Superman: World of New Krypton #1 - DC

Well Superman has officially done it . . he's left Earth behind and he's moved to New Krypton. Well . . at least that's what he's letting everyone think. Earth will always be his home, but . . he can't really keep tabs on what's happening on New Krypton from there. So . . basically, he's gone undercover. I'm not sure if he has a set plan here, but . . I think this whole thing may be a lot harder than he originally envisioned. First he checks in with Alura. She's happy that he's changed his mind, but . . I don't think she really trusts him. Then, he goes off to meet Zod. It goes about as expected. The only thing that seems a bit off-kilter is the convenient absence of Ursa and Chris. However, in his short time here, I think Kal-el has discovered another means of disrupting whatever the plans are of Alura and Zod. Krypton has always been split up into Guilds. Kind of like the various caste's of a Socialist government. There's the Science Guild, the Artists Guild, the Military Guild and the Laborers Guild . . to name a few. Having spent so much time on Earth, Kal-el sees the problems with this order and that the Laborers Guild are little more than glorified slaves. I think Kal-el sees his chance at disrupting things here lying in the animosity that can be stirred up between the various guilds. But it's not going to be easy for him as Alura has assigned him to the Military Guild. He's under the direct command of Zod. "Welcome to the military, Commander El." James Robinson and Greg Rucka are handling the story here. There's an awful lot of possibilities that are open here. This world is pretty much a blank slate. Well, except for previous Kryptonian heritage. But, really . . that's all open for conjecture and interpretation. So . . anything goes . . maybe. I can't wait to see what James and Greg make of this opportunity. Pete Woods does the art. And it's all wrapped in a Gary Frank cover. What more could you ask for?

Batman Cacophony #3 - DC

Two things come out of this issue. First and foremost is the relationship between Batman and the Joker. Batman's up on the roof battling . . I don't know the guys name, the one with the circle on his face . . 'what's his name?'. He's used the Joker to lure him out. He also fakes his own death to catch him off guard. When he does, he starts taking him apart piece by piece. He knows that the Batman's about to beat him so he forces him to choose. He stabs the Joker in the heart. Now the Batman can either come after him, or take care of the Joker. Needless to say, we know what choice the Batman makes. But, Jim doesn't make it easy on him. "I'm not asking you to kill him. I'm just asking you not to save him! Do the right thing here, for Gotham's sake . . for your sake . . let him go." Next we flash forward 6 months and find Matches Malone visiting the recuperating Joker in the hospital. He tries to have a heart to heart with him. "Do you really want me dead? Do you really want to kill me?" The Joker surprises Bats with his reply . . "I do want to kill you. I don't hate you because I'm crazy . . I'm crazy because I hate you. And your death will mean an end to my reign of terror in Gotham." However, I think the Joker is still just messing with him. I think he's trying to get him to question his mission. The second thing is . . Batman has made a serious enemy out of 'what's his name?'. At the end of the issue we see him going back to his home life. It seems pretty mundane and boring . . 2 kids, a dog, a house in the suburbs, but in the basement he's got trophies of the masks of his kills. We see that he's got an empty case ready for the Batman's cowl. This was another great story by Kevin Smith. I wish we could see him on some more Batman stories. He's just got the right frame of mind for this. Walter Flanagan does the art. Overall I thought it was a pretty decent series.

Gotham Gazette: Batman Dead? #1 - DC

Basically, this issue catches us up on some of the supporting cast of Batman's in Gotham. They all feel the change in the city, but they're all reacting to it differently. I thought the most intriguing character in this book was the Veil. She's the woman who was scared and killed back during the whole earthquake thing. She was an actress, but someone she arose from the wreckage with the heart of the city running through her being. Other than the Batman, I don't know that anyone truly understands this city more than she. She provides the opening and closing monologues, and I think she sums up everybody's feeling very well. Especially in her closing statement . . "If no one deigns to wear the cowl and answer the signal's yearning call for help . . . does Gotham city have any hope for salvation . .?" We also see Stephanie, Vicki Vale and Leslie's reactions to all of this. We get a glimpse of Robin, but . . another character that I'd really like to see expanded is Harvey Bullock. He's got this whole mystique about him, but I think it's all a ruse. This guy is a lot sharper than he lets on. It would be nice to see another GCPD series . . or something, and see a little more focus put on some of these great characters . . Bullock, the Commish, Officer Harper and Captain Sawyer. Batman is overflowing with a terrific supporting cast. I really hope we see more of them in his absence. Oh . . by the way, this issue was brought to us by Fabian Nicieza on scripts and a plethora of artistic talent . . Dustin Nguyen, Gulliem March, ChrisCross, Jamie McKelvie, Alex Konat and Mark McKenna. Overall it was a pretty good issue and, really . . just a prelude to all the drama that's about to hit this 'burg.

Solomon Grundy #1 - DC

This book picks up immediately following the Faces of Evil: Solomon Grundy book. As far as I know, this is Scott Kolins first attempt at doing the writing as well as the art on a book. To tell you the truth, I'm not sure if I liked it or not. The cover is awesome, but . . I think the interior art left something to be desired. Scott's 'new' style is kind of hectic looking anyways, which I thought was kind of cool, but . . the art in this one just didn't seem as polished as some of his recent work. It seemed kind of rushed in spots. At least that's what I thought. The story? The story seemed a bit convoluted. It starts out with Alan Scott and the Phantom Stranger confronting Cyrus. They want to break the cycle that he's stuck in. The Stranger informs him that in order to do so, he has 7 days to find his killer and forgive him. He says, that's the key. But then there's some other stuff thrown in that I just don't understand. Etrigan shows up to give Solomon a little 'what-for'. But I don't really understand why. Why is he there? Why does Solomon Grundy get his goat? Also, as they destroy a bridge in their fight in Gotham, a Lex-Corp truck is brought to a stop because it can't cross. They're worried that their cargo could become restless, and we discover that they're transporting Bizarro. What does he have to do with any of this? I don't know. It was an interesting first issue, but . . it left me with a lot more questions than answers. Which I guess is ok for the first issue. The story just seemed to kind of bounce around though. We have 7 issues to figure it out though, so . . we'll just have to wait and see what happens . . and why.

Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade #4 - DC

This was another hilarious chapter of Supergirl's 8th grade existence. This is just a silly book all around. But, it's interesting. I also like the addition of Streaky . . the Super-cat. Also Lena Luthor, Linda's room-mate, is ready to jump into her Secret Battle Armor this issue when she finds out Linda's secret. I really think that Landry Walker and Eric Jones are doing a great job with this series. The way they're constructing the stories, and doing the art, is really neat. I'm sure that the audience it's aimed at is loving it. Plus, like I keep saying, it's great that there's an opportunity to introduce new reader, younger readers, to the various characters of the DC Universe. But really I'm just happy that there's a whole new audience that'll be collecting. Anything to perpetuate the medium. Right?

Strange Adventures #1 - DC

I'm glad that this series is back. Yes, it's only a mini again, but . . at least we get to see Jim Starlin's work for the next 8 months again. Right? Anyways, all the usual subjects are back again for this issue. We pick up right where we left off with Holy-War. Throneworld has become New Rann. With the destruction of their atmosphere, Prince Gavyn has offered sanctuary to the Rannians on his planet. There's no one living there anyways, since Lady Styx wiped out all the population there. Captain Comet is back on Hardcore Station, but of course he runs into a bit of trouble and has to find a job off of the station to get away for a little while. Also the Weird appears to be back, but . . he seems a little different for some reason. And of course there's a new threat. There's rumors floating around that Throneworld is defenseless now, so scavengers have been showing up. Prince Gavyn and Adam Strange go up to scare them away when Adam notices that there's a spot in space where all the stars have disappeared. It's not to far from New Rann. Also Deacon Dark is back in the back-up story. Which in this case, Jim does the art for this one also. Man I love his stuff. With Lord Synnar missing, the Deacon is trying to figure out all that he can about the Lord's chosen warriors, the Aberrant Six. He wants to start with Hawkman, but he ends up confronting Bizarro first. However, Bizzarro isn't ready for this group yet . . his mind is fractured. So the Deacon has decided to work with him. "You now begin a journey that may bring enlightenment. We shall meet again soon, my warrior. The to heed my and Coriolis's counsel." But it looks to me like Coriolis, Deacon's underling, is going to be the wrench in the Deacon's plans. I have a feeling this guys really going to mess things up. Manuel Garcia does the art this time for the main story. It's to bad Shane Davis couldn't come back, but he's doing lots of other stuff. I will say though, Manuel's work looks really good. Plus his stuff fits perfectly with Jim's story. This is going to be another great series. I can't wait to see what comes out of this one.

Trinity #40 - DC

There's so much stuff attacking the DC Universe right now. Krona is trying to become one with the universe . . with every world-soul, with every molecule of being. Ultra-man and the Crime Syndicate are trying to break out of the anti-matter universe, and into ours. Right now the only thing holding them at bay is the Green Lantern Corps. And back on Earth, Le Fey and her crew are about to extinguish our world-soul, as she devours the Earth in a wave of creation energy, but . . . our trio of heroes, the Trinity, have returned and realized the absence of their awareness just in time. The energies that they, and Le Fey's crew throw at each other is amazing. The Trinity is actually starting to falter when they remember that their strength actually comes from the people that they mentor, that they give hope to, that believe in them. When they draw on this energy . . the tide is quickly turned. It appears that they've brought hope, and love and reason back to the world. Things are starting to go back to normal. At least Metropolis is. But they also realize that the for isn't really beaten yet. And now they're ready to take the battle to them. Meanwhile, in the back-up story, we catch up to Krona again. He's crossing paths with an earlier, more impetuous version of himself, and he's annoyed. He tries to reason with himself, but he can't. So he eliminates him. Also the Void-Hound, the techno-sentient hunter that's now inhabiting John Stewart's body, seems to be the only thing capable of standing up to Krona. Well, Krona captured him and was studying him, but now finds out that he's broken free. "Apparently it lacked patience." This is a series that I realize would be very hard to come into now . . this late in the game. Hell, there's only about 8 issues left. So, I'll try to keep everyone up to date on the story's developments and at the very least you'll all know how things end up. However, I still think that Kurt Busiek, Mark Bagley, Fabian Nicieza and Scott McDaniel have been doing a terrific job here. I'm sure the various chapters will be out in TPB soon.

HULK #10 - Marvel

I don't know if I really liked this story or not. The Grandmaster and the Collector are back, and of course they have some bet going on that involves a bunch of Marvel characters putting their lives on the line for some reward that they won't even be able to understand. Basically they're each assembling a team. The Grandmaster is starting with the Hulk and then letting him choose the rest. But he's picking them from all across time. The theme with the Hulk's group is 'loss'. The Grandmaster gets the Hulk right after he loses Jarella. They then go to the Silver Surfer right when he's about to lose his love Shalla-bal. The same happens with Namor. They show up right when Dorma is dying in his arms. And finally, they show up in some nether-realm just as Doctor Strange is losing Clea to some mystical portal. With his team now assembled, the Grandmaster reveals that they will have to fight the Collector's team which consists of the Red-Hulk, Baron Mordo, Terrax and the Tiger Shark. They're calling themselves the Offenders, which I guess makes the Hulk's team the Defenders. As a final gift before battle, the Grandmaster gives the Hulk a gift. He gives him his intelligence back . . brains and brawn. A deadly combination. " I don't know how. But I've got Banner's mind and the Hulk's power again. Let's take advantage of this, Defenders! We fight smart. We fight hard. For love. To the Death!" I don't know. The whole thing just seemed kind of to simple . . or to easy, for me. I usually enjoy Jeph Loeb's story's, but this one . . I don't know exactly. It just didn't sit right. It doesn't matter though really because I'll still be back next issue to see the big fight. And I still love Ed McGuinness' art. I don't know . . I guess we'll see what happens next issue. Sorry I couldn't be more decisive about it all.

Ultimate Spider-man #131 - Marvel

Man, I can't believe there's only a couple of issues left of this book. That Sucks! I love this book. This is easily the best Spider-man book on the shelves right now. During the Avengers #50 blog I was talking about Brian Bendis' use of character development and interaction. Well . . he's got it in spades here. We have really come to love all the characters in this book. They all seem to have such depth and emotion. This issue Aunt May is separated from Peter. Spider-girl shows up to save her. I think she's Peter's clone. But anyways, Aunt May is distraught because she doesn't know where Peter is and she's asking Spider-girl to help her. You can just feel the emotion and anguish of her plea. Also Jonah is repentant about the way he's treated Spider-man over the last few years because he's witnessed his heroism. When the wave hit, and the city was engulfed in water, everybody was running for their lives, trying to get away from the water. But he witnessed Spider-man jumping into the water and searching for people so he could pull them out . . drag them to safety. This has caused Jonah to completely re-think his view of Spider-man. And finally, while out there trying to save lives, Peter comes across the Hulk. He tries to reason with him, and it seems as if he does. He's actually got the Hulk helping him with rescues. But then the Hulk calms down enough that he reverts to Bruce. When Bruce sees all the damage he assumes that it's his fault. This causes him to panic and freak-out, and . . we've got the mad Hulk again. As the Hulk tries to smash him, Peter thinks "Okay, it's officially the bestest day ever!! With a mood swing this insane it's amazing I never dated him." This issue ends when Peter comes across Dr Strange's house. There's a cab that busted through the window at the top of the house. "Not only is this just in general a horrible thing: cab through a roof. But didn't that window seal, like, keep all his magic and demons and all the other things he's in charge of . . . safely tucked . . away?" But his question is answered as he watches all sorts of demons and monsters escaping into the New York horizon. This Ultimatum is a fantastic story-line, but . . I can't believe they're dooming this Universe. Say it isn't so! Please! Anyways, I also want to give a hats off to Stuart Immonen who has done a fantastic job since he's come to this series. Really incredible stuff. Thanks.

Fantastic Four #564 - Marvel

Compared to recent issue of the Fantastic Four . . this was a pretty calm issue. The family has decided to take a vacation so they've gone to Scotland to see Reed's cousin Hamish. They've gone there for the holidays and they sincerely believe that they'll just get a little R&R, and some family time. Which they do . . this issue. But . . this is really the calm before the storm. There's something going on in this little 'burg. Something just below the surface that no one can see. And no one wants to talk about. One woman does try to warn Sue. She tells her to watch out for her kids. But then one of the locals plays her off as the town heretic. All we find out this issue is that there's some locals that seem to be working for someone that calls himself Korgo. And they want Valeria. Or rather Korgo does. She'll fit his 'needs'. I've always enjoyed this book. The Fantastic Four have been one of my favorite groups . . or families, for quite some time. But I really feel that Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch have brought a new life to this book. It's incredible . . and fantastic. Mark just brings so many cool ideas into his stories and I really love the way all the seperate chapters still have ties to each other. Just like life . . a new 'focus' or 'direction' is always predicated on the events of the previous one. One couldn't happen without the other . . . the natural occurance of events. I'm not sure how long they'll be on this book, but I hope they've got them chained to the desk because it would be nice for them to be here as long as possible. This is easily one of the best books on the shelves right now.

X-Force #12 - Marvel

I kind of got the feeling from this one that sooner or later . . the Leper Queen is going to switch sides. I may be wrong but . . at the very least, she'll probably take her own life. A few issues ago the team went to one of Sinister's old hide-outs to retrieve a vial of Legacy Virus that was left over. That's where they grabbed the Vanisher. Long story short, they ended up with it, but they didn't know that there was another one that Bastion has. So now, in his crusade to rid the world of mutants he has a new weapon. Well . . actually 2. The Leper Queen and the Legacy Virus. They've begun working in tandem this issue to perpetuate Bastion's plans. Basically what they're doing is attacking the Friends of Humanity rallies by injecting a mutant with the virus and then letting them loose in the crowd before their powers overload. The first time they take out 1100 people. Which immediately alerts the X-Men to this problem. So Logan's team has split up for the 4 rallies that are currently going on. On the final page of the book, it looks like Laura and Warren have chosen the short end of the stick. Fever Pitch shows up at their rally already sick from the disease. Anyways, back to the Leper Queen . . she's the one that's following through on Bastion's plans. However, according to her inner dialogue, she abhors all of this loss of human life. It's starting to make her sick, the level of peripheral damage and loss of life that Bastion's willing to accept to get his message across. I'm not sure what she's going to do, but I think it's going to be her that slows Bastion down . . not X-Force. Although they'll try. We also see this issue that Scott has Hank working on some time-control devices to send the team into the future to eliminate Bishop. Although, Hank isn't aware of their intended use . . yet. Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost are doing a fantastic job with this series. I'm enjoying the way that their stories are unfolding and how it always looks like everything is stacked against the home-team here. Also, it looks like Clayton Crain is returning for this story-arc. Fan-frikkin-tastic! The work he's turning in is amazing. This book is at the top of the heap, again.

Wolverine Origins #33 - Marvel

What a great book. Daniel Way is still right on the mark with this one. Doug Braithwaite steps in on the pencils this issue, and . . they fit the book and the story well. This time Logan learns some more about his past from 'ol Nick Fury. He's looking for Daken and he's willing to trade information for information. As it turns out, the name Hudson that keeps popping up throughout Logan's long history is actually his mother's last name. So he's some kind of distant relative to Mac. You know, from Alpha Flight. Well, he's also related to the Hudson's that ran and owned the Hudson Bay Company. He worked for them once as an enforcer . . sort of. Basically, he did their dirty work. Well the Hudsons and Romulus are intimately intertwined. Romulus seems to have some kind of sway over the family and leads them around by the nose to do his, or her dirty work. We also find out that Weapon X didn't create Wolverine . . Romulus did. Weapon X was just trying to make him better . . . and repeat the process. Logan was already a killer. Weapon X wanted to make him unbreakable so that they could turn him into a super-hero killer. He would be the Governments weapon to take down anyone, or anything that went rogue. The problem was, once he was under the protection of the X-Men . . specifically Charles, Romulus couldn't get into his head anymore. So . . he went a different direction. He went after Daken. He started shaping him into the killer that he needed him to be . . . Wolverine's killer. But nothing can kill Wolverine. Right? Don't forget about the sword that the X-Men have . . the Muramasa Blade. Romulus is trying to get his hands on it, and then encase Daken's bones with the metal of the blade. Daken would then be able to take down the hardest target . . Wolverine. And Scott is playing right into Romulus' hand. He's recently seen the telecast of Norman Osborne's Avengers. He knows that the Wolverine there is Daken. He thinks that since the sword is the only thing that can take Wolverine down, it might also be the only thing they can use against Daken. Now Wolverine has to try to get to Daken before Scott does. I wasn't going to pick up Secret Warriors. But now that I've seen Nick Fury in this title . . I may have to change my mind. I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait to see where we go from here.

Wolverine: First Class #12 - Marvel

This was a pretty decent issue. It was more about Kitty than Wolverine though. It was set about the time that the X-Men had beaten Magneto. I know. Which time? Well . . it was set shortly after Uncanny #150. The X-Men were left on the island waiting for their transport to be fixed and they hear a sound. The Professor, figuring that it was pretty innocuous asks Kitty to investigate with a new mentor . . Cyclops. Anyways, long story short, since this was a city risen from the bottom of the ocean by Magneto, there's bound to be some 'stuff' lying around that probably shouldn't be played with. Basically, Kitty and Scott stumble across the 'intern' of an old chaos lord that had been sealed in an underground cave. Actually, it looks more like he was thrown to the bottom of a well. He tries to appeal to Kitty's sympathy and get her to let him out, but luckily Scott is the voice of reason. They try to get out but with all the magical inscriptions written all over everything, that seems to be almost impossible. That is until Wolverine unwittingly removes the crystal that locks the doors. Kitty and Scott get out, but . . they almost let out chaos on Earth also. So how does Kitty handle all of this? First she scolds Logan, "Why don't you leave Cyclops alone for once, huh?! He's been through a lot!" And then she tells the Professor that she'd rather have Logan for her teacher. "Wolverine has done other things. Wolverine has seen the world. He's got . . perspective. That's what I think I need." I like the way Fred Van Lente is handling this series. Much in the same way he did X-Men: First Class. Except, this one seems a little more serious than that one did. But it's still pretty upbeat. I also thoroughly enjoyed Scott Koblish's art. He's also using a 'fresher' style here. It fits the book well. Overall it was an enjoyable book.

Avengers: the Initiative #22 - Marvel

And with this issue . . we have the trifecta of Avengers books. All I'm missing in this run is the Dark Avengers. I really enjoy the work that Christos Gage is doing on this book. With such a large cast of characters, he somehow manages to fit them all into each and every issue. And it's great to see the New Warriors back together again. It was only a matter of time. With everything that's been going on in the Marvel Universe . . sooner or later these kids were bound to reach out for each other again. Gauntlet gathers up all the heavy hitters this issue to strike against Ragnarok. And we even see the Shadow Initiative over in Madripoor. They're getting ready to fight HYDRA, and Roger. But to me what really made this book special was Humberto Ramos' pencils. This guy is incredible. But he really hasn't done that much work of late. With all these characters, and all of this action . . I really feel like he's back in his glory here. He's got some really great pages in this book. Anyways, we find out that the New Warriors didn't really show up to help against Ragnarok. They came for a completely different reason. But, with all that was going down when they did show up . . of course they had to help. They can't just stand by and watch this android wipe out all of their one-time friends. But the real reason they came to Camp Hammond? They came to retrieve the body of Michael Van Patrick, MVP. They decided it's time to take him home and let him rest in peace. We've only got a couple of issues left on this series. That's sad. But, I'm thinking that there may be some new teams forming out of all of this. Maybe we'll get some new series, or at least some minis. I definitely think we're going to see the Shadow Initiative someplace. Although I'm sure they'll have a different name. Maybe Gauntlet will start up his own version of the Avengers. Why not? Everybody else has. But they have to do something with this great cast of characters that they've created here. There's a whole lot of potential here. It'd be a shame for it all to go to waste.

the Mighty Avengers #22 - Marvel

To me, this issue definitely didn't sit the same with me as the issue I just read . . Avengers #50. First of all, I think this is a pretty motley cast of characters assembled here. Yes the Scarlet Witch seems to be back, but . . the Vision and Stature? They're from the Young Avengers. And then . . Hercules, Jarvis, US Agent, Amadeus Cho? Topped off by Hank Pym and Jocasta? I'm not sure that these guys could beat anybody. Tony, in his Iron Man armor and the Hulk also show up, but . . I think they're there more of circumstance than anything else. Mordred has returned. He's obtained the Book of the Darkhold and is set on returning Chthon to this plane. But he needs a vessel. That's where Quicksilver comes in. But, even after that's done, Quicksilver isn't completely out of it yet. We find out near the end of the story that when Chthon took over Pietro's form, Pietro ended up in the book. Mordred kept Bova alive, I think as a slave, but she's got the book and is communicating with Pietro through it. And that, basically, is the gist of the story. Chthon is trying to spread a chaos wave across the globe, and the Scarlet Witch is trying to stop him. So, she's manipulating this cast of b-list characters to do her bidding. Which they suspect, but . . they have to save the world. Right? Dan Slott writes this one with Khoi Pham on pencils. To me it definitely wasn't one of the best issues I've read to date. And with this line-up . . I feel like this book may be on it's last leg. I could be wrong, but . . sorry.

the New Avengers #50 - Marvel

The first thing I want to say is . . . $4.99??? Now the Marvel 'special' issues are going to be $4.99??? It's bad enough that all of the mini-series have gone up to $3.99. But now this? To me, there's only 2 redeeming values to this decision. First of all, there are 37 pages of art. Actually, 44 if you count the Fantastic Four Dark Reign preview. So, that's kind of like 2 books. If you look at things that way. Secondly, there's a whole gaggle of great artists on this one. Billy Tan does all the framing sequences, but then the other artists fill in when we get some one-on-ones with some of the various characters here. So, that kind of helps lessen the blow. I guess. But as far as picking up multiple copies? Fugedaboutit! I know. Multiple copies are a little insane sometimes, but . . I'll get into that some other time. Anyways, having said that . . . I actually liked the story. It reminded me a lot of the old Avengers stories from back in the 80's. You know the ones . . there was usually some kind of fight that broke out, eventually . . it was always a little ambiguous as to why the fight was necessary in the first place . . but before, and after, there was always lots of conversations with 'points' and 'counter-points' to be made, and some bickering and arguing. They were like a big family. Everyone has to get their say in, and before they could do anything everybody has to talk . . whether they have anything to say or not. Until eventually someone would take the initiative to get past that and finally do something . . usually a fight, but . . at least it was some kind of action. That's how this book felt to me. Sure there's a big fight in the middle when the Hood and his 'gang' come knocking . . they were expecting Osborne and his 'gang'. They had a lot of issues to work out at the time so they gladly took on the challenge . . whether they admit that or not. But it was actually Clint that was the voice of reason and took the initiative. At the end of the issue he goes on national TV to remind all the viewers of who Norman Osborne really is, and what he's capable of. But what he's really doing . . is 'calling him out'. Whether it works or not, we'll have to wait until next issue to find out. But . . it was ballsy. You have to give him that. Anyways, my point is I thought this issue gave us a lot of insight into most of the characters. Including Spider-Woman. Which breaks down to character development. It's great that these guys have all of these cool powers and get to do all this cool stuff, but when push comes to shove . . . they're just people like anyone else . . with the same problems and concerns and ambitions. Well, maybe their ambitions are a bit larger, but . . you get my point. It's not always about fights and battles and skirmishes. There were lots of those issues in the 80's where most of the issue took place in the Mansion. And most of the story simply involved the interaction between all of the various members. I liked that stuff. Say what you will about Brian Bendis and his stories, but . . when it comes to character development . . he's got it in spades. Like I said, overall . . I enjoyed this issue. The price brought me down at first but . . in the end I think they redeemed themselves. I just hope there's not to many more 'special' issues. My wallet can't take it.

Spawn #189 - Image

I really like the feel of this book right now. Todd McFarlane and Brian Holguin are really doing an incredible job building up this story. And don't even get me started on Whilce Portacio's art. It's fantastic. And perfect for this series. Right now, the Clown is trying to recruit an army. He seems a lot more coherent, and stable now . . as compared to before. And he has a plan. He's discover the place in the alley where Spawn killed himself, and knowing that there's now a hole in Heaven and Hell's overall plan . . he wants to fill the gap before someone else does. He feels that this is their perfect opportunity to get out from under Hell's thumb, and . .with a little luck, they may even be able to get a sneak attack on both sides. Yes it's ambitious, but . . at least he has a vision. And with this renewed purpose . . he really is an all new kind of nasty. But, what he doesn't know is that there actually is someone trying to fill the 'void' . . Jim Downing. He seems to have acquired Spawn's abilities, but . . he doesn't know what to do with them yet. Actually he's pretty freaked out by it all. And it's still undecided as to which side he'll be on. Although so far he seems to want to do 'good' things. But, we know how this power corrupts, so . . we'll see. Anyways, as the Clown is trying to put together his plan . . Jim seems to becoming more adept with the change and the power. And at the end of the issue, we see a couple of gone, but not forgotten faces . . . Sam & Twitch. It'll be great seeing them back in this book again. So far I like the path that Todd seems to be steering this book in. It works, and it seems like a natural progression of events. They're also doing a great job of building the story more and more as the issue numbers keep advancing. I think it's all unfolding at a pretty good pace. It's nice to be excited about this book again. Thanks!

WildCATS #8 - WildStorm

Christos Gage and Pete Woods turn in another fantastic issue here. Pete's art was pretty impressive. He does something a little different here . . I can't put my finger on it, but . . it works. This issue came off looking really unique. I also like the WildCATS series because they aren't crossing over with the Authority or Stormwatch. At least not yet. They're kind of a self-contained entity right now. Those other 2 titles are working together, and in my opinion . . it's a complete mess. However, I think the team is going to be going to Hawaii pretty soon to find out what's going on with Majestic. Meanwhile in this issue, Maxine has decided to roam the city on her own . . she's tired of all the 'human' drama back at the Halo Building. And she's found a hidden population of robots. With most of the humans wiped out, their basic programming has become moot. Until Maxine comes along . . they're just waiting for the end. They're constantly being harassed by the 'humans' who either want spare parts or their power cores. But they can't really do anything about it because most of thier primary rules state that they're never to harm a human. But with all the Daemonites roaming around . . some looking for humans for food, Maxine gets an idea. She strikes a bargain between the 2 cultures. The robots will protect the humans from the Daemonites . . they have no rules as to what they can't do to them . . and the humans will help to take care of the Robots. They'll clean them, polish them, and tend to their basic needs. And with the co-existence the robots will have a renewed purpose. I thought it was pretty ingenious actually. Especially for Maxine. Anyways, all in all I thought it was a pretty decent issue. They have a fantastic variety of characters to work with here. Christos seems to be trying to use all of them. It'll be interesting to see what'll happen in Hawaii.

Madame Xanadu #8 - Vertigo

I really enjoyed this issue. It was kind of a play on that old question . . . 'If you could kill a brutal murderer before they were born, or when they were a child . . would you?', or . . ' . . . could you?'. Madame Xanadu is in England during the terrorism that Jack the Ripper blanketed the city in. She's desperately trying to find the fiend that's so brutally murdering these women. However, at every turn . . the Phantom Stranger seems to be there to hamper her self-appointed mission. He keeps going on about the drama having to unfold naturally. He also adds that the moment isn't right to bring the fiend down. She's put enchanted bells around town to ring when the abhorrent act is instigated. And she's befriended a woman . . a street-walker, by the name of Mary Kelly. However when the bell starts ringing around Mary's house . . she can't get there in time. She's bewildered by the butchery . . and the Stranger's seeming lack of compassion. He even tries to explain it to her . ."Some months ago, Mary Kelly bedded a man who has roamed for centuries . . . if the child of that fiend had ever reached maturity, he would have become a tyrant such as the world has never known. The depths of his depravity, the scope of his genocides would breach any historic example." Of course he's talking about Jason Blood and his curse . . Etrigan. But this doesn't make her feel any better. She even snags a piece of the Strangers clothes so she can make a doll. 'I capture and abjure you. When next we meet . . I will be ready." I think that Matt Wagner and Amy Reeder Hadley are doing a phenomenal job on this series. I picked it up on a fluke, really. But it continues to get better and better every issue. I'm especially impressed by Amy's art. She's doing a fantastic job. This series has some great potential. If you haven't picked it up . . I'm sure we'll be seeing some TPB's soon. Enjoy!

Blue Beetle #36 - DC

Unfortunately . . this is the last issue of Blue Beetle. I doubt this will be the last we see of Jaime Reyes. He's been pretty active in the Teen Titans book of late. Well . . maybe active isn't the right word. He's been hanging around a lot. I think the new comedy duo is going to be him and Eddie . . Kid Devil. Those 2 go together like oil and water. Anyways, this issue Jaime has to deal with all of the 'rogue' Beetles that are out there. Somehow they're related, kind of . . it you can call it that . . to the Scarab on Jamie's back. They want him to join them, but since he refused . . they're ready to kill him. Isn't that the way it always is with family? And basically, they have all the powers and same skill set as Jaime. So, the only way to get rid of them is for the Scarab to shut them all done. Which it does, but the problem is . . it also shuts Jamie's Scarab down and it take 27 1/2 days for it to reboot. It seems like an arbitrary number to me, but . . whatever. So he has to go for a month without being the Beetle. I think it made him realize how much he's become accustomed to the suit, and responsibility. I think he actually misses it. Oh, and during the whole skirmish Jamie's kind-of side-kick Nadia ends up getting killed by some of the aliens. It wasn't really that impactful because . . well, we hardly knew her. It's still sad that someone lost their life. I think it served to show Jaime that there are responsibilities and repercussions from his actions. Although, he's a pretty good kid so I think he knew that. I was never overly impressed with this series, but . . over the last year or so I have come to like this character more. I think we'll see more growth from him due to his interactions with the Teen Titans. However, for now . . it won't be in his own series. I definitely think that Matthew Sturges added something to this book. I also enjoyed Carlo Barberi's pencils on the last few issues. But for now . . the curtain is draw. "Blue Beetle . . . has left the building."

the War that Time Forgot #10 - DC

The whole purpose of this issue was to finally reveal to us who the captors of all of these soldiers are . . and what is their purpose for this assumed social experiment. "Each of you was plucked from your various time-lines because your involvement had a major influence on an important war in Earth's history . . a war that altered the course of human events. After years of grueling timeline calculation, Earth's remaining survivors determined which battles in which wars led to the planet's eventual demise. You can liken it to the way free radicals disrupt human DNA and eventually destroy the body with cancer. If cancer can be prevented by the removal of free radicals, they reasoned . . so the removal of those responsible for past wars could curb the technology and leadership that destroyed the planet." So I guess we're to assume then that their captors are actually people from a future Earth? Or, they're just an outside alien race from the future that witnessed what happened to Earth and are trying to prevent it. I'm a little confused as to which is the true scenario. But honestly . . it really doesn't matter. There's been some conflict between the various people in this series, Trang had a baby, and we've found out that most of the animals and a few of the people here are actually robots. But really, that's about all that happened through the first 9 issues of this book. This issue . . issue #10, has been the most informative to date. So 10 months later we start to get a hint as to what's really going on here. Did I mention that I abhor these 12 issue maxi-series? The way I figure, most of these people will end up getting sent back to their own time. A couple may end up dead. And I think Akisha is going to give up her future citizenship and return to the past with Carson. Or . . I could be all wrong. Either way . . it doesn't really matter and I'm beginning not to care. I kind of just want it to be over now.

Reign in Hell #8 - DC

Well, this is the final issue of this book, and it really was . . pardon the pun . . one hell of a book. Keith Giffen has basically taken every mystical character in the DC Universe and set them all upon a new path. The irony of this whole thing is that just when Lord Satanus had thought he had won . . he was the new emperor . . Black Alice shows up and tries to do her little leaching bit on him. He steps up and lets her do it. After all, how can this little neophyte of a human hurt him . . Lord Satanus. Well maybe she couldn't but . . Lady Blaze new that at the moment of contact his soul would be laid bare . . so she pounced. She seized the opportunity. And in the moment that Alice was driven insane with the information that she siphoned . . Lady Blaze took out Lord Satanus. So now she's the high mucky-muck. But shortly before that happened, Satanus tricked Lobo into swearing his allegiance to him. So with Blaze's subterfuge . . where does that leave Lobo? Like I said, all of the mystical characters have a place to start anew here. It looks like the only ones that got left behind are Lobo and Sargon. Although, Ralph and Sue still seem to be wandering around. But on the ground below their feet, there's a message . . 'You can leave whenever you want.' It appears that they're not very welcome there. I thought this was a fantastic series. Keith Giffen did a great job of mapping out all of the terrain here. And Tom Derenick and Bill Sienkiewicz's art was incredible. Together they brought a great look to this book. This book really opens a whole bunch of doorways in the DC Universe. Heck, Shadowpact may even be back. Dr Occult says they are, but they've all come back changed so . .it'll be interesting to see where they go from here. And now that all of these characters have been brought into the light . . as it were . . hopefully we'll see more of them in the future, around the DC Universe.

Superman #685 - DC

This one, was 100% better than the last book I read . . the Gotham after Midnight mini. This one actually had a story with some meaning and emotion behind it. I think James Robinson is doing a nice job here. I think he's finding his groove also. Javier Pina does the art, but . . he inks his own pencils here, and it didn't come across very well. I've seen much better work from him. But, it wasn't bad. Anyways, Superman has just released Mon-el from the Phantom Zone. He didn't have much of a choice as the Zone collapse behind him. But now he has to deal with his weakness to lead. If he doesn't do something, Mon-el could die. This is the first time that Superman realizes that there's something wrong with the future. He tries to use his Legion ring to go to the future to get a anti-dote, but . . there's no response. Apparently though . . lucky for Mon-el . . Brainiac 5 thought ahead and left the anti-dote out for Superman. I hope sometime along the line there's an explanation as to how that happened. Anyways, Superman returns home only to find out that the UN has banned all Kryptonians from Earth . . except for him. He probably wouldn't be overly concerned about it except Alura just asked him to come live with them on New Krypton. However she has a contingency, he has to renounce all of his ties to Earth. Which really has him torn. Obviously if he does it, it'll be a ruse. Sooner or later, he'll be back. But he doesn't know how the people of Earth will take it. Will they think he's abandoning them? But on the same token, Zod is on New Krypton. If he doesn't go there, how can he keep an eye on what's going on. So he's decided to fake it. He explains everything to Ma Kent and Lois, and he asks his colleagues to watch things in his absence . . Mon-el, Steel, Jimmy, the Guardian, etc. . . but he's asked Mon-el to keep an eye specifically on Metropolis while he's gone. And then on the top of a building . . he says good-bye to Lois. It really is rather touching. So next month, Mon-el will be in this title, and Superman will be in his new title . . . Superman: World of New Krypton. Unfortunately, I really don't think this decision is going to work out very well for him, but . . I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Batman: Gotham after Midnight #10 - DC

After 10 issues . . I have no idea who Midnight could be. Every time you think it's somebody . . they end up dead. And they're really dead, because he takes their hearts. So now, there's not much of a list to choose from. Anyways, the streets of Gotham are clear. Midnight has been able to do something that even Batman couldn't, he's got everybody so scared they won't even leave their house. So now that he's got all the criminals running with their tails between their legs . . he's decided to go after the corporate pirates. Guess who his first target is? Yep, none other that ol' Bruce Wayne. And, he's decided to give Batman a chance to join him. He doesn't think that he'll actually agree to it, but . . he wants to make the attempt. And, when he says no, he's got control of all of Batman's rogues gallery, and he figures he can just use all of them to finally get rid of the Batman once and for all. However, Batman hasn't just been sitting around twiddling his thumbs. He's been setting his own plans into motion. He's figured out an anti-dote to whatever it is that Midnight is using to control the villains. He figures that Midnight is setting a trap for him, so when Midnight springs it . . and all the villains are poised ready to attack, Batman will administer the anti-dote and he figures most of the villains will turn on their captor just for the sheer principal of the thing. When Batman say no, Midnight replies . . "Very well. I anticipated such a response. I offered you everything. I could've made your world into heaven. Instead, you've chosen to live in hell. So be it, then. KILL HIM!" And with all the villains behind him ready to attack, Batman says . ."No. I've got you right where I want you . . ." I know. Kind of corny dialogue. But, it's a monster book. Right? I don't know. It's ok. I expected more suspense from Steve Niles, but . . there's probably only so much he's allowed to do. It's a good thing Kelley Jones is pencilling this because, if not? . . . there really wouldn't be much redeeming value to this book. The story isn't really that suspenseful . . or violent . . and it's dragged out for way to long. Sorry, but I think it's time just to get this one over with. Say goodnight Batman!

Batman: the Brave and the Bold #2 - DC

This was an ok book. It really was in the exact same genre as the cartoon. Reading it . . I have to keep telling myself that this isn't part of the regular DC Universe. And . . it's written for kids. If I didn't keep thinking about that . . this book would probably drive me crazy. At the end, after Blue Beetle and Batman have beaten the Thinker, they're sitting down to dinner at Jamie's house and Batman's sucking on a chicken bone. Besides that . . he's the only one at the table in costume. A little weird . . maybe? Plus when this whole thing first started, with the avatar characters, Batman thinks of Jaime . . teen-ager, video-games . . so he goes knocking on his door. On one hand, how cool would that be? You open your door to find Batman standing there. But then I'm thinking . . no way! Anyways, for the kids, it was probably a fun book. I'm all for anything that introduces the younger audience to some of my favorite characters. But it really is written, probably for the 8 to 10 year old audience. Which is fine. It could've drove me crazy, but . . I didn't let it.

Teen Titans #68 - DC

I thought this was an interesting issue. Basically what we have left of the Titans right now are Eddie, who is powerless, Jamie, who's pretty new to his powers and the Titans, and Cassie. Bombshell is still around. She has nowhere else to go, and her father asked them to take care of her. And Kid Eternity. He broke out of hell recently, during the war, and showed up on the Titans doorstep, literally, asking for asylum. I know it's not the best team, or hardly a team at all right now, but . . the kids still have heart. And with all the victims that recently broke out of the Dark Side Club, I think their roster issues are about to become a thing of the past. But this issue? This issue isn't about any of that. This issue is all about trying to figure out Eddie. He, with Kid Eternity's help, are trying to figure out where he stands with the team and with his powers. They were recently stolen from him by Brother Blood. But, that may not necessarily be a bad thing. As per his contract with Neron he, and his soul would become Neron's property when he turned 20. So this may have happened at the most appropriate time. But now Eddie feels lost without them. So he and Kid Eternity go back down to hell to take a look at Eddie's actual contract. They find that it's not signed. Either he never did it at all, or it all changed when Brother Blood took the powers. So will that mean the Brother Blood is beholden to Neron? That's a story for the future, I think. Anyways, Kid Eternity gets distracted by the Lords of Order and Blaze shows up to make Eddie a similar deal. And the idiot is about to sign it when Kid Eternity stops him. By reading the contract though, Eddie does learn something. "Says here all Neron actually did was unlock my already-existing metagene. I guess that makes sense. Dr Caulder said my powers weren't mystical . . ." So I'm wondering if Eddie may find a different way to unlock his powers. Basically, what I think Sean McKeever is doing here is rebuilding the team from the ground up. Yes it sucks that Robin left. And there's no Superboy or Kid Flash. But, I think that's what this is all about. This team has always been a younger version of the Justice League. Roster and everything. But I think Sean is trying to make them into something different. He has to have something to anchor them with the past, which is why I think Cassie is so adamant about sticking around, but other than that? Other than that, it's all up in the air. And from this point? We really have nowhere to go but up. I'm also more and more impressed with Eddy Barrows pencils every issue. This guy is really coming into his own, and developing his own style. I think he's got a great future ahead of him. Next issue? We finally see some new members.

Green Lantern #38 - DC

This was another fantastic issue in this series. First of all . . look at that incredible Shane Davis cover. Is the guy talented or what? We start out this issue with Hal under the control of Atrocitus. At the end of the last issue, Atrocitus turned him into a Red Lantern. However, the Blue Lanterns, and Sinestro, learn a secret about Atrocitus this issue. He's talking to Sinestro and says, "You taught him poorly. The Red Ring has taken him without a fight. He has no coping skills when it comes to his anger." Which then makes the Blue Lanterns realize, "Nor do any of your Red Lanterns, Atrocitus. You have clearly chosen them for a reason . . they can be controlled." But Atrocitus also learns a secret about the Blue Lanterns, in order for their power to work they have to be in the proximity or a Green aura. They are all-powerful, but . . that's where they draw their power from. So, when Hal is a Red Lantern, the 2 Blue Lanterns are much weaker. But they have a plan for that also. They make their way to Hal and slide a Blue ring onto his finger. Somehow the combination of the Green and the Blue serve to wash the Red out of his system. Something Atrocitus didn't think was possible. But, it's also done something to Hal. It's changed him. Hopefully it's for the better. He asks the Blue Lanterns what they did to him, but there reply is simple . . "I . . do not know." Meanwhile on the other color fronts, we see that Carol is becoming ripe for the picking of the Zamarons. She's about to become a Star-Sapphire. Meanwhile, when Sinestro escaped he went to Qward. There's a few of his Corps that are still loyal to him . . that didn't defect to Mongul. So he knows that he has to go to Daxam to deal with him, but his first priority is to return to Korugar . . fully recharged. "Thanks to Atrocitus . . I have a family matter to attend to. Ring. Return me to Korugar." And, in the Vega system we see the Controllers about to discover the last color . . Orange. The war of light is about to erupt, which will lead us into Blackest Night. This was another stellar issue by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis. These 2 have really taken this title, and these characters, to an all new level. This is without a doubt one of the most exciting books on the shelves right now. I can't wait to read this, or the Corps, every single month. Whodathunkit?

Wonder Woman #29 - DC

I appreciate everything that Wonder Woman is going through. All the twists and turns that are happening in her life right now. But, I really don't think this story is necessarily about her . . or Genocide. The Rise of the Olympian theme that's been present in this book is all about something completely different. What's going on with Genocide, as well as the Cheetah and Dr Psycho is all just a symptom of what's really going on in the realm of the gods . . the Pantheon. It appears that Zeus is not happy with the Amazons and their agent of hope, Wonder Woman. He thinks the world has not been made better by their presence. So first he created the Manazons . . for lack of a better phrase. For all intents and purposes they are male amazons. And now . . . now he's trying to create the Olympian to lead them and guide them. I think Athena's death has something to do with this, and . . when Zeus rips the heart out of Kane Milohai, that is for his creation. "Our history is written in blood. And now my son, my final legacy. He will have the heart of a god!" I think Zeus may be going mad. Or, he's smarter than we all thought. However, after being captured and held prisoner by Darksied . . something he never thought he'd have to endure, I'm going with the madness theorem. By the way, we also see the arrival of Steve Trevor this issue. He's taking control of the DEO from Sgt. Steel. Which is a good thing. If he knew that Dr Psycho was inhabiting Steel's body he'd be even more thrilled. This should put a little crimp in the Cheetah's and the Dr's plans. I thought this was a fantastic issue and I think Gail Simone and Aaron Lopresti are doing a bang-up job. Right now . . this book is fantastic. Thanks!

Justice Society of America #24 - DC

I liked this issue. Of course I think that Geoff Johns has done a terrific job with this story. And I was very impressed by Jerry Ordways artwork. It really looked fantastic. I'm a fan of Jerry's but he's not one of my favorites. However, the way this book was finished, I was really impressed with the overall look. This issue is really kind of an in-between issue. It still perpetuates the Family Ties story-line, but it's main purpose is to fill in all the readers on Billy Batson's story. Well, that and the Rock of Eternity also. This one actually goes back to before the time of Captain Marvel and gives us a little insight into his parents also. And, as it turns out, his father's spirit is still around and trying to help Billy out of this whole mess. We also see that it's not necessarily Black Adam who is the protagonist of this story. It seems that Isis, in her death and resurrection, has come back with a little more spite and malice in her heart. She wants the world to pay for what's been done to her, her family, and her brother, Osiris. We also see that there's some changes going on within the ranks of the Justice Society. They seem to be recruiting even younger members. I'm guessing that there may be another Young Justice . . completely different from the first . . I'll think they'll be putting together a younger division here soon. I'm just guessing, but that's what it looks like to me. Also, some of the older members . . they seem to have some questions running through their heads. Questions about their future and the future of the Society. I think this story is just as much about the Justice Society family as it is about the SHAZAM! family. I think both will be coming out of this different, and changed.

Trinity #39 - DC

Our Trinity of power . . the 'good guys' . . finally make their presence known in the real world. Finally! But not until the final page. The whole battle . . the control of the Earth that Le Fey is looking for . . the whole battle comes down to Metropolis. Which really doesn't surprise me because Superman is obviously the brightest beacon of them all. Last issue the JSI went into this battle, with all of their comrades and friends, knowing that they really didn't have any chance of winning this. I mean, Le Fey controls all the rest of the Earth. All of it except for Metropolis. But . . Tarot has told them that a miracle is about to happen. The problem is . . it needs time to happen. So, knowing that they have no chance to win they fight anyways. They fight because they're trying to buy time for a miracle. Which is what they get on the final page of the book. Our trio of heroes show up in the sky . . in a crack of lightning, and their presence overwhelming them all they ask "So. What have we here?" Next issue the battle's really going to get big. Also, during this story, we see that Konvict, one of the 'evil' Trinity, is having a crisis of faith. Or conscious, I'm not sure which. He joined this whole battle to restore his honor. The honor he lost when he struck down a non-combatant. However, as he's watching the results of this conflict, and the casualties that are being heaped upon him, he begins to realize that this is not restoring his honor. Le Fey has told him that when he gathers the power due to him, he'll be able to remake the world however he sees fit. But, he's beginning to realize that she may have fooled him. As he stops fighting, and watches what's going on around him . . . he doesn't feel very honorable. And when Le Fey blasts Graak, the chattering little monkey, off his shoulders . . I think his mind is really made up. Now the question lies . . what's he going to do about it? This series is really hitting a fever pitch and I can't wait to see how we get out of all of this mess. I still think Enigma is going to play a role in it. But, we'll see. Great job by Kurt Busiek, Mark Bagley, Fabian Nicieza and Tom Derenick. Don't worry, you're vacation time will be coming up soon.