquies to let readers know more about him than his lady in peril. Edmondson writing is good, nothing special or flashy and gives reader enough information on Quinn and Alan to give them some depth but does the job of setting the tension, mood and the mystery at the end pique mine and hopefully other readers’ interest to come back for issue two.

Nic Klein art is clear and well suited for this thriller of a tale. Though I felt at times his art resembled more to Sean Phillips, (Sleeper, Criminal, Fatale) and Michael Lark (Daredevil, Winter Solider) than his own style which does take away some of the enjoyment of his art because I would rather see Nic own style than someone elses.

This issue is very much the prototypical setup of the protagonist with a secret past that has caught up to him whom now he must flee his new life and drag some innocent bystander along. There really nothing new and all that engaging in the in the first 2/3 of the comic, is a very by the numbers chase through a city on foot to Alan’s apartment. It is not until Alan identifies who his purser that makes you wonder what does Edmondson have planned for future issues and something I plan on sticking around to see where it goes. So when you sit down to read this issue, do not expect anything new, but think of it as the first act in Edmondson slow pulling the curtains back on his ballet.

Score: 7.5/10

[BlueStreak]

I liked it.

[bkthomson]

I liked it.

Oh come on! There is more, right? Or am I overwriting.

[@dace1314]

So I guess we always review the first issue of new books eh? Makes sense for sure since not everyone would be properly caught up on a series that has been going on for awhile. But it's interesting because I think #1's are looked at in a different way from later issues in a series. We should be pretty could at determining what makes a good first issue after doing this for awhile. (Some of you probably are by now for this reason).

[BlueStreak]

So I guess we always review the first issue of new books eh? Makes sense for sure since not everyone would be properly caught up on a series that has been going on for awhile. But it's interesting because I think #1's are looked at in a different way from later issues in a series. We should be pretty could at determining what makes a good first issue after doing this for awhile. (Some of you probably are by now for this reason).

We don't always review first issues, but they tend to be a lot easier to review and attract new members with than issues farther along in the arc. The middle issue of an arc, for instance, might not make sense to those who don't follow the series.

[Victorian Squid]

This book ended rather abruptly, didn't it?

[guitarsmashley]

This book ended rather abruptly, didn't it?

only because it had odd pacing. The beginning is quick, the middle is a little slow then ramp up to the sudden end that didn't feel like a cliffhanger more of a missing page to the cliffhanger or it ended a page too late.

[Victorian Squid]

only because it had odd pacing. The beginning is quick, the middle is a little slow then ramp up to the sudden end that didn't feel like a cliffhanger more of a missing page to the cliffhanger or it ended a page too late.

Yeah, I looked at least twice to make sure it was really the end, I don't think there were any real visual or narrative cues to tell for sure at first.

[bkthomson]

This book ended rather abruptly, didn't it?

Yeah, in trade it would not be a big deal, here it was very abrupt.

[Victorian Squid]

Yeah, in trade it would not be a big deal, here it was very abrupt.

True about a trade, but if we've learned anything lately it's that writing for the trade won't matter a damn if you can't sell the monthly issues to enough people. And part of that sale is writing decent single issues--if I say to myself, "Hmm this would probably read better in trade" after this first issue, and everyone else thinks the same thing, the series may have a hard time making it to 12 issues. (Assuming this is an extended series and not a limited series.)

[bkthomson]

True about a trade, but if we've learned anything lately it's that writing for the trade won't matter a damn if you can't sell the monthly issues to enough people. And part of that sale is writing decent single issues--if I say to myself, "Hmm this would probably read better in trade" after this first issue, and everyone else thinks the same thing, the series may have a hard time making it to 12 issues. (Assuming this is an extended series and not a limited series.)

Maybe missed the listing but I thought. It was a four to six issue series.

[Victorian Squid]

Maybe missed the listing but I thought. It was a four to six issue series.

You may be right, but link?

I only know of the early promotion for the book where it was definitely described as a new "series" by Edmonson.

But even so, successful minis are often extended.

EDIT: Found later description as 5 issues.