I have a Fantastic Four from last year that was 9¢ .

I just read Powers: Sellouts and was blown away by it, even as a huge Powers fan already. So great, and the most direct commentary on the rest of the comics world that I can recall to boot. But really, you have to get there through the series, or some of the plot points would be lost -- anyone who hasn't tried Who Killed Retro Girl? yet really really needs to.

Also, I'm Beast, which is not a surprise.

You're an intellectual. You're never the one to pick fights, but you don't run from them either, so you rarely get into trouble. You are also more disciplined and in control of situations than most people. But when you DO decide to lose it... God help us!

So I picked up a copy of the Ultimates TPB. Yes, I bought more comics. But I had a rationale. I just don't precisely recall it right now.

It was...okay at first. I can see myself reading much of the Ultimate universe, mostly in TPB. But then I got to the bit where Hank and Janet fight, and I'm something close to hooked. Still, I'll read Ultimate X-Men monthly, pick up the miniseries monthly too, and grab Ultimates and UFF in TPB. Not sure about Spiderman.

What are the Ultimates? And (referring to earlier posts by others) what is Powers?

Did you go to the new comic shop?

I've figured out that if I pick up Teen Titans #13 and go forward from there and then pick up A Kid's Game and the tpb that is coming out this fall (Family Lost) I will be all caught up in Teen Titans. This is alarmingly attractive to me.

(I figured out that if I do this -- it means that this Wednesday I will have 6 new titles to pick up, in addition to other back issues that I've had them hold for me and I've been picking up one or two at a time.)

What are the Ultimates?

The Ultimates are the Ultimate universe's Avengers. They're not younger like Spidey, the FF or the X-Men. They're just different. Playboy Tony Stark with cancer, bitter loser Bruce Banner who's really messed up, Thor who says he's a god, but who knows, Janet Pym who's a closet mutie, her husband who seems to be a major fuckup, and a kinda hot Steve Rogers.

ita, ask shrift about the crack that is Ultimate Spidey. It's good shit.

sumi, Teen Titans is worth being caught up in. Also good shit. Very good shit.

I've read a whole lot of Ultimate Spidey. I quite like it, but I don't think I do enough to spend money on it, sadly. But the 40 or so I read in one shot was fun. B&N has a $50 book of the first 50 or so issues, and it keeps sitting there, winking at me.

I dunno. It's a lot of stuff.

Powers is a great series about two homicide detectives assigned to investigate crimes involving "Powers," i.e., superheroes. It considers both the seamier and taudrier sides of superherodom, and can be wickedly funny. The first case involved the murder of a Supergirl-like hero called Retrogirl. There have also been cases with groups not completely unlike the FF, and the Justice League. I highly recommend it.

anyone who hasn't tried Who Killed Retro Girl? yet really really needs to.

Damn yeah!

And I was also Cyclops. Yuck.