30
Spider-Man

Brian Michael Bendis & Oscar Bazaldua
beginning with #234

Judging a Bendis book as a jumping-on point is always a tough thing to do. The man is all about telling stories that have been years in the making. I don’t always like those stories but I’ve always liked his Miles Morales books so I dug this one. The Sinister Six is a concept that I always get behind and think you can have some good stories with. Do I think you can just pick up this book and enjoy it without any context? Yeah, but it is a bit like diving into the deep end and figuring it out. I liked it, but with Bendis’s announcement that he is jumping to DC, I can only wonder if this is his final Spider-Man story? – MeanOldPig

Collection: Spider-Man: Miles Morales Volume 5 (August)

•••

29
Defenders

Brian Michael Bendis & David Marquez
beginning with #6

Still a little lukewarm on Bendis. While there wasn’t anything bad about this issue, nothing from a script POV really blew me away. This is entertaining but not anything that I am salivating for more of. I do love a good Hell’s Kitchen War so there is that, and the team does have a lot more character than the TV show. The Marquez art and my own curiosity will probably make me give it one more shot. – MeanOldPig

I’m sick of Deadpool. Marquez’s art has never been better; Bendis can still ably write a team book; and, for the most part, I dig these characters. But I’m so sick of Deadpool. – MMDG

Collection: Defenders Volume 2: Kingpins of New York (June)

•••

28
All-New Wolverine

Tom Taylor & Juann Cabal
beginning with #25

This story is intriguing, but it really needs to be going somewhere quickly as this issue just kind of ends. All of the characters involved have potential, and the art is solid, but there needs to be more going on in this book. I’ll keep up hoping that it does go somewhere soon. – IP

I don’t know why I don’t like this book more. Tom Taylor is a decent writer, and the art, especially in this issue, is solid. I like the character, design, and direction. I guess… it’s just boring. Something’s missing, and I don’t really feel like waiting around any longer to figure out what that is. – MMDG

Collection: All-New Wolverine Volume 5: Orphans of X

•••

27
Black Panther

Ta-Nehisi Coates & Leonard Kirk
beginning with #166

This felt a little like drowning in terms of the story. I’m always a fan of figuring the narrative out as you go, especially in comics, but this felt like a continuation of the story rather than an entry point. I completely understand that it isn’t always possible to completely bring a reader up to speed, and what I did manage to gather I enjoyed. I just feel like this would take more backtracking to get my head around the full scope. I liked the legend of the gods; it felt very Morrison-like to me. I would read more but I think I need to start from the beginning to truly enjoy it. – MeanOldPig

Perhaps this issue really works and seems refreshing in the context of this Black Panther series, but as a starting point it’s terrible. – IP

Collection: Black Panther Book 5: Avengers of the New World Part 2 (June)

•••

26
Spider-Gwen

Jason Latour & Robbi Rodriguez
beginning with #25

Still really dig Spider-Gwen. Rodriguez’s art is like watching a cartoon get animated. I love how fluid it looks. Latour has gotten really good at creating this world and I like visiting it each month. He does a good job of catching readers up without burying them in exposition. Good stuff. –  MeanOldPig

Still not for me. Feels like a What-If story taken too far, or, at best, another stab at making cute alternacharacters in an Ultimate-style setting. The art is cool, especially the design for the Gwen/Venom suit. – MMDG

Collection: Spider-Gwen Volume 5: Gwenom (April)

•••

25
Jean Grey

Dennis Hopeless & Victor Ibanez
beginning with #8

Probably little chance that a new reader can puzzle through this nightmare landscape of Emma’s psyche with such little context. But I don’t care; I love this series, and I particularly love how Dennis Hopeless pokes fun at Morrison’s “Leather Daddy-era X-Men.” Despite my own initial lukewarm reaction to the young time-traveling X-crew, young Jean’s treatment in both this book and X-Men: Blue has really won me over. – MMDG

Collection: Jean Grey Volume 2: Final Fight (April)

•••

24
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl

Ryan North & Erica Henderson
beginning with #27

Squirrel Girl has consistently been one of Marvel’s best books and this just keeps up the trend. Making a joke about jumping on points in comics and evolving the story from there is a really good gag. North and Henderson crush it as always. Silver Surfer bros, planet of squirrels, heroes who can talk to cats, and so many other good jokes litter this comic. As long as they keep making this book, I will read it. – MeanOldPig

Collection: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Volume 8: My Best Friend’s Squirrel (June)

•••

23
Ms. Marvel

G. Willow Wilson & Nico Leon
beginning with #25

As much as I love this character and this creative team, I have to question their decision to kick off a publishing initiative with no trace of the titular character. While Wilson does a wonderful job indirectly characterizing Kamala through the reactions of her friends and family, what I really want is for someone to be able to pick up this book and get as excited by Ms. Marvel as I once did. I’ll keep reading, because I love the series, but I don’t know that I’d recommend this issue (or storyline) to a new reader.  – MMDG

Collection: Ms. Marvel Volume 9 (July)

•••

22
Amazing Spider-Man

Dan Slott & Stuart Immonen
beginning with #789

There’s something really special about Dan Slott’s Spider-Man, and it’s been a little hard to pin down. I’ll admit to getting lost and dropping off a bit right around the Clone Conspiracy, but the way he connected to Secret Empire (the best accessory title to that event) made me smile. And now this thing with Mockingbird makes teenage me giddy. It’s like everything I’ve ever loved about Spider-Man falling back into place… at the expense, of course, of poor Peter Parker. Back to the top of the to-read stack. – MMDG

This is the most I’ve enjoyed the Slott Spider-Man! Peter is financially crashing on couches, and public enemy #1 as both himself and Spidey. The supporting Spidey cast is all there and I think this is a very good setting-the-table issue. My only complaint is that I don’t know where the story is going but all the interactions are so on point, I don’t mind. I am actually invested in the main Spider-Man book for the first time in eight years and that is a good feeling. Plus Immonen is always, ALWAYS, a treat. The dude understand how to lay out a page and I will read just to see more of him. – MeanOldPig

I didn’t love this. I was never very interested in the Parker Industries angle and it seems like this story is trying to reset that, which is fine, but I’ll probably just wait it out until this thing feels like Spider-Man again. All that said, the art is great and the plot is well paced; I just don’t care for this storyline at all. – IP

Collection: Amazing Spider-Man: Worldwide Volume 7

•••

21
Falcon

Rodney Barnes & Joshua Cassara
beginning with #1

Really like this. Instead of caving to pressures from stupid retailers (and other stupid racists), Falcon gets more political than ever. Barnes has chops — the television writing shines through. Will keep up. – MMDG

I like what this book is trying to do, but too much of the this story is devoted to Steve Rogers being a traitor, leaving the gang story feeling a bit rushed. Still, it’s good that there’s a book about super heroes attempting to deal with gang violence in a peaceful way. The art is good too, but the dialogue is a bit heavy handed and some of the lines from Patriot sound like an old person attempting young people speech. Falcon is a worthwhile book, though not really a must-read yet. – IP

Collection: Falcon: Take Flight (July)

•••

< 40 – 31 | Rankings | 20 – 11 >