StormWatch - Post Human Division #22 - WildStorm

There's a lot of stuff going on with StormWatch, and it looks like it's all about to hit the fan. Last issue Jackson sent Winter down into the middle of the Night Tribes. I think his intentions were to take out their leader and maybe some of the people around him. Well . . he got a little more than he expected. With all the vampires and werewolves surrounding him, Winter freaked. "I wiped them out . . exterminated them and left behind a crater of black glass almost eight hundred miles across!" So, he's not very happy with Jackson right now. Meanwhile, the doctor and Hellstrike have been working on trying to revive Fuji. They're also frustrated with Jackson. They start going through a roll-call of the stuff he's done lately, " . . wanting me to keep a lid on this thing with Toshiro . . lied to Christine about contacting the Authority. Had spies on the Carrier only he knew about . . dumping that sick Australian kid in the middle of nowhere to die . . dropping Winter into that nightmare . . it's not good. S'not right!" Which is when Winter comes walking in . ."No, it isn't . . it isn't at all. So, the question is, what are we going to do about it?" Also, the High . . remember when he dropped of that girl in that meta-free zone? She slipped him a note saying that they needed his help? Well the gas chamber that he went into last issue was to turn him human. The problem is, he only has 10 days to reverse the process. After that . ." . there will be progressive organ failure, the proliferation of aggressive cancerous matter and ultimately loss of all genetic cohesion. You will be conscious and fully aware most of the time. Death will be rapid but excruciating." But he had to do it in order to get into the zone. Now that he's human, he just hopes he can do something to help. And all the frustration with Jaskson may be moot. The Watch Hall has found some more survivors in Norway. They go down to get them, but what they don't know is that they're Kheran patriots. They killed the human survivors and took their place. Once they get on board, they get into key positions and then suicide bomb the whole ship. As the issue ends we see pieces of SkyWatch, and personnel, flying out into space. Man . . these guys just can't catch a break. Ian Edginton is really doing a great job with these issues. I really like the way he's handling all of these characters. My only question is . . is it still StormWatch without SkyWatch? I guess we'll have to wait and see. Leandro Fernandez is also doing a great job with the pencils. I can't believe we're up to issue #22 already. Whodathunkit?

Superman: World of New Krypton #5 - DC

I have to say, James Robinson and Greg Rucka make a pretty good team on this book. Almost this entire issue was about Kal's trial for treason. He and his lieutenant, Asha Del-Nar disobeyed Zod's orders recently when they were ordered to kill the escaped prisoner Val-Ty. Kal suspected Zod's motives, but he disobeyed because . . he doesn't kill. Kal's defense tries to use Zod's history with the El family to their advantage, but in the end . . Kal admits, "I stopped her from carrying out your wishes. I know there was nothing treasonous in lieutenant Nar's intentions that day." Later, in his cell, knowing that he's facing certain prosecution the next day, he tells Nar "Standing by our principals in theory is easy. It's when we stand by them when we're tested that defines us. I will stand by mine." Tyr-Van, that guy that's been talking to Kal so much from the worker's guild, has a device to shut of the red-sun generator in Kal's cell, so he can escape. Kal doesn't stop him, but . . he also doesn't attempt escape. This perplexes Zod. Plus we find out that Van is actually a spy for Zod. This was Zod's way of testing Kal. The next day he's found guilty, but then Zod speaks up and asks for the religious guild to grant absolution. They have that power during Nova. Later when Kal asks him why, Zod tells him "I wanted justice served. But . . I also want my army to be strong. And whether I like it or not, I'm beginning to see that army is better for your being in it. The fact is, I knew without doubt that you were willing to die for Earth. Now I see that you're equally prepared to die for New Krypton." So anyways, they're having this huge celebration because of Nova, plus they're removing the dome over the city. The atmosphere has finally been balanced. The whole city is rejoicing . . and chanting Zod's name. Well . . all except the guy that comes running up on the podium and blasts Zod in the chest. "Death to Zod!" The issue ends looking like he's accomplished that. This is a fantastic series. James and Greg are both doing an incredible job, but so is Pete Woods on the pencils. I also like that these stories are taking us in emotional directions that I never expected from this series. I enjoy learning about the 'character' of our characters. We don't get that alot.

Booster Gold #22 - DC

I love the premise of this story, and that the Teen Titans are involved with the current story-arc, but . . I'm a little confused about what happened this issue. First of all, I want to say that I'm glad that Dan Jurgens and Norm Rapmund are back on the art chores. They do a fantastic job, and there's some great looking stuff in this issue. Plus . . I love that cover. I wonder why there was never a cover like that on the Teen Titans book. Well . . except for Booster of course. Anyways, this issue the Black Beetle is out to destroy the JLA. So he figures if he eliminates the Teen Titans that it'll dishearten them. "What better way to neuter the JLA than to take away it's greatest tactician? It's driving force?" So this issue he teams up with Deathstroke, and in turn helps out the Ravager . . Deathstroke's son, Grant . . beat the Titans by infusing his body with chronal energy. When Grant originally fought the Titans his own power betrayed him by burning him out from the inside before he could complete the task. I guess the chronal energy puts a halt to that process. So they don't disrupt time to much, the Black Beetle claims to be an agent of HIVE, and Booster claims that he's on the security force for STAR Labs. Although, if the Black Beetle is only concerned with taking out the JLA, I don't really understand why he's concerned about time paradoxes. It would all seem kind of moot, as long as he attains his goal. But, from what I understand, since Slade wasn't involved in this originally, the Black Beetle claims that HIVE was hiring him. Alright . . I guess I can accept that. Anyways the issue ends with it looking like the Black Beetle has accomplished his task . . all the Titans look dead, and Booster looks like he's drowned in the pool. Also Rip has returned to Vanishing Point but, while trying to investigate something, he's been knocked out. I love the Teen Titans, so I think it's great that we've returned to this point in their history. However, I find it hard to accept that they've allowed Booster in so easily. And where's Raven at? This was shortly after she first brought them all back together. Anyways, this is part 2 of 4 so maybe we'll get some more answers next issue. The back-up story is Blue Beetle by Matthew Sturges and Mike Norton. Overall, I guess, I enjoyed the issue. I'm just a little confused about the turn of events.

Green Arrow and Black Canary #22 - DC

I thought for sure this would be the kid that Dinah injured when she was a kid, but it wasn't. It was someone else she injured . . on another case. From what I understand, she was using her Canary Cry and it blasted through the wall and hit an innocent guy. A guy who just happened to be a violinist. Sean Sonus was a violinist with the Star City Orchestra. He had a bright future ahead of him as a kid. He was very smart and his father wanted him to go to engineering school. But Sean was in love with music so he chose it instead. That is until a couple of months ago when Dinah took him out . . by accident. So now he calls himself Discord, and he's invented this sonic gun that disrupts sound . . as well as a helmet of sorts that he wears that allows him to hear. He has a younger brother who thinks Sean is a genius . . "What you've created . . I always knew you were a genius, but . . this could revolutionize the world for the hearing impaired. Deafness could be cured. You still clearly have a gift to give." But he quickly finds out that Sean is filled with hatred right now. Hatred for what the world, and Black Canary have done to him. So much hatred, that he can't let his brother stand in his way . . and kills him. Of course Dinah ends up taking him down, but . . it doesn't really feel like a victory to her. This is just another person that she's hurt because of her gift. Which I think is the purpose of the flashback sequences. In them, Ted Grant is talking to the young Dinah offering to coach her if needed. It all comes down to the final thing he says to her . . "Come and find me when your ready. Until then, do me a favor and . . try not to hurt anybody." Pretty prophetic words from a guy who's more than a little punch-drunk. In the back-up story we see how Ollie got on with Cupid. When the sound came back they hear a woman screaming for help. While they were all deaf, this woman started to freak out. Her boyfriend thought she was over reacting and got pissed off . . so he stabbed her. Cupid's ready to kill him for what he did, and Ollie is standing back and watching. He would've stopped her, but before he could the police come busting in. Lt. Hilton was concerned about Ollie's apathy, so he calls Dinah later. This just further proves that she's right to be worried about him. So far, I like what Andrew Kreisberg is doing with this series. He had 3 different parts going on in the main story, but in the end you see how they're all connected. Mike Norton does the pencils on the main story and the back-up, but in the back-up . . Bill Sienkiewicz does his inks. It looks fantastic. This just shows how changing the inker can really change the finished look of an artist's page. Also, another fantastic cover by Landronn.

R.E.B.E.L.S. #6 - DC

Vril Dox is one cold, calculating SOB. Which is why I think he's such a great character. At the end of last issue, Starro the Conqueror was getting ready to take over the Dominator homeworld. That mission is completed this issue. However, Fleet Admiral Xylon does escape and he sends out a sector wide emergency transmission. This puts everybody on alert . . if the Dominators can fall, so to can anyone. The good thing about all of this though is that Vril is continually building his core-team. The Khund Amon Hakk rejoins up with Vril . . even though he hates his guts. "I hate him so much I can't think straight . .!" As does Ciji, the Durlan. Wildstar finally returns with Scilica, but her command functions have been wiped, so she can't control the millions of LEGION peace-keeping robots spread out over the sector. That's what Vril was trying to do. So, he has to fall back to a more basic protocol. "It's called the 'Iron Curtain' protocol. It was meant to keep enemies out, but it will keep you fenced in. Right now, on every planet with a LEGION contract, my peacekeeper units are abandoning their posts. They will no longer follow your orders. Only one imperative drives them now . . a dormant command I hard-wired in their systems . . all ten million of them. They're taking up equidistant positions, forming a closed perimeter around Maltus and the Dominator homeworld. Each peacekeeper has a force shield emitter with enough range to overlap and link up. I'm sure you're familiar with the concept of a shield wall . . but you may not know that my 'father' invented the strongest force fields in the universe back when I assisted him. I've sealed off our little corner of space, Starro . . prepared the battlefield, if you will. You could just go home. The subspace rift through which you arrived is within our invisible box. But what you will not be able to do is slip on little starfish past my sentries. Dox out." So basically what he's done is lock Starro in a cage and piss him off. "Angry people make mistakes. Our chances of success just went from zero to about seven percent. We're going to need more help if we expect to improve those odds." Tony Bedard is doing a great job with this story. I like the way he's got everything so intricately weaved and connected. I would imagine that Vril isn't the type of character that you can write from issue to issue. You need to know 8 or 9 issues out what he's up to. He's got schemes within schemes and just because he feints one direction now, doesn't mean that you know where his ultimate goal is. I also enjoy Claude St Aubin's pencils. I think he's getting better with every issue. Since we don't have a regular Legion title right now, or stories . . at least until Adventure Comics starts up again . . this is a fantastic replacement.

the Warlord #4 - DC

Ok, to me, it seems like this guy, Ned Hawkins, that came to Skartaris in search of the dinosaurs . . when he arrived in Deimos' castle, he became obsessed. I'm thinking it may be more like 'posessed'. Maybe posessed by Deimos' fallen spirit. But if so, I don't think he really knows it. He seems to have his drive, and desire for conquest, but . . not his personality . . yet. Either that or he's just hiding the fact for some reason. So far we're not exactly sure of his motives, other than that he wants to take over all of Skartaris, and . . he's looking for something. He's given even more power this issue when we find out that Jennifer has been translating Deimos' hand-written texts, but discovers that the pages have been written on top of other pages . . pages of binary code. It appears that the books that he wrote all of his secrets and spells in were actually operating manuals for ancient Atlantean war gear. If he gets these in his possession, and operational . . he'll become near unstoppable. Tinder and Shakira finally show up in the castle to help release Travis and Machiste, but they find out that they've also turned Ned's personal videographer, Ewan McBane. He's been video-taping everything since their arrival, but Travis helps him realize that just because he isn't actively participating doesn't mean that he isn't abetting. We get a little bit of swordplay this issue. Our gang has to fight their way through some of Ned's forces, plus . . they come across one of Deimos' monsters that he left behind. At least, I think that's what it is. Finally, Morgan and Ewan decide that they have to go back through the portal to try to get some weapons and such to fight Ned. As they leave we see that Ned has a skull with some type of ruins painted on it. Is that what he was looking for? I'm thrilled that Mike Grell is back in the scripting seat of this title. I liked the little 10 issues we had a couple years ago by Bruce Jones and Bart Sears. But, I'm sorry, nobody can write this series like Mike. I wish he was drawing it also, but . . if not drawing it means that he'll be sticking around longer as the writer, then . . I don't even care. Besides, look at that awesome cover that he did. Joe Prado and Chad Hardin do the interior pencils this issue. Most of it looked ok, but near the end of the book some of it looked kind of weak. But we'll forget about that because I'm just glad this book is finally back.

Green Lantern #43 - DC

This issue we finally get the history of William Hand. I'm not sure if you remember, it was just a footnote really, but he was mentioned by Atrocitus back during the Green Lantern Origin story in issue #32. Anyways, we see that William, a son of a mortician, has had a fascination with death since his early childhood. He's considered the black-sheep of the family, but nobody really pays him that much attention. He seems harmless enough. That is until he decides to make an outfit out of a body-bag, and call himself the Black Hand. Since then, Green Lantern #29 1964, he's been a recurring villain through the Green Lantern and Flash books. He's been thought to be a bit of a genius, because of his device that absorbs the Green Lantern energy, but we find out in this issue, that it was actually left behind by Atrocitus and William just absconded with it. Up until now, it seems like his main motivation was a hatred, or intolerance, of the Green Lanterns. Although, when he was experimented on by the aliens, he did receive a hand, after his was removed by the Spectre, that could suck the life-force out of anything it came in contact with. And, he's getting information from somewhere. He hears a voice and assumes that it is Death talking to him. It nudges him in certain directions, and gives him information. He knows the names of all the heroes, and villains that have died over the years. And he also knows those that have escaped Death. William says, "You want them back." The voice replies, "I want them all." We then see the actions that turn him into the first Black Lantern. He goes home, to his parents and brothers, and uses his energy device to kill them all. He then turns the device on himself. Shortly after . . Scar shows up. She's talking to the same voice that William was. She then vomits up a Black Lantern ring. "William Hand of Earth. Rise. Like Ion . . like Parallax . . like the Predator. You are the embodiment of our corps. You are the black incarnate. You are our lord's herald." William, who now looks like he's been freeze-dried . . or smoked, says "I . . know what I am. I am the Black Hand. And with this power, I will finally extinguish the light." This issue is actually the prologue to the Blackest Night story-line. And now that all the pieces are in place . . the main event can begin. This was a fantastic issue by Geoff Johns and Doug Mahnke. Doug's work is especially poignant with this type of story . . this topic. His art can really have a dark, eerie edge to it. The page where William blows his brains out with the energy device was creepy . . and disturbing. By the way, I saw that Friday they announced that Ryan Reynolds will be playing Hal in the upcoming movie. That may change, but . . for now, that's what we got.

Red Robin #2 - DC

I really like this book. But, I think I'm a little jaded because I've always liked Tim's character. This title is handled creatively by Chris Yost and Ramon Bachs. So far I like what they've done, but . . we're only on issue #2, so . . we'll see. Anyways, Tim has gone abroad. He's convinced that Bruce isn't actually dead, and that if he just follows the clues he'll be able to find him. You know, now that I think about it, I bet he doesn't know about Connor yet. I wonder if that might lighten up his mood a little bit. Anyways, in his attempt to follow the trail, he's drawn the attention of Ra's al Ghul and his League of Assassins. This issue is spent between Paris and Berlin. Paris is where he's made, and he confronts the guys that Ra's has sent after him. It's funny when the guys have a bead on Tim through his apartment window. They want to know what they should do . . if they should take the shot? Ra's tells them . . "You can try." Anyways during their scuffle one of them drops a blue-tooth phone that's connected to Ra's. "I hold you to a higher standard, given your master. I've been watching you , Timothy. I'd like to have a conversation." Of course he doesn't talk to him, but he does hang on to the headset. Then in Berlin, he decides that he's willing to do whatever he has to to complete his mission. Even if it means cooperating with the enemy. That is why he switched to the Red Robin outfit afterall. He doesn't want his actions to go back to Bruce, or Batman should he need to cross a line somewhere along the way. Which, I think, is the other reason I like this title. Tim, to me, has always seemed like the guy that sooner or later was going to cross a line somewhere. The difference between him and Jason though, is that when Tim does it, it'll only be after heavy deliberation and for the right reasons . . the ends justifying the means. We also see that before taking off, Tim cuts all ties with everyone he can count on . . Ives, Bard, Harper, Oracle, Alfred and Stephanie. He especially has a few harsh words for Stephanie. Anyways, I'm diggin' this new title so far. It's a little 'harder' and 'edgier' than before, but . . I think that's what this book, and Tim's character needed. He's been traveling down this road for a long time.

Batman #688 - DC

Surprisingly, this issue was illustrated by Mark Bagley. And honestly, I thought he did an incredible job. Of course we were drawn to the book by this beautiful Tony Daniel cover. Anyways, Judd Winick takes some steps right away to distinguish Dick's Batman from Bruce's Batman. First of all . . he's not afraid to be seen. He's made himself accessible to camera's, surveillance and media, and he actually seems to be helping the Police with their crime-scenes . . making evidence available to the authorities. Also he's not afraid to change the MO. He's not happy with the cowl . . he feels his peripheral vision is impaired, and he hates the cape. "It weighs a ton! We've lightened it three times and I still feel like I've got a circus tent on my back." And that's not even mentioning the dynamic between him and Damian. It's tenuous at best, but . . Dick is trying to get through to him. I think he's trying to balance the extensiveness of the knowledge that he was taught, balanced with the openness that he wished he would've received. I don't think he wants to be as hard on Damian as Bruce was on him. But I'm afraid with that approach, he's losing some of Damian's respect. In the beginning of the issue, we're 3 weeks in the future and Dick/Batman is getting the snot kicked out of him by someone in the Bat-cave. I'm thinking . . it's Two-Face. We find out this issue that with this extra footage of Batman available, Two-Face is studying it like game films. He knows that there's something different. He just hasn't figured out what it is yet. I also think it's interesting that we haven't heard much from the Black Mask in the last month or two. What's going on with him? Anyways, I thought it was a great issue. I have huge respect for Mark's talent. I thought this entire issue looked incredible. Also, Judd is definitely in his element here. I can't wait to see more.

Wednesday Comics #1 - DC

Well . . this is different. It's set up just like the comic section of the Sunday newspaper. It's got the same kind of look and flow to it as those serials. And, from what I understand, these stories will be dragged out over the 12 issues of this experiment. The good thing about this is, there's no adds. Well, one on the back fold for Robot Chicken. But we have a great cast of stories set up here, with a huge cast of creators. There's Superman by Arcudi & Bermejo, Batman by Azzarello & Risso, Kamandi by Gibbons & Sook, Hawkman by Kyle Baker, Deadman by Bullock & Hauck, Green Lantern by Busiek & Quinones, Metamorpho by Gaiman & Allred, Teen Titans by Berganza and Galloway, Strange Adventures by Paul Pope, Supergirl by Palmiotti & Conner, Metal Men by Didio, Gacia-Lopez & Nowlan, Wonder Woman by Talent Caldwell, Sgt Rock by father & son, the Flash by Kerschl & Fletcher, and the one that surprised me the most Catwoman and the Demon by Simonson & Steelfreeze. Of the stories themselves, the ones that seemed like they fit the format the best were Kamandi, Hawkman, Strange Adventures and Sgt Rock. They just had the feel, and look of something that could've been in the paper. I liked, or appreciated all the stories, but looking at this paper unfolded before me, I'm taken back to when I was a kid and rushed to read the color comics in the Sunday paper. The comics the rest of the week were ok. But Sunday's were in color. Like I said, I liked the rest of the stories . . Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, but . . the Sunday comics were never that flashy. There was never anything like Bermejo, Risso or Quinones' work. My other complaint, kind of, is that having read comics and knowing how long some of these stories can be dragged out, it just didn't seem like we received near enough information in the one page spread. Oh yeah, and it was $3.99. $3.99? Are you kidding me? I definitely didn't feel that it was worth that price tag. Ok. I'm sorry. I'm starting to get kind of negative here. I know this is an experiment. And, I appreciate what they're trying to do. I got the newspaper feel from it. But overall, it just felt like a page blown up from 15 different comics. Other than the uniqueness of the whole thing . . there was nothing that really stood out to draw me back week after week. I'm sure this whole thing was a 'cool' idea. And everybody got all excited when the characters and names started getting thrown around. But, in my opinion. The presentation of the material was lacking. Lacking what, though? I'm not sure. With this medium there wasn't really much they could've changed. I'm a little confounded after thinking this all through. Maybe it'll grab me more next week.

Spawn #193 - Image

Well . . we're on issue 9 of this story-arc, Endgame, and we still don't have very many answers. This issue though, the Clown tries something I've never seen him do before . . he plays a 'bait and switch' on Spawn, Jim Downing. He comes at him in the alley as Malebolgia, the Violator, all fire & brimstone and threatening and all. But then he slinks into the shadows, pretends he's beating someone up, and comes back out as the Clown. He says that he wants to help the guy, and that they're kindred spirits of sorts. That is until he senses one of his new recruits in a nearby jail. I think the guy in jail has something to do with vampires or demons or such. The Clown goes through this elaborate charade to get Sam & Twitch to arrest him. But really he just want to end up in a jail cell where this guy is trying to hide out. Other than that, we don't get many other answers this issue. Now that Todd is writing this book again, I forgot how much he likes to stretch out these stories. That's how he did it in the beginning. Overall, I think it works out well . . we get point of whomever's trying to make an inroad in this battle between heaven and hell. But sometimes, I think, he does stretch it out a bit long. Greg Capullo comes on board as the penciller this issue. I'm sure Whilce just needed a break. I'm just thrilled to see Sam & Twitch back in the action again. It's been a while. Personally, I've missed their own book. Anyways, this book continues in it's usual excellence. Things are heating up as we're approaching issue #200. It's not that far away now. Just a quick question, but did anyone see, or get one of the color covers to this issue? It's shown at the top here, but all I saw was the black & white version. I'm just wondering if I missed something.

the Boys #32 - Dynamite Entertainment

Vought-American is trying to strike back at the Boys for what they've done to their income resource . . the G-Men. Well, actually is was Vought that took them all out, but it was something they felt they had to do after they were compromised by the Boys. So now they've got this group of b-listers . . actually, they'd probably be 'd' or 'e' listed . . they're pretty low down the totem-pole, after them. Last issue they beat up the Female, and this issue they set them up by taking her to a fake hospital. The Boys almost don't realize it until it's to late. They end up taking their licks, but . . they give as good as they get. All of them have been hurt, on both sides, but when the Countess goes after Butcher's dog . . well, lets just say, all bets are off. It looks like Butcher's going to take them out one at a time, starting with the Countess. I know this book is violent, and over the top, but . . really, that's the point. It's meant to be a parody of traditional 'super-hero' comics. It takes the line in traditional comics that 'heroes' will never cross . . and buries it. In this world, the 'supers' act like anyone else with notoriety, fame and fortune . . they feel like they're above the rules of others and can do whatever they want. The Boys job is to keep them in check. They let them know that there's a real world out there and real consequences to go with their actions. I think Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson have done a fantastic job with this concept. Unfortunately, Darick doesn't draw this one. It appears that Carlos Ezquerra will be filling in for him for a while. Probably at least this story arc. He does a pretty decent job. The book doesn't lose any of it's momentum. I like this book. A lot! Whether it's a good seller or not . . it's good escapism. That's what this is all about. Right?

Echo #13 - Abstract Studio

This should be a TV show . . it really should. I could see it being a weekly serial much in the manner of Fringe, or Bones. Terry Moore has really brought this story, and these characters a long way in it's 13 issues. We've got the 2 main characters, Julie and Dillon. Don't worry. There's nothing at all romantic between them. Dillon's girlfriend worked for HenRi, an atomic research facility. She was testing out a suit that exploded. As it rained down, Julie caught the brunt of it as she was in the area taking some nature photos. Now the suit is becoming more and more attached to her every day. HenRi has hired, what I think is an ex-agent to track Julie down and bring her back to them. But Ivy is a pistol. I thought she was a real bitch at first, but I think she's a person who's trying to do her job, and trying to do the right thing. Even though those 2 things may not work very well together. Julie has a sister, Pam, who has to be taken care of because she lost it a bit after an accident that claimed her husband and kids. Ivy also has family problems of her own. Then we have the usual government cover-up. Add to that the media trying to break the story, but they don't know what the connections are yet, and . . we've got a made for TV story right here. Hey, if they can put Kyle XY, or the Bionic Woman on TV, why not Echo? At least it's original. This issue, after being chased by Ivy, and not knowing what else to do . . Julie and Dillon are heading back to Moon Lake, and HenRi where this all started. Really all they want . . all they've wanted this whole time, is answers. This is a fantastic book, Terry. I wait in eager anticipation for every issue. Thanks for all the hard work.

Fantastic Four #568 - Marvel

Well . . that didn't take to long. We find out this issue just who this Marquis of Death really is. " . . Clyde Wyncham. The world's most dangerous super-villain. He came from an alternate dimension, where he was their one and only mutant." When confronted with his image, Reed remembers exactly who he is. But he, the Marquis, also wants to tell his own tale . . "His reality-altering powers subdued by brain damage and this cybernetic helmet of your design, which provides him with an eternity of pleasant dreams. Until the day not many years hence when your adversaries join forces. Many dreams died that day. The day Clyde Wyncham was woken from his slumber. His mind restored . . his appetite for slaughter awakened. Clyde Wyncham conquered time and space and became their master. He dedicated a billion years to crisscrossing the whole of reality, becoming at last . . the Marquis of Death. And my final voyage began, I cut a path through millions of worlds and millions of Reed Richards to give you this one chance to save them all." So, while this guy is considered to be Doom's master . . really, this whole time he's only been after Reed. Boy, if Doom heard that this is what he'd been used for . . I'm thinking that he'd be pretty pissed that he was manipulated this way. And, that means that Reed was actually more important to him that Doom . . his own protege. A protege that was picked, I'm sure, for the express purpose of causing Reed and his family grief. No . . I don't think Victor would be to happy with that piece of knowledge. To bad he's sitting in the belly of a dinosaur shark right now. The Marquis has taken Reed on a tour of his past. He's offered to spare his reality, if he but makes a different decision during a key moment in their history. But Reed refuses to sacrifice anyone but himself. So he's returned. But he finds that the present has been altered also. It appears that the Fantastic Four consider him the enemy, and he's attacked by Sue, Ben and Johnny . . hundreds and hundreds of them. Wow! Mark Millar has really done an incredible job with this series. And Bryan Hitch has been simply superb with the art. But, right now, I'm a little concerned that we may be seeing Mark and Bryan on their way out. This issue Mark is helped by Joe Ahearne on scripts, and Bryan is assisted by Neil Edwards on the art. Is this the beginning of the end . . or do these guys just need a little break on their fantastic run? I hope it's the latter, but . . I'm afraid it's the former. Ok . . I stepped away for a second to check the postings. Next issue is listed as Mark's last issue, and Stuart Immonen is doing the art. After that Jonathan Hickman and Dale Eaglesham take over the creative chores. We'll have to talk about this some more next issue.

the Invincible Iron Man #15 - Marvel

Well, Norman has found Tony. Or . . that is to say, Madame Masque has. Of course Norman was keeping an eye on Pepper, after he let her go, and she led him right to Tony when she took off for Russia. He had Madame Masque there before Pepper even got there. But, Norman didn't take into account the feelings that Whitney had for Tony at one time. And to see Tony now, in this diminished state, and with Pepper, another woman . . well let's just say Whitney already was not the poster-child for mental health. Now her feelings and emotions are bubbling over all over the place. I know she's acting calm and rational, but . . if she was calm and rational she would've just shot both of them when she had them in the sights of her sniper rifle. Instead, she's decided to play it up close and personal. She's torturing Pepper, and she's trying to figure out if Tony ever really truly loved her. That doesn't sound like the best course of action to me . . or even a very good plan. The issue ends with her taking her mask off, and asking Tony to honestly tell her what he thinks. With the right answer, she'll either save him . . or Pepper. Meanwhile, Maria Hill has caught up with Natasha, but she's having a heck of a time convincing her that she's on the up and up. All she wants to do it get the hard-drive to Captain America. But Nat's heard to many stories about what Maria's done. It isn't until she's almost captured by HAMMER agents that she finally gives her the benefit of the doubt. Anyways, I thought this was another great chapter by Matt Fraction. I'm really getting an immense appreciation for this guys talents. He really writes some fantastic stories. Of course Salvador Larroca's art looks incredible, as usual. I'm just wondering how Matt is going to wrap this all up. It doesn't appear to me that there's a clear ending available for these characters. We'll just have to see what rabbit Matt can pull out of his hat. Whatever the case . . it'll be fantastic, I'm sure.

Cable #16 - Marvel

Ok, the question that keeps occurring to me is this . . if Cable is stuck so far into the future, and he's got these 2 celestial cities on the horizon, why can't he find the parts or the tech to pirate something to fix his time-sliding device? I mean, he built the thing afterall, so . . he should know how to fix it, or how it works and what parts he needs. Or is that technology even farther into the future than he is right now? It's just a question I have. Anyways, when X-Force took off last issue, Hope ends up pulling a bit of a childish act. She sensed a kinship with some of the people from her own time, so, as a child, when they go to leave, she thinks that she wants to be with them. Nathan is getting ready to slip into the future, and she pulls away from him. He's only powered up for a second, so they've only ended up like 2 years apart. But still, as a father, Nathan feels like he's let her down. He knows that she's got to be in the general vicinity . . there's no place else for her to go, but . . at the same time he's a bit disabled because of using up the last bits of his TK energy in his fight with Stryfe. Therefore, he's becoming ravaged by the techno-organic virus that fighting it's way through his system. And then . . Bishop shows up. But he soon realizes that Nathan is near invincible right now, plus . . Hope isn't with him. So he goes back into the past. Meanwhile, in the past Hope has made it to one of the cities. She's looking for food, and shelter. There she meets a boy, and over the course of time befriends him. But the issue ends when the boy sees his father close by and calls out to him. It ends up that he's a soldier, and the leader of his little platoon is Bishop. But all Cable has to do is find her. Hopefully she survived, and yes she'll be 2 years older, but . . at least he wouldn't have let her down. But first he has to survive himself. Paul Gulacy takes over the pencils on Duane Swiercyznski's story this month. I think it's a good opening chapter, but it appears that both of our main characters are in over their heads right now. It doesn't look good for either of them.

Exiles #4 - Marvel

Ok . . I'm a bit relieved. I thought this issue was much better than the last in this series. That one really came off as sophomoric. This issue . . maybe it's just this story-line, but this issue it feels like we're getting back to normal a bit with this title. Last issue they left the world where Magneto lead the mutants. They beat him, by exposing his true plans and intentions, but . . the Tallus still told them that the world was doomed. That was right before it told them that it was time to leave. So now they've come to this world that's ruled by machines. It appears that at some time Charles and Hank Pym got together and tried to upgrade Cerebro. What they didn't know was that some of the tech the Hank used was infected by Ultron. Over the course of time, the Cerebro/Ultron mix became a separate entity. It took over the Sentinel program, and Machine-man program and then built a neutron bomb to extinguish all life, plant and animal, in North and South America. Now it appears that Cerebro is the absolute ruler, and Ultron, the Vision and the original Machine-man make up some of it's elite guard. Of course they spot our team as soon as it arrives on their planet, and quickly capture them all . . except for Blink. She had gone out for provisions. I get the feeling though, from this story, that maybe all the machines aren't on the same page. Cerebro just wants these pests eliminated, but . . our trio of guards seem to have other plans in mind. And, at the end, when Blink is trying to find her incarcerated friends, she comes across a room where they're working on Polaris. She's spread apart in pieces on a table . . like a robot. But I didn't know Polaris was a robot. Did I miss something in the beginning? That should be an interesting twist. Ok . . I gave Jeff Parker and Casey Jones a pretty hard time with the last posting. I couldn't believe how far one of my favorite titles had fallen. True, they were following up Chris Claremont's stories, but . . still . . it just didn't seem like the same book. Thankfully, we seem back on track this issue. I just hope it lasts. This really is one of my favorite books. At least give it a fighting chance. Please!

Uncanny X-Men #513 - Marvel

This is going to turn out to be a heck of a story . . I think. We find out this issue that Norman has another Dark Avenger in the wings. One that we hadn't seen . . as yet, but . . it's an obvious addition . . the Dark Beast. I really didn't see that coming, but . . it's perfect. Also Norman gives Emma her team this issue. Her Dark X-Men. They include, Cloak & Dagger, Mimic, Daken, and Michael Pointer - Weapon Omega. However, not to be led around like a dog, Emma brings in someone of her own also . . Namor. "My team. My way. Mutant problems. Mutant solutions." Oh yeah, also, Norman has someone else working with him. Well . . not completely willing, but with the right incentives . . "Some experimental behavioral modifications we've had success with in others. In the blood, you see, tiny machines capable of executing . . correctives . . as I see fit. Starting at debilitating electroshock and ending at, well . . detonation." He's goes on TV with Professor Xavier to denounce Scott's, and the X-Men's actions. Charles seems to be going along with Norman all of the way. But I thought we saw Charles incarcerated with the Beast in Alcatraz? Well . . that's true too. It turns out Norman's little secret weapon is actually Mystique. Well, I'm glad she's picked a side in all of this. I was worried that she was going to be left out. Anyways, Bastion is still continuing his demoralization of the human/mutant relationship. Trask, who we all know is under his control, has been taken to a hospital . . since he was injured during the mutant riots and all. But of course he's not hurt, and he's started to take over some of the staff working around him. I think he's the wild-card in all of this, because even Norman won't be able to control him, and really . . he doesn't even know what he's up to. Anyways, Emma goes on TV to announce that with her team she's working in conjunction with Norman to control and minimize the situation erupting all around San Francisco. Scott's watching, but has decided to play a 'wait a see' strategy with them. However, at the end of the issue, when a group of rogue mutants that includes Sunspot try to get very publicly arrested, Scott decides that it's time to do something. "Okay, Emma. Okay. I think it's time I had a talk with Norman Osborn." Matt Fraction has really fit right in with this book. His stories are always intricate, with a lot of aspects and hues . . much like we all love to see in our various X-titles. I think what he's done on this title so far is fantastic. Terry Dodson does the pencils this issue. Now we start crossing over with the Dark Avengers, and . . don't forget the Dark X-Men mini coming out next week also. Man . . I feel like I'm blowing half my wad on X-Men titles every week.

Captain America - Reborn #1 - Marvel

After reading the recent issues of Captain America . . I had to get this series. If he's coming back . . I'm interested to see how that's going to happen. Plus, I thought Ed Brubaker did a fantastic job with the stories in the recent issues. I'm a fan of his other work, so . . I don't see a down-side to this. Bryan Hitch and Butch Guice will be doing the art. So, all-in-all . . this should be pretty amazing. My only concern is that it lives up to all the hype that it's received. Anyways, this book has everything in it. We've got stories of World War II, the New Captain America - Bucky Barnes, the Black Widow, SHIELD, HAMMER, the Red Skull and Arnim Zola, Nick Fury and of course Norman Osborn and his team of Avengers. Really though, the whole story comes down to Sharon Carter. At the time of Steve's death, Sharon was an agent of SHIELD. Apparently the Red Skull had exerted some kind of mind-control over some of them, including SHIELD, and in the process she's the one who shot Steve. This, along with a lot of her memory, was lost to her . . until recently. When she got her memory back, she also remembered what she did with the gun. So now, her and the Falcon, along with the Vision, have gone to Hank Pym to try to figure out some answers. First of all, there's something special about the gun. And secondly, Sharon has some memories of when she was a captive of the Skulls. There was a project that he and Zola were working on and it involved one of Doom's time-platforms. She doesn't remember everything, but she does seem to remember Steve's body in the glow of the machine. Anyways, SHIELD came in a beat these guys and took all of their equipment and devices. They're currently in the hold of HAMMER's helicarrier . . it's base of operations. That's where Bucky and the Black Widow come it. They're also working with Sharon and the Falcon in trying to solve this mystery. With the help of Nick Fury, they infiltrate the base and attempt to get the devices that Hank needs to examine. However, they find that the Avengers . . specifically Ares and Venom, are there waiting for them. We also get a look at the conversation Zola has with Norman when he's trying to explain to him what he and the Skull had done. "Doom's platform locked his body in time and space. With both the platform and the constant, we were able to pluck him right out of the timestream . . where he lay dormant. But the woman damaged the machine during the process. Steve Rogers' body disappeared during the transfer . . . Steve Rogers has come unstuck in time." We then see him bouncing around during the days of WWII. He doesn't know how he got there, where 'there' is, or where he was before. All he knows is that he's caught up in the actions that are going on around him. I thought this was a fantastic opening-salvo for this story. We have a lot of unanswered questions, and daggling plot-threads, but . . this is only the first issue. We've got 4 issues to go. And even then, after this mini-series, we may not have all the answers. Not yet anyways. I thought Ed did a terrific job weaving this all together. I think this is going to be a very complicated story, but . . we got a pretty good picture of everything that's involved with it this issue. Although, I'm sure there's other stuff to be thrown in that we haven't seen yet. From the first issue alone I'm pretty excited about this. It should be a heck of a ride.

the Authority #12 - WildStorm

This issue, the Authority finally has to deal with what's happened to Apollo. Well . . to be fair, they've also only just found out. During their recent fight with Eidolon, Apollo was bitten by one of his followers that was infected with the Warhol Virus. The problem is . . in all of the other infected, the virus burnt itself through the body, and it's resources in minutes or hours. It's now been in Apollo for weeks. As we learned last issue, for them that's lifetimes . . generations. It gave them plenty of time to grow, adapt, evolve. Now they call themselves the burn. Anyways, with their evolution through Apollo's body, and psych, they've also come to learn what he knows . . information about the carrier and the 'doors'. So now it's made it's mission to find these 'doors' and spread itself through the bleed and other dimensions. Which is why Apollo flies back and attacks the Carrier. Of course he's unsuccessful . . this is still the Authority after all. "You are Hawksmoor. You are Midnighter. You used to eat this stuff for breakfast." However in the process Angie becomes infected. Her nanites fight it off, but during the worst of it she learns about the 'Burn' and how to beat them. When Apollo comes back, they have a 'door' ready for him, and they allow the burn to find it's way through. But it's the coldest, most savage world they can find. Shortly after crossing, Apollo finds himself flash-frozen, and the team then pulls him back and puts him in isolation. Now they just have to figure out what to do with him. Which is how this book ends, and will be a case for another issue. I think Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning have been doing a great job with this series. I've enjoyed their work ever since they first started on the Legion, all those years ago. I feel like they've finally found their groove on this series. Simon Coleby does the art on this issue, although he does have some help from a few others . . Cliff Rathburn, Drew Johnson and Ray Snyder. This team has been one of my favorites since it's inception. But it's had a rough history . . and publication. Right now it feels more 'on track' than it has in the last 2 years. Which is fantastic. The past is the past, but now? . . now we're back on schedule. I feel like it's on it's way to becoming one of my favorites again. They just need to figure out a way to get Jack a little more up to speed. Or, at least, make him an important part of this team again . . a contributor. We see a glimpse of that in this story-line, but . . who knows what the future holds?

Secret Six #11 - DC

This is a rather strange predicament that our team has found itself in. They've taken a contract to work for a man . . a man they don't even know, and have no name for, only to find out upon arrival that he's a modern day 'slaver'. He's a 21st century slave-trader. And right now, his prize possession is . . Artemis. We heard him call her by that name last issue, but . . I thought, ' . nah. It couldn't be!' We don't know yet how he came to have her in his possession . . it fact, he claims that he's holding many Amazons. But we haven't seen any of the others yet. And, at the end of the issue, Wonder Woman shows up. I don't know if she knows about the rest of them, but she's arrived to avenge her sister. On the final page of the issue it appears that Artemis is dead. That, in itself is an interesting plot development, but most of this issue focus' on our modern day tyrant. Like I said, we don't know who he is yet, but we have met Emil. He's the little guy who's like his right-hand man, and originally recruited our little group. When our main characters arrive on his little island, he feeds them, and then gives them a soliloquy on how many wonders of the modern world were built upon the backs of slaves. He's doing the same thing here. He's building a prison. But not just any prison . . the ultimate prison. A prison so all-encompassing that it will eliminate the need for any other prison . . in the entire world. And now, apparently, the team finds itself divided. They deliberate, but Thomas states that they have to honor the contract that they accepted, and Floyd? "If the Bat's too much of a coward to kill the Joker, wouldn't you rather have him here, with all his little Arkham playpals? Lotta dead smiley guys might tend to thing so, I bet." They find themselves battling each other, internally and physically, literally, when Jeanette takes it upon herself to release Artemis. That's when Wonder Woman shows up and apparently during their little 'in-fight', somehow, Artemis has ended up dead. I've loved this book ever since it's relaunch a couple of years ago. I thought the first mini-series was great. At first I thought this second run was just another attempt at that. I was very pleasantly surprised when I realized that this would be a continuing series. And was even more thrilled to discover that Gail Simone would be continuing to write it. I love her work, especially her sense of humor, and the way she handles these characters. Nicola Scott is also doing a fantastic job with the art. This continues to be one of my favorite books every month.

Batman Confidential #31 - DC

The thing I like about this series is that any given story could have taken place during any given era of Batman's lengthy history. They're stories that apparently we've never heard about. As I'm reading them, I'm usually trying to figure out what was going on in his world at the time. That's just how my mind works. Anyways, this story is about a mutant, apparently, from Russia. He starts out as a kid, I would think rather normally . . he's got a coach and dreams of being an Olympic athlete. But . . someone has other plans for him. They know he's special, and . . they know he has the potential to be a weapon. That's what it always comes down to. Certain people will always either try to make money off of something, or try to figure out a way to use it to hurt others. So I would guess he's probably about 5 to 8 in the beginning of the story. Then we jump ahead 12 years. We're in Russia after it's broken up, and now the country is split up into factions. And, it seems, each faction has it's own crime-family and kingpin. These kingpins are the people that really run this country. Well . . that is, except for their Tsar. He's the actual leader. But, it's a fluid position as any one of the kingpins, at any time, would take actions to occupy that role themselves. So, he has to have a deterrent. That's where this child comes in. We don't know much about him right now. We've only seen him in the shadows. But he appears to be massive, covered with hair, glowing red eyes, and . . if anyone happens to see him, they know they're not long for this Earth. Now we have the development of the Russians trying to start up their business ventures in Gotham. The Tsar, Boris Stavrogin, is trying to strike a deal with the Gotham Underworld. They have a nuclear weapon. They want to move it into Gotham and hold the city hostage. The issue ends with Batman talking to the Tsar, after he beats up one of his hired-hands and takes his cell from him. It's a tense conversation, and both of them have made their intentions clear. Apparently Batman is on his way to Russia. As always, Peter Milligan writes a very tense and interesting story. I'm sure this one will be very intricate, as it will be spread out over the next 4 issues. It actually reminds me of the Denny O'Neil / Paul Gulacy stories of the mid 80's. Anyways, Andy Clarke does the art, and it looks fantastic. I'm not sure what the cover has to do with anything, but . . it's cool looking.

Solomon Grundy #5 - DC

I don't know why, but I find myself with mixed feelings about this book . . and this series. Don't get me wrong, I think Scott Kolins is doing a great job. He's writing and drawing this one. I actually think it's the character that I'm just a little ambiguous about. I appreciate that Solomon Grundy is an important part of the Green Lanterns's history . . Jay's that is. And, apparently, Cyrus Gold has a past deeply embedded in Gotham City. Aside from that, I find myself not really caring so much about this character or what happens to him. The Phantom Stranger, along with the Spectre, are trying to break the curse or Cyrus' death, and resurrections. But they don't seem to be making a lot of progress. There's an interesting twist this issue when Professor Ivo sends one of his Amazo-bots to eliminate Solomon. During one of his resurrections, Solomon teamed up with Ivo and was trying to create a body for him to spend his immortality in. Apparently, immortality doesn't mean that your body doesn't go through all the usual problems and glitches that are accompanied with age . . diabetes, cancer, alzheimer's, arthritis, etc., etc.. So now Ivo is holding Solomon responsible for that failure. It appears that Amazo has eliminated him, however in the process the robot has absorbed the powers and aptitude of the swamp beast. He's basically an inorganic version of Solomon now. And, after the robot eliminates him, the swamp then swallows up the robot. Another resurrection does occur, but this time he's back as Cyrus. And, as we see on the final page, SHADE is there with Frankenstein to make sure that he doesn't run amok again. I don't know. Like I said, I appreciate Scott's work. I just find myself not really caring so much about what happens. But . . there's still 2 issue to go. So, maybe I'll find a little more meaning in the story, or the future of this character. I guess I'll have to wait and see.

Jonah Hex #45 - DC

I'm not sure when this movie is coming out, but . . I love this book. It's a great escape from the usual genre of books that I read. To be honest with you, there's no real 'good-guys' or 'bad-guys' here. They're all pretty much bad. Just different shades of gray. Most of this series has been single issue stories . . a few double issues here and there, but this story-arc, 6 Gun War is a kind of mini-series within the series. It brings together some of our favorite characters . . Bat Lash, Tallulah Black, Lazarus and El Diablo . . against some of the worst desperadoes the West can spit up . . El Papagoyo and his gang, and Quentin Turnbull and his. All of them . . both sides of the coin . . claim that they're out for revenge or justice. It's funny how that can be a motivator for both sides. And, how much it can be twisted . . twisted until it's barely recognizable. Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti have been doing a great job with this series. Their stories have really captured the essence of this era and it's dubious characters. We've also seen a stream of great artists over these last 45 issues. Currently Cristiano Cucina is providing the visuals for this story. Overall I think it's a great story. But don't worry, I'm sure it'll be out in TPB within a couple of months. On a different note, through my E-Bay searching, I've gathered up about half of this original series, and most of the Weird Western Tales. It's always fun trying to piece series together like that. It takes some time, and patience, but . . I like it when you can start to see your hard work all coming together. I think part of the reason I like this series so much is because it's stayed true to that one. Anyways, this is a fantastic series. I guess I'm just a cowboy fan at heart. Who knew?

the Mighty #6 - DC

It appears that our media darling, Gabrielle Cole, and the current leader of Section Omega, is in a bit over his head here with Alpha One. He took over as section leader when his predecessor, Captain Shaw, was mysteriously murdered. And he's not the only one that left under mysterious circumstances. Last issue we met Tayor Rhines, another previous Captain. He confronts Cole and tries to warn him. But then, we see, later on in his apartment, Alpha One murders him so that he can't pass along any information that he doesn't want Cole to know. However, during his autopsy, Cole finds some micro-film under the skin of his arm. Even in death he's trying to warn Cole. There's some footage of Alpha One having some physical problems, and he leads Cole to an apartment where he's got some bullets hidden. We're not sure yet what it all means, but . . it's just the tip of the iceberg. Later that night Alpha One shows up on Cole's balcony. He says he's willing to give him the trip into space that he's always wanted. Gabrielle trys to act nonchalant, but . . really this is just an intimidation tactic on Alpha One's part. Basically he's trying to show him that he can kill him any time he wants. But, like I said, Cole plays it cool and says all the right things, never letting on just how frightened and anxious he really is. However, when Alpha One takes him home, Gabrielle wakes up his wife and takes her down to the Subway to talk. He's hoping that the sounds of the trains will drown out his voice, even for Alpha One's ears. But, we see, on the surface, Alpha One is suspicious and is following the train with his x-ray eyes to see what's going on. I'm not sure if he's catching everything that Cole's saying, but . . he definitely doesn't look happy. I like this premise because . . if you were the only 'super-hero' in the world, known to everyone and adored by all . . what would stop you from feeling like you were better than everyone, or above them? I mean who's going to argue with you? Sure he probably started out with the best of intentions, but . . how long was it before he felt like he didn't have to follow the same rules as everyone else? However, he's smart enough to know that he has to play the 'role' in order to have this unfettered access, and so that suspicious eyes stay off him. But I feel sorry for Gabrielle. He thought he was moving up in the organization that protected, and served, the world and it's people. But actually . . they only protect and serve Alpha One. And that's getting to the point where it's more that they, or anyone, would be able to handle. I have a feeling that the crap's about to hit the fan. I think Peter J Tomasi, Keith Champagne and Chris Samnee are doing a great job here. This story-line, and this book, gets more intriguing with every issue. It's like a train-wreck waiting to happen.

Strange Adventures #5 - DC

Jim Starlin is a master story-teller. And, he's weaving one of his masterpiece cosmic odysseys in this book. By the way . . this time he writes and draws it. All of the characters are in play . . they're just all in different places right now. Synnar's Aberrant Six seem to be coming together faster and faster now. Strange, Comet, Eye and Prince Gavyn make up the majority of the group. Hawkman is supposed to be a member to, but it appears that his presence will be replaced by that of Bizarro's. Although the only people that seem to be aware of that, right now are Deacon Dark and Lady Styx. And, although the Weird is also on the list . . he's having a whole bunch of problems because it seems that his and Synnar's essences got mixed up during their recent resurrection. The Weird has become omnipotent, but he doesn't know what to do with that power and it seems to be warping his perspective of reality. He's been devouring whole star-systems, and right now he's attacking his friends. Synarr, in the form of the Weird, is trying to get his group together so that they can eliminate the Weird and he can get his powers back. Right now the Weird is blocking him from doing that. He claims that the Weird threatens the entire universe, but he only wants to get his powers back so that he can challenge the supreme being . . God! Or, a God. I'm not sure which. With this issue the story doesn't progress much, other than Adam and Comet being sucked into the Weird's psyche when Comet reaches out to try to communicate with him. Hopefully now they can figure out what's wrong with the Weird, and why he seems to be acting so whacked-out. Whatever the case, I think the reason this book is so important is because through it, and a couple other mini-series by Jim over the last year or two, this part of the universe is eventually going to be defined by what's happened here. Part of what I think is so brilliant about all of this is that Jim started everything quite a while ago. It was 1988 when he wrote the Weird's mini-series. And it was 1998 when he created Hardcore Station, in it's own mini-series. Now we're sitting here . . 20 years later, and it's all coming together. What other writer do you know of that has that kind of foresight and vision? I can't wait to see how this all comes out.

Final Crisis Aftermath: Run! #3 - DC

I'd have to say . . of all the Aftermath mini-series, I think I like this one the best. I think Matthew Sturges is doing a good job with the story, and I'm enjoying Freddie Williams II's artwork. The woman on the cover here is going to be the downfall of this little group that Immortus has put together here. She's called . . the Seductress. And her skills seem to be working on Mr Miller, the Human Flame. Immortus has sent his little band of misfits out to get some chemicals and stuff that he needs. Basically he has a formula that helps him live longer, and he's almost out. What they don't know is that for some reason Clayface seems to be after the same shipment. Luckily they don't have to fight him because the Army is protecting the shipment, and . . when they call for back-up . . John Stewart and Firestorm show up. They're more concerned about Clayface than the group of misfits that they don't even know, so . . they slip under the radar, and while John and Jason are busy with Clayface, Dot takes them out of the fray. But Clayface is more than willing to give them up. "Hey, I'm not the one you should be gunning for, you know. That Human Flame guy was after it, too. Why don't you go after him? After all, he's the one that got your green buddy toasted. I was an innocent bystander to that whole unfortunate business. He might have some new gizmos stuck on him, but he's still the same loser. And now he's running a crew of total losers, too." But I don't think we've seen the last of Clayface because the Army takes off with him, but . . their containment vessel . . it doesn't work. Anyways, during the course of the story, the Flame and the Seductress do some talking. Mike Miller lets it be known that he appreciates the upgrades, but . . he's only sticking around until Immortus turns off the pain receptors, and then . . he outta' there. However, while doing some snooping around, Immortus catches wind of their plan and confronts them. The Seductress quickly turns on the Flame, but he's not going to give up so easily. He tries to make a break for it, but in the process jumps out a third story window. Needless to say, the Human Flame is broken again. I'm sure Immortus will put him back together, but . . I'm also sure that he'll have him on a much shorter leash this time. I think the most interesting part of this story is watching this serial loser trying to get out of the hole that he's dug in his life. He can get all the 'gizmos' and 'upgrades' he wants, but . . he's still stuck in the same decision making process. So, he'll continue to be a loser. Even though he didn't choose his rescuer, in Immortus . . he's willing to try to use him to become a better villain. What's the definition of insanity? "You continue to do the same thing over and over again, but you expect a different outcome." Well, I think Mike is definitely caught up in that paradigm. I think it'll be interesting to see how he comes out of this series, as compared to how he was when he went in. But . . we won't know that for a few more issues yet. So, come along for the ride . . sit back, and enjoy.

Justice League: Cry for Justice #1 - DC

This was an incredible book. I absolutely loved the story. James Robinson did a fantastic job. The thing about this story . . with the current state of the world, politically, economically, the recent abundance of prominent deaths . . anyone who reads this book can probably relate to the anxiety, and emotional outpouring that some of these heroes are experiencing. It's a relevant story that is timely in it's expression of the frustration that's felt by a lot of people around the world right now. Basically . . they've had enough. With all the 'crisis', and drama that they've all experienced over the last year or so, they just want to know that they're making a difference. Hal's the first to raise the question, "How much more are we supposed to take? We wait for villains to do wrong and then go after them or we wait for them to attack us. Might have worked then. But these aren't the 'villains' of yesterday. And our being 'good' and 'true' isn't scaring them back in to the shadows. Not anymore. I'm saying this will not stand. I'm saying they hurt us, we hurt them back." There's many 'heroes' that are feeling the same thing, but I think Hal's is the most emotional outpouring. He's genuinely frustrated. Ollie thinks he's going a little over the top, but . . " . . how long have we been friends? I'm here for you all the way." So . . they decide to strike out on their own and form their own team. We see some of the other 'heroes' that are feeling the same way. They may not have voiced their opinions or concerns yet, but . . they're definitely feeling the pull from the heavy weight of this job that they have. Some of the others include, Ray Palmer. He's after some information about some stolen technology from the Killer Moth. Somebody that he knew died in the process. "Have you ever had a sinus headache . . so tortuous you thought your head'd explode? What if I shrank to microscopic size, entered your skull, then began to grow. Imagine how that would feel." There's also others . . Mikaal Tomas, Starman, and Congo Bill. These are just the 3 that we see this issue, besides Hal and Ollie. James puts a little commentary in the back of the book where he talks about the various 'heroes' that will take part in this series, and why he's chosen some of the one's he has. They include, Batwoman, Supergirl and Freddy Freeman. I have a feeling that this is going to be one heck of a series. With James writing it, though . . what else would you expect? But I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about Mauro Cascioli's pencils. They are . . fan-frikkin-tastic! I mean, when he did the Trials of SHAZAM! I was impressed. But now? Now the guy is just phenomenal. I can't believe how good these pages look. And it's not just the pencils. It's the inks and colors also. There were 2 different covers for the first issue, but . . no variants. Or, I should say, no premium covers. I was kind of surprised, actually. However, I'm willing to bet that there will be a second printing. My guy said that he definitely sold more than he thought he would. If you haven't picked up this book . . you definitely need to. Even if you don't follow the League, I think you'll be able to appreciate the relevance of this story. Plus, I think that the events that occur here are going to shape the future of the League for quite a while. This would definitely be a good place to start up. Really . . I just can't say enough good stuff about this book. This is, without a doubt, a classic in the making.

Green Lantern Corps #38 - DC

First of all, check out these 2 amazing covers. The one on the right is by Patrick Gleason, and the one one the left is by Glenn Fabry. They're both phenomenal. Peter J Tomasi is really doing an incredible job with this series. This issue, the break-out at the sci-cells is pretty much wrapped up, and the Alpha-Lanterns are taking all of the escaped prisoners of to new quarters. Meanwhile, Kilowog, and the rest of the Lanterns are left cleaning up OA. It's buildings and it's people. The problem is, right now, everybody is pretty shaken up because the battery-shell around OA has been shaken apart by the children of the white-lobe. Kilowog has to be the voice of reason and try to get everybody back on task. Meanwhile, on Korugar, Soranik is trying to deal with her recent revelation that she is the daughter of Sinestro. Her and Iolande are trying to figure out how she's going to deal with this information. And on Daxam . . with the recent power spikes in it's inhabitants, thanks to Sodam turning their sun yellow, Mongul has decided that maybe it's time to retreat. "Due to this . . unexpected resistance, I think we need to reconsider Daxam as a base of operations. I do believe there's a planet that may fit our requirements and serve the symbol of this Corps in a much more fulfilling way." But the real 'meat and potatoes' of this issue is when the Guardians, upon their return, have instructed the Alpha Lanterns in dealing with the escaped prisoners. "The Guardians have ordered that all prisoners are to be executed. We are carrying out their decree." Kyle and Guy find this out, and are intent upon stopping it . . even if it is in direct violation of the Guardians. They can't believe that the Corps has stooped to this level. It's not at all what, to them, the Corps stand for. The Guardians save the 2 that Kyle and Hal promised they'd protect, Bolphunga and Kanjar-Ro, but then they dispatch the 2 honor-guards back to Earth, where they are to learn to keep their emotions in check, and to wait until a formal inquiry is launched. On the final page, we see some asteroids collide . . with various spectrums in the background . . Green, Blue, Orange, Red, Yellow, Violet . . and out of the rubble comes hundreds of Black rings, and then . . a giant symbol of the Black Lanterns. Something nobody realizes yet is that Scar, I think, is trying to strengthen the Black Lantern Corps. So, with the execution of these prisoners, she's actually making them stronger. It looks like in the next issue of both of our books . . Blackest Night begins. This is a fantastic book. Peter has been doing an exemplary job, and I'm still thrilled with Patrick Gleason's pencils. I love the way he portrays all of these various alien races. And next month . . next issue . . ooh, I can't wait!

Batman and Robin #2 - DC

Sorry . . it took me a while to get started on this week's books. I had quite a pile of Marvel to work through from last week. 17 Marvel books, alone, last week. This week I only have 20 books total. Well . . 22 really. I got a couple of Simpson books. But I just read those for fun. I still spent to much money though. There always seems to be 3 or 4 variants I want during the first week of the month. And my guy offered me a deal on the Gotham City Sirens variant, so . . what's a comic-geek supposed to do? Anyways, on to our second installment of this new series. For me, this book is a dream. I love it when Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely team up. I don't know why, but they seem to perform their best work together. We see Dick going through all the insecurities of trying to take over for Bruce this issue. He knows that Gordon and the rest of the cops suspect something. "Didn't they used to be taller?" "Batman sounded different, right?" "Familiar. And that kid . . I've seen him somewhere before." And he's having a hell of a time getting Damian to follow his lead. He thinks he knows everything and has all the answers. "I already promised my father I wouldn't kill. Now I'm supposed to be nice to the Police as well? This pathetic impersonation of my father makes a mockery of his memory! Keep your clues and your 'detective skill' and your limits. I'll do this my way." But to me, the best relationship expressed through this story is that of Dick and Alfred's. They talk about everything, exposing their innermost feelings and fears, and use each other to garner strength and vision. They're true best friends, confidants, and mentors. Anyways, with this group, they find out that it's an extreme circus group . . le Cirque D'Etrange. I don't know if they know about Pyg yet though. He seems to be their leader. They stage a break-out, for the Toad's benefit, which Batman and Robin help thwart. But, in the process, 4 cops were killed . . 6 seriously injured. And the Commissioner had to calm Robin down as he was putting a serious beating on the 'fat-woman' who was trying to get to the Toad. On top of all that, in the end, the Toad ends up dead. So far Dick only has a few clues to go on . ."Wooden Gallopers, Circus people, domino killers and weirdo drug deals". Now he just has to figure out how they all go together. Meanwhile, Damian, off on his own, has gone right to the source . . the grounds where the circus is now rooted. The problem is . . they're strongest on their home turf, so Robin is quickly overwhelmed. "Alone in the rain and dark . . mmm? Hasn't he heard? The hour of the Pig has come! And the night belongs to me!" Personally, I love this book. I think it's full of excitement, emotion and the intrigue that makes for a good Batman story. No it's not seamless. It's not a smooth transition. But whoever said it would be? This is a kid, basically, that's trying to take the place of his mentor/father who had been doing this since before he, or any of them besides Alfred, were even born. Plus, for all the years that he worked with Bruce, Dick never saw himself as one day taking his place. He used what he was taught, and the tutelage he received, to become his own man. An homage to the original . . not a clone of. Now? Now he has to learn to adapt what he knows . . his methods and style, to filling the role he's trying to perform . . not imitate it. I think this is a great time to be following the Batman books. There's a whole lot going on.