She-Hulk #7:
If you're looking for Adam Warlock, don't let the zany art fool ya, the man's right here. Aside from sporting a really fantastic cover, writer Dan Slott successfully throws a completely zany curveball and it makes sense and is fun. Even when he goes out on a limb, throwing the freaking Living Tribunal at you, this kid can't miss. A whiz bang issue that doesn't even break continuity. I love it. That must mean they're gonna cancel it any second now ...

Fables #29:
The end of Bigby's WWII adventure works well, because Nazis make sense there and it's just a whimsical story. I like the backgrounding on Bigby, one of the biggest villains in classical fairy tales, depicted here as possibly the best scoundrel hero since Han Solo got grabby with a certain Sith Lord's daughter in a cramped cabinway. I won't spoil a single detail, but there's good stuff here, and this is another stellar issue in a thus far uninterrupted run of them. Bill Willingham is a freakin' genius, and Akins and Palmiotti's art was perfect for the tone of the tale.

Grendel: Devil's Reign #4:
More deep history for Grendel fanatics, and some interesting experimental storytelling from Wagner. I see here what Keith Giffen was trying to do early on in Dominion but Wagner has a much better handle on it. I love this stuff, and if you're wholly Grendel-ed out, you might too.

Buy Pile Breakdown: Yay!

Then there's the stuff on the "read pile" that I don't bring home ...

X-Force #2:
Many people asked me if this was the worst comic I read this week (that dubious honor goes to the vanity press promo issue for Hero City, a self-published work so devoid of quality in writing, art and production values that I itch just thinking about it). This issue of X-Force is merely goofy, nostalgic fun -- not unlike early issues of the original X-Force Nicieza's script adds tongue-in-cheek sarcasm to Liefeld's impossible artwork. Believe me, there's tons of people who love this stuff. From my point of view, it's merely mediocre, not even aggressive enough to really be bad. Plus, there's a really poorly rendered "futuristic" splash page which is great for a chuckle, especially since Rich Johnston pointed out it's a swipe from an old gatefold cover.

Toyfare #87:
This had to be the least funny issue of Toyfare I've ever read. No "big shots." TTT was lackluster. Yeah, the toy news blah blah blah. I read this for yuks, and they were in dangerously short supply.

Powers #4:
I felt the plotting was a bit unclear, and it took ten minutes of questioning people in the store to figure out the ending (which, once explained, almost jogged my memory, as I wasn't a regular reader of the series when the character in question graced its pages). I also thought two pages of looking at an unconscious Deena Pilgrim's elfin mug was a bit much.

Gotham Central #23:
Like an old car that works its way up back up to top speed, this Rucka-penned issue shook off some of the slowness that crept in over the last part of the Mad Hatter storyline with great interplay between Bock and Montoya and peppy pacing. Not back to "buy on sight" yet, alas.

Punisher #11:
On action, I'd rate this highly. Frank Castle and a bunch of Irish gangs shoot up a docked aircraft carrier, which is cool. But outside of the shooting, it's all ambiance and vanity as deep points about the struggle in Ireland are attempted. Not back to my standards of entertainment yet.

Nightwing #97:
Nightwing is racked with guilt, like wrestler Billy Kidman after he hurt Chavo Guerrero Jr. with his signature Shooting Star Press and is now making a freakin' daytime drama out of it (I don't have anything else to watch on Thursday nights). I, of course, don't care. Mostly because Devin Grayson has done little by way of storytelling to involve me in the guilt. It's as if my encyclopaedic knowledge of the character should work as shorthand to why he's agonizing over telling the Bat, et cetera. Nuh uh, gotta work a little harder than that.

Captain America #31:
First of all, I just noticed how devilishly clever Robert Kirkman is at promoting himself. This issue is part three of a story called "Super Patriot." If you didn't know, Kirkman is also writing a series for Image ... called Super Patriot. This, for some reason, tickled me endlessly. My joy was short lived, as Diamondback retconned herself to a point years ago, before she'd gone through a lot of relevant characterization moments with the good Captain. That kind of thing feels like a mis-step in editing, but even worse was seeing Cap and Diamondback (minor spoiler, sorry) kick the butts of the entire Serpent Society. It made me think I could get a couple of friends and take 'em all. An almost nostalgic action tale.

Fallen Angel #15:
I'm about ready to stop reading this again. I can recognize the craft that goes into this -- building a world of characters in slow strokes, fleshing out people in the background (a bodyguard in this case) ... but on a monthly basis, it's not enough to sustain my interest. is this another case like Bite Club or Monolith -- books I know are good that I just don't connect with? I don't know. I do know that, after reading a really good issue two months ago, I'm losing interest.

Identity Disc #4:
Gah. In this issue, the "twist" presents itself that lets this story depart from its Bryan Singer-directed source material, and there's some better dialogue and interplay between the characters, but it feels like too little too late. A sinking ship poking back over the waves.

Green Arrow #42:
The nouveau gang lord Brick continues his grim climb to the top of the pecking order, and Green Arrow (who is kind of ridiculous compared to some of the threats he faces) seems overwhelmed, especially facing a personal crisis at home as a new generation takes up the mantle against his wishes. It's got some good points, but it's not really doing anything for me.

Pulse #5:
The curse of public attention falls on one mass murderer in the Marvel U, as Bendis tells a great story with Jessica Jones panicked, Luke Cage righteously enraged and J. Jonah Jameson showing why the fourth estate still matters. A lot going on, especially in comparison to some of the navel-gazing issues that preceded, but good stuff.

JLA #105
The insipid and wildly inaccurate "Pain of the Gods" storyline continues, as Wonder Woman almost gets her lasso handed to her, and then loses it like a brokenhearted girl in a prom dress, still waiting on the doorstep at sunrise. In a strikingly whiny depiction that could do well to take notes from either the Justice League cartoon or even the Rucka-penned solo title, this ignores tons of things you know about Diana to give her a chance to complain. Ick.

Star Wars Empire #24:
Han Solo was on the cover. You know that makes me unhappy, as I only wanna read about the Empire. I'll check in next month.

District X #5:
This issue tries to delve into politics through the intoxicated POVs of its barely developed characters, and goes considerably astray of the procedural work that gave this title any real bite and appeal. Maybe only Rucka can get it right (yes, I am a fan) in Gotham Central, but this issue was like listening to your drunk friend talk politics after the end of a party. Nothing you'd wanna take home with you.

JSA #65:
My favorite moment in this issue was the most brief -- an ill Per Degaton bit where he shows up for no more reason than to screw with a dying hero. That's my kinda thing. However, the wildly boring look at Dr. Midnite operating for what felt like seventy pages, only to have a goofy ending pop up ... blah. I remember when this was a must-buy title ... wait, do I remember that far back?

Strykeforce #5:
The mini ends with a nice, wholesome coda that sets up a cute status quo (everything in place for a sequel, like putting your toys away after you play). It was a cute read, and if I were a lot more flush with cash, I'd be okay to buy really peripheral, vaguely entertaining issues like this. However ...

Warlock #1:
The first thought I had was, "this has to be out of continuity." Then I remembered that only me and sixteen sweaty typists on Usenet even care about that anymore, and got sad for a second. In any case, the new costume design for the "created hero" is kind of spiffy, even though the whole plan smelled of Ozymandias (Alan Moore had no idea what he was unleashing). Pretty much as interesting as Silver Surfer, which is really being damned by faint praise as they both remain on the shelves.

Outsiders #15:
Dr. Sivana, it seems, did it all just to be like Johnny Depp and Madonna, as plans within plans reveal themselves with the Fearsome Five (no relation to the Fatal Five) finish up their story here in a way that's kind of like Mammoth himself -- not too smart. This issue, -- and the series as a whole now I think of it -- is like a slightly older, snarkier Teen Titans. Which I also don't buy.

Ultimate X-Men #51:
I was very surprised to like the introduction of the Fenris Corporation, and very unsurprised to be irked by what happens with Storm, a character that just never gets anything good going on and does something else really stupid here. The Ultimate Universe has so many more shades of gray than it's "regular" counterpart, and I like that. Of course, remembering the last name of the Fenris twins, I fully expect something stupid and cliche to pop up any second (anybody who knows them knows how I am bored of their "source" material). But a good issue in and of itself.

Action Comics #819:
A jumpy, uneven issue that leapt from a dumb conversation between Lana and Clark to some poorly depicted fight scenes. Plus, for some reason Supes' on-again-off-again powers seem contrived. Less than entertaining.

Ultra #2:
Now this is more like it -- a really great mix of the action (hence forth "making with the 'biff' and the 'pow,'" thank you Dan Slott) and the interaction between characters. I liked pretty much everything here, except the kind of drab coloring, which is even starting to grow on me. Maybe headed for the promised land, let's see.

Teen Titans #15:
Again, I like the way the characters mix and banter, but as a climax to the "beast children" story goes, it was lame and anticlimactic.

X-Men: the End #3:
First of all, the blatant swipe of Frank Herbert's term "mentat" bugged me to no end. Second, you'd need a spreadsheet to keep up with everything going on here. Third, who cares? Blah.

Read Pile Roundup: Argh.

So, How Was It This Week? Lessee, "yay" plus "argh" ... ah, let's call it a wash, since despite bigger numbers of suck-to-good, I kind of got what I paid for.

Oh, but before I forget, keep an eye on my website this week for a comment on why I review the books I do, and why I do it the way I do (as someone wrote in complaining about the selection and all).

The Buy Pile is a weekly collection of comic reviews done by Hannibal Tabu (www.operative.net), originally published at UGO.com.