Here's the place to share reviews of comics you've read that may not fit into any existing topic and that you may feel may not merit their own topic. Maybe it's a book that you may not feel comfortable spotlighting in the "Any Recommendations" thread but would like to share your thoughts on anyway. Single issues, TPBs, graphic novels, classic reprints...these are all fair game here even if they weren't recently released.

No one is discouraged from opening or starting a topic about whatever they want to talk about, but this is an option if you don't wanna do that!

I'll be back shortly with my own Random Reviews...how about YOU?

First up for me is the BOOM! Comics series 28 Days Later, which is the continuation of the movie of the same name. Apparently, it ignores, without directly contradicting, the filmed sequel 28 Weeks Later. If you've seen the sequel, you'll know that it doesn't follow up on any of the characters from the original.

So this series directly follows the continuing adventures of one of the three survivors of the eponymous film: <span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">Selena.</span></span> This survivor is approached by a crew of journalists to be their guide as they attempt to illegally enter infection-ridden England to document what has happened in the aftermath of the events of the film. It's kind of a dubious premise given all the character went through to get out, but it's entertaining at times.

Apparently this is an open-ended, ongoing series. That surprised me as all the set-up really seems to scream "mini-series". Is it going to go thru different story arcs, or will it continue to be about this group of journalists indefinitely? I haven't read anything explaining the larger plan for the series, so I don't know.

Another problem I have is what about the other 2 survivors of the film? They are barely even referenced, and I got the feeling they would all be sticking together from then on at the film's end. One possibility is that the series could be going on the filmmakers' original intent that one of these three didn't survive the wounds entailed near the movie's end. If so, that still leaves another character unaccounted for. I liked the character featured here a lot, but the ambiguity about the others bugs me.

I'm on the precipice of discontinuing the book because there's very little reward in reading it on a monthly basis. In other words it seems a prototypical "written for the trades" kinda book. Even though we're down to only three apparent survivors from the crew, most of them apparently perished in an explosion last issue. That's not very much of a reward for longterm reading, and I felt like we barely got to know most of the characters. Plus, we haven't really got very much infected action to this point, so it's been pretty disappointing.

All that said, an advanced review of issue #5 (coming out tomorrow) looks like a promising tale giving us some backstory on theses journalists. I'll probably pick up that issue at least before making a decision.

Next up is another BOOM! licensed series I originally recommended in the "Any Recommendations" thread in this post:

Well, since issue number one, I've slowly decided that Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is failing for me. This approach to adapting a novel is just not working in the medium of comic books. Six issues in, and very little has happened. Everything that was in that first issue is still there, but the pace is comparable to a snail's.

It looked like in this latest issue that we were gonna finally see Deckard confront an "Andy", but it turns out the one he was looking for had already split. I know it's directly from the book, but we wasted a WHOLE $3.99 ISSUE for that! This would've been, like, a page in any other adaptation! But we've still got 18 ISSUES to go!

This was a noble experiment, but I can't justify spending $96 bucks altogether for this. I'll either get the rest of it in the collected editions or just buy the Philip K. Dick book and save some dough. Hell, they've even apparently eliminated those great articles in the back to show how a page in the book was produced. I've never really been too impressed by those features, so it didn't do that for me here either.

I'm telling my Comic Book Guy tomorrow to take it off my pull list.

This thread is great and I'm glad you started it, Lardy. This can be the catch-all for things that aren't quite good enough for "Any Recommendations" and maybe didn't need their own thread. I would have used it previously for two serires I dabbled with: Rapture by Dark Horse and Doctor Voodoo by Marvel. I also reviewed Dead @ 17 here.

Another one that fits the bill that I picked up recently was Athena by Dynamite Entertainment. Dynamite has carved out a niche for itself as the publisher that is giving all the licensed properties that have been in the comic book industry since the Golden Age: the Lone Ranger, Zorro, Buck Rogers, Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, soon Green Hornet and even almost Fighting American. I know they’re trying to get the Phantom (I think Moonstone does his series now) and this actually seems like where Doc Savage and the Shadow should be published, not DC. The difference between this and so many other attempts is that usually Dynamite does a pretty good job. I’m kicking myself for missing out on Sherlock Holmes, and am hoping to give it a try when the new storyline starts at #6. Anyway, I picked up Athena because she’s one of cooler Greco-Roman deities and I think she could hold her own comic well. While the series wasn’t bad, it unfortunately wasn’t anything to write home to Mom about. It was a little run of the mill and Athena basically wakes up in modern times and becomes a police detective. That premise in and of itself could be interesting but I feel like I read way too many cop-oriented comics already and I’d have preferred a different focus with Athena, something more adventure related and Greek mythology related. The art was fantastic but at times it was slightly gratuitous—which isn’t a bad thing if you like that, but I found it distracting since I see Athena as the Virgin Goddess and that sort of thing threw me off. Ultimately I picked up #1 and #2 and then stopped.

I will, however, be checking out Green Hornet and hopefully Sherlock Holmes with #6. I’ve considered Lone Ranger but never followed through.

I liked 28 Days later but not enough to make me want to follow it up on a comic book. Its obvious comics and other media are going through a 'zombie-mania' era right now. Yet, that type of trend usually means the majority of things will not be the top quality. While Walking Dead is the gold standard of zombie comics, Marvel Zombies is kind of like a #2, with moments of brillance followed up by moments of the more derivative and bland. I figured since I was collecting those two, I wouldn't be adding a third zombie comic book unless someone told me I was really missing out.

You're right, of course--I should so be a moderator on this forum!

Bah! *I* should be a moderator in this forum

Anyway, another review I've been meaning to crank out: Incorruptible by Mark Waid and Boom! Studios. I missed out on Irredeemable when it debuted because frankly, it sounded (and still does) pretty derivative of stories I’ve seen a million times in which a super-powerful hero goes crazy and becomes a bad guy: Miracleman (the classic); a dozen plus Superman stories; Parallax, etc. It just wasn’t enough to make me want to buy and even with some good reviews, I’m still not all that interested. I picked up Incorruptible only half realizing it was connected to Irredeemable in some way (its kind of like the exact opposite set in the same world) but figured I’d still give it a solid chance anyway. I’m a little on the fence on whether I’ll continue following #1. I likely will buy #2 but that will be my cut-off: grab me or lose me forever.

Incorruptible, a mass murderer villain trying to redeem himself while the greatest hero on Earth has gone the other way, is a more interesting premise to me. And the character himself is pretty interesting—that all being said, you don’t really learn all that much about him in #1. In fact, my major complaint is not all that much happens in #1 other than pure set-up, and I’m going to need more than that to commit to anything.

The art is exciting and unique with some Tim Sale type inspiration. That’s a bonus for me, but again, I felt like there was an over-usage of splash page dynamic shots of action mixed with talking heads—not the best way to use an exciting artist.

The main supporting character is a young female sidekick named Jailbait, which of course made me think of my own Jailbait Lass who I created, which of course made me presume that Mark Waid obviously stole this character from me when he registered on Legion World. Anyone who tells me differently will instantly become a hated enemy for life.

Here’s my major complaint: I don’t intend to buy Irredeemable but am considering Incorruptible. Isn’t it a comic book publisher’s job to make every single title accessible to new readers on a stand-alone basis? Shouldn’t one title easily be collectible without the reader having to pick up the sister-title? Obviously I think yes, and I think in order to do that, you need have that title find its own “voice”; thus far, I didn’t see that. I hope I’m wrong…they have one issue to convince me.

Unsurprisingly, a search for a Punisher thread yielded no results, so here I'm taking a few moments to review a the latest mature readers Punisher series called Punisher Max.

Certainly, I'm not the guy who picks up every grim-and-gritty generic franchise vigilante title that comes along, but there are two reasons I did: Jason Aarons and Steve Dillon. The former I know as the writer of his creator-owned Vertigo title Scalped, which is one of my top five favorite comics I'm currently picking up. The latter is a terrific artist best known for his work with Garth Ennis on Hellblazer, Preacher and the first year-plus worth of Punisher stories wrote (plus a mini last year that revisited their Punisher storyline). I'm a big fan of both of their work, so checking this out was a must.

Basically, Aarons is channeling Garth Ennis on this project so far, seeking to capture that blend of over-the-top violence and dark humor that Garth and Steve brewed in their run. What Aarons adds to the mix is his penchant for writing the criminal element, particularly the Kingpin.

This series deals with Marvel Universe characters Fisk and Castle but is outside of continuity. What this means is that Aarons can potentially do whatever he wants with these characters without impacting their roles in the proper "canon". Particularly, Aarons is giving us his version of the Kingpin's rise to power as a potential solution to the menace to the underworld that is Frank Castle. It's a pretty clever idea where the mob families conspire to make Castle believe there'a a person who rules them all in order to draw Castle into a trap. Problem is, Fisk, one of the mob boss's right hands, is orchestrating the ruse but is obviously fully intending to make it a reality with Fisk filling the role for real!

So far, so good. However, if you're not a fan of the Ennis/Dillon style, you're probably not going to like it. If you like Criminal, this is a much less subtle and nuanced type of crime comic and may not be to your liking. There's eyeballs popping out and bullets to thru the eyes left and right. All with the darkest of dark gallows humor in play. It also sucks that this is one of Marvel's numerous $3.99 comics with no extra pages.

What's kinda nice is that Aarons makes it clear, especially in how he and Steve tell issue 2, that there's very little difference between the supposed good guy and bad guy in their methods and ruthlessness. In some cases Fisk actually comes off as more sympathetic as we see the events that made him into who he is and the subtle moments that show us his love for his son. So far, this is definitely much more the Kingpin's story than it is the Punisher's.

Overall, I recommend it highly with the asterisk that it may not be your cup of tea. If you haven't enjoyed the stuff that Garth and Steve have done before, you won't like what Jason and Steve are producing here.

You know, despite his beginnings, I've never been a huge Punisher fan. However, I don't hate the character and there are times I enjoy his presence. Which brings me back to "his beginnings"--I actually love when the Punisher would guest-star in Spider-Man's comics and felt the dynamic was perfect for a great story. The same with Daredevil though to a lesser degree.

That being said, I must credit Chuck Dixon and Johnny Romita Jr.'s 1990's "Punisher War Zone" comic for single-handidly getting my brother into comics after years of resisting. Sure, it was the 3rd Punisher title in an era when the Punisher was everywhere. But I also read it and thought it was excellent; the best series of Punisher issues I've ever read (roughly #1-13 IIRC). I reread not that long ago and its even better than I remember with Chuck Dixon at his absolute best.

That's all a bit off point though in reference to Punisher Max. What I'm getting at is that after Dixon left War Zone, we stopped collecting and then have not collected a Punisher series ever since. Even with Ennis as the writer (whom I love). Now Jason Aaron has come on, after impressing the hell out of me with Scalped (and damn I wish I tried out his Ghost Rider but I didn't realize it was him until after he was gone). Steve Dillon is a favorite of mine from his Preacher days with Ennis. Yet, even with these two guys I probably would have skipped the series all together anyway.

This is, of course, a long winded way of saying I might just have to try this out. It has several reasons I'd want to do so (Aaron, Dillon, sometimes liking the Punisher as a character). It just takes me a recomendation from someone whose preferences I trust.

Two things seem glaring to me: (1) $3.99 with nothing extra, something I find almost criminal. And (2) the usage of the Kingpin outside of continuity. Honestly, I don't see why they'd even bother--they could have just created a new character. On the one hand, I like when writers have some leeway in telling stories without continuity restrictions but on the other hand, you can't shake off the sense that the story doesn't count. Its never a deal-breaker but its definitely a hurdle.

I guess it will come down to the last second decision right there in the store if there is an available copy staring me in the face.

Having just read Incorruptible earlier this week, I can say that I was very, very unimpressed and disappointed in the debut. I was excited by the concept of the opposite story to Irredeemable's Plutonian, but the transition to hero for Max Danger here just seemed too complete and unbelievable.

Now, Max hasn't really been seen over in Irredeemable to this point, so my criticism is NOT based on that. But based on the concept, it just seems implausible that a really bad guy would turn so far from what he was. Here, he's shown turncoating on his old buddies, taking the moral high ground with his underage paramour and destroying his old ill-gotten base of operations along with all his ill-gotten gains.

What's been explained in interviews with Waid (though not in this issue) is that Max's transformation is in reaction to the terrible threat to the world that his enemy the Plutonian has become. That seeing this change changed Max for the better because he saw what true evil was. None of that's explained here, and I think we need it post-haste to really wrap our minds around the character.

Waid has played the Plutonian and his descent into evil very slowly, revealing little clues and bits as he goes along. I think that has worked very well in that title, but there, the Plutonian is the antagonist.

If we're gonna root for Maz Danger, that approach just ain't gonna work in Incorruptible. If I don't see more of what I need really quickly, I'll drop this $4 comic like a hot potato!

Cobie's right, though--the art is really nice and a good fit with Peter Krause's over at Irredeemable.Hopefully, it won't continue to be wasted on a thoroughly uninvolving story!

I've been reading DC's The Great Ten by Tony Bedard and Scott McDaniel. It's picking up on the group from 52. Bedard has managed to make all the Great Ten interesting, independent characters. He's tied them to more traditional Chinese folklore, but nothing require advanced knowledge. Each issue covers a member of the Ten, interacting with others of the group, and moving along a story of ancient gods returning.

The art is energetic, full of activity, very McDaniels. It's great for moving through a story in one issue. And he does a good job of making each issue feel specific to each character.

Something else else different in DC's stable, and I'm liking it.

PunisherMax - well, I stopped by a CBS I don't normally go to (the one near my dog's groomer) and they didn't have a copy of #1 so I didn't pick it up. But if I see another somewhere else, I may follow up on.

Great Ten - I didn't realize Scott McDaniel was the artist here (or Bedard actually). I've loved McDaniel's work since Nightwing. I kind of wrote this miniseries off as something I wouldn't bother with because I now feel a deep distrust towards DC and their endless stream of minis and ongoings that fall flat. I'll browse through in the CBS next time.

One comic I picked up recently was Domino Lady by Moonstone Comics because it looked like a sexy, noirish title in the vain of the 30's pulps. Well, er, the sexy thing is sure true but I didn't realize its more of a platform for pin-up / good girl art than real sort of story. I'd say it hinges dangerous close to softcore porn (no nudity but basically all sex). There's nothing wrong with that but its not what I'm looking for in my comics these days, especially since I have them laying around my condo for my wife and eventually child to see. I guess it would be in the vain of some of those 30's pulps that were more titilating than quality. I won't be picking up another issue.

Yesterday, I read the latest issue of Irredeemable (#9), which is the comic from which the above-mentioned Incorruptible was spun off. I found it to be one of the better issues of the series to date.

For those who are unfamiliar with it, Irredeemable is about a world in which its Superman archetype, called the Plutonian, has gone totally bad. He's committed many, many atrocities including killing millions of people. One memorable issues shows the extent of his depravity as he destroys a Singapore-like country pretty much on a whim.

The protagonists of the series are the survivors of this world's JLA equivalent, the Paradigm. As the series opens, several of the Paradigm's members have already been killed by the Plutonian and more die in the first several issues. The survivors are desperate to find a way to bring the Plutonian down.

The thrust of the series is both their efforts to find a solution and their continuing exploration into what turned him in the first place. The Paradigm from the beginning have been following leads on both of these things. One interesting difference between Plutonian/Paradigm and Superman/JLA is that none of the Paradigm ever really knew much of anything about the Plutonian including his secret identity or the source of his power. So there is NO Kryptonite or any other known weakness, at least none that they've discovered.

So the series typically shows flashbacks to the Plutonian's time as a hero, typically through the remembrances of other Paradigm members. In the present the Paradigm typically split their time between looking for something to use against him, rescuing others from him and running from him. Only with issue #8 have they found anything that is effective at all, finally scoring their first victory against him as one of the Paradigm has gotten a big power boost.

Issue 9 deals with the aftermath of that victory and how this possible solution may be potentially as bad as the problem. Meanwhile, members of the Paradigm still pursue another solution in the form of trying to locate Modeus who was the Plutonian's arch enemy a la Lex Luthor or Brainiac.

I'd say the last few issues have brought some much-needed forward momentum to a series that, while enjoyable, has seemed to meander. This is the reason I haven't put Irredeemable in the "Any Recommendations" thread. For a superhero book, it demands a lot of patience from the reader. While there's been plenty of action, we still haven't, for example, learned exactly what the deal is as to why the Plutonian went bad. We've gotten puzzle pieces, but there's not anything definitive.

In a way this is a "quest" series more than anything. A quest for the truth. A quest for a solution to the problem. Any time you have a series like that, it can be problematic in holding the reader's interest. In that sense (and because it's a $3.99 comic) this may be a more perfect read in trade form.

But Irredeemable is picking up and moving forward, it is becoming less about a bad guy constantly routing the competition and it isgetting better as it goes on. What it isn't delivering so far, surprisingly, is compelling characters. The Paradigm so far haven't really impressed me as characters. In some ways they're kinda generic. To this point I haven't really found myself rooting for any one in particular or being particularly fearful that one or the other would be the next victim of the Plutonian. The Plutonian himself is the most enigmatic of them all but by necessity. Other than continuing the forward momentum, I'd say that is the main thing Waid needs to focus on much more from this point.

The Peter Krause art has been the consistently positive aspect of the series for me. I vaguely remember him from DC's Star Trek comics many years ago, and this guy's work has improved greatly from what I remember. The closest comparison I can think of is Brent Anderson's work on Astro City without seeming like he's aping that style.

So if you want to try it, go back and reread this review and weigh everything I said against your own sensibilities. If you decide to try it, consider trades or buying complete issue sets on eBay. If you pick up a random issue, I think you won't be all that impressed.

Although not a comic book per se, I have just finished reading E.C. Segar's Popeye "Plunder Island". This is an oversized book put out by Fantagraphics.

The book reprints the Sunday strips from Dec 3, 1933 through April 7, 1935 and the daily strips from Dec 11, 1933 through Jult 23, 1935. The Sunday strips are in full color and also feature the accompanying strip "Sappo" (one of the daily strips has Popeye talking about John Sappo)

In the Sunday strips, the actual Plunder Island saga lasts only until July 8, 1934. The rest of the Sunday strips have about 2-4 connected strips, but no overriding story like Plunder Island. Plunder Island introduces us to the Sea Hag and Alice, the Goon. There is a good combination of humor and adventure. Segar is good at setting a mood, setting some strips at night.

The daily strips also follow a story line. Among the story lines are Olive inheriting $20 million, Popeye falling in love with June Vanripple (daughter of the world's richest man), Olive making a movie and then suffering a nervous breakdown, the search for a cure, and dealing with an overthrown king. Later Segar has Popeye going West to root out some thieves and then a quest for the Pool of Youth. The Pool of Youth story brings back the Sea Hag, but Alice only shows up in one panel of one strip.

Popeye's romance with June Vanripple last from March to July of 1934. June shows up again at the end of September and remains in the strip until November of 1934. June's father was in the strip from March of 1934 through January 1935. June is unique among the characters in that she is drawn realistically. I do not think that she or her father were brought back into the strip.

Twice within the daily strips Segar has a stereotypical negro character of the day, the second one seems to have been a new character introduced, but it appears that the character was dropped. There were episodes of Popeye cross-dressing, only once as a disguise. A reoccurring theme is having Popeye come into large sums of money and almost immediately giving the money (and sometimes his clothes) away to impovished people, usually "widers which ain't got no husbands" and their children. Always admonishing them to feed their children spinach and milk.

The oversize of the book makes it a little unwieldy and shelving it difficult. The price is somewhat high at $29.99. The sheer number of strips makes reading it in one sitting almost impossible (you can try it if you want to) I did find another volume in the Boston Public Library. If your library has any of the volumes, I recommend it as a good read.

Cool stuff, Quis! I've been just reading about Popeye lately in my spare time (reading about comic strips that made it into early comic books) and I was surprised at just how immensely popular Popeye was in the 1930's and 1940's. While I'm familiar with Popeye like most Americans, I realize now I'm not as knowledgable as I thought. I actually might be interested in buying a copy of those eventually.

Popeye's "look" and speech patterns make him one of the most likeable and innately silly of all comic strip icons. How can you not like him?

Here's a request if anyone picks up this title: could you post a review/your thoughts on First Wave (the miniseries)? This is one I'm on the fence about. In theory, this is the kind of thing I'd love. But from what I've seen in interviews and previews, I have serious doubts about whether DC will actually produce anything of any real value. The opinions of other Legion Worlders is something that might at least convince me to give it a try or give it a full pass.

PS - still waiting for that Viking review, Lardy

It hasn't come out yet.

Yeah, and there's somethin' else I owe ya, too. I haven't forgotten but never seem to get around to it.

As for Viking, issue 5 came out last week. I believe it's the last issue, but I'm not sure. After I read 5, I'll post a review of the series on this thread.

One of the great things The Walking Dead is doing at Image, since its one of their major sellers, is promote the other comics the company is producing, by offering free preview pages at the end of each issue. In the latest issue #70, we get a preview for Turf by Jonathan Ross (who I'm told is a minor celebrity in the UK) and Tommy Lee Edwards, an artist I don't know that well.

Even though it was 6 or so pages, I thought it was pretty good! Good enough where I might buy issue #1. The premise seemed interesting enough and I like stories set in Prohibition/the Roaring 20's; I don't see many new ones so that always raises my curiousity. I'm not 100% sure what the premise is (are there aliens or vampires or something?) but the preview made me want to learn more. The artwork by Edwards, who as I said I don't really know much about, was also quite good.

Any of you Walking Dead readers read this? I know there was a preview for Choker last month, but I read a page or two and quickly became distracted by the muddled art and gave up on it.

Today I read New Avengers: Luke Cage today; the reasons I picked it up and then read it are as follows:

I've never been much of a Luke Cage fan and in fact considered him silly 70's character for a long time. When Bendis brought him into New Avengers and it became obvious he was one of Bendis' favorites, I was against it at first. It was only begrudgingly that I've really come to grow to love Luke over these last couple of years. I think Cage is one of Bendis' great successes at Marvel--he's really fleshed the character out and made him someone I care about.

Meanwhile, I'm loving a ton of gritty crime comics these days--a genre I've always loved--and I've been in the mood for more of it. So I picked this up on a whim.

It sat in my pile until today when I saw Lash\'s post on John Arcudi made me push it to the forefront of my reading pile.

My reaction was: surprisingly, I'm glad I bought it and I think there's some potential here. It was a pretty enjoyable first issue, I'm curious as to what's going to happen in this little story and will likely pick up the rest of the mini.

A few thoughts:

- John Arcudi is a master storyteller and that shows here. He can balance an issue in a way that progresses the plot, keeps you heading towards each new page with interest and at the same time provide strong action sequences, great humor and good dialogue. He's one of comic's current great under-appreciated writers these days.

- The series starts out as a superhero story with Ronin and Spider-Man making appearances and gradually devolves into a gritty crime story (albeit with Hammerhead and Mr. Negative). I liked how that was done purposely to show the transition from one genre to the other in style as well as story.

- Luke Cage continues to become more likeable over the years. I love his relationship with Jessica and his growing sense responsibility and how that makes him feel more and more confined (anyone with kids would relate as I'm beginning to learn) but he struggles to maintain his principles. And here, he is taken out of that struggle and put into a situation from his older days, but this is still the same, modern Luke. The entire premise creates lots of subtle drama.

- One caveat is the art is not for everyone. Eric Canete is very manga-esque with an overly exaggerated cartoony look that isn't my favorite. But it is pretty dynamic and I can go with it because I liked the story.

The storyline itself will likely turn out to be a solid crime story but not anything that is going to be ground-breaking. I've never collected a Luke Cage comic before and so I'm okay with that--I can always pick up a solid crime story if its of good quality.

Would I recommend it to anyone? Kind of. If the art really isn't your bag, it might turn you off. But if you're looking for something a little grittier with a hero you might know, this might be the thing for you.

Having just completed #5, I feel very confident in recommending the first arc of Punisher Max when it's released in trade form. As the arc progressed, the more comedic elements began to take a back seat to the darkness and grittines to the story and left us with a satisfying conclusion that also sets up the next arc "Bullseye" very well.

The arc was very aptly called "Kingpin" because as my earlier review states, it's more about the Kingpin's rise than it is about the Punisher. In fact the two characters don't even cross paths much at all in the arc. What we find out is what drives Wilson Fisk and exactly how far he's willing to go to achieve his goals. Suffice to say, he's willing to go VERY far.

There's also a gripping confrontation between the Punisher and an Amish assassin! It's actually played pretty straight as the guy used to be a killer but retired to Amish country. To save his sick wife, he takes a contract for the Punisher. Though the confrontation isn't funny, seeing him pursue his prey in a horse-drawn buggy is kind of a sight gag. He inflicts some serious damage on Frank, but the way Frank gets the upper hand is a little disappointing.

So overall, I don't think anyone will find the first arc of Punisher Max disappointing, assuming they realize what kind of story they're getting into.

Well, the unfortunate news about cancellation of Warlord reminded me that I'll need to get my Mike Grell fix somehow in the coming months. I was enjoying Warlord so much that I actually was already going out of my way to pick up his other titles. I picked up John Sable, Freelance: Ashes of Eden and I liked it so much that I placed it firmly in the "Any Recommendations?" thread--I think it was excellent story-wise and the artwork was simply so damn good that it was worth the cover price alone.

The John Sable miniseries ended, and I'm glad there will be another one in a few months. In the meantime, Mike Grell is providing artwork for someone else's story for the first time in like 20 years: The Pilgrim, with a story by Mark Ryan (whom I don't recognize) and published by IDW, like John Sable.

First, the artwork is incredible again, just like Warlord and John Sable. But second, and unfortunately, the storyline didn't really wow me. I found the general story to be a bit too vague for a first issue so that I'm not left interested enough to continue. Worse than that, the narrative was pretty choppy so that it was a little hard to stay focused and find out what exactly is going on. It just seemed to jumble around all issue without any real direction and that comes from the writing. It relied very much on Grell's artwork, which was delivered beautifully, but I felt carried too much of the issue.

So I can't really recommend anyone check this out unless you're really dying for Grell's artwork. Meanwhile, try to find yourself the recent John Sable miniseries and you'll be happy you did.

Here's one that shortly may make the jump from this thread to "Any Recommendations?" and even to its own thread. I'm talking about Turf published by Image Comics, written by Jonathan Ross and artwork by Tommy Lee Edwards.

Turf has a double-whammy: an exciting, awesome premise and a creative team that is able to execute it on every level.

First, the premise is just really cool. It takes place in the Prohibition days of the Roaring 20's in NYC, which is an era I love to read about but never really get to it seems (particularly in Chicago, NYC or other major US cities). It has vampires. It has gangsters. It has a plucky female reporter who is appalled at the willingness of people to indulge in excess even though it supports organized crime. And yes, it even has aliens. The last of those being one I just have no idea how its going to fit in.

The execution hits on every level so far. It's funny and the creative team obviously is acknowledging the combination of all of the above elements is a little funny. Yet, the entire story-telling and dialogue plays it completely serious, which is how I think it should be done here. So you, as the reader, feel completely engaged. The story is tight and moves fast, with solid pacing. And the sheer amount of story you get in the first issue is fantastic...it took me twice as long to read as a normal DC or Marvel comic these days.

Interestingly, I just committed to another vampire comic with a section that takes place in the 20's, American Vampire by Vertigo. Other than those two factors, the two series are completely different however and comparing the two doesn't really show much.

Jonathan Ross is I guess a big celebrity in Great Britain, but I've never heard of him in my corner of the USA. What I do know is that he is providing a solid story, great dialogue and interesting characters. He apparently is a true comic fan too, as I quick check revealed he was the guy who did that incredibly awesome Steve Ditko documentary for the BBC a few years back. This guy is no celebrity visiting comic books. He's a comic book fan who is able to cash in on celebrity status to pursue his hobbies.

Tommy Lee Edwards provides some great artwork as well. I'm not all that familiar with him, but I like his style. It's loaded with detail character designs, with inks that add a ton to each page and detailed backgrounds, all things that are a must for this reader. It has a very noirish feel with bits of horror, which fits for the style of the story. It's definitely a style unlike any other I'm reading these days. Perhaps the closest artist in style is Sean Phillips from Criminal.

Everything clicked for an excellent #1, which was worth every penny. I will definitely be picking up #2 and #3 and hopefully go from there.

Also, a great letters page introduction by Mark Millar who reminds me why he's so damn likable.

From the Roundtable:

With the prospect of my CBS having a big back issue sale on FCBD, I felt the time was right to finally read the first Jason Aaron Ghost Rider trade "Hell Bent and Heaven Bound", which I'd snagged last year and was saving for whenever the mood hit. The combo of the recent mention above and the knowledge that my CBS has most of the subsequent issues beyond the first trade made the timing right.

And you know what? Aaron delivers once again! You KNOW the guy can write when he can take one of the Marvel characters I've had the least affinity for over the years (not to mention a lack of any definitive creative run on the character, IMO) and make me enjoy the heck out of it!

Let me qualify this a little. There are two things that may be viewed as hindrances to your enjoyment of this trade: 1) The story itself is incomplete. This is clearly Book One of the longer arc that Aaron is telling and is more like a set-up for what is to come than a story with a beginning, middle and end. 2) The beginning or the impetus for the plot itself occurred before this trade under another writer. I think Aaron catches us up on what we really need to know, however, so the second is probably less a hindrance than the first. Heck, I'll help ya out with the second myself---Read on!

So we begin Aaron's story with our protagonist Johnny Blaze reeling from the revelation that everything he knew about his spirit of vengeance was wrong. He's learned that rather than getting his powers and role from Hell, the source of everything he's gone through is actually an angel from Heaven using Johnny as a tool. This angel, Zadkiel, is actually following in Satan's footsteps and is staging a second coup against God and looks to be closer to pulling it off than Satan ever was. Somehow, in ways that are unknown, Johnny is an unwilling pawn in Zadkiel's plan and always has been.

So that's where Aaron picks up. Johnny is mad as hell <pun intended> and is looking for a way to find a way to get to Zadkiel and exact his vengeance against the entity whom he now knows is resposible for all his misery. Thing is, Johnny has no idea how to get to Heaven and confront him and is grasping at straws. "Hell Bent and Heaven Bound" is basically the story of the first two stops Johnny takes on that quest.

On the surface this comes off as kind of a retread of the overall arc of Garth Ennis's Preacher, and their are some definite similarities on the surface. Aaron's humorous touches and knack for violent moments mirror Ennis's quite a bit. There's a bit with a cannibal that feels very Ennis-esque, for example. But I'd say so far there are enough differences and unique touches to distinguish it enough for me to overlook the similarities.

One thing I really liked about Aaron's work here is that he gives Johnny a voice and an attitude that don't make him feel generic. Johnny's really rough-and-tumble and has really no room for melodrama. I suppose some could argue he's cut from the same badass cloth as other grim-and-gritties like Dirty Harry or the Punisher, but there's a voice to him that feels fresh irregardless. Since Johnny never made any real impression on me before, I'd say that's a definite step up.

This trade is absolutely packed with action! That can sometimes be a bad thing, but here I'd say it serves the character and the nature of the plot very well. It definitely leans toward the horror side but is peppered with plentiful helpings of dark humor. I mean we've got the cannibal character, killer ghosts haunting a stretch of highway, a Christian priest turned Satanist mass murderer, a killer who tries to save his victims' souls and, best of all--a horde of relentless killer nurses! All in one trade!

The art? Not the best I've ever seen, but overall, I liked it. Both artists suit the mood of the story very well. Both are a little scratchy and prone to ugly facial features and body types, but it serves the stories very well. I doubt anyone would want pin-ups of any given page, but it works.

What unifies it all is a pretty cool style of coloring. It's what I'd describe as kind of a water coloring/oil painting hybrid that I have either not seen before or haven't seen much. It's a clever choice as I think more garish traditional colors may have hurt the sketchier drawing styles of the pencillers.

I think the main thing to say about this trade is that it was a fun read. There's a sense of a bigger story which may leave some dissatisfied, but think of it in terms of the title character's vehicle--Aaron is taking us on a ride on a big badass hawg that leaves a big flaming trail in its wake. It's smart, it's cool and it's wicked fun--everything a concept like Ghost Rider should always have been. I will definitely be completing the story ASAP!

Rise of Arsenal #2 Review

"God damn it, I hate having to play the Devil’s Advocate.
First off, I did not buy this issue. I’m not buying anymore of this miniseries, nor am I buying anymore Green Arrow. Because I already get that the execs at DC are more worried about how much money the books make, and I will not support the direction they’ve decided to go in by giving them my money. However, I will read them, because I still want to know what’s going on and what they are doing to these characters.

I just, I… I understand the way Roy is acting. The grief, the pain. God knows how many times I continue to lash out because of my grandma’s death 11 years ago. Lashing out at Mia and Donna and nearly everybody. I got the reference Krul made to the Titans issue he wrote about Roy and Lian almost immediately. Getting condolences, honest to God condolences, from Rose of all people, it made sense. Her family life is more screwed up than most of the other Titans.

However, they can’t put Cheshire on the cover if she’s only going to be there for the last three pages. That woman has absolutely no right at all to try and kill Roy because of what happened to their daughter. She lost whatever right she had when she was willing to conceive another child as a replacement for her daughter if Mockingbird was serious about the bomb threat in Villains United. And then she uses THAT child as a human shield. A. Human. Shield. If anyone deserves to be maimed and killed, it’s that witch.

No matter what they do with this book, hero or villain, that doesn’t make it right. It doesn’t make it right what they did to them. To try and spin something emotional and meaningful out of not one, but two, attempts at shock value feels wrong. They took the easy way no matter how you look at it.

Yes, I have heard people say that this has made Ollie and Roy interesting again. Well, in my opinion, if they decided the only way to make Roy interesting was to maim him and kill Lian, he doesn’t deserve to be an interesting character. They should’ve just killed him as well."

Okay, now to sound less harsh. Taking a note from someone else, I'm still going to reserve final judgment for this book as a whole when I've read the last issue. Of course, I guess it sounds like I already have. But it's a cliche. The standard "take away everything a superhero holds dear" cliche. I'm just trying to be honest about how I felt about it, mind you. I have nothing against use of loss and tragedy, or the maiming or death of a character for the sake of a good story. Martian Manhunter, the Superman and Lois Lane of Earth-2, Pa Kent. But that's because they had roles in the story. Arsenal and Lian were in Cry for Justice for like, two pages. They had nothing to do with it.

I read the interview on Newsarama, and the statement about making loss mean something again in comics. Yet I'm reminded of the two other Titans who were treated in a similar manner. Risk and Red Star.

Risk: He had his arm ripped off by Superboy-Prime in Infinite Crisis. One Year Later, he basically devolved into white trash, living in a rundown shack and popping pills for the buzz. Deathstroke offered him a place on Titans East, he helped facilitate Bombshell's death, and then got to use Cyborg as a punching bag. Then he shows up in the Superman-Prime special for the Sinestro Corps story, where he gets his OTHER arm ripped off. We haven't seen him in nearly three years since. Is he dead? In prison? Getting rehabilitated?

Red Star: Lost his entire family at Prime's hands in Infinite Crisis. Pantha got her head punched off (and has since become a joke) and Baby Wildebeest had a hole blown through his chest. How much coverage was done on the loss Red Star suffered? One issue of Johns run on Titans, two pages in the Superman-Prime special, and one panel on the first page of Blackest Night: Titans.

So, at the... worry (I'm not saying risk) of sounding jaded, I fail to see the logic in having to ruin two characters for the sake of a story about loss when there were two others who were already suited for it. Of course, these four aren't the only Titans characters who've received treatment like this. There's about 30 of them, and while the Titans have suffered before, it all seems to have become a more consistent/frequent trend ever since Lilith Clay was killed by that Superman robot in Graduation Day. 30+ in the last six or seven years.

The art, well... I'm not exactly sure what to say. I understand the first few pages were a dream, but, I guess I'm gonna have to stay on the fence in regards to a good or bad opinion.

SK, please keep reviewing the Arsenal issues, as I def won't be getting them. Your thoughts are reflecting my own thus far on the overall direction of the GA verse.

I actually sent this review, and one for #1, to J.T. Krul.

This basically sums up the entire thing happening in Arrowland right now. But, bear in mind, it's a bunch of doodles.

http://LevyRasputin.deviantart.com/art/the-disaster-of-GA-for-dummies-161402585

Okay, I stopped by my back-up CBS today to get some Lone Ranger back issues and made an impulse buy where I totally succumbed to the nostalgia of my youth. I actually went and picked up Shadowhawk #1 by Image Comics.

I know what you're thinking: Cobie, are you crazy? But hold, faithful, lurker! You may have seen me speak of this before but when I was 12-14, and Image Comics was just starting, Shadowhawk was my favorite! When my father decided we were canceling all Image Comics after like the 3rd or 4th month, I pleaded my case and was able to keep both Shadowhawk and Spawn. I've always had a soft spot for Shadowhawk ever since. It was my gritty comic of my youth.

So, where does that leave me now? Well, the premise is the original Shadowhawk is back, after dying 10 years ago (after having AIDS when that was a serious new thing for comics). The premise itself is enough to excite me.

The execution, on the other hand, was merely "okay". Not bad, mind you, but not anything really spectacular. Putting aside any rose-colored memories of the original series I may have, this new relaunch is by all new comers on the creative team whom I don't know, with Jim Valentino overseeing things. My problem is they basically write Shadowhawk as a Frank Miller Daredevil type in terms of grittiness while the artwork is a bit more superhero-y than I would have liked. They bring the question up right in the comic: is he superhero or vigilante? I'd like them to decide and go with it.

Much too much time was spent with Shadowhawk fighting a super-villain. This is a #1--I need the supporting cast laid out and I need the entire spirit of the series established. That was a negative. How they are going to get this together since he's 'back from the dead' is beyond me but I hope they do.

They also need to remind me and show new readers what makes Shadowhawk different from Daredevil or Batman or other vigilantes. A black superhero isn't that rare anymore and I don't think he has AIDS now, so what makes him different? Let's get into that.

On the plus side, the artwork was very good, and I'm reminded why I like the characters look so much.

I'm also curious on whether they can resolve the back from the dead bit in a cool way. I'd like to see a real restoration of a cast and secret identity--if they can accomplish that, it'd be a big bonus.

Also on the plus side is that this really is the original Shadowhawk who is a no-nonsense badass. I hated when the next Shadowhawk was a young kid who was enthusiastic and naive and it basically made me stop collecting. Invincible already has that covered. The idea of a Daredevil that has crossed the line and keeps crossing it, while knowing he's done so and hating himself for it--that's a bit more intriguing to me. I'm hoping we get more of that.

I'm willing to give this series another 2 issues on nostalgia alone, which is something I wouldn't afford many other comics, even DC and Marvels. They need to win me over, and then I'll make a decision. I *want* to like this series because I have a soft spot for the character. But he's no Spider-Man or Legion, meaning I won't buy his series just 'cuz. I need a solid delivery every issue story-wise and art-wise.

Okay LW, I've got a random review for you, and specifically for Lardy. I picked up Astonishing Spider-Man & Wolverine by Marvel Comics the other day despite initially reading the solicitation and thinking it would get a HARD Pass. The reason is really that who in the world needs another Wolverine comic, or another Wolverine/Spider-Man comic? Well, as a major Spider-Man fan, after a little while, I started to think, maybe I actually do.

Then I saw Comic Book Resources gave an incredibly rare 5 out of 5 stars in its review of #1 which made me stand up and take notice. I shouldn't have been surprised: artwork is by Adam Kubert, who I have always loved and the writing is by Jason Aaron, who has been getting a shower of praise from Lardy, myself and the general comic book critic community for a long time. Aaron is the man, and this thread is chalk-full of reviews of comics Lardy has picked up based on his name.

My general reaction was: this is a pretty groovy Spidey/Wolvie story! I'm pretty glad I got it, and I'll definitely get the next two issues (making it highly likely I'll complete the six issue mini). The premise caught me totally off-guard, as I was expecting a street-level type story with ninjas or gangsters, which is kind of the stereotypical team-up these two heroes have. WRONG. We've got time travel, dinosaurs and pure superheroey goodness from the get-go. I can not only dig it, but I was feelin' super-fly about it.

Kubert's artwork is terrific and as a longtime fan who loved his Ka-Zar and Hulk in the Savage Lad stories, I was pleased as pie to see Kubert doing dinosaurs, cavemen, volcanos and all other manner of visual treats. (Spoiler that might influence you: the tale is *not* in the Savage Land).

But the real treat was the writing. Aaron is renowned for his seriousness and grittiness in Scalped but here he shows he can be a completely different writer when he wants to be. The story is serious, but there is a certain amount of fun to the plot. Aaron also just nails Spider-Man's voice, something many writers struggle with. He's funny, he's ironic, he's self-referential, but he's also brilliant, courageous and moral. I'm suddenly wishing he was writing some Amazing Spider-Man stories!

Aaron's real dynamic is the Logan/Peter relationship which he gets very well. These two aren't exactly pals and get under each other's skin quite a bit. They don't hate each other (like the forceful Batman & Superman hate each other nonsense of the late 80's/90's), but they really don't enjoy being around one another. And it makes for all kinds of awkward, tension-filled scenarios that Aaron loads with great dialogue.

I think this was a solid buy. Any Spider-Man fans looking for a Spidey fix but hating the current ASM, this might be for you. It also is a distinctly superhero story with sci-fi overtones.

One disclaimer I'd add though is this isn't exactly the most earth-shattering story of the year in terms of sense of importance, so I don't to overstate it. It fits within the category of 'terrific little yarn but in the grand scheme of things relatively unimportant to the larger mythos', which are types of stories I enjoy quite a bit (unless the maturing friendship between Peter and Logan counts as important to you).

At this point, Des, I've been very tempted to get Astonishing Spidey/Wolvie but have been put off by two things: the $3.99 cover price and the likelihood that it's going to experience HUGE delays with Adam Kubert on art.

I guess also knowing it's self-contained, as I believe is the mission statement of the Astonishing line, is also a double-edged sword. On one hand I know it's gonna have a beginning, middle and end. On the other, it's not likely to contain any significant developments for either character. It's hard for me to stand by that complaint, though, as I'm following neither character (or virtually any Marvel character, now) on a regular basis. So its appeal as a standalone could be just what I'm looking for.

I've thumbed through it. Hell, I'll thumb through anything with Aaron's name on it. I'm especially intrigued by your stating that Aaron nails Peter, especially given our recent back-and-forth over on the All-Spider-man thread.

I'm surprised actually at your restraint in not mentioning the <span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">mecha-Devil Dinosaur</span></span>, which tells everyone what they need to know about whether this project is for them or not. Though I haven't read the previous material in question, the idea definitely appeals to me!

At this point I feel sure I will pick it up, sooner or later. If it looks like it will be published in a timely manner, I may pay the steep per-issue price. Otherwise, I'm likely to wait for the trade. Either way...it will be mine!

So, Des, did my review above of the first Aaron-written Ghost Rider trade picque your interest?

Absolutely! I will definately be picking up the first Aaron GR trade the next time I do a big trade order (probably sometime in the next two months). I usually order 4-6 at a time, so I would probably do the GR, the next few Scalpeds and Air's I need and actually I might start to try to get into Hellboy, starting at the beginning. But your review nailed it for me and confirmed what I already suspected, that this would be right up my alley.

For AS/W, I left out the spoiler you have above because it was on the last page only, but you're right that it kind of sums up whether it is up someone's alley or not. I also figured the self-contained thing would be something you'd want to consider, given you usually like story arcs full of characterization with lasting, real repercussions on the characters; yet, you're so dissatissifed with Marvel these days, its unlikely you'd be getting ASM or any other titles with Wolvie or Spidey. This could be a way to get a quick fix. Too bad its $3.99 like you said. They pack it full of some nice pin-ups at the end so you get *something*, but I'll leave that up to you if you think a few pin-ups are worth the extra $1.00 (I tend to think they really aren't).

And yeah, given our recent conversation on which writers get Peter's voice, I actually had that in mind while I was reading the issue. Given, its only one issue of Aaron writing Pete, but I was surprised at how well I thought he nailed him. Especially since I'm used to him writing bad-ass, gritty characters, which Spidey isn't.

Man, I hope Kubert's art doesn't delay things. He hasn't really done anything lately so I'm hoping they gave him a huge head start.

I recently bought Sandman Mystery Theatre Vol.8: The Blackhawk & Return of the Scarlet Ghost.

In all honesty, it kind of freaked me out, mostly because the second arc dealt with the earlier days of the comic industruy as I'm trying to figure out a way to break into it.

Sanman Mystery Theatre is one of the best things from DC Comics. The only thing I had any kind of issue with, was the strict four issue arc format...but that was a minor thing in all reality. Actually talked with Guy Davis about that while the book was still being published.

I pretty much just need Vol.3 and 5, I can't buy the rest because I have about half of the arcs they haven't reprinted yet. The Crone, Cannon, and the Goblin.

Picked up #2 of this mini and I'm glad I'm reading it. I will definitely finish the story and find it to be a good read with all of the above good qualities still prominent in #2.

I think at this point if Luke had his own ongoing and it could be in this vein--street crime drama--I'd totally be buying it. I wish Arcudi could be writing Luke on a regular basis for solo stories while Bendis & Jeff Parker wrote him elsewhere in teams.

(Again, as someone who never bothered to give Luke a second notice until a few years ago, I'm surprised by how much I've grown to like him.)

I picked up a comic book I'd heard about but for whatever reason never bothered to get until now: Cowboy Ninja Viking. What makes this comic book unique is (A) it's really crazy premise and (B) it's format. I picked up #3 because I couldn't find #1 and #2.

The premise is that the lead character has four personalities: his main personality, and then also a cowboy, a ninja and a viking. And through that premise, #3 of CNV is actually hilarious, weird and awesome all at the same time. The back and forth between personalities is as you'd expect the hilarious part, and also makes the series a very weird, quirky kind of thing. Weird/quirky is good because I'm always looking for something different. The sense of awesome is the different characters interacting besides the lead, which includes two other 'triplets'.

One negative for me, however, was it was pretty hard to understand what was going on a bit. The chaotic nature of the script kept the sense of fun going but I just read it about 20 minutes ago and I already forgot all the names of the lead characters. So a little more clarity would be welcome.

On the other hand, the weirdness and sense of chaos is wild. In addition to the lead there are the two other triplet characters that are equally crazy: one is his ex-wife who is a samuri / sniper / chef, and the two of them interacting meant there were 8 personalities interacting.

I think part of the premise is each 'triplet' was supposed to have a personality that isn't ferocious in battle, so you get 'chef' and 'Amish preacher' in some, yet our lead doesn't have this limitation.

The format, the other unique thing about it is that this comic is in full on Golden Age format, with a much wider page. I'll admit that in a fickle way this kind of kept me limited from picking it up. Comics actually look better in a wider format because of more page space, but it doesn't fit with my collection and you have to get the wider plastics to put them in. But I got over it; I hope others will too.

The artwork is by Riley Rossmo (writing was by AJ Lieberman), both are creators I'm not too familiar with. Rossmo's artwork is a bit scratchy for my tastes, though I can kind of see a very stylistic approach that grows on your throughout the course of the issue. I can see the Bill Sienkiewicz influence here, which isn't a bad thing because a lil' Bill S is sometimes quite enjoyable.

I'm uncertain at this point if I'll continue but in all likelihood, I'll probably buy a few more issues (I think its up to like #7 or something by now). I think I can handle the stylistic artwork and chaotic writing once a month in order to indulge in the ridiculous premise for a time. I'll definitely review any additional issues to see how I'm feeling over time.

Rise of Arsenal #3.

Okay. Okay. Deep breath. Deep bre-MOTHER$%^&%&%^^&%&^%^&&&#@#$%^y*(&*(^%%$%^^&!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, got that out of my system.

So, I read Rise of Arsenal #3 today. Let's begin...

We continue into the fight scene between Roy and the mother (HA!) of his child, Cheshire. Throws in a few barbs at Jade for what an awful mother she is, like Roy has any idea how true that is, until he has her pinned to the wall. Tears begin about how they miss Lian, kiss, and of course have sex. Oh wait, they don't. Because *GASP* Roy can't bring it up!

So, what does he do? He's got a new costume, boys and girls, and in my opinion he should've stuck to the purple one. He gets it just magically, apparently, because where did he get anyway? Nobody knows. No bow and no arrows. He's got knives and samurai swords. He decides to let loose on the criminals currently preying on a disorganized and damaged Star City. Vultures, he calls them. Then, on a rooftop, another visit from his hallucinational friend Corey, who informs him that painkillers aren't going to do the job anymore. Roy spots a drug dealer in an alley below, and decides that with Lian gone, it doesn't matter anymore what he does. He scores a premium "A-Train" hit and strings out, or whatever euphemism you use when someone does heroin.

We enter into a new hallucination. He sees Lian and has a "happy reunion" with her before he gets into a fight with an army of Prometheuses, screaming how he won't let them hurt her again. Then he sees the Electrocutioner, and big surprise, we finally see that Roy has simply beaten the holy hell out of a gang of junkies, and the Electructioner is really Batman. And for some reason Roy's holding a dead cat, I'm not entirely sure, I glanced at this part. Still strung out, he gets into a fight with Dick, with Dick saying he'll get Roy help before knocking Roy out.

Roy awakens strapped to a bed in a padded room, with Black Canary. Canary informs Roy about what he did and that she knows he's using again. Roy tries to say it's the pain in his arm that made him do it, but she won't listen, and tells Roy that it's for his own good. We find out that Dick had brought him to Virgil House, apparently a place for supervillains with substance abuse problems. Dick and Dinah talk about Roy and whether or not he actually wants help.

We close on Roy having another "conversation" with Corey, saying that Dinah's right and he'll probably beat this as well, until he starts screaming at Corey to leave him alone. It closes with it being a hallucination of Lian, battered and bruised, asking why Roy didn't hear her crying.

"DEATH OF A HERO"

...

Good God what the hell are these people doing? Impotent? Honestly? Was that really necessary? To just keep throwing more salt on the wound?

Whatever "ending" this book has had already been ruined the minute DC released the solicit for Titans #26 in August, and it has cemented what this book is. Gratuitous. Pure and simple. This isn't emotional, nor is it meaningful. This is pain, this is weakness, this is suffering. All we've seen is a interesting character had indignity after indignity stacked on top of him and done by him. He's alienated himself and he's betrayed everything he stands for. This isn't about Lian anymore, this is about himself and what's been done to HIM. This isn't a grieving father, it's just plain selfishness.

And of course, what everyone feared has come true. Roy has turned into another anti-hero. He's started on the path as DC's Punisher. And we don't even have to read anymore of the issues to know how it'll turn out. Empty. Hollow and empty. How do I know? Animal Man.

In the last storyarc Grant Morrison did for Animal Man, he had Buddy Baker's family, his wife Ellen and his kids Maxine and Cliff, killed by an assassin hired by big business guys who didn't like Buddy screwing up their business. The end result was Buddy teaming up with Mirror Master to find the three guys responsible. Buddy cut his hair and donned a new costume made from leather, the skin of dead animals, and he killed each one of them. He made them suffer, them and the guy they hired to do it. And how did he feel after it? Empty. Nothing was the same. We know how it's going to end with Roy, and don't say anything else.

His friends have been standing around like a bunch of slack-jawed morons and doing nothing but making it worse. Did Mia HONESTLY think Roy would even want to look at her? And God knows Dinah hasn't been helpful. For three issues she's just looked like she's made of ice. She's the closest thing Roy has to mom, why isn't she acting like it. And don't say because of Ollie because those two break up and get back together on a daily basis, it's pathetic. She is pathetic. And Dick hasn't had any emotion on his face at all. Did any of them even know about the painkillers yet? Or the hallucinations? Did they know about them? No. They've done nothing. They aren't IN character at all.

I can't believe I'm honestly going to read the last issue.

Based on a recommendation by Outdoor Miner , I picked up The Weird World of Jack Staff by Paul Grist (published by Image). Everything I've ever heard about this series is that its excellent but know ahead of time its basically quarterly (if that).

Jack Staff sprang out of a Union Jack project with Marvel that never took off, and over the years Paul Grist has expanded it to become its own franchise of British superhero, and has brought in all manner of British comic book archetypes and analogues. The series also has the quirky art style of Paul Grist, which you absolutely have to be a fan of before you enter. I was never a fan before but I kind of dig now that I've read the issue. Many artists these days have a somewhat similar style (Mike Avon Oeming comes to mind but its different enough to stand out).

Overall, the issue had three stories running through 5 short stories (part 1, story 1; part 1, story 2; part 1, story 3; part 2 story 2; part 2 story 3--if you can keep up with that). The jumping between stories is a bit off-putting at first, but I can appreciate some solid non-linear storytelling and it certainly makes me feel engaged. One of the stories was complete but the other two were continued. If I knew this would be out again next month, that wouldn't bother me, but I kind of wish I got all full stories (no matter what the size) if I have to wait a few months for the next issue.

The tone of the series is fun/adventure with a self-awareness that causes some humor at times. The artwork is cartoony which underlies that, but the series certainly takes itself seriously.

All in all, a solid buy. Will I buy another issue? I'm not really too sure--I haven't committed myself to doing so; but there is a good chance I might pick up an issue off the rack at any given time and buy it. I may even decide to buy a few back issues if I'm bored and looking for something to read. But there are other things I will want to get beforehand that will take precedence.

A comic I've been meaning to get to in my pile and finally did is Speak of the Devil by Gilbert Hernandez & Dark Horse Comics. Hernandez is of course most well known for co-creating the legendary independent comic book series Love and Rockets with his brothers, which has been one of the exemplary comic books from the independent scene throughout its history.

I've never read Love & Rockets (and am quite curious if anyone here ever has) but all I've ever heard about it is how damn good it is. So I wanted to give this a try. The first thing to get used to is Hernandez's art style, which is a simple, cartoony style at first glance, but a slower read reveals some real depth in facial expressions and tone. Despite the cartoonish style, you get a sense that this is a serious work, with some real poignancy developing. At times, it's also quite eerie.

Speak of the Devil was in fact, quite interesting. It basically is about a girl in a devil costume who is a voyeur, looking into people's homes and watching their most private moments and you get the sense that there is really a lot going on in her head that you're just dying to learn more about. Meanwhile, the pele she is watching have their own weird subtleties. This includes her father & step-mom, who become ware there is a peeping Tom about, but don't realize its her; it is even further complicated when the step-mother appears to enjoy the idea of someone watching her & her husband have sex.

It's a very interesting look at people in general, with some very Hitchcock-esque overtones on sexuality and voyeurism. The artwork with this premise and these characters, takes on a very eerie tone. Being in black & white also enhances that.

I have to say, it's a little hard to put into words how I felt about the issue. I thought it was more fascinating than anything and I might try to pick up #2 at the very least. I do know this came out quite awhile ago and has not finished yet, so I suspect there were some heavy delays somewhere along the way.

Sandman: The Doll's House

The fourth Sandman volume I read and the second one I bought.

The volume starts with a tale about a lost glass kingdom of Africa, told by a tribal elder to a young man going through rites of passage. It's a tale of a queen named Nada, who became the love of the dream god, Lord Kai'ckul. Nada had first met him not knowing he was the lord of dreams, and when she learned his true identity she was horrified, for nothing ever good comes from one loving an Endless. However, Kai'ckul convinces her to make love with him, and almost as punishment, a meteor struck and destroyed her city. Nada threw herself from a cliff, and in the realm of Grandmother Death Kai'ckul asked her three times to come back with her. On the third, he warned her if she said no he would send her to hell. The elder ends the story there, as no one knows what happened. But we know, as in the previous volume, that Nada was indeed sent to Hell, and is still there up to this volume.

Meanwhile, Desire, the androgynous Endless, notes that Dream and has returned. It contact's it's twin sister, Despair, about the arrival of a Vortex.

The volume focuses on Rose Walker, a teenage girl who has long since separated from her brother Jed, after their parents divorced. Rose is traveling to England with her mother, Miranda, at the behest of an old woman named Unity Kinkaid. Unity was one of many people who, in the first Sandman volume, succumbed to the "sleepy sickness" that overtook so many when Dream was captured. Unity had been raped while she was asleep, and the child was given up for adoption. The child being Miranda. As Rose gives her mom and her newly acquainted grandmother a chance to sort it out, she wanders into a broom closet and meets the Three (Cynthia, Mildred, and Mordred). The inform her that she is at a crossroads, and warn her about very bad, very dangerous things to come for her and her brother.

Over in the Dreaming, Dream is still attempting to fully repair all the damage done to his realm since his departure. He learns that there are four dreams currently missing. Brute and Glob, two nightmares, a realm called Fiddler's Green, and one of Dream's greater nightmares, the Corinthian, a man with jagged teeth lining his eye sockets. He is also dealing with the upcoming rebirth of a "vortex", an occurrence which happens in the Dreaming and if not dealt with can have serious consequences for both worlds.

Rose, using money given to her by her grandmother, goes back to the United States to try and find her brother (with help from a private detective). She moves into a boarding house populated by...

*Hal: The landlord, a gay man who works in a drag show, and quiet possibly the sanest one besides Rose.
*Barbie and Ken: A yuppie couple who are almost horrifyingly normal. They even finish each other's sentences.
*Chantal and Zelda: A pair of women who collect stuffed spiders. No one knows if they're lesbians, sisters, business partners, or whatever. Zelda never speaks, and they always dress in bridal gowns.
*Gilbert: Who is never seen.

Rose, during her investigation, learns that after her father died, her brother was sent to live with their grandfather. But then their grandfather died, so the trail goes cold.

It turns out, though, that Jed was sent to live with two cousins, Barnaby and Clarice, who are given a stipend by social services. The two treat him like an animal and keep him locked in the basement; they only take him out as a show for when someone from social services comes by. Jed, however, is also the hiding place Brute and Glob have been using. Inside his mind they've severed it from the Dreaming, and have been using...

Hector Hall, a.k.a. Silver Scarab, a.k.a. Sandman, as THEIR Sandman, to replace Morpheus. They've even got Lyta Hall, still pregnant after two years inside Jed's mind. Hector is convinced he is the Sandman and he fights dangerous enemies. The truth is, Brute and Glob had him replaced Garrett Sandford, the former Sandman, who killed himself. This Sandman is the revision Jack Kirby created years ago, the one that appeared in Infinity Inc. Hector has been fighting nonsensical battles against pathetic enemies, and Lyta has all but lost touch with reality. Dream finally discovers the two, and sets out to deal with them. Hector tries to fight off the "Nightmare Beast" before Dream finally pulls everyone out of Jed's mind. The resulting explosion kills Barnaby and Clarice. Brute and Glob attempt to beg for mercy, but Dream consigns them to the "Darkness". He then sends Hector Hall back to the afterlife, earning him Lyta's rage. He informs her, though, that because of the time her baby spent gestating in the Dreaming, he might be there to claim it. As he leaves, Lyta warns him that he'll have her baby over her dead body, the spooky bastard. And Jed? Well, he gets a ride...

Back over to Rose, she finally meets the mysterious Gilbert, an old gentleman who helps save her from a group of muggers. When Rose finally gets word on Clarice and Barnaby, Gilbert accompanies her on her trip. The two stop at a hotel which is being used for a cereal convention...

That is, a convention of serial killers. Collectors, as they call themselves. Among them are the Corinthian, who appears to be a twenty-something man with white hair and a pair of sunglasses. These "collectors" swap stories about their exploits, discussing methods and partying, actually holding "panels". There's even one about female serial killers being type-cast as black widows and nurses. The Corinthian, along with a couple of others, take the time to have a little "fun" with a man claiming to be a killer called the Boogeyman, but turns out to be the editor of a BDSM magazine.

Rose is completely unaware of the convention's true face, although Gilbert becomes aware when he sees the Corinthian in an elevator. Thankfully, the Corinthian doesn't notice him. Why? You'll find out later. He writes down a name on a piece of paper, telling Rose to call it out if she ever needs help. Which she does, when an overweight "collector" called Fun Land, who has a thing for little girls, decides to introduce himself. He attempts to rape Rose in her room, but she manages to call out the name on the paper. Morpheus. Dream arrives and puts Fun Land in his own little dream world. He then makes quick work of the Corinthian, dissolving him into nothing, save for a skull with teeth in the eye sockets. Before he leaves, Dream does something to the rest of the collectors, and making them realize just how petty and meaningless their lives really are. He makes them see what's inside, and it traumatizes them.

In the parking lot, Rose finds Gilbert, carrying Jed in his arms.

Back at the boarding house, we culminate on the vortex story as Rose falls asleep, and we peer into the dreams of the other housemates...

*Ken: Dreams of money, power, and sex.
*Barbie: She dreams she is Princess Barbie of the Land, having just found the Porpentine with Martin Tenebones. They are trying to save the Land from the malevolent Cuckoo.
*Chantal: Chantal falls in love with a sentence, yet her dreams turn into repeating moments, trying to make something of nothing.
*Zelda: Her childhood, where it is hinted that she collected bones from a graveyard.
*Hal: Questions of identity, of being over the rainbow, and Judy Garland ripping off her face to find one under another.

We learn that Rose, as a Vortex, has the ability to combine all these dreams together, open them up and merge them. Dream must kill her or she could destroy the Dreaming. The housemates wake up, slightly traumatized by the events, most of all Barbie, with the ramifications from that being revealed in volume 5.

Gilbert is visited by Matthew Cable in his raven form, a companion to Dream, who informs him about Rose's predicament. Gilbert enters the Dreaming and reveals himself as Fiddler's Green. Transforming back into his former self, he offers his life for Rose's, but Dream is adamant.

Meanwhile, in Britain, Unity Kinkaid is dying, and drifts off to sleep with her daughter by her side. In the Dreaming, Unity, appearing as she did when she was young, finds Dream and Rose. She explains to Dream that, had he not been imprisoned, SHE would've been the actual Vortex. She tells Rose that she needs to give her her heart, as it's the only way Unity can become the Vortex. Rose does, actually, reaching inside and pulling out a glass heart, which she gives to Unity. At that moment, she dies in the real world.

Six months pass, with both Dream and Rose doing some thinking. Rose has isolated herself and thinks about the ramifications if her dreams were real, meaning her and all humans are just game pieces. But, she decides that she brooded long enough and decides that the dreams were merely dreams.

Dream, however, confronts his sibling, Desire. He has figured out that, Desire was the one who raped Unity Kinkaid, thus making Rose his great niece. If Dream had killed Rose, he would've killed a family member, which is one of biggest no-no's for the Endless. Desire, content with using humans as pieces, gets a reality check from Dream, who informs hir that without humans, the Endless would have no meaning. The Endless are humanity's toys, not the other way around. Obviously, Desire doesn't get it.

There's also a fill-in story with a man named Hob Gadling, who believes he will not die simply because he chooses not to. Starting in the Middle Ages, his words are heard by Death and Dream, and Death decides to humor him. From that point, Dream decides to meet with him once every hundred years. The meetings demonstrate Dream's growth as a person.

^The Dream / Hob stories remain a personal high water mark for me in regards to character interactions in comic books. I could reread those every single day I think.

<span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">And the final Hob story where he meets up with Death after Dream has died and decides he wants to live at least another 100 years leaves a huge smile on my face every time. Its symbolic for what Gaiman achieved on the series and the reasons for choosing life over death: relationships and art/stories.</span></span>

I was actually surprised that Fun Land made an appearance in Kevin Smith's Widening Gyre Batman miniseries.

The Doll's House is a great read. It set so much up for the Sandman series. Nice summary, Kid.

Thank you.

The Sandman: Dream Country

A series of four stories which aren't really related to one another, yet one will have a part to play later on the series.

CALLIOPE
*A struggling writer named Richard Madoc, who hasn't been able to write anything after the success of his first novel, contacts another author, an old man named Erasmus Fry. In return for a bezoar Fry gives Madoc the secret to his success. Calliope, one of the nine muses who, years ago, Fry managed to trap, and has been keeping her for sixty years. Actually, Fry gives him to Madoc because she's of no use to him anymore. Richard brings her to his home, rapes her, and then begins writing his next novel after a surge of inspiration.

Calliope calls on the Three, this time in their form as Greek Goddesses, begging for help. We learn in this conversation that she was once Dream's wife, and they had a son, Orpheus. But their relationship ended very badly, and she denies the possibility of any help from him. Not like he could, considering this is when Dream was imprisoned. The Three tell her they can't do anything, and Calliope begs for any help at all. Even from Dream.

As time passes over a few years, Richard keeps using Calliope to fuel his writing, and becomes the next Clive Barker/Stephen King, winning awards, having his books turned into films, and appearing on talk shows. He learns, though, that Erasmus Fry has died. Richard's reminded that Fry had asked, if Richard intended to do any more in return for giving him Calliope, to get his book "Here Comes A Candle" republished. Richard did nothing.

Finally, Calliope has her meeting with her ex-husband after his release.

Returning home one night, Richard finds Dream in his home, demanding Calliope's release. Richard claims he can't because he needs her for inspiration. Her inspiration's a drug and he's got a never-ending supply. Dream, indignant to Richard's response, decides that if he wants ideas, he'll get them. LOTS of them. Richard does indeed, but they keep coming so quickly he resorts to having to carve them on a brick wall with his fingers. He's found by a doctor friend, the one who gave him the bezoar in the beginning, and takes him back to his place. Richard tells his friend to go to his apartment and tell Calliope she's free to go. The friend does so, and once she's gone, Richard's imagination goes completely blank.

Calliope speaks with Dream, and while they don't exactly get back together, they part ways amicably. Well, amicably enough.

Sarky, as creator of this thread, I had more in mind reviewing the books as opposed to summarizing them. If you recount the story point-by-point, then anyone reading the post will already know everything there is to know about the story and won't have any reason to check it out themselves. Think about concentrating on your reactions to the story and art and giving enough of the plot to whet someone's appetite (or enough to show that it's worth avoiding).

Not trying to dictate how posts here should be formatted but offering my perspective. If I had an unread Sandman trade, for example, I'd actually be pretty upset to see the story spoiled beat-by-beat.

Sorry... I tend to do that whenever I try to review a book.

I dug through the back issue bins and picked up Black Terror #1 because Outdoor Miner has been collecting it and he's led me in the direction of several great comics lately. It's by Dynamite Entertainment and spins out of the Project Superpowers event/storyline they have going featuring the usage of several Golden Age characters now in the public domain from companies like Nedor, Lev Gleason Publications, Standard, Centaur and I think a few others.

A little disclaimer: I have not read any Project Superpowers stories and did not intend to; so my feelings toward Black Terror are very much reflected by the fact that I'm reading a title directly tied into a larger title. I simply have read enough ensemble comics lately that aren't doing it for me and am tired of the 'large group of superheroes = cool" mentality pervasive in comics. I also feel that every comic book should stand on its own.

So from the above, you can guess what criticism I have against Black Terror, that it is too tied into Project Superpowers which kind of hurts it and I think that its a fair and accurate criticism. On the other hand, having so many other characters appear in the opening pages was exciting to see, and helped accentuate how Black Terror stands out among them. For a #1 issue, I would let it pass and hope that in future issues Black Terror is more the sole focus (though some guest stars are okay).

Alternatively, the most obvious and biggest feat was the immensely terrific interior art by Mike Lilly. Alex Ross is the spiritual guru of this whole event and does some gorgeous cover work, but I actually thought the interior work by Mike Lilly was superior to that--it was actually quite impressive! Black Terror is portrayed as very much a superhero with dynamic action sequences, but there is also a dark, moody quality to it in places. And then there is a third element, a swashbuckler feel that adds a layer of excitement and 'fun', despite the serious story. All of this could be picked up from the artwork, and I'm so impressed that its enough to get me to buy #2.

Black Terror himself is a character that is pretty groovy. He's got a long history, being a Golden Age superstar and then having a brief comeback in the 1980's. He's a bit unique, having a pirate / death motif, like a swashbuckling Punisher that is a bit more superhero than that description would you think. I currently collect no other comic books with a star like him.

The plotting and scripting was done by Jim Krueger which was 'okay'. The plot is interesting but it's really feeling like a subplot of the larger Project Superpowers plot. That's okay for right now, but I hope Black Terror eventually stands out on its own.

The scripting portion of it I felt was very over-narrated, with far too many dramatic adjectives to describe an emotion or situation. It reminded me a bit of the 1970's when that was more common, and that's not always a good thing--for every 1970's comic that was well-written there was one that wasn't.

So I'm on the fence. The plot & scripting were only okay, but the art and the character have peaked my interest. I'll likely now dig through the bins for #2 and make a decision after that.

The Secret History by Jean-Pierre Pécau, various artists Volume I (Archaia Press)

There was a review for this book that called it "one of those fancy-pants European comics..." - but there wasn't anything snooty about it. It's an engrossing, complex journey through history, primarily of Europe.

The Secret History follows four immortal siblings through time. They were the only survivors from an ancient village and each one was given a runestone by their dying shaman. Two tend towards the dark side and two tend towards the good, but all are master manipulators and the battles which they provoke are not only for power but against one another. The siblings (who call themselves Archons) are not so interesting character-wise; it's the games they play which hold one's attention.

The stories progress through time, from the Egyptian era (so favoured by Archaia) through the Middle Ages, up to World War I. Pécau takes real world events and retells them to show how they were influenced, if not instigated, by the four. Some poetic licence is applied to his portrayal of real historical people, which gives them a depth of character that the four Archons lack.

A number of different artists worked on the book, which was originally published as 7 individual issues. Beautiful and highly detailed artwork throughout, and the styles are not so different as to be distracting.

It's the perfect story for a secret society, wheels-within-wheels, conspiracy buff like myself.

^Wow FC, that sounds *exactly* like my cup of tea! I'm doing a big TPB order sometime soon and that will certainly make the list!

For me Boom Studios have been on a real roll of late with quality books such as Irredeemable, Incorruptible and The Unknown stories all being quality reads. The one thing those books have in common though is they are written by Mark Waid who, his involvement in End of an Era aside , can usually be relied upon to spin a decent story.

Bearing this in mind I was interested to see how they would fare on books without Mr Waids involvement; with Codebreakers a four issue mini series by Carey Malloy and Scott Godlewski I am happy to discover that they are still very good indeed.

The story features a team of FBI Crypto-analysts who had been working on a case breaking a mob family when something goes horribly wrong and one of their members disappear. From there the story picks up as the other team members attempt to rescue their missing colleague, people are tortured, deals are made with the enemy, one member appears to know more than they let on, things get blown up, people are shot and there are big surprises revealed. All this has happened and as of now there is still one issue to go!

Some mini-series are not so much written for the trade but more written for the sequel spending the majority of the story introducing the characters and setting the scene before ending abruptly and not always satisfyingly whilst making it quite clear that the real story will be told in future volumes. Fortunately that is not he case here; I first saw the book in a seven page preview in the back of another Boom book and from that excerpt you learnt who the characters were, what they did and how they related to each other. Even better you got the impression from the dialogue that this was a group who had been together for awhile which helps the believability of their actions for the rest of the tale.

The art is crisp and clear with each person clearly distinguishable and the action depicted logically and realistically.

This is a four issue mini series and there is only one issue left to be released so it is probably worth waiting for the trade if you do give it a go but baring a huge, and on the basis of the story so far highly unlikely, massive drop in quality I would say you will be in for a fun time.

^^Sounds interesting, stew! Pleas post again after the fourth issue to let us know how the story worked as a whole and to show whether the conclusion backed your recommendation.

I just bought Green Arrow #16-21, despite my initial embargo on all Green Arrow books in protest. Well, NEW Arrow books.

I haven't had a chance to fully read it, but I gotta say it's weird reading Catman as the fat loser he WAS and Secret Six showing him as the hard-ass mothafu@ka he is NOW.

I actually like the way Hester draws Roy, even though I've read somewhere he detests the "Navajo" look. Although I am confused as to where this sits in continuity, based on Roy's physical appearance. I.e, the soul patch he sports through it.

I just did a review of Villains for Hire on comicvine. Enjoy...

All I pretty much have to say is that it took all five of them to kill Ryan Choi. A teenager powered by at least six or seven gods and a genocidal sociopath who blew up a small country. But since this has to be longer I'll continue. I was never Ryan Choi's biggest fan, that is to say I didn't dislike him, but I agree with comic book resources zero out of five stars critique and them calling this a "superhero snuff film" if I got the words right. Ryan had a lot more potential that's now wasted until another contrived resurrection story takes place after all the mourning is said and done six years from now.

Deathstroke is pretty much doing the same thing he did with Titans East, by promising these people something he obviously is never going to be able to give them. Does anyone else miss the days when he wasn't a grand ubervillain? No, to call him an ubervillain would actually have him doing something big, yet if it took all five of them to kill a relatively inexperienced hero it just makes them out as losers. Cheshire continues to prove what a selfish, hypocritical little nothing she really is by a mourning the child she was willing to let die so long as she had a replacement. I fail to understand why they wrote Osiris going out as a hero in Blackest Night just to bring him back and throw him in with these losers. Tattooed Man I also feel sorry for, but I was intrigued by Cinder and I'd like to know more about her. But she was the ONLY interesting thing about this book.

I know they said that the DCU wasn't going to be a bright, happy place after Blackest Night but I didn't think that meant we'd be regressing to 1985. We can now add Ryan Choi to a list made up of Lian Harper, Tempest, Dolphin, Damage, Holly Granger, Cassandra Cain, Jason Todd, the Reboot and Threeboot Legion, Tasmanian Devil and the Global Guardians, Anima, and a lot of others out there who haven't had proper treatment. I don't want to sound like I'm whining, and if I am I'm apologizing, but to be honest I would've given this book zero as well if I could've.

I actually feel bad for the people who worked on this book, and I'm not saying this to be smug, because chances are, in the future people who get bad reviews for their books will probably be saying "well, at least it's not as bad as what Villains for Hire got."

That, and I'd actually prefer Ryan Choi as the Atom to Ray Palmer.

Um... so. For a while now, I've been re-reading my Sandman collections. The last couple of weeks, at least. The two I've really been paying more attention to are Dream Country and World's End. Dream Country was the first Sandman book I ever read. An old version I found in a library, I'd have preferred it if I bought the collection with the cover matching the one I borrowed, but I could only get the new cover. I summarized the first story, Calliope, now I'm going to review the last one, Facade. Then I'm going to review a story from World's End, the Golden Boy.

It's a story illustrated by Colleen Doran, in which the Sandman doesn't appear at all. But Death does. Due to this book it forever cements my ideal depiction of Death by Doran. Most of you might know her for the work she did on Element Lad. She also illustrated "Anne Rice's The Master of Rampling Gate".

This is the story of Urania Blackwell, Element Girl. Don't know who she is? No one did. She was the Lady Metamorpho, from the 1960s. Urania had allowed herself to gain powers like Metamorpho, and for a while she might've been his lover but he did not feel the same way. This story is about life after that. Urania has become a shut-in, an agoraphobic, due to her frightening appearance. She lives on a company pension and her only contact with the outside world is a man from the CIA she talks to over the phone, Mulligan. Her apartment is run down and littered with discarded faces, silicate masks she creates when she needs to pose for normal that harden and fall off. She uses them for things, things normal people use. That's all she wants. And she can't have it. She's haunted by dreams where everything is okay, and then she wakes up. She's just waiting to die, to finally be over. This story is sad, very sad, to her recollection of how she gained her powers to her disastrous attempt at having lunch with an old friend outside her apartment in which her "face" falls off in her plate of spaghetti bolognese.

Death, who just happens to be walking by, attempts to give Urania a shoulder to cry on. She listens to Urania listing the possible ways to die, and the ways they could go wrong. The bitter irony of all the people who want to live, and she wants it to end because she has no other alternatives. Death tells her that it's not as bad as makes it out to be, and even metamorphae (people like her and Rex Mason) will die eventually. When Urania figures out who her visitor really is, she's at first relieved that her suffering will end. However, Death explains that she was indeed just passing by.

"I'm not blessed OR merciful. I'm just me. I've got a job to do and I do it."

People make their own hells, their own deaths. They can view what Death does either way, a blessing or a curse. It doesn't really make a difference. And oblivion? Not an option. However, Death finally agrees to help Urania if it's what she really wants. She can't simply kill her, though. Death directs Urania to Ra, the person responsible for her powers (she received them from a meteor called the Orb of Ra). Ra, the Egyptian sun god, has kept bringing in people like Urania into existence in his never-ending battle against Apep, the Serpent who never dies, even though Death claimed Apep 3000 years ago. She tells Urania that Ra is the sun, sort of. Urania actually speaks to Ra by speaking to the sun, and asks him to take away her powers. She looks at the sun, and realizes that, it's actually a mask too, and the face behind it is so beautiful... when she turns into a statue. Facade ends with Death wishing Urania better luck next time before she answers her phone. "You want Rainie? She's gone away I'm afraid."

"Who am I? Just a friend. Sometimes. Maybe. Sorry I couldn't be of any help. Be seeing you..."

This story deals with a lot of things. It's about eventually throwing away old things instead of hanging onto them. It's a sharp contrast to the ideal world of superheroics in which gaining powers from a meteor can be a wonderful thing. Here, it's a curse, because Urania lives in the "real world" and there's no place for superpowers in the real world. Ironically, there is, because we need these superheroes to brighten our own lives, to give us hope. The sad thing is, even in our comics, the real world has invaded too many times, and now that naive idealism is slowly starting to die like it did in the 1980s. The real world has become like cancer in comics, which went into remission for a while but has returned.

I'm talking, of course, about Rise of Arsenal. I look at the two, and I see a horrible contrast. Urania Blackwell and Roy Harper share a frightening similarity. Urania has been thrust into the real world and is ostracized for it, both intentionally and unintentionally, due to her powers and appearance, and it slowly drags her down. She fears people will reject her because of her face, and her fears are found true when she attempts to go outside for the first time in a long time. When the story begins, we assume she has been dragged down to her current state over a period of years and she's just about ready to crack. This story is about longing for an end to it and it can be viewed, in some ways, as a happy ending, as Death helps Urania come to an important realization. I don't believe in suicide, and I don't think this is what this story is advocating. I guess people should draw their own conclusions on what it means.

Roy Harper, however, is now having the real world invade his life. His arm's been cut off, his marksmanship is impaired, he's impotent, and back and on drugs. And the biggest source of his problems is that his daughter has been killed. What chronologically and theoretically took years to do to Urania, it's now being done to Roy in a matter of days. His suffering has been done because of what death DID to his life, and unlike Urania, chances are he has no chance for a happy ending, because his story is just pain stacked upon pain with no silver lining. But like Urania, he is both intentionally and unintentionally ostracizing himself from others.

Both characters suffer from the real world, yet they contrast greatly in terms of what death means to them and the facades of their life. Urania wanted to strip hers away and die.

Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I'm making connections that don't exist.

...

I'll review the second story later.

Sometimes you crack me up, Kid. It's definitely not a connection I would make, but more power to you for making it. Do you dream in technicolor?

The contrast, for me, is that Gaiman used an obscure super hero to offer some insight into the human condition. The current day DC universe seems to come from a much more cynical place. It's more about trying to gain attention and sales with short term shock value. There is no real effort at insight.

I agree that Doran's work on this story gave us a signature version of Death.

I have to be honest, when I saw the artwork she did in Volume 5, I could barely tell it was the same artist.

I don't think I dream in technicolor, but I'll be sure to ask.

Sometimes I dream in full on, four color comic book panels. That freaks me out and makes me think I should get a life or something... I wonder what Gaiman would make of that?

Delirium envy?

I think you nailed it. Delirium is the Endless I most wish I could be.

I guess I'd want to be Destruction.

What was his purpose? Destroying things was necessary to make room for the new? Gaiman and insight again. I love the way he could take something that could typically be seen as a negative, and flip it into a positive. Very metaphysical.

I guess. If I wanted to destroy things it'd be to fix them, in a way.

I don't honestly care about what generation I am. Old or new it's all the same to me.

Oddly though, I just took one of those silly quizzes and apparently I'm more like Death.

So I liked #1 enough to hunt down #2 (and see its easy enough for me to complete the back issues if I want to go forward). The second issue was very similar to the first with perhaps a further step in the right direction writing wise.

The most immediate thing I noticed once more was the absolutely fantastic artwork by Mike Lilly! It is so noticeably good that I would rank it right up there among the best art in comics right now. This should be the guy drawing Superman eventually...I don't want him leaving Black Terror yet as I'm just getting into it and the Black Terror's look is so unique that I'm finding him more visually appealing than most other superheroes these days.

The writing in #2 reminded me of one other creator: Frank Miller. Specifically, Frank Miller of the mid-late 80's, in the Batman: Year One and Daredevil: Born Again era. I don't mean to say this story ranks with those all-time greats in terms of how good it is (that would be a huge overstatement), but rather, the tone of the narration and the single-minded obsessive nature of the lead character. The Black Terror here is like Miller's DD and Batman in that he's so incredibly focused that it almost feels like he's a crazy nutjob. This is neither a bad nor good thing, but something I've noticed that sets Black Terror apart right now. I'm not sure if I like it or not.

I'm also not sure if Black Terror is supposed to be a right wing nutjob or not and I'm reading some crazy right wing propaganda, since a case could totally be made for that. On the other hand, I might just be reading too much into that. Being a more left-leaning, I actually don't find this to be too distracting, I find it another fascinating aspect of the series.

At the end of the day, I think I'm going to start collecting Black Terror, so long as Mike Lilly is doing interiors. The artwork is so good that its almost a crime not to continue and I find I'm just too fascinated by the character and Frank Miller-esque writing to not want to see more.

I also humbly request that the legendary Outdoor Miner request a Project Superpowers / Black Terror thread here in Dr. Gym'lls which will serve as a home base to our posts, since he is the one who turned me on to this series.

I also picked up #1 of Marvel's latest Rawhide Kid miniseries. Ugh. I will not be picking up #2.

I love Marvel western heroes which is why I picked it up against my better judgment. Why did I have reservations? One thing: Ron Zimmerman. He did a few series for Marvel in the early part of the 00's and they were all basically the worst comic books of the entire decade. I was surprised to see his name attached to this. He hasn't gotten better. The parts where he is trying to be funny seem cutesy and forced.

Howard Chaykin provides the artwork and rather than Chaykin being cutting edge like he can sometimes be, its the Chaykin who sometimes wants to create a nice 'fuck you' to the audience. Chaykin fans know what I mean.

The "Rawhide Kid is Gay" debacle could have been a bunch of different things but at the end of the day, the way Marvel did it a few years ago was to make it a farce and a platform for gay jokes that didn't win over gay fans or western fans. This is an extension of all that but to a lesser degree. If the series was any good, it might feel like it mattered a little, but the quality just isn't there.

Too bad. I could get behind a solid western series and I could get behind a solid statement-making series. But this...I'll pass.

So, the second Sandman story I'm reviewing was from volume 8, World's End. It's called The Golden Boy, and it's illustrated by Mike Allred.

Gaiman once again utilizes an obscure DC character, this time being Prez, from the short-lived Prez series from the 1970s. He was created by the same man who created the Green Team, Brother Power the Geek, the version of Sandman who appeared later on, and the original freakish Outsiders, Joe Simon. The man who also helped create Captain America.

An Oriental man recounts the story of a different America during the 60s and 70s. Prez Rickard, born in the town of Steadfast, was named "Prez" because his mother believed he was destined for great things. Indeed, the boy showed an amazing amount of depth and a love for his country (not an over-agonizingly "red-blooded, patriotic America man" type of thing), but a respect for it. He also had a bit of a thing for watchmaking and repair, for Steadfast was a town famous for it's clocks. It wasn't until Prez came along that all the clocks were not set at the same time.

In this America, eighteen year-olds were allowed the right to vote, and voted to allow the age limit for presidency lowered to 18. A mysterious man named Boss Smiley, the "Prince" of this world with a head like a giant smiley face, approached Prez. The boy had just turned 18, and offered him the role of American president. In return, Boss Smiley wanted him to work for him, sing his praises, and such. Prez refused, and decided to run for President and win on his own terms. Boss Smiley just smiled.

One night, Prez was approached in his bedroom by Richard Nixon, who informed him that he would indeed be replaced by the young man. Nixon explained, though, that no matter what you do, the American people are going to hate you, and years later they'll wonder why they never appreciated him. Four years of being an empty-figurehead, and all you get is an animatronic display at Disneyworld. Prez was not deterred by Nixon's hopeless words, and still remained determined to fix America.

At 19, Prez was elected president, and turned America into a golden kingdom. He dealt with pollution, nuclear arms, homelessness, corruption in big business. He was all about setting America's problems in order first before worrying about anything else. He even appeared on SNL, and John Belushi, in his later years, described it as one of the most inspiring moments of his life. Near the end of his term, Boss Smiley approached him again. Prez told the smiling stranger that he had all government facilities try and find any info on him, but all they found were rumors. Smiley warned Prez that running for a second term might be dangerous.

During said second term, Prez began dating his former high school sweetheart, Kathy, and planned to marry her. The two were happy, until Kathy was killed in a botched assassination attempt on Prez. The killer was a woman obsessed with Ted Grant, who thought killing the president was a surefire way of getting Grant's attention. Prez had no illwill towards the woman, and even offered her clemency, but still she went to the electric chair.

America didn't dissolve, but Prez became somewhat aloof. He was approached again one night by Boss Smiley, who offered to bring Kathy back to life in return for his servitude. Prez refused. Finishing his second term, Prez dropped out from sight to return to Steadfast.

"It's not that things got bad in America, it's just that they weren't spectacularly good again."

Prez often turned down offers to help the new President, until one day he just disappeared. It would be a few years later when Prez died. No one knew how or when, the stories varied, but everyone knew that somehow, Prez Rickard was dead.

And dead he was. Prez, his spirit pertaining his youthful, 19-year old self, is visited by Death. She explains that you never find out what happens to anyone else when they die. But in the case of his death, Prez is kind of special.

Prez asks Death if she's bringing him to the watchmaker. He explains that he heard, long ago, that if you found a watch in a desert, you have to assume somebody made it. A watchmaker. And if the watch stopped, you repair it.

"I don't think this guy made the watch, Prez. He just runs the local franchise."

She brings him to the guys who'll bring him to his world's heaven, but she hesitates for a moment. Prez arrives, and finds... Boss Smiley, gigantic, in a white suit, with an actual yellow smiley face for a head. He thanks Prez for a job well done and now wants him to sing his praises. But when Prez learns that his love Kathy isn't here anymore, he realizes that there are other worlds, other Americas out there, maybe even a desert of broken watchs, and decides to leave. Smiley threatens him, before Dream intervenes and whisks Prez away from an irate Smiley.

Dream explains that Death asked him to help Prez, and opens a doorway to allow Prez to travel to other worlds. Before he leaves, Prez gives Dream his father's old pocketwatch, which he fixed years ago, as a gift. And he departs.

...

Okay, so, the obvious imagery that Gaiman has with Prez is that of the American Dream. Ideal, positive, strong, and somewhat fleeting, as it will eventually end.

There are parallels with Prez and Jesus Christ, as his time as President makes him something of a messiah figure. He ushered in something of a Golden Age which died down, his pure idealism and the inability to corrupt him, no matter how tempting. Boss Smiley is obviously a devil figure.

Is it possible that Dream's role as the "Prince of Stories" means that the American Dream will always live on in stories and tales? We keep it going because of those stories? Or am I again clutching hairs?

Prez would appear again in a Vertigo Voices one-shot which focused on the remaining, obscure DC characters who appeared in Vertigo stories during the early 90s. Prez, Brother Power, Doctor Occult, Doctor 13, and Tomahawk. Prez's was done by Ed Brubaker and Eric Shanower, about a Generation X teen who went on a road trip looking for Prez, who he believed was his father.

The reason I've been thinking of this story is that, well, it's something of an inspiration now. You guys have heard that I've been attempting to get an appointment at DC Comics, to try and get a writing job and try and fix the mess they've made with Arsenal and Lian. I mean, I'm far from perfect, I don't have any conceited ideas of me being a Christ figure or anything. I'm not THAT egotistical. But, if he could run America, I could at least hope to do something. That, and I am about the same age as he was when he ran for president.

I guess I can't help but equate these stories to my own life, in a weird way.

I'm with you on Rawhide Kid, Cobie. I guess it was meant to be campy and over the top? The humor felt forced and the action just seemed silly. It's hard for me to be critical of Chaykin, but his talent isn't enough to bring me back for more of this mini.

SK, my interpretation of the Prez story differs a bit from yours. One of the great things about art and storytelling, though - Gaiman in particular - is that there are so many different ways to interpret any given piece. The part where we differ is with the Christ/Devil parallels. To me, Prez is more symbolic of the social conscience of the 60s and early 70s. I like how you made the distinction between love of country and "over agonizing, red blooded" patriotism. That, to me, is the heart of the story. The idealistic social conscience of the time is what the Sandman allowed to live on through the stories. I don't think you're clutching at hairs at all with your conclusion of how it all tied together.

Regarding religious parallels, one of the things I like about Gaiman's work is that he frequently deals with these concepts head on rather than through symbolism. He does this specifically in "Season of Mists" and his novel "American Gods".

You're right in your interpretation, I understand. Although I can say I'm glad that Gaiman decided to leave out some of the more... odd elements of Prez's life with this story, even if I love the odd.

Wesley Dodds, Cain and Abel, Eve, Matthew Cable, Lucien, the Mad Mod Witch, Cynthia, Mildred, and Mordred, Brute and Glob, Jed Walker, Hector and Lyta Hall, Destiny, Azazel, Element Girl, Doctor Destiny, Prez...

These are most of the obscure DC characters who appeared in Sandman. Did I get them all?

This could be considered a review. I wasn't trying to rant, but it's my attempt at summarizing the Teen Titans so far.

http://www.legionworld.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=000340;p=5#000071

Per Cobies request...

The World of Cars #1

I bought this comic for my 2 year old son. He has a Toy Story comic that he loves to look at, so I wanted him to have a Cars one as well. He loves both movies more than any other dvd we have, so I was hoping he would like this...and he did.

I just read through the issue, and it's not too bad. It tells the story of Lightning before the beginning of the movie. Before he had a sponsor, and even tells you how he met Mack. It's continued in the next issue, so I'll get him that eventually as well.

One nice thing about comics like this is that the voices are all in your head already. No need to try to figure out who sounds like what.

The story itself is pretty basic and suitable for any kid that liked the movie...or adult for that matter. Consistant art throughout, and the cars are easily identifiable. I'd be interested to see how the handle all of the known characters. Sine this one really only has less than a handful that we have seen before.

Overall, a good book for the kids to learn to read with, and the parent might enjoy it as well.

Hack/Slash was for the longest time the flagship comic book published by Devil’s Due and in recent months has transferred over to Image Comics since Devil’s Due is having major monetary problems. To commemorate things with the new publisher, Tim Seeley (creator/writer) kicked things off with a new miniseries that focuses on the origins of Cassie Hack, the main character.

I’ve never collected the series before because it just didn’t seem like my thing but I thought I’d give it a try since it was a new jumping on point / #1 and it focused more on the character’s origins. I didn’t expect much so I was surprised by much I liked it—certainly enough to pick up #2.

The best way I can describe this comic is it is probably the most like a B-grade teen slasher/horror film out of all the horror comics in the industry, so if you like those kind of movies (and I do), this might just be right up your alley. There is a fair amount of gore but it’s not really overwhelming—it’s probably less than you’d get from a random Blackest Night tie-in issue. Rather, it’s the creepy factor that is so prominent, and the low-level terror is ongoing throughout the entire thing. Seeley purposely has the subtle “teenager anxieties paralleling the horror” that many slasher flicks have constantly within the story but it’s not hitting you over the head. I unfairly thought it was going to be the opposite based on ads & covers for the series. It also has a strong “me against the world” vibe that anyone who remembers their teenage years can relate to (whether they were good or bad) but its more in the ‘cool’ sense than the ‘depressing’ sense which is a nice counter-balance to the horror going on in the story.

Anyone who’s seen a variant cover or marketing ad for this series will assume there is a HUGE amount of T&A involved and I admit I thought that would be the case too. I’m certainly not against some T&A in comics but sometimes it kind of gets on my nerves when its distracting—it’s just not what I’m looking for in comics somedays and I don’t exactly live with my brother and some pals anymore, so I can’t have something lying around I wouldn’t be embarrassed for my wife to browse through. So I was surprised to see I was actually a bit wrong on that front too: sure there is a little bit of T&A but its nowhere near as prominent as you’d think. I can name 30 Marvel, DC and other independent titles with more of it. I suspect it’s only so prominent on the covers to try to draw readers in.

Rather, what I was most delighted about was how strong and interesting the lead character Cassie Hack is. She is beautiful too, but her beauty isn’t always played up in sexy pin-up poses. Rather, what is seen is she is a complex person with a dark background, yet is very intelligent and very capable. As a reader, I liked her immediately, was incredibly intrigued by her, felt a great deal of empathy and above all, just wanted to see more of what she will do next.

I’ve never read any Hack/Slash prior to this, and all of those stories take place after, so I picked a good time to come in as a blank slate. I’m going to stick around for sure. If anyone else has read this before, please let me know what you think—especially horror buffs. I could see this spinning into a thread of its own!

My critique on Rise of Arsenal I'm sending to J.T. Krul.

Here there be spoilers

...

Hi, again. This is the last e-mail critique I’ll be sending to you involving “Rise” of Arsenal. This is all I can say about #4 in terms of a critique, and the series in general.

“Roy (Chasing Electrocutioner in Star City Penitentiary): You can't escape me Lester. You know what you did. And you know why I'm here. You're going to scream, Lester. Scream and scream, until the very end. If I know one thing, it's pain.

Hallucination of Lian: Gut 'im dad. Gut 'im like the pig he is.
Roy: Anything for you, sunshine.

Roy (In the End): No matter what city I come to they all look the same- dark corners, dark secrets. Overflowing with the sewage of humanity. The wicked who prey on the weak. They're addicted to the power- the control. About time they learned the hard way- that road is a dead end.”

This is some of the most clichéd, played-out bits of “dramatic writing” I’ve ever read before. Scream and scream, really? The sewage of humanity? It sounds like the type of poetry you’d read in a depressed teenager’s blog.

There were tidbits in this. Very small tidbits of actual characterization, like the scene with Rose at the funeral, but they’re just bogged down by the rest of it.

It would have been more meaningful, barely, if Roy had killed Electrocutioner without the need for that rather horrible hallucination of Lian goading him. That just makes him insane. Which of course will be retconned by explaining it’s a result of his infected arm, brought on by whatever the heck Prometheus infected it with when DC decides to end this and do another redemption story. He’s maimed, psychotic, impotent, and he’s crossed the line.

As for the art on #4, in that two-page splash at the beginning, the artist got the costume wrong in the panel that was a flashback to the first Arsenal miniseries.

I’ve understood what you and everyone else has been saying about this being emotional and meaningful. That doesn’t mean anything now if it was as predictable as this was. I knew where this was going as did everyone else, but for the life of me I was hoping it would end slightly less as bad as it did. I’ve understood what you’ve said about it being hard to actually write this thing, but I don’t know whether or not to take that as a sign that this miniseries has been editorially-mandated, and controlled, from the get-go. I don’t even know if I can believe anything you type in a reply, if you’re being honest or if you’re just saying what your bosses want you to say. I’m sorry if that sounds mean, it probably does, but that’s how I feel now. Your job is hard, I understand that. And I know my opinion on this probably doesn’t matter, and I’m just another emo fan whom is spending his time whining and as I‘m writing this I feel about half the same way.

Roy has now become DC’s Punisher, which was pretty much a role that Jason Todd used to have. No, Roy’s now the Punisher and Jason Todd in a bad costume. Samurai swords, honestly? So, in all honesty, I can’t, and will not, support Titans OR Teen Titans. Or Green Arrow, Brightest Day, Justice League, and any of the books that fall under these banners. Originally, it had just been Green Arrow, the Titans, and the JLA, but that was before I saw the solicitation for Titans #26. And that was before I read Rise of Arsenal #4. I used to buy at least 38 books a month from DC. As of today I’m now down to 3, one of which is a limited series, and ONLY to support a friend. I’m always going to love these characters, but I will not in good conscience spend my money on these books in the state they are in.

But I am NOT going to spend my free time simply complaining on the internet. I’m actually going to take a page from another comic, something completed unrelated to all of this involving a character you‘ve probably never heard of unless you read Sandman. Getting angry is obviously not going to solve anything, so I’m going to use my energy for something more constructive to try and fix this. Voice my opinion more, get more people to join the Bring Back Lian Harper movement, anything to try and halt what the company has done so far to both of them, and to try and do something for Ryan Choi, Owen Mercer, Anima, Cassandra Cain, and all the other characters DC has shafted.

Thanks for listening, take it for whatever worth there is.

And THIS refutes my critique.

http://scans-daily.dreamwidth.org/2069657.html

I picked up a second printing of Turf 1 based on this recommendation and found it very entertaining. It sets up very nicely as a gang war with the twist that it's human gangsters versus a vampire sect determined to muscle its way into the human rackets. That in itself would be interesting, but we are also set to have a third party, aliens (or at least one alien), enter the fold at the issue's conclusion.

The alien twist is a big wild card thrown into a story set-up that isn't exact;y well-worn itself. From the little bit of set up we are given to the alien involvement, it seems the aliens were set to deliver some guns and alcohol to Earth, though the narration doesn't make it explicit that Earth was the destination. It could be the Earth crash was a coincedence, but a big one considering this is the Prohibition era. So we've got what looks to be an authentic-feeling period piece that's got some wild elements that may cause it to spiral into something else.

We've got three intriguing main characters so far: Susie Randall, a reporter for the society pages of her newspaper who aspires for more cutting edge journalism. Stefan Dragonmir, an aggressive member of a vampire family determined to be proactive about his race's survival. Eddie Falco, a mob boss who doesn't relish what he does but finds himself targeted by the Dragonmirs.

Like Cobie says, this is a very dense read that's well worth your $3. Lots of dialogue and backstory. And very emtertaining.

I've seen Tommy Lee edwards's work before, but it's never gotten my attention like it has here! I think drawing stories like this one out of the superhero milieu suits his style really well. He excels here in a story that is part period piece, part monster movie and part sci-fi. Not many artists could pull this off, but edwards looks more than up for the challenge.

Issue 2 ships this coming Wednesday, so if your CBS is smart enough to carry current printings of issue 1, you would do a lot worse with your 6 bucks than to pick up both issues.

(It's a mini-series, btw, of either 4 or 5 issues.)

^Whew. You just made my day, Lardy! I thought for sure I missed #2 and my CBS never got it or something. I officially added it to my pull a week ago so I should have it.

Glad to hear you got it and enjoyed it! It's yet another example of what you've been saying for months--hell, years now--that Image is just knocking it out of the park with dense, original independent comics.

I can't recommend this enough to anyone looking for something unique and high quality.

Wonder Woman (first series) #228 through #243
World’s Finest #244 through #250
DC Collectors Edition #C-54: Superman vs. Wonder Woman
DC Special Series #9: Wonder Woman Spectacular

Cover dates: February 1977 through May 1978

Primary writers: Gerry Conway, Martin Pasko, Jack C. Harris (single issues by Brennert and O’Niel)

Primary artists: Jose Delbo, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, and Don Heck (with stories and covers contributed by Ayers, Brown, Buckler, Chan, Ditko, Heath Nasser, Sherman, Staton, Tuska, and Vosburg).

Instead of reviewing a single comic, I am presenting a review of a frequently overlooked “era” for Wonder Woman. It was published in the 1970s. DC Comics featured the adventures of the Earth 2 Wonder Woman, in the 1940’s, to coincide with the World War II setting of the first season of the Wonder Woman television series. The timing of the switch was a bit unfortunate for the comic audience. Wonder Woman had emerged from the mod era of the early 70s, had successfully finished a series of trials to regain her membership to the Justice League of America, and her boyfriend, Steve Trevor, had just been resurrected. He was assuming a new identity as Steve Howard. A number of fans wrote to the letters’ pages expressing disappointment at not being able to see these developments fully explored.

The conventional wisdom of the 1970s DC Universe was that the stories originally published in the 1940s, had been ret conned to become the adventures of the Earth 2 characters. That wisdom did not hold up well with this move. The Earth 2 Wonder Woman, presented here, was quite different from the Wonder Woman who appeared in the early issues of Sensation Comics and her own magazine. Many of the changes reflected the continuity of the television series. Wonder Woman wore a costume that was identical to that of the 1970s character, with short bathing suit type pants instead of a skirt or longer, more modest shorts. Her hair was straight. She transformed from Diana Prince through the use of a magical spinning technique rather than a super fast change of clothing. Steve Trevor now had brown hair, like the actor Lyle Wagoner, instead of his traditional blond. He was also a Navy Major instead of an Army intelligence officer. Diana herself became a Navy yeoman instead of an Army nurse and Lieutenant. Etta Candy was an efficient military clerk instead of a humorous college student. General Darnell was no longer Steve’s boss. He was replaced by the General Blankenship, from the television series.

NBC cancelled the Wonder Woman television series, after the first season, in spite of fairly decent ratings. This decision was made largely as a result of the expense involved with creating the World War II setting. ABC quickly picked up the series and changed the setting to the 1970s in order to avoid those expenses for the second and third seasons. Comic book fans were treated to a comparatively larger volume of WWII era stories because of a lag in production time and some experimentation with comic book formats. Along with the regular monthly series, the Earth 2 Wonder Woman appeared in a back up series in the World’s Finest dollar comic and her very own full-length dollar comic special. She co-starred with the Earth 2 Superman in a tabloid-sized special. A crazy bit of editorial decision-making gave her a defining role in the World’s Finest 250th anniversary issue. The modern day Superman, Batman, Black Canary, and Green Arrow traveled to Earth 2, in the 1940s, to team up with Wonder Woman.

Villains: There was a mix. There were new Nazi themed villains like the Red Panzer, Baron Blitzkrieg, Armageddon, and Agent Axis. Plus lots of generic Nazi’s and some appearances by Hitler himself. There were some new non Nazi super villains like Osira and Bouncer. There some new takes on classic Wonder Woman villains like Cheetah, the Duke of Deception, Dr. Psycho, and Paula Von Gunther.

Cameos: There were brief cameo appearances by most members of the Justice Society of America. There were full-fledged team ups with Sandman, Dr. Midnight, and the Flash (Jay Garrick). Most delightful, for me, was the two-part team up with Sgt. Rock and Easy Company in World’s Finest. Historical figures such as FDR, Winston Churchill and General Macarthur also made appearances.

The biggest team up was, of course, with the Earth 2 Superman in the tabloid. The battle scenes between the two heroes, as illustrated by Garcia-Lopez, were iconic. To this day, some of the images from that story define, for me, how Wonder Woman should look. Diana’s motivation in the battle was a defining point for the character, as well. She was adamantly opposed to the United States gaining nuclear weapons.

The run had a bookend team ups between the Wonder Woman of Earth 1 and the Wonder Woman of Earth 2. These team ups served to introduce the transitions and changes in direction for the main book. These two issues were perhaps the most disappointing, because the technical accidents that lead to the Earth I Wonder Woman crossing Earth’s and back in time made little sense. The Wonder Woman of Earth 2 had to have her memory of the meetings wiped on both occasions.

My Thoughts and Opinions: I enjoy reading Wonder Woman stories. Sometimes I feel like a minority of one. It appears to me, that most Wonder Woman fans are disappointed in the stories that are published. Each new writer is vehemently criticized. Each change of direction is dismissed. Part of that disappointment seems to relate to the high expectations fans have for the character. Wonder Woman, as a character, captures the imagination. She is supposed to be the comic’s preeminent female super hero. A lot of baggage comes with that position. It seems that the stories never measure up for many fans. DC editorial is frequently criticized for not giving the character the support she deserves.

The Earth 2 stories have plenty of flaws. Much of a reader’s enjoyment of them will depend on his or her opinion of the writing at DC during the 70s. The formula was pretty well established. These stories are as good (or bad) as anything else DC was publishing at the time. There was strange science, melodrama, and a bit of preachiness. There were frequent quick resolutions to the outlandish threats. There were also creators who seemed to care about the character. They wanted her to be seen as a hero. They wanted her stories to be interesting, and they gave it a great effort. There were a variety of artistic styles, anchored by the consistency of Jose Delbo who returned time and again to the series. Most notably, after relinquishing the art chores to Bob Brown, who died after finishing only one issue. Delbo picked up again with the next issue and remained with Wonder Woman well into her return to Earth 1 adventures. The covers were great, particularly Garcia-Lopez’s cover to the dollar size DC Special.

It’s hard for me to pick a favorite era of Wonder Woman stories. There is something unique to each. This era is certainly no less fun or memorable than most others for the Amazing Amazon. It does speak to the question of whether DC has supported Wonder Woman. They took full advantage of the opportunity to support the television series and to take advantage the marketing opportunities it presented. It may not have been perfect, but nobody can say that the effort wasn’t there.

^And following up on the above, I read the second story arc of the first trade "There is No God on Cell Block D" which was a nice 2-parter that was very complimentary to the first story. I'm actually a big fan of trades that aren't just one big 6 part story--I've always loved how the Preacher trades incorporated one-shot issues in the beginning or end.

My first thought is that the artwork by Tan Eng Huat was okay but not as good as Roland Boschi on the first story; I've liked his artwork before elsewhere but he's not in the 'my favorite' category. He has a very 1990's/Image style with over-exaggerated forms and even though I don't mind that style, it's just not my favorite. Still, it wasn't too distracting.

What I really liked is how this storyline moved the overall plot forward in a big way while also once again providing a solid story. And the antagonist / threat was a very different one from the first story; where the first story had the pure supernatural elements / conspiratorial group going against Ghost Rider, this one had a strait-up 'big bad' for Johnny to battle. I won't say super-villain because Ghost Rider isn't really a superhero, but that's the closest description and it was good to see.

I really enjoyed this trade a lot. I'll buy the second Aaron one sometime soon to at least see where he went with the story. Again, it's a damn shame Lardy and I came to this late (and so many others never looked at it) because if an ongoing Jason Aaron Ghost Rider series was coming out now I would be incredibly excited about it.

I'm glad you liked it, Des! I always get a little bit of a lift when someone tries something I recommended and really digs it.

Like you, I was never really into Ghost Rider. Every character needs a writer to come along that just really nails what the character should be all about. For my money that was Jason Aaron on Ghost Rider.

I have the three subsequent trades of Aaron's Ghost Rider run. Having read 2 of those 3 (and 3 of the 4 altogether), I can say honestly that his work on the book hasn't disappointed me in delivering on the promise of that great first trade's worth of stories!

The Last Stand (the second Aaron Ghost Rider trade) has a really epic story in it that really delivers a great payoff to the larger story hinted at in the first trade. It's kind of got that Empire strikes back feel to it, if you know what I mean? (No...Johnny Blaze doesn't get frozen in carbonite! ) It expands the story, we finally get to meat Zadkiel and see what he's up to and Blaze gets a supporting cast. There are a lot of jaw-droppingly cool moments. The only thing slightly disappointing was that the dark humor is toned down a little. It's there, but maybe a little less prominent than in the first trade. But the story doesn't disappoint at all. I especially loved the new Ghost Riders we meet in the course of this storyline.

What kind of dragged The Last Stand down at the beginning for me, though, was its reintroduction of characters from the Danny Ketch iteration of the character. I mean, it makes sense since Ketch is involved heavily in the story, but not knowing who Blackout, Caretaker and some of the other characters are took me out of it a little bit. Luckily, that's really just in the first couple issues that comprise the trade. The remaining four issues just barrel on and fit in really well with what is established in the last trade. Those issues really are what this book is all about and knock it out of the park!

The art is by Tan Eng Huat, who I first noticed years ago on one of the numerous Doom Patrol relaunches. He also did the last couple of stories in the first Aaron GR trade. Anyhow, I liked his style wherever I've seen it. It's similar to the style used by Roland Boschi as described by Cobie above. I think I like it a little better than Boschi's style, but that may be because I'm more familiar with Huat's.

The third Aaron Ghost Rider trade Trials and Tribulations is a bit disappointing. Not because aaron loses his touch or anything, but because only three of the five stories within it are his. There are only three Aaron stories to bridge The Last Stand and the final volume Heavens on Fire, so Marvel fills in the trade with an annual that was written by someone else and a reprint of an issue of Johnny Blaze's original Ghost Rider series. Neither extra story sucks exactly, but they are what they are.

The Aaron's stories are three one-offs that kind of bridge the second and fourth trades with standalone stories that give the characters separate adventurers while setting up their frames of mind for the upcoming final act. The scene-stealer among the three is the story with Ketch vs. the Highwayman, literally the trucker from Hell! The dark humor I was missing from Last Stand is definitely back in this story!

I really enjoyed seeing Tony Moore's art on these stories! Tony, I best know from his being the artist on the original 6 issues of The walking Dead. Seeing him draw some more extravagant supernatural stuff here was a real treat. These particular stories really suit Moore's strengths very well, I think. I'd really like to see more of his stuff--where's he hiding these days?!?

Anyway, if you can just snag the three pertinent issues instead of this trade, I'd recommend it. If you get the trade, make sure you get a bargain (like I did) and don't pay the full $12.99 cover price. I suppose you could even skip the Aaron issues contained herein because none are absolutely essential to the larger story, but I'd certainly recommend getting them.

Next up is the last volume Heavens on Fire. I'm sure I'll be reading it fairly soon, but I don't want to rush it. I want to savor it as its the end of a brilliant run, y'know? Des, you'll be pleased to know that Buschi is back for that one!

So after reading #2 I can say that this was a definite improvement for Shadowhawk. Like I said, some nostalgia for the character makes me really want to like the title, but the series is going ot have to really earn it every step of the way. #2 was certainly good enough to get me to check out #3.

That being said, I'm hoping for continued improvement as we go and the creative team to find their footing. The art here was very good and the writing better, but I felt like it could have just been a little tighter. The dialogue could have been a hair smoother.

What I really liked was when a superhero who knew the previous second ShadowHawk (there was the original, then a second, now the original again) shows up, ShadowHawk brushes her off in a pretty harsh way. It's a clear separation from the superheroics of the last version, which I felt were very bland, and the gritty, crime-comic oriented first/now version. I hope that continues as this is a title that definitely works better as a vigilante / mystery man rather than a superhero.

I think the chalk-outline serial killer is an interesting subplot and the cat-thief at the close of the issue getting caught at the crime scene is a good twist. After the first issue, I admit I was a bit dissapointed. Now after the second I'm feeling a lot better about it. We'll see what the third brings.

Finishing up my pile of comics (need to get to the CBS for the last four weeks worth), I read Image Comics Shuddertown by Nick Spencer, whose name I've been seeing quite a lot lately and Adam Green, whose name I don't recognize. This has looked like a very cool crime/detective comic that I've seen solicited from Image for a few months so I was anxious to read it, given Image's recent batting average (see mega-quality hits Walking Dead, Mice Templar, Chew, Turf, etc.).

And perhaps it was with higher than usual expectations that I felt slightly let down. This isn't a bad comic by any stretch, and I would call it 'good', but its not really 'great'.

It appears to be a very interesting crime story with some confusing twists and turns and a self-reflecting, semi-mysterious cop protagonist. Not quite noir, but within the gritty crime detective drama (where the detective is a cop, not a P.I.). While that is a great set-up, one complaint I have about the first issue is there is not quite enough bang for my buck there. It's all set-up and no twist at the end; you feel as if nothing quite happened yet. That may end up being a non-point if you're reading the trade but as a monthly, it feels a little like I'm not getting the whole thing.

The writing is pretty good with some great narration and interesting dialogue. Spencer's strength is his wordplay. One problem though is the entire issue is paced in a bit of a clunky way; its very hard to understand exactly what you're seeing. And in the middle, there is a whole sequence that makes no sense, and I'm wondering if that is a flashback or something else. Obviously, there was some miscommunication between writer & artist or something along that line.

Artwise, Adam Green is definitely in the Alex Maleev / Michael Lark school, which is an art style I like quite a bit. I think it works great with crime comics like Daredevil, Alias, Spider-Woman, Gotham Central, etc. But Green's problem is his art is not quite on par with those two great artists, and just a bit static. The images feel a bit like 'snapshots' in the same way other good artists do (Alex Ross for one) and that sometimes feels very static and lacking dynamism. It's forcing you to realize you have to turn the page yourself instead of doing it effortlessly.

Now, Green is doing the pencils, inks and colors all himself so I realize that's quite a lot of workload and perhaps he's still coming along (I only say that b/c I don't recognize his work). In fact, his ink work (I suspect done the same way as his coloring if he's doing it all) is very good and moody and adds a grittier feel to the story. The static art is more of a minor complaint but still noticeable.

I guess at the end of the day, the 'not enough bang for my buck' feeling may end up causing me not to get the second issue; (then again, I may still just grab it out of curiosity to see if things move along). I suspect that problem will disappear with the eventual trade, so TPB-buyers don't base your decision on this review and that complaint (and in fact, I'd be curious to whether someone reading the trade liked the series).

There was a lot of potential here, but also many things I found distracting and not quite right. Compared to many of Image's recent other great series (or even other great current crime comics), Shuddertown doesn't hold up right now. Hopefully it can reach its potential.

THE MIGHTY CRUSADERS #1 (of 6)

Anyone following the Red Circle characters might want to pick this up. It unites the group, bringing them officially together as a team. The hook in this story is they are a gov't team, overseen by FEMA. With a bit of a LSH reference.

The story is solid super team intro- the team is already formed and announcing itself to the world when they are called upon to stop some rampaging Robotech wannabes. Everyone gets some time in the spotlight, giving us an idea of who they are.

The art is good, typical DC fare these days. Bright colours for superhero costumes, solid line work for facial expressions- it's pretty to look at. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

As for the LSH reference... well it seems oddly coincidental that this book came out the same week as Adventure 516 (detailing R.J. Brande's backstory.)

I bought the Might Crusaders special where they came together and was not impressed. They were slapped together too easily and came across as very contrived to me. I also didn't find any of the characters appealing. It'd be a shame if the mini turns out to be a lot better because that one-shot totally turned me off.

SHADOWLAND #1
- Very little seemed to happen except that the heroes are concerned about DD heading up the Hand and using them as his muscle. Then DD uses the Hand as his muscle in a way that's supposed to be shocking to us I guess or make us think he's all dark. I hope the rest of this is better and packs more story because the first issue read like a promo for the actual story.

Moving Pictures, by Stuart and Kathryn Immonen (Top Shelf Productions)

This graphic novel tells the story of Ila, a Canadian girl who is a curator in Paris when the Nazis take over. The French are frantically cataloging and hiding their art and Ila is one of the people who does the triage, prioritizing what is to be hidden where. But the Germans are also in the race, to find and seize this great art before it leaves Paris. Although she could leave France, Ila remains. Why?

Throughout the book, Ila is brought in repeatedly for questioning by Nazi Rolf Hauptmann, who is searching for particular works of art. She is dangerously hostile, and he is unnusually accepting of her hostility. A strange relationship develops... Ila is hiding much more than paintings.

Ila's conversations are very philosophical, about art, about people disappearing like the artwork, about war - whether she's speaking with friends or being interrogated by Rolf. This makes it a book which will benefit from a second reading; there's a lot to think about, as seen through this young woman's experience.

The artwork is generally very stark, black and white; most of the panels have entirely black backgrounds, when Ila is questioned by Rolf, when she is in the museum - very well suited to the mood of the story. There are also some lovely renderings of Parisian streets and actual paintings.

^FC, that sounds fascinating. Yours is the second great review of it I've read as well. I've long been a fan of Stuart Immonen's work and in recent years have come to really admire his wife's storytelling skills.

I recently purchased Strange Science Fantasy published by IDW and by Scott Morse (writing, full artwork including pencils / inks / colors). It just looked freaky-weird and I was in the mood for that. And in that sense, I was not let down!

I actually liked it quite a bit but as a disclaimer, I'd say this is pretty offbeat for anyone looking for something a little more traditional in their storytelling. I see a definite Kyle Baker influence here. I'm not familiar with Scott Morse now but I can say I'm curious to see more of his stuff.

The story is so off the wall different that I can't really summarize it. I can only say it is a surreal story that has cultural and political metaphors but also revels in being offbeat. It begins with a group of 'gearheads' who are all racecar stars who apparently go on a revolutionary rampage (not just against their fans but against the entire world), and after their leader is disfigured and becomes the enigmatic cyborg "The Headlight", they battle the military oppressors of the world, while at the same time rescuing zoo animals to create a new Noah's arc. And then it gets really weird.

The artwork is very Kyle Baker-esque but taken one level further towards the abstract. Morse also blends his coloring skills with his inks creating this very weird, reddish almost "underwater" feeling to the story. Morse also does his own lettering and the way he does it creates this feeling of rawness; the words are large and give the sense that the narrator is yelling, and almost hysterical.

The title implies its in the tradition of the great sci-fi / monster anthologies of comics past and I think thematically that is true.

Anyone looking for something really different, I'd recommend this. I wish I could do a better job describing but I'm actually a bit at a loss for words.

For Superman: The Last Family of Krypton #1. Some spoilers.

DC has finally revived the comatose Elseworlds imprint, its last foray being, unofficially, Batman: Year 100 (although you could count the Teen Titans Lost Annual, as that was SUPPOSED to be an Elseworlds). It's honestly one of the smartest moves they've made in years, and I'm thankful for it as I am a huge fan of Elseworlds. Of course, it doesn't come close to making up for that unnatural abomination Rise of Arsenal.

The premise here is that Jor-El actually managed to get his family off of Krypton before it self-destructed, settling with Lara and Baby Kal-El on Earth. This isn't necessarily a story of humanity distrusting alien visitors, leading up to the reveal that these so-called benevolent visitors are blood thirsty butchers. It might be, but maybe not, as it is told from the point of view of the El Family.

Jor-El creates JorCorp in an effort to figure out what caused Krypton's destruction and make sure it doesn't happen on Earth, as he is haunted by the fact that he could not save everyone. Lara becomes something of a media figure, and promotes a self-help text based on Kryptonian religion called Raology. However, Kal-El becomes a media child, reaching a point where he can't go outside with his robot-nanny without being hounded by paparazzi. Lara decides the best course of action, to insure Kal-El doesn't get warped, is to live with a surrogate family (some of the choices involve Perry and Alice White, Julius and Jean Schwartz, and the Waynes), but of course, she chooses Jonathan and Martha Kent. That isn't to say Lara is dumping Kal on them, but believes it's the best thing for his welfare to be with two surrogate parents who actually love one another and have strong moral ethics. Kal lives with the Kents for, up to the book's end, six or seven years as Clark Kent, going to school with Lana Lang and Lex Luthor.

No matter what universe, or timeline, it seems that Kal, or Clark, is inevitably linked to Jonathan and Martha Kent, for better or worse. There was one Elseworlds story, "Unforgiven", where Jor-El had managed to evacuate Krypton in time and resettle on Earth. However, it reached the point where the Kryptonians were the ruling class in an almost totalitarian fashion. Rest assured though, the story is not totally one about a stereotypical revolution which leads to the Kryptonian ruling class overthrown at the end. And the circumstances are different. In Unforgiven, it was using the sterile, emotionless Krypton created in John Byrne's "Man of Steel" revamp. In this story, it uses a Jor-El and Lara based on the Silver Age, or maybe even Birthright, versions. I recall another Silver Age Imaginary Story, where Jor-El had only managed to send Lara and Kal-El to Earth, where Lara became Superwoman.

The two DO love one another, but they are not written as a couple whose love will triumph over all. They have some spats, but they can be resolved, as evident by the fact that after arguing, the two embrace and make love... IN THE SUN.

Clark has the benefit of being raised by both his parents, Earthling and Kryptonian, although his relationship with Jor-El is a little strained. That might change next issue, as we are introduced to two new siblings in the El Family by the end. In a Silver Age fashion, Clark uses his abilities to help make a science project that gets him an A, but in a more Modern Age fashion he has to deal with the fact that he can't use his powers on bullies. Jor-El berates Clark on the idea that he would come back to live with himself and Lara if it's only because he doesn't want to deal with bullies, even if Jor-El had some disbelief on Lara doing it in the first place. Jor-El wants him to know about Krypton, whereas Lara wants him to live in the REAL world, Earth, and not in Jor-El's morbid fascination with their dead homeworld.

Of course, what Superman story wouldn't be complete without Lex Luthor, who shows up at Clark and Lara's school as a smart, and snobbish, student who uses his science fair project to embarrass his science teacher. Jor-El and reps from JorCorp show up because Luthor has managed to demonstrate his staggering intellect to Jor-El, and even gloats that he's probably smarter than Kal-El (not aware they're classmates).

I was a bit disappointed this wasn't in prestige format, but who cares? ELSEWORLDS!

So at the beginning of last month, I bought five Marvel #1s. Four of these, I bought because my comic book guy was running a $1 apiece special on them. Of those four, there was only one I had been planning to possibly buy before I knew about the special sale. The fifth (non-sale item) was one I was 90% sure I was going to buy because I'd read an intriguing article on it. So I ended up getting four $1 first issues for the cost of what just one of them would have cost me for the same price as all were $4 comics. The fifth, I paid the regular full price for as planned.

I took all five home with me and finally got around to reading them all tonight, over a month later. My thoughts:

1) Casanova is the one I paid the regular price for based on the article I'd read. It's written by Matt fraction and illustrated by Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon and published under Marvel's creator-owned Icon imprint.

This one intrigued me because I'd heard it was spoken highly of, and although Fraction isn't one of my favorite writers, I enjoyed his early issues of Iron Man. From experience I know that many writers really tend to show their passion and talent on creator-owned projects. This one in particular is actually a reprinting and remastering (with new backup stories) of a series previously published by Image.

Another big draw was Ba's involvement. Though I personally found Umbrella Academy disappointing storywise, I did appreciate Ba's work on that book a lot.

I found the book pretty fascinating. It's kind of like a SHIELD vs. Hydra book with the main character being kind of a merc working in between the two. But add in alternate dimensions to the equation, and it becomes something less familiar. Really, it's hard to describe at this point, and I think that's a good thing!

It's kind of sci-fi/futuristic, a little Grant Morrison-esque in high concept and trippiness with a lot of super-spy genre thrown in. It definitely demands a close read but is also entertaining.

Volume One is called "Luxuria" and volumes apparently alternate artists between Ba and his freqent artistic collaborator Fabio Moon. Volumes one and two are the reprints, and thereafter the series will produce all new volumes thereafter with the artists continuing to alternate. Meanwhile, Moon illustrates the all-new backups in Luxuria", while Ba will do the backups in Volume Two.

I saw enough to make me glad I picked up issue 2 last week without having yet read the first issue. I anticipate buying all of "Luxuria" at the very least. A promising start!

2) Scarlet was the dollar issue that I was most likely to buy even before I knew about the special because Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev were the creators, and I enjoyed their work on Daredevil. Like Casanova, this one's creator-owned and published thru Icon.

From the get-go, Maleev's art didn't disappoint. It looks like his style has evolved since his time on Daredevil so that it's even more appealing in its beautiful grittiness. His work here gets incredibly high marks from me.

I'm more ambivalent about Bendis's script. He literally has the eponymous character talking to us and looking at us through the fourth wall. That definitely takes some getting used to, especially in a gritty book like this one. She doesn'yt go so far as to refer to us as "comic book readers" or say anything like "wait'll you see page 12!", but many of the panels show her looking at us and talking to us. Actually, the dialogue boxes for when she does so are shaped differently from the ones where she engages with other characters.

I'm not sure how I feel about that, really. It kind of grew on me as the issue progressed, but I'm not sure how novel it will feel a few issues on. What bugs me more about the technique is it seems to hamper Maleev a bit when he has to constantly have Scarlet facing us so often page after page. Maleev is game for this, but I'd rather he had more of a chance to show action and acting than have so many shots of her looking at "the camera".

Otherwise, it's kind of a ho-hum corrupt cop ruins characters lives origin story with a few inventive scenes to help us get a sense of the character. What's more interesting is that this story is somehow leading to the character eventually starting a revolution somehow in her rebellion against the wrongs done to her. It's hard to see how it goes there in the issue itself, but Bendis makes it clear this is the direction in the letters page and bonus material that completes the book.

It's kind of disappointing to have to get this from the bonus material, but at least it tells you it won't just be your basic revenge story. I think there's a large chance that I'll buy issue 2 to see how the story develops. Doesn't hurt that I love the Maleev art.

3) Steve Rogers: Super-Soldier was a book I was highly unlikely to buy, but the dollar enticed me. I was a big fan of Brubaker's run on Captain America but had become disenchanted with Reborn and the immediate stories that followed and had recently stopped buying it.

Super-Soldier wasn't a bad book at all, but the story didn't exactly grab me. We have here yet ANOTHER attempt to replicate the super-soldier formula that made Cap what he is, this time with the intent to sell it to the highest unfriendly foreign bidder.

It benefits from Dale Eaglesham's polished art and Brubaker's firm grasp of both Steve Rogers and the spy genre. But I didn't see enough to justify dropping 4 bucks a pop on the remaining issues of this mini(?)-series. Maybe I'm just too disenchanted with Brubaker's Cap at this point to really appreciate it? Hard to say with complete lack of partiality.

4) Avengers: The Children's Crusade was a project I was considering but would ultimately have more likely trade-waited on if I ended up getting it at all. I liked what I'd read of the original Young Avengers series by these returning co-creators, Heinberg and Cheung. But having never finished the series and knowing it's kind of been in Purgatory ever since, made me less likely to by the new series as it came out.

Now, however, I'm more likely to continue buying the it off the stands! First, I remember really liking Cheung's style on YA, but DAMN!--it's flat-out gorgeous here! All that detail and clarity reminds me of Art Adam's salad days. It also evokes early Chris Bachalo, Mark Buckingham and even Olivier Coipel at times. I think it has all of those influences but isn't trying to ape any of them particularly. The coloring also works very well with the art to create a gorgeous package.

I also liked the story. Really, it was all set-up with very little happening 'til the last page. But that was probably necessary for lapsed readers like me and to give Heinberg a chance to get a grasp on his characters again before rushing on.

It's also nice that they're finally going to do something about the Scarlet Witch's status after being virtually unseen since House of M. Dare I hope, they might even redeem her? I hope so because I really like Wanda. In any case it looks like our cast might be among the most natural to resolve her story at last.

Anyhow, the characters and situations speak to me and evoke that elusive "Avenger-y" feeling that I've had trouble finding in stories that carry the title. I will most definitely get issue 2 and see if it will continue to persuade me to spend $4 on this comic!

5) Shadowland was very unlikely to be a purchase without the deal (probably the least likely), and this issue didn't make my prejudice feel unjustified. I'd dropped Diggle's Daredevil a couple of months ago as I did Cap. It was pretty much the same situation as Cap where I'd just lost interest in the direction.

This comic just didn't really pull me in at all. The threat was kinda vague, and we see another confrontation DD/Bullseye confrontation. Though the outcome would seem a shocker, I just groaned and wondered how fast it would be reversed or explained away. The art wasn't horrible, but I'd seen better, more evocative artists working on the main title with Diggle before I dropped it. Comparatively, Tan's arc lacked mood or the nuiance of Diggle's other collaborators, which were the only regrets I had when I left DD.

Again, I may be jaded becuase I recently dropped the book, but other reviews I've seen of this issue tend to agree with me to varying degrees. This looks tremendously overblown, and I pity those who decide to pick up every single tie-in to this thing.


Overall, not a bad haul of number 1s in that trip. Three that will definitely get at least another issue of my money, one that was marginal for a possible trade buy and only one that was a definite dud.

Lardy, that’s really cool of your CBS to do that promotion! It certainly is something that would have got me to buy them (I generally *always* buy a comic that is $1.00 just for the hell of it).

Just some random thoughts on your post:

I was able to get Scarlet and just read it, and plan to review the comic in the post after this.

I did not get Casanova though I kind of wish I did. I was picking up 6 weeks worth of comics and then questioned myself when I picked it up and put it back on the rack. Now, after your post, I’m thinking of at least grabbing #1. Fraction is a very hit or miss writer for me; however, Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon are terrific and I’m loving Daytripper quite a bit, and loved Umbrella Academy. (I believe they are brothers). Your post may have convinced me to sample #1.

Even though I’ve been a vocal supporter of the most recent Cap stories by Brubaker, I actually might pass on the Steve Rogers mini. Why? Well, something about it just screams “trickery” to me in that there doesn’t seem like a real reason to have a Cap series with Bucky and a second Cap series with Steve. I can’t explain it. Sometimes I feel the big 2 take advantage of me and I just need to draw the line. I still plan on collecting and reading the real Cap series, but will likely pass on this one. Your review has only confirmed this for me. Meanwhile, I do plan on getting Roger Stern’s Young Allies mini and the Patriot mini.

Young Avengers I already posted in that thread.

Shadowland is another one I’m really on the fence with. I almost feel like if there wasn’t a zillion tie-ins, I would have gotten this. But the fact that the solicits take 20 minutes to get through all the Shadowland tie-ins just kind of makes me cringe. I still plan on collecting and reading Daredevil as I always have, but wonder if I can skip this? I may buy the first issue of Shadowland for the help of it. I may skip it. I certainly am not getting any of the tie-ins with the possible exception of Power Man and only because its written by Fred Van Lente.

I did read Scarlet tonight, and was very glad to have found a copy after one CBS I visited had sold out. I think this did very well sales-wise and I’m thrilled for Alex Maleev who deserves tons of $$ for his awesome work over the years.

My feeling after reading #1 is I really want to see where this is going and learn more about Scarlet, so in that regard, Bendis & Maleev succeeded in getting me to at least pick up #2 and probably #3 and from there, possibly hook me permanently. I found that while the nuts & bolts of the plot aren’t all that original, the characterization of Scarlet was very intriguing and drew me right in.

Bendis was able to flex his writing muscles less in terms of plot and more in terms of structure and narrative with this story, and in that regard, I liked it quite a bit. Sometimes that is enough to get me really interested, because it makes a comic book stand out. The breaking of the fourth wall was entertaining and made me sit up and take notice; in the interview in the back of the book, Bendis compares it to John Cusack in High Fidelity and I think that’s a good comparison. It didn’t take me out of the story and actually made me get more into the story as I felt I was getting to know Scarlet better.

The other really cool narrative device was the three page sequence that really kicks off the story where several panels act as a summery of Scarlet’s life: ‘Birth’, ‘First Shit’, First Fight’, and so on. I thought it was effective in being amusing/funny while also being very original.

The best part of the issue for me though was the Alex Maleev artwork, as I really love it. I was super-disappointed that Spider-Woman ended and can now let those feelings rest as I’m getting a new dose of Maleev. He really seems to be going all out here as well, as it retains the grittiness of Daredevil that made me a fan, but it also seems more beautiful. Maybe its Scarlet’s subtle attractiveness or the energy of the issue, but it felt more panoramic in a way. Hard to explain what I mean, but I think this was a great artist doing some of his greatest work ever.

I expect the story will get better as time goes on (not that it was bad, it just wasn’t spectacular), but in the meantime, the artwork is gorgeous enough to make me feel satisfied with the purchase.

The final part of the 3-issue Luke Cage miniseries came out and at the end of the day, I’ve got to say this was one excellent little miniseries. If Arcudi was doing an ongoing Luke Cage series, this first story would have me hooked permanently.

As someone who was never a big Luke Cage fan and only warmed up to him begrudgingly through his usage in Avengers, I’m now seeing for the first time how a clever crime drama setting can make Luke’s solo adventure very appealing. Arcudi also showcases something almost always talked about but never really shown well: “street smarts”. In that sense, he’s able to nail an aspect of Luke that many writers have struggled with.

Though the art may not have been everyone’s cup of tea, I think the writing was tight enough and the lead likeable enough to call this mini a big success.

My review on Titans #26. Some spoilers, I guess.

So, the issue I’ve been dreading since June. The Titans issue when Roy finally joins the Losers for Hire. Why does he join? Cheshire emotionally blackmails him into doing it so the two can kill Deathstroke, who has gotten on the wrong side of the little genocidal maniac. She claims that Roy “owes” her because Lian’s death is supposedly on his hands. In a scene where Cheshire attacks Deathstroke, saying “it ends here”, Deathstroke counters by saying “it’s just beginning”, and Roy shows up, apparently selling Cheshire out by revealing she wanted him to kill her. But he says he wants to join, because he knows Deathstroke is obviously planning something big and wants in. He could use a “real Titan”. Cheshire, mentally, congratulates her “little junkie” for his performance, but wonders if Slade sees through it. I mean, how could he not? The exchange is just so one-dimensional you’d have to be blind. Well, Slade does have an eye missing. But it just feels so wooden. And stupid. The woman smirks in the same as Deathstroke and Roy shake, not even waiting for them to leave.

Then there’s some other stuff thrown in, Cinder being suicidal, Tattooed Man, Osiris acting like a spoiled brat and having a White Lantern vision, child slavers who are actually harvesting children as the main ingredient in a drug called Bliss, blah blah blah *blows raspberry*.

The truth is, I’m not even mad anymore. I can’t feel mad. All I feel is sadness, and disgust. Even if I didn’t get the same feeling in the pit of my stomach as I had with ROA when I read this.

It’s a further degradation of Roy’s character, and the tarnished memory of his daughter Lian, as Cheshire of all people demands repayment from him because of her death. Like she’s one to talk. Roy looks like crap, and someone mentioned that his hairstyle seems to visually resemble J.T. Krul, the author behind ROA, and currently writing Green Arrow and soon Teen Titans. If it is that is incredibly conceited, of course if Fiorentino did this as a homage to him I don’t know so I’ll reserve judgment till later. Roy no longer believes in what he stood for those years ago as a Titan, and it’s… understandable, but to be guilt-tripped by Cheshire, the woman who makes Charles Manson look like a better nanny in comparison, it’s just sad. And that costume and arm are still as ugly as holy hell.

Wallace had this to say on the DCU Blog about the issue:

“With Roy back on drugs and haunted by Lian’s death, he’s fallen into an emotional abyss. Broken inside and making all sorts of bad decisions, he’s now a perfect fit for these dark Titans. That’s because these anti-villains are a team of broken, desperate people. Yes, things are going to get worse before they get a lot better. But ironically, it’s Deathstroke’s uber-mission that’s going to help heal them. That is, if they all don’t get killed first in the process.”

I’m sorry, but I’m not buying it. Why should I? What reason do they have for any of us to believe it? After Cry for Justice, the gratuitous predictability of ROA, the pathetic excuses and rationalizitions behind ROA, and how horrible Villains for Hire was, why should we believe him? And of course if it does heal Roy, Lian’s still going to be dead. It’s about the both of them, but since she’s not an A-List, or even a superhero, they’d have little reason to bring her back. One possible reason is because she ages her father. Big deal. So he gets a little older. It’s a horrible waste of potential on Lian’s part. Just like the deaths of Robbie and Jennifer Long and Cerdian.

One of the biggest miffs I have with this is the fact that Lian’s tombstone says she was five, or maybe even four, years old. 2004-2009. There is no way that girl was anything other than six-and-a-half or seven, taking into account OYL and how much time has passed in the DCU since.

If Wallace expects people to feel sympathy for Cheshire because her daughter is dead, he’s barking up the wrong tree. In the Villains United miniseries written by Gail Simone, Cheshire was blackmailed into joining the Secret Six under threat of Lian’s life. Mockingbird, really Lex Luthor, claimed there was a small bomb inserted in the back of her head, which would either kill her or turn her into a vegetable. Cheshire then slept with Catman in order to conceive a replacement child, sold out the Six to the Secret Society, and then left. In the first few issues of the new Secret Six ongoing, Jeannette held Cheshire by her hair over the ledge of her casino’s roof. Cheshire attempted to plead mercy with her by saying she had a little girl. Jeannette’s response:

“I don’t care about your brat, girl. I care about your manners.”

Her second child, Thomas Blake Jr., was recently kidnapped. His father went after the kidnappers, only to learn the child was adopted by a loving family, all in an attempt to screw with Cheshire. Catman told Cheshire that their son was dead in order to protect him. The only time any of us hear about Lian’s half-brother is in Secret Six, and Lian seems to be the only child Cheshire mourns. Even for a super villain, she is not a good mother. Deadshot is a better parent in comparison, heck, Punch and Jewelee are better parents in comparison. She did not, or does not, really love her children. She might care for them, but it’s in the same way somebody cares for a pet, or a toy. If one dies or breaks, you can just replace it. To call her a beast is not fitting, even beasts can truly love their children. She’s a spoiled brat whose had her toys taken from her. Waste no sympathy on this b!tch.

Another matter is Cheshire’s characterization. I might hate this woman, but she’s devolved into the speech patterns of a foul-mouthed sailor. Before, she used words like “my darling” or “beloved”, she now curses more frequently and uses little, if not none, of her former vocabulary.

Speaking of vocabulary, most of the dialogue in this issue read like clichéd one-liners in a bad action movie. Unfortunately, I wrote none of it down for examples as I did for ROA #4, so you might have to take my word for it, whatever it’s worth.

The whole issue feels compressed, with stuff just randomly thrown together and rushed. Granted it’s not a blood bath like the last three issues (counting the “special“), but it is still bad.

Osiris is another example of bad characterization, as he is turning more into Black Adam Jr., saying how once Isis and Black Adam return, these “Titans” will rue the day they crossed him.

I can’t even tell which pages Fiorentino illustrated and which ones Richards illustrated. In certain panels, at least to me, Roy looked like either Austin Powers or a drag queen. And what is that thing he has on his back? A club? A stuff? I have no idea.

On a closing note… is an “abandominium” an abandoned condo?

Sgt. Rock: The Prophecy (GN format)

First off, the artwork is unbelievable. Joe Kubert is a living legend, and should be drawing Sgt Rock every month...okay, I'd settle for every other month.

The story is pretty straight-forward. Rock and Easy have to deliver a package that could help end the war. Easy is loaded with the regulars like Ice, Dozer, Wildman and Sureshot. There are also the characters that may of or may not of been seem before, that you know could be the ones to go. This is after all WWII, and bad things happen to our crew all the time. They do loose a few members along the way, in totally believable ways...and it doesn't feel gratuitios like other comics, as this is about war. Plenty of blood and death in these here pages, but it fits the subject matter.

The package turns out to be a surprise, Dozeer picks up an extra passanger, and there's a baby being carried around by Easy for a while. Nothing is ever easy for Easy, and this collection showcases the no nonsense way Rock deals with his cre to accomplish the goal, while letting them get away with more than probably most other leaders in the war.

There are so many little things that make this book great. Looks that the characters give each other. Nice things that they do for wach other. Dozer and his freind, and what Sureshot does for him after what happens. Sureshot drawing cartooons of their story. Wildman throwing down on a two-timing local they come across.

One thing about this. It's set in Lithuania. May not be a big deal for anyone else, but I'm about 1/3 Lithuanian, so I thought it was pretty dang cool.

Now I wanna go get me some old Joe Kubert war stories...gonna have to hit a local con soon.

DOOM FORCE SPECIAL

This is the special that Grant Morrison wrote during his tenure on Doom Patrol, a one-shot about the future DP.

The Doom Force one-shot is nothing more than a one-shot filled with horribly proportioned anatomy, cliched lines, and millions of annoying pencil lines drawn on EVERYTHING. And that's the point.

This one-shot was done as a parody lambasting not only Morrison's OWN writing (and he wrote this), but the flood of ultra violent comics heralded by Rob Liefeld's X-Force. This supposedly takes place in the future, where Dorothy Spinner is now a grown woman and Niles Caulder is living on as a head preserved in a block of ice (floating inside what appears to be a giant pink drink). Doom Force is composed of...

*Spinner: As I mentioned, Dorothy Spinner, now sporting Bride of Frankenstein hair and the evolved ability to pull nightmares out of her enemy's psyche.
*The Crying Boy: Kenneth Most, who absorbed mystical energy from a cheap painting and now causes heartache and bad luck wherever he goes. He also can't stop crying.
*Flux: Danii Melvin, an Australian girl snatched by dingoes into the Outback when she was a baby, and raised by a witch doctor to manipulate the shapeshifting powers of the dreamtime. She's the one with the ponytail and the white bodysuit covered in markings shaped like sperm.
*The Scratch: Some say he's Morgan Morgan, a previously well-known hero who accidentally killed an innocent and now works anonymously to atone for it. He can dismantle anything.
*Shasta, the Living Mountain: He's a guy who can turn into a mountain. That's it.

They are going up against Count Anton Zero, Count Zero, and his sister Una, who have taken control of a living city. Una can manipulate plants and minerals, and her brother is constantly chiding her for wearing clothes that aren't "revealing" or "feminine" enough, even though it's freezing cold. Her role is a crack at the godawful clothing most women wore in comics back then.

The stereotypes in this book are manifested through Scratch's horribly cliched lines and looking like a Wolverine rip-off, with hardware tools band-aided to his fists and a visor like Cyclops. Flux's ponytail is constantly changing length, at one point appearing so long that it goes literally off panel. The anatomy in this book is shockingly horrible, and at times you wonder how these characters are able to move without being in crippling pain. At one point, Scratch's arms appear to be coming out of the underside of his legs, and Flux's stomach and torso seem to be folding in on itself at one point. Crying Boy and Spinner both appear, frequently, with facial expressions that appear as if they are both constipated. Through all this, poor Shasta is ridiculed by Scratch because of his uselessness. He even tells Shasta at one point to make himself useful and go die. Of course, Shasta does die in this issue, it's even revealed on the cover. At the very end, when it appears that the members of Doom Force are mourning "poor Shasta", Scratch tells him that he's glad Shasta is dead, because he was a creep. And to that, everyone agrees.

"Well, if that's how we all feel, let's all go get something to eat!"

Read this when it came out and loved every second of it. Kubert reminds everyone what an icon he is, and gives that gritty war art that made him famous.

Seems that Joe has done a good number of OGNs (many war-related) over the last decade or so. There's that Sgt. Rock one listed above and "Fax from Sarajevo", and I think there've been at least 2 or 3 others. Unfortunately, his Wikipedia article appears far from up to date as a way of referencing his more recent work. Anyone got or know of a good list I can refer to?

"Fax from Sarajevo" is supposed to be a masterpiece, but I've never read it. It was an OGN in the 90's.

"The Prophecy" was a 6-issue mini from a few years ago that is now collected. One other Kubert SGT Rock story in recent years was a mini as well that is likely collected now.

I finally got around to reading #2 of the title and my feelings are much like the first. It's not the best comic I've ever read, but much like I enjoy a solid B-Grade horror movie, I'm enjoying Hack/Slash enough where I think I'm going to complete this first mini at Image. More than anything it's the atmosphere of the series, which feels very much like the aforementioned B-grade horror movies, but particularly the late 70's / early 80's ones like Prom Night and the first two Halloween films, that I'm finding so appealing.

There is a strait-up creepiness factor to just about every sequence, even the more light-hearted ones. Most of the horror movies coming out today have somehow lost that bit of horror-magic, and are much more gore-centric and in your face, rather than the old-fashioned "creep you out to the fullest" (but FYI, there is still some serious gore in this series).

There are many horror comics out there and many bad ones. This seems to be one of the better ones, and I just may be along the ride for awhile.

Reading the second issue of this miniseries, I found it just a little bit less good than the first issue, mainly because the actual plot seems to be moving along very slowly. Readers considering this series should keep that in mind.

Making the comic still a very worthwhile buy is the characterization by writer Jason Aaron, who really seems to nail both Peter and Logan with every panel. He also brings out what makes them so likable while ignoring some of the more cliche characteristics of both.

I wouldn't be surprised if this one day became an ongoing Marvel title. (Marvel Team-Up with two of every five issues focusing on Wolverine & Spidey isn't a bad idea, with the other 3 of 5 focusing on under-used characters IMO). If it was with this creative team, I'd buy it.

And another Random Review for today is a comic I picked up several weeks ago and finally got around to reading, Pale Horse by BOOM! Studios. This purchase was based on the fact that I want to give BOOM! a chance in some of their new products and also because I'm a huge fan of westerns and am always on the lookout for another really good western series like Jonah Hex or Lone Ranger.

My thoughts on Pale Horse are a bit of a mix bag. The premise is pretty good, being a often-times used one but with a twist: an African American in the post-Civil War years in the Old West, whose wife (a Native American) is brutalized and killed, hiding their son for him to find, and he then embarks on a huge revenge quest, all the while teaching his son how to survive and kill. Years later he is a wanted man but also a bounty hunter. Not the most original thing, but the twist of being a black man in the years right after the end of the Civil War adds a level of "the different" that I could get into.

The mood of the series is rough in the same vein as Jonah Hex and the Man with No Name, which I find appealing. My major complaint is there just doesn't seem to be enough meat for me in one issue. This is a common complaint I've had about many series from BOOM! Studios. While that may all go away in the trade format, it doesn't help me right now when I'm buying single issues. And to be quite honest, the chances of me buying a TPB for a series no one is going out of their way to recommend to me is incredibly dismal, while the chances of me picking a single issue off the rack is quite good; in other words--you've got to rope me in with one issue. Because of this huge decompression, I probably will not buy another issue unless I hear down the road that I should have given the series another chance and am missing something really good.

The creative team is all new to me. Artist Christian Dibari is good, but not on the same level as Sergio Cariello, who takes the sting of the Lone Ranger's decompressed nature away with his stunning depictions.

Anyone who picked this series up--I'd love to hear your thoughts!

For Superman/Wonder Woman: Whom Gods Destroy #1.

Elseworlds started out with a story about Batman if he had been around during the 1880s. From that point, most of them became stories about putting different heroes in different times. Most, well, a good number of them, such as:
*Batman during the Reign of Terror of France in the 19th Century.
*Steel during the days of Civil War-era Southern United States.
*Superman during the Civil War.
*Green Lantern during the days of Tammany Hall.

Some are takes on other literary works.
*Superman as the Frankenstein monster.
*Batman as Jekyll and Hyde.
*Superman living Tarzan's life and vice versa.
*A trilogy based on German Expressionist films surrounding Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Metropolis.

And then the more complex stories such as:
*Kingdom Come
*Batman: The Book of Dead, which deals with Egyptian mythology and the upcoming means to avert a cataclysm in 2012 involving a long dead bat god.
*Conjurors: A world where magic was more predominant than science, with no Superman, Batman, or Wonder Woman analogues.

Superman/Wonder Woman is a much more complex idea. There's no Batman in this story, and before you realize it, Wonder Woman is not the same. It's 1996, Superman has been around since 1938 but he's as young as ever, while Lois Lane and Lana Lang are both old, but not feeble. Oh, and the Third Reich is still around. Superman can't touch them because of the Geneva Convention, and the result of one time when he crossed them... well, Metropolis is gone. However, this issue demonstrates that Greek mythology will have a giant role to play in the story, as Superman is attacked by a creature definitely of magical nature, and Lois has a vision, or dream, of Superman wreaking havoc, and Lana hanging from shackles with an anvil tied around her feet, a punishment that Hera, Zeus' wife and the Goddess of marriage, once suffered.

A prevalent theme in this miniseries is humanity. Lois and Lana's age, Superman's ties to humanity, and his growing frustrations over his inability to finish his next book, which Lois identifies as a human flaw.

This is one of the few books Chris Claremont ever wrote for DC besides his Sovereign Seven series, and it's one of the more original and engrossing Elseworlds miniseries I've ever read. Abell and Geraci do a good job on the art, not spectacular, but good, and his designs on the Greek Panthenon and the upcoming appearance of Diana in later issues are something to remember.

Robert Bloch was one of the all-time great horror and crime authors in the previous century, and while I’m familiar with him, it’s not nearly as much as I want to be. Early in his career, like many of the other great writers of the last century such as Ray Bradbury, he wrote many stories in the pulp magazines of the day. One of his most famous ones was “Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper”, one of the earliest Jack the Ripper tales to be popularized. Bloch was truly fascinated with serial killers—writing the book Psycho based on a fascination with real life killer Ed Gein, which would become the movie of the same name—and it’s only natural he had an interest in the first truly notorious serial killer himself.

IDW is now publishing a comic book adaptation of Robert Bloch’s “Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper” by Joe & John Landsdale. To be honest, I generally avoid comic book adaptations of previous material and also, I have no real idea who the Landsdales are; my recent great experience with Darwyn Cooke’s Parker adaptations has loosened me up a bit and I figured I’d take a chance, since I’ve always been equally fascinated with serial killers and this is one of the seminal works of a great author of the subject.

I’m glad I did—I found the first issue to be really engaging and full of atmosphere and tension. The coloring job in black & white lends itself well, and the creators waste no time in moving the plot along; by the end of the first issue, you’re already clearly getting an idea of where the story is going and whether the premise of Jack the Ripper alive and well in the 1940’s is really happening or a hoax…and if the former, how that could be.

The first issue read like a really great time-period crime story and by issue’s end, I’m realizing this is much more of a horror story. I kind of stumbled onto this issue by accident in the CBS while I was looking for other things and bought it on a whim. I’m glad I did!

I’m also very curious about the original pulp story and would love to read it.

I picked up Wolverine #1 because Jason Aaron is writing it. I'm a fan of Wolverine the character though like most people could do without about half of his appearances these days. I've collected Wolverine's solo comic sporadically over the years when the creative team was strong.

I thought it was a pretty solid first issue and set-up. Knowing how good Aaron is from his other works, I'm getting the sense the build-up here is about to explode in the next few issues.

Something else else Aaron does is make a very real, scary threat in the story. It comes across pretty hardcore. I personally am beginning to suspect Jason Aaron in real life is like Swearigen in Deadwood.

Will I buy more issues? I'm not sure. It was a solid start but the question is do I really feel like collecting Wolverine? Definitely an in-store decision.

Titans #27. Yes, there are spoilers.

I would just like to say that the solicitation for this issue was completely misleading and untrue. Roy and Deathstroke didn’t have to team up together. Hell, they didn’t even spend most of this book in the same room together.

Following the last issue, the Losers for Hire infiltrated the center of a drug lord named Elijah, who distributes a drug called Bliss… which is made from children. Deathstroke’s pre-school sociopaths were attacked by Elijah’s Dominators.

This issue we finally learn their names, and they are: Pisces, Brute, Spike (a Texan), and, wait for it… DJ Molecule.

As Deathstroke deals with the Dominators, Roy goes in search of the holding chambers, and gives more inner monologue, wondering about justice, the only reason he’s with these “Titans” is because of Cheshire… for Lian… and looking forward to killing Slade when he gets the chance. Then he finds the kids.

“Cheshire was right. This is a harvesting chamber. And children are the crops.”

Roy tries to get one out, and the kid dies.

“If that’s how far Elijah was willing to go to make sure his ‘product’ isn’t tampered with… then Bliss must be one helluva high.”

“…I wonder what it tastes like?”

And then Roy gets attacked by Spike. Here’s an example of the dialogue between them:

Spike: Say yer prayers, Red. I’m gonna slice and dice you like a side of Travis County BBQ.
Roy: Stuff it, Tex. You’re about as dangerous as a drunk armadillo crossing six lanes of busy interstate.

Meanwhile, Osiris deals with a Bliss-fueled vision/hallucination of Osiris, talking about bringing her back, the blood he’s spilt and the shadows in his soul, and what he’ll have to do to bring Isis back. And how many people might have to die because of it.

Roy beats Tex, gets the kids out safely. Osiris kills Elijah. Deathstroke and the others leave, with Deathstroke getting what he wanted. DJ Molecule, for some reason.

Back at base, Roy discovers his stash of drugs is missing. Cheshire has it. She offers him something else:

Cheshire: I’ve got something… far more addictive.

And the two have sex. While Deathstroke watches from a security camera, holding a vial of Bliss.

Ugh. Ugh! UGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Even when they write Roy out of character, they manage to write him out of character! The whole reason he’s become like this is because his daughter was killed! I can understand the heroin, or any other drug, but to contemplate using a drug made from children is just contradictory and stupid! And the fact that he actually had a vial of Bliss just makes it worse. (The drug inside the vial is the same color as Bliss). Exactly how long was he in the Villains HQ long enough to get his room in order AND hide a stash?

I’d say that still thinking of Lian and saving the kids would be a good thing, but that gets shot down to hell with the reveal that Roy has some Bliss on him.

More Brightest Day crap with Osiris, who’s temper tantrum can be cleverly written off as under the influence of Bliss. But now it looks like he might have to kill more to bring Isis back. Not to mention he continues to deny that it wasn’t his fault that Ryan Choi is dead, that Deathstroke is the one who did it.

As for the other two? Cinder and Tattooed Man?

Cinder: Die child killers!
Tattooed Man (possibly, or Cheshire): Cinder might be nuts but she does get right to the point.

This issue still doesn’t do anything in terms of sympathy for Cheshire. She bemoans that the kids are going back to their parents, unlike Lian. Every time they try to pass her off as sympathetic I just remember what she did in Villains United. To add more to that, the reason she let Roy raise Lian in the first place was because she said she couldn’t. Obviously she was unfit to do so. But she was perfectly willing to raise the child she had by Thomas Blake. The idea of her having sex with Roy makes my stomach turn, simply because there is nothing attractive about this uber-witch, and to pass her off as that is the same as a slap in the face.

Deathstroke managed to subdue DJ Molecule (UGH) by firing… foam? Into DJ’s mouth? Since when could his staff do that?

In the scene where Roy kicks his arm on the floor during his little temper tantrum, the posture of his leg doesn’t make sense given the amount of force applied to that gaudy gold thing.

Sgt. Rock: The Lost Battalion

Got the HC from the local library. This is a collection of a 6 issue miniseries by Billy Tucci.

This is the true story of the 141st infantry being surrounded and cut off. Obviously Rock and his grunts from Easy were not really there, but their presence does not change the tone of this story; nor do the appearance of a few other recognizable faces.

That being said, I find that this book would have almost been better not having those characters involved at all...but I fully understand the reasoning behind the decision.

The story is riviting, and one can imagine that Rock or any of the men he has with him might actually get the final shot that they all expect at any moment. Each of the crew of Easy get's a moment here...but again, not at the detriment of the story itself. SureShot is the one who, in my opinion, gets the biggest chance to shine...even though a lot of what he does is off "camera." This story, more than most I've read, shows the horros of war and the toll that it took on those that fought under the American Flag. Including the Japanese regiment that is part of the story.

The writing is very well paced...even when it seems to slow in places...it amps right back up again. The artwork is beautiful, even if it does make identifying some of Easy a little more difficult than when Joe Kubert draws them.

Very well done book, and highly recommended for those that love War Stories.

Next Up is Fax From Sarajevo

I don't collect any Radical Comics right now--does anyone here? I'm curious what their output is like.

One thing I did pick up was a $1.00 of Mata Hari, which is actually a preview of the first 20 or so pages of the upcoming graphic novel (for $1.00 I'll buy almost anything). Mata Hari, of course, being the infamous actress spy of WWI, and one of the infamous people in the last century.

It was pretty good! Good enough in fact, to make me totally curious about Mata Hari and want to learn more about her life on my own. Story-telling seemed to click by both writer & artists, and the content was fascinating.

Pretty bold choice for a practically unknown independent comic book company.

The first two issues of "Driver for the Dead" have been excellent... not the type of book I'd normally pick up, but I got a preview copy at Comic Con and liked what I saw... beautiful art and compelling story for fans of voodoo and zombies...

Titans #28 Review - Spoilers.

Yet another issue of Deathstroke's merry band of sociopaths this month of October. This time around they're getting paid to bust somebody out of Arkham Asylum, while at the same time Deathstroke is looking for somebody else. After months somebody is finally looking into Ryan Choi's "disappearance", Ray Palmer. Roy is once again high and has to be quietly restrained by Cheshire so as to not try and slit Deathstroke's throat, or the Joker's, or anyone else's for that matter. Tattooed Man dwells on his dead son. Cinder wants to murder an Arkham inhabitant named Nursery Crime. Osiris kills the asylum guard who got them in and is responsible for all the inmates getting free. And then Deathstroke finally finds who he is looking for... a young woman named Allegra Garcia, before Batman intervenes.
...
Again with the children. For the last three issues of Titans that's all it seems to involve and no one seems to be bothered by it.
*The death of Lian Harper, Roy's daughter by undeserving witch Cheshire.
*Children being kidnapped and harvested as the main ingredient for a designer drug called Bliss.
*The death of Tattooed Man's son at the hands of Slipknot.
*The introduction, or mention, of a villain named Nursery Crime, who apparently has a history with both Cinder AND little children.
*The introduction of Allegra Garcia, who appears to be twelve or thirteen years old, wearing an inhibitor collar and stuck in a cell with words and crude images scrawled on her wall. Scared out of her mind and possibly deadly. Wait, it's Arkham. Yeah, she's deadly.

What is with DC in thinking that children make for good drama? It's sadistic, vicious, and all too easy. Children are probably reading this comic right now. I mean, they know who Titans are, and they know who Deathstroke is? Is this what they need? Even if the story isn't aimed at them, it's still disgusting and done for no other reason then to try and incite petty drama and darkness. In terms of the reveal of Allegra Garcia, chances are she might actually be the new member who Eric Wallace hinted at. And from the looks of things it's a "you don't know what she is" cliche going on here. Everybody had assumed the new member might be Rose. Still, chances are she might be.

Tattooed Man and Cinder finally get a bit on initiative as Tattooed Man dwells on his son's death and wonders what kind of a man he's becoming now that he's become involved in the death of Ryan Choi, and it's implied that Nursery Crime has had a history with Cinder, whose backstory implies she's suffered at the ends of molestation and sexual abuse when she was younger.

Someone FINALLY makes an effort into looking for Ryan Choi after he's been "missing" for months.

Roy's been a... member of Titans for three issues, and in each issue he's been high. His first words are "let's do this" with a rather bloodthirsty look on his face, and while talking with Cheshire she has to control him from wanting to slit Slade's throat. Then he mentions he could do the Joker's. We find out from the way he is seeing THREE Cheshire's that, yes, he is high.

Osiris is slowly turning more into Superboy-Prime rather than Black Adam Jr. as I have stated before, with him dwelling on whether or not to kill a security guard to help Isis. Then decides he NEEDS to. And when the guard unlocks the cells just before he dies, Osiris decides not to help his teammates, to teach them that it wasn't a good idea to make fun of him.

Speaking of, the asylum cells have been open for five seconds, and alright most of the patients have their gear. Zsasz has a knife, Mr. Freeze has his gun, hell, Firefly has a got a tank of either gasoline of kerosene and a match! What the heck?!

I figured that DC was beginning to get desperate with this title when the solicits read that Brightest Day fans should tune in for the Osiris tie-in element, the only BD solicit I could think of that asked fans to tune in. And the element? Three or four pages of Osiris deciding to kill the security guard.

The issue ends once again with the team being overwhelmed by a giant group against, just like it did in the last two-part storyarc. Joy.

^ That book sounds like everything I hate about comics at the moment. I don't know how anyone could enjoy that type of content. Especially in a book called Titans. I have little doubt a lot of it is editorially-mandated though. DC's current editorial leadership is the worst in the company's history IMO. They need a massive shake-up there STAT.

Surprisingly, I don't even want this book burned. NO book deserves that.

But I wouldn't mind if ever issue of this, Rise, and Cry for Justice were rounded up, along with the original art and scripts and notes, and put inside the basement of a church in a small town which is going to be flooded to make an artificial lake.

RE: Titans. I generally avoid even reading reviews of it; Sarky's latest reminds me why--what an awesome series.

Meanwhile, I recently read a comic I enjoyed quite a bit: The Sixth Gun by Oni Press. I picked this up on a whim and am glad I did, as I'll likely complete the series. It takes place in the Old West but with a mystical/horror element as well. The story centers around a mystical six-shooter and hints at an interesting history behind it. There are pinkertons, ghosts, a leading man with ambiguous morals and lots of mystery.

The writing by Cullen Bunn is very tight and packs a lot in the first issue, and the art by Brian Hurtt is dynamic, exciting and very well suited to the genre. He draws great horror-type scenes, and also great western scenes. His art feels like it'd be perfect for Jonah Hex.

Solid buy.

Something else else more positive. Knight & Squire #1.

With the continuing flow of darkness, depravity, and dead children in some DC Comics, another bright spot has opened up in this long-needed miniseries about the British Batman and Robin, Knight and Squire.

The first of the series opens into a pub called The Time In A Bottle, which is a neutral ground for Britain's many superheroes, villains, rogues, and adventurers. Besides the Knight and his plucky sidekick, the Squire, we meet the likes:

*Jarvis Poker, the British Joker, a "cover version" of the Joker who admires his style but at the same time can't bring himself to commit any ACTUAL crimes. Not very tasteful, in his opinion.
*The Shrike (or rather, the British Shrike), a new costumed player who has yet to decide if he wants to be a hero or a villain.
*Faceoff, an implied "heavy duty" hero and homosexual.
*Captain Cornwall and Cornwall Boy, said to be descendants of Merlin with ties to his brand of "land magic". Always at each other's throats.
*Heroes such as Salt of the Earth, the Milkman, Rush Hour I, II, and III, Captain Moondust.
*Villains such as Death Dinosaur, Blind Fury, Stone Cold Luke, and the Dark Druid.

However, in Britain, they have with them a sense of moderation, unlike the American heroes who go to big extremes in their field of superheroics. You're either a paragon of justice or a filthy murderer.

Now, one might be a bit consumed by the use of British slang and lingo, but this issue offers a perfect example of how superheroics work in England, rather than slowly revealing it. The ones who steal the show this issue are Knight, Squire, Shrike, and Jarvis, as most of the reveal behind the Time In A Bottle's history and the history of Britain's superheroics is explained to the Shrike by Squire.

The artist feels the issue with dozens of original, and as of yet, unnamed villains and heroes inhabiting said Pub, my personal favorite being Death Dinosaur.

The story as a whole reads at times like a Monty Python sketch about superheroes, or a superhero comic about Monty Python. Does that sound right? Either way, this gives the Knight and Squire a chance to shine outside of Batman or Justice League comics, as for years Grant Morrison has been slowly revealing bits about their history to his readers.

^I can't wait to pick up Knight & Squire #1!

Today I also read a comic that was accidently put in my pull-pile, and I left it there, Spawn #199. I used to be a Spawn reader for a longtime when it debuted in the 90's--I still have issues #1 - 80. At that point, I realized I had no idea why I was still collecting and dropped the title, as there was little I liked about it anymore. I'm a huge fan of McFarlane's artwork, but the storyline for Spawn wasn't my cup of tea. I'm now collecting Haunt by McFarlane and the immensely talented Robert Kirkman, so for the first time in years, I'm collecting a McFarlane comic again. Very recently, my CBS accidentally put #199 in my pile, I decided I'd leave it in there and see how Spawn was doing all these long years later since I've been enjoying Haunt.

I'll tell you it wasn't bad by any means...it just wasn't quite what I'm looking for right now. There is a new Spawn from the one I know, and while I recognize Sam & Twitch, I have no pull to the characters. I also feel like this is a pretty similar story to Spawn when I dropped it 12 years ago--basically not much of a story at all but scheming demons and angels using Spawn to create Armageddon.

Something else else that was a plus and made me feel okay with having made the purchase was the artwork. It was Eric Larsen's pencils with McFarlane inks. Larsen has never been a favorite of mine, but I do like his layouts. McFarlane, meanwhile, is one of my favorite inkers, so seeing his embellishments on Larsen's work made for a really cool mix. I liked it a lot. They're not the regular creative team, just a one-off combo, so it was cool that I got this issue in particular. I always kind of lump them together anyway because they were the big Spider-Man artists who left to co-form Image with the other 5.

It's funny that I bought an issue of Spawn. Not only did I read it long ago, I used to have a good friend "kind of" into comics that would only read Spawn and Batman. Spawn was just so popular in the 90's. Nowadays, I don't know anyone (online or in person) who collects it.

Codename: Sailor V is, in a way, the prologue to the Sailor Moon series created by Naoko Takeuchi, and sets the stage for the main series.

It’s the story of Minako (Mina) Aino, a junior high school student who finds a talking white cat with a crescent moon mark on his forehead named Artemis, who tells her that she is really a soldier of love and justice. Minako learns that she’s the reincarnation of the princess of Venus, and she’s given the equipment and ability to transform into a sailor-suited soldier of justice, Codename: Sailor V. However, Minako has no interest in wanting to be a soldier of justice and is happy just being a normal guy and a fan of idols. Artemis has to put up with her laziness and deals with training a less-than-ideal soldier, and reports to a never-seen “Boss” through a command center .

From those of you who ever watched Sailor Moon, you’ll remember the mentions made of Sailor V, a mysterious, masked heroine who had her own video game, comics, and an anime coming out. It later turned out that Sailor V was actually Sailor Venus, and had awoken earlier than the other Sailor Soldiers. Sailor V has drastically different powers from Sailor Venus, as well as a drastically different costume.

The villains of Codename: Sailor V are a group called the Dark Agency. Under the lead of a mysterious figure called Danburite, the Dark Agency is constantly trying to take over the world, steal energy, and rake in cash. How do they do it? Idols. Pretty much every enemy and agent they use serve as beautiful, gifted idols for the public to fawn over. The Dark Agency makes constant attempts at stealing energy through music, television, video games, cosmetics, travel, and even through selling fattening chocolates and endorsing a weight-loss program around Valentine’s Day. The Dark Agency, however, turns out to be a sublet of the Dark Kingdom, the main villains of the first Sailor Moon story arc.

Minako usually finds out about them because she’s such a fan girl. However, she usually gets prevented from actually participating in any live events or concerts and thus misses out on the general brainwashing attempt, only to learn what’s going on a while later. It’s because she’s such a fan girl that herself and Artemis learn what the Dark Agency is up to.

The supporting cast besides Minako and Artemis are Minako’s best friend, Hikaru, who bears a resemblance to Ami Mizuno (Amy, Sailor Mercury) and Amano Gurikazu, a geek who Minako considers an annoyance yet has large knowledge of current idols (who bears a resemblance to Umino/Melvin from Sailor Moon). Others outside of school are Minako’s overbearing mother, who usually scolds her daughter for her pop culture interests yet she herself winds up a victim due to her hypocrisy. There’s also the police superintendent Natsuna Sakurada who is a closet V fan but has to pretend to be against her, and disgruntled young officer Toshi Wakagi who usually suffers because of V.

There are various cameos and mentions to the regular series in Sailor V. In fact, the boy who runs the arcade Minako frequents is actually a reoccurring character from Sailor Moon, Motoki Furuhata, and it is suggested that Natsuna is somehow related to Haruna Sakurada, Sailor Moon’s junior high teacher.

It’s actually kind of weird to read Codename: Sailor V, for the somewhat ditzy and hyperactive way that Minako is portrayed. As someone who started watching Sailor Moon with the episode where Sailor Jupiter was introduced, I’m more used to the more serious depiction of Minako than to her fan girlish persona. To me, it’s as if she suffered a stroke which caused a severe personality upheaval.

However, this offers a rare chance to demonstrate a Sailor Moon character’s development and history before the series started. I was lucky to find this online at mangafox.com.

http://www.mangafox.com/manga/codename_sailor_v/v01/c001/

I've been able to do quite a bit of comic book reading in the last 2 days and so figured I'd catch up on several reviews I wanted to do, including several here in Random Review Corner--1 new one, and 3 comics I've already reviewed here and so figured I'd continue to use this thread to update. So forgive the next four consecutive posts!

I read Scarlett #2 and was left with the same impressions of the first issue. It's a very well-done, interesting series and I'm curious to see where it's going. What differentiates it is the story-telling methods Bendis and Maleev are choosing to use and that makes it a refreshing read.

The story itself is pretty solid so far even though #2 didn't quite advance the plot as far as I would have hoped. I'm not sure if a nation-wide revolution is where this comic is really going or if that is just hype I've read elsewhere, but if so, I'm still not seeing how the comic can get there even quasi-realistically. But then again, I may be completely wrong on whether that is where it really is going.

Maleev's artwork is a wonder to behold. The artwork, combined with the unique style of story-telling have earned Scarlett a permanent place on my pull list for now.

At the risk of quoting myself too many times, I figured I'd keep it going so my impressions overtime are apparent.

Astonishing Wolverine / Spider-Man continues to be a highly entertaining read with excellent writing and beautiful artwork and I'm glad I've stuck it out. I've finished #3 and since this is a 6 issue series, I'm committed to getting the whole thing. I suspect this will make an awesome trade once it's complete.

There are several very strong points to the series, particularly the Kubert artwork and the science-fiction bent in plot that is a nice change of pace for Logan especially, as well as Peter (whose sci-fi is usually more grounded; this is more Marvel Team-Up 'off the wall' sci-fi). But the strongest part of this series is how well Jason Aaron gets and understands both Spider-Man and Wolverine. He writes them incredibly well! His Spider-Man is perfect and he writes Wolverine in a way that showcases the characters depth and doesn't even come close to the parody of the original character he often is portrayed as.

Anyone wishing there was a fun superhero story for Wolverine and Spider-Man that has high stakes and a tight plot but isn't mired in tragedy and "grim & gritty"--do yourself a favor and buy this trade when its available.

Well, I finally did get around to reading #3 of Shadowhawk and my impression of the comic is...it just isn't anything very good. It's not terrible, or even 'bad', but it isn't great, or even 'good'. It's just okay. I like this character a lot, but if this was a host of other characters I would be dropping it without a second thought. I think three issues is enough time for any series to get it's footing and grab the reader and this hasn't done so.

The problem lies in both the writing and artwork. It feels very raw and very flat. There isn't anything striking about it.

I think #3 was my final issue. Unless I'm in the CBS looking for anything to buy to tide me over until my next big run, I don't really have much of a reason to continue. It's too bad--if Valentino was the actual artist, that would probably be enough to keep me around a little longer.

One of the big announcements coming from the smaller publishers in recent months has been the team-up between BOOM! Studios and Stan Lee's POW! Entertainment to create three new superhero titles. I'm slightly skeptical about more superhero comics entering this market unless they are hands-down excellent, but figured all three would be worth a try. Of course quite a lot would depend on the actual creative teams as it's obvious Stan's involvement is limited (though he'll probably take all the credit like he's done his whole career--but that's a conversation for somewhere else ).

Soldier Zero was the first to come out, about a veteran from Afghanistan confined to a wheelchair and trying to move on with his life before a meteor hits that will ultimate give him a supehero power set and armor to make him Soldier Zero. If that's vague, it's because that's all we get in #1...it's only part of the origin and there isn't much action. Of course, a big part is the awkwardness for the soldier trying to get by in a wheelchair and how uncomfortable other people are around him.

This last bit is interesting though a little 'on the nose' in delivery, but that's part & parcel for a Stan Lee comic so it isn't surprising. It also fits with the old Marvel 'tragic hero' angle. I think in premise it's a good one and something I'd like to see more. But 6 or so pages of it is a bit much; this should have been condensed throughout the issue so we could get a full origin here.

Paul Cornell, who I'm just becoming familiar with in Action Comics and Knight & Squire, is handling the writing and the dialogue is very good. The plotting, as a I mention above, is a bit slow and vague so far.

Javier Pina provides the artwork and does a nice job. My problem is it isn't anything spectacular because it doesn't feel very detailed; the backgrounds are almost completely empty in every panel. That always smells like a rush job to me where corners were cut and as some LWers may know, I *hate* that.

I'd give this a solid C+ / B- and at this point, I'm unsure whether I'll get #2. I certainly will try the other 2 comics though. Is anyone else going to pick any of these up?

I'm still thinking about it.

The premises are interesting, but the last few weeks have been big for me, book-wise. I'm also not sure if I need to be jumping into another superhero universe right now. Maybe if there's a slow week and my store still has copies.

A review of one of my favorite Elseworlds stories, "Supergirl: Wings."

This is one of those rare examples where a hero other than Batman and/or Superman was granted an Elseworlds story that wasn't simply an annual or used as a type of sequel for something else. Heck, even Wonder Woman and Green Lantern only got two.

The basic story is a retelling of Peter David's first half of the last Supergirl series, the "Earth-Angel" saga. Matrix is now literally an angel, one of many whose task is to save those teetering on the brink of damnation, the Amenlee. Her compatriot is Zauriel, part of those who work with human souls before they are born, the Kindel. Matrix is expressing doubts about her latest charge, a girl named Linda Danvers who is resisting her every attempt at helping her. One of the reoccurring themes of this story is the idea of love and liking. Matrix and Zauriel are SUPPOSED to love humans, they don't actually have a choice in the matter. But Zauriel admits that he actually likes them beyond what his role is supposed to be, yet Matrix keeps expressing more and more doubts on whether or not she has the capacity to do so, along with the doubt that Linda can truly be saved. When you think about it, people always talk about guardian angels, yet we have to wonder if they actually love us because they choose to, or because that's what they are there for. Growing to love and like something, and being born to love something are two entirely different things.

In all of this there is Matrix's charge, Linda Danvers, who is supposedly very self-willed towards the dark side. Although we never actually see Linda committing any sins so we just go on Matrix's judgement, as well as the Spectre's, who attempts to claim Linda twice in the story. Linda's boyfriend, Buzz, is believed to be one of the guiding reasons behind Linda's sins, but as Buzz points out, everything she did was of her own free will. We're even told that Linda's original guardian angel "went down in flames, so to speak". However, Linda comes along quicker in her revelation than Matrix, which would be easier to assume, as Linda is not forced to conform to the ideas and life that Matrix was born for. Linda winds up being the one to save Matrix in a moment where she shows the most strength out of everyone in the story.

Beyond love there is also change, as Matrix keeps trying to resist her doubts and free will and longing for the days when she was just an extension of God's will, but every time she is nearly assimilated with another form of God and about to lose her identity she resists at the last minute. Whether she likes it or not, she's changing, and with those changes her newfound anger at Linda, and later the human race, continues to grow. At one point Matrix "possesses" Linda, and is disgusted at the so-called cage that is humanity. She is disgusted by the five senses and the bacteria and disease in a person's body. "They're dying from the moment they're born!" In a moment when Matrix, still in Linda, begins to make out with Buzz, Matrix becomes so repulsed after nearly enjoying it that she stops in the middle and almost kills Buzz with a lamp.

Matrix is constantly shown different perspectives on the human race beyond what her angelic existence knows, with help from others such as Zauriel and the Phantom Stranger. There are angelic re-imaginings of Superman, Swamp Thing, and Aquaman present in this story. Superman appears, first as the husband of a happily-married couple with two children in Kansas, and later we learn that he is an angel who is actually living among humanity without having gave up his abilities. Swamp Thing and Aquaman appear as reflections of God based on the Earth and the oceans, the Deva of the Trees and Ceetka, respectively. There role demonstrates an attempt at blending together the idea of sprites and nature spirits with ideas of God and angels, as angels themselves can be seen as counterparts to nymphs and fairies in certain other religions. An interesting note to point out is that no religion is actually identified in this book, although people would assume that because it deals with angels it's more attuned to a monotheistic religion. God is never referred to as "him" or "her", but "Hir", bringing on the idea that God is genderless, or rather, our personal idea of God differs amongst each person. We're also introduced to Buzz as a demon named M'yaa, who also appears as the Devil in a Batman-esque depiction in the final moments before Matrix nearly caves in.

Most people are always criticizing the Earth-Angel story, but in my opinion it's much more enjoyable than the whole "bad girl emo" shpeel we had to deal with for the first two or three years of the current Supergirl series.

Yes, there were a couple of things I found about the ending that were hokey, such as the scene of all the secondary characters gathering, and smiling, during the moment of big truth, and when Matrix/Linda sports her new appearance with the blank shield on Matrix's outfit now sporting an "S", even though there's no actual reason for it. But I was willing to overlook it due to the fact that someone was willing to do a Supergirl (not Superman or Superboy) Elseworlds that didn't put her in the future or just recast her into another timeline, but took the less-then-popular "Earth-Angel" storyline and reworked it into a struggle of good versus evil where the proponent of good is the one who is more likely to fall than the girl she is trying to save. In regular comics, it was up to Matrix to save Linda's soul, here, it becomes the other way around.

I give a lot of positive reviews on Legion World so when I read something I feel very negatively about, I'm almost shocked by it and instantly want to know if anyone is enjoying it. Such is the case with Knight and Squire by DC and Paul Cornell.

These are two characters I like a real lot--I loved the way Grant Morrison brought the concept back to DC and I love the obscure and surprisingly complex history of the characters. So I was excited for a mini focused on them, which only furthered my disappointment.

I found #1 to be an issue in which almost nothing of any note happens, and instead if jam-packed with British in-jokes. I like British culture quite a bit (especially London and it's history) but I have no great knowledge or interest in that many obscure references to British pop-culture. I actually felt a bit cheated by it for spending my money on this.

Not a single moment provides any way to giving insight to either Knight or Squire, which is unfortunate. Given this Knight is very similar to the current Dick-as-Batman scenario, it would be a good time to showcase the fact that Knight is the son of the original (and former Squire) who has taken up his father's mantle.

I'm pretty bummed out by how bad I thought the issue was.

Something else else that I did find highly enjoyable was the Valkyrie one-shot by Mice Templar's Brian Glass and the consistently good Phil Winslade. I wish this was #1 of an ongoing series as it did a great job establishing Val in this new Asgard era and made me want more.

Glass is an excellent writer as seen in Mice Templar and he's a natural to handle the Asgardians in the MU. Here he does a great job at showcasing the various facets of Val. She's an ass-kicker and that needs to be shown, but he is also clear that she is not a man-hater (groan) and actually her origins in Der Ring des Nibelungen show her as someone who believes in the idea of love and that men, like women, can truly be worthy of it.

Phil Winslade has been knocking it out of the park with his Jonah Hex stories in the last few years and he continues it here. His action sequences felt very 70's to me which is fitting since it's the era most associated with Val. He does a good job at making his art scratchy/gritty like in Hex, or more clean / well-finished as here. I thought he did a great job.

The use of Piledriver was welcome and well-done. It's probably his best appearance since the mid-80's by Stern.

What could possibly be the very best work Mark Millar has ever done, and by far the best artwork Leinil Yu has every produced, has arrived in the form of Superior, an independent comic released by Marvel's Icon imprint. Millar is a writer many love to hate, but I've always felt he was very talented and his independent work has always been his best stuff. He is a naturally at evoking the 'teenage emotions' in his reader, but here, he does a great job evoking the sense of wonder that a kid or pre-teen would feel and it was very refreshing! Millar's recent track-record included a sub-par Fantastic Four run and a really good Nemesis miniseries (creator-owned) and I think here he turns that creator-owned success in quality into a streak (likely continued with Kick-Ass II).

Leinil Yu, who is an artist that to be honest, I find to be one of the weaker 'hot' artists in comics, is suddenly proving me wrong by providing artwork for a story that he clearly loves and is invested in. The level of detail is huge! The scope switches from tight 'small-screen' moments to scenes incredibly epic and grand, while throughout the whole thing conveying a sense of wonder.

Dave McCraig, who does the colors, also does a wonderful job bringing some 'pop' to the artwork. Superior really felt like an iconic, coloful superhero who could exist in the great eras of comics past as well as today.

The premise, in which a pre-teen with MS suddenly finds himself transformed into a grown-up superhero (similar to Captain Marvel, but with some twists including not knowing how to change back) is very solid. Millar does a great job making very clear the lead character's point of view in being shocked and then terrified at the turn of events.

Something else else should also be mentioned: there is no excess violence, sex, smut, gross humor or other trademarks many may think should be here. In fact, this is very clearly something you could hand an 8 year old, while incredibly entertaining to a 30 year old like myself.

I highly recommend this and I also dare those with a preconception of Millar (or Yu, like me) to try it out and be surprised...and delighted.

Some time ago I had decided that other than Ultimate Spider-Man, I had given up completely on the Ultimate Universe. After a steady decline for several years, I realized I just didn’t care anymore. So recently when I saw Ultimate Thor on the stands, I passed it by several times before I eventually bought it. The reason for doing so can easily be summed up: Jonathan Hickman. Hickman is so good these days, based on Fantastic Four and especially SHIELD, that his name carries a lot of weight with me.

Ultimately, I made the right call. Just like SHIELD, I was very impressed by the scope of Ultimate Thor and the suspenseful and grandiose method in story-telling which is being used. It already feels incredibly epic: Baron Zemo in WWII; Ragnarok; a young Thor, Loki and Balder having adventures together; Dr. Don Blake visiting Ultimate Thor who may or may not be losing his mind. Hickman can write and I love his style.

Carlos Pacheco, who isn’t my favorite artist, does a fantastic job here, and impressed more than he ever has before. His art looked very clean and exciting.

This was a pleasant surprise and I’m committed to the rest of the series now.

Hey LW! Where are all the Random Reviews?!!

I’ve decided I will at least be trying out all of the Stan Lee / Boom Studios comic books for the first issue, and make a decision about collecting them after that. Having already decided not to continue Solider Zero, I also picked up Traveler and read it; this one I was a little more excited about because of Mark Waid’s involvement, as for the most part, I’ve enjoyed Waid’s superhero stories tremendously over the years. Overall, I’d say Traveler is much better than Soldier Zero, though there are still some things about it that could be much improved upon.

The good: the basic premise, while still not completely clear, is a very science-fiction-y superhero type setting that I find very appealing, especially when in conjunction with Mark Waid’s writing. Though only one issue into it, the pacing and entire “feel” of the series is similar to Waid’s Flash (which I loved), and that was very helpful. Now, to be clear, it’s certainly not there yet but I feel like it *could* get there (unlike, say, Fantastic Four by Waid, which I feel never did). Waid does a great job pacing the comic with sprinkles of science-fiction while not letting it overwhelm the story. He also brings a very fresh approach to time-related science that I found interesting and am curious to know more about.

The slightly annoying: what I dislike, and so far every single comic I’ve ever bought from Boom Studios has this problem, is that you don’t really get a full story in a single comic. I felt like way too much was left out of the issue and I didn’t really get enough bang for my buck. And I hate that. The story could have used some additional pages providing a little more *something*. A lot is left unanswered, which isn’t always a bad thing, but IMO, it’d be better to at least have learned something about the character, the Traveler, or at least something about the premise, or at least something about the way time/his powers work. That’s three major factors that remain unexplained. C’mon guys—there’s a lot of things competing for my $$ and you need to step it up.

The art: Chard Hardin provides the artwork, whom I’m unfamiliar with (or at least, can’t remember him from anything). It’s a solid effort that I thought accomplished what it sent out to do, though to be perfectly honest, a few days later and I’m not recalling all that much about it, so that isn’t perhaps so great. In other words, it was good, but not fantastic—but with potential to get there.

All in all, I think this was a “pretty good” first issue with potential to get good and then possibly great; it all depends on how long I’ll stick around to let it get there. At this point I probably will buy #2, but I won’t guaranty it—there are plenty of times I’ve said I’d buy the next issue but forgotten about the comic and never followed up.

You know him from his work on Warlord (the recently-ended version), though you may not realize it. He's the guy who came aboard after Joe Prado did the initial issue or two. Chad also spelled Grell here and there after Grell became the semi-regular artist. Chad's art was solid enough and told the story well but wasn't anything jaw-dropping. I've considered picking up some of the Stan Lee/Boom titles, but having artists aboard like Hardin, who didn't overly impress, have kept me away from anything other than leaving the possibility open for checking out the eventual trades if reviews merit.

You are, however, absolutely RIGHT about Boom's essential problem of not delivering satisfying individual issues. I've felt the same about titles I've tried and dropped from them (including 28 Days Later and Incorruptible). The only Boom! title I still get and enjoy is Irredeemable, but I'll admit up front that it would probably read much better in trade form.

I feel that to succeed as a monthly, you've GOTTA deliver a satisfying product every month! Boom! obviously writes for the trades, so I'm unlikely to purchase any other ongoing (other than Irredeemable) they solicit on that basis, especially when they're uniformly $3.99 a pop!

^I'm really glad I'm not the only one who noticed that about Boom! I was starting to wonder if it was just me.

IMO, from a business stand-point, the smartest way to make money in comics is to produce solid individual issues that also works cumulatively as a solid trade paperback. Then publishers get the double-whammy. When they don't this, I can't help but feel that someone is being incrediblys stupid. No doubt the Sandman stories by Gaimen work incredibly well as trades, but all those individual issues also worked incredibly well as individual issues, even when part of a larger story.

I haven't checked out Starborn yet (the third Lee/Boom title) but I've heard it suffers from the same problem. I'll probably still give #1 a try but if that problem exists, it's a huge hurdle to overcome in order to get me on board.

Rest, by Mark Powers (writer), Shawn McManus, Marco Castiello, Abhishek Malsuni (line art). TPB.

Full title: Why Sleep? Take REST (Seracetinol).

What could you accomplish if you didn't have to sleep?

John Barrett is a young man in a dead-end job, going nowhere with his life. Out of his past comes his old college roomie and best friend, offering him a chance to change everything. All he has to do is sign up as a test subject for a new drug, Seracetinol aka Rest.

His life certainly changes, but with the unintended consequences you would expect from such a story. The drug has some unfortunate side effects, as well as dark secrets from an earlier trial.

Pharmarceutical skulduggery, corporate spies, a trashy woman, best laid plans gone wrong... and, in the end, you can't keep a drug like that off the market - so there may be a sequel.

It was a good read, if somewhat predictable. There was a sci fi story years ago about children who were born without the need for sleep; that story was much more positive (although not without a downside). Rest is probably more realistic.

The art was good, muted colors suited to the tone but not very complex scenes. (Some of the covers from the five individual issues were very striking, notably by Tim Sale and Phil Jiminez.)

Based on some pretty high praise throughout the internet, I picked up Marineman #1 by Ian Churchill, published through Image. It was a very satisfying read, though I'm unsure at this point if I want to continue.

For whatever reason, Churchill has never stuck out in my mind, so I can't really recall his prior work. I know he provided art for a plethora of comics I've collected (X-Men, Superman, etc.). Here, he does just about everything: writing, pencils, inks, etc. Whenever someone does that, I am always impressed (even more so if they deliver on time).

The premise is something I like--a non-superhero adventure title that would be a perfect fit for people who like the Disovery Channel, History Channel and Animal Planet (all channels I really enjoy). It captures a sense of adventure while at the same time it's--dear I say it?--educational. In other words, it's the kind of comic I'd really love for a young kid to be reading. (Naturally you can't say that or no one will buy it).

Thus far, Marineman has no 'superpowers', which I think is a good thing and hope it stays that way. It will help differentiate him from Namor and Aquaman, which he clearly is inspired by. Interestingly, his look & tone of the series thus far is much more in line with 1950's Aquaman, which was an adventure/social commentary strip more than anything.

The artwork is really beautiful IMO, and I ended up being really impressed by Churchill. Something else else that sticks out is the vibrant coloring, which is nicely done in contrast to the deep blues of the ocean.

My major problem is: is this something that interests me? In a very hypocritical manner, I want this comic to suceed, yet I'm not sure if I want to be the one to buy it. (An arguement I hate from other comic book fans, yet here I am). I certainly don't want to buy something and then not really get into it. I'll have to struggle with this a bit longer and make any further decisions in the store.

What could make or break it is where the opening storyline is going. Will it venture into the more weird, with a higher sense of adventure? That could tip me.

I have to first state my opinion on Alan Moore. I feel bad for him in that DC continues to whore out his better works, but I also feel that he's somewhat conceited, as he has no right to criticize Blackest Night on the grounds that an event book was built out of a tiny plot point he created, as most of his work is pretty much based off of something someone else already created. Terra Obscura, Swamp Thing, Miracle Man (or Marvel Man, I don't know), Supreme, Glory, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, not to mention Watchmen would've originally been a book about the Charlton characters had DC said he couldn't use them.

However, the most work by him I extremely enjoy his America's Best Comics, my personal favorite being Tomorrow Stories. It's an anthology-type series that ran for 12 issues and two specials, although most of the segments are more humorous and meant to satirize certain comics tropes.

Greyshirt, with artist Rick Veitch.
Cobweb, with artist/wife Melinda Gebbie.
First American and U.S. Angel, with Jim Baikie.
Jack B. Quick with Kevin Nowlan.
Splash Brannigan with Hilary Barta.

Greyshirt is a take on the pulp heroes of the 1940s, a detective/vigilante dressed in a grey suit and a bandana mask covering most of his face. The stories are pretty straightforward, but consistent and certainly not boring.

Cobweb is a femme fatale/glamorous vigilante who works with her partner/chauffeur/lover Clarice, but the stories are really just Melinda Gebbie's vehicle for exploring different art styles and feminist erotica. Gebbie only worked on Cobweb until the seventh issue, at which point Dame Darcy took over for two issues, followed by Joyce Chin, and then Rick Veitch handling art in a crossover story with the Greyshirt segment.

First American and U.S. Angel highly satirizes the superhero trend, F.A. is totally inept and overwight and Angel hates him. Beyond satirizing superheroes, they also satirize pop culture, with the first issue dealing with a Jerry Springer-type parody who turns out to be an alien invader.

Jack B. Quick, a take on the boy genius trope, is a highly intelligent farm boy who does often ill-conceived experiments based on incorrect logic and beliefs. This has actually driven his parents to become suicidal. In the first issue, his mother asks "Jonathan Beauregarde Quick! You better not be usurping the Almighty's divine option again!"

Splash Brannigan lampoons the comic industry in general, Splash being made of living, 4-dimensional ink, and his co-star being Daisy Screensaver, a female inker struggling with deadlines and her crank, suicidal boss Sydney J. Kaput of Kaput Comics. The comics often questions the previous, more innocent state of comics to today's hyper-violent, sarcastic thugs. One of the comics in Splash Brannigan is actually called Sarcastic Thug.

I want to focus on the segments for each individual character that really drew my eye.

Cobweb was the whole reason I had gotten interested in Tomorrow Stories. As I said previously, each issue features Melinda Gebbie trying out different styles and themes. I particularly enjoyed the story in #5, "La Toile dans Chateau des Larmes", (Cobweb in the Castle of Tears). La Toile is actually a villainous ancestor of the current Cobweb, Laurel Lakeland, whom lived in 19th century France. The story focuses on La Toile's descent into the underworld, and consequent ascension to heaven upon realizing that everything is meaningless, done in a style similar to that of a collage of metal engravings in a violet color. The story uses phrases such as "she misplaced her wicked life on the top deck of a deconsecrated omnibus", or "the previously beloved devils of her senses now stirred nothing from her loins save nagging Lamias and damp, exhausted crocodiles". The artwork is beautiful, and while there is no dialogue, the words and tone of writing just make you want to come back for more.

In issue #7, the last Cobweb story Gebbie illustrated for the Tomorrow Stories series is done in the style of black-and-white newspaper comics from the 1920s. The story, called "Mondo Gowando", has "Congo Cobweb and Congo Clarice" taking a trip into the jungles of Gowandogandoland, where the two fall into the clutches of the Lost Housewives of New Jersey, a tribe of statuesque housewives who disappeared during a package tour, and have since assimilated to jungle lifestyle. Their speech is nothing but an exaggerated New Jersey accent, example: "Cheedeez buggzamoydah". After receiving attire from the Lost Housewives, Cobweb and Clarice spend the remainder of the story fleeing for their lives from the Housewives (who intend to sacrifice the two to their god, Gowando) Mark Male (a parody of the male jungle scientist character), and Tarquin of the Woodlice (don't ask). The artwork is more conventional, but the themes aren't less erotic, as at one point, Cobweb and Clarice attempt to camouflage themselves with mud, but simply turns into mud wrestling as the Housewives, Mark Male, and Tarquin ogle.

Despite the feminist erotic themes, Cobweb has been depicted as loving both men and women, as she has had a relationship with Greyshirt, and also had something of an SM relationship with a villain named the Mongoose, but it is implied that Clarice is her true love, and vice versa. As it turns out, there has been a long line of Cobwebs and Clarices in the Lakeland family, dating back from Incan ancestors, who discovered a way to parthenogenetically reproduce, thus meaning that Cobweb and Clarice are sisters, but not related by DNA. Most of the previous Lakeland women were thieves, murderers, and Satanists, until the companion to La Toile, Clothilde, became disillusioned and ran off with their daughters to America during the start of the 20th Century.

The reason for this explanation is that the Cobweb stories tend to take place in different times with no explanation. The first story seems to take place in the 1940s, another focuses on Li'l Cobweb and Li'l Clarice, and another a 1960s story with Grooveweb and Cosmic Clarice. The answers are provided with ABC A-Z: Greyshirt and Cobweb.

The artistic duties went to Dame Darcy as the story that Gebbie and Moore had originally wrote for #8 was shelved because the editors considered it too controversial, so it was published by Top Shelf with Cobweb's costume being colored green and renamed "La Toile".

To be honest, I actually prefer Clarice to Cobweb, as she has to deal with her mistress and sometimes act as a voice of reason.

If you guys are up for breaking taboo, I suggest you try out Tomorrow Stories. I'll be back later for more.

JSA PRESENTS: STARS AND S.T.R.I.P.E. VOLUME ONE

Collecting "Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. #1-7

My reader/author relationship with Geoff Johns has been like a tempestuous love affair where the apparent nice apple-pie guy turns out to be morose, moody, morbid, and deeply disturbed.

And yet, every time I say I'm never coming back to him, I do.

What brought this about was when I borrowed the fifth volume of Starman Omnibus from the library, and lo and behold, it included a reprint of Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. #0, included because of Jack Knight's sizable guest-starring role. And I loved the story. It was a timely reminder of how good Johns used to be. So I figured, the library has both S&S trades, I've always loved Courtney, and she's based on Johns' beloved kid sister, so there can't be anything too horrible, right?

Well, yes...and no. Johns' penchant for the grotesque and creepy is already evident -- giant bloodthirsty mosquitoes, the head of the cheerleading squad being the abused daughter of a super-villain -- albeit not in-your-face like it's been these last few years. Still, it spoils the fun.

And there is fun to be had. Courtney and her best friend Mary are wonderfully written, as is Courtney's loveable lug of a stepdad, Pat "Formerly Known as Stripesy" Dugan. Johns really knows how to do characterization, and it's something that's gotten lost of late among the gallons of gore.

On the other hand, my beloved Young Justice doesn't come off too well in their guest appearance, and neither do the Marvel Family (I assume it was a crossover with Power of Shazam, and it would have been much appreciated if DC had included the Shazam issue in this trade.)

But I'm still going to read the second trade, and hopefully I'll be pleasantly surprised.

My daughter has read through these and enjoyed them quite a bit. She loves Courtney.

Courtney was awesome back in the day, but I lost sight of her after I quit "Justice Society" shortly after its relaunch. How has she been written lately?

And, Bug, just curious, has your daughter ever read back issues of "Young Justice"?

Unfortunately no. I never got into that at the time, so she has not had the chance.

That's a shame. It was so good. I wasn't into it at the time, either, and since there's only one out-of-print trade, I had to look for back issues. STILL haven't found the final two issues.

JSA PRESENTS: STARS AND S.T.R.I.P.E. VOLUME TWO

Collecting "Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E." #0, 8-14.

Except for #0, which now looks like a fluke, the second volume was more of the same, with the added annoyance of continuity mania. The flashback to the 7 Soldiers' legendary battle against the Nebula Man is well-written, but did it HAVE to be told? Whatever happened to leaving things to the readers imagination? And the resolution of the over-arching storyline brought out that paternalistic side to Johns that bothers me almost as much as his taste for the gross and the creepy.

And yet, as before, there are moments of well-observed humanism and sharp characterization. Maybe Johns just needs some therapy to cure the Jekyll-and-Hyde tendencies of his writing.

I think maybe, perhaps that like Giffen and Byrne, perhaps Johns works nest when paired with someone else to keep him in a target range. This is not to say that I do not like his, or any of their solo efforts, jus that they seem to do better things with others.

Good point. To give but one example, all of Johns' best JSA stories were co-written by David Goyer.

FL, I enjoyed the reviews of Stars & STRIPE, a series I haven't thought about in a long time! I remember enjoying the series at the time--not really overly impressed by the stories, but rather just loving Courtney and the portrayal of Stripesey. Courtney is one of the best new characters that came out of the 90's.

I think a few mistakes have been made along the way with her: making her Stargirl (kind of a useless change), and letting her get lost in the crowd in the ridiculously overfilled JSA comics.

One quick question: am I correct that Stripesy's youth (since he was born in the 1920's) is explained by his time travel / Seven Soldiers / returned in the JLA story adventure? I can't remember ever confirming that, but I've always just assumed.

Fickles, while I'll agree that Geoff worked better generally on JSA with Goyer, he has had numerous terrific solo credits that, IMO, would refute your claim. Just to name a few, I'd put Green Lantern, both Flash runs, Superman: Secret Origin and his issues of Action Comics without Richard Donner out there as examples. I know you might disagree with some of those, but the critical acclaim and success they experienced cannot be discounted. He has his flaws, but to say he's always better with another writer seems unsupported. I mean, for starters, just look at all the bile thrown at Brightest Day, which he co-writes with Peter Tomasi.

Cobie, that explanation is indeed in S&S, issue #8 to be exact. It's the old "I spent a week in the past but it was forty years later when I returned to the present" paradox.

Chief, I do think Johns did an exceptional job solo on Green Lantern: Rebirth and the first 25 issues of the GL ongoing, but I think it's because he had a strong editor (none other than Peter Tomasi) for most of the way, and that the excellent Sinestro Corps War event was already set in stone even though Tomasi had left the book by that time. Tomasi also edited Johns' entire pre-relaunch JSA run, both with and without Goyer, BTW.

I think Johns is currently in that dangerous position where he's so powerful that editors don't dare question his more dubious tendencies. It'll be interesting to see if Johns' writing changes for the better under Bob Harras as DC EiC, as Harras has a reputation for being very tenacious.

I sampled Thunderstrike #1 on a whim recently and finally got around to reading it. When Thunderstrike was first introduced, I disliked the character because I hated the “replacement of Silver Age characters” phase at Marvel. But once I read the entire run of Thor in my early teens, I actually began to love the character of Eric Masterson and he became a big favorite of mine; I absolutely saw the potential for him to be a great friend of Thor’s with Thor restored and Eric as Thunderstrike. So with that in mind, I picked up the new title, delighted to see the team of DeFalco and Frenz, who created Thunderstrike and basically wrote all of his solo stories.

First off, with Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz as the creative team (with finished by Sal Buscema, who also did some Thor work with them), this comic felt so 1980’s that it hurt—and in a GOOD way. I forgot how much I like Frenz’s style, especially when he channels Kirby, which he tends to do on Thor & Thunderstrike. Meanwhile, DeFalco hits all the classic beats of story-telling, such as providing set-up, character interaction, super-action and an easy flow to the story that I’ve missed. DeFalco was never my favorite writer when he was a high profile Marvel guy, but I realize now he was actually pretty good (or got that way over time).

The character himself is not Eric Masterson, but his son, who we knew when he was a boy. The son is now a teen and to say he is troubled is an understatement—but you can’t really blame him, given what’s happened. So what we’re seeing is an angry teenager, who surprisingly gains immense power with the Thunderstrike, and reluctantly takes on the role of superhero when all he wants to do is lash out at the world, especially the heroes who were once his father’s allies. Not the most original concept but a good one and one I can get behind.

The premise also takes on a bit of a Shazam type quality since it’s a teenager taking on the form of an adult; in fact, he looks just like his father when he was powered-up so that’s a level of weird there too (whether the creative team addresses it as weird or not we’ll see).

Honestly, I didn’t expect to enjoy this comic that much but I really did. It’s not the best comic book on the market but it was good enough to get me to buy the series. I already have an invested interest in the lead character, and more generally, the history of Thor, so that is a little bit more of a push for me to get this (people who didn’t read Thor in the 80’s might not feel the same). The comic book itself is definitely a great example of how story-telling from the 80's in superhero comics was much better at using single issues to draw in readers, whereas many creators today could learn a few things.

Cobie, the only time I liked Eric Masterson was in the few issues of the Harras Avengers that he was in. I know you're a fan of the Harras Avengers like myself, and would certainly be interested to know what you thought of his appearances there.

As for the new book, I appreciate your review, but I may or may not give it a go. I wasn't a huge fan of that Thor era, and never followed the first Thunderstrike book.

BTW, Eric, his son Kevin, and the whole Thunderstrike thing were actually the creation of Tom DeFalco, not Ralph Macchio.

A couple of years ago I checked out America's Best Comics from the library, by which I mean the TPB that had the 64-Page Giant, The Many Worlds of Tesla Strong, and the ABC Sketchbook. Of course, the library's copy had some pages torn out of the Many Worlds part.

I'm really just reviewing the Many Worlds of Tesla Strong. It's a special about Tesla traveling through the Multiverse looking for a missing Solomon, and each Earth she visits she encounters a version of herself, and learns that on each parallel Earth THEIR version of Solomon has just gone missing too.

Tom Strong had previously visited the concept of a multiverse at least twice, however this one is more connected to Tom Strong #10, where most of the variants of Tesla originally appeared. We have, among my favorite...

*Tekla Strong: From an Earth where WWIII happened and led to a large, radioactive crater. All that's left is 40,000 survivors in a bunker built by Tekla's dad, who saw the thing common, some Mormons, the Swiss, and mutated, meat-eating cockroaches. Tekla wears body armor and uses curse words like "freck" and "goober". Tekla had previously appeared in Tom Strong #10, and she's one of the more fleshed out alternates. Her segment is illustrated by Michael Golden.
*Tesla Terrific: A world where Tesla and her father, Tom Terrific, are more closely Superman and Supergirl analogues. Tesla's secret identity is college student Tara Stone, she has a nosy neighbor named Lily LaGuna, and Tesla's boyfriend is "a 28th Century science geek who doesn't write". This segment was illustrated by none other than Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez.
*Tamla: Now, this segment I hadn't earlier read because it'd been ripped out of the book. On Tamla's world, her father is black and her mother is white... and they're all naked. Tamla's world is one where human sexuality wasn't so repressed. It's the little touches in this world, such as Tamla's mother mention that her boyfriendS will be coming back to join ALL THREE OF THEM in the hot tub, along with a poster in Tamla's room that reads "Back Sync Boys". Tamla's parents are actually trying to get Tesla's clothes off, well, it's more like examining them, but the implied presence of incest without the retardation is right out there. Illustrated by known cheesecake artist J. Scott Campbell.

We also meet multiple alternate versions of Solomon, including one who's really a guy in an ape mask and jacket, an inner city Solomon, an ape woman, a Robin Solomon, and one who is really the infamous Weeping Gorilla who has appeared multiple times in Promethea.

Tesla's travels also bring her to the Earth home to the Queztlcoatl-9, the sentient serpent program/god who also earlier appeared, and finally Tiberius and Twyla Strong, the evil counterparts of Tom and Tesla. We also meet good versions of Tom's archenemy Paul Saveen (here Peter Saveen), and Ilsa and Alois Weiss, good versions of Nazi uber-bitch Ingrid and her bastard son Albrecht. The writer mentions the previous altercation between Ingrid and Tesla's mom, Dhalua.

This is a comic on the Multiverse that you don't need to have secondhand research for. And it uses a variety of artists that don't clutter the book.

the funny thing is I was looking at Tom DeFalco’s name on the comic book and writing out Ralph Macchio. Talk about the brain seeing what it wants! I always get them confused for some reason.

To answer your question, I thought Harras did a great job with Thunderstrike for the little time he had him. In fact, since I was a young teen when the Harras run was coming out, my intro to Eric Masterson actually works backwards: the first time I ever saw him was via Harras. I only ever went backwards to read the Masterson Thor / Thunderstrike stories afterwards. Having read the Harras run numerous times since, I can see why I liked him at first (I always recall him showing up right at the end of the Black Knight / Sersi Saga); like most Harras depictions during the run, he nailed the character completely, highlighted what made him unique and also made him very likable.

In the Avengers, Masterson always felt like an outsider since he was the “fake-Thor” and that was the right way to approach his membership. I felt bad for him but understood.

Something else else I forgot to mention in my above review is there is an excellent back-up with Todd Nauck artwork where Sif is speaking to the Valkrye, telling the story of Eric Masterson (as a set-up for a Valkrye supporting character who will be joining the series next issue). The back-up does a wonderful job showing how heroically Masterson saved Thor and helped Thor on numerous occasions. It highlights that he wasn’t a *replacement Thor* but rather, an ally of Thor, like Beta Ray Bill.

Todd Nauck?

I'll have to Byrne-steal it for sure, if only for the back-up. Thanks, Cobie.

Re: Eric in the Avengers, I thought his finest moment is near the end of Operation Galactic Storm, when he's the only one of the killing expedition to have second thoughts.

Today at lunch was my off-day for the gym so I caught up on one of the best kept secrets in comics (though probably not since it sells better than 80% of DC and Marvel’s comics)—namely, Superior by Mark Millar and Leinil Yu. It’s very different from many of Millar’s other projects that you almost might think it’s not him (aside from a few ‘fucks’ and ‘shits’); I can see he is harkening back to his Superman Adventures days, trying to capture what would make a young pre-teen / teen fall in love with a series.

Of all of Millar’s independent works, which by and large I feel are quite good, this one may end up being the best. It captures a sense of ‘larger than life’ that many super-heroes have lost. Rather than dismissing old tropes, it revels in secret identities, secret origins, discovering & testing of powers, media reaction to the superhero, people not believing what they are seeing and all the other facets of a superhero that were prominent for 50 years and yet nowadays are seen as old fashioned. Yet, this comic screams ‘modernity’ where you know it is clearly 2011.

A huge aspect of this is the art by Leinil Yu. In my above quoted post, I mentioned how his art never did it for me though Superior #1 was changing that. Well, Superior #2 and #3 have cemented me as a Yu fan for life. His style is so different from comic book past, yet he is able to capture a certain innocence here. Superior himself is a clean-cut superhero out of the Captain Marvel / Superman of the Golden Age mold, yet still retains that distinct Yu dynamic / slightly scratchy look.

Once again, I have to praise colorist Dave McCraig who just makes this whole issue POP. The lush colors bring out every scene, whether it’s urban New York or the a remote forest invoking a small town or whatever. The greens, the blues and everything else makes it feel like a classic superhero story. And Superior’s very simple, elegant and colorful costume just continues to work.

I thought this was a miniseries but either it’s longer than expected or ongoing. Personally, I hope ongoing. With #3, we are introduced to a Lois Lane type, yet she is clearly a 2011 snobby celebrity reporter with more flaw than good; yet the narrative makes us think she’s going to end up being more Lois (the good qualities) as time goes on; I’d like to see her get there. Considering Superior is actually a 12 year old boy, this won’t be a Clark / Lois love affair (though it wouldn’t be beyond Millar to go there); the comic does pay homage to the movie Big a lot though, so it may tackle the issue like that movie did.

#3 was splendid in how it captured the awe the public felt when Superior started doing superhero things. It makes me realize how much fun a new universe could be when there aren’t already pre-established superheroes. You’d think I’d be used to seeing this type of seen again and again after countless movies and comics but it felt refreshing and actually new.

Recommended!

(I'm posting this REBELS review here because the thread on the LSH board is already focusing on issue 24 and would seem out of place)

REBELS #23 concluded the story arc called "To Be a REBEL" in a manner that I feel was just a bit two tidy.

This arc was largely about the territorial/jurisdictional conflict between LEGION and the Green Lantern Corps in the Vega Sector and particularly how it involved the two rookie GL's assigned to the sector. I think that Bedard made both rookies fairly good three-dimensional characters. The backgrounds and motivations he gave the two were pretty interesting and tied in very well to how Bedard is building the sector's political and cultural setting.

So LEGION and the Corps are meeting to settle their differences, but sneaky ol' Dox has a plan set up to undermine the Corps in public opinion. With the help of son Lyrl, Dox sets up a phony terrorist plot to destroy the Vegan sun. He plans for the rookie GL's to fail and for LEGION to pull their proverbial fat from the fire. Turns out, however, that the rookies are actually up to the challenge and stop the bomb from going off without assistance.

The problem is that the solution just comes too easy. Longtime LEGION/REBELS readers know that nothing comes that simple when Dox (let alone TWO Doxes) is involved! Dox has backup plans to his backup plans, yet here it seems Dox just whiffed it. There's no "ah-ha!" moment, just a quiet scene between the two Doxes showing they simply underestimated the rookies.

John Stewart appears here, though, and is utilized pretty effectively by Bedard, particularly how his past failure in a similar situation with the planet Xanshi is brought up. Soranik and Ganthet appear as well, but are little more than cameos and not particularly resonant.

The art by Claude St. Aubin and Scott Hanna is pretty good as usual. Some issues they knock out better than this one. There are some jarring panels, like one where John's forehead looks elongated. And the Psions just look a little goofy and unrealistic and that holds for the Psion GL who is one of the featured rookies.

Another weakness is that the larger cast of REBELS seems to barely do more than cameo in recent issues. It's basically all Dox with a line or two maybe or a group shop of most of the rest. Hopefully, Bedard will get on track with this arc closed. There's just still so much to be explored with cast members like Ciji, Bounder and the Dominator just ripe for some exploration.

Lardy's rating for REBELS # 23: 2 Donuts (out of five)!

Sounds like I'm still not missing anything. REBELS has been a missed opportunity in my opinion.

It totally jumped the shark with Stealth's death, but wasn't all that great before that either.

Since I'm hoping there may be more posts to come in the FL Looks Back thread about Levitz's 70s JSA run, and since the Doom Patrol threads are all specific to certain eras, I'm going to review the Silver Age Doom Patrol in this thread.

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: DOOM PATROL VOLUMES 1 & 2

The most offbeat series of the Silver Age, Doom Patrol continues to spark revivals more than 40 years after the end of the first series.

And that first series holds up surprisingly well, although Arnold Drake's writing and Bruno Premiani's artwork evolved along different paths, the former getting increasingly in-your-face with its campiness, the latter getting increasingly self-assured and hyper-realistic.

Except for the Brotherhood of Evil, most of the villains are interchangable monsters and they seem like an afterthought. The real meat of the series is the twisted soap opera of two feuding unconventional families, the Doom Patrol and the Brotherhood of Evil, and the eventual destruction of both at the hands of a character who is constantly pulled back and forth between the two and who emerges as the star of the series. I'm talking about Madame Rouge.

Based on her rather conventional villainy and death in the early issues of New Teen Titans, I had never considered Madame Rouge a top villainess until I read the Silver Age Doom Patrol. She was a gem -- morally ambiguous, Euro-sophisticated, and possessed of a power both cool and creepy, like a female Plastic Man with looser morals. How nobody has revived her (Blackest Night doesn't count) is beyond me. And I know exactly how she could be revived, but I won't share that here, in case I decide to do a Madame Rouge fanfic.

None of the Doom Patrol revivals have been to my taste. Greg Burgas' comprehensive overview of the Morrison era is, in my opinion, more entertaining and more coherent than the era itself.

I would say that #23 was somewhat of an aberration in terms of its comparatively lower quality, Lash. Most issues are more cleverly written than that, so in a way, it might have earned another donut if it were another series, if that makes sense. REBELS is normally a solid 3-4 donuts.

However, the trend to shove the other characters more and more into the background IS a disturbing trend that's not just limited to this issue. That needs to be corrected A.S.A.P.!

re: REBELS #23 - Much as I enjoyed the two Doxes reluctantly working together, I think you're spot on with your criticism of that issue. The original L.E.G.I.O.N. developed the other characters much more, which made it a real team book. We've had glimpses of that in this series, but it's very Dox-intense - and now we're back to more Starro.

re: Doom Patrol Showcases - I love your description of the stories as a twisted soap opera. It's hard to surpass the appeal of the early Doom Patrol, high wackiness but accessible. I found Morrison's DP a little too weird at times. Also, the issues in which Steve Dayton is courting and marries Rita are some of the funniest.

The current series captures the original tone for me, although it has much darker underpinnings, which I find suitable to the times we're living in.

Kill Shakespeare, #1 & 2, by Conor McCreary and Anthony Del Col (writers), Andy Belanger (art)

After seeing the movie Kill Bill, the writers started wondering what other Bills could be killed and came up with Bill Shakespeare as the most entertaining possibility.

This is a world inhabited by Shakespeare's heroes and villains from different plays. The story opens with Hamlet in Denmark; after he accidently murders Polonius, he flees for England. Pirates attack his ship in a storm, he is washed overboard and lands in the realm of Richard III. Richard enlists him to capture the quill of the wizard Shakespeare and thus free the land of the wizard's control - but first Hamlet must find this Shakespeare.

He sets off on this quest accompanied by Iago, is ambushed by supporters of Shakespeare and rescued by Richard and his men. Of course, Richard has ulterior motives and they're not very nice ones...

This is a lot of fun. The story is more complicated than I've presented here; there's good depth to the reading. You probably need some knowledge of Shakespeare's principal characters to enjoy it, but I don't think any great familiarity with the plays is necessary.

There's a trade paperback of issues 1-6 which I've ordered; the series - and the adventure - continues.

There

Thanks, FC.

One thing I forgot to mention in my review is that, as Premiani's art evolves and Rita's look changes, I think she begins to resemble Jennifer Garner more and more...except Jennifer Garner wasn't even born until three years after Doom Patrol was cancelled! And "Alias" itself was as much a twisted soap opera as it was an action/adventure show. Eerie.

Interesting. I actually found it not weird enough! Or rather, too acutely self-conscious to be truly weird. I will give Morrison credit for one thing, though -- he excelled in the portrayal of Robotman.

I'll have to politely disagree there. I think the times we live in demand ever more escapism.

Yeah, I have no problem with Dox being the main character (as he was in the old series), but this is still supposed to be an ensemble book. The prior series had very well-developed supporting characters, but Bedard is letting the current cast languish for the most part. Maybe Captain Comet, Starfire and Adam Strange get some memorable scenes, but all of the rest have been little more than wallpaper for a good while.

On the plus side, a review I read of 24 seems to indicate that there's at least some progress along these lines. Hopefully, it's with more than just those same three characters.

Something else else I’ve seen very little reaction to online (which is never a good thing) is DC’s Weird Worlds #1 which came out recently. All in all, I thought the first issue had some really great artwork on all three stories, but the actual stories themselves were a bit run of the mill.

I actually like the anthology format and would love to see it actually work for American superheroes one day. If one could thrive it would be the perfect place for new ideas to blossom, and I like the fact that with three features you get more bang for your buck. But what is often the case, anthologies are packed with many sub-par stuff as a way for the publisher to pad the issue. I wish rather than the three stories we had here, there was an anthology collecting all the best back-ups at DC: the Atom, The Spirit Black & White feature, and Justice, Inc.

The art was great on all three, though the Lobo and Tanga stories weren’t overly dynamic. The Garbage Man story by Ariel Olivetti actually was incredibly dynamic and gorgeous to look at though and I wonder if the character had his own single issue if he’d have a better chance?

Ultimately though, Garbage Man felt too much like a Swamp Thing / Man-Thing rip off (with parts of the Toxic Avenger thrown in), and Tanga is just Starfire with attitude and on restraint backed by humorous dialogue so far. The Lobo story is nothing I haven’t read 1,000 times before. I would have liked for these stories to be a bit more original—something to make me sit back and say ‘wow’.

I’m not sure if I’ll get #2—very likely I will not. Too bad, because as I said, I’d love for this format to actually work!

A few days ago, I read the finale of Time Bomb, a three issue series published by Radical Comics, written by GrayPal (Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti) and featuring art by Paul Gulacy. Well! What a terrific, satisfying series this was!

Plotwise, we have some familiar story trappings: Nazi doomsday device set off and a crack team sent back in time to prevent it from ever happening. We've seen elements of both before and maybe even combined together before, but with very few new ideas truly out there, what distinguishes one from the other is the story's execution. In my opinion the execution here was pretty impressive!

GrayPal adopt a tone and feel to their story that is very reminiscent of a classic James Bond-type spy thriller. We've got all the trappings here: futuristic gadgets, widescreen action, stuff gettin' blowed up good, dastardly bad guys (can't get more dastardly than Nazis, can ya?) and a good helping of sex appeal that's titillating without leaning to the pornographic.

Paul Gulacy is a perfect choice to illustrate the book. A story that's got a sexy, James Bond edge is right up his alley, if you're familiar with his work. He's got a flair for the dramatic and the sexy and has a sharp, clean line that is instantly recognizable. Sometimes his eyes look a little too much like they're staring at the reader, and occasionally his poses are a little stiff. But more often than not, Paul totally delivers the story. Many "hot" artists would be out of their element here, but Paul is totally in his.

The characters are not incredibly deep, as they rarely are in this kind of story, but they are effective and each have their memorable moments.

The story surprised me with some of its twists. I didn't, for example, expect to see Adolph Hitler pop up. I especially didn't expect him to figure so prominently in the unconventional resolution. I won't spoil it here, but in a way Time Bomb breaks some of the rules of the traditional time travel story by not leaving history alone exactly as we remember it. If you're reading these words and trying to read between the lines, I'd hazard a guess that you're absolutely wrong in what you might be assuming! I think that's a good thing!

Even though each issue was priced at $4.99 a pop, you get terrific value at 48 pages each worth of story. The book comes with the "mature readers" label, due to some violence, a little bit of nudity and plentiful usage of the f-word and other colorful metaphors. I wouldn't put any of these on the level of, say, a typical Garth Ennis book, so it's pretty tasteful and not over-the-top.

Time Bomb is a fun spy thriller with some roads taken that are expected and unexpected. I'm a fan of Paul Gulacy's art and was glad to see it here. If you're looking for a change of pace from superheroes and the supernatural and wouldn't mind a spy thriller with a few sci-fi aspects, then I think Time Bomb might be just for you!

Lardy's rating for Time Bomb: 4.5 Donuts (out of five)!

^You know, I thought about grabbing this but didn't and your review has me kicking myself for that. It sounds like a great read, and I *must* check it out! Definitely something I'll want to follow-up on.

(Comic Book Review Month is worth it if only for me to find one or two items I know Lardy is reading ).

I'm also a fan of Gulacy's artwork.

As Jonathan Hickman continues to make SHIELD and Fantastic Four as good as any series in comics, and his independent stuff being reviewed by other posters sounds incredibly cool, I’ve come to expect that everything he does is just quality stuff. His Ultimate Thor story arc reaffirms that theory, as it’s nothing short of awesome in the scope of what he’s doing and how carefully crafted the story is thus far, as it slowly builds together. Just when I thought I’d given up on the Ultimate U outside Spidey, I’m sucked back in.

Hickman crafts three separate storylines here: Thor in the present, per his Ultimates debut; World War II where Baron Zemo uses the sacred Norn Stones to enter Asgard, teaming with Frost Giants to storm their treasury; and the ancient past where the 1,000 year war between Asgard and the Frost Giants ends after the heroic trio of brothers Thor, Loki and Baldur help Asgard gain victory. Each one is fascinating and filled with brief character moments while obviously having a larger, more epic point to them. Hickman does a great job making you feel like what you’re reading is vitally important—especially here, since I don’t care all that much about the past and future of the Ultimate Universe.

He uses Dr. Don Blake interacting with the modern Thor in a very overt, scientific way but because of the regular Blake / Thor relationship you can’t help but be fascinated by it.

The Zemo / WWII sequence is taken to the next level with a major revelation at the end of #2 which ties in how the Nazis have a chance against Asgard (with the takedown of Heimdall).

The Ancient past does a better job showing the love and camaraderie between Thor, Loki and Baldur better than possibly any writer ever has on the main Thor title, making Loki’s eventual betrayal all the more tragic; particularly when Hickman shows exactly why Loki does it (a twist never used before at Marvel). The brief mentions / showings of Karnilla, the Warrior’s Three, Odin’s Ravens and others is also really well done.

I’m really enjoying this miniseries. I guess I can basically say that anything Hickman’s name attaches to now will be on my pull list.

Dark Horse released a one-shot titled The Occultist about a new magic-based protagonist, created by Dark Horse President Mike Richardson and Hack/Slash writer Tim Seeley. It’s a non-Gold Key character that is kind of being lumped in with the Jim Shooter/Gold Key relaunches going on (which are quite excellent). Unfortunately, while this was an okay start, it wasn’t anything spectacular and a lot of it was things I felt like I’ve seen before.

Magic-based protagonists are a dime a dozen these days, particularly teen/young adult ones. So the premise and situations were not anything new, which made it feel stale. Meanwhile, there was some brief characterization and introduction to a supporting cast, but it felt more like very flat, three sentence summary type characters that were not particularly interesting.

Even the artwork, by Victor Drujino, was good but nothing dynamic.

I like buying one-shots from Dark Horse because they usually are a complete story that are interesting for casual readers. This one is probably the first that failed to deliver for me, as it felt like the entire thing was going through the motions but there was no real soul to it.

I also caught up on Thor / Iron Man, which was a miniseries I was so looking forward to. It’s got everything I want: DnA on writing chores, two heroes I love in Thor and Iron Man, the High Evolutionary, and a bunch of other villains and concepts of Marvel lore. But after reading #2 and #3…the delivery just isn’t there.

I feel DnA are writing both Thor and Iron Man a bit off, as well as the High Evolutionary, who I thought they did a great job with in their space opera titles. The story itself seems disjointed and it’s suffering from too many characters having too little going on.

I’m pretty disappointed (also because I waited until I bought most of the series before reading it, like a sap). This could easily have been a 2-parter.

Prince Valiant by Hal Foster, Volumes 1 & 2

This is a real oldie - these two volumes cover the newspaper strips from 1937 - 1940.

I loathed Prince Valiant when I was a kid. It was one of the really boring newspaper comic strips that my mother thought was educational. Several decades later, my opinion has entirely reversed.

Hal Foster was grew up in Halifax; our local comic store Strange Adventures has had a bit of a push on his work. I was flipping through one of the collections and was so impressed with the art work, I bought the book.

The art is beautiful and richly detailed. I could just enjoy that and ignore the stories, but the stories themselves have a peculiar charm.

Prince Valiant is set in the medieval era, but Foster has taken history and myth, along with different time periods and jumbled it all together. There's lots of Arthurian legend mixed in with adventures in Rome, Scandinavia and the Holy Land, Atilla the Hun and Vikings. The adventure is appealing in its nostalgic innocence, yet there's a good measure of brutal violence (not graphic, but cheerily dispensed by Val) thrown in. I was surprised to see a fair number of scenes of naked or nearly naked men wrestling and bathing together, so maybe there was some subtext there, or the 1930s weren't as stuffy as I thought.

One distinctive aspect of Foster's work is the total lack of word balloons; all the story is told in text at the bottom of each panel.

The volumes are oversized and pricey, but if you find them in your library, I'd recommend taking them out.

After reviewing two other Stan Lee / Boom Studios comics which weren’t bad but essentially were a bit of a bust, I was pretty delighted when I read Starborn #1 and it ended up being pretty fantastic! Unlike the other two, which were incomplete stories where something was really missing, Starborn felt very fresh, fun and exciting. I put down the comic honestly wanting to read more. It had some very cool, deep characters, as well as an overall sense of intrigue that made me curious about the story and where it’s going.

Writer Chris Roberson really nails a great opener unlike the other Boom stories. It is full of energy, and I was surprised at how different the pacing is compared to his other comic I collect, I, Zombie. I think a lot of that is due to artist Khary Randolph, who has a very kinetic, high energy style that is full of ‘pop’. It is a bit anime, a bit cartoonish, and a bit in the mold of Mike Avon Oeming, but yet a very distinct style that is his (her?) own.

The lead character is a writer—which is usually a groan inducing occupation for a lead—but they actually make it work for once as an important facet of the story, rather than the typical self-indulgent crap we usually see.

I put down #1 feeling there is the potential here to have a great space opera series as well as a great down to Earth character piece. I think I’m going to be picking up the next issue!

Very cool! I've always wanted to check out Foster's Prince Valiant but never have. This is something I actually might consider buying for myself soon. (I'm getting through the massive first volume of Dick Tracy first, which is taking months).

Foster mixing up different time periods so the series has characters from all different eras makes it actually even more appealing!

Starting in 1996, DC had released an Elseworlds one-shot entitled "Superman's Metropolis", an intriguing melding of the Superman mythos with the silent film "Metropolis". Written by Jean-Marc & Randy Lofficier and Roy Thomas, and illustrated by Ted McKeever, the story was followed by a sequel in 1999, "Batman: Nosferatu", which melded Batman with the likes of "Nosferatu" and "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari". Roy Thomas did not help with this one. Finally, the series was finished with a third one-shot in 2003, "Wonder Woman: The Blue Amazon", which melded the Wonder Woman mythos with the likes of "The Blue Angel" and "Dr. Mabuse". Although the Lofficiers intended to create a FOURTH one-shot.

The first of this series that I read was Blue Amazon in early 2006, the second was Metropolis, which I received as a Christmas gift in 2006, and Nosferatu, which I got in 2008.

The storyline is set in the city aptly named Metropolis, and it's the only city, or so it appears. It's origins have been time lost.

Since Blue Amazon was the first one I read, I want to review it, but I'll try not to divulge too much of what goes on, as it would spoil the first two. However, Blue Amazon was alluded to in Nosferatu by way of the appearance of Dr. Psykho's Palace of Sin, and a poster for "Diana as the Blue Amazon".

In this story, Wonder Woman is recast as Diana, a singer whose stage name is, aptly, the Blue Amazon. She works as a performer at the Palace of Sin, a seedy place run by Dr. Psykho. She is highly sought after by the men who attend her performances, but there are times when her songs are so soul shattering that some leave, shaken by her voice. Of course, Steve Trevor-Son chooses to listen to her with his eyes closed, although he does regard her beauty. Whereas Steve is an army official in regular continuity, here he's an architect whom is helping Lois, the wife of the Super-Man, learn about Metropolis' origins. Steve is captivated by Diana, and she returns the sentiment by how he doesn't lust after her like the others.

Make note, though, that Diana is not a cold and empty beauty as the name "Blue Amazon" would imply. The blue pertains to a sense of sadness, as Diana is an amnesiac and must deal with being "owned" by Dr. Psykho. As Metropolis' origins are a mystery, so are Diana's, and not even Dr. Psykho knows what they are. That doesn't mean he doesn't try though. To make matters worse, he makes some money after hours letting Diana be degraded via a whip. When Steve walks in on this, he blends into the crowd of men watching the torture, but stays to help Diana.

Now, the problem with this book is that it might be considered shorter than the other two, and Diana doesn't really receive that much exposure as the Wonder Woman after she fully awakens. She mainly plays the role of the enigmatic beauty, the singer, the blue angel seeking out her memories under the control of the disgusting Psykho. One could applaud her continuing resistance against Psykho's attempts to enter her mind, although this could probably be more attributed to the fact that she's an amnesiac. However, one can also consider in that, when Psykho attempts to kill Steve, the only person who showed her kindness and respect, it can be seen as a play on the legendary love that Wonder Woman is said to have.

We are also treated to the mysterious Cheetah, who is searching for Diana, but where did she come from? And why does she want Diana? Here, the Cheetah is more ghastly than her normal appearance.

The story deals with the secrets of the past, Metropolis' past, Diana's past, and the mystery of "The Time of Smoke and Soot". It also makes use of both the first and second book, specifically the Super-Man and the Nosferatu, although while this is spoiling a bit, the Nosferatu gets more fighting action than the Super-Man.

In terms of the art, Ted McKeever's style has changed since Nosferatu, as it did from Metropolis. The entire story is colored in a red tint, as Nosferatu was colored in grey, and Metropolis in a gold. There is one metaphor that could apply. Metropolis is the day, Nosferatu the night, and the Blue Amazon is sunset, or even dawn, but the tint is removed by the end. When Diana is first introduced in the Palace of Sin, she is colored entirely in a blue tint. On the cover, Diana is depicted in a costume that is a bit similar to a cross between her regular outfit and the leather she wore during the Artemis days. But in the story itself she simply wears a black bodysuit with a yellow "W". McKeever's lines can be considered a bit ugly at times, but he excels at portraying truly horrific villains and monsters, the Cheetah and Dr. Psykho are examples. One can also remember that since this is based on a German expressionist film, of course the art would look strange.

I applaud the twist used in revealing just where Metropolis is, but wish we would have had more exposure of Diana as Wonder Woman.

I'd have to give it a 4 out of 5.

So as a former graduate student with a focus in Roman History and a genuine love for it, I picked up Caligula #1 by Avatar. I fully expected it to be over the top violent and sexual, since I've seen the 70's movie, know full well Caligula's history and realize almost every Avatar comic has sex & violence. But you know, I was totally taken aback by just how much sex & violence there was--specifically, how much rape there was. It was basically non-stop.

I'm actually sure it's a pretty accurate depiction of life during Caligula's reign as Augustus. But you know, its just not what I want to read about in comics. I put it down and felt a sick to my stomach feeling I haven't felt since I was like 13 and reading my father's adult comics that I was supposed to.

Definitely a disappointment. I'd love for an ongoing series set in Roman times that doesn't focus on (A) Ceaser or (B) Caligula or Nero.

I also picked up Infinite Vacation by Image because of how freaking impressive writer Nick Spencer has been on everything he touches (see: Morning Glories, Thunder AGENTS, etc.). After issue #1, I can see this might be the most complex of all his stories and that is saying something! Spencer, like Jonathan Hickman, is not afraid to revel in the complexities and mysteries of his series which is what makes them so exciting. Here, we have the most off-beat thus far in what amounts to a really original premise for a story.

The lead character seems addicted to the 'Infinite Vacation', where you can purchase the ability to change your life to an alternate reality where a decision or moment of your life worked out differently. The implications of such an idea seem endless and Spencer gives us a huge dose of that possibility with #1.

For example, the lead character is Mark, and throughout the issue you meet numerous other Marks from other realities. Many of these, you don't realize at first its actually another Mark until its revealed to you. Mark sees a psychiatrist, who happens to be a Mark from another reality. When Mark questions some of the things happening to alternate Marks, the people who run the Infinite Vacation make sure he speaks to a customer service rep who is also a Mark from another reality since Mark knows how best to deal with Mark. Confused? You bet! But yet, in an awesome way.

Christian Ward does a great job on art, where he provides a pretty consistent, structured style in places and yet at points his art evolves into an almost hallucinogenic feel, which underscores the weirdness of alternate realities. It really works with the plot.

I'll admit--I only half understand whats happening...but I really want to know more!

^CBR gave Infinite Vacation #1 a 4.5 out of 5 star review!

I just got to Infinite Vacation #1 (second printing) in my ever-growing stack on Tuesday, myself. Another Nick Spencer smash hit, says Lardy! It felt utterly fascinating and original.

I also totally dug the sometimes psychedelic art! Ward's art is reminiscent of what Duncan Fegredo did in the 90's on titles like Enigma with Peter Milligan for Vertigo.

I have no idea where the story's going, except that it may turn out to be a multi-dimensional murder mystery? Maybe? In any case I'm onboard for the ride!

P.S. There's a gorgeous purple-haired chick in it who I'm kinda-sorta in love with at the moment!

JLA: A League of One

Hardcover graphic novel released in November 2000.

Story and painted art by Christopher Moeller.

Plot:

Wonder Woman learns of an ancient prophecy that foretells that the members of the Justice League will be killed in a battle with an ancient female dragon named Drakful Karkang. She secretly plots to take out all the members of the League so they won't be available to fight the dragon. She fights the dragon alone , in the name of the Justice League - as a League of one - in an effort to save the world, by defeating the dragon while sacrificing herself to save her team mates.

Art: A+

Beautifully painted and colored. The story contains fantasy elements that include the dragon queen, a race of gnomes who discover her, a young wood nymph and a young sea nymph who are childhood friends of Diana's. This book contains some of the most unforgettable fantasy images that DC has ever produced. There is a wonderful sequence in which the sea nymph transforms Diana into a mermaid.

The story takes place during the League's watchtower era. The sequences on the moon and in the watchtower are grand.

Wonder Woman battles Batman and Flash along the Amazon River while they are engaged in a battle with Poison Ivy. Gorgeous. The battle with Superman is spread out over seven breathtaking pages.

Story: B+

The fantasy elements are wonderful. Diana's determination is inspiring. Wonder Woman and Batman matching wits is gripping.
The conclusion is suspenseful, but leaves some unanswered questions.

Recommendation:

Well worth the money if you can find it. This is a model for how original graphic novels should be done.

It probably says a lot that I couldn't find a thread on LW for Fear Itself. Most of us are fed up with crossovers and LW has always been more DC centric. Much like Flashpoint, I've bought the first few issues of each crossover to see if my fears of them being bad would come true out of curiosity.

For Fear Itself, I think it's been a pretty weak product. Overall, the story seems pretty run of the mill, and the sense of dread and epic-ness of the threat is being told to us, rather than shown to us. Fraction's writing has never been my favorite and that continues here.

But in #3 what really did it for me was
<span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">the death of Bucky. I have no idea if that is going to stick or not, since I don't believe things anymore. But I have to say, this is one of the worst deaths in years--and that's saying something! Not in the way it was done but just how pointless and un-dramatic it is. I'd rank it along Hawkeye's mindless death in Avengers Dissassembled. It really just felt lame</span></span>

I think I'm done with #3 and won't continue on. Not sure how Marvel could have ever greenlit this since its just so run of the mill.

agreed!

I was also displeased and fairly confused by Fear Itself #3. I wrote in the All Avengers thread a long and somewhat snarky review.

I compared Fear Itself #2 to Power Rangers.

Immonen's art is dragging me through the dirt. by that i mean i'm forced to read this story because his art is so great.

I don't want to post four times in a row in the Spirit thread so I'll just make mention here that artist John Paul Leon--who I had never heard of before--did an outstanding job on yhe latest issue. He's definitely in the mold of one of my favorites Marcos Martin with a hint of Darwyn Cooke influence.

The Spirit as written by David Hine continues to be utterly excellent.

Showcase Presents: Bat Lash

I've read the first two stories in this nice handy little collection. First off, let me say that I have always been interested in this collection since I found out that Nick Cardy drew the majority of it. It does not disappoint in the art department either for Showcase #76 and Bat Lash #1.

Showcase #76 - Our introduction to Bat Lash. Will he save the West - or ruin it? Well, if this story is any indication, he's gonna save it from itself. Westerns can be a mixed bag...hard to get the right balance of humor, action and romance. This book seems to do it all effortlessly. Sergio Aragones plots this story and Denny O'Neil scripts it. It's a pretty straightforward tale of a man moving through the waest looking for love (or at least a woman to have fun with), food, and some peace and quiet.

The man who loves peace and is willing to fight/kill for it gets a little overdone between this and the next book, but it's not too distracting. There is a nice little twist at the end that I honestly did not see coming with the reveal of the 'main' villain of the story.

Bat Lash #1 was another great straightforward tale of Bat Lash moving through the west breaking hearts and getting into trouble. Things are set right by the end, and Lash is off for his next adventure.

Now, I cannot say enough about the art in these stories. This is one collection that does well in black and white. (I think only Kubert's work is more fitting of the format, at least for the DC showcase series.)

Overall, I am liking the book a lot more than I thought I would, and I figured that OI would at least enjoy it for the art if nothing else...thankfully, the stories are surprisingly fresh and fun.

More reviews as I read through the book, although I do not want to spoil these stories for anyone that may be tempted to grab this off your local stores shelf...Needless to say, I will continue to talk about them as I go.

Next month DC Comics will be launching an all new Batgirl #1, with Barbara Gordon returning to the role. Readers are split. Some preferring Babs in the role of Oracle, and others feeling that this is a move that is long overdue. Both camps are making good arguments. I’m looking at it as new interpretation of Batgirl and plan to buy it with no reservations. In light of the circumstances and debate, I am presenting a random review of one of the earliest stories I recall reading Barbara as Batgirl.

Story: “The Isle of A Thousand Thrills”

Published in Batman Family #3 January-February 1976

Writer: Elliot S! Maggin

Artists: J.L. Garcia Lopez and Vince Colletta

Opening splash page text: They’re back! The flame-haired huntress from Gotham, Batgirl, and the crimson-chested youth who learned his craft at the side of the Batman and grew to young manhood as Robin. Together again in a land where time whirls, flip flops and leap-frogs madly across history – as the Dynamite Duo find themselves battling for their lives in an “Isle of a Thousand Thrills!”

Synopsis: Dick Grayson and a fellow Hudson University student named Frank Gilbert are in Provincetown in anticipation of a big announcement from Major Montana. Mr. Montana is a film maker, cartoon director, novelist, magician, and wealthy eccentric. Congresswoman Gordon and Senator Cleary are in Provincetown investigating off-shore oil drilling (or something!). Dick goes out of his way to make sure that Babs doesn’t see him. He fears that if Robin has to go into action, she may put two and two together and finally realize his secret identity.

Major Montana holds a banquet and mysteriously announces that he plans to unveil a fabulous gift for the young and young at heart. The next day, Dick, Frank, and some college girls are eating at a seaside ice cream shop when the Congressional delegation walks in. While Dick is scurrying away to avoid Babs, a giant sea dinosaur attacks the shoreline. Robin roars onto the scene on a motorcycle. Batgirl appears on a rooftop and they go into battle against the monster, eventually chasing him back into the water. Batgirl and Robin jump into a rented motorboat to chase the sea monster. They are followed by several boats of tourists. They eventually come to an island, where no island was before. The Dynamite Duo and tourists battle a Tyrannosaurus Rex, Spanish Inquisition Soldiers, and futuristic thought police with jet packs on the island. It is eventually revealed that the island is Major Montana’s gift. It is a place where normal people will be given the thrills of acting as heroes.

In the epilogue, Batgirl and Robin reveal that they have each deduced the other’s secret identities and part company with smiles on their faces.


My Reactions:

Not only was this one of the earliest experiences I had reading about Batgirl, but it was also my first exposure to the pencils of Jose Luis Garcia Lopez. I’ve been a fan for life. The drawings are crisp and clean. The action scenes are exciting to watch. Batgirl and Robin look like acrobats through and through. Graceful and fluid. The fantasy elements mix naturally with modern day Provincetown.

The story is simple and interesting. This is where the chemistry between Babs and Dick started for me. It’s a chemistry that remains as natural and unforced today as it was over 35 years ago. It’s a chemistry that I anticipate will be capitalized on in the new DC universe. Much of the current debate centers on whether Barbara will be recast as a “junior partner” by returning to the role of Batgirl. I don’t see that happening. Both she and Dick had already transcended that role in this adventure from 1975. They were clearly competent and capable of carrying a story. It’s a story that withstands the test of time.

well, I finished the Bat Lash Showcase. It's an interesting read. The art is great, even the stories that arre not by Cardy are good.

Bat Lash as a character is interesting. Once you see his origin story (how he came to lead the life he leads) he makes a bit more sense, and the whole "I'm a peaceful man pushed into violence to prevent violence" thing becomes very clear and understandable.

The stories by Aragones, O'Neil and Cardy were the strongest of the bunch, and those that came after seemed to be taken from an episode of Maverick.

There is quite a bit of stereotypical Mexican 'slang/speaking' that is a bit distracting at some points, but is not unlike watching a Speedy Gonzales cartoon, or a Cheech & Chong movie.

My overall opinion...Well worth the money spent, and would be worth the regular price. I think I may start tracking down the singles of his series...to see these in color. The black and white art is great, but seeing the cover for Bat Lash #2 on the coverof this collection, makes me want to see the fuill art in color as well to see the subtle changes that coloring can bring about.

You may have convinced me to pick up the Bat Lash Showcase!

EDE. It's a 9.99 book, and you can probably find it on a special somewhere cheaper than that...the art alone is worth the price though, and the fun interjected into the seriousness of the stories makes them a good read.

Cloak & Dagger: I loved these guys in the 80's, so I'll always see what they're up to. Spider Island crossover nonsense aside, (it's barely part of the story) this is its own story and it's all about character! (seriously, it's like a breath of fresh air) It's also about New York City as much as Daredevil ever has been. This is definitely the "The rent is too damn high/everyone lives in Brooklyn" NYC as much as their origins were steeped in the "Taxi Driver/Times Square is a cesspool" NYC back in the day.

The double narration could have been cliche and predictable, (I'm talking to you, "Superman/Batman") but here it's well-done and really gives you a sense of who these people are. And they're clearly recognizable as the same people, but modernized in a good, (non-pandering) way. This is only a mini, but we need books like this as ongoings!

^I'm actually thinking of grabbing this and your rec definitely helps Drake!

A series I'm surprisingly enjoying is Kirby Genesis by Dynamite. Everyone knows I'm a big Kirby fan but the series is actually much more of a Kurt Busiek series than anything. So I'd say regardless whether you like Kirby, I'd say it's more about how much you like Busiek's style. It's very Astro City / Marvels in usage of POV characters, ensemble cast and grandiose nature of it.

I'm enjoying seeing Kirby characters I only ever saw briefly (like his Topps universe stuff) and ones I've never been able to read (like Captain Victory). Like most of his creations the untapped potential is just so raw.

The art by Jack Hebert is very much in the mold AC's Brent Anderson with obvious Alex Ross influences. I'm liking it quite a bit.

Over the last coupla days, I read the TPB of Suicide Squad: From the Ashes, which collected the 8-issue miniseries "Suicide Squad: Raise the Flag". Not sure at all why they changed the name for the TPB. What mattered to me was at the time the mini was released, I was on a bit of a sabbatical from monthly comics and totally missed it. Had I been getting the monthlies at the time, this would have been a "must buy" as I was a HUGE fan of Ostrander's classic run on SS during the late '80s.

I eBay watched this for a long time, but never seemed to find the kind of bargain I like to get when purchasing back issues or trades. Finally, I got the trade as part of a large order from mycomicsshop.com in June. (I got it NM for $9 when the trade has a cover of $19.99!)

While it started out a little slow and somewhat confusing in its timeline, this story really started to click on all cylinders and show that John Ostrander still could tell a frickin' AWESOME Squad story that pulled no punches.

Drawing it was Javier Pina, a name I'm unfamiliar with but one who has a clean, realistic style. Some of the faces were a little inconsistent and less fully rendered at times, particularly with the character of Rick Flag. But overall, the art was fine and very pleasing.

This story took place after Capt. Boomerang's death (and before his Blackest Night resurrection), but Ostrander managed to work him into the flashback sequences that opened the story. And nearly all the other surviving Squad favorites were there as well: Bronze Tiger, Deadshot, Nightshade, Amanda Waller and other notable alumni like Count Vertigo and Plastique. Boomerang's son, Multiplex and some obscure guys rounded out the cast.

Front and center was Rick Flag. Flag was one of the mainstays in the old series until he was apparently killed off a couple of years into the series' run at ground zero of a nuclear explosion. But we learn that the reports of his death were greatly exaggerated.

Flag is back and his loyalties to the Squad in question because also involved is one General Wade Eiling, who fans of Captain Atom's defunct Bates/Broderick DC series will remember very well. Eiling also showed up occasionally during Ostrander's classic SS run, and this appearance follows up on where Eiling was left by Grant Morrison during Grant's classic JLA run in the body of JLA for the Shaggy Man. Flag worked for Eiling prior to Flag joining the Suicide Squad. In this story we learn a lot more about Eiling's role in Flag's life.

So the Squad reunites to remove a deadly viral agent from the hands of a greedy corporation looking to sell it to the highest bidder. Eiling, conscripted into Squad service by his rival Waller plans to betray the Squad and throw in with the corporate baddies. Will Eiling have the last laugh?

Among the many things that makes this story great is the respect that Ostrander has for DC history. He uses Cliff Carmichael from the old Firestorm book. We see a little bit of Skartaris, home of the Warlord. Eiling was a great character that had fallen completely off the map after Morrison used him. All the nods to previous versions of the Squad and to its own rich history during Ostander's run.

Ostrander is a master at his craft, and this especially shines through in his dedication to character building. All the characters, major and minor, in this book get moments to shine. Two deaths that otherwise wouldn't have been a big deal for me simply were because Ostrander made me care about them.

Yes, this is Suicide Squad, so not everybody makes it out alive. It was a very suspenseful read with lots of great moments. (How deadly is Deadshot blindfolded? Pretty deadly, it turns out!) Bronze Tiger, Flag, Waller and even Boomerbutt, Jr. all have plenty of room to shine. I also liked the character of Rustam (who also survived the nuke that would have killed Flag) in this book quite a bit.

I loved this book! It's a shame that a long-awaited Squad revival is finally around the corner but without Ostrander being attached. At this point with John and with what looks like the crappiest version of Harley Quinn yet involved that it will be a hard pass.

A crying shame, I say.

Fish Police: Hairballs, by Steve Moncuse (volume 1)

This is a collection of comics published in 1985.

Fish Police is a noir-themed cop story, with Inspector Gill as the main character in a world populated by fish with arms and humanoid faces (and clothing, for the most part).

So it's a fish theme, with fish jokes and fish names (Dr. Calamari, Goldie, Angelfish, etc.). Gill is investigating the crime organization S.Q.U.I.D., which allegedly is producing a drug called Hairballs. This drug allows users to "live in a universe filled with people who walk on two legs" and S.Q.U.I.D. wants to invade and exploit this universe. Gill is fascinated, not just because of the potential crime, but because he was in fact once a human.

There is no explanation of how he became a fish, which I found frustrating. Perhaps it was in a separate issue not included in this collection?

The art is black and white and does a great job on the anthropomorphic fish.

It sounded unusual and wacky, but, honestly, I didn't love it. The jokes weren't that funny, the story wandered off at one point and the lead character was more of an immature goof than a hard-boiled detective.

Worth taking out of the library, if you can find it, but, personally, I wouldn't bother with a Volume 2 if there is one.

Lardy, my reactions to this were posted here! I also enjoyed it quite a bit!

Just read Image's Undying Love #4, the wrap-up to what is either going to be the first of a series of miniseries or the end of the arc before it goes on hiatus for an undetermined period of time.

Here's how Image describes the series in its solicited TPB collection of 1-4:

A tale of horror-action, equal parts vampire mythology and Chinese folklore, set in modern day Hong Kong. Ex-soldier John Sargent has fallen for a beautiful Chinese woman named Mei. The only thing keeping the star-crossed lovers apart: she's a vampire. To free Mei from the curse, Sargent sets out to destroy the vampire that made her. The only problem: Mei was turned by one of the most powerful vampires in history...

That's a pretty good description, I'd say. Undying Love is a more gritty, horror bent on the vampire genre (like American Vampire), so don't be fooled by the "Twilight" vibe of the title. This has been an entertaining, moody book with some strong action set-ups and a feeling of mythology. Setting it in Hong Kong is a welcome spin as the setting really distinguishes it from other vampire books.

I love the art by Tomm Coker here. It's a little reminiscent of Sean Philips' style (of Criminal, Sleeper and Incognito fame with writer Ed Brubaker) but is distinctive for its photo-realistic faces while also having a more abstract, scratchier quality to it. Co-writer (with Coker) Daniel Freedman is also the colorist, and his colors are simultaneously bright and gloomy, an effect that really enhances the look and feel of the book.

With the close of this arc, you get the feeling Coker and freedman have barely scratched the surface of their story. There's much to learn about John and Mei's pasts and what draws them together. We eventually see how they met, but there are a lot of blanks to fill.

They have an intriguing nemesis in Shang-Ji, who is barely glimpsed in the story, and his hoardes of vampire/shapeshifter assassins. The goal is to destroy Shang, so that Mei will be freed of her curse.

Even more intriguing are the mystical fox people who seem to be playing both sides and are very enigmatic like the animals themselves are. They are seen in the bookend issues, and we can tell by the end that they and their leader shen will play a prominent role in how this eventually ends.

This is a strong, impressive start to what will obviously be a finite saga. I will definitely be buying it whenever it continues. Hopefully, that will be very soon!

Project: Superman #2 was a decent read and earned its place as one of only two Flashpoint tie-in series (the other being Secret Seven) that I picked up. I did so because Scott Snyder co-wrote it and Gene ha was the artist. It's nothing groundbreaking or superlative, but it's a decent telling of this alternate timeline in which Superman was captured as a boy by the government and studied by them for military applications.

Here we get an apparent resolution to the storyline of a previous test subject and learn that this Kal shares a certain fondness for a certain Ms. Lane that the familiar versin has after young kal meets young Lois.

It's interesting to see Sam Lane take a paternal interest in young Kal as he tries to protect him from the more inhumane tests the Project attempts. The take that Sam always wanted a son is ironic given what he did in the forgettable New Krypton storyline.

A decent read. Nothing astounding, though. Wondering what the final issue may hold as the main conflict of the first two issues is seemingly resolved here. We'll see when I catch up to it!

"The Tomb of the White Bat"

Published in Batman Family#19 Aug/Sep 1978

Story: Denny O'Neil

Art: Michael Golden

Plot: Bruce Wayne accompanies a foreign ambassador on a bus tour through a snowy mountainous region in an effort to prevent his assassination. Also on the bus are the driver, the ambassador's secretary, and two body guards. One of whom Wayne suspects of being an assassin. The explosion of a snow packed bridge strands the group on the mountain. They are quickly shot at by superstitious mountain people. Wayne runs off into the hills pretending to be frightened by the shots. Batman emerges to confront the shooters, but is confronted by their over 100 year old matriarch, Granny Bleach. Granny Bleach tells the story of how she and her family came to be tasked with the job of keeping outsiders away from the home of the legendary White Bat. The White Bat is a vampire bat who drained a member of Granny's party over a 100 years ago.

The story goes back and forth between Batman's efforts to protect the ambassador from the assassin and battles with the mountain people. Mystery, super heroics, and the supernatural come together in the finale.

My Thoughts:

This is one of my all time favorite Batman stories. O'Neil brilliantly packs a lot of story into 20 pages. Part of the story feels like an Agatha Christy mystery, as Batman attempts to discover who among the colorful characters on the bus is the assassin. Part of the story feels like a classic Swamp Thing adventure as Batman interacts with the superstition of the mountain people, and the legendary bat. Batman is out of his usual element of the dark grittiness of Gotham. He is a dark figure in the snow and sunlight. Golden captures this contrast beautifully with images that propel this outing from a simple story into a timeless classic.

^ That story sounds awesome Jerry! And exactly the sort of Batman story I love. I much prefer when writers take Batman out of Gotham and play him off against antagonists in exotic an interesting locales.

I would love to read more 70s Batman too. I've only read a few issues from that period and judging by the covers alone, it looks like it could be my favourite Bat-era ever.

Makes me want to look for some of that 70s Batman! That was probably my favourite era for Bat stories.

I posted a review of Jim Gallagher\'s graphic novel , which I greatly enjoyed.

The Incal Classic Collection by Alex Jodorowsky and Moebius

This is probably the trippiest comic book I ever read. First published in the 80s, it is said to have had a massive influence on sci fi books and movies.

No doubt; it's full of incredibly beautiful artwork, illustrating complex worlds of the strangest things you could imagine.

The Incal is the story of a low-joe detective John DiFool, who finds a box which identifies itself as a living being called the Incal. It sends him on a mysterious adventure to, basically, save the universe, and achieve enlightenment along the way.

There's a good review with some of the artwork (not the most stunning, IMO) at ifanboy , which says as much as I could say about this book. Really, it sort of leaves you speechless. Truly recommended for fans of sci fi high weirdness.

Cobie, did you see my Undying Love review a few posts up yonder? You've been bugging me for one for a while....

I had missed it, but just checked it out. Very interesting! At first, I'd be hesitant to pick up another vampire related title but the Japanese aspect of it adds that dose of differentiation to give it that nice niche feel. The Japanese have such fantastic traditions in horror that enjoy seeing that combo of setting / genre.

I may pick up the trade when it comes out. It's also the type of story that is right up my brothers and sisters alley.

Tom Coker artwork is a big draw too from what I've seen.

Chinese, Cobie...Chinese.

I just finished

This is the complete run of Dr. Fate in More Fun Comics. Running from May 1940 to July/August 1944. In all 44 stories. Initially Dr. Fate was in the full mask we know and love (at least I love the full mask) Inza is there from the start, but she does not know who Dr. Fate is and neither do the readers. It is not until the end of More Fun #66 (April 1941) that Fate takes off his mask for both Inza and the reader. The following issue has the origin of Dr. Fate and give him the name of Kent Nelson.

The early Dr. Fate stories have him fighting eerie menaces and scientific menaces. He fights 3 sets of aliens and in one story destroys the planet of one group of aliens. Even Nabu in his origin story is an alien from the pplanet Cilia. Most of Dr. Fate's early opponents meet with death. The description of Dr. Fate's power varies. In one telling he possess the knowledge of matter/energy conversion. In his origin he learns the secret of molecular control of his body. He is shown consistantly able to fly, have fire or energy coming from his hands, and he has a telepathic link with Inza.

Then in More Fun 72 (October 1941) Dr. Fate goes from this to this

Interesting note: On the cover of More Fun 72 Dr. Fate has the full mask.

At this point Dr. Fate faces only gangsters. Although he does have one reoccurring villain, Mr. Who. Mr. Who is a scientist who created Solution Z. Solution Z mostly allows Mr. Who to grow to giant size, shrink, and assume the appearance of other people.

Dr. Fate's powers stabilize to flight and invulnerability. He continues to use a crystal ball and now has a ring that tells im where the croook has gotten to. Dr. Fate is give the weakness that he is vulnerable to gas. This transforms into him needing air (like who doesn't) but to the extent that even just having a noose put around his neck instantly has him swooning.

Then in More Fun 85, Dr. Fate becomes a medical doctor also. The stories do have him make the decision to become a MD and studying for it. There are two stories in this phase of Dr. FAte that stand out for me. The first involves a magic painting that allows anyone to step into it and explore a whole new world. The other has Dr. Fate temporarily losing his powers but still has to save a bunch of trapped miners. In the last story it looked like Dr. Fate was about to get the comic foil sidekick.

They are typical Golden Age stories and Golden Age art. Still an enjoyable read. The visuals are pretty typical too. The villain the Octopus had a good visual. The Clock had a cartoony appearance, but I liked the use of a pencil thin mustache as the hand of a clock on his face. See above

If you like Golden Age stories, this is a book you will like.

The Nightly News by Jonathan Hickman

Hickman's distinctive art just mesmerizes me. It's dreamlike - although this story is not sweet dreams. It's a bit disturbing; it reminded me of Scalped in that sense, uncomfortably violent but an incredibly good story.

TV news reporters, anchors and, eventually, executives are being gunned down by mysterious assailants. Their story unfolds and we learn that these are people who were wronged by the media, had their lives ruined and were recruited into a murder cult by a figure who calls himself The Hand of the Voice. The Voice directs the action, but we never see him/her; the Hand speaks for the Voice, trains the assassins and gives them their orders. The hunt is on to stop the murderers and a great cat and mouse game begins. But who is cat and who is mouse? At the end, we see who the Voice is - and it was a surprise to me.

Interspersed with the actual story are many half pages of facts about media control and manipulation. Nothing new to me, but it might be informative for young people.

^This is one I've been dying to read! Glad you read & reviewed it, FC. This is only 'must buy next' list of TPB's.

Continuing my Jonathan Hickman lovefest:

Transhuman by Jonathan Hickman, art by J.M. Ringuet

The subject is genetic engineering, specifically, the story of two companies, Humonics and Chimeracorp.

The book is presented as a documentary; Heinrich Dowidat is the interviewer/commentator. He takes us through the history of the two companies, both in a race to develop transhuman products. Things go badly, then worse: very dark, if you're a human. If you're a simian, however, then things could be looking up....

As with Hickman's other works, it's a very compelling, page-turning story, with a lot of gruesome events and a shock ending. (I wonder if Hickman is a misanthrope. He certainly brings out the bad side of humanity, although it's hard to argue that there aren't a lot of unpleasant people in high-stakes business ventures.) It's also a very "talky" book, as befits a documentary.

The artwork suits the story; it doesn't have the dreamlike quality of Hickman's own art - it's more gritty, lots of dark, or bland colours (olive green, grey, brown). There's only one fact sheet page, with the print so small, beige on olive green, I couldn't read it without daylight and a magnifying glass - my only complaint (and maybe that's just my eyes).

The last of my Jonathan Hickman GNs:

Red Mass for Mars, by Jonathan Hickman, art by Ryan Bodenheim

Earth, 2115: after devastating climate change, plague, terrorism and tech gone haywire, Earth's survivors have settled into a prosperous and advanced civilization. Marcus Farber Astorga, a superhero known as The Benefactor, foresees a threat from outer space which could wipe out human life, the Hun-Du, a parasitical pod-culture.

The other superheroes of Earth are assembled to fight the coming threat, but The Benefactor realizes that they need someone even more powerful: Mars, the ultimate warrior, who was exiled after murdering two criminals and two fellow heroes who tried to stop him.

This book is more upbeat than Hickman's other work, although not without more than a few atrocities. However, it's essentially the story of humankind fighting for its survival, sacrifice for the good of others and man's evolution towards something better.

There are a few nice nods to superhero history throughout the book. Although there are a number of different heroes, most of them remain one-note characters; only The Benefactor, Mars, a mage called Lightbender and a scientist Dr. Thaddeus White are developed. I was curious about the others, but it's a tighter story with this more narrow focus.

Of all the Hickman GNs, this one struck me as the most mainstream in terms of concept.

The art is lovely, highly detailed, with omnipresent starfield backgrounds and muted blues and reds. I don't really have the vocabulary to describe it adequately.

Loving that you've reviewed these Hickman creator-owned stories! He's quickly become one of my favorites so they're all on my must-read list.

I just put down Image's Drums #3, the penultimate issue of what looks to be an all-too short miniseries based on how much my level of enjoyment demands MUCH MORE!

Drums is basically a crime/horror story in which some FBI agents are called in to investigate an apparent ritualistic mass murder/suicide. In a manner that echoes the X-Files series, our characters learn that there's much more of a supernatural element behind the eerie goings-on.

The setting is Florida in the middle of a full-blown hurricane! These conditions help create a sense of moodiness and isolation that might otherwise have not been capable of being plausibly created in a modern-set tale.

The context for all of this is the mysterious voodoo culture. The exploration and explanation of this culture by writer El Torres, to me, has been the most fascinating thing about the series. In his text pieces at the end of every issue, Torres has a glossary for all the terms used in his stories and explains that he has to simplify and merge aspects of the culture a bit to make them more understandable to the reader. I'd say he does an incredible job with this, and even with all the unfamiliar terms and names and foreign language bits, you don't really need the glossary and backmatter to "get" it all. They enhance the enjoyment, sure, but the script and the art do their jobs very well.

I love the art! Abe Hernando has a style reminiscent in certain ways of Darwyn Cooke and of (Captain America/Gotham Central's) Michael Lark. Hernando also brings home the spooky when he is (frequently) called upon to do so! The colors are subdued, attractive and suited to the darker nature of the story.

Issues 1 and 2 are heavier on the character exploration, the official investigation and the lore of the voodoo culture. ("Voodoo", btw, is rarely used as a term in the book, preferring to use more accurate terminology.) There are plenty of creepy and horrific scenes in those issues, but issue 3 is where all the horror comes out to play and goes BATSHIT CRAZY! This is an action overdrive issue, and, well, it reminds you of what the source of most of the zombie lore actually is! I wouldn't call Drums a "zombie book", but they have a large presence in the story and don't seem to have the traditional zombie weakness amd cliches.

The characters are all really interesting. The two leads are FBI investigators Irons and Poltz. Irons has a mysterious connection to the supernatural goings-on. Poltz is more the comic relief but really shines in issue 3. I like the pair so much, I deeply hope that Torres and Hernando bring us more stories of their adventures (assuming they survive, which is seriously in doubt).

Honestly, if Drums were ongoing, it may very well have been top contender for my best new series in 2011! So far it's THAT good! Hell, if it ends satisfyingly, I might make an exception. If you're in to books with a horror bent that are well-written, well-drawn and have a memorable concept and memorable characters--do yourself a favor and check it out, damnit!

I was hoping you'd review this one Lardy! I totally missed it the first time around and it's been woefully under-ordered by CBS's. I didnt even know what it was about to be honest.

Your high praise is enough to get me to check out the trade when it's released, certainly. Sounds like Image has yet another triumph as they continue to clearly dominate comics as the best publisher in the business these days.

Note to LWers: when Lardy recommends a title like this, you should take note! He's the guy who got LW into Chew, Scalped and bunches of other titles that almost went over-looked!

The Ultimates 01 is a good contrast with Justice league #1.

I'm not in love with it, I picked it up because of the art and the action but, it takes a completely different approach to a first issue.

Everything is up and running, The Ultimates are spread out across the world managing several international incidents.

In the beging some super scientist terrorists hatch some weird big bubble in Germany.

This issue is juggling a lot, and switching back and forth to Nick Fury managing a military incident between Argentina and Uruguay.

(Which is fine in the issue. But in real life, I think it's comical to imagine Uruguay and Argentina going to war. Oh well, The Ultimate Universe is an alternate dimension! )

Tony Stark is doing his usual thing, boozing and ladies.

The EU Captain 'Britains' are sent to tell Thor and the Asgardians to tone it down, which erupts into a free for all.

The fight between the Captain 'Britains' and the Asgardians bring them to the door step of those weird super science terrorists we saw at the beginning .... just as things across the planet in Montevideo heat up.


Overall, there's lots of action, people flying around on almost every spread, and about three plotlines going on simultaneously. Ultimates 01 hits the ground running, and catches us up while it's getting on with the story.

It is towards the opposite extreme of character development, but I will be getting number 2 quite happily.

A few weekends ago, I went to a local comic book convention and had a fantastic time. In addition to looking for some Golden Age World's Finest comics my Dad and I need for our collection, I made sure I checked out the artist's alley section to see some true 'small press' independent creators. These were true struggling artists who were publishing their own comics and trying to make it; as this was a small convention, these guys came out there on their own dime hoping to tech any fan they could. Naturally, I talked to them all, and bought a bunch of their comics. I even promised I'd review them online and spread the word.

Many of these look like they'll be very rough around the edges, however some look quite good. The best looking of the bunch is a comic called Bushidan by a publisher called Interverse Comics in Norwalk, CT. Unlike some others going the superhero route, this group had several high-concept genre titles. This one is about a Japanese samuri in the 12th century who is lost at see in the Pacific Ocean and survives all the way across to Southern California. It really brilliantly combines samuri fiction with naval fiction with pre-white man western fiction. There are even hints to come of the Aztecs or Mayans being a factor. The creators obvious knowledge of history is very impressive.

What was so terrific about this story was the artwork by Rowel Roque, who is penciler and inker. He's obviously the driving force here and already shows some incredible talent. I hope this guy makes it! Great composition, rich backgrounds and strong looking figures--it was a beautiful issue to read, as good as stuff from any major publisher.

The writer / editor is Richard Errington, who I believe is also publisher and the guy running the show. He's doing a good job story wise (and production wise) but his dialogue is a little rough. This is enhanced by the lettering not being as professional I'm used to seeing; obviously when you're small press you make due with what you got.

At the end of the day, I actually enjoyed this quite a bit and glad I bought it (I suspect it may be the best in the bunch). I definitely hope these guys succeed. Their website is www.interversecomics.com.

Warlord of Mars #9 from Dynamite.

The best issue yet of a very solid series. Action, romance, science fiction and a bit of history thrown in. What's not to like? We've been waiting for the big kiss scene and it was beautifully executed.

I don't do variant covers, and my comic book shop always gets plenty of all options. I always pick the one where John shows the most skin. I'm shallow that way. How does everyone else decide?

I like the Joe Juska ones! But I feel you on embracing your shallowness--I usually pick a sexy Dejah Thoris one that isn't *too far* over the line (meaning my wife and mother of my young son wont think it's porn).

So ... I've started on SCALPED based on some recommendations from this board.

FYI: It's a dramatization of modern life on a reservation. There's a lot of crime and a lot of mystery.

moving right along, I'm on issue 18. It's a shame I just got them at a back issue sale and it's really a shame I don't have each and every one because the stories really really add up together.

for example, there's a whole issue on some random kid ... but it turns out he's the crime boss' janitor. it's a subtle connection but turns out be a somewhat regular role and a very poignant role.

This works for me much better reading them all in marathon style as the first few issues took some time to get going. Especially since there are some highlight issues which are totally based on one character and you don't get any of the other overall plot at all, and then that character will disappear for about six issues before they come back into play.

However, when reading them all at once, it's awesome how intricate and 'full' the plots and story lines are over a range of many issues.

At issue 18 I'm still left with more questions than answers and just starting to have characters I will root for. It's a huge cast, and while characters are developed, it takes some time to get to know them ... especially since there's several mysteries going on.

Why does everyone hate Gina Bad Horse? for one.

Aaron seems fluent with the subject matter and easily portrays the complicated lives of each character without being cheesey. There's a lot of drama in here but the sense is that this is some gritty underworld where everybody's life is so messed up it's believable. Aaron doesn't rely on stunts to push the plot's envelope. It would be easy to be exploitative with this gritty subject matter of a debauched, criminal, and oppressed life on the reservation but ... Aaron dosn't do that.


A few words about the art:
It can be murky and messy at first but ... when reading it last night in bed, I hit issue 18 that had a fill in artist ... and I loyally set it down and went to sleep.

Whereupon, I had violent nightmares.

That's a rich comic.


My dramatic tagline for this series:

It's a Walking Dead for adults.



(I like Walking Dead btw)

You had individual issues, Peebs, but some missing here and there? Is that what you mean? If so, which issues did you have?

One thing to always remember about Scalped is that driving the overall plot forward is secondary to exploring the characters pretty much always. There are storylines that advance things significantly, followed by runs where we justy get to know characters better. Character is what sells me on a given series better than anything, and Scalped is my favorite for that very reason!

"Walking Dead for adults?" If you mean because of its focus on character, I can see that. Otherwise, I'm lost!

I've read 4, 6,7, and 9 - 17 so far and ... I should have like 18 t about 38 with more regularity. So I've got a lot of Scalped to go.

Re: Walking Dead for Adults comment ... I meant that Walking Dead, while the best parts IMO are character driven ... I think relies on stunts, and shocks, and some science fiction tricks to make impacts while ... Scalped is more of an embellished world with rich characters that act and react in 'believable' ways.

.. maybe that is 'its focus on character'.

They're both gory, dark, and going for some sort of realism but I would say that the realism in Walking Dead is 'hyper realism' where as the realism in scalped is 'really messed up people realism.' Not meaning to take anything from the Walking Dead, it's just that it's more of a roller coaster type story. Walking Dead is somehow more instantly gratifying where Scalped builds more on itself over time. IMO.

If that makes sense.

Scalped has very very quickly become one of my favorites too.

Yes, it does. I getcha!

I guess you can say that TWD would also have a wider, more built-in appeal (even before the TV series) with the current zombie craze than something like Scalped that is often slow burn and more heavily nuanced with its seasoned characterizations. Love them both, though. They're my two fave books!


Wow! Glad to hear that!

I think a Scalped TV series (on HBO or something) would potentially be the best EVAR if done right!

I think it would translate verbatim to tv ... but i'd be so afraid they wouldn't do it right i'd prefer they not try.

So before SCALPED ... I was reading POWERS.

POWERS is like Batman the animated series meets Prime Suspect (.. the original gritty british version with Helen Mirren. )

The premise is ridiculous and utterly real at the same time. After a major disaster involving super powers the federal government outlaws the use of super powers. All the heroes retire like good law abiding citizens ... and all the villains .... still break the law and start to run the cities.

Powers follows two main detectives on the super powered crime beat. Neither have super powers, one is a former hero.

Bendis does a great job in the first issues of translating a characters voice to real life, so well I can almost hear their words in my ears.

I've read 1 - 12, 15, 22, 23, 24, 25

I have to say I like the initial story lines better ... the two cops against super villain crime lords, the return of a dead hero mysteriously back to fighting super villains, and the eventual return of this world's justice league. I think this book excels in portraying these characters moving along in this world. In some of the later issues, the focus shifts from cases and stories to explain the world and our characters situation in them ... to being stories about the defined characters. Around, issue 24 it's pretty serialized and more like other comic books where the characters have adventures and things happen to them but there's less of a spotlight on their struggles and motivations ... or maybe just getting to know them and their position in this strange situation.

I think the art is fantastic, it's like Bruce Timm's evil twin drew these pages.

The stories are not light, they are heavy but they are on the short side of heavy. So, each issue can be read pretty quickly but there's some meat there.

despite my criticisms ... POWERS is frickin awesome, and one of the very best comics i'm reading right now.

It's exciting to read and makes me excited about comic books.

I'm also a fan of Powers! I started a LW thread but only Dev and I seemed to be talking about it.

Great, well-written series. It's where Bendis shines the most with his dialogue (and why he gets the rep for writing dialogue well).

Of course I wouldn't want just any ol' hack to adapt it! But if someone cares about the material and is faithful to it, then it could be the best thing ever to grace a TV screen. I'd LOVE to see some known and unknown Native American actors get a chance to shine in such meaty unconventional, meaty and challenging roles!

you guys gotta stop reading and reviewing such good comics ... I can't keep up!

(I'll have to save Morning Glories and Chew for the trades and a rainy day or lonely train/plane ride. )

Actually, there's a lot of great stuff out there now!!!! ...... I never would've just tried them on my own.

I'm working on Unwritten ...

"Thank" us by convincing us to spend OUR hard-earneds on stuff we'd otherwise overlook!

As I continue to wade thru my backlog of August books, I present a few mini-reviews of some of that months DC books. Here, instead of their own threads, in an effort to keep the DCnU flow goin' without pesky flashbacks....

Jonah Hex #70:

The story title "Weird western" is apt here as Jonah heals from an injury and imagines his death in a few similar-but-different scenarios. Lotta symbolic stuff happens, that's mostly over my head, especially with the girl claiming he's her father. Beautiful Ryan Sook/Mick Gray art in the "dream" portion. The guy Diego Olmos who closes the book with the "real" portion also looks great under some Palmiotti inks.

The end really seems a way to literally close the book here prior to GrayPal moving on with Jonah to the DCnU. Several memorable characters from the run pop up and have some nice moments with Jonah.

A pretty good issue. But not up there among the best one's I've read from this run.


Adventure Comics # 529:

I think Levitz closes off the Legion Academy arc off in good fashion here, giving the students a chance to save the day against Cosmic King. The Borges/Alquiza art is attractive. Though it felt almost obligatory of Levitz to kill off one of the students, I have to admit that the scene comes off pretty nice.

It'll be nice to see several of the characters graduate to this weeks new LSH #1, but I wish they included Gravity Kid and Jed Rikane among them. I like that Paul officially "outs" them here, but it seems wasted when the characters are being taken off the board.


Batman: Gates of Gotham #4:

This is a good, overlooked miniseries from my current favorite writer Scott Snyder and co-writer Kyle Higgins. I love that they are deepening Gotham's history here and tying in the Elliotts (Hush's family) and Cobblepots into it, along with the Waynes. I'm certain that this is a blueprint that Snyder will be building upon as his run resumes in DCnU Batman.

One thing I'm suddenly a bit apprehensive about is that Snyder has written Dick Grayson so well as Batman that having him switch to writing Bruce in the relaunch could suffer in comparison. Snyder sold Dick as Batman as so uniquely Dick (better than Morrison, IMO) that I wonder if he'll write Bruce in as interesting a way. We'll know soon enough.

This is also a tense, exciting thriller that also utilizes Cassandra, Tim and Damien very effectively. It's also a good mystery! Can't wait to read the conclusion soon. Definitely recommended!


Flashpoint #4:

You know what? I enjoyed this penultimate issue of Flashpoint quite a bit! It was packed with character and plot and was serviced very well by Andy Kubert on art. Flashpoint is much-maligned for many reasons, but if you read it by itself (thru 4 issues, at least), it's not a bad story. These things are often hurt by the greed of the publishers blowing it up into a mega-event. Few books can live up to that kind of hype. But if you take it as what it really is--a nice Flash-centric alternate reality yarn--then it's not bad at all.

Unfortunately, it's blown up to be not only a mega-event, but the conclusion of an era of the DC Universe. I've little doubt that the conclusion will disappoint in that respect. But issue four was an exciting, full read that was also, dare I say it, fun! Loved for example, the twist on the Captain Marvel concept that got a chunk of the spotlight, this go-round.

Yeah, there was a bit of carnage thrown in, but it's all in good fun with a reality reset/reboot around the corner.

Punisher Max #16 concluded the third arc "Frank" that gets us a rare look into the past of Frank Castle before he donned the skull of the Punisher. We see flashbacks of Frank returning home from Vietnam and having difficulty reconnectiong with his family and settling down into a normal job. Vietnam has changed him completely.

Frank is reflecting on this as he's recuperating in solitary confinement in prison. The last arc "Bullseye" left him badly injured and incarcerated. You can imagine what this stirs up among his fellow prisoners, many of whom have friends and family executed by the vigilante.

So in this issue both past and present storylines conclude. We see again what happened to Castle's family, what his last conversation with his wife was and how that having been the way he left off with her haunts him. In the present we see Castle get out of his situation and where he will go from there.

Really, this continues to be an excellent series that never disappoints. Aaron's scripts are very interesting and full of character and action. And it's a sheer pleasure to see Steve Dillon again on a monthly basis. He's a natural for a Punisher book. Together, they bring more depth to Frank in this particular arc than he's rarely had over his existence. Here, we learn that he's punishing himself in his mission in his own way as much as he's punishing the scum he encounters.

It's a dark, gritty, violent book, but not one with out an element of dark humor. Not for everybody, but still very solid.

I read The Red Wing #2 today. Red Wing is an Image Comics mini written by FF's Jonathan Hickman. This is a book about war being waged thru time travel, via rocket planes (the titlular Red Wing) that fly cross space and time.

The art is by Nick Pitarra, whose style reminds me a bit of Geoff Darrow's style. It's very detailed but rough at the same time.

This issue deals with 2 storylines as we follow a pilot who crash landed in, I believe, pre-conquest Incan South America, while in the "present" we follow his son who is attempting to follow in his dad's path as a pilot/time-traveller. It ends with a bit of a shocker that links the two in a way while revealing more about the Red Wing's mysterious enemy.

It's a pretty strong effort so far that I feel dwarfs Hickman's work at Marvel to this point. This one is not open-ended and drawn out like everything he does there. No, I wouldn't be surprised if Red Wing continues in future volumes, but knowing that this one will end after 4 issues, makes me feel like there will be some sense of closure at least. I suspect, also, that most creators put their all into concepts that they actually own than the work-for-hire stuff, anyway.

Good first two issues--hoping for a strong concluding two!

Red Wing! Waiting for the TPB, but I'm glad to hear you enjoy it so far.

I'm also loving it. Utterly fantastic so far!

(I should note I also enjoy Hickman's FF and SHIELD much more than Lardy. I consider SHIELD better than 98% of DC and Marvel's comics.)

Mark Millar and Johnny Romita Jr.’s Kick-Ass (vol. 2) continues to be a huge amount of fun whenever an issue comes out. The recent #3 was the perfect balance act between over the top humor with ultra-serious moments that happen like a blitzkrieg, shocking the reader and advancing the plot.

I resisted this comic throughout its first volume and it was only when I got the movie on a plane last year that I got to see just how fun this was. I picked up this second volume and have been enjoying it since.

I happen to like a good amount of what Millar does, especially his creator-owned stuff. I’m also a huge fan of JR Jr. So if you like these creators, you’ll love this—its 100% Millar with 100% Romita Jr. with no restraints. If you dislike even one of them, you’ll probably hate this.

But the bottom line is that this is fun, fun, fun. Despite things like decapitations and crazy violence and sex related stuff, though that kind of enhances the fun too.

War of the Green Lanterns: Aftermath #2: After what I thought was a decent #1, the second issue was a whole lotta "meh". Basically, it was predictable as hell. GLs disagree with Guardians and go after them. Guardians stay aloof and tell the GLs to get the hell back to their sectors. Further instructions on a need-to-know basis. How many times have we seen this exact same plot?!?!

This was most definitely a place-holder/money grab, and I'm sorry I blew $8 of my hard-earneds. Stay away from it unless you've got THAT much moolah to blow. Instead, try out a new Image book, and you'll likely find something a lot more interesting.

Blue Estate #5

I know Cobie's been curious about this one for a while. Blue Estate is kind of a mish-mash of a mob story, celebrity dirty deeds analogs and private eye genres with a little helping of skimpily-clad ladies in tow.

After five issues, I find that there's stuff to like in each issue, but the story tends to be difficult to keep straight in monthly doses. This is even with clever recap pages that begin each issue. Even with those, there are a lot of half-remembered references and forgotten characters popping in and out. They're all connected, but as some characters take an issue off, you forget who they are.

In other words I think Blue Estate will read better in trade form or with a bunch of issues hoarded and read together. Actually, maybe I'd recommend the latter because I don't see the trade collecting 1-4 as being all that satisfying of a read as it is.

The art for this issue lists 5 names as the book's artists with the lead artist also being the principle storyteller Viktor Kalvachev. The art looks about as inconsistent as the number of artists would imply. They mesh together fairly well, but the book could benefit from a single penciller, etc.

I guess this review trends toward the negative, but it's not really bad at all. Maybe most people could keep track better than I am? If you'd like to read a serialized monthly drama with some action, a web of intrigue and a dose of humor, then you could do a lot worse.

I'm on the fence as to whether I get issue 6.

Interesting review. I know you had said before you weren't sure exactly how you felt about it (this was a few issues ago IIRC).

I had my CBS add it to my pull with #5 and I'll be getting the TPB (#1-4) when it comes out, so by then I'll probably read the first 7 issues or so together at a clip. Should be interesting to see how I feel about it, having read it that way.

I'll certainly be interested to see what you think.

I'm still really enjoying Kirby Genesis after reading issue #3. The plethora of characters and concepts that are thrown at the reader are a blast to see and each one is given a chance to shine.

But really, despite being called *Kirby* Genesis, this is truly a Kurt Busiek production. The series reads like a great arc of Astro City, from the regular man POV, to the wide array of characters and the focus on normal people reacting to extraordinary people and circumstances. I'm a huge fan of Busiek and Astro City, so I love Kurt's writing style; here, I'm enjoying it to great effect. This is enhanced by knowing he (and Alex Ross to a lesser degree) are utilizing Kirby's concepts to do it.

The art by Jack Hebert is fantastic and really nails the grandiose feel of the series, while also having that down to Earth feel that Brent Anderson's artwork has when the moment calls for it. Hebert really does a great job here.

I'm enjoying this enough that I plan on picking up the spin-offs when they come out. Certainly Captain Victory since the writer is Sterling Gates, whom I've really grown to like over the years.

Fans of Busiek should definitely check this out!

Cobie, you encouraged me to review Kirby Genesis and I haven't gotten around to it yet. But I agree completely with all you said above.

I had been looking forward to a more regular schedule from Astro City and have been disappointed that it hasn't happened so far. But I'm enjoying KG just as much. It'd be great to have both, though.

Strange as it may seem to say, I sure hope Busiek isn't repurposing his Astro City plans into KG stories from the way you guys are describing it. I'd rather have AC than anything else Busiek would ever write. It's disheartening that there's been almost no news about AC since Wildstorm was dissolved.

So far, I'm enjoying Marvel's relaunched Punisher series after having recently read its first two issues. The book caught my eye as it was rolled out in the same wave as the recent relaunches of Moon Knight and Daredevil. Moon Knight, I passed on because of a lack of any affinity for the character and because of its $3.99 price point. Daredevil and Punisher, I'd read to varying dgrees over the years. Plus, their post-issue one price points were $2.99.

The biggest thing that sticks out about this new Punisher book is the outstanding art! Marco Checchetto was, I believe, one of a number of artists who illustrated Andy Diggle's recent ill-fated run on Daredevil. As I recall, the art was never the issue on that series. Here, Checchetto gets the chance to spread his wings on a book of his own that is written to showcase the man's art, and the end product is really magnificent to behold! It's gritty but also very beuatiful and entirely appropriate for a street-level crime book like this one. Definitely the book's prime selling point!

Writer Greg Rucka has been a pretty big star in this industry. Crime is one of the areas in which he excels, so this book suits him. Here, he tells the tales of a massacre at a wedding and how the police are racing against the Punisher to find out who's responsible. Only, one of the detectives on the force is feeding the lethal vigilante intel.

A very interesting approach Rucka is taking is that the Punisher so far is pretty much a secondary character in his own book. We see the police investigation and the bad guys scrambling to cover up their tracks. The Punisher is more like the bogeyman whose shadow looms just out of sight. We see him operate and surveil and even do what he does best, but--and I went back and checked, so I'm fairly sure--so far he hasn't had even one single line of dialogue!

At the same time, unlike the version in Punisher Max, this Frank Castle is firmly rooted in the Marvel Universe, as the conclusion of issue 2 makes clear. Looming for next issue is a confrontation with one of Spider-man's villains. We'll see if Frank says anything during that fight....

Good, eye-catching start to the new Punisher book! With Punisher Max already on my pull, it looks like this Rucka/Checchetto joint may have aspirations of joining in as well. Definitely onboard for another couple of issues at least!

Tiny Titans #45 - The Batgirl issue. Barabara has Batgirl suits for everyone, including a purple one for Steph, and the girls have a Batgirl party. The theme quickly changes to Soccer when Pantha shows up. This all leads to some fun Soccer matches/mayhem: The Secret Six vs. the Birds of Prey, Cows vs. Robins & finally Bats vs. Cows.

Some of the jokes try a little too hard, but how can you complain about an issue that has Bane playing soccer against little kids?

So recently I’ve checked out three new independent comics in my never-ending search to find all the best comics out there that may have gone unnoticed. Of the three, one was utterly fantastic (I’ll get to it last if you want to jump ahead) and two were only okay.

The first was Near Death, a crime series by Jay Faerber of Noble Causes and other superhero fame published by Image. I actually read this about two weeks ago and am now getting around to reviewing it—and to be honest, I’m having trouble remembering that much about it. I think that kind of says a lot too. While it was pretty well done, there was something a little by the numbers about the whole thing, where a hitman begins to grow a conscious later in his career. That type of story needs something a little extra and a new hook in order to draw me in. I like Faerber and want to collect one of his series but I don’t think it will be this one.

I also picked up Last of the Greats by Image, which is about a group of godlike superheroes that bring the world to the cusp of peace, only for mankind to betray and kill them. Except one was kept secret and survived, and now humanity is under attack by an alien race and they need his help. There are two big twists at the end. Here’s the thing: it’s a fine premise and done pretty well; but throughout the issue the theme is humanity is distrustful and will turn on you, and the “Great” will only help humanity if they accept his vision for what Earth should be. It’s all a bit too much like Waid’s Irredeemable, or Moore’s Miracleman or the Authority or a number of other pessimistic series where the super-beings are fed up with mankind and are giving as good as they’ve gotten. If any type of story has been done to death its this kind. So while it was all totally fine, it’s just not subject material I want to go forward on.

While those two are series I’m ultimately going to pass on, there is one new series that I was totally blown away and impressed by: The Rinse by BOOM! Studios, in what may be their single strongest showing to date IMO. Now this is a damn fine crime comic and I was totally impressed by the writing and art all the way through. Crime author Gary Phillips lends his sensibilities to the comic book industry and nails it at every turn: the plot and themes are smart and clever, while being realistic and completely in the shape of “modern noir”. It’s a crime series but something quite different—dealing with an expert money launderer who ‘rinses’ dirty money to make it clean—and it absolutely stands out from other crime series I read. The art by Marc Laming is also really fantastic, with just a touch of Darwyn Cooke though always having both feet planted in realism. Even the colors by Darrin Moore do a great job enhancing the story.

The Rinse #1 is only $1.00 and every single person who reads this should be out looking for it the next time they go the CBS. It’s one of the best introductory issues I’ve read in awhile and I’m totally hooked. Above all, I like how it doesn’t shy away from being intelligent and complex but at the same time doesn’t take an MBA to understand. And the main character is fully developed from the get-go, and he’s likable although he’s no saint so you’re rooting for him. He’s also quite clever, in a way that reminded me of Veronica Mars, where that cleverness gives you one more reason to root for a character that is entirely unique.

So, two passes and one must-continue for me!

I read that dollar issue of The Rinse as well and found it highly enjoyable! Reading your review made me realize that I'd somehow forgot to review it, even though I meant to. Needless to say, I found it a fascinating and well-done read. I think issue 2 has been out a few weeks. Gotta remember to snatch one at my CBS if its there!

Infinite Vacation #3 arrived with my last batch of comics. I'd completely forgotten about Infinite Vacation, it's been a while since the last issue.

I had really mixed feelings about this issue. The concept continues to fascinate: a company offers travel to other universes inhabited by your parallel selves. This issue brings a mind-twister: if there is an infinite number of universes, there is one in which there is only one universe. Good news for the Singularians, who oppose The Infinite Vacation, bad news for the board of directors.

What I disliked about #3 was the extremely graphic violent encounter between three of the Marks. Snuff porn, not for me. Just the idea that there are probably people out there who enjoy that stuff leaves me chilled.

Regardless, it's a good story, with vibrant artwork. Unfortunately, it appears that the next issue won't be out until the spring.

I'm with you on all counts, FC. The concept is indeed incredibly interesting and done in a way I've never seen before.

However, the violence ("snuff porn" being pretty accurate) was just too over the top for me. I've read novels before with graphic horrors perpetrated on characters but have been able to accept it as part of the narrative. Here, all I felt was disgust and being taken out of the story.

The Gym'll's forum on LW is littered with high praise for Nick Spencer posted by me over and over. But here, I have to admit, I'm pretty turned off because of those scenes. Compiled with the huge delays between issues, and I might have to pass on finishing out the mini.

#2 and #3 are out and the series continues to be fantastic! Very tightly written with a plot and main character that embraces the sophisticated and complexity of money laundering, while at the same time having a very stylized and 'cool' atmosphere because of the lush art and coloring.

I'm really digging this series in a big way. Much like the Brubaker / Phillips crime stories, this is crime comics done totally right.

By far the best thing BOOM! has ever offered IMO (exceeding even Unknown which I thought was a terrific series of minis).

<span style="font-size: 24px;"> it's coming </span>

Hoorah!

I'm genuinely excited. The first 25 issues of that series are the 1992 crossover event have all aged suprisingly well.

Is that a chastity belt?

I'm more struck by his "battle dildo" there... careful, Stryfe, you'll put yer eye out kid!

Ooohhh...got some X-Force, New Warriors, Clandestine, and a few random comics - What If?, Black Knight coming up.

It may be time for a Dev's Random Comic review thread.

Batman #400

Special anniversary issue - cover dated October 1986 - Price $1.50

60 pages of story - two page text introduction by Stephen King, and four pin ups.

Written by Doug Moench

Artists: The story contains 11 chapters. Each chapter is illustrated by a different artist/art team.

Plot: As Batman marks the anniversary of the night he first donned the cloak of the bat, dual explosions rock Arkham Asylum and the State Penitentiary. Dozens of Batman's greatest villains are released. They make plans to meet the mysterious man behind their release, and join him in his plot against Batman.

Julia Pennyworth is abducted by the Scarecrow. Harvey Bullock is kidnapped by Poison Ivy. Vicky Vale is taken by the Riddler and the Black Spider. Killer Croc brutalizes and abducts Alfred.

The Joker, Penguin, Killer Moth, Deadshot, the Mad Hatter, and Cavilier attack Gotham Police headquarters taking Gordon, GPD officers and staff hostage.

Ra's Al Ghul is revealed as the mastermind. He offers to kill all the villains if Batman agrees to join him as a partner in reshaping the world. Batman refuses.

Batman, Robin (Jason Todd), Catwoman, and Talia join forces to free the hostages, go after the villains and confront Ra's Al Ghul.

My opinions:

This is an issue worth owning for the grand scale of it all. The writing is solidly in line with the Moench era Batman. Moench wrote Jason Todd well and put together an interesting supporting cast. Batman's motivations sometimes felt off during his run. All of that holds true here.

Ultimately, this story both succeeds and fails due to the art. Steve Lightle does the pencils on the opening chapter. His work is striking and leaves you hungry for more. Lightle passes the baton to George Perez who delivers his expected high level of quality. After that the art gets really bumpy. Sudden changes of styles disrupt the story. Much of the art looks rushed. Bill Sienkiewicz turns in an overly dark and poorly stylized chapter that pretty much destroys the flow of the story. His chapter is the one that reveals Ra's Al Ghul as the master villain and presents a symbolic moment of the giant penny in the Batcave crashing to the floor. The work is so murky that Ra's is not recognizable during the reveal and the falling penny loses most of its effect.

However, there is some redemption in the final chapter by Brian Bolland. Man, I wish I owned more Batman work by Bolland.

There's also an awesome pin up by Mike Grell.

Final grade: B-

The issue gets an A for effort, but the delivery is all over the map.

My CBS owner convinced me to try:

Avengers Sanction as the prelude to Avengers vs. X-Men

(even though is weird because Storm and Wolverine are on both teams, and then there's Hank the Beast ... )

anyway, art is a little bit like Art Adams which is ok.

<span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">Cable returns and is taking out Avengers because of some vaguery about their involvement in Hope's disappearance and since she's gone, in the future she won't be around to save the world and the world is destroyed. so Cable thinks he can save the world by killing the Avengers, and save his daughter Hope. a couple nice bits ... he puts Cap in a Magneto designed restraining chair that turns his motor skills to that of an infant ... this chair appeared a long long time ago in the Uncanny X-Men. Also, Cable is called Askani's son ... which i thought was nice and hasn't been used, maybe since the 90s. Anyway ... Cable shoots Captain America in the head. or something, the screen goes black so we're not sure. He's going after Iron Man in issue #2. I'm no fan of either Cap or Tony but .... MEH!!!!! oh and Cable is drawn really sketchy and large ... liefeld-esque. </span></span>

Well, I wanted to give it a shot, but now I won't be getting number 2, and I'm not sure if I'll be following the Avengers vs. the X-Men at all.

Maybe I will just dig out these and read them:



Mark Silvestri was ON FIRE back then.

I remember being furious after this issue because I didn't understand that this was mostly a capping off of the Pre-Crisis Batman and all the stories afterwards (Year One was a few issues away), were basically new continuity. The plot of the story has R'as free all the villains, and a handful of them sticking around to knock off Batman. By the end of the story they make a point of noting that other than the villains Batman re-captures here (Joker, Penguin, Scarecrow, Mad Hatter, etc), all the rest are out there and need to be brought in again.

So who are the villains in the next few issues of Batman and Detective? The Joker, Mad hatter, Penguin and the Scarecrow. 12 year-old me almost had an aneurysm as this blatant continuity face-slap.

I tend to think of most DC comics that were printed soon after Crisis as occurring in a "ripple reality" - not quite the pre-Crisis universe but not quite the post Crisis universe. Kind of an Earth in transition. If I recall correctly, the plan wasn't to create a new origin and continuity for Batman until after the success of "Dark Knight." Miller was then allowed to re-imagine Batman in Year One. It could be that Moench wasn't fully aware of this plan when he was plotting #400.

Just wanted to say that I'm really enjoying the 2 newest titles from Bongo Comics: Spongebob Comics-full of indy cred. on a monthly basis, and Sergio Aragones' Funnies-the man's a genius.

I'm totally addicted to Powers

It's a good mix of satisfying junk food action, more complex twists (some you see coming and some you don't), meta conversation on what if superheroes actually existed, dripping with personality character dialogue, and way out there sci fi.

one story arc i personally got a kick out of was the outlaw of super powers, and then of course ... the villains are criminals ... and continue to use their powers, ignoring the law .. duh .. and all the heroes retire like good law abiding citizens ...

leaving our non powered detectives with their hands full ...

bwahahaha .. that is the kind of sh@* that would happen in real life!

Everlast by Chad Michael Murray, art by Robbi Rodriguez, Andrew Huerta, J.K. Woodward and Trevor Hairsine. Published by Archaia

I've enjoyed many of the Archaia publications that deal with ancient mythical themes and Everlast is no exception.

There's a long history of stories about an Earthly paradise hidden within the hollow core of the planet. The book opens with a two page overview of this idea.

Derek Everlast has a job. He is one of a team selected - pre-ordained at birth, really - to find the 144,000 people who will be saved at the End of Days and transport them to Haven, the hollow-core paradise. (This isn't a Christian or religious story, it just takes that apocalyptic theme as a basis.)

Of particular importance are 12 figures who are necessary for the countdown to the end times to begin. Everlast has found the last of the 12, and must get her to Haven.

There's a problem, of course. Everlast's original mentor has turned against them, claiming that they are serving evil forces and Haven must be stopped. Who's right? Since the author himself describes this guy as the villain, you assume he is - but doubt lingers.

There are four different artists on the book, with very distinctive styles, each one chosen for a particular character's point of view. I thought this was very successful in contributing to the story's mood.

The book ends with the possibility of a sequel, which I suppose will depend on how this one sells. However, the story stands alone; you don't have a sense of something missing - although a sequel would be welcome, given the quality of the tale and the artwork.

Glory #23 by Joe Keatinge and Ross Campbell.

I have only bought one issue of Glory, a Christmas special which had a story about her by Liefeld, and a Youngbloods story Todd Nauck did the artwork on. At least, I think it was the Youngbloods. I've been trying to get issues of the Avatar run, but I haven't seen all the covers.

This reworking of Glory...

Ross Campbell doesn't draw a waif thin, back caving in on itself porn star knock-off of Wonder Woman. Glory is beautiful, but it's not in the cleavage. She doesn't show off cleavage. This woman is a body builder. The first page of her in action has her simultaneously ripping a Nazi's arm off as she's throwing a tank. She has a discussion with Supreme, who has also received a redesign which we don't fully see. He's talking about how there are other super heroes popping up, but, he doesn't trust them or Glory. Because in his words she's second only to him in terms of power, reckless, lacking respect in higher authority, and that, her behavior is "unacceptable".

This is her response.

Glory: Unacceptable? By whose standards? Yours?

She then talks about her upbringing, a union between two warring nations which united her mother's people and her father's people, and how since she was born they trained her either to rule those two races or destroy one if they broke the peace. And how, despite that, she left and took her training to the human world because she saw their potential to be great.

Glory: Let's talk about all this and really think if I give a damn about what you command. You want to determine my role? I'll tell you my role. I'm here to stay and make this world a better one. Despite everything. Especially you.

Supreme: ...

Glory: Right. That's what I thought. In a way, I appreciate it. You care about the greater good. Despite somehow having narcissistic motives. If anything, you amused me. Finding something to laugh about is rare during wartime. For that I thank you, but I've got work to do. You should do the same. Be good.

Supreme: Hm.

I admit it, I love this woman.

This whole issue brings the reader up to speed on Glory and her life, through the eyes of Riley Barnes, a young woman who has been dreaming about Glory all her life and has started to search for her. Her journey leads her to a small French town, where she meets American Gloria West. For anyone who'll remember, Gloria West was Glory's alter-ego in Alan Moore's run. Joe Keatinge blends together Glory's original run with a touch of revamp and reboot, connecting it with Alan Moore's short lived run and adding in a satire of Wonder Woman's comic book history. Joe has taken Gloria and transformed her from Glory's secret identity to being a human woman who shared her consciousness with Glory. Glory and Gloria had fused because Glory wanted to truly know what it was like to be a human being. Glory existed in Gloria's subconscious without stealing her life from her, and Gloria came to embrace the fusion and the excitement of Glory's life. Then one day, she stopped becoming Glory. This issue shows what happened to Glory after all of these years, and I won't reveal what.

The highlight is Ross Campbell's artwork. His redesign of Glory, her people, and has ability at body types and giving people distinctive features is amazing. I was expecting something along his fascination with Big Beautiful Woman, ala "Water Baby" and "The Abandoned". I was wrong.

Glory was conceived as an anti-hero Wonder Woman. With one issue they've taken her beyond that. There is no cheesecake in this book. There is violence, but it's not quite over the top 90s violence. Glory does not snarl or rant about how much of a bad ass she is, but she is confident and strong with hope for humanity, beautiful, and refuses to bow before the so-called authority of people like Supreme without threatening to disembowel him.

I want more.

So in typical Cobie fashion, I made a mistake I make about once a year. I found a series that I really thought was great but never ordered it; so by the time I recalled that it was out, I started hunting down back issues or the first trade. In the meantime, I continued to collect the current issues, not reading them, until I could get the first ones. So by the time I started reading Blue Estate by Image, I had already purchased the first (8) issues. And honestly, while it was okay, it’s not a series I think I want to continue.

I should have been tipped off when Lardy didn’t like it; usually we’re on the same page though there are times when one of us really likes something the other doesn’t. Here, I went in expecting a noir / crime / thriller type comic based on the covers of the issues and the praise I’d read online about it being very much in the pulp tradition. That might be true but not in the sense I wanted; instead this is actually a much more humor-focused comic book than anything, and that threw me for a loop. It focuses on several different characters, all with very serious motivations and circumstances, but the delivery is done in a very humorous style. And actually I found that dichotomy to not really work all that well; there is a definite disconnect between the tone and characters / subject matter. The series Chew is able to pull that off really well month in and month out, but here, it just couldn’t get over that hump from slightly amusing into something really incredible (like the aforementioned Chew).

On top of that, the art is pretty inconsistent and really not suited towards me. It’s cartoony at time and anime-ish at times, but stuck between switching from one to the next. That inconsistency continually took me out of the story.

After reading (8) issues (ugh, Lady Cobalt prob shouldn’t know how much that cost), I felt I didn’t really have enough interest to go on. This isn’t a bad series, per se, but its just not really for me.

SK – great review on Glory! I actually may pick it up now and give it a shot, especially since I was so impressed by Prophet.

FC – glad to hear that you liked Everlast. It’s a series I’d heard about and I’m interested in. I’ve seen interviews with Chad Michael Murray, who is an actor among the younger set, and he actually comes off as the real deal to me. Someone who loves literature in all its various forms and would prefer to be a writer over an actor.

Too pressed for time to really review, but figured I'd offer:

Grabbed Glory based on Sarky's rec (which is highest compliment I can offer in this forum). I had high expectations and I can say they were exceeded!. Everything Sarky says is dead on and I'd also add that it's a pretty nicely layered storytelling and excellent character work. The two characters intro-ed are terrific, and I'm looking forward to seeing them interact with Glory.

I also picked up Superbia by Boom! It was actually really good--I liked it a lot! Felt very fresh and energetic, taking a 'kinda' popular concept and injecting quite a bit of story and character into it. Best thing from Boom I've ever read.

Augh! My shop was sold out of Superbia before I could get a copy, and Bleeding Cool reports that it's selling out all over the place.

Guess I'll wait for the trade.

I'll keep an eye out for you next time I go, and if I can I'll snag a copy.

Also, we read all the same good articles at Bleeding Cool.

Yay! Thanks a million, Cobie!

And, yes, Bleeding Cool is the awesomest comics-and-more site around.

The Manhattan Projects #1 by Jonathan Hickman & Nick Pitarra (Image Comics)

Holy crap! I picked this baby up on a whim and I'm so glad I did.
Child, it was utterly fabulous!

Got that one reserved! Can't wait for it!

Hell Yeah #1 by Joe Keating & Andre Szymanowicz (Image Comics)

I almost passed this up, due to the title sounding a bit derivative of Kick Ass, but it was highly recommended by the charming & attractive clerk at my CBS, so I bought it.

I'm so glad I did!
Full of violence & profanity(but, sadly, no sex), this promising new title hooked me in with it's interesting cast, intriguing premise & well-established setting.

The lead character, Benjamin Day, is full of piss & vinegar, topped off with an adorable little tush! There's also an all-girl punk band, The All-New, All-Differents, who reminded me of my days as a bi-curious pop-tart back in college.

Auntie Anita says heck yes to Hell Yeah!

After Sarky's recommendation for the Glory relaunch proved to be a fantastic grab, I snagged the second issue...and I'm officially hooked. This is a fantastic, unique series.

It takes a lot of guts to depict a female lead like so. They do it, and pull it off. And with it comes a great story, fantastic characters and some solid storytelling.

Here's my review of a one-shot Sailor Moon story.

Casablanca Memory was a special one-shot story Naoko Takeuchi wrote about Sailor Mars. Chronologically it’s set in the first story arc of the manga before the Senshi finally met Sailor Venus. Part of the story was inspired from a conversation Naoko had with Michie Tomizawa, Mars’ voice actor, where she mentioned that her favorite flower is a white lily called a casablanca.

The story starts on April 17, which is Rei’s birthday. She unexpectedly receives a bouquet of red roses and a love letter from a boy who’s cousin goes to the same school she does. When Rei meets up with Usagi (Sailor Moon) and Ami (Sailor Mercury), she tells them they can keep the roses and the letter, because she has absolutely no interest in men. Ami mentions to Usagi that they haven’t gotten to really know Rei, probably because she goes to a different school, but also because she never really talks about herself.

When she returns to home to her grandfather’s shrine, she finds her birthday gift from her father waiting for her: a white dress and a bouquet of white lilies, the same gift she got last year. Ami and Usagi show up and give Rei a birthday gift as well, a music box which plays a song called “Rain Tree”. Usagi notes how pretty the lilies are, and Rei says they’re called “casablancas”, and they’re her favorite. After she leaves, Rei’s grandfather explains to her friends that Rei only ever meets with her father on her birthday. He’s a busy politician and Rei actively despises him, because he was so wrapped up in his career he wasn’t there for his wife, Rei’s mother, when she died. After that, Rei went to live with her grandfather at the Hikawa Shrine.

From there, we learn about Rei, her relationship with her father, and his aid, a man named Kaidou. Since Rei was little, Kaidou acted as a sort of big brother figure while he worked under her father, even after Rei’s mother Risa died. Two years before the story began, Rei was with Kaidou when she first saw a casablanca lily. Kaidou remarked that Rei would look good in white, and on her birthday shortly afterward, Rei received a bouquet of the aforementioned lillies in a white dress. She eventually realized that it was Kaidou, and not her father, who had bothered to pick out her birthday gifts. It’s quite obvious that Rei has feelings for Kaidou, and that he himself shares some of those feelings. Of course, things don’t work out in the way you think they do.

This isn’t a story about how Rei and this older gentleman enter into a doomed relationship, this is about Rei and her ability to trust people. At least, to me it is. Before meeting the Senshi, Rei had no friends because she didn’t think she was capable of trusting anyone other than herself. She felt that she and Kaidou were kindred spirits. He confessed that he didn’t want to enter a relationship either, out of fear that he would neglect his wife and children for his career. Kindred spirits. And then, one day, Rei saw Kaidou with a woman who he’s become engaged to, the daughter of the head of the Independence Party. Rei, naturally, felt betrayed. It seems she couldn’t trust Kaidou after all. That’s not their last encounter before her most recent birthday, but I don’t want to divulge what happened in that moment.

As Rei becomes more engrossed in her memories as time goes on, she begins to question why she has suddenly felt so sentimental. It’s not normal for her to be this emotional. The persistence of memories and sentimentality is a theme in this story, and they are connected with the rainy weather and the Rain Tree music boxes. The restaurant Rei went to for her birthday is also called “The Rain Tree”, and so they had one on display. The music boxes are an ongoing element, and the implications behind their sad melody are sinister. The more people keep hearing the sad song it plays, the more they think about failed relationships and unhappiness from the past. Their appearance coincides with flooding caused by the beginning of the Rainy Season, which is progressively getting worse. Could it be the Enemy?

Beyond memories and sentimentality, there’s the key element of growth as a person, and trust, and just how Rei has grown as a person, and her views on relationships. That was one of the things about Rei that got changed in the anime. In the manga, Rei was a stoic and demure miko priestess, who had a fiery temper and no interest in the opposite sex, whereas in the anime she was a hot-blooded hothead who actively sought a boyfriend and frequently got into childish fights with Usagi.

The story makes a point about choosing not to pursue romantic relationships, and Rei believes that if she ever became involved with someone she would become too greedy and wind up destroying that person. She’s fine with not having a boyfriend because she has a purpose as a Senshi and friends she count on. The ending marks a demonstration of Rei’s growth since she became a Senshi. She’s now able to trust people and she’s warmed up a little bit. Even if she doesn’t have any interest in men, that’s okay, because not pursuing romance doesn’t mean a person has to live alone.

There’s one part in this story that seems to have stuck with me. When Rei runs into Makoto (Sailor Jupiter), she treats her to a drink at the Rain Tree restaurant. It’s here that Makoto mentions a unrequited crush she once had, and Rei recalls that day she saw Kaidou with his fiance. Rei gets up and asks to play at the piano in the restaurant, and plays the theme to the movie Casablanca. Casablanca, in Spanish, means “white house”. I can’t help but feel a bit of irony in that Rei’s favorite flower is called a casablanca. With casablanca meaning white house, there’s the connection to her father and how his political career dominated his life. I try to wonder if there’s a deeper meaning to that, while at the same time I particularly like the artwork of Rei playing at the piano, with an image of the lilies in the background. It really captures her sad, strong regality, and it’s easy to understand why she was initially believed to be the Moon Princess when she first appeared.

Ragemoor #1 by Jan Strnad & Richard Corben (Dark Horse Comics)

Let me start off by saying that Corben's art is as good today as it was in it's Heavy Metal heyday.(late 70s, early 80s)

Well-paced & creepily atmospheric in glorious black & white, this book feels like it was ripped out of one of the Warren horror books of the 70's, like Creepy or Eerie. A living castle that feeds on human blood!

A fun & spooky read, with Corben indulging his penchant for drawing nudes.

Can't wait for #2!

Voice by Carla Speed McNeil

This is the latest volume in McNeil's Finder series, which takes place in an alternate world.

This is Rachel's story. Rachel is daughter of a high-ranking Llaverac (one of several clans) family. At 18, she must compete in a beauty pageant to be admitted as a full member of the clan and to enjoy a wide variety of privileges. The Llaveracs are this world's drama queens, they all look feminine and are very theatrical. (Other clans have different admission criteria, such as proving good mathematical skills.) But the Llaveracs are a hoot, and well suited to be the focus of a graphic novel.

Unlike her mixed-clan siblings, Rachel is pure Llaverac. She's a bit of a bubblehead, party girl, interested in fashion - but she knows if she can get clan membership, she can help her siblings. Going home after day one of the pageant, however, she gets mugged - and loses her hereditary ring. No ring, no pageant - so the hunt is on to find the ring.

What follows is two nights and a day of tracking through the city, looking for a nomadic friend of the family named Jaeger, who she believes could find her stolen ring. This trek is Rachel's journey of the soul; she goes through a wide variety of experiences in this delightfully strange world and emerges as an "interesting girl" - unlike the other Barbie Doll contestants. It's a wonderful coming of age story, augmented with fascinating notes from the author/artist about Rachel's world.

(You can read the next story, Torch, on-line ; old-school Cramer prefers books and the on-line artwork isn't as finished as in the paper version.)

VILLIANS FOR HIRE: OK, this wasn't a bad mini-series, by any means. Not great either, but it had enjoyable points and featured a grand plan (or two) which was interesting to watch play out.

But why the heck was Deadly Nightshade even in the thing? She got, what, 3 panels?!!! And was drawn to make Misty Knight look good, if you follow. She was publicized in all the promotional stuff and really shoudln't have been.

Bah! When's a fan's decades-long craving for black leather bikini wearing afro-puffed bad girls who can control werewolves and invent seriously wacked out crap going to be satisfied?

Dotter of Her Father's Eye, by Mary and Bryan Talbot (Dark Horse)

Two stories are interwoven in this graphic novel: Mary Talbot's, the daughter of Joycean scholar James Atherton, and Lucia Joyce's, daughter of James Joyce. Mary is researching Lucia Joyce, whose life was more or less tragic. She fought her father's condemnation of her involvement in Europe's burgeoning modern dance movement, and gradually descended into madness. Who knew James Joyce was such a stick-in-the-mud when it came to his own daughter? Mary finds some parallels between her own difficult father and James Joyce, although she comes out much better than Lucia (and thoroughly sane) in the end. Girls coming of age in 1920 vs 1960, interesting times for both women and a very interesting biography/autobiography.

Spontaneous by Joe Harris & Brett Weldale (Oni)

Melvin Reys' father died from spontaneous human combustion before Melvin's eyes and he's been on a quest for other victims - and answers - ever since that awful day.
Melvin has some sort of sense regarding future victims, of which there seem to be a high proportion in his town. "My life is a Stephen King novel", says Melvin.

Emily Durshmiller, wannabe investigative reporter, smells a good story and starts following Melvin around. There's some link to a tragedy that happened at the local chemical plant before Melvin was born: a terrible fire closed the plant down and ended the mysterious Prometheus Project. But no one alive knows whether Prometheus was a weapon, a fuel, a propulsion system or something else?

The former plant owner is confined to a retirement home, but he's not talking, except for a few cryptic comments.

The mystery is solved in the end, as all good mysteries should be, with gruesome consequences. "Prometheus stole fire from the gods... but the fire had other ideas," concludes Emily.

It's a curious subject and an interesting story, although I got a bit muddled at times and had to reread a few pages to clear up what happened at the end; a few things (like the plant owner's behaviour) were a bit too cryptic. While I felt some sympathy for Melvin, I didn't warm up to him (no pun intended) and I found the persistent Emily a tad annoying.

picked up a few trades for upcoming travel ...

cheated a bit and read issue one of the 1st Morning Glories For a Better Future volume today.


It certainly starts off with a bang. wow.

So far it's not exactly anything you haven't seen before, seems a bit like a sci fi tv show.

BUT ... it's really jam packed with excitement. It just keeps smacking you in the face with a big portion of 'didn't see that coming' or 'wow that's creepy' or 'already!'.

can't wait to see where this snowball ends up at the bottom of the avalanche!

Okay I just discovered this thread and it seems like an appropriate place to put in a shameless plug for my own graphic novel, complete with reviews by our very own Fat Cramer among others:

http://www.legionworld.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=8&t=002363#000014

Wow, what a fascinating premise for a story! That alone is intriguing despite some of the narrative criticisms you point out. Maybe I'll grab this one sometime...

Also enjoyed the heck out of the creepiness that is Ragemoor! As I've said elsewhere, Richard Corben's art is what I'd consider the scariest, creepiest and most unnerving art in comics. And theres something about it I cant help but feel drawn to!

The story of a haunted house is taken to a cool extreme here, and it's Corben's art that lends it an element of something uniquely weird.

Upon CK's recommendation I picked up Daredevil #10 ....

Daredevil versus Mole Man ... genius! This was actually the end of this story line but I was able to jump right in with a minor amount of exposition. Waid does a great job of driving Daredevil, I feel like I'm in Daredevil's shoes ... especially in regards to his powers, unique way of viewing the world, and the use of his abilities in fights. And hand picked villains perfect to face off against Daredevil. (The Klaw, a teleporter named Spot, Mole Man, all put the Daredevil in situations that show off how cool he is)

I just went to the CBS today and grabbed #1, 10.1, 4.

great dialogue btw ... in #1 you get a few sentences that sum up how Matt Murdock is back in the game after all his life imploded previously.

clever clever clever ... and the art is just right, a great mash up between a retro style, great backgrounds, and agile action scenes.

Waid and Rivera must be loving doing this series because there's a joy and energy that comes out of the book.

I've only read a handful of Daredevil stories ... ever ... and those were around the Typhoid Mary story with John Romita Jr. drawing in the late 80sish ...

but I'm really enjoying these, and they are written in a done in one way amidst a few larger plot lines ... that makes it easy to jump into ... even for someone like me, who's new to Daredevil.

Fairest #2 .... was mostly back story and only 20 pages long, and started out with a confusing jump from the last issue.

There won't be a third for me.

So in my rush to pick up Danger Club #1, I was delighted to find Hell Yeah #1 (2nd printing) and #2, both of which were flying so fast off the shelves, they're likely gone now. I read a lot of great reviews of #1, including Anita's. I've learned that if Anita likes it, it's usually very good.

My initial impression is wow, this is a fun, exiting comic! There's action, tension, complex but fun plots and teenage characters just screaming angst! Writer Joe Keatage already blew me away with Glory and that continues here. The twist ending in #2 takes the story up another notch and makes me super curious as to where its going. Meanwhile, the three female 'superheroes' from an Alt reality introduced here really hooked me, in the sense that we already have a large cast (which at like 80% female works).

The art by Andre Szymanowicz just POPS and sizzles in the right places. It has a slight Möbius / Quietly influence that I like, while still being unique. The characters are sexy and energetic. And theres something raw about it, slightly unpolished which I find appealing.

I really liked this! Yet another add to my pull list from Image. 

And this issue had more cute tushes and some sexy kissing scenes, to make up for the lack of sex in #1!

Nowhere Man by Marc Guggenheim and Jeevan J. Kang (Dynamite)

A pretty interesting series, but not blowing my mind.

It's a Philip K. Dick sort of premise: in the future, everyone has been infected with something that permits The Overmind to detect illegal/homicidal thoughts, thereby wiping out crime.

However, one child has been born and genetically altered by his father to escape the Overmind. Grown to adulthood, the only way to test if it works is for him to kill somebody.

The Overmind doesn't have things under control quite as much as the powers that be think, however. The protaganist, by issue #2, is meeting all sorts of seedy characters and is being chased by Orions (the police). And, of course, there is a beautiful blonde Orion who is also questioning things, much to the annoyance of her commander, so you figure there's going to be a love interest in future issues, and maybe lots of Overmind-free babies.

I have decided to take a break from DC for a bit and am very much looking forward to reading SAGA, SUPREME and DANGER CLUB (all from Image) next!

I would make it 5 Image titles in a row, but I I already know I love THE WALKING DEAD and I have let several issues of MORNING GLORIES pile up in my pull because I want to try reading several issues at once.

hmmm Lash + New Deadwardians = ?

This may be up your alley too Lash. It's zombie related with a twist. We've been talking about it in the Vertigo thread--I haven't read yet, as I'm waiting to see what some more reviews look like.

Meanwhile, can't wait to hear your thoughts on Saga, Supreme and Danger Club!

GASP!!! I opened a delightfully adorned package from Ms. Cocktail this morning, and among other awesome things, it contained HELL YEAH # 1 and 2! So I am adding that to my upcoming Image-a-thon, which will probably occur tonight!

I'm looking forward to going rogue with IMAGE just like I did briefly in the 90s! I bet these books are a LOT better than Youngblood, Wildcats, Brigade and Spawn though!!

They are a LOT better than the 90's Image! And a LOT better than today's DC and Marvel.

I thought Hell Yeah #1 & 2 were awesome! Totally Titsrific IMO. See the prior page for reviews by the lovely Ms Cocktail and myself (who grabbed them on her rec). I immediately added it to my pull.

There is an Image revolution these days! And this time, the quality is truly there!

GASP!!! How dare you!! haha


Image and Vertigo now has most of the best books out there.

I'm all about it and I used to be all superhero comics all the time.

I read HELL YEAH 1-2 and really liked them!! Loved the art and colors and am intrigued by the handsome leading lad, his mother and the multiple earth thing going on! I will have to get # 3! Thanks, Ms. Cocktail!!

ALso, I saw the ad for AMERICA'S GOT POWERS-- that looks COMPLETELY up my alley!! Is it out yet, has anyone read it? I need to get that!

Glad you liked Hell Yeah! It def is right up your alley!

America's Got Powers, I believe, came out this week or last. I haven't gotten it / read it yet but will. I've heard really positive things! Plus, it's double sized for $2.99.

I really liked America's got powers.

I bought it for the art but the story was what stuck with me as interesting, it's a bit like a hunger games or gladiator type premise.

I'm curious to see where it goes, I hoep it's not just an amazing 1st issue, because it left off with a cliff hanger so ... it really depends on where or how issue #2 plays out.

Sounds like I *must* read number 1!

I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. Let me know what you think.

Craphole!! Looks like I can't get to the CBS before Monday... hope everything isn't sold out...!!!

Have I said yet ... that I'm really enjoying Super Crooks!?

It's fun. And I feel for these down on their luck crooks. (not that much 'cause their crooks but ... you know)

New Deadwardians #2 has sold me on at least the first story arc.

The plot thickened and I'm along for the ride.

(very much in fact - I'm curious to get to the bottom of things with the main character).

Me too! So far it's been a blast. Just a fun, adventure / heist type story.

As an artist, Yu has really come a long way, and Millar seems to bring out the best in him. 'Superior' was the best work either creator has ever done, and this seems to be going right along with it in quality.

I know Millar has his haters, but he's really proving himself lately with his creator-owned work. He's not afraid to just have fun with it and let the audience just enjoy the story.

I'm enjoying the characters quite a bit. I already can't wait for Praetorian to get his comeuppance.

yeah the characters are believable ... I'm really enjoying the surly telepath woman. the ringleader and the old man as far as character. The ghost will probably be developed later, and the two thugs are pretty funny.

I can't wait for Praetorian to get his butt handed to him too! it's only been two issues ... that's good writing.

That combined with what the heist actually is, was a catchy twist.

Today was the start of the Second Wave of New 52 books, beginning with Dial H, Worlds’ Finest, Earth 2, and GI Combat. Dial H is the only one in these books I’ve had a genuine, positive interest in, due to the fact that it appears to be a similar revitalization in the tone of Doom Patrol, Sandman, and Black Orchid from the 80s, and China Mieville’s seemingly genuine optimism and dedication towards reviving the H Dial mythos.

For those of you who don’t know, Dial H for Hero is one of the older concepts owned by DC. Starting in the 1960s, it was about a boy named Robby Reed who discovered a small toy dial. Every time Robby dials the word “HERO”, he transforms into a brand new super hero identity, each time a new hero every time he dials again. In the 1980s, the idea was brought back with the Dial split between two young kids, Chris King and Vicki Grant. After a lengthy run in their own right, avoiding the hereditary “grim and gritty” of the 80s, Chris and Vicki would later become supporting characters in the New Teen Titans, with an older Chris internalizing the Dial’s power and needing help to stop a now older and evil Vicki, warped by a cult called the Children of the Sun. In the 90s, the Dial would find its way to Hero Cruz, a member of the super hero party team the Ravers (led by Superboy). Hero would fight against Vicki and seemingly cure her of her psychosis. The last we saw of him was joining the failed Titans L.A.. There was then a miniseries which took the Dial H concept down a dark road, including a bitter and older Robby Reed. Followed by a one-shot JSA story involving Alan Scott, and the first issue of JMS’s run on Brave and the Bold, the Dial had faded into obscurity.

You don’t need to know this to start reading this story. All you need to know is that there is a device, that when the word “HERO” is dialed, you become a brand new superhero for a short time. But China has promised plenty of easter eggs for the older fans, and has neither confirmed nor denied whether or not any of the previous Dial owners will appear. Though not the same way Dan Didio confirms it.

The story opens up to Nelson Jent, an overweight smoking addict who gets into an argument with his friend Darren Hirsch. From Darren, we learn that Nelson’s life has apparently taken a downturn in the last few years. “First the job, then Julie goes… you used to box. You used to read. You used to be interested in everything, man…” Neither Darren nor Nelson goes into a soppy, internal monologue about how depressing and unfulfilled Nelson’s life has gone, but we do see that Nelson doesn’t have much going for him now. He’s had a heart attack and he’s not even past 30, and the cigarettes are not going to make things better. Darren walks out of Nelson’s apartment in a huff, though not from a shouting match, and the internal dialog we do see demonstrates that Darren is sympathetic to Nelson’s situation, and Nelson understands he shouldn’t have gotten angry because Darren is just trying to help. China keeps this dialog simple without taking a turn into “Hallmark” or “Lifetime”, or some Frank Miller or Geoff Johns speel. Nelson actually follows after Darren to apologize, only to find Darren being beaten up in an alley by some thugs. We learn that Darren is involved in some shady dealings with someone called “XN”. Nelson tries to intervene but gets knocked on his butt with one punch. Nelson climbs into the nearest phone booth and tries to call for help, but somehow dials the number which leads to… the amazing 2012 debut of Boy Chimney!

Boy Chimney, a macabre, disturbingly powerful… thing, with long, spindly arms, legs, and figures, skin like soot-covered brick, a giant Joker grin, piercing yellow eyes, and a gigantic, stovepipe hat that spews smoke from the top. The fight scene is interlaced with shots of Nelson not understanding what is going on as the unbelievably tall and serenely manic Boy Chimney deals with the thugs. He moves his joints like some living version of Slender Man, twirling a cane and summoning monsters made out of smoke. When he has the thugs on the ground, the smoke monsters surrounding them, Boy Chimney talks about what the smoke is made of, and we learns it’s actually cigarette smoke. Boy Chimney is also able to actually sense all the people smoking in the city, and we’re treated to a page where he actually sees what they see through the smoke. Until he realizes he needs to help Darren and must help his friend.

Here’s the thing: we don’t know about what happens to Nelson once he transforms. Does he simply turn into a new hero? Does a new personality manifest and take over Nelson’s body when he does transform? Or does Nelson share his consciousness with some new persona? Nelson doesn’t have control, but Boy Chimney does remember that Darren is his friend and starts thinking like Nelson. At one point, the internal dialog tells Boy Chimney not to kill the thugs, and Boy Chimney allows it. This is something new in the Dial H mythos. Just about every time someone has dialed a hero, the person has always been in control and it’s just implied that they’ve only received a physical transformation. Now we see that the heroic personas may have a life on their own, but they aren’t necessarily parasitic or trying to take control, and it’s short of a dual system. Upon learning about Nelson’s smoking, it’s obvious that Boy Chimney’s powers are based off of Nelson’s addiction, which adds a psychological layer. Is the Dial working with Nelson’s psyche and/or subconscious? All of the other heroes that manifested were random and seemingly had no consequence towards whether or not they had a deeper connection to the person. Now it seems that’s no longer the case, though China has promised there’ll be new, random identities each time the Dial is used.

Meanwhile, Vernon Boyne, who was with the thugs who accosted Darren and, from what we learn from Darren, the guy he answers to, is speaking with someone about the incident. XN, the guy who was mentioned before. Vernon is trying to make it clear that the person involved was not “Manteau”. But who is Manteau? We don’t know. But Vernon has images of her, and a couple of articles, on his computer. Manteau, however, has been seen on the cover of Dial H #3, which implies that someone else has used the Dial before the first issue, and that person is connected with this XN. China adds another level of mystery.

After speaking with Darren’s doctor, Nelson goes back to the phone booth to figure out what number he dialed. He accidentally dials “HERO” again, and winds up with a new identity… the brand new, never before seen Captain Lachrymose! Looking like a hipster in a Superman knockoff uniform, Captain Lachrymose goes to look for Vernon Boyne to deliver a message and…

I will leave off there, as I’ve spoiled enough. Let’s talk about Nelson.

Nelson is an everyman in the truer sense of the word. He’s an okay guy, and his life hasn’t been looking too good lately. A lot of us have gone through the same thing. He’s going through a rough period and he doesn’t really know how to pick himself up. Darren is his friend and is trying to help him, but if Nelson can’t help himself Darren can’t do much. China doesn’t waste internal dialog and make Nelson or Darren’s assessment of the situation overdramatic, rather, he keeps it simple. The fact that Nelson isn’t too proud to apologize to Darren puts him above a LOT of characters in the DCU, and Darren having more patience than most but willing not to enable someone is also something we haven’t seen lately. Nelson shares the readers same sense of bemusement and confusion. He has no idea what is happening to him, or why. Nelson and the readers are in the same boat, as we are both experiencing this for the first time, so naturally, we don’t understand the “hows” and “whys” of everything. Yet. China puts us on the same level as Nelson, and vice versa. While stuck as Boy Chimney, Nelson asks how, but Boy Chimney replies “not now”. We aren’t going to get all the answers in the first issue. By the end, Nelson figures out he has to dial the numbers corresponding to “HERO” to change, but that also raises the question of how Nelson managed to dial these four numbers, and why, the first time he transformed.

Why is the dial in the phone booth? China admits it would’ve been too easy to have be some sort of hand held cell phone, but with the phone booth it’s a callback to the earlier days of superheroes. Think of Clark Kent transforming into Superman. And it provides a constant to the book. It doesn’t even have the letters “H-E-R-O” prominently shown. It looks like a regular dial. But it’s still odd. Like “the little shop that wasn’t there before” idea, you have a walk in phone both with an old fashioned rotary dial. It isn’t something you see these days, a little odd, but not something you would give much thought to under certain circumstances. China notes something about odd about the Dial H mythos, we’ve never learned just where the Dial came from, who built it, and why? He’s also going to continue to explore the psychological aspect of the Dial. In interviews he’s made a point about one of his favorite transformations from the Robby Reed stories, King Coil. Robby transformed into a gigantic, living metal spring. Now, as a kid, you would be amazed that you’ve turned into something amazing. But if you were adult, think of how horrifying and amazing it would be to be transformed into a gigantic piece of metal. You’d probably be scared that you have no organs or no genitalia. As for Boy Chimney and Captain Lachrymose, it’s obvious what they represent. Boy Chimney is Nelson’s cigarette smoking, and Captain Lachrymose is Nelson’s depression, both taking to extremes.

As for the art, Mateus Santolouco is amazing. Boy Chimney and Captain Lachrymose are two of the best aspects of the whole book. Boy Chimney’s lanky, spider-like appearance, his cheerful glee and giant hat which transcends the panels is so distinctive. When I first saw the designs for the latter, I assumed China was making a reference to the “Doom Force” one-shot Grant Morrison wrote, featuring a member named “The Crying Boy” who had bad luck powers. Captain Lachrymose’s powers stems from gaining strength from misery, by making people relieve painful memories. Lachrymose’s confrontation with Vernon also gives us a fight with something totally horrifying once it reveals its true form. Mateus gives everyone in the book a distinctive face and no body type is reused. He makes the phone booth totally inconspicuous and innocent, so it doesn‘t leave you suspecting the power it has.

In the end, China has set up a suitable story and a few good mysteries. What will happen if Nelson keeps using the dial? Who is this XN? Who is, was, Manteau? Will Robby Reed or the other dial owners appear? I was excited because this book seemed the most interesting, and so far I’ve been right. This isn’t like the other Vertigo re-workings, though China has been honest that the approach is not something new. I look forward to more, especially the heroes who appeared on the second cover, and I hope people give this book enough support so that China can give us a satisfying story without having to do an ass-pull ending.

This weeks Daredevil #12 was IMO stupendous ...

just a great great story ... not even any action.

art was great. and I just found the story pleasantly superb.

I loved the back story on his friend ship with foggy and the development of his new friendship with the Assistant D.A.

I grabbed X-O Manowar #1, the first release of the relaunched Valiant universe, and was pretty impressed by it! It was a well-paced, well-written story with phenominal artwork by Cary Nord.

The story is certainly taking its time to getting Aric of Dacia in the X-O armor, but I didn't mind at all. #1 opens back in Roman times with the Visigoths and this happens to be an era of history that I am totally fascinated with, having immersed myself in it for years. It was really well done (and makes me wish for a series set in this era), and then just as it leaves you wanting more, it moves forward to a totally different setting / tone of science-fiction. #2 will pick up with the sci-fi element and I suspect bring us further to the modern day X-O Manowar

I'm a big fan of Valiant Comics from their early days. X-O was actually never one of my favorites then, but this was definitely impressive enough to continue now. I'll be picking up the others too, including my favorite from back then, Archer & Armstrong.

2012 continues to be nothing short of the best year in decades for new, creative comic book series and the latest 'so good I'm totally blown away' comes from Dark Horse in the form of Resident Alien. It's a four issue miniseries but I hope it becomes an ongoing or series of minis because it was nothing short of phenomenal.

The premise is fantastic in and of itself: alien crash lands in small town USA and is basically stranded. He's able to blend in and bide his time until rescue, purposely avoiding any unnecessary human contact. His secret identity is that of a doctor-now-full-time-researcher, which is why the police come to him when the small towns resident doctor is murdered. He reluctantly agrees to help out and soon finds he really enjoys the interaction! And more...now that his boredom is cured, he's too interested in solving the murder mystery to give up now.

It's a great blend of mystery / suspense, insight into small town life and sci-fi. But where it succeeds is the delivery. Writer Peter Hogan paces it perfectly with an ever growing increase in tension as we get insight into the characters. I really want to keep reading about 'Harry Vanderspiegle'!

The real triumph though is the art. Steve Parkhouse gives page after page of some of the prettiest panels I've ever seen! Beautiful backgrounds and settings just illuminate the pages. And if that wasn't enough, where Parkhouse really shows his stuff is in his layouts. They are methodical and fascinating and I actually reread the issue to take it all in. There is some great Gibbons influence; and for this Legion fan, I couldn't help but get a sense of John Forte believe it or not. Some really multi-layered scenes going on in the larger panels like Forte would do (used to great effect with symmetrical panel layouts in other places). What puts the art over the top is the coloring (also by Parkhouse) which is incredibly lush and feels like the work of a master painter in places.

Fantastic new series--A+ and a big recommendation.

Yep, it's a great story. And leading into it, the Omega Effect story crossover with Avenging Spider-Man #6 and Punisher #10 was superb in all aspects. I'm loving Daredevil!

New Deadwardians #3 of 8.

This issue was a bit of a slump compared to issue 2. This book is still nothing new ... but I like Vampires and Zombies, and the Victorian setting. I'm not sure if I'm along for 8 issues though, maybe 4.

This weeks SUPER CROOKS raised the stakes ... the twist in the final scene has me on the edge of my seat until next month!

America's got Powers #2 was the best book I bought this week. I really feel for the poor protagonist stuck between a rock and a hard place.

POWERS was also exquisite this week! It's getting better and better.

Dial H #2 review.


Picking up from the first issue, we’re greeted with Nelson experimenting with the H Dial. He’s trying out different identities, seeing what he’ll turn into, and learns that the Dial’s power is not necessarily unlimited. The more frequently he uses the dial, the shorter duration for the identities. The Dial requires time to recharge its energy. In this issue, Nelson becomes:

*The Human Virus
*Shamanticore
*Pelican Army
*Double Bluff
*Hole Punch
*Rancid Ninja
*Skeet
*Control-Alt-Delete
*Iron Snail

The first four have been seen on the cover, but the identities which receive the most time on panel are Control-Alt-Delete and Iron Snail. I was slightly disappointed, because I was hoping to see some more action from both Double Bluff and Pelican Army. …both. Double. Word play.

Nelson starts doing investigating into what his friend Darren has gotten himself into. It turns out that Darren has been joining in some breaking and entering. But all of the target homes have belonged to people who’ve lapsed into comas. Not from natural causes. There’s a connection between the cases, but Nelson doesn’t investigate that. In the first issue, the doctor Nelson spoke with (who also has a big role to play) mentioned dealing with “gang members lapsing into comas”. At first, I thought she was talking about the guys Nelson fought as Boy Chimney. It turns out I was wrong.

As Control-Alt-Delete, Nelson goes to check out the home that Darren was supposed to break into. Here, he meets the mysterious Manteau mentioned in the previous issue. It’s unclear as to what power Manteau has, but she assumes that Nelson is someone who’s fought her before. It’s also implied that Manteau is also connected to the Dial in some way. When Nelson uses his “reboot” power on Manteau, it seems to turn her back to normal from whatever she was. As she flees, she takes a landline phone from the apartment with her. Another observation: Manteau has frequently been engaging in fights with the people Darren has been working with, those working for X.N.

X.N. actually stands for “Ex Nihilo”. We get to meet X.N., and her prisoner it turns out. The previous issue we saw that X.N. had someone kept in a glass cage. Here, we’re introduced to the Squid, a decidedly inhuman person who agrees to do some dirty work for X.N. In this case, it’s getting rid of Darren Hirsch. The Squid, however, makes it clear that he wants something from X.N. but he is not her slave, and that he’s only helping her so he can finally get what he wants. The Squid alternates between elegant elocution and sailor mouth when he fights Nelson, this time as the Iron Snail. Believe me, the name is not as stupid as it sounds when you see Nelson in action.

Besides the action, we get a glimpse into Nelson’s personal life. He tries to contact the previously mentioned Julie from the first issue. It’s implied that their relationship ended somewhat badly, but he turns to Julie because he needs someone to talk to. He doesn’t get to talk to Julie like he wanted, though she doesn’t tell him to go screw himself. Mieville once again provides a demonstration of human emotion doing tastefully by not over-hyping the drama. Nelson is still depressed and slightly submersed in self-loathing, but not to the point that he’s bemoaning how the world is a horrible, empty place. Littleville, however, is mentioned as a very depressing little town where nothing works. Not even relationships. Nelson has begun to look to the H Dial as a way of escaping from the drudgeries of his life. If he’s not careful, he might start becoming an addict.

The issue ends with Nelson being offered by Manteau to explore into where the Dial truly comes from and what he’s gotten himself into. The Squid and X.N. are anticipating the return of… something, Darren Hirsch isn’t doing so well, and it looks like Nelson is now a target.

With Mieville’s realist superheroic psychological exploration of a dial that turns you into superheroes and Mateus’s distinct and original character designs, I still look forward to more.

I dropped Birds of Prey with #9....while I really like the characterisations (this version of Katana is awesome and Starling has quickly become one of my favourite characters), I'm kind of getting over being thrown into the middle of things every issue and never getting full answers. At first I thought this was a conscious choice of the writer, to keep us as unbalanced as the Birds are and to keep things unpredictable....and it still MAY be that, but it's stopped being a satisfying mystery and just started feeling like sloppy writing. Why is Batgirl suddenly hanging out with them? What happened to the completely different story from last issue? What happened to the completely different story from the issue before? It's too choppy with regrettably not enough to make up for the choppiness.

I have picked up the first 2 issues of Dial H though, and am enjoying it. Not really 100% sold on the bad guy/s, but Nelson is a legitimately interesting protagonist for a superhero comic and the identities are all unique and very creative thus far. I will give this one a few issues and see where it goes I think.

On Mr. Cobie's recommendation, I picked up & read Resident Alien #0 & #1.
As usual, he was right.
I loved it!! It has a very mid-20th century sci-fi feel to it & the story is told in such a low-key manner, that it totally sucks you into it's little world.
It's linda like a J'onn J'onzz story concentrating on the mystery-solving instead of the super-heroics... and the art definitely has Forte-flavor.
Highly recommended!!

^Also purchased issues 0 and 1 last Wednesday! When I get to it, I'll let ya know what I think!

Yay! I knew you'd love it, Anita! You're dead on about the mid 20th century sci-fi vibe.

And Lardy, also glad you grabbed it too! Can't wait to hear your thoughts!

The latest series I've dived into headfirst is Skullkickers! I randomly bought #13 and liked it so much I went ahead and for the first two trades so I could get caught up all at once.

It's action meets comedy meets swords & sorcery with an energy to it that is infectious and exhausting (in a good way). The two leads are hilarious and charming. The intro to the first trade likens them to being part Conan in their love of mischief, part Fafraid & the Grey Mouser because of their witty camaraderie, and part hilarious juvenile humor of a teenage Dungeons & Dragons campaign gone off on an uncontrollable tangent. Its all those things except with an awesome factor times 1,000.

Its just damn fun. I've read the first trade in a sitting and will get to the second shortly. The series won't be for everyone...but if you're looking for a funny-ass adventure series that includes elves, dwarves and an ass-kicking female-only manned pirate ship then this is your comic.

Picked up the Boys trades 2 and 3. The store didn't have #1.

Why has no one recommended this to me before !

It's like Preacher + Powers ... In fact, I bet Bendis was a big fan.

There is quite a lot of over the top shock but, it comes so hard and heavy that its really not about the shock value or being sensational, in a way it trivializes taboo subjects to the point where they are actually merely there for comic value and/or put into the light of day in order to actually examine them.

I've been beating that drum over on The Boys' own thread sporadically, Peebs, with little-to-no effect. Even Cobie, a huge Ennis fan, hasn't picked it up yet!

Dark Horse is on it's own roll lately with creator-owned comics, and the latest one is another fantastic opening: The Massive. Its intelligent with great characters and a fascinating premise that has me at least wanting to give it a solid 6 issue follow up to see where it's going.

The post-Apocalyptic premise set in the naval mystery genre--a genre that hasn't really been mainstream since the pre-superhero Golden Age--is delightfully unique.

Between this and Conan, I'm finding Brian Wood's writing to be very appealing.

It's now time for my reviews of the second and third issues of Dial H.

#2: http://www.comicvine.com/dial-h-connection-lost/37-338455/user-reviews/?review_id=30051

#3: http://www.comicvine.com/dial-h-come-here-i-need-you/37-344037/user-reviews/?review_id=30483

So...a few reviews in short...

I grabbed Revival by Image on a whim even though I have zero interest in collecting another series featuring zombies. I'm glad I did--because it was excellent! I'm definitely in for another 5+ issues, as I thought the premiere issue delivered a fascinating premise, some really strong lead characters and a strong last page hook. They call it 'rural noir' and that's a great description--it's not quite horror, and has that slow burn growing sense of unease. It's by Tim Seeley (by far the best thing I've seen from him) and Mike Norton (whose always been good and is now entering his 'great' phase). Definitely recommend to fans of horror, noir, zombies or just great comics!

I've always liked Los Bros Hernandez, even though I haven't been their most avid follower. So I picked up Fatima: the Blood Spinners #1 by Dark Horse & Gilbert Hernandez, and soaked up the wonderful artwork inside, which was a nod to the great B-movies of yesteryear. The story itself was a little weak for my tastes though and I won't be coming back for the second issue. Great art, too generic story: not regretting buying but not feeling bad about not continuing. 

I also grabbed Grim Leaper by Image because it's written by Kurtis Wiebe, who has knocked my socks of with Peter Panzerfaust and Green Wake. I was a little disappointed because I wasn't prepared for how snarky the lead was and how humorous the art would be. The story--a guy who keeps getting killed in ridiculous ways and coming back in another body finds a girl with the same curse--is interesting but something I feel I've seen before. But it's the tone of the story and the artwork that kind of had me skimming towards the end. Oh well, Wiebe rocks but they can't all be geared towards my tastes!

Hm. Looks like I liked Grim Leaper a lot more than you did. It wasn't the most-out-there thing I'd ever seen, but it definitely commanded my interest. I really liked the art and coloring style used here especially. I've a feeling this one will only get better from here as the first issue was mostly set-up.

And it looks like I'll have to give Revival a look-see! So much Image product coming out that it's impossible to guess which ones I should give a whirl!

The Valerian and Laureline series: Book 1 - The City of Shifting Waters; Book 2 - The Empire of a Thousand Planets
by J.-C. Mezieres and P. Christin

This series from France began in 1967 and is available now in English. Valerian and Laureline are two Spatio-Temporal agents in Earth's future, whose mission is to patrol both history and their current universe, to defend the Terran Empire.

The City of Shifting Waters has the pair travel back to New York City in 1986 to find escaped prisoner Xombul, the would-be dictator of Earth. Earth is mostly flooded after a hydrogen bomb depot blew up near the North Pole and melted the ice caps. This is normally a forbidden period for time travel, but Xombul is such a serious villain that he must be recaptured at all costs.

The pair arrive in New York, encounter a variety of scavengers and gang members, dress up like hippies to fit in, and, with the help of a gang leader, find Xombul and a key physicist he has captured. (The physicist just happens to look like Jerry Lewis.) Xombul, of course, plans to change history according to his liking. Many adventures and chasing Xombul across America, and the good guys win in the end.

For 1967, the story is not very dated, apart from some references to current events and the illustration of computers. It's also quite a wordy story, which I enjoy. The artwork is great, cartoony but detailed with lots of exotic settings, groovy robots and space machines.

The Empire of a Thousand Planets has the pair travel within their own time to the planet Syrte the Magnificent, centre of an Empire which Earth fears may present a threat at some point - so Valerian and Laureline are sent to check it out. They discover that the Empire is controlled by a group called The Enlighteneds, mysterious creatures who hide within the palace and keep the people downtrodden. The two agents meet a merchant named Elmir, who encourages them to sneak into the palace in exchange for information about the Enlighteneds. More wild adventures, leading to a revolution and discovery of exactly who the Enlighteneds are.

This volume is much more futuristic and here the artist really shows his creativity.

At the end of the book, the publishers include a page showing how images first introduced in the series were picked up and copied by Hollywood.

Transformers: more than meets the eye

I have never really been a massive Transformers comic book fan...I like the animated stuff when it's on, though I wouldn't really go out of my way to see it. I just always kinda thought that print isn't the best medium for a series whose greatest appeal is gigantic transforming robots.

I still tend to feel that the transforming aspect of Transformers gets a little lost when you're looking at static images, but the writing in this series is more than good enough to outshine that. The dialogue in this series is always really sharo and intelligent, the characters all have their own individual personalities, and the premise is something different. In this series, the war between the Autobots and the Decepticons is over and a bunch of them have now set off into the unknown to find the Knights of Cyberton (legendary figures from their past who may not even have existed).

The art is also very well-suited; Nick Roche draws him some good techy stuff. Admittedly I have a little trouble telling them apart at times, but that's not a flaw in the art so much as it is with me being much more used to reading comics about humanoids.

I have been reading previews and reviews of the series up till now; now that it's at issue 7 and I have yet to see anything I don't like, I decided to pick up the first issue on Comixology. I liked it enough that I have grabbed the rest as well.

It's good stuff!

I had high hopes and was thrilled to have them exceeded by Debris, which just launched by Image! It's by Kurtis Wiebe (the genius behind Peter Panzerfaust and Green Wake) and Riley Rossmo (also a genius, as also seen on Green Wake). It's a high concept sci-fi series with a great lead, solid hook and just face melting artwork that is glorious to behold.

Wiebe is a master at injecting a sense of 'adventure' and he does that here with a firm sci-fi premise. He also writes one of the most promising female leads in forever! Kick-ass and enjoyably multi-layered. Just like Peter Panzerfaust there is a wonderful sense of epicness just around the corner.

Riley Rossmo is always fantastic and here he delivers his most beautiful work ever. It's a slight adjustment to his style with colors by Owen Gieni that just make it POP! The imagery really explodes off the page and I found myself just stopping to stare at panels.

This is a 4 issue mini and is shaping up to be a highlight of 2012 comics. I highly recommend it to everyone.

If you like Final Fantasy video games, sci-fi, kick ass female leads and adventure high octane enough to make you smile, you will love this.

I just read Debris #1 & loved it too, darling!
Great set up to a promising new series!!

You have impeccable tastes, my dear!

I picked up Idolized #1. Not sure why but an Arthur Adams cover dosn't hurt.

I was pleasantly surprised!!! The set up involves a girl trying out for a super hero reality show. She has some fairly typical reasons for doing it ... both of which don't exactly sale as series to me.

BUT big butt ... It was so WELL-DONE I really enjoyed it. The art is nice, and very emotive, and the writing is also emotive. While the story may not sound so unique ... the main character really comes off of the page. I'll be in for #2 at least.

This review basically reflects my own review:

http://www.geeksofdoom.com/2012/08/15/comic-review-idolized-1/

.......................


In other news, I picked up a bunch of back issues of Justice League Dark and the Flash. The art certainly helps on these books but Flash for sure comes across as light and short. However, I'm hopeful that it'll work with the single hero against one or two villains each month. The year long rogue's saga is coming to a head, and that's what prompted me to go all in ... I'm a sucker for the Rogue's AND the 'Golden Glider' appears ... new and improved in a a great new take on the character IMO. (well she's a psychopath which I worry will go bad soon but what I like is her new power set/identity)

I think most of DC's books are light and short but hopefully 8 or so back issues in a row will satisfy me.


I am curious about Wonder Woman as well, the art looks good, and everyone keeps telling me how great it is. But ... I flipped through the most recent one and it seemed light / melodramatic. Besides I am soured on DC and especially the big three. (Also, souring on the X-Men and Avengers ... we'll see.)

Any thoughts on Wonder Woman ?

The vast majority of DC books are utter crap. JLDark is one of the better ones. Flash is worth buying for the art alone (at its risk taking / boundary pushing best) but I agree it's grown very light issue to issue.

I enjoy Wonder Woman quite a lot. Artist Cliff Chang makes the series; when he misses an issue, it reveals to the reader that the story is not quite as good as we thought.

So ... I'm having a budget crisis ... so I have decided to slash and burn the amount of titles i get.

This week ... I put several things back on the shelf after perusing them ...

One of which was Earth 2 #0. Art was so so and I didn't find it very interesting for Terry Sloane and Batman to be on the same team together (especially to have him pull the same trick that the Bat pulled on the JLA before) ... and they didn't show a catwoman ... even though they referred to her.


What I did purchase ... made me happy.


World's Finest #0.

All Kevin Maguire, loved the story, and how Kara and Helena met and bonded. The one thing I didn't like is I always thought Robin was Robin like the bird ... since robins are really smart feisty and agile ... and this issue comes out and says its robin like robin hood .. oh well maybe its a bit of both.

Hawkeye #2

great story, not too gory but adult ... and Kate Bishop I mean ... what more could you ask for. Especially out from under the atmosphere of a "kid's" title. This issue starts a story line while #1 had a done in one introduction. I can't wait to see where it goes ... Hawkeye made me love it in 1 issue. This is a cool clint barton that recognizes his character failings which make him much more than the dumb jock as he's been portrayed in the avengers.


Silk Spectre #2

great fun, I like the introduction of the Comedian ... and I think it was a most honest if not over the top depiction of drug use. however, it seems a bit non U.S. to me in certain details ... I'll keep my eyes peeled. It is really different and 'small town' compared to the other Before Watchmen titles I am reading. Maybe by the end, the sweet girl will get to where she was in the Watchmen series. I'm not sure I want her too though, I could go for quite some time with this type of Silk Spectre Year One atmosphere.


Thor #19

my least favorite of the four but its Alan Davis. the story has me a bit confused, i think there's some continuity problems .. i am trying to tune out, which are fairly central to the plot which has the vanir and the aesir divided ... and changes the wife of odin from frigga to freya ... and claims they have no son tying their tribes together ... meaning no balder ... i dont get it ... not so many issues ago we had balder leading the asgardians ...


It was really nice to only read things I thought were very good or I enjoyed!

Balder's currently 'dead'. Or something. Not that any of his fellow Asgardians seem to have noticed.

Shade #12. The Origin. "at long last". :sarcasm:

I am sad to see this one end.

This issue was great, don't get me wrong but, I don't think I want the Shade humanized. I could guess at this origin already from what we've seen before ... and for me it takes a bit of the polish or the 'cool' from the Shade to know about his human and mortal origins.

Like I said, A well done issue, but didn't offer a whole lot new, and kind of took the air out of "Shade the Phenomenon's" step.

I would have been happier to see this end with the Shade kicking butt in 11. Rather than the extremely obligatory "origin" to end the series on rather than ... what I think needs to be done .. Is a story arc involving the Shades first few adventures. (that seems SO natural after issue 12.) Issue 12 would be a great 1st issue in a 4 issue story arc. I'll miss you Shade.

...................


Reminds me a bit of a much more well done origin of Spike the vampire on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was off the wall, funny, and clear that the before and after were completely two different people. (thus rescuing our bad boy from his human and wimpy origins)

Or another way to go would be the origin of Anya on Buffy, she might have been nicer as a mortal but ... still not to be trifled with.

I'm loving the hell out Plametoid. The artwork & coloring are fantastic, with a moody and rugged sci-fi base that has subtle elements of fantasy. The setting, at first somewhat strait forward, is getting increasingly (and deliciously) complex.

#3 was a fantastic issue showing how a community can come together in the face of incredible odds.

High recommendation! Ken Garing is pretty genius (he does the whole shebang). This is a definite part of the current sci-fi silver age going on in comics.

Finally got to issue #1 of Debris in my two-months-plus-behind stack o' comics. Like these guys above, I thought the issue was thoroughly awesome.

In many ways the core story is a very familiar one. I could see the ending coming a mile away. If I described to you this scenario from the first page: Young warrior is trained by her elderly mentor to defend her people from creatures that threaten their very existence---what do you think might happen at the end of the issue? I'll bet you can guess real quick!

Well, despite that one caveat of the trappings of the plot being very familiar, I've got to say the book transcends the cliches with some sterling execution. I mean, Riley Rossmo's modified style is just beautiful! I loved his work on Green Wake, where I'd describe the style he used as a cross between Dave McKean and Bill Sienkiewicz. Here, he's changed his style to suit the different story and tone and it feels like a Jim Fern/Geof Darrow fusion. In either case Rossmo is brilliant and a perfect collaborator for Kurtis Wiebe, who wrote both projects.

One way in which the story transcends its cliched story beats is in the nature of the threat. The beasts are mechas that seem composed of a lot of random junk (hence the "debris" of the title). There's a lot of mystery inherent in the plot as to where these come from. Who made them? And what happened toward the end of the story when it looked like a spirit of some sort rose from one as it was defeated? Now, THAT elevates the story to something I haven't seen before! And I'm stoked to see whatever weird mechas Rossmo will design before the series is over.

Gat art and an intriguing premise! And giant robot snakes and chickens out to getcha, to boot! What's NOT to like about that? Two issues have already been released in the meantime, and they patiently lie in wait in my pile for me to get to them. I'm already hoping for more Debris after this series ends!!!

I'm putting these in Random Reviews because, while I enjoyed them, they didn't wow! me and I don't think they'd really target most of the people here.

Not My Bag by Sina Grace (Image) is the story of a young man's experience working as a salesman in a women's clothing department. He's placed in a boutique, within a department store, which caters to older women. Not his bag! He's very interested in fashion and would prefer to be selling some trendier stylist.

It's really a pretty vicious world, and he recounts his experiences with customers and other staff with humour. At the same time, he's trying to balance a relationship with a lawyer (who IMO seemed like the nicest character in the book), pursue his interest in creating graphic novels and escape the ghosts of past boyfriends. Happy ending, and he keeps the ridiculously fashionable, expensive and overly-warm wool coat he purchased on a whim!

As a former clothes horse, I really enjoyed this. Fashion is a fun and funny thing, but it has its unpleasant side and Grace captures this dichotomy.

An Elegy for Amelia Johnson by Andrew Rostan, Dave Valez and Kate Kasenow (Archaia). Amelia is dying of cancer. With not long to live, she calls on two people from her past to make a movie which would deliver her final words to family and friends. Henry Barrons is a film maker and Jillian Webb is a writer; they hadn't met before but they're thrown together to accomplish this special favour for Amelia. Sparks fly between the two, but they persist - uncovering or rediscovering both the good and the bad side of Amelia as they travel across the country, meeting other people involved with Amelia.

It became something of a Bogart/Hepburn style romance - lots of arguments and temper, then it all worked out in the end. The story is largely about them, but, always in the background is Amelia and her life, her choices and what she chose to make of them in the few years she had.

Bedlam #3

Not for the faint of heart but surely one of the better story driven books out there. This issue is basically a conversation between antagonists and by the end I wish it moved a bit faster thinking the surprise at the end should have come halfway through the book rather than at the end.

The book has me on the side of the psychopath ... and annoyed with the headstrong cops.

If you are embedded in the typical comic book formula, you might be disappointed but if you'd like to try a great conversation story ... Bedlam is excellent in those regards.


I give it four flashing Power Boys.

Mylo Xyloto #1 writer:Mark Osborne, pencils: Alejandro Fuentes, colour: Steve Hamaker (Bongo Comics)

This is based on some album I haven't heard (and all of you probably know all the lyrics) but the solicit sounded interesting in Previews, so I ordered it.

Good story, a world in which colour is prohibited; people are threatened that if there is any colour or noise, monsters (the Eaters) will come and destroy them. So everything is very drab and dull, with constant patrols by armed stormtroopers (Silencers).

However, you can't keep a good rebel down, and there are a few brave souls (Sparkers) who come out in the darkness and spray psychedlic-style messages on the walls. The council has put the pressure on the top cop and he's promised full retirement to whoever can capture the lead rebel, Fly. Fly's pretty adept at parkour, however, and easily evades capture.

There's something called Hypnofeed, which I didn't quite figure out, but it seems to be regulated doses of colour and sound.

The comic is dedicated to the memory of Moebius, and there is a lot of his influence in the artwork.

Don't know if I'd rate it as highly recommended; that will depend on how the story progresses. You've got to figure it's going to be a win for the rebels in the end, with colour and singing everywhere, but what happens in the next 5 issues could be intriguing, or greatly repetitive.

Age of Ultron "book" one.

Ok I had to get it ... Hitch and Neary with free reign to do what they do best.

Besides the super fun, beautiful, "wide screen" action drawings of Hawkeye kicking butt ... this book is incredibly ludicrous and unoriginal.

unoriginal is being polite.

So, this story was foreshadowed or prequeled many years ago at this point .. and somehow several mega events have come before it.

anyhoo ... dystopian future ... we wake up to Ultron already having kicked the crap out of the world .. ala the "days of future past" or any other dozen comic book stories about a fascist and apocolyptic future.

let me sum it up:



If Ultrons take over the world. I'm looking for Hank Pym. Not Captain America. despite whatever marketing trend or movie is coming out.

2 very weak Power Boy stars.



mostly because for Peebs a matrix like future battle against all odds is always a little ok. Will I get the next one ... yes/maybe. will I complain about it ... sure.

still I enjoy it quite a bit better than I ever did Earth 2 for example.

Age of Ultron Book 2

F.

Uncanny X-Men "00"3

F.

They are both just SO cheesy. And some things don't even make sense.

That got a hard pass from me. Marvel itself seems half-hearted about it.

Babble by Brian Coyle and Lee Robson (graphic novel)

Carrie is a translator, bored with her life. She reconnects with an old flame, now a prof working in the U.S., who offers her a job on his research team. Their project is to discover the original language that all mankind spoke before the Tower of Babel. Is this a wild goose chase after a myth or are they truly onto the universal language?

The original project leader committed suicide after destroying all his files - not a good sign! Carrie finds his journal and sets about trying to recreate his research. At the same time, she makes friends with a co-worker, hops into bed with the prof (hardly a spoiler - that one was evident from the 2nd page), doesn't make friends with the prof's wife and works out the mystery of the suicide.

Unfortunately, things go wrong in a very unexpected way and there's the story.

It's a fascinating premise and quite interesting as Carrie relates her progress to her co-worker - and the reader. Once things started to fall apart, there were way too many pages of Carrie on the run; it got very repetitive. Disquieting ending. Worth a read if you can find it in the library. I didn't love it, but it gave one food for thought.

Finally got the paperback of SUPERIOR


I was waiting for ages because of the rave reviews on LW.net.

What a great great nice book. It distilled a lot of nice things about comic books into a 7 parter.


5 solids ... sitting comfortably ...

Yeah, that was fantastic. Careers highlights for Milllar and Yu.

Just read FATALE #13.

Brubaker and Sean Phillips.

Such a great book, Sometimes it has not been my cup of tea but I always respected its quality so ... it wasn't the book I would rush home to read but ... when I was in the mood, I enjoyed it.

Right now the plot centers on the best origin story ever. What I mean by that is after two main story arcs ... arc three went back in time and decided to tell her origin.

"Her" being a mysterious woman who can make men do what she wants, and she fits into some wider scheme in which a cult of creepy octopus dudes want to use her for some apokolyptian ritual.

Anyhow ... Peebs ... was like "great" ... an origin story ... Peebs hates origin stories ... finds them so boring. Usually they just charge us 3.99 to tell us something we already know.

BUT ... this origin story answers no questions! and that's why it is fantastic .. it is just another adventure in which the main character is trudging along ... it is not a retelling of things we most likely already know. It just is a new adventure in an earlier time in the character's life.

Old protagonist didnt know her origin, its a mystery, so doing a story back in time ... dosnt ruin anything because young protagonist dosnt know any more than old protagonist.

Actually they may not even be the same characters.

I will stop before I reveal too much. but Fatale keeps getting more and more fascinating.



and the art is the perfect mix of atmospheric and tension just right for this story.

It was a great story ABOUT comic books as well as a great comic book story.

It was nourishing, I am *proud* to have read it and own it.

<--- even if that sounds a bit weird.

a great book. that could easily be a novel.

Good way to put it! It also about kids, and comics for kids. Which is shocking coming from Millar.

And totally agree about Fatale--one of the best series on the market these days! I love the mood and complexity of both character and plot.

Uncanny Avengers 005


This series seems more like a meta series combining typical Avengers foes and X-foes/plots. OK, not quite as exciting the second story arc around but ...

I'm loving the inclusion of the Wasp and Wonder Man as PR advisers. Who better to get the Avengers back on track than the Wasp, the stalwart and leader of the Avengers through their darkest hour.

Coipel draws a great Wasp but I'm not liking how she is coming off as an annoying angry oldie.

Coipel draws the frickin hottest Steve Rodgers ever.

Scarlet Witch comes off as believable and human after her last several years of crazy/being a plot device.

Havok seems a bit more of a stereotype of young leader in over his head than an actual personality.

i'd love to see She Hulk or Photon on this team I think they'd fit right in.

This seems much more like Avengers with some X to me instead of a hybrid team.

We get Sunfire in on the team, whom I LOVE, and it will make for some sticky goodness in the unpcoming plot.

I'm not sure how I feel about Rogue in her provacateur role ... she seems a bit of a teenager instead of the ... agaisnt the grain character she has been in the X Books.

Actually if there is one person I would take off this team it is Rogue. She dosn't seem like herself and we've already got Wanda as the bad girl.

Actually Rogue does seem like herself but it is Rogue from the 90s. Which I like ... maybe I will just go with it.

This book has somehow ended up as the only Avengers or X book I am getting regularly.

I give it a low:



mostly because the story arc is a bit forced, characters sound great just not quite like themselves ... but Coipel has never been better.

I might replace Rogue and Wolvie with an X-23 (dressed as Wolvie) who is desperately trying to do good and live up to the Prof X dream. That would make more sense for why a character in the Rogue position is giving the Avengers such a hard time.

Young Avengers 003

Does not disappoint. Coming after the previous series, it had some big shoes to fill but I think this new series is nice and is running along pretty well. I like the boy's flip hair.

Overall, a pleasant surprise.

My one criticism before was the inclusion of Loki, whom I assumed was there because it was combining the popular teen characters but ... the plot really thickened in this issue and Loki ... seemed more devious than he has ever in his young Loki incarnation. (yes, including Journey into Mystery IIRC).

Well, of course, if you've read the end of the "Kid Loki" Journey Into Mystery...

Yikes, my eyes!

That is some bad news (I trailed off towards the end of JIM.)

COMIC REVIEW POST: DETECTIVE COMICS #622-624

John Ostrander, Flint Henry, Mike McKone, Jose Marzan, Todd Klein, Adrienne Roy, Dan Raspler, and Denny O’Neil

Dick Sprang on covers

This was a three issue story arc in 1990 that I’d been hoping to find at Boston Comic Con but was lucky enough to find at a comic store on Central Avenue after the show was cancelled.
For years I’d been familiar with this micro hero of a demonic version of Batman and had seen the ads for the story arc in some old back issues, but only recently began to delve further into it after someone posted a page for a Batman named Simon Petrarch.
These three issues concerned an unauthorized comic series about Batman being published in Gotham City, which were then being used as inspiration by a machete-wielding psychopath calling a nighttime radio show as “Batman” and leaving clues about “it’s all in the book, it’s all come out.”

The issues were juxtaposed between the real Batman delving into the mystery of the murders while dealing with an increase of fear and suspicion from both the GCPD and Gotham citizens because of the comic, and tidbits from the actual comic itself, which were highly exaggerated renditions of the Bat mythos.

Batman in the comic is said to be a demon alluded to being Lucifer himself, who chooses a human host named Simon Petrarch to undo some of the evil it let loose onto the world when it fell to redeem itself and get back into heaven, which is actually impossible. The Simon Petrarch Batman is grandiose, moody, and melodramatic, and just about everything else in this Batman’s world are equally dark and melodramatic. Joker’s supposed to be an amalgam of demons working through a human host to prevent Batman’s goals, Robin’s a seven year old kid whose reflection convinced him to be Batman’s guardian angel before Joker utterly destroys his innocence off-panel, the Bathound’s a giant talking dog that transforms into the Batmobile, Catwoman’s a spinster who sells her soul and hunts down souls (which take the form of butterflies), and Batgirl/woman is Simon Petrarch’s psychotherapist who dresses up out of concern for Simon and NOT the demon.

Despite all the rather wacked out demonic aspects, the comic sort of carries the general theme that Batman is a man haunted by personal demons and injustice in the world, the Joker’s a psychopath, Robin’s the light in Batman’s world, Catwoman is female empowerment (although here she’s more of a back-breaking dominatrix), and Batgirl is down to Earth and concerned about Batman’s mental health.

There’s an ongoing theme about escape and responsibility. The serial killer Batman uses the Batman comic to justify his actions, his own psychotherapist avoided admitting her suspicions out of fear that she would be blamed for letting him loose and then says Batman is to blame as well because he provided inspiration. We’ve often heard about how Batman is to blame for the villains he fights, but here Bruce denies any responsibility to the villains who claim he was the inspiration or instigator.

“I’m only the trigger. If I never existed, men like him would find another reason to do what they do.”

The comic is published by TNT Comics, owned by Tod Nathan Taylor, and the man behind the Batman comic is Fred Laskey, who writes, draws, and edits. He uses what he’s seen and heard in his neighborhood as the inspiration for his comic. Given that he lives in Gotham and in a bad neighborhood (a bad GOTHAM neighborhood) it’s no surprise that the comic is rather dark and grotesque. The DC wiki listed Simon Petrarch as being a character in a propaganda comic against Batman, though it’s clear that the book wasn’t meant as propaganda at all. TNT got away with publishing it since Bruce never trademarked the Bat name or costume. Laskey ultimately ends the comic at issue three because he feels a sense of responsibility since the killer is using the comic for inspiration.

This comic features a very early in his career Mike McKone doing the regular Gotham, which is so strange compared to his current stuff, and Flint Henry does the Simon Petrarch moments. In this parts Robin is a ball of light that bounces around, Catwoman’s blonde and grotesquely overly sexualized, and the Bathound’s a giant snarling beast that also appears as a car with a giant dog head on the hood.

Silver Age Batman artist Dick Sprang did the cover artwork, which blends together Silver Age sensibilities with a demonic, claw-footed Batman. One of the things that drew me to this was the Batgirl on the cover of #624, which combines the Barbara Gordon Batgirl with Kathy Kane Batwoman, although that costume doesn’t appear in the comic. I would’ve loved to see this reprinted or reference during Morrison’s run on Batman, though that appears to be a futile hope at this point.

Read East of West 1 through 4.

It is good, I would put it after Manhattan Projects in quality but better than Hickman's Marvel stuff (which IMO goes nowhere fast).

East of West is a little of a deja vous as it seems like a lot of mad max future type stuff I have read or seen before, it also reminds me of Preacher, but is more of a "comic book" version ...


There are a couple of characters that come off the page, in fact most do, especially the silver tongued Mark Twain Chief of Staff of the Black Towers. I'm in for four more.

I would rate this a lot higher if ... I didn't just read Kill Joys which is *realness*.

I've really enjoyed East of West so far. It's pure Hickman, so ones love of the writer will help determine their love of the series. It really stands out though because of the glorious Nick Dragotta artwork and the sheer weirdness / being different quality.

It's good stuff.



I am still ... reading ... America's Got Powers ...

this could've ended at 4 not 7. Especially since it is not at all abstract or meaningful ... it is pretty straight forward but ... only a couple protagonists ... one that looks like Skitter!

I don't think I will get 8. It is funny because I didn't get Uncanny X-Men 008 because I was just buying it because of the art and the plot was slow and I don't like the anti-anti-heroes it is about. and yet I got America's Got Powers number 6? irony.


2 Power Boy stars, and I'm being generous.

what do you think about comparing it to Kill Joys?

Daredevil also continues to be great!

So I've got to say: on one hand, I've found Geoff John's JLA comics to be really dissapointing, light on plot and lacking any heart or substance. And on the other hand, I've really come to love his take on Shazam! Though it took awhile to win me over, by the recent wrap up I was cheering in my seat as Geoff took us through the finale. He has produced a moden Captain Marvel in Shazam...and yet, he's somehow done it by recapturing its original charm and majesty.

Where most of Geoff's recent comic work has been the pits, this shows he still has that intangible quality that made him so popular.

From Mary to Freddie to the new Kids to Tawny to Black Adam there is a ton to love. And the ending opens up so many possibilities with Sivana and another who I won't spoil. Most importantly, by the end, Geoff proved to have a solid understanding of Billy Batson. I shouldn't have doubted him.

The JLA series (all three) continue to slip into pure dreck. But I'd *love* to see a Johns / Frank Shazam series.

Agree with your take on Shazam. I never really followed it but I knew he was supposed to be rather goody two shoes as a kid so that part took me back a bit. But like you, I adjusted. It's an interesting character as Billy now.

JLA brought on the second team a bit too quick for my tastes. Long term fans probably are tired of the big team but I had never really followed JLA so to me it's like, where's the JLA?

Currently Reading Lone Wolf & Cub Omnibus Vol.1, recently released from Dark Horse. I've been fascinated, off and on, with possibly reading LW&C since I saw First Comics' editions on the shelves at my old, long-defunct comic shop back in the late '80s/early '90s. I'm not sure why exactly, but I never picked it up despite my curiosity. Maybe the emerging Vertigo line was as far as I was willing to venture at the time beyond superheroes? Possibly.

When I read a Dark Horse solicitation earlier this year, this Omnibus caught my eye. 700-plus pages for only $19.99? Certainly, the price was right. So I bit the bullet and told by comic book guy to go ahead and order it for me. It's been sitting there staring at me for over two months. It seems summer provided the perfect storm for me as a mix of re-reads and my ever-present two-month backlog of new stuff never seemed to be enough.

So I finally started reading this odd little phonebook compilation whose first two dimensions were about the same as a digest. And you know what? 200 or so pages in--it's really good! It has a really odd concept, spelled out in the title, in which a ronin (a masterless samurai) Ogami Itto travels across feudal Japan with his toddler son Daigoro finding work as an assassin for hire. The son is always with him and is usually in the thick of the danger, occasionally even used as bait. But within the narrative and the culture, it just works. Each story therein to this point has been self-contained.

Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima are really impressive storytellers. The stories so far are very innovative and not at all repetitive as they could be. The linework is very detailed and stark in the black-and-white format it was created in. Itto is enigmatic (the back cover speaks of specifics of his past, but not in-story so far), but you can kind of glean his particular code of morality from his actions and choices. And he will consistently kill men and women who threaten him, so it's nice to see something outside of the usual American equivalents.

Though it is translated to English, a lot of Japanese terms (there's even a glossary in the back) and all of the Japanese names are retained, so LW&C can be somewhat of a challenging read. The translation doesn't insult our intelligence by renaming characters 'Fred', 'Steve', etc. The places, clan names and so on can also be hard to keep track of. I found myself having to backtrack in some stories to remind myself of who this character was or what this place is. In some of the stories, keeping track of these things is absolutely crucial to understanding it.

There's a certain sameness to the outcomes of battles involving our Wolf. He routinely takes out a dozen or more opponents all by his lonesome. And often the choreography in those fights is confusing or portrayed as basically a blur. On several occasions Itto and his opponent run past each other, and the opponent ends up having been impaled or otherwise fatally slashed in the exchange. I wouldn't say the fight portrayal has been a highlight of the read so far.

But we get a LOT more than just a series of fights. The stories are usually surprisingly complex and have a twist or two awaiting. The stories are either approximately 30-pagers or 60- pagers. Perhaps the longer stories were originally published as 2-parters? In any case the juxtaposition is nice.

"From North to South, From West to East" is one of my favorites so far. In this one Itto is hired by some villagers to kill an ally of theirs before he can be captured by those who rule over there area and be tortured into revealing a secret that would bring their overlords' wrath down. Itto's solution is unusual and achieves the goal of those who hired him in an unexpected way.

Another favorite is "Wings to the Birds, Fangs to the Beast" in which Itto and son come across a way station in hopes of relaxing in its hot springs. Turns out, the place has been overrun by a group of rogue ronin who rape, pillage and murder their way from village to village. They are taken captive with other surviving travelers, but Itto seems strangely passive. Towards the end, we see his perspective on the situation and the rogue ronin make a big mistake in their reaction to it.

It's all very entertaining! I'm happy to have already gotten so much enjoyment out of the volume, knowing also that around 500 pages still remain--and then many more volumes to come!

It's apparently very accurate in how it portrays feudal Japan. As such, I'm also enjoying it for the historical insights. Certainly, it's more in-depth and immersive than, say, a Claremont arc of Wolverine going to Japan.

I can see how this particular manga drew a cult following when First Comics originally presented it for American release. It's actually the first manga I've ever read (though I've also had a particular interest in possibly reading The Ring at some point), and it certainly speaks well of the genre.

I'd certainly recommend it to someone who, like me, saw this at some point and wondered if it might be worth a look. Turns out--it IS!!!

Wow--I love that you're reading and reviewing this! It's always been on my "maybe some day" list of things to read, though that would be a ways off. Keep the reviews coming, as I'm really interested in hearing more.

It kind of reminds me of when I started reading the Dick Tracy strips in that its such an immense body of work but once you get into it, you really start enjoying the characters and the rhythm.

This thread just reminded me ... I haven't been to the comic store in at least to weeks!

Awesome debut issue of Sheltered, which is now a series I definitely recommend people try! I didn't know what to expect and it certainly was something unexpected--the entire idea of the series and the issue #1 twist. A series about "Preperationists" would have to be eerie and unnerving, and this certainly was.

I feel too much more might give it away? (And I'm posting on my phone so I don't feel like going on).

Is that supposed to be a link? It's not linking for me.

Who's writing this? artist? SOMETHING!

Go ON!

please

Not posting from a phone ;), so here's a link to a story about Sheltered.

"The ongoing "Sheltered" is about a group of "Preppers" living in the fictional town of Safe Haven. When the story begins the townspeople are gearing up and hunkering down for the apocalypse, and the series understandably features plenty of enclosed spaces, hair-triggers and the intensity of a community focused on preparing for the end of days. What makes one vigilant and not paranoid when faced with these encroaching themes and this day-to-day life? How do different views come into play in such a tightly wound environment? Brisson and Christmas joined CBR News to talk about preparing for the apocalypse and what it means to be "Sheltered.""

(Okay, now I'm at a computer...)

FC gave a good overview of the series, which centers on a "preppers", the people who believe the end is nigh and are thus building underground bunkers full of canned food, fresh water, etc. So the series is not Post-Apocalpytic, but rather Pre-Apocalyptic. Whether that end of times will ever actually come is left up in the air (for now?), which makes it all the more eerie.

The story is really going to be a high-tension character piece about what happens when people really start thinking the end is coming. Thus far, it is very intelligent and isn't going for the easy answers, easy scares or easy characterizations. By being so realistic, that increases the tension and weirdness IMO.

Of course, it all comes down to delivery, and the pacing, dialogue and artwork really present a cool debut. The tension increases throughout the issue and the twist at the end is horrifying, realistic and makes me highly anticipate the next issue.

Thanks.

Sounds interesting enough to pick up an issue. Maybe I'll get some good tips, uh, I mean decorating ideas for my outside basement.

There's a bonus page at the end of #1 that gives you those exact tips. I can't tell if its tongue-in-cheek, or written by a real "Prepper". It really comes across as the latter.

Read the second trade of Glory this past week. (didn't realize it was so short) but it was damn good.

It had the same formula of all the epic comic book, someone must die, endings but ... was quite a bit more charming than any of those stories.

... all that and a happy ending of sorts.

I'd give it four and half:

The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys continues to be a character driven version of a cross between Bladerunner and Mad Max.


It has me hooked in, while like Glory, representing age old comic book and sci fi conventions.

I find all the books I really am enjoying lately are like this, sci fi or thriller first within a comic book medium ... and comic book second.

P.S. I am also loving the underdog heroic blue porn bot.

I'll give this five just for that uber invention ... because she's a character, not an exploitation, and a porn bot second (or third she's seems to have some depth).

I have American Vampire volume three setting on my shelf. But it took a long time to get through the Western (what I assume) is a prequel.

FLEX MENTALLO, by Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely, originally published 1996, collected in hardcover 2012.

If I hadn't been so anti-DC and so anti-Vertigo at the time, and if 1996 hadn't been such a horrible year for comics in general, I might not have missed this masterpiece the first time around. There's some parallel universe out there where a young Fanfie read this in 1996, and her life was altered for the better.

For this is genuinely a life-altering comic, the first thing I've read by Morrison that truly lives up to the hype. Oh, I've enjoyed a few other things of his -- 7 Soldiers, All Star Supes, and especially Animal Man. Really, if you liked Animal Man, you'll love this -- guaranteed. Because Morrison explores a lot of the same themes -- superheroes before they became tainted by pseudo-realism, the elusive nature of reality -- but in a much more self-assured way, and, crucially, with art that is more than merely functional. Yes, Frank Quitely is an acquired taste, but here he and Morrison achieve that rare kind of creative chemistry which can only be called transcendental. Quitely's combination of indie quirkiness and abundant detail fits Morrison's story like a hand in glove.

The incorruptibly sweet-natured titular superhero, who looks to me kind of like a muscle-bound Morrissey in a loincloth (Morrison is definitely a Smiths fan, I don't know what he thinks of solo Morrissey) sets out on a quest to find his former teammate and best friend, The Fact (a Question/Batman analog), which leads him through the grimy city and beyond, into worlds of both horror and wonder. Running parallel to Flex's quest is the emotional breakdown of a drugged-up loser and wannabe rock star as he babbles on the phone about superheroes.

If you're rolling your eyes and thinking, "Typical Morrison," hang on a second, because as a former Morrison skeptic, I came into this with zero expectations. What's most amazing is not that it delivers, but that it delivers because of Morrison's self-consciously cerebral meta-commentary, not in spite of it!

As I was typing this rave review, I had to bring myself back down to Earth with the sobering reminder that Morrison followed up "Flex Mentallo" with the bombastic mediocrity of what I call "The Infallible Batman featuring the JLA."

Thus the question for me is no longer, "Can Morrison deliver 100%?", but rather, "Will Morrison ever scale these heights again?"

Man, I have to get Flex Mentallo! Now I'm more anxious than ever. Over the years Quitely has continued to rise to the top of my favorite creators in comics list.

I picked up Jupiter's Legacy, seems like it will be interesting.

I look forward to finding out what you think, Cobie. Glad my review helped.

I am a bit curious about Villains Month and the Villains Forever title ... because I love the Crime Syndicate but the issue seemed very similar to that of Ryan Choi's death in Brightest Day but with the beloved Dick Grayson being beat up the whole time.



beside the art was sketchy. Comics are too short now for any compromises on quality or for characters to stand around talking about what they're *gonna* do.

... and I think the only reason to care if Nightwing is beat up and killed ... is because of his history. If it was just the latest reboot Nightwing ... is there a reason to care?

I think there is one of your many problems DC.

I was pleasantly surprised by the debut of the new X-Files "Season Ten" comic published by IDW. I found the story gripping and petty fresh, even as it embraced the complex continuity of the TV show and picked up the status quo established by the post-show "I Want to Believe" feature film of a few years ago.

I'm a big fan of the show, even as I recognize its flaws and how it really waned in its last few years. Unlike most reviewers, I thought the latest movie revival was pretty good. So I was excited, though a little pessimistic, when I heard IDW was bringing it back. IDW has done well with licensed properties in the past, but their reputation isn't as good as Dark Horse's or Dynamite's in that regard.

But I definitely liked this debut, even though it was an incomplete story billed as a five-parter. It set up a mysterious threat very well, showed what Mulder, Scully and Skinner are up to and left me wanting to read more. Doesn't hurt that series creator Chris Carter is personally involved, just as Joss Whedon is overseeing the Buffyverse comics at Dark Horse.

I like the art, which was reminiscent of Charlie Adlard's work on the excellent previous X-Files series that Topps Comics published when the show was still on TV. Kind of plain and no-frills, but also a little stark, edgy and very appropriate. The characters weren't perfect likenesses of the actors, but they were recognizable.

So after the first issue, "I Want to Believe" that I'll be enjoying new X-Files stories in comics form for the foreseeable future!

I've started up Blog Shanghalla again. Here are my thoughts on this week's comics, crossposted from there:



Astro City #4
DC/Vertigo, $3.99, 40 pages
Story Grade: A
DNA Score: 82.50
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

This is how you give your narrator a voice. One can't help but get a sense for the main character, and a feeling that no one else could have told this tale. This is really a great book that explores what happens when you have super-powers, but have no driving need to go out and right wrongs, or rob banks. My only complaint is that Brent Anderson's art looks terribly rushed. He's a great draftsman as I know from past experience and his layouts are near impeccable. But there are parts of this issue that look like I feel when an editor is breathing down my neck as the presses start to roll. I hope it won't crush Anderson's artistic integrity, or that of Kurt Busiek, but I really would like to see an inker brought on board, even if it's just to assist with backgrounds and minor characters. However, if an inker is hired and he or she does any of the primary characters, it must be someone with a facility at old-fashioned brushwork, which I think Anderson's style demands.



Batman #23.2
DC Comics, $3.99, 32 pages (3-D cover)
Story Grade: A
DNA Score: 81.25
STRONGLY RECOMMENDED

And just like that, The Riddler goes from someone who could be played on film by Jim Carrey, to a character who demands the likes of Benedict Cumberbatch, or Tom Hiddleston. Yeah, that's right, remember when you thought The Riddler was lame? Well, not anymore, friend! Scott Snyder has been rehabilitating ol' Eddie in his "Batman Zero Year" tale — about the only part of that saga that's working for me, I'm afraid — but really brings it home here, adeptly elevating The Riddler back unto the upper pantheon of Batman villains where he belongs. Now, he's not just a villain with his own shtick, he's come into his own as a full-fledged psychopath. He is become Batman's Moriarty. I do have a few quibbles with this issue. The toss of the cane over the metal detector could have been better depicted and I'm not quite sure how or where the riddles got "out of order." Still, Snyder gives us such a great character, presumably riddled with a deep-seeded self-loathing that fuels his superiority complex, that I don't care. It also helps that Snyder gives us supporting players who transcend the stock roles they could have taken. Oh, one final quibble, however — that is one weird-ass looking Batman on the cover, with his waist longer than his thighs.



Aquaman #23.1
DC Comics, $2.99, 32 pages
Story Grade: B+
DNA Score: 68.00
MODERATELY RECOMMENDED

Here we get an alternate view on the events in Forever Evil #1 in a style that might as well be titled, "Black Manta and Guildenstern Are Dead." That's all fine and well, but to be successful, the two works need to match up exactly. A lot is lost if characters say more than they had time to say in the original work (Amanda Waller), say things differently (Monocle), or speak their lines at different times and places (Ultraman). This story reminds me that I'm still pissed off about the New 52 Aquaman being an unrepentant and unpunished killer, but this issue does a decent job at transferring Black Manta's revenge-fueled psychosis from Aquaman to Ultraman, setting up, I'm sure, events in future issues of Forever Evil. I say decent, and not great, largely because of the art. Claude St. Aubin does a perfectly adequate job telling the story, but the drawings seem a little flat, lacking any palpable emotion. As a result, the underlying motivators that fuel Manta's obsession come off as pat. In the end, I'm less, "Oh, my God, did you see what happened to Manta's father?!" than, "Meh. Okay, so he hates Ultraman now." I mean, all the pieces are there, this issue is just missing that little extra something.



The Flash #23.2
DC Comics, $2.99, 32 pages
Story Grade: B
DNA Score: 72.75
RECOMMENDED

Manapul and Buccallato have built a better Reverse-Flash, I think. And, given what we know of the character's pre-Crisis history, i.e. the death of Iris Allen at his hands, his every future appearance will bring an added undercurrent of uncertainly and dread. So, good work. Also nice in this issue are the crickets and how they create a sort of metronome that soothes the villain's fractured —and fractious — psyche. There are faults however. I'm old-fashioned enough to believe the fill-in artists should ape the style of the main illustrator on a book. Scott Hepburn does an able job in some places, but the art really goes off the rails in others as he tries to be Manapul. However, as the Reverse-Flash goes further back in time, Hepburn begins to draw in what may be his natural style, and the work improves markedly. Sadly, the villain's narration reads like something straight out of central scripting, as if the words could have been said by almost anyone. Nothing really makes the voice of the narrator sing in quite the same way as this week's issue of Astro City. It doesn't help, I guess, that Papa West is a stereotypical bad dad, with no redeeming characteristics. It's a wonder Iris isn't a total basketcase herself.



X-Men #5
Marvel Comics, $3.99, 28 pages
Story Grade: B-
DNA Score: 66.50
MILDLY RECOMMENDED

I wondered if I was going to get burned on the books I don't normally buy which are crossing over into the "Battle of the Atom" story. The verdict: Not burned, just maybe slightly singed. This issue feels a bit like filler. Marvel Girl and Cyclops were on the run in the previous chapter and they're still on the run at the end of this one. There's an attempt to capture them that sort of unsuspends my disbelief in how utterly unsuccessful it is, while Kitty Pryde going rogue on the plan seems not quite in character for her, at least as she's been depicted this far in All-New X-Men, the only X-title I followed regularly going into this saga. The art is good, but lacks a certain amount of dynamism that kind of throws off the battle scene for me. The scripting lacks the punch that marks All-New, while the one attempt at humor — the babysitting scene — feels tacked on for no particular reason other than to pass the time. This wasn't a bad book by any means, but I certainly didn't see anything here that will compel me to continue buying this title after the current storyline is over.



Buck Rogers #1
Hermes Press, $3.99, 32 pages
Story Grade: C+
DNA Score: 60.25
RESERVEDLY RECOMMENDED

Well, now — one of the original red-blooded American heroes recast as a bleeding pinko. That's a concept that actually has some promise and, as Howard Chaykin points out in the interview contained in this issue, it makes a certain amount of sense given the timeframe Buck hails from. However, we know Buck here as a union organizer, if not an outright Communist sympathizer, only because he tells us that's what he is. Apart from his saying "plutocrat" as often as Wolverine says "bub," we really don't get much evidence of Buck's political leanings though his words and deeds. Unfortunately, a large part of this issue is Buck telling others things they should already know about his history and how the previous 500 years passed on earth while he slept in an state is suspended animation. That information should have been folded out as part of the ongoing action, not as a history lesson that brought the issue's momentum to a full stop. That said, there is promise here. Essentially, it seems Buck is fated to become a sort of union boss over several locals (i.e. the fractured American rebel forces) as he organizes them against management (that being the Chinese). Sadly, fight scenes that could have really kicked this issue up a notch fell flat for me, in part because Chaykin left himself so little room after Buck's big lecture, and partly because I found the digital sound effects so annoyingly mechanical.



Earth-2 #15.2
DC Comics, $3.99, 32 pages (3-D cover)
Story Grade: D-
DNA Score: 37.50
NOT RECOMMENDED ON ANY EARTH

OH. EM. GEE! This was SO bad. When I tweeted this issue I actually gave it an F. I've since relented a bit, as the artwork is actually pretty decent, if undynamic. But really, I read this book in three minutes and 25 seconds. Given that I got the 3-D cover at $3.99, that comes to $1.17 per minute. Boy and girls, phone sex is a better value for your entertainment dollar! I can't imagine anyone not already intimately familiar with Solomon Grundy, the character's New 52 history in this title, and the nursery rhyme from which he takes his name, being able to make heads or tails of this issue. We have Grundy in the now crashing to earth and sucking the life out of everything he touches as he takes a southwest walkabout in search of "the green man," interspersed with scenes of a dude names Sol losing his nut in 1898. Other than the fact that Grundy, unnamed but on the cover, and Sol both recite snatches of the same rhyme, there's nothing at all to connect past to present. A clever reader might get that the two are reading from the same poem, but the point is completely lost unless you already happen to know the full verse. The part set in the past has a mechanical plot and wooden dialogue right out of the worst B-movie imaginable. But as laughable as the flashback scenes are, what we get is far outweighed by what Kindt withholds. We aren't told what about the swamp turned Sol into Grundy, how Grundy got into space, or why he seeks the green man, let alone who that person may be. You either already know what's going on here, or you know nothing. This issue fails unless you've been reading comics for 40 years. Of course, I have been reading comics for 40 years and it failed for me nonetheless. This was just a total hack job with an editor absolutely asleep at the switch.

Totally agree, PB! Astro City is the only remaining book on my pull list. I may need to add Guardians of the Galaxy soon, though.