Booster Gold #21 - DC

Now this issue? After having just read Titans #14 . . this issue I thought was fantastic. First of all it guest stars Batman. Which is always a plus. Secondly, Dan Jurgens is back in charge of this book this issue. I really like the way the whole story rolled out, and . . I think Dan and Norm Rapmund do a fantastic job complimenting each other with their art and style. Every panel of this book looked fantastic . . from cover to cover. We start out with Rip at Vanishing Point where he finds that the Black Beetle is back. He's still trying to kill Rip. Which leads him to worry about the pictures that Batman has of Booster when he was bouncing back in time trying to save Barbara Gordon. Now that Batman's dead, he's worried about these pictures falling into the wrong hands, and the peripheral evidence that may point towards himself. After all, he's made it his lifes work to hide his identity. There can be no loose ends. So, Booster goes to the Bat-cave to abscond with the evidence . . which he finds is actually a pretty thick file . . but Batman is also there . . Dick Grayson . . and the Black Beetle. It seems that besides Rip, the Black Beetle is also obsessed with ridding the world of the Batman. He's not successful in the cave, but he does learn that the current Batman is Dick, so he quickly vanishes. Soon Dick's gone, and there's 2 Robin costumes in the display case. Now that the Black Beetle has messed with time, it appears that Dick was the first Robin to be killed. Now Michael has to go back in time and save Dick. This issue also marks DC's new marketing campaign. Some of their books have also gone up to $3.99, but . . the one's that have, as is the case here, also offer a back-up story. So, for $3.99 we get 2 stories and 30 pages of art. 20 on the main story, and 10 on the back-up. I know. It's still $3.99 for a book, but . . at least they're trying to do something to soften the blow a bit. Right? This issue's back-up was a Blue Beetle story. It's by the same team as his own book, when it ended, Matthew Sturges and Mike Norton. It's a decent story, part 1 of 3, about a man and his robots. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The Batman story is part 1 of 4, so we'll be seeing him for a while here. That's always a good thing. It looks to me like Dan is back on track here.

Titans #14 - DC

This issue was almost exclusively about Vic, Cyborg. Unfortunately, overall . . it was pretty boring. However, this is an in-between issue, because next issue is a prelude to Blackest Night: Titans. It's by JT Krul and Ed Benes. Part of the problem, I think, this issue, is that it appears to be by a couple of new-comers . . Eric Wallace, and Michael Shoyket. Although that fantastic cover is by Angel Unzueta. Michaels' art, in spots, looks like it could be really good . . some day. But right now, it's very inconsistent. I see many different influences here, but that's also part of the problem. There's to many varying styles between panels . . even on the same page. And, I'm sorry, but Eric's story is really boring. I get what he's trying to accomplish here . . Gar's trying to get Vic to realize that he's become a 'work-a-holic'. He's constantly working on Titans' systems, or his own systems, or caught up in whatever battle the Titans are currently involved in. He has little, or no social life. That priority isn't even in his top 10 right now. He goes and talks to Sarah. She helps him realize that maybe he needs to dial it down a little and try to get some perspective in his life. It isn't until he goes home to Harlem, and he sees that Ron Evers is now a pastor of the First Church of Anti-Technology, that he realizes how much things have changed and how out of touch he's become. It's driven home even more so when he's called to an emergency at STAR Labs and finds Dr Adams who's completely immersed himself into his nanotech project. He had worked 15 years on his project but was recently fired. So after he stops Adams, he has to ask himself, "One life was already lost. The only question is, who destroyed it? This place . . or Adams himself?" S0 . . he decides to take some time off and go on a date. Like I said, I understand what Eric was trying to accomplish, but . . it was really boring how he got there. I've been a strong supporter of the Titans, and all of it's books . . even through the 'dry' times. But this issue? This issue really did nothing for me. I would've just as well have skipped this issue all together.

JSA vs Kobra #1 - DC

This issue had a very intricate and well thought out story-line to it. The title suggests that it's a JSA mini-series, but . . I'd venture a guess that it's just as important to Checkmate. It involves the JSA characters . . . there's a suicide bomber that shows up at the front-door of their mansion in the beginning of the book, but . . from there it seems that our story revolves around Michael Holt, Mr Terrific, Sasha Bordeaux, the Black Queen, and Checkmate. Eric Trautmann writes this. He's also very familiar with Checkmate as he wrote several issues of that series. The story is presented from 2 different perspectives . . Michael's and KOBRA's. We spend most of the story listening to Michael exacerbate over his inability to help Sasha, and trying to second guess KOBRA. He's always second guesses himself when dealing with a group like this. There's a randomness to their attacks, but . . he also knows, with a group like KOBRA, that there's a master plan. So the trick is figuring out how all the smaller attacks fit together, and then figuring out what their ultimate goal is. From KOBRA's side, we're basically getting a play-by-play on how to distract your enemy. It's almost like a game of chess . . . they're sacrificing pawns to draw out the bigger players from the other side. But ultimately, I think they'll underestimate Michael's resolve, and intelligence. I believe he's being set up as the hero to this story. Anyways, it's to early to really comment on the story itself. This issue is really just the opening salvo . . the explanations that put all of our characters in their proper places. But it seems like Eric's script is going to be smart and well thought out, so . . I think it'll be a good story overall. Don Kramer does the pencils, so the whole issue looks really good. There could be some important things, for the DC Universe that come out of this series . . we'll just have to wait and see.

Batman Confidential #30 - DC

I actually liked this story-line quite a bit. It's a bit cliched . . a cop that goes bad because he lost someone in his life . . but, I think the Joker added an interesting twist to the whole thing. Overall, I think Andrew Kreisberg did an effectual job writing it. That is . . right up until the resolution. That part, I didn't buy it all that much. First he tries to get his ex-partner to shoot him. He realizes what an animal . . a monster, that he has become. But, he can't kill himself. Why? I'm not sure. I never really understood that. But, that's why he went after the Police Academy. He knew that it would bring his ex-partner out, and he was counting on him shooting him. However, I think the ex-partner thing worked against him, because in the end . . he just couldn't do it. So, then he goes after the Commissioner. He figured that if he threatened his family, he'd have no other choice. He gets the drop on Jim, but then a young Barbara picks up a gun and is threatening to shoot Bad-Cop as he holds a knife to her father's neck. Of course, at the exact right moment, Batman shows up and talks him down. He talks about how he used to be a good cop, and how his hard work had helped his partner solve another case that saved a little girl much like Barbara. He also tells him that if he forces her to shoot him, he's going to scar and change her for the rest of her life. Yada, yada, yada. Anyways, the psychological treatment works because he drops his knife and gives up. Overall . . not very dramatic. We also find out that Barbara was actually holding a fake gun that had fallen off a nearby game. I don't know. I just didn't really like the way it all played out at the end. It just seems like there could've been something a little more dramatic . . suspenseful. However, at the end, when Batman goes to check on Shancoe at Arkham, he finds 2 dead guards in the cell next to him. It was obviously done by the Joker, and he's got a message for Batman written on the wall in their blood . . "Dear Batty, Wasn't Bad Cop a hoot!?! Hope U had fun. See U at the next chalk outline!!!  XXOO   Joker" So, I guess in the end, this wasn't even really all about Bad-Cop. After all, Joker had goaded him into his actions. I think this was all really about the Joker and how he could ultimately effect the Batman's life, even though he's incarcerated. To that end . . I bought it, and I liked it. And I like that it left their relationship unresolved . . as always. Scott McDaniel does the art this issue. I like this book, and the way it handles these Batman stories. Hopefully, it won't go away any time soon.

Action Comics #878 - DC

Well, it appears that there's a lot more Kryptonians still running around on Earth than we originally thought. Thara Ak-Var has been recuperating in Lois' apartment, while Chris, K'Riss, went back to the fortress to get their Nightwing & Flamebird uniforms. However, Ursa was still there so K'Riss had to fight her. And, upon leaving, he was followed by some UAV's. He took care of them, but that doesn't sit to well with General Lane. He's also not to happy about the body that Ursa left behind there, David Carter. Although he's a little relieved to find out that he was actually a Kryptonian sleeper-agent. Not necessarily that he was an agent, but . . "Kryptonians killing Kryptonians. Certainly makes our job easier." We also see these 2 nut-jobs, Nadira and Az-Rel. They seem to be sleeper-agents also, who have just discovered their powers. So they're out making mayhem all over the south-west because . . well, just because they can. I'm not sure if they're purposefully being psychopathic, or they're just not concerned about the peripheral damage left in the use of their power. Personally . . I just think they're psychopathic. Anyways, Thara and K'Riss go after them, but . . by the time they arrive General Lane also has some . . well, I guess they're people, there also. Greg Rucka writes this story. It's interesting, but I'm just not sure where we're going with all of this. However, I do like to see that Lois is starting to put some of the pieces together. I wonder what she's going to think when she finds out that her sister is dead? Diego Olmos does the art for this issue. It's ok. It's not fantastic, but . . it works. Overall I enjoyed the story, it just seems to be coming together kind of slow. But, the World of New Krypton is set up to be a 15 issue series, so . . I guess they have to stretch the story out to coincide with that. Apparently we have another year until Superman comes back to Earth. Do you think he can stay away from Lois for that long?

Batman #687 - DC

This series is now being brought to us by the fantastic team of Judd Winick and Ed Benes. This issue also features 2 fantastic covers by Tony S Daniel and JG Jones. Both are equally impressive. I'll include the other when I get it. This issue picks up immediately after the Battle for the Cowl mini-series. Dick has just decided to take up the mantle. However, we do get a little back-story also. We delve a little bit into Dick and Bruce's relationship. We also see how Dick is trying to do some 'drive-by crime fighting'. Showing up in the Batmobile, but not actually getting out in costume. The problem is, it's just not instilling the same shock and awe that his presence did. There's a very touching scene where Superman and Wonder Woman return Batman's cape and cowl to Alfred and Dick. They ask Alfred is he's doing all right, to which he replies, "Am I all right? . . . . No, sir. I am not! . . . . My son has died." And then later, Alfred and Dick are talking about the funeral that the other 'suits' want to have for him. But Dick refuses them. "Batman is not dead . . . what I mean is, the world cannot know he's dead. Most don't even know he was human. Vampire, demon, ghost. We all know the myths. But that's all we have left of him, the fear he instilled. That is his legacy. And we need to honor that. We need to honor him. To acknowledge his passing flies in the face of everything he fought for. Everything he was. The criminals, the monsters . . . they need to think he's still out there. Batman lives! Always!" We also see the decision by Dick to move the base of operations to the Wayne Foundation Building, instead of the cave. "That was him. This will be me. We'll build it here. If I'm going to be Batman . . it has to be me in there. Not me just playing the part. I can't replace him, I won't. I have to honor the role, but . . it has to be mine." And then . . two weeks later, the things that change are always the same. The Scarecrow has launched an attack on Gotham by taking the Bay Bridge, and 3000 commuters hostage. Of course the police try to attack in Haz-Mat suits . . to no avail. And in the end . . on the final page . . it's Batman who shows up to save the day. I thought this was a fantastic first issue. Plus, we got 30 pages of art instead of the usual 21. That helped relieve the $3.99 price tag. It made it all worth it. And, in the end, I'm feeling much more confident that Dick has the stones to pull this off. As it says on the final page . . 'Just the beginning . . . . '

Red Robin #1 - DC

This series starts the next evolution in the life of Tim Drake, er . . sorry, Tim Wayne. He's emphatically taken that name now. There's a scene between Tim and Dick, where he's mad that Dick has chosen Damian to be his Robin. Dick tries to assure him that Damian needs training, and that he thinks of Tim more as an equal. But Tim isn't hearing it. "How can you let him wear that costume, Dick? What Earth are we on that you choose him over me?" To me, it was really reminiscent of the scene that Dick and Bruce had when he decided that he needed to be his own man. I'm surprised that Dick isn't overwhelmed by the similarities. We also find out why Tim has chosen this costume, " . . because I knew I'd be crossing lines . . so nothing would come back to Bruce or Dick. I chose this costume because it was already tarnished . . and I wasn't coming here to play."Right now he's being driven by one overwhelming feeling . . "He's alive. Bruce is alive . ." He refuses not to believe that. So his new quest has begun in Europe. He says he's following the clues and hints. But along the way he's picked up some followers. It appears that Ra's al Ghul and his League of Assassins is equally interesting in Tim's quest. We just don't know yet if he's here to help or hinder it. I thought this was a great first issue in Tim's new direction. I don't know if it's because of all of the lose in his life, but . . I have to say I have an easier time of believing the lose and frustration from Tim than I do from Dick. That was my main concern about Dick assuming the mantle, as it were. Tim seems to have the grim, dark character down a whole lot better than Dick does. But, I'll see if that changes after I read Batman next. Christopher Yost writes this book, and I think he's off to a fantastic start. I also really enjoyed Ramon Bachs pencils. He has a gritty kind of style that suits the mood of this book perfectly. There's also another cover, by JG Jones, besides this Francis Manapul cover. Personally, I think I like Francis' cover better. But that's just me. I'll include it in this post when I get it. Overall, I thought it was a great start to this series. I can't wait to see where we go from here.

Green Lantern Corps #37 - DC

This is another great issue of the Corps, and it looks like things have taken another step closer to Blackest Night. Sodam Yat has used his Ion power to turn the sun of Daxam from red to yellow. He's doing this to allow his world a fighting chance. Even if it does mean that he's committing suicide. The survivors on his world have become enslaved by Mongul and the Sinestro Corps. But, with the sun changing to yellow, they'll all basically be given the power of Superman. But they're mad and angry, and thirsty for revenge. So Arisia has to calm them down to plan out their attack rather than letting them act out of blind emotion. It's a tenuous agreement at best. We also see the Ash and Saarek have both been tasked with finding the Anti-Monitor's corpse. Scar seems to be manipulating them to some end, but we don't know what that is yet. For the time being, they've agreed to work together. And back on OA, there's a whole lot of crap going down. The Corps are trying to round up all the recently released convicts from their sci-cells. The only thing working in their favor is that the prisoners are surprised by their release, so there's no real structure or team-work in their attack. In fact, some of them are just as mad at each other as they are at the Corps members. Lyssa Drax, from the Sinestro Corps, is tunneling deep into OA in search of her book of Parallax. Instead, she finds Scars book, and Scar soon traps her in it. Also, the rookies are tired of not being able to fight for their team-mates, so they band together to break the shield that contains them. However, before they can do much, the Alpha-Lanterns show up and start to put a quick lid on everything. They seem to be containing all the prisoners in some kind of construct, but . . at that same time, Scar decides that it's time for her to make her move. She does something with her power, and her book, and on the final page of the issue, the Central Power battery begins to fall apart. Peter J Tomasi is doing a fantastic job with this book. Between him and Geoff Johns, over on the GL title, they've really intricately stitched together a fantastic story-line here. This is definitely going to be the story of the summer. Hats off, again, to Patrick Gleason for some fantastic visuals. I don't know how the guy does it, but he's drawn an incredibly eclectic assemblage of aliens here. The guy must have an incredible imagination. I never would've expected how strong this book has become. Get it. If you can.

the Flash Rebirth #3 - DC

First of all, I love that Ethan Van Sciver is still on this series. I know, unfortunately, he won't be here forever, but . . I'm loving it while he is. Also he's got some fantastic covers here. Next . . Geoff Johns is brilliant. I think he's doing an incredible job with this story. We start out this issue and it looks like Barry has fully become the Black Flash. So much so in fact that the JLA and the JSA have gotten together, first to contain him, and then to try to separate him from the Speed-force. But Barry can feel the force now . . and it's hungry. It wants to consume the energy in anyone around him who has the same connection . . Jay, Wally, Bart, Jesse. He refuses to let that happen. Hal brings Iris in to try to ground him during the process, but it seems like the emotions she stirring up are enabling the transformation rather than calming him down. Things get so out of hand that Hal, Superman and Wonder Woman have to fly him away before he inadvertantly hurts anyone. However, with everyone then out of danger, Barry asks Hal to release him. He's made a decision, he's going to rejoin the Speed-force rather than continue to put the lives of those around him in harms way. Things don't seem to be working out as expected though. As Barry speeds up he seems to be running backwards in time. His main concern as he bolts backwards is that he doesn't want to forget Iris. He then seems to reach a focal point and Johnny Quick and Max Mercury are there. They both appear to die from his energy, but before they do they try to warn him. Johnny tells him, "The formula, speed and time, you're the answer." And as Barry warns Max not to touch him, "I'll kill you. I'll . . .", Max tries to tell him "N-n-not . . it's not you. Professor . . .", but he doesn't get to finish. Someone then calls out for him. It seems to be coming from inside the force. "Come on in. Do you understand yet, Barry? Do you not see what I've done? I've shifted you into reverse." It's Professor Zoom . .the Reverse-Flash. I knew he'd be popping up sooner or later, but I never expected him to be the instigator of all of Barry's problems. It looks like Barry's jumped from the frying pan into the fire . . literally. All I can say after reading this issue is . . Wow! I know that we've had to wait on this series because of a few other story-lines that were connected, but . . Wow! This is easily one of the best comics I've read in the last few months. My only complaint is that I have to wait 30 days for the next one. Arrgghhh!

Exiles #3 - Marvel

Ok, I have to say . . so far this series isn't doing very much to impress me. Which really has me upset because I've liked the last 2 so much. In this series, our cast of characters really are exiles. The Time-broker, now portrayed as Morph, plucked these people out of their time-lines just as they were about to be killed. Whether it would've happened or not doesn't matter because on their worlds, they're believed to be dead. Making them real Exiles. I think that's a neat idea. From there? . . from there it all goes downhill for me. Their first mission is into a world where all the mutants are united, living in Genosha, and constantly under attack from the rest of the non-mutant world. Their mission is to help Wolverine overthrow their leader, Magneto . . obviously . . who is going to lead the entire world to it's destruction. However, as soon as they arrive they find Logan's headless body being paraded all of Genosha like a ripe trophy. Anyways, long story short . . they end up having to convince Jean and Emma to look into Blink's mind because she has the knowledge that they're all being denied . . courtesy of the Tallus. After doing so, they remove Magneto's psi-scan blocking helmet to verify her story. It appears that while not killing Charles himself, he did basically enable it by not saving him when he could have. So then all the mutants turn on him. And the Tallus tells Blink that it's time for them to go . . they're supposed to abort their mission. Which Blink doesn't understand because it also tells her that this world is still on it's collision course. Boom . . halfway through the issue and that story is done . . they've landed on another world. It was a very unresolved and anti-climatic story. Kind of frustrating, actually. The last 5 pages of the issue are spent showing us the desert that they've landed in . . the city in the middle of it . . and a glimpse of it's leaders, apparently the Vision, Ultron and Machine-man. The next story-line is titled, 'Machineworld'. Jeff Parker is writing this new series. So far . . I don't like the job that he's doing with it. Which is also upsetting because I liked all of his work on X-Men: First Class. I thought he did a great job there, with a lot of these same characters. Here though, the stories just don't seem very well thought out. I know. It's only issue #3 and maybe there's a bigger plan here. So far . . I'm not to impressed. I hope it turns around soon. Casey Jones does the art. It's ok, but it's not really my style. I've been with this series ever since the Ultraverse. I can't believe I don't like it now. Please, please . . give me something to work with here.

Wolverine Revolver #1 - Marvel

I didn't really need or even want this book, but . . I thought the art looked interesting so I gave it a shot. The artwork kind of reminded me of one of those old stories I used to read in Epic magazine. It's kind of got that European type flavor to it. I haven't seen that in quite a while, so that's why I was intrigued. The art is by Das Pastoras, and he also seems to have a Richard Corben influence to his stuff. I really liked it, and he was consistent throughout the book. I like to give props for talent, when it's due. Now, the story? The story was by Victor Gischler. It was ok, but a bit simple. Basically, Logan has been following this demon-type character ever since he killed an Indian medicine-man. He finds out that he can't really kill him because his body seems to melt back together. So, he decides to do some whittling instead. He cuts the body up into little pieces, and then begins depositing them in various locations around the country. And . . that's the story. It was interesting . . and a bit entertaining, but . . it was a very quick read. And more than a bit anti-climatic. When I got done, I felt as if I had read an 8 page back-up story. Really . . it was that quick and simple. And then the $3.99 price tag? Well that's just enough to piss a guy off. Wolverine #73 & #74 have been set up to present 2 stories. The first half of each in #73, and the second half in #74. I don't know why this story couldn't have been done that same way. Or even put 3 stories in each of those 2 issues. Even if they charged $3.99 for each, it would've seemed worth it. But this way? This way left me feeling cheated and robbed. Even if Logan is one of my favorite characters. But let me clarify . . my distress is not aimed at the creative talent. They performed admirably. My frustration is with the packaging. And that's why I'm skipping a lot of the Marvel one-shots and minis.

Dark Avengers #5 - Marvel

Most of this issue concentrates on Norman Osborn. As you can see by the cover. To bad that image didn't happen during his interview on national television. That would've been some awesome tabloid TV. Anyways, most of the issue is spent with Norman disputing Clint's accusations. Mixed in with that is the confrontation between Iron Patriot and the Sentry when the team recently returned from Latveria. They thought he had been killed in that battle, but . . upon returning to New York . . there he is . . big as day, floating outside of the Avengers tower, bright as the sun. He seems just as confused about the whole thing as the rest of the team. And although Norman is pushing him for answers, he really doesn't have any to offer him. We also see some of the teams interactions. First of all it appears that Norman has them all on some type of medication. And, with all these disparate personalities, it's really only a matter of time before this thing implodes upon itself. Bullseye seems to be butting heads with everyone . . especially Gargan and Hercules. Then, when Moonstone sleeps with Noh-Varr she makes the comment, "Oh my gosh, I almost forgot! Norman on TV. This I have to see! I'm dying to see how Norman sells the fact that he put together a team of psychotic criminals and murderers and calls them the Avengers." "He put together what? . . . . You said he put together what? . . . Wait. You're all criminals? I thought . . .", Noh-Varr is really caught off guard. I don't know what he thought, but his eyes have just been opened. As well as a few other orifices. And finally, during his interview, there appears to be an all-out alien assault taking place in the streets of LA. But it doesn't look like any aliens I've ever seen before. Norman has to cut his interview short and rally the team. "Victoria. Well, wake up. Get 'em up and ready. Avengers . . you know. Get them together." I thought the interview part of the story was a bit long-winded, but other than that, I enjoyed this issue. I liked seeing the way all the idiots act around one another. Especially when Norman's not around. They're like a group of adolescent kids. I think Brian Bendis is doing a good job with this one. But . . the real star of the show is Mike Deodato Jr. His artwork is fantastic. The whole issue looked great. But then . . I expected nothing less. I'm not sure how long this series will last, but . . it definitely has potential.

the Mighty Avengers #25 - Marvel

Ok, I'll admit . . I wasn't overly thrilled with the last 2 issues in this series. However . . this issue? This issue was fantastic. The Mighty Avengers are caught up in one of Dr. Pym's labs. Actually . . it's one that's outside of our reality. When Hank and Bill Foster used to work together . . before Hank was abducted by the Skrulls, and before Bill died . . Bill had created a dimensional wave inducer. His basic theory was, " . . if a person can shrink out of our universe and into the microverse . . what would happen if we altered their vibrational frequency at the exact moment they shunted between dimensions?" Which basically is what created Hank's little pocket dimension. Anyways, when HAMMER was chasing them down last issue, they jumped into one of the many doors on Earth that lead to the lab. Unfortunately, in order to escape from HAMMER's incarceration, or worse, Jocasta had to sever the tether that connects this dimension to the earth. Some of the doors are still intact, but their grip is tenuous at best. Hank figures they have 2 days before all connections between Earth and this lab are gone for good. However, with Bill's wave inducer, he could fix the problem. But that need creates another problem. The wave inducer is currently in the possession of Reed Richards. Bill had left it to Hank when he died, but since they believed Hank was dead . . it then went to Ben Grimm. I'm not sure why he was the second choice, but . . whatever. Reed flatly denies Hank's request, "The dimensional wave inducer is a powerful device, Hank. It's big science. And I don't trust you around big science. Not when you're like this . . unstable." They have a heated argument, but it finally comes down to a remark that Reed makes. Hank says, "If there's one reason I should have the inducer . . it's because it's based on Pym particles! My discovery!" To which Reed replies, "That may be the case but we both know . . I know more about Pym particles than you." Oh boy! That did it. Hank stares at Reed's image for a second and then says, "Dr Richards? . . . It's on, Bitch!" I don't think Reed should've egged him on like that. Now Hank's planning an all-out assault on the Baxter building. He's got image inducers on all of his team-mates, and the first strike is Hercules, who looks like the Red Hulk, attacking Ben. Meanwhile, US Agent and Quicksilver have gone off to China on a mission for GRANDPA. Basically they've gotten information that the Inhumans are forming an alliance with communist China. Which is why they want Quicksilver there. "As of yesterday, you became our top specialist on the Inhumans of Attilan." I thought Dan Slott did a great job with this issue. I really liked the dialogue between all the characters, but especially the interaction between Reed and Hank. Stephen Segovia does the art this issue and it looks just as great. I want to be optimistic, but . . this is only 1 issue out of 3. If Dan and Stephen can keep this kind of momentum going . . that would be great. But . . I gotta see it to believe it. Lets' see what they can do.

New Avengers - the Reunion #4 - Marvel

Well . . another issue that didn't quite end the way I expected it to, but . . . well, we'll get to that. Bobbi has been through a lot. She's been a prisoner of the Skrulls for years now. When she finally figured that out, she started gathering information on her would be captors . . waiting for the moment when she would be able to get back home. When that finally happens, she comes home only to find out that both of her teams, the West Coast Avengers and SHIELD, are nowhere to be found. The Avengers are still there, but it's a whole new cast of characters. And SHIELD? SHIELD has been transformed into something that's barely recognizable to her. So what does she do? She starts up her own organization . . the WCA . . World Counterterrorism Agency. She's begun it's ranks with the now former SHIELD agents that were captured by the Skrulls with her. And, reluctantly, with Clint. Their first mission is to stop a bomb from going off that threatens to wipe out the entire Mediterranean area. This threat has been conceived by AIM, and their scientist supreme, Monica Rappaccini. At the end of the last issue a bomb went off, but . . it wasn't 'the bomb', the one they're here to stop. It looks like Clint was taken out in the blast so Bobbi has to take down Monica and the rest of AIM by herself, and get the scientists that have been gathered here to safety. She's almost successful at the and then Clint and Monica show back up. Monica still wants to set off the bomb, even if she has to do so herself. Anyways, long story short, they save the day and with a little ingenuity turn the bomb, when it explodes, into a heterodiamond. But that's not really what we all want to know. What we all want to know is what's going to happen with Bobbi and Clint. They talk about it and decide that they can't go back to the way things were. But . . they do still have feelings for each other. So . . they've decided that they're going to start dating. That, and Clint's going to join the WCA as an operative. The issue ends with them diving into a mission together. I thought the ending worked itself out very well. It really wasn't what I was expecting. I thought he'd go back to the Avengers, and she's sink herself into her new group. However . . I like this ending better. Plus it just seemed the natural course of events. I thought Jim McCann did a great job with this story. I thought he handled the dialogue between Bobbi and Clint perfectly. I also liked David Lopez' pencils. Really, I picked up this series on a lark . . completely by accident. But . . I'm glad I did. I really enjoyed it.

New Mutants #2 - Marvel

Sorry for the delay on this one. But honestly, I had to read it twice. It was more than a bit confusing. Now that I understand, a little, what's going on, I think Zeb Wells is doing a good job with this story. However, the way it's presented is more than a bit confusing and kind of misrepresented. Basically, Shan and Dani went to look for the little girl, Marci. When they find her she doesn't appear to be in her body. So Shan reaches out psychically and finds her in what she assumes is the astral plane. Actually, she's inside David Haller, Legion's mind. Along with the 'legion' of other characters that he's got living there. Meanwhile, Amara and Illyana find a metal box in Marci's home. It's in the basement and Shan's voice seems to be coming out of it. They open it only to find David's body. Apparently, David came walking back into town but talked and sounded like Marci. So her parents decided to lock him up until they could figure out what was wrong with their daughter. And, Sam and Roberto are in a local diner where they've found Shan's body tied to a chair in the backroom. When she reached out for Marci, her body went limp and into convulsions so the locals tied her in a chair, supposedly for her, and their, safety. They also arrested Dani for disturbing the peace. So, Shan and Marci are running around through David's mind and they're holding this little doll that, 'Davey told me to keep Morrie safe.' It seems whoever has possession of the doll is also in control of David's body. Shan and Marci lose the doll, and through a series of other personalities, David breaks out of Marci's house after killing her parents. He's on his way to find Dani. He wants to kill her. Through all of this, the disparate personalities of David's keep calling the New Mutants the 'fixers'. Apparently they think since the 'fixers' put David's mind back together before, that's why they're here now . . to fix him. But, if 'fixed', they'll no longer have the opportunity to express themselves through David's body. So they can't let that happen. And, even though they're not here right now, they also talk about the other members, "W-w-wolf and the squaw. The robot and the g-g-geek. Can't have them f-f-fixing us again." Although I'm just not sure why they're so hellbent on Dani. She doesn't even have any powers right now. The issue ends with David breaking into the jail and it looks like he's about to go mano-e-mano with Dani. That should be interesting, if not a bit one-sided. Overall, I ended up liking the book. The first time through though, I was just really confused about what was happening where. Adam Kubert does the cover, which is awesome. I thought Diogenes Neves' pencils were ok. Some pages looked pretty good, others . . were a bit questionable. But overall I thought it came together nicely. I'm going to hold back my thoughts on this story-line though until I've read the whole thing. Depending on the resolution of all this, I may like it alot . . or not. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Ultimatum #4 - Marvel

Ok, I'm glad I read this issue after Ultimate Spider-man #133 because it explained a little bit about what was left to the reader's interpretation. We still don't know for sure that Spider-man is dead, but . . it's the obvious assumption. If you aren't reading this series . . even if you don't follow the Ultimate Universe . . you really need to. This is a heck of a story. I don't want to give the whole thing away but there are some really great scenes in here. There's a battle between Dormammu and Doctor Strange. To say it's a bit one-sided would be an understatement. We get a glimpse of the man whom I assume is the new Sorcerer Supreme, but . . we don't actually know who it is. Also Jean has calmed down the Hulk and he'll be joining the X-men with their assault on Magneto's citadel. We finally catch up to Nick Fury, who's been exiled to the Supreme Universe. Reed, Doom, Zarda and Arcanna have come to retrieve him. They need his help. But he refuses to leave until Doom tells them his secret. "I . . I made an error in judgement. I had Magneto's daughter . . the Scarlet Witch . . murdered. I knew Magneto would then declare war on mankind and when it was over . . I would be there to pick up the pieces. I . . never imagined that Magneto either had the power or the will . . to destroy the human race . . what good is a king if there is no kingdom?" And then the X-Men make their assault. They get some good licks in, but . . Magneto is never going to be caught completely unaware. The issue ends with the set-up for the final battle next issue. It's going to be a doozy. Jeph Loeb and David Finch are doing an incredible job with this series. David's interpretation of these characters is stunning. The scene where Sabretooth . . well . . you're just going to have to read it. The Ultimate Universe started out looking like the Marvel Universe with some subtle differences. However, when this story is all said and done . . and the dust settles . . I have a feeling that any resemblance to the Marvel Universe is going to be subtle, or faint at best. Some characters will have the same name, but . . these guys are on their own path now. It's all up in the air. I can't wait to see what happens.

the Amazing Spider-man #596 - Marvel

I was a little disappointed that Phil Jimenez didn't do the art on this issue, but . . he did do the cover. It looks fantastic. The interior art was by Paulo Siqueira. I was pleasantly surprised but . . the whole issue looked really good. I remember he did the art on the Black Canary mini-series, but I don't remember that looking this good. I really, really liked the way this issue came across. Plus, obviously, Joe Kelly is doing a bang-up job with this story. This issue Harry goes to the Avengers tower to begin his employment with his father. I'm not exactly sure what it is he's going to be doing, but . . he's getting 200k a year to do it. Somehow or way he's in the PR portion of the Avengers. Whatever that means. Peter doesn't agree with him but then Peter doesn't know what he's trying to do for Lily. Meanwhile, Norah, from the newspaper, has also joined the employment ranks of the Avengers. She's a receptionist in the lobby, and really she's trying to do an undercover story. Peter's little rant in the office last issue seems to have gotten her motivated. I also enjoyed the dialogue between Peter and JJ's father. It was touching when he gave Peter a little bit of fatherly advice. I think they both enjoy the dynamics of that relationship. Anyways, the big news of this issue is that Peter has decided to get a little pro-active. With Reed and Sue's help, Peter goes out and captures Gargan when he's out for dinner . . blonde's, brunette's, hookers, whatever. Reed's made up a black suit for him with which he can mimic some of Venom's unique talents, and he's decided to also go undercover posing as . . well, Spider-man. And it appears that Peter's joined the team just in time. When Norman gets the group together that evening, he decides to make a little announcement . . "The time has come to discuss my son . . and his future in our organization. I assure you there is more to my son than meets the eye, and his presence here avails a unique opportunity. I've been working on a project . . something special . . and Harry is the key. Tonight, I'm prepared to share with you my vision of the future . . I call it American Son." What a great issue. I can't wait to see where this one's going. I also can't wait to see how Peter adjusts to everything when he's sent out on missions with the Dark Avengers.

Ultimate Spider-man #133 - Marvel

This was a fantastic ending. There's no dialogue in this book, so really, the feeling and emotions between the characters is left to the interpretation of the reader. It appears that Peter is dead, but . . we don't really know that for sure. It seems pretty obvious, but . . he could just be buried under some rubble and he hasn't regained consciousness yet. Hey! It's a possibility. The issue starts out with the explosion at the spot where Peter and the Hulk were at the end of the previous issue. Remember, all those demons and things were there also that had escaped from Doctor Strange's home, so . . maybe Peter just got transported to another dimension. Anyways, the female Spider-man/woman/girl, whom I assume is Peter's clone, sees what happens and tries to find him. But a flaming, insanely raging Hulk is also on the scene, so I think her survival is the first priority. Eventually she eludes him, but it's mostly due to the fact that some helicopters are giving him a hard time. His focus has shifted. When she goes back to search, she finds Kitty there also. She tries to give her a hug, but Kitty goes intangible. Kitty doesn't actually know who she is, even if she does have Peter's memories. But, even though they're strangers, they recognize that there are people in need and they work together to get as many to safety as possible. The helicopters show up again and do the rest. Together they begin their search anew, but then the waters that flowed out flow back in again. All they find is Peter's Spider-man mask. The issue ends with Gwen, MJ and Kenny returning to Aunt May's house in Queens. Even though May's concerned about Peter, I think she's still relieved that these 3 children are ok. But then Kitty approaches. She's carrying the only thing she could find . . . Peter's mask. I thought this was a great issue, and I loved every panel of it. Brian Bendis did a fantastic job with the story and Stuart Immonen's art is incredible. I do have 1 question though. It's not a complaint. Just a clarification. How can Peter be dead if he's still finishing up his adventure in Ultimatum? Anyways, we still have Ultimate Spider-man: Requiem #1 on July 15th, and then . . on August 5th . . Ultimate Comics Spiderman #1. It's by Brian Bendis, and David LaFuente. And is boasts, " . . a new supporting cast, new villains and maybe even a new Spider-man, this chapter will keep you guessing . . . you've never seen a Spider-man like this before!" Which is probably why they don't have an image of the cover yet. It should be a very interesting summer.

Spawn #192 - Image

Personally, I really like the pace of the story that Todd's created through these last few issues . . 8 to be exact, I think. I think it's interesting to have this enigmatic character, Jim Downing, in the lead role of this series. We know a quite a bit less about him than we did Al in the very beginning. But, I think the fun is in unraveling the mystery. We start out seeing what the guy that the Clown recruited a couple of issues ago is capable of. Apparently Claudio is the leader of a group of Vampires. The Clown wants to extend him an offer. However, in his search for Claudio, he sends some of his 'soldiers' to deal with this guy. He quickly takes them all out and is soon on his way to finally meet Claudio. Meanwhile, Jim has found his way back to the alley only to find that the Angel that he had pinned up there is now gone. This really aggravates him because he was hoping she would give him some answers. And really, that's all he wants. In his absence though, the Clown was there and ripped her wings off. "They need their wings, it's where most of their power comes from. And what identifies them. Once removed . . or ripped off . . they all go quite insane." Jim is being told this by a guy who shows up an appears to have information for him. To me, he kind of looks like Evil Ernie. He may be the devil . . or not, but it seems like the more Jim confronts him, after showing his powers, the less control he has over them. Until he's really not much more than a human in costume. Which isn't good. First of all the Angel seems to have come to her senses and is trying to warn Jim about the guy he's been talking to. Then, when he turns around, he finds Malebolgia, menacingly also in the alley. Like I said I really like the pace that Todd has taken here. And I'm thrilled with Whilce Portacio's pencils. I think they're perfect for this series. Plus, we get an added bonus next issue . . Sam & Twitch are back. Except for the main character, these 2 are easily my favorite characters in this series.

the Boys #31 - Dynamite Entertainment

This issue . . the Female gets he ass handed to her. Literally! Vought has decided to be a little more proactive in their handling of the Boys. So they've started hiring super-groups to go after them. They can't actually send the Seven right in after them. There is a treaty kind of thing after all. Anyways, Vought sends in the teams and then sits back and watches how the Boys handle them. I think they're trying to learn from their losses. Sooner or later they realize that in order to take them down, they really need to go after them separately. Which is where the Female makes her mistake. She's got some kind of tip about a 'super' going bad on a bar full of Italians. When she arrives she finds this German hero standing over all of their dead corpses. It turns out the whole thing was a ruse to draw the Female here alone. She gets a few good licks in, and actually pulls one of the guy's eyes out, but . . in the end he just overpowers her. After the eye thing, the guy freaks out and just completely pulverizes her head into the ground. At the end of the issue Frenchie arrives at the 'club-house' and they all immediately know that somethings wrong. Meanwhile Vought has also started working on the Seven's image. They want to upgrade their image and costumes. Part of which means that Starlight is going to end up more in the spotlight. Which means, it's only a matter of time before Butcher and Vought and everyone else realize what she and Hughie have been up to. And what's Hughie going to do when he realizes who she is? I think this story-line is an interesting direction that Garth Ennis is taking all of these characters in. This is part one of the Self-preservation Society. Carlos Ezquerra does the art for this one. I loved the cover. This book is constantly poking fun at the mainstream comics.

the Authority #11 - WildStorm

The most important part of this issue is that it brings us up to date on Apollo. We find out that there's an alien race that came to our planet millions of years ago. It tries to live in whatever the dominant species is of the time, but . . it usually burns them out pretty quickly. The ice age made it dormant, but when things thawed out again . . so did they. Now, global war has woken them up again. And, they've found their way into Apollo's system. "You're trying to burn us out of you. That's no good. We love the heat. We thrive in it. We have always burned out our hosts far too quickly. There's never been any time to live. But you . . your body is enhanced. It is so strong. So powerful. By bringing us to the sun in a foolish effort to burn us out, you've made us stronger. Our lifespan in a host is usually fifteen minutes. We've lasted in you for weeks. You realize that's centuries in our terms? Generations? We've had time to evolve. We've become sentient. We were once just a virus. They called us Warhol Fever. Now we are thinking for ourselves and living in an indestructible host. Now we are the burn. As so, our dear Apollo, are you!" So it appears that the bite that he received on his shoulder has finally taken him over. However, back on the ship, our team has found a 'door' that working. Well, kind of. It appears to be faulty and it's bringing over these terrible aliens whenever it opens. It tries to pull Angie in, but they get the power cut. She does learn though that it's very cold there. Her arm is frozen. That's a little serendipitous since thrives in the heat. Don't you think? Anyways, it appears that Apollo is on his way back to Earth, so we'll see how this is all going to fit together. I thought it was a good story by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. I'm also really enjoying Simon Coleby's interpretation of these characters. I think he's doing a pretty decent job. In the back-up story, we see how Deathblow died during Armageddon, and came back to life after it was all over. Interesting. My appreciation of this series has increased over the previous few issues. I think with Dan and Andy on board they may finally be getting back on track.

Jonah Hex #44 - DC

It appears that this issue is the beginning of a multi-part epic for Jonah. It's call the Six-gun War. A lot of the old favorites from this series are back for a visit also. It starts out with a trap that's been set for Jonah. It appears that Quentin Turnbull, whom Jonah killed his brother, has teamed up with El Papagayo in their attempt to extinguish Jonah's life. And to get a little retribution. They beat the crap out of him and then bury him in an unmarked grave in El Paso. Meanwhile, in Chihuahua Mexico, Tallulah Black and Bat Lash have come together under difficult circumstances. It starts around a fight in the bar over a poker game . . doesn't it always, but they find themselves equally in trouble as they're leaving town just as El Papagayo and his gang are returning. El Papagayo had told Bat Lash to stay out of Mexico, and he remembers a gun running operation that was broken up by Jonah and Tallulah. As their part of the story end, they're being dragged through the streets of the city by horses. As the recent weeks have passed though, Jonah was dug up, almost immediately, by grave-robbers. Afterwards he stumbles towards to closest town. In it he finds that El Papagayo and his gang have murdered practically everyone. The only person he finds alive is Lazarus in the local jail cell. But before he can tell him what's happened, or how he got there, he passes out from exhaustion. I really like the way Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti have handled this series. I've enjoyed the entire thing. It seems that this story-line is going to connect a lot of the seemingly unconnected stories that we've read so far. That should be interesting. Cristiano Cucina does the art and cover for this issue. It's ok. It fits in well with the theme and the time of the book. So far I think there's only been one multi-part story through these first 44 issues. It turned out well, so . . I expect good things from this one.

the Warlord #3 - DC

We find out this issue that this plague that has befallen the Shadow Lands is actually the work of the group of people that Alysha Grant brought down here. She's the one that found the dinosaur skull in the cave in Tibet. The part that bewildered her though was that it was a fresh skull. So, she took it to a paleontologist, Kate Archer. From there they decided to launch an expedition. It consisted of Alysha and Kate with Ned Hawkins, who financed it and Ewan McBane as their photographer or historian. When they went into the mountains they were chased by Chinese soldiers. When they took refuge in a cave, they found a portal that transported them to Skartaris. Once in Skartaris though, they went their separate ways. Alysha saw this world as a place of myth and magic. A place where legends lived and people lived in peace. Ned however saw this as a world that was ripe for the conquering. So he quickly took power of the palace, with Kate by his side, and began broadening his reach. He wasn't going to be happy until he controlled this whole world. Ewan stood quietly by filming the whole thing. Anyways, somewhere along the line he captured Mariah and Machiste. Machiste escaped, or was traded out as slave labor, but Ned saw Mariah, Professor Romanova, as a source for knowledge. He found out that she had been here for years and he wanted all of the information that she had gathered in that time. By the end of this issue Morgan, Shakira and Machiste make their way to the overlord's palace, but their barely through the doors before their overpowered by his soldiers and his recently learned magic. Seeing her friends, and lover fallen, Mariah quickly agrees to assist Ned with whatever he wants. The issue ends with them all being taking into custody, and Shakira stealthily roaming around the castle. This series has jumped right back into the trials and tribulations that surround this land. And we've quickly been brought back up to date on all of the main characters. It seems to me, for Mike Grell, it's just like riding a bike. Chad Hardin does the art this issue. It's ok. It's not what I expected, but by the end of the book I believe his interpretation. I'm just glad that this book is back on the shelves again. And I'm thrilled that Mike Grell is at the helm. By the way, I love those covers.

Strange Adventures #4 - DC

This issue we find out that the Synarr that Adam, Comet and Eye have been talking to is actually a Synarr from the future. Apparently, because of the meld of their identities . . Synarr and the Weird . . he is powerless in this time period. But there are events that are happening here that can still affect him in the future. Already the identities of the Aberrant Six have been changed. Hawkman is no longer part of that enigmatic group, but it appears that Bizarro may be. Also the stars that are disappearing out of the sky have something to do with the Synnar/Weird combination. It appears that there's an alternate reality that's possible where the Weird retains Synarr's powers and destroys the universe. Synarr claims that he's trying to prevent that from happening. They go to Hardcore station and retrieve the body of the Weird, who now talks exactly like Synnar. And then they go to the dark zone . . that place in space where the stars are disappearing. They aren't there long before they're confronted by multiple copies of the Weird, and they see his 'eyes' in the sky . . "YOU SHOULD NOT BE HERE! DEPART IMMEDIATELY! OR YOU WILL BE DESTROYED!" This group just always seems to go from bad to worse. In the back-up we see a little more of Bizarro's fight on Hardcore, but really the story serves to give us some history and background on Lady Styx. She's recently returned and has noticed that Synarr has done so also. "When next Synnar and I cross paths, I shall crush him! And his plans I will derail! Lady Styx will have her sweet revenge!" Again, my hats off to Jim Starlin for an incredible intricate and complex story-line. I love what he's doing here and how he's trying to tie together all these various 'outer-space' characters that have been floating around the DC Universe for years. This is his perfect medium . . and he seems to be encouraged in it. Jim has been traveling down this path for a couple of years now. I couldn't be happier. Manuel Garcia does a great job with the art on the main story, and I actually like Rafael Albuquerque's interpretations in the back-up. I can't wait to see where we end up at the end of this one.

Secret Six #10 - DC

It appears that our misfit band of miscreants is on a new mission this issue. This is what we know so far . . there's this tyrant, Mr Smyth, who runs a mine, I think, on Devil's island. I'm not sure where that's at, but it appears to be somewhere around South America. Smyth though is actually a slaver, as he captures people, locals, and makes them work in the mine until they can't anymore. Apparently though, this Mr Smyth also works for someone . . Mockingbird. This is the piece of information that draws our little band into this story. I'm not sure, it's been a long time since I read it, but I think Mockingbird was the protagonist in the original Secret Six mini-series back in the 60's. Although the identity of this person was never revealed. They were lead to believe that Mockingbird was one of the original Secret Six. Anyways, this group is sent to escort something to Devil's Island. All they know is, "It is something beautiful. We are recreating god's will here, and this is the beast that will remove all doubt. It will terrify and inspire. It will consume the disbelievers. It is very ancient, my friends. Very precious and terrible!" And then they have to crash-land because the locals have decided to rebel. Smyth is there and he has Artemis in his custody. He also asks for a show of faith and has Deadshot kill an escaping prisoner. It turns out that she's actually the slave woman that Smyth was interrogating at the beginning of the issue, Mina. This was her punishment. "Hey, if I wanted her to suffer, I would have made that happen. I don't got anything against her or anything. Just an escaped prisoner. She ran, I shot. I don't know what you want from me." To which Smyth tells them all, "Welcome to Devil's Island ladies and gentlemen. Where you truly belong." I absolutely love the work that Gail Simone is doing on this series. I love her stories and the way she's developing these characters. Whodathunk that this team could actually pull of an ongoing series? Well . . apparently Gail did. Also, Nicola Scott is doing a great job with the art. Her covers are also improving. Her interior art though looks better and better with every issue. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite team-books. It's always fun to support and root for the 'anti-heroes'. They don't get much more 'anti' than these guys . . and gals.

Solomon Grundy #4 - DC

A couple of important things happen this issue. First, at the end of last issue, Solomon Grundy had arrived at the home of Alan Scott. However, Allan wasn't home but his wife Molly was. While there he finds Alan's Green Lantern and proceeds to crush it. This causes an explosion taking out Alan's house, and Molly with it . . almost. Alan had got there just in time and pulls Molly out. However, she's still hurt and has to take her to the hospital. As he's arriving, he notices a fluctuation in his power levels. And then his ring gives out completely. It says, "I've enjoyed my time with you . . farewell, Green Lantern." Apparently when Solomon Grundy crushed the Lantern he also killed it . . destroying it's power. At least that's what it looks like for now. Secondly we see that there's an orbital satellite watching the progress between Grundy and Alan. It appears to be occupied by Professor Ivo. But we don't really see his face. However, he does launch AMZ 3764 down to Earth for what he calls, "Project Eternal Revenge!" Later we see that it's the new Amazo, and apparently it's come to Slaughter Swamp to kill Solomon Grundy. All of this happens as it seems that the Phantom Stranger is further antagonizing Cyrus Gold, Solomon Grundy's alter ego, to get him to think about, and find his actual killer. "Your curse will stop when you've found your killer and forgiven him! Who killed you, Cyrus?" It seems that Scott Kolins has taken on a pretty big project here. He's doing the writing, art and covers. Last issue I wasn't overly thrilled, but this issue it seems that we make some progress. Scott has a unique style that I know some people probably won't like, but . . I think it works well with this story. I also loved it when he did the Flash. We only have 3 issues to go, so I'm interested to see how this character is going to be changed, or 'upgraded' by this story-line. I'm interested to see just how ambitious Scott really is.

Final Crisis Aftermath: Run! #2 - DC

This issue introduces a to a new villain. Well . . actually, he's a very old villain. As you can see by the cover. But, despite appearances, he's actually much older than he looks. His name is General Immortus, and he's been the scourge of the Doom Patrol, and sometimes the Teen Titans, for a good many years. He first appeared in My Greatest Adventures #80, around 1963. Anyways, he's back, after appearing to have been killed in Salvation Run, and he's putting together a team of misfits. As you saw last issue, the focus of the story was on the Human Flame, Michael Miller. This issue we see just how pathetic this guy is as he attempts to steal some equipment from Heat Wave. Of course he's not successful, and after looking pretty beaten up from everything he's been through, he's approached by the Condiment King in a bar. He wants to take him to a Doctor who can fix him up without questions. He then takes him to Immortus' lair. We find out that the Generals group of misfits include, the Condiment King, Sportsmaster, Brown Recluse, Mr Polka Dot, Miss Army Knife, Seductress, N-Emy and Phoney Baloney. As it happens, the Generals doctor is actually Professor Achilles Milo. He's a villain that goes way back too. He originally appeared in Detective #247, 1957. But he was also part of Bruce's downfall in Batman RIP. Anyways, he's taking the Generals handpicked subjects, one of which is now Michael, and basically rebuilds them from the inside out. When he's done, Michael is now capable of producing his flames without his suit. "You've had quite the overhaul, Miller. Some of the best work I've ever done. You've now got built-in flamethrowers with nozzles embedded in your palms, the backs of your elbows, and beneath your tongue. And of course, on your chest as well, like before. Flaming nipples being your idiom and all. I embedded some new pathways directly into your motor cortex. You should be able to feel your new features as body parts that you can manipulate, just like your fingers." As his first test, of his powers his loyalty and his gratitude, he's asked by the General to take out N-Emy for trying to steal from him. Michael does so, but . . after using his powers he discovers he's in a whole lot of pain. It seems that as a probationary tool, and to establish their loyalty, when one of these freaks first get their powers, he makes sure that their pain receptors remain fully in tact. Right now Michael can use his flame-throwers, but . . he also feels the intense heat when he uses them. When the General feels that he's committed to him, then he'll remove the receptors. Talk about one messed up employee incentive program. We also see this issue that John Stewart and Firestorm have made it their mission to track Michael down, mostly because of his involvement with what happened to Jonn. By the way, if I forgot to mention it, the Human Flame is also a very old character . . originally appeared in Detective #274, 1959. But he was so lame, they used him once, and then he didn't reappear for almost 50 years when he popped back up during Final Crisis. Sorry, just a little piece of trivia there for ya'. Anyways, this series is by Matthew Sturges and Freddie Williams II. So far . . I really like the story. I think there's a whole lot of cool, and original ideas here. And I really like that they're using, and upgrading these really old obscure characters. I'm also pretty impressed with Freddie's art. This should be a very interesting story.

Superman: World of New Krypton #4 - DC

First of all, I love that Gary Frank cover. The idea of Kal and Hal going at it . . it's fantastic. Plus, if you notice in the back, it looks like Sodam Yat is holding back John Stewart. Priceless! Anyways, it doesn't really get to that point on the inside. Almost though. Hal appeared at the end of last issue, just as Kal was knocking out Commander Gor. Anyways, Hal, along with Sodam and John, have come to New Krypton on a fact-finding mission at the bequest of the Guardians. Everything seems to be as it appears. They're a little concerned about the terra-forming process. But I think it's more about the dome surrounding the planet. But they really don't like it when they find the Armada that New Krypton is building. However, Kal is just as surprised as Hal. Tyr, their Labor Guild guide tells them, "I believe this reflects what General Zod called 'a need for defensive readiness' in a recent conversation I overheard between him and Alura." Sodam seems particularly upset about it all. They're in the process of debating it when . . there's an explosion. It seems that a criminal from the Phantom Zone was trying to abscond with a cruiser and ruptured the fuel containment. It turns out the guys name is Val-Ty, and he's one evil SOB. "Val-Ty, alias Zal-Zan, alias Zal the Grey, alias Greyline." It appears that 'Greyline' is also a wanted murderer who eluded Tomar-Re a very long time ago in the Kryptonian city of Kan. Therefore, he's still on OA's most wanted list. Zod pulls Kal out of his diplomatic detail, and assign him to the group to capture Val-Ty. What he doesn't' tell him is that he orders Kal's lieutenant, Nar, to execute Val-Ty once he's in custody. The problem is, since he's on OA's list, the Green Lanterns want him also. Kal and his team are the one's to capture him, so . . of course Kal's not going to let him be killed. But Zod quickly shows up to point out the Guardians lack of jurisdiction on thier planet. So anyways, Zod takes Val-Ty into custody, the GL's head back to OA, and then . . then Zod arrests Kal and Nar for treason. It seems like even when Kal does do something right here . . he can't do anything right. Every issue ends with him in a stickier situation. James Robinson and Greg Rucka are writing it. I think they're doing a fantastic job. The problem is, with this new world and it's variances from Earth's culture, really, they could do a whole series, leaving Superman out of it, and just focusing on the citizens of New Krypton . . their struggles, their fears, their hopes, and how they're adapting the 'old' Kryptonian culture and paradigm's to New Krypton. I think it could be an interesting series. However, the focus here is on Kal and Zod . . and Alura of course. I'm really enjoying Pete Woods art on this series also. I think he's doing a great job and he's really giving New Krypton a unique feel. And this issue, with their diplomatic tour, we see a lot of it. I really wasn't sure how this series was going to pan out, but . . I think I'm enjoying it more and more with every issue. And like I said . . I love those covers.

the Mighty #5 - DC

This series has taken a decidedly darker turn to it. Well . . maybe. We don't know all the details yet, but . . it looks kind of like Alpha One feels that he can do whatever he wants. You know that old saying . . 'Absolute power corrupts . . absolutely'. He keeps up his professional image, the image that he portrays to the media and his loyal fans, but . . in his private moments, it appears that Alpha One has a much darker side that he keeps very well hidden. Captain Cole gets a visit from one of his old colleagues . . former Captain Rhines. He wants to warn him about something . . Alpha One, but . . he speaks in riddles and codes. He doesn't want Alpha One to know that he's selling him out. Until he realizes who he is, Cole just thinks he's a lunatic. But then he does realize, and . . he turns up dead. So then he goes to see his other colleague, former Captain Deeds. He's hoping that he'll give him some information. But, Deeds is still riding on Alpha One's coattails because he's making a whole lot of money writing his memoirs about his life as a former Section Omega chief. But like Rhines, Deeds is cryptic and enigmatic at best. "You see this? This symbol. This silly little brand, it's got a lot of juice behind it. Play your cards right, a helluva lot of doors can magically swing open for a smart fellow like yourself. Keep your head in the sand kid. You're smarter than you look. Frankly, kid, you don't want to go on getting to frank. All those doors I just mentioned? They can just as easily shut tight. Permanently. Do yourself a big favor . . let my pearls of wisdom marinate in that skull of yours before you go jumping to any conclusions. Might be better for your health." Plus, on top of all this, there's still questions surrounding former Captain Shaw's death. The issue ends with Alpha One going back to his secret base where he's got the girl, that he pulled out of the car crash that he manipulated last issue, sedated and prepped for surgery . . it looks like. He puts something in her spine, and then drops her in a tank . . that's in the middle of a room full of tanks. It looks like he's collecting specimens . . like butterflies. "Calm yourself, child. Even if you were still capable of feeling pain, my intention isn't to harm you. I'm here to help. I'm afraid it's far beyond your limited capacity to understand. Impressive strength level at this early stage. Shush. All will be revealed in time. Welcome, child, to a brave new world." Peter J Tomasi is doing a fantastic job of keeping us on the edge of our seats with this story. I love the way he's been weaving this all together only to show us that the view we see doesn't reveal the whole picture. I wasnt' sure about Keith Champagne's art at first, but his style really suits this story. So far I think this is a great beginning to this series.

Batman and Robin #1 - DC

Ok. When I saw the solicitation for this book . . I really didn't know what to expect. I mean, I loved the All*Star Superman book that Grant and Frank did, but . . it was a little out there. But then . . so is everything Grant writes. It's almost like he challenges the reader to keep up with him. On a side-bar . . if you really want a book that will challenge you, and is full of original and spectacular ideas, try to get ahold of the Flex Mentallo mini-series that Grant and Frank did for vertigo around 1996. It'll really push your senses. Anyways . . back to the future . . I just wasn't sure if this would be a serious Batman book, or . . another alternate reality kind of adventure. I mean, look at that Batmobile on the cover. However, I'd like to put at ease any reservations anyone else out there may have, and say . . this book is legitimately entrenched in the current DC Universe and features Dick and Damian as the current Batman and Robin. And, after reading it, I thought that this series was fantastic. I really only have 2 concerns. And really, those are just me thinking out loud. First of all, we all love Dick. We all think he's a great guy, a little loose with the women, but overall has a pretty solid head on his shoulders. Unfortunately, for me, that may also be the problem. I kind of have a hard time seeing him as Batman . . acting the role. I just don't know that he has the same drive and determination that Bruce Wayne did. But, I'm more than willing to watch it for a while and see if they can prove me wrong. Secondly, Damian as Robin? I absolutely love it. He's so arrogant, and cocky, smart and full of ideas, sarcastic, ungrateful, and constantly pushes authority. He's the Robin that we all miss. And again, therein lies the problem. Grant can play this kid so fast and loose that I could easily see him becoming the more dominant character. Kind of like on Will & Grace. They were the main characters, but it wasn't long before Jack and Karen held your attention as equally if not more. They were the supporting characters so the writers could do anything with them. And it worked . . overwhelmingly. That's kind of the same thing I'm afraid of here. Don't get me wrong. I love these 2 characters and I think they have great potential, but . . I think Batman/Dick should be the star of the book. I'm just a little worried about Robin/Damian upstaging him. But, that being said . . I really did love this book. Starting with the covers, I actually like the JG Jones alternate cover better, but . . there's something to be said about those simple kind of covers that Frank does. They just quietly jump out and grab ya'. The issue opens with a car chase. Well . . kind of. Dick and Damian are actually following this car full of 'bad-guys', but they're in the new Batmobile, so . . they're flying. "I told you it would work. All I had to do was adapt my father's blueprints." To which Dick calmly replies, "I'm sorry I ever doubted you, Damian. Batmobile: lock to target. Disable." Damian then quickly scolds him, "Never use real names in the field. Your words." But Dick won't let him get the upper hand, "You're paying attention. Good. You know, I'd have killed for a flying Batmobile when I was Robin." The banter between these two is like this all issue. Later on Dick's ready to go out on patrol but Damian gives him a hard time. After scolding him, they get in the Batmobile and take off. As they're driving away, Damian says, "Hmmm. Crime is doomed." It appears that there's is a relationship that is going to need some work. Another difference in this series is that it seems that our dynamic duo is working out of Wayne Towers, instead of the mansion. Which, I think, definitely opens up a lot of potential. Anyways, they're chasing this new criminal Mr. Toad who works for someone named Pyg. Batman and Robin capture Toad and while he's talking Dick picks up on the of the European circus slang that he's using. Overall, I have to say, I really enjoyed the issue. We're given a whole lot of information this issue, but it plays out well with the flow of the story. Also, as I expected, Frank's pencils are fabulous. Every page, every panel, looked fantastic. I have to give a 'hat's-off' to Alex Sinclair for his incredible colors. The entire issue is very visually stimulating. Personally, I think we're off to a great start here. I can't wait to see where we go from here, and what other kind of cool ideas and props that Grant has in store for us. Batman and Robin are cool again!