Vinnie's Weekly Haul: August 8, 2014

This week's comics haul was pretty big for me. I kinda wish DC would do a better job of spacing out their major releases. It's always a pain in the ass to not get any Superman: Doomed books for a while then have three tie-in issues drop on one day, two of them being $4.99 annuals.

Anyway, here's what I bought, and I'm bolding what I'm most excited to read:

• Action Comics #34
• Action Comics Annual #3
• Batman Eternal #18
• Black Widow #9
• Detective Comics #34
• Green Arrow #34
• Iron Fist: The Living Weapon #5
• Legendary Star Lord #2
• Moon Knight #6
• New Avengers #22
• Original Sin #5.3
• Original Sin #3.4
• The Punisher #9
• Rocket Raccoon #2
• She-Hulk #7
• The Superior Foes of Spider-Man #14
• Superior Spider-Man #32
• Superman/Wonder Woman Annual #1
• Swamp Thing #34

I also bought some digital titles:

• Grayson #2
• Robocop #2
• Guardians of the Galaxy (2008) #1-25

Heads up, Robocop was awesome.

I picked up a Funko Marty McFly ReAction figure. The throwback appeal really called out to me, and I love the "Adult Collectible - Not a Toy" warning printed across the top. I like the line because it reminds me of the action figures I used to get as a kid, although I'm pretty sure I never had a Back to the Future toy. A Doc Brown figure should be out but my comic shop didn't have any.

I picked up Boba Fett last week, so grabbing Han Solo was a no brainer. I'm not sure where I'm gonna put these guys as I've run out of space a long time ago, but I wanted it, and I'm an adult, so I bought it. Yay!

Rounding out my haul this week, I also bought some more Lego. I got two Exo Suits, which I reviewed earlier this week. It's a really cool set and I'm really glad I got one. And even happier that I got two. The second set is the Research Institute, which I will be reviewing next week. I also got the mini MINI Cooper for spending over $100 at the Lego Store.

That's it for this week.

Be Jealous :P

The name's Grayson, Dick Grayson

After a nice, albeit short vacation, I'm back with a review of a new New 52 title focusing on Gotham's favorite son. I was hoping to have this up about a week ago, but what can I say? VACATION!

Grayson #1
Written and plotted by Tim Seeley and Tom King
Drawn by Mikel Janin

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. I dropped Nightwing a couple years back because it wasn't speaking to me and avoided Forever Evil like the plague. With the ads in place, I knew they were setting Dick Grayson up for something big, and DC has never been one to shy away from changing the status quo, especially when it comes to Batman's favorite ward, and it really seems like they've delivered. Grayson #1 is a pretty big departure from the Dick we know and love but doesn't veer too far away from what makes him the character he is.

Grayson starts off very high energy and doesn't really let up, allowing for the action and setting to speak for itself. It avoids a long, drawn out explanation as to why Dick Grayson is now an international man of mystery and merely thrusts you into this world that he's found himself in, and it's much better for it. It did leave me with a few questions but I suppose that's the hook to keep me coming back. I was also surprised to see a few familiar faces, and I won't spoil who they are, but I am interested in seeing how they'll factor into the series, especially since I'm not familiar with their New 52 incarnations. 

Along with the action, Tim Seeley also injects the book with a good amount of humor that doesn't come off as forced, given the situation. It plays well with the more light-heated character that Dick is normally portrayed as. The last thing I would've wanted is a serious, brooding Dick Grayson in response to his newly acquired "deceased" status. 

Mikel Janin also does a great job on the art side of things, bringing a great sense of motion into his artwork, which works magnificently with acrobatic nature of the title character. His artwork conveys a lot of motion and seems to have a lot of weight behind it. The colorist Jeremy Cox also gives the book a good psychedelic vibe that plays into the story and adds to the spy movie feel of this issue.

For a first issue, there's a lot going on here, but it doesn't make you feel like you're missing something if you didn't read anything leading up to this book. I was worried I'd be lost, especially since DC isn't the best at catching new readers up on what's going on, but it works well here. I'm very interested in seeing where this series goes, and the ending definitely has me wondering where it will take our hero.

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Now for a little housekeeping. I should have a review of the Lego Ghostbusters Ecto-1 set up by Wednesday. Also be on the lookout for my thoughts on the X-Men vs the Sentinel and Guardians of the Galaxy Milano Spaceship Rescue Lego sets.

I'm planning of having more than just Lego and comic reviews coming up but I'm still trying to get into the swing of things.