Captain America Reborn #1 – Marvel – $3.99

Score: 6.5

This review doesn’t have to do with the fact that Marvel is bringing back Steve Rogers, something many people are opposed to. Instead, it is based on the merits of the issue itself and how well the story inside is told, even if the central idea isn’t a popular one. The issue starts off with Steve Rogers giving a quick speech as he and the other soldiers get ready to storm Normandy on June 6th, 1944. D-Day. It flashes back to the present where Bucky-Cap and the Black Widow storm one of the H.A.M.M.E.R. helicarriers.

At the same time as Bucky and the Black Widow make their way through hordes of H.A.M.M.E.R. agents, the Vision, the Falcon and Sharon Carter, the woman who shot the fatal point blank bullets in to Steve Rogers, go talk to Henry Pym where Sharon admits her involvement in Steve’s death while under the control of the Red Skull and Armin Zola. She then begins to tell the details of that day that make her believe that Steve Rogers still might be able to be brought back. Back on the helicarrier, Bucky and the Black Widow search for an item that played a part in that fateful day one year ago when Steve was killed, only to be intercepted by Ares and Venom of Norman Osborn’s Avengers team.

And, as expected, an explanation of what just happened to Steve Rogers on that very day is explained in full, playing off the events of Captain America #600 and filling in the details that were left unspoken until now after Sharon began to remember all of the events of that day. Unfortunately, unlike Captain America #600, there were no creepily sexual cameos from the disturbed Crossbone and Sinn couple.

The issue itself feels very lean. Like even though there are supposed to be some big reveal moments, the idea that Steve is coming back isn’t a brand new idea in the minds of the reader and the events of Captain America #600 have shown the seeds of how it could happen. The pages with Sharon, Falcon, Vision and Hank Pym talking are pretty boring because of this as it is almost entirely old information and the new information doesn’t prove to be impactful enough to back it up. Norman Osborn, along with a “secret guest”, have a quick appearance that has much of the same lackluster effect.

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Despite the epic amount of press behind it (sarcasm), my local comic shop did not order any of Dark Horse’s miniseries Werewolves on the Moon versus Vampires. Just the name alone filled me with shock and terror as to what might be on the comic page should I one day be able to find this issue somewhere. As soon as I do get my hands on it though, you better believe it will make its way into a future back issue edition of The Pull List.

Until then, here’s this week’s The Pull List.

Pull of the Week:

Dark Avengers #5 – Marvel – $3.99

Score: 9.0

The first book to receive a second “Pull of the Week” accolade, Dark Avengers #5 focuses on just how cool it is to be a bad guy. Told through flashbacks taking place hours before a news interview, this issue does its best to introduce pieces of personality to almost all the members of the Osborn backed Avengers team. At the same time, Norman Osborn publicly responds to Clint Barton calling him out publicly as the former murder, the Green Goblin.

The final pages of the issue reveal that all might not be going as planned for the members of the Cabal as Norman must assemble his team of Avengers again for the next issue. Sadly, as it seems with many books that Bendis writes, if he doesn’t care about a character they don’t get much representation in his book. Daken, though seen gets a very limited role in the issue much like Mockingbird has since her return in the pages of the New Avengers.

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These days its sometimes hard finding good comics to read every week and even harder finding the money to pay for all of them. There are a lot of comics coming out each week but fortunately, we here at The Flickcast care about what you read and what you spend your money on.  So, with that in mind, there’s a lighter load of comics this week from a superhero mayor of New York City, to a jerk from the future to gigantic fighting robots.

My first recommendation this week is Ex Machina #42, written by Lost writer/producer Brian K. Vaughan and drawn by the brilliant Tony Harris (Starman). Easily my favorite book on the stands now, it tells the story of Mitchell Hundred the first super-hero known as the Great Machine who can get machines to do anything he wants. 

After 9/11, Hundred decides he’s merely maintaining the status quo as a superhero and decides to reveal his identity on national television and declare his candidacy for Mayor of New York City. Of course, he wins, and this comic is about his time in office.

Part West Wing and part super-hero action, with only eight issues left, I can’t wait to see how this story concludes.

My second recommendation is X-Men Origins: Wolverine producer and friend of The Flickcast Jeff Katz’s book Booster Gold is a high flying adventure telling the story of the 25th Century football star who travels back in time to fill his large ego.  Co-written with Flash: Rebirth star Geoff Johns the trade paperback, out tomorrow, is a classic fun adventure comic where Booster must act exactly as he normally does, like a dick, in order restore the timeline. 

Also, but probably inadvertently, he causes the creation of the Sinestro Corps. They don’t make comics this fun anymore.

My third and final recommendation is Rick Remender and Eric Nguyen’s comic Gigantic. Which is part Japanese Giant Robot vs Giant Monster Battle Royale and part Mojo-verse storyline from old 80′s X-Men comics. 

To be honest, I don’t know what to make of this comic besides saying “You remember this guy: Ultraman?” Yeah, its kinda like that, except not cheezy.

If these comic recommendations don’t suit your fancy, be sure to check out the excellent Midtown Comics list and order there. They will even mail your comics right to your door.

These days it is sometimes tough picking out comics that are worth your hard-earned dollars, but here at The Flickcast we care about what you read.  So with that in mind this week’s Dave’s Weekly Comic Book Recommendations is dominated by a group of misfits, a little girl who kills giants, super-secret super-spies and an author who joins a think thank to dream up nightmare terrorist attacks.

The final issue of Umbrella Academy: Dallas hits stands this week and if you haven’t been reading it I highly encourage you to do so.  There’s a reason Gabriel Ba won an Eisner last year for this engaging read written by My Chemical Romance front-man Gerard Way.  For those of you ignoring it for its vague similarity to Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol, please put aside your opinion for five minutes and read this truly beautiful comic that is, well, better than Gerard’s band.

Mark Sable, the writer behind DC’s excellent mini-series involving the Teen Titan Cyborg, brings a new book from Boom! Studios called Unthinkable. The book involves Alan Ripley, a young novelist who joins a think tank after 9/11 to dream up the Unthinkable–or nightmare terrorist scenarios so his government can safeguard against them, but when his colleagues are being killed in scenarios they’ve dreamed up, Ripley takes matters into his own hands.  Part Tom Clancy novel, Sable’s comic asks the question: “Just because you write about action heroes, doesn’t mean you can become one.”

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Here at The Flickcast we really like all-things Joss Whedon. Of course, that obsession began with his first, and still the best, television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Sadly, the show went off the air in 2003. Fortunately, its managed to live on in comic book form and got its season eight courtesy of the fine folks at Dark Horse Comics.

Now, over at Comics Continuum, they’ve got a preview of a brand new Buffy comic called Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Tales of the Vampires to further entertain and delight fans of the Slayer.

According to the press release from Dark Horse, Tales of the Vampires is about:

“A small town in Massachusetts, where a young man named Jacob goes about his day as usual — wakes early, eats breakfast with his mom, and heads to school. He’s a hard worker and a reliable friend to Alexia, an athletic and headstrong young woman. But at night Jacob likes to cut loose at the local arcade, where he’s befriended a reckless gang of vampires who enjoy drinking his blood. Jacob craves the high and the easy escape from the monotony of his life that this ‘bloodletting’ provides. Enter the mysterious and sultry May, who can help Jacob leave those high-school days behind — that is, if Alexia doesn’t stop her first.”

Sounds good to us. Check out the big page previews after the jump. But if you do, please be beware of potential SPOILERS. Enjoy.

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Here at The Flickcast we love all-things Whedon. From Angel to Firefly to Serenity, Dollhouse and the show that started it all Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, the Whedon’s work has made us laugh, scared us and entertained us for many years. When Buffy went off the air in 2003, rumors and speculation about an eventual big-screen adaptation began almost immediately.

Even though the show ended with a vary satisfying, albeit slightly sad, episode, fans have always wanted to see what happens next. Not even a comic book version from Dark Horse that continues the series with Season Eight has been able to make fans completely forget their desire for a big-screen Buffy. They just haven’t stopped wishing for it to happen. Sadly, according to the man himself in an interview this week, and posted over at Sci-Fi Wire, wishing just won’t make it so.

According to Joss:

“Not gonna happen. Until I gather the press and make a public announcement myself that it’s going to happen, never believe anything.”

At least we still have the comic. And who knows, one day Joss just might gather those reporters and make that annuncement. Stranger things have happened in Hollywood.