Predicting the Future: Tomorrow's comics

What am I buying tomorrow....

Invincible Iron Man #9: You know, this book seems to be getting a lot of flak for reasons that escape me. There hasn't been a single issue I didn't enjoy thoroughly, the weakest being #7 and that's only because it guest-starred Spiderman, whom I've never cared for. I'm a finicky bastard. I though last issue was a great start to what looks to be a nice status quo-changing story, and Fraction seems amped up for the book so I expect this to be pretty kickass. And yeah, Larocca putting famous actors into comics can be distrating, but as long as they're characters from LOST, I don't mind.
Predicted Rating: A

Punisher #1: Rick Remender is another writer who's awesome as hell when he's on, although his track record is spottier than Fraction's. Still, this features Jerome Opena on art, who (to me, at least) is the stronger half of the Fear Agent art team. His art manages to combine a certain amount of macho grittiness, kinetic movement, and character that I think will work really, really well for the Punisher. I fully expect to see him moved off the book and onto something bigger inside of 8 months, actually - just you watch. I'm calling it here. The quality of this series depends largely on what side of Remender we're getting - balls-to-the-wall, anything can happen Fear Agent Remender, or playing it safe-superhero End League Remender. I'll keep it optimistic.
Predicted Rating: B

Doktor Sleepless #11: Damn you, Warren Ellis and your high-quality $3.99 books! I've been meaning to give this whole series a re-read, actually, but just haven't had the time yet. This current storyline seems to be taking its time to lay things out and slow it down a little, which is just fine. I'm expecting this to remain solid read - Ellis being Ellis, which as long as you like it, is no bad thing. It's obviously far too early to tell, but I think this series has the potential to, eventually, outdo Transmetropolitan. As much as I love that series, I felt like Ellis let himself get to distracted with goofy bowel disruptor jokes and wacky gross future stuff. The absurdity and the social commentary clashed a bit much - this series plays the concepts straighter, and may end up the stronger work for it. Too soon to say, at any rate. Anywho...
Predicted Rating: B

No Hero #3: This has been another strong series, and I didn't realize until a few weeks ago (whilst immersing myself in Ellis' Avatar stuff) how much I've been missing it. This looks to be an interesting series, based on the first few issues, and a nice balance of Ellis' usual themes and the more experimental side he's discoveed recently. Again, it's too early to tell if that's the case, but that's my speculation. At any rate:
Predicted Rating: A-

Stuff I might buy if I feel like wasting money (I'm not predicting the ratings, since I probably won't buy these - my blog, my arbitrary rules):
Gravel #7: I almost certainly won't buy it, at $3.99 a pop and not having been crazy about the rest of the series. I also read Strange Killings recently, by the way, and wasn't wild for that either. I don't mean for that to necessarily be taken as a criticism of the book, actually - magic-based characters and stories have never really been my thing, and it's always kind of hard for me to muster up interest in them, so this falls a bit flat. Actually, the class-war undercurrent of this book is far more interesting. I'll probably pick this up a few issues at a time when the comic store has a sale.

Secret Six #5: I want to like this series, I really do. I liked all their previous appearances, including the Birds of Prey one. But this just isn't working for me. Every issue has been sort....flat, like a "how to write a kooky Secret Six story". It almost feels like Simone ran out of things to say with these characters as soon as they got an ongoing -maybe they need some cast members switched up? Ragdoll is starting to become a very one-joke character, and Catman is starting to feel tired. I'd start with those two. Deadshot has mileage in him still, and Simone's treatment of Bane has by far been the star of this ongoing, so he can stay. I'd boot Ragdoll and Catman, though, and get some new blood in there.