Green Lantern #25 - DC

What an incredible book. When they say "Super Sized Finale" . . . they really mean it. First of all, counting the front cover, there were 55 pages of art. In this day and age . . . that's amazing! Add to that . . . that it was 55 pages of good art . . . no filler stuff . . . and it's almost a miracle. Now as to the talent of the artist . . . Ivan Reis and Ethan Van Sciver . . . . it really couldn't have gotten any better. Now, what impress' me even more is that Ivan did 43 pages of that art, and he still managed to turn in an awesome cover. I've been saying this for a long time, but when he was doing Lady Death, and other series, this guy was hugely underrated. His work is truly breathtaking. I remember back in the 70's there was an artist that really got me excited. He didn't do a ton of work. But when I came across one of his books, even if it wasn't one that I didn't collect, I always picked it up because I knew that looking through it was truly going to be something special. That was Jose Luis Garcia Lopez. To this day, I still love picking up some of his old issues and looking through his stuff. Then there was George Perez when he first started on the Teen Titans in 1980. At that time, his stuff was ground-breaking. And now, for me, this is how I feel about Ivan's stuff on this Green Lantern series. It's just been fantastic. And with this issue, he really hits one out of the park. He actually has 4 double page spreads in this book. 3 of which are simply breathtaking because they feature, probably, well over 100 characters. Oh, and you know what, I've left Geoff Johns out of all of this praise. But, the story couldn't have been put together without his scripts or vision. There are a dozen pivotal moments in this book. Places where new story-lines or ideas are going to be jumping off from. And, in case you haven't noticed, I'm not telling you to much about that story because, in my opinion, this is a book that you must have in your collection. I know it's $5, but it's worth every penny of it. And, if there's still some out there, you should really check out the Gary Frank cover also. There is no downside to this book. Unless, of course, your upset because they killed . . . . . . . . . . now I can't tell you that. Plus you don't really know if he, or they, are really dead. Yes there are a couple of key characters that are . . . . supposedly . . . killed off. You're just going to have to go get it.

Green Lantern Corps #19 - DC

This issue actually picks up immediately after Green Lantern #25. I didn't read them in order, but, that's ok. That's what I love so much about this medium . . . minor transgressions are forgiven. Or . . at the very least . . they don't f@#$ you up too much. Anyways, now that the wars over, all's that's left is to pick up the pieces and get back to the business of life. Kyle has been assigned to the Honor Guard of the Corps, and specifically as Guy's partner. This could set the stage for some interesting stories. Anyways, they have a little bonding moment on the top of the Statue of Liberty. It's touching. Really. And they Guy tries to go and get things back in order with Tora. She's a bit reluctant, after just returning from the dead, so they decide to take it slow, he'll give her some space, and they'll start over with a first date in a month. It seems like Guy's changed a bit already. We then get some brief spots on some of the rest of the Corp, and a view in to what they're each doing to cope, or just get back on with things. The creepiest one, is actually the most normal one. Kilowog is on Mogo and he's attempting to offer him a family moment. But, obviously, Kilowog's family is all dead. But he's sitting at the table, chatting and eating with them like they're right there in front of him. We finally end up with a member of the Sinestro Corps who's on the verge of dying after he crash landed on this planet way out in who knows where. Finally a traveller stumbles upon him. He wants to tell him about his adventures and offer him his ring, but the traveller gets bored with all his talk and snaps his neck. He takes his ring . . and transforms. It's Mongul! This could be an interesting development. I really like the approach that Peter J Tomasi took with this story. After this whole big war story-line, it's nice to see the individual Lanterns in their own private moments, coming to grips with everything that they've gone through. And, as usual, Patrick Gleason's pencils set the perfect tone for the book. This is another series that, after the way the last incarnation ended, I really didn't expect to much out of. But it's proven to be so much more. This series has already had some pivotal moments in the history of the Corps. And my feeling is, there's going to be a whole lot more.

Tales of the Sinestro Corps - Ion #1 - DC

This was actually a very touching story. Apparently this was an alternate cover I have pictured at the right. But it ended up with a very nice Ed Benes cover. It's written by Ron Marz and drawn by Michel Lacombe. Basically, it's the story of Kyle, after the war, trying to come to grips with what exactly his role in the Corps is going to be. He starts out feeling rather hurt and separated, when he has his meeting with the Guardians. I mean, after all, he's gone from being a substitute Green Lantern, to Torch Bearer, to Ion, to being possessed by Parallax, back to being a normal Green Lantern again. That's some incredible shifts in power and responsibility. It's only natural that he would feel neglected or let down. But the Guardians let him know that they have faith in him, offer him his ring back, and appoint him to the Honor Guard. He's to be Guy's new partner. On his way back to Earth . . or wherever his buddies are at . . he stops in to check on some of the new recruits that Kilowog is training. Specifically he want to check in on Sodom Yat . . the new Ion. And seeing that he's also a Daxamite, he's probably the most powerful Green Lantern ever. They go out to space and have this big bonding moment, when they're confronted by Alex Nero. Obviously he's still roaming around the Universe. He's honed in on the Ion powers, so when he arrives he just assumes that it's Kyle. This little exercise actually serves to prove Kyle's point to Sodom, "You need to let all this frustration go, man. Get over it. Someone once told me Lanterns didn't have a problem overcoming fear. It was all the other stuff. You have the ability to change all those bad feelings. You weren't only chosen to be a Green Lantern. You were chosen to be hooked up with the power of Ion. Between all that and your Daxamite heritage, you're the most powerful Green Lantern . . . " And in their little skirmish with Alex, he actually lets his guard down and defeats him using his head rather than his emotions. After he's sure Sodom gets the point, Kyle heads off to his first appointment. Hal, Guy and John are all sitting around on this asteroid roasting marshmallows. I think this is probably the first time that Kyle has actually felt like part of the group . . the gang. And without all his self doubts, I think he'll probably move on to be one of the best Green Lanterns ever. This is only the beginning.

Streets of Glory #3 - Avatar

What a truly gruesome book. But, I guess, that's the realities of the old West. There's a saying that goes, "Character is defined by what you do when nobody's looking." Well, all these people that lived out in the wild west . . were there on their own. Nobody was looking. Some people tried to extend the boundaries of civilization, and some people took advantage of the situation. Some survived. And some didn't. This story seems to be about both. In this issue they're focused on an Indian named Red Crow. He was Apache, and he seemed to have a taste for the savagery and butchery that was their stereotype. This is another one of those stories that bounces around in time. It's actually being told by Pete, who is now an old man. But the stories he's telling are of when he first met Colonel Joe Dunn, and his buddy Tom. Which was also when he first came out to the wild west. He knew him by reputation, and, I think, he probably decided that if he was going to survive, he'd probably do best by sticking to his side. Which he does when he decides to go out with the Colonel on a hunting party to track Red Crow from his most recent attacks. Joe has tracked Red Crow before, so he knows some of his tactics, but the Sheriff has sent along some of Mr. Morrison's associates. They say they want to help find Red Crow, but they seem to be hampering the Colonel every step of the way. The issue ends when they are surprise attacked by Red Crow as he scalps one of the men. Garth Ennis writes this book, so you just know the story is going to be great. The surprise though comes with the artwork of Mike Wolfer. I didn't really like him at first, but, surprisingly, after only 3 issues, he seems to be improving dramatically. This is a completely different kind of series. I'm not really sure if I like it. But, it is interesting. So I'll stick with it for a while to see where it goes. It should be an interesting trip.

Loveless #21 - Vertigo

Well, this seems like the end of the story, but . . I don't think it is. Especially with Brian Azzarello writing it. Ruth has taken it in to her own hands to punish Blackwater for killing her husband. In the beginning of this series, Wes had come back from the war and was a changed man. For some reason, which we didn't know, he kept Ruth, his wife, hidden in the hills around the town. Well it turns out the reason was because Wes was actually a gun-runner. I guess he thought that if anyone wanted to do him harm, they'd probably do it through Ruth. So he kept her hidden. But then, I don't think out of design, he became the town Sheriff. And, I think, he decided to use that position to try to eliminate some of his counterparts and enemies. I mean, as a gun-runner he knew where the bad guys were hidden. And as a Sheriff, it was now his responsibility to go after them. So while it looked like he was doing his job, he was actually furthering his own ends. Anyways, eventually, the Army came to town. One thing led to another and Wes ended up dead. Ruth blamed the town. After all, they were probably the ones that called in the Army and turned over her husband. But the soldiers were just as corrupt as Wes. So they replaced the devil they knew with one they didn't. And things went from bad to worse. So all this time, Ruth has been whittling away at the competition, and making plans for how she was going to make the town pay. She does so at the wedding. She dresses the assassin that was brought in, in Wes' clothes and ties him to a horse strapped with TNT. It comes strolling in to town during the ceremony, and everyone assumes it's Wes. Ruth has taken the place of the bride, hidden under the veil, and at the appropriate moment, shoots the dynamite exploding the town in to hell-fire. But she leaves the father of the bride alive as a witness. "Blackwater is dead . . . I'll leave a one-armed man to bury it." But as she leaves him, he lets her know it wasn't the town that did Wes in, it was actually his brother Johnny. He was Union. Ruth seems content as she rides out of town, but I'm wondering if this hasn't opened up some new things for her to think about. Fantastic series. I'm not really a big fan of Werther Dell'edera's, but, he does give the book a certain feel. And it's right. Brian's stories are incredible. They seem to go on and on, but you just know, at some point, everything is going to start to come together. But, with next issue, it looks like we're going to be moving in a new direction. It should be interesting.

Gen13 #15 - WildStorm

I like this book. The problem I had with the first time it came out is that it lost it's "funness". Is that a word? Anyways, when it first came out it was all about the kids. Sure they were being chased by IO, but they still had their adventures and their bonding. The problem came later in the series. It just got to . . . serious. To full of itself. It lost the "funness". But with this new incarnation, it's actually starting out right. It's been fun. Sure they've had their ups and downs, during these first 15 issues, but it's been light hearted. Even during the serious moments. And that's what this series needs. Hopefully, it won't loose that "funness". We do have a new writer now, with Simon Oliver. But luckily Carlos Barberi has stayed on pencils, so the feel of the book hasn't changed to much. And it still seems to have that tongue-in-cheek humor to it. This issue we see the kids as they attempt to get acclimated to their new environment . . . New York City. I really think they'll be ok. The problem is, right now, they have no source of income. But Roxy's the first one to remedy that. She's being paid to be the spokesperson for a clothing chain. And everybody else is out kind of doing their own thing now too. But Caitlin is the only one who's not getting wrapped up in all of the hype. She knows that there's still people out there looking for them. And she noticed a few oddities while she's been walking around town. But I don't think it's what she thinks. I think it's actually some guys trying to put together a reality web-cast, without the permission of the people they're filming . . . specifically our merry band of teen-agers. I'm glad this book is back. And I'm glad we've stuck with the same characters. Like I said . . . just don't get to serious.

Fantastic Four #552 - Marvel

Even after all these years . . . the Fantastic Four can still be a fun book to read. I have 3 long boxes full of just Fantastic Four comics, and I still can't wait to read it every month. Of course, right now, it's kind of loaded up . . . on the talent side of things. We've been getting these amazing Michael Turner covers every month. I don't know how they talked him in to doing them, but I'm glad they did. Then we have Dwayne McDuffie doing the scripts. And one of my favorite under appreciated artists . . . Paul Pelletier. Seriously! This guy does not get enough credit for his work. Some of these pages, and these panels, are just fantastic. Pun intended! Anyways, last issue Doom, Namor and T'challa came back to warn Reed about his plans to implement "Plan #101" . . . . "Fix everything". He answered their warning with a shot. A head shot actually. He shot off Namor's head. And then, in the beginning of this issue, he does the same to T'challa. Has Reed gone mad? Actually, both of them were robots. Remember, these guys came back from about 75 years in the future. Well after Reed reveals Doom's deception, Victor then goes on a soliloquy about how self-centered, egotistic, and ultimately evil Reed is. Actually, he goes on, and on, and on, and on . . . . I think you get the picture. Finally Ben's cork pops. He just goes all out and pummels the crap out of Doom. Until Victor can get his armor to reboot and all his defenses to come back up. Then he takes out all four of them . . . pretty quickly. Until, that is, he hears a voice behind him that makes him tremble. It's the Fantastic Four from the future. They've come back following Doom. So next issue should be interesting. To say the least. Fantastic book. Great story, and great art.

Wolverine #60 - Marvel

So basically what we've learned from this story is that Lazaer is the one that keeps bringing Logan back to life. Well . . . that's not entirely true. What I mean to say is that it's his battles with Lazaer that allow him to come back. Still not making sense? Ok, during one of the campaigns, during WWII, Logan was the only survivor of this bloody battlefield. As he working his way across the field, he comes across this guy who he ends up doing battle with. He didn't really have his berserker rage at that time. But, he still had the bloodlust. So, if he saw anybody that wasn't in familiar uniform, he probably would've fought him. Anyways, it turns out it was this Lazaer who's job it is to fight fallen soldiers before they pass over in to purgatory. Well Logan, being who he is, bested him. That hadn't been done before. So he made a deal with him. When he dies he has to fight him, but if he wins, he can have the choice of coming back or not. Fast forward about 70 years and Logan is killed again, this time by a bomb, by the Scimitar. Logan's body comes back to life, but for some reason his essence . . . his soul, is trapped in purgatory. Finally, Dr. Strange comes to get him out. But again, he has to fight Lazaer to do so. He was either avoiding that, or just didn't want to do that. Anyways, he comes back, finds out the Hand was behind his killing . . . or more specifically 2 former members of the hand, Phaedra and Shogun, who have now gone rogue and are part of the Scimitar. But that still doesn't give him a reason why, or why this new group has such a hard-on for him. Well on the last page of this issue, he finds out. He finally finds Phaedra, and confronts her. Asking all the same questions. The answer she has for him is a bamboo drape. It's a family seal. The seal of clan Yashida. His first thought is "Mariko". He's close, but he's missing it a bit. "No. Gaijin, not Mariko . . . her father. And for killing me . . for killing my daughter . . . this time your death will be permanent."It's a pretty good story by Marc Guggenheim. It's got some interesting twists and turns. But, what really has me sold on this particular story is the incredible artwork of Howard Chaykin. He does his own inking here to. And it is phenomenal. It's a fantastic addition to this characters history.

X-Factor #26 - Marvel

Lots of stuff going on this issue. First of all great story by Peter David. And fantastic art by Scott Eaton. Scott and Charles are fighting over tactics. Charles thinks they need to step back and assess the situation. Scott thinks that they can't wait and they need to strike. Which is why he's asked Wolverine to put X-Force back together. This worries Charles. But as Scott says, "Charles, you trained me. Let me do my job." Meanwhile, Cable has the baby and is somewhere in Canada racing god knows where. But Lady Deathstrike, and her group of . . whatever they are . . . catches up to him. It's a little hard to fight someone, especially as intensely as Cable does, with a little baby strapped to your chest. At the same time, Predator-X is racing, and eating, his way across Canada. I think he's heading for Westchester, but I'm not sure. And really, other than his victims, nobody really knows he's even out there. In the future Jamie and Layla have found the Mutant Relocation Camp. They try to pummel some information out of some guards, but then decide that maybe their best bet is to just try to find out what they can on the inside. So they let themselves get arrested. And, now that X-Force is back together again, their first mission is to go to Cooperstown Alaska and try to pick up Cable's trail. Wolverine doesn't trust Thunderbird because he was with Cable when Cable let X-Force. So he thinks his allegiances my be sketchy. But in typical X-Force fashion, they aren't very stealthy. The authorities are converging on their location, the hospital, just as they're trying to get away. Nothing's ever easy for them. The next chapter is in New X-Men #45. I like the way this story is shaping up.

Nightwing #139 - DC

This issue was fantastic. It really showed the bond between Nightwing and Robin. They're really more like 2 brothers, than anything. Last issue . . or chapter . . Robin got it in his head that he may be able to use the Lazarus Pit to bring back some of the loved ones that he's lost over the course of the last year. I Ching showed up and tried to talk him out of it, but he realized that the more he fought him, the stronger his resolve became. Nightwing attempts the same thing. And eventually comes to the same conclusion. So he just has to step back and let him do what he's going to do. He has to trust him to make the right decision. Which he does . . . finally. But in the meantime, they've wasted a lot of time. So they decide that in order to accomplish their immediate task, that of helping Batman and stopping Ra's, they're best bet it so team up with Talia, and hurry up and get to Nada Parabat. Luckily, Nightwing brought the Jet, and Alfred along. So they make pretty good time. But, by the time they get there, Ra's has Damian by the neck, in the throes of killing him. You can see his essence starting to rise as it's beginning to look for a new home. And now, we move in to the final chapter in Detective #839. Fabian Nicieza does such a great job with these stories. His characterization and interactions between characters are perfect. You can really feel the frustration that Robin is feeling. And the lust they feel when they see Talia. Also Don Kramer did a great job on the pencils. Next issue we get our new creative team on board. It'll consist of Peter J Tomasi, Rags Morales and Michael Bair. I can't wait.

Countdown - Arena #2 - DC

Another cool Andy Kubert cover on this issue. That guys really been getting around the DC Universe the last couple of months. I'm just glad to see him here. This series is heating up fast. Probably because there's only 4 issues. The contestants are fighting each other. They don't have much of a choice. But, they're also trying to scheme to try to come up with way's to get out. We see the Ray's fight each other. One of them is Apollo. Only 1 of them dies, the Nazi one. But Apollo is knocked out. And I think, if I understand everything correctly, Monarch is hanging on to the ones that aren't killed just in case he decides he needs a spare. Nice planning there. Next we see the Blue Beetle's fight. The one that wins is actually made up of a couple thousand little small Beetles. It quickly overpowers the one . . . . the young rookie one. It's a little harder with the smarter more experienced one. He does beat him. But the Blue Beetle had started to build something back in the holding pens. As he's dying he asks for someone to find it and finish it. Finally we have the Green Lantern fight. 2 Hal Jordans and 1 Bruce Wayne. Of course the Bruce character takes control. He tries to get them to fight together to beat Monarch, but their willpower just isn't strong enough. So Bruce disengages the safeties and takes his ring to critical mass. He tries to take out Monarch by himself. He doesn't, but, he does hurt him. He ruptures his containment cell. Meanwhile back in the place where they're holding the bodies of the fallen, one of the Batmen comes back to life. Apparently before he was beaten, he was bitten by the Red Rain Batman. So now he himself is a Vampire. I wonder if Monarch took this little possibility in to account? The story is shaping up quite nicely. I like what Keith Champagne is doing and I've always been a fan of Scott McDaniel's. It'll be interesting to see how this all washes out.

JLA Classified #48 - DC

The last chapter found our heroes on the planet Qward getting ready to fight some of their home-grown warriors. The problem is, while they were unconscious, they stole all their weapons. Ollie's arrows, Hal's ring, Ray's belt, Carter's wings, and Wonder Woman's . . . well . . . I guess the could take her belt and lariat and tiara . . . but they can't take her warrior spirit. First of all, I'd like to say that the cover, by Julian Lopez and Bit, is just fantastic. I mean look at it. That is a great cover. Mike Barr does the scripts and Randy Green does the pencils. I'm sure this story is going to have something to do with all the conflict that's going on in the Green Lantern titles right now . . but . . . I just don't know what that is. Our heroes beat the Weaponers, simply because they know their own weapons better than the people that are trying to use them. And with the help of the Underground, which just happens to be lead by the Emperor's wife, Empress Shalindra, they get all the weapons back that had been stolen from the satellite. And, since this was a younger version of Ollie, we got to see his libido in action again. He was making out with the Empress. What a dog! I thought this story was kind of simple. But I do really like this series. Like I said though, maybe it's setting up something, you know, continuity wise, for the Sinestro War story-line. Who knows? It still was a neat story though.

Countdown presents - the Search for Ray Palmer - Red Son #1 - DC

To be honest with you, when the Elseworlds version of this book came out, I didn't really get in to it. It was an interesting enough story . . just not my cup of tea. This chapter of it though I found a bit more interesting. We go back in to the Stalin-Superman version of Russia. And once again we find the man we love to hate, the supreme ruler. But on their search, our Challengers also find Ray Palmer. Well . . at least a version of him. It's actually this world's Ray Palmer. But, he does say that he met him a few days ago. He told him he was trying to save the Universe and he was putting a force together to do so. It kind of sounds like what Monarch is doing, but, you know, on the right side of the fence. We also see this world's version of Batman. He's got a plan already formulated to take down the Comrade of Steel, and he's glad to have the help of these outsiders. But the kink in their plan is Wonder Woman. This world's version is fiercly loyal to Superman, and also, I believe, just as in love with him. Well, plus, Superman has all those Brainiacs running around helping him too. Eventually they make it back to their journey, but the almost lose their frontal lobe in the process. All dissidents in this country are labotomized. It was an interesting story. At least we got a glimmer of hope this issue that these guys are on some kind of track to find Ray. This is the best glimpse we've gotten so far. The story is by Alan Burnett with pencils by Travel Foreman. The next chapter promises to at last give us Ray's location. I won't hold my breath.

Simon Dark #3 - DC

First of all the artwork by Scott Hampton on this series is incredible. I read through the book, taking in the whole story. And then, I had to go back and look at everything over again, panel by panel. Even the opening panels on the first 3 pages are just phenomenal. It's a dream that Simon is having and he's in this old run down Castle with his Mother and Father. They're surprisingly . . . normal. I guess it's kind of a fever dream after he's been brought back to his . . . friends, I guess is the best word . . from the morgue. Remember? He was dead last issue. Or at least he appeared to be. Anyways, he gets scared and goes back to the place that he calls home. I think it's like in this basement, or something, of this old burnt down church. The guy who took his eye out and put it in the wall, last issue, is watching him. He has this feeling that he needs to return the book, Edgar Allen Poe, back to Rachel for some reason. When he gets to her house he finds at attacker in her kitchen. He's about to cut his head off with a saw when Rachel stops him. She won't let him hurt the guy. Her father hears the commotion and they both escape out the window. So now she's just trying to come to grips with all the weird stuff she's seen over the last couple of days. A fantastic story by Steve Niles. He's really weaving a great tale of suspense here. And like I said, Scott's pencils are really bringing the whole thing to life. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite series.

Salvation Run #2 - DC

I'm not sure I understand the whole purpose behind this title. Are they trying to thin out the villain population? Are they trying to set up a planet that going to become the villain's new "war-world"? Or is it just a way of teaming up all these villains so they can have a little "hoe-down"? Whichever . . . it all seems kind of pointless to me. We do see HellHound sacrificed this issue. And the Joker beats Psimon senseless. Er . . . actually . . . brainless. He pummels him pretty good. But, with the newest batch of villains, they've got Luthor in the mix. So you just know that he's going to step up and take over. He's going to get everyone on a plan, and start looking for a way to get off of this god-forsaken planet. Between all the tech on the planet, and the tech in the villains armaments, they should be able to come up with something. If not, maybe they can at least invent a computer so they can have some video games to pass the time with. Like I said, I just don't really understand what the point of all of this is. They've got to know that somehow, someway, they're going to find their way back. And when they do they're either going to be looking for retribution, or going public with the injustices that have been forced on all of them. Either way, it's not going to end well. But we've got 5 more issues to see what's going to happen. And with Bill Willingham writing it . . . anything can happen. You never know . . . they might even find some Fables. Oh, and nice artwork by Sean Chen.

Countdown to Final Crisis #20 - DC

Well, it looks like Brother Eye is up and running again. And, in doing so, it's successfully cloaked itself from anyone that may have been watching. The Government computers, the computers at the JLA or JSA, any supernatural tracking, and even the eyes of it's creator . . . Batman. But, in rebuilding, it's taken a large chunk of Bludhaven with it. So I think, Val, Una, Buddy Blank and his grandson are all going to be inside of it's satellite, or spaceship, body. I'm thinking, Brother Eye may not even realize that. Last issue Bob was confronted by one of the Monitors. He got 2 things out of the conversation. One, the Monitors are displaying subtle changes. "A budding individuality that is unprecedented for our kind." And 2 the location of Ray Palmer. "My brother Monitor said that Ray Palmer was living a life of no consequence. There's no way he could have known that for a fact unless Ray Palmer was in the Universe he was charged to monitor." Jimmy was dropped in to a fire-pit by Mister Miracle last issue. And of course his powers adapted to help him survive. He displays a kind of Turtle power. Anybody familiar with '70's Superman titles will know where that came from. Also, his heightened senses lead him directly to Forager. But to his surprise, Forager tries to kill him. Monarch is dealing with the Batman's in the Arena, as seen in it's first issue, but, from the monitors, it looks like the Green Lantern's are up to something. Piper is stuck on a train with Trickster's lifeless body. When it stops at the Mexican border, he gets out so the aren't seen, and start to traverse the desert. That sounds like a smart plan. And Eclipso and Mary Marvel have a falling out. Eclipso is mad because Mary isn't more grateful after she saved her from the explosion. And Mary is upset because she's starting to have doubts about Eclipso's motivation. So Eclipso knocks her out, and leaves her in the vastness of space . . . alone. With 19 issues to go, this story, really, could go anywhere from here. But I have a feeling it's about to get real bumpy for our heroes.

Green Arrow and Black Canary #3 - DC

This is another book that I'm really coming to look forward to every month. Judd Winick did a fantastic job with the Green Arrow solo series, and, I actually think, he's doing an even better job with this one. His characterizations and interactions are spot on. Add to that Cliff Chiang's pencils, and this is going to be another hit of 2008. But, I also have to say, I don't particularly like the way this one ends. But more on that
later. Dinah, Connor and Mia have come to Themyscria to rescue Ollie. The current queen of the island . . . I'm not sure where Hippolyta is . . . wants Dinah to train her new recruits. Her furies. So, to that end, they put together this elaborate plan to try to bring Dinah in to their fold. They replace Ollie with Everyman. He was supposed to pose as him for a month. Then they would kill him in front of her. In her mourning they were hoping that she would relinquish the world of man, and come to them out of solace. I know. A sketchy plan at most. Anyways, the plan got blown because Everyman couldn't perform. What I mean is, on their wedding night, Everyman couldn't perform, so he was afraid Dinah would've become suspicious. Which she did. So now, in order to keep everyone busy while Connor is trying to rescue Ollie, Dinah has to prove her fortitude to those that she's going to be training. Needless to say, they pull off the rescue, and all escape unscathed. But, there's still a few things they don't know about how things went down. First of all the whole thing was put together by Desaad and Granny Goodness. She was the one posing as the new Amazon Queen. Secondly, they also wanted Everyman to infiltrate the Justice League. And also, they already have other people on the inside of the super-hero community. But we don't know who they are yet. As they're escaping the island, I guess, they decide they're not done with the Arrow family yet. A shot is fired from the clouds that pierces straight through Connor's chest. On the final page, Ollie is holding a fallen, bloody Connor. What a fantastic ending. This book, and Booster Gold, could just end up in my top 10 for 2008. We'll have to see.

Booster Gold #5 - DC

I actually read this book a couple of weeks ago when it first came out. But, since I try to post in the order that I get them, I really couldn't do anything with the blog. Anyways, the point I'm trying to make is that, I was really excited to see this book come out. Booster Gold? Yes, Booster Gold. Whodathunkit? This is actually turning out to be a true diamond in the rough. Of course it doesn't hurt that Geoff Johns and Jeff Katz are writing it. And with Norm Rapmund doing the inks, this is some of the best pencils I've seen from Dan Jurgens in a long time. I really don't mean that in a negative way. I'm a fan of Dan's. I just think that he and Norm mesh really well, and the finished product is outstanding. The colors are vibrant, and it's just, all around, an excellent book. Yes! I know! I'm talking about Booster Gold! The joke of the DC Universe. Well this series is showing that he's decided to use that image to his advantage. People truly underestimate him on a regular basis. This is the issue that he's going to go back and try to save Barbara from the Joker. I really don't want to tell you what happens because it's worth picking up and reading for yourselves. Suffice it to say, it's hard to stop destiny. But Booster's going to give it a shot. And then, at the end of this issue, a couple variations of the Blue Beetle show up . . including Jamie Reyes . . . and ask that he help save Ted Kord. Actually, they kind of demand it. "Despite the so-called "rules" of time travel put in place by Rip Hunter, Ted Kord can and must be saved. The very future of spacetime itself depends on it." And that is why I look forward to this book coming out every month. A fantastic piece of work.

the Boys #13 - Dynamite Entertainment

What a bizarre and crazy book. The Boys are trying to stop Little Nina. She's this Russian mob boss, who looks like she's about 10 years old. She controls about 80% of the Russian Mafia. She's in bed, figuratively, with this American Corporate guy. Their plan is to put Little Nina in a position of power in the Russian Government. She's called in a bunch of favors, and has about 150 Russian, and other European, supers holed away in this warehouse. She's been feeding them this stuff that affects their brainwaves and, with the right remote frequency, turns their brains in to bombs. Their plan is to let them loose on the Russian people, and then, when it looks like all is lost, Little Nina comes in, stops them, and looks like their Savior. But, she's also being set up. There's someone else they want to put in power, but they haven't figured out who it is yet. The stuff she's feeding them isn't going to work, and they're hoping that she'll also be killed in the process. Little Nina's boys make an attempt, again, to take out the boys. They've poisoned the Borscht that Vas is cooking for them. And then they come busting in to shoot whomever may be left alive. The problem is, the crap that Vas and Hughie have been drinking, has made them immune to the poison. So when they come in, Vas gets mad, and being a former super himself, makes short work of them. Vas and Hughie decide they have to go after Little Nina themselves. They can't wait any longer. So next issue, I guess, it's Hughie and the Love Sausage against the Russian mob. Shouldn't be any problem there. Huh? Oh, and by the way, when Vas puts on his old suit, which is now about 4 sizes to small . . . we begin to understand why he was called the Love Sausage. Eegghh! Anyways, fantastic book.

Spawn #173 - Image

I have to say . . . through all the years . . . through all the writers and artists . . . I think that Spawn is in the best place it's ever been. Right here! Right now! I really like what David Hine is doing with this story. And I'm really, really, diggin' Brian Haberlin's pencils. Right now, this book is fantastic all the way around. This storyline is leading us farther in to the past of Al and his brother's. They've just now realized that Malefik robbed them of their memories of their parents. Since they've left home, which has been a long time, they've never thought of them. Al and Nyx decided to go to the house and have a look for themselves. They find out that Al's parents have been living there the whole time, inside a containment spell. They haven't aged, and the outside world can't see them. Both of his parents knew that he was going to be a Hellspawn. But both garnered their knowledge from different sources. Al's mom, while in college, became enamored with Malefik. She would've done anything for him. So much so that she married Bernard. She didn't love him, but Malefik couldn't give her children. That was Benard's job. Benard had a journal that was passed down to him by his father and grandfather. In it, he was warned about what was going to happen. Al wants to see the Journal, but that's where this story leaves off. Meanwhile, back in the Hell-House, Malefik has convinced Al's brother, Ritchie, that eventually he's going to have to pay for his sins. So he convinces him to walk through the door and accept his punishment. As he does, we hear him whispering the 23rd psalm as he sinks in to the mire that is hell's foundation. His bible is left behind. What a fantastic story, and issue. Also, look at the Greg Capullo cover. It's magnificent. I'm back to the point where I can't wait for the next issue.

Stormwatch - Post Human Division - Armageddon #1 - WildStorm

Well, out of the 3 or 4 Armageddon issues that we've seen so far, we learned the most out of this one by far. This time Void decided to take a normal human in to the future to try to figure out what happened to the human race. She takes John Doran. And almost immediately he hooks up with Fahrenheit and then Stormwatch. It seems that whatever they found in Henry Bendix's bunker convinced the government that their team was needed and they ended up getting their funding back. Also, after his wife shot him, Jackson King's powers seemed to increase exponentially. So much so that in the future he's gone to wearing his Battalion armor at all times. With his powers increased it gives him control. But he also seems to be a man on the edge or insanity. Or obsession. We find out when Void comes back to pick up John that Jackson is watching and trying to get an analysis of Voids temporal energies. I'm thinking, he may be the problem. If he takes a team of supers back in to the past, trying to stop what has happened, it may actually be him that causes it. But that's just my guess. However, back in the present, John is going to try to do everything he can to prevent it. Including putting the PHD back together but, maybe, without the supers. "I want to tell you what I saw . . . and, hopefully, talk about what we can do to prevent it. And if we can't . . . what you can do to avenge me." The final chapter takes place in WildCATS. Which should be interesting, seeing as how that's Voids old team. And I'm sure, since it's the final chapter, we should be getting some more answers. Again, another story-arc that you can pretty much throw away the first couple chapters of, just read the last two, and not really lose anything in the translation. I am interested in what's going to happen next issue though.

Ghost Rider #18 - Marvel

What's this? The Ghost Rider is actually . . . . .
Come on! I can't spoil it already. Anyways, Ghost Rider is going after one of the 2 remaining Avatars. The other one is chained underneath a bridge. Meanwhile, Vraniel and Emmael, two angels who are rebelling against their master, Zadkiel, have shown up to give the Rider a hand. Also, at the same time, Johnny's girlfriend Dixie is keeping watch over a festering body back in a seedy hotel. I'm still not quite sure what that's all about. But I'm sure it'll unfold for us. So the Avatar the Rider is after now is the one that took over for the CEO of the professional football team. His plan is to fill up the stadium for a free game, and then blow up the whole thing, taking all the souls. That plan however isn't going to unfold as he would like. So, he's just going to have to use all the explosives and take down the building that he's in. It won't be as many souls as the other way, but it'll be a small victory. Luckily the Rider shows up in time to thwart that. He's got Vraniel and Emmael with him, and Lucifer seems to recognize them. That's when he decides to dispense with his assumed form, flex his muscles, and give the Rider a bit of information that he may have been lacking. It all happened when Johnny first died and Roxanne was mourning for him. With this information, Lucifer is hoping that Johnny will join with him and they can launch a two pronged attack. But while they're discussing all of this, Johnny decides he needs to make a phone call to Dixie. He lets her know that he'll be there in an hour. And then he uses Lucifer's bombs to bring the building down on top of him. Fantastic story by Daniel Way. And I know I ragged on Tom Palmer last issue for his finishes, but this issue actually looked a lot better. But I also don't think Tom put as much of his own influence in to this issue as he did the last. But, it was definitely improved. Oh yeah! The news! Johnny's soul still belongs to Lucifer. But, it's a little harder for him to get at because it's been bonded to the Ghost Rider. And, as it turns out the Ghost Rider is actually . . . . an agent of Heaven. An Angel! Ohh! This is going to change a lot of things.

the New Avengers #37 - Marvel

Well, from the looks of things, I would guess that this whole Skrull invasion thing is going to be unfolding very slowly across the Marvel Universe. We've seen the dead body of Elektra change forms, and we know that there's some kind of tie to an Initiative member at Camp Hammond. But really, since this whole thing started, that's about all we know. And we don't find out anything this issue, because the team is stuck fighting the Hood. The Hood? What kind of threat is the Hood? Other than all the guys he's been recruiting of late. Well this issue, we find out from Doctor Strange, whom I guess was the only one that knew, that the Hood was tapping in to the power of some demon. We still don't know who or what it is, but we did get a chance to see it this issue. And once Doctor Strange gets the demon out of the picture, the rest of the team makes pretty short work of the Wrecking Crew and the rest of the compatriots. But the story isn't over because the demon wasn't banished, it just retreated. The rest of the crew ended up incarcerated by SHIELD. But after an extensive interrogation, the Hood shows up to break all of his guys out. He keeps telling them, "Things are different now . . . new rules. It's over when we say. We took a financial hit tonight. I say we take it right back to these damn Avengers and show them how we feel about it!" This story will then move in to Avengers Annual #2. Great story, of course, by Brian Michael Bendis, and fantastic artwork by Leinil Yu. This is easily my favorite Avenger team in a long time. I'm interested to see how this whole Initiative thing, and registration is all going to play out. But in the meantime, "Avenger Assemble!"

X-Men - Die by the Sword #5 - Marvel

What a fantastic ending to this mini-series. It seems that the only person that was lost to us, well . . . other than a multitude of the Captain Britain Corps, was Roma. So now, there's no one to guard the Omni-verse. Saturyn tries to talk Albion in to the job, but he's got something else he has to do. I'm sorry. I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. First of all, Jaspers was defeated. Well . . actually, he was taken over by the Fury. Which is when Brian returned, and, shortly after that Albion. They fought the Fury to a standstill, but it was Blink that provided the decided factor. While it was weakened, she loaded it up with her spires and "blinked" it out of existence, one piece at a time. So it appears defeated. For now. Rouge Mort was also defeated, but not before she stabbed Roma. In the final moments of her existence she transferred all of her knowledge in to Sage. It was her way of denying her father, Merlyn. He was then beaten down by Betsy. Not entirely. But, she definitely weakened him. The rest of the group were about to finish the job when he pulled his vanishing act. "I will deal with you all in good time. And without the slightest shred of mercy!" But, as he's disappearing, you see a piece of the Fury jumping in to him. So that story's probably not over yet either. And now we come to the point of - who goes where? Albion gave his word that he would return to fulfill he sentence when this was over, so he's going back to jail. But Saturyn says she'll work on getting him out. Brian is going back to Earth, as is Pete, Allison and Longshot. It looks like the people that will be staying with the Exiles, in the Crystal Palace, will be Kitty, Betsy, Sage, Thunderbird, Nocturne, Rouge, Morph, Blink and Creed. But where do we go from here? Well, Exiles #100 will be out shortly. The next week, Exiles: Days of then and now will be out. And then, about 2 weeks later, the Exiles will be returning in New Exiles #1. Fan-frikkin-tastic!! I really can't wait. The only thing that would make this better, is if we would see the return of ExCalibur also. One can hope. Right?

Superman Confidential #10 - DC

With this issue, we finally get what the gist of this whole story was. I originally thought that is was just the story of how Superman was introduced to the Forever People, and the rest of the Fourth World. And, I still think, that was part of it. It was also, I think, a means to show some readers, who may not know, how the Forever People, while powerful in their own right, are actually the conduit for Infinity-Man. But after reading this issue, it seems that the real reason behind this story, and what took place here in the first place, was to show how Highfather and Metron drew Superman in to their conflict. They did so without actually having to recruit him. I think they both realized, that should the war between New Genesis and Apokolips erupt, as they all expect it will, it would definitely be to their advantage to have Superman on their side. And now that he's seen what Darkseid is capable of, they assume that he will assume that they are the good guys. The right side of the fight to be on. Plus, this is the first time that Superman has heard of Anti-life. I also think the reason the Kryptonite story, by Darwyn Cooke and Tim Sale, was cut short was because with all this Fourth World stuff going on. This story would be better told before everything went down, than during or after the conflict. So I think they had to hurry up and get it out there before the whole DC Universe went down that path. At least that's my assumption. In the long run, I'm sure it was a good decision. But I still think it probably upset the people that were following that first story-line. I still think they just could've put 2 books out that month. But then again, maybe it was a creator problem. And maybe . . . we'll never know. But, that final chapter will be printed next month, so we'll finally get to see how the story ends.

Batman Strikes #40 - DC

I've commented over and over again about how much I enjoy this Johnny DC line of books. I like that they're aimed at kids. And I like that, by doing so, they're bringing new readers in to the comic experience. However, as I noted with my recent Justice League Unlimited entry, this book had the same problem . . . it was a bit long winded. That's fine for the rest of us readers. We're collecting it because we're completest. But, for the kids, you have to keep their interest. And unfortunately that means not going into to many detailed explanations. Actually, I don't know that they care. It seems like they just want to see the action. And their favorite characters. Personally, I liked the story. My concern lies that they may be losing touch with their target audience. As I said, the collectors are either going to buy it or not . . . depending on who they collect. But the kids? In order to get the kids to buy it, first they have to have fun. Second they have to find it exciting and action packed. And finally it has to appeal to them, as I think the Batman family of characters does. They're familiar with them. To an extent. If by no other means, than by the Saturday morning cartoon. But hey . . they have to start somewhere.

Wonder Woman #15 - DC

First of all I have to say, brilliant story by Gail Simone. And fantastic art by Terry and Rachel Dodson. Wouldn't it be nice to work out of your home, and you and your wife are in business together like that? That was a great move on their part. I envy that. Anyways, we got a lot of stuff going on right now. Apparently, the story that we've been told about Diana's birth, although accurate, may not have been complete. So we start out this issue with some of the history of the Amazons during the time that led up to her birth. I actually think the story has something to do with her honor guard. But we haven't got there just yet. In the present, Diana and Tresser have recently raided the warehouse . . . actually former safe-house . . . of the Society of Super-villains. But, unfortunately, they found Captain Nazi there. There's a bit of a scuffle . . . Diana doesn't want to reveal her identity . . . . but eventually she overpowers him. With her Golden Lasso she forces him to tell her about his plans to seize Themyscira. But, even without her help, Hippolyta is not going to give up her homeland without a fight. Even if she is the only Amazon left there. Through her scrying mirror she sees what is happening as the commando's arrive. So she immediately begins to formulate her plans. Meanwhile, the Princess wants to come to her aid, but the entire island has been cordoned off to all Amazons as a penalty for the war they waged. So she appeals to every god she can to help her gain access. They all deny her. To do so would be considered an act of war by the Grecian gods, since Athena herself is the one who sealed off the island. But she finally convinces Kane Miohai, god of the sky and the heavens, for his help. But, to do so, she has to pledge her allegiance to him. "No god will come before you in my eyes." She may come to regret that decision. And while Hippolyta is taking out the men a couple at a time, one group has found the island's prison pens. And the inmates locked inside have offered their help. "Free me, and my friends. And we'll hunt her down and help you slaughter her." Diana is now on her way there, so hopefully she'll arrive in time. Plus, next issue, I guess, there's some more to explain as far as the secrets of Paradise Island. This should be interesting.

Wonder Girl #4 - DC

I'm not particularly fond of the art in this series, but I am enjoying the story. Sanford Greene is the artist, and J Torres does the scripts. The long and short of it is, Granny Goodness is trying to beef up her forces because of these attacks on the Fourth World. So she's sent her Furies to recruit Cassandra to her team. Well, you can see by the cover, how that's going. So, to try to soften her up a bit they've kidnapped her mother and brother, and have subjugated Hercules to their will. Actually, the vampirish one has taken control of him. So she takes the direct approach and attacks them. Well, of course, she's quickly overwhelmed by sheer numbers. But, once down, the Furies don't want to stick around because they're getting an odd feeling. A feeling of danger. Plus, they know that the god-killer is lurking around out there somewhere. But Cassandra gets some aid in the unexpected form of the Olympian. You know. The guy from the Global Guardians. After she recuperates, from her stomping, he offers her his assistance. She formulates a plan and again returns to free her mother, brother and Hercules. But this time she's brought help. And not just the Olympian. She's also brought some of her teammates . . the Teen Titans. I think the whole purpose of this mini is to get Cassandra back to full power . . which she seems to be at when she's in a rage and thundering it down upon the Furies. Also, I think this is going to get her back on the team with the Titans. But there's still 2 issues to go, so anything could happen. In the meantime, like I said, I'm really enjoying this story.

Black Adam #5 - DC

The first book of the new year . . and what a way to start it out. Although I really enjoy Peter J Tomasi's story here, to me, the part of this book that shines the most is Doug Mahnke's pencils. First of all, look at that cover. It's gorgeous. And the interior art is even better. The pictures of Black Adam underwater, looking for the piece of Isis' amulet were beautifully drawn. A fantastic use of colors and shadows. This issue, Black Adam is looking for all of the pieces of the Amulet that were scattered across the globe. His hope is that with the amulet, and the bones of her corpse, he's going to be able to bring his beloved back to life. And really that's what this whole thing, all along, has been about. His rampage started shortly after Isis was killed. At first he lashed out at Bialya, for offering aid to the Four Horsemen. He was a bit extreme. World War III extreme. But then, he calmed down. He realized that it was the love of his life that turned his life around. And her loss that ruined it. So, having given his powers to Mary Marvel, he using the magics left in his beloveds bone to complete his task. Which is, to find the amulet, all of her bones, and bring her back to life. But the world is closing in on him. As we saw last issue, the JLA had developed a way, with their satellite, to track the lightning when Teth Adam transformed. Well the "normals" wanted a way to track him to, so when he was in the form of Teth, they shot him with some Uranium coated rounds so they could also track him. And Teth knows that he's not going to receive any sympathy from anyone. He's fully aware of all the sins and transgressions he committed. He's talking to Albert, and he tells him, " . . in the netherworld I will be deprived of my sensory organs and forced to eat my own excrement for all eternity. My soul and shadow will be burned in a cauldron of hellfire, and I will be forced to swim in the blood of my victims." Pretty graphic description there. But at least he understands the consequences of his actions. On the final page, Black Adam has gone to Antarctica for the final piece of the Amulet. As he's pounding through the ice, he finds himself surrounded by the human guard that has vowed to bring him down. This is a fantastic piece of work. And I can't wait to see how they wrap it up next issue.

My thoughts on the previous year in comics - 2007

The thought process here may go all over the place, but I just wanted to express how I felt about the previous year in comics. I'm really not a TPB guy, and I don't buy that many hard-bound editions, so . . I'm sticking strictly to the comic medium. My first thoughts would be to pick my top 10. I know a lot of people probably won't agree with me, but, that's the beauty of this medium, I'm just expressing my opinion. First of all, I think the revamping of the big 2, with DC . . . Justice League, and Justice Society . . . turned them in to 2 of the best team books on the market right now. I think they're even better than some of the X-Men titles. Mainly because of the writing. Geoff Johns and Brad Meltzer have really brought a new quality to both of these books. So I'd have to say that they're #1 (JLA) and #2 (JSA) on my list. And, #3 on my list is going to have to go to another DC "group" book . . . the Teen Titans. They've been doing a revamping over the last couple of years, and I really like what the teams been doing. It's a fantastic bunch of characters, and I just think they get more and more interesting with every issue. With #4, I think I'd rather go towards a theme, than necessarily an individual character. And that theme is the All*Star line with DC. Right now there's only 2 books . . I'm not sure why, there were hints of more to come . . . but, the characters and the talent producing them are all incredible. Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely on Superman, and Frank Miller and Jim Lee on Batman. They really are like 2 dream books. With #5 I'll have to go with the X-Men in general. There's such a plethora of characters and titles, that it's hard to single it down to just one. And I'm sure everybody has their own opinion and reason as to who they like the most. Personally, I think that the Exiles was one of their best titles. I've expounded on my reasoning for that numerous times, so if you're interested, take a look. #6 is going to have to go to a creator owned book. Yes it started out with WildStorm, but now it's an independent. And that book is The Boys. This book really pushes the boundaries of traditional super-hero lore. And it really opens up whole new areas of ideas and possibilities. Add to that, it's exceptionally written and drawn, and you truly have a fantastic book. I would have to give #7 to the Countdown series. And the reason I like this book so much is really divergent. First of all I have to respect the scope of the project they're attempting. They're putting out a weekly title, and have been doing so for about a year and a half now. Add to that the variety of characters and stories that they're following here. It's just incredible. And finally, the fact that what's happening here will impact the DC Universe for years to come. This isn't just a story to tell a story. When all's said and done, things will change. Characters will be different, and really the whole DC Universe, as a whole, will be in a different place. Heck, they're even ending the Fourth world saga. The scope of the ambition they have for this book, and it's various story-lines, is truly incredible. #8 is just one of my personal favorites . . Wolverine. I really like what they've done with this character, and the series, this year. I'm really happy to see the Wolverine Origins book every month. And both titles have done a superb job as far as writing and the quality of the art. I still have to say that I'm a person with whom story quality goes a lot farther than flashy art. It's great when you can get the 2 together. But, if I had to pick, to me, the story is much more important. But, it's a visual medium, so . . what am I gonna' do? Another personal favorite of mine is #9 . . . Ultimate Spider-man. I really enjoy the whole Ultimate line of comics. I think they're some of the best titles out there. But, out of them, Spider-man is my favorite. Plus, it really is the best written one. We get to see Peter when he was a teen-ager, and all the angst and indecision that goes with it. This book really draws you in and makes you care about the character. And with #10 I'm gonna' have to go with the Batman title. And this is mainly because of Grant Morrison's writing. There have been some fantastic story-lines over the year, and he's drawn in an incredible stable of artists. This book, all around, has really been a rock this year. Now, that's not to say that there's not a whole lot of other good books out there. Marvel is really stepping up it's game, I think, with the talent on it's books. They seem to be getting a lot more aggressive about going after certain writers or artists. Of course DC is doing that too. And both of them are really doing an impressive job with their imprint lines. Dynamite Entertainment seems to be coming on strong. And Avatar, and Brian Pulido are putting out an awful lot of Lady Death books. I just hope they can survive the market. And as always, the market is faced with rising fuel costs, rising wages and lower disposable incomes. Personally, I think, they somehow need to get the consumer to think of the books as an investment. I know all of us collectors do. But not everyone who buys them does. And I think, the best way to do that, especially since I'm sure book prices will be going up, is to lower print runs. That's not to say you can't have a second or third printing. But, there should be a finite number of issues available. Say 50,000 or 75,000. Then maybe another 30,000 on reprints. They'll end up selling the same amount of books, but the initial print will be more collectible. But, that's just my opinion. To me, this is a fantastic medium. I love the books, I love the characters, and I love the rush of going to my local shop every Wednesday to find my new treasures. I also enjoy collecting from E-bay. But, in the end, that's still not as enjoyable as going in to the shop, talking to the guy behind the counter, looking at all the new books spread out before me, and smelling that smell of paper and plastic. I still remember, when I was a kid, they built this new mall in town. Before that, I had to go to local drive-thru and buy books off of the comic rack. You know. That round aluminum spindly thing that rotated and squeaked. We had no comic shops at that time. Anyways, in the mall they had a book-shop. Cigar and tobacco store actually. But that was just on one side. The whole rest of the store was magazine's and comics. So that became my new place to go to every week. But I usually ended up spending a couple of hours there because the comics came in with all the rest of their magazines and I had to wait for them to put them all out before I was allowed to start picking things up. So, in all that time I spent in that store, I began associating the smell of tobacco with my love for comics. I don't smoke. But, I do enjoy the smell of fresh tobacco. Not cigarette's, per se. But the smell of fresh tobacco, and chew, and cigars. And to this day, I still associate that smell with comics and that store. Anyways, my point is that I really do love this medium. And I feel that I've gone through a lot for that love week after week. Between finding them, finding the money for them, all the time reading and bagging and organizing, and, unfortunately all the peers and jeers of my friends. Well . . not all of them, but most of them. But you know what? It was always worth it. And right now I feel that the talent on these books is probably the best it's ever been. I'm not diminishing anybody from the past. Berni Wrightson, Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, Marshall Rogers . . . etc, etc, etc, . . . were all icons in their field. I just feel that the medium, as a whole, with the variety of talent it has to pick from, is probably at the best place it's ever been. And I would just loathe to see the factors of the world market ever bring that medium crashing down and diminished to obscurity. So we, as readers and collectors, have to do everything we can to support this medium. Heck, it's been around for about 70 years now. And it's weathered a lot of turmoil. But, I think, it's followers have been the ones to keep it alive. Year, after year, after year. So to me, with everything that's happened in this market in the last 5 to 10 years, and the fact that the quality of books being printed right now is so strong, it's a testament to the resiliency of this medium. But, as always, it's future is in your hands. 2007 was a really good year. It would be nice if they could all be this strong.