JLA Classified #15:
Jump from the Read Pile. I kind of wish they'd have just done this one issue -- in the first few pages, I hear enough of the story to grasp what's happening. Better than that, I get to see the JLA do what the JLA should do -- kick ass in a major and unmistakable way. Warren Ellis writes some of the best Superman dialogue I've ever seen. "I'm a scientist's son of the House of El. And I am a reporter. And while I may not be as quick at pattern recognition as my wife, I'm not completely stupid. Given time, I can find my way into any story." When he then said, "But I'm Superman," with no emphasis or dramatic flair, it was more powerful than everything I've seen from Byrne on the subject in more years than I'd rather count. A Superman who embraces power and wonder as everyday things. Magnificent. Then, a few pages later, J'onn says, "We're the Justice League. We've beaten up real gods and made them cry. You are nothing to us." Again, no bolds, no emphasis (which I'm sad to say I couldn't resist at moments like that), just matter-of-factness. Morrison-level excellence here, in just this issue (there were glimpses of it in this story before, but here, wow). Oracle doing her Global Frequency shtick (don't think I didn't catch that), Green Lantern going kung fu movie, Wally embracing his legacy, the Bat back as the brilliant commentator ... there's so much right here that it took me four reads to notice the inconsistent facial work by Guice, and the rough finishes especially later in the issue. Those UK guys really know how to imbue some majesty in stuff, properly motivated. I regret how many issues it took to get this, but I really enjoyed this, even re-reading it as I type this now, and I'm probably gonna re-read it again. That's good damned comics!

Fantastic Four Special #1:
Jump from the Read Pile. Speaking of good comics, a master of the form (and a personal acquaintance, if not friend) Dwayne McDuffie calls it a comeback with a simply delightful and intimate one shot featuring Marvel's first family doing that thing they do. Tossing in the vintage style art panels from back in the day is a fun side effect, and while Casey Jones has some mild inconsistencies in his faces, his storytelling and dynamics are solid. I loved the pacing and sureness of this, with Doom coming off as brilliant and terrifying a presence as ever, even in as mere a gesture as sharing a glass of wine. The Avengers moment with Johnny was great, the individual fights made perfect sense to the plot (and made Doom all the more cunning an adversary), and again McDuffie handles each character -- from Johnny's rakish charm to Ben's blustery wit and Susan's calm practicality -- with an almost uncanny ease. It took me a second to see why "same time next year" didn't mean the big emotional reveal hadn't happened before, but I worked it out in my own head thanks to a line of dialogue ("Usually when we meet, you're trying to kill me"). I'm not even particularly in to the FF, and I loved this issue. Great stuff -- and it reminds me that many of Doom's best stories involve him eating dinner.

Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Ultimate X-Men/Ultimates 2005:
You knew I was gonna buy this. Marvel knew it too, those bastards. Like most of the new directories, it gives an up-to-the-minute (as in the last spoiler from The Ultimates) assessment of the Ultimate Marvel U, and could save you a lot on back issues if one were so inclined (as I am). You can use this to get caught up on most of the Ultimate Marvel Universe quickly, and the profiles (while a bit brief, I think, in some cases -- Steve Rogers and Erik Lensherr contained to one page apiece?) are well written and interesting. I didn't even know there was an Ultimate Proteus! Cool!

The Thing #2:
Dan Slott is doing for the Marvel Universe what Geoff Johns once did for DC -- taking lesser-seens and making them shine. Ben Grimm, Kyle Richmond, an armor-less Tony Stark (miss that briefcase now, huh?) and the Constrictor are all on an island driven by Arcade, and with civilians at hand, the game's afoot. Great fun, witty, fast paced and interesting, with Andrea DiVito turning in crisp, inviting artwork. Good stuff here, and with Dan Slott only having GLA as a mis-step, an easy choice.

X-Factor #2:
It only gets better as Madrox faces down his own personal X-factor, Layla Miller has more fun than anyone should be allowed (yeah, she made it out of the House of ATM somehow), Monet shows up (and she's using skin lighteners, it seems, or the lighting in Mutant Town is really weird) with a twist at the end that's downright fun. Not as dark as the Madrox mini, but just as well written and tons of fun, with a virtual phalanx of fantastic artists on board (Ryan Sook, Dennis Callero, Wade Von Drawbadger) giving the issue a hip, smoky feel that's just perfect.

She-Hulk #3:
It's A Wonderful Jen Walters, as we enjoy the 100th issue ever printed for the Jade Giantess. She's tried for her crimes against the timestream, with a lot of wacky cameos (go Razorback) and guest artists, leading to a last page that has me itching for the netx issue, and some very kitschy reprints of the She-Hulk's history. Good stuff, all around.

Black Panther #11:
I wish I could tell you how much I enjoyed this issue, where I finally got a grasp on what Hudlin is doing with T'Challa. Priest's Panther was an overwhelming force, a brain of such remarkable ability that it sometimes thought itself into corners (as that catastrophic bit with M'Baku). Hudlin's Panther, on the contrary, is having fun -- he doesn't overwhelm his enemies with force because he prefers the challenges of fighting them. If Blaxploitation had been done right, with some dignity and a sense of itself, it would have turned out like this -- the exasperated one-liners ("He couldn't just call the office and make an appointment?") make him no less regal, but infinitely more accessible (although I do miss the, "No, I'm the king of a small African nation" gag -- that was good crazy). Hudlin also has a great grasp on Luke Cage, who comes off as much more together than his Avengers-inspired appearances (although I do appreciate the general thrust of trying to include a hero of color at that level). They dodge their way around an old copyright issue of Marvel's in order to bring in a kung-fu tastic guest star (ignoring the makeover from the recent Moensch mini). Now that I understand what's happening (and yes, it makes the earlier issues make a lot more sense), I am now bringing this title on to the Buy Pile permanently, and apologizing publicly for not getting it sooner.

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

Honorable Mentions: Avengers #14 was talky but very interesting (it's literally all talking), Fallen Angel #1 was an interesting fast forward and establishment of a new status quo, but the painted-style art took me a second to get behind. I also liked the Young Avengers Special which added nice nuance to the origins and served as a great "catch up" book for new readers. I almost give that love to Wonder Woman #224, which got somewhere but took forever doing it.

Pass These Issues By: Continuing its run as one of the worst series ever printed, Superman/Batman #23 was an affront to good taste (despite the fact that I still love that cartoony art). There was too much Black Canary in All Star Batman and Robin #3 (still called "a license to print money" by my retailer Steve), and finally Ultimate Fantastic Four #26 was a huge cop out and anticlimax to the amazing potential of an actively different Namor.

FINAL ANALYSIS: Marvel kicked so much ass this week. I'm happy all around, so this is a big win.

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