snap judgments no, really, there are some comics you really should read

Rolling into Bed – Reviews for 4/19

Let's try DC first, shall we?

Justice #5

It's beautiful. BEAUTIFUL. I mean, open it up, first page, BAM! Probably the classiest the Elongated Man has looked in awhile. The story continues it's epic rock god plot as the villains continue to work behind the public scenes to incapacitate or kill the members of the Justice League, bringing in second stringers to the rescue. Second stringers like... the GODDAMNED CAPTAIN MARVEL! Oh yeah! There's a lot of tragedy and tears in this one, from Jean Lorring's tears at the hospital bed of the Atom (everybody 'ooooooh!'), Wonder Woman unable to understand why she can't help Priscilla, Dinah horrified by the thought of a dead Ollie, even Aquaman lying on a horrifically clean examination table while Braniac and that monkey hover near by... hoo. All really does seem pretty lost here. And when Superman's only solution is to be THROWN INTO THE SUN, you know you have a quality book in your hands.

Ex Machina Special #1

Okay, folks, help me out: is it 'Mah-KEY-nah' or 'Mah-SHEEN-nah'? I'm going with number one until someone tells me different. Anyhoo. So, what does Mayor Hundred think about the Death Penalty? Let's tell you in flashback detail! Part of The Great Machine's super-heroing career apparently dealt with a strange young man who got ... powers over animals going a little bit crazy, confronting The Great Machine and giving us all the feeling that this guy's gonna have to be put down. Then again, this is Ex Machina. They may be trying to tell us something here.

Manhunter #21

Now, I'm not too up on my lawyer specifics, but I think this is a pretty interesting little court case. Chilling in more ways than one. Doctor Psycho allegedly had random passers by at a big heist tear his accomplices, the Hangmen, limb from limb in a bloodbath. Yeah, not something you'd want to defend either, but she does it. She even refutes some evidence brought in by Dr. Midnight, whom later she has to get past armed guard to get to as he heads for the JSA 'copter. Armed guards for a superhero, whodathunk? Not to mention that they looked like secret service men. Hrmmm. Anyway, there's going to be some DNA testing done on her to see if she's a carrier for a disease her father died from which will no doubt also tell us something a little more fascinating. Also in this issue, a jogger gets tranq'd and a cheating man gets a fist put through his chest.

Sgt. Rock: the Prophecy #4

Now, this is how I picture historical WWII comic-ry. Even if the base plot doesn't do it for you (Easy Company escorts a young Jewish prophet and winds up leading them on through trouble and war atrocities), the art alone is worth price of admission. Solid work from a solid guy. Moments of history, moments of personality and moments of faith. Makes you wonder what's up with Team Zero. A fine example of storytelling.

Man-Bat #1

Just to let you know ahead of time, I have issues with Mr. Jones. Bruce Jones wrote some of the worst Hulk comics I was ever convinced to buy, so we don't see eye to eye on a lot of things. So I find myself in a little more level a position this time thanks to the fact I don't know a thing about Man-Bat outside of the Batman Animated series. The first issue isn't going to tell us a thing, just show us some creepy and traditionally paced horror stories, one victim after another, all the while looking back at Dr. Langstrom with one eyebrow lifted. Also, we have Hush. Yeah, I know, not the guy I was expecting either, but he takes an interest in the brutal 'serial killer' reports and goes to see another spooky guy about it. Batman's more of a shadowy figure in this, background noise to the victim's gruesome reports on TV, so I figure we might get him more towards the end of the book. Not much to go by, but at least a couple good spooky shots.

Hellblazer #219

I hope we get some confrontation this issue. While I'm not knocking the last issues for taking their time to provide some back story and show the route taken, my internal clock wants some action. Not like Constantine is Bruce Willis, but something. At least they reach their destination, finding the guy's home to poke about what seems to be painting's of Constantine's subconscious. More back story is included and apparently there exists a third place for the soul to go once it's slipped the mortal coil and it's 'Enemy is Empathy'. We have a title, folks! I'm getting the feeling this storyline might be more enjoyable in trade format, where you can link up all the back story at once, follow the office working guy who seems to be behind the evil inherent, the praexis that seem to be heralding something and our man's journey. It's good story, just starting to have that decompressed feeling.

Bite Club: Vampire Crime Unit #1

A return to Howard Chaykin's vampire world last seen in th Bite Club mini from a year or some back. It's got grit, I can tell you that much. There's drugs, murder, sex, dirty cops, the works. Warning, though, when you do read it your head will be full of swear words for awhile after. Blue language is littered liberally throughout the book so thickly that you have to say a few of the word bubbles aloud to make sure you know what they're trying to get across. Do not read in polite company. A woman is killed at a ironically named Vampire Club and there's foul play suspected from page three. The woman on the cover is some terribly hip mafia head who's also a very sexy lesbian, a stone cold bitch stereotype and a vampire to boot. There's a naive cop who's totally falling for her hook, line and sinker and some double crossing dealing between cops and crooks. 100 Bullets, but more fangly and a lot less subtle. Howard Chaykin I hear is 'The Man', but maybe I'm not reading the right work first.

Iron Man #7

Hey! I remember this book... at least they didn't start renumbering again with this new creative team. Recap is once again appreciated at the beginning of the book and reminding me that Tony's now got a special link between himself and 'computers and any digital system worldwide'. Plus he's 'biologically integrated' into the Iron Man armor. No, when Warren Ellis took over the book six issues ago, he did say that Iron Man should update his tech for the times, and I agree. But... 'biologically integrated'? I'm sketchy. In fact, I'm sketchy all through this issue before I get an idea I hope they wanted to give me. We see a spooky hooded figure logging into what I assume to be a secret net work and 'executing' a list of names. Something kills the person on the list and, for all intents and purposes, it seems to be Iron Man. Iron Man, who's gotten to be quite the douchebag as he's multitasking during a brawl with the Crimson Dynamo, not to mention mocking him openly. The Avengers are put off by Tony's 'tude, not to mention SHIELD and Nick Fury, who's not up for taking that kind of crap. It seems Tony Stark might be more 'under the influence' of the Extremis Virus than we thought. I think another issue should settle things in.

Daredevil #84

Well. when the title character can't get to his rogues' gallery, we bring the rogues' gallery to the title character. In a very cheesy, but strangely well played intro, it looks like Brubaker's bringing Bullseye into the mix, completely with Hannibal Lechter faceplate-thingie. Daredevil continues to play 'innocent little blind lawyer' during the day and total ninja bad ass under cover of night. The fact that no one seems to be calling him on this seems to be odd until you remember that one, this is storytelling here, unclench, and two, well Matt Murdock is a lawyer and can put himself in situations that wouldn't be admissible in court and strikes enough fear into the already weakened prison staff, so... I buy it. It's a good story. Trying to find out who did in Foggy takes him right up to Hammerhead, through the Dick Tracy-esque crime boss and to 'Ivan Murphy', tangling the plot in with the Kingpin. On the outside, Dakota North gets similar info and takes Ben Ulrich to investigate. (When he expressed his thanks for the tip, Dakota North tells him to join her fanlisting. I looked it up: she doesn't have one. Now'd be a good time to start, though... Just sayin'.) And just when you thought Ryker's couldn't get any worse or complicated... the Punisher shows up. I have to admit, Marvel puts out a fine street level crime story these days. Maybe it says something that capes aren't exactly a mainstay. Maybe it makes things more grounded.

Wolverine: Origins #1

I'm going to borrow something from Star Trek V, if you can forgive me for a moment. You see, the intro (which is very well written and a nice place to start if you never caught 'Wolverine Fever' and want to take a peek) tells us that now that Wolverine remembers the majority of his life thus far, he wants payback on all those that did him wrong. To aid him in this mission, he has a blade of 'unimaginable power', a Muramasa katana. And as Kirk once asked, 'What does God need with a starship?', I pose to you this question: 'What does Wolverine need with a magic sword?' I mean, really. Adamantium cuts through near everything, right? He's sort of made a living off of being a one-man army, a scrapper who can take them all himself, a loner, Dottie, a rebel. And now... he needs a magic sword? Oh well. Dum Dum Dugan takes center stage for most of our tale, playing narrator and SHIELD director while Fury's gone (wait, isn't he back in another book? Editor?), demanding answers when Wolverine and someone else attacks the White House. The President's evacuated, of course, but Wolverine's only there to shake down Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice. Stopped from getting a straight answer out of Condi by the sudden appearance of a 'Shiva' robot, designed by Weapon X to 'neutralize and take down rogue agents'. I hope these are a new development because it doesn't even scratch Wolverine, but does turn Dr. Rice to ash. Wolverine takes down the robot and continues on his dark hunt. Everyone calls up SHIELD to tell them they're being played, but not really how or by whom exactly. I'd say the story feels a bit crowded, just too many elements on what could have been a very streamlined and direct plot. The sword, the robot, all the stuff unsaid but hinted at, all I really want is Wolverine is doing what he does best. Steve Dillon is great for that kind of stuff (see Preacher) and I fear might not jibe well with the type of story they're wanting to tell. Ah, well. It's only issue #1.

Captain America #17

A quick recap of everything we've already figured out from last issue (the town Sharon and Cap are in is a secret underground AIM base, Crossbones and Lady Sin are here to do evil) from a escaped AIM agent who fears this new splinter group that our two villains have hooked up with: RAID (Radically Advanced Ideas in Destruction). Our heroes call for backup and go in to what is obviously going to be a big trap and fight sequence, during which the 'MODOK Squad' is unleashed. Sharon has just enough time to explain that they used to be human and now they're just weapons, letting Cap give the G. Gordon Liddy line of 'Aim for the head'. Many things are beaten. Cap explains his ability to dodge bullets comes from the fact he sees faster. The bad guys are to be confronted just yet, so they get an escape. Before chase is given however, our two heroes go to check on the Bucky storyline, and it looks like he's visiting the girl from the 65th Anniversary issue. And by visiting, I mean paying respects to her grave and freaking out her daughter. It seems the Winter Soldier villain Lukin is next on his list and he just wanted to say goodbye. Seeing how Lukin also killed the Red Skull, Crossbones and Lady Sin want to see him too. They're on a collision course to wackiness.

Annihilation: Nova #1

No Giffen on this one, we're on our own. Richard Ryder gets woken up by the Xandarian Worldmind, the collection of the entire world's history and culture and intelligence (plus keeper of the Nova Force). It needs to get off the world before the Annihilation folks get to it and Nova is an entire civilization's last hope. So what does he do? Well, he gets tired, angry, cocky, makes two huge mistakes and tries to balance the right thing to do with all the stupid, foolish instincts that come with being human. Well played and well written. Seeing how he finds Drax the Destroyer at the last page, I really think it's going to be a terrible shame if people miss out on the Annihilation books in the wake of Civil War.

Avengers Power Pack Assembled #1

Second verse, same as the first; if you remember how the Power Pack X-Men books went, you have general idea of how these Avengers books are going to go. Captain America is in town to visit an old folks' home full of his old war buddies, when he runs a favor for Tony Stark and checks in on an alarm at the local Stark Industries place. Turns out Taskmaster's been hired to take something important and fights Captain America to make his escape. Power Pack, visiting their local library, sees the battle overhead, joins in and ... gets mocked mercilessly by Taskmaster. He becomes the MVP of the issue as he's not only beaten down by Captain America, but Power Pack and the old timers that Cap was going to visit in the first place. Poor guy. He does escape though, gets his job done for AIM and everyone learns a little something in the end. Kind of funny, kind of cute, good for the really small set.

The Sensational Spider-Man #25

There was a 'The' in that title? Must have not noticed before. So, Spidey and the Black Cat bust in on Reed Richards and Sue Storm, apparently in evening wear. They've got the little boy who was shot last issue (the Lizard's son), pop him in a Bacta Tank and start in on the explications of 'weird animal ju-ju'. Reed demands 'tests', which is comic lingo for 'stall the characters' and so we cut to MJ and Aunt May waiting for and then getting attacked by Man-Wolf. Thankfully, Aunt May comes to the rescue, thankfully losing that 'old biddy' routine she was in last issue and rescues her daughter-in-law, not to mention turns on the Avengers Tower security. Delay over, Spider-Man gets a Spider Sense that something's wrong at the homestead and runs away to show up right at the nick after the nick of time. Changing into the Iron Spidey duds, he heads off to find out what's going on. Black Cat figures there's no reason to stay with the guest stars, also ditches. Last pages leads us to believe they're bringing back Madame Web. Wow.

X-Men #185

The quick version: Shock continues from last issue's revelation (Gambit's new job as 'Death' Horseman for Apocalypse), Rogue takes the stereotypical route of 'there has to be a part of mah Remy still in there!', there's some fighting, Cyclops save Emma Frost from the Horseman 'War' with the blood chilling phrase 'Get away from my girlfriend' and a well placed optic blast, Sunfire is 'saved' from Apocalypse's brainwashing and the latest session of the UN is interrupted by our favorite Egyptian madman demanding that 90% of the human stock be 'culled'. With a dramatic sweep of his cape (or lack thereof), he leaves them in shock and we later hear that some countries are CONSIDERING IT. 'Some leaders would quite happily do away with most of humanity.' says a mysterious word bubble talking with Val Cooper. The O*N*E Sentinel squad out of commission, we get two new robots. And the Horseman 'Pestilence'? Polaris! There's even a little back story at the end to let us know that Apocalypse turned down the Leper Queen for the job! 'She wanted it too badly'. Man, it must suck to be Loran Dane.

Spider-Woman: Origin #5

Some days, I wish I was kalinara, so I could get my point of about poorly portrayed female comic book characters across in that 'hit the nail on the head' style she's got. But, I do the best I can. From the wikipedia entry on Mary Sue - Characters most commonly labeled Mary Sues are often characterized by their unusual and dramatic traits and experiences, ... and, most especially, the trait of extreme superiority in comparison to other characters.. Just thought I'd share. Anyhoo, Spider-Woman! Her father doesn't really love her, just sees her as a project. Spider-Woman! Her mother died a 'noble' death by fleeing the nasty Hydra and getting assassinated tragically without ever getting to prove herself as a real character. Spider-Woman! She's so brain-washed and confused, she just has to beat up everyone all by herself. Even the other 'Athena Project' subjects (obviously not as good as she turned out), they don't get mercy, just a fist to the face, but only long enough for SHIELD to blow the whole thing to smithereens. Which she survives. As she pleads pitifully for death, SHIELD makes the big arrest and the big rescue. And in the end, she doesn't want Nick Fury's lame-o 'lecture' about how 'pushing yourself to that point' just shows how super-strong she is, she doesn't need a frikkin' engraved invitation into SHIELD and a surrogate father through Fury. No. She's a goddamn Mary Sue and now she's gonna be a detective all by herself. As far as I'm concerned, this book hated me first.

Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. #4

... But this book brought me flowers and candy and rubbed my shoulders and stayed over all night watching quirky movies on the TV with me. Ah, Nextwave. What would I do without you? From the quickie primer in the front, you know this book is for you. The evil cop guy from lst issue continues to get cooler by turning into an evil giant robot cop by eating through a junkyard. All of Nextwave make many many many things explode. The Captain is explained and it's so very simple. Eventually the explode limit is reached (could there even be such a thing), the evil cop guy left bare and Tabitha and Machine-Man kick him in the street. Chastised by their team leader, they stop and let other people do it for them. In the end, 'Nextwave would like to remind the audience that dragging, insane, corrupt police officers who change into giant killer robots into an alleyway and shooting them a lot is very bad and not the Marvel way. And still illegal in most states.' And I would like you to remember that Nextwave is pure love.

Happy Wednesday everybody.

Hot-cha! Reviews for 4/5

Blame it on the rain!  It took me a bit to get home today, so the reviews come in just under the wire.  You'd think I'd be better at getting to them early...

X-Men Unlimited #14

This is the anthology series, right?  I hear that the 'Unlimited' books are going to turn into something else, but the idea of a bunch of short stories outside of continuity and clean up isn't that bad an idea.  You just need... good writers.  And surprisingly, this is a very good issue.  Colossus fans, here ya go!  Two short, sweet and very dark stories about the metal man, with varying results.  CB Cebulse writes a tragic and very touching story regarding Piotr Rasputin and his family, not to mention the bastardish nature of death in the Marvel Universe.  David Aja is also a guy I've never heard of, but his art brings just the right weight to the story as a gap is fill in from Piotr's welcome return from Astonishing X-Men.  Then there's the second story, not as good as the first, but not that bad either.  Mostly, writers try to write Colossus's dialogue like he's reading from a thesaurus sometimes, to get that 'artistic soul who's first language isn't English!' feel and this one's no exception.  Come on, people, he was a teenager when he came to America, he knows how to use contractions and the odd slang term now and then.  But pet peeve aside and moving through the pretense, it's an artist's story and kind of cool.  Michael Oeming (do we say 'Avon Oeming' anymore?) channels some David Mack into Piotr's sketchbook, a little frightening and the last page is... well, you figure it out.  On the whole, a pretty fine issue and worth your $2.99 especially if you like Colossus.

Ahhh, the quiet beauty of a Jae Lee cover hides the strange and interesting conclusions this book is sneaking past you.  Very clever, Mr. Tieri.  While you maybe gleefully reading about the front cover story (that is Apocalypse vs. Dracula), watching The First One have to cut down his own Clan 'Acaba' (or at least the British chapter) and then prepare for a final showdown, you might not be noticing the powers of various mutants of Apocalypse's bloodline.  Such as the metal skin hinting at a popular Russian, Chamber's obvious great-great-granddaddy and cult favorite Blink!  Yes, stay for the pretty honest battle between two straightforwardly villainy characters, stay for the subtext!

Annihilation: Silver Surfer #1

How are we going to file these things?  Under Annihilation?  Silver Surfer?  We'll cross that bridge when we get to it.  Anyways, skip the toner assault on first few pages and find yourself three pages in with a handy recap, telling you everything you need to know to jump right into things, where I learn that Giffen has personality on a cosmic scale.  Now, I've said before that some of these 'Kree-Skrull War' kind of situations can go right over reader's heads, mostly because it's a whole new universe you're pretty much forced to like to get to the guy on the cover.  Look at Planet Hulk.  Considering the scope and breadth of this Annihilation thing, I figured it'd be skippable in the face of the onslaught of the Marvel Universe's BIG EVENTS (no, really, it's an Onslaught, they're bringing him back.)  But as the flunkies of The Annihilation Wave put the question to not just the Silver Surfer, but all the Heralds of Galacticus, as to what makes them better than the villains of this series, you're suddenly stuck for an answer.  And so is the Silver Surfer.  And that becomes the story you want to read.

New Excalibur #6

Ah, the stories we're going to get about ex-mutants we've never heard of.  This one (right above the rather cheezy story about the team interacting) is about a family of British super-heroes who saw a 'White Flash' (making me wonder what the rest of the world remembers about House of M considering all we've seen is the side of 'those who remember') and suddenly *blip!* no powers.  Sucks because they were all in the air at the time on a rescue mission.  The lone survivor of this tragedy is furious about how no one else seems to see this mysterious White Flash as a tragedy and blows up a train station.  New Excalibur is on the scene for clean-up and gets waylaid by Black Tom, now with even more strange and plot-appropriate plant powers.  Meanwhile, Pete Wisdom and Sage deal with the Dark/Shadow X-Men (pick an adjective!) and Sage gets .... something'd by Dark/Shadow Xavier.  It's like I'm waiting for the point to show up, any minute now, or just to let go and let the book do whatever the heck it wants in absence of continuity.  At least one thing remains the same:  Juggernaut is an idiot under Claremont.

Book of Lost Souls #6

Wait, wasn't this book over with?  Straczynski said on Newsarama that this book came out of Joe Q.'s need for a female audience.  So, I'm right, it is Sandman Light.  We got it all for your Manga-Reading-Gaiman-Spouting-Wicca-Testing audience!  We got angels!  Who cry!  A talking fluffy cat who rebels against God!  Mean animals and good animals!  I'm pretty sure this issue was built to explain the premise of the book and the characters and that seems, to me at least, to be that between people who conform and people who live in the past are the Special People they call 'lost'.  Because it's got that romantic fantasy flair that appeals to my demographic.  And the kitty and the bishonen on the cover and the angel (who cries!) are there to foster the pretty people The Lost.  The girl who asked the fluffy kitty about what the deal is with this place actually FALLS ASLEEP during the telling of it all and Mr. Kitty gets all smug about it.  Me?  I envied that chick.

Marvel Team-Up #19

Reset your head back to the '90's, people, it's on!  Wolverine and Jubilee (complete with yellow/pink/blue outfit that's hard on the eyes) go into a HYDRA base to steal a piece of the Cosmic Cube.  Cable's just there to make sure that Wolverine doesn't die (since ... he's watches over time?) and the Mandarin shows up to menace the whole damned show.  Nice and simple, so much so the fight scenes seem to have that 'passing across the TV in your living room' feel.  Don't mind us, we're just moving plot along, keep reading!  I could have personally lived without the 'Quicksilver/Excess Baggage' crack, but an old fashioned (to me, at least) story done with interesting results.

The End: X-Men - Book Three: Men and X-Men #4

He still didn't get the memo about the title yet, did he?  Ah well.  Dr. Maureen Lysznski, the therapist, takes her place as part of Claremont's favorite supporting human character crew, showing up in this issue for the plot that probably would make a lot more sense if it wasn't for the absolute mess that's going on in space.  He waxes on and on poetically about Psylocke for a moment that makes me wonder if he even looks at what he's saying anymore: 'To know her is to instantly fall in love.  And be horrified at having done so.'  Maybe this book's getting to him, too.  Well, it's got a tattooed and leather panted Xavier on the last page, so I really hope the end is near.

Justice League Adventures #20

From an absolute mess to a little bit of heaven.  Seriously, go get this issue tomorrow.  It's in with the kids' books and is only $2.25, so add it in.  You'll be glad you did.  Sure, the cover seems to reek of 'Girl Power!' but it's actually not about that at all.  May Marvel goes looking for Wonder Woman on advice about being a redundant superhero.  She runs into Supergirl instead and they bond, both being the adorable version of a well-known male hero, and decide to go watch Diana at work with an all-chick crew against the 'New Olympians'.  After their foiled, Mary Marvel admits that, yes, girls can be anything they put their minds to in that well-worn fashion, when Supergirl pulls the truth out.  You see, the Martian Manhunter put together this team based on their skill and ability, not the 'girl' factor at all.  'He probably didn't even [notice]', notes Supergirl. It all makes sense to Mary.  'In the end, it's not the powers that make the hero, it's the person using them.'  And that is awesome.

Batman: Secrets #2

I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one out there thinking of the Conan O'Brian segments.  The Joker continues to try and blackmail Batman through the media to seed doubt in Gotham's public.  The artwork is great, Sam Kieth delivers on every page with some off-the wall mood or depth of story where the pictures themselves actually seem more like words than the captions.  I'm just not so keen on this premise.  I mean, if you let go of the fact that a portion of the Gothamites are willing to watch the Joker on TV and have an iota of belief in this guy, you can also understand the faith people have in American politics these days.  So there you go.  Good, evocative story and you know those conversations between the Joker and Batman in the dark are going to be stellar.

Batman and the Monster Men: Dark Moon Rising #6

Weep with me for this, the last issue.  Hand to God, I totally forgot that it was a mini-series, even forgetting the little subtitle on the cover.  But trust me, Batman and the Monster Men delivers on every page.  I am so glad I committed myself to reading all the Preview Books or I would have never gotten to this fun little gem.  Batman using wits, skill and scare tactics, defeats the Monster Men, gets his gal-pal's dad off the hook with the mob and Hugo Strange is left loose on the streets.  Then again, so it Batman.  It's like an episode of the Bruce Timm Animated Adventures.  A treat.

Swamp Thing #26

A rather beautiful little tale.  Joshua Dysart wins a second look in my book as this could almost be a self-contained issue on it's own, if not a fine place to hook a new reader, based on emotional content alone.  Swamp Thing angsts on his current relationship with the woman he loves while the shadowy antagonists call him on it.  Going back to people who are still used to him as a god-like character, he learns that in blind rage, the Swamp Thing is responsible for the death of an 8 month old child.  The artwork nearly cries with you as the Swamp Thing laments the loss and honors the tragic loss in the only way he can.

Team Zero #5

Someone out there loves this book.  Someone is following it with great excitement.  This book was even pitched with favorable results, so someone has to want this books.  It's just not me.  I think I'm not the target audience here and I get that feeling pretty quick.  Not to knock Chuck Dixon at all, but... not my bag, baby.  Team Zero is heading off the Evil Ruskies in a very macho 'five men against an army' kind of way that seems more posturing than actually thought out.  Everyone looks really cool, a supporting character dies in a nobly tragic (and very quick) fashion and a rat reveals himself (he thought code names like 'Deathblow' and 'Cowboy' were 'queer').  Go read Sgt. Rock.

Jonah Hex #6

I like cowboy stories.  Quick, bad ass, full of great catchy lines, honestly brutal and just.  Call me a sucker for the typical 'cowboy cool', but the grit fits.  Jonah faces both crazy nun ladies, Apaches and love in this quick and dirty little tale.

Ex Machina #19

Sorry, Civil War.  Wildstorm's doing topical fiction better, faster, stronger and less heavy-handedly than you.  This issue is chock-full of moral character and topical debate, one following the other fast enough to keep you interested and intent enough to hold your interest as they go.  Personal honor and security investigations are debated ferociously, only to end on two poor cops who shoot a man in a moment of terrorist tension, only to find he had drugs instead of weapons.  Topical without being preachy about it, it's even a decent 'first look through', enough time is spent on the matters at hand as to drawn the reader i without jogging their memory for last issue's plot.

Happy Wednesday, everyone.

We Have Review Sign! – Reviews for 3/29

Welp, due to poor working conditions, looks like you're on your own for last week's books.  Don't worry, you didn't miss much.

Also, DC only sent us four preview books and I still only managed to read two, so the last are sort of Snap Guesses.  Enjoy!

Captain America 65th Anniversary Special

Anniversary Special?  This isn't an Anniversary Special.  It's an Annual at best.  Everything in this is central to th current plot and doesn't so much look back fondly on the American hero so much as use an old mission to further the current.  Why is this an Anniversary Special?  It's not bad, the story's decent, nothing thrilling:  Cap and Bucky (now with more Winter Soldier-like action!) team up with Fury and the Howling Commandos to help dissenters foil a Nazi plot to unearth a giant robot.  Just a Tuesday during WWII, right?  Well, Bucky finds love with a plucky German girl and it turns out Cap is relating this story in the present to Sharon as an illustration of... uhm, how Bucky might be looking for this chick.  And that the Red Skull has gone back to look for the Robot.  Yeah.  The art is handled by two guys (Javier Pulido and Marcos Martin) who really pull the whole thing off thanks to the stylistic design that had me rechecking to make sure it wasn't Darwyn Cooke in disguise.  Again, a good Annual, a decent story... just not for an Anniversary.

Uncanny X-Men #471

No, no, what are Wolverine and Storm doing in Africa?  Really!  I want to know!  It looks interesting, like there might be something meaningful involved and relatable to the rest of the titles.  Come back!  Damn.  Back to Rachel Grey.  The Shi'ar Something-or-Others are back to let the X-Men kick them around again.  The Sentinel Squad (of two) accompany a Blackbird into town and ... don't really assist all too much aside from making a little boy's day.  Note the little boy in question:  we catch him playing with some Sentinel Squad action figures, making me wonder how publicized the 'Westchester Internment Camp' is.  What am I saying!  Like it matters with Civil War coming up... Anyway, the Shi'ar realize that sending this silly little group into kill Rachel isn't working and decide to just bomb the hell out of New York to get her.  Sensing this, Rachel and Psylocke join hands, avert Sudden Explosive Death and Rachel explains to Nightcrawler how all of this means she's honoring her mother's legacy.  These stories must make Chris Claremont SO happy.

Books of Doom #5

We all know the story, so sing along:  Doom starts revolution in Latveria.  He monologues, he promulgates (look it up).  He mercilessly kills those who oppose him.  Classic Doom.  Brubaker does a good job at narrating an incredibly dramatic and seminal villain, it's just that the art does not step up to the scope of this legend.  Pablo Raimondi is a decent guy, I'm not saying the art is bad, it's just not epic enough for the kind of story that's being told.  Like 8-Bit Shakespeare, without the novelty.

Spider-Man Araña: The Hunter Revealed #1

Oh, this is why the book didn't sell that well.  I liked the idea of a young super-heroic girl balancing school and adventure with an older mentor kind of guy (anyone watch Buffy?), but with all this 'Totem' and 'Secret Society' stuff, it's a little too complicated to be fun.  Though for the right age in the Anime-Laden Childhood kids seem to be having these days, it might be a good recommendation for the girl who's brother gets Dragonball.  So, there's two groups, the 'Webcorps' and the 'Sisters of the Wasp', they both have hunters and mages, there's some soul bonding involved, and they fight.  There's ancient secrets, there's resurrections and by the end of the book, both groups are pretty much toast, letting Araña drop all that complication and get on with her life.  Oh, and Spidey's in the book, mostly for show.  The middle bit is drawn by Sabrina's anime artist Tania Del Rio, and that's pretty fun and nicely gets you up to speed from Araña's back story.  On the whole, pretty cool for kids, not so great for Spidey fans.

Marvel Romance Redux: Guys and Dolls #1

Not as funny as the last one.  In fact, it's pretty unfunny.  And they're going with the random #1 on the cover instead of numbering them with each Marvel Romance Redux they do.  Unless you really like the gag or just want some old romance comic art, you can save the $2.99.

Marvel Spotlight: David Finch/Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa

Do you like those two guys?  Then this is the book for you.  If not, then you probably can save your $2.99 as most of the info inside can be gleamed off of Newsarama or the Marvel website.  This is a real hit-and-miss kind of thing depending on who the spotlight hits and what kind of extras they throw in and, at least for me, this is a miss.  Interesting to know Aguirre-Sacasa is a playwright and went to an Ivy League school, but not $2.99 interesting.

Untold Tales of the New Universe: Psi Force #1

Well, they couldn't all be cool.  The last two I read were surprisingly good and really did flesh out the Quarter Bin characters into something that you might want tolook back into.  This one?  ... Not so much.  In fact, you probably saw this episode of Captain Planet before.  They even have the Russian chick!  Five kids apparently with a variety of psychic powers were gathered together by their mentor who died but can be resummoned in spirit by them as a Native American superhero.  Yeah.  The two books previously previewed managed to be 80's enough for the theme but not annoyingly so.  Not this one!  See:  the Black Kid with the Basketball!  The Nerd!  The Jock in the Leather Jacket!  The Girl with all the 80's catchphrases you'd hope you'd never hear again!  And, as previously mentioned, the the Russian chick with the most unique spelling of the un-unique exclamation of 'Boshe Moi!' yet.  If you're looking for a real throwback, go ahead and try it and watch two Native American spirit warriors battle it out.

Fantastic Four #536

This book will sell out.  Guaranteed.  Not that it's good, but it keeps promising more in the Mighty Marvel Manner so everyone's going to think this is the first appearance of Mjolnir or something.  But what's actually inside?  The Fantastic Four (after a quick nod to both Amazing Spider-Man and the Illuminati special) go to fend off a horde of Doom bots suddenly at the site of a mysterious object that has recently crashed from space.  And lo and behold, Reed only now realizes it's Thor's mighty hammer.  Oh, and Doom's back.  For a man who really makes an entrance and can actually change the font that he proclaims his name in (something Straczynski has mentioned before), that was a really weak return.  No drama, no intrigue, just part of the Doom Bot Army.  Ah well.  Just a little taste t keep you interested, but no actual story involved.  And is it me or is Straczynski getting way too cheeky these days?  I mean, the fourth wall break with Tony and Peter Parker, the editor and writer text box 'fight' in the last issue of Amazing Spider-Man and this little note at the start of the FF here about the plane?  Not to mention the Words, Words, Words articles on Newsarama.  It's like he's trying to hard to be liked.  I'd rather have more plot.

New Avengers: Illuminati

Continuing our 'Will be Sold Out Before the Pulls are Done' theme, here's another one.  For the most part, this is a kind of a cool idea: the most powerful and world-moving characters in the Marvel Universe get together to share info and make the bid decisions.  Too bad they pretty much convince you otherwise within a couple pages of the book.  In fact, it doesn't really feel like anyone wants to be there at all besides Iron Man, who comes across as that one person who tries to take control of all the group events with or without your say so among your friends.  He thinks it's a dandy idea while everyone else either disagrees or shrugs their shoulders.  Black Panther tells them to walk away from it at their first meeting.  But do they listen?  Tony comes to the table again with an idea of putting the Hulk 'someplace else' for 'safety reasons' and Namor thinks that's crap.  He's the worst person to be right in situations like this because he's just going to come off like a prick.  And he does.  A fight even breaks out between him and Iron Man (hey, he was asking for it)!  Isn't this group supposed to be working for good here?  Aren't these heroes?  Why does every good guy these days have to be so pissy with one another?  Look at that cover!  They're all surly.  Suffice it to say, this is the book that lays out the entire damn show for Civil War.  Tony comes to the group to talk about it in their last meeting and it unsurprisingly doesn't go well.  Again.  He practically gives you the break down of how things are going to go in the books, he's that far reaching.  This should honestly be a rant in and of itself but let's just say the book has one awesome moment and a lot of letdown.  But we'll buy it anyway.

Sentry #7

By this point, I was pretty down when I was making notes for these reviews.  Marvel seemed full of promises and there was so little to show for it.  And then... the clouds parted, the angels sang, and I read the second to last issue of the Sentry.  God bless Paul Jenkins.  God bless us, everyone.  Because this is how it should be done.  This is how storytelling should grab and shake you down for all the sympathy you got.  Every issue has been phenomenal in its scope, story and what it's trying to tell you.  They tease you with a new take on the character, only to give you an all new idea with the next issue that leaves you hungry for more.  It's thoughtful, though-provoking, full of twists and turns that are unexpected but make sense and pull you along for a great ride.  God, I love this book.  Remember last issue where the Golden Guardian of Good comes to the realization he's in a mental institution?  Well, looks like Robert Reynolds is actually John Victor Williams, schizophrenic murderer, and he has dreamed up the entire Marvel Universe to cope with the horrible things he's done.  WOW.  But then, just when you're starting to wonder how this all happened, he's back to being the Sentry and Doctor Strange and the scientist that 'supposedly' gave him the super serum have teamed up to put him in that delusion!  This proves once again, they like writing Dr. Strange as a right bastard.  SHIELD shows up when the Sentry demands answers from the professor and, get this, detonates a bomb in the old man's chest before he can tell him The Truth.  Now, the Sentry must face the most EVIL looking Fortress of Solitude I have yet to see to face himself/Evil/the Void/another psychic presence/whatever this is going to be for the final issue.  And I cannot wait.

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #202

Pretty good.  Investigations into the origin of the Ripper continue, some leads are followed, some trails run cold and Batman s easily one step ahead of the reader.  The Penguin guest stars to spill some info while his thugs rough the Batman up.  Batman takes care of them handily and then asks the Penguin why he even bothered with the usual melee when he was just telling him the info anyway.  Well, you never know when a thug might get lucky.  It's sure, it's pretty interesting, nothing along the lines of what's going on in the books now and a good recommendation for someone coming in looking for a Batman Book.  Like coffee-flavored coffee.

Batman: Journey Into Knight #8

Okay, now someone told me this book was pretty good and whoever that was, I'm going sock them.  While Tan Eng Huat's art might have worked for the second-to-last try at the Doom Patrol, on Batman it just looks weird.  And if the art's off, it's really hard to get into the story.  It doesn't seem like I'm missing much though as people are being brainwashed by a psychic hotline.  Maybe this was just a bad issue.

Lucifer #72

Three more issues until the end of the series, so it's probably more tidy wrap up with Lucifer and maybe an idea of how this whole show's going to end.

Warlord #2

Someone swings a sword?  I mean, with a cover like that if someone didn't I'd be disappointed.

Tah-Dah! Reviews for 3/15

You know, I could have had these out a bit sooner, but... DevilDucky. I know, I'm a little slow on finding these things. =) Not to mention other momentous occasions.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SIR! To Mike and his sibling and anyone else he knows that might be having a birthday around now. Just in case.

Anyhoo, REVIEWS!

X-Men: Apocalypse vs. Dracula #2

Ah, continuity. Hee. Jack Starsmore, as a gift of being of Apocalypse's bloodline, can breathe fire, like his modern-day counterpart had stuck in his chest cavity could up until recently. I tickle easily. It's not moody, it's not evocative, it's not deep or metaphorical. It's fucking Apocalypse vs. Dracula and what it says on the cover, it delivers. The Akaba Clan summons up their dark lord (very Victorian and seance-y in a way), who treats them like the children that they are. Van Helsing is brought in by one of the lessers, Jack Starsmore, to explain our very simple plot and the big blonde guy from last issue brings home Drac. Sure, it doesn't thrill, but it abides.

New Mangaverse #3

Some serious 'splode here folks. The book at least doesn't take too seriously. The Manga-ized Asian Squad goes after an Air Force base, gives some powers to Warbird, then leaves. Back home, everyone (let's see, Spider-Man, Black Cat, MJ, the girl Johnny Storm, Iron Man and fan fav. Wolverine) bicker about until Wolverine slices off what looks to be a robotic arm on Black Cat, Spidey gives us a talking to on responsibility and then everyone goes and fights the bad guys. Forgivable that it's not that good because I don't think anyone suspects it to be.

Spider-Woman: Origin #4

Ok. She's gonna sleep with a name this issue. That's how these things go, right? Proves herself all bad-ass and wily and a killer then, to prove to guys they shouldn't be intimidated by a female lead, she has to be vulnerable through sex. Oh. It's her MOM that gets raped and killed. "Because she's a trained agent of blah blah blah.' See, even Nick's sick of it. "Would an agent of SHIELD stoop so low as to sleep with someone like me just to get close to information?" *ding* I'll take it. The underwater electricity is cute. Ms. Special Boots wants her parents so she goes along with the info Nick Fury gives her only to find her mother hastily undressed and blood-splotched thanks to B-lister, Whiplash. These days, we all know what that means. She then 'disappears' again to go find intel on an 'Athena Project', the reason why Whiplash did the deed he did. She plays the Merry Tart to Count Otto Vermis, also a Hydra guy but a smart one as he learns to kill the chick who asks too many questions during sex. They make a weak attempt at killing her and Spider-Woman goes to a Top Secret Base to find her Dad. On one hand, I wish this book was just over before it gets anymore cliched, but at the same time, I kind of want to know why on Earth they think this is all so cool. Also, Bendis should write more Fury.

Annihilation: Prologue #1

Giffen, you are a busy man. Funny how DC's Death is a Spunky Goth Girl, while Marvel's Death is apparently now Wednesday Addams. I miss the shapely skeleton. Well, at least it's interesting. I have to admit, it's hard to get into the hardcore sci-fi books in comics these days (at least in regards to the Big Two) because it's like knowing an entirely separate world. And when the normal super-world is confusing, a whole new one in space is another story. Especially when there is little current links between the two. It's a prologue, so there's a bunch of different spots to our story here, Drax and his wayward waif still going to prison, Richard Ryder coming in on special call from the Nova Corps, sneaking Super Skrull snooping around, Silver Surfer and Thanos sensing a 'disturbance in the force', and it's all tied together by a big destructo-armada from Annihilus and we have title sign. Again, it's easy to let stuff like this slip away from you in the big picture, but there's a lot of little touches to pull you into the story when you drift out too far. Let's see where they're going with this.

Punisher vs. Bullseye #5

Last issue, last one was ok, let's see what the whole thing was about anyways. Daniel Way really is the poor man's Ennis and you know, that's not a bad thing. Ryan Sook was the next best thing to Mike Mignola and I'll stilb pick up his stuff when I see it. I like my villains crafty and to take a guy who who's claim to fame was killing a chick who just came back anyways (thus taking any glory he might have had) and then send him off the track of one-trick pony to matching wits with the Punisher, that's okay in my book. If you read Bullseye's Greatest Hits, you know what I'm talking about. That almost 'Bugs Bunny' level of witty mayhem that leaves people with their pants down and Bullseye whistling away. Technically, this should have been Bullseye vs. Punisher since in the end, he kind of made out like a bandit, but I think another book got that first, so there ya go. Lots of little human touches, lots of fun. Punisher vs. Bullseye, just like the cover says.

Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #6

Okay, now I feel for the guy considering had to start out a nigh-brand new title with that whole Other debacle and he sorta swung and missed with the issue after, but this... this should be getting us on track, right? Spider-Man, written by a pretty funny and witty guy? Please? First off, the art: Roger Cruz is working here, making me wonder what happened to 'Ringo. Supporting characters are juggled well, considering the new Flash Thompson twist. The character, recently in a comatose state with a few little moments here and there seems apparently just fine and taking over his old spot as Peter Parker Provoker™ and Coach at the high school Parker works at. Oh, it's like the Odd Couple with teachers! And it's the 1960's all over again. Anyway, our story is simple: a mysterious and mystical masked Mexican wrestler has to wrestle Spider-Man and unmask him in public or lose his soul so he sets up a charity benefit with J. Jonah Jameson to lure Spider-Man to his clever trap. At the height of the wrestling match, Spider-Man pops those 'stinger' things from his wrists, apparently kills 'El Muerto' (wow, late night name grab, that one) and leaving everyone kinda 'huh?'. Also, Aunt May gives a little homespun advice that Wolverine is hip on and Jarvis asks her on a date. Old people are so cute. I tryst Mr. David, so we'll go another issue before he seems far too clogged by editorial decisions.

Generation M #5

Last issue! And it's ... very different from the others. Maybe because it throws the plot forward like a water balloon in a sling, only to splash all over you and leave you cold. Go metaphor, go. Finally, after dragging us through all that 'listening to other mutants' business, Sally Floyd tells her story and it's heartbreaking. That portion of the book really hit home and brought back the idea that 'M-Day' was more far reaching than we could see, which I hope was the point of this book. The Mutant Killer that's been haunting the last few issues shows up in person looking a lot like Brundle Fly and the X-Men pop in as well (oh yeah, Angel's wings or lack there of last issue? Clever ruse!). A mediocre fight ensues killing the only non-named guy they had (though I'll still call him Brundle Fly) and the main character is lauded by the hated and feared. Oh, yeah. Moonstar, on the cover, she gets a page that makes her seem far too overdramatic. 'But I don't dreeeeeam anymore!' Oh, quiet you, you're a character that's not going anywhere and hasn't for decades. Those are the real tragedies I suppose, all the named mutants that had been fan favorites for someone through the years, tossed aside for the New Big Thing and set adrift until the next retcon. Wow, if there had only been a book about their story...

Runaways #14

Honesty. You know, I think that's it. I think that's why this book does so well, it's the honesty of the characters and their small, self-contained story that everyone can relate to in away. You know, what Marvel's good at, the personal, relatable hero. Think on that for a minute.Okay, back to the book: the kids hangout, describe their current lot in life and how they feel about it, go through some subtle personal changes and we are then sent on a rather shaky bit of rewind and fast-forward as one of the other MMORPG groups traitor Alex Wilder used to hang out with get the idea something is/was up with their 'Captain America'. The emo kid in the group hacks into a bunch of stuff and figures out the plot of the book *plus* how to 'bring Alex back'. They do (because) and get entirely different results than they expected. When I read the book, I have to admit, I like it. I just don't read it all that often.

Untold Tales of the New Universe: Justice #1

This isn't Ellis's supposed Redux of the New Universe is it? I'm pretty sure it's just a nostalgic revisit. And what a revisit this is! Man, who knew I'd actually get something out of these little stories? Maybe there's something to those quarter-bin books after all. Also, this 'White Event'? Very 'Wild Cards-esque' and very fitting as to why I dig Marvel books so much. More on that later.
A unique little morality tale that comes across a lot better than Peter David's Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man one. There's a guy doing the wrong thing for arguably the right reasons. Justice finds that good acts can lead to possibly evil-er ones in the future and the fact that it's a shit job trying to sort that kind of stuff all out. A good single story you can kind of chew over and red at a coffee shop and debate with your friends. The art's not particularly spectacular (or amazing) but the story is good enough to propel it along.

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #201

See the 1950's sci-fi guy on the front. That's Clayface he doesn't matter in this issue in the slightest. Oh sure, he gets in a couple swings at the start, but that's it! What this book is actually about is the fact that Gotham has a 'Jack the Ripper-esque' legend that was never solved and some guy is saying in public that the killer was none other than Dr. Wayne, Bruce's daddy. At first Batman's like 'Whatevah, I'll just sue!' but Alfred sets him to task and let the Detective work begin! Interesting enough premise, but there's nothing interesting or new to the story that isn't being done better or cooler elsewhere. Want a story about Wayne past? Go find Batman: Secrets. Want some old school detective work? Go read Batman and the Monster Men. At least the 'Disguise lab' was kind of cool.

Birds of Prey #92

Another book to make me go 'Wow! 92 issues? Really?But it's more One Year Later madness as everyone kicks it up a notch in the DCU and Birds of Prey is no exception. Lady Shiva's on the team! Black Canary goes to an underground Vietnamese fighter training camp and gets her ass handed to her! The Crime Doctor needs to live and was that Gypsy? Well, Lady Shiva is an interesting development even if I'm not all that thrilled by the character. Like most OYL books, it's going to need a little time to settle in.

Red Sonja Claw #1

What ho then, ey? Fairly enjoyable sword swinging fun in a not terribly drawn book. Average and cheeky, just don't expect much. A man cursed with a webbed and kind of rotting looking hand (... and he's called the Claw? Sure, he's going kind of long nails, but...) decides to end it all and off himself, but not before bandits get to him first. Red Sonja, watching from a little ways away, decides that this is a good enough time as any to go join in the fight. Bandits dispatched, they share exposition and travel to a town where Red Sonja says there's someone who could help the guy out. Turns out the town went evil while she was away.

DMZ #5

Oh, wow. Where'd this book come from? How'd I miss this? I have a soft spot for cautionary tales and dystopian futures. And this just so happens to be a great issue to jump into! Go me. Apparently th main character is a journalist living in a pretty gritty and dark future. His jacket and pres badge are his life and when someone breaks into his apartment, that's what gets stolen, leading on a traveler's tour of this book's version of NYC. A little bit of info on everything and a good way to set you into the setting. I'm definitely looking up 1-4 now. Brian Wood's a good guy and enough like Jamie Hewlett that gets to me.

100 Bullets #70

>I know that if I'd been following the past 69 issues, I would be all over this story. As is, while the art and mood are terrific, it's just so far away from what I know (the basic premise as was told by me was that there are a 100 unmarked bullets in a case that are given to people in dire circumstances and it's sort of a play on what would you do if you really could get away with murder) that it's a very insular story. Some sort of thing is going on in the meat industry between rival factions and two brother, plus a mafioso type dies leaving his rather sharky family to decide if they're going to bond together or back stab each other to see who'll be in charge.

Elfquest: the Discovery #2

Okay. Are you sitting down? Get ready. I can't stand Elfquest. And yes, I am female. I know it's one of those books that chicks tend to gravitate towards but it just does nothing for me. The artwork is kind of weird in a not-that-manga kind of way, the language in the book is so purple it's nearly black and ... no. I mean, I'll read Mars and Hot Gimmick and a load of other very girly books but Elfquest I try to actively avoid. But, for you and DC Comics who sent out this issue for preview, I'll see what it's all about. So: Land Guy loves Water Girl, who he met psychically. Land Guy's homies are all for this and are really excited and the Token Human Chick acts like a 14 year old girl who finally got Billy to notice her. The Water Chick's homies are a bit more split on the matter. And by split, I mean there's one old crotchety guy who's all against it while everyone else thinks that psychic love is grand. The Earth Guy is going to take his magic palace to the bottom of the ocean to see his woman. The Water Peeps go to meet him and the Old Guy has a HUGE hissy fit and threatens to kill himself if they don't listen. So they do and in the end, most still think he should just chill out. He takes a bunch of people with him in a huff. Reading this was like sitting in a Harry Potter 'Shipper chatroom. And that means this book is gonna sell great.

Almost Preview Reviews – comics for 3/8

Sure, someone could read these before they go get their books, so watch out.  Could be spoilers.

BAM!  Review time!

New X-Men #24

I like Psylocke better in New X-Men than the Uncanny version.  No kinky stretching sessions for you, reader!  Why does this look familiar to me for some reason? The school bus from last issue really does blow up, killing Brian Cruz and a bunch of other people who can't really recall from the book and everyone takes the time to react, bury the dead and take stock of their lives.  Nice to see as so many things are going on these days, it takes a little of the edge off of a very humanizing book (not to mention all of the X-Titles) when someone dies or things blow up every single issue. The brand new junior team's world gets a little darker and a little more focus.  What room are they in with the Wolverine uniform, just sorta hanging there?  The Sentinel toting government continues to be blatant and terrible and suggest placing the blame for the students death's not on the GIANT ROBOTS SENT TO PROTECT THEM FROM THINGS LIKE THIS, nope.   Time to blame Emma!  Don't ask me why.  Maybe because it was her idea to get the kinds out of a dangerous situation in the first place.  Ah, well.  This book just got a whole lot more serious as of one issue.  Maybe it's my doubt in recent main X-Men titles, but I'm on an upswing with the New X-Men.

Cable & Deadpool #26

Steal those entry pages from Joe Kelly, Fabian!  I just wish you were a liiiiitle funnier.  WHOA!  Rad.  Apparently, Cable's been chasing Apocalypse from the past (yeah, I know) and now is hunting him down in the present (ok) and DP and Irene Merrywether go looking for him to find the usual big Apoca-Sphinx with a possibly EVIL Cable inside.  (anyone notice that now with Black Box, Cable now has... cable?)  The intro tells you it's not going to be funny this issue, but there are a couple chuckles as only DP can bring you as well as an interesting take on an old story.  The Return of Apocalypse was inevitable and as the intro put it 'the publishing budget needs a nice oomph in the first quarter... drag some low selling (yet incredibly highly praised) into the mix and PRESTO - cue ominous music - APOCALYPSE RETURNS'.  The honesty is nice.

X-Men: 198

The covers are great, they really make me think of revolution.  Too bad there's none inside.  God, Dave Hine wants Mutant Town back.  You can really tell he loved every single character he created and while I might not have been so inclined, I can respect that.  But when we go to revisit his old stomping ground, it's to follow two NY cops who have come to pressure a poor blue kid on smack into what they refer to as the 'MUTANT RELOCATION CENTER IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY'.  Jesus H. Christ.  Symbolism be damned, folks.  This is all related to the Squid Chest Guy by the Blue Guy, who after his tale, shoots up and goes to bed.  How quaint.  Apparently, Val's back for more Nazi-like edicts as she announces permanent structures will be built at the Westchester Happy Camp.  Now, we've all thought of this by now, I'm sure but how many students were there at Xavier's before again?  Someone did the math, I know it...   She also continues to announce, out loud, in front of (around) 198 angry mutants with their powers intact, that they can finally leave the compound BUT FIRST have to have a electronic tag placed under their skin.  It had to happen eventually, but one of the crow takes note of all this rather Gestapo and I'd never thought I'd say this but GO ERG!!  He stands up!  He notes how much BS this whole situation is!  And then... goes and gets the tag implant.  Nice. This tag, we find out, also can cause shocks to the system as a means of controlling behavior. Double nice.  Also, the guy with the squid stomach can also do voodoo on his little miniatures.  This is all going the wrong direction, folks.

Sensational Spider-Man #24

AUGH!  MY EYES!  THAT COVER!  Jesus, Spidey, tone down the 'Roids.  Ok, now I'll be honest:  the idea behind the story is not that bad.  All of Spidey's animal villains are on the fritz and going feral.  That I can get into.  It's the poor characterization, the Spawn art, the bad banter and the plot holes I can live without.  We start out with a 'Spider Sense on the fritz', which has to be a fine use of all the powers they've been throwing the guy recently. Spidey fights the Lizard and his son (similar circumstances I suppose), gets to the roof to find BC and then BC and Lizard fight.  Did I miss the Black Cat getting claws? And Medina's been wanting to draw BC in the rain FOREVER. 'I like a nice piece of tail as much as the next girl.  Can I have another?'  This kind of banter I can do without. Meanwhile, MJ is trying to stall a visiting John Jameson and Aunt May invites the poor boy up anyway.   'Was that bad, dear?  Are you angry?', she asks, suddenly senile.  As MJ can't put her finger on what's giving her the creeps, they find out that they are alone in this part of the building (convenient no save from Super HQ) and 'little Johnny Jameson' is strangling a drunken bellhop.  BC pushes Lizard off the roof, Lizard retreats and they find out someone shot the Lizard Jr. and he's reverted back to being a little boy.  Sad and messy.

Sentinel Squad O.N.E. #3

Is is sad to be rooting for the telekinetic dinosaurs?  After last issue's disaster, Sentinel Squad O.N.E. gets dressed down by Val Cooper (really, what happened to this woman?), some reassignments are made that don't much matter in the long run as they get their new CO (as stereotypical as it can get) then have to go the Savage Land to rescue the last squad that went down there (with Rhodey) and figure what the Mutates are up to.  *whew*  Finding a settlement of engineered dinos, they run at it like a brick wall and everyone dies.  But the main characters, of course.  The secret mutant Lexington (who's also a very generic mutant having something to do with electricity) takes charge and calls for a retreat.  The stereotype commander is dead by his own foolishness and now it's up to the survivors to actually THINK instead of run into things.  I might wind up liking this group just because they seem unkillable.  And hey, telekinetic dinosaurs.

Marvel Adventures: Fantastic Four #10

God I hope that Marvel's jerking me around on this Dead Sue thing.  That's such a bad idea as evidenced by the fun and flair of the Marvel Adventures stories.  If everyone read these books, they could see how easy it is to write the First Family.  Fun, light hearted, intelligent, full of action and wonder.  The Fantastic Four buy Vibranium that happens to have been poached and this issue's guest star, the Black Panther comes in to kick the ass of he who bought it.  Misunderstanding battle happens, the FF investigate (and get to a BEAUTIFUL bad cop/good cop with Storm and Thing) and go to Wakanda to explain themselves.  Another nifty misunderstanding fight, full of jungle traps and simple danger, that's eventually resolved.  We get a tour of awesome Wakanda, Thing wears a funny hat, then the bad guys show up to be thoroughly trounced by the good guys.  Victor is declared and the ewoks dance.  I'm really finding myself sold on these books.

4 First Family #1

Ok, more Dark FF.  It's the 'just after accident' stage when everyone is shuffled off into containment (think the movie) where Johnny put on ice, Sue's checking in on everyone invisibly, the Thing is put  through the usual rejection and anger phase and Reed stares out at the world in a little bit of a fugue state.  Turns out the fugue state is inhabited by some Franz Stahl guy and a lot of fairly vague questions are asked about what exactly happened to the lot of them.  One guy mentioned earlier who was also irradiated has a fit, breaks out and it looks like the Four get to do their thing.  It's a bit 'enh', the art's pretty thick and moody which fits the kind of realism they're trying to get at.  Not enough going on to really make a judgment just yet, let's see issue two and find out what their point is.

Son of M #4

And Pietro introduces huffing to the Ex-Mutants as well as his daughter.  This book continues to be watching one sad little man's train wreck and, though the time jumping thing's a little easier after this issue, it still leaves things unsettled.  Luna huffs, gets powers, they go to Genosha where Callisto gets to wax philosophical about her lost abilities, they have her huff and she gets them back with a peculiar price and everyone says Pietro's name a lot.  Crystal does not come off as a nice person, Medusa and BB seem rather reasonable despite the huge obvious signs that Pietro's doing wrong.  I'm going to keep reading it, looking for the pony in the pile.

the Pulse #14

the finale.  Back to what Bendis does best, dialogue, irony and grit.  And reminding me what it is that made me like this book so much when it first hit the shelves.  The humanizing of superpeople, the idea behind the mask, the person inside all this incredibleness.  If that makes sense.  Jessica relates the tale of how 'Mommy met Daddy' and no, it wasn't at a bar.  It was taking down the Owl ('if there's an animal, there's some guy who wants to be called that') where Jessica and Heroes for Hire first meet.  They convince her to stay for the clean up an they find two kids left by one of the villains.  Jessica takes off her mask in front of the cops to keep them from having to spend a night at the precinct alone and scared.  Luke Cage, struck by this humanity, goes to see her afterwards and bandages up a wound and lets her fall asleep on the couch.  It's humanizing, but not trivial.  The little things show up how much these characters are like us and how much we can live in their world.  Or already do.  A quintessential Marvel book and I'm sad to see it go.

Thunderbolts #100

Really?  Where have I been?  Boy is it hefty.  It's got the main story in the front and what looks like reprint backups to pad it out for the special #100.  Mind you, I haven't been reading this and opening it up, it seems like I missed a LOT.  But the basic story is that Zemo wants to destroy Captain Marvel (the Genis model, working under a new codename) because he's going to destroy the universe.  Those of you who read the Captain Marvel series know this is nothing new.  Zemo's Thunderbolts fight Songbird's Thunderbolts and eventually Genis is cheesed out of existence by scattering him through the Darkforce.  Songbird spends a moment to mope at his grave until Zemo locks lips with her and they convince themselves they did the right thing.  Very splashy, full of fight by name battles ('I'll get you, *Name of Character Here*!'  "You're going down, *Other Name*!'), a bit heavy handed, but I can't say it's a bad issue.

Batman and the Monster Men #5

I wish all Batman books could be like this.  I think what gets me right there is the fact it reminds me so much of the Batman cartoons, the Dini ones, with their black backgrounds and noir-o-vision.  The plot isn't complicated, you can see it a mile away but it's the mood and the tone that really make a good Batman book.  Hugo Strange's diabolical plans come to fruition, Commissioner Gordon is hassled about how he knows to contact 'the Bat-Man' (and yes, 'Joseph Loeb' is reference as a character) and Bruce Wayne's girlfriend's dad finally puts his drunken foot in it with the mob.  She goes to Bruce Wayne for help and what does he do.  That's right: slips something into her water and she's out like a light.  That's my Bruce.  But the Detective's mind is at work and he'll pull all this story together in the end.

Wildcats: Nemesis #7

I get the feeling that DC's Preview Books are just books that aren't selling as well that they don't want to promote.  That could be just me.  Anyways, the Wildcats team (do they capitalize the CATS anymore?) is still following around this Nemesis chick and she's still having uninked flashbacks to all the cool stuff she did in the past.  There's a nice Wildstorm history lesson at the front which reminds everyone why there are superhumans in the universe and the secret alien war that started everything, but other than that, the writing falls flat when it comes to the main character.  I thought the Bad Girl era of books was over, but from the overly vampy nature, to the killing a bunch of people in the most provocative gown she can, laughing at the tough guy characters and being the center of an already established team, she's just not doing it for me.  You know what is, though?  Taking the entire population of New Jersey and making a Mutate Army out of them.

Firestorm #23

It's One Year Later time!  Do not adjust your comic books, no one knows what's going on these days and that's kind of a unifying fact.  DC leaves us to hunt for clues in changes through all their books, so we start with Jason Rusch showing up at the center of an accidental blast from one of the most ridiculous bombs I've ever heard of.  A giant nuclear warhead that spawns a whole bunch of other little nuclear warheads.  Tell me we don't need one of those.  It was supposed to be a test, but something went wrong and now it's Firestorm to the rescue.  Senator Lorraine Kelly is not only Firebird, but she's the new Number Two needed to make Firestorm!  Professor Stein is missing and shady people are kidnapping the new duo!  It's wacky!  Not much to really say, since this is the start of something, but so far... I can't complain.  Let's see where all this One Year Later stuff goes.

Fables #47

Always a treat.  The second part of a two-part story that showcases two Empire puppets, Rodney and June, who want to be come real young men and women so they can marry and express their love.  It's a traveling tale (and I am such a sucker for those), taking you all the way from Geppetto's humble cabin in the Enchanted Wood to Fable Town itself, or at least the outskirts.  And let it not be said that this heartwarming fairy tale of love isn't without that patented Fable darker undertone.  Fables is such a wonderful series of tales, very detailed and intricate.  Call me girly, but this stuff is great.

Tom Strong #36

Whoa.  This is apparently... the last issue.  As evidenced by the end of the world scenario we find ourselves at on page one.  Nicely summarized, Tom Strong was sent off to find a missing runaway who turned out to be Promethea bringing about the end of the world.  We go through the America's Best Universe, so to speak, see everyone, go to our loved ones and embrace the unknown.  Very Alan Moore and in depth, but I look at how well this one issue was (since I haven't been following this book either) and think to myself, 'Man... did House of M suck'.  Not too shabby a tale for the end of a series I didn't read.

Hi Hi Puffy Ami Yumi #2

Hyperactive Child Theater presents a Few Minutes Entertainment!  This should go right into the hands of younger kids who are running around the stores pointing at all the anime and telling you which ones they have and which ones they don't.  Yu-Gi-Oh players and the Batman fans.  You know.  Three short simple stories full of anime-isms with scattered Japanese pop culture terms added for a brief educational experience.

Exterminators #3

....

Aaaand that's all the time we have!  (Seriously, just the cover of the book turned me off.  Please don't make me read it.)

Happy Wednesday.

Last Minute Judgments – Books for 2/22

Amazing Spider-Man #529

Welp, there it is, the new costume plus the Times New Roman fonted 'Civil War' banner. This is just the issue that tells everyone who's been reading Newsarama and other comic news sources what we already know: Spidey's getting a new costume from Iron Man that does a bunch of nifty things and that will require him to enter an important pact with Tony Stark that will come into play during Civil War. There's a fourth wall moment regarding Mary Jane's arm healing properties during The Other which was a little off-putting, the mention of a 'Blood Pact' between the two (their words, not mine) was a little more off-putting and the fact that Iron Man gets hold of Peter Parker via an eagle (is that an eagle?) statue in his bedroom, even more so. Little points aside, it's the issue that leads into all the rest and will most likely be important to collectors. But that's just me.

New X-Men #23

X-23's a cutie. I have to admit, despite not really caring for the title all that much, there's a lot of stuff going on. A nice change from the rather slowly paced other X-Books. There's a Student Battle Royale to determine who gets to stay at the mansion as the next team of X-Men and who has to take the bus home. Everyone's split up in this issue, whether it's by faction or team, beliefs (hey, Stryker again!) and the usual Human/Mutant issue, tons of strife and action. I just wish I felt a little more strongly about the characters other than 'Hey, that's a neat character design!'

Thing #4

Lockjaw! Lockjaw wins! Dan Slott proves again that not only can the 'ol' funny books' be funny, but... you can learn a little something in the process. Just let the man write. Don't worry about how bickering and irritating the FF seem, it'll all make sense in the end. He even throws in a fairly typical villain battle without making it seem obligatory. Lockjaw (yay) is out POV for the story about patience and family and it looks like they're going to be keeping the Inhuman pup in the book. Unexpected, but I trust Mr. Slott.

Captain America #15

What do you do after Winter Soldier? What could possibly follow bringing back Bucky? Apparently, it's the Red Skull's daughter. Not a bad 'quickie' deprogramming session that allows for readers to catch on this character and feel pretty bad for her in the process. An evil man with evil plans finds Synthia Schmidt and tries to bring back the line of the Red Skull and the gal he once knew despite her SHIELD programming to cover up the programming that the Red Skull gave her to make her the perfect little Nazi daughter. Rough time. But I have to say I want to see where he'll take this...

Fantastic Four #535

All ages? I didn't know this was 'All Ages' on the cover. Sweet! And we got a Hulk vs. Thing fight, making me the luckiest girl in the world. This is the 'shaved head Hulk', making me wonder where this is set, since (correct me if I'm wrong, lord knows I've been quite often of late) Hulk went Vin Diesel during Bruce Jones's run but got his hair back for Peter David's jump back. Hrm. Anyways, he and the Thing fight, hair or no, and I get a lovely dose of Hulk Philosophy via. Mr. Straczynski well illustrated. It's also a good family issue too, which is a point Mark Waid made so well when he was writing and does my heart good to see it settled in. And, for those keeping score at home, an inkling of 'Planet Hulk'/'Illuminati'.

Storm #1

Awesome! Great! Let's see it! Storm Goddess at work! Some romance and passion with Black Panther! A strong female character who is defined by who she is now and all that she's accomplished! ... Okay, maybe in a few more issues as we start this one off waaay back when with her start as an orphan thief. The writing is full of art but little substance. David Yardin's art is very real without looking photo-perfect, faces are built, Storm's awesome cat-like blue eyes are in effect and he has an etchy, but fluid storytelling style. Storm as Ragamuffin does click as much for me as I think she's pretty damn cool and there was that mini Ororo: Before the Storm which seemed pretty recent... I'd like to see something new out of this period and instead I get a fairly wincingly flowery inner monologue on Ororo's blossoming womanhood. The flashback to Storm's parents, pretty cool, but I think we're starting awfully slow on this one.

Wolverine #39

Wolverine finds the Winter Soldier, they fight. Ahh... so simple. So nice. There's a start with some officials getting put in a top secret prison for their own safety so Wolverine doesn't come for them and SHIELD's Thaddeus Dugan (can we still call him 'Dum Dum'?) jumping at shadows as he too fears the Canuck. I like the idea of 'mortal men' jumping at the thought of Wolvie as the Bogeyman, but... I dunno. I think of SHIELD as a very macho business with full guns a-blazing, waiting for that little hair man to 'come get some', but this could be me. I think Mark Texeira on Wolverine is great, probably my favorite artist for him (Javier Saltares is on breakdowns), and the fight's good and mean but... nothing new under the sun. Looks like Winter Soldier killed Wolvie's wife and unborn kid, giving Logan another notch on the 'dead love interest' list.

X-Men #183

Splash pages! Tell me Larocca isn't talking to Bryan Hitch on how to pad out an issue... This is Apocalypse's big appearance and he makes short work of those at the X-Mansion. The refugees think the big blue guy on the giant sphinx might have a point, Sunfire shows off his awesome Age of Apocalypse design (really, it's cool.) and does his work as the new Famine horseman. In order to stave off their new hunger, the refugees (not the X-Men, though, apparently, since they're major characters) and (get this) the Sentinel Squad jump in line for a taste of Apocalypse's blood. Wow. Oh, and Gambit turns traitor. Again. People, watch him. It just seems to quick, too easy. At least the Twelve was confusing.

The Book of Lost Souls #5

When I grow up, I'm going to be a Vertigo book! From the pretty and mysterious cover Tall Dark and Handsome, the angel on page two and the cheeky cat to the mascara tears, it's got all the earmarks of a stereotype. The last issue of the series, it looks like it might have been cool (the owner of the store rather liked it and he's strangely not known for reading a lot of books) but I can't get through it without making comparisons. Colleen Doran's art is lovely indeed and Straczynski's story looks solid. It's just a little shy of Gaiman. Gaimanesque.

Marvel Spotlight: Joss Whedon/Michael Lark

So, all those Director's Cut reprints must be doing well because Marvel made their own in-house magazine based on the interviews and 'commentary' those featured. Kinda neat. Not sure if I'd pay comic price for it ($2.99?), but it's fun to read.

Black Window: The Things They Say About Her #6

I love the Black Widow minis they've been doing. Richard H. Morgan is a smart and interesting writer who's totally got my attention when it comes to Natasha Romanov. I still can't put my finger on why I like this better than Spider-Woman: Origin. Maybe because it doesn't feel contrived. The art is beautiful and viscous and sinks in the story of political intrigue and vendettas right into the bone. I hope they keep this up because maybe the title isn't strong enough to carry a ongoing series, but the stories are just too cool.

Lucifer #71

Lucifer is some fine writing. Highly detailed and connected within itself, but accessible to the layman reader. I'm a sucker for linear tales and mission stories and adore cleverness in a main character and Lucifer never disappoints. The events of the religion-realigning story are coming to their rightful conclusion and Lucifer is just sort of cleaning up his own story and being keen. Ain't nothing wrong with that.

The American Way #1

Oh, lord. This book would have been a lot cooler 10-15 years ago. it would be quite talked about if it was just new. Disillusionment in your authority, questioning the idea of faith and complacency, peeking behind the curtain of a beloved administration to see their lies, it's kind of everywhere now. There's no such thing as the altruist anymore, everyone has to have done something wrong in their past, honor is sort of lost in the modern day. And seeing it in patriotic symbols reminiscent of one's childhood... I'm not intrigued, I'm just sort of depressed.

Catwoman #52

It's almost an okay issue to jump into. Too bad it's the last one before One Year Later. Catwoman, having her supporting cast threatened or in the hospital, confronts the madman Black Mask who's behind it all and deals with him in an efficient and brutal fashion. Another DCU chick playing hardball! Very well written and nicely played out. Makes me wanna hit the back issues which is always a good sign.

Much apologies for not finishing up the rest of the DC preview titles, but I was out of town this weekend. I promise it won't happen again.

Happy Wednesday!

Last Minute Reviews – Week of 2/15

Ack! My boss had sadly removed the preview books form the store to flip through at his leisure... and I only got my hands on them until yesterday. Bad reviewer! So, much apologies for the actual snap judgments and bare bones approach... at least I didn't miss a week.

Also, lease note: these reviews are being written by a girl, alone on Valentine's Day, eating chocolate and curled up on the couch in pajamas. Clichés abound!

Punisher vs. Bullseye #4

Color me pleasantly surprised! Not too shabby. A far sight better than the usual 'Punisher vs. _____' I've read. I think that's mostly due to Daniel Way's interpretation of Bullseye (yes, go read Bullseye's Greatest Hits, now in trade paperback. You'll be glad you did) and the fact that Steve Dillon's art makes me laugh from the moment I see it. And... possibly due to the fact that the Punisher is actually versus-ing Bullseye. They are against each other and do fight during the issue! How novel. Some fun rousting of the mafia (man, there must be a SURPLUS of mafia guys in the Marvel Universe. Them and ninjas. Kept in silos.) Some fun hand to hand combat eventually leading to a rescue from... some kids. With a rocket launcher. You're set.

Spider-Woman: Origin #3

Nope! Still don't like her, Marvel, you can stop trying so hard! Please? It's like they've dropped all premise of making Jessica Drew a deep and interesting person and just keep throwing stuff on her background and reputation and hope we just think she's 'cool' by default. Now, S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra want Ms. Special Boots for their super-secret plans so she runs away! Dyes her hair! And puts on the same style of outfit that X-23 had in NYX. She beats up EVERYBODY (poor Taskmaster...) and then runs away again! To College! And Nick Fury comes and tells her about her parents! Sorry, I've seen the 'I hate my implanted memories' before, called it Wolverine and it won't strike gold a second time. Well... a third. Kinda. Thanks, X-23. Mind you, if they'd made Jessica Drew an unpowered ex-hero who worked as a detective... then we'd have Alias. *tsk*

X-Men: Apocalypse vs. Dracula #1

More fun than I thought it would be. Let's face it, these X-Men minis don't have a really good track record. But this might actually be worth a second look come second issue time. Tieri really liked Bram Stoker's Dracula and most of the movie version of From Hell, so don't stop if you feel like you've seen this one before. Apocalypse as the head of a bloodline cult is certainly an interesting concept and even makes sense plot-wise. I'm not expecting Shakespeare, but this should prove kind of fun.

She-Hulk #5

This is the heartwarming supporting cast issue where everyone learns a little something. While I would have wanted more of the main character in her own title book, her fellows aren't all that distracting or obnoxious. New cast guy, the Two-Gun Kid, goes through a very mild 'new century-itis' thanks to having guest-starred in previous books around the 20th century, so his transition is nice and his story rather interesting. Awesome Andy kinda of takes the spotlight this issue as jealousy rears it's silent head against the wheelchair bound Ms. Book's doe-eyed looks at the new cowboy on staff at the law firm... yep. Pretty solid middle issue into something bigger. Not something I'd hand to a new reader (mind you, the cover kind of dissuades me from that already; ugh, another Greg Horn mess), but a little bit of sweet for the loyal reader.

Sentinel Squad O.N.E. #2

My turnoff include: bugs, a failure to communicate and BIG OPENING PAGES that have a SENTINEL snapping GALATICUS'S NECK. I wince just typing those words. Sure, it as part of a 'training exercise' but still.... COME ON. What is this book supposed to be anyway? It is a Voltron-style team robot book? Is it a secret organization book? Why do I care about these rather bitchy and bland people again? A gratuitous Hydra suicide bomber shows up for the 'Bots to actually do something and a member is gratuitously maimed. Oh, I wish this book was over.

New Mangaverse #2

Stupid cute. I'm not saying it's a work of genius that reinvents characters in a fascinating form or that I'm adding the book to my pull, but... I wouldn't kick it out of bed for eating crackers. A little bit of everything in the Marvel U. done up in big eyes and small mouth and a far sight better than the first attempts by Ben Dunn. Flip through it, enjoy a couple gags, see if it works for you.

Generation M #4

We're almost done with the series, and Sally Floyd is still an unrepentant drunk, the serial killer is still on the loose, more former mutants are S.O.L. and... I still want more. In fact, I would have been happy if the book was just a bunch of articles on how 'Decimation' has affected the Marvel Universe at large and the overlying plot wasn't there. I kind of care about all these poor loser and want to know what's going on with Toad, Beak, Jubilee (who was made useful and interesting in a few pages) and the rest.

Runaways #13

Ragamuffin fun. A little cloying for me, but personal and kind of endearing enough to let it slide. Mutant cutie-pie 'Princess Powerful' meets Oliver!

Daredevil #82

Seamless. Beautiful. It is so nice on a book as tightly written as Bendis had been at it to have the 'new guy' come in without a bump in transition. No big splashy 'lookit me! I'm the new writer!' plot points, no dropped characters, this was artfully done. Not easy shoes to fill, but Brubaker does a fine job at keeping the ball rolling and telling the kind of dark, grit-ridden stories we've come to expect from Daredevil. There's a small hiccup in the 'Mwhaaha!' moment at the very very end that could have been just left out, but I'm still going to hang out to see how they handle Foggy. I like underdogs.

Justice #4

Just epic! YES! Jim Krueger does it again with Alex Ross as they craft a fascinating story with just about everyone they can get their hands on. If you have it, find the Conan soundtrack and crack open this book for some truly widescreen storytelling. Lex Luthor shows up in the middle of my city the size of the tallest skyscraper, flanked by Poison Ivy, the Riddler and Black Manta (of all people!) and starts laying down some of the most honeyed poison to the populaces he can come up with all the while the Justice League is being taken out brutally one by one. 'Where are your heroes?' Luthor asks as they are all having their asses handed to them. WOW. And all of this... without mention of The Batman, most likely to come back and kick ass next issue. I am THERE.

Loveless #4

Well, Ma. Well, Pa. Some solid western-age here, very dark and episodically written, but not actually accessible to the first time reader. Mind you, this is issue was enough to make me consider going back for #1-3, so I wouldn't *not* recommend it, I'd just keep that little fact in mind...

Losers #32

Man, you had to be there. This is the last issue for the little series that could, a book that my Dad really likes, so I thought I'd give it a try. While Jock's artwork is really good, something about the book never stuck to me. Maybe because it came out around the time of Queen and Country, 100 Bullets and other similar books. I can't seem to put my finger on it, but there's something similar to all those books that I can't easily label ... at 12:50am. Anyhoo, this issue has a guy hand-detonating a nuke on his lap. Nice.

Hi Hi Puffy Ami Yumi #1

This is such a breakfast cereal book. Like a sugar bomb of clip art manga, Hi Hi Puffy Ami Yumi explodes into your face with super simple stories that all blend into one another with little 'fun facts' of Japanese words. Good for the hyperactive set.

Hellblazer #217

Okay, I like the cover artist. I thought no one could possibly take the place of Mr. Bradstreet, but the new stuff is growing on me. In order to cure his curse of doom and empathy, Constantine travels to Scotland to see who set him up for his current predicerment. Sill worth the next issue.

Y The Last Man #42

AAAH! Monkey issue! Why won't you let me be!?

Happy Wednesday everyone, and hopefully I can snag the preview books before the owner does.

Time Warped! – Preview Comic Reviews for 2/08

Here we are again! Hoorah. I'm almost getting the hang of all this, losing that 'New Blogger' smell as I figure out the how's and when's of posting, as well as learn not to post at 1am so my spelling's better.
Thanks for bearing with! Anyways, on to the comics:

The only thing missing is Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #200, and I'll probably flip through that on my lunch. Enjoy.

Future Snap Judgments and X-Apathy

Okay, last three books from the preview pile:

from the FUTURE! – Reviews for 2/1

Well, do remember I am new so I did my best on all the books I could and should have a few more tomorrow for wrap-up. But, until then, enjoy the following (now with formatting!):