X-Factor #28 - Marvel

This issue was mostly about Rahne leaving the group. Actually, it's about how the whole group is kind of changing it's dynamic right now. Rictor puts it best, "Faith is what you cling to when reason says there's no point. Hope is what you cling to in the absence of reason. In the absence of everything . . what's left to cling to? God . . please . . somebody . . tell me." That's how he feels about Rahne's absence. She's been haunted by the visions that Tryp senior showed her . . . of her killing Jamie and Layla. So, I think, she feels her best option is to not be in the situation so it won't be able to happen. But there's other things going on too. Theresa has finally told someone about the pregnancy. She's decided to talk to Monet about it. Jamie still doesn't know . . but I don't think it's going to be long now. Rictor, still an important part of the group, is starting to get a feeling from the community that there's a division. The Pans are slowly starting to move out, and the Rems are getting pissed about it. Right now, he's not sure what to do about it, though. Jamie is just looking for something to hit. So he goes after a local Purifier group. It's not even really about the Purifiers. It's more about him just wanting to get some of his frustrations out. And Guido . . . Guido is just kind of going with the flow. I think he feels everything that everyone else is feeling, but his best course is following the others. He won't back down from a fight. But, he doesn't initiate things. Right now, it seems as if Monet is the most stable of the group. Oh, and I almost forgot, they still have to figure out how to get Layla back from the future. I really like how Peter David is handling this group. He does a fantastic job when he's writing a team-book. And he really seems to have a handle on all of these characters. I'm not overly thrilled with Pablo Raimondi's pencils, but . . they do fit the mood of the book . . perfectly. I really like this book. I hope it has a future.

Wolverine #62 - Marvel

This was an interesting chapter in Logan's life. He's out there hunting for Mystique right now. After what she did in the Mutant Messiah story-line, Scott's decided that she's to much of a risk to be left on the board running amok. But honestly even if he hadn't of asked Logan to take care of it, he probably would've gotten around to it, sooner or later, anyways. This story actually takes place right before X-Force #1. He has the team together, but I don't think they've left for their first mission yet. And he's decided he wants to take care of this first . . personally. But, at the same time that this story is playing out, Wolverine's also thinking about the first time he met Mystique, back in 1921 in the Sondran desert, in Mexico. They were both captured by the local militia, and neither knew of the other's abilities. Of course they get free, and they begin wandering the desert together, heading towards Kansas City. Or the nearest bar. Whichever comes first. I'm not sure what that story has to do with the present one, but I'm sure it's all going to fit together. Right now though, Wolverine is in Afghanistan looking for Mystique's blood. This one is written by Jason Aaron. He's the same one who's writing the current Ghost Rider. I like the way he's handling this story so far. Ron Garney is the artist. I'm not a huge fan of his, but his style lends itself well to this character. He ends up giving the book the perfect feel. This is going to be a 4 issue story-line, so we still have a lot more to go.

Fantastic Four #554 - Marvel

This book is aptly titled, because it truly is . . a Fantastic book. And now it's made even more so by the new infusion of creative talent. Mark Millar is the new author. We all know that his writing is impeccable, and brilliant. Then we have Bryan Hitch and Paul Neary handling the artistic chores. I'll tell you what, this book looks like a labor of love for all of them. Right now this book is probably in the best place it's been . . . for quite a while. That's saying a lot, considering how strong the last run was. Mark comes out of the gate running, too. He's already infusing the story-line with some fantastic ideas. We start out with the family returning from the wild-west. Reed thought it would be fun to visit the past for a family vacation. They were actually shooting for the grand-opening of Disney World in 1955, but when a temporal storm came out of nowhere . . their plans got changed. Sue is also putting together a little "all-women's" team on the side. She says it's for charity, but you just know they're going to end up seeing some action, somewhere. And Reed's old college flame returns, Alyssa Moy. Although she says it's now Alyssa Castle, because she married the billionaire Ted Castle a few months ago. And there's few more surprises in this issue. Quite a bit actually for being the beginning of what I hope will be a long run of creative ingenuity. I even bought the $20 variant cover for this issue, just because I think it's going to be that good. So if you hurry, you might be able to get out there and jump on board for cover price. But don't wait to long, because it's going to sell-out fast.

the New Avengers #38 - Marvel

This issue picks up right after the New Avengers Annual. Jessica has gone to Stark towers, with the baby, to seek asylum. She's even willing to register, if that's what it takes. She felt as if she was in mortal danger, at Strange's house, when the Hood and his gang attacked. Actually, Spider-man helped her get away. That was actually his first concern, before he got involved in the fight. But now, her and Luke's relationship is really up in the air. He tries to talk to her, but, I think, she's got a point. She has to do what's right for the baby at this time. Plus I think Luke really is being a bit stubborn. I know he's trying to stand up for his ideals, but, right now, nobody really cares. And if they do . . it's only a handful of people. And it seems like that number is shrinking every day. On a positive note, Danny Rand gets them all an apartment to live in for the meantime. Actually he gets them the whole floor. He's done it through one of his subsidiaries, so it can't be traced back to him. When Luke was at Stark Tower, trying to talk to Jessica, he also planted the Skrull idea in a few of their heads. They don't really know what he's talking about right now, but he tells them to talk to their boss, Tony. So I think we're going to see a little of this paranoia spill over in to that book also. It's about time they got somebody else to worry about it also. My only concern about this book is that it seems doomed to failure. It seems like, eventually, both teams are going to have to be absorbed in to one. Which means the end of one of the books. My guess is they're going to go with the Mighty Avengers. I hope I'm wrong. I like having these 2 different Avenger teams. Even though Brian writes both books, they still feel like they have their own identity. I think it has to do with the differences in their situations. But it's also the characters. I don't know. It's just my opinion that I'd rather see 2 books. I think it's better for everybody . . all around. Don't you agree?

Ghost Rider #20 - Marvel

This was an interesting story. We seem to have a new creative team on the title right now. I assume that they'll be around at least as long as this story-arc. Jason Aaron is the writer, and Roland Boschi is the artist. The story, I thought, was pretty good. The artist . . I wasn't as thrilled with. I don't want to dog the guy out to much . . it just wasn't my cup of tea. Anyways, this story picks up immediately after the last. Johnny is on a crusade now. Now that he knows he was lead astray by not only the devil, but by Zadkiel. All this time he thought he was a demon of vengeance, when actually he's been as angel of vengeance. Actually Roxanne, his old girlfriend, made a deal with Zadkiel to try to save Johnny from an eternity in hell. But Zadkiel was easy to convince because he's declared his own war on heaven. He's attempting to overthrow God himself, and he saw Johnny, or the Ghost Rider, as a pawn in that endeavor. Now Johnny is looking for a way to get to heaven. He doesn't like being played, and wants to take it straight to the horses mouth, as it were. But he's having a hard time figuring out how to do that. Then he stumbles upon this little town in Montana, I think. There's a boy there who has recently come back to life, he was out for like a minute or so, but he says that heaven wasn't peaceful at all. In fact the angels were downright scary. So Johnny's hoping that when he talks to him, he'll get some answers. But it turns out this hospital, where the boy is at, is actually somehow connected to Zadkiel. Or at least the Nurse's are. Maybe they worship him or something. Also it seems like demons, or spirits, or ghosts or something are haunting the local roads at nights. I'm not sure how it's all connected, but this is only the first chapter of the story-line. Like I said, overall I thought it was an interesting start to the story. I didn't really like the art. But, it's not so bad that I couldn't enjoy the story. It may grow on me a bit. I don't know. Give me another issue or two. But I love the character . . so I can look past it a bit. I'm actually glad that we're done with that whole . . 666 avatars thing. It'll be good to see the character go in some new directions.

Legion of Super-heroes in the 31st Century #11 - DC

I honestly like this book. But then . . I'm a huge Legion fan also. So any exposure they can get . . is good in my eyes. I TIVO the cartoon every Saturday, along with Batman. This book, and the cartoon, accompany each other perfectly. The only thing we really haven't seen in this book is the Superman clone from the future that's been running through the cartoon. But that's ok. They compliment each other, but they are separate. Also it's another great book in the line that's designed for kids, Johnny DC. It seems like there's a lot more kids books on the stands now-a-days. With the cross-promotion with the Kids WB, it's the perfect marriage. If you've been following my blogs you know what a big fan I am of this concept, so I won't get in to it again. Suffice it to say, as Whitney sang, " . . the children are our future . ."

Simon Dark #5 - DC

This book is very strange. I know it's supposed to be that way, but seriously . . a bit whacko! Here's what we know so far, Simon is some kind of . . . Frankenstein type of character. But he doesn't realize that. He thinks he's normal. Well . . maybe not normal . . but, definitely not a monster. This new girl that's moved to town, and the local ME, have both formed some kind of connection with him. But, there also seems to be some kind of group . . demonic, satanic, warlocks, whatever . . that have an interest in Simon. I'm not sure why, but they do. Also, Simon doesn't seem to be the only patch-work man running about. This guy that the group has sent after him, pulls his eye out to keep watch over him, and when Simon and the Det. basically have him in a tug-of-war, they end up pulling off his right hand and his left arm. And then, when the Det. tries to relate to Simon, he shows him that his hand was also reattached. I guess he used to belong to the same group that the other guy did. But I've haven't really gleaned what the whole connection there is yet. But rather than comfort Simon, that information actually sends him in to a frenzy. And then, on the final pages, we see some sort of demonic, or whatever, ritual going on in the basement of the house of this group. Steve Niles is doing a great job with this story. But then again this is the genre that he is most comfortable with. I like the way he's feeding us information. Not to much all at once, but just enough to start making some connections. Spoon-feeding it, if you will. I also think Scott Hampton is doing a remarkable job on the art of this issue. This is easily some of his best work to date. My only question is, why isn't this a Vertigo title? Also, I'm kind of wondering when this is going to cross-over with the Batman? Not that I particularly want it to, but . . it is placed in Gotham. So it is inevitable. Right? A fantastic effort by all involved.

Suicide Squad #6 - DC

I have to say, this book, and series, is a drastic improvement over it's first incarnation. Way back when. Which really surprises me, because John Ostrander wrote most of those stories back then. And he's also written this series, so far. Also the artwork of Javier Pina, really spices up the book. He's really come a long way, in a short period of time. A fantastic talent. Anyways, we find out more about Eiling's treachery this issue. But I think Rick Flagg kind of has an idea what's up. He may not know the specifics, but I think he has an idea of who not to trust. The board of Haake-Bruton won't deal with him, but he's giving them an out. "They will take it serious. And then the price to save all you worthless hides will double. My associate will provide you with a number. You'll call it and simply say, "terms agreed." There will be no negotiating anything at that point. Within Ten seconds of that call, we will begin neutralizing the attack on yourself and your assets." Which really seems out of the questions, considering the ferocity of the attack Amanda has launched against them. She's even used the nanites to personally control Chemo. But they do indeed cave, and when they call, who do you think answers the phone? Well . . . it's Cliff. He's the one, basically, coordinating the whole attack. After he gets the call, first he shorts out Amanda's connection, and then he shoots Faraday. Eiling did indeed live up to his word, with in seconds the assault is neutralized. But, this team is deep in enemy territory, and they no longer have control of Chemo. I think their exit-strategy has been blown to bits. Next issue is simply called . . . "Carnage"! Like I said, a definite improvement over the previous title. I know that was 20 years ago . . but still . . this chapter of the team is brilliant. It's very well written and drawn.

X-Force #1 - Marvel

I've been sitting on the edge of my seat, waiting for this book to come out. And I certainly wasn't disappointed. Craig Kyle and Chris Yost do the writing, and the illustrious Clayton Crain is the artist. He does the book much in the style that he did the Ghost Rider mini-series. It is simply . . incredible. This issue we get the low-down on why Scott wants to put the team back together. Of course it has to do with the Purifiers. He goes to Logan, because he wants him to be the team leader, but really he's already got most of the team lined up. So far he's got X-23, Laura, who is already on a mission to gather information at a SHIELD base, Thunderbird, James Proudstar, who has his own personal reasons for wanting to take down the Purifiers, and Rhane Sinclair, Wolfsbane. For some reason she's come to Scott to request this gig. But we don't know what that is just yet. And I'm sure there will be other members added to the team as we go along. Logan tries to give everyone the option to opt out of the deal. "You do this, you're not X-Men anymore. You may be on the team, you may be standing next to Beast and Angel and Iceman, but you won't be the same as them. Not after this." But, nobody backs down. And we find out that the Purifiers are trying to bring Nimrod back on-line. They're counting on him to help them make the future right. But for now, they've settled on getting Bastion back up and running. And in their first skirmish, it looks as if Risman shoots Rahne in the head. Right after he says, "I don't bluff, mutant!" An excellent first issue. I had to pay $20 for the variant cover, but I'll admit I probably would've paid $30. They are just killing me with these variant cover though, every week. But I'm the sap that keeps buying them. Anyways, an incredible first issue. I can't wait for the next one.

Green Arrow and Black Canary #5 - DC

What a fantastic book. And, it's especially intense right now, because Ollie is worried about Connor. Last issue Connor took a bullet, they presume, to the chest. But, according to Dr. Mid-Nite, it was laced with some kind of chemical. Basically the chemical attacked his nervous system and wiped out his mind. Green Lantern helped heal his body, but now it's a week or 2 later, and there's still no progress with his mind. Ollie hasn't left his side since they returned home. This issue, he fills Connor in on the rest of the story of him and his mother, Sandra Hawke. He treated her pretty bad when they first met, but then his whole island excursion happened. After that he started thinking about things more, and set up an account to take care of her and Connor. But he didn't feel that he could be there for them . . as a father. He then spent the next 15 or so years always looking for Connor, and attempting to reach out. But then he kept getting pulled away by his duties, or the JLA, or whatever. If you ask me, he was letting them pull him away. They've really just, in the last year or two, tried to form a relationship. And like that . . he's taken away from him again. So he's ready to move heaven or Earth if he has to, to get him back. In the process of all this, Dinah reminds Ollie that they aren't really married. So she wants to do it again. Ollie agrees, but wants to keep it simple. Which they do. But, when they return to the house, they find that Connor has been taken. Now he's just looking for some revenge. I think, and have thought for the last year or two, that Judd Winick is perfect for this book. In his tenure with Ollie, he has done some incredible things with his character. It doesn't seem like he missed a beat, when he switched from Green Arrow, to Green Arrow / Black Canary. This is a fantastic book. Pencils were filled in this issue by Andre' Coelho, and I have to say, I really liked his stuff. All in all, this issue was worth every penny.

Salvation Run #4 - DC

I'm still just not quite sure what the whole purpose of this series is. Unless it's just to kill off some of the bad guys. That's really the only benefit that I can think of that may come out of the whole thing. The whole group of villains now, is split up in to 2 camps. One camp being led by Luthor, and the other by the Joker. But in this issue, we find out that there's actually been a third camp to break off from them. It is Vandal Savage's camp. And of course, includes only females. Hey, who can blame the guy. Anyways, while Luthor is trying to tap in to the alien technology, and Joker is trying to think of how to steal things from Luthor, Vandal has found the safe-zone. The place where there is no alien technology, and they can begin building their paradise. He plans to build and plan, while the other 2 are scheming and crumbling. He actually has the best vision, I think. But the main thing this issue is that M'ssier Mallah and Grodd get into a real throw-down. And it appears that Grodd has killed Mallah and the Brain. But then the Joker takes out Grodd, whom I'm sure he sees as a threat, by knocking him over a very high cliff. Basically, it seems to me, that the strongest ones here, whom others would see as a threat, are being taken out 1 by 1. Oh yeah, also this issue, Catwoman discovers that Blockbuster is actually the Martian Manhunter. It was a decent book. I like the art by Sean Chen. Like I said, I just don't understand what the ultimate purpose of it is going to be. But we have a few issues to go, so . . I'm sure we'll find out soon enough.

Green Lantern Corps #21 - DC

We have a new creative team on the book this issue. I don't know if they're here to stay, but I would guess that they'll at least be around for this story-arc. It's Sterling Gates, writing, and Nelson as the artist. They both seem very adept at handling this series. It's a very good issue. This one deals mostly with Boodikka coming to terms with, and learning what it's like to be, an Alpha Lantern. I don't think it's what she, or anyone else, except the Guardians, expected. They now seem devoid of emotion, actually any kind of connection with other sentients, and seem loyal only to the Guardians themselves. I find it interesting that in the actual cover, Sinestro has been removed from the background. We do get a brief glimpse of him once in this issue, but I don't think they want us to think that he really, in any way, is connected to the current path of these characters. We also find out a little more about Boodikka's background and her life on Bellatrix. Of course they have to show us a little bit about the Blood-Sister of Bellatrix, because at the end of the issue, she's going to be coming in to direct conflict with them. And the one she was closest with, Zale, is now a Green Lantern also. She is investigating the disappearance of many ships in sector 1414. She discovers that they're all ending up on Bellatrix. When she flys down, she ends up right in the Blood-Sister's base. I'm not familiar with either of these characters, but I thought they did a fantastic job with this book. This book has grown to be a very essential part of the Green Lantern mythos. I'm even thinking that they may have to get a third book going if we're ever going to see Kyle, John or Guy in their own stories. Can we, Please?!

Batman Strikes #42 - DC

Another great issue in a fantastic series. What's not to love about the Batman? Yeah it's a kids book. Yeah it's kinda' simple. Single issue stories and all that. But, that's the point. It's for kids. It's to get them interested in the characters, and started in the hobby that we've all come to know and love. That's the whole point of this line of books. Plus, with the TV cartoon exposure, they already feel like they know some of them. But this way, they can actually hold them in their hands. Brilliant! We have a great villain this issue, Bane. And we're even introduced to a new heroine. All in all, I thought it was a great issue. Keep 'em coming.

Superman #673 - DC

Well, this one wraps up the Insect Queen story-line. Which is good, because I thought this one was shaky. At best. Don't get me wrong, I love Kurt Busiek's writing. I just didn't care for this particular story-line. But, it appears to me, that the whole thing was a set-up for Lana to find another piece of the puzzle in putting Lexcorp back together again. Basically, this Insect Queen, and her colony, found their way to Earth. They've set up base on the moon in an already established Lexcorp base. From there she planned to grow her drones and establish her empire to take over the Earth, and then the universe. Her secret was this stuff she calls Ambrosia. It's the gel that they incubate in for long space travel, but it also allows them to change the genes of the races they conquer. But there's something about Earth that will allow her to make mass quantities of this Ambrosia. With the Ambrosia, dominion becomes that much easier. During this whole process, Superman has been under her thumb because she's released midges into his brain, and they're really clouding things up on him. But Lana, who's genes the Queen used to create her body, has broken free and found some other survivors of the original Lexcorp base. With her help, she finds her way around, and finally finds Superman. Of course she helps him break out, and he beats the Queen. We knew that was going to happen. But the main thing that comes out of it is, Luthor's moon base, which she's offering to the highest bidder as a research base. And the magna-drive shuttles that Luthor used to get back and forth to the moon. There's a great deal of interest, worldwide, in the magnetic shuttle engines. So it looks like, between these 2 things, and of course her remote cameras that followed Superman around the globe when he was fighting Arion, she's going to be able to get Lexcorp back on it's feet. Which may or may not be a good thing. But, it's good for Lana. Oh yeah, also some of the issues between Superman and Chris were resolved this issue when Superman took Chris off to have a little heart to heart with him. He had blown up their apartment, while Clark was off on the moon. He did it by accident. The red-sun watch that was supposed to dampen his powers, was actually causing him to build up energy. All in all, I thought it was a pretty good issue. I just didn't really like the whole Insect Queen part of it. I also thought that Jesus Merino did a fantastic job on the pencils this issue. My only problem is, next issue, Renato Guedes takes over on pencils. But, I'm not really a big fan of his. So I hope Kurt has some fantastic stories to make up for that. But that's just my opinion.

New Exiles #2 - Marvel

Our little group of heroes are sinking waste deep in to their new mission, and world. The group that went to this Earth 6706, consists of Sabretooth, Rogue, Mystiq and Psylocke. But as soon as they got there they took a hit. And it appeared that Rogue took it the worst. They're hit by a group of bad-guys working for the Panther. They call themselves Bloodforce and they consist of Rough Justice, Blackdog and Bloodwitch. She's a vampire. Unfortunately, she does take a bite out of Sabretooth, and then turns him on his teammates. He and Psylocke have a real throw-down. But then everything is broken up by a blast of lightning. I assume it was Ororo. It turns out that Rogue is saved by a mer-man. He looks an awful lot like Aquaman, but he says his name is Remy, and people call him Gambit. Psylocke and Sabretooth find themselves in Alexandria in Ororo's palace. She is indeed the one that saved them. Wolverine is also there. He's Ororo's lover. After the meteors his, some 50 years ago, it shattered the surface world. Most of the continents took a hit, losing ground to the ever expanding ocean. But the Western Hemisphere took it the worst. So when our heroes arrive, Ororo is having a diplomatic discussion with Kang. He's the Emperor of the seas, which now encompass more of the Earth than they ever have. Meanwhile Remy and Rogue, who want to get to Alexandria, have first gone off in search of Remy's parents who are in trouble. The find them in a hut in the middle of the Libyan Desert. It turns out that Remy's mother is Sue Storm which means that his father is Namor. Right? Well . . yes and no. This is the part I'm a little confused about. He looks like Namor . . eyes, and ears and all . . but he also looks like T'challa, the Black Panther. So it appears that his father is this Panther that we've been hearing about. But Ororo talked about Namor and the Panther as if they were 2 different people. And does that mean that the Panther is good . . or bad. And with that up in the air . . Ororo's role is also up in the air. And what about Mystiq? What happened to him. Nobody seems to know where he's at. Well Chris Claremont & Tom Grummett have really hit the ground running with this series. Which, really, is nothing less than I expected of them. And did you see that awesome cover? It's by . . Michael Golden. Whodathunkit? As much as I enjoyed the first series, it appears that this one is going to be even better. Fantabulous!

Amazing Spider-man #550 - Marvel

So we find out from this issue, that we're not going to be calling him the "grey-goblin", but rather Menace. I like that name better. Plus, the other way, we're all just assuming that it's going to turn out to be Harry underneath that mask. But that's to obvious. My vote? It's on his girlfriend, Lily. But . . I could be wrong. Anyways, the Blue Shield showed up at the end of last issue to arrest Spider-man, and it appears that Jackpot is going to help him. That is until Menace happens to fly by, and Spider-man breaks free to go after him. We get an up-close with him, but we still have no idea who it is, or what his motives are. But he does go after a political debate that's being held at the Apollo. More specifically he seems to be going after Councilwoman Parfrey and Mr. Crowne. But we don't really find out what that's all about yet this issue. Spidey also has his own problems. A Spider-tracer was found on a recent murder victim, and he makes contact with the investigating officer to try to figure out what's going on. It turns out, he wasn't the first. There's actually been a total of 5, over the last 3 months. And since Spider-man has positively identified the tracer as his, he's no wanted for questioning as the prime suspect. That's about the time that there's the explosion announcing the arrival of Menace over at the Apollo. Spidey sees the smoke, and wants to go help, but as he starts to head out the window, he finds that the building is surrounded by the NYPD. It's a Brand New Day, but it seems that Spidey still has the same old problems with the law. And the same old rotten Parker luck. But overall, I thought it was a good book. There's lots of stuff going on in this issue.

Ultimate Iron Man II #3 - Marvel

First I want to say that I really like this book. I like the character, and what they've done to him in the Ultimate Universe. Also I think Orson Scott Card, and Pasqual Ferry are doing a bang-up job with things, creatively. I really like the first mini-series and couldn't wait for the second one to come out. It was a year or so later . . but still . . . good stuff. But, that being said, this story is a little hard to follow. There's a lot of convoluted stuff going on in here. The recap page itself . . you need to draw a timeline, as you're reading it, to figure out just exactly how all these characters affect each other, and what their interactions are. It's quite convoluted . . actually. Yes it's all starting to come together. I should hope so. There's only 1 issue to go. But, I think, that with the amount of time we've waited for this series to come out, and it's really only the second part of, I'm sure, many more to come, the explanation, or build-up, for the story is a lot more complicated than it needs to be. A whole lot more complicated. Yes I appreciate that so much thought was put in to it, but we all just wanted to see another Iron Man story. And obviously this isn't going to be the end of things, so . . there's going to be a lot more time and space to draw things out and to get Tony immersed in the workings of the Ultimate Universe. But, like I said, I do appreciate the effort, because I really do like the book. I'm just wondering where they're going to go after next issue. Any hints?

Gen13 #17 - WildStorm

This issue was a bit confusing for me . . but . . here's what I understand . . I/O is trying to retrieve their gen-actives. When the kids arrived in NYC, they did their best to distract them and get all of their interests in opposite directions. Divide & Conquer as it were. While doing this, they have some movie producer guy, choreographing the whole thing. He has actors set up with each of the kids to make their circumstance more believable. Also, since they have camera's everywhere, they have a ton of footage, and they've promised to give him access to make a movie. Although you know, that's never going to happen. But it turns out some of these "actors" are also gen-actives. So now they've reached the third act of their little drama. This seems to be the act where either their actors were good enough, and everyone comes along nicely, or . . they use their hidden gen-actives to take them out. To that end, they've all been delivered an envelope telling them that they have 24 hours to take them out, or a chip that's been implanted in their heads will explode. This Professor Bryson guy that's gone after Caitlin, has her hooked up to some kind of memory machine. I'm not sure what he hopes to gain from her memories, but he knows that the machine is lethal to most of it's test subjects. But in the end, she fakes him out and ends up killing him. Kind of by accident. And now she has to go after the rest of her teammates. I know. Maybe that doesn't sound so confusing. But I condensed it. A lot! But overall, I liked the book. Mainly though, because I like these characters so much. I think Simon Oliver is doing ok with this story-arc, but I'll be glad when it's over and we move on to the next one. I'm not so thrilled with this one. I also think that Carlo Barberi and Drew Geraci are doing a great job with the art. It kind of has the feel of the old Gen13 title. Which isn't a bad thing to be compared to.

American Virgin #23 - Vertigo

Well . . I knew this was the last issue in this series. But . . it certainly didn't end the way I expected it to. Last issue, or 2, we saw our whole gang end up in Cuba. They were going there to see Adam's real father. But, of course, Mel had another reason for being there. Mamie had a heart-attack, but Vanessa stepped up to the plate and saved her life. Adam had a heart to heart with his father, who was a Father. He then decided to do their marriage the right way, in front of god, and had his father officiate. That's where this issue picks up. Adam is on his honeymoon, about to finally consummate his marriage, when Mel shows up at his door. Adam doesn't want anything to do with his plan to go to the Dominican Republic after Batu Balan's leader, Uqbah. That was the terrorist group that killed his first girlfriend, in Africa, way back in the 1st issue. But Mel won't take no for an answer, so he drugs him and drags him off. On his way there, during his non-coherent moments, Adam is having a lot of conversations with god. Long story short, they find the hut, Ugbah is in it, but Mel gets hurt so Adam's going to have to do it. They have the guy tied up, and Adam has a gun to his head. But then Adam starts talking to him about his mission in life, and how he's serving his god. But you know what? I'm not going to tell you how it ends. I had a hard time with this book, way back in the early issues. I didn't really like the art, and I was having a hard time getting in to the story. But you know what? I stuck with it to the end. I didn't always like it, but I did finish it. So, if you want to know how it ends, you'll either have to go out and buy an issue, or wait for the TPB to come out. I'm sure it won't be longer than 6 or 8 months. I will admit that Steven Seagle wrote a very compelling story. I'm sorry it had to go, but sometimes the smaller titles have to be let go to make room for the new ones. My guy told me he was only ordering 2 or 3 copies a month. That's not very good. Pick up the TPB, give it a once over. You may be surprised.

100 Bullets #88 - Vertigo

What a fantastic book. I'm just sad that it's almost over. What? You hadn't heard that? Well, from what I understand, they're either just now into, or getting ready to start, their final story-line. But, you know, from the way Brian puts his stories together, that could still be another 10 or 12 issues. But . . I have a feeling it's not going to be quite that long. Either way, it'll be a sad day when this series disappears off the shelves. But I'm starting to see both of them, Brian and Eduardo, in other places. So I gotta' think that they probably already have the rest of them "in the can", as it were. This issue was actually kind of sad. We see this story where these kids in Seattle just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. One of them gets shot and killed. They catch the killer but when questioned, he says "He was in my way. I didn't know him from the hole in the head I gave him." Anyways, we also see Burns going after the painting. Branch is with him. But while Burns is in getting it, Branch is out sitting on the bench on the boardwalk. When Burns returns, he's dead. I think the parallel is that he was killed, simply, because he was "in the way". I'm not sure what awards Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso have won for this series, but whatever it was . . . it wasn't enough. This series has been incredible, and intense, ever since issue #1. And while there were a couple of issues in the middle that seemed like they kind of wandered a bit . . overall, through this entire run, they have kept up the same emotion and intensity with every issue. This is easily one of the best books on the shelves right now. If you've never picked it up . . your loss. If you have . . you know what I'm talking about. I absolutely love it!

Countdown to Final Crisis #11 - DC

We're in the final stretch here . . and it looks like a lot of stuff is going to be happening really fast. This issue takes place entirely on Apokolips, because . . well, that's where everybody's at right now. And in the beginning of this issue, Brother-Eye lands there also. The problem is, nobody really knows why they've been brought there. Brother-Eye brought Karate Kid and Una along inside of itself. So they're just kind of wandering around wondering what to do. Karate Kid wants to find a way back to Earth, and Una just wants to lie low and stay under the radar. But all of that is taken out of their ands when Una starts to transform in to an OMAC. Our Challengers are also trying to figure out what to do. They know they're there for a reason, but they don't know what that is yet. Pied Piper has also shown up, but he's ready to give up. That is until someone comes along to get him. Holly, Harley and Mary are trying to fight their way out of Granny's compound, but at the end they're distracted because, I think, Mary has found the God's that have been being held captive. I'm sure she'll be rewarded for her fortitude. And Jimmy and Forager are also on their way there, but he's the only one that's thought enough to bring reinforcements. On their way there, they stop at the Habitat for some much needed back-up. Like I said, hot and heavy for the next 10 weeks. Now is when the fun begins.

JLA Classified #52 - DC

Finally . . with this issue, the League finally puts it together that they're fighting Titus . . whom they've fought before. But that doesn't mean that revelation is going to help them a whole lot. He actually takes the best they have to offer . . Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, the Martian Manhunter and Flash . . and, pretty much, tears them apart. But, as always, Batman, being the voice of reason, fights with subterfuge rather than raw strength. And it's he, and Ray Palmer, that actually distract him long enough for everyone to get a breather. Also in that momentary calm, John Stewart, with the help of his power ring, makes contact with Jonn. He's the one that actually fills them all in on the story of who they're fighting. John also helps Wally get back from his dimensional hopping that Titus sent him on. So now, they're all back together, and all functioning, but they don't have a plan yet. So, Superman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern give the guy everything they guy to try to distract him long enough for the rest of them to figure out what to do. But you can't keep a guy like this down for long. And even their best efforts only prove to be momentary. At the end of this issue, Superman has hit him with enough power to knock him half-way across the moon, but in the final panel they're watching him get up and barrel his way back. A fantastic story by Roger Stern, John Byrne and Mark Farmer. I also found out recently that this story-line is going to be the penultimate chapter in this series. That's really sad. I know there's probably nothing we can do to change their minds. But it's going to be really sad to see this title go.

the All New Atom #20 - DC

This issue, Gail Simone finally . . after all these years . . tries to explain just why there's so much crazy stuff that goes on in Ivy Town. Apparently it all goes back to Chronos. After all his defeat and humiliation at the hands of Ray Palmer, he decided to fill the town with people from all across time, with the sole purpose of . . . "They're here to be Ray's conscious. They're here to die." The Dean is also one of his henchmen. This issue starts out with the Dean holding a letter-opener over the body of the, literally, pinned down Ryan. He has the Black Mercy flower on him and he's in that dream state where his every wish comes true. But Chronos makes the mistake of going in to antagonize him. But all it really does is further Ryan's resolve. And gives him a revelation. "Ray Palmer didn't beat you with his super-powers. He beat you because he was a genius. Which you sir, are definitely not. In fact, I'd say you're a bit of a chump for a time lord and all. This hybrid flower? The actual flower is meant to give you what you most desire, what you can't bear to give up. All you dreams. And it's good. It's really good. Except . . . all of my dreams are out there. Friends. Students. Being a hero. Being a teacher. And it turns out, that's really all I need." And with that, and the help of the ancient sewer dwelling cancer god that lives under Ivy Town, Ryan defeats Chronos and the Dean. Although, I think the Dean is still around. And Ryan goes back to being the teacher that he loves to be. This series, in my eyes, has really come a long way. I really like the way Gail Simone is handling it. And Mike Norton has really come a long way as a penciller. So I guess he's going to for-go his League membership, so he can focus on the town that needs him so much.

Metal Men #6 - DC

I'll tell you what . . on the "cluster-scale" . . this book is definitely out there. I know that by the end it's all going to come together . . it actually kind of is, as we're moving along here. But, with the quantity of ideas presented in this title . . sometimes it's just a little hard to keep up. I think, by the end of this series, the Metal Men that we've come to know and love, are going to be completely redefined. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Their premise and existence has always been kind of . . simple minded. So I really think all Duncan Rouleau, with the help of Grant Morrison, has done here is expound upon the foundation that was already there. They've just given it a little more explanation and reason. Scientifically, now, it's sounds plausible if not feasible. But the irony, I think, lies in the fact that the reason the responsometers work isn't entirely science based. It also has a large part to do with sorcery or, more specifically, alchemy. Which is funny because Will reveres science above all else. And now, he's going to have to admit, that there's something else out there. His brother, David, is trying to stop them from ever being created. He's seen the future and in his eyes the Metal Men are the damnation of the human race. But I think there's more to it than that. I don't think we know the whole story yet. This issue Will lost David in the time-stream, but I really don't think that's the last we've seen of him either. Like I said in the beginning, there's a lot of fantastic ideas being presented and thrown about here. And it is all gradually coming in to focus. But until it does . . it does seem like an awful big cluster. But, it keeps me coming back every month, so I can't complain to much. Who knew Duncan Rouleau was this incredible?

Jonah Hex #28 - DC

This was a different kind of Jonah Hex book. Well . . the book wasn't any different, it was just the message that it delivered. It was again by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti. The art this issue was provided by John Higgins. It suited the issue perfectly. Basically, this kid's cousin is lynched by this town. Whether he was innocent or guilty, I don't think it really matters. The kid thinks he innocent. So he wants to exact revenge on the town by killing every person in it. To which, he tries to hire Jonah. But Jonah, ironically, has to be the voice of reason. "So yer of the mind ah'm an orphan maker, or would you have it that ah slaughtered their offspring in crib and stroller alike?" Needless to say, Jonah sends him on his way. But 2 days later as the town is gathered in the church for Sunday prayer, he blows it up and burns it to the ground. For some reason then, he comes back to Jonah. I don't know if he thought he was going to pat him on the back, or give him an "ata-boy", or if he was just boasting . . I'm not really sure. But when Jonah sees him he takes him down right away so he can turn him over to the Sheriff for the reward. But he does take it a little overboard by cutting the kids tongue out, and stabbing him in the leg so he can't run. I'm thinking he's feeling a little guilty about leaving the kid to his own devices like that. And with that display, the Sheriff decides it's time for him to leave town. One of the "call-girls" wants to shoot him on the way out, but the Sheriff stops her. "Ease Off, Maybelle, and don't fret . . . hell's waitin' on him, no doubt of that." And the final page is a beautiful panel of him riding off in the pouring rain. A great issue, and a fantastic series. I can't believe it's 2008 and I like this book this much. Jonah is a great character. Conflicted . . but great.

Teen Titans - Year 1 #2 - DC

This issue helps us get a little more of the story about how the team got together. Not a whole lot. But . . a bit. It appears that all of their mentors are a little wacky right now. And with no one else to turn to . . they turn to each other. They even make reference to their actual first meeting . . they fought together against Mr Twister in Brave and the Bold #54. That was a nice touch. I like the spin they put on Garth, how young and inexperienced he was. Actually a very fragile, claustrophobic, and neurotic kid. It's a testament of their friendship that he actually ever made it any farther than this. But by the end of the issue, they've got the whole team together, Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, Speedy and Wonder Girl. But you can tell by the guys eyes, that when Wonder Girl shows up . . things are changing already. Amy Wolfram seems to be doing a nice job of gradually bringing these kids together. For those not acclimated with Titans history, it introduces the characters very well. I also really enjoy the style of art they're doing on this book. It's by Karl Kerschl, Serge LaPointe and Steph Peru. Pencils, inks, colors . . all around, it looks really sharp. So with this issue, they've brought the team together. My guess is next issue, we're going to find out what the obstacles are they're going to have to overcome. So far . . I think this is a fantastic series. I think it's actually on of the best Year 1 titles yet. I just hope they keep up the quality.

Countdown to Final Crisis #12 - DC

With this issue, it seems like everyone is starting to come together. The problem is . . they're all coming together on Apokolips. Yuck!! We start out with Donna, Kyle, Jason and Ray. They've all just arrived. But after a cryptic message, I think Jimmy and Forager will be the next to arrive. We also get another glimpse, finally, of what's been going on on Paradise Island. Mary, Harley and Holly are all trying to stay under-cover to help out Queen Hippolyta. And they do well, until Mary has finally had enough and makes a scene, forcing Granny Goodness to show her hand. The end result is, I think, Hippolyta will finally regain control of her Island, and Granny has retreated to Apokolips, with Mary, Harley and Holly hot on her tail. Also, for some reason, the Pied Piper has a boom-tube dropped on him. And Brother Eye has finally decided to take off for Apokolips, with Karate Kid and Una on board. So whether Darkseid likes it or not, it looks like there's going to be a large gathering of heroes . . . right in his back yard. Much like the chess game that Darkseid and the Monitor, Solomon, are playing, it appears that all the important characters are being moved in to place for the end-game. Only 11 issues to go. And honestly, even this late in the game . . anything can happen. This was a fantastic book, and a fantastic series. And Final Crisis is just around the corner.

Amazing Spider-man #549 - Marvel

This is the beginning of the second chapter of the Brand New Day story-line.

Like I said, it's kind of being presented in little 3 issue mini-series, or chapters if you will. Marc Guggenheim is the thread that holds them all together, but each chapter, it looks like, will be done by a different artist. Salvador Larroca is the artist on this one, and it appears that Phil Jiminez will be taking on the next one. It's a neat idea, and I hope that it works for them, but . . . we'll see. Since Marc is the writer for the whole series, it all ties together very well. And the flow is kind-of what you would expect from a regular title. What I do like though, is since the main stories are only 3 issues long, the pace is pretty quick. There's not a whole lot of room for filler stuff. Which is good. It makes the individual books more exciting. Coming out of the last story-line, Jonah has had a heart-attack, and his wife sold their controlling shares of the Bugle to Dexter Bennett. So essentially, he now owns it. Also the Spider-mugger who was so close to finding out Peter's identity, was killed. So now he has to worry about someone else having access to that information. And he still has to worry about Harry being back in town, along with Lily and Carlie. And people have starting having sightings of some kind of "grey-goblin" type thing around town. This chapter it appears that Peter's going to be dealing with some new heroine around town, Jackpot, and the repercussions of the Registration Act. Or I guess you could say, his . . in-act-ion. I really like the book. And as much as I dig Salvador . . that guy is everywhere right now. I just hope they can keep the pace going.

Moon Knight #15 - Marvel

Well, even if Salvador isn't around anymore, I'm awfully glad to see that Mark Texiera is sticking around. At least for the foreseeable future. I liked this issue. It really showed how conflicted Marc really is. On the final page when he puts on Bushman's scalped face . . which he's been keeping hidden in the closet in a box . . . that was just . . creepy. And Marlene saw it too. She's definitely going to need a therapist after that. I'm really surprised that he hasn't confided in anyone that he's being haunted by him. Well . . . I guess I'm not surprised, but . . you'd think he'd maybe come close to telling someone. That's an awful lot to live with. And now it's starting to sound like the savagery that he's exhibiting on the crooks and criminals, is actually Bushman's personality coming to the forefront. I'd almost be willing to state that Bushman is actually Moon Knight, and not Marc. I think Marc's personality is taking the back-seat when he's donning the Moon Knight attire. We also see what Marc's personality and behavior is doing to his friends. But again, I'm starting to think that what they, and we, think are accidents, are actually Bushman exhibiting a little bit of his control. I don't think he wants Marc to be close to anybody. So now the question is . . how is he going to get rid of this guy? And, really . . does he want to? It appears that he's the one that pushed him back in to being Moon Knight. Or at least fighting to get back on his legs . . as it were. So without him, does he really have the strength to be the man he wants to be? It just dawned on me how much this book is really making me think. About Marc. About Bushman. About Moon Knight. And yes I think they're 3 separate characters. And about his supporting cast. But that's a good thing. That's what these books should do. That's the sign of a great author. Thank you Mike Benson. Keep it coming.

Spawn #175 - Image

Ok, so I was a little unfair with my review of the last issue of this book. But . . at the time . . it really did remind me of the Ghost Rider version of the same story. Well . . similar story. But, this issue helped to pull the whole thing together for me. Basically, last issue there were 2 people in town that were to be hanged. A white guy who was a killer, because someone in town had killed his family to get his land. He was supposed to have died with them, but he didn't. And he killed some men in the process. The other was a black man that was a deserter from the Army. Well when they're in the hangman's noose, Malebolgia comes and makes them the same offer. Well, the white guy takes it, and the black guy doesn't. The white man hangs, and the black man escapes the noose. It wasn't magical or anything. I just don't remember the circumstances in which he was spared. So anyways, the guy comes back as a cowboy, gun-slingin' Spawn. His goal is to take out the whole town. Which he does, but he spares the survivor at Malebolgia's request. After he's done with the town, he's on his way, and he sends the survivor down the river in his casket. In the coffin was a sheet of paper, a bill made out to the widow of the man for which it was intended. He takes the dead man's name, Henry Simmons, and heads off for his loves arms, Alma. It turns out this man was Al's grand, or great, grand-father. Now . . the story all makes sense to me. But last issue . . I just thought it was another wild-west version of a modern character. But I apologize because I didn't understand what the set-up was. Basically it was showing us that Al was doomed from before he was even born. Actually from before his father was born. That's pretty gloomy and dismal. Even for this book. But? I still liked it. And it just went to further show me how good of an author David Hine really is. I thought it ended up being a great book. And I really love that cover.