Countdown to Final Crisis #9 - DC

Everything is hitting the fan now! Desaad is desperate for the Piper to play his flute. Through it he can access the anti-life equation. Then Desaad can control the Piper. We learn that everything that has led the Piper to this moment, has all been choreographed by Desaad. He's been controlling Piper's destiny for some time now. In an effort to get away from Desaad, he stumble across some OMAC's getting ready to dissect Karate Kid. We know that he carries the virus that could be the end of all mankind. But the twist is that the virus also stops the OMAC's from assimilating the human host. And it's the same virus which Ray Palmer naturally carries the immunity for in his system. Things are really starting to come together. Also we learn that Darkseid has some trick up his sleeve. It has something to do with a long gone experiment of Desaad's. Whatever it was never worked, but Darkseid feels he can use it to sidestep the coming catastrophe. He's even keeping it a secret from his chess partner, the Monitor, Solomon. At the end of this issue, Piper turns the tables on Desaad. He knows his own power better than anyone. He does indeed play a tune, but not the one Desaad is expecting. Instead the tune he plays, kills him. And then he goes to the power-core of this recently acclimated world of Brother-Eye's. There he plays a tune that basically puts the world in self-destruct mode. The problem our Challengers face is that their ticket through outer space, Kyle, is knocked out. Man . . this is a fantastic book. Like I said, all the pieces are coming together now, and things are going to be coming at us fast and furious. Are you ready? Lets get ready to . . . . .

All*Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder #9 - DC

This book was intense. Batman & Robin decide to have a little chat with Green Lantern, Hal Jordan. Actually, he wants to have a chat with them. On this world the rest of the heroes are really just getting started. He, and others, are afraid that because of Batman's tactics he'll set back their acclimation into the mainstream by years. Yes he helps the crime rate in Gotham. But at what price? Broken bones? Severe contusions? And what about the kidnapping of a young boy named Dick Grayson? Batman . . and Robin . . adamantly deny that is the case. But Hal doesn't believe them. Never-the-less, Batman took extreme precautions coming in to this meeting. Both of them, and the entire room are painted yellow. The rings one weakness. "Dumbest weakness I ever heard of . . . he can't even make himself a green dandelion with that ring of his if what he's up against is yellow." But as Batman surmises, Hal's other weakness is his imagination. He has a ring that can do anything, and "He's got the imagination of a Goddamn potato! He makes green fishing poles and mousetraps when he could, well . . ." Basically, Bruce has nothing but contempt for him. And, after just weeks of training, he has nothing but admiration for the young boy. He's a natural. But, he has no restraint. While fighting Hal, he ends up going right for his wind-pipe. Batman has to perform an emergency tracheotomy on him, so he doesn't suffocate. Of course he saves him, but it leaves both of them pretty shaken up. There are truly some stunning panels in this book. But we all know that Jim Lee is at his best when Scott Williams is his inker. And they definitely do each other proud this issue. This is a fantastic book. Of course a lot of that credit goes to Frank Miller's writing prowess. And honestly these 2 are a dream team. Don't forget the icing on the cake . . . the alternate Neal Adams cover. Fan-frikin-tastic! Anymore, I really don't care how long it takes between books. I'm just happy when they come out. A piece of comic history!

Justice Society of America #13 - DC

This book is simply . . . incredible. Of course it's made even more so by the addition of Alex Ross to the creative team. Right now he's co-writing the stories with Geoff Johns. And, he's providing the covers. To tell the truth, the alternate cover of this book was drawn by Dale Eaglesham, and the regular cover by Alex was far superior. And it didn't cost me $10. We did however have a fill-in artist this issue, Fernando Pasarin. And actually, he did a pretty good job. Everybody is concerned about Mr. America's return, because he was pretty badly beaten up. I think he has things mixed up a little with his story. He keeps saying that the guy is calling himself Gog . . the one that beat him up. Also the one that's been dubbed the Heartbreak Slayer, because he pulls the hearts out of the chests of his victims. But I don't think he's saying his name is Gog, I think he's saying that what he's doing is in the name of Gog. So his actual name is Magog. Which would be the same as the supposed hero that ended up tearing apart the world of the other Superman's. But I think the JSA is getting closer to tracking him, because on his last teleport, he left some of the volcanic ash on his shoes behind. So it's only going to be a matter of time until they figure out where it came from. So far this Gog has just gone after the heroes that took a likeness to the Greek Gods. But from his speech at the end of this issue, it sounds like he's ready to go after the rest of the heroes that would liken themselves unto gods. Lightning, Thunder's sister, has made her way to the mansion this issue. And of course Jakeem came back last issue. But really, that's about all we see of the new kids on the block, this time around. I thought this was another great issue, in what has come to be an incredible run. I really hope Geoff Johns is planning on sticking around on this title. With him at the helm, this groups potential is unlimited. It's nice to see them returned to greatness.

Teen Titans Go! #52 - DC

This issue had the usual Teen Titans Go! humor and campiness to it. But they introduced the Dial H for Hero character, Robby, to the Titan's fold. Older readers will know about this character, but they seem to have revamped him a little for the kids. They put one little twist in, that when he uses his powers, his character may be different, but basically he borrows the powers from someone else. As we worked through this story, each of the Titans lost their powers for an hour while Robby was in action. It's never worked like that before, but I guess that's how they wanted to work it for this one. It's interesting. Like I continue to say, it's a nice book for kids with some pretty cool characters. I'll admit, as a more . . . mature . . reader, I like like it to.

Army @ Love #12 - Vertigo

I don't know how he did it, but Rick Veitch wraps up almost every story-line he had going in this issue. He did leave a little opening in the Colonel Healey story-line. And since Secretary Stephalane is really in charge of the whole MOMO initiative, his story still has some mileage also. Most of Rick's story-lines stretched through these whole 12 issues. It really was like one big giant soap-opera. Except . . you know . . set up in some mid-east country . . in a fake war . . in the not to distant future. You could spread the irony in this book like butter. Rick doesn't spare any facet of the war making machine. Unfortunately, this makes the end of this chapter. I assume they scheduled 12 issues, hoping that it would go over. But, if not, then they had an out. My guess though . . . it went over bigger than they ever dreamed. It's scheduled to begin the next chapter some time this summer. It really was a fantastic book. And it appears to have caught on in the mass media. This month's cover has an endorsement from The Washington Post. I'm sure it'll be out in TPB soon. If you haven't read it, you should pick up the TPB and peruse a vibrant piece of political irony. I really don't know what else to say, other than . . . it was fantastic.

Jack of Fables #20 - Vertigo

For once, a books cover depicts an actual event that takes place inside the book. Well . . except for the 3 girls part. Last issue Jack and his gang found the treasure that they were looking for. Well . . not exactly the treasure, but the location depicted on Humpty's ass. Hopefully that wasn't a pimple. Anyways, they find the ruins of this Aztec looking pyramid kind of thing, and they assume their treasure is inside. Of course they're right. And somehow during the arduous labor of collecting all the gold, Hillary decided that she's turned on by Jack. "I promised myself I wouldn't do this, Jack, no matter what else I did. But you have a certain . . . quality about you that I can no longer resist. So come on, then!" I see she took the men's course in foreplay. For me it's just, "Are you tired?". Anyways, after which she learns that Jack has slept with both of her other sisters, Robin and Priscilla. The way she finds out is because Jack feels the need to announce his accomplishment to the world. "I am truly the greatest. I am a hero to the common man. I did it! I finally managed to nail all 3 Page sisters! I got the trifecta!" After which, Hillary nails him much in the way she does on the cover. As he lays on the ground, writhing in agony, he says "I . . . regret . . . nothing!" I've said this before. I really don't know how Bill Willingham comes up with this stuff. It's amazing, and far-fetched, and creepy and weird all at the same time. And really, when you come to think of it, he's writing his own fable (s) in the pages of this book. Complete genius.

JSA Classified #35 - DC

I'm a big fan of Sean Chen's. But on this month's cover, I noticed something. Everybody has the same face. Just different colors. Sorry! Just something I noticed. Anyways, this was a pretty decent issue, actually. B Clay Moore, apparantly, is the writer on this series now. I liked this issue, because I liked the way he unfolded the story gradually. I also liked how, when Ted was fighting Solomon Grundy, Alan just kind of hung there in the air watching . . thinking. Almost like it would sully his hands to get involved. And then he starts asking Ted about his plans and motivations. A real, kind of, philosophical conversation between the two. Basically he's asking him, why does he still wear his costume. I kind of get the feeling that Alan is asking more for himself than Ted, though. But, it does open up Ted's mind, and we get to see some of his perceptions of his past. Glories, and mistakes. When he starts delving deeper, he begins to realize that none of them went exactly the way he would like to remember them. But the main part of the story focuses on Ted's old gyms, Grant's, that are still up and running in Gotham. Alan wanted to let Ted know that he got the feeling that there's something going on there. "There's a lot of unusual activity there. Guys with no paper trails training and the just disappearing." So between his talks with Alan, and his concerns about the gyms, Ted decides to hit the road solo. He shows up at the gym, and of course everybody recognizes him. He has a little fun in the ring, but when he leaves he gets jumped. When he wakes up, he finds Catwoman standing over him. Ramon Perez is the artist for this issue. He's fairly new. But, he's got talent. Not anything to become overly thrilled about, but . .he's got a good feel to him. His style provided a good feel to this particular issue. I'm interested to see where the stories going to go with Catwoman.

Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters #6 - DC

To start out this issue, we learn about this Neon the Unknown. He's not unknown anymore. At least not to us. Anyways, he comes from pretty humble beginnings, and his whole shtick seems to come from this oasis that he stumbled upon one day in the desert. It gave him powers, which he used to help the world and the Freedom Fighters from time to time. He stayed normal . . human . . also, until he was at Pearl Harbor and got blown up. He didn't die, but when he woke up back at the oasis . . he was changed. Less human than before. Happy tries to force him to come back to help his son, but when finally realizing he's not going to be able to do that, he decides to taste of the waters himself. "Let's see what it does to me." Meanwhile, Emma and Lester are trying to use her father's notes, and experiments, to figure out a way to return all these people back to normal. But, of course, things don't go exactly as planned. Instead they end up creating a monster that is the embodiment of all the guys mushed together. It's like a collective of souls, or body mass, or something. It seems very angry, and agitated, for obvious reasons, but it also knows that Emma is it's only hope. Meanwhile the Red Bee has taken the rest of the Freedom Fighters hostage. She's about to have the Human Bomb destroy them when he turns on her. He hits her with the blast instead. It releases everybody, but they still have 2 problems. One, she's called up on the rest of her swarm, which is quite massive. And 2, Uncle Sam seems intent upon protecting her. But on the final page of the issue, Happy finally shows up. And it appears that the waters have indeed changed him. There's only 2 issues left, but there's still a lot of stuff up in the air. Dave Johnson provides the fabulous cover this issue. Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti are still at the creative helm. And Renato Arlem is doing the art. I love this book, and these characters. With all the fantastic ideas floating around in here, I kind of feel like these guys are the Doom Patrol of the new age.

the Ultimates 3 - #3 - Marvel

What an amazing book. I think this may be the best volume yet. But it's early. So . . we'll see. Jeph Loeb and Joe Madureira are at the helm this time. It seems as if Marvel is allowing certain liberties with these characters, and he definitely appears to be taking advantage of the freedom. Of course it's the Ultimate Universe, so new and radical thinking is encouraged. Also Joe's artwork is amazing. He's using more of a painted style in this book, and it's incredible. Page after page of beautiful panels. And the page where Logan meets up with Magda, and apparently she seduces him . . . was really something. Worth the price of admission alone. Right now this book has everything. Especially with the addition of Wolverine. We get some of Logan's back story from the end of WWII. How he first came across the Magneto clan. And how he learned first hand just what the extent of Wanda's powers are. We also have the whole thing with Thor and Valkyrie kind of floating around out there. There's the Clint Barton with the death wish hanging around. And don't forget about the sex-tapes, of Tony Stark's, that are floating around on the internet. Now, with this issue, half of the group has gone off in search of Wanda's body, and they've landed in the Savage Land. "Welcome to our home. I'm Shanna and this is my boyfriend Ka-Zar." The other half is looking in to the "magic" bullet. Wanda has already found out that it was actually made by Stark Industries. But it looks like she's got bigger problems on her hands. This is what the Ultimate Universe is all about. Pushing the boundaries. Looking at things from a different perspective. Being daring. Letting it rip!

Amazing Spider-man #551 - Marvel

This issue wraps up the second chapter of the Brand New Day story-line. It introduces us to Jackpot and the Menace. One good . . one bad. It also show us that even though it's a Brand New Day, Peter still has all his same old problems. He doesn't actually have a job, he's wanted by the Govt. and the Police, no girlfriend, no life, no web-fluid and he's greatly under-appreciated by his adoring public. He's trying to figure this Menace character out, and he's attempting to get some kind of Police cooperation. But, when he goes in to talk to one of the detectives, he finds out that there has been 5 killings around town. But the real kicker is, all of them have been found with a Spider-tracer on them. So now, on top of everything else, Spider-man is suspected of being a serial-killer. All of this happens just as Menace sets off an explosion at the Mayoral debate across town. What's a responsible young man to do? Well, in typical Parker fashion, Peter attempts to evade the police . . without web-fluid, remember . . but at the same time he wants them to follow him so that when they get to the Apollo they can apprehend the Menace. And Jackpot has tagged along for the ride. But, while engaging Menace, Spider-man is thrown off because of the Rookie's interference. She makes a bad mistake that sends Menace's glider careening off. It crash lands on top of the councilwoman. Not an auspicious beginning for either of these heroes. Then, later on, when Spider-man goes to confront Jackpot . . somewhere along the line she confided her identity to him, Sara Ehret . . . somehow I missed that . . . she claims she has no idea what he's talking about. It appears that she's going to be just as much a mystery as Menace. This one is again brought to us by Marc Guggenheim, with artwork by Salvador Larroca. So far I like it. But, I'm a big Spidey fan so . . I can forgive some little mistakes. I really don't mean that to sound negative. I really did enjoy the book, and this new direction they're on is . . . interesting. We'll see where we're at 6 or 8 months down the road. My expectations are high . . and so are my hopes.

Batman and the Outsiders #4 - DC

As expected, this is turning out to be a fantastic series. Chuck Dixon is wonderful on these team books. Especially in the spy and espionage genre. They're on a mission. But, it's been unfolding gradually. Chuck's been using the last few issues for some character building and interaction. He's really good at it. But, as good as the story is . . . Julian Lopez and Bit's art is equally as incredible. They do a tremendous job of conveying the story through the pictures. Their style on this book is one where you could actually get the gist of the story without having read it. That's how good his frames and flow are. But the dialogue . . just makes it that much better. Green Arrow doesn't trust Batgirl. For obvious reasons. And he lets everybody know it. Finally one time when they're alone in the forest Ollie says, "I could have killed you." To which Batgirl suggests, "Why not try? It might make you feel better." And then it's on. The next 2 pages are non-stop action, and they go at it full-tilt. After Batgirl nearly get eaten by a crocodile . . until Ollie shot it that is . . Ollie's standing on the shore, sweating, and says, "Damned if that don't beat all. I do feel better." Next issue it looks like they're going to be dealing more with their mission. They're trying to stop a rocket launch, from the European Space Agency, that has a payload provided by Jardine industries. A payload that is going to help Brother-eye and the OMAC's. That can't be allowed to happen. But Jardine has his own little super-powered squad, and at the end of this issue . . they're about to become engaged. So far this is a fantastic series, that's definitely lived up to the integrity of all it's predecessors. What is this? Volume . . 4 . . I think. I have a feeling it's just going to get better.

Ultimate Human #2 - Marvel

This book has offered us an interesting twist on the Hulk mythos. The powers and abilities of the Hulk, and the motivations for Bruce Banner to create his serum, the Hulk stack, based on the super-soldier serum, are a lot more thought out and creative. Last issue Tony brought Bruce in, on his own request, to try to run some test and figure out the scope of his changes. Obviously he breaks out of those chambers, and run amok through the facility, but . . eventually . . Tony brings him down. First he sends an electro-shock directly through his eye in to his neural cortex. Then, while passed out, they inject Nanodes directly in to his bloodstream. "Microscopic builder machines, in a mineral suspension. They construct an intelligent nanoscale net out of metal atoms to corral your Hulk cells. And, unlike your antidote, stress surges won't flush the nanode-net out." So it looks like Tony's thought of everything. But, with the way the Hulk stack is working, and the way the Hulk's cells are adapting to various conditions, I'm thinking it's only a matter of time until even this solution isn't going to work. The rest of the issue, Bruce and Tony have a kind of meeting of the minds. They're both, I think, kind of probing each other for information. But things are about to get out of their hands pretty soon. The thinker wants a sample of Bruce's blood. He's tired of being the world's greatest mind, trapped in a body that can't even support his head. So on the final page of the book, his forces attack Stark Ironworks, and more specifically, Tony and Bruce when they're vulnerable. Warren Ellis writes this in his usual brilliant style. This guy can really bring some fantastic ideas to a story. Simply genius! Also, Cary Nord's art on this issue is just as incredible. All in all, I think, it's an incredible issue, and a fantastic addition to the Ultimate Universe. Outstanding!

Wonder Girl #6 - DC

Well this one wraps up the series. J Torres and Sanford Greene have brought us an interesting little glimpse in to the life of Cassandra Sandsmark. She been coming to the forefront more and more lately, in Teen Titans and occasionally in Wonder Woman. So it's about time we got to see a little story with her as the lead. And, she got to meet her brother . . Hercules. He informs her, and Wonder Woman, that when his father, Zeus, released him that it came with a price. The blood of his mother, a human, now runs through his veins again. So he's only at half the power he used to be. And he's been charged with gathering Zeus' children, his champions, and anyone else he could get, to prepare . . . for the great disaster. Unfortunately he made a bad choice when he chose to conspire with the Female Furies. He made a bad decision when he thought that he could control them. Later, when Cassie goes home to clean up a bit, she finds out that the Global Guardian, Olympian, is moving in to her apartment building. His name is Aristedes Demetrios, or Aris for short. Then her and Wonder Woman go out to have a little one on one time. She expects to get chastised by her, but actually, Wonder Woman wants to inform her that she's very proud of her. And that she realizes that Cassie is not a child anymore. She's her own woman. Which completely catches Cassie off guard. So now, all that self-doubt has been lifted from Cassie's shoulders. Maybe now she can really be the hero she was meant to be.

Catwoman #76 - DC

Last issue we saw Selina leave the world of Salvation Run, and land right in the middle of Gotham. The only problem is, she's immediately seen, and threatened, by a gun-toting Batman. In running away from him, she end's up running in to another Catwoman, who happens to be her sister Maggie. She finally puts it together that she must be on one of those alternate Earth's that Bruce has told her about before. So she decides to make the most of it and have the time of her life. The problem is . . she's actually in some kind of stasis beam. Luthor has found her, but doesn't know how to get her out. And it appears, to him, that the longer she stays in it, the closer she comes to death. Obviously, though, she's not aware of her condition because of this illusion that she's apparently trapped in. Luthor notices that she's smiling. Another solid issue by Will Pfeifer and David Lopez. These two have really gotten a handle on this character and have been turning in some solid story-lines. Plus . . who can complain about all those beautiful Adam Hughes covers. I'm kind of surprised that they haven't put out a book of just the covers. It would definitely be worth it.

Wolverine Origins #22 - Marvel

This issue carried on our little slug-fest between Wolverine and Deadpool. But it was actually more like a Wylie Coyote and Roadrunner cartoon. I mean, Wolverine is being all serious about it, and Deadpool just seems like he's having fun. Well . . except for the getting beat on, and the blood, of course. Deadpool's even running around without his costume on. As scary as that is. Wolverine gets even more angry when Deadpool starts laughing at him. "Why the hell are you smiling?", he say with his claws practically in his nostrils. "Because you're funny man! "Let's play!" "Game over!" You've got more corn in your one-liners that I have in my poop after the county fair!" But I don't think it's necessarily a good idea for Wade to taunt Logan like that. He actually gets more dangerous, the madder he is. But really he's just stalling him while one of his gizmos attaches itself to an underground cable. It's also attached to a Teflon wire. The other end of which is attached to Logan's leg. When he turns it on, it sends him draggin' down the street. Which gives Wade enough time to return to his apartment and get in to proper clothing. But when he returns to find Logan . . he has the red in his eyes. I think he's about to go in to full berserker mode. After a strong kick to the head, Wade looks up and says "Okay, I get it. It's, ah . . . it's on now. Isn't it? Like, fer reals this time." It almost seems as if Deadpool was trying to antagonize him on purpose. Like he was trying to get him in to berserker mode. I wonder what that's all about? Well we won't find out this issue. Another fantastic issue by the superb creative team of Daniel Way and Steve Dillon. They have just been doing an incredible job on this book, since day one. I can't wait to see what the point of all this mayhem and mischief is about.

Batman Confidential #13 - DC

This issue is a little complicated in it's time-line. It actually takes place shortly after Dick went out on his own and formed the Teen Titans. It was also shortly after he donned his new identity, Nightwing. But the villain they're fighting, Wrath, is back from when Dick was Robin. It was on one of his trips from home. Bruce kept him away longer than usual because the villain came after Alfred and beat him up pretty badly. They didn't want Dick to come home to see that. Anyways, now he appears to be back. But when Batman beat him, he went down in flames, off the side of a building. So how is it that he's still alive? They question his former lover, Grayle Hudson. She's the former princess of a crime family, and now works in the clinic with Leslie. The Wrath goes to her apartment to confront her, but it seems more likely that he's a friend or relative of the other guy. It was just something in his conversation. The way he addressed Grayle. But we won't learn what he is this issue. So far he's killed 2 cops. But it'll only be a matter of time before he comes after Bruce, or one of his many associates. He won't be able to protect them all. It was an interesting story by Tony Bedard. Rags Morales and Mark Farmer do the art. And it was fantastic. Rags is a very good artist and doesn't get nearly enough credit. Overall, I thought it was a good book. My only complaint, like I said, was the time-line. But, I'm sure I'll get over it.

Justice League of America #18 - DC

I really like this book. I was worried when Brad Meltzer left, and Dwayne McDuffie came on board . . but . . yes they're different, but . . that's ok. Brad is a brilliant writer, and it would be hard for anyone to step in to his shoes. But really, the only thing that Dwayne is missing is a lot of the dialogue and interaction that Brad scripted between the characters. Not everyone handles character interaction and development the same. To me, that's important. But to others, maybe not so much. They care more about the story and the action. But I'm a people watcher. I can tell more about a person's character by the way the carry themselves, their little quirks or the things that they do. When people speak . . they lie. But body language can't lie. However, in a medium such as this, I can't interpret the same signs and signals because they're manipulated and deliberate. So in this medium, the conversations and the interactions become more important. But again, that's just me. In the back-up story, Dwayne crafts a nice little tale about Red Tornado. Will, Niles, John Henry and Batman are all working together to craft him a new body. But the real trick is going to be when Zatanna moves his soul over in to it. She's warning him about the complications that may arise, and that it may be safer just to stay in the satellite main-frame. For the sake of his family, he won't even consider it. But you just know something's going to go wrong. This tale is pencilled by Jon Boy Meyers. I think he's pretty new to the scene, but the couple times I've seen him, his style has really caught my eye. Also, he's improving quite rapidly. The main story in this book, the JLA vs Suicide Squad, is brought to us by Alan Burnett and Ed Benes. Both these guys are fantastic talents. Basically what happens is, a group of villains, led by Polaris and the Key, have broken in to the Hall of Justice. The League is ready for a throw down, but they've come seeking asylum. They've been watching their friends disappear, being snatched up by the Suicide Squad, and then whisked away to god knows where. They don't want to be next. The League does indeed grant them asylum, but it doesn't make Amanda Waller very happy. But it all may be moot pretty soon, because now, with Jonn Jonzz' help, Batman has learned the exact location of the prison planet. Next issue, they may just have to rescue their worst enemies. The real strength of this book is the characters. The talent . . is just icing on the cake. This was a fantastic book . . and series.

Birds of Prey #115 - DC

Well, this issue, Babs learns what it's like to have 2 teenage girls in the house. She's had a house full of women. Actually, that's usually what it is. But right now, the 2 girls are both teenagers, and Babs is pretty much dealing with it on her own. A couple of issues ago, Misfit, literally, popped in. She's a huge fan of Babs, and really wants to grow up to be Batgirl. I don't think she already knows there's a Batgirl and Batwoman out there. But Babs worries about how impulsive she is. She's had absolutely no training, with her powers or otherwise, and she just always tries way to hard to prove herself. Black Alice is someone, from Dayton Ohio, that the Birds came across about 40 issues or so ago. We've seen her a couple of times, and she was in one of the Dr Fate cross-over books. But between being a teenager, having incredible magical powers thrust on her, and losing her mom . . she's had some . . behavioral and, probably, hormonal issues. But . . she's on medication now. You know what they say, if pills don't help . . up the dosage. Ha-ha! Just kidding. But seriously, she is more . . level . . right now. So she's decided that she wants to join the group. She just showed up last issue. But now Babs has to figure out first how to use these girls, and second how to get them to work together. Actually, her first dilemma, I imagine, is to train them. Give them some kind of discipline and rule set. I mean . . they're motivated. She has the upper hand, because she has what they want. But, they also want to be their own person. Oh yeah, apparently Misfit's powers are magic based. One of Black Alice's powers is the ability to absorb the talents of others. Her and Babs are trying to do this when Misfit interrupts them. And instead of the intended target, Black Alice absorbs Misfits powers. It'll be interesting to see how this all works out. Meanwhile, Huntress and Zindy have gone off after the Killer Shark. We get a little of the back story on the relationship between the Shark and Zindy. Mostly, he's kind of a stalker. He would capture her, drug her, and then turn her in to Queen Killer Shark. This obvious abuse is really starting to tick off Helena. But at the end of this issue, after having been knocked out, Helena wakes up to find a willing Zindy dressed up in the Queen Shark outfit. So far, I think, Sean McKeever is doing an interesting job with these characters. And really, right now, these 5 are the core of the group. Also Nicola Scott is the penciller. She's been on the book for . . . well, since issue #100. I gotta' give her props because I think she's really coming in to her own. She was pretty decent when she first started, but now, she's bordering on pretty amazing. The underwater scenes of Huntress and Zindy swimming through the eel infested trap were pretty spectacular looking. This is one of my favorite team books, and I'm glad to see that it's in good hands.

the Flash #237 - DC

This was another kind of in-between issue. Keith Champagne and Koi Turnbull fill in on the creative staff. Next issue were getting a new regular team of Tom Peyer and Freddie Williams II. So this issue, just kind of kept things going until next issue. It showed Wally struggling with trying to balance his home life, time with the wife and kids, with that of his life as the Flash. He only has 2 things to do today. Two interviews. But he completely misses one, because he gets involved with something with Superman, and blows the second. Meanwhile his wife and kids have gone to Metropolis for a training session of sorts. Linda gives Jai and Iris a list of things, a treasure hunt if you will, and they have to work together to find them. But what they end up finding is Livewire. Superman and Flash do end up helping them out. You didn't really expect them to take down a Super-villain their first time out? Did you? But in the process they do learn a little more about their powers. And every obstacle just helps them to become stronger as a family. Seriously! I know! Wally West? But . . it works. I really like the way this book is going, and I hope Tom Peyer just further strengthens those bonds that are there. It's kind of neat to see the Flash as this little family unit.

the Spirit #14 - DC

Again, I'm a little surprised by a book. I really haven't been getting in to this book, to much, but this issue . . was a little bit different. This issue, the story was set up more like a detective story. I know. That's the essence of this book, but . . sometimes . . the goofiness, and moronic character of the Spirit kind of over-powers the rest of the story. I mean, I know this guy isn't the brightest bulb. But . . does he have to be a moron all of the time? This issue proved that he doesn't. Yes he's not necessarily the one that actually solves the crimes, all of the time. But, he is willing to take credit, and is involvement is always much more crucial in his own eyes. That's really the basis of the character. I think they were just playing him a little to silly in the beginning of this series. At least for me anyways. For me, the book always kind of felt like it was a sit-com, that really wasn't all that funny. Know what I mean? And I like it much better as a crime-drama, that's occasionally humorous. But like I said, that's just my opinion. Sergio Aragone's and Mark Evanier did the story this issue. Mike Ploog and Mark Farmer did the art. That quite a few big names on one little book. But it appears that the effort paid off this issue. Thanks guys.

Loveless #22 - Vertigo

First I want to say that Daniel Zezelj is back on board this issue as the illustrator. I'm really glad because his artwork is fantastic. He does these things where he combines the shadows with his dark lines . . and it really comes together nicely. Plus he does most of the page in a solid kind of color. The splash page this issue, page 8, shows these 2 guys standing on the other side of a small lake from a waterfall and a mountain of trees. Like I said, most of it is lines and shadow, but you can see a little brown and green dispersed through the trees, and horizon. But then the water and sky, which really take up most of the picture, are all this blueish grey with a hint of yellow in it. It makes for a wonderful picture. He also does this thing, later in the book, where he changes the feeling of the scene by simply changing the colors that it's imbued with. It's the exact same panel, but on one page it's brown and black, and on the final page of the book, it's a deep bluish grey and black. It's the exact same panel, but it feels completely different. In case you haven't noticed, I'm really blown away by this guys stuff. The whole issue is good. It's about these 2 convicts, on the run, who, I think, found the cave where Ruth buried Wes in the previous story-line. It's set quit a bit in the future from the previous story. This one takes place in 1927. I think the basic idea is that the area is cursed, or carries the feelings, of that traumatic episode. It doesn't end well for these 2 guys. A fantastic story by Brian Azzarello. But, the best part of the book, is Daniel's art. Check it out, if you have a chance. It's worth every penny.

the Death of the New Gods #6 - DC

Well . . the cover says it all. Oh! I'm sorry! There's no words on this picture here. Oops! Anyways it says "Orion Unleashed!". With Metrons help, we kind of know who the "god-killer" is. He's come in contact with this celestial being who was split in 2 eons ago. Now he's trying to re-merge himself, but in order for either half to transcend all the barriers, literally and figuratively, that stand between them, they need to regain the power of the New Gods. They don't see anything wrong with this, because, they were the ones that created them. They just see it as a sacrifice. Meanwhile, Arion has put himself out there as bait, trying to attack, or at least find out the identity of, the killer. But Scott Free, under the influence of the Anti-Life Equation, is convinced that Orion is the killer. But that's because of traces of astro force that the Commander and Himon found on Takion. But luckily, Superman is with him. He calms him down enough to realize he can get the truth out of him with the equation's help. That's when he comes to realize that Orion, truly, is not the killer. Superman attempts to watch from a distance, as Arion tries to call out the killer. But as the killer approaches, and Arion goes to meet him. But, their final confrontation is so powerful that it causes a blinding flash of light that temporarily blinds Superman. But they do find his helmet floating in space. Scott wants to go to the source wall to honor his fallen brother, and that's when he and Superman discover the second wall. But they don't have to much time for speculation, because, that's when Himon comes up on them. I really don't think that Himon is the killer, but the other half of the cosmic entity has taken his form. At least that's what I think. All I can say is . . . Jim Starlin is a genius. It's going to be sad to see the last of these heroes fall, but at the same time we're going to be at the beginnings of a new world. I believe that's going to be done by Jim too, so . . I really can't wait to see what his imagination can bring about. I haven't seen any previews yet, so I'm not sure what to expect. It should be incredible.

Ultimate X-Men #91 - Marvel

This one was probably one of the best issue of this title that I've seen in quite a while. Last issue we were following Sinister. He had to kill 10 mutants so that he could transform. At the end of the issue, we find out that that transformation was to be reborn as Apocalypse. The final Mutant he kills is Angel. So that leaves Wolverine and his little group to fight Apocalypse. But they don't really know what it is that they're fighting yet. They don't know that he can control them . . and any other mutant that he comes in to contact with. And through them, anyone that they come in contact with. So Wolverine's team attempts to fight him, but then Nightcrawler shows up with a squad of Morlocks, to give him a little "what for!". But all of them are having trouble, because he's turning them against each other. He doesn't really take over their minds, they can warn the people they're hurting, but he does control their powers and their bodies. Even Spider-man, the Fantastic Four, and SHIELD and Carol Danvers joins the fight. But the issue ends with the Fantastic Four and Jean looking on as 2 new-comers join the fray. It looks like Magneto and . . I don't know . . maybe Cable? I'm not sure, but they're the ones that'll be leading the charge next issue. I have to admit, this issue was a lot more action packed than some of the previous ones. This one actually kept my interest. Salvador Larroca did the cover and the interiors. This guy deserves a medal for all the work he's been doing lately. The artwork was fantastic, as usual, in this issue. Especially the scene where Apocalypse pulls of Wolverine's arm. Stunning! Thanks to everyone for a much better issue.

Hulk #2 - Marvel

This was an interesting book. Of course it's the second issue, so we don't really know who the Red Hulk is yet. And actually, this is the first time Tony actually lays eyes on him. Up until now, they've just assumed that it was the Hulk. You know. Bruce Banner. Maybe a different variation, but still . . . the Hulk. However, he's in an underground bunker, incarcerated, at the Triskellion. This new Red Hulk seems to be every bit as powerful, if not more, that the real Hulk. Last issue I guessed that it was Rick Jones. I think I may have been a bit hasty in that guess. This issue, my guess is . . . General Ross. This Hulk does seem smarter that the normal green rampaging Hulk. When he grabs Jen he tells her he could kill her anytime he wanted. And she believes him. Also since the Hulk killed the Abomination, some of his friends are coming after him. The A-Bomb (?) comes after him this issue. I'm not sure who this guy is, but apparently he's a friend of the Abomination's. Anyways, the Hulk comes up on him when he's in human form. So he smacks him around a little. Then he tells him, "I thought you were dead. I don't like being wrong. You ought to know that by now. You're just going to have to stay dead." He sounds pretty coherent to me. He also sounds like somebody that's got a grudge. But he hasn't talked to Tony yet. Which tells me he's comfortable enough to threaten these other people, but he doesn't want to get caught up in a conversation with someone that's smarter than he. Or, he knows Tony, and he's afraid if he talks to him, he'll figure out who he is. It could be either reason really. Anyways, so far, I think, it's a great start to this series. But with Jeph Loeb writing and Ed McGuinness doing the art . . I really didn't expect anything less. I don't know how long I'll keep buying this one, but, as long as they're on board . . . I will. Happy hunting, Tony!

the Mighty Avengers #9 - Marvel

Ok, it appears as if this title is going to be back on track sooner than I thought. Mark Bagley has come on board as the new penciller, and we all know how well he and Brian Bendis work together. So we should be back to normal in no time here. Also, I think, Mark is doing a fantastic job. I really like the feel that he gave the Ultimate Spider-man, but, he's shifted up his style a little bit for this book. The first couple pages where we see Dr Doom at the end of a tryst with Morgan Le Fey, are fantastic looking. He's done them with more of a painted style. As for Dr Doom? Well, if you had a time platform, why wouldn't you use it to go back in the past and have an affair? Just think of all the beautiful women you could visit when they're young and in their prime. I know. That's a misuse of power . . but . . it would be tempting. Anyways, I guess he's been doing it to learn some magic spells. But this trip is cut short because the Avengers have arrived in Latveria. And just to show the intensity of the battle, in the middle of this book, there's 3 two-page spreads showing all the fighting and carnage that's going on. Long story short, Tony gets in to a heated battle with Victor but as both their armors deplete in power, Doom switches over to the magics that he's learned. Seeing that he's at a disadvantage Carol sends in Bob to try to tip the scales. But all they really end up doing is breaking Doom's time platform, but not before all 3 of them are sucked in. They've gone back in time, it looks like the 50's or 60's, but, they've also crossed dimensions. They seem to be in some type of comic book world. I'm just guessing, but I'm think it's the comic book world that Bob created when he disassociated himself from the Sentry. But that's just my guess. Anyways, the issue ends with Doom threatening to kill Tony for what he's done to them. My only complaint about the whole issue is when Doom and Tony are fighting. They have little caption boxes showing the readings from each of their armors. Now maybe this is showing my age, but first the writing was so small I could hardly read it. And second the writing is a light grey on a bright yellow back-ground. It definitely didn't work for me. I almost couldn't read it. I really had to focus. I know it's a small complaint, but, it was a bit annoying. Anyways, other than that, I thought it was a great book. And I'm glad that we're finally going to be on track with the rest of the Marvel Universe. Good job guys!

Superman / Batman #46 - DC

This chapter put an interesting twist on the Kryptonite saga. In their quest to rid the Earth of all Kryptonite, Batman and Superman have come across a new form. They starting with all the Green K, but no they've moved on to the various different colors of Kryptonite. We get a brief lesson on what each color can do to Superman. They find the new Kryptonite in the Oblivion Bar. It's in the form of the Ach-om Rashay Amulet. The core is Kryptonite, but it's a silver variant. And apparently it carries a powerful enchantment also. Basically it turns Superman in to a kid. Not physically, but mentally. He acts, and see the world, as a kid. And a rather annoying one also. The counter for the Amulet is the other half of it. "Legend has it the amulet was used to enslave the mind of any enemy . . . and that the only way to unlock the curse and free the imprisoned mind was with the other half of the moon." But that other half is buried in a volcano on Dinosaur Island. It's the first time we've seen that place in a long time. Long story short, Batman and Zatanna go after it, and of course they cure Superman. The 2 things that came out of this story is that there's a new form of Kryptonite. This may be it's only occurrence, but . . . maybe not. Also, while in the volcano, Bruce got an image of his greatest desires . . family and love. Something he hasn't been able to admit to himself. And I also got the sense that maybe Superman doesn't understand Batman as well as he thinks he does. A fantastic story-line by Michael Green and Shane Davis. I really can't express how much I'm blown away by Shane's pencils. They just get better and better with every issue he puts out. Of course Matt Banning's inks help a lot, but still . . he really is that good.

Superman Confidential #12 - DC

This story takes place in the early days of Superman's career. It's when he spent so much time chasing after Jimmy and Lois, trying to keep them out of trouble, that he started to not have enough time for some of the more important things. He warns Jimmy, "I can't spend every minute of the day worrying about you. It might pay to be more careful, or to go ahead and let the Metropolitan PD know when you've stumbled onto something like this." But a few days later he's being threatened by some Mexican wrestlers, because he broke in to their dressing room. That's when Superman decides to give him the signal watch that he's made for him. In this issue, we also see the beginning of the career of the Toy-Man, Winslow Schott. He's being fired from his design job at the toy company because his ideas are just to far "out-there". So he decides to take revenge on the world, and the town, that's causing him so much grief. He sends 3 giant robots, a soldier a doll and a bear, in to the center of town. At first everybody thinks it's some kind of crazy toy store promotion, or something to do with a parade or something. That is until they all show that they're armed. The stories ok, but it just seems kind of simple. I know this is in the beginning of his career, so . . . things were simpler then. To me, it just seemed more like a story from one of the 70's issues, than a current one. That's the best way I can explain it. I wasn't overly thrilled with it. B Clay Moore does the story, and Phil Hester and Ande Parks does the art. The art was ok too. Nothing great. Just ok. Hopefully this is only a 2 issue story-arc, because I'd like to see something more exciting after this one's through.

the Brave and the Bold #10 - DC

This issue brought us a little more up to speed on this Megistus story-line. We still don't really know who he is, but he's been around, apparently, for quite a while. And he seems to be an entity that jumps from person to person. Unless he's in a certain place, and just controlling these people. That part's not really clear yet. Anyways, he starts out by coming after the Challengers of the Unknown through the book. Actually, he takes control of the Warlock of Ys, puts him in to a dimensional rift, and when he pops out the other side . . he literally brings the book to life. You know . . the Book of Destiny. Here's what they've learned so far, " . . he's an ancient alchemist who's been stealing things and people of great trans-formative power. All along, it's as if the book has been subtly guiding us towards him and his goals." But there's other people working to stop those goals too. Merlin has sent Superman back to the time of the Silent Knight. He's supposed to help him find and destroy and artifact called the Golden Eye of Effron, before Megistus can get to it. And Megistus takes control of Oceanus to try to get Garth's powers of precognition. They're powers Garth will develop later in life, but Megistus wants to steal them while he's young. This is also the first time that the Teen Titans really perform together as a group. It's basically when they've made the decision that they should do this more regularly. And finally, the Challengers are being led to Edwards Air Force Base to retrieve Hal Jordan's Lantern. They find it in the locker that he usually puts it in when he goes flying. But what they don't know is that Megistus is in charge of Metamorpho, and he's inside of it. I really like how they're handling this book so far. The old way, with the team-ups with Batman every issue . . were kind of forced some times. I loved the book, but you just had to kind of take it for what it was, sometimes. The flow that they're going with here just seems more natural. And really, the Challengers are the one's that are at the forefront of this series so far. Maybe it's just for this current story-line, but, really, the whole book revolves around them and the Book of Destiny. A fantastic job by Mark Waid and George Perez. It's great to see George on a regular book again. He's been getting some help from Bob Wiacek and Jerry Ordway. But that's ok. Whatever helps him get out a regular title again is fine with me.

Robin #171 - DC

This issue is mainly to teach us a little more about Violet. She's the new vigilante around town. She's actually got a kind of Robin Hood thing going on. The money's she steals are usually from criminals, or money that has already been pilfered. We don't learn about her personally, but, I think she may be this Pristine Hale that works at the shelter at the church. I could be wrong, but that's my guess. We don't see anything of Spoiler this issue, other than the cover. Tim thinks he gets a glimpse of her at one time, but it turns out to be nothing. And Robin is forming some kind of alliance with the cops. Or more specifically Lieutenant Detective Cavallo. Officer Harper, who's worked with him in the past, introduces them. We don't learn much of their arrangements yet, but the Detective's idea is that " . . we could help each other out on higher profile cases. Like partners . . ." Tim isn't thrilled with the idea, but he's going to play along to see what happens. Chuck Dixon is the writer, and, of course, he's continued to do a fantastic job with these stories. I really like the way he has a handle on this character. Both in his personal and professional lives. He continues to show us how hard it is for Tim to balance both. Which would definitely be the case. Chris Batista does the pencils this issue. I don't know if he's going to be on board for any amount of time, but I like the feel that he brings to the book. We'll just have to wait and see if he sticks around. Overall it was a very good issue, and I love this series.

Countdown to Final Crisis #10 - DC

This was a busy issue. Like the last, the whole thing takes place on Apokolips. We start out with Mary, Harley and Holly, fighting to get away from Granny and the Furies. But as they're getting away, Mary gets an epiphany that she knows where they're holding the Greek Gods. Her previous connections to them are helping to guide her. They have to go through a couple of obstacles but she uses the lightning the overcome the final one. The lightning shows the Challengers where they're at, but it also reveals the pantheon. They give Mary her powers back as gratitude. But they also grant Holly and Harley some powers too. "Harley Quinn, I grant you a small portion of the cunning of Thalia, muse of comedy! And I, Diana, grant Holly Robinson a portion of my skill and strength as a hunts-woman!" After that, they get back in to the fray, but somebody else comes along and takes out Granny. Meanwhile, Karate Kid is fighting an OMAC that used to be Una. It tries to assimilate him, but I think because of his virus though, he's immune to the process. The OMAC can't assimilate him. He crosses paths with Red Robin, Jason, but when he won't let him kill the OMAC, because of Una being inside it, he decides the Kid's to much trouble and takes off. The rest of our Challengers, Kyle, Donna and Ray, catch up to our trio of Greek powered misfits. Dessad, for some reason, has picked up the Piper. He wants him to play his pipe. He claims he can access the anti-life equation through his music. That's the first I've heard of that. Anyways, before anything else can happen there's an upheaval on the planet. Don't forget that when Karate Kid landed, he was brought her by Brother Eye. Well, it looks like Brother Eye has finished his mission. He's absorbed and transformed the entire planet of Apokolips to be his vessel. "Can you hear me, father Bruce. Eye am no longer a child. Eye have surpassed you, father. Eye have become a world unto myself!!" That . . can't be a good thing. Like I said, we're down to the final 10 . . there's gonna' be a Zero issue . . . so everything's going to be coming fast and furious at us from now on. Hang on kiddies! The rides about to get bumpy!