I've been using a tool to manage my pull list - leagueofcomicgeeks.com. It is a pretty awesome tool and I am very pleased with it. It has helped me manage my ever-expanding pull list.
I want to return to talking about upcoming issues, but with the volume I am now reading, it can be daunting for a single post.
Here are the first batch of pulls:
Amazing Spider-Man #804
Daredevil #606
Detective Comics #986
Fantastic Four #646
The Flash Vol. 5 #52
I've been toying with the idea of a thumbs-up, thumbs-down style of quickly-reviewing issues. The intent is to see trends in likability for a series over time. If a series is consistently unlikable, I should seriously consider dropping it. A tough prospect for an avid collector like myself, but I should have some standards.
Amazing Spider-Man #804 - Currently 2 Thumbs-Up
I was pleasantly surprised by the new creative team. I knew Ryan Ottley would do a good job, but Nick Spencer didn't seem great based on the preview pages Marvel sent out for the first issue. Thankfully, those preview pages were the worst pages in the whole issue and everything else was much better. When it comes to funny super-heroes this series is much, much better than the current Deadpool.Daredevil #606 - Currently 1 Thumb-Up
Of all the major Marvel series, Daredevil remains the most consistent. Probably due to the fact that it avoids events like the plague. The current storyline involves Fisk as the Mayor and Murdock just recently quit as Deputy Mayor and then soon learns that Fisk rigged the election. Cue, the Find Out How Fisk Cheated Saga.
Detective Comics #986 - Currently 1 Thumb-Up
I was not happy with the previous Batman Eternal storyline. I don't like Batwoman as a character, maybe that had something to do with it. This time around, the role of Batman is replaced by Black Lightning and I have to admit I dig it. The art style is crisp and clean and dynamic, the covers have been interesting and even the characterization of the kiddos are not annoying. More, please.
Fantastic Four #646 - Currently N/A
Fantastic Four returns from a years-long hiatus. I have missed it a great deal. We get an interesting new creative team headed by Dan Slott and I am excited to see where he takes things. Covers by Esad Ribic provide some continuity in art, at least on the surface, from Secret Wars to now. I hope the continuity spreads beyond simply cover art.
The Flash Vol. 5 #52 - Currently Neutral
The one thing you can almost guarantee with a Flash comic book is the presence of bad art. Maybe it is the consistently low sales numbers that The Flash enjoys, but the series continue to have a litany of terrible artists over the years. In addition to the bad art, The Flash keeps a consistently bland storyline. It is for that blandness, and my love of the character, that I seem unable to give this series a thumbs down. I mean it could be worse, I guess.
