Comics for the week of October 2, 2008

Things are looking a bit better in singles this week:

Batman #680. Now that All-Star Superman has wrapped up, at least I've got Morrison's Batman to keep me going. Expectations are pretty damn high for this issue, since we should be closing in on the climax of "Batman R.I.P." and some hot plot-twisting action.
The Boys #23. A new story arc starts here after the excellent "I Tell You No Lie, G.I." Here's hoping it'll be more of that and less of "Glorious Five Year Plan."
DC Universe: Decisions #2. Not because I want to, you understand. Because I must. Because I must descend into the abyss and confront the age-old evil that is The Real World's Judd Winick, and also that Fables guy, as they work their hardest to ass up the DC Universe with their toothless, pointless "political" "thriller." I was going to read the first issue out of morbid curiosity, then let the rest slide and read it all later for a post detailing its inevitable crappiness, but then Winick and Willingham used the Doom Patrol's Robotman, and used him badly. It's personal now.
Doktor Sleepless #9. A new plot arc starts here, so if you're looking for a jumping-on point to this most Ellis-y of Ellis comics, this might be it. I can't say for sure as I'm waiting on next month's trade to catch up before I jump back on board.
Nightwing #149. Because, eh, why not? I read the first two parts of this tepid Two-Face storyline and I will be goddamned if I quit in the middle. Worse comics than this have not defeated me (this is still pretty bad though).
Punisher War Journal #24. Not actually buying this, as I've been following PWJ in trades (something far easier to do with Marvel titles than DC thanks to their comparatively brisk trade schedule) but I felt like noting it anyway. I've heard some really harsh reviews of this book's Jigsaw storyline (which is, worryingly, the next trade), but judging from the solicit text, that looks like it's over. What we've got instead is a Secret Invasion tie-in (um) that focuses on Stuart Clarke (hm).
Sub-Mariner: The Depths #2. #1 was surprisingly good, and while I have little hope that we'll ever see the Milligan of Rogan Gosh and Enigma again, this at least beats his recent work for hire.
Top Ten Season Two #1. Let's see if this does any better than Beyond the Farthest Precinct.

A heavy week for trades:
Blue Beetle Vol. 4: Endgame. Why aren't you reading Blue Beetle? Is it because you have no soul? You disgust me.
The Boys Vol. 3: Good for the Soul. You almost certainly know by now whether this is your kind of book or not. I know it's mine; I make no apologies. Not buying the trade, though; I'll set that aside for a slow week.
Countdown to Final Crisis vol. 3. rimshot.wav
Green Lantern Vol. 2: Revenge of the Green Lanterns. DC finally, finally release the second volume of Geoff Johns's Lantern run in paperback. See what I mean about trade schedules? I've been pleasantly surprised by Johns's DC work over the last year or so, but I find that the $8 cardboard tax on hardcovers is exactly what it takes for me to not buy this stuff when it gets collected. DC: not everything needs to be a hardcover. Some comics are not that big a deal. It is okay.
Marvel Zombies. Again! AGAIN! Only this time it's got Spider-Man on the cover and he is a zombie Spider-Man and he's swingin' along like on the cover of Amazing Fantasy only he's a zombie and the guy he's carrying is a dead guy! Also available in Iron Man and Hulk flavors, to satisfy those with OCD, poor impulse control, or very strange ideas about what constitutes a worthwhile purchase.
Punisher MAX: From First to Last. The compilation of Ennis's Punisher MAX short stories finally sees print again, this time in paperback. The stories themselves range from solid ("The Cell") to fantastic ("The Tyger"). Definitely getting this.
The Spirit vol. 2. The last collection of Darwyn Cooke's run on the book, before the disappointing Evanier/Aragones team took over. The first volume was great, so this is a no-brainer for me.