Aquaman No. 5
From the comic's oceanic origins to now, Geoff Johns' Aquaman has managed to lap its predecessors in terms of plot, depth, and sheer emotional magnitude, as Johns has taken DC's historical "fish out of water" and transformed him into the voracious predator readers see today.
DC's reboot essentially gave life to the washed-up Arthur Curry, carrying him on the tidal wave of change that looks to alter laughing-stock Aquaman into the fight first, ask questions later kind of hero that no one has ever seen.
For the fifth month of the reboot, Johns has the amphibious Atlantean on a quasi-vision quest in one of the least inhabitable environments on earth. Along the way, an almost Obi-Wan appearance by Curry's father drives him to the point of madness that leaves the reader both shocked and amazed at the profound changes that Johns brought to the (water) table.
The artwork, as usual, is absolutely superb, and the team of artists Ivan Reis and Geoff Johns continues to build off one another producing visually interesting imagery in each waterlogged iteration of the series.
Big reveals at the issue's end will place Curry on the front lines of war in coming issues, and between the historic horrors of the seafloor rising up and an Arthur Curry ostracized from the very society he aims to protect, Johns intends to keep the anxiety building in what is sure to be the magnum opus of Aquaman for years to come.
Ultimate Comics: The Ultimates No. 6
Comics are not yet a recognized science, but when they are, The Ultimates writer Jonathan Hickman will definitely be the first in line to be recognized as the Primordial-ink comic book scientist.
In his most recent experiment, Hickman gives the world's smartest human being 1000 years to evolve, time-travel back to the past, and has the world's mightiest heroes attempt to crumble the dystopian world that Reed Richards has built in his millennial journey.
A corrupted Richards versus the whole of The Ultimates would be enough plot for most, but Hickman, being the master storyteller that he is, takes readers down the rabbit hole into the psyche of a mad-genius convinced that the reign of homo sapiens is coming to a quick conclusion.
Hickman's plot weaving deserves the highest praise as his story-arc twists and turns into what can only be described as a modern day David against Goliath match of super-heroic proportions. Too often has Stark single-handedly saved the day, or Cap came in with the heroic one-liner to quell America's adversaries. For once Hickman goes against the gloss-laden grain and places his heroes on the other side of the winning scenario.
Hickman's "no hero is safe" mentality places The Ultimatesat the top of must-read comic piles for every sentient Marvellite this side of the year 3012.
Incorruptible No. 26
In three short years, Mark Waid's world of heroes has gone rogue and villains turned vigilantes has grown from a short, limited series into an overwhelming universe full of radicals, rationalists, and revolutionaries all caught in the wake of the Plutonian's never-ending wrath.
For those unacquainted with Waid's world of "I"-literation his series Irredeemable and Incorruptible take on philosophical quandaries and comic book inquiries with the question: "what if Superman gave up being a good guy?" Waid's questioning of the super-powered status quo has led to two series, and both attempted to investigate the lives of an alien fed up with a broken society and his humanitarian antagonist, Max Damage.
"Incorruptible No. 26" finally sheds light on the process that made Max the heavyweight contender for the title of Earth's Defender and, to save readers the 20-odd pages of reading, it's not pleasant. Max has sacrificed mental sanity to continuously fight the world's greatest extraterrestrial opponent, and in this issue Waid brings Max's mental well-being to the forefront of discussion and even goes as far as showing Max's reprieve of his criminal days come back in full swing.
What makes Waid's writing a class above his peers is the persistent challenging of the themes of morality and duty that have guided the hands of writers for more than half a century. For its insight into the minds of the world's most deranged "heroes" and the societal mirror the series holds to comics, Incorruptible is a must-buy for all who consider themselves intellectual ink enthusiasts.
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