This week’s pull list: 11/19/2008

I wish someone had told me that WordPress doesn’t accept external Javascript. I was going to use the power of ComiXology to publish my pull list for a weekly review of what comics I’m picking up and why. So unless I can convince the powers that be to let me, I’m going to have to do it the hard way. Luckily, there are only two comics this week that interest me:

Doctor Who: The Forgotten #3 Publisher: IDW

WRITER: Tony Lee,

ARTIST: Pia Guerra,

COVER: Nick Roche

I’m glad he’s only doing the cover. Nick’s work on the last comic was not so good. While his art style may work for original characters, drawing actual people, like David Tennant and Freema Agyeman (I always have to look her name up) doesn’t come out as well. Thankfully, Pia (most notable for Y’s The Last Man), does a fantastic job. Tony Lee also seems to have a better lock on the Tenth Doctor’s persona, rather than Gary Russel (who actually worked on the Who magazine in England, if I recall correctly) and his over the top portrayal that reminds me of the worst parts of “Tooth and Claw”, the episode where the Doctor and Rose laughed their way through a werewolf attack and ticked off Queen Victoria enough to kick them out of the country. Probably my least favorite episode of the new series.

In The Forgotten, the Doctor and Martha (aka the hottest companion ever, sorry Peri) have been trapped in a museum dedicated to the last of the Time Lords. However, someone has stripped him of his memories, and he’s dieing. Martha tries to help him remember using artifacts and “costumes” worn by the Doctor himself. The awakening memories give us tales from his previous forms. This issue is probably the biggest must-by of the series for me, since they feature the first two Doctors I ever saw, numbers 4 (Tom Baker) and 5 (Peter Davidson). It should make for some interesting storytelling and hopefully a visit with K9.

Tony seems to have a good grasp of the past Doctors and companions and I like what he’s doing. I’m hoping he gets another mini, or better yet an ongoing. Just don’t have Roche as the artist.

Marvel Adventures: The Avengers #30 publisher: Marvel Comics

COVER BY: GRAHAM NOLAN
WRITER: JEFF PARKER
PENCILS: Matteo Lolli
INKS: NORMAN LEE
LETTERED BY: DAVE SHARPE

No Civil War. No Not-So-Secret Invasion. No “let’s send Hulk into space so he can come back and kick our butts all over New York”. And definately no facist Iron Man or Superhero Registration Act. Just good old fashioned superheroing the way Grandma used to make. MA: Avengers and MA: Super Heroes are the only Marvels I’m picking up right now because they’re fun and interesting. I do miss the continuity and long-running storylines (these are all one-shots, but the writer does remember what he did a few issues ago as far as who signed up and who is doing what), but watching Storm and Thor talk romantically (in their own way) about how the other creates lightning while the others try to keep Odin from making Thor date a frost giantess? Worth it just to see how Spidey pays back Wolverine for keeping him out of the loop.

This issue features Tigra, who I assume will be treated better than she is in the main universe. Here she’s a private investigator who is hired by an unknown person (see the preview on the page linked to above) to follow the Avengers around. It should be interesting to see an outsider’s view of this relatively new group of heroes (in the Aventures universe, anyway). And who is this mysterious person who doesn’t want to know how to defeat the Avengers, but does want them followed around?

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And that’s what I’ll be reading this week. I’ll post reviews when I pick them up (it would be Wednesday but I don’t get paid until Thursday) and read them. Since I only get to read at breakfast these days, it’ll be one per day. And if your on WordPress.com, help me push to get Comixology on the approval list (along with the video sites like You Tube that are already usable). Until later.