Green Lantern Corp #12 - DC

Nobody bounces around more in their career than Guy Gardner. He goes from working with the elite Green Lantern Corpse last story-arc, to being at the bottom of the barrel, because he's being framed for murder, this story-arc. He goes from being an elite Honor Corps Guardsman to being hunted by everyone and everything he loves. They haven't tipped their hand yet, but I believe this has something to do with the Sinestro Corps. The Lanterns and the Guardians don't even know about them yet. The only reason we do, is because we're getting back-up stories, to build up characters and to get us aquainted. Also, it seems that something has either gotten to, or is affecting, Mogo. Because everyone that goes their for counseling, including Kilowog, have come back with this warped perception of things. Almost like Mogo is opening up wounds on purpose. And I think that a dissension in the Corps members is on the horizon because of it. Well that, and I think that this whole thing with Guy is going to split the ranks also. We're getting to know a whole lot more of the members this time around. Which is a good thing. There's a huge variety out there, that we've never been privy to. Like Mogo's sector partner. Mogo is a living planet, and his sector partner is Bzzd of Apiaton . . . a gnat. "Scale is only relative, lantern Vath. After all, you are smaller to Mogo than I am to you. And be assured, my will is just as strong as yours. As is my resolve to bring evil to justice." Dave Gibbons is doing a fantastic job writing the stories for this book. He really integrates a wide variety of characters. We aren't just centered around our 4, Hal, Guy, John and Kyle. We're getting to see more of the whole group. In fact our 4 are pretty insignificant when you look at the big picture. Which is what we're doing more of now. I also like Patrick Gleason's pencils. I wasn't a huge fan before, but with this book, his style really fits. So maybe, if we keep the creative juices flowing, and the hype growing, our group here may be able to obtain something the likes of the Legion status. The potential is there. Good luck!

Green Arrow #74 - DC

We ended up last issue, with our quartet of mercenaries working together. First time in quite a long while. Ollie, Dinah, Conner and Mia. Together again, for the first time. And it's really just in time, because Brick is putting together his own little group. The worst of which is Merlyn. But even Merlyn's surprised at how much Ollie has improved. But since Dinah showed up literally right before they jumped in to battle, they haven't had time to get reacquainted. So as soon as the battle ends, they jump in to their usual shouting match, and then they jump right in to bed. For days! Dinah's noticed something too. "Ollie . . you're different. There's so many qualities that I admire in you. More that anyone I've ever met. But the flip-side . . . you should be taken out back and beaten. Oliver . . . I don't see that flip-side anymore. That man's gone . . . isn't he? Like the man whose been celibate for a year? I don't believe you. It's herculean! It's impossible! How can you shut off a waterfall? How do you stop gravity from working?" To which Ollie simply replies, "I was waiting for you. I wasn't going to come after you. I wasn't going to pursue you anymore. I wanted to be . . . I wanted to be a better man . . . for you. And I was praying . . . you'd see it. See what I've done. To see, maybe . . . who I've become. I wanted you to come back to me." But then Brick and Merlyn rear their ugly heads again, and the 4 have to go back out in to battle. But this time Slade is there. "You should probably get more guys!" This is another book that I've just been raving about the creative talent. And it's still there. Judd Winick and Scott McDaniel are doing a brilliant job with this book. This book is now at the top of my favorites pile every month. And it appears to be getting better. Somehow! I'm telling you, if you're not getting this book, you need to. And if you can go back to find any of the back issues, you should. They're definitely worth the effort and the money. You won't be dissapointed.

Nightwing #132 - DC

First of all, I want to say that Paco Diaz does the art on this issue, and it is astounding. It looks really, really good. Crisp clean lines, vibrant, and the perfect feel for this book. Hopefully he'll stick around here for awhile. This issue kind of wraps up the Bride & Groom storyline. We were led to believe, mostly by what the Groom has told the Bride, that the Bride needs him to survive. They found each other, way back when, and have been living this symbiotic relationship ever since. The Groom finds people with power, points them out to the Bride, and then she leeches their life-force to sustain her existence. But truth be told, he needs her just as much. Without her, he could do what he does, but he wouldn't have been able to live as long as her. He would've died when he ran out of life-force. So he taps hers, without her knowing it. Long story short, there's a big battle. They don't end up taking out the pair, but they do end up stuck underground in a cave. "Lot's of things I still need to know Thomas. Lot of questions. Besides, you've been keeping yourself alive by taking my energy. So now I'm going to feed on yours. You know, it's going to take almost forever to did our way out of here. But that's okay. We've got plenty of time. After all, you know what they say . . . . 'till death do us part!" So obviously we haven't seen the last of this pair. Or at least the Bride. It'll be interesting to see when and where she pops up again. Overall I really liked this book. I'm a big Marv Wolfman fan, so I'm diggin' his new stories. And like I said Paco Diaz just did a phenomenal job with this issue. If it stays like this, I'll be around for quite a while.

Mystery in Space #8 - DC

I really liked the way they did this book. Actually, I liked the whole run, but more specifically, this issue. Basically, our two stories converged this issue. The Weird started out as like a back-up story. But, since both stories took place on Hardcore Station, and both stories were more interconnected than we were first led to believe, eventually they were going to have to come together and have a direct influence on each other's resolution. So in this issue, Ron Lim did the art for the Captain Comet portion on the story, and Jim Starlin did the art for the Weird part of the story. Right from the very first page, Comet is on his asteroid, kinda' his new "quiet spot", and the Weird is on Hardcore with Deacon Dark. Comet didn't know where this new adventure was going to take him, but the Weird knew that eventually he and Comet were going to have to come together, because Comet was in direct conflict with Dark. His unofficial employer. Comet has a plan which led the Psychic Monks, all clones made from his last body, right to his asteroid. Which is what he wanted, because then he destroys them all at once. As soon as he teleports back to Hardcore, the Deacon transports the Weird, literally, right on top of him. Which puts the 2 in direct conflict. What the Deacon didn't count on though is because the Weird is also a clone of Comet, there's a huge psychic connection. Comet gets tired of getting beat up, so he decides to take a different approach, and jumps right in to the Weird's mind. Once there he realizes what a cluttered mess it's become, and sets about organizing and straightening his thoughts. Which makes him immediately realize how wrong he's been. He then goes after the Deacon, but comes to find out, the Deacon is only an energy construct. No physical form whatsoever. Then Prime-7, who doesn't know what's happened to the Deacon, attacks Comet with all the androids. Comet, who is really pissed, uses all his frustration and power to send out a psychic backlash, which depletes his power, but also wipes out all the androids. Prime-7 is ready to take out the station, but when Comet was inside the church he left some carefully placed "surprises" behind. When Prime-7 refuses to back down, Comet sets them off, which takes out the Church and everyone in it. Meanwhile the Weird takes out the Deacon's energy. So then things get back to normal on the Station. Comet decides to stay. He and the Weird talk, but the Weird decides he wants to head towards earth and the adventures that await him in between. Hopefully we'll be seeing both characters in future storylines. They both have huge potential. Comet's been around forever, but not used prominently. The Weird's only been around for about 20 years, only?, but other than his first mini hasn't really been used at all. Maybe with a little luck, we'll see more or him and Jim Starlin. Without knowing future plans, we can only hope.

52 - Week Fifty Two - DC

This issue finally wraps up our weekly series. Well . . . at least until Countdown comes out next week. These guys really must be a glutton for punishment. It's ok for us though. Anyways, this issue ties up a lot of loose ends, but at the same time, in doing so, opens up some new ones. Our main focus this issue appears to be with Rip Hunter, Booster Gold, and Skeets. Mr. Mind has taken over Skeets. While doing so he has also metamorphoses into some kind of creature that feeds off of time. One year ago, at the end of the Crisis, a new multiverse was created. 52 universes identical to ours, but on a different vibrational plane. Now Rip, Booster, Supernova and the Red Tornado head, have traveled into that multiverse, following Mr. Mind, trying to save them. What has happened is that Mr. Mind has gone to various planets, feeding off their chronal energy, but in doing so, has changed them. And this is what's going to make each of the 52 universes, that started out identical to ours, similar, but different. Now there's a Nazi planet, a WildStorm planet, a Charleton hero's planet, a Shazam! planet, and so on and so on. A lot of planets similar to ones we've seen before, but we haven't seen in a while. Like since Crisis on Infinite Earth's some 20 or so years ago. Nobody's supposed to find out about the Multiverse, but during the course of this issue, Sivana and TOMorrow find out about it. Anyways, long story short, with Sivana's suspendium and Skeets old shell, Rip and Booster capture Mr. Mind and send him back in time. He sends him back to the beginning of the year, before he's formulated his plan and changed. He's back in his worm form, and Sivana finds him and captures him. Booster's relative Danny decides that he wants to keep his Supernova identity. And now the 3 of them are going to be like a police force for the Multiverse. The other things that get wrapped up: Checkmate is put together under the UN, John and Natasha have opened up their new Steelworks and are talking about what's going to happen to Infinity Inc., someone new has taken the Amulet of Isis, the Dept. of Metahuman affairs have decided to go after Wonder Woman, Ralph and Sue Digby have been turned in to ghost detectives, literally, and Renee has accepted her role as the new Question. Also with the help of Will Magnus a new Skeets is built. Will had a copy of his hard drive from before, but he won't remember anything from the past year. Like I said it answers a lot of questions, but asks a lot of new ones also. Overall this has been a fantastic series. I'm really looking forward to Countdown, which is really just an extension of this book. And I'm looking forward to seeing what they're going to do with this new Multiverse.

Superman #662 - DC

After almost 1100 posts, I'm still trying to figure out the best way to do this. I'm also trying to catch up. During the holiday season, I got a little behind. That's why, book wise, I'm about 3 to 4 weeks behind when they come out. I still want to post in a relative order to when they were printed, just because there's so many stories nowadays that are directly related to each other. You know, with this whole 52 and Civil War thing going on. And I'm getting there gradually. My ultimate goal is to post the books that come out, on any given week, before I purchase the next weeks books. But that's easier said than done. Especially considering the number of books that I read every week. Also taking in to account that I usually put in about 60 hrs a week at my day job. And my usual habit seems to be to pick up more titles rather that cutting back. There's just so much good stuff out there. Anyways, I'm trying to decide between reading books ahead, and then going back and posting, or read and post at the same time. But that way, I really only have enough time to read and post about 3 to 4 books a day. If I spend anymore time than that, I start getting badgered by the espouse. Anyways, this book is mostly about Superman trying to make up his mind about what to do about Arion's ultimatum. He's kind of reflecting on all his unresolved issues out there. We get a little glimpse of one of those with Subjekt 17 in the beginning of this book. Seems he's wandering around Tibet right now, trying to get a feel for the human condition. Meanwhile Superman is also looking to try to figure out who Arion was referring to when he made reference to the 3rd Kryptonian. He's ruled out Power-Girl, Krypto and Chris came along after his predictions, so he's trying to figure out who he was talking about. He also goes and talks to Sirocco, even though he hasn't given himself that name yet, to try to figure out what he know about this "Khyber", or Hassan-I-Sabah. Sirocco refers to him as the "bloody-handed master of assassins" or the "Lord of Alamut". Superman doesn't fully believe the story that he tells him, but he doesn't relay his doubt to Sirocco. He then heads home to find that Metropolis has been inundated by what appears to be New Gods. So next issue we'll find out what this is all about. And it looks like the Arion thing is going to be stretched out for at least a few more issues. Kurt Busiek is crafting a nice story here. And I'm really diggin' Carlos Pacheco's artwork. Overall a very nice issue, and definitely an intriguing storyline.

Astonishing X-men #21 - Marvel

I really can't say enough about the creative talent on this book. Even though I've attempted to . . the last few . . . actually all the posts . . . for this book. Everything about it, creatively, is amazing. So . . . I won't go in to all of that again. They've introduced a new character, last issue I think, Ms. Ichiki. Codenamed Armor. Anyways, our team is on Breakworld, trying to figure out just what this prophecy about Colossus is all about. On their way here, they were attacked by the planets military force, so they were forced to crash land. This split up the team. Which is fine, because they really have 2 missions. Of course the first is to find out what is going on with Peter. But secondly, they've come to find out that somewhere on this planet is a missile pointed at the Earth. A missile capable of destroying the whole planet. So obviously they also have to find and defuse that. At the end of last issue, our one team, Emma, Scott and Beast found the mural that shows Colossus crushing the planet in one hand, and their sun in his other. Wolverine and Armor join them straight off this issue. Meanwhile, Kitty and Peter are trying to make their way across the city. This isn't an easy thing to do, especially trying to stay inconspicuous, because pretty much everyone on the planets knows and hates Peter's face. Even the kids. Also Cerebro is still up to something. Don't know everything yet, but you know it's not good. And it seems in the midst of all this, we're getting a few romantic interludes. Beast has has to make a shelter under the snow with Polaris. It's a long story, but suffice it to say that although they have shelter, they have to find a way to stay warm. Meooww! Peter and Kitty have been brought to one of their towers, to rest and reflect before the dawn, when Peter will be expected to make a choice that could change their planet. So, on what could be their final night, Kitty decides to make a move on Peter. "Now I am more confused . . . but . . . somehow . . not as tired." Meowww! Again! And Emma and Scott are in a fighter plane when they're shot down by Cerebro. In the process Scott tells Emma that he's come to love her. After they crash, Scott appears dead, and when confronted by Cerebro Emma says, "Do me one favor dear? Kill me. . . . . please do try to make it quick." And that . . . is the end of this issue. Wow!! Like I've said over and over . . . fantastic story, fantastic art, and fantastic characters. What more could you ask for? Well . . . another issue fairly quickly would be nice.

Sensational Spiderman Annual #1 - Marvel

This one was actually a really touching story. SHIELD, finally tries to make a move on the Parker family. They don't bother May much, because they know she's in the hospital. And . . she's not going anywhere. But they make a move on MJ. An old friend, supposedly, from the west coast, stops her in a coffee shop to chat. Of course it's in the "old neighborhood", and the coffee shop that her and Peter have been hanging out in since they first met. After a little shooting the crap for a little while, Brady, tells her that he now works for SHIELD, and he's been sent to bring her in. Well . . . bring her in . . . or get her to disclose the location of Spider-man. So she starts telling him about the stories of when her and Peter first got together. Meanwhile, at the same time, Peter is talking to a Detective, because he's trying to figure out how to turn himself in, and quit making his family live on the run. He feels that he's not being fair to MJ or Aunt May. So while he's talking to his guy, he's also reminiscing with stories about him and MJ first getting together. The stories they're both telling are very similar, except that they're being told from each person's perspective. So while they're essentially the same story, they each have a different feel because we're learning how they each felt about what was going on at that exact moment. In MJ's case, she's also stalling Brady, because she's activated her Spider-tracer, to call in her husband. Of course he comes swooping in, pulls her out of harms way, and they end up making out on the top of some skyscraper. Like I said, a pretty touching story overall. It was nicely written by Matt Fraction and brilliantly drawn by Salvador Larroca. I would have to say, this is the best Annual from Marvel so far this summer.

Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman #20 - Marvel

This issue seemed to revolve mostly about giving us more information about our elusive Ms. Arrow. Peter finds out this issue, with the help of Betty Brant, " . . . they were there . . in Stark towers . . they . . they ate the skin of my old body . . . and I realized what they were . . . Pirate spiders . . . mimetidae family . . . genus: Ero . . . also called Cannibal spiders, since they feed on other spiders . . . and there was this creature . . this thing made entirely of spiders . . spiders of the genus: Ero . . . Ero . . . which sounds a hell of a lot like . . ." So besides her trying to disrupt Peter's life, it's also time for her to mate. And her chosen mate . . . is Flash Thompson. "By this time tomorrow, Flash Thompson shall be my mate . . . and my host . . . and after that . . . my sustenance." Kind of . . uh . . Hannibal Lecturish there. Eeeww! So now Peter has to stop Arrow, or Ero, and save Flash. Just a typical day in the life . . right? This book has come a long way from whence it first started. I was a little hard on the first couple story-arc's. Especially that one about the Green Goblin from the future. Don't get me started. Anyways, I like the book a lot better now. And in particular I like this story-arc. So my advice? Keep up the good work.

Ghost Rider - Trail of Tears #4 - Marvel

This is a pretty cool story-arc. But then again, with Garth Ennis writing it, what did you expect? Then on top of that, we got Clayton Crane doing the art, and I do mean art. And of course one of the coolest characters out there, Ghost Rider. Well . . . a version thereof anyways. But you know what I mean. So all around this should be a hit book. And it probably is. The opening page, with our band of bad guys riding across the plain, in a rain-storm, and the clouds and lightning in the background, was sheer perfection. Basically what happening now is that our anti-hero is picking off the gang one by one. The really gruesome part about this issue, is where we see one of the guys, who isn't dead yet, but, he might as well be because he's immobile and the buzzards are already starting to feed off of him. Ewww! I gotta say, the way the story was reading, I was pretty sure that Parham was the Ghost Rider. I figured that he made some kind of deal with the devil to get out of the war alive. I'm sure he's not the only one who thought about it. But now . . . I'm leaning towards Caleb. I think something happened when George Reagan and his gang attacked Caleb's farm and killed his family. I think that's where this version of the Ghost Rider was created. But at the end of this issue, it seems as if there's some other kind of force moving in. Whatever it is, it's being preceded by a cloud of red fog. Overall an interesting issue. We learn a little more about our participants, on both sides. And we get to see some amazing artwork by Clayton. If you want to see how much this guy has improved, just look at the art from the first Ghost Rider mini that he did, and compare it to this one. World of difference.

Shazam! - the Monster Society of Evil - #3 - DC

Couple things I gotta say right up front here. First of all, I'm a huge Captain Marvel fan. And I don't care about the whole DC / Marvel thing, I still call him Captain Marvel. Secondly I'm a big Jeff Smith fan. I love pretty much everything he's done. Now that being said, I was bored to tears this issue. Like I've said before, this was one of those issues, that when you go back later to look at all 4, you could leave completely out of the reading, and it wouldn't make much of a difference at all. This could've been a 3 issue series, and it wouldn't have made a bit of difference, because this issue was inconsequential. I usually read at night, shortly before I go to bed, or as I'm trying to relax. It took me 3 times picking up this book and reading it, before I made it all the way through the issue. It kept putting me to sleep. Literally. Except for finding out that the Animal-men, or I guess the members of the Monster Society, were coming out of, or being changed by, the 2 giant robots in the park, and learning that Dr. Sivana is some how hooked in to the whole thing, there really wasn't anything else that was pertinent this issue. So it was a waste of paper, and a waste of $6 to buy it. Now don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that this series sucks. I'm just saying that this particular issue . . . was pointless. And I feel cheated. But what am I going to do? Next issue, we'll wrap up the series, and I'm sure I'll like it.

Detective #832 - DC

First of all, cool Simone Bianchi cover. It's not shown at the right here, don't know why it wasn't available, but this is an interior shot from the book. I'm also enjoying Andy Clarke's pencils. They aren't the usual style you would find in a Batman book, which is why they're kind of neat. Crisp clean lines, vibrant, not a lot of shadows, and not overly moody. As I said, a complete contradiction to what you would expect from a Batman book. Interesting approach. Now . . . the story. It was ok, but a bit predictable. Right from the beginning, the first page actually, when Batman, finding the body of an old perp, says, "His face was eaten away by fish, no skin left on the fingertips to print . . . how did you identify the body, Jim?". I mean, right from there, I knew that this wasn't what it looked like. This guy, that they found dead, was 1 of a group of 3 that were known to hang out together. Now the other one's were being attacked. But the attacks are to personal, to be random. So it had to be someone that knew them, and were close to them. Sure enough, the first guy faked his death, and was going after the other 2 because his condition was making him insane. I mean, don't get me wrong, the story was interesting, but also predictable. I like the approach they're taking with this book. And I like that they're trying different writers. But some have been more successful than others. This particular one . . . I would not consider a success. Better luck next issue.

the All New Atom #11 - DC

I'm glad that this issue finally wraps up this whole zombie / school-mate thing. I mean how much longer could they drag this story on? Well . . . maybe a bit longer. At the end of this issue, Ryan figures out that the way to traumatize a zombie, is to attack them the same way they were killed. So he attacks Alvin with a shovel. It works. But . . . he's not entirely dead. It seems that he's allowed to keep the body he's in animated until he gets his revenge. Well . . . he hasn't got his revenge. He's just dead. And he was already that. But . . . he is traumatized. So . . . he'll have to lay there until, either someone removes the shovel, or . . . " . . I'm cool. Shovels fall out of skull casings eventually. And I'll find you in America Ryan Choi." So, like I said, it seems that we're not completely wrapped up here. But, as Alvin suggested, Jia was just using Ryan. After he saved her, she told him that she'll love him forever . . . as her best friend. But she was "in love"with someone else. Typical! Anyways, I really like Gail's stories. But I gotta say, I'm glad this one is over with. So now we can get back to IvyTown, and our usual craziness. Not this insane zombie, animated school-mate, crap. Sorry, but other than the new stuff we learned about Ryan, I really didn't enjoy that last arc. So let's get back to the states and see what other kind of stuff we can dig up.

Hawkgirl #63 - DC

It seems that Kendra is hot on the trail of Hath-Set. Which has taken her to the museum in Gotham. It seems that they have a lot of old original files, about archaeological digs and finds, that haven't been uploaded to computers yet. So Kendra thinks that she may find something there that will help her to get on Hath-Set's trail. The problem is, Hath-Set knows that she's looking for him, and is doing everything in his power to thwart her attempts. Including possession of a whole bunch of people, including Batman, to try to bring her down by sheer force. And . . . burning down the museum around her. But it seems that our heroes, whom often work together, have back-up plans in place for just such a contingency. So Kendra breaks Batman of Hath-Set's thrall, and in the process Batman knows exactly which file he's been trying to destroy. It's that old, when you possess some one's mind you also give up a bit of yourself, thing. So Batman helps Kendra, she gets further along her trail, and her next stop is Metropolis. Guess who she's teaming up with next issue. I normally really enjoy Walter's stories, but this one, really didn't do anything for me. It was a little sluggish, and forced. And although I've been impressed with Renato's art, in the last few issues, this one, I also didn't feel, was up to the previous standards. So overall, this was a very forgettable issue for me. The only thing that I really did like about it, was the cover. I still think Kendra's pretty hot. Anyways, hopefully we'll get a better issue next time.

Deadman #9 - Vertigo

I really do like this book. But, it really is as confusing as hell. We start out with Sarah having a dream that Scott is calling her. She goes outside to the garden, with all the statues and finds a baby in the pool. It's alive. And it startles her awake. She tells Brandon that her baby is alive. We then switch to another reality where Sarah is going to Dr. Fenton for a sonogram. So she still has her baby. She asks him a few questions, and they're just out there enough that he feels the need to prescribe her some Xanax. But then they're back in the hotel and they're talking as if she's lost the baby. They don't know where to start looking, but after some discussion they settle on Professor Plum's house. There they find a locked drawer in the desk. When they pry it open it's empty. But, " . . nobody locks an empty drawer." So they decide that Brandon is going to go back in time and put whatever was in the drawer on the top shelf of the closet. He messes up a little bit and sees himself, but Scott shows up and freezes time for him and says he'll fix it so he doesn't remember the incident. He goes back, and finds out that the file is a remote viewing file about Scott's sessions. We then go to back to the reality where Sarah had seen Dr. Fenton, but now she goes by Eve. She's in the tub relaxing, after taking a Xanax, and she's talking to her sister Jean. And her husband, who looks like Scott is named Jack. They go out to dinner, but she's not really at dinner. Really she's locked up in a mental ward. Her husband, Dr Fenton and Dr Kyle are all looking after her, and they're all looking to keep her safe until the baby is born. And that's what I mean about it being confusing. I know that the way that Brandon is existing, he can bounce back and forth between realities and time. But this is seriously f***ed up. I'm sure it'll all come together soon, but in the meantime, I'm really having a hard time keeping things straight. But that's probably the intention. To give us the feeling of what Brandon is going through trying to keep everything straight. I do like this book, but I hope it all comes together soon. For all of our sanity.

100 Bullets #83 - Vertigo

Every time I read this book I'm awed. And every time I review it, I probably sound like a broken record. But Brian Azzarello is easily one of the best writers out there right now. The nuances and feeling that he puts in to a book is just incredible. I mean look, Shepherd was killed a few issues ago, but he was one of the best characters. And we haven't quit hearing about him yet. For the last couple issues, Graves has been reminiscing about how he recruited him. He even took his ashes to the b-ball court that he used to play on, where Graves always found him, to spread them there. Quite touching actually. And don't even get me started on Eduardo Risso. I don't know where this guy came from, before he started doing 100 Bullets, 83 issues ago, but his style is incredible. I love the way he uses shadows and colors. I mean on page 3 where he has the 2 gunmen under the arch with the shadow of the city in the background, is truly a piece of work. Or the scene on page 15 where he's talking to Claudio in the shadow of the pillars. Seriously, you could take that right out of the book and frame it. His style really is that good. And what I really like is that even though they've each taken on separate projects, over the course of the 83 issues, they've always kept the creative team in tact. So the book has had the same feel over the whole course of the run. Fantastic! Oh, and is case I forgot, Dave Johnson has been turning in stellar covers since day 1. This whole series is something to be treasured. If you haven't been buying the books, at least go out and try out 1 of the Trade Paperbacks. You won't regret it.

PainkillerJane - Episode 7 - Higher Court - SciFi Channel

This episode was about a neuro that somehow lost his daughter. Not really important to the story though. So he decides that he's going to tap in to the Witness Protection program files, and start eliminating serious offenders. I guess he can get in to your mind, and get you to see whatever he wants you to. Somehow he works it around whatever environment that someone he's after is in, and then he uses that to kill him. Such as one guy was on this rooftop bar. When he went to get a drink, he made it so he saw the bar farther away than it actually was. So, when walking to the bar, the guy walks right off the roof. Or this other guy, he makes him think that he's looking at a bunch of classic cars for sale. Actually he's in a warehouse. So as he's walking around looking at cars, he decides he's going to look around at the inside of one. Well in this factory there's a laser cutter, so when he looks in the car, his heads going to go right through the beam. Luckily, though, Jane and her team happens to be around for this one, and they save the guy. This is also where the perp made his mistake. This target was also in the WP program, but, he wasn't an offender, he was a lawyer. So when they cross referenced his files with someone who may have lost a loved one on one of his cases, they found our guy. The lawyer was prosecuting the guy who killed his daughter, but somehow he messed up the chain of evidence and the killer walked. I guess this sent our neuro over the edge. So then they just had to find him, figure out some way to trick him, so they could get close enough to "chip" him, and wrap up the case. Don't get me wrong, I don't like this episode any better than any of the others, but . . . it was an interesting story. But . . . all my convictions about what is wrong with this series . . . haven't changed. I just don't feel like getting in to them all again. If you're unsure about how I feel about this series, read any of my last 5 or 6 blogs on this show. I'm sticking with it, because I want to see if they can fix it. But . . . . I'm not very optimistic about that happening. So I'll continue to fill you in. And I'll continue to feel that they're really messing up this character. Too bad . . . really!

American Virgin #14 - Vertigo

It's taken 14 issues, but I finally think I have a handle on these characters. Well . . . most of them anyways. Last issue we learned that Mel was actually a girl. He/she came on to Cyndi, and that's when we find out. But before anything can happen, a palm tree comes crashing through the roof of the pool house. Seems there's a hurricane getting ready to blow in to town. Anyways, Adam goes off to judge his pageant, because he still looking for one of the girls on his list. Come to find out, the make-up girl for the current pageant, is the one name he hadn't been able to find. When she was in the pageant she changed her name. And when he was in the crashed plane, hence to cover, it was she who he saw as his saviour as he was about to drown. So, believing in signs, he thinks that all the signs are pointing towards her. But she's leaving town right after the pageant. She's going touring. Where? "Don't know. That's what touring's all about. Wherever I can get a cheap flight, or a free place to crash . . . sorry . . . stay . . . wherever the wind takes me." So on the last page of the issue, Adam decides to go along with her, and find out if their love is real. Interesting book. I don't know if it's necessarily my cup of tea. But, I do enjoy Steven T Seagle's writing. So I'm giving it a try.

Ex-Machina #27 - Wildstorm

I was looking back at previous post, and it's been almost 3 months since I posted for issue #26 of this series. But that's not unusual, because when I looked back farther, the closest ones were about 6 weeks apart, and some are 3 months or longer. I guess I didn't realize there was that long of a wait between issues of this book. Just kinda' took me by surprise, I guess. Anyways, we still got that guy, whom I think is from the future, and kinda' looks like somebody off of Jeac Cousteau, pursuing the Mayor. But, with the events of this issue, I think he's trying to help him. Even though we do have to wait between issues, I'm glad that the creative forces behind this book have remained constant through it's entirety. As I've said since day 1, Brian K Vaughn and Tony Harris are doing a fantastic job with this book. I don't think it gets the critical praise that it deserves, but it will. Right now there's a power outage, kind of like the one that happened a couple of years ago, that took out most of New York and part of Canada. And this new guy, we don't know his name yet, is somehow hooked in to it. He goes to Kremlin, to try to get to Mayor Hundred, but of course Kremlin overreacts and shoots him. So now his suit is damaged. But he's still trying to get to Hundred to warn him of something. And to give him some information, "I think I can shed some light on what you are." Doesn't that sound ominous? Anyways it looks as if this story-arc may be an origin type thing for Mayor Hundred. And the issues seem to be coming out fast and furious, because I think counting this one, I have 3 in the pile waiting to be read. So when I read it, I'll fill you in on . . . the rest of the story.

Green Lantern #19 - DC

I think I learned more about Star Sapphire, and the Zamaron's, in this issue, than I have in the entire history of the Green Lantern series. I mean the story about how they separated from the Guardians is pretty well known. But we've never really seen how or why their ideals and beliefs got twisted in to what they are today. Yes we knew that Star Sapphire wanted Hal as her consort, with almost every incarnation of the character. But, we've never really know the specifics. And how did we get that information? Well, when she first returned she went to familiar ground and possessed Carol Ferris again. Little did she know that Carol had moved on, gotten married, and that Hal was no longer in love with her. This didn't suit her needs at all. So, she focused on Hal and felt his feeling for Cowgirl, whom he was talking to at the time. So wham-bam-thank-you-mam, she jumps in to Cowgirl and starts going after Hal with a vengeance. Well during her occupation, the information highway ran both directions, and Carol picked up as much information about them, as they knew about her. So now, while Hal is trying to rescue her, she is relaying as much of this to Hal as she can. Finally Carol decides that she needs to make a stand and asks Hal to " . . light me up. Make me a suit. I didn't control myself when I was the Star Sapphire, but I saw her fight. I learned how to fight." So now Star has to fight 2 GL's. But it's all moot, because on the last page the Zamaron's decide to show up and take matters in to their own hands. This is turning out to be a great story by Geoff Johns. Also the artwork by Daniel Acuna, from Freedom Fighters fame, is phenomenal. As a back-up we also get a little more insight in to the Sinestro Corps. These people are gonna be a nasty piece of work. I really like this book, but please don't forget about Kyle Rayner. I know he's on hiatus for now, but please don't leave him out there for to long.

Midnighter #7 - Wildstorm

This book had me confused at first. Basically the MidNighter is trying to take out this eco-terrorist group that claims it's trying to save the world by turning all the crude on the planet in to water. Well . . . all except the stash that they have of course. Which they'll then profit from. Isn't that the way it always is? Anyways, all through the story, he keeps talking about how he already knows the outcome before he starts a fight. "See, I'm one of those jerks who always skips ahead to the last page of a book before he reads it. I find a closing scene I love, then I work my way back to the beginning to figure out exactly how it all went down. It's the same way my crazy brain processes every possible outcome for a battle before the first punch is even thrown." I mean we all know that, I just wasn't sure why he kept reemphasizing it. And the storyline was a bit confusing. Kind of jumbled and out of sequence. I guess. So then I get all the way to the last page and it dawns on me, if I read this book from back to front, it'll actually make sense. And it does. So my guess is that the whole point of this exercise was to show us how the MidNighter sees a story. And actually, it was very effective. A very good story by Brian K Vaughan. You know, from Ex-Machina fame. And another book drawn by Darick Robertson this month. This guy must be trying to get some serious overtime. Anyways, loved the book. But I gotta ask, when will we see more Authority or WildCats books. WildCats has only had 1 issue come out. And the Authority has only had 2. What's the deal? If we could get them, we'd buy them. Kind of like the Field of Dreams thing. Just wanted to let you know that we're patiently waiting. Please?

Welcome to Tranquility #6 - Wildstorm

This issue wraps up the first storyline of the book. Who killed Mr. Articulate. And generally it served it's purpose. It's introduced us to most of the main characters in our little suburb. And it's shown us that once they've retired, and come to this town, that the relative assumptions of "good guys" or "bad guys" no longer apply. It would seem that everybody comes here on an equal footing, and then it's up to them on how they live out their twilight years. As an example, Henry Hate actually ends up helping Maximum Man. He was the only one that still knew what his secret word was. And the Mayor, who used to be a "hero", decided to cross the line and do something he never would've dreamed of, to keep their secret. And Leona, a young kid who wanted to be a hero, found herself in the position of having to make a choice, and she made the wrong one. For which she's been wallowing in guilt for ever since. And the Sheriff, who only wanted to find a community to watch over, has come to love everything about this one. Good or bad. Like I said, this first storyline really helped to introduce us to this town and it's people. Now, I think, we can start to have fun with some of the characters. Fantastic job by Gail Simone and Neil Googe. I already thought Gail was brilliant. But now I'm starting to feel the same way about Neil. I like his work, but I don't think we've seen his best yet. Not because he isn't trying, but rather because I think this guy is just going to get better and better. Like I said in a previous post, I put him in the same league as Todd McFarlane. You know . . . he started out with a unique style, then he just got better, and pretty soon he was at the top of his game. I think we'll see the same out of Neil.

Danger Girl - Body Shots #2 - WildStorm

Oh rightee then. Andy Hartnell turns in another lovely romp by our ladies of Danger. And Nick Bradshaw gives us a few titillating moments of our spies obvious assets. They're still after the Master Key this issue, but our antagonist reveals himself. Not that it means anything, but his name is Authur Franco. And it seems that the only thing he wants in exchange for holding the country hostage, is the president. The girls find a camp, where he's supposed to be holed up. But when they get there they're attacked by, what they think, is his henchmen. Turns out they're a special forces team, after the same think the girls are. And they're lead by Johnny, a former romantic interest of Sydney's. After a quick reunion, Abbey brings them back to reality, and they're ready to resume their mission. In the hut they find a computer, but unfortunately it's connected to a bomb. Being who they are,though, they're able to download the in-tell off of it, and escape any serious damage to themselves when the bomb goes off. Unfortunately, in the process they find out some info about Arthur and they try to call off the operation where the President is going to give himself over to save the country. Just as unfortunately, they're just smidgen to late. The President has just jumped out of the plane and is in free-fall when they try to contact him. But then if it was that easy, it wouldn't be a 4 issue series. Right? If you ask me, I think the President's in on it. But that's just me. I guess we'll just have to wait till next issue for more romping action and Danger.

Justice League Unlimited #33 - DC

This is a nice little story with a decent moral to it. We got the Crimson Avenger, an old codger who's been doing this job for decades, and StarGirl. An impulsive teen who's relatively new to the heroing business. And they're forced to work together. With completely different styles. Well and accident happens, when they're dealing with Morgan LaFey, and they end up switching bodies. Basically a "walk a mile in the other's shoes" type of story. Through that they learn a little about each other, and they both end up changing a little in the process. Like I've said over and over about this series, a nice story for kids. And a decent moral for them to learn. But I like the book too. A lot of cool characters. And I like the one issue story-lines too.

Jonah Hex #19 - DC

This is such a cool book. I really like the way that Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti are writing it. And, after the last couple of issues, with Phil Noto doing the artwork, I really feel that we're back on track, creatively wise. Overall, through this whole series, each book has been it's own self contained story. With the exception of the origin issues. But now they're starting to get to the point where they have more than one storyline going on in each issue. This issue, Hex is hired by a man who runs this town, to find his nephew's who've been missing. In the process he runs across a Madame who seems to like to seduce men, kill them and then after stealing all their possessions, dump their bodies in an old abandoned mine. The two stories really don't overlap, other than that Hex finds out about the one, while he's looking for the other. But actually, as soon as he was hired, I think he knew where the 2 men were because he was the one that killed them. But in the process of bringing the 2 dead men's bodies back, he seems to have incurred the wrath of the rich man, and may now have a bounty hunter on his own tail. I understand why they do the stories the way they do. Because there's not really a continuity to his adventures. And it really doesn't matter how they all fit together. But I also like that their starting to make them a little more complicated with some twists and turns along the way. Overall though, and I'm finding this hard to say, but in this day and age, I'm really diggin' this western series. It's a nice change of pace. Unfortunately it's caused me to spend some money on E-bay, but, I probably would've done that anyways.

Teen Titans #46 - DC

Another fantastic team book by DC. They're really on a roll here with JLA, JSA, Outsiders, Legion and the Titans. All fantastic books. This one kind of wraps up the Titans East / Titans West storyline. Basically, the good guys take out the bad guys, but Deathstroke and Inertia escape. Big surprise there. We also get to see the original Titans, Nightwing, Wondergirl, Flash and Cyborg come to their aid, with the help of Raven. They seem to have control of Match, the Superboy clone, by having Joey make contact with him. Also Kid Devil has gotten his powers back from Kid Crusader. Even though it means that he'll still be held to the agreement he made with Neron. But Raven helped him to get them back, and I think in the process, she got a little insight in to what he's up against. Ultimately I think Slade's goal was to give Rose and Joey a family. The Titans have welcomed them, but not fully. Because of their association with their father. However, through conflict they have seen them stand by their side, and are now more fully accepting of them. Like I said, ultimately that was Slade's intentions behind this whole thing. "I'm many things . . . a mercenary, a killer, a soldier . . . but I'm no father. I know for a fact now the Titans will take good care of my children. Though they'll never know it, I've given them a final gift of love, the one thing I could never provide them with myself . . . a real family." A great story by Adam Beechen and Geoff Johns. I'm also really impressed with the artwork of Al Barrionuevo. I'm sad the Tony Daniel's is gone, but Al's a pretty good replacement. This particular incarnation of this team has been brilliant since issue #1. We've had some creative changes, but I really think the book is getting better and better.

Checkmate #13 - DC

This issue begins the "CheckOut" storyline. It'll bounce back and forth between this title and the Outsiders for the next 2 months. And I think, it's going to force some kind of change on the Outsiders. I only hope that they don't go away because I love that team. But, they seem to be a team in which change is often the norm, even a necessity, so we'll see what happens. Anyways, Checkmate has this operation, of which we don't know the specifics yet, but they've decided that they need the Outsiders to pull it off. So they are going around the globe and abducting them out of the various situations that they are in. For some reason Checkmate thinks, " . . we need them, and this is the only way to bring them in." So they go around and capture all of them, Katana, Metamorpho, Grace, Thunder and Capt. Boomerang Jr. (they have to come up with a better name for him), by catching them all off guard. They capture all of them, except for Nightwing. But I think that was Sasha Bordeaux' plan all along. She didn't want to have to find Nightwing, but she knew that if she captured the rest, he would come to her. Which, on the last page, he does. As he pulls her in to the elevator, and holds his nightstick to her head, he says "I've never been a big fan of chess . . . but from what I understand . . . this would be putting you in Check . . . wouldn't it, Black Queen?" The next issue blurb says that together they hit Oolong Island. But we have to pick up Outsiders #47 to learn what the plan is. This is someone that I don't think the Outsiders necessarily want to get in bed with, but I don't think they're going to be given much of a choice. Should make for a very nice story arc. This one's written by Greg Rucka and Judd Winick, with some very nice art by Joe Bennett. Check it out if you get a chance. Pun intended.

Supergirl and the Legion of Super-heroes #29 - DC

A couple of issue ago, the Dominators released a techo-virus on earth that basically took away all control of even the simplest of tech devices. If it had an "on/off" switch, or plugged in, then it was out of our control. Well the Legion decided to lay a trap for the Dominators, basically by reverse engineering a trap that the Dominators had set for them. The Legion knew that if the Dominators found out that the majority of them would be in one place, that it would be too tempting for them to not try to attack and trap them. So when they do arrive, the Legion feigns a battle, while the majority of them jump back through their portal and take the battle to their home planet. Knowing that they were so set on bringing down the Legion, and the planet Earth, the majority of their forces would be on this side. So when they jumped to the other side, they would not be met with as much resistance. And basically they would take them down from the inside. Well the one Dominator, a pariah among his own people for his ideas, and also the one that developed the "super"-Dominators, had this plan going all along. He felt that the Dominator race had become to complacent in it's role in the universe. So if he could force a change, it would be better for their entire race in the long run. He knew that they would fall to the Legion, just as he knew that some of his enhanced Dominators would survive. Those would then meld back in to what was left of their race, breed and take them to the next step on the evolutionary ladder. Essentially, in the long run, making them better for having come through the experience. But that doesn't mean that the story is over, because the Legion still has to defeat the Dominator world, and they have to find a way to reverse the effects of the techno-virus. But either way, the Dominator race will win, because the one lone scientist will have advanced his culture. Even at his own demise. It'll be interesting to see if the Legion can grasp what their ultimate goal was. And also what kind of effects this was will have on earth and the Legion in the time that follows. No Kitson or Waid this issue. This one's written by Tony Bedard and pencilled by Kevin Sharpe. I'm not sure if Kitson or Waid will be back, but the story here should still wrap up nicely because they've already laid the groundwork. The artwork though, I wasn't particularly fond of. But we'll see what happens next issue. I still think this is a fantastic series, with some of the best characters there are in comics. Long live the Legion!!

Batman Confidential #5 - DC

I've said this a few times, but Andy Diggle is fantastic at these war / military type stories. And I may be putting myself out on a limb here, but I would venture to say . . . he's almost as good at them as . . . Garth Ennis. I know some people may not agree with me on that, but this guy deserves more credit than he's getting. And I really think he's fantastic. I'm also glad to see that Whilce Portacio will be finishing this story-arc. He didn't over in his own book, WetWorks. So I was a little worried about this one. But it looks like he's going to see it through to the end. Last issue, after receiving his defense contract, Luthor basically took over every military base in the US. He has built all these GI Robots, and their human counterparts are really no match for 'em. Then along comes Batman, and his own advanced military designs. This particular issue seems to be solely about Batman's penetration into this base. What he doesn't destroy, he obtains control of, and by the end of the book he seems to have successfully infiltrated and regained control of the entire base. Including the GI Robots. Which has Luthor furious. Next issue should be a hell of a ride, because it's titled "Army of One". I don't know if that's referring to Luthor or Batman. But either way, by the end of this story-arc, I think Batman will have successfully established himself as a huge thorn in Luthor's side. And when all's said and done, you couldn't ask for anything more than that. This is a fantastic book.

Action Comics #848 - DC

This issue is a story about the year that Superman didn't have his powers. During that time a new hero (?) emerged. But it seems as if he's forcing his beliefs on others. Basically what happens is some massacres in Nyasir. This new hero (?) comes in to their country, to protect the faithful ones, and when attacked by the govt. soldiers, sends out this pulse-wave that destroys everyone and everything, except for those that he protects. So while Clark didn't have his powers, there were a couple of these massacres. Now that he's got his powers back, he's decided to look in to them. He's devastated by the destruction he finds. So he follows the trail back, and it leads to Valley Falls, Colorado. A small rural town that reminds him an awful lot of Smallville. What he finds is a very religious and faithful community. Rather than just barging in, he decides to do a little investigating as Clark Kent. There's a church that was bought in 1949 by Matthew Hightower, who then founded a new denomination. He's 85 years old, and he still runs the church. He talks to Clark openly, but Clark is convinced that he's hiding something. He also sees the boy that did the destruction in Africa, but decides not to confront him. It turns out that the church is sending missionaries to Africa, to try to convert them to their faith, and the minister appears to be sending this boy over to protect them. But he's not in complete control of his powers, and after the destruction that he's caused, he's very repentant and confused. But the minister seems to hold a pretty strong sway over him. He sends him over again to avenge the deaths of some of their followers, but this time Superman is there to meet him. It'll be interesting next issue to see how their powers conflict. Nice story by Fabian Nicieza. And I was actually quite surprised by the art. When I saw on the cover that it was Allan Goldman and Ron Randall that did the artwork, I really didn't expect much. Also because I really didn't like the Brad Walker cover. But on the inside, I was actually surprised at how good the art was. Overall it was a very nice issue.