I missed another week…despite my being out of school and unemployed, I still managed to get too busy for blogging. Not as busy as the rest of the Rec, many of whom are newly returned from the world-renowned Cheap Date Tour, but busy nonetheless. What I’m saying here, I guess, is “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.” Like you give a fuck. No one reads this, and I only write it so routinefly.com has new material every week. Unless I blow it…then sometimes it doesn’t. I have things to do, you know, just like everyone else. Like watch footage from the Cheap Date Tour…I just saw a clip of The Saurus freestyling outside a club in Fresno, and it was bananas! Anyway, I’ll talk about some comics now.

OK, quick scoop on last week’s books:

Captain America was tight, and it introduced yet another Cap who isn’t really Cap. Always an interesting twist to be found in this title, some of the best ongoing storytelling in comics.
Mighty Avengers was OK, basically tying together a few threads from other books but not really moving the Secret Invasion story forward. We get some time with Jarvis and his little Skrull cabal, but mainly this book is about the Sentry and the Void…which makes it a throwback to the second arc of Bendis’ New Avengers. Something like five years worth of Bendis/Marvel continuity is about to converge around Secret Invasion, and that’s pretty cool. But Mighty Avengers was in a bit of a holding pattern this week. Lastly, I read the third issue of Terry Moore’s Echo, and it was just as good as the first two. Totally different from other superhero books out there, feels like it takes place in the real world with real people, and one of them just happens to get turned into a powered-person. Great art, good writing, fun stuff.

So what’s up for this week? Well, first of all, new releases are a day late due to Memorial Day. So I hope that crazy barbecue you threw at the Girls Gone Wild mansion with Scott Baio and James Caan was worth it. Lousy holidays. But maybe the Gods will make up for it by blessing us with some good books. Let’s see…

Wow! Do my eyes deceive me? No, it’s true, I’m copping a book from the Distinguished Competition this week…haven’t done that in a hot minute. But who can pass up a Crisis? Specifically, Final Crisis #1, from superstar writer Grant Morrison and top-notch artist J.G. Jones (who did all the ill covers for the weekly 52 series). While they have their detractors, I’m a big fan of DC’s Crises, and I look forward to this one.

Back to the Marvel mania. The House of Ideas brings us another issue of New Avengers (#41) this week. Everyone knows I love this book in a general sort of way. This issue looks kind of like last week’s Mighty Avengers, in that it will flashback to the events of an old New Avengers arc (in this case, the first one) and tie those events into the current Secret Invasion. I hope it advances the plot in some way, as well.

Another of my favorite books (albeit one that’s been on a slippery downward slope for a while now) is Daredevil, and this week we’ll see #107. It looks like Matt Murdock is finally moving beyond the whole Milla/Mr. Fear disaster and taking on a new case (and a new arc). A welcome breath of fresh air for a great book gone ever-so-slightly stale.

Last and very likely least, we have Marvel 1985 #1. This book looks like a shameless marketing scheme designed to ensnare people of my generation into buying an unnecessary title (for an extra buck, even) just because it features the heroes of their youth. Sure, they got a quality scribe (Mark Millar) to do their dirty work, but I’m suspect of this one on principal. Nonetheless, there it is, on my list. So we’ll see…

That’s it for this week, my invisible friend. Maybe someday I’ll shut down this comic blog and turn it into a weekly hip-hop blog! Wouldn’t that be crazy? I don’t know…would it? Would it?!?

Bagged and boarded,
Grip