I'm getting into these stories more . . I love the art on most of them, but I don't get what the big draw is. I mean . . I know it's an experiment . . I know it's something different, but . . I don't think it's so fantastic that my shop should keep selling out of them. They're already doing 2nd prints of #1 & #2. The only thing I can think is that most shop owners underestimated their appeal. With lower orders, they're probably on smaller print runs. That would make them more collectible. Plus it's on this cheap newspaper print, so once they've been read, it's probably hard to find many in NM condition. My guy told me that sales started out very slow weeks 1 and 2, but then after that people started going back for what was left. He sold out of week 1 in the 3rd week, but then he's been selling out ever since. Crazy! Oh yeah, there's also about 30 people listing them on E-Bay right now. Anyways, on the Batman story Hardy Stone was arrested last issue, but he's out of jail already. And Batman follows him straight to . . Luna. Kamandi is still on his way to Shintun with Dr Canus and the girl they found. They're trying to get Tuftan and his father released from the Apes. Along the way they pick up an army of Lions. I believe Superman has started to figure out who these aliens are. He's come to the realization that he's intimately connected to these people on Earth . . as he races to try to save Ma & Pa. But as he's tackled to the ground by one of the aliens, he says . . "I got you!" Deadman, I think, is being seduced by Julianna, one of the girls captured by this demon, Kalak. He frees them from captivity be releasing a rune-stone, but they still have to go past Kalak to get out. But something just doesn't seem right. Green Lantern starts to get through to Dill a little bit. He shows him who he is and it startles him enough that he breaks his grip. Now all he has to do is crack his shell with his ring. Rex and Rainy chase after Algon, the ancient elemental, and as they do they shift from element to element and we're given a science lesson in the form of the Periodic Table. The Titans have come to face Triton in their old headquarters . . the cave. But it's a trap. As each member counters up with an enemy, Robin is left alone with Triton. He's scared, but he's trying to save Blue Beetle. We don't see Adam Strange this issue, but Alanna has gone to talk to Prince Zotar of the Northern Rock People. They decide to ally with each other to fight against Korgo who is trying to steal the Zeta-beam. Supergirl has gone to Doctor Mid-Nite to try to find out what's wrong with Krypto and Streaky. I don't think he's making much headway, until they both act out and attack his owl. The Metal Men are still fighting Chemo, but in doing so they've cracked his shell. Pretorius informs them that he's about to go Nuclear and take the entire city with him. Wonder Woman gets the Golden Lasso from some rather large wolf in her dreams, one of the Seven Stars, but she's also given a warning, "The thread does give you control, but . . perhaps not as you think." Sgt Rock tries to escape with the photographer, but he comes across some Nazi's who have gained advantage of the situation. Flash . . or rather, all the Flashes . .have worked together to tear apart this gravity field they've discovered by making a million tiny black holes. However, upon completion, I think they're all blinking out of existence as they develop nose bleeds and writhe in agony. Morgaine looks like she's about to gain Selina's body as her own, and there's nothing Jason Blood can do about it. Meanwhile, Hawkman . . now stuck on Dinosaur Island . . has called the JLA for help, but there's no one available. They're all still fighting the alien invasion. However . . Aquaman is free, so he's on his way to help. Overall I thought it was a pretty decent issue. Not enough information in each installment for me, but . . I'm getting used to it. Finally! However . . there's only 4 issues to go.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Wednesday Comics #8 - DC
I'm getting into these stories more . . I love the art on most of them, but I don't get what the big draw is. I mean . . I know it's an experiment . . I know it's something different, but . . I don't think it's so fantastic that my shop should keep selling out of them. They're already doing 2nd prints of #1 & #2. The only thing I can think is that most shop owners underestimated their appeal. With lower orders, they're probably on smaller print runs. That would make them more collectible. Plus it's on this cheap newspaper print, so once they've been read, it's probably hard to find many in NM condition. My guy told me that sales started out very slow weeks 1 and 2, but then after that people started going back for what was left. He sold out of week 1 in the 3rd week, but then he's been selling out ever since. Crazy! Oh yeah, there's also about 30 people listing them on E-Bay right now. Anyways, on the Batman story Hardy Stone was arrested last issue, but he's out of jail already. And Batman follows him straight to . . Luna. Kamandi is still on his way to Shintun with Dr Canus and the girl they found. They're trying to get Tuftan and his father released from the Apes. Along the way they pick up an army of Lions. I believe Superman has started to figure out who these aliens are. He's come to the realization that he's intimately connected to these people on Earth . . as he races to try to save Ma & Pa. But as he's tackled to the ground by one of the aliens, he says . . "I got you!" Deadman, I think, is being seduced by Julianna, one of the girls captured by this demon, Kalak. He frees them from captivity be releasing a rune-stone, but they still have to go past Kalak to get out. But something just doesn't seem right. Green Lantern starts to get through to Dill a little bit. He shows him who he is and it startles him enough that he breaks his grip. Now all he has to do is crack his shell with his ring. Rex and Rainy chase after Algon, the ancient elemental, and as they do they shift from element to element and we're given a science lesson in the form of the Periodic Table. The Titans have come to face Triton in their old headquarters . . the cave. But it's a trap. As each member counters up with an enemy, Robin is left alone with Triton. He's scared, but he's trying to save Blue Beetle. We don't see Adam Strange this issue, but Alanna has gone to talk to Prince Zotar of the Northern Rock People. They decide to ally with each other to fight against Korgo who is trying to steal the Zeta-beam. Supergirl has gone to Doctor Mid-Nite to try to find out what's wrong with Krypto and Streaky. I don't think he's making much headway, until they both act out and attack his owl. The Metal Men are still fighting Chemo, but in doing so they've cracked his shell. Pretorius informs them that he's about to go Nuclear and take the entire city with him. Wonder Woman gets the Golden Lasso from some rather large wolf in her dreams, one of the Seven Stars, but she's also given a warning, "The thread does give you control, but . . perhaps not as you think." Sgt Rock tries to escape with the photographer, but he comes across some Nazi's who have gained advantage of the situation. Flash . . or rather, all the Flashes . .have worked together to tear apart this gravity field they've discovered by making a million tiny black holes. However, upon completion, I think they're all blinking out of existence as they develop nose bleeds and writhe in agony. Morgaine looks like she's about to gain Selina's body as her own, and there's nothing Jason Blood can do about it. Meanwhile, Hawkman . . now stuck on Dinosaur Island . . has called the JLA for help, but there's no one available. They're all still fighting the alien invasion. However . . Aquaman is free, so he's on his way to help. Overall I thought it was a pretty decent issue. Not enough information in each installment for me, but . . I'm getting used to it. Finally! However . . there's only 4 issues to go.
Green Lantern #45 - DC
Wow! So the Black Lanterns seem to be taking over everything. There seems to be no defense against it. Not that anyone is really even trying right now. Right now they're all just trying to survive. We start out with John Stewart's confrontation with Pariah. Remember him? John was reflecting over his mistakes in sector 1313, and specifically the destruction of Xanshi. Well . . he won't have to dwell on that much longer. It appears that Pariah, and the Black Lanterns have resurrected Xanshi . . "World's have died. World's will Rise!" Meanwhile, Carol, yet again, has accepted the call of the Zamaron's. This time they want her to lead their army. It appears that she's shown up just in time. The Zamarons are being attacked by the Sinestro Corps . . or is that the Mongul Corps? Also the captives that they already have are breaking out of their chrysalis chambers . . unconverted. Did they really think they'd be able to switch these fear mongers to love? Anyways, Carol and Sinestro have this huge drawn out battle that's cut abruptly short when Zamaron is overrun with Black Rings. Zamarons and Sinestro Corps members alike are affected. These opposing factions may have to stand together against this threat. On Ysmault the Green Lanterns have gone to retrieve Laira's body. They want to take her home for burial. However they find themselves in a desperate battle against the Red Lanterns. During the heat of this battle their world is also overrun by the Black Rings . . reviving Red and Green alike. I think it's a little more than interesting that this is now Laira's third incarnation . . Green, Red, Black. I think we need to keep an eye on her. 
Also on Odym, the Blue Lanterns have come under attack of Agent Oranges legion. They're about to make off with their power battery when the Black Rings also show up. But, on this world, they can find no death. "Sayd, they circle over Odym like terrestial vultures." And they strike Okaara at the same time. A world that Agent Orange has made and is filled with nothing but death. As the legion of his fallen adversaries start to rise around him, Larfleeze can only say one thing . . "Yuh-oh!" Finally we go back to OA and view the machinations of the Black Book. Scar is confident that all the world's will fall . . Zamaron, OA, Okarra, Odym, Ysmault and Qward. All they need now is the Seventh Light . . the Seventh Tribe . . the Indigo Tribe. But apparently they haven't tapped into their power yet. "As soon as the bearers shine the Indigo Light . . it will be ours." What can I say? Geoff Johns is doing an incredible job here. We're getting all our factions into place and setting up the Black Rings power base. What's going to happen, or go on with Xanshi? I'm not completely sure what the Black Hand's roll is in all of this. And we still haven't seen the Anti-Monitor yet. How does he play into everything? Oh . . in case I forgot to mention it . . Doug Mahnke is phenomenal. His dark, eerie work is perfect for this series. On page 6 when Sinestro breaks out of his crystal . . it's a perfect scene. Also he's got three 2-page spreads in this book. One each of John Stewart, Carol and Larfleeze. Actually it seems like the only person left out of this book was Hal. Coinkidink? I don't think so.Flash Rebirth #4 - DC
I couldn't wait to read this book. It felt like it's been forever since the last issue. 2 months, really . . but still . . the issue ended with us finding out that Thawne, the Reverse Flash was back. Overall, not a startling discovery, but . . still exciting. This time I have to say I much preferred the premium cover to the original. Both are done by Ethan Van Sciver, but the one just looks more menacing. Anyways, we learn lots of new stuff this issue . . Flash Facts. Foremost is that Barry isn't just connected to the Speed Force . . he created it. It began with his accident and then became fueled by his actions . . his speed. He is the engine behind the Speed Force. Having learned this in the future, Thawne set out to create his own Speed Force . . a reverse force, negative. While Barry's is yellow, Thawne's is red . . kind of ironic, since their uniforms are the opposite. Now Thawne is trying to use his to take over Barry's. We also see Jay, Wally and Bart this issue. Max Mercury is back . . Barry rescues him from the Speed Force. And I thought it was interesting that when Thawne goes to Linda, Jai and Iris . . he sees the kid's connection to the Speed Force . . "I can feel their tie to the Speed Force tangled in a knot. Their bodies haven't managed to mainline it yet. I'll untangle the knots. And then strangle you with the rope." If he can fix it, maybe Barry can fix it. But I'm sure that's a story for some
other time. Anyways, Jay and Bart save them from Thawne, but then Bart has to save Jay when Thawne takes away his aura that protects him from the friction. In return, Max and Barry show up just as Thawne is about to eliminate Bart. Also something is happening with Jesse, but we don't know what it is yet. She distraught when she sees her father, Johnny Quick, disappear . . reduced to atoms. But then at the end of the issue, it seems as if her connection to the Speed Force is reestablished. It looks like it's given her some information . . some insight. I think she sees now how all of these heroes . . and herself, are connected. The issue ends with Barry blazing onto the scene in a huge display of Speed Force lightning. "I'm back Thawne. But this time it's on my terms." Geoff Johns is doing a fantastic job with this story. Between he and Ethan's talents . . I really don't mind waiting a little longer for such a fantastic piece of work. This is the perfect story for Jay's reemergence into the DC Universe. I really hope that Max is still around after this story. I'm only concerned because I afraid he may be cannon fodder for Thawne's actions. Somebody has to perish . . Johnny's already been taken, but I don't think it'll be anybody connected to Barry, Wally or Jay. I think their families will may it through. That's not to say they'll be unscathed, but . . I think they will be intact. Oh yeah . . we also have to find out who it was that brought Thawne back. "I have a resurrection of my own in the days ahead, Barry. Thanks to a good friend of yours." Hmmm! Anyways, it was a fantastic book. A true classic in the making. Gimme more! Gimme more!Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Daredevil #500 - Marvel
Really, I just picked up this book for the heck of it. Well . . that, and it's an anniversary issue, so . . I wanted to see what was going on. I used to be big Daredevil fan. I have some very early issues, and then I'm pretty solid from like issue #134 on up to #334. Of the original series. I left shortly after the DG Chichester / Scott McDaniel story-line. I can't remember why. I think it was kind of a financial decision. Plus to me, the best Daredevil issues were the ones with Elektra. I have picked up issues since then, but . . it was just here or there to see what was going on. Oh yeah, and I got most of the mini-series. Anyways, the Return of the King story-line I thought was interesting. I hadn't read any of the Lady Bullseye books, so I'm not to hip on her character. She seems like a cheap Elektra replacement to me. And this is the first I've seen of Matt's new sensei, Izo. Stick was the last one I saw. I enjoyed the story-line involving the Kingpin. I didn't really like it when he disappeared for a while. I thought the Kingpin did a lot to define Daredevil. 
So now I guess he's back in play as the new crime-boss of NYC. I've been reading the Elektra story-line, so . . . it'll be interesting to find out what her reaction is when she sees that Matt is going to be the new leader of the Hand . . a position she once held. He, and Izo, hope that his influence will be beneficial to the group, but . . it's hard to believe that an organization that been around for hundreds of years can be swayed by the voice of one man. This main story was by Michael Lark and Stefano Gaudiano. I really enjoyed the 3 Jacks story by Ann Nocenti and David Aja. It kind of combined the past and present of the character, and . . we got to see Matt and Bullseye in action. Always a classic pairing. And then the preview of the List, by Andy Diggle and Billy Tan . . if they're going to be the new creators on the book, I might just have to give it another shot. It looks like . . maybe . . Elektra is involved? I'm not sure. It was just a shadowy figure. But Norman Osborn and Bullseye definitely are. It basically picks up immediately following the King story-line, with Matt assuming his position as leader. It seems to me like it's going to be the type of story that Andy Diggle is perfect for. The issue wraps up with a reprint of Daredevil #191. It was ok, but not one of the best issues . . I'm talking about the reprint. Overall, I thought this issue was ok. I might've gotten more excited if I'd read some more of the King storyline, but . . I think I got the gist of it. I might pick up some of those Andy Diggle issues . . see how that goes. We'll see. In the meantime, it was nice to visit a character I hadn't seen in a while.
X-Men Legacy #227 - Marvel
Either this issue is a few months off, or . . the time-lines are just a little screwy right now. In the beginning is says . . "These events happen during the riots in Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Utopia #1" Ok that's fine. That helps us figure out the timeline, but . . that issue came out 2 months ago. Anyways, Scott's leading the extractions teams from the base in Marin County. Basically they're just tying to get all of the X-Men out of HAMMER's way. HAMMER is looking for a reason to take out some mutants, so Scott just wants to try to get all his people home safe. The big concern this issue is Trance. She was hit with a taser an now her powers are acting up. She keeps having these energy bursts, taking out the buildings and the people around her. Rogue, Remy and Danger go after her. The problem is . . Ms Marvel seem to have some sand in her shorts about Rogue right now. So when she gets the call that there's a hurt mutant . ."I'll take this. Could be something. Could be nothing. But one thing I've learned. The X-Men take care of their own." Of course she arrives just as Rogue it trying to talk Trance down. And since Ms Marvel is infinitely more powerful that Danger or Remy, it falls on Rogue to use the power she absorbed from Ares to give her a good fight. I think it's the sight of Rogue being beat up by Ms Marvel that helps Trance calm down and focus. She gets her powers under control and then she and Remy take out Ms Marvel. Well . . at least they knock her out long enough for Pixie to come in and transport them out. So everyone's made it back to base safe. No casualties. And it's served to strengthen Scott's resolve. "They took their best shot. Now it's time for us to take ours." Mike Carey wrote this story, and Dustin Weaver does the art. I don't think I've seen Dustin's work before. It definitely shows promise. But, it's not consistent yet. Some panels look great, and some panels are a little shaky. Overall, though . . I thought it was a pretty decent book. It's a shame that the X-Men's stay in California had to be so short. I thought it was a neat set-up, but . . they aren't going to be able to stay here after all of this, I'm sure. I wonder where they'll go now?
X-Factor #47 - Marvel
And now on to my favorite X-book. At least . . right now. You probably can't see it on the cover, but the tombstone that Jaime's looking at says James E Madrox and Layle M Madrox . . "Loving Husband and Wife . . Rest in Peace" Ever since they met, Layla's been telling him that one day they're going to be married. I know she 'knows stuff', but . . that seemed a bit out there. After the kiss they shared . . who knows? Anyways, there's 2 things about this issue that have me plexed. But I'll get to that a little later. Last issue Jaime and Layla met up with Doctor Doom. Or as Ruby calls him, 'Doctor Drool' . . because he's old and decrepit. Plus . . a bit delusional. However, he still has more knowledge about time-travel than they do, so . . he's needed. Anyways, while there they're attacked by Sentinels. They get sent back 80 years and end up right where Theresa, Monet and Darwin are. We find out that the reason Cortex is trying to kill Lenore is so that Hecat'e is never born. So . . in the past Theresa and Darwin are trying to keep Lenore alive, while they're fighting the Sentinels and being attacked by a Cortex controlled Monet. Oh yeah, Longshot joined up with them too. Guido, Rictor and Shatterstar are still at John's house . . Jaime's dupe that's the priest. Now that Shatterstar isn't controlled by Cortex anymore, I think they're heading back towards Detroit. In the future we find that this Doctor Falcone is the one that's behind these Sentinels, and probably the problems Scott's been having with the other mutants disappearing. But we haven't got that whole story yet. They've decided to keep Doom close to them, but Jaime is more than a little freaked about Fitzroy's involvement. He hasn't turned evil, yet . . but he knows he will. Anyways, Longshot ends up fighting Cortex and he gets in a lucky shot that disrupts his control over Monet. And she is pissed. Now here's where my questions come in. First of all, while fighting Longshot Cortex is also studying him. "This idiot is another extradimensional, like Shatterstar. So he's problematic. In fact . . he's remarkably like Shatterstar. In some ways identical. I'll be damned, he's . . . ." He's what? He's a twin? He's a clone? They're the same person? What? Finish your thought for god's sake. I know Longshot and Shatterstar have always been an enigma at best, but . . now that we're about to get some kind of answer . . . Aaarrrggghh! But . . I can live with that. I didn't know before, and . . I still don't. Now the second question. On the final page . . Monet is pissed and she's attacking Cortex. She knocks his hood and glasses off and we see . . . is that Jamie? Is Cortex another one of Jaime's dupes? I'm sorry, with Valentine DeLandro's art . . I'm having a hard time telling who this is supposed to be. This is the big reveal. The moment we've been waiting for. And . . I'm not sure if who I see is who I think I see. I think I'm right. But . . I just don't know. I know it'll all be explained next issue, but this was supposed to be one of those moments. Anyways, another fantastic issue by Peter David. I love this book . . these characters . . and what Peter's doing here. This is easily my favorite X-book. At least for now.
the Mighty Avengers #28 - Marvel
Finally! Finally someone is on to the Scarlet Witch. Stature is spying on her and overhears her talking about her brother. "It appears no one heard your cry for help. And now, no one shall. Should you die in battle, that's on less problem for me to . . ." The problem is, she doesn't know that it's Loki. If she did she might've used a little more subterfuge. As it is, the Scarlet Witch is on her pretty quick and she casts a spell so she can't say anything about her. She can still talk, she just can't say a word about the Scarlet Witch. Loki trys to put a plan in place to get her kicked off the team, but Hank is too soft-hearted. Even though she gave up their plans to the FF, when they were fighting, he knows that it's only because she was conflicted between family and teammates. So instead, her and the Vision head back to the real world. Her plan is to get the Young Avengers into the mansion, and then use them to back her up when she goes to confront the Witch. The Scarlet Witch makes pretty short work of the young team, but . . while sneaking into the new Infinite Mansion, Clint Barton, Ronin, came snooping around. So now, next issue, he's going to confront the Scarlet Witch himself. Anyways, that wasn't really what this issue was all about. Most of the issue was spent bringing us up to date on USAgent, and Quicksilver in China. They're there to help GRANDPA with an Inhuman threat . . the Unspoken. He's been trying to get back in to Attilan's favor ever since he was kicked out. But he went over the edge when he found out that Black Bolt used Agon's Contingency to take Attilan to the moon. That's basically when he declared war on the Earth and it's people. But our Avengers are still on their own because Loki cancelled their transmission when Pietro tried to call for help. However, after fighting amongst themselves a bit, it looks like they may be able to team-up with the army of Chinese super-heroes that the Unspoken had just defeated. I'm really liking this team more and more with every issue. It was nice to see the Young Avengers, and Ronin involved in the story this issue. I think Dan Slott and Christos Gage are doing a great job with this story, and these characters. I wasn't' sure about it at first, but . . they're really growing on me. I'm also diggin' Khoi Pham's art. I'd have to say that right now this book, in my opinion, ranks higher than the New Avengers book. And . . I'm starting to like it more than the Initiative. Whodathunkit?GeNeXt United #4 - Marvel
Ok, so this is the issue of a mini-series that basically a filler. By that I mean . . in most mini-series there's a flow to the story that goes through all the issues. However, in my opinion, when a series is longer than 4 issues . . especially those 10 and 12 issue series . . you always end up with an issue that's basically filler. You could skip the issue entirely and you'd still be able to follow the story by reading the rest. Yes there's some progress to the story in it, but . . it's basically an issue used to get some of the plot-threads in place so everything's ready for the final issue. Or, for the long ones, when a new story-arc is started in the middle. Really, this whole issue could've been done in about 4, no . . let's say 6 pages. Last issue when Oli absorb's Sati's power there's a huge release of energy, and the whole team is spread across the continent . . an act of preservation, I guess. Anyways, they're put into others lives to be hidden in the sub-culture of a race . . billions of people. So we go into a detailed explanation of who and where they are . . oblivious that they've been altered. Then, Remy and his daughter Ray come searching for Oli. He's the first to remember who he is. But his body hasn't changed back. He then goes about the country finding the rest of his team. Most are glad to be reunited, but some . . like N0-name . . actually prefer their new existence. Anyways, they all end up back together, in the Blackbird, and on their way to complete their mission. "Simple . . we find the bad guys. We defeat the bad guys. We save our friends. And we take back our true bodies." And with Remy's help, they know where to find Kalima's base. And that's it. That's what happened this issue. I'm not discounting Chris Claremont's talents. It was well written, and although basically meaningless . . it was interesting. To me, it just felt like a real little part of the story that was stretched out to fill up an issue. And of course Jonboy Meyers' art captured the flavor of the story perfectly. So, I'm guessing, next issue will be more interesting because that'll be the issue that wraps this whole thing up. Cool cover, though. Huh?
the Amazing Spider-man #603 - Marvel
Last issue the Chameleon had taken Peter hostage and assumed his identity. He doesn't know he's Spider-man, but he's working for a terrorist organization that wants to make a statement in NYC. After staking out City Hall, he notices that Peter is in tight with the Mayor. He's looking for the headquarters for NYC's shadow command . . "The Al-Qaeda's of the world would like nothing more that to take out the counterterrorism nerve center of their favorite target." So with Peter on the Mayor's photo unit now, he knows it's only a matter of time before he's taken there for some photo-op. In the meantime, he just settles into Peter's life waiting for an opportunity. How? "The truth is, none of us really knows anyone else. What we're capable of at any given moment. We cannot see beyond our own lives and desires. Other people, well . . they're just part of the background." All I have to say is that when Peter gets back . . he's gonna have a heck of a mess to clean up. No, Chameleon didn't hurt anybody, but . . he did put Peter in some precarious situations. First he sleeps with Michelle . . again. So she thinks she's in love. Then he meets up with MJ. First he tells her that she doesn't compare to Gwen. Then, when MJ has a stalker after her . . some guy who's trying to get her to look at his screenplay . . he goes outside to 'talk to him', and ends up pistol-whipping him. That's going to come back to bite Peter. During their conversation though is when the Chameleon realizes that Peter's best friend is Harry Osborn. Then he finally gets his opportunity because Jonah wants to get a photo with a real American war hero. So while he, Glory and Flash are on their way to the top secret hide-out, he taunts Flash because he saw what Flash had wrote to him in his yearbook. That's not going to help their relationship any. And, while there, he leaves a tracking device in the bathroom, so he can find the place and come back and bomb it. Oh yeah, and he figures that Peter has had to put up with Harry's snobbish demeanor his whole life . . "He had to suffer this rich twit Osborn, who had the world laid at his feet. But turned his nose up at it. Lord, how that must have gnawed at you, Peter." So he goes to the coffee bean . . and shoots him. On the last page we find out that Peter has actually survived the acid-bath that the Chameleon used . . he thought, to finish him. I'm sure he feels like he just went through hell, but he doesn't even know the damage that's been done in his name. In just one day. I hate to see the damage the Chameleon could've caused if he'd actually tried. I really feel bad for Peter. It's gonna' take a lot to clean up this mess. Fred Van Lente did a great job with this issue. I really liked the story and how everything was addressed. It was also neat to see Peter's life through somebody else's eyes. Robert Atkins did the pencils. I can't wait to see what happens next.
Wolverine - Weapon X #4 - Marvel
Well, Logan, Maverick and a reporter from the San Francisco Post, Alita Gardner, are all on the trail of Blackguard's newest covert team . . Strikeforce X. Maverick is also being kept in the loop by Agent Jacks, of HAMMER. Apparently they served on some missions together in the past. Anyways, somehow Blackguard came up with the old Weapon X files. Which obviously really struck a chord with Logan. By the time he reached their research center, they had already administered the adjustments to 12 individuals. Hence . . Strikeforce X. So now Logan is in the process of hunting these 12 men down . . all of them with enhanced healing factors, unbreakable skeletons and laser claws. But what he really wants it the man behind the operation, known only as the Chief Executive. We find out this issue that the Chief Executive is already eliminating some of his own men. Obviously there's a leak in Blackguard somewhere if the 3 of them have found out what's going on. He's not taking out any of the test subjects, but he's been working his way through his corporate positions. And until he finds the leak, he's got the rest of Blackguard holed away at a corporate retreat in the Caribbean. Unfortunately . . for the Chief Executive . . Logan has found out about that place and has eliminated everyone there trying to get some information. By the end of the issue, it looks like Maverick is down . . one of the soldiers has put his claws into Maverick's chest. And Wolverine is in a scrap with another. It appears that they're pretty evenly matched, but in the end Wolverine takes him out. However, as he falls to the ground in exhaustion, Agent Jacks shows up to arrest him. I thought it was a pretty decent book. Jason Aaron writes it. Next issue will wrap up this story-line. Ron Garney does the art. I'm not overly thrilled with the book, but . . I mean . . it's a Wolverine book. You pretty much know what to expect. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing . . I love this character. But . . he is who he is. As Popeye would say.
Project Superpowers: Meet the Bad Guys #1 - Dynamite Entertainment
This issue introduces us to the first real villain in the . . um, I'm sorry . . what do I call this? The SuperPower Universe? The Dynamite Universe? The Alex Ross Universe? Well . . lets just say . . the project. Anyways, we meet the first real villain in the project, and again I have to ask . . why do bad girls look so good? So we find out that the Green Lama had a protege during the war. His name was Tsarong. Well . . I wouldn't exactly call him a sidekick because he thought of Jethro Dumont as his 'master'. I guess, indentured servant would be the right phrase. I don't know. It was a different time. Anyways, through the course of their adventures, Tsarong ends up dying while in service to the Lama. He was considered the patriarch of his family. Well . . come to find out, this girl that is Bloodlust is actually Tsarong's granddaughter. Not that that was a total surprise. By the time she reveals that, you kind of expect it. So she's vowed to kill the Lama, but first she has to attract his attention. So she goes to this environmental headquarters in California, and kills everyone in it. These people were so in tuned to the environment, and therefore the Lama, that their deaths . . "Your hate has reverberated straight through the soul of all things alive on this Earth." Which is heinous, but . . it was really just her calling card. She's pretty much kicking the crap out of him until finally he uses his teleportation powers and transports her to a deserted island, I assume, on the other side of the planet. He then uses every ounce of his power to bring all the slain people back. Hmm! I didn't know he could do that. It takes a lot out of him, and it takes him a couple of weeks to recuperate, but he's back by the end of the issue. Next issue we meet the Revolutionary, and find out his connection to the Fighting Yank. This was a pretty decent issue. A bit predictable, but . . it had a lot of action, and story. Alex Ross and Joe Casey wrote it. Jonathan Lau does the art. I thought the art looked pretty damn good. Probably the best I've seen in any of these books yet. I know there's a plethora of books designed to get the reader bought into this storyline, and these characters. But this is a pretty big project. There's a lot to swallow . . and read. It's almost overwhelming. I'm glad there's not more than 1 book a week coming out. Right now we're about a year and a half into it. We'll see if they can keep the momentum going.Ex Machina #44 - WildStorm
Well . . Mitchell finds out this issue that the guy in the sewers isn't actually Pherson . . the guy that can control animals. He's . . it's, actually some kind of machine. "I was sent here to tell you that god is very disappointed. You have forsaken the tongues of fire with which you were blessed. I am from another brane in the bulk. I am a probe, a less-powerful version of the one that made you. You were meant to prepare this world for my makers' arrival. Step one was using a stronger frequency of my violet to corral your beasts of burden. Step two was using the red to destroy your crops. Step three was using the green to cripple your weaponry. Step four was using the white to subjugate your soldiers." And speaking of white, as they're talking Bradbury is in New Jersey recovering the white box that Mitchell made back in 2001. It was after the attacks on NYC, and he thought it was something that he would be able to use to avert other disasters. "Whatever this thing is . .I think it's going to save livers. I had a vision about . . about another attack on the city. One that the box could prevent." The problem is the reporter, Suzanne, on an anonymous tip . . from Kremlin . . has followed him. She's convinced that the mayor used it to win the election. Her and Bradbury go round and round about it, until . . he gets frustrated and accidentally swings the box hitting her in the head. Now Suzanne is infected much in the same way Mitchell was . . is. Except she seems to be able to control people. She gives Bradbury a big 'ol scenario to remember . . one that doesn't include their incident. And he's to tell Mitchell that she's decided to end her investigation. She wants the Mayor to be off-guard when she comes after him. But he's got his own problems. When she gets infected, and comes on-line . . the machine in the sewer decides that they don't need the Mayor anymore. And it self-destructs. The issue ends with the Mayor bringing in the New Year, and Dave being very suspicious about what he and Bradbury have been up to. I really like this book. First of all, Brian K Vaughan is a fantastic writer. This is another one of those books where everything is connected. Mitchell is still dealing with stuff in this issue that he has since the very first of the series. This particular issue was probably the most 'sci-fi' of the bunch. But that's ok. Brian's always eluded to it, but we've never really received any validation. It's just all been speculation so far. But with the final issue approaching . . #50, the final story-arc starts next issue . . I think he's finally showing all his cards. I also like this book because it doesn't fit into just one genre. It's a super-hero book, with a touch of 'sci-fi' . . it's a soap-opera with some social conscience. Overall . . it's a book that makes you think. And Tony Harris' artwork, throughout this series, has been fantastic. This book has had a look and feel to it since the very beginning . . and it's Brian's and Tony's.
Hellblazer #258 - Vertigo
Last issue John realized that he had let Phoebe alone, and that Ekkimu might do something crazy. Of course he realizes this as he driving across town. He gets back to find Phoebe dead. He's distraught and trying to figure out what to do when Aisha comes in. This is her best friend, and seeing the blood on John, plus knowing what they've been through of late . . she jumps to the conclusion that John did it. Unfortunately, at the present time, he can't afford to argue with her because Phoebe's body is going to begin to decompose rather quickly, and he wants to preserve it. Why? So that he can bring her back. He performs an incantation and then takes off. He quickly goes back to Epiphany for help. She says she may have something lying around that he can use, but . . the person administering it has to be pure of heart. We all know that's not John, but . . he thinks he can fool them. Before he leaves though, Epiphany's father comes in and warns her away from John. "Piffy, this one's bad news! If I find out you've been fu#$%ng around with my daughter . . ." I have a feeling that this Terry Greaves is gonna be a whole new round of trouble in John's life. Especially after what he puts Epiphany through. Against her better judgement she decides to help John, so they go to the graveyard. Seeing as how Terry has such a high standing in the community, the plots surrounding her are all relatives and distant family members. Long story short, they administer the potion and everyone of her family members rise . . except for her. One of them puts a lip-lock on Epiphany that puts her in some kind of trance. So John has to get all the other corpses back, cover up Phoebe and get Epiphany back to her home. And that's not even thinking about the hell he's going to have to deal with, with Terry. The thing I like about this book, and Peter Milligan in particular, is the way all these different story-arcs run together. It's like real life. Sure we all have different phases . . periods we go through, but . . when the problems get resolved, or not . . life still goes on. Everything is all connected. We can compartmentalize various events, but . . in the end it's all connected, and everything affects everything. That's the way this book is set up. It feels like we're actually watching this guys life. Also, Giuseppe Camuncoli's art has really grown on me over the last few issues. His style fits this book well. But next issue we get the art of Simon Bisely. Cool! I've been reading this book since issue #1, and I think it's as good now as it's ever been. I wonder if we might get another movie some day. Huh?
the Red Circle - the Web #1 - DC
So far, I think, this is the best issue of this Red Circle line yet. This issue serves as the 'set-up' for the character. It's an origin, of sorts. But really it just brings us up to date on this John Raymond character. Basically, he's a wealthy socialite that's skated through life. However, his brother David has always chosen the road less traveled. John holds him in very high regard, if for no other reason than for pissing off his father. On his death bed, John's father tells him that David is a better man, but he's leaving his vast fortune to John because he has a better head for business. Shortly after that, because of his father, but mostly, I think, because of his regard for his brother . . he decides to use his advantages to try to better the world. He sets up a web-page . . Summontheweb.com . . and asks people to submit problems or things they need help with. He wants to be an 'every-man's' hero. "You have a friend in the Web. Someone with the power and resources to make a difference where you live, not someplace off in the stars." It's a neat concept, but it's not long before people in the media are accusing him of trying to help in places that best publicizes his efforts. "The camera-friendly cases, rather than the truly desperate." It's not long before someone kidnaps his brother. The world knows that John Raymond is wealthy and powerful, but they don't know about his extra-curricular activities. He uses his strengths to track the kidnappers, but he's not fast enough to save his brother. He also finds out that this whole mess was because of his brothers gambling debts. So now he has lots of questions. "How did you fall? Did you fall, or were you pushed? Who were those two? What did you get yourself into? I can't rest until I find out the truth." With this he rededicates himself, and changes his mission-plan a bit. He's decided to go after the more desperate cases. "If there's something so awful, so terrible, that you can't even tell your own . . your own family. If you're afraid in the dark, if the shadows are closing in on you, and there's nowhere else to turn . . to to the Web." Which is how Lieutenant Joseph Higgins comes in contact with him. I assume he's the son of Bill Higgins . . the Shield. Which sets up the next issue in this line. JMS did a great job with this story. I liked the way we didn't really go into John's past . . a little, but not much . . but rather we saw how the current events shaped the character. I also enjoyed Roger Robinson's art. I can't wait to see what's next.
Superman / Batman #63 - DC
This issue is also a 1 issue story. We're thrown into a world where Grodd has taken over. He's gradually manipulated his way into every living being brain, and killed off all the super-heroes. Well, all that is except for Superman and Batman. Superman he's chased off by infusing the atmosphere with Kryptonite. Batman has remained hidden from his mental prodding, and does his best to help the citizens of Gotham . . whether they ask for it or not. Basically, this is a true dictatorship. Grodd runs everything. But, occasionally . . usually a child . . with have a stray thought of freedom, to which Grodd will send in his 'goons' to 'fix' the problem. That's when the Batman strikes. He knows he can't save them, but . . he tries to give them a few more hours or days together. This has been Bruce's existence for who knows how long. Everything proceeds along 'normally' . . in a manner of speaking, until one day Alfred has a heart-attack. During the moments when he's trying to save his friends life his mental shields slip. Grodd has now found him. But Bruce hasn't just been trying to stick his finger in the dam this whole time, he's also been searching for a way for Superman to return to Earth. In this final battle, when Grodd has Batman right where he wants him . . Bruce finds out that Superman has indeed received the encoded messages he's been sending him, and has taken the anti-dote for the atmosphere. He shows up at the final second and together they take Grodd down. This is when Bruce realizes that more than removing Grodd's power, the people of Earth needed a symbol of hope. Superman is that symbol. His arrival alone has done more than Batman's been able to accomplish in years. Then we find out . . this has all been a computer simulation. "Just running some old simulations. Just think of it as a story, Alfred. One of many. As you say . . every possible eventuality. Past, present and future." That was a unique twist that I wasn't expecting. Michael Green and Mike Johnson are doing a great job with this book. I really like the things they've done in the last year or so. I'm not thrilled with Rafael Albuquerque's art, but . . at least it's better than the stuff he did for Blue Beetle. Actually . . it's ok. I just don't know that it fits this book exactly right. But, since this is one of my favorite books . . I'll live with it.
Vigilante #9 - DC
I like this book, but . . I never really expected it to last long. I don't know why, but these types of books . . these stories, never seem to do very well in the DC Universe. Anyways, issue #12 will be the finale. That's not to say that the Vigilante won't show up in other books . . the Teen Titans, or whatever . . there just won't be a solo title anymore. Which is sad because it seems like Marv Wolfman really put a lot into his stories here. They're very intricate and involved, and have shown up great insights into this character, even if they haven't revealed his identity just yet. This issue, with Bennett's help, the Vigilante makes his move on the Whale. He's followed some files of Luthor's all the way from Europe, and they're now in the Whale's hands. He wants the files, and hopefully take down the Whale in the process. However, he doesn't know that he's being played. There are others that want the Whale taken out of the picture, but they've manipulated the Vigilante into doing the job for him. Right now, it looks like it's Bennett and the Penguin. But . . I could be wrong. Anyways, long story short . . Vigilante gets the files, but also finds out they're a red-herring. He knows he's been set-up, but he doesn't know by who. However, he figures while he's here he'll still try to take out the Whale. He doesn't kill him, but he does get enough information for Temple to put him away. He doesn't feel like he's accomplished everything he wanted to in NYC, but . . he has made progress. He's not completely disappointed when he has to move on to Chicago. And on the final page of this issue, we finally find out that this Vigilante is actually . . . Adrian Chase's brother. I'm sure we'll get more into that in the last 3 issues. Like I said, it's a decent series, with a good story . . but I never really expected it to do very well in sales. I have enjoyed Rick Leonardi's art, and the Walt Simonson covers.Final Crisis Aftermath - Dance #4 - DC
This series confounds me a little bit. So far we've seen these teen-aged Japanese heroes run around and drum up publicity, but . . we haven't really seen them do anything yet. They kind of remind me of Spencer and Heidi from the Hills. They're famous for being famous, but . . not much else. This issue we learn that their existence, and recent dis-banding can be traced by to Innovative Concepts, a company in Manhattan. They seem to be a cabal of powerful figures that want to manipulate the events of the world to their own ends. Including whatever is secretly happening in Japan right now. However, there's been a recent change in management there as Rising Sun seems to have taken out the Board . . literally. With their dis-banding last issue, the team has basically been scattered to the winds. They've all gone in their own direction, and have literally ended up at the four corners of the globe. However, when the Bat character realizes some of what's going on this issue . . he taps into Innovative Concepts' mainframe and views a lot of recent downloads . . he realizes that the Super Young Team needs to get back together immediately. But, on the final panel of the final page . . we see that this may all just be a dream. All the members of Super Young Team are hooked up to a machine and their brain-waves and dreams are being monitored . . maybe even manipulated. Which points out what confuses me the most about this book . . everytime we think we get an answer or 2, there's 4 more questions. Don't get me wrong, I think it's a neat story. Joe Casey has really pulled out all the stops on this one. He's combined the super-hero genre with the teen-aged reality show, and mixed in all the modern conveniences of technology. I'm just not sure where it's all going. Chriscross is helped out by Eduardo Pansica on pencils this issue. With 2 issues to go, I hope this all makes sense soon.the Brave and the Bold #26 - DC
This issue introduces us to yet another of the Milestone characters . . Xombi, David Kim. We get a very brief explanation of his powers, and origin . . and then he jumps right into the action with the Spectre. We start out with the Spectre punishing a serial killer. The problem is . . his spirit doesn't cross over. So he continues his psychopathic behavior, but now he's taking it out on other restless spirits. The Spectre wants to punish him, but he's forbidden. "Your plea has been rejected. Raymond Walker has been punished by you already. The dead do not concern your office. Only the living fall under your jurisdiction." So he can watch, but he can't intercede. However, David gets involved when a friend of his, Julian Parker, has friends in the Vampire circles that are also becoming affected by this aberrant spirit. It seems that Raymond is getting more powerful with each 'kill', and is starting to cross over into the real world . . starting with those that inhabit both worlds. David goes to a seance to show him what is happening, but Raymond reaches out and kills their spirit contact, and then the medium by which they're communicating. Basically what happens here is Raymond has overreached his bounds. When David goes to the Spectre with the information of how he's targeting the living again . . the Spectre has just enough wiggle room to take action. David draws him out, and the Spectre shows up at the last second to finish the job. David appealed to the human nature still within the Spectre . . the homicide cop. I'm sure the Spectre will feel some repercussions from his action, but that's not addressed here. That will be a tale for the future. I've no doubt that these characters will meet again. They actually work very well together . . on many levels. I thought this was a pretty decent book by John Rozum and Scott Hampton. I was pleasantly surprised to see Scott's work in this book. It looked good.
Supergirl #44 - DC
Ok, this Codename: Patriot storyline is going full strength, and I gotta say . . this has got to be frustrating to the various members of the Superman-family. Hell . . I'm just the reader and it's frustrating to me. It seems as if everything is going General Lane's way right now, and that is putting the Kryptonians in a seriously hard position. First, General Lane sets up Ral-Dar by having a conversation with Atlas about how they're using him and duping him. I mean, come on . . they know that even though he's in a holding cell he's going to be able to hear every word they say. It's obvious to us, but apparently Ral-Dar isn't that . . um, seasoned. He gets pissed, breaks out of his cell, and heads straight towards Markovia and the President of the United States. He's there to sign a trade agreement, but the General has Ral-Dar convinced it's a war treaty. Meanwhile, Flamebird and Nightwing seem to be on a tear in LA. Mon El and Kara go out to intercept, but they don't know that another of the General's lackeys, Mirabai, is pulling their strings. Apparently she has some kind of mental manipulation or possession power. There's a couple of problems here. First of all Nightwing and Flamebird have been flying under the radar . . so far. But when they look at the news footage back in Metropolis, Kara immediately recognizes her as Thara. Which means that everyone else is going to know now that they're actually Kryptonian. Secondly, when Kara goes blazing in trying to help her friend . . she's now put herself under Mirabai's control. Now all 4 of them are also racing off to Markovia. As is Superman who went after Ral-Dar. Right now, everything is going exactly the way the General wants it to. All of these characters are playing right into his hands. To add to the mix, he's manipulating Cat Grant into going on the Edge of Reason . . Morgan Edge's show, whom we also know is in the General's pocket . . to comment on Supergirl, and I'm sure the whole Superman family. I have a feeling this is just going to keep getting worse before it gets better. I think Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle are doing a great job here. We are really feeling the frustration of what these characters are going through. It's permeable. I can't wait to see what happens next.
Power Girl #4 - DC
I'm not sure what I like the most about this book. Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti are doing some fantastic stories here. There's action, intrigue, humor, and . . Terra is running around this issue trying to help Karen, but because she didn't have her uniform on under her clothes, she's left to fight in what looks like a 'Hello Kitty' t-shirt and underwear. They're fighting these ogres and trolls, and she's got a little red lady-bug on her bum. It's hilarious. Also, there's an interesting story going on with Karen and her company at the Wylie Science Center. Anyways, the point is, there's a lot of potential here, and so far the boys are taking it nice and slow. But, the other thing I love about this book is Amanda Conner's art. It's fantastic, and perfect for this series. It's fresh and fun, and even a little sexy is spots. Power Girl should be a more light-hearted character. She doesn't have all the weight of 2 worlds weighing down on her like her cousins. She should be able to enjoy life a little more. Yes she's trying to get her research lab up and running, she's got financial obligations to worry about, but . . she's continually upbeat and hopeful. It's what I find the most attractive about her character. Yes I know. She's a babe. But . . she's also got a fantastic personality. And between Justin & Jimmy, and Amanda . . her portrayal is spot on. This issue she fights a girl with a magic book. Actually she's a teenager and she's worried about the future of the world and all . . she wants to save the planet. Anyways, Karen figures out that the book is the source of her power, and after cutting her off from it, and she becomes a normal teenager again, she offers her a job rather than arrest her. "If you truly want to help the planet, I can get you a paid internship at Progressive Green Works. Just stop by the 4th floor of the Wylie Science Center on Monday and ask for Richard. It's the kind of company where your enthusiasm for nature will be appreciated." It's the kind of book that's just fun to read. Plus it has some great covers.
Batgirl #1 - DC
Ok! By now everybody has read the 'spoilers'. That coined phrase is an ironic coincidence. Everybody should know by now that the new Batgirl is indeed . . . Stephanie Brown. No real big surprise there. But . . after reading this issue . . I have to say, I don't think this is going to be a solo book. Barbara seems to be playing a big part in this story. After the break-up of her Birds of Prey, she really seems to be full of a lot of anger. Anger that she seems to be only able to release by taking unwarranted risks . . like riding the subway, alone . . at night. She's approached by 3 guys, and as she's leaving the car . . alone . . she's thinking, "I don't know what I need. But whatever it is . . that felt good. Which is what worries me . ." She really seems to enjoy a good smack-down. Anyways, I also think that Wendy Harris, the Calculator's daughter who is now also crippled, is going to be part of the equation here as well. As will Cassandra, I'm sure. In a flash-back scene we see that Cass just gave up being Batgirl a few weeks ago. One night when her and the Spoiler were out on the docks mopping up some gang or another . . when it's all over, and she's perusing their 'work-out', she takes off her costume and tells Stephanie, "It's funny, he's dead, yet they reuse to believe . . that symbol . . his crest, his fight . . I fought for him. But no more. Now, the fight is yours . . ." Which is how Steph ended up with her costume, and the idea of becoming Batgirl. I'm sure Leslie has a thing or two to say to Steph also, but most of her time this issue is spent trying to crack Barbara's hardened exterior. Steph even has the logic worked out for her promise to Tim . . "I promised Tim that I would give it up. Well, technically I promised to stop being Spoiler . ." But she's realistic also. She knows that she doesn't want to end up dead, and she knows that most things she does don't end well. So she wants to quit, but . . she keeps getting drawn back in by the calls for help. As strong as her survival instinct is, she also can't turn her back. However, I think that her and Barbara are going to come to some kind of understanding, or relationship. At the end of the issue . . after an exhausting day of school and crime-fighting . . Steph wakes to find Babs waiting in her kitchen to talk to her. For the first issue of this book . . I thought Bryan Q Miller did an exemplary job. I thought the 'reveal' was a little quick. However . . without it, it would've been hard to explain, or work out the logistics of everything that came after. Quite simply, we don't have all the answers yet. There's a whole lot of stuff going on with these characters . . we're just seeing the tip of the iceberg. Which backs up my point . . I don't think this is going to be a solo book. So, I was a little concerned when we learned that Steph was in the costume on the 6th page, but . . . the set-up for this issue . . this series . . by the end of the book it all made sense. I also enjoyed Lee Garbett and Trevor Scott's artwork. I don't think Lee has a complete grasp of this character yet, but . . he's a quick study. I don't think it'll be long before he makes this book his own. I'm thrilled with the momentum of this book. It's taking off . . right out of the gate.
Batman: Streets of Gotham #3 - DC
I think Paul Dini and Dustin Nguyen have really got a hold of the essence of Gotham City here. The focus of the story right now seems to be Thomas Elliot. He's broken out of the cage that Dick and Alfred were keeping him in and has decided to play up his role as Bruce Wayne. To that end, he's vowed to personally commit himself and his vast resources to the rebuilding of his city. In that role, he's already drained and put incredible weight on the Wayne foundation. But Dick and Alfred aren't without their own resources. While pouring money into Gotham, Thomas has also siphoned off a bit for himself. With it, he has bought the diminished Elliot estate. "Even this I lost when Catwoman and her friends ransacked my holdings. Right now, this house provides me with what I crave most . . privacy." But that's short lived as he opens his front door to find Dick and Alfred, with a few of their closest friends, waiting for him. He threatens to expose their 'family secrets', when Zatanna reveals that it's really a plethora of League and Outsider team-mates. " . . each one is a trusted ally sworn to preserving my father's legacy. There's no place you can run that we can't find you! So our advice to you is this . . play your part like a good little puppet! You move when we say, and not before. No more looting the family piggy bank. And for your own sake, remember . . no secrets pass a severed throat." Dick also tells him that the Foundation's board will be keeping a close eye on him. He's never to appear in public with out one of them nearby, and from now on all transactions will go through them and the spending committee. He may be free, but they've got him on a pretty short leash. As does the Black Mask with the Penguin. With the Black Mask consolidating the underworld of Gotham, he is now the 'King' in residence. Which means that everyone, including the Penguin, works for him, and tithes him. Although I'm sure it's much more than 10%. And this issue the Black Mask makes good on his promise to reward Zsasz for saving his life. He gives Victor a briefcase full of money, a new image, and a license to carry out his every sick twisted hope and dream. I'm not sure what this unbridled psychopath can gain the Black Mask that he doesn't already have, but . . I think we're about to see a Gotham held in the grip of terror. And in the back-up story . . Kate Spencer, having come face to face with Jane Doe, proceeds to kick the crap out of her. Although, in the end, she does get some help from the Huntress. It seems that even though they've split up, Oracle still keeps tabs on her favorite team-mates . . through GPS, and other means, I'm sure. This part of Gotham's landscape is brought to us by Marc Andreyko and Georges Jeanty. I was skeptical at first, but I'm liking this little side story about Gotham's newest DA.
Justice League of America #36 - DC
First of all . . that's an amazing cover by Fabrizio Fiorentino. Inside . . Tom Derenick's art is equally impressive. The thing I like about Tom's work is the way he captures the essence of the characters he's drawing . . the life and character he puts into their faces. On pg 8, he draws an absolutely stunning vision of Wonder Woman. As Eel O'Brien puts it, "Homina Homina! It's Wonder Woman. Man, is she a babe." Anyways, it appears that with this story-arc, DC is first bringing the Royal Flush Gang into the 21 century, and secondly . . they're making them a force to be reckoned with. And why not. The essential characters, and Amos Fortune, have been a fixture in the DC Universe since the mid 60's. But in all that time they've been little more than a laughing stock . . an inconvenient annoyance that occasionally rears it's head. Well now they're becoming an international crime-syndicate . . a terrorist organization much on par with Intergang. They've got a neat concept . . an unusual paradigm, but . . they've just never thought, or schemed on a grand enough scale. Well . . Amos Fortune, with I'm sure more than a little bit of help from Roulette . . or maybe prodding is a better word . . Amos has decided that he's tired of being simply outnumbered by the likes of the Justice League. "But why should they? After all, there are 52 cards in the deck. Perhaps it's time we started using them all. It took a while to work out the logistics, but eventually we began recruiting new members to the Gang wherever we could . . Metropolis, Gotham. Wherever there's a dollar to be made, there you'll find us. There is now a branch of the Royal Flush Gang in every major city in the country." And he's decided to use that influence to shake up the board a bit. The RFG strikes at 3 separate targets simultaneously . . Los Angeles, Chicago and New York City. The issue ends with the JLA splitting up into 3 teams . . Doctor Light and Plastic Man, Wonder Woman and Red Tornado, and Vixen and Firestorm. It'll be interesting next issue to see if the strength actually does lie in the numbers. Len Wein has come back to the story-telling reins with this arc. I like it. Why through away such a well-known commodity as the RFG? They can be so much more than just an occasional threat . . or inconvenience. They just need a little inspiration and guidance, which apparently Amos has gained. Now I hope the JLA just gets some inspiration and recruits some new members. Lord knows they need it.
Outsiders #21 - DC
So it seems the name . . the Outsiders, is an even more well deserved moniker for this group now. Alfred has pretty much cut all ties they have to the Bat-family. This issue they're locked out of the Bat-cave . . their base of operations. "The Bat-cave and everything in it is no longer operating as the central control center. I cannot afford to compromise our new location. I take no joy in telling you any of this . . but right now there is a threat level that I can only describe as being extremely high . . and that we here within the Bat-family have been personally compromised on such intimate levels that it's necessitated my current position." However, they are still needed. With the escape of all of Arkham's inmates, their retrieval is of the utmost importance. Even more so than their battle with the Insiders. Everybody is pretty optimistic about their fight, especially after the events of last issue, but only Owlman seems to be taking things realistically. "My gut says we haven't seen the last of them. It was way too easy. You're right about it being a battle, because I sure as hell still thing the war's going on. It's just a question of when . . " Anyways, the team splits up and goes after some of the more notorious characters. Creeper, Halo and Katana end up in the Louisiana swamps looking for Killer Croc. Geo-Force and Metamorpho go to Wyoming after Clay-face. And Owlman and Black Lightning go to Alaska in search of Mr Freeze. We see the Alaskan battle this issue, but don't get much insight into the others. It seems that Freeze came her because he wants to remove the bomb that Black Mask put in his head. This was the only place could enough that he could remove his helmet. Of course the heroes defeat him, but they decide to perform the surgery anyway. They don't particularly like that Black Mask can control these inmates, plus . . now they have a better idea of who's behind it and what he's up to. By the end of the issue, I think between Thomas Elliott and the whole Blackest Night affair, Alfred thinks things are to dire in Gotham and has decided to cut off all communication with the Outsiders entirely . . at least temporarily. However, he does offer up a holding facility that Batman constructed several years ago to take all the criminals to as they're apprehended. So for now, the team is officially on it's own. But at least they have a mission. I like what Peter J Tomasi is doing here. I was diggin' the connection to Batman, through Alfred, but . . I think the events of this issue are logical and keeps the book within the current story-lines without creating to many inconsistencies. Alfred will return, as I'm sure will the Bat-cave and all of Bruce's toys. I wasn't thrilled with Tom Mandrake's cover, but . . I absolutely loved Fernando Pasarin's interiors. I really like this book, and I think it has a ton of potential. We just have to wait and see how everything stacks up after Blackest Night. It's only just begun, and it's effects are being felt across the entire DC Universe.
Superman Annual #14 - DC
This issue finally puts into words what we've basically known about Daxam all along . . Daxam, and it's inhabitants are an off-shoot of the Kryptonian race. The world itself was discovered by a Kryptonian, and named after him . . Dax-Am. This happened during Krypton's 'Empire' phase where it wanted to discover, and conquer the galaxy. However, on this world, unlike the others it conquered, they inter-bred with the natural inhabitants. Apparently, that was not allowed on any of the other worlds. So, when the conquest ended, and most of Kryptons explorers and settlers returned to their home-world, the settlers on Daxam did not feel the same urge. And, after a few generations didn't really care or know much about Krypton at all. Other than what they were taught in their legends of lore. Anyways, long story short, eventually Daxam got to the point where it wanted to explore outer-space. However, they didn't have plans of conquest but rather trust and cooperation. One such world they discovered was Earth. During their stay, a Daxamite female fell in love with one of their Mayan associates. Rather than risk the child's birth on Earth, and it's Yellow sun, she chose instead to return to Daxam. He appeared as the rest of them, except for his strive for exploration. Over the generations, the Daxamites became an enclosed society. Their mistrust of aliens became dominant, except for this one off-shoot. Eventually Lar Gand found Bal Gand's ship, his great-great-great-grandmother, I assume, and used it to return to Earth. He is actually as much a product of Earth as he is of Krypton. There's a whole lot more involved in the story . . I edited it greatly, but it's all about set-up and convenience. I actually thought it was a great story by James Robinson. He really intricately tied these 3 worlds together. I also thought that Javier Pina did a fantastic job with the art. He hasn't done much lately, which is sad. The guys got incredible talent. Anyways, the ultimate goal was accomplished and Mon El has been turned into a much more approachable, and acceptable character by us the readers. He's actually, kind of, one of us.
Wednesday Comics #7 - DC
I read this on Wednesday, but . . I haven't bothered to write anything down yet. Sorry! Batman is getting a little closer to finding the killer. He pushes Hardy, his last lead, who gives him another name . . Carlton Glass. But no sooner does he give him the name than he's killed. Kamandi gets some information out of the girl . . her name Orora. And they, and Dr Canus, are on their way to Shintun to help Tuftan and his father escape the Apes. However, on their way there they see that the Tiger Legion has been defeated. That means that these 3 are now the Prince's only hope. Meanwhile, Superman is just getting clobbered. He has no idea who these aliens are and how they're so strong. It appears that they're also telepaths because as they're fighting Clark worries about Ma and Pa, but they're out of town at church. However, as soon as he thinks it . . they're on their way to intercept. Deadman has finally caught up to the girl that he tried to help in the alley . . the one that got him into this whole mess. He finds out that she's not the only girl captured here. They're in a kind of limbo, and there's a demon there that has captured other women and is amusing himself by torturing them. Boston is trying to think of a plan to help them escape. Hal has finally made it to the TV station, where he finds Dill transformed into some kind of alien. Unfortunately, as he's fighting him, he finds out that he's strong enough to break through his rings constructed barrier. Metamorpho and Rainy, the elemental girl, have made it through some more of the traps, and have started questioning their involvement. That's when they come across another elemental type creature that's guarding the Star of Atlantis diamond. The Teen Titans are trying to figure out what the deal is with this new Triton. They've come across a couple of them in the past. This one claims that he's Dr Light's son, and he's from the future. Supposedly, he's preventing the Titans from becoming a threat then. So . . they're off to fight him. They know it's a trap, but . . it's what they do. Adam has a dream where Dr. Fate comes to him and helps him find his Zeta-map. Now he can find another location and go back to Rann. Supergirl and called on Aquaman to try to help her figure out what's wrong with Krypto and Streaky. But . . he doesn't talk to 'those' type of animals. He's mad about the inconvenience at first, but then he apologizes to her. He sends her off to see Doctor Mid-Nite. The Metal Men find out that this Dr Pretorius has created Chemo, and he may be more than the Metal Men can handle. Tin gets the raw end of the deal, and he probably won't be the last. Wonder Woman has another dream where she's going after the sword, but this time she may have inadvertantly sacrificed Etta and the Professor. To make matters worse, she can't seem to wake up. Sgt Rock is finally free . . sort of. He's still in a bunker someplace, but at least now he has a gun and a knife. And the rest of Easy Company have finally made it out of the cave. The Flash is getting closer to figuring out what's going on, but the more time he spends the more versions of himself that keep appearing. He's also starting to hallucinate and get nose bleeds. He's seeing monkeys. Morgaine has force the Demon back into his Jason Blood form, which also transforms Selina back. Now she's ready to pounce. And finally . . Hawkman has managed to bring the plan down, but they may have gone from the frying pan into the fire. The appear to be stranded on an island of dinosaurs. And because of the strain of trying to save the airplane, his Nth metal belt doesn't appear to be working. I sincerely applaud all the talent on this series. There are some great looking pages here. However . . I'm glad this is a mini-series because it's starting to drive me crazy. I appreciate what they're trying to do here, but . . there's only so much information they can fit on 1 page. We're really getting it in bite sized pieces. The only saving grace is that it's weekly . . so it doesn't take that long to start building up a little momentum. But . . it's very little momentum. This is issue #7 and some of the stories I don't know much more than when we first started. Well . . the artwork is pretty good too, so . . that helps with my patience. I want to be positive . . I really do. But like I said . . it's just a little frustrating. But I'll keep trying.
Blackest Night: Superman #1 - DC
I have to say . . it took me a little while to decide, and figure out how to put into words, how I felt about this particular issue. The story starts out with the power of the Black Rings bringing Kal-L of Earth-2 back to life. And of course then he makes a bee-line straight to Smallville. One thing that we do notice in this issue, I think, is that the Black Rings, besides adding more bodies to the ranks, also try to instill fear. It seems that it's the fear that gives their rings power. As it works it's way through Smallville, person by person, it seems that each incident . . each body . . each trauma of fear that it's citizens feel, the power levels increase exponentially. It even feeds off the fear of Clark and Connor when they find Kal-L desecrating the grave of their father Jonathan. But we don't see Jonathan. It appear that Kal-L has brought along his wife, Lois. When she confronts Ma at the house, I originally thought it was Clark's Lois. The issue ends when we find out that Kal-L and Lois haven't killed Ma, but have instead taken her hostage. "Here's your lovely Ma, boys. The lonely widow, sure . . but my wife and I will make it so Ma and Pa Kent are back in each other's arms." Also the menace of Blackest Night has also reached New Krypton. Where Kara and Alura, when visiting Zor-El's memorial, come upon his risen flesh. Overall, I liked the book. But, after seeing the decimation of Aquaman's family and loved ones, I really feared the worst here. It wasn't for lack of trying . . Kal-L was seriously trying to rip out Connor's heart. I thought James Robinson did a decent job with the story. But, to me . . the real star of the book was Eddy Barrows. His artwork and layouts for this issue were amazing. This guy has really come a long way in a short period of time. His art on this issue really looked fantastic. The flow and angles were terrific. He really brought these characters to life.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
X-Men Forever #5 - Marvel
Well . . this issue really changes everything. Up till now . . things were . . not to much different. A little. Fury has come on board as a co-leader of sorts. Ororo has apparently gone rogue and killed Wolverine. Jean has admitted to Scott of her love for Logan. And the little 'ro, from X-tinction Agenda has apparently survived. But now . . everything is starting to hit the fan. We find out that Ororo is actually working for the Consortium. Apparently there's double-agents in SHIELD also working for them as Fabian Cortez's transport drops him off in Africa, where he is also picked up by the Consortium. And Hank has made a startling discovery. "Have you ever wondered why there are so few mutants much older than us? Most of the active known mutants are in the 20's or younger. Many, barely in their teens. Only a comparative handful are what you'd call 'mature'. I think the X-gene comes with a price. I think it kills us young. And I think Charles has always known that." As it turns out . . he has. He tells them that is why he spent so much time in outer-space. He was hoping that between the Shi'ar the Kree and the Skrulls he might find something to retard the process. "Our bodies are infinite vessels. The more power we use, the less is left to sustain our very lives. Eventually, we all reach our limit. The well of power comes to it's end. And with it, our very lives." Of course they're all pissed . . none more than Scott, but Nick helps them get back on track. He reveals that Logan also knew the truth. But he never gave up. So Scott makes a decision to set the X-Men on a new path. "Fury's right, Charles blazed a path. I hate the choices he made but this isn't about him. We're not fighting for equality, or even understanding . . this is about survival! I'm making my choice. I ask you to join me. Time's come, my friends, for us to pick up that torch . . and set things right!" So now . . from here . . the very nature of the X-Men . . their purpose, their hopes, their dreams . . it's all come to an end. Now their purpose is survival, and knowledge. Their MO will have to change accordingly. Remember when Spawn first came out and he had that clock that counted down his power? Every time he used it the time sped up. Well basically, that's what the X-Men have hanging over them now. The clock is ticking, and . . it's ticking down to zero. I think this is a great turn of events. Not for the mortality of the X-Men . . of course. But to set Chris Claremont's X-Men apart from what's happened since he left. We're in an alternate time-line now. Anything goes. And apparently Chris is ready to push the envelope. There's no middle road on this one. You're either gonna' love it, or you're gonna' hate it. Tom Grummett has also done an amazing job on the art of this story-arc. It looks like the next story-arc is going to be drawn by Steve Scott. Chris has come back with a bang. A dead-bang!
Uncanny X-Men First Class #2 - Marvel
This was an interesting book. It doesn't really appear to be aimed at the teen-aged audience, as the last First Class book was. I know we're going back in the X-Men's history, and these stories are taking us back to shortly after the team switched, but . . this just seemed like a story out of the regular X-Men book . . I'm sorry, Uncanny X-Men . . circa 1983, or so. Basically . . Kurt and Peter went to visit Attilan and the Inhumans. During there visit, the terragenesis ceremony is scheduled to take place. Kurt is overwhelmed by the spectacle, because to him . . it looks like they're forcing their teens to undergo a mutagenic process. To him it appears that the Inhumans view their young . . pre-terragenesis, as inferior. This infuriates him, and he disrupts their ceremony. Now he's being put on trial and faces death. Peter convinces Triton that they need to get ahold of their X-Men friends for support. Scott, Ororo and Banshee come rushing to their aid, but Jean joins up with then en-route. To me, that was their biggest mistake. Especially right now when she's more Phoenix than Jean . . she definitely doesn't have the emotions for diplomacy. Anyways, long story short . . Jean's temper disrupts the dialogue, a large fight ensues, and Gorgon in a fit of anger almost brings down the mountain on top of the city. It's only through their combined efforts that everyone is saved. It was an interesting, and exciting story, but . . rather predictable. It was ok. But, if you follow the X-Men, it was a story we've seen before . . or at least similar . . many times. I thought Scott Gray did a decent job with it. I also enjoyed Roger Cruz's art. I'm not sure how much they can do in this book that we haven't seen before. But . . maybe it's more for the 'newer' reader than us 'ol-timers'. However . . it's still the X-Men, so what are you gonna' do?
Cable #17 - Marvel
I like this book . . I've always liked this character. But . . this issue, and I guess this story-line in general, leaves me with a whole bunch of questions rolling around in my head. At the end of the Messiah-War story-line, Cable went to jump into the future, and Hope pulls away from him at the last second. Basically, she ends up 2 years in advance of him. So he has to figure out where she went, and try to be there when she gets there. Of course Bishop is still on their tail also. Here's my first question, Cable can't use his time-device because he can't go backwards, right? Sorry . . that's not the question. Cable has to just go forward, day by day, until he gets to the time where Hope is at. So lets say she jumps forward to August 12th, 2557 . . just for shits and giggles. Cable is stuck on August 12th, 2555. So when he gets to 2557 . . wouldn't that be the same day that Hope arrives? How can she age 2 years? If she did . . she should always be 2 years ahead of him. Right? Seriously! Am I thinking about this right? In order for her to age, he would've had to have jumped ahead of her. Correct? Ok. Maybe I'm thinking about that problem backwards. But even taking that into account, the time it would've taken them to travel to the cities . . the time it would've taken them to search . . not to mention the time that Cable wasted lying in the desert succumbing to the techno-virus ravaging his body . . it wouldn't have been exactly 2 years apart. Maybe with some good luck, 2 years and a couple of months. But I'm guessing it would've taken at least a year for them to come together . . 3 years total. I know. It's a comic book. It's just a story. But my mind has to get wrapped around these things. That's why time-travel stories give me a headache. Anyways, my second question . . what really was the whole point of the Messiah-war story-line? I mean, Cable and Hope are still running from Bishop. They just basically had a little burp in their continuing story-line. Was it all just to take out Stryfe and put Apocalypse back in power? And if so . . where's Apocalypse now? Heh-heh! That's funny. Or . . was it all just to bring Domino back into the X-fold? I'm not even mentioning that we still don't even know what Hope's powers are. And, now that they've reached the end of the Earth . . literally, where does Cable and Hope go from here? Well . . with the last question, it appears . . outer-space! Don't get me wrong, I like Duane Swierczynski's story. And I'm thrilled to get a chance to see more of Paul Gulacy's artwork. I'm just trying to figure out where this book is going, and what my investment is in it. Cable's always taken his own path, but . . you've got to admit that this path is a little out there. I hope we get some resolution soon. Please!
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