Robin #175 - DC

This issue is titled Death of a Family. As you can tell by that and the cover, it is a direct play on the original Death in the Family in which Batman held Robin in his arms on the cover. This entire issue is spent on Robin's quest to find out if the Batman is going crazy, or . . . if someone set him up when he did that isolation experiment years ago. He spent 10 days is and isolation tank " . . trying to dig into the 'mind of madness' . . so he could better understand villains like the Joker tick." Robin's thinking that if Bruce isn't going crazy, then maybe when he was involved in that experiment . . maybe someone planted a post-hypnotic suggestion. And somehow, with his recent 'cat & mouse' game with the Black Glove that somehow it was triggered. He's pulling out all the stops on finding Bruce. He's even brought Stephanie into it, although I think she's more of a sounding board for him. Someone, I think, to help him make sure that he's not jumping to conclusions. Now, with all of his resources looking for him, he's going to spend his time reading through some of his early journals to see if he can find any kind of clue as to what's going on. If anyone can figure out what's going on, it's Tim or Dick. I thought Fabian Nicieza did a fantastic job with this issue. He had just enough remorse and worry, mixed in with denial and guilt. You could just see it dripping off the pages. And Joe Bennett did a terrific job with his pencils, capturing the emotional weight that Robin is bearing in each of the panels. I'm not sure how this story is going to end up, but I think some of the dynamics in the 'Batman Family' are going to change. Very emotional issue. Fan-frikkin-tastic!!

Trinity #8 - DC

This book is heating up pretty fast. Despero has joined Morgaine's and Enigma's cause. And, on Kanjar Ro's world he's found the Cosmic Egg and brought it along with him also. We also find out the full scope of their plans. "To reorder all, spacelord. To reorder all. Understand something, or just accept it: the manifold cosmos . . what Enigma calls the 'multiverse' . . rests on a keystone, this universe. This universe too, rests on a keystone, this planet. Earth. And Earth's keystone? Them! Or at least, they can be made to serve in that role . . . the world, the universe, the cosmos all order themselves around what our 'Trinity' represents. We will usurp those roles . . make ourselves the 'center of all', and do so consciously, knowingly. That will be power without limit. And it is that which your egg will grant us the power to do. . . . the power of the Trinity can only be wrested away by another Trinity. By three, together." My only question is, do they know that Krona resides inside of the egg? And, how will his presence affect what this trio is planning? We also see that they are holding Tarot captive and are using her to get information on replacing the Trinity. Apparently she's somehow connected to the Worldsoul. On top of all of that, they make a direct move against the Trinity as they attempt to abduct Bruce. This issue is brought to us by the usual creative staff of Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley. Also contributing is Fabian Nicieza and Scott McDaniel. This is a great issue and, like I said, things are starting to heat up pretty fast. I'm enjoying watching this drama unfold.

the Brave and the Bold #15 - DC

Mark Waid and Scott Kolins make a pretty good team on this book. I became a fan of Scott's when he did his run on the Flash. I was really disappointed when he left. After that, he really didn't do to much work in the DC Universe. But now? He's been on this book for the last couple of issues, and I think they're fantastic. Scott isn't the fanciest of pencillers, but . . he gets a lot across in his panels, and there's a kind of raw emotion to them. It's hard to explain, but I just feel the story more through his panels. Anyways, this issue wraps up the Nanda Parbat story. Recently a dragon-priest came to life and captured Rama Kushna, the goddess of life. Needless to say he took her power and perverted it. He created an army of ghost assassins, they act much in the manner of Deadman, but the bodies they inhabit die from their ethereal energies. Anyways, Nightwing, Hawkman, Deadman and Green Arrow are all that really stand between their taking over all the super-powered people in the world. It's a tall order, but of course this group rises to the occasion. I think Nightwing and Hawkman make a pretty good team. I think they should think about doing another story with those 2. They're both pretty dynamic characters, and they play off of each other well. Overall I thought it was a really good story-arc, but I'm really looking forward to next issue . . . Superman and Catwoman. That should be interesting.

Legion of Super-heroes #44 - DC

This issue wraps up a lot of story-lines that have been floating around out there. Although, I'm not sure what made it warrant a variant Neal Adams cover, but . . . it really is a nice cover. Anyways, alot of the Legions problems are taken care of by the little kid that's been popping up here and there for the last few issues. He's also the one that ordered the new uniforms for everybody. But they don't know that yet. His name's M'rissey, and he's now calling himself the Legion's Business Affairs Manager. It's a self appointed title. His credentials? He says he's good at operational calculus and other business stuff. Anyways, he gets the UP to back off by covering the Attorney General's office in lawyers and a PR firm. He also took care of all of their financial problems by selling the rights to market Legion Flight Rings to Galacticorp. That particular piece of information isn't going down as easy as the rest of it, but that will have to be put on hold as the issue ends with the solar system being invaded by . . . a planet? This issues art is by Sanford Greene. It's . . ok. But it's nowhere near as good as Francis Manapul's. Francis does contribute the cover though this issue. I just hope he's back next time. I think Jim Shooter is doing a fantastic job with these characters. He's really weaving a complex series of events here. But then . . that's his forte'. I'm really glad he's on board, and I can't wait to see where he takes these guys in the future. If anybody can handle this series and take it to new heights . . it's Jim. I'm glad to see the Legion being represented as it should.

Joker's Asylum: Scarecrow #1 - DC

I have to say, although I enjoyed this issue, I still think it reads like an episode of Tales from the Crypt. Maybe it's just the way I'm approaching it. I don't know. Anyways, Joe Harris did the story this issue . . it was interesting . . but, very predictable. The art was done by Juan Doe. When I first opened it, I really didn't like it. It just didn't seem like it fit the story about Scarecrow. But, then as I read it, I realized that the story was actually about these teenage girls, his anticipated victims, and the art seemed to fit better. It kind of reminded me of like the art from Gotham Girls . . you know what I mean? Anyways, after reading it I thought it was ok, but, I guess, it just wasn't my style. As in the previous issues, the Joker really only appears on the first and the last page, which is why I think that I kind of feel like he's the Cryptkeeper. He's the 'barker' of the story. At least this one didn't go into alot of the Scarecrow's history. In fact we really hardly see him at all this issue. When he finally starts scaring the kiddies he's actually just accentuating their own fears. Really, he doesn't feed into it himself. He just uses his drugs to get their heads racing. Which makes you think that most of your fears come from the inside and the abnormal way that you perceive normal situations. That's really all he's doing . . amping up what's already there. Like I said, I enjoyed the story, it just had a weird feel to it. But, maybe it was just me.

Superman #678 - DC

This issue gives us a little of the background into Atlas. It appears there were a couple of forces at work here. First we go back in time . . way back . . to Atlas' original time. He was a strong and benevolent being, but . . his subjects were just as afraid of him as they were in awe of him. Eventually, one of his aides connived for a means to remove Atlas from their world. I don't think his intention was to send him into the future, but . . that's what happened. Anyways, at the same time, there's this General who's looking for a way to bring down Superman. When Atlas arrives, he sees it as his opportunity to find a means to his goal. He wants Atlas to confront Superman. He doesn't expect him to succeed, but . . he wants to study the alien while they're fighting. With that information, he's confident that he'll be able to come up with the means to take him out. All of this corresponds with Atlas' desires because he is a conqueror. He's plans to beat Superman, take over his city, and then move his way across the globe . . ever expanding his acquisitions. During the fight though, Jimmy notices the little drones that seem to be following Superman around. They kind of remind me of the positional cameras that Lexcorp made to follow Superman when he was in that fight with Arion. I wonder who's really studying Superman. Anyways, this issue is brought to us by James Robinson writing, and Renato Guedes pencilling. We also get that awesome looking Alex Ross cover. I'm enjoying James' story, and all the little intricacies that he's weaving in to it, but . . . I'm still not sold on Renato's art. Yes the guy can draw, and he shows a lot of talent, but . . I just don't feel that he's right for this book. I love this character, and this book, and I just hate to see it diminished in any way. I'm not trying to be mean . . just honest.

Justice League of America #23 - DC

I really enjoy this book. This whole run has been incredibly strong. I'm also happy that Ed Benes has been the artist on this one the whole time. He's doing a fantastic job. At first I wasn't sure, but it seems as if Dwayne McDuffie has brought something to this book also. I thought he was off to a bit of a shaky start, but now . . I feel like he's really getting a grasp on these characters. I really like how strong he's made Dinah, and actually all of the women character's. This has always been a man's game . . Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Flash . . . Wonder Woman was always the strongest of the women. But now we're seeing that the other women have quite a bit to offer. Black Canary, Zatanna and Vixen are now just as much a part of the team as any of the men. In fact, at the end of this issue, Vixen is the one who finally puts Amazo on the ropes. This issue is actually as much about her as it is about Amazo. Dinah and Zatanna are trying to get to the bottom of Vixens' powers, only to find out that it's some sort of magical giant spider that seems to be pulling her, and Animal Man's, strings. In fact it's this same entity that gives her the warning, when she starts absorbing all of Amazo's powers, that her little trick isn't going to work. And sure enough, there's some kind of feedback. The issue ends with Amazo standing over Vixen, "Threat: Vixen can remove copied powers from Amazo matrix. Solution: Kill Vixen." My only question is, where's Red Tornado at this issue. This body that Amazo's using was built, after all, for Reddy. He seemed noticeably absent this issue. Anyways, this continues to be one of my favorite books every month.

Green Lantern Corps #26 - DC

Wow!! This issue was intense. The Green Lanterns that came in search of Arisia and Sodom Yat, are finally going to get their chance at a little payback this issue. They found them on the planet Mercy, but . . Mongul was there also. His plan is to use the Mercy's seedlings as an agent to spread chaos and destruction across the universe. It turns out that Mercy is only helping Mongul because she's afraid of what he'll do to her planet. She's not the planet herself, like Mogo, but . . she is connected to everything in it and on it. It's her life-blood. But at the same time she can't stand to see the way that Mongul is corrupting her children. So the first chance she gets she sets the Lanterns free and hopes that their anger and retribution will be enough to take care of Mongul. It really is. I think that these Lanterns are pissed off enough that he wouldn't have stood much of a chance against one or 2 of them, but 9? Fuggedaboutit! I think the biggest surprise came when Bzzd, the little fly Lantern, during the course of battle flew in to Mongul's mouth when he wasn't looking. Then, when he least expected it, he blasted his way out of Mongul's head . . through his eye socket. Unfortunately, Bzzd was also the only casualty of the fracas. We also get another surprise when a Green ring and a Yellow ring finds it's way to Mother Mercy's tentacles. Apparently, she can inspire great hope and great fear. But the choice she makes is to sever her tentacle to get rid of the yellow ring. Peter J Tomasi did an excellent job with this story-line, and with wrapping it up this issue. Although I'm sure this isn't the last we've seen of Mongul. I also really enjoyed Patrick Gleason's pencils. He's really come a long way, and does an excellent job on this book. His feel for these characters is fantastic. Now, hopefully everyone will get a little respite before the Blackest Night makes it's way across the GL Universe.

DC Super Friends #5 - DC

This is a very silly book. It's very juvenile. But . . that's ok. That's the audience that it's targeted for. It's a little to silly for me. However, I do understand what it's trying to accomplish. I continue to applaud this Johnny DC line for getting a new generation of readers into the hobby. Whether they collect them, or just pick them up to read them . . who cares. The point is that there's an interest generated. And that's what they need to get the ball rolling. I'm mean seriously, ask yourself a question . . would you rather have your kid sit in front of video games for hours on end, or have them pick up a book, even if it is a comic, and sit down to read it? It's an exercise in, what I think is kids littlest used muscle nowadays, their imagination. Remember when we used to go outside as kids and make up our own games? We didn't have video games, or computers to occupy our time, and we weren't allowed to plant ourselves in front of the TV. We had to rely on our imagination. I say, let's get kids to do that again. Although now they'll think we're being mean to them. Anyways, I enjoy the book. It's a little to immature for my tastes, but . . I appreciate the concept.

Madame Xanadu #2 - Vertigo

I think Matt Wagner and Amy Reeder Hadley have really given us a unique take on this character here. Last issue's story started out with our title character as a form of wood-nymph living in the times of Camelot. But Nimue's sister, Morgana has lofty goals. With her son Mordred, and his enchanted armor, she plans to bring down Mordred's father's kingdom, Camelot, and hopefully his father also, Arthur. But amidst all of this chaos, a stranger has appeared to warn Nimue of the hurtles she faces ahead. Once Camelot falls, he again reappears to warn her that Merlin's ambitions could spell doom for everyone, so he requests her help in binding him. "You are a creature of this land and you know all it's secrets strengths. You know how to disempower him. You are all that remains to stop this from recurring . . . again, and again." So she uses her whiles, and her magic to trap the sorcerer, but not before he can cast some kind of spell on her. I'm not sure what he did, but if I had to guess, I think he sent her into the future. We aren't going to know until next issue. As I said, I think Matt and Amy are really crafting a nice tale here. I'm not sure how, or even if, this will tie with the Madame Xanadu we know from the 80's. Actually, I'm not really even sure if it matters. But as good as the story that Matt has put together is . . the real star of this book is Amy. Her artwork is incredible. It's truly a breath of fresh air. It's not perfect, and it's not the best out there. But, it does have a certain 'something' to it. It's light and airy . . as I said, very refreshing. If this book stays on it's current course, this could definitely be another 'hit' for Vertigo.

the Spirit #19 - DC

First of all, I enjoyed the art in all 3 stories in this issue. The artists aren't any of my favorites, but they all did a good job in styling the visuals along with the theme of the stories. Everything fit together very well. Jason Armstrong did the first story. It was set in the past, about some kids who learn a lesson. The second story was pencilled by Aluir Amancio. It was about a rabid-dog of a villain who ends up changing his ways. Sure it was out of necessity, but . . he still changed. And the final story was drawn by Paul Rivoche. This was probably my favorite of the 3 because the whole story poked fun at itself. It was about the murdering of a comic-book artist. In the story they take the mediums pressures and pit-falls and blow them way out of proportion. I mean who would try to kill and artist with their inking pen? One it wouldn't work, and two . . you'd have to buy another. But of course, in the end, the whole thing was blamed on the Editor. Isn't that the way it always is? Sergio Aragones and Mark Evanier are the creative force behind this book now. I do actually enjoy their stories, but I feel like there's really only so much they can do with this character. In order to keep him in character, it seems like they have tremendous restraints. So, I'll give them props for what they have been able to accomplish. I still think the books kind of a 'snoozer', but . . I don't think it's necessarily a creative problem.

Two-Face - Year One #1 - DC

I thought this was a pretty interesting book. I thought that Mark Sable did a good job of crafting a story here around information that's pretty common, but still kept it interesting. I mean let's face it, there really wasn't anything new in this story. Most of the information here is stuff that we already knew. I'm guessing that it's being presented again because of the fantastic character that Harvey Dent plays in the movie, the Dark Knight. In the movie we see his character slip from altruism to psychosis pretty easily. But we didn't really get to much of a story on his back-ground. Honestly, if you wanted to make the movie 4 hours long, instead of 2 1/2, all of this information could've been added to it. But, I hate it when movies over-explain things. And if this would've been in the movie, that's how it would've felt. So anyways, for all of the people that are interested, this is an interpretation of how he went from District Attorney to murdering madman. It also shows that the corruption and vice flows through Gotham like the life-blood through it's veins. It's as common on the streets as the air they breathe. It also shows that while the Batman is effective in the streets, he's more of a hindrance in the courtroom. I thought that Jesus Saiz and Jimmy Palmiotti did a good job of keeping the art in the mood of the story. Overall I thought the book was not entirely original, but still very entertaining. Especially, like I said, in the sweep of the movie.

Batman - Gotham After Midnight #3 - DC

We're seeing a plethora of Batman villains in this book. So far we've seen the Scarecrow, Manbat and now Clayface. But the real villain seems to be this as yet unidentified menace. He's the one that seems to be getting the regular rogues to stray from their usual MO a bit. We've seen the affect he's had on Scarecrow and Manbat, but this issue we actually see him talking to Clayface. I'm not sure if he has some type of mind control, or if he's just getting them to think about things a different way. This issue he convinces Clayface that if he absorbs the residents of Gotham into himself that he'll just continue to get bigger and stronger. I kind of think he has 2 motives. First of all it seems like he's just trying to spread chaos through Gotham, and maybe through that keep the Batman busy. Secondly, which I think is what he's really trying to do, he seems to be trying to divert attention away from himself. He's been going around murdering, what seems to be, a random list of victims. He kills them and then steals their heart. But I think we're going to find out that the list of victims isn't as random as we originally thought. Plus his acts, even through the haze of rogue violence, is still forming a pattern for Batman. Well, between the killings and the thefts of supernatural artifacts, I think Batman is already starting to put something together. I enjoy Steve Niles' stories. There's a lot of suspense and action and intrigue. But, I gotta say, the real star of this book is Kelley Jones. Kelley's pencils and frames are just amazing. Very Berni Wrightson-isque. If that's a word. If it isn't, it should be. I'm enjoying the series very much. And it's still early . . #3 out of 12 . . so we aren't going to be privy to the all of the antagonist's motives yet. In the meantime I'm enjoying the suspense and diggin' the art.

the Mighty Avengers #16 - Marvel

Well apparently all these Avengers books right now are about getting their ducks lined up. This issue we go back to the beginning when Electro was hired to create the diversion at Ryker Island Prison. Then we are taken to Japan to see how Elektra was assimilated. It sure wasn't easy. She took down 3 of them before they could finally get to her. I'm guessing that Brian Bendis is doing this to try to allow all the books to get on the same page. It's kind of ironic that they're using up space in this book though, considering how far behind it was just a couple of months ago. I really hate to shoot a dead horse, but this is why I decided in the beginning not to follow this story-arc. I decided I would continue to buy the books I normally do, and if the Invasion story-line crosses over in to them . . then so be it. But I refused to get drawn in to buying every book that touched on to this arc. This issue is the perfect example why. I was talking in a recent blog about how sometimes I feel like the stories are 'dummied' down so that everybody can understand what's going on. Well this is one of those issues. When we started putting everything together, shortly after Elektra's body showed up, we weren't given all the pieces to the puzzle. Some of it we had to fill in ourselves. But now . . now apparently it's felt that we need to see the actual pieces to make sure we understand the story. Elektra got taken out. Does it really matter if it was by 1 or 8 Skrulls? They can mimic any super-heroes powers, so you gotta figure eventually they would make something work. If I had bought this book because I was following the Invasion storyline . . I would've been pissed. Because, you absolutely do not need this book to follow the storyline. Sure it fills in some blanks, but . . it's blanks that you pretty much knew what happened anyways. Maybe not the specifics, but we knew generally what happened. It bothers me when they have these big epic, all-encompassing, storylines . . but half the chapters in the middle you could've done without. Read 'em or don't read 'em. You're still gonna' know what's going on in the story. If you're an Avengers fan I'm sure you bought this book. If you're not . . don't bother. Save your $3 for a better one.

Moon Knight #20 - Marvel

I've enjoyed this series of Moon Knight thus far. I think Mike Benson is doing a pretty decent job with these stories. I've enjoyed the various directions that he's taken Marc in. In this issue, they reprint Werewolf by Night #32 & #33. Those were the issues where Moon Knight first appeared. At the time they came out they were classics. They still fetch a pretty penny. But I gotta say . . after seeing those issues side by side with the current series . . . there's just no comparison. At the time they were considered cutting edge. They were written by Doug Moench with art by Don Perlin. Both were in the heyday of their respective careers. But again, compared to this issue, drawn by Mike Deodato Jr. . . . they look like kid's books. For real. It's funny when you look back at some of the issues of the period, how simple the stories and the art were. But at the time . . they were hot. I understand what they did, and why they did it . . reprinting these 2 stories . . but I honestly think I would've rather have seen them in their own stand-alone issue. Do a Moon Knight Essential book or something. To me they just didn't look right sitting side by side with this story. I'm not trying to diminish their importance. It's just my opinion. Anyways, the reason they did it was because Marc has a flash-back here of his first encounter with Jack Russell. I'm sorry it wasn't his first encounter . . it was a encounter that he was hoping he wouldn't have to have. He's thinking about it because last issue Marc killed the Black Spectre. Now he's a wanted man and he's hiding in the sewers of NYC. He's thinking about how he's feeling caged . . hunted . . trapped. And that's bringing back memories of Jack. He's thinking back to 1994, and he's got Marlene and Frenchie by his side. Anyways, overall, I thought this was a fantastic issue. If I would've had the choice of spending the extra dollar or not getting the reprints . . I think I would've voted for saving the dollar. But that's just me. I can be a cheap son of a gun. But I thought Mike & Mike did a terrific job.

the Amazing Spider-man #566 - Marvel

First of all, I have to say . . what an amazing cover. Slight pun there. I think Phil Jimenez is one of the most underrated talents out there right now. I absolutely love his work. And this issue . . he does the cover and the interiors. And, if that isn't enough, we get to see his interpretation of the new Kraven this issue. Trust me, he's . . she's . . not whom you expect her to be. I do have one issue to bring up though, about Marc Guggenheim's story. On page 24, as Spidey is about to fight Vermin, he thinks, "This guy nearly killed me once, right after Mary Jane and I moved in together . . ." How does Spidey know that? Was that an intentional slip, or . . is he getting bits of his memory back? I don't think that was supposed to be in there, but I'm not sure how they can explain it away. Hmmm! Anyways, this new Kraven has abducted Peter's new roommate, Vin, because she thinks he's Spider-man. And now, she's got him on a hunt in the sewers of Manhattan. Spidey runs in to Vermin while he's looking for Vin. But it looks like Vermin's going to get the chance to finish what he didn't finish before. Like I said, I love the cover, but . . I don't like how what it represents affected the story. When Kraven takes Vin she makes him put on Spider-man's costume. So when he get's home, finds out that he's missing and decides to go after him . . . he's got nothing to wear. So he goes to Matt Murdock and asks to borrow one of his Daredevil outfits. I'm not sure where that leap in logic came from. So it was a little . . questionable to me. Overall I liked the story, I'm just not sure that Marc did all of his homework. But the artwork was fantastic. I'm beginning to question though . . . how long can this One More Day thing carry on? I think it's starting to create some continuity questions in the Marvel Universe. But maybe that's just me. I still love this book.

Ultimate Fantastic Four #56 - Marvel

It's taken them 56 issues, but . . they've finally gotten Namor involved in this story. I wondered when he was going to show up and try to sweep Sue off of her feet. Anyways, we find out this issue, that Agatha Harkness and the Seven . . . are one and the same. They, or it, is also the entity that's followed Sue back from Oregon. Remember when she went there to help out a friend of hers when she found a giant egg underground? Well, in the process of Sue being there . . the egg hatched, and whatever was in it followed her back to Manhattan. Apparently it's the same entity that destroyed a large section of Atlantis also. Namor came to her rescue at the end of last issue, after she had taken quite a beating from the Seven, and they dumped her unconscious body into the river. He'd taken her back to one of his other cities for her recuperation. This issue . . . she wakes up . . . and after some awkward situations, he takes her to show her that the surface world now faces a threat that caused his kingdom much damage in the past. Unfortunately, now that she's up to speed, she's many leagues from home . . literally. However, it seems that Reed has made the connection . . or, I guess you could say, it's been made for him, when Agatha attacks Reed and Ben, and then switches into her Seven form. It appears that Johnny is going to be the energy source that she needs for her reproduction. Meanwhile, back in Oregon, Sue's friend has just found another cavern full of these eggs. As usual, Mike Carey has put together a story very worthy of the FF tradition. It has everything in it a good FF story should, plus . . it's being told in the Ultimate Universe . . the artistic license is a little looser. We get a new artist this issue also, with Eric Basaldur. I like his style. It fits well with this book. And he draws very sexy women. Which is always a plus in my book. Anyways . . another cliff-hanger ending. Fan-frikkin-tastic!

Ghost Rider #25 - Marvel

Well, last issue Johnny showed up at this prison in Texas. It's his next stop on his journey to come face to face with Zadkiel. He's got a few problems to deal with here though. First of all is the behemoth on the cover, the Deacon. The guy is huge. And, he believes that everything he does is for the heavenly cause. Also, in this prison, is the Reverend we met, I believe, last issue. He was put in prison for slaughtering his congregation one Sunday with a machine-gun. We find out this issue it was because they had brought him there under false pretenses. He believed he was following gods will, but actually the church was one of Zadkiel's, not the Lords. He was brought in for his charisma and ability to turn non-believers into believers. He just didn't realize what his congregation wanted them to believe in. When he realized what was going on, he decided that he could no longer be a part of it . . and that's when he decided he had to kill them all. What? He couldn't have just bought a bus ticket out of town? Or said he was going to a camp or something . . and them move to Brazil? He went from 'I don't like what they're doing' to 'I have to kill them for their beliefs' in one quick step like that? I think this guy had other problems before he became their preacher. Anyways, through this guy, Johnny does learn more about Zadkiel's plans. And that he may not have to go searching for him . . he may be coming to him. And then he takes a huge beating from the Deacon. Next issue . . . 'the Second Coming of Danny Ketch'. Another great book by Jason Aaron. He really seems to have a pretty good handle on this character. I'm also really diggin' Tan Eng Huat's art. He's definitely getting better from issue to issue. Now . . . I'm just going to sit back and wait for the next one.

X-Factor #33 - Marvel

This issue focus' on the teams new environment of Detroit Michigan. Also, a little, on the fact that Val has found them and besides doing their own 'street' jobs, she's also been using them for her own purposes. The only ones who know that though are Jamie and Guido. They both know that if anyone else in the group were to find out . . all hell would break loose. Plus, it would undermine Jaime's leadership. We also find out that Longshot and Darwin are in town, supposedly looking for Xavier. For some reason Darwin wants to find Xavier, and for some even stranger reason he's got Longshot to help him do that. They have a few problems though. First of all . . obviously . . Charles isn't in Detroit. As if he ever would be. Secondly, they're being followed for some reason by She-hulk, or rather her alter-ego, Jennifer Walters. But that's not even their biggest problem. Their biggest problem, and the reason for the Invasion cover, is that Longshot is actually a Skrull. Someone has gotten hip to it though. But I'm not quite sure who that is. This issue is brought to us by the usual writing stylings of Peter David. But this issue we have Larry Stroman on the pencils. I haven't seen him in a while. Overall I thought it was an ok issue. But, I'm more interested in seeing where their going with all of this.

X-Force #5 - Marvel

Well . . it appears that there's 2 wars going on here now. We know about X-Forces mission to bring down the Purifiers. When they abducted Rahne, X-Force did a pretty good job of thinning their numbers as they looked for her location. Unfortunately, before they could return her, the Purifiers, besides torturing, had also brain-washed her. Wolverine and gang took her back to Warren's aerie, but they had to wash her system of the heroine that was inside her. What they didn't know was that when she finally came out of her dream . . she had been tasked with the retrieval of Warren's wings . . which she accomplishes. What nobody expected, not even Warren, is that the trauma had reverted him to Apocalypse's programming . . he was now Archangel, Apocalypse's horseman of Death! And X-Force . . is in disarray . . or worse. What we hadn't expected, and no one anticipated, is that the Purifiers themselves also have their own war brewing. They returned the Oracle, Bastion, to life with the techno-organic virus, Magus. However, they weren't anticipating that this same means of their rebirth could also be the thing that brings them down. Bastion immediately set on the task of returning all of the 'big names' back to a semblance of life . . including the good Reverend. But Risman, whom the Reverend had given the reigns of their organization upon his demise, knows that it's not really the Reverend but rather Bastion's abomination. And since Bastion now controls the Reverend . . and the Reverend controls the Purifiers . . Bastion controls the Purifiers. Risman can't abide that. With his army of angels . . he calls them his choir . . . which were born from the stolen DNA of Warren's wings . . Risman begins his task of killing his beloved Reverend and then the Oracle, Bastion, by killing the virus, Magus. I think, though, he may have bitten off more than he can chew. Sure his choir has plowed through Bastion's army like so much wheat, but . . now he faces Bastion. Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost are doing a fantastic job with this story. There are a couple of confusing moments in it, but . . I think those come from their story-writing style. They've taken a more intelligent approach in that they don't try to explain everything. There are a few things that are left to the reader to fill in the blanks. Which I prefer, because I don't feel like the story has been 'dummied-down'. You know what I mean. It sometimes forces you to go back and re-read, or look at a previous issue, to help explain things. There's nothing wrong with that, that's more like real-life. Of course I also greatly enjoy Clayton Crain's artwork. I think, though, that he may have to take a little break after this story-arc. Some of the panels are looking a little frayed around the edges, if you know what I mean. It still looks outstanding, but hey . . . the guys been working hard for the last year of so for Marvel . . I think he deserves a little break. Anyways, another outstanding issue. I'm looking forward to seeing where the team is going to go after this.

DC/WildStorm: Dreamwar #4 - DC/WildStorm

It seems as if . . . slowly . . everyone is coming to their senses. It seems as if the stronger the hero . . not power wise, but conviction . . the easier it is for them to pull themselves out of this dream-state. Superman and the Martian Manhunter are one of the first to start questioning just who this Chimera actually is. They then use their influence over the other members of the League to go out and bring a halt to the conflicts around the globe. But it's the Doctor, from the Authority, that has to help put the rest of the pieces together. Well that and his previous selves in the Garden of Ancestral Memory. He finds out that, basically, this kid can access the realm that connects everyone's dreams, the Athenaeum. " . . at the nearest instant of death . . that's not your life flashing before your eyes. It's your first and final page-through of your stored dreams. Dreams reflect life more accurately than memory. Imminent death buys you access to the Athenaeum. Them's the rules." So now the Doctor just has to figure out how to get there . . and stop this kid. Which is where the next phase of the battle really begins. The Doctor does indeed make it there, but the kid doesn't want to give up that easily. He's realized that maybe he made a mistake with the heroes, so . . he's decided to use what there's just as many of in his book . . the villains. Next thing we know . . Doomsday's ready to duke it out with Apollo. This is a fantastic story by Keith Giffen. But to me, the real surprise is just how good Lee Garbett's artwork is. Of course having Trevor Scott as your inker doesn't hurt much. But, Lee's work in this book is really outstanding. I think he's relatively new to the 'biz, but . . he's definitely got a bright future ahead of him. This is another case of . .'he gets better every issue'. Wonder Woman looked fantastic on page 13. Overall, I think, it's turning out to be a very good series.

Casey Blue: Beyond Tomorrow #3 - WildStorm

I'm beginning to enjoy this book more with each issue. I think B Clay Moore is doing a good job of unraveling this story at just the right pace. We aren't finding out to much to fast. Plus I enjoyed finding out about Casey as a person first . . before we got in to all of this assassin stuff. I think she's probably going to try to hang on to her old life, but . . that's going to be pretty hard considering who and what she is. Not to mention what she's capable of. I also think that Carlo Barberi is doing a good job with the artwork. I especially liked the first couple of pages in this issue, where Casey and her unknown mentor are out in the rain fighting. I like how his work reminds me of Humberto Ramos. Not entirely. He's got his own unique style, but . . there's a hint there. It looks like Casey is going to finally see what she's capable of. She's decided to take up her mentor's offer of training. As she opens up her abilities, I'm wondering if we'll find out more about just exactly how she ended up being this way. I mean, you aren't born with these skills. They had to have been implanted somehow. Maybe it has something to do with her parents. Something about them doesn't seem quite on the up and up. I haven't been able to pin-point anything. It's just a feeling I have. But . . . I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I'm liking this series more than I anticipated. That's a good thing.

Hellblazer #246 - Vertigo

I like the way this issue wrapped up John's whole deal with Newcastle. Well . . wrapped it up is kind of vague, I guess . . John's stories, or adventures, are never truly 'wrapped up' which is what I think was the whole point of this particular story. Way back when . . when John was in Newcastle in the guise of a 'punk-rock' wanna-be, he was young and new to his special kind of magic. He had caused some trouble, and laid down some magic with his lyrics, simply because of the way he and his mates were treated. He just wanted a little 'justice' or pay-back, but at the time he wasn't of the mind to consider the consequences. And there were many. Long story short, what he did back then put a blight on this whole 'burg . . which seemed to be coming to a head. That always seems to be the case . . wherever he goes pain, and suffering seem to follow. Therefore, since he made it . . he's the only one that can un-make it. Which really seems to be his cast in life . . making messes . . or cleaning up old ones. I thought this was a great little fill-in story by Jason Aaron and Sean Murphy. We got to see John for the character that he is, plus . . we caught up with his past a little bit. I still think they should make another movie. Just find someone besides Keanu Reeves to play the lead. Please!

Trinity #7 - DC

Ok, I think things are going to start heating up here pretty fast. They're starting to see where the connections are popping up in things. Superman is trying to scan the energies of the last vestiges of the events that happened around all 3 of the Leaguers, Wonder Woman, Batman and himself . . but all he can find is residual energy . . . the events are no longer viable. But the thing that really has him concerned is that the residual energy is similar to creation energy . . the energy of the big bang. And that information only leads to one suspect . . Krona. But they've still got him trapped in the Cosmic Egg in N-Space. Right? All their scanners show that, but we find out in the back-up story that it appears Krona has indeed escaped and apparently has enough power to fool the scanners into sending back false reports. So now, besides Le Fey, Enigma and Despero . . Krona is going to be involved in all of this somehow. At the same time, Batman has seen a pattern forming in the symbols that are appearing on Wonder Woman's back. That information is concerning him because it is tying everything else together . . . the Trinity warnings, the string of Museum robberies around the country, the markings on Diana's back, and the abduction of Marguerita Covas . . . they're all Tarot related. Which isn't in and of itself an alarm burner, but . . seeing as how things are so connected . . that means that someone is behind the whole thing. Which gets Batman going in a direction. And, it looks like Le Fey and Enigma have decided to make their move this issue to recruit Despero. It seems like there's some mighty big forces stacking up against the League right now. Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley have been doing a fantastic job on the main story of these issues. I enjoy how Kurt is unraveling everything, and I'm really happy to see Mark granting his unique vision to the DC Universe. I also like the way Kurt and Fabian Nicieza are using the back-up stories to fill in all of the gaps. In this issue, John Stewart gives Firestorm a history lesson on Krona. Which leads to us finding out that Krona is actually escaped. I also enjoyed Tom Derenick's art in the back-up. I have a feeling as this book goes along . . it's going to be the 'bible' that redefines and quantifies the DC Universe. Man . . they got their work cut out for them.

Batman and the Outsiders #9 - DC

I just can't even express how good the art is on this series. Julian Lopez is the penciller, and Bit is the inker. I'm not sure who deserves the most credit, but these pages look absolutely stunning. The very first page, with Rex in chains and complaining about how he needs a potty break, is incredible. Of course, drawing this well on top of a Chuck Dixon story is like putting hot fudge and whipped cream on top of a warm brownie. It's not really necessary, but . . . damn it looks good. Everyone in this book is in perfect character also. Right down to Francine Langstrom and Dr. Salah Miandad. The latter of which is becoming very comfortable in his role as the Remac conduit. We find out this issue that the space station that's being built is being done so by an alien race. Basically they've swapped minds with the humans that they're using to build it. They're like jelly-fish kind of looking aliens. But apparently with huge mental capabilities. It's nice to see everybody back on the team. And I especially liked seeing Batman tapping one of his seldom used resources . . Looker. With the art in this issue . . she's never looked better. The only person who really didn't get any face-time this issue was Ollie. But then with everything that's going on with Connor, he's probably pretty busy right now. This is a fantastic series and I can't wait to see what happens next.

Final Crisis - Rogue's Revenge #1 - DC

Well the Rogues are finally back from Salvation Run. And this book is their reintroduction to Central City. And really, all they want to do is rest. They've been going non-stop ever since Bart was killed. Between running, being chased and Salvation Run . . they haven't had a moments respite. So they're ready to hang up their uniforms, holster their weapons, and fade away into the wood-work. Hopefully leading a quiet, normal life. But, you know what they say about the 'best laid plans'. Right when they're about to hang it up, someone breaks Inertia out of the stasis that Wally had left him in at the Flash museum. Of course it's all over the news, and when the Rogues hear it they decide there's one more thing they need to do before they quit . . kill Inertia! But that may be harder than they thought because the person who broke Inertia out was . . . Zoom. He says he wants to make him better. He wants him to be . . . Kid Flash. Huh?? I have no idea where that came from. The Pied Piper is also back, and he's trying to figure out what really happened to Bart. That's what's awesome about a Geoff Johns story. Between the dialogue and the personalization of the characters, he likes to throw little curve-balls in there when you're not looking. Also Scott Kolins does some incredible artwork for this issue. I know this is only a mini, but . . . it's going to be a great mini.

Batgirl #1 - DC

Except for the 3 page history lesson on Cassandra . . I thought this was a great book. First of all I couldn't be more thrilled with the creative assignments. Adam Beechen is doing the stories and Jim Calafiore is doing the art. Both of which are huge talents. After his run on Gotham Underground, Jim should be all psyched for a further stretch in the Bat-universe. Look at that cover. Is that fantastic, or what? The actual cover looks even better. The way they did the different blacks, and then made Cassandra's suit shiny . . it looks like she's jumping right off the page at you. It's really sharp looking. Anyways, Cassandra is back in Gotham, and working under the tutelage of the Batman. At least . . that's what she's allowing him to believe. She actually has a mission of her own . . to find and kill Slade and Cain. She's telling herself that the real reason she rejoined 'the family' is to have access to Bruce's vast resources. But she's gotta' know that Bruce is smart enough to figure out what she's up to. He didn't get to where he is by accident. Nightwing is against her return, and Robin is trying to find every reason he can to stick up for her. At the end of the issue, when following some leads on Cain, she comes face to face with another killer who looks like . . . her sister? We'll find out more about that next issue. Anyways, I'm thrilled that she finally has her own series again. With everything that she's gone through, over the last couple of years, I can understand why it would've been difficult for her to have a solo book. But now . . she's back. And right now . . she's better than she ever was. Let's get this ride a'rollin'.

Tangent: Superman's Reign #5 - DC

Now that we're back to the Multi-verse, in the DC Universe, I really hope that this series is set up to introduce us to one of the various worlds . . the Tangent world, hopefully. I don't know though, between Superman and Power-girl, there's an awful lot of power being tossed about here. Which means it's gonna take an awful lot of power to bring them down. Most of the Justice League is here now, with the noticeable exception of Superman and Wonder Woman. However, by the end of this issue, most of them are in Superman's custody. The only ones to escape are Batman, the Tangent Green Lantern, the Tangent Spectre and, upon returning to the Spectre laboratory . . an intangible Plastic Man. Well, the Tangent Hex and Joker are also free from custody, but they don't know the fate of the other heroes yet. So, really, we've got 2 problems. First of all Superman is in power and it doesn't look like anyone here has the power to change that. Or, at least, no plans have been formulated yet. But that may change. The second problem is that after talking to John Stewart, and getting a mental impression from him of the heroes and villains on his world, Superman has decided it may be time to expand his empire. "They must be conquered before they conquer us. The Green energy is the key, for its linked to the witch." Dan Jurgens is right up his alley with this book. He does well with these large team-up books, and with all the nuances of this inter-dimensional travel. I expect him to have someone make a move on Superman pretty soon. I'm also enjoying the art of Jamal Igle. I really enjoyed his stuff on Firestorm, and I'm glad he's on this series. He may not be the most dynamic artist, but he does present a very consistent portrait from issue to issue. Like I said, I'm hoping, after all these years, that this one will lead to a new Tangent title. Maybe? We can be hopeful . . right?

the Flash #242 - DC

Say it isn't so . . . it looks like Iris dies this issue. Well . . I'm getting a little ahead of myself. This issue actually wraps up the story about Edwar Martinez and Spin Doctor. We find out about Edwar's origin and how Auerbach found him and decided to use him to 'Spin' the media. We learn all of this as Wally does what he's been tasked to do, retrieve Nzame the White Monkey, by Grodd. The problem is, with the burst of energy she exerted at the end of last issue, Iris has aged about 10 years in a blink. Wally really wants to be there for his family, but Grodd has put the 'suggestion' into his head and he can't do anything else until he completes the assignment. But by the time he returns, Iris is now about 40 years old. The weird part is that when she ages, she also gains the knowledge and experience of a 40 year old. Anyways, Edwar dies, but not before he uses Wally's compassion for him to fix all the anger in the city. Wally then takes his family to Gorilla City with him to return Nzame. He requests the Nzame uses his healing powers to fix Iris. There's some debate, but eventually Wally get him to do it, but just as they think somethings about to happen . . Iris' age progress' to dust. Which leaves Wally extremely pissed off and ready to kill Grodd. I like the story that Tom Peyer has put together over the course of the last year here. We've really gotten to know Wally's family and come to care about what their fate is going to be. My only concern is how they get out of this one. I'd hate to lose Iris, but . . I also don't want some cheesy way of saving her. I'm not gonna' complain though, until I see what's going to happen. I'm also glad Freddie E Williams is on the art of this book now. He's not my favorite artist, but at least now we'll get a consistent presentation. And we can concentrate more on the story. I really like this book, and I think the addition of his kids is a good dynamic for Wally's character. It's helping him grow up and mature . . and become a much better hero. But let's see where we go from here.

Joker's Asylum: Poison Ivy #1 - DC

I do like this book. I thought JT Krul did a nice job with the story. He had the right mix of adventure and origin. This would be a good book for someone who knows nothing of Batman's rogues. The same could be said for the last 2 also. They've all, basically, been origin stories, with a little adventure mixed in. This issue, though, had the majority of it devoted to teaching us about Pamela Isley. I also enjoyed the art of new-comer Guillem March. He had a really nice style with very crisp lines. As you can see by the cover. He also made Pamela, Ivy, look very sexy throughout this issue. This guy really shows some incredible talent. My only complaint is that this issue read like an episode of Tales from the Crypt. With the Joker being the Crypt-keeper. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I did expect something different from this book. I did enjoy it. I liked the story and art. But . . at the same time, it just felt to me like it could've been presented as a back-up story . . not necessarily one deserving of it's own book. Obviously, with the villains being returned from Salvation Run, we need to bring readers back up to speed on the major players. I'm sure that's what these issues are all about. Plus with the enormity of the movie . . I'm sure more Batman books can't hurt the bottom line. To me, this particular issue was saved by the art. If it wasn't as good as it was, I would've been severely disappointed over spending my $3 here. As it is . . I'm ambiguous. But I still think Poison Ivy looks hot.