Key of Z TP- This is a revenge story taking place in a zombified world, which I found appealing because considering how oversaturated the zombie genre is you really need a decent hook to make a story worthwhile. The additional bonus to this is the Aaron Kuder artwork, a gritty and detailed mixture of Arthur Adams, Chris Burnham, and just a pinch of Tony Moore. It’s clean and solid, but with just enough texturing to make everything pop a bit without sacrificing storytelling for style. The package is nice as well with a catching cover and a decent $14.99 price. B
Hawkeye #1- Hmmmm. I just don’t know what to make of this first issue. I’m always for self-contained single issue stories. Yet I found myself very unfulfilled by this, because if this is the tone of most issues then…..meh? The storytelling was fine, and the art was great. Aja is one of those talents that can’t really do any wrong for me right now. There were elements I enjoyed (the dog, mostly), but overall I just wasn’t drawn in by the scripting. I should note my own bias for not particularly caring about Clint Barton. I don’t hate him, but in general I never feel the need to pay extra cash for him when I get enough in the Avengers. I should also note that at least this was only $2.99, so it doesn’t hurt to check it out. I’m sure that if you are a Hawkeye fan then it will appeal even more for you and if you don’t have much exposure it isn’t a bad place to start. B
The Manhattan Projects #5- Every issue is more fun and satisfying than the previous. I think this will make for great trade reading and am looking forward to pushing it on people in that packaging. A-
Daredevil #16- It’s a tough choice on if I prefer Marcos Martin or Chris Samnee on this title. The look and character of these past few issues have been amazing and I think there is something in Samnee’s style that falls back on a bit of Wally Wood and Romita Sr. without sacrificing his own style. On top of that, Waid made me care about Hank Pym and that’s always a tricky thing to pull off. This title continues to impress and it’s no wonder it took home a couple Eisners this year. A