The Bill October 6, 2010

It's weeks like this that get me excited.

You know the kind: where you have a stack of great books and don't know where to start; That fantastic feeling after you've read three great books in a row; The knowledge that the three bucks you just threw down on each book was money well spent. Yeah, this week was like that.

But enough of the preamble, let's get to it!




Best of Miniseries of the Week:

Taskmaster #2
Writer: Fred Van Lente
Artist: Jefte Palo


I desperately want this book to be an ongoing.

Coming off the henchmen filled violence bonanza of the first issue, this one ups the ante with the introduction of what is quite possibly the new character find of 2010: The Don of the Dead.

Who knew that you could make the Taskmaster that much cooler if you put him in a sombrero and gave him a rock band?

Let's back up a step. In this issue of the Taskmaster's quest to figure out his own history, he heads to Mexico to see what he can find. It's there that he finds the first batch of soldiers he trained including they're leader, the aforementioned Don of the Dead.

With laugh out loud quips, spot on charactization, and Dios de las Muertes skeletons on motorcycles, this book is everything that you could possibly want in a quality read. I'm crazy looking forward to the next issue.

And even more looking forward to the next appearance from Don of the Dead. Please don't make me beg Fred, you wouldn't like me if I beg.




Best Ongoing of the Week:

Avengers Academy # 5
Writer: Christos Gage
Artist: Jorge Molina


Now this is how you pull off a team book.

I have a history of reading a bunch of these "young heroes learn the ropes" books, and this is by far the best of the bunch. Some can't figure out how to develop the new characters (Secret Warriors); others have great interactions, but move slower than they should (Young Allies); And some just never really blossom (Avengers Initiative). Avengers Academy should become the manual for how to do it right.

In this issue, we get an insight into the most fame hungry member of the team Striker as he reveals how the team finally got it's chance in the spotlight. Throughout the story we see just how multifaceted this would-be villain is. At times a sleazy douchebag and others a confident, compassionate hero, Striker really broke out in this issue and showed how great a character he really is.

Seriously, this is a fantastic book. And while I say this a lot, you should totally and absolutely check it out; you won't be disappointed.

Assuming, of course, that you appreciate great characters, fun situations, and an engaging story.




That's all I got. I could gush about Chaos War, or Hawkeye and Mockingbird, or even Young Allies (It's still a great book, even if it's a bit slow!), but I won't bore you. Suffice to say, my pull list is all kinds of amazing. Feel free to ask me anything about it, or the books above, in the comments. I'm sure I can gush some more for you if you really, REALLY want.