I have to admit, July seems to have just flown by. I don't know if it's been a new job or if life has just been steady with no hassle or troubles, but July seems to have left me with little impact.
Well, almost little impact.
One thing July has done to be memorable is give me lots of comics to read, which is surprising given how I was expecting a slow month on the comic book front. For that I guess I can thank Pipedream comics because not only did they give me more books to read but a more varied array of them, both in terms of content and also in terms of how much I enjoyed them.
So, let's get to my top five for July.
5. Copperhead #9 (Image) - I've always said that Copperhead is like Firefly, after the train job, in the town they robbed from. Well one thing Firefly missed was a posse, but that's ok because now I've got to see one. I really enjoyed the pace this issue moved at, as character interactions and dynamics were shored up while they made their trip. This premise should have been a page in a book, but it got stretched out over the issue and done well. Reminds me why I love this book. The escaped prisoner subplot intrigues me enough not to hurt either.
4. The Black Hood #1-5 (Archie Comics) - Now, I've already reviewed the first four issues elsewhere but, damn, Black Hood was good. It seems like a cheat to put all five issues in as a single entry, but it was just really difficult to pick between them as they were all equally engrossing and beautiful. It was like going back in time and reading Bendis's Daredevil all over again, only instead it was a disfigured cop becoming a vigilante and not a blind lawyer. As superheroes comics are getting more annoying to me, this was a nice reminder that there are still some good ones out there.
3. Lazarus #18 (Image) - Last month I said Lazarus deserved a permanent top 5 spot and, once again, it proves it doesn't need charity; it can get a top 5 spot all on its own. Lazarus has always been a slow burn book compared to most others I read, but it's always the level of detail which makes it a must read. This happens here again with multiple plot threads running, all of them keeping me hooked to the story and then of course there's the cliffhanger which, while seeming anti-climatic, you just know will be drawn out and be more awesome than you expected. I'm already getting the shakes just waiting for the next issue.
2. Daredevil #17 (Marvel) - I've had a bit of trouble adjusting to DD's move to San Francisco (don't know why, but just have) but it's been proving itself again of late. Issue 17 though, despite a bit of confusion at the start (I'd forgotten how the last issue ended) was fantastic. Maybe I'm getting sadistic but watching Murdocks happy life appear to literally crumble around is just too good not to read. Also, the Kingpin is an obvious attempt to connect it to the TV show but he's written so well here I'm not gonna moan. And then there's Ikari's return....oh there's just so much!!! The next issue is the end and while I'll miss Waid and Samnee's on the book I just have to know how it ends (I'm calling it and saying Kirsten McDuffie is killed off).
1. Black Science #16 (Image) - Ah, Black Science, the Rocky Balboa of my comic collection. When I started doing a top 5 it languished just outside, but this year has steadily moved up the ranks and now it gets the number one slot. Issue 16 is phenomenal and that's an understatement as the book which I've always said is a cross between Time Tunnel and Flash Gordon goes it now less Time Tunnel and more Flash Gordon. Worlds are saved, people die (seriously, Remender is getting brutal with all the killing), alien armies emerge and Rebecca turns out to be a serious problem to the now descimated anarchist league. This has turned into a great book, and I'm not sure I can wait until November for the next part.
So, there it is. My top 5 and, if I do say so myself, what a top 5!! With four of my five ongoings on this list, it at least gives me comfort that I am picking good books and not just buying tat for the sake of it (although Earth 2 might be the exception to that rule). The only downside is that as most are Image books it means extended waits for the next instalments. Oh well, all good things come to those who wait right? In the meantime, after writing this I may just read them all again.
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