Each and every week “Let’s Go Red Wings!” MK2Fac3 and “Clap! Clap! Clap, Clap, Clap!” Henchman21 read a lot of comics. Seriously you guys, a lot of comics. Maybe too many comics. I mean, it is possible”¦ theoretically. They look forward to some more than others, I mean, who doesn’t? So, let’s take a look into the depths of their pull lists, grab some comics, and we’ll let YOU know what the top books to look forward to are for the week of January 25, 2012. Single issues and trades, they’re all here.

The other day, I was staring down the barrel of a 30-issue stack of comics with wide eyes and a full heart. By the time I got halfway through, the fact of the matter is that my eyes were starting to squint and my heart shrunk 10 sizes. I’m kind of the reverse-Grinch after he stole Christmas. But only with comics. And really, it’s tough to get excited about comics, because honestly… they let you down a lot of times. So, it’s always a good thing when you find a couple of people that can give you guidance on what are safe bets for things that don’t suck. Hopefully we are those people for you, and when we’re not certain on what’s going to be good or not, we tell you honestly. If there’s one thing you can trust, we’re not here to promote companies, we’re here to promote comics that we enjoy and that we think that you will enjoy.

So, enjoy this, The GoD List, your place for weekly comics and collections!

MK2Fac3

ISSUES:

Captain America and Bucky #626 (Marvel Comics – $2.99): Remember how I said we’ll stay honest with comics that we’re unsure of just a couple of seconds ago? Well, I’ve gotta give that spot to Captain America and Bucky. Sure, the art by Francesco Francavilla is gorgeous, and that “Brubaker” on the cover may make you think that this will be the best comic of all time, but unfortunately things are not always as they seem. Because Ed Brubaker is not actually writing this series, he’s just co-plotting/co-writing it. Which, is totally understandable considering the 956,000,000 other comics that he writes on a daily basis, so we can’t hold that against him. And I don’t want to suggest in the slightest way that James Asmus is doing a bad job at all, because he’s not. He’s doing a perfectly fine job. But seeing Ed Brubaker’s name attached to the comic would normally speak (in my mind) to a very high quality of book that I’m guaranteed to enjoy, such is the case with Criminal, Fatale, his ongoing Captain America work and pretty much anything else he does. It’s actually a bit of a dream of mine to see Brubaker and Francavilla on an ongoing series together, and I was hoping that would be Captain America and Bucky, but the fact is that this is simply not the case. And that’s incredibly unfortunate. That said, the first issue with Asmus and Francavilla was a nice issue, but it didn’t completely blow me away. The comic is not about Steve Rodgers and Bucky Barnes, it’s about their legacies behind the masks, which is a pretty cool concept. So, there’s still a good bit of potential for the series to turn me around completely in it’s favor, and if it’s going to, I expect that to start within Captain America and Bucky #626.

Key of Z #4 (of 4) (Evil Ink! Comics/Boom! Studios – $3.99): Here it is! The final issue to one of my favorite minis of the past six months comes out this week, and I honestly can’t wait to see where this NYC Zombie-based story goes. Normally, the Evil Ink! Comics team gives themselves far more room to tell a story, so four issues doesn’t seem like a lot of space to get their story across, but they’ve done it and I can’t love it any more than I do. I’ll be writing a full review of this comic in the coming hours, so make sure to keep you eyes out for that to get my full thoughts on the issue, but until then, know that I’m probably more excited for this comic that I have been for any other in months. If you haven’t been reading this series, get on the comixology app and find the back issues, it’s a can’t miss.

Kirby: Genesis #5 (Dynamite Entertainment – $3.99): When was the last time Kirby: Genesis came out? Better question, does it matter? Honestly, a little, yeah. I can’t remember the precise details of the previous issue because it has been some time, but I can remember how much I’ve enjoyed all of the previous issues in this main story. Vividly. Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross have been doing an amazing job of channeling the spirit and characters of the late great “King” Jack Kirby. I’ve written about this series before, and I will continue to do so, because I sincerely enjoy everything about it. It pays great tribute to the memory of Kirby’s work, and that’s the highest compliment I can possibly give. It’s a great comic, guys and gals.

COLLECTION:

You remember how last week had kind of a weak line up of collections? I don’t either because I don’t really remember last week too well, but I can tell you this: this week’s collections are awesome! We see the return of Ed Brubaker and Darwyn Cooke’s first volume of Catwoman in trade paperback form, a reissuing of Absolute Kingdom Come from Mark Waid and Alex Ross, and so much more. But speaking strictly as a fan of all comics and, in this instance, hardcovers that try really hard to give the best presentation possible to its readers, I’ve got to give my weekly collection pick to:

Archie Archives Vol. 4 HC (Dark Horse Comics/Archie – $49.99): I seriously love these things. I mean, it doesn’t hurt that I love me some Archie comics, but seriously, the presentation of these collections are some of the best that I’ve ever seen in my entire life. They’re standard height, but the the physical quality of the pages, dust cover, and actual binding are top tier, and the design of the actual book is a gorgeous rendition of a Riverdale High School Year Book. I know that might sound like the nerdiest thing in the world to some of you, but to me, it’s the coolest thing on this face of the planet. And if you’re as excited about this Archie Hardcover as I am, the you should probably check out the third installment of Archie Meets Kiss within the pages of Archie #629, which just so happens to be coming out this week.

Henchman21

ISSUES:

Transformers: Robots in Disguise #1 (IDW Publishing – $3.99): I’ve been hearing rumblings for a while that IDW has a good thing going with their Transformers comics, which really shouldn’t be a surprise considering how well they do with all their other licensed books. For whatever reason though, I have been reluctant to try this series, partially because it has been going for a while. Fortunately, IDW is relaunching the book after the events of the War for Cybertron, which gives me a perfect excuse to pick this up. And if you’re like me, you’ve got the perfect excuse too. Robots in Disguise follows Bumblebee and the rest of the Autobots as they look to regroup after losing Optimus Prime. If you’ve read the GoD list before, you know I have a soft spot for ’80s cartoons, and if you have the same soft spot, be sure to pick up this issue.

Infestation 2 #1 (IDW Publishing – $3.99): IDW had such a hit last year with the first Infestation event that they have decided to bring it back, this time with Old Gods replacing the Zombies from the first series. The biggest drawing point of the whole thing remains the same: bring the biggest properties IDW has and unite them against a common foe. Transformers, G.I. Joes, the Danger Girl team, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and many more are all here. I know the last Infestation didn’t see any of the big stars fighting side by side, and hopefully that will be resolved this time. The premise of Infestation is fun on its own, so all you have to do is throw a bunch of miss-matched characters at a huge threat and let the action unfold. It’s not complicated. If they can do this, then you can bet that Infestation 3 will be right around the corner. Might I suggest Transformers and Joes fighting Godzilla? Because that would be awesome.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #6 (IDW Publishing – $3.99): One more IDW book this week, because they keep stacking up great series after great series. The new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series has been spectacular so far, reinventing the setting and some of the details, but maintaining the same great characters that make the series what it is. The first arc dealt with the search for Raphael and established who the characters are in this new world. Now we can move forward and see where the story goes from here and what new adventures everyone can get into. Writers Tom Waltz and TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman have brought the property back to its roots and have created one hell of an action packed adventure. Much of the credit for this back to basics feel has to go to artist Dan Duncan, who has a gritty style that perfectly matches what the writers are going for. Enjoy this with a slice of pizza. Or, you know, don’t.

COLLECTION:

Daredevil by Mark Waid Vol.1 Hardcover (Marvel – $19.99): Last week I struggled to find any trades to get excited about. This week I a different story as there is a plethora of trades to be on the lookout for. You’ve got new volumes of Sweet Tooth, Jonathan Hickman’s FF run, and Irredeemable. You’ve got a reprint of the classic series Strikeforce: Morituri to go along with a reprint of Geoff Johns’ Hawkman run. However, the one I want to talk about most is the hardcover collection of Mark Waid’s run on Daredevil. No book over the last six months has filled me with as much excitement and enjoyment as this one. Waid has taken Daredevil out of the doldrums and is telling the kind of fun action stories that I want to read. Waid has brought DD back to a good place, while not forgetting what has come before. Waid’s run is good on its own, but if you’ve read all the work that proceeded it by Brian Bendis, Ed Brubaker, and Andy Diggle, you’ll appreciate where he has taken the character. And as good as the writing has been, the art has been even better. When Paolo Rivera and Marcos Martin were announced as the rotating artists on this book, my heart skipped a beat. They are the perfect fit for this book, bringing a classic look to the series and doing an excellent job of showing DD’s unique power set. Even if you have been turned off from Marvel recently, even if you haven’t read Daredevil before, you owe it to yourself to pick this book up.