InvestComics Comic Hot Picks 12-23-09

The Hulk begins his journey back to being “Green”. Wonder Woman gets a make over (again) and Archie has marriage problems already??? More inside!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Well it looks like the DC dominances from last week will not be carrying over. DC has only one comic to show for this week. Wonder Woman #39 would be that one comic. Be there to witness the “new power” of WW and the “true meaning of the Olympian”. No these are not the words of InvestComics , these are the words of the DC solicit. What the “true” stuff means, not sure. It’s kind of silly the wording and all, but we’ll buy into it anyway. Nothing like having Wonder Woman revamped, retooled, retold for the umpteenth time. So maybe THIS time she’ll appeal to those elusive fans that DC is after. Who knows, but a re-intro of Wonder Woman doesn’t sound all that appealing when it has been done so many times before. That said, you never know maybe, just maybe DC hits on something here.
Staying with the silly topic here, anyone seen the Punisher lately? Wow is this a huge fail of epic proportions, Frank Castle as Frankenstein?? Man, this is as bad as all those apes they had on the variant covers not so long ago. Who approved this anyway? This would have made for a great Halloween story, this happening in December, around Christmas time is as bad as it gets. Instead, give us Frank Castle with the dopey Santa’s hat on with his AK47 in hand. There is a reason why Punisher #12 has arrived here to the Hot Picks this week. Seems Frank found a crew to hang with since he’s “FrankenCastle” now, boy It’s hard even to write that name without snickering. The Legion of Monsters are getting a new leader in their band. Yes you guessed it! The original “cool” Legion of Monsters #1 comes with an awesome cover from legend Neal Adams. This 1975 comic is the 1st Legion and will set you back only $30. The Legion of Monsters will probably come and go in and out of the Marvel continuity for years to come. The Punisher as Frankenstein, well do you really think he’ll be back after this run? Come 10/31/10 maybe, but hopefully not.

The longest, unnecessary title this week goes to Doctor Voodoo The Origin of Jericho Drumm #1. Marvel reprints the original first appearance of Brother VooDoo in Strange Tales #169 & #170. The 1973 comic comes in with a $40 price tag. This isn’t bad for a 40 year old first appearance of a character that is “active” in the Marvel Universe to some capacity. If you find a $30 price tag for a Near Mint copy, pick it up.

The Red Hulk will finally be history (hope hope) after the Epic Hulk event “Fall of The Hulks”. Do you sometimes sit there alone in a room, with a light on, looking into a Hulk book and saying to yourself “How did we get here?” Yea, thought so. The Hulk mess will conclude, we pray it does because the beginning of the end looks like it’s within sight. Fall of The Hulks Gamma #1 would be just that, the beginning of the end to the mess that Jeph Loeb seems to have created. Check out a prelude to the Fall of The Hulks event this week and worship the fact that it’s going to all be over soon enough.
Steve Rogers is back, looking for his Shield in Captain America Who Will Wield the Shield one shot. Boy these titles to these comics are a bit stupid these days huh? Anyway, while one seems to have come back from the dead, another might die in New Avengers #60. That would be Luke Cage laying there on the cover. If he does die, no worries he’ll be back eventually. Thanks to comic books grabbing the soap opera mentality these last few years, death has become a big “who cares!” But we do care. Marvel knows this; DC knows this and the sales prove it.
Image United #2 comes out this week and the story better pick up or else there is going to be a mass exodus. This series can have Rembrandt doing the art, but if the story isn’t good, fans will flee. Get with it Image, make this worthwhile. Garth Ennis will probably make your time worthwhile with Garth Ennis Battlefields #1. A 1942 war comic written by a veteran (no not a WWII veteran) that can bring it, show them Image boys how it’s done!
The first true player in comic books, well before Tony Stark came along is known as Archie. He got married recently and in Archie #604 the issue promises for a big surprise. What a divorce? Statistics do say that 1 out of every 2 marriages fail. Will Archie become a statistic? Well it probably won’t be this, but what else would “astound” us as the solicit reads? Betty is pregnant already? That would be cool!
A nice homage cover comes from Avatar publishing this week. Absolution #5 pays a tribute to……do you really not know? Well if you don’t, too bad find out yourself and stop collecting comics.