Uncanny X-Men #497 - Marvel

This was an interesting book. I was completely off base with my guess last issue. I was guessing that the Goddess that was causing all of the trouble in San Fran was Ororo. You know . . Goddess . . natural assumption. But, there seems to be some kind of image spell going also, so maybe . . nah . . I doubt it now. Even though we've seen the goddess . . we still aren't any closer to figuring out what exactly she's up to . . or why. Emma and Scott have made it to the city, and she's projecting an image over them so they don't stand out in the crowd. But, the Goddess, and her consort . . or whatever it is he calls himself . . Eli, I guess . . can sense them, and knows who they are. Meanwhile, back in Russia, Logan Kurt and Peter have been captured by some government official and his giant robots. When they awaken, Peter asks them what this is all about, and what they want . . "Want? Comrade Rasputin? The Red Room wants many things. To start with . . we want to know why, when Russia lost all her mutant agents on your so-called M-Day . . You and your friends were spared . . tell us this, and they may be spared again." He says this as they're hooked up to gizmo's and wires and look like they're hanging over a warehouse floor. I think Ed Brubaker is doing a fine job with this title. He's been scripting it for quite a while now, and he seems to fit in pretty well with the X-Men experience. But the real star of this book is Mike Choi. His artwork is incredible. I've been a fan of his for a while, but, this is some of the best stuff from him I've ever seen. It's fantastic. Or should I say . . Uncanny! Sorry! Droll joke. Anyways, we only have a few more issues until we get to #500. I can't wait to see what they have in store for us.

X-Men - First Class #11 - Marvel

I have to say . . as much as I like this book . . I thought this issue was pretty lame. I loved the cover by Carlo Pagulayan. I thought that was the best part of the whole book. I didn't particularly like the interior art though. It was by Nick Dragotta. And personally, I thought Jeff Parker really fell short with this story. The concept . . I thought . . was ok. It just didn't play out very well. Basically, there's some teens from the Marvel Universe. They call themselves the Continuiteens. It all goes back to the extraterrestrial catalyst that the X-Men sent back in to space. When it went up, it passed over Man-thing's swamp . . the Nexus of Realities. Apparently it changed the waters, somehow Mysterio found out about it, and the waters amped up his powers. Well these teenagers also came across this swamp before. There's a Diamond Distribution warehouse down there that they used to go to get the books for the shop they worked in. Well, one time something was happening, and they were getting all these books from the future. The future of the Marvel Universe. Well, they got as many as they could, studied them, and then whenever the Marvel Universe looks like it's going to go astray, they intervene and try to help keep things on track. Which basically is what happens when Mysterio gets ahold of the water. They team up with the X-Men and show them where Mysterio is hiding and how to beat him. That was basically the story. Like I said, I thought it was a decent idea . . but, it could've played out better, or differently. I just really wasn't to impressed with the way they did it. That being said, I'll still buy the book because I'm hoping that this issue was just a fluke. I've really enjoyed the series so far . . just not this issue. Sorry!

New Exiles #5 - Marvel

This issue seemed a bit . . confusing. It's almost like Chris was trying to shove to much in to one issue. Also, we're only on issue #5 and already we have a fill-in artist. Roberto Castro does the art for this issue. It's actually ok. But I do miss Tom Grummett. Well . . except for those panels with a nearly undressed Sage. Meowww!! She's pretty hot. Anyways, we're seeing what happened shortly before the rest of the team returned home. Morph, Sage and Cat have the Palace pretty much to themselves, while the rest of the team were off on their recruiting mission. Sage is fighting with inner demons . . literally. Morph is just confused, and Cat . . Cat is the enigma. Nobody's really been able to get a read on her. And when Morph and Cat are in the observation room, there's some kind of anomaly that appears and it ends up sucking them down a whole . . much like Alice down the rabbit hole. Sage hears them screaming, as their falling in, and manages to make it from her bathtub to the warp just in time. Well . . except for being able to get dressed . . she gets there just in time. I'm not sure if it's this world, or what, but their abilities seem to be changing. Cat seems to be able to access any version of herself across the entire multiverse. It's a little overwhelming for Sage and Morph, but it seems she can alter her appearance at will. After landing, she starts out looking like a cartoon princess, and then later changes to an Indian Shaman. Also, for some reason, Sage can access her telepathic powers here. But, for her, that's not necessarily a good thing. At least it's not something that she wanted to do. Also the team doesn't really know why, or how, it was called here. None of them are wearing the Tallus. Well, if nothing else, maybe the 3 of them will get along better after this mission, or, if nothing else, they'll just have a better understanding and appreciation for each other. Because, right now, we really have no idea what's up.

Batman #675 - DC

All I can say is . . . Where has Grant Morrison been all of Batman's life? Grant has taken years of stories . . stories told in the past, obscure things, unimportant things . . . and tied them all together. He's brought the Batman mytho's to a level they've never achieved before. Back in the 70's I wrote a letter to Batman wondering why more emphasis wasn't placed on the cast around Batman. Yes Batman was a strong character, but to achieve his full greatness and potential, he would have to realize that his legend wouldn't be written in the acts that he performed but those that he inspired in others. Now, with all the various Bat-titles, and characters, out there I truly think that we're starting to see the potential of that vision. But, Bruce Wayne will always remain the head of that family. The Matriarch. And now that his supporting cast has grown, both in numbers and strength, his are the stories upon which the rest of the castle is built. And his strength, both in purpose and character, is the basis and purpose for all of those around him. So what are the rest to do, or think, when Bruce seems to be on the edge at all times . . delicately balanced between observing . . and jumping. Even those remotely connected to him, as in Talia or Damian or even Merlyn, are affected by his actions and responses. And now . . now, to save the life of Jezebel Jet, he's crossed the line and allowed her to see the real "Bruce Wayne". "Oh my god. It all makes sense. Bruce Wayne is Batman!" And thus, next issue, begins . . . "The 6-part story that will change the legend of the Dark Knight forever . . . Batman RIP" By the way, Ryan Benjamin filled in on the pencils this issue. They were incredible. But don't worry, Tony Daniel still did the cover. These truly are some of the best Batman stories ever told. Right now this book is simply fantastic!

the Mighty Avengers #12 - Marvel

This issue is set up, kind of, as a prelude to the Secret Invasion story-line. We go back a few months to when Nick Fury gathered a group of heroes, and sent them in to Latervia. The how's and whys aren't important. Suffice it to say, Nick used it as his swan-song. When everything was said and done, Nick was supposedly killed, but it was actually a LMD. He wanted the world to think he was dead. He told the heroes that they'd never see him again. Then he took his now jaded self into seclusion. Everything was fine until the Countess found him and came for a visit. She was actually a Skrull trying to get his pass-codes. He ended up killing her, and then he went to SHIELD for some information. That was his first run-in with Maria Hill. He then contacted Jessica Drew. This was shortly after SHIELD found out that Nick had set her up as a double-agent with HYDRA. Obviously, she was fired. Now, Nick wanted her to grovel for her job back, and then report to him anything that she found "off". "So now I'll be a triple-agent. HYDRA, SHIELD, and I'm reporting back to you, who works for no one." Basically, this issue was set up to show us that Nick has been working in the background, on this Skrull thing, for several months now. Actually, even before the Avengers found the Elektra Skrull in Japan. So now that everything's caught up and in place, we can move on with this Secret Invasion story-line, and Nick can swoop in at some time . . and save the day. Thereby, acclimating himself back in to the Marvel Universe. I wonder how Tony's going to take all of that. I'm kind of guessing too, at the end of this whole thing, we're going to have a Skrull super-hero fighting on our side. One of them's going to switch. It's just a feeling I have. This one was brought to us by the usual scripter, Brian Bendis. But, Alex Maleev filled in on the art for this one. It was actually a pretty amazing looking book. I'm not a big fan, but I liked this one. It seems like this book is back on track now, so . . that's a good thing.

Countdown to Final Crisis #1 - DC

Well . . this is the end of the Countdown. Or . . actually . . last issue's fight between Darkseid and Orion was the end. This . . this is as the title suggests . . Loose Ends. Basically, we see where all the Challengers, that we've come to know and love, over the previous months, have decided to do after their adrenaline pumped, universe spanning, adventure. Unfortunately, they all, in their own way, feel let down. Bored! Morose! Which is why, one by one, they all start showing up at Ray's house. Well except for . . the Piper. He's decided "This is my chance to settle some unfinished business . . this time on the side of the Angels." Jason Todd, who's gone back to his one man show, Gotham Chainsaw Massacre, or Jason Krueger: Nightmare on any street. Mary Marvel, who's decided to feel her oats and tries to take out Black Adam. And Buddy Blank, who on his world, has gotten a gift from Brother Eye and is now OMAC. Not the mindless drones that have been buzzing around lately, but the OMAC from the Jack Kirby mini-series back in the 70's. It's about time. Oh yeah . . also Harley and Holly haven't quite decided what they're going to do yet, but . . they'll probably be doing it together. Whatever "it" is. Meanwhile, the rest of our group . . Kyle, Donna, Ray (reluctantly), and Humbug or Ambush Bug or Forager or whatever her name is . . . have decided that they're going to be the one's to . . . Monitor the Monitors. Remember that question from the original Crisis series back in the 80's . . Who Monitors the Monitors? Well . . now we know. I just wonder if they know what they've bitten off here. And how will the punish them if they're bad? I guess we'll just have to wait for that story . . sometime in the near future . . I hope. Like I said, I thought this issue was anti-climatic . . but . . I still enjoyed it. There's still a lot of plot threads hanging on this one. And we still have Final Crisis, The War That Time Forgot, The Rann/Thanagar War, the Legion of 3 Worlds Crisis . . and anything else I'm leaving out . . coming up this summer, so . . don't think for a second that things have calmed down. You know what they say . . this is the end . . the end of the beginning.

the Death of the New Gods #8 - DC

This one, to me, seemed a bit anti-climatic. I mean . . we already saw everybody die. Well . . except Darkseid that is. But at the end of last issue we saw him ingest one of Desaads failed formulas . . the Soulfire experiment. It sounds like a band from the 60's. Anyways, apparently this put him on the playing field with the entity that is the Source. Somehow this formula taps him in to the powers of all of the gods of the Fourth World. Even the dead ones . . I guess. Last issue, when Superman awoke . . Metron and Mister Miracle were dead. And Himon, or the Infinity Man, were long gone. The natural assumption would be that they had gone after the only survivor of this massacre, Darkseid. Which means that he had to return to Apokolips to find out what's going on . He arrives just in time to witness these 2 slugging it out. They're completely out of his league . . so all he can do is watch. Superman attempts to intervene . . but it's to no avail. Well, I take that back. He did distract Darkseid long enough . . what? maybe 5 seconds? . . he distracted him long enough for the Source entity to return Orion to the playing field. But no sooner does their fight start than Darkseid takes off for someplace. If you've been reading Countdown, you know he headed to Earth to collect the remaining powers that he's been storing in Jimmy. But before the Source sends Orion there, he lets Superman witness the destroying, or making, of a planet. New Genesis and Apokolips go careening in to each other. It looks like they're both going to be destroyed. But then . . they stop . . merged as one. Half of one . . half of the other. The planet kind of looks like the yin & yang symbol when you see it from space. And that . . is the end of the Fourth World. Now the Fifth world can begin. And all these people . . that Superman has come to know, and befriend . . are gone. This was a fantastic series by Jim Starlin. I can't imagine that they would bring the Fifth World into conception without at least some of Jim's input. It seems that he's the go-to guy for DC's galaxy spanning stories. And rightfully so. He did a tremendous job on this whole series, story and art. All I can say is, thanks Jim! Thanks for bringing us such a fantastic piece of literature!

Avengers - the Initiative #11 - Marvel

Boy, oh boy . . this KIA, the MVP clone that turned bad when he hooked himself up to the Tactigon, has really cut a swathe through this Initiative program. And I mean that literally. He started out inside the Initiative camp . . worked his way through anything that he came across . . then went to 42, the prison in the Negative Zone, and faced War Machine . . then went to Tennessee, MVP's home, and faces the rest of the Initiative, the New Warriors and the Avengers. It's hard to believe that one hapless teenager can cause this much destruction, or be this much of a problem. But then, the Tactigon does give him a bit of an advantage. So what's the plan? Well, the Baron has a helmet, that if put on the MVP clone's head, the one that lives in Tennessee, the second MVP, it will take his good memories, and then transfer them to the rogue MVP, KIA, hopefully calming him down and taking him out of his murderous rage. However, there is the slight chance that when it takes his memories, it may also wipe out his brain, leaving him a vegetable. Long story short, they give the helmet to MVP, to make the decision, but he has a third option. If it's going to wipe out the brain anyways, why not just put it on KIA's head to start with? Which is what he does, and it works. But this creates a future problem, because, for some insane reason, the helmet is discarded and Slapstick finds it. "Ooh, shiny! "Ready to transmit brain patterns to new host body", hmm . . . now that would be funny. Why don't we just save that for later?" I've really come to like this book. I wasn't sure in the beginning. But, I feel like now . . it works. I think Dan Slott and Christos Gage are doing a good job with the story. I've even come to enjoy Stefano Caselli's artwork much more than in the beginning. His style actually fits in very well with this book. I'm not sure what the future of this title is, but, for now, I think it's in pretty good hands. Maybe soon, we'll start to see some of these other 50 teams this program was put together for. Maybe?

Ghost Rider #22 - Marvel

Ok, after a couple of issues . . I think Jason Aaron is going to do just fine on this book. His story here, about Zadkiel and this lost highway of trail-blazing ghosts, is pretty intriguing. I like it. However, and I really do hate to complain, I'm not at all impressed by Roland Boschi's art. I know that I have pretty particular tastes, when it comes to artwork, but I really can't see to many people not complaining about this transition. I'll be the first one to tell you, I think the story is as important, or more so, than the art. But, right now, no matter how good this story is . . the artwork doesn't come anywhere near to doing it justice. And I'm really not trying to disrespect Roland. To do even what he does here takes tons of talent. Talent I don't have. But, in my opinion, in order for this book to succeed . . they need to get a much better artist on board. And no, I'm not just comparing him to Mark and Javier. I understand that eventually all great creative teams have to move on. It's inevitable. But this one, I don't think, is going to work. Let him finish this story-arc . . and then . . please . . do right by this character and give him somebody that's going to help carry him on to further greatness. Right now, it looks like you have the right writer on the series . . we just need to tweak the artist. And, just for the record, I'm thinking that the mysterious guy that the nurses are talking to on the phone is . . Danny Ketch. I may be wrong, but that's what I think.

X-Factor #30 - Marvel

I read this last night before I went to bed . . and maybe it's just me, but is Arcade . . lame as hell, or what? Even when I saw him in the Uncanny title, way back when when I first started collecting books, I thought he was a bit over-rated. I wondered how such a goof could continue to give the X-Men so many problems. Then this story-line, where Arcade was hired by some mysterious gentleman to take out X-Factor . . I'm thinking, wouldn't it have been cheaper just to spend your money on a gun, or chainsaw, or even a really fast car or something? So who does it turn out to be? Doom? Magneto? Maybe even Monet's father . . or therapist . . or somebody else even remotely connected to some kind of story-line that's occurred in this book? No! The perpetrator was . . . Mr Taylor. Excuse me? Who? Exactly!! Who indeed. Apparently this was the guy that sponsored Rictor's membership with the Purifiers, so, when it turned out he was a undercover spy . . . . Mr Taylor was let go. Boo-hoo! At least they didn't kill him. So what does this guy do? Well, obviously . . as if it wasn't expected . . Arcade's fool-proof plan failed. So this guy spent his money, and didn't get the revenge he was looking for. So he decides . . . to kill himself. Arcade's plan was fool-proof . . but, just in case the fools were smarter than he anticipated . . he set up an exit strategy where he escapes, and after Taylor's heart stops beating . . that's why he tries to kill himself with the poisonous coffee . . the whole building will explode. This is another fine predicament that our stalwart heroes have gotten themselves in to. The artwork by Valentine De Landro was . . ok. Nothing great . . nothing terrible. But Peter David's story? Apparently he's not sure what to do with this team while they're stuck in the limbo of . . X-Men? No X-Men? . . X-Men? No X-Men? . . and this story, to me, just seemed like it was taking up space. Don't get me wrong . . I love these characters. I just feel like we're a little aimless right now. Maybe that's what Peter was trying to make us feel. If so? Mission accomplished.

Batman Strikes #44 - DC

I don't care if it's the World's Finest, or the pages of Superman / Batman, or the pages of one of Johnny DC's finest, the Batman Strikes . . having Superman and Batman team-up in the same book is always exciting. I enjoy team-ups as much as the next guy. I loved DC Comics Presents, and I loved the Brave and the Bold. But, World's Finest was always my favorite team-up book. I especially liked when they posed as each other, so whatever the bad-guy had planned, to bring them down, never went according to plan because they switched places. In theory, these 2 shouldn't work well together, but . . they always do. Basically, they're each other's Yin and Yang. My only complaint is the story telling style. In the first couple of pages of this book, the story is told in the style where the top of the page is about Superman and Metropolis, and the bottom is about Batman and Gotham. I'm not thrilled with that style. But . . that's just a personal preference. I understand why they did it, to show that although they were 2 separate stories, each was very much invested in the other. I just didn't dig it. But other than that, I thought it was a fun book. Again, I'm glad this Johnny DC vehicle is out there.

Gotham Underground #7 - DC

First of all . . I want to know how Dick can confuse Leslie with . . the Riddler? Remember last issue, when he was laying in the alley, shot . . as he starts to pass out, he thinks he sees Leslie coming to his rescue. Must've been delirious from all that blood loss. Anyways, Riddler takes him to the hospital. Apparently, being undercover with the Penguins news gangs . . yes, multiple ones . . Dick's not as smooth as he thought. The Riddler riddled out that he was Nightwing. Obviously he doesn't know that he's Dick, but . . he knows that Nightwing is undercover. I think he wants to have someone inside of Penguins little . . So You Think You Can Be An OG? . . reality series. My question though is . . does Pengy really think he's going to be able to keep all these guys & gals under control when they start to figure out how to use their armaments and suits and stuff? I guess that's a story for another time though. Right now Penguins goons are fighting all of Tobias Whale's goons. Unfortunately . . for Tobias . . the Penguin has more. But, just as they're about to declare victory . . actually they have because Tobias knows that he's been beaten and has decided to join with the Penguin so that they're stronger when the other guys come back . . Salvation Run? . . are you paying attention? . . I guess I should say, as they're about to celebrate their victory . . Vigilante starts picking them off from a rooftop. What a way to spoil a party. But he only gets to pick off a couple of them before . . . wait for it . . . Batman's back! Of course if you were reading this title you'd have been aware of that because Alfred broke him out of the prison last issue. Talk about a loyal man-servant. Next issue is billed as . . . Batman vs Vigilante. I really like the way Frank Tieri is handling this series. He's got the pulse of a lot of different characters here . . and I like what he's doing with Pengy and Tobias. And of course . . if you've read any of my blogs . . you know what a huge fan of J Calafiore's I am. And he's definitely not letting me down on this series. The only bad part is . . there's only 2 issues to go. Bummer! I guess I'll just have to enjoy it while I can.

Salvation Run #6 - DC

Again, unfortunately, this is another book that's a little out of whack . . time-line wise. But it's not as big of a deal, because, really, it only affects the ending. Things are hitting a fever pitch on the planet right now. Last issue, Catwoman, who had escaped from the dream-like device that was holding her, was branded as a traitor. A traitor to what, I'm not sure. But a traitor to Lex at the very least. During the skirmish with her, it was found out that J'onn J'onzz was hiding amongst their ranks posing as Blockbuster. This issue we see that Lex has built a fiery cage for J'onn, but we don't really know what they're doing with Catwoman. We actually don't see her at all this issue. Anyways, Thunder and Lightning are also part of the group, and having been Titans, they decide to try to help J'onn. That is of course until Bane beats them down. Vandal Savage is also working with his group of women, trying to build their little Utopia in their little corner of the landscape. And Lex and the Joker finally go at it this issue. It's a fight to the death . . until . . boom tubes start going off all over the planet. Lex quickly tries to rally the forces but by the time he looks up again, the skies are filled with Parademons. I told you how in the Death of the New Gods book, Desaad had built this planet to train his parademons on. When the villains were being sent in to outer-space, Desaad had intercepted the signal, so they all landed here instead of their intended planet. This is where the time-lines are screwy. In Countdown to Final Crisis, and the Death of the New Gods, all the beings from the Fourth World, New Genesis and Apokolips, are now dead. Including Desaad. So obviously this happens, before those people are killed. Like I said, it's not enough to distract me from the story, but it is something to think about. How do they explain that? Matthew Sturges, I thought, has done a decent job with this story. Especially considering what he's had to work with. Next issue is the final issue, and I still don't see what the purpose of all of this is. I like Sean Chen's pencils, but my only complaint is that all the faces tend to look the same. Sorry. I tend to notice the little things. As far as his flow and framing go . . I think he's great. I just have that one little complaint. Well that, and . . I hope next issue we finally find out what this is really all about. We're not being told something.

Catwoman #78 - DC

I have to say, this one had me a bit confused. This issue should actually take place before Salvation Run #5. In that issue, the Cheetah brings Catwoman to Lex, kind of like your pet cat puts a toy in your shoe sometimes when your not looking . . they want to garner favor from their master. I hate it when that happens. I know. Sometimes it's inevitable. But I would think that they'd be able to plan out the publications better. I know it shouldn't bother me, but, as I'm reading the issue, it's distracting me from the story because I keep thinking of this story in context with that one. Plus, what happened to Sickle & Hammer? In the Salvation Run issue, the Cheetah turns over Catwoman, but I don't remember seeing our pair of Ruskies. Did they take off, leaving Catwoman high & dry? Did they mingle in with the crowd and they're still in on the plan with Selina? That part wasn't really explained in either book. Meanwhile, back at home Slam Bradley is starting to worry about Selina. It isn't until he does a little digging that he finds out that she's not the only villain that's gone missing. There's a whole slew of the A-lists gone. But we knew that. I also don't think Selina told Slam what she decided to do with her daughter before she left . . his grand-daughter. Since this issue seems to be a little behind, it appears that Slam is a little behind the learning curve. He's trying to get information out of this Multiplex type kid. And it seems as if he's getting his way, until the end of the issue when the kid leads him into a trap. I'm not faulting Will Pfeifer, who did the story, I'm sure it was some kind of publishing snafu. But, like I said, to me when this happens, it distracts me and I don't enjoy the story as much. Overall I thought Will did a decent job. At least with what he had to work with. I still don't understand . . or see the reason . . for this whole Salvation Run thing. Other than killing off a few B-list villains . . I don't see what's to be gained. I like even less that Catwoman's even involved in it. Also, as I said with Freddie E Williams II and Pete Woods, I think David Lopez' art is a bit . . "vanilla" for my tastes. It's ok. It gives this book a certain feel. I'm just not overly thrilled with it. Sorry. Unfortunately though, I think we still have an issue or two of this before Selina finally makes it back to Gotham. O' Happy Day!

Legion of Super-heroes in the 31st Century #13 - DC

Alrighty! I won't get up on my soap-box again about why I think these books are good for the kids. I just want you to think about the future of our hobby! But, that being said, this was a fun book to read. It's mostly about Superman, back when he first came to Metropolis. He didn't even have a name yet. There was a few bouncing around, but eventually Superman is the one that stuck. As he's going through his day to day activities, he's thinking back on his past, the Earth's future, when the Legion helped to train him and hone a lot of his abilities. Seriously, without their help, he would've been like a bull in a china shop. A very powerful bull. But, on the same token, Brainiac 5, who is a descendant of the Brainiac in our time probably helps him the most. For fear of disrupting the time-line, he's the one that gives Clark some secret tips. And the original Brainiac, appears to have also come in to notice of Clark . . er, Superman. It looks like Brainiac knows his duo-identity. But he's not a threat right now. He's just watching Superman, and cataloging the footage. Obviously, he's definitely a future threat though. Like I said, it's just a fun book to read. Pick one up. Enjoy!

100 Bullets #90 - Vertigo

Man this series is intense. We got two stories going on right now, but really they're the same thing, just told from a different perspective. Cole has recently abandoned Remi. He's come to talk to Jack and Loop about switching sides. He thinks maybe he'll come to work for Lono also. At least that's what he's telling him. Right now, it seems that no one knows what his real motives are. At the same time, we're watching this little street kid, Pip, as he's trying to work his way up the ladder, working for Leon. The two stories coincide, in the way they're being handled, so much so that the final couple of pages are all Lono and his crew's conversation, but alternating between panels of both stories. And, actually, it flows seamlessly. Like I said, it's the same story, just told from different perspectives. One from the street, and one from a pool-house in Miami. I think Brian Azzarello is one of the best writers out there. And, he's been truly blessed to have had Eduardo Risso working on this series right from the very beginning. They make an absolutely incredible team. This issue was another cinematic masterpiece from Eduardo. I'll really be surprised if we don't see parts of this story adapted in to a movie sometime in the next 10 years. It would be incredible.

Superman #675 - DC

This was an interesting series of events, but . . they were a little odd. Last issue some Priests from Daxam came to claim Lar Gand, Mon-el, and take him home to punish him. I'm not really sure why they showed up now, of all times. Anyways, at the time Superman is fighting Paragon. He's a scientist who's somehow gained the power to siphon powers off of those he's around, and then amp them up a bit. So in his fight with Superman, he's become pretty powerful. At first he finds the predicament Superman is in with the priests amusing, but when they dismiss him as less than negligible . . it just pisses him off. The two of them are barely enough to hold them at bay, and when Superman talks about the lead poisoning that the Priests are exposing themselves to, it give Paragon an idea. He goes and gets a gun, with lead bullets, and starts shooting at them. This doesn't beat them, but it does weaken them enough that they have to retreat to their ship. But, then they set loose their ultimate weapon . . a galactic golem. This new threat forces Superman and Paragon to work together to defeat it. They do, but it leaves Superman very weak. Paragon refuses to fight him, because it wouldn't show his true power. He says he'll be back when Superman's more up to it. The Daxamites also head home, because with their weapon defeated they have nothing to hold over Superman. Superman does accomplish some good this issue though. After thinking about what Daxam's gone through, and Arion predictions for the fall of civilization, Superman has decided to build a library inside the fortress. A library that will contain all human knowledge. He's calling it Alexandria II. But he still hasn't addressed the issue of Chris, or of his growing powers. Eventually he's going to need some training. At the end of the issue, we get a mix of good and bad news. Kurt Busiek is leaving this series. But James Robinson will be taking over on the scripts. However, Kurt will still be a part of the Superman myths as he'll be writing, with Mark Bagley's pencils . . DC's next weekly epic . . Trinity. Renato Guedes is the artist on this series. He's really not one of my favorites. In fact I criticized his work constantly on the OMAC series. However, I have to admit, either I'm getting used to his style . . or he's showing some improvement. I actually he did a pretty decent job on this issue. I still don't think it's exactly my style, but . . it works. So I can't complain to much.

Batman and the Outsiders #6 - DC

This series is really a lot more exciting than the previous Batman and the Outsiders series. But, that was about 20+ years ago. It's really kind of unfair to compare the two. Chuck Dixon's script are great. He's got a great report going on with all of these characters. They all respect each other immensely. They may not like each other, but there's a lot of respect. Grace is talking to Bats, over the computer, and Anissa is hiding behind the chair hoping that he doesn't see her. I also think that Carlos Rodriguez and Bit are doing an excellent job with the art. The cover is by Doug Braithwaite, but the interior art is equally as impressive. Last issue our team tried to stop the ESA shuttle. They failed, but Metamorpho did get himself on-board. After subduing the crew, he sends a signal back to Bat's to let him know the situation. So now, with no Bat-rocket available, they have to do the next best thing . . they're going to try to hi-jack a Chinese shuttle launch. That just has trouble written all over it. Anyways, the rocket that Rex was on goes to a space-station on the far side of the moon. I do have one question though, why wouldn't Batman use the JLA transporters to at least get some people to the moon, and then they could try to reach the place from there? Is this team so on the outs with the JLA that it can't even afford to ask for some assistance? I guess so. Anyways, things go from bad to worse and the insertion team is captured. Well . . all except Brion and Batgirl. Those two are still being held in reserves. Bats has decided for Salah and Francine to try to regain contact with Rex, while he . . "I'm going to take care of our China problem." We see Ollie, naked, in a cell being interrogated by soldiers. One asks, "Are you here as an operative of the Justice League of America? Will your Superman be coming to rescue you?" Ollie looks at him and smirks, "Superman? You should be so lucky." This has turned out to be a very good series. And what makes up a good series? Fantastic characters! And we have a boat-load of them here. And the way all these various personalities play off of each other . . it's perfect. I hope this series lasts longer than the 50 issues of the one before it, or of the 32 of the one before that.

Noble Causes #32 - Image

I have to say, I was a little worried about reading this issue. It has, after all, been about 8 months since the last issue, #31, came out. I really thought I was going to be lost. But this story, actually, takes place about 5 years after the ending of the last one. Jay Faerber has really set this up as a jumping on point for new readers. Basically, you could come in with this story, not having read anything in the past. In fact . . it may be better because you wouldn't be allowing any preconceived notions, or relationships to cloud your vision when you're trying to soak in this new story. But . . it couldn't hurt either. I will say, however, that I was excited to see the book back in the rotation again, when I got to the shop. I've been a fan of this book ever since it's first mini-series. I'm glad that Jay's getting it back out on a regular schedule again. In Jay's usual fashion, he gives us just enough information this issue to pique our curiosity, but not enough to spoil things yet. There's a whole lot of "What the f#$@!?" moments in here. He's got new heroes and new villains. And, right off the bat, someone isn't whom they appear to be. You'd think the Nobles would be used to that. Or . . they'd at least have a better screening process. If Gaia was still around, she would've been all over it. Even if you've never picked up this book before . . now is the perfect time to jump on board. Even if you don't know all the intricacies of the relationships . . or the family unit . . you can still appreciate Jay's fantastic writing and handling of various character's personalities. He's an absolute master of his craft. With the new story-line, it looks like we're getting another new penciller. This issues art is by Yildiray Cinar. I assume this is a guy . . but I've been wrong before, but I have to say for the first time out, he drew a pretty good issue. I wasn't sure at first, but, by the end, the style fit perfectly with the book. I can't wait to get this book back in my regular rotation again.

the Amazing Spider-man #557 - Marvel

This was another great issue of Spider-man. With all the action going on this issue, we didn't really deal with Peter's life, and troubles, all that much. Really it was only approached on the one page recap at the end of the issue. But . . that's not to say that it wasn't interesting. Spidey spends most of this issue trying to figure out how to deal with the Mayan god that's loose in the city. Rabin is trying to merge with this god, I guess the god of death, during Uayep. That's explained as the five days that the stars align right, and allows him to call forth the god with sacrifice. Which he's done . . with his colleagues, and the Mayans that were trying to stop him. But now he needs a female sacrifice, to finish the offering, and allow him to bond with the god becoming Kuhul Ajaw . . the god-king. I know. It's all a little complicated . . huh? Anyways, Spidey does put a stop to it, but really . . he's just lucky. When Rabin finally catches up to Spidey, and the god, he's only got about 10 minutes left. But he's not worried because he's brought Carlie along as the sacrifice. Well, if Spider-man can't do anything else . . he can certainly stall for 10 minutes. Hell, he usually spouts off 10 minutes of diatribe during and given skirmish or conflict. That's just the way he rolls. But he's also lucky because the home-less guy, that he helped last issue, shows up with some friends to offer their assistance. Usually that wouldn't be much help, but during the offering the god is only supposed to be approached by clean-shaven males. These men . . definitely are not. It's just enough of a distraction to put things over the 10 minute time goal. Then Spider-man finishes things up with Rabin. I enjoyed the story by Zeb Wells. I thought it was well played out. But, I especially enjoyed this issue because of the fantastic artwork of Chris Bachalo. All 3 issues in this story-arc have been tremendous. I'm a big fan of Chris' and . . I was still impressed. Next issue we get to see Barry Kitson's interpretation of our favorite wall-crawler. Keep up the good work, guys!

Wolverine Origins #24 - Marvel

This was another interesting chapter in this saga by Daniel Way. Who else could drag out this fight between Logan and Wade, for 4 or 5 issues, and still keep it interesting. The one question I have though is that most of this series has been about Logan finding out pieces of his past. In those pieces, he's figured out that he's been directly, or indirectly, involved in a lot of other peoples pasts also. But what about Wade? As we're going through this issue, and Logan and Wade are psycho-analyzing each other, we see little glimpses of Wade's past as a child. It seems his father was abusive . . or at least very neglectful. But, I don't see anything in it that has to do with Logan. I mean, other than the fact that Wade is obviously another subject of Weapon X, and his current state was probably related to some failed experiment to recreate Wolverine. But, in his past, past, I don't see any connection to Logan. Which confuses me, because that seems to be the recurring theme throughout this title. However, at the end of this issue, we find out, apparently, that it was Draken, Logan's son, that hired Wade to take him out. Wade has no idea who Draken is, or why he's so hellbent on taking out Logan. All he knows is . . he doesn't really like the guy. Especially after Draken cuts his hand off. Anyways, the explosive conclusion to this story will be next issue . . issue #25. I really like the way that Daniel handled the conversation between Logan and Wade throughout this issue. Obviously Logan is stalling for time by goading Wade, but, even though I thing Wade knows that, he can't resist the opportunity to goad back. I thought it was all very well played out, and the verbal assaults flowed very naturally. Also, again, I have to compliment Steve Dillon on his pencils. I've been a fan since way back in Hellblazer, but I think this is some of the best stuff he's ever done. Now . . I can't wait to see what happens next issue.

X-Men: Divided We Stand #1 - Marvel

I guess this book is set up as a preview. We get a couple pages, by each of our various creative teams, on the X-books, to show us where these characters are going to go now. Now that everything has been disbanded and cast aside, where will everyone go . . where will they end up? This issue, actually, really got me to thinkin'. What would you do if you devoted your life to something, thinking that you would be doing it forever, that it was your calling . . and then one day someone steps in and says, "Ok! That's it! Our efforts have been in vain . . we're losing more ground than we gain . . we shouldn't have to struggle this hard to live. From now on . . it's over! That's it . . we're done . . go home!" How would that leave you feeling? And more importantly, how would you react to the fact that there's nothing, really, that you can do about it? That's the kind of frustration and anguish that we see from the mutants in this issue. In the first story we see Cannonball, Sam Guthrie. He's just finished fighting a war that, in his mind, he can't really say if the won or lost. All he knows is that it's been called . . on account of weather . . or something. And he's been sent home. He's pretty frustrated, and he's got an edge. An edge that going to get him, or someone, killed. The next story is about Nehzno, one of the New X-Men, who's come home to Wakanda. But, it's not really his home . . not anymore. And no one accepts him here anyways. So why did he come? He's asking himself the same question. All the while trying to convince himself that he actually is at home. Next up is the little gremlin boy from the New X-Men, Victor. Northstar has come looking for him, because nobodies heard from him in a couple of months. He thinks that he's excised himself because of his obvious deviation from the norm. This kid has is doubly hard . . he's a mutant and he's gay. Talk about a double whammy. But, it turns out what he's really peeved off about is that the X-Men, under the banner of altruistic benevolence, has stolen his child-hood. "We're supposed to be learning, playing video games, going on dates. Not fighting the #$@% DEVIL!!" So right now, he just wants everyone to stay away. Next Hellion is recuperating from his evisceration by Lady Deathshrike. He's doing better, but he doesn't know about all the recent events in the X-Men's lives. Emma fills him in on that. He's another one that just feels like everybody has left him. He's lashing out so bad against his former team-mates, that he's gone looking for Eric. He's decided he wants to be on Magneto's team. But, right now, Magneto doesn't have a team . . or powers. " . . I won't use you, and I won't kill you . . . Cyclops has given you a gift. He's given you time . . soon enough, war will come again for all mutants. And it will consume you . . " I kinda' think it already has. And finally . . we have Scalphunter. Or actually . . a copy of a copy of a copy of Scalphunter. He's just trying to live his life, all the while knowing that he'll probably be hunted down for the rest of it. And indeed, Nightcrawler comes looking for him. But, rather than kill him, Kurt's decided to forgive him. Which really throws him on his ear. That wasn't at all what he expected. But, for now, he can just continue to work out his, chosen, mundane existence. Like I said, this book really got me to thinkin'. I enjoyed all the insights in to these various characters, and it'll be interesting to see where all the chips land when everyone decides to get back in to the game. It could be . . explosive!

the Flash #239 - DC

And here I am with a book by the artist I was just talking about in the last blog . . Freddie E Williams II. Now don't get me wrong, I like the guys work. He's obviously talented and has and eye for this. I just think that his style is . . different than some of my favorite artist. I guess, to me, it just seems like he has a calmer more subdued style. Know what I mean? Anyways, Wally is still in conflict with this Spin Doctor this issue. But this time it's indirectly. Jay, as Flash, goes to the television station to try to do some damage control on Wally's recent outburst. While there, the Spin Doctor uses his frustration against him an causes him to lash out against Wally. It all works out in the end, and Roy shows up to help, but it really puts them on to the fact that, obviously, this guy is working out of the TV station. What they don't know is that while they've just figured this out, apparently Gorilla Grodd has come to the same conclusion because at the end of this issue he comes busting through the station walls. Also this issue, Wally has answered an ad for work. We don't really get the gist of the whole thing, but, the way the guy explains it . . " . . all you have to do is watch this. Pop culture's library of Alexandria. The golden key to all that's been lost . . . so right around 22:32 there's a whip-fast bundle of information that no equipment has ever been able to translate for me." It all sounds kind of ambiguous to me . . but I guess we'll find out more in the future. I like the way that Tom Peyer is handling these characters. Again, like the last blog, he's trying to keep a balance between Wally's life and the life of the Flash. Luckily, maybe, his kids have their powers which allows them to spend time together that they normally wouldn't. I think sometime in the future, though, we need to do an all Linda issue. If any of these characters need more attention . . it's probably her. Sometimes she slips through the cracks. If I haven't said it before, I'm really glad that Wally is back.

Robin #173 - DC

This issue, Robin finally comes face-to-face with . . the Spoiler. He still doesn't know who she is, but . . . at least he knows he wasn't going crazy when he kept thinking that he was seeing her out of the corners of his eyes. Chuck Dixon writes this book, and we all know how good he is with all the action stuff. However, on this book, I really like the way he's trying to balance Tim's life with that of Robin's. Robin has certain relationships built with certain people around Gotham, but . . so does Tim. I think Chuck is doing a great job at keeping that all on an even keel. Or . . as close as a guy in Tim's situation can get it. The two detectives that Tim's started to work with play their hand this issue. They want Tim to help them on a case, and if he doesn't, they make obscure threats about making Officer Harper's professional life . . difficult. He goes along with them this time, but he's going to have to do something about this situation. But their suggestion ends up putting Robin and Violet onto the same case . . sort of. It turns out to all be a trap, though. The Penguin is trying to take them both down, because they're both hurting his operation. Different parts of it obviously, but still the overall effect has garnered the attention of the Penguin personally. That's when the new Spoiler becomes involved. He comes in to warn Robin that he's walked in to a trap. The affect on Tim is . . not what she expected. He gets very angry and lashes out at her rather harshly. He's screaming at her "Who are you?!", and with his arm at her neck, she's choking out " . . don't do this . . please . . not like this . . please, Tim . ." Our first clue. Whoever this girl is, she knows that Tim is Robin. That list has to be pretty short. Unless . . it's someone who Tim doesn't know has figured out his dual identity. But, with a group of gunmen busting into the warehouse, with gun's drawn . . that mystery is going to have to be saved for next issue. Chris Batista does the pencils this issue. I thought he did a pretty good job. I like Freddie E Williams II and Pete Woods, but . . their pencils are just kind of . . "vanilla" for my tastes. I'm not sure if that makes sense. I think they're both talented . . obviously. But . . it's just kind of "plain-Jane". Anyways, I thought Chris brought a nice feel to the book.

Suicide Squad #8 - DC

This issue wraps up the current project. I have to say . . I really enjoyed this run. I thought John Ostrander put together an excellent script, and I really enjoyed Javier Pina's pencils. Also it was good to see Waller in action again. In Checkmate she was stuck on the sidelines . . out of design . . because they knew she couldn't be trusted with ops. But, they also knew what a brilliant tactician she is, and . . you know how the saying goes . . "keep your friends close, and you enemies closer." Which is also probably the reason the Amanda chose to have General Eiling on her team. But, he still lived up to his nature and betrayed his team. They're on an ops mission to try to wrestle some biological weapons from Haake-Bruton, a corporation which resides in a Pacific Rim country. The General made a deal with the Board of Directors that he would turn on his team, if in return they gave him and his co-conspirators seats on the board . . and a controlling interest in the company. Talk about a hostile take-over. He does go through with it, but, I think, where he made is mistake is back at the base he has Cliff Charmichael to take care of Amanda and King Farraday. I don't think that was a task that he was equal to. Also, his "ace in the hole" was his control over Rick Flag. The General created him, and in the process put "key-words" into is memory that puts him completely under his control. However, Rick is nothing if not adaptable. After the first time he did that, Rick suspected that if things turned sour he may come to him again. This time he was prepared and inserted ear-plugs. So, even through all of this, the group still ends up accomplishing their goals . . Deadshot takes out the board, and they do the unexpected . . Amanda and Rick set off the bomb inside of the General's head. In the process of this insurrection, they actually lost quite a bit this mission. Vertigo and Deadshot are both hurt and surprisingly the General's brain is regenerating. But, they also lost Twister, Windfall, Blackguard, Cliff, White Dragon and Marauder. So before they can do anything else, they have to fill the gaps in the roster. Like I said, I really did enjoy this series. I thought the whole thing was put together very well . . and it was all well played. Hopefully, we'll see these guys in action again sometime in the near future. Keep your fingers crossed.

Tangent: Superman's Reign #2 - DC

First I have to admit, when the first set of Tangent books came out . . I actually liked them. The only bad thing was that they weren't really connected though. They were, in a way, but really they didn't succeed in creating an overall cohesive story. Really, it was set up more as an introduction to the characters. We saw how some of them interacted, but we didn't really get an overall story. Well, with this series, all that's changed. We're going to see all the characters we were introduced to, and some more, but the real story here is the threat to their individual freedoms that they face . . Superman. The Flash and Green Lantern's lantern, has been on our world for a little time now. But now, 10 years later, both are finally returned to their world, Earth 9. The problem is, they've pulled along Wally and John Stewart for the ride. Really, they just want to go home. However, when they learn about all the injustices that have happened on this world, through the words of the Joker, whom the Lantern brings back to life, they decide that they can't just go home knowing what's going on here. So they commit to the girls that they're in for the long haul. They're going to help them fix their world. But if it was that easy, don't you think they would've done it by now? First they have to figure out a way to beat Superman . . the supreme leader of the world. Dan Jurgens has put together a pretty interesting story-line here. I much prefer the approach he's taking this time, as compared to the previous publications. I like the way he's putting all the heroes in the same storyline, creating an overall operating system for this Earth. I think when we do finally start to get in to more and more of these Earths, in the new Multiverse, they're going to be a lot more defined than they ever were before. I also think that Jamal Igle is doing a fantastic job on the pencils here. I think it's going to be a very interesting series.

Hellblazer #243 - Vertigo

As I've said over the previous few issues . . I think Andy Diggle is the perfect writer for this book. His grasp of this character is incredible. And now he's got John back in to his old habit . . sorry for the pun . . in a drama unfolding in the halls of the Vatican. Giuseppe Camuncoli does a pretty decent job on the art this issue, but I really miss Leonardo Manco. His stuff really looked good the last couple of issues. Basically, in the bowels of the Vatican, there is a black room. It's called that because it was set up as a place that, " . . was set apart from the world by papal decree! Whatever takes place in there, it is no sin . . not in the room" But John gives the misguided priest a little lesson of his own, " D'you know which Pope it was who "set that room apart from the world," as you put it? Pope Alexander VI . . other wise known as Roderic Llancol de Borgia. Yeah, that's right. Those Borgias. He wanted somewhere to rape little boys without being damned for it . . so he found a way to hide the room from god." Now this is the John Constantine that we've all come to know and love. He's knee deep in crap, and deception, and sin & punishment . . and he wouldn't have it any other way. Anyways, I guess the priest took a hooker there and " . . we drew out my temptation. Exorcised my lust. The secret sacrament of corporeal confession." I guess that's one way to look at it. The problem is, with everything that's happened it that room over the years . . it's closer to hell than heaven. When he went in there with all that lust and guilt . . in drew in a succubus " . . like a fly to shit." So now they have to find a way to get rid of this succubus. But on the final page, John is down there by himself and he opens the door and says, "Hello, Ellie." What's that all about? I thought John was here to help? But is he actually playing a con? I wouldn't doubt it, but we'll have to wait until next issue to find out. This was another fantastic story by Andy Diggle.

DC WildStorm: Dreamwar #1 - DC/WildStorm

Well, I thought this issue was an interesting set-up for the story to come. We don't really get a whole lot of information though. Basically, parts of the DC Universe are being relocated to the WildStorm Universe. I think they're popping in the WSU in the exact same location as in the DCU. That's why Titans tower pops into the middle of Riker's Island Prison. But the occurrences are happening across time as well as space. The Titans that come in are the ones from the New Teen Titans. While in Russia, the Legion of Super-Heroes headquarters is sitting inside a glacier. Just the spaceship part of the structure is above ground. "Check out the fins. It's a spacecraft as envisioned by a grade school kid." But the geographic relocation's are in some cases causing natural disasters, which is why the heroes of the WSU are viewing the events as an attack. Although, I think the heroes of the DCU are just as mystified. Anyways, Alan Scott, Jay Garrick and Ted Grant have shown up in Tranquility. And Superman, for some reason, has shown up in the bedroom of Grifter. All he has to say is "Never again.", whatever that means. Like I said, we don't get to much this issue. Really, all we know for sure is the Authority and StormWatch's reaction to the events going on around them. I imagine next issue we'll see more of what the DCU heroes are thinking. So I'm wondering, is the intrusion just from various heroes, or is it a team thing? If so, it appears to be the Titans, the Legion and the Justice League, with some Society members thrown in. It'll be interesting to see where Keith Giffen goes with this story. I am very impressed by Lee Garbett's pencils. Of course Trevor Scott's involvement, I'm sure, helps the overall look. The first issue though, definitely has my attention. By the way, the variant cover of Superman and Midnighter was definitely worth the $10.

the Brave and the Bold #12 - DC

Well, this issue wraps up the huge Megistus storyline that has run through the first 12 issues now. The sad part of the story is that George Perez couldn't finish it. But, he will be doing the Legion part of the Final Crisis storyline coming up here in a few months. So, I'm sure he's been busy getting started on some of that work. That's an awful lot of characters he'll be dealing with there. Jerry Ordway started out this series doing the inks over George's pencils, but he ended this run doing the full art chores. While Jerry is no George, he's also no slouch either. I really enjoyed his work on these last couple of issues. He's doing 1 more book, next issue, and then Scott Kolins comes on board as the regular penciller for the next story-arc. This issue all of our heroes end up going to the sun to Megistus' laboratory. Come to find out, he also had Metamorpho and Firestorm prisoner there. Even with all these heroes, it's actually the Challengers that end up saving the day. Megistus has some sort of cosmic cloud heading towards Earth, and the only way to stop it is to jump through the portal with the Philosopher's Stone. It's a suicide run, but June ends up doing it without anyone's consent. The bad news is she's disappeared. The good news, however . . when Destiny shows up afterwards to retrieve his book, the Professor looks through it and finds that she's no longer in it. The only way for that to happen . . she cheated death. That means she's out there somewhere, or some-when, alive. Now they just have to find her. Also I don't think this is the last we've seen of Megistus. Although they stopped him, they couldn't capture him because he teleported away. Only he knows where. I really like the way Mark Waid wrote this story, and had the whole thing unfold over the last 12 issues. Like I said, I was really happy to see George on the beginning of this run, but I also thought that Jerry wrapped it up quite nicely. I thought it was a fantastic attempt to get this book back on the shelves again. Now all we need is to get some Adventure back out there again.

Countdown to Final Crisis #2 - DC

This issue really comes down to two things . . . Darkseid . . . and Orion. Orion? I thought he was dead. Well . . obviously not. At the end of last issue, Ray Palmer, who had been hiding at Atom size inside of Jimmy, turned off the device that was going to allow Darkseid to claim all the New God's powers that he had been storing there. With nothing to hold him back, Jimmy went on the offensive and started giving Darkseid a good ol' fashioned throw-down. This issue Ray finds something else inside of Jimmy. We don't really know what it is, but I'm guessing it's the device that the powers were being stored in. Ray jumps out of Jimmy, causing him, I think, to shrink down and revert back to normal, and crushes the device in front of Darkseid. He's pissed. But before he can do anything . . Orion boom-tube's in from god only knows where. Then there's a serious thrown down. Long story short . . Orion ends up ripping Darkseids fiery heart right out of his body. And really, it was the way this story had to end . . father against son . . "the king is dead, long live the king". And then there was 1. 1 New God, and 1 chapter left in this story. Well . . 2 if you count the #0 issue. First this cover was graced by the excellent Adam Kubert. The interiors for this issue, and I think the previous 2, were by Scott Kolins. I'm sad that this series is coming to it's conclusion, but . . sometimes, the end is only the beginning. Or . . the beginning of . . the end. There's lots of stuff coming up this summer . . out of these story-lines, and I can't wait to see the changing face of the DC Universe when all's said and done. It is, after all, going to be . . the Final Crisis. I can't wait!