This is kind of an odd week for comics- there’s nothing in my pull that’s been there longer than a few issues this time around. Weird. It’s been a while since that’s happened.

Drifter #3– Image

Drifter’s consistently good art has held it in my pull so far- it’s not to say that the writing is bad, but the art has been the major pull thus far. The third issue is finally starting to pull some story threads together- mostly, though, it’s bringing more life into the town, its economy, and its residents. The issues thus far feel somewhat vignette-like, though they’re obviously part of an overarching story. Though the story is starting to improve, the art is still the primary draw. The mine scenes stand out especially well, with the worm-creature’s face being by far the standout visual in the issue.

Intersect #3- Image

Huh. This one wasn’t as weird as the past two issues. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s still pretty bizarre, but Ray Fawkes didn’t really whip out anything especially new this time around. Insane person merged into their environment- check. Disorienting, weird changes of locale? Check. I mean, it’s still good, and there is at least a pretty big surprise at the end. We do finally get to see Lucky, the monstrous dog creature who has been plaguing them in the background the whole time- and he’s kind of underwhelming, frankly. Intersect is still one of the most unusual, weird comics out there right now, though, so it definitely stays in.

Scarlet Spiders #3- Marvel

It’s not actually in my pull, no, but I did pick up all three issues, since I’ve been a fan of Scarlet Spider for a while now, thanks to Christopher Yost’s run a little while back. He has to share the spotlight with Ultimate Black Widow (Who happens to be Ultimate Jessica Drew, a Spider-Man clone), and an alternate universe Ben Reilly, thanks to the whole Spider-Verse event. I’m not going to say that the three issue miniseries is horrible- it had some genuinely enjoyable dialogue, the art was good, and the action scenes were great. Going into this issue, it was obvious who would die, of course, since Ben Reilly doesn’t have an ongoing comics presence, and the cover straight up gives it away. Whatever, though- you don’t read superhero comics if you’re not willing to accept a little predictability. I do have a lot of problems with it, though- most notably with the treatment of Ultimate Jessica Drew. Not only is she literally the only woman who appears in the whole mini-series, (Bechdel test failure), she also constantly provides more fodder for the Hawkeye Initiative. (It’s a test to determine if a woman’s pose in a comic is sexist- if you draw Hawkeye, or another male character, in that pose, and they look completely ridiculous, or like they should be in serious pain from holding that pose, it’s sexist). There are an absurd amount of poses with Jessica Drew’s butt and breasts both visible towards the POV. While that pose is possible in real life, it is not a particularly common or comfortable one. It’s pretty much one that just occurs in photo shoots. I also have some problems with the villain, Jennix, who feels pretty underwhelming, which in turn contributes to Ben Reilly’s death scene feeling underwhelming, but that’s pretty small in comparison to the Jessica Drew thing. This could have been a pretty good miniseries, instead of a disappointment, but I’m not surprised- this is part of a big crossover event, and I think I’ve made my feelings about most of those pretty clear.

Rumble #1- Image

Man, Rumble just hops on the weird train from the get-go and never lets up. I picked up both issues out so far this week, and I just don’t know what to think. It’s not weird in the way Intersect is weird- rather than a twisting, deranged plot and surreal, almost psychedelic art, it just railroads readers down a road of loser bartenders, warrior scarecrows, incompetent demons, fishing hillbillies, possessed cats, and three legged dogs. The comic doesn’t even try to explain what’s going on, and I’m honestly not sure if it needs to. The art is quirkly, though not too far out there. It actually reminds me of Layton’s art on Chew, though I’m not sure why. If I’d just picked up this issue, I don’t know if I’d be hooked- it’s pretty cool, but not quite enough on its own. I did, however, pick up-

Rumble #2- Image

Issue #2 ramps up the weird factor. HARD. A six armed man with a pet Lernean hydra named Lerna, the continuing adventures of Mr. Bildad, the possessed cat, who’s now the size of a truck… This issue really got me hooked. Billy, the hapless bartender, is really shaping into an amusing, fun protagonist. The art remains consistently awesome (especially Mr. Bildad). The mysterious note with the unknown writing that Cogan left Billy turns out the be an IOU for his bar tab written in ancient Phoenician. The unexplained inanity of this comic is really translating into its greatest strength. I’m definitely going to pick up the third issue.

Deadpool’s Art of War #4- Marvel

You know, I really should have listened to myself when I decided not to pick this one up after the third issue. The covers are really the only things worthwhile about this series. Well, at least it’s done. Ack.