REVIEWS:
MOVIES & DVDs | COMIC
BOOKS | VIDEOGAMES | WEB
SITES & MORE
April
Comics
by Mike-oh
Here's a quick review of the comics I'm reading this month. Updated
each week. Descriptions are pulled from Midtown
Comics' web site (New York City's finest comic book shop). Editorial
is what I write.
Week
of April 26
Blue
Beetle #2
DC
Writer: Keith Giffen, John Rogers
Artist: Cully Hamner
Description:
The new Beetle had enough to deal with in the increasingly strange
and dangerous days following the Scarab’s appearance. Now
he’s made his way home from the Infinite Crisis to discover
a totally changed world!
Editorial:
Okay. I'm hooked. At least for this first story arc. The art is
terrific. And the story is very captivating. I particularly like
this invention of the people that are invisible to everyone but
the Blue Beetle. It's intriguing. I can't wait for the next issue.
Villains
United Infinite Crisis Special
DC
Writer: Gail Simone
Artist: Dale Eaglesham
Description:
Ripped from the pages of Infinite Crisis! The Society has orchestrated
one of the biggest acts of terror the world has ever seen —
a global prison break. But when all of Earth's mightiest heroes
are missing in action, who will be there to stop the tide of evil
that threatens to engulf the entire planet?
Editorial:
Maybe I'm just getting burned out on the Crisis. Or maybe I'm just
so anxious for the seventh issue that nothing else will satisfy.
But what I think my real probelm with this one-shot is that DC has
been publishing One-Year Later stories for over a month now so that
it's hard for me to get into a story that has already passed according
to the most recent DC issues. It's like knowing the score of a football
game that you didn't get a chance to watch for yourself. Would watching
the game be interesting? Probably. But it's a lot less compelling.
It seems like the real goal of this Special is to lay pavement for
the upcoming Secret Six series more than it adds to the Crisis story.
All that said, Gail Simone's writing is riveting and Dale Eaglesham's
art is top-notch.
Annihilation
Ronan #1
Marvel
Writer: Simon Furman
Artist: Jorge Lucas
Description:
No longer recognized as “Accuser,” Ronan himself has
been accused, tried and stripped of his rank. Now Ronan is out to
clear his name! Guest starring a host of Marvel’s biggest
and baddest cosmic characters!
Editorial:
Ronan is a powerful character. But he's always been positioned as
a bad guy instead of simply a very powerful and very dangerous if
not very zealous warrior of justice. Ronan is not a super villain.
He's more like Galactus, like a force of nature. Anyway, Annihilation's
Ronan seems to be heading in the right direction. The issue begins
with Ronan metting out justice on a guy who killed his betrothed.
This is followed by some great battle scenes and then a little intrigue.
I am finding it a little difficulet to keep up with all of the different
story threads of Annihiliation and I'm sure it will be necessary
to read them all together once it's finished. I recommend holding
out for the collected volumes of this cosmic event unless you're
just a huge fan of the Sliver Surfer, Super Skrull, Ronan, and so
on. If that's the case, the struggle with the story might be worth
it.
Astonishing
X-Men #14
Marvel
Writer: Joss Whedon
Artist: John Cassaday
Description:
From peculiar to just plain bizarre, Emma Frost’s erratic
behavior has the X-Men spinning in a non-stop downward spiral. Will
an unlikely union be the final straw?
Editorial:
Something weird has happened. John Cassaday's art sucks. Thankfully
not throughout the entire issue. But beginning on page 3 and going
through page 8 (right up to the point where Scott is kissing Jean
and then we see in a close up the lips have changed into Emma's)
it seems as if John had someone else doing the inks. And some panels
look like bad enlargements of other panels. It's hardly the flawless
quality that we've come to expect from John. Maybe Marvel forced
some changes in these pages that he just didn't have the heart for.
Or perhaps he's trying to break in a protege. Or maybe he's giving
a sexy intern a little too much to do above the desk. I don't know.
But I hope it never happens again. This series is too good for compromises.
And frankly, with the exception of these pages, this issue is not
any different the rest of the series. It's excellent drama. And
I love the cliffhanger. I can't wait for the next issue.
Incredible
Hulk #94
Marvel
Writer: Greg Pak
Artist: Carlo Pagulayan
Description:
Stranded on an alien planet and thrown into the Imperial Arena to
fight as a gladiator, the Hulk seizes the opportunity to smash with
abandon. But inspired by the Hulk’s defiance of the corrupt
Red King, a group of rebels try to break him out of captivity. Will
the Hulk join the rebels’ cause? Or will he lead his fellow
gladiators to claim the glory offered by the arena?
Editorial:
Fun. I think I had expected this storyline to be a little more serious.
I don't know why. I guess becasue it was touted as one of Marvel's
big events of the year so I imagined that must mean it would be
very heady and full of drama. But instead, it's just a big, rollicking
adventure. Nothing wrong with that. And I think that Carlo's art
is actually improving with every issue. I don't know what's up with
that but I like it. I particlularly appreciated the tie to Journey
Into Mystery 83 and Thor's first apprearance. Very cool. I'm happy
to be along for the ride.
Week
of April 19
Justice
#5
DC
Writer: Jim Krueger, Alex Ross
Artist: Doug Braithwaite, Alex Ross
Description:
The conspiracy of villains has found a way to use Superman’s
powers against him. He’s beyond control and there’s
only one solution — which may kill him!
Editorial:
I'm having a real hard time following this story. I know I'm going
to have to go back and read all of the issues together. I probably
should've waited for the trade paperback collected volume. Right
now, the story is divided up into so many smaller situations, each
involving different heroes being attacked by different villains
that I've completely lost track of who is fighting who. Maybe it
doesn't matter. Anyway, the art is great and there are some pretty
cool moments in this issue like Bizzaro Superman using his freeze
vision, Captain Marvel showing up to save the day, and Alfred the
Butler putting a knife to the throat of Billy Batson with every
intention of slitting it. This is the problem with comics that come
out semi-monthly. The story is just too hard to follow. They should
just produce the whole thing and then publish it monthly.
Sgt
Rock The Prophecy #4
DC
Writer: Joe Kubert
Artist: Joe Kubert
Editorial:
Joe Kubert is one of my favorite artists. I fell in love with his
art in the seventies when he worked on DC's Tarzan. Every panel
is perfect. Even panels where he got sloppy still look great simply
because his style bridges this gap between stylized representationalism
and ultra-realism. There is something about every one of his creations
that make them seem as if they are truly alive. Which has always
applied to Easy Company. Kubert's squad of tough guys who always
get the short end of the stick but somehow manage to fight their
way to the top are a buch of Joes that feel like old friends. And
Kubert's illustrations are so consistent, it feels as if nothing
has changed since the last time we went into battle with these mugs.
One thing has changed since the last time. And that's the writer.
Brian Azzarello had that job most recently. And it made for a great
Sgt. Rock story. I wish Kubert had teamed up with someone else this
time around. 'Cause I love the art and the characters but the story
feels mailed in. It just seems like any one of a hundred Sgt. Rock
stories where Easy Co. is walking along in the forest when they
accidently walk right into a platoon of Germans and have to fight
their way out. And when it's over, all the krauts are dead and all
of our favorite Easy Co characters are still alive and kicking.
Except for Shorty, who bought the farm because we don't care about
Shorty.
Testament
#5
DC/Vertigo
Writer: Douglas Rushkoff
Artist: Liam Sharp
Editorial:
This is the end of the first story arc and I don't think I'll be
back for the second one. This has been a very ambitious project
and there is a lot to admire here. But overall, the story has been
hard to follow and much of the experimental storytelling effects
have actually gotten in the way of the story and made it more confusing
than interesting. But the biggest problem is the inconsistency of
the art. Every other page looks like it was rushed just to meet
a deadline. And while I totally appreciate a book that comes out
on time and completely understand the difficulty involved in producing
perfect art from one panel to the next, I'm afraid in the case of
Testament, the entire story has suffered as a result. It's too bad,
because I feel like the book has a lot of potential. And I think
the creative team can meet that potential. They need more time to
make it better than it is now. Unfortunately, I don't have the time
to spend with them while they are honing their craft. I'll have
to catch them later.
Annihilation
Nova #1
Marvel
Writer: Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning
Artist: Kev Walker
Description:
Beaten and nearly dead, Nova prepares to go back into battle! Can
Nova cope with the awful burden of Xandar’s legacy? Can he
carry a warning to friendly space? Can he even stay alive for another
five minutes with the murdering hosts of the Annihilation Wave closing
in?
Editorial:
I've never read any Nova stories before. I had only seen the character
make cameo appearances in Spider-man comics and maybe an Avenger
book or a Fantastic Four mag. But I picked up this ish 'cause I'm
following the whole Annihilation thing and I'm glad I did. I haven't
learned a lot about the character but I am already caught up in
the whole Last of the Mohicans thing. And I'm very interested in
seeing exactly how he will adjust to his new powers. I hope it's
not an easy adjustment. Anyway, great story and good art is helping
to round out this event overall and even covers some of the bad
smell that was Annihilation Super Skrull.
Daredevil
#84
Marvel
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Michael Lark
Description:
We’ve all seen Daredevil pushed too far, seen what happens
when he pushes back, and we know it always ends in tears. Now, with
the death of Foggy Nelson plaguing his every waking moment, Matt,
blaming himself, runs wild in Rykers, determined to find out who
put his best friend at the end of a knife. This is Daredevil as
you’ve never seen him before, unplugged from his own sense
of right and wrong, alone in the cold walls of the system he’s
spent his life defending, and the only thing on his mind is vengeance!
Editorial:
This has become the comic book that I am the most interested in.
Well, this one and Batman Year One Hundred which are closely followed
by Nextwave and All-Star Superman. Maybe I should just quit buying
anything else and only buy these four comics. It would probably
save me a lot of money. But if I bought comics that way, I would
have never picked up this issue of Daredevil. If you remeber, I
never followed the Bendis issues that lead up to this story arc.
Everyone always said they were great but I said I'm reading too
many books to begin with. Then they brought on Brubaker and Lark
which wowed me with Gotham Central and I knew I had to see what
they would do with Horn Head. I'm not at all disappointed. It is
so awesome, I get giddy everytime I read this book. I literally
had a fit of hysteria when I saw at the end of the book who was
getting himself arrested, assumably because he realized that Daredevil
was getting to cut loose on a prison full of bad guys and he (I
won't spoil it by mentioning his name) couldn't stand the thought
of being left out of such a huge Bonanza of Bad Guy Beatings. Other
great moments include the opening scene where they wheel Bullseye
into prison tied up like Hannibal Lecter (exactly like Hannibal
Lecter) becasue they're all scared to death of him. It scared me
too. And then there's JJJ chewin' the butt off of Ben Urich. I love
it when Jameson gets pissed. And there's this great scene where
the warden is basically begging Murdock to give him a break and
quit putting prisoners in the infirmary. I love how Matt repsonds
like Vinnie Barbarino goin', "What? Did I do somethin'? What
did I do?" Maybe in the next issue, he'll have a note from
Epstein's mother.
Nextwave
Agents Of HATE #4
Marvel
Writer: Warren Ellis
Artist: Stuart Immonen
Description:
Put your thinking caps on, you naughty children. MATH TIME!!! Try
to solve this equation: Corrupt policeman + giant, hungry robot
÷ Manhattan clam chowder * (origin of The Captain –
logic) + Y + a chair3 = YOUR FAVORITE BOOK. Solve for “Y”.
Nope, Y / a 1979 Volkswagon Rabbit. Y = explosions. HAVEN’T
YOU BEEN PAYING ATTENTION?
Editorial:
As I just mentioned, Nextwave is near the very top of my list of
favorite current comics. It's just so entertaining and genuinely
funny. There are plenty of comics that attempt humor on a regular
basis. Anyone who writes for Spider-man has got to be funny but
how many times is it really funny? Nextwave is like Family Guy funny
or maybe a better comparison is Futurama funny while all other comics
are only Cosby Show funny or even Everybody Loves Raymond funny.
You know, good for a smile and a couple of laughs. Nextwave will
never settle for a couple of laughs. When you pea your pants, then
they're happy. They're just sick.
Squadron
Supreme #2
Marvel
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Artist: Gary Frank
Description:
The combined might of Hyperion, Zarda, and Doctor Spectrum could
wipe out any nation on Earth, so with these powerful agents acting
under the banner of the stars and stripes, America’s enemies
have everything to fear. That is, except for one nation, whose general
might just hold the key to humbling America and obliterating the
Squadron Supreme. Will the team’s very first mission also
be their last?
Editorial:
This used to be an interesting story when they were first introducing
the characters as individuals. I'm not so sure I'm on board with
the team, though. I probably need to read a few more issues but
I'm tired of stories that require that kind of investment. All-Star
Superman, Batman Year One Hundred, Nextwave — these are comics
that grab you right out of the gate and make you hungry for the
next issue. I don't care what happens in the next issue of Squadron
Supreme.
Wolverine
Origins #1
Marvel
Writer: Daniel Way
Artist: Steve Dillon
Description:
Premiering a new ongoing series that picks up where House of M #8
and “Origins and Endings” (WOLVERINE #36-40) left off!
Armed with the one thing that could kill him, as well as key clues
to his very existence, Logan embarks on the first leg of a long
and bloody quest for vengeance against those who once enslaved him.
No longer feeling the need to play it quiet, Logan’s first
strike elicits a Condition Critical response from the U.S. government.
With no other choice, they drop their bomb – and you won’t
believe who it is! When Logan hits D.C., someone’s going to
be waiting for him. [Whatever you do, don’t turn to the last
page of this issue until you’ve read the whole issue -- you’ll
regret it if you do.]
Editorial:
I, for one am very disappointed. I'm not going to bother with this
new series. Origin was great. And it lived up to the promise
of the title. Origins on the other hand didn't seem to
have anything to do with Wolverine's Origin at all. Wolverine is
out for vengeance against the people responsible for putting him
into the Weapon X program I assume. But there is no real revelation
here. Nothing has been included in this issue that we didn't already
know or surmise. It's just Wolverine marching into the White House
to kick some butt. I don't see how this series will work if we don't
get to learn some new juicy tidbit about Wolverine's past that he
had before forgotten and now remembers but we've never been privvy
to until this issue. What's the sense of having another issue that
features Wolverine walking around and kicking butt? Oh, he's got
a samurai sword. Never mind.
Week
of April 12
Annihilation
Super Skrull #1
Marvel
Writer: Javier Grillo-Marxuach
Artist: Greg Titus
Description:
From one of the writers of the hit television series “LOST”,
comes a new vision of the venerable villain as Super-Skrull brings
his devious cunning to bear on an unstoppable enemy! Super-Skrull
bursts into the frontline of the war against the Annihilation Wave
— taking the fight to the enemy in his own ruthless way. And
for once, evil may just be the only way to defeat evil!
Editorial:
I've always liked Super-Skrull and have wondered why he has never
played a bigger role in the Marvel Universe as a major bad-ass.
He should be scaring the hell out of everyone given his powers and
training. So I was happy to see that he would be included as a major
player in the Annihilation storyline. And the story is good. But
the art is not. I'm very disappointed in Greg Titus. His style is
entirely too cartoony to be appropriatet for this story of destruction
and mayhem on a glactic scale. I don't know if this is going to
ruin the entire story but it seems unnecessary given the stable
of talent Marvel has available to them.
Superman
#651
DC
Writer: Geoff Johns, Kurt Busiek
Artist: Pete Woods
Description:
This issue features guest stars galore, including Supergirl, The
Prankster, Lex Luthor, the all-new Flea Circus and more as the Man
of Steel mulls over an incredible offer — with incredible
ramifications — from Green Lantern. Meanwhile, the Flea Circus
breaks one of Superman's deadliest villains out of prison while
another threat from his rogues gallery forms an unlikely alliance!
Editorial:
Are Geoff and Kurt trying to make this story boring? I really question
their decision to have Clark Kent turn down the chance to get back
in the action as the Superman/Green Lantern. Or even the idea that
the Lantern ring would effect Clark the way that it did with him
floating there in his Green Lantern Clark Kent guise instead of
a Green Lantern Superman guise. And how cool would that have been.
Kind of like the Green Lantern Batman from Green Lantern a month
ago. But no. Instead, we have mild mannered Clark Kent sitting on
the sidelines calling Supergirl to do his fighting for him. I said
last month that I would wait this out. And I will continue to read
the next couple of issues. But I'm very disappointed at this point.
The hope was that Infinite Crisis would re-establish Superman as
the pre-eminent superhero. Instead, he's just sitting by while everyone
else takes center stage in his own book. This is the first major
chink in the new DC Universe armor and I hope it gets fixed. I'd
hate to think that after DC did such a great job with the Infinite
Crisis, that they'll squander all that work and story building that
was so masterfully done over the course of the last year. How can
Superman be recast as everyone's leader when he's got Hawkgirl (Hawkgirl!)
telling him to sit this one out? Ahhhh!
Batman
Year One Hundred #3
DC
Writer: Paul Pope
Artist: Paul Pope
Description:
A forgotten legend from the past is again loosed on the streets
of Gotham. Amid grisly murder and government conspiracy, Detective
Gordon tries to solve the deadliest of mysteries: Who is the man
behind Batman’s mask?
Editorial:
This is so great. I know it will be over too soon for me. But I'm
grateful for the ride. I lvoe everything about it. And it's very
refreshing to have art and copy both so perfect and from the same
creator as well. An amazing feat. This is a fast paced, action packed
gritty drama placed in the foreseeable future featuring familiar
names and characters who, despite their familiarity, still have
a real sense of mystery about them. The story is exciting as well.
I was imagining that Ra's Al Ghul will be revealed as the villain
since it involves a biological weapon designed to wipe out billions
of people. Which totally smacks of Ra's. But I won't get to find
out until the story concludes next month. I can't wait. I only have
one nitpick. And that's with the title. So far, the story hasn't
really been very dependant on the idea that Batman has been doing
this for 100 years. There havce some references to Batman from th
eold days. But the story hasn't hinged on it. This could just as
easily be a Batman Year One story. Or an Elseworlds story. Batman
doesn't appear to be 100 hundred years old. And so far, his adventure
hasn't relied on him having been around in the past. It's kind of
a Batman, Year One in the future story more than anything else.
It doesn't bother me though. It's a great story with fantastic art.
I'm lovin' it. And if you're not readin' this one, you're nuts.
Ultimate
Extinction #4
Marvel
Writer: Warren Ellis
Artist:Brandon Peterson
Description:
As the Fantastic Four’s Reed Richards and the X-Men’s
Professor Xavier frantically search for a last-ditch defense against
Gah Lak Tus, the bizarre Silver Surfer is in a life-and-death struggle
with Captain America himself! Plus, much more on the mystery of
Moondragon...or is it Moondragons?
Editorial:
Brandon Peterson rocks. His artwork in this book is phenomenal.
Of course, I think he's doing a lot of this with computers. But
I don't care. I'm not some kind of purist. I'm glad to see any approach
that produces such stunning results. His pictures of the Silver
Surfer, Iron Man, the Triskelion, and the full cast are all excellent.
But in addition to the technical aspects, I found that scenes like
Reed Richards reaching out to console Sue Storm and Sue's subsequent
force field rejection to be very moving and appropriately emotional.
Nice trick given the tight, technical feeling of the illustraitons.
Pick up a copy and see for yourself. This is very special. Which
is more than I can say for the story. Which is a surprise considering
Warren Ellis is the scribe. I can't say that it;s awful. It's just
a little dull. I'm not sensing the impending doom of the planet
like I think I should. With the exception of Reed Richards totally
freaking out, the rest of those involved seem a little too calm
and professional. Anyway, it's not enough of a reason to drop the
book, I just which it was on par with the art.
BPRD
Universal Machine #1
Dark Horse
Writer: "Mike Mignola, John Arcudi"
Artist: Guy Davis
Description:
After their catastrophic encounter with the monster-god Katha Hem,
the B.P.R.D. begin the work of trying to pick up the pieces and
rebuild the team. Kate Corrigan travels to rural France in search
of an ancient text that might undo the death of Roger, while back
at B.P.R.D. Headquarters, Captain Daimio finally reveals the truth
about his own death.
Editorial;
I've been picking up BPRD from the beginning of Guy Davis' run on
the book. I'm a huge fan of Guy Davis. I was first turned on to
his work when I took a chance on trade paperback titled, "The
Nevermen." It was such a cool title, I had to check it out.
And from that moment, I was hooked. Strangely enough, I had reached
the end of the last BPRD story arc and had decided to stop collecting
the title. Not because I was disappointed or anything, I just felt
like I needed to turn my attention to something new. But last Wednesday
when faced with a new issue of BPRD, I just couldn't resist picking
up a copy. And I'm glad I did. This looks like it's going to be
a very cool story that takes place in a haunted French castle. I
have goosebumps just thinking about it. You don't want to miss this
one.
Crisis
Aftermath The Battle For Bludhaven #1
DC
Writer: Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray
Artist: Dan Jurgens
Description:
Bludhaven is no more. After the Secret Society dropped Chemo on
the city, thousands died and just as many were suddenly homeless.
And one year after the catastrophe, things are even worse. Shadowy
figures have been spotted among the wreckage. Are they there to
help, or are they omens of something far worse? The government has
outlawed all meta-human activity in and around the disaster zone
and installed their own heroes to keep the peace. But why is the
city still off-limits one year later? And what is the mysterious
secret lurking beneath the rubble?
Editorial:
I wsa going to buy this issue. And then I wasn't. Then I was. Then
I wasn't. I looked at the cover. It's awful. But it says "Infinite
Crisis Aftermath" at the top. Could be important. I opened
it up and looked inside and was reminded that Bludhaven was wiped
out by a big green mutant named Chemo that's essentially a giant
bag of weaponized chemicals. That was wild. So this is the story
that follows that event? Okay. I'll buy it. Mistake. It's real hard
to believe the events as they unfold. The Teen Titans were chased
off by the police and never came back? The president is ordering
the abuse of the civil rights of every survivor so the government
can experiment on them? I don't care how jaded your point-of-view
is towards the current administration, it's impossible to believe
that any administration could be this out of control and irrational.
It's too unlikely to make a good story. And the heroes and villains
in this issue have the cheesiest names in the DCU. Major Victory,
Silent Majority, Reactron. Nuclear Legion. Atomic Knights. It sounds
like the tripe I wrote when I was ten years old. You can chalk my
wallet up as one of the casualties of the Bludhaven devestation.
Nightwing
#119
DC
Writer: Bruce Jones
Artist: Joe Dodd
Description:
The streets of New York have never seen anything like the war raging
between twin super-powered crime lords and...twin Nightwings?
Editorial:
Jason Todd is making trouble for Dick Grayson. And it looks like
it's going to last for a while. I like this story. Twin bad guys.
New York City. Twin good guys -- if you can consider Jason Todd
to be a good guy. At least they look like twins. So far though,
it looks like Nightwing is getting pushed around. I hope he comes
to his senses soon and starts kickin' some butt. Terrific story
and solid art. I'm stickin' with this one a while longer.
Week
of April 5
Infinite
Crisis #6
DC
Writer:Geoff Johns
Artist:Phil Jimenez
Description:
Which events in this continuing epic will lead us to One Year Later?
What worlds live? Which hero dies?
Editorial:
I'm saving up my complete comments on this series — make that
event — until it's over. And by over, I'm not waiting until
they wrap up 52 and One Year Later. I just mean Issue 7 of Infinite
Crisis. With that said, this issue is continuing to deliver the
goods. Awesome art and riveting story make this series a must read
for everyone who loves the DC universe. It's impossible not to draw
the comparisons to the original Crisis of Infinite Earths because
those strings have been deliberately tied by the authors. Having
done so, they make this story stretch across real time as much as
it does across comic book time. If you haven't read Crisis of Infinite
Earths, do so now. And then pick up everything connected to this
story. DC is doing an awesome job of making all the tie-in stories
equally intense and significant. My only concern is that this story
takes a hard look at the shortcomings of the heroes of the DCU but
will Geoff Johns really be able to resolve all of those issues as
he resolves this gigantic story? It seems impossible, and yet he
hasn't missed anything yet. Go, Geoff! Go!
OMAC
Project Infinite Crisis Special
DC
Writer:Greg Rucka
Artist:Jesus Saiz
Description:
The end is just the beginning in this epic spy thriller by the team
behind the red-hot OMAC PROJECT miniseries! From the pages of INFINITE
CRISIS, the legacy of Brother Eye rains down on earth, threatening
exposure of a hero’s greatest secret and the dawning of a
world war!
Editorial:
There's a new Black king of Checkmate. And she's a total bee-atch.
A real bad ass. Brother Eye has crashed in the desert of the Middle
East and everyone is out to retrieve its data so Batman sicks Sasha
on it. Waiting for them is the Super-Omac and a whole lot of drama
around whether Sasha will fall under the control of Brother Eye
or if she will carry out her orders. This is excellent drama with
great, realistic dialogue and solid suspense. The artwork is also
pulled out of the top drawer. DC continues to make sure that every
aspect of the Crisis is solid all the way around.
Teen
Titans #34
DC
Writer:Geoff Johns
Artist:Tony Daniel
Description:
One Year Later...a new year of exciting adventures begins with the
“new” Teen Titans, the bizarre Doom Patrol and the mysterious
and secretive Titans East!
Editorial:
I picked up this issue because my comic shop retailer (Richard at
Zeus Comics) had the covers of the Alternate Cover version concealed.
I asked him about it and he said it was giving away somethign from
the current issue of Crisis. Well, I didn't buy the Alternate Cover,
mainly because Richard said that the art wasn't anything special
so I chose to avoid the gimmick this time. And I don't usually collect
Teen Titans but I've been checking out different One Year Later
titles just to see how much things have changed. So far, I'm wondering
how long it will be before DC changes it all back because in the
case of the Teen Titans, I'm not sure that these changes are for
the better. And that includes this issue's introduction of Marvin
and Wendy from the old Superfriends animated series. No sign of
Wonderdog.
Annihilation
Silver Surfer #1
Marvel
Writer:Keith Giffen
Artist:Renato Arlem
Description:
The Annihilation Wave has targeted the ex-heralds of Galactus. Hunted
by beings every bit as powerful as himself, the Silver Surfer must
find a way to unite Galactus’ ex-heralds against a common
foe! But, can even the united cosmic might of those who served Galactus
stand against these powerful beings called Seekers!? Guest starring:
FIRELORD and GABRIEL THE AIR WALKER. And introducing RAVENOUS!
Editorial:
So I'm a big fan of Marvel's aliens. Krees, Skrulls, Galactus, the
Watcher, Captain Marvel, Warlock, Drax the Destroyer, Thanos, and
the Silver Surfer. And it looks like Annihilation is going to be
pulling out most of Marvel's cosmic characters for this big space
opera. Get a front row seat becasue if this issue is any indication,
it's going to be quite a show.
Marvel
Team-Up #19
Marvel
Writer:Robert Kirkman
Artist:Cory Walker
Editorial:
Ivincible's creative team brings the magic to Marvel. Kirkman has
been writing for this book and producing stories that are nothing
but comic book fun. With Walker added to the team, it's only getting
better. I especially enjoyed Kirkman's take on Cable and his use
of time travel. The dialogue is entertaining and like always, this
team makes it just plain fun to read comics.
Marvel
Zombies #5
Marvel
Writer:Robert Kirkman
Artist:Sean Phillips
Description:
Is it wedding bells — or an Undead extravaganza!?! The world-devouring
Galactus makes his way to Earth to discover the dominant life form
is — Marvel Zombies! Can the zombies defend their world from
the Big G or will they meet their end in a planet-wide conflagration?
The answer will shock you in this conclusion that ties into Ultimate
Fantastic Four: “Frightful,” beginning next month!
Editorial:
Just when you thought it was over... Like any good Zombie story,
it keeps coming back. And what a relief. I was saddened to think
that this would be the end of the Marvel Zombies until I found out
the story continues, at least for one more issue if not a full story
arc, in Ultimate Fantastic Four. Which is fitting since that's where
it all started. At any rate, it's been a helluva ride. This has
been some of the funniest stuff I've read in comics and now this
issue delivers some of the best action around. Wolverine pops the
top off of the Juggernaut. The Red Skull scoops the brains out of
Captain America's skull. And Galactus gets consumed by the planet's
walking dead inhabitants in an ironic break from his normal planet
consuming routine. Some comic stories are significant as in the
case of Infinite Crisis or Watchmen. And some comic stories are
just fun like Marvel Team Up or Nextwave. Marvel Zombies has managed
to be both significant and fun by creating a tragically funny crossover
event between the Ultimate Marvel Universe and the... uh, Marvel
Zombie Universe. And best of all, it's not over yet.
So,
what do you think? Agree? Disagree? Let us know. All comments welcome.
Click here to give
us your feedback.
|
