Reading Giffen

I've kind of gotten the comic bug again and I've been reading through stuff that I've had sitting around for the last few weeks and haven't picked through yet. In some cases, if it's something like Zatanna #3, I'll reread the first two just to get myself back up to speed since it's been a lonog time since I've sat down and really read some comics.

Today the comic books of choice have all been Giffen books. Common Foe #s 1 & 2 and Hero Squared #1, to be specific. With the exception of Common Foe #2, it turns out that I'd read these already but it was really refreshing to get another crack at them. Common Foe, in particular, was a book I wasn't enjoying too terribly much before today, and now I'm really happy with the way it's developed over the first two issues. The artwork is nice, if a little muddy, and the characetrs are often hard to distinguish from each other, but I'm used to working a little harder on a Giffen book. Hero Squared was simply one of the best reads I've had in months. Not a lot happens, but the writing was more natural than either of the recent Justice League minis or The Defenders, and Abraham's art has really improved since the X-Tra Sized Special. I'm looking forward to seeing where this series will go, not to mention craving a little more DeMatteis action. I think I'll finally pick up those cost-prohibitive copies of The Stardust Kid that are sitting in my file.

On a side note, I managed to track down and put in my file the What Were They Thinking? issue that BOOM! put out where Keith takes an old war comic and changes all the dialogue. I can't afford it yet, but I'm hoping I get achance to read it soon. I think it'll be great fun.

I'm also thinking of rereading my Drax #1, now. It sort of unimpressed me when I read it the first time and it hasn't driven me run out and pick up the next issue, so maybe giving it another chance in my new Giffenesque mood will change matters a bit. We'll see.

That's it for now. Later!

mike