Comic Book Reviews for 4/28/2010

It actually turned out to be a fairly light week for comics and I still haven’t had time to read everything that I wanted to yet. I may post an updated review or two after I get caught up.


What happened? Arisia loses her cool and decks a Guardian, Wonder Woman meets her very angry cousin, Johnny Storm has a VERY strange date and Cobra Commander finally shows his face….well….not really. Want more?

Back For a Quickie - Jason's Reviews (11/11/2009)

This week's comic book offerings were enjoyable overall. But, as good stories tend to do, they pose many questions. I'm throwing this out there in a different format than usual but it's how I viewed the books. Spoilers ahead!

Click below for more :

Batman & Robin #6
Story by Grant Morrison
Art by Philip Tan

First Question : Did Robin just call a villain gay?

Granted, I'm not the most politically correct person in existence (far from it actually) so I'm happy to see the taboo of using "certain words" in comics has been ignored here. Now, in Robin's defense, Flamingo is dressed like a pink matador and rides in on a pink motorcycle. Hopefully people can see past the usage of a simple word and don't cause the usual PC-uproar.

Second Question : How many bodies did Bruce Wayne have?

Dick accesses some secret vault in the Bat-Bunker that appears to contain.....the body of Bruce Wayne! Wait.....what?!?! If this is Bruce's body, then whose skull is Black Hand carting around like a goth Coach purse?

Batman #693
Story by Tony Daniel
Art by Tony Daniel

First Question : How smoking hot is Huntress?

Really a rhetorical question...moving on.



Second Question : Anyone notice the similarities between Black Mask and Red Skull?

It appears that the current incarnation of Black Mask, besides dressing like Marilyn Manson, is just someone donning the Black Mask...ummm...mask. Seems awfully similar to what was going on with Red Skull over in the Marvel Universe. Wait a sec...isn't Steve Rogers also "not dead" and skipping through time? Hmmmmm. Were Bruce and Steve related? Maybe the new Black Mask is Bucky??

Green Lantern Corps #42
Story by Peter J. Tomasi
Art by Patrick Gleason

Question : How do you kill thousands of Black Lanterns and one Green Lantern?

Let's ask good old Kyle Rayn...oh. Just as I was getting into Kyle as a Green Lantern again. I seriously doubt that they can keep him dead for long. Although, isn't blackest Night supposed to fix the "revolving door of death" in the DCU? I'm thinking that we may see Kyle as one of the New Guardians that were solicited in the last Green Lantern issue. Also, kind of convenient that the Red Lantern Vice gets killed right before Kyle's sacrifice. Seems there is a Red Ring floating around with no finger.....paging Guy Gardner....he'll be a little rage-filled after Kyle's death. Also, I wonder what a 3 foot tall blue Kyle Rayner would look like.

Supergod #1
Story by Warren Ellis
Art by Garrie Gastonny

Question : If humans could develop their own super-humans, would they make them into god-like beings that they could worship?

Warren Ellis seems to think so. Excellent first issue and I'm thoroughly interested to see where he takes this. Although, it looks like we already know where it goes considering the story is told in flahsback by a pot-smoking British scientist sitting in the flaming ruins of London.

Comic Book Reviews - 9/23/2009

I had to keep it light this week so I had to leave Supergirl and the final issue of Wednesday Comics in my box but I’ll have those picked up next week. Just two quick reviews this week.

What happened? Batwoman’s family tree grows a little bit, Destro becomes an exclusive “employee” of COBRA, Psycho Pirate pisses off Smallville, and Power Girl just cannot catch a break. Click below for more :

Pick of the Week :

Power Girl #5
Story by Justin Grey & Jimmy Palmiotti
Art by Amanda Conner

I was a little worried as to what the start of Power Girl’s second story arc would bring but the team of Conner, Palmiotti and Grey continue to show us why this is the most fun title in the DC Universe right now. I know that I’ve called Secret Six the most fun book for a while, but this is a different brand of fun. Secret Six is most decidedly “bad fun”, such as : “That was fun but now I really need a shower”. Power Girl is “good fun”, like : “smiles und sunshine” (that’s not a typo, but bonus points to those that get the Simpson’s reference).

When we last departed from our top-heavy heroine, she was finalizing a deal for a new apartment when a spaceship crashes nearby. What’s in this mysterious craft you ask? Trouble (notice the capital “T”).

Palmiotti and Grey, once again, bring a Superman-level hero down to Earth. When Power Girl rushes to the roof to change, she realizes that she forgot her boots and gloves back at her office. Oh well, the day must be saved and she’ll do it without the boots and gloves.

Conner’s use of facial expressions and posing adds immensely to the fun and I thoroughly enjoy the way Power Girl is portrayed in this title : fun, spunky, a little flaky, but tough as nails and brave as can be.

The Rest :

GI Joe #9
Story by Chuck Dixon
Art by SL Gallant

This issue follows two main stories. In the first part Destro is whisked away from South America by Baroness and her COBRA cronies in a sweet submarine before the Joes arrive. I love how you never really see the COBRA logo but you know exactly who is running the show. You also get an idea of just how vast the COBRA organization’s influence runs with their level of technology and secrecy.

In the second part, Snake Eyes and Mainframe arrive in the “All-American” town of Springfield where things are not as they seem. Those that have followed GI Joe know about Springfield and it’s function as a cover for COBRA’s operations. Behind the picket fences and soccer moms they begin to uncover something more sinister. More sinister than soccer moms? You betcha.

Being a Joe fan from way back, IDW and Chuck Dixon are doing this re-launch right by keeping enough of the classic GI Joe while updating it for the current times and new audiences. Things are being introduced very slowly and building up properly, although I have a feeling that we’ll finally meet Cobra Commander in next month’s issue #10.

Comic Reviews Double-Shot (9/10 & 9/16) - Part 2

What happened the week of 9/16? The new Red Hood worries about how to word a press release, Mr. Szasz moves into his new lair, Ray Palmer explains the Black rings in plain layman’s terms (if you’re a Quantum Layman) and Perceptor is re-born hardcore.

Pick of the Week :

Batman : Streets of Gotham #4
Story by Paul Dini
Art by Dustin Nguyen

I've said it before and I'll say it again : Dustin Nguyen rules this book. Paul Dini once again does a fantastic job crafting these stories but Nguyen's art just sells it. He combines a very cartoony style with dark shadows and violence in a way that I haven't seen in many other artists.

At the same time, Dini gives us an interesting story about a Real Estate Broker...you heard what I said (or read what I wrote). The main character in this issue is a shady character known only as The Broker. Ever wonder where the villains get their sweet villain lairs from? This guy, that's where. Need a broken down old amusement park? A candy factory? A fully functioning abattoir? Call him. After playing some hardball with the Great White Shark over the transfer of a yacht, Broker has a super-creepy meeting with the wonderfully scary new and improved Mister Zsasz. What dose Zsasz have planned? You don't want to know. OK, maybe you do but it involves the aforementioned abattoir, adding four hundred seats for what seems like spectators, and kidnapped runaway kids in cages. Happy now? I told you that you didn't want to know.

This book simply had me smiling from beginning to end and I have re-read it at least 3 times. It's this factor that makes it my Pick of the Week for this week over Blackest Night #3, which is an awesome book but not nearly as much fun as Streets of Gotham has been.

The Rest :

Blackest Night #3
Story by Geoff Johns
Art by Ivan Reis

Why wasn’t Blackest Night my pick of the week? It’s not that it’s not a good book, because it is. There were many important things revealed in this issue that keep the momentum going and the writing and art is incredible. It just seemed a bit formulaic in that we get our heart-wrenching death, our long-winded explanation of what the heroes think is happening, and then your “Oh shit!” moment when more villains appear.

I actually enjoyed the theory that Ray Palmer puts forth as to what the rings are doing, and how they are doing it. It makes sense in a fantastic comic book way. The shock value of the Black Lanterns has kind of worn off for me already, though. Hopefully there are some big surprises in store because we have 5 issues left and I’m already sort of tired of old heroes and villains rising up. The first issue was like “Holy shit, Elongated Man Black Lantern!!!!!” Now it’s like, “Wow, is that Max Lord? Seriously?”

There are also many scenes involving the Indigo Lanterns (Compassion) where they finally show up and speak and begin to show their true abilities, which include lengthy exposition. And did everyone catch that little piece of exposition that will make everyone who guessed it say “I told you so!!” The “white light of creation”, yup...a White Lantern is coming our way. Any bets as to who it will be? Paging Mr. Jordan......

Action Comics #881
Story by Greg Rucka & Sterling Gates
Art by Pere Perez

This issue mainly consists of people being pissed off at each other. Guardian is mad at Nightwing & Flamebird. Reactron is mad at General Lane. Flamebird is mad at Supergirl. Cat Grant is mad at Lois Lane and Squad K just plain hates all Kryptonians. Lots of conflict in a fairly action packed issue.

Ironically the cover title is the Hunt For Reactron : Part One, but no one is hunting Reactron while he sits in the depths of Project 7734 and recovers.

Batman & Robin #4
Story by Grant Morrison
Art by Philip Tan

I'll get this out of the way first : I miss Frank Quitely's art already. (Queue Cinderella's "Don't Know What You Got 'Til It's Gone").

Quitely brought a certain style to the B&R title that really worked. Much of that credit must also go to colorist Alex Sinclair for his bright tones that lent a certain cheeriness to the new Batman. It's not that Philip Tan's art is bad, it just seems to be too much of a change too soon.

Story-wise, we're still in good shape here. A few new characters get introduced like the new Red Hood and his sidekick Scarlet, as well as a very creepy individual by the name of Oberon Sexton aka Gravedigger. Gotham is pretty messed up is a large man in a mask, red-tinted glasses and a top hat can just wander around a party at the Wayne Penthouse, and no one seems even curious about him. Gothamites are pretty jaded I guess.

So, the big mystery is : Who is the new Red Hood? I have four suspects. (Queue Dragnet theme music)

Suspect 1 : Jason Todd - Well, duh, who doesn't think it's Todd? The evidence for Jason being the mysterious Red Hood is all there. He's been the Red Hood before, he trends towards extremely violent vigilante justice, he's got it in for Batman (no matter who is behind the cowl) and we haven't seen much of him since Battle for the Cowl. Also, guns tend to be one of his prime choices for weaponry. Hatred for Batman? Uh, have you read any Batman comics in the last decade? I'd say the hate is there. Evidence against? Jason Todd does not speak in the fluid manner that this Red Hood seems to have adopted. He tends more towards angry shouting and hitting instead of worrying how a press release is worded. He's also a bit too obvious so it seems like they're making us think it's him (Batman does say "Jason?" the first time he runs into him).

Suspect 2 : Oberon Sexton aka Gravedigger - Taking a page from Hush, they could be introducing a new mystery character while introducing a new ancillary character only to have them end up being the same person. Kind of played out, but I can see it happening. Evidence for? He's an author, so that would fit his manner of speech and worrying about how the press perceives him. His wife was killed and he was scarred by criminals, so there is his motivation for the vigilante justice gig. Hatred for Batman? Not sure on this one, but it may be that Batman didn't stop his wife's murderer or something and he feels the need to exact vengeance on him. Evidence against? Might be another fake to throw us off, and he's too new to be a shocking revelation when Red Hood is unmasked.

Suspect 3 : The Joker - This is a total long-shot but let's check it out. We haven't seen what the Joker has been up t since Damian ran him off the road in R.I.P. Evidence for? Morrison spent a good bit of time in the infamous Joker prose issue laying out the idea that Joker can re-invent his personality constantly. Maybe this new persona is being used to mock Batman and the way he operates. Joker has been the Red Hood before, in fact it's part of one of his many origins. Evidence against? Joker doesn't seem to me to be the physical type and this Red Hood is very well trained. Like I said, long shot but worth considering.

Suspect 4 : Random 1940s Batshit Morrison Character - We've seen him do it before. Morrison could pull the guy who was in the background of an advertisement for sea monkeys in Batman #12 and turn him into the big bad here. Who knows what goes on in the mind of Morrison? Certainly not me.

Transformers : All Hail Megatron #15
Story by Nick Roche & Denton J. Tipton
Art by Nic Roche & Casey Coller

You know, for a 12 part mini-series this just won't stop. So far, the "extended" All Hail Megatron has been quite a disappointment compared to the phenomenal first dozen issues....but that ended here. One of my favorite moments in AHM involved Perceptor stepping up and showing off his skills as a tough as nails sniper in the fight against the Swarm on Cybertron. The second part of this issue explains exactly how he went from science geek to weapons guy, and it is really well done.

The first part of the issue deals with the re-birth of the beloved Kup, and it ain't all smiles and sunshine. You learn that the Autobots can be shady when they need to be and the return of Kup isn't handled strictly for his benefit. One of the Autobots is revealed as quite the schemer, and it's one of the original good guys.

Final Crisis Aftermath : Escape #5
Story by Ivan Brandon
Art by Cliff Richards

I was seriously about to give up on this title after last issue's "back to the beginning" ending but, like Nemesis, I can see a light at the end of the tunnel. I have a distinct feeling that this will read a lot better in one sitting and I will definitely be doing that after issue #6 releases. Nemesis begins to figure out what's going on and makes the situation work for him as he formulates a plan to escape from a prison he doesn't completely understand. Twisted visuals and disorienting dialog don't help with the reader's confusion but I'm hoping that it gets mostly explained in the end.

Comic Reviews Double-Shot (9/10 & 9/16) – Part 1

Due to some scheduling and financial issues, it’s been a while since I’ve been to the comic shop to hang out on a Wednesday afternoon. The store was packed with regulars and the conversation was, as usual, fun and at times heated. I picked up two weeks worth of books so I’m going to do the reviews in two parts (First the 9th, then the 16th).

What happened the week of 9/9? Dick Grayson has a family reunion, Salaak gives his equivalent to Mel Gibson’s speech from Braveheart, Dave Liszewski gets his testicles electrocuted (yeah, ouch is right), Tim Drake finds some ancient graffiti, Scandal Savage is just plain awesome in every way and Kryptonians VS Thanagarians begins.

Pick of the Week :

Secret Six #13
Story by Gail Simone
Art by Nicola Scott

How can such things come from the mind of a nice person like Gail Simone? Secret Six is a heavy contender for my Title of the Year Pick (although it will be going up against All Hail Megatron so it has some serious competition). Each month the characters in Secret Six perform acts that are purely wrong and mostly for evil reasons but it is just so much damn fun.

Still stuck in the horrific prison being built on a remote island the team is split up and forced to chase each other down. One of the highlights of the issue comes as Scandal Savage is confronted by a team of about ten henchmen (henchpersons? don't recall seeing any women in the group, doesn't matter) in a hallway. The exchange goes like this :

Scandal : Thirty seconds, gentlemen.
Henchman 1 (pointing a gun at Scandal) : Thirty seconds for what, traitor?
Scandal : Thirty seconds to live, guard of slaves. Enough time to call a loved one or to pray, perhaps. Probably not both.
Henchman 2 : What are your orders, sir? What do we do???
Henchman 1 (pauses for a few panels then reaches for his cell phone) Belinda? Bee? It's me. I don't have much time, sweetheart. I wanted to tell you I love you.
Scandal (leaping into the crowd with blades out) : Time's up.

It's moments like this along with more twisted scenes like Ragdoll trying on an unconscious Wonder Woman's boots and tiara that add to the evil fun in this book. The art by Nicola Scott is nothing short of beautiful and action-packed. If you have any interest in villains or the darker side of things, please pick this book up and check it out...you will not be disappointed.

The Rest :

Blackest Night : Batman #2
Story by Peter J. Tomasi
Art by Ardian Syaf

Some ex-Batman villains show up as Black Lanterns and Red Robin shows up to help out. Other than that, the entire issue consists of Batman and Robin wielding flamethrowers while Jim and Barbara Gordon hold off dead criminals at Gotham Police HQ. Kind of what you would expect from this title but it's honestly not the most exciting Blackest Night tie-in.

Superman : World of New Krypton #7
Story by James Robinson & Greg Rucka
Art by Pete Woods

While still possibly the weakest of the Superman-family books, this is still not a bad way for Superman to spend his time away from his home in his own title and Action Comics. As Kal assumes control of New Krypton's military following Zod's assassination attempt, the Kryptonians hatch a plan to take one of Jupiter's moons for themselves. What? Jupiter has like 57 moons....seriously, no one on Jupiter will even notice.

While Operation : Callisto is underway, a new threat pops in on the Kryptonians soaring on wings of Nth Metal. Kal and his team fly out to meet this new threat near Mars and now have to stop a moon from crashing into New Krypton. If it's not one thing it's another, right?

This has been a decent title and I'm already 7 issues in (this is a 12 issue series, right?) so I'm in for the long haul now. Lately it's been treading a bit of water but hopefully it will ramp up to an impressive conclusion and the return of Superman to Earth.

Green Lantern Corps #40
Story by Peter J. Tomasi
Art by Patrick Gleason

Blackest Night tie-ins have been wearing a bit thin for me recently. It's not the main story, which I'm totally digging, but the tie-ins all seem to just have the same formula.

The biggest highlight of this issue was the Corps realizing that the Guardians are gone which causes the Alpha Lanterns (who I've never really liked) to step up and assume control. No, no, no....Saalak ain't havin' that. He drops some Guardian Law knowledge on their glowing asses and steps up to lead the Corps in a speech worthy of a military commander. I have a feeling that the Alpha Lanterns are not going to let this drop though, and that their direct connection to the Book of Oa is going to be a bad thing pretty soon now that the Black Corps controls the Guardians.

Red Robin #4
Story by Chris Yost
Art by Ramon Bachs

I would consider Red Robin to be the World Of New Krypton of the Bat-titles. By this I mean that it is the weakest of the group of books, but by no means a bad title. If things got tight it would probably be high on the drop list but happily, that's not the case right now.

Tim continues his re-branding as Red Robin and his search for Bruce Wayne. Right now he's about the only person, besides his new bestest pal Ra's al Ghul, who believes that Bruce isn't technically dead. Towards the end he gets his first official validation of that belief as a plot piece from Final Crisis shows up. Decent story, even if the art isn't much to write home about.

Part Two (9/16) coming shortly!

Comic Book Reviews 8/26/2009

A total of 11 books came home with me this week and most of them were pretty damn good, unfortunately I only have time for 4 quick reviews. Posting schedules should be back on track for this week as I should be able to get comics on Wednesday.

What happened? Robin has some great one-liners and a new idea for renaming the Dynamic Duo, Mirabai verbally bitch-slaps Metallo, Dr. Fate has a little bit of the first-time jitters but comes out OK, the world of Flash : Rebirth is bathed in yellow and red, Black Lantern Hawk is kind of a jerk, Nemesis turns down a shower with Wonder Woman and is considered by most comic fans to be a very stupid man, dancing lesbians in tuxedos upset socialites, Riddler hijacks the Gotham City Sirens book, Jimmy Olsen’s new contact has a lot of ‘splaining to do and last but certainly not least, you wouldn’t like Sinestro when he’s angry…Sinestro Smash!!!!! Want more? Click below :

PICK OF THE WEEK

Green Lantern #45
Story by Geoff Johns
Art by Doug Mahnke

It’s amazing that in a book titled Green Lantern, that there are literally 5 panels in the entire book that feature one of the Earth GLs. This issue hops around the universe and shows exactly what I’ve been waiting to see: How are the other corps handling the Black Lanterns? The answer is very simple. Not well.

The planet of Xanshi rises from the dead…you heard me right, the planet not it’s former citizens. I’m curious to see if this will be the Black Lantern’s version of Mogo or Ranx, a mobile base to launch attacks from. The scenes between Carol Ferris and Sinestro are very well written. Sinestro treats Carol to his own version of “He’s Just Not That Into You” starring a giant yellow Hal Jordan construct. We also learn that Sinestro has some heart…but it makes him extraordinarily angry. Poor damaged broken Sinestro.

Checking in with the Blue Corps, they’re not fairing much better because during the attack from the orange camp a bunch of Black Rings are ominously hanging overhead with a status of “Awaiting Death”. One of the best scenes goes to Larfleeze (aka Agent Orange) as his past victims suddenly appear as resurrected Black Lanterns and being by himself suddenly doesn’t seem like such a good idea. His simple response of “Yuh-oh” is perfect. Yuh-oh is right, my friend. You. Are. Screeeeeewwwwed. To quote from the brilliant (and short-lived) Sifl & Olly Show: “You’ve got some serious-ass Black Lantern problems” Hmmmm….is Precious Roy still alive? Because he would make a sweet Black Lantern. “This is Precious Roy. Buy my power ring cleaner! Suckers!!!”

THE REST

Blackest Night : Titans #1
Story by JT Krul
Art by Ed Benes

Since I’m not a regular Titans reader, I enjoyed this exposition and background heavy first issue, although long time readers might find it a bit tedious.

Featuring the new Hawk and Dove (and lots of Hawk’s ass thanks to Ed Benes) as well as Beast Boy, the issue quickly sets up who lost whom and then Bam! they’re there in all their Black Lantern glory.

I am really curious as to why the black rings can’t resurrect Don Hall (former Dove) and why the current Dove doesn’t register on the Black Lanterns Emo-Vision.

Batman & Robin #3
Story by Grant Morrison
Art by Frank Quitely

Professor Pyg…you so crazy. Yeah, this guy is seriously messed up. Besides wearing the pig mask and turning people into Dollatrons, he dances to disco music (from his pink iPod), nearly gives Robin a lap dance and takes orders from a weird modern art installation.

Throughout the issue we see the seeds being planted for future storylines, including the upcoming Revenge of the Red Hood (which I’m not completely sure is Jason Todd). It also focuses heavily on the relationships between two teams : Batman and Gordon and Dick and Damian.

This run made me actually enjoy Frank Quitely’s art in a big way. His detail and layouts fit this story perfectly and, believe it or not, I’m a little sad to see him go so soon. Morrison does a great job while toning down his usual craziness (which is still insane for most people) while tying in some items from previous Morrison Bat-tales.

Lastly, and I just saw this, if you turn the cover upside down some ar saying that it looks rather like the famous “Joker emerging from the chemical bath” scene in Killing Joke. Here’s a link : BATMAN & ROBIN COVER

Yeah, I can see it, and it’s too close to be unintentional. Could this Red Hood actually be the Joker or is the Domino Killer actually the Joker?? We shall see. Great stuff :-)

Flash : Rebirth #4
Story by Geoff Johns
Art by Ethan VanSciver

This issue was the first honest-to-God page turner of this entire series. The pace rockets past that of previous issues and does not take time to breath even for the iconic final page.

VanSciver’s rendering of the Speed Forcein this issue is amazing and Johns’ explanation of the mysterious Force is impressive. Some old-school Flash enthusiasts might have issue with the new explanation but Johns handles it well. Some fantastic scenes throughout, especially Jay Garrick Super-Speed Pimp-Slapping Professor Zoom in a huge panel. Wally really steps up in a big way as well, and proves why he should remain the Flash in the DC Universe…the main Flash anyway.

Comic Book Reviews 8/16/2009

7 books for this week (plus 2 stragglers from last week) make it a good time to be a comics fan.

What happened? Mon-El gets an edumacation regarding his home planet of Daxam, Sunstreaker gets all Emo (for good reason, mind you), Power Girl gets hit on by Howard Wolowitz from Big Bang Theory (seriously, Sheldon was there too), Supergirl gets the cold shoulder from Lois Lane, Smallville gets a visit from it’s first (but most likely not the last) Black Lantern, and Bruce Wayne (aka Hush) continues to give away vast amounts of money like a drunken billionaire playboy.

Want more? Click below :

Pick of the Week :

Power Girl #4
Story by Justin Grey & Jimmy Palmiotti
Art by Amanda Conner

For most new titles, I tend to have a three issue trial period. If I’m not feeling it after the first three issues then I’m out. Power Girl went to a fourth issue for me since the new arc began here, it completely delivered and has now earned a spot on my monthly pull list.

This issue is actually sort of a bridging issue between story arcs and gives us a glimpse into Power Girl’s life when she’s not punching super villains in a bodysuit with a large hole in it. In her civilian identity, Karen Starr, she takes in a movie with Terra which is a very funny scene as Terra is not quite used to the horror genre. It’s nice to see PG using her secret identity though because for a long time she was just Power Girl 24/7. But it doesn’t last long as ogres and elves and a girl wielding a magic tome shows up...commence punching and wisecracks.

Conner’s art is amazing, her facial expressions are dead on and the little touches in the background are great. Towards the end of the issue, Karen Starr is talking with one of her Starrware execs in here office, the exec is sitting on a couch with his suit jacket lying next to him. On the arm of the couch across from him is a cat. As soon as the exec gets up and leaves his jacket there, the cat for no reason at all sits on his jacket. I laugh at this because any time I leave a piece of dark colored clothing laying somewhere for even a second, our long-haired white cat makes it his new resting place.

The dialog is quick and witty. Lines such as “I thought you were dead…” rebutted with “I got better!” from the opening scene and the Elf Princess’ “Stand aside Busty Airborne Lass or I shall be forced to unleash my fury on thee!” might typically come off as cheesy but they work with the fun tone of this title.

The story will make you laugh out loud and is thoroughly refreshing in these dark times of brooding death in the comic universes. By the way, the movie trailer opening was great, and I could hear Don LaFontaine (the movie trailer voice guy) saying “At a time of crisis…..”

The Rest :

Supergirl #44
Story by Sterling Gates
Art by Jamal Igle

Codename : Patriot is quickly gaining momentum and this issue is essentially the episode before the season finale. Lots going on here as many different plot threads are coming together and something big is about to happen in Metropolis. All of these super-powered individuals are headed for a huge conflict that will be taking place in next week’s Superman #691.

I’m also curious to learn more about the mysterious new character Mirabai, whose powers seem strongly magic based. This spells trouble for the Superman crew as magic tends to cause them issues.

Batman : Streets of Gotham #3
Story by Paul Dini
Art by Dustin Nguyen

This is one of those titles that was on my potential drop list recently not because of quality or anything like that, it’s just that I may have to trim my titles down a bit. After this issue though, it’s safe for the foreseeable future. Nguyen’s art continues to impress and fits this story perfectly with his use of shadow and dim surroundings.

I’ve come to a conclusion. I dislike Damian Wayne (the new Robin for those living in a cave)…except when he is written by Paul Dini. I still dislike him, but Dini makes it so much more fun to hate him. The issue has some great Damian dialog as well as a nice twist in the Hush story along with some guest cameos.

This issue also shows that Dick Grayson is a BMW man, which is a good thing. The reintroduction of Mr. Zsasz as a top level villain is excellent too, with his new & improved look recalling a well dressed Mickey Know from Natural Born Killers.

GI Joe Special : Helix
Story by Brian Reed
Art by Joe Suitor

Introducing a new character into the world of GI Joe, this issue provides us with a quick shove into the world of a master combatant and savant level tactician….that has gone missing. Not much is revealed here and the issue seems to jump around quite a bit but the character has major potential and I hope she shows up in the main series.

Blackest Night : Superman #1
Story by James Robinson
Art by Eddy Barrows

Kicking off the third Blackest Night tie-in series (after Tales of the Corps and Batman), we are introduced to 2 new Black Lanterns. The first caused a big ruckus when his action figure pictures were released through Previews and the second is pretty easy to figure out once you know who the first is although he is on the cover so you know we’re talking about Kal-L, the Superman from Earth 2 who bought it in Infinite Crisis.

Lots of talky bits with a little action (including some action from Krypto) don’t make for a bad issue but it’s definitely less exciting so far than Blackest Night : Batman. I’m also kind of ticked off that the Shane Davis cover that has been solicited on DC’s website and in Previews was the variant cover and not the regular one. Oh well.

Superman Annual #14
Story by James Robinson
Art by Javier Pina

Re-weaving the history of Mon-El and his xenophobic homeworld Daxam into the fabric of the DC universe, Annual #14 was much more interesting than I was expecting.

Mon-El is quickly becoming one of my favorite characters since his release from the Phantom Zone and quick takeover of Superman’s monthly title. This book really fleshes out his background and that of his people, from a Kryptonian colony to the hate-filled xenophobes they became.

James Robinson does a wonderful job of telling this tale almost in the form of a History Channel documentary. Art is handled by Javier Pina (Suicide Squad) and looks impressive. There is a grand scope to this issue and Pina captures it perfectly.

Comic Book Reviews - 8/12/2009

Nine books came home with me this week (had to leave two behind, but I’ll try to fit them in next week).

What happened? Bruce Wayne draws cars, dinosaurs and airplanes, Zod and Ursa have some intimate naughty time, Mongul finds a new home, Damian Wayne gets possessed, Aquaman puts the Atlantean band back together, Destro is not a big fan of his new outfit, and Superman returns to Earth…briefly.

Also in comic new this week, it seems that Diamond's cover for an upcoming Previews catalog made it out to the internet and in turn, let the cat out of the bag for who the "Big Bad" will be in Blackest Night. It's no huge surprise to those that have been following speculation on the 'net but I'm still immensely interested. Check out this link to The Weekly Crisis if you want to see it.

Click below for the reviews :

PICK OF THE WEEK

Blackest Night #2
Story by Geoff Johns
Art by Ivan Reis

In any big event, the Issue #1 tends to be the one filled with “Oh Shit!” moments and reveals to draw you in to the upcoming story. A good indicator of how the event will hold up is how well Issue #2 stacks up against #1. And I will say that Blackest Night #2 stacks up.

Issue 2 continues Geoff Johns’ epic tale that has been building for years about the dead heroes and villains of the DC Universe coming back to life. This issue is still laced with the aforementioned “Oh Shit” moments, but also builds upon what came before and what is touched on in the tie-in issues (skillfully continuing the thread from Green Lantern #44) and upping the ante by recruiting even more characters into the Black Lantern Corps. Aquaman is quite a focus in this issue and I’ve never enjoyed him this much. Everyone mocks his powers as a joke, but it’s no joke when he commands the ocean’s dead creatures in this issue. Actually it’s one of the more brutal scenes contained within.

Ivan Reis is doing phenomenal work here, and the little touches throughout are a great bonus. As two Black Rings head to Washington DC to recruit the corpses of Don and Hank Hall (Hawk and Dove), they pass by a few birds who quickly fall dead from the sky. His rendering of the Black Lanterns are excellent, keeping just enough of the former character’s costumes so they are instantly recognizable but changing them enough to remind you that this is something different. My favorite scene has to be the heartfelt conversation between Barbara and Jim Gordon on top of the Gotham PD, interrupted only by Hal Jordan being thrown into the Bat-Signal and destroying it in the process.

I won’t give away what characters show up but there was at least one that I was not expecting to be recruited into the Black Corps, and the integration of the appearance of Pariah (the crying harbinger of doom from COIE) was handled very well. And once again, the team of Barry and Hal is perfectly written and drawn. Flash fact.


THE REST

Batman #689
Story by Judd Winnick
Art by Mark Bagley

In the second issue of Winnick and Bagley’s run on Batman, the differences between Bruce as Batman and Dick as Batman become more apparent. This is what I wanted to see. Dick Grayson, consummate performer and comfortable in the spotlight, taking down Gotham’s criminals with a smile and a hint of actual enjoyment that the Dark Knight never really had (at least in modern times).

Bagley’s art continues to impress, but my main problem with the issue comes in the form of a nitpick. Who is editing these comics??? Here we have one of the key books in DC’s lineup and there are two obvious grammatical issues here that jumped out. First, on page 7 when Two-Face tells his lackey that he’s going to need someone for a job, the lackey replies “I’m got some names.” Second, on page 16, Batman says “…I’ve going to have my hands full.” Clearly, the first words were swapped somehow but between 9 pages? Errors like this take me out of the book quickly and that’s the main reason that I have an issue with it. If DC just hired a 12 year old to proof the books part-time this would be taken care of.


GI Joe #8
Story by Chuck Dixon
Art by S.L. Gallant

Something just didn’t cut it for me in this issue. The previous 7 issues were action-packed and thrilling while this one just sort of fell flat. It definitely feels like a fill-in issue. This happened with All Hail Megatron for one issue and I hope it only lasts an issue here because I’ve thoroughly been enjoying this series so far.


Blackest Night : Batman #1
Story by Peter J. Tomasi
Art by Ardian Syaf

This is how you do event tie-ins! Continuing the Boston Brand (Deadman) story from Blackest Night #2 and tying it into the current Batman and Robin, we see how the New & Improved Dynamic Duo will be dealing with the risen dead.

It’s no huge surprise who comes back at the end of this issue considering Dick Grayson’s origins, but it’s very creepy. And Deadman possessing Batman, only to realize that Bruce Wayne is no longer wearing the cowl is great.


Green Lantern Corps #39
Story by Peter J. Tomasi
Art by Patrick Gleason

Taking place during Blackest Night #1, we are treated to a much more expanded version of what happened on Oa as the dead members of the Green Lantern Corps are resurrected.

Peter J. Tomasi weaves this story in perfectly with the main Blackest Night book and Patrick Gleason’s art has never looked better. Most of the issue deals with the black rings arriving on Oa but we also touch base with Mongul for a few pages. He seems to be on a “Let’s see how much we can piss off Sinestro” kick lately since he jacked half of his army, and is now settling in on Sinestro’s home planet of Korugar to make it his new base of operations after he was kicked off of Daxam.

While not as emotional or horrifying as Blackest Night #1, this issue does serve to fill-in some scenes that were compressed in the main book. You can tell that Geoff Johns is living up to his promise to personally oversee the Blackest Night books to ensure that we get a complete story that flows between the tie-ins.


Superman : Secret Files 2009
Story by James Robinson, Greg Rucka, Sterling Gates & Geoff Johns
Art by Pete Woods, Aaron Lopresti, Jamal Igle, Pere Perez, Francis Manapul, Renato Guedes, Matt Camp, Fernando Dagnino & Stefano Gaudiano

If you’ve been reading Superman, Supergirl, Action Comics & Superman : World of New Krypton for the past 6 months or so then you don’t really need most of this issue, as it serves mainly to recap the events that brought us to the current story arc titled Codename : Patriot.

Personally, I have been following all of these books and I still enjoyed this issue because it refreshed all of this in my mind. There are also 4 mini stories focusing on Supergirl, Ursa, Mon-El and surprisingly, Lex Luthor’s former Vice-President Pete Ross.

The maps of Metropolis and New Krypton were pretty cool, but the character profiles where what I found most interesting here. There is a vast cast of characters in the Superman books currently and this definitely helped to keep everyone straight.


Final Crisis Aftermath : Escape #4
Story by Ivan Brandon
Art by Cliff Richards

Final Crisis Aftermath : Run! is clearly the leader as the best FC Aftermath book, but Escape was running a close second. Now, 4 issues in (out of 6), we’ve still managed to answer nothing and raise tons of questions.

One of the characters has an epiphany as to what is going on but she (selfishly) doesn’t share it with us. Guest appearances by Flash’s Cosmic Treadmill and the Miracle Machine from Final Crisis do not help to ease our confusion.

Seeing that I am now two-thirds of the way into this mini series, I’m in for the whole run now. Hopefully a complete read through at the end will shed some light on what is happening here.

Comic Book Reviews 7/29/2009

Not a bad run this week with decent issues all around, but nothing really stood out as fantastic. Only two quick reviews right now since I’m in a time crunch getting things ready for Chicago ComicCon, but hopefully I’ll have some time for more around mid-week.

What happened? Batwoman continues to be very well illustrated, Kilowog gets yelled at…a lot, Stargirl gets creeped out, Wonder Woman and Black Canary play dress up, Steel gets his alloy ass handed to him and Streaky the Super Cat takes down a jumbo jet. Click below for reviews :


Wonder Woman #34
Story by Gail Simone
Art by Aaron Lopresti

Wow…Rise of the Olympians is finally over. Seems like that story was going on for years, didn’t it? Here we have our first issue with the “post-fallout-with-Zeus-no-longer-an-Amazon” Wonder Woman. She teams up with Black Canary to infiltrate a meta human fighting ring (the Justice League Unlimited episode “Grudge Match” comes to mind) and there is some wonderful interaction between the two. My only small nitpick is that Black Canary’s personality is a bit over the top but it’s a minor concern.

Funny moments abound as they choose undercover costumes and Black Canary refers to Wonder Woman’s chest as “the second most famous bosom” in the superhero community. Who is the first you ask? Power Girl of course, whose chest Black Canary refers to as “a national treasure”.

As I was discussing with the manager at my local comic shop, I keep thinking that I need to drop Wonder Woman and then an issue like this comes out. It’s not that the issues are bad, they just drag on a bit sometimes. Great job by Gail Simone and Aaron Lopresti.

Justice Society of America #29
Story by Bill Willingham & Matt Sturges
Art by Jesus Merino

“A New Era Begins For The JSA” says the banner across the top of the cover this month. Bill Willingham (Fables) and Matthew Sturges (Final Crisis Aftermath : Run!) take over writing duties from comic superstar Geoff Johns. The art is handled very well by Jesus Merino (Superman) as we are reintroduced to the JSA team as well as some new members.

The issue reads like Issue #1 of a new series and contains some of the first issue standards : new team members who have awkward meetings (All American Kid & King Chimera), some humor (Stargirl realizing that Obsidian sees everything in the JSA brownstone) and then all hell breaks loose.

JSA had honestly become quite unwieldy (as some big team books have a tendency to do) by the end of Johns’ long run as writer. There seemed to be new members every month and the roster grew too big for the book. This issue gives the team a fresh start with the new creative team and ends with a major metahuman brawl and one hell of a cliffhanger. I’m staying on board with JSA at least for the foreseeable future.

Comic Book Reviews - 7/22/2009

I have to make it quick this week as there is much going on. So without further Apu...

What happened? Superboy Prime finally gets what he’s been looking for…and he’s still whining, Carol Ferris debates with a Star Sapphire power ring, Black Lantern Martian Manhunter cracks a joke…and some heads, Covergirl rescues Shipwreck and shows up rather un-covered, Starscream comes out of nowhere with a 24 year old movie reference and Power Girl makes some Blackgate prisoners happy just by walking by.

Pick of the Week

Green Lantern #44
Story by Geoff Johns
Art by Doug Mahnke

Blackest Night continues to terrify the DC Universe and this issue continues directly from the scene in Blackest Night #1 where J’onn J’onnz appears to Flash and Green Lantern. Doug Mahnke completely steps up his art in a huge way for his GL run and Geoff Johns once again shows why he is one of the superstars in comic writing today.

As he has stated before, this isn’t going to make much sense if you haven’t read Blackest Night #1, but what regular GL reader wouldn’t be reading Blackest Night?? Most of the issue gives us an in-depth look at the encounter between these 3 characters, which gives us the best line of the issue. As Hal and Barry crash through the wall of a firehouse during the fight, there is a loud noise as J’onn is outside literally lifting the building to smash it into another building. As he rips the firehouse from its foundations, Black Lantern J’onn says: “I’m as powerful as Superman. Why does everyone forget that?” As I’ve said before, it’s even creepier that the Black Lanterns have personalities and retain some traits of the original character.

The rest of this issue sets up a cliffhanger with John Stewart, who apparently will be the main GL in the next issue. The issue also shows that the Black Lanterns retain the original character’s powers as J’onn uses his intangibility and telepathy against Hal and Barry during the fight. Excellent continuation of the Blackest Night story and I feel it’s a necessary tie-in.

The Rest

Transformers : All Hail Megatron #13
Story by Simon Furman & Mike Costa
Art by Don Figueroa & Chee Yang Ong

Although not quite up to the level of the main part of this series, the added issues start off pretty well here. As we all know, All Hail Megatron was supposed to be 12 issues, but due to its massive popularity (which was definitely well earned) some extra issues were added to bridge the time between AHM and whatever the next Transfomers story will be.

In this issue we get two stories, one about the Autobots which focuses on Optimus and Ironhide and one about the Decepticons, focusing on Starscream. The Autobot story is honestly a little dull, but the Decepticon one shows Starscream once again attempting to overthrow Megatron while his loyalists cling to the hope that he will recover. The high point of the issue though is Starscream referencing the 1985 Transformers animated movie with this line : “I’d just ceremoniously jettison his (Megatron’s) body out the airlock if I didn’t have the nagging feeling he’d somehow return, even more powerful than before.

This is a direct reference to events in the Transformers movie where Starscream does, in fact, dump Megatron into outer space only to have him be reborn as Galvatron. Galvatron returns to Cybertron to discover Starscream in command…and quickly (and easily) kills Starscream.

I’m really curious to see what the next step in these fantastic Transformers stories will be but the preview image for next issue does involve Galvatron, so we may see Megatron reborn in the comics.


Power Girl #3
Story by Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti
Art by Amanda Conner

Power Girl proves to us that not all blondes are dumb victims, and that freeze breath while not the most impressive of superpowers, can still get you out of a jam if you use your head. Great conclusion to the first story arc and a couple pages to set up the next one. Hopefully the book retains the momentum it built in this first story.

I had to leave out some books from the reviews this week, mainly just due to time issues but I’ll be back with a full run of reviews next week.

Guest Review - The Incredibles #4 by Jeffrey Weniger

Check out the review of The Incredibles #4 from Boom! Studios by new guest reviewer Jeffrey Weniger, fellow comics enthusiast and Collector's Edge Wednesday regular. Click below to continue :

The Incredibles #4
Story by Mark Waid
Art by Marcio Takara
Cover by Sean Galloway or Marcio Takara
Lonestar Cover by Tom Scioli


Pixar’s 2004 movie The Incredibles was a “lightning in a bottle” success, combining a great story, fun action, and heart. Even as people were walking out the theater, they were wondering if there was going to be a sequel.

Incredibles fans got a sequel, just in comic form. The problem with any successful project is that sequels almost invariably succumb to the law of diminishing returns. However, the comic sequel to The Incredibles not only matches the style, tone and pacing of the movie, it actually expands the world of The Incredibles making it a worthy successor to the movie.

Boom! Comics has also done something that most major comic companies have been unable to do, put out an all-ages book that appeals to children as well as adults. Also, the comic is just plain fun to read, which also adds to the enjoyment.

This issue is the fourth part in a four-part mini-series, concluding the story line of Mr. Incredible losing his powers and his attempt to hide it from his family. (Don’t panic, Boom! Comics will be releasing this mini-series in TPB.) While they may be super heroes, The Incredibles are a family first. And it was this distinction that made the movie as well as this mini-series successful. Waid was able to craft a story that is sweet, without being saccharine, fun, but also serious, all while being able to appeal to readers from 8 on up. Perfect summer fun for the kid in your family or your own inner kid.

The art is very clean and visually dynamic, incorporating a few splash pages and a clean, easy to follow layout. Waid introduces two new villains for The Incredibles to deal with, as well as giving you an appearance by Frozone (that Samuel Jackson shows up everywhere nowdays).

The good news is that Boom! Comics has announced that The Incredibles will re-launch as an ongoing monthly comic book being written by Mark Waid. So if you are looking for a fun, entertaining read, ask your local comic shop to save you a copy, or keep an eye out on the shelves. If the continuing issues are anything like the last four, you'll enjoy the continuing adventures of the Parr family.

Comic Book Reviews - 7/15/2009

Welcome to my 9 book extravaganza of reviews. It'll be a long one so sit down, grab a cold drink (may I recommend New Glarus Brewery's Spotted Cow? That's what I'm drinking) and soak up the reviewy goodness inside. Yes, spell check I'm aware that "reviewy" is not a word. I'm trying to be more spoiler-free in the reviews except where explicitly noted so bear with me while I make this transition.

What happened? Quite a bit actually : a planeload of tourists are in for a zombie-rific surprise, the mysterious Indigo Tribe remains mysterious, Tempest returns...and it's kind of dull, Mongul was a precocious little scamp, Red Robin kicks some serious ass in Europe, Flamebird does a great impression of Johnny Storm, Hush does a great impression of Bruce Wayne, Nemesis does an impression of the Wheel of Fortune and last but not least, the dead rise...and it is scary as hell. Want more? Click below :

PICK OF THE WEEK

Blackest Night #1
Story by Geoff Johns
Art by Ivan Reis
Cover by Ivan Reis, Oclair Albert & Alex Sinclair
Variant Cover by Ethan VanSciver & HiFi

Here we have yet another Geoff Johns event that kicks off with a serious bang. This book recalls the same excitement that I experienced after reading the Sinestro Corps Special that kicked off the previous event. As I read through the first half, which is basically a recap of the major deaths in the DC Universe, you can feel the uneasiness building. Then, in true Geoff Johns style, you roll over the top of the big hill and hold on for dear life.

The second half is a rush of "Oh Shit!" moments along with some of the more terrifying and gory images in recent comics. I won't spoil the characters that do show up as Black Lanterns (check back later this week for Shining Light on Blackest Night for spoilers) but I will tell you that one in particular was scarier than I was expecting.

Ivan Reis' art is dead on (hehe...dead) and fits the grand scope of the book which is jumping quickly through different areas of the DC Universe, If I had an actual rating system this would easily be 5 stars or thumbs up or whatever I would use. I also picked up the VanSciver variant cover which is pretty sweet on it's own. Blackest Night is here...and it is seriously f#$%ing creepy.

I think that one of the more frightening aspects that have been introduced is that these are not your classic mindless zombies that walk around aimlessly and moan "BRAAAIIINNS!" (see The Last Resort #1 review further down for that). No, these zombies speak in complete sentences and seem to retain some of the character's original personality, although it is clearly twisted and dark. It might be easier to dismiss them as a threat if they were just mindless slaves which is clearly not the case here, which makes the Black Lanterns more threatening.

This was a phenomenal beginning to the much anticipated event and lets hope that the roller coaster ride doesn't derail. Of course, if it does derail and we all died, we could be recruited into the Black Lantern Corps. I already have my Black Lantern ring courtesy of Collector's Edge Comics, so I'm prepared. Damn, just reading this book will put you in a dark frame of mind, I'd hate to be around Johns and Reis after a marathon creative session :-)

SURPRISE OF THE WEEK

The Last Resort #1
Story by Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray
Art by Giancarlo Caracuzzo
Cover A by Amanda Conner & Paul Mounts
Cover B by Darwyn Cooke

The main reason that I picked this book up was my condition wherein I have a lot of trouble passing by a Darwyn Cooke cover without purchasing it. I have the same problem in relation to J. Scott Campbell covers, but that's for different reasons. Anyway, this is the second zombie based book this week, but this is the old school "BRAAIIINS!" zombies instead of the more intelligent and driven Blackest Night zombies.

This first issue is mostly setup as we see the major players fall into place and we get a quick intro to the characters, including the young nymphomaniac couple that typically doesn't last too long in the horror genre. Along with this couple comes alot of gratuitous toplessness but I'm not complaining and it earns it's Mature Readers rating pretty quickly. I'll be giving Issue 2 a chance to see where this is headed but so far, it definitely intrigues.

THE REST

Blackest Night : Tales of the Corps #1
Story by Geoff Johns & Peter J. Tomasi
Art by Jerry Ordway, Chris Samnee, Rags Morales & Doug Mahnke

The first of three tie-in issues focusing on key individuals in the War of Light was a hit and miss for me. The first background, which covers the Blue Lantern Saint Walker, was a bit dull and went exactly where I expected it to, but on the positive side the art by Ordway is pretty. The second feature focuses on a very young Mongul having fun and the art by Chris Samnee is a refreshing and different style from the others. I had the opportunity to meet Samnee at a local convention in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin last year and he was a genuinely nice guy who was a blast to talk to. The final feature addressing the Indigo Tribe was confusing, but intentionally so. We can't understand what they're saying but we're supposed to draw the meaning from the images, which are wonderfully rendered by Rags Morales.

All in all, 2 out of 3 aren't bad and we also get the Lantern Corps background pages by Doug Mahnke that are reprinted from the Free Comic Book Day offering of Blackest Night #0 for those that missed it.

Batman : Streets of Gotham #2
Story by Paul Dini
Art by Dustin Nguyen

Continuing the story threads from Detective Comics' Heart of Hush run, albeit with a new Batman, Dini and Nguyen continue to produce a solid read. We begin to see the payoff for Hush after his plastic surgery to look like Bruce Wayne and Firefly continues to climb the ladder of super-crime in Gotham City.

Nguyen's art gets better with each issue as I've become more of a fan of his dynamic style and Dini's storytelling is tight. Unfortunately I'm having the same problems with the Bat Titles as I am with the Superman Titles...they're all good. I was hoping with Blackest Night coming out that I could drop one or two of them but I can't bring myself to do it because they are still quality books. Not that this is a bad thing...just a little expensive.

Titans #15
Story by JT Krul
Art by Jose Luis

This issue was a waste of my $2.99. It has a Prelude to Blackest Night banner across the top so it came in with my Blackest Night event order but it was useless as a tie-in or prelude. We get to hear that Tempest has purple eyes so the Atlanteans don't trust him about a dozen times (OK, a dozen is exagerrating but I counted at least 6 instances). Seriously, you can tell me this once and I'll remember it. The only decent part of the book is the art, which is well done, and the first and last pages are pretty cool. The rest...avoid. By the way, big pet peeve of mine...that cover has nothing to do with the issue interior.

Wednesday Comics #2
Story by...a lot of talented individuals
Art by...some more talented people

DC's new weekly project rolls on with another fun week of stories. Deadman, Supergirl, Flash and Demon / Catwoman are still my favorites but Hawkman, Strange Tales and Metamorpho are growing on me. I'm enjoying Green Lantern's "New Frontier" feel and the Teen Titans art style would have worked well for an animated show (better than Teen Titans Go anyway). Wonder Woman continues to be a difficult read due to the experimental layouts and fonts, and will probably always be the last section that I read every week.

Comic Book Reviews - 7/8/2009

A very easy week on the wallet, but full of quality…and that’s what counts. Four books (I forgot to pick up Red Robin #2…d’oh!) and all four were up to par. I did finally pick up the Black Hand action figure that I have been eyeing at the comic shop, and he says “Read Jason’s reviews or I’ll get you with the Touch of Death!”

What happened? This one will be quick : Kal-El gets sentenced to death….then he’s fine…then death…then, well it wraps up nicely, the new Batman smiles a lot…it’s kind of creepy, Wednesday Comics made me smile, and Black hand is absolutely one of the creepiest villains ever and how is he supposed to lead an army of the dead if he is still…oh, that’s how.

Want more? Click below :


PICK OF THE WEEK

Green Lantern #43
Story by Geoff Johns
Art by Doug Mahnke

First I’ll address the cover, which is beautifully drawn by Green Lantern’s new artist Doug Mahnke, but nothing that appears on it actually happens inside the issue. Although on second thought, Bruce Wayne’s grave could be a symbol of all the dead heroes and in that light it makes a little more sense. On to the actual issue.

At no point (except in flashbacks) does a Green Lantern appear in this book, which could have easily been titled Black Hand : Secret Origin. This is in no way a bad thing though, as Black Hand’s story is deep and interesting…and ultra-creepy. I read an interview with Geoff Johns where he said something to the effect of feeling disturbed after writing scenes with Black Hand to the point that he had to step away and do something else to get his mind out of that zone, and now we see why.

If you’ve been following Green Lantern for the past few years then much of this issue will look familiar as we recap Black Hand’s origin and fights with the Green Lanterns. But as we delve deeper into William Hand’s childhood, an uneasy feeling sets in. You’re looking at this wholesome, adorable little boy who already has a monster developing inside of him.

Cut to the present day for the most disturbing homecoming that I’ve ever seen. Let’s just say that I assumed they would have to go down this road eventually, just not so graphically. I’m not complaining though, because these scenes are beautifully rendered by Mahnke, especially the full page panel where Black Hand “joins” the Black Lantern Corps.

Johns does his usual fantastic job of weaving histories and backgrounds together with new material to flesh out these characters even more. We do see the birth of the first Black Lantern, we see another “Emotional Entity” called The Predator who looks awfully violet to me, and we witness Scar (the Guardian) literally vomit up a Black Ring. It looks like Blackest Night ain’t gonna be pretty, but it’s damned interesting so far.

Check out the first installment of Shining Light on Blackest Night later in the weekend for some more in-depth info along with some speculation.

THE REST

Wednesday Comics #1
Story by ummm….everyone
Art by uhhh…lots of talented people

I will be the first to admit that since this has been announced, I had little interest in this endeavor. I’m not sure if it was the marketing or just my own issues that prevented me from looking forward to it, but I’m glad I picked it up.

From the second I unfolded the large format newsprint comic, I smiled. I remember clamoring for the Funnies section of the Delaware County Daily Times or Philadelphia Inquirer when I was growing up and this brought me right back. Now when my wife, who reads the local Milwaukee newspaper regularly because she cares about local and world events sits down to read her paper when we’re having coffee, I can pull out my own newspaper and update myself on what’s going on in the worlds of Superman, Batman and the rest. Makes me feel brainy, and makes me feel like I should have a pipe and a cardigan.

All of the stories this week were pretty much setup, as was expected from the first outing. My favorites so far are Green Lantern by Kurt Busiek and Joe Quinones, Deadman by Dave Bullock and Vinton Heuck and Supergirl by Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner. The Wonder Woman section could have benefitted from a clearer font and a panel or two less, but otherwise that was decent too.

Since the stories are one page (albeit large pages) each, it’s difficult to review them like standard comics but I will say that these “non-current-continuity” stories are exactly what I’ve been looking for in comics lately. For those that read my review of the Simpson’s Radioactive Man Event, you recall my rant and Kent Brockman’s plug aboutcomics just telling good stories. Well this is off to a definite good start and will be added to my pull list.

Superman : World of New Krypton #5
Story by James Robinson & Greg Rucka
Art by Pete Woods

For some reason, and maybe it’s just me, the panel layouts seemed thoroughly confusing on this issue. On many pages, I had to go back and re-read it because I didn’t realize the flow was supposed to stretch across the pages. That aside, the issue was not bad and was mostly a transition to the next story arc Codename : Patriot. The whole “putting Kal-El on trial for his life” thing was well done, but how suspenseful can it be when you know he’s not going to be executed? Still a decent book though.

Batman #688
Story by Judd Winnick
Art by Mark Bagley

This was a good beginning to Winnick and Bagley’s now short run on Batman. I like how they are really distinguishing Dick’s style from Bruce’s. I’m also enjoying Dick’s frustration at having to adapt to the Batman costume and he really can’t make that many changes to it because of the iconic nature. Alfred once again guides a young Batman through his trials with care and support.