When Mark Millar isn’t busy ripping off other people’s ideas with a lazy “What If?” twist, he’s usually being problematic in his portrayal of African Americans. When he’s not being problematic in his portrayal of African Americans these days, he’s usually doing something (at the very least) thinly veiled in misogyny. Usually he’s doing all three at the same time within a story’s run. So, you know, what could go wrong with Millar making Kick-Ass‘ new protagonist a black female?! Maybe, maybe the fact that Millar is just going to write the first issue of this new run is portentous of something actually promising. I’m not holding my breath, though.

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It appears that Marvel and DC are getting into a little bit of a diversification Arms Race. Works for me. DC has announced they’re nixing the “New 52” label after the upcoming event, Convergence. Following that MEGASPLOSIONVENT they’re unleashing a torrent of new titles. And baby, some of them are tasty. Black Canary drawn by Annie Wu? Fuck yeah. Section Eight by Garth Ennis and John McCrea? Constantine written by Ming Doyle and drawn by Riley fucking Rossmo? Word.

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Ya’ll know Superman is getting a new power in this week’s Superman #38? I didn’t, because I don’t fuck with that current run. But apparently it’s going to be DESTRUCTIVE as FUCK (I’m paraphrasing). THE SUPER FLARE!!! Now as exciting as the “Pants Shitting of Obliteration” but hey apparently only I am wondering what happens when Kal grinds out a constipated dump.

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It’s been rumored! Announced! Confirmed. John Romita Jr. and Geoff Johns will be the creative team on Superman. This does absolutely nothing for me, and in fact the presence of Johns’ means I’m actively disinterested. Does this mean I’ll skip their debut issue? Of course not. Well played, DC. You clever fuckers.

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Rick Remender and John Romita Jr. have the less than enviable task of following up Ed Brubaker’s stellar run on Captain America for Marvel Now! Brubaker brought a decade of pure rock, dropping outstanding storylines and doing the unthinkable. He brought Bucky back and it was awesome. How do the two considerable talents follow up on such a run? By going in a different direction.

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[images & words is the comic book pick-of-the-week at OL. equal parts review and diatribe, the post highlights the most memorable/infuriating/entertaining book released that wednesday]

It seems as though a number of my favorite creators enjoy starting projects, getting me super-pumped about them, and then relegating them to the status of indefinite hiatus/who fucking knows?/cancelled. Do I ever expect to see the conclusion to Frank Miller and Jim Lee’s All-Star Batman and Robin? Short answer — no. Does it chap my ass that Warren Ellis’ Doktor Sleepless hasn’t been on a regular schedule for over a year? Let’s just say I’ve been wearing a lot of loose-fitting undies.

Fortunately, one of the guys on whom I can rely to finish his projects also happens to be one of my favorites. While the haters love to hold him in contempt (complaining that all his books are essentially the comics equivalent of popcorn-flicks), I cannot sing enough praises for the mighty Mark Millar. In the last few years, this guy has successfully completed some of the most entertaining miniseries and arcs. An incomplete and poorly arranged list:

Wolverine: Old Man Logan

Marvel 1985

Ultimates

Ultimates 2

Ultimate Avengers

Civil War

Wanted

When it comes to cartoon-magazines about superheroes, Millar’s consistency and excellence is absolutely unrivaled. The guy is a fucking titan of the industry, a writer whose own fandom is translated into passion and energy on the page. He might not be the mind-juggernaut that is Grant Morrison or a creator-of-continuity like Geoff Johns, but Mark Millar is a fucking boss.

So it is with the utmost pleasure that I present this edition of OL’s comic pick-of-week:

Kick-Ass #8

For any of you jerkies who’ve been out of the funny-book game since 2008, Kick-Ass is an exploration of what would happen if a comic book fanboy tried to become a superhero in the real world. Of course, shit goes wacky and all sorts of wannabes & imposters start showing up. Without giving too much away, I’ll tell you this — the first issue ends with protagonist Dave Lizewski getting the shit beat out of him during his first foray into the business of superheroism. Essentially, the combined effort of Millar and legendary artist John Romita Jr., the series is actually marked by its vulgarity, humor, and ultra-violent action scenes. In the best way possible.

Seven issues later and we’ve finally arrived at the end of the first arc. Now complete, I have no reservation in saying that this initial chapter of the Kick-Ass saga unrelentingly fires on all cylinders. Just as the book has done during its entire run, issue eight keeps the reader alternating between a state of jaw-dropping shock and belly-clutchin’ guffawing. We see the climatic showdown between the newly aligned Hit-Girl/Kick-Ass and the mobsters who’ve been hunting them. And what a climax it is.

Again, I really don’t want to spoil this issue but I will offer a look at some of its key ingredients:

Flamethrower. Castration. Cocaine. JRJR splash page. Child endangerment. Ben Grimm reference. Meat cleaver.

Trust me, it’s sick.

If the Kick-Ass movie is even half-faithful to this first arc (and word around the `net is that it’s full-faithful), we’re all in for a treat. Just make sure to read the comic first.

Because Comics is King.