1. The final page of Air #4 changes everything.I'm a big supporter of G. Willow Wilson, and I think she's a refreshing new voice in comics (and, of course, I'm one of the mods on her discussion board), but I haven't been sold on
Air after the first handful of issues. It's mostly M. K. Perker's art which really turns me off, but Wilson's strange characterizations -- her people don't act or react the way people normally would or should -- has baffled me. But the dreamlike aspect of the series has been growing stronger and stronger, and the final page of the newest issue puts everything in a strange and wonderful new context. It's definitely the best page Perker has drawn for the series so far, and now I'm looking forward to the next issue, definitely.
2. Joe Pokaski has come in as the writer of Ultimate Fantastic Four and, in a single issue (and an Ultimatum crossover issue, to boot) he's nailed the team better than anyone since Mark Millar. Even Tyler Kirkham's artwork looks better (now that he actually has an inker), but Pokaski delivers a strong story in his opening salvo and he's great with pacing and dialogue. Forget the Mike Carey-written
Ultimate FF of the past year or so -- this is now a comic worth reading again. Pokaski started with a bang on
Secret Invasion: Inhumans, and it's nice to see him continue to produce quality work here. He is, by far, the best
Heroes writer working in comics today.
3. I've always liked Amanda Conner's linework, but she's leveled-up in her work on Terra.
I can't believe how great
Terra looks. It's a nice little series so far, decently written, but the art is fantastic. I think it's actually the best-looking comic of the last month. Amanda Conner has amped up her style, and it now looks to have echoes of Adam Hughes and Cameron Stewart or something. I know a veteran like Conner probably isn't aping other artists, but whatever she's done to her work has improved it dramatically. Maybe it's just because she's inking herself here, I don't know, but it looks gorgeous. I'd love to see her draw a regular DC title, though her upbeat style probably wouldn't fit the dreadful seriousness of most superhero comics these days. She's really, really good.
Recently reviewed by me at CBR: Secret Invasion: Inhumans #4 about which I write the following sentences: "Removing Black Bolt from the story, and having him strapped up to a Skrull contraption for most of the four issues, is kind of a genius way to explore the family dynamic within the Inhumans. I think one of the problems with the Inhumans, as a concept, is that Black Bolt's presence in any Inhumans story tends to be a life-sucking void. Black Bolt is a great character -- a great visual presence -- but since he cannot speak, we usually get scenes where the rest of the Inhumans defer to Black Bolt, and then…silence. By removing Black Bolt from the center of attention, the Inhumans all become more inherently interesting, and Pokaski gives Medusa some amazingly powerful scenes in this issue."