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Top and Bottom 5 Comics of August 22nd, 2018: This Week Wasn't That Bad

We're back again folks! We're counting down the Top and Bottom 5 Comics of last week. Bear in mind that not all of these have gotten reviews from me yet. Today is also Josh's Unofficial Big, Fat Catch-Up Day. Anyway, check out the best and worst of the week below.

Best

West Coast Avengers #1 cover by Stefano Caselli
West Coast Avengers #1 cover by Stefano Caselli

1. West Coast Avengers #1

I knew this was probably going to top my list from the second I began reading it. Kelly Thompson and Stefano Caselli blew me away with their first installment of West Coast Avengers. It's a lot of fun to read, the characters are enjoyable, and the art is rock-solid. I have high hopes for this series.

The Life of Captain Marvel #2 cover by Julian Totino Tedesco
The Life of Captain Marvel #2 cover by Julian Totino Tedesco

2. The Life of Captain Marvel #2

Margaret StohlCarlos Pacheco, and Marguerite Sauvage are making something wonderful with Life of Captain Marvel. It's an endearing observation of Carol Danvers' life and her coping with brutal revelations from her family. It's great, and everyone should read it, especially with the film coming up early next year.

Justice League Dark #2 cover by Alvaro Martinez Bueno, Raul Fernandez, and Brad Anderson
Justice League Dark #2 cover by Alvaro Martinez Bueno, Raul Fernandez, and Brad Anderson

3. Justice League Dark #2

Justice League Dark has been another treat of the post-Dark Nights: Metal DCU. With a great writer and artist in James Tynion IV and Alvaro Martinez Bueno as well as a solid premise, Justice League Dark has the potential to rise to the top of the impressive catalog of quality that DC is putting out right now.

Black Panther #3 cover by Daniel Acuna
Black Panther #3 cover by Daniel Acuna

4. Black Panther #3

Ta-Nehisi Coates and Daniel Acuna started Black Panther over with a space epic twist, and the third issue has started to show what Coates and Acuna are attempting to accomplish with this new start. It's an attempt to recontextualize the Panther and the culture of Wakanda, and I look forward to seeing where this is headed.

X-Men: Red #7 cover by Jenny Frisson
X-Men: Red #7 cover by Jenny Frisson

5. X-Men: Red #7 

Breaking News: X-Men: Red is still the best X-Men team book currently being published.

 

Worst

I want to preface this "Bottom 5 of the Week" by saying that #'s 5-3 aren't really that bad. This week wasn't that bad on the whole, but they had enough problems that I decided to adhere to the format place them in the list.

The Flash #53 cover by Dan Mora
The Flash #53 cover by Dan Mora

5. The Flash #53

Flash #53 wasn't especially bad. It just didn't gel in what it was aiming to accomplish. I liked learning about Commander Cold as well as the art of Christian Duce. Plus, buff Barry Allen was a pretty disquieting way of ending a comic.

X-Men: Gold #34 cover by Phil Noto
X-Men: Gold #34 cover by Phil Noto

4. X-Men: Gold #34

This is another one that wasn't especially bad, but it did flounder in setting up its own tragedy. Beyond that, the story wasn't especially interesting, and the art comes off as empty and stark at times.

Batman: Kings of Fear #1 cover by Kelley Jones and Michelle Madsen
Batman: Kings of Fear #1 cover by Kelley Jones and Michelle Madsen

3. Batman: Kings of Fear #1

This is the borderline. Batman: Kings of Fear #1 was genuinely not bad either, but it was almost painfully conventional. Kelley Jones' art was fantastic, but it reads like a pastiche of Batman tropes filling out a first issue before the actual story will hopefully kick off next issue. It just wasn't an interesting read.

Hunt for Wolverine: Mystery in Madripoor #4 cover by Giuseppe Camuncoli, Roberto Poggi, and Morry Hollowell
Hunt for Wolverine: Mystery in Madripoor #4 cover by Giuseppe Camuncoli, Roberto Poggi, and Morry Hollowell

2. Hunt for Wolverine: Mystery in Madripoor #4

Now this one is actually pretty bad. It has some interesting stuff with Psylocke, but the overall plot is empty and not especially compelling. It could have been some good fun, but the plot is far too convoluted and frequently joyless.

Cold Spots #1 cover by Mark Torres
Cold Spots #1 cover by Mark Torres

1. Cold Spots #1

Cold Spots #1 is a story sabotaged by its own awful protagonist. Kerr is among the most laughably bad protagonists I've read in a comic in some time. The premise could hold some water, and the art is good. I just couldn't get past how bad Kerr is, and he is so bad that he sinks the comic.

And, with that, we will move on to Comics For Your Pull Box, It will be up on the site within the day, followed by those Big Fat Catch-Up reviews. See you then.


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Joshua DavisonAbout Joshua Davison

Josh is a longtime super hero comic fan and an aspiring comic book and fiction writer himself. He also trades in videogames, Star Wars, and Magic: The Gathering, and he is also a budding film buff. He's always been a huge nerd, and he hopes to contribute something of worth to the wider geek culture conversation. He is also happy to announce that he is the new Reviews Editor for Bleeding Cool. Follow on Twitter @joshdavisonbolt.
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