Justice Society of America Special #1 - DC

With the ending of his own series . . Magog, this issue serves to wrap up the whole Gog / Magog storyline. Well . . sort of. At the end of his own series, Magog and N.I.L.8 were kind of running around all over the place smiting those in defiance of Magog . . non-believers. Which, I would think, would be most of the world. Anyways, they've come across this 'wonder-tech', and it seems to be controlling Magog. His friend, who took over the N.I.L.8 armor, seems to be doing this of his own volition. I guess he succumbed to the cult. He drank the cherry Kool-Aid. And of course the JSA gets involved because . . well . . Magog used to be one of their own . . David Reid. So they feel kind of responsible for him. Even though he's burned them numerous times. Anyways, long story short, David ends up gaining control. It seems his consciousness was fighting the 'wonder-tech' the whole time. Or it could have been the intervention of his one-time friends. Whatever happens . . David regains control and ends up having to take out his childhood friend in order to stop N.I.L.8. But even with it's host dead, the armor still keeps attacking. Apparently it wants a host, but doesn't necessarily need one. And in the end . . there's a big explosion with the 'wonder-tech', and David has to contain it as Magog. Which seemingly leads to his demise. At least that's what the JSA thinks. We see, however, that he's simply been transported back to Albion. Where his 'sister' and 'mother' still seem to be set on getting Magog to reassert his control over this union. But David is still refusing to give in to him. Anyways, in the end . . as far as the JSA and the rest of the world is concerned . . Magog goes out a hero. Also Axel files on Magog, the Gog tech, and the revolution have all disappeared. As well as the JSA's files on their one-time team-mate. However, David does goes a bit of a cryptic message to Axel. And there seems to still be a spark of life in the bunker where the N.I.L.8 armor came from. Obviously . . the story is far from over. But for now . . David has set out on a new path in Albion. Actually . . he's probably relieved to be away from all the stress and turmoil that he's had to face for every waking moment since becoming Magog. At first, Albion probably seems like a bit of a vacation spot for him. However, I don't think that will last for long. Scott Kolins did everything for this book. The guy has really become quite a 'catch' for DC. My only complaint about this whole book would probably be . . while there's some beautiful pages in her . . the problem I see is that when Scott does everything . . there's also some pages that look kind of rushed. But I'm sure it's hard to take on this whole book like that. Don't get me wrong. The guy is definitely talented. Personally, I just prefer substance over quantity. But that's just my own opinion. I still thoroughly enjoyed the book. And it was nice to see this story-line wrapped up . . sort of.

Justice Society of America #42, #43, #44, #45 and #46 - as well as Justice League #48 - DC

I had to include Justice League #48 here because it's all part of the Dark Things story-line. This is the cross-over event between the JSA and the JLA this year. James Robinson does a great job with the story, and I'm really enjoying Mark Bagley's work on the JLA . . and by association, this entire storyline. Well . . except for issue #43 which is the epilogue to this series, and sets the groundwork for the future of the JSA. Well . . kind of. It actually sets the stage for Alan Scott's next evolution and role within the JSA. As well as Jade and Obsidian. Anyways, that issue is by Jesus Merino. Also Mark Bagley not only did the covers, but . . if you take all 5 chapters of this story-line, it provides a nice panoramic view of both teams. My only concern is that Mark does some work on the 150th issue of Ultimate Spider-man, and . . there's reports of him going back to Marvel to do some more work. I'm afraid this may be his swan-song as a DC artist. I don't know that for sure, but . . if so . . that would definitely be a loss for DC. As well as the readers. I think he's brought a great energy to the titles that he's done over the last year or two here. But . . such is the way of the comic book creator. Right? Anyways, Issue #42 shows us the amalgamation of Jenni-Lynn and Todd . . Jade and Obsidian. Apparently their respective powers exemplify the light and dark natures of the Star-Heart. With this new more powerful Star-Heart on the scene . . and their already seeming lack of control of their powers over the years . . especially Todd . . it seems as if they've been drawn together to form a physical manifestation of the Star-Heart persona. But, part of it is also because, for some reason, the Star-Heart is afraid of Jenni. Or at least uncomfortable with her. I think it all has to do with her being dead . . then a Black Lantern . . then resurrected . . and in this issue, for a short period of time, a White Lantern. Anyways, it's that power that she's tapped into that she eventually uses to break free of her brother. Although it breaks both their hearts as they can now never be within about a half mile of each other, as the temptation for this amalgamation will be to strong for either of them. Anyways, Faust figures out that the Star-Heart isn't actually there because Alan is really only a construct. He figures this out because the Star-Heart is using Fate to bind the heroes. Therefore, the real Alan/Star-Heart must be someplace else, and consequently . . they can attack without fear of consequence. Unfortunately . . for the Star-Heart, after this revelation Fate regains his composure, and after dissipating the Alan construct . . they force Alan and the real Star-Heart to return to the moon to face this army on it's own. And that's the beginning of the end. Alan shortly regains control, and the war is over. However, for Alan . . it's a tenuous relationship at best. Because of the Star-Heart's increased power he has to remain in control at all times. The slightest misstep and everything starts all over . . again. Finally in issue #43 . . the epilogue . . we find that Alan has decided to keep the Star-Heart's city on the dark side of the moon in tact. In fact it's become a safe-zone, of sorts, for all types of magical creatures from Earth. He's also become their leader . . for lack of a better term. Maybe administrator is better. And he's formed alliances with many other magical worlds. This includes Sorcerer's world, the 5th dimension, and Gemworld . . to name a few. Most of this issue is spent with Alan explaining all of this to Todd, as well as the dangers of him and his sister falling into the trap of the Star-Heart again. It's nice to see Alan and Todd talking like this again, but . . I don't think Todd fully accepts his father's reasoning. I have a feeling this is going to be something that's going to come back and bite them all in the butt again . . sooner or later. Also, between parts 5 and the epilogue . . JLA #48 and JSA #43 . . it seems like there's something missing. Almost like there's a part of the story in there that we didn't get to see, or something. I don't know . . maybe it's just me. Overall I really enjoyed the story. I thought it was a good run. Then in issues #44, #45 and #46 we start off in a new direction, under the tutelage of Marc Guggenheim and Scott Kolins. It starts out that there's this guy (?) that's been locked in this Afghanistan prison for the last 5 years. Two months ago he breaks out, and a couple of weeks later ends up in Monument Point wreaking havoc. It appears to me that all of this happens before the Dark Things story-line. The story actually starts out in the present, with Jay being asked to become the new Mayor of Monument Point, and . . then we flash back 2 months to what I assume are the events leading up to this. The reason I'm pretty sure this occurs before the Dark Things is because Alan is seriously hurt . . paralyzed actually, and taken to a hospital in Florida. So, in the course of stopping this obviously super-powered terrorist, the JSA pretty much lay waste to this little town. After they beat him, the stop to survey the damage and Wildcat asks . . ' . . what have we done?' In issue #45 we find out that this new 'super-villain' is actually connected to a mission Jay and Alan had during WWII. Since they were being kept out of Germany by the Spear of Destiny, they decided to do what they could in Japan. They were ordered to destroy a secret project called 'Drachen'. What they found was a baby. So obviously they couldn't bring themselves to destroy it. Fast forward to the present and 'Drachen' is this new 'super-villain' that they're calling Scythe. So ultimately Jay and Alan are responsible for everything that's happened here. Which forces Jay to decide that he's going to stick around and help them rebuild. Then in issue #46 we find out, for sure, that this is actually happening after the Dark Things. Alan talks to Dr Mid-Nite about how he's pure energy, but . . he's taken physical form. And with all the concentration he has to wield to keep the Star-Heart in check . . he doesn't have enough energy to heal himself. They've got Scythe locked up in a local back vault . . which Michael converted into a prison cell, but . . he still appears to be pulling some strings. The Mayor's aide, Mr Hogan, has hired a Dr Chaos for some reason or another. All we know is that at the end of the issue Lightning loses her powers, and appears to be dead, as does the new Mayor . . Mayor Voytek. Of course it doesn't help that Todd decides he wants to enact some revenge on Scythe for what he did to his father. He ends up distracting Jay right when he's needed most. The blurb at the end of all of this . . for next issue is . . 'Things get worse!' That doesn't bode well for . . anyone. I like the story-line so far. I'm just a little confused about the timeline. In the beginning of all this Jay was being asked to be Mayor . . after Voytek's death. Then we see that Scythe broke out of his cell 2 months before that. He attacked this city 3 weeks after that. The initial attack is when Alan was paralyzed. So I'm not sure how this all fits in with the previous story-line. Or, maybe . . I'm just reading to much into all of this and I just need to accept the story for what it is, and not get all caught up in the continuity of the situation. Right? It certainly sounds like a plan to me. Anyways . . great covers by Shane Davis. And on issue #46, Mike Norton steps in to help out Scott on the pencils. Oh yeah, and the title of this story-line is 'Supertown' . . for whatever reason.

Magog #12 - DC

This book is interesting, and everything, but . . I'm just not sure where we're going with this. This appears to be the final issue of this series, but . . I think the story is far from over. The story in this particular issue carries over into JSA Special #1 next month. But then I see from the previews that Magog is going to be playing a role in Generation Lost, or was it Brightest Day (?), in the coming months. Anyways, we saw at the end of last issue that this soldier appeared to be popping into Opal City and was taking sight at a bus-load of kids. We find out this issue that he's actually looking at some extra-dimensional characters. Magog doesn't see them until he adjusts his vision a little bit. Also this soldier has the Eye of Providence on his helmet. That's the symbol that David Reid has on his arm. You see it on the cover, there. Anyways, it appears that whatever this organization that this guy is associated with is trying to stop the takeover of the world by, I'm guessing, the same place that Magog is from. Although I don't know if they necessarily have made that connection yet. But this group, I'm thinking unbeknownst to them, is also lead by aliens. As soon as they see Magog they recognize him, and are fearful. Anyways, they show Magog their greatest weapon . . NIL8. And by the end of the issue seem to have used some kind of mental persuasion to convince David to join them. Anyways, like I said, I'm not really sure how this is all going to play out. I don't really know who these guys are . . either side of this confrontation. And we don't have a clear picture of what it is they're really fighting for. Hopefully in the JSA Special things clear up a little bit. Scott Kolins does the story, art and cover for this issue. I don't want to be to negative . . until I get a clearer picture. Hopefully the JSA Special will help with that. And then I'll tell you what I really think of all this. Something to look forward to. Huh?

JSA All-Stars #9 and #10 - DC

I hate to admit it, but I'm just not all that thrilled with this City of Gods storyline. However, we are getting a whole bunch of hints and tie-ins with Infinity Inc during all of this. So . . that's pretty cool. There's a part where some of the gang are out patrolling LA, waiting for the next outbreak among the gangs or citizens using Izapa, when they come across Stellar Studios. That's one of the places that Infinity Inc used to operate out of. Rick is a little sad when he sees just how trashed the place really is. And down in Parador, the All-Stars learn that Henry King, aka Brainwave, is involved in all of this somehow. Well first, when Maxine gets hurt, Anna Fortune uses a teleportation spell to take them to wherever King Chimera can envision. They end up in a hospital in Ankara Turkey. And apparently it's where the King lost a loved one. I just don't know if it's a girlfriend or sister. I'm not sure. But I'm leaning towards girlfriend. Anyways, Henry fills them in on what's been going on around here. It appears that the local government has been experimenting with with DNA and cloning. Through this process they end up creating 5 very special kids. Apparently it's through their powers, or thoughts that Henry was called here. Somehow he can keep them calm. Which he's been trying desperately to do because their powers are off the scale. But the local dictator, Montez, has other plans. He's been using Henry this whole time. His plans were to use the kids powers to rebuild Parador. But somehow through them he's brought some old Aztec gods back to life. For some reason though, they aren't to thrilled with Parador. And it's not where they've decided to build New Parador. No for that they move further north and for some reason decide that LA is where they want to be. They go through most of this issue fighting these new born gods who are trying to tear down, and then rebuild LA into thier New Parador. Everything seems pretty evenly balanced until one of the gods steals Stargirl's cosmic energy from her. Now I don't know if they're going to be able to stop them. Meanwhile, in Ankara, Maxine seems to suddenly heal from her wounds, but then it appears that her powers amp up. It looks like a tornado has popped up in the middle of the hospital. But we're going to have to wait to see what happens there. Don't get me wrong. I think Matthew Sturges and Freddie Williams II are doing a great job here. But . . I'm just not thrilled with it. There's been lots of action, and interaction, but . . the character development in my opinion has been slow in coming. There's actually more character development in the back-up story between Liberty Belle and Hourman, and their reluctant teammates . . Icicle and Huntress. But I am interested in both stories. They're just not in my favorites. By the way, Jan Van Meter and Travis Moore do the back-up. I want to like this book. I like all the individual characters. To me it just doesn't seem that they've stopped to develop things as a team. Since issue #1 they've gone from one crisis right into the next. But I'll keep trying. It is still the JSA, afterall.

Justice Society of America #41 - DC

This was a good issue, but most of it was spent with the various heroes reacting to the Starheart's control of either their fellow team-mates, or various villains. The Starheart seems to have a 'chaotic' effect on people with powers either magic, or elemental base. Or any deviation there of. It takes control of Power Girl because her powers are based on her absorption of solar energy. So while she's not directly an elemental . . her powers use that energy. Anyways, Batman has sent Mikaal to the dark-side of the moon where they've discovered that Alan and Todd have set up base. Well . . Alan and Todd as controlled by the Starheart. Also, those 2 seem to be the main targets of the Starheart. Like they're necessary for the entire plan. Anyways, the plan is to send Mikaal in . . he puts up a convincing fight, and then when he's captured he sends information back via telepathy and M'gann. The problem is, Alan ripped the gem out of his chest, so . . he may not be alive that much longer. But . . he's still holding out and sending information while he can. At least until the Starheart takes control of M'gann and flips her out. So now Batman is sending in a team. Hopefully it's a team as far away from the affected energies as he can find. It consists of Wonder Girl, Mr America, Batman, Hourman, Jesse Quick and Jade. My only question is . . if this thing has this much of an effect on Alan and Todd who's to say that it's not going to take over Jenny as well. But at the last second a surprise guest shows up. 'I'll be the seventh soldier who'll get you in there.' It's Shiloh Norman . . Mister Miracle. I wasn't expecting him to pop up. Anyways, I think James Robinson is doing a fantastic job with this story. But to me the real star is Mark Bagley. He's pencilling both sides of this story . . the Justice League chapters, as well as the Justice Society's. And he's doing a terrific job. It doesn't look rushed or hurried. I'm telling you, this guy is an artistic machine. And he really seems to be at home with these characters . . all of them. But this is only chapter 2 of the Dark Things, so . . we've still got a lot of story to go from here.

Magog #11 - DC

Scott Kolins is completely in control of this title now . . story, art and covers. And I think he's doing an incredible job. Magog is now completely separated from the JSA. They've basically renounced his membership. And that's probably for the best. He's pretty much a loose cannon. He's mad about it all, but . . he just wants to get on with his life. Plus he's got all of this stuff he's got to sort out. Well . . with this issue . . things definitely don't get any easier. First of all, it appears that Lauren . . the girl that he was trying to teach how to defend herself, so that she could protect herself from her abusive husband . . appears to have been killed. And all signs seems to point towards Lloyd. Also, it appears that somebody is using and distributing Gog's wonder-tech. First we see a scientist that seems to have gone out of control at a research facility in Canada. When Gog, and the Flash, finally take him down, he has a device attached to his back. Magog gets the same feelings and sensations off of it that he did with Gog. And it's obviously a piece of his wonder-tech. And at the end of the story we see that someone else is using the enhancements in Opal City. 'In Gog's name, I come to liberate.' But . . liberate who? And from what? I don't know, but apparently it's the beginning of a revolution. This story arc is titled, Blown to Kingdom Come!. And this issue is it's first chapter. I think Scott is doing a great job. And he's really come a long way as a comic creator. I loved his Solomon Grundy mini-series, as I'm sure I'll love this story-arc. I can't wait to see where he takes this character.

JSA All-Stars #8 - DC

Now that we've moved past Magog . . at least for the time being, we can get on to some real stories here. This issue the All-Stars are helping out the police of Los Angeles with some violent gang activity. But what they find is that the Paradorans seem to be trying to take over all gang activity in LA. They're killing everybody in very ritualistic fashion. They're also spreading a drug out on the street that seems to convert everyone it comes into contact with into their way of thinking . . their religion. Supposedly, when they take the drug, it's the ultimate high . . because they see God. Although I'm sure it's the Paradorans God. Anyways, as the teams looking into it, Roxy, their AI computer, has put together some correlation's between this recent activity and what's been going on in the actual country of Paradoran. So . . part of the team heads off there to investigate. What I thought was the interesting part of this story is all the similarities and interest that has come up in the amount of these members that used to belong to Infinity Inc. Karen asks Al about how he feels about Jade's return. And this whole Paradoran gang thing is very similar to a case the Infinitors worked shortly before Eclipso to over the country . . way back when. Anyways, the real link comes when we find out what's actually going on in Paradora. Well . . actually, what's going on isn't as important as who's involved. They don't come right out and tell us but it seems that Henry King Jr, Hank . . also known as Brainwave Jr, another former member of Infinity Inc . . Hank is involved. But I don't get the feeling that it's by his own choosing. And he seems to be there more to keep a lid on things than anything else. The bad things seem to be stemming from a little boy. Now that I think about it, I wonder if Brainwave Jr doesn't have a Jr of his own. Maybe the power was passed down, much in the way his was from his father. But, we'll have to wait until next issue to find out more about that. There also seems to be a bit of a relationship forming between Cyclone and Chimera. As well as just the tiniest bit of information about him. He appears to have lost a love . . Namita. Also, Anna Fortune continues to be a bit of an enigma. The issue ends looking like Cyclone has had her guts torn out by one of these leopards. Overall, I thought it was a good book. I think Matthew Sturges is doing a good job with the stories. And I love the look and feel of Freddie Williams II's pencils. It really gives the book a good feel. I'm not thrilled with the Hourman / Liberty Belle story, but . . it is what it is. I'm sure it'll all be connected . . somehow . . sooner or later. It's by Jan Van Meter and Travis Moore. Personally, I think this book gets better with every issue.

Justice Society of America #40 - DC

Although I thought this was a good book . . it was really more information than story. We've been wading through this Fatherland story the last couple of issues, and that's the first thing that this issue tackles. But wrapping that up . . takes all of 4 pages. Michael sends a message back to himself . . his beat-up, almost dying self, shortly after Kid Karnevil's attack. And really it all comes down to getting Todd/Obsidian out of his 'egg' form. Which, to me, was the only real downfall with the story. Todd was stuck in this 'egg' form, pushing all of his energy down into this concentrated mass. Which is what the Fourth Reich used to power their machine that changed the world. So, if they could 'fix' Todd . . they'd never be able to tap into his powers, and the fight would be over before it even started. Well . . maybe not the fight, per se, but . . their overall master plan would have to change. Anyways, all of this was actually a couple of weeks before the Fourth Reich's attack. And apparently . . Michael remembers everything from this alternate time-line. So, even in his weakened state, he helps the team get ready to counter the attack when it finally does come. And like that . . things are back to normal. Anyways, all of this really just serves to get this book back on the same time-line, and schedule as it's companion titles . . Justice League JSA All-Stars. After all Justice League has already moved on to the Dark Things story-line. And everything that's happened in All-Stars, in it's first 8 issues, hasn't really been explained yet. How and why did the team split up? What happened with Mordru taking over Dr Fate? And we have the whole Black Lantern thing which hasn't really been addressed in this title. Well . . all of that is fixed with this issue. And all from Todd's dialogue and descriptions. Like I said . . much, much more information than substance this issue. But we do see Todd and Alan's relationship re-blossom . . shortly before the Star-Heart tears everything asunder . . once again. So now we're set up for the 2nd part of the Dark Things story-line in this title next month. Overall I thought it was an ok book. Bill Willingham did move things along rather rapidly. But . . he had to get things back on track. And Jesus Merino did a great job with the art. I think his style is going to fit well with these characters. But I don't feel like we have the 'New Beginnings' that we're promised on the cover. If fact, I don't really feel like we can get that until after the Dark Things storyline. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Magog #10 - DC

So, this whole story comes down to an 'entity' that's headed towards Earth. As explained to Magog by Col. Tomorrow of the Planeteers, 'We call it the Mass. A sentient organism roughly the size of Mercury. Apparently it's cellular structure is incapable of reproduction as we understand such. That's why it hunts replenishment. The mass Continuously bleeds off clouds of technorganic nanobots. Each nanobot is programmed to seek out, lock onto and track to source. Any roaming signal will do, radio, wireless, you name it. Once a world is targeted . . developing worlds for the most part . . the nanobot settles in, reproduces . . and monitors for however long it takes. The damn things've probably been monitoring Earth for decades waiting for the trigger event. The Ethernet.' It then uses that 'connection' to take control of the organic matter. In our case . . humans. They then move on to harvesting. You can imagine what that entails. So, they've brought Magog along, he assumes, to fight it off. Which, in a way, is true. But really all they want him to do is stand up to it. Col. Tomorrow is convinced that given enough time, the mass will use it's intelligence to put the pieces together. And what might those pieces be? One, that Magog is a demigod that is living among the humans. And two that he took on and defeated a real god . . Gog. So once it puts the pieces together, coupled with Magog's resistance when it tries to attack him . . basically, it turns tail and runs. In the end . . it's scared of Magog. Which really gives David Reid something to think about. But in the end, when another crisis arises, David thinks . . 'I may not know what I'm turning into, but I damn well know who I am. David Reid, former Lance Corporal US Marines . . aka, Magog. I can live with that. For now. Or die with it, just the same.' And by that, I think he means . . should he become something that's a threat to the human race, or the world. He's enjoying, and taking advantage of the enhancements offered him by being Magog. But he also has to think that should he become fully 'converted', Magog's goals or agenda may not be the same as his own. It's a good thing that he's got Axel to keep him grounded. I've been questioning this book, and this character, since the beginning. But the character that Keith Giffen shows us at the end here . . the one concerned about 'what he's becoming', that's a character that can keep me coming back to this book. I also think that this chapter served to reintroduce Tommy Tomorrow and the Planeteers to the DC Universe. All in all, I was happy with the way this story ended. I like the new look that we have into the characters ego, or id. I like that David isn't just rolling with things, without asking questions. I also enjoyed Tom Derenick's art. Next issue Scott Kolins comes on board. And things start to happen that convince David that Kingdom Come may be just over the horizon. Not a pleasant thought.

Justice Society of America #39 - Marvel

I like this story. I think it's an interesting premise. But . . I am concerned about a few things. We find out this issue that this whole 'darkness engine' thing . . the instrument that the Fatherland is using to negate the 'supers' powers, is actually Obsidian. They collapsed him until he had an unstable black hole at his core. I was an original follower of Infinity Inc, and I really enjoy these 2nd generation heroes. But, it seems like ever since Obsidian's first appearance somebody has been using him, or his powers, for some nefarious plan. But, it's never really been defined as to what is so special about him, or his powers, that he would be the target of so many schemes. He's just one of those characters that always seems to be dumped on. So anyways, in trying to stop this time-line from occurring, Michael figured that since black holes affect the time-space continuum, if he could calculate the right coordinates, he could send a message back to himself . . or some other JSA member. The problem there is . . as we find out at the end of this issue, the time he sends the message back is almost immediately after Kid Karnevil had killed him. Which is where my next concern lies. Remember a story-arc or 2 back when Bill Willingham took over this series? Well almost immediately they were bringing in new members, and that's when the whole debacle where the All-American Kid, or whatever, went rogue. Later they find out that he's actually Kid Karnevil. Well, in order to stop this whole Fatherland future from occurring, he really needs to go back and warn them about the shifty kid before he even sets foot in their ranks. Plus, they had that whole attack where they were locked in the Brownstone, only to find out later that they were actually after Obsidian. Anyways . . that's all going to have to be undone. I know that's a common plot trick that often used in comics, to undo some 'evil future' or character change, but . . to me, it's frustrating. I think it's a cheap way out. To me it just seems like a way, after changing a character or giving us some 'surprise' development . . they can go back to the way everything was before, and just say 'Oops! It never really happened!' We don't get that 'out' in life. Right? If we make a mistake we're stuck with it. And yes I know it's just a 'comic-book', but . . life is change. That's really the only constant. So if this medium is a reflection of life, then at it's very essence it should be all about change. Anyways . . I'm starting to get off on a tangent here. I actually did like this issue, and am enjoying the story-line. My concerns and problems go way deeper than this issue, or Bill Willingham's writing. So I guess I'll save that 'rant' for another day. On a positive note, I thought that Jesus Merino's art looked fantastic. And, for better or worse, this story-line will be wrapped up next issue.

JSA All-Stars #7 - DC

This issue the All-Stars deal with Grant's death . . Damage. But it's mostly told from Judomaster's point of view, because in the last few months Sonia and Grant had fallen in love. I thought it was a pretty touching story. Sonia has been driven for a while now to find her father's killer . . honor, justice, revenge . . all of that has been her motivation. But now . . now she seems to have amped up her search, because of her grief over Grant's passing. And with that anger, she can now punish her father's killer in a way she might not have been able to before. However, just before killing him . . with a rifle . . 'That's not very sporting. Is it?' . . King Chimera shows up with a message from Grant. Actually, she had already started viewing Grant's final message, but . . she didn't stick around until the end. Basically, Grant wanted to let Sonia know that if he should die in the coming battle with the Black Lanterns, as Sandy saw in one of his dreams, that she shouldn't waste her life being angry and bitter as he had. Finding her love made him realize just how much of his life he had wasted feeling sorry for himself. So she ends up taking down some villains who happen to have a briefcase full of cash. She then uses that money to go and help some of the victims of Grant's blast in Atlanta a few years ago. Something that Grant would've surely done, had he the opportunity. Like I said, it was a touching story. And it gave us a little more insight into both Grant's and Sonia's characters. At the end of the story, in one of the hospital's Sonia is visiting, we also see Arthur Pemberton talking to Professor Milo. His daughter Lorna is in a coma because of a fall she took as a result of their interaction with the All-Stars. Traditional doctors can treat her, but won't do surgery. And, of course, we all know that Milo is anything but traditional. It seems that Arthur wants to get her up and mobile so that they can exact their revenge against the young heroes. All in all I thought it was a pretty decent story by Matthew Sturges and Freddie Williams II. The back-up story should be wrapping up soon. In it Liberty Belle and Hourman have teamed up with Tigress and Icicle to search for an ancient staff. To me, the best part of the story is the interaction between characters because even though they're playing nice, they're still on opposite sides of the law. But the more the work together, they find out they're more alike than they car to admit. It's been an interesting story by Jen Van Meter and Travis Moore. I like this book, but I haven't been thrilled with it. I think it's because there really hasn't been a lot of character development in these first 7 issues. Until this one. And even though King Chimera wasn't a big part of it, I enjoyed his involvements. Hopefully this is a portent of things to come.

Magog #9 - DC

Keith Giffen is giving us the history of Magog very slowly. All we've really been able to put together so far is that Magog is from some other extra-dimensional race called the 33. Or maybe that's just what they call themselves. Or maybe the 33 are like the ruling elite . . I'm not sure. Anyways, they're from a place called Albion, and are sort of akin to the New Gods. So far every one of them that Magog has met is female . . and some sort of relative. Apparently they're trying to rebuild Albion, and want to use the Earth to do it. So they're sowing seeds of chaos throughout the world. They're trying to create seed of opportunity . . places where they can swoop in, restore order and thereby expand their control and power. Until they've gobbled up the whole world. In Magog's latest trip to Lesser Oceania, he finds out that their new leader, the former leader's wife, Lady Gauleiter . . is actually one of Magog's 'Aunts'. She the one that fills in some of the pieces for Magog. At least as far as their ambitions and goals. He still doesn't understand who these people are and why he has no recollection of them. Anyways, it isn't long before Axel calls for his help. He's in Kansas trying to figure out the mystery of the internet, when he stumbles upon a hidden military base, and then has to fight for his life as the Shield becomes controlled by another. Magog shows up and shuts things down. It turns out that the Shield was being posessed by something called Killer App . . an Ethernet life-form. But for more information, they're going to have to wait to hear from 'Colonel Tomorrow. Planeteer Command 01 Alpha.' Which won't happen until next issue. As with all of Keith Giffen's stories, he's feeding us bite-sized pieces here. We're gradually getting more and more answers, but . . we're also getting more and more questions. I love it. It keeps the story intriguing and the character interesting. I'm also glad that Tom Derenick is doing the pencils now. While I miss Howard's work, I think Tom brings a much grittier, harder feel to the book. Which fits perfectly with this character. I'm still not completely 'sold' on Magog, as a character, but . . I do find the book, and the stories entertaining.

JSA All-Stars #6 - DC

The problem I have with this book is . . I really want to like it. I really do. But I'm having a hard time getting in to it. But I'm not exactly sure why. I mean . . I like the characters. And theoretically this team should be fantastic. I guess I'm kind of thinking that there's just to much going on. Ever since issue #1 this team has been pretty much at full tilt. So while they're technically a team . . and Karen is trying to push them like crazy to be a team . . I guess I just haven't really seen that cohesiveness or teamwork. You know what I mean? And I don't even want to get started about the whole Magog thing. Magog is a solo character. Period! He can do team-ups every now and then . . I like him and the Shield together, but generally . . Magog does not play well with others. And he doesn't even try. I think it was a huge waste of time to have him in the first couple issues of this book. And then this issue Karen tells him, 'I'm willing to give you another chance, you know.' Is she crazy? How many times does she have to get whacked up side the head before she learns? However, having said all of that . . I am looking forward to the next story-arc. Apparently these first 6 issues all took place before Blackest Night. So Damage has been in all of them, including this one. But next issue we'll see what happened to Damage from their point of view, and we'll find out what happens to him after Blackest Night. Yes, I know . . it seems a little late for a Blackest Night cross-over, but . . Damage is a . . well, damaged character. And I think that makes him interesting. I don't know. Like I said . . I want this book to work. And I want to like it. But . . I'm just not there yet. Maybe it's Matthew Sturges stories. I don't know. But I am enjoying Freddie Williams II's art. I really like the style that he's using on this book. And the back-up story has me a little confused also. I like it. It's interesting. I think Jan Van Meter has taken a little bit of a different approach to the story. But it feels like Liberty Belle and Hourman are going to be Icicle and Tigress' BFFs. They get more comfortable with each other every issue. I just seems a little strange to me. Travis Moore does the art for this part. I really hope this book gets some steam going. Right now it's just kind of boring. And predictable. Sorry!

Justice Society of America #38 - DC

This storyline, Fatherland, still has one more chapter to it, so this issue is spent showing us how some of the other heroes were beaten. Bill Willingham gives us a lot of neat ideas in this story. It's set 20 years in the future, and the remaining heroes are trying to launch a plan to set things right. Even to the point of sacrificing themselves because they know that if they can get the time-line back to where it's supposed to be, then all will be alright . . and their sacrifices will be redeemed. But they have to launch their plan now because the Fuhrer has arrived for a special execution . . the Batman. It's funny actually because the Joker asks to be executed with him. Their lives have been so intertwined throughout the years that I guess he just couldn't stand the thought of the Batman passing on without him. As it turns out the Fuhrer is a much older Kid Karnevil. 'The other contenders didn't quite have the resolve or guts to hold the office for long. I know it for a fact, since I personally spilled most of those guts.' Anyways, Jaime, the Blue Beetle, sacrifices himself this issue by creating a fight between himself and Michael. Michael has put himself in the position of a traitor. But he does this so that he can work out a plan from the inside. But I'm sure it's all a diversion. I guess we'll find out next issue what the big plan is. I've enjoyed Bill Willingham's writing since he's taken over this book. I also think that Jesus Merino is doing a terrific job with the art. I think this story is interesting. I'm just having a hard time getting in to it. But . . I guess we'll just have to wait and see if it all pays off next issue.

Magog #8 - DC

I have to say . . as much as I enjoy Howard Porter's work . . I'm glad that Tom Derenick took over on the pencils this issue. Tom's got a much darker, and grittier style to his work, that really fits this book, and character, quite nicely. Magog just looks much more like the hard-ass that he really is. He and his partner Axel are on two separate missions this issue. Magog has gone off to the Mediterranean Ocean to intercept a cruise ship that's been hijacked by pirates. It's a pretty open and shut case, until he finds out from interrogating one of the pirates that it's the people of Lesser Oceania that have done the hijacking. This is a very repressive country, but when Magog arrives he finds them in the midst of a civil war. Right there and then he should've backed off. But when he saw the military confronting the citizens . . he just had to get involved. 'China, Iraq, Kent State . . it never ends well. There's 3 ways I can take this. Bad timing on my part . . or right place, right time . . orrrr, both! I just know I'm going to regret this.' Famous last words. No matter what his intentions . . he's still an outsider. There's no way they're going to take his intervention well. But . . we'll have to wait until next issue to see what happens. Meanwhile, Axel has gone to a secret military base in Kansas because Mirage . . his personal computer, and apparently his best friend . . has lost all connectivity with the internet. That's where the Shield shows up. He's acting as security for this make-shift base. It appears that the only reason they don't put Axel in the brig is because he brings it to their attention about what's going on with the internet. And we also see that there's some kind of space-ship just outside of Jupiter's orbit also monitoring the situation. It's mostly aliens on the ship, but . . it appears that it's be commanded by an Earthling . . Colonel Tomorrow. It seems that they view the internet as more of a sentient being. They're actually surprised that we treat it as not much more than a novelty. It appears that they're actually trying to help us because the internet is getting ready to attack. They're just trying to figure out how to help us defend ourselves against it. But at the base where Axel is at, it may be to late. It appears that this has had some kind of affect on a couple of the soldiers, and . . with the Shield's suit being internet compatible . . it looks like he's been taken over . . posessed, maybe? This issue leaves a lot of open questions to be answered next issue. I think Keith Giffen is the perfect person to script this series. I think his mind skates on the edge of sanity, so . . he has the opportunity to present a lot of unique and cool ideas here. He's definitely a person that thinks outside of the box. And I think we need that originality to sell this character. I'm still not completely bought in. I mean, I guess they've given this guy a little leeway because he started out as a member of the JSA. But anybody else would've been in jail a long time ago. This guy is a serious loose cannon. And the part that I don't understand is . . I don't think he even realizes how far removed he is from where he started. It's either some serious denial, or . . insanity. I find this book entertaining, but . . frustrating at the same time. We'll see how long it lasts.

JSA All-Stars #5 - DC

Last issue Johnny Sorrow drew out the King of Tears. He's this big demon-monster thingy from some nether region. So now the All-Stars, plus the Injustice Gang are trying to stop it from destroying the world. Anyways, as all of this is happening, Johnny gets ahold of Courtney and sends her to the subtle realm where she finds that Al has also been stranded. They're all upset that Courtney has disappeared, but . . this King of Tears has to take priority. So this issue, Courtney and Al are trying to figure out how to get out of this place. They get a tip pretty early on that they need to head towards the Courts of Despair. Yeah! That's a place I'd want to hang out. But I guess they don't have much of a choice because they have no idea where else to go. Anyways, they're spending so much time together, counting on each other, that the feelings they once had for each other are starting to swell again. Their part of the story ends when they make it to the Courts, but . . upon opening the door, Courtney is surprised by what she finds there. I have a feeling that Al isn't actually Al. I'm not sure if it's Johnny in disguise, but . . something is amiss here. While back in the real world. a new girl shows up. Later on we find out that her name is Anna Fortune, and Doctor Fate sent her. She seems to be some sort of sorceress as she uses a spell to capture the King of Tears . . another one to help save King Chimera from the injuries that he suffered, and at the end of the issue she uses another spell to transport them all to the subtle realm in search of Courtney. But I'm a little suspicious of her also. Her arrival was just to well timed. I don't think that Kara has let her guard down, but for now they're following her. For all we know, maybe the King of Tears was all just an illusion. I have a lot of questions and suspicions right now, but . . I guess I'll have to wait until next issue when this current story-arc is wrapped up. And apparently all of this takes place before Blackest Night because Damage is still alive. Anyways, I like the book. I think Matthew Sturges is doing a good job with the story. And I'm really impressed with Freddie Williams II's art. So far it's been pretty fast-paced, right since issue #1. They haven't really had time to stop and breath. So when things do slow down . . it'll be interesting to see if Matthew and Freddie can things just as entertaining. It shouldn't be to hard though. There's a pretty good cast of characters here.

Justice Society of America #37 - DC

Last issue the JSA were attacked by the Fourth Reich in their mountain headquarters. Apparently they lost that battle because the story picks up about 20 years later when Michael Holt is being interviewed by his Nazi jailers, for his memoirs . . shortly before he is to be executed. It turns out that from their victory over the JSA, they went on to defeat all of America, Canada and most of Mexico. It's now called the American Reich. This all goes back to the battle at the Brownstone where Obsidian was taken, and Kid Karnevil infiltrated their ranks as the All-American Kid. It seems that the Fourth Reich used Obsidian to build, and charge something called the Darkness Engine. Apparently it can suck the power out of the 'supers', and transfer it into their own 'heroes'. That's how they beat the rest of the country, and they now hold all of it's para-normals in detention centers. But they're working on a plan. Michael is appearing to help the government by feeding it knowledge on the rest of the heroes. But he's actually using his more lenient security to get chemicals and technology to assemble something to help the heroes break out of this not so fresh hell. I think their plan is to go back in time and change the course of that first battle so that this ugly future never comes to exist. But they have to be quick about it because tomorrow the Fuhrer is coming to camp, and they've moved up the date of Bruce's execution to put on a show. I enjoy Bill Willingham's writing. From this story we now know that everything that he's written since taking over this book has been leading up to this story-line. I think the guys brilliant. He just doesn't get as much attention as say Geoff Johns, or Brian Bendis. But in my eyes, he's equally as talented. Also Jesus Merino is doing a terrific job on the art since coming aboard this book. I thought I was going to miss Dale Eaglesham, but . . Jesus has fit in quite nicely. Overall, I'm really enjoying this title right now.

Power Girl #10 - DC

This is a silly issue. That boy that took the pictures of Power Girl coming out of the Starrware building, and changing into uniform . . he's decided that he wants to blackmail her. But it's not how you'd think. First he wants her to come to his comic shop with him when he goes to get his weekly books. Secondly, he wants he help with a bully, and his gang, that has been tormenting him. And finally . . he wants her help in asking a girl for a date. You know . . typical teenaged boy stuff. But first, Power Girl has to deal with Satanna. At the end of last issue we saw them fighting and then Terra shows up. Well Terra helps to get her off of PG's case, but . . in the more personal events that follow the fight, Karen notices that Atlee is acting funny. Just little odd personality traits. Then later when Satanna attacks again, but this time not with her ani-men . . this time she uses Manhawks. They're usually something that Hawkman deals with. Anyways, during the battle she notices that Terra is a little more blood-thirty than usual. And by the end of the book, she finally pieces it together . . somehow Satanna has put the Ultra-humanites brain into Terra's body. Now she just has to figure out how to fix it, and find out what they did with Terra's brain. The thing I really like about this book is the humor that Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti put into their scripts. At some points it's almost a slap-stick type of humor. But . . I think it's perfect for this book, and this character. That, coupled with Amanda Connor's rather whimsical art, and . . it really makes for a fun read. Hopefully these guys stay on this book for a long time to come.

Magog #7 - DC

Ok, so the working theory out there is . . at least as it's presented by Axel, Magog's right hand man . . his theory is that David's powers weren't so much a gift from Gog as they were his intertwining with another entity, Magog. Essentially, he doesn't believe that he was actually given powers, but rather 'posessed' by another entity. Their merging, and Magog's natural gifts, are what gave David his powers. But if that's true, then he has to ask himself how much of his actions are actually his own, and how much are influenced by Magog? Axel suggests that he goes to Dr Fate for help, or a suggestion. But obviously he doesn't want to involve the JSA. Or even let them know what he thinks may be going on. So instead he contact Zatanna. But only after he goes to visit his own mother, the 'battle-ax', in the nursing home. He expects her to laugh at him and tell him that he's being stupid, but . . instead she calmly thinks about it and say that these events may be the reason she hasn't recognized her own son in recent months. This really gets his head racing, and wanting some kind of answer. Anyways, Zatanna uses her powers to check for some form of possession, but . . she comes up with nothing. But Axel has an answer for that also. When he was merged with Magog he may have been changed down to his core. In reality, David Reid may no longer exist. It may just be a phantom personality that his subconscious is trying to hang on to. The alternative is . . he's no longer human. We also see that his mother from Albion is trying to sow some seeds of discord between the person she sees as Magog and his human friend, Lauren. And . . there's some kind of mystery going on in Demetri Kansas. It started with people becoming posessed by their computers and cell phones and such. But now . . now everybody is dead. And it looks like this town is the beachhead to an alien invasion. All we know so far is that they work for Planeteer Command, and one of their commanding officers, Colonel Tomorrow, is from Earth. I'm enjoying this series and this character . . so far. My only complaint is that he's so successfully alienated himself from practically everyone. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me when he'd be able to accomplish so much more with the JSA's help. I did enjoy Keith Giffen's portrayal of the interaction between him and Zatanna. It's about time that he actually talked to someone, without trying to start a fight first. I guess that means he's maturing. And of course I already told you that I'm a fan of Howard Porter's art. I'll still with this one for a while. As long as they make some kind of progress. I'm not particularly fond of the 'shoot first and ask questions later' shtick. To me . . it gets old, real fast.

JSA All-Stars #4 - DC

Sandy Hawkins is finally back in the picture with the JSA, and it looks like he'll be teaming up with the All-Stars. Last issue we saw that the ghost of Wesley Dodds had woken Sandy from his recent Rumpelstiltskin like slumber. It appears that he's inherited Wesley's gift of dreaming, and consequently his powers seem to be changing once again. He's got a new outfit that looks closer to Wesley's trench-coat and mask. And now he's simply going by the name Sand. Anyways, he's come to the team because he's had a dream about Johnny Sorrow. He knows that he's trying to bring back the King of Tears. He also knows why Johnny is after Courtney. But we don't learn all the details of that quite yet. However, this story, for all it's bluster and bravado, does seem to revolve around her. Sand leads the team to Johnny's location, and they find him in the middle of his resurrection ritual. It seems that with the King of Tears on his side, Johnny and his team are almost unstoppable. However, he agrees to not cause any further pain if Courtney cooperates with him. With King Chimera down, Courtney feels guilty so she agrees to Johnny's demands. She breaks the cosmic rod, and then Johnny transports her away. It appears that he's taken her to the subtle realms, where he was trapped for a while. However, Courtney makes a discovery there and finds their missing teammate, Al . . Atom Smasher. Hopefully next issue we'll find out what this is all about, how the team's going to handle the King of Tears, and what's really happened to King Chimera. All in all, I think Matthew Sturges and Freddie Williams II are doing a terrific job here. He's definitely kept the stories action packed. But personally, I'd like to see a little more character development with the team. Hopefully he'll get to it soon. In the back-up, Liberty Belle and Hourman are still after the book and the guy who's behind all of this . . Blue. But they keep crossing paths with Icicle and Tigress. I'm guessing though that in order for all of them to get what they want here . . they're going to have to put their mutual aggression aside and work together. It'll be a tenuous relationship, but . . it should be interesting. This part of the book is brought to us by Jan Van Meter and Travis Moore. So far I like the book. It definitely has potential. As long as they stay on the right track.