Action Comics #865 - DC

Man . . what can I say? It's another Geoff Johns book. And of course I'm a huge Superman fan . . so . . it's the perfect marriage. Superman really isn't even hardly in this issue. It was still fantastic. This one is mostly about Winslow Shott. He abducts Jimmy because he wants him to hear his story . . straight from the horses mouth . . as it were. Of course, in his eyes, none of it was his fault. But that's always the case. Anyways, there were a few revelations in this issue that I thought were pretty intriguing. What he's trying to get across to Jimmy is that he would never harm a child. And, in his eyes, he never hurt Cat Grant's son. Actually, it was one of his robots. He started making them in case he ever had to go back to Arkham again. He can't stand it there. However, when that happened, and the robot was supposed to take his place . . it never happened. It seems that the robot developed a will of it's own, and decided to take the Toyman's place, but on the outside. In the process of this, the robot was the one that killed Cat's son. The other revelation is that one of his robots is also Hiro. You know . . the Japanese boy that helps out Batman from time to time. He also played a pretty big role in the recent Superman / Batman story-arc. So I wonder how that affects the outcome. And finally, in Winslow's story, his wife was what kept him grounded . . until things started falling apart. The problem is, there's no record of him ever having been married. In the end, we get a picture that shows that his wife was also a robot. But really, the whole point of this story is to bring Cat Grant back in to the Daily Planet bullpen. Jesus Marino does the art for this issue. I thought it was pretty good. But, I'll also be glad to see Gary Frank back next issue. This was really just an in-between issue. It gave us a little respite. Got some characters into place for the future. And gets us ready for the next big Superman story-arc . . . Brainiac. I can't wait.

Echo #3 - Abstract Studios

I really enjoy a good Terry Moore story. Especially on the characters that he's created and illustrates. You can really tell that he cares about them and they become a part of his life. To me, he seems to be the type of writer that tries to nudge things in a certain direction, but, at the same time, he likes to let things take their natural course. I think he has a plan for how he wants to have the story roll-out, but then at the same time he knows that there's going to be certain points that he just has to write what would happen next. With this approach he keeps the stories very realistic, and tends to draw the reader in more because the troubles that the characters deal with are things that could happen to anybody . . at any time. We came in to this story when Julie, a photographer, was out in the desert taking some pictures. That's when events converged and she ended up straight in the path of destiny. However, we know nothing of Julie's past or what's brought her to this point in her life. But that's ok. As the story about her situation unfolds, we're also getting the pertinent information about her past. Such as her marriage, the divorce she's going through and, with this issue, the situation with her sister Pam. So basically, the story has started at a certain point . . the uniform exploding and then bonding with her body . . and then it's evolving in both directions . . forward and backwards. There's also some new events and characters that are brought in to the mix this issue. Like I said I really enjoy Terry's style and approach to his story-telling. Consequently . . I've enjoyed the way this story has unfolded so far. I can't wait for more.

Giant Sized Astonishing X-Men #1 - Marvel

Of course this book was fantastic. I'm sorry that I couldn't find a larger picture of the cover. Rather than do an issue #25, by Whedon and Cassaday, they decided to put out a giant-sized issue, and wrap up the story that way. I'm not complaining. I'm just glad that we got another issue out of the guys, and we get 1 final chapter in their version of the Astonishing X-Men. Fan-frikkin-tastic! There was so much going on in this issue that I read it twice. I wanted to make sure I didn't miss anything. It turns out that the prophecy on Breakworld . . about Colossus being the orchestrator of it's destruction . . was a self-fulfilling prophecy. It turns out that they knew about Peter's powers, and his unique metal frame. Basically, there's has been a warring world for so long that they knew the only way they were ever going to have any peace would he with their destruction. So basically they created their own prophecy. Then all they had to do was manipulate the events and get Colossus to come to their homeworld. Heck, they probably would've just abducted him . . if they had to. The problem is, before they figure all of this out . . they still end up getting the missle launched towards Earth. Kitty ended up stowing away on board . . she thought she could disrupt it's electrical systems, but . . it's actually just a 10 mile long bullet. Aimed straight at Earth. And there's something strange about the metal that it's made of, because it seems to be disrupting Kitty's powers and making her weaker. But you just knew that it was never going to be that easy. Overall I thought it was an incredible issue. The resolution for Kitty's dilemma was . . well . . unexpected. I don't want to give away everything. And there's something brewing between Agent Brand and . . . well you should pick it up and read it for yourself. You really won't be disappointed. It really is that good. Now all we have to do is sit back and wait for issue #25. That's when the new creative team of Warren Ellis and Simone Bianchi will be coming on board. I don't think the quality of this title will be diminishing anytime soon.

Green Lantern #31 - DC

The drawing on the right isn't the actual cover. But I liked it so much, I just left it in. This must've been the preliminary cover by Ivan Reis. I really expected this origin to be pretty much like the 6 other origins that I've read of Hal Jordan's. But . . it's really not. It's a lot more detailed than any of the others have been. We learn that Abin Sur, shortly before he died, had come into contact with the Empire of Tears, and had become increasingly paranoid since the encounter. We don't really know who they are, or what happened, but we do know that it has something to do with the Blackest Night. This issue we see Hal's first visit to OA. Apparently after becoming the replacement for someone, you are quickly heralded to OA for training. It's his first encounter with Kilowog and Tomar-Re. Also in this issue we find out a little about the connection between Sinestro and Ganthet. As Ganthet has decided to send Sinestro to Earth to mentor the new Lantern. Apparently there's going to be lots of things coming up for the Green Lantern Corps after this story-arc. I guess the issue right after the origin story winds up will be the prelude to Blackest Night. And also the "Rage of the Red Lanterns" storyline will be unfolding around that time also. This particular inception of Hal's storyline has been incredible since issue #1. But honestly, since then, the series has only gotten better. I love that they're hanging on to Ivan Reis as long as they have, and of course I think Geoff Johns is a genius. A story-teller without compare. I also like the way that they're intertwining the story-arcs between Hal's book, and that of the Corps. I mean it's only logical that's the way it should be, but honestly this is the first time the reality of it has been accomplished. Kudos to the editorial staff and to both creative teams. Green Lantern, and the Corps, has once again become an anchor in the DC Universe. It's well deserved. Oh yeah, and next issue? Next issue we get to see Hal and Sinestro together again . . . as friends? We'll see!

Uncanny X-Men #498 - Marvel

This is another fantastic issue by Ed Brubaker and Mike Choi. This issue we learn more about who the Goddess is. She's actually a mutant . . one that I don't recognize . . who was hurt. It started out in San Francisco, when Delilah, Eli and Ron discover her hurt along the sidewalk. She almost, kind of, looks like Sage or Shadowcat . . you know, when they're in their leather outfits. But I really don't think she's either of them. Neither of them had this kind of power . . to make illusion in to reality. Somehow their interaction with her, sparked her to read their innermost desires . . to return to the times of their youths, the 60's. I don't know if she changes things to reward them, or just to change things . . but it starts out with just those in her immediate vicinity, but then quickly grows exponentially. When the X-Men enter her circle of influence, it sparks something inside of her, because she knows them. The only 2 that haven't come under her influence is Scott and Emma. So she quickly sends the others to get them. Meanwhile is Russia we find out more about the Red-Room. It seems that the government officials are kind of pissed off about M-Day. All of their mutants were turned off. Then . . subsequently killed, because they were of no further use. But the resentment comes from them finding out that the X-Men did not suffer a similar fate. So now they're going to torture Logan, Peter and Kurt until they get an answer. Obviously, eventually, they break free. As they do, the guy running this operation makes a run for it, and is ultimately killed, but not before he lets loose his pet mutant . . . Omega Red. After all the torturing and beating, trying to escape . . Logan just looks at Red and says, "I knew this was to easy." Always the optimist. As I said, I think Ed and Mike are doing a fantastic job on this series. Mike's art is simply incredible. I kind of like that things are in disarray right now with the X-Men. It's allowing us to see some team-ups that we normally wouldn't see. Plus . . it leaves the future kind of . . . open. The X-Men haven't had that in quite a long time.

All*Star Superman #11 - DC

How does Grant Morrison do it? Does the guy ever sleep? I don't know how he can. So far this month he's turned in an incredible first issue of Final Crisis. He got an incredibly intriguing story underway throughout the Batman books . . Batman RIP. And now he's put out an equally talented issue of All*Star Superman. And on top of that, look at the talent he gets to work with . . . JG Jones, Tony Daniel and Frank Quitely. That's a trifecta if I've ever seen one. As we've gone through the first 11 issues of this series . . I think there's only 1 left . . the stories have seemed as if they were only remotely connected. But, the underlying theme . . Superman's loss of power . . has continued to progress throughout the series. Also, it seems, as Superman's life has diminished, so to has Lex's flourished, almost proportionately. Also, as we've gone through this series, Grant has inserted some fantastic ideas . . as always. I especially like the notion of Superman's fortress being in the heart of the sun. Being there, Superman discovers Solaris . . the tyrant sun. He, or it, has turned the sun red to help diminish Superman. But then Superman introduces it to the sun-eater. In the heat of the battle, the sun-eater is killed and it looks as if Superman is disintegrated. However, at the end, we see Clark at his desk, filing a story about Superman's death. But then he keels over just at the time that Lex come's crashing in. "Clark is the least of your worries.", he declares as he's standing in the hole in the side of the building. This has been an incredible run, and I really hate to see it stop. But . . all good things must come to an end. Maybe we'll be lucky and there will be a continuation . . just with a different creative team? Who knows. If you haven't been reading this . . you need to. Look for the back issues, TPB, whatever . . but get your hands on a copy. You won't be disappointed.

Legion of Super-Heroes #42 - DC

I have to say . . my favorite version of the Legion was in the 80's when Keith Giffen came on board. Sure the stories from the Superboy series were pretty good also. Lots of nostalgia there, when I read them. But . . Keith Giffen seemed to actually take the group into the future. They are in the 31st century, after all. Up till then, the Legion . . while being a fantastic cast of characters . . were basically just a group book that happened to be set in the future. And really, except for some obvious sci-fi ideas . . flying cars, flight rings, etc . . things didn't really seem a whole lot different than the present, other than the year. But with the Keith Giffen series all of that changed. The stories actually seemed like they were in the distant future. Things were less and less like our everyday life and there were more futuristic themes and ideas. To me, that made the series more believable. Seeing as how the series is set 1000 years in the future, who are we to say what technology will or won't work. Really, the imagination is the limit. Like I said, I love the characters in the Legion. They've been thoroughly developed over the years. But, I don't thing that the technology and surroundings have been equally developed. At least not until Keith's tenure. Anyways, my point it, it seems like Jim Shooter, on this series, is also paying attention to that aspect of the story. I also like the attention that he's giving the United Planets governmental structure. We've always just kind of taken the relationship between them and the Legion for granted. But here we're finding out that it's actually very tenuous at best. Also this UP seems a lot more controlling. Not that I necessarily like a controlling government, but . . it seems more realistic. What I'm trying to say, overall is . . while Keith's version, to me, is the best, Jim's take on the Legion with this run . . is quickly becoming my second favorite. So far, for the short run that he's been on board . . . I think the book has gotten better with every issue. I also have to say that I really like the look that Francis Manapul is giving these characters. We seem to have a very good creative team here, and I really like the direction that we seem to be going. Long live the Legion!!

JSA Classified #38 - DC

Mike W Barr always writes a pretty intriguing story. I really don't think it was his fault that I was bored with this one. I think my disinterest comes from seeing so much of Wildcat in the last few issues. He's one of those characters that it's great to see him every now and then. The occasional team-up with Catwoman or the Huntress are usually pretty good. But, to much of him . . . is to much. This looks to be an interesting story, but . . I was just having a hard time getting in to it because I've seen enough of the character recently. Also, I wasn't overly thrilled with Shawn Martinbrough's art. It was ok. It kind of had that Phil Hester look to it. So while it's decent, and shows talent . . it's also, to me, kind of campy at the same time. Anyways, the combination, for me, really didn't work. Plus, when it comes down to it, Wildcat is no Batman. He tries to be a detective, but his fighting prowess takes him a lot farther than his brain ever will. I'm not saying he's dumb. But he usually stumbles his was in to situations, and then has to use his brawn to get his fat out of the fire. Like I said, it's ok every now and then, but since it's pretty much the same every time . . it gets tedious. I really do like the character. But with the huge cast of JSA heroes to choose from, can't we see a story about someone else? Occasionally?

Secret History of the Authority: Hawksmoor #3 - WildStorm

I like this book. The story seems a little . . . out there. But, overall, I like the way it's unfolding. This is supposed to be Jack's origin, but up until this issue, it seemed like at best it was just going to be his "coming out" party. At the time of this story, Jack has had his powers for about 20 years, but he has yet to be discovered by StormWatch. So it's definitely before his Authority years. At the time it seems like all he's really accomplished with his gifts are a little vigilantism and some crime-fighting. But nothing on the stature of what he'll be dealing with when he becomes part of the Authority. So anyways, I just thought, maybe, this was simply going to be the time that Jack decided to get his act together and do something with the abilities he's been given. However, in this issue, we start to see the beginning of what looks to be Jack's actual origin. It seems as if he's always wondered about who it was that did what they did to him, but . . it's in the past, and nobodies bothered him lately . . so, I think, he just went on about his life. Now, it seems, the past has come back, and it's ready to take a bite out of his ass. We don't get the whole gist of the story yet, but Jack is attacked by a guy who says that he's one of the ones that gave Jack his gifts. But . . that's about all the information we get from this issue. I like the little romance that seems to be brewing between Jack and Juliet. But I think Juliet may be playing with him a little bit. "Stroking his ego", as it were. The story is unfolding slowly though, so we don't really know what anybodies motives are. So far I like the effort that Mike Costa and Fiona Staples are putting in to this title. We're halfway through now, so . . we should be seeing some progress pretty soon. But, for lack of a regular Authority book on the shelves . . we gotta take what we can get.

Teen Titans Go! #55 - DC

This was an interesting book. We see all these odd scenes, with each of the characters, and troubling situations that they all appear to be in. At first I thought it was a dream. Or maybe Raven's powers acting up again. But it turned out to be Phobia giving the Titans a bad case of the migraines. Long story short, she doesn't take Starfire's pet, Silkie, into account, and his interaction is enough to upset the delicate balance that Phobia has created . . and the Titans break free of her illusions. Overall a decent story. But what I really liked about this book was all of Todd Nauck's illustrations, at the bottom of the pages, of various "baby" Teen Titan characters. I thought they were much better than the art that's currently being done over in Tiny Titans. I think they need to get Todd on board over there, and maybe they could spike a little more interest in the book. Plus . . it would look much better. He really seems to have a flair for these little characters on the bottom of these pages. Anyways, as always, the Teen Titans continue to be one of my favorite groups, and . . . I love all these books regardless. " . . . TEEN TITANS, GO!!"

Number of the Beast #4 - WildStorm

I'm not sure why. But for some reason . . this book was a tough one for me. It's held me up for a couple of days now. And I've reread it . . twice. The stories ok. The art is . . decent. But . . for some reason . . I'm just really not getting in to it. The heroes and villains are about to break out of their "containment" cells. The virtual world that they've all been living in . . is coming to an end. Basically, it got f@#$%^-up when they put the High into the mixture. Or rather . . the gelatinous substance that once was the High. Somehow he reconstructed himself, and in doing so, came to the realization that things weren't exactly kosher. Somehow, in doing so, he's also taken Dr. Sin out with him. Since most of the virtual scenarios were built around him . . to give the heroes a sense of purpose and a goal . . now things are getting . . funky! To say the least. The opponent that they're facing now, appears to be the Four Horseman. So, the government's plan to fix things is . . get all personnel out . . and the nuke the whole facility. I'm not sure how many heroes they have in this bunker, but it appears to be a lot. Anyways, my point is, you just know this "burn & scrape" scenario isn't going to work out. Sure it seems like a permanent solution, but . . you just know things aren't going to work out the way they're supposed to. Plus, we already know that all these heroes get out and basically destroy the world. I think that's what's been my problem right from the start. These last couple of mini-series from WildStorm have been a progression of events. But it's a progression that we already know what the outcome is. So where's the suspense and mystery? I'll stick with it, because I want to see how it all comes out. But, really, I'd rather just jump ahead and see where the new direction of the WildStorm Universe is going to take my more vested characters. It just all seems kind of anti-climatic to me. But that's just my opinion.

Blue Beetle #27 - DC

I'm kind of surprised that this relationship between Jamie and Tracy is going so well. I'm not trying to be negative about it, but . . they just have so many things going against them. First of all there's the whole science and magic thing. It just seems to me that there would be a lot more friction between them because of the sources of their powers. I don't mean like personal friction, I mean like magnets . . polar opposites. Secondly, it may just be me, but Tracy does seem a bit bossy. I know she has a lot more experience with her powers, and, I would guess, she's probably a bit older than Jamie. Add to that the fact that women mature faster . . . I think it's the role she's comfortable with. Finally, the relationship between Jamie and the Scarab is really entering new territory. I'm not sure if the Scarab's sentient. But, it does seem aware of it's existence. And if that's true, than Jamie is it's whole life. It has nowhere else to go . . even if it wanted to. So, I could see it being, maybe, jealous . . or at the least stand-offish about Jamie's friendship, or relationship, with Tracy. I mean, back on the Reach ship, Jamie and the Scarab did actually save each other. We could argue that the Scarab was just doing what it was told, but . . I think there's more to it than that. Anyways, this issue was the usual stuff if the story of their burgeoning relationship. There was a threat that seemed more magical in nature, and together they figured out how to beat it. However, this time, it seems that Tracy did most of the work because of it's magical origins. I'm not sure how Jamie feels about that. But the main thing that's come to my attention out of this issue? These characters have prompted this much speculation from me about their on-going lives. For me, it speaks volumes about the writer if the story sparks this much emotional reasoning. This book, and this character, have really come a long way. I'm still not thrilled with the art, but, obviously, the stories have sucked us in. And really, in the end, that's all the creators can ask for. Mission accomplished!

Batman - Gotham after Midnight #1 - DC

This was an interesting book. It's the first issue in a 12 issue maxi-series. So obviously we don't have all the pieces of the puzzle yet. This issue basically introduces us to Steve Niles' take on the Batman legend. It's very interesting how he writes the character, and the introspection that seems to be an essence of his being. We also get to see Kelley Jones' Batman. We've seen this many times before . . but it's still, always a treat. Basically, in this issue, Scarecrow, along with the Axeman, have recently escaped from Arkham Asylum. Batman comes across Crane, but he stymied by his change of MO. There's also a new villain here . . Midnight. But, really, all we get is a look at him briefly on one page. Although there is some rumblings about him in the criminal element of Gotham City. And, at the end of the issue, is seems that Batman was lead in to a trap, by the Scarecrow, and was gunned down. It looks as if he's dead. But we all know when it comes to the Batman . . looks can be deceiving. My guess is he feigning to find out who's behind this whole thing. I think that it's fantastic that Steve Niles has taken on this book. This genre . . and character, are really right up his alley. My only question is . . What took him so long? And his pairing up with Kelley Jones . . is just brilliant. I'm expecting a lot from this series. It should be a heck of a ride.

X-Men - First Class #12 - Marvel

This was a nice story that focused on Warren for a little while. Of course Jeff Parker wrote it, and Roger Cruz is back on pencils with this issue. Basically, Warren's parents come to the school to let him know that they're concerned about his aunt MiMi. It seems she left to do some exploring in Brazil, a couple of weeks ago, and they haven't heard from her since. Since she's Warren's favorite aunt, or course he takes off to see what he can do to help find her. It seems she went to explore the Iguacu falls in Brazil. They're supposed to be one of the wonders of the world. In the process of going there, Jean calls him to let him know that he got a post-card from her. Unfortunately, it's about a week and a half old. But she talks about how she's going to explore in the falls . . right down the Devil's throat . . which is what they call the area where several falls meet. He spots a rope going in to the falls . . and on faith, and courage, he dives right in to see if there are some caves behind them. He's overwhelmed by what he finds. It's a huge populated area, with structures and buildings and wildlife and fauna. I guess it's been here for a thousand years. Whenever someone comes in to threaten their way of live, the locals that know about the cave, retreat here and peacefully live out their existence. But what Warren likes about it is . . no one is freaked out about his mutation, or wings . . and everyone just treats him normal. So when his team-mates show up in search of him, he reassures them. Then he makes the decision that he's going to stay behind for a little while. It was a nice story with the concept that no matter what your differences, everyone can find someplace, and someone, to feel comfortable. Warren enjoyed the school, but that was a small nuclear family. In this new land, he has a whole society where he is accepted. How could he walk away from that? I've said this before, but I really like the way Jeff is constructing these early X-Men stories. They're kids. They're full of hope and ambition. And yes they may be a little naive, but . . sometimes there's nothing wrong with that. Sometimes I wish I could be a little more naive.

X-Men Legacy #212 - Marvel

We got a special treat in this issue. Scott Eaton has been the regular artist on this book, and he's been doing a fantastic job. Well . . in this issue, for the flashback scenes . . or Charles' mind-scape, or whatever . . Mike Deodato Jr. does the pencils on those pages. It's really some stunning looking stuff. And of course Mike Carey is the writer extraordinaire. Remy pops up in this issue. He says that he got wind of a contract being offered through the Assassin's Guild, and he found out the Charles name was on the list. The other names are Sebastian Shaw, Cain Marko and Carter Ryking. Unfortunately they got to Carter last issue, almost immediately after Charles went to see him. Also, all of the names, except for Sebastian's, had fathers that worked at the Nuclear Research facility at Alamogordo. So that's where Charles and Remy are heading to look for answers. In the mean time Sebastian is also on the trail. When his . . whatever it was . . exploded at the Hellfire Club last issue, he discovered that there was an energy field that had passed through the Club. Also, it's spiked twice since then. It's on a regular cycle of every 23 hours. He crosses paths with Charles at the hospital where Carter was staying. Now, although Charles doesn't know it yet, Sebastian is following him. It's a long trip to Alamogordo, so they have to stop along the way. During that respite, the next energy wave hits, and when it does . . some more assassins attack. On the final page we see that Sinister seems to be controlling all of this with the mind of . . . a little boy. Questions, questions, questions. But since this is the first time we've delved this far back in to Charles' past . . or that of his parents . . I'm sure we're going to have a lot more questions, before we're done. I like the direction that this book is taking. And I also like that any preconceived notions about Charles . . can be tossed out the window. Charles doesn't know who he is . . and apparently . . neither do we. It's a new ball-game now.

X-Force #4 - Marvel

I really like this book, but I think this one is taking some strange turns. Last issue they found Rahne. A little to conveniently if you ask me. But . . they weren't looking a gift horse in the mouth . . as it were. Plus she was doped up on Heroin so . . they had to do something. They head back to Warren's, and then they call in Elixir to heal her. I also think it's interesting that X-23 is the only one that seems to be ready to voice her opinion about how this respite, to care for Rahne, is seriously jeopardizing the mission. When Rahne does come to, the only one's there are Warren and Elixir. Wolverine and Warpath have gone chasing after X-23. But then they take off. So when Rahne attacks, and practically devours the two unsuspecting X-Men, X-23 is the only one close enough to hear, or smell, what's going on. By the time she gets there though, Elixir is already down, and she's surgically removed Warren's wings. She then delivers them to the Purifiers. We have a problem here though. Remember when Apocalypse turned Warren into Archangel? Well . . he never changed him back. Somehow his wings adjusted so they appeared normal, but they're still some kind of Apocalypse Strand in the blood. They inject the blood in to willing Purifier recipients, and they get the metal wings like Archangel sported. This also causes a problem for the X-Men. First of all, Elixir can heal Warren, but he can't heal the wings because the cells around where they connected are not human, mutant or even organic . . they're something different. And, as soon as the Purifiers start sporting their wings . . it seems like it's hurting Angel more and more. By the end of the issue, he subconsciously turns back in to Archangel. But a much more menacing and possessed looking one. Sinister, even. Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost are doing an excellent job with this series. But I don't think what we started out with is what we're going to end up with. I believe this will be an ever-evolving group. And of course, what can I say about Clayton Crain's art. It's phenomenal. With 4 issue down, this group hasn't let up on the action or the bloodshed yet. And I don't see the tide retreating anytime soon.

Teen Titans #59 - DC

I have to say, I actually enjoyed Eddy Barrows on this book. He's got a kind of frantic . . action paced look to his stuff, and it worked very well with this particular story-line. Of course it may be Ruy Jose' inks also. This issue is another Dark Side Club book. It turns out that the Clock King is after the Titans, because the he has a standing order with the Club to deliver 6 meta-powered fighters. Unfortunately, right now he only has Kid Devil and Miss Martian. And, in the scheme of things, Robin doesn't count . . because, he's not powered. But we do find out that the Ravager faked her death, in the explosion, so she could follow the Terror Titans back to their base. It turns out, at Titan Tower, the Clock King left behind a message for Robin. It's a pocket watch, but when it's put together right, it emits a holographic message. He wants Robin to bring the rest of the Titans to his tower. But right now, there's really only 3 of them left. Himself, Wonder Girl and Blue Beetle. His minions go after the other 2, but the Clock King wants to save Robin for himself. " . . as much as I looked forward to matching wits with you . . what I really wanted was to test myself against your renowned fighting prowess. See, I live in a perpetual state of precognition. While my consciousness exists in the present, I'm constantly aware of what's to happen approximately 4.6692 seconds from now. Therefore, every move you make . . I've already seen coming." By the end of the issue, he's got Robin a bloodied mess on the ground, and it looks like he's ready to deliver the killing blow. I like what Sean McKeever's doing with this story. I think what we're doing right now, is getting the team down to basics, and then we're going to go through a rebuilding period. I can't imagine that we'd only stick with these 6 members. The big guns are over in the other Titans book right now. So they may be pulling in some members that we weren't expecting. Only time will tell. I think this is a fantastic series with a great cast of characters.

Batman #677 - DC

All I can say after reading this one is . . . Wow!! Grant Morrison has really outdone himself this month. And I don't just mean this title, I'm talking about the combination of it, and Final Crisis. The guy is a story-telling machine. Right now, it seems like those closest to Bruce, except for Alfred . . are being kept away from him. So he doesn't really have anyone to talk to. Well . . except for Jet. And I'm starting to think that she's in on this whole thing with the Black Glove and Doctor Hurt. Also, when they said that this was going to tie everything together from Grant's amazing run on Batman . . they weren't kidding. Batman is trying to dig up some kind of information on the Black Glove, but all he can come up with is an old movie by John Mayhew. Remember that story where Batman and Robin went to that island and all the other "wanna-be" dynamic-duo's were there? It ended up being a murder mystery, and . . it happened on John Mayhew's island. Although he never showed up for it. When I was reading it, that story didn't seem to have any signifigance at the time. However, now . . it seems to be directly related to this Black Glove group. But, not only does Bruce think he's going crazy . . or at least someone's really trying to mess with him, but there's also a story getting ready to be released saying that Bruce's father, Thomas Wayne, wasn't the upright humanitarian that everyone was lead to believe. So it seems like someone is trying to tear apart Bruce's life from both sides. At the end of the issue, some villains show up to the Bat-cave and proceed to beat up Alfred. There's been no clue yet, but I'm wondering if Hush, Thomas Elliot, has something to do with all of this. It couldn't be Jason Todd, because he's off doing something else right now. Or, maybe Hush really isn't Thomas Elliot, and he's someone else we don't even know yet. Regardless, it's all speculation on my part. I don't even know for sure that Hush is involved . . but I'm thinkin' . . .

Final Crisis #1 - DC

I really liked this book . . but . . in Grant Morrison's usual style, we don't get to much out of this one other than some more questions. It appears that the residents of Apokolips aren't dead . . they've just been lowered a few rungs on the cosmic ladder. They've stuck together and in Manhattan have formed the Dark Side Club. From what I can gather, their goals are two-fold. First they're snatching up meta-powered individuals. These they're having fight each other, and they're running a "fight-club" kind of establishment. So far we know that they have Livewire, Black Alice and Misfit. But I'm sure there's more. Secondly, they're gathering up children, I assume, to have them try to call forth the Anti-Life Equation. Then, on top of that, we have Libra trying to take control of the Secret-Society of Super-Villains. He says if they grant him power, he will give them their hearts desire. He's starting with the Human Flame. His desire is to see the Martian Manhunter dead. So Libra transports him from the planet he's on, in Salvation Run, and then proceeds to skewer him like a fresh fish. I'm not sure if the New Gods have suffered the same fate as their counterparts, because Orion has turned up dead along the shoreline of Metropolis. This has put the Green Lanterns, and the Guardians on alert because this is Deicide. And finally the Monitors are acting up. As the Universe's have split apart and become individual . . so to have the Monitors. One is exiled, another is in love, and yet another is scheming against his brethren. Yeah . . they're just like the humans now. Although I didn't really like the cover, I thought J.G.Jones did a fantastic job with the interior art. Every frame of this book is a piece of art. I know that this is the very first issue . . so we're not going to get all the answers, but I can't wait to see where this one takes us. I think we're in store for a pretty thrilling ride.

DC/WildStorm: Dreamwar #2 - DC/WildStorm

I only have 1 problem with this book . . it's not really happening. I know! It's a comic book . . so it isn't really happening. Don't worry, I haven't lost touch with reality. What I mean is . . it's not really happening inside of the regular DC or WildStorm continuity. Other than in this book . . it's not really happening anywhere else. So, unfortunately, there's nothing about the outcome that will have anything to do with either Universe's existence. Once that realization falls in to place, then there's no investment into the story by the reader. Other than the thrill of seeing our favorites from both Universe's pairing off against each other. The other problem I have is, from this issue, it appears that the perspective is a little skewed towards the WildStorm heroes, and it's making it look like the DC characters are the aggressors. Also, I don't really understand the time-line . . or more specifically, exactly when these characters are coming from. The Teen Titans characters are from the George Perez era. They've got Starfire, Donna and Cyborg. But the JLA is from a time much earlier than that. Green Arrow's in his old costume for god's sake. And when I say old, I mean old. Like from the 70's issues of JLA. Also the Legion is from the 70's. It's when their clubhouse looked like an inverted rocket. And Dream Girl makes reference to Chimera Lad. Who the heck is that? In this issue, the Teen Titans face off against Gen13, the JLA against the Authority, and the JSA against the geriatric crowd in Tranquility. Like I said, it all just seems a little "off" to me. Maybe it'll make more sense as the series goes along, but right now . . I'm a little lost. Oh yeah, and Green Arrow gets his neck broken this issue also. It's brought to us by Keith Giffen, Lee Garbett and Trevor Scott. Overall, it's a very nice looking book. And, really, it's an enjoyable read. I just don't understand how it all fits . . or even if it's supposed to.

Loveless #24 - Vertigo

This is the final issue. And, really, that's sad, because I really dug this book. However, when that whole story was done with Wes and Ruth Cutter . . I was really kind of wondering what they were going to do after that. The only problem I have with this book . . . or this particular issue . . it doesn't really feel like the end. This issue feels like the first part of a new story, and at the end . . you have the feeling that there's more to tell. This issue really just seemed like the set-up. The problem? There wasn't a payoff. Which, again, is sad because it looked to be an interesting story. My guess? Brian Azzarello is getting ready to move on to a new project. He's almost done with 100 Bullets. In fact he's probably already written the final issue. So, by wrapping this series up, he's free to focus his attention on some new project. I have no idea what it is, or where . . really, I haven't heard or read anything. But he's to good of a talent to not show up someplace. And, if I might be so bold as to make a suggestion . . get Danijel Zezelj's butt over to do some work on Jonah Hex. This guy is fantastic. And the mood that his art creates is perfect for these type of stories. The Jonah Hex type of stories. I think he would be fantastic there. And, really, that book needs some creative consistency that Danijel could provide. Please! At least think about it. Danijel's is another talent I hate to see not being put to good use someplace. I've enjoyed this book right from the beginning, and we've seen some incredible talent emerge from it. Unfortunately, I won't get to see it every month.

Casey Blue: Beyond Tomorrow #1 - WildStorm

This is an interesting book. It definitely has some possibilities. It's a brand new character, written by B Clay Moore, and art by Carlo Barberi. Carlo's art is very crisp and clean. It really has a kind of early Gen13 type feel to it. I'm not comparing the books in any way, that's just the vibe I get off of the art. We don't really know a whole lot about this character yet. We start out at her funeral. She recently died, and was 16 years old. But then we immediately go back, to what I assume was a few months ago . . because she's driving, so she has to be 16 there also. She's just going through her normal teenage life. But then something happens that puts her in a trance . . or activates her, or whatever . . and she kills a man. We don't know what happened or why, or even how the man was chosen. But she becomes aware a few minutes later . . sitting in her car . . covered in blood. And, really, that's the long and short of the book. Like I said, there's a lot of potential here, but it really depends on whether or not they do something original or not. This similar theme has been used countless times . . especially in the WildStorm Universe . . so it'll be interesting to see how they spin it this time. Obviously it's not a bad concept. It works. But really, I would just like to see a different take . . a new way of looking at it . . give us a different perspective. Please! So, overall I think it's an interesting start. But the proof is in the pudding. Where do we go from here?

Dead, She Said #1 - IDW Publishing

This one I picked up on a complete whim. I've been impressed by Steve Niles' stories in the past, but as soon as I saw the Berni Wrightson was doing the full interior art . . pencils and inks . . I decided to pick it up. It's kind of nice, also, because I have no idea what it's about, and no preconceived notions. I'm going in to it . . a virgin. I feel so vulnerable. Anyways, I thought it was a pretty good book. It's done in a film-noir type of style. Basically, we meet this guy, Joe Coogan, the day after he dies. He's used to waking up from a drunken stooper, so when he first gets up . . he thinks it's just another morning. Although he is a little stiffer than usual. And I don't mean in the Viagra kind of way. When he see his guts spilling out the bullet hole in his stomach, and coming out his back, he realizes what's going on and that he has rigor mortis. He's a detective . . I'm sorry, actually . . a PI. So he does what he does and he starts looking for who did this to him. The guy on the cover is the one who killed him. But Joe isn't getting any information from him because he's taking a dirt nap also, but . . "He had the sort of death that was permanent." There's also a couple pages in the middle about a family that's out camping in the woods. It looks like the parents get swallowed up by the insects in the grass. I think the 2 stories are related because Joe finds what looks like a lobster claw wedged under the couch of the victim. And of course, right when he's kneeling over the victim is when the cops show up. I thought it was a good first issue. It'll be interesting to see where the story goes from here. I really liked Berni's art. It's great to see him back in action. He's done a few covers, over the last year or so, but I don't know that he's done any interiors. I'll definitely be back for issue #2.

Ghost Rider #23 - Marvel

This issue by no means wraps up the Zadkiel story-line. But . . I think it does take care of the New Beulah, Montana, part of it. Johnny has pretty much wiped out the nurses, he's delivered the last of the cannibal's living relative to them, and Lucas . . whom he was hoping would help him figure out the way to Heaven . . is gone. He committed suicide. But, we do have a new person that's involved himself in the story. And, really, it's the person you would've least expected . . . Danny Ketch. We don't know the hows or why's yet, but he seems to have a special interest in Johnny Blaze. Also, I'm not sure if he's working with Zadkiel, but at the very least, he seems to know what he's planning. I like the way Jason Aaron is handling this story. He has just the right amount of suspense and anticipation. Also he's not feeding us the information to quickly. However, I really don't like Roland Boschi's art. The guy's got some talent. I just don't know if he's right for this book. His style works with the mayhem and carnage that occurs regularly in this book, but . . it just doesn't feel right to me. It doesn't quite fit. Next issue Tan Eng Huat takes over on pencils. I'm familiar with his style. But, I haven't seen to much of him since he did that Doom Patrol series a couple of years ago. I'm not sure that his style will fit any better with this series, but . . I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Overall, I'm still enjoying the book, and I think we've taken some interesting turns with this last story-arc.

the Mighty Avengers #14 - Marvel

I think I was a little confused about what all was happening in this issue. But, I think, that's the way we're supposed to feel. I think this whole Skrull thing is supposed to be a bit confusing right now. Some information we do get, though, is that one of the reasons this whole Invasion thing has taken so much time, is because with everything else going on in the Marvel Universe The Skrulls thought it would be a good idea to let some of it play out first . . before they made their move. Thin the herd . . as it were. You know . . the Hulk situation, the Registration act, the Mutant Messiah . . they might as well let the humans get as many of themselves out of the way as possible. We've already learned that Spider-woman is actually the Empress and Jarvis seems to be on their team also. The Skrulls actually have a little "meeting of minds", as it were, this issue. It seems that the only thing that both sides can agree on . . the Sentry is a wild-card, in all aspects of the word. Nobody seems to know his abilities, his power-set, or . . given the circumstances, what he may do. They also touch on the space-ship full of old heroes. The problem is, they're in a Skrull ship and we really only have their word when they say they've been held captive by the Skrulls this whole time. Which, to me, really does beg the question . . when the Skrulls replace someone . . what do they do with the original? Do they kill them? Do they put them in storage? Are they captive? What? By the end of the issue, it appears that the Skrulls have driven Bob crazy. He's flown out to Saturn to apparently exile himself, but when Lindy's life is threatened, it looks like the Void has come to her rescue. From the looks of things, I think she's more scared of him than of the attack. I thought it was an interesting book. Brian Bendis is really juggling a lot, with this whole Skrull story-line, both teams of Avengers, and keeping everything straight across the rest of the Marvel Universe. Good luck with that! Khoi Pham does the pencils this issues. I thought they were pretty good. I liked 'em. But to me, the main thing with this book is . . I'm glad to see that it's back on track and caught up with the rest of it's Marvel-ous counterparts. I knew they could do it!

the Flash #240 - DC

This issue is another issue that's got the Dark Side Club logo on the top. But, it's a peripheral issue at best. Flash has been plagued by this Spin-doctor character the last couple of issues. He, and Jay, have finally figured out that it has something to do with the TV station. But it may be to little to late. For some reason Grodd has also come to this place. And really? . . that's the whole connection with the Dark Side Club. Anyways, Spin-doctor is getting really upset because Grodd is threatening the little freak that SD has wired-up in the backroom. We don't know all the specifics yet, or who the little guy is, but Spin-doctors powers are directly dependent upon the little guy. If one of the Flash's would learn that, all they'd have to do is separate them, and SD would be powerless. But first they have to save the rest of the city. In the meantime, Jai and Iris, who are out helping Jay, seem to have somebody hunting them down. They evade capture once or twice, but in the process Jai lets out their secret that they may uncontrollably age one day. So when they finally are captured, a comatose Iris seems to be processing the information and on the final page we see that it's causing a physiological change. This is just the thing that Jai was worried about. Plus, Wally and Jay don't even know that they've been captured yet. Oh yeah, from the inside of the van that their captured in we find out that it was the Dark Side Club that was after them. There's the connection I was looking for. I didn't see it at first. Anyways, it was an interesting issue. It seems like Wally's speed is being pushed to it's limits, what with everything he has going on in his life right now. It's got to be near impossible for him to keep up with all of it. But Tom Peyer is trying to construct a story that has him doing . . or attempting . . just that. Just as a suggestion though . . I think we need a little character development with these kids. We don't really know that much about them yet. Freddie E Williams is also giving the book a good feel with his art.

Catwoman #79 - DC

First of all, I have to say . . parts of this story are a bit confusing. Specifically . . how did Selina get back to Gotham? I'm sure it's in the Salvation Run #7 issue, but . . . since that issue hasn't come out yet . . we can't read it. I hate it when we have these snafu's in the publishing schedules. Now I'll have to read that issue, already knowing what has transpired in this one. I guess that's just one of the demons of the trade though. Anyways, since this series is being terminated with #82, it really feels like this is just a "wrap-up" story-line. She comes back to Gotham to find out that Slam is in a bit of trouble with this, at best, "b-list" villain. Of course she gets him out of trouble, but in the process he starts asking questions about her daughter . . his grand-daughter. And those are questions that Selina really doesn't want to answer. I think, deep down, she probably knows that Bruce has knowledge of where Helena is. But, he's not going to tell her, unless she asks, because he cares about her more than that. In fact I'm sure he won't even tell her that he knows anything. So, I think, that she's secure in the knowledge that should she decide she wants to know . . . she's got someone already watching her back. Anyways, next issue she's going after this 20-something villain, we don't even know his name, and in the process let Gotham know that she's back in town. I think that Will Pfeifer has done an excellent job of keeping this character grounded. She's not the obsessed "cat" themed thief that she once was. Although she seems just as talented as ever. I also think that while I'm not overly impressed with David Lopez' art, I do feel that he has definitely given this book a good feel. It's kind of the best of both world's. While I'm not thrilled with his stuff, it does have a good feel to it, and it's consistent. Which is more than I can say for a lot of other books. I'll be sad to see this title go, but I'm positive this isn't the last we've seen of Catwoman.

X-Men: Divided we Stand #2 - Marvel

This is the second part of this little mini-series. It's an interesting idea, maybe not original, but interesting. Basically, it's set up to show us some of the directions the various Marvel titles are taking in the near-future. I think we're getting some of the "behind the scenes" stuff that we wouldn't get in the regular titles. So, if this were a DVD, this would be the "Special Features" section. In the first story, which ties in to Uncanny, we're seeing Hank at the campus doing a little house-keeping. Basically he's gathering up some of his mementos, plus, I think, he's taking care of some of the information that's strewn about right now because of the Sentinel attack. Information about all the various members of the X-Men, which he wants to make sure doesn't fall, accidentally, in to the wrong hands. Plus he has to say goodbye to a lot of memories. The second story is about Illyanna, who's story is definitely not over. She contemplates getting her soul back, from Belasco, through love rather than the blood-stones. But, when she returns to her friends for support . . obviously, since the mansion is destroyed . . they're all gone. Which just leaves her with the blood-stones. I think this one may be leading in to another mini-series for her. We then see Havok, and his team . . the StarJammers, who've all been captured and are being held miles below the surface of Kr'kn, by his brother Vulcan . . the Emperor. Again, I think this may be heralding another mini-series. Next up is Forge, whom I assume everyone else thinks is dead. But his recent run-in with the whole Mutant Messiah debacle, plus the encounter with Cable, has left him obsessed with Cable's time-travel device. This one also tells the story of how Bishop got his replacement arm, and the devices to put himself on Nathan's trail. We got a little of that story in Cable's book, but not all of the pieces. We also see his plans to make Eagle Plaza even more impenetrable than before. And finally we get a story from the Young X-Men. Nori and Dani have a conversation about their outlook for the future. Dani is a "glass half full" type of person, and Nori . . is the complete opposite. Neither really changes their stance, but I think they both get a little better perspective of how the other looks at things. I think they respect each other even more. For what it was, I thought it was a pretty decent book. It doesn't really answer any questions, but it does give us a few more to think about. For long-time X-Men readers, it probably wasn't necessary. But for the "newbies", I think it's essential. So . . take it for what it is . . information.

Ultimate X-Men #94 - Marvel

I have to say . . this is the best issue of this series that I've read in quite a while. Ok . . that last issue was pretty decent. But . . with Apocalypse involved, it got pretty action packed at the end. Plus it was the Phoenix' coming out party. So, while I didn't particularly like the last story arc . . I did enjoy the last issue. But, honestly, I think this issue is even better than that. There seems to be a Colossus "thing" going on around the Marvel Universe right now. We have a pretty major story-line going on involving him in Uncanny. He just got his own Origin issue. And now we feature him in these pages. This issue starts out taking us all the way back to when he was a kid. But there's an interesting twist in his story. Which is what I like about the Ultimate Universe. They get to throw ideas in which nobody else thought of. Here, the thought is, even though his skin switches to metal . . how does his body bear the weight, literally, of the burden? He's not super-strong . . his skin turns to metal. Which, I'm sure, is a lot heavier that . . well, his skin. So how does he bear the burden? Well, in the Ultimate Universe, he turned to Banshee. That's their version of the Mutant Growth Hormone. And, this wouldn't even have turned up if the X-Men hadn't had a run-in with the Ultimate Alpha-Flight. As it is, they are all taking Banshee, which is why they're so powerful. As the issue ends, it seems that Colossus has put his own team of X-Men together. They consist of Kurt, Rogue, Dazzler and . . I'm not sure who that bird guy is, is it Angel? . . but, Scott is tagging along for the ride also. Ride? Oh yeah, their taking the fight up to Canada to try to retrieve Colossus' lover, Northstar, whom was the whole reason for Alpha-Flights incursion. They wanted him back. Or . . the Canadian Government did . . Dept. H. I love the Ultimate books, and anytime we're introduced to more of our universe's Marvel counter-parts, is even better. I thought Aron E Coileite did a fantastic job with this story. But then, as one of the writers of Heroes, on NBC, I would've expected nothing less. I was also very impressed with Mark Brooks pencils. Like I said, overall, it was a pretty decent book. Finally!

the Amazing Spider-man #560 - Marvel

Ok, of all the villains they've created in their 15 issues so far . . you know, in the 3 a month publishing format . . this Paperdoll, is probably the weakest by far. The only reason I say that is because this girls whole motivation is to defend and help her imaginary lover, Bobby Carr. Basically, she's a stalker. And the worst kind really, because she's got the means to back up her delusions. But, when it comes down to it, it's not really about her anyways. Peter has taken up a new position at the Bugle. He's the resident paparazzi. Or as Bennett called him last time . . " . . our own little ninja paparazzi." . . because of his angles and heights. Anyways, the whole point of this Paperdoll character is to show Peter that there are repercussions from his actions. He thinks that his pictures are harmless, but, everytime he shows this Bobby Carr in a compromising situation, the Paperdoll character shows up to harm the instigator of that action. Since Peter took the pictures, he feels responsible for putting the people that have been hurt in them. I know. It's a leap. But Peter has this overwhelming sense of responsibility, so, in his head, he makes the connections. When it comes down to it, that's the whole reason behind this Paperdoll character. And now, Peter should really worry. He's come across this new girl a couple of times, trying to defend her would be victims, but, honestly, he has no defense against her. And, I think, it's only a matter of time before she realizes it's not the people in the pictures that are the problem, but the person taking them. And when that epiphany hits . . she's coming straight to Peter's door. I like the way they're doing the rotating writers on this book. It keeps the stories fresh while retaining all the important parts of the on-going story-lines. Especially since they all work together on them. Just like the art. I'm not particularly a fan of Marcos Martin, but changing up every 3 issues, keeps the look fresh also. I'm not saying any one is better or worse than the artist before, or after them, but . . it's just nice to see a different perspective. I've liked what they've done with this book in the last couple of months. I'm just curious to see how long they can keep it up.