BOUGHT/THOUGHT for Wednesday, May 2nd.

[Phaedrus45]

A Few Thoughts:

Dominion #1: In Boom's first issue, a virus hits Earth, Chicago in particular, turning random people into superhumans. The problem is every one seems to be a major villian whose only goal in life is to cause death and destruction. Following Officer Dick Urbanski, we see the chaos that ensues and how futile battling the infected seems to be. It's a decent first issue, and I'll give the second a try. The only problem is that the infected aren't too imaginative. We see someone who turns into flames (ala Johnny Storm), someone whose body turns into whatever he touches (ala Absorbing Man), and someone whose scream can demolish anything in its path (ala Black Bolt). 8/10

American Virgin #14: It's the day of the Miss Teen Miami Beach Pageant, and Adam is still looking for the girl who God plans for him to be with the rest of his life. In the mist of this, there is a hurricane, a scandal that makes everyone believe Adam is gay, and the man who's actually a woman who is becoming a man being in love with his step-sister. God knows why I'm still reading this book; it's not particularily good. I guess they have me interested enough to want to see what's going to happen next. Probably one of the biggest problems is the art. Sometimes an artist will grow on a reader, like with DMZ or Girls....but, after 14 issues, the art still makes everything look seedy and ugly. I'm done with this particular story arc; and, while I'm thinking about dropping the title, in all probability I'll be back next issue just to see what's next. 7/10

Body Shots #2: This Danger Girl miniseries is about a terrorist who has device which can detonate any nuclear weapon in the world and the President is left with the problem of whether or not to disarm all his nuclear weapons, leaving himself open to another country attacking the U.S.. To say this comic is bad is really understated. I've never read a Danger Girl comic before this series; but, this mini makes me very hesitant to read a back issue or ever buy another one of their comics again. I'm doubting I will even buy the last two issues of this series. The dialogue is some of the worst I've read, the characters are as two dimensional as you can get, and the whole thing rings of bad Laura Croft rip-off...just more girls. 2/10

Supernatural Origins #1: Never seen the CW tv series, Supernatural; but, it really doesn't seem that important to the enjoyment of this comic. The story begins with the death of John Winchester's wife, Julie, in a fire that destroyed his home. John escaped with his two kids, Sam and Dean; but, not before seeing his wife floating on the ceiling and being set ablaze by some unknown force. Issue one starts his search for whatever killed Julie. Also, there is a five page back-up story taking place a few years ahead of the first story by Geoff Johns that's pretty worthless. You just see the two kids a little older and dealing with the mysteries surrounding their mother and father. The worst part of the book is the art. It's pretty bad. The story is alright; it's just hard to judge some books by the first issue. I'll definitely give issue #2 a try. 7/10

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #3: Another comic based on a tv series I never watched. But, this series has been so solid, I'm really interested in maybe buying the first season and getting to know the characters a little better. All I can think is if I'm enjoying this as much without knowing the characters or some of the instances they talk about that happened in the past, people who are familiar with them must really be enjoying the book. This book seems to have everything a reader would want in a comic: humor, character advancement, and action. Plus, devotees of the series are even more rewarded by this being a continuation of a series they loved to watch. (Heck, I would love for Twin Peaks to continue, if only in comic form.) 9/10

Strangers In Paradise #89: For those of you who've never read an issue of Strangers In Paradise, you are missing the best series by an Independant company. (And, that's even an assertion that's been made by others, like Wizard magazine.) These last ten issues have been filled with so much emotion, as Terry Moore wraps everything up, tying up all the loose ends. Each issue I've gotten since the countdown began I have savored. I want to read it with immediately; but, there is a part of me that wants to hold off, since I know it's all going to end soon. One more issue...that's it. It's hard to believe I picked up this book the first time almost fifteen years ago.

This issue deals with two couples, Casey & Tambi and Katchoo & Francine. Casey and Tambi are dealing with the hurt they've caused Katchoo and there own feelings of guilt and love, while Francine and Katchoo are dealing with their feelings for one another. Each situation is emotional in its own right; both perfectly written and drawn. Terry Moore mixes humor and drama perfectly...it always seems to lead the reader to hold back tears. Within both these couples, David still resides. He might have died a few issues back, but his impact in their lives is still evident. This is a powerful book, and it will be one I miss the most of any that's ever seen cancellation. I've said it's the best Independant book out today; but, it might even be the best comic I've read to ever see print. This doesn't even touch on the fact that Strangers In Paradise has the best covers I've seen in comics. They are really works of art. I'd gladly hang each cover on my wall if I had a poster-sized print of them. This is not just my Book of the Week; it's my Book of a Lifetime. 10/10

 

[Themanofbat]

Having read DC's original Crisis back in 1985/1986, I was glad that they were eliminating their multiple universes so they could focus on ONE universe, much like Marvel... which was a good idea at the time, though (minorly) poorly executed, because it caused problems with the Legion and other such things that could not have possibly happened... which is why we had "Zero Hour", and other such DC history changing stories...

I'm not crazy about bringing back the multiple Universes because they were a pain in the ass in the 70's and 80's, and it will only be another decade or two before DC decides to hit their "reset" buttons and eliminate them.

The fact that DC feels it needs to "restart" every 8 or 10 years makes me always think of them as "second place", and I can appreciate the fact that Marvel has maintained it's core universe since Day 1, in spite of some radical character changes to some characters.

Just my two cents...

 

[Marcdachamp]

I have to correct you BUsiek, brought it back and put it to bed in his Avengers run. The Avengers Forever was a past version of Pym, before he had handled his problems.

Austen was the one to ignore the work that Busiak did in rebuilding Pym, when he tried to reintroduce the Pym wife beating thing. Then Bendis in standered bendis fashion, looked at maybe the last year of comics at best and then ignored it all and did what he wanted.

Actually, both past and present versions of Pym showed up.

As for Bendis, he really hasn't mentioned it often, if memory serves. In interviews, he's expressed a personal dislike for the character, but it isn't like he has Hank hitting Jan still.

 

[Phaedrus45]

More Thoughts:

All-New Official Handbook Update #2: These books are just invaluable to those of us who need to know a particular attribute of a costumed hero or villian in the Marvel Universe. (Come to think of it, I'm really surprised DC hasn't been putting out their Who's Who anymore, especially seeing that Marvel's Handbooks have been popular enough.) In this issue, I was excited to see entries on Hulk 2099, the Shaper of Worlds, Threnody, White Rabbit, and other characters I hadn't thought about for a while. On top of that, we get the ultimate Captain America bio that's 8 pages long! 9/10

Stephen King's Dark Tower #4: I have mixed emotions about this book. On one hand, I love to see the characters I've read brought to life in comic form; but, on the other, I realize that this limited comic form of only seven issues doesn't do The Dark Tower, Book 4, justice. Those who are new to this story don't have the advantage of the previous three books slowly building up the readers extreme desire to know of Roland's past; they don't get a real feel for the characters that the novel does so well; and, in just bringing the main portions of the novel to this comic, it's taken much of the life out of the tale. The hope is that many might explore the Dark Tower books further; I just don't know if this series would make me want to run out and do that. At least with Dabel's Anita Blake, so much is packed into each issue and the characters are all fully explored, I know eventually I'm going to try and read one of the original novels.

In this issue, we get deeper into the mystery of the town of Hambry, the relationship between Susan and Roland, and what could possibly be inside the Thinny. Beautifully drawn, the story focuses on certain characters more than others for the sake of brevity. (Don't expect to really get to know Roland's two friends, Alain and Cuthbert.) Plus, there is an excellent depiction of Roy Depape's interaction with a "weed-eater" who knows who Roland and his two friends really are. 8/10

Midnighter #7: I've got good news and bad news. The bad news is I didn't realize this comic was in my pull box, as I was going to drop it after the pretty dull first five issues. The good news is I just read this issue and am very impressed with it. In the spirit of Memento, each page of this story is what happened after the next page you read following it. (Kind of like what would happen if you read a regular comic from the last page to the first page.) Sure, it's a gimmic; but, it's done so well. Anyone could pick up this issue without having read a single issue of any comic featuring Midnighter and enjoy it without feeling like they are missing out on anything. I won't go into what the issue is about, as that's really not important. This is simply on of the best single issue comics I've read in a while. By the time you get to the last page, you will understand Midnighter's powers in a way that couldn't have been explained better. 10/10

 

[GNR]

Detective #832 - Shark's motives should have been explored a bit more instead of having Batman explain them on one page.Besides that,a pretty good ride as usual. 7.5/10

Green Lantern #19 - At this point I'm looking forward to Sinestro Corps more than anything else.This issue felt like one big explanation to newer GL fans,like myself,of what the SS is.Acuna's simple yet colorful art works so well in this book.But as some have pointed out,the back up story stole the show.Very disturbing stuff. 8/10

The Spirit #5 - Yet to read.

Avengers:The Initiative #1 and 2 - For the the first time in a good year and a half or so,I picked up a new Marvel series on a whim.Slott's always been in my good books with Thing and I'm With Stupid,plus the action scenes looked good,so I thought what the hell.

Very enjoyable ensemble book which does a perfect job of shifting the focus from character to character.I found alot of lines awkward like Gauntlet's "badass" military rants and the whole idea of calling careless and wreckless heroes "New Warriors".Caselli's art really grew on me,I complained earlier how it looked like fan art,but it's very fluid and loose,I like it.

Overall,I'm digging the premise of the book.I just hope Slott tones down the military cliches a little bit and gets some solid stories going instead of having young heroes getting their balls busted every issue.But hey,it's only 2 issues in. 9/10

Hulk #106 - Good to see Jen get her Hulk powers back.It's a shame she looks to be sitting on the sidelines for now,but there's no way in hell she's sitting anything out.Samson and Reed were total pricks in this issue,Reed needs a good ass whippin',I can't stand this cold calculating prick anymore.I was jumping for joy when I saw Herc and Angel meet up with Cho.I was confused at first thinking Reed sent Angel and Herc to lure Cho,then again why would Herc do the bidding or Reed after all the CW madness.Good start,looking forward to the formation of Hulk's allies. 9/10

 

[Darthphere]

Midnighter #7: I've got good news and bad news. The bad news is I didn't realize this comic was in my pull box, as I was going to drop it after the pretty dull first five issues. The good news is I just read this issue and am very impressed with it. In the spirit of Memento, each page of this story is what happened after the next page you read following it. (Kind of like what would happen if you read a regular comic from the last page to the first page.) Sure, it's a gimmic; but, it's done so well. Anyone could pick up this issue without having read a single issue of any comic featuring Midnighter and enjoy it without feeling like they are missing out on anything. I won't go into what the issue is about, as that's really not important. This is simply on of the best single issue comics I've read in a while. By the time you get to the last page, you will understand Midnighter's powers in a way that couldn't have been explained better. 10/10

Was this the issue written by Vaughan? Because that would easily explain its awesomeness.

 

[Dread]

I also got the ALL NEW OFFICIAL HANDBOOK UPDATE #2, and these things are review proof; you either nitpick the errors or typos, or you can enjoy these fact files on Marvel's characters. The greatest edition is an 8 page Bio on Cap, which beats out the measily 2-3 pages he got in 2004. Other inclusions are AIM (those MODOC units from Bru's run actually look pretty cool, shame I'll never read it), Iron Maniac (who is not much different than the actual Iron Man anymore, just more obvious), and White Rabbit. I always enjoy these handbooks, and this will be no exception. A lot of info and reading value for $4.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Was this the issue written by Vaughan? Because that would easily explain its awesomeness.

Yep, I just looked at the cover, and it was written by Vaughan. In fact, I had issue #6 in my comic box that I carry around to work every day. I never got around to reading it; but, I did last night. It was also a pretty good single story issue. I'm thinking I'm going to have to keep getting this comic for a while longer.

 

[kainedamo]

I swear, Joss Whedon is hacking my computer and stealing characters I wrote for fun years ago.

 

[Overman27pj]

Cool thread...I love reading these reviews...

 

[Darthphere]

I swear, Joss Whedon is hacking my computer and stealing characters I wrote for fun years ago.

You should sue.

Anyway, here are my reviews:

Right here dumbass.

Its the cool thing now. You know, linking over to your reviews. All the cool kids are doing it.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

52 #52

Booster Gold saves the universe. What's not to like. I especially liked the shot where Supernova was leaping through time and the events of the previous year were being played out in the background. Epic.

World War Hulk: Prologue

Pretty interesting but I thought the whole thing made Hulk look really bad in the end. Doc Samson's arguments came off as valid and Hulk's felt delusional. Although the Blag Bult (sp?) typo was funny.

Ms. Marvel #15

Pretty good set-up. AIM civil-war I like it. The parts with Carol cursing Commander Hill out were hilarious.

Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness #3

Just transitory: nothing really happens beside them hooking up with Scarlet Witch and heading for Latveria.

Iron Man #17

CAN WE GET GOING!?!

 

[BrianWilly]

52 Week frikkin' bloody 52, btches
Heroes fight a huge villain and save the day.

Booster and Skeets end up okay. Steel and Natasha end up okay. Renee and Kate end up okay. Dog Magnus ends up okay. All the space heroes end up okay. Black Adam is...not okay, but hanging in there and, hey lookit, Isis may be coming back in some way. And hey lookit, Ralph and Sue are okay...incredibly dead, but okay!

Here, heroes can win. Here, likeable characters can go on grand adventures and face overwhelming odds and come out on top. Past and new friendships are valued and important. A phrase like "saving the universe" can be said with all genuine genuity instead of as a tongue-in-cheek, half-scornful "Heheh yeah, remember how silly we were back then?" throwaway line from government-sponsored *****ebags.

And all of this isn't passed off as juvenile or outdated; it's treated respectfully, meticulously crafted, skillfully constructed storytelling.

And, oh, football saves the universe.

52 was a massive and ambitious undertaking for these writers and while it diverged rather rapidly from its original intent, I think everyone here would agree that it has been an unparalleled success. And when I say "everyone here would agree," mostly I mean smart people. The bar has been raised to an abject degree.

What do I think about the reemergence of the multiverse...or, rather, the megaverse? Well...hnn. It's tough to say. We all know that there is very rarely such a thing as an irredeemable concept, just writers who are unable to make it good. And we all know that there are lots of very cool, very interesting concepts out there that inept writers have turned into trash. Where is this going to fall? Impossible to say.

The fact is that, in practice, there has always been a multiverse in both DC and Marvel. "Bringing back the multiverse" and creating tons of alternate realities to visit is really no different from "No more mutants" reducing the number of mutants from millions to hundreds; it sounds big, but means nothing for the story in practice. A million mutants did not appear in every issue of Marvel comics before House of M. And even after you've made a huge fuss of decimating them, any writer could still create any mutant or superpowered character at their whim without any origins for any reason whatsoever anyway. In the case of the multiverse: In comic books, alternate universes and alternate timelines and alternate futures and alternate pasts and whateverthehell were always there and will always be there. Any writer could have written any alternate reality story they wanted at any point of any plotline, and they often did! Having the multiverse back in DC doesn't change the mechanics of the storyverse in any way; all it does is draw attention to a tool that was already there.

Right now I'm caught up in the romanticism and nostalgia of it all. The acknowledgement of the multiverse really was a big, vibrant part of DCU history and to hear Rip Hunter fondly state, "Welcome home" was...well, at the least, the writers seem to know what they're doing. If they're going to go for it at all, I want them to go all the way; no half-assedness, no apologetics, investing as much time and effort into this concept as it deserves and -- more importantly -- needs. Frankly, the multiverse isn't really that difficult a concept, and it's been even further simplified now; if you can understand frikkin' Wolverine origins, you can bloody well understand the idea of a multiverse.

But let's be real; the multiverse -- even in its most simplistic, straightforward incarnations -- is a hard sell. And so many things can (and probably will) go wrong. And frankly, the DCU has been doing okay "without it" for twentysomething years now ("without it" in quotes because, like I said, it'll always exist in some capacity in comics) so I guess the real question isn't nessarily "will it work?" but "why even bother?" On the other hand...I remember when Infinite Crisis was in full swing and it felt really, really exciting to be a DC fan; big plots were in motion, interesting ideas were popping up all over the place, characters were pushed to the point where they had no choice but to shine, and everything was swept along in the rolling, ongoing saga of the universe. It's a feeling that OYL hasn't really captured -- but that's possibly a good thing 'cause it is something we (and the titles themselves) need a break from every now and then) -- and...well, not to jinx this, but I feel a bit of that feeling in where we're going with this.

To be honest, though, it's entirely possible that my tolerance level for stupid, offensive, inept stories have skyrocketed as of late since, hey, I managed to survive Amazons Attack #1 if only just barely. Remembers kids!...no matter how bad it gets, be thankful that it's not worse.

Good thing I had titles like 52 to keep me going. So here's to that, and a great finale.

(10 out of 10)
(9.3 out of 10 for the entire series)


Astonishing X-Men #21
Oh, I dunno, Pete...it's not as confusing as you'd think. Just...y'know. Fill'er up.

Didn't Scott already say or at least pretty strongly allude to being in love with Emma during Phoenix: Endsong? Or did I just imagine that? Ah, here, see?..."You're good for me, Emma Frost. That's why I love you." I guess that's not exactly the same thing as being in love with someone but...well, there it is. But then again, expecting Joss to allude to the rest of Marvel continuity? Let's not get crazy, here!

I love reading Joss' words. I'm not sure if that's disturbing, but I do. In any other context, from any other author, the female Breakworlder's lengthy convo with Kitty and Pete about the nature of their world, of fate and salvation, would come across most pretentious and diatribey. From Joss, it reads like music. It's fascinating, articulate, thoughtful, and worth reading. Same thing with the "Dangerous" arc, really...where other people (read: less smart) saw yet another MACHINE GOES WILD LULZ story, I saw an incredibly meaningful discourse into the nature of sentience and self-determination.

Looking forward to all these subplots winding together. Y'know, a bit of a tangent: the stories that I personally like the most are the ones with intricate, complicated but understandable plotlines that weave in and out of each, building with each other, and coming all to a head at the very end. The aforementioned Infinite Crisis, for example, or Lord of the Rings. Like chess pieces moving across the board, every step is important and nothing could be resolved at the end without everything resolved. I see a bit of that here. And I like it.

(9 out of 10)


Teen Titans #46
Huh. What's that sound? Oh right, it's the mewling, pathetic gasps of a whimper.

Y'know, as opposed to a bang?

Johns' last issue on this series, and my Buffy I don't think I've hated any other issue quite as much as I've hated this one. I honestly remember when this book was one of my top three favorites. I could accuse him of being out of steam, except that he's still cranking out bloody brilliant work in JSA, so frankly he has no excuse here. He's simply let this book go. As I've said, I never cared once about any of the Titans East -- who were supposed to be the stars of this arc -- and by the end of this arc I've yet to care. In fact, by now they are so irritating I'd rather buy Mark Millar books than ever read about them again.

Deathstroke -- who's already supreme mugwomp of overrated, overpowered, overused supervillains even without this issue -- comes off astonishingly overrated, overpowered, and overused here. Johns, who I'd once considered a master at voicing strong, diabolical masterminds, makes Slade utterly unlikeable in every single way. He talks too much. What he says (which there is entirely too much of) makes no sense. He's pompous to the point of disbelief, and yet we're supposed to take him completely seriously. Everything that you could do wrong in the characterization of a villain manages to go wrong here. Okay, sure, I thought his little twist justification at the end was a kinda cool twist ending...too bad it doesn't save the prior twenty-one pages.

And he's overpowered here frankly to the point of abject ridiculousness. He bats Donna Troy around like a toy -- y'know, Donna Troy, blood of gods in her veins, who once plowed through the entirety of the Titans and Outsiders and was powerful enough to hold Wonder Woman's own title for some time? -- when she shouldn't even feel any of his blows, he makes a complete idiot out of Cassandra Cain who is essentially the most powerful martial artist in the DCU, and then he -- wait for it -- takes on the ENTIRE TITANS TEAM including Flash, Wonder Girl, and a White Martian without receiving so much as a single scratch. Oh yeah, and then he manages to get away from the giant, empty field that they were fighting on with more than a dozen people watching out for him. The SINGLE LAMEST WAY for a villain to round off his appearance -- somehow magically vanishing without a trace -- and Deathstroke managed to do it here on an empty field. I couldn't even believe what I was reading. Seriously, compared to this ******ity, his Identity Crisis fight against the JLA was the pinnacle of logic.

Speaking of those other adult Titans that popped up...I didn't even notice this until I finished this issue, but my goodness; they make such a dramatic appearance in the last issue and, I kid you not, did absolutely jack squat in this issue. They could have been taken out entirely -- not just from the fight, but also from the plot -- and it's debatable whether it would have made a difference at all. No, scratch that; there's no debate. It simply wouldn't have made any difference.

Wonder Girl is still inhaling crack cocaine by the bushels. Uh, Cassie dear? You've seen Bart as an twenty-year old before. In fact, you were the very first person to recognize him. And Johns wrote that scene. Are you dense? Are you ******ed or something? And then she apologizes to Match for reflecting his heat vision back at him, thinking that maybe there's a bit of Conner in there and oh Christ. Just...stop it.

Speaking of Bart...his rigid, cranky, abrasive personality here -- particularly to Robin -- is nothing at all like his wide-eyed, humble, aw-shucks approach to life in his own title.

Oh, and the art sucked hard.

Well, there was a cute moment where Miss Martian blasts water at Sun Girl from her mouth...I liked Miss Martian. I wish Johns had put more use to her. Too bad it'll never happen, now.

Next month...Beechen gives us a Titans funeral! Fcking yay. Way to start off your run. Good luck, 'cause I won't be buying it.

(3 out of 10)
(5.4 out of 10 for the whole arc)


Runaways #26
Mmm, chocolate.

Still don't care so much about the plot. But, again, just reading Whedon's words is an experience onto itself. Molly more or less effortlessly steals the show here. I realize that Whedon doesn't like the Punisher so much and maybe that explains why he comes off a bit...falsely characterized here. Shooting children? For stealing? What, are you dense? Are you ******ed or...nevermind. The point is that if the Punisher shoots children for stealing, he might as well go genocidal on a third of the world's youth or something.

But then, isn't this poetic justice? So often in the past, other superheroes have been made to look like utter fools so that the Punisher himself can look better by totally schooling them, because Garth Ennis doesn't like traditional superheroes or somesht. Well, now, Joss Whedon doesn't like the Punisher and is making him look like a fool so that others can look better by totally schooling him. Karma's a btch, ain't it? Besides, I'm sure this isn't the last we've seen of Frank here and maybe he'll have his day in the end.

I notice that Whedon is writing the Runaways as more combat-capable than Vaughan did. While Vaughan did have them pulling impressive feats every now and then, mostly they'd get by on planning and prep time and deceiving their enemies and a great deal of luck. Here, although Whedon still agrees that Running Away is their primary superpower, he also has them dismantling squadrons of ninjas (proving that they're at least as powerful as the New Avengers were. Yay!) and Victor even goes mano a mano with the big flying thingy. He would have lost, probably, but he woulda done it with conviction!

(8.4 out of 10)


Shazam: the Monster Society of Evil #3

This needs to become Earth-5. Fcking NOW.

(8.2 out of 10)


Checkmate #13
Oh, look. Government agents who actually acknowledge protocol before resorting to extreme controversial methods.

As we all expected, Rucka does with the Outsiders what Winick hasn't quite done in a while: make them awesome. So much happened in this issue and yet it all went by in a flash. I don't know how many times I need to say this, but this is the single best DC book that you're not reading. Read it. That is all.

(8.6 out of 10)


The All New Atom #11
Gail Simone has always been an incredibly hit-and-miss writer with me. Her characterizations and dialogue and general character voices are one of the very best in the business. Her plots and storylines, however, are jumpy at best and frakking damn impossible to understand at worst. The fact that she needed to take two whole pages at the beginning to summarize the entire plotline of this merely three-issue arc is, well, not a strong sign. The fact that she does it badly is an even worse sign. Even in Ryan's narration you can almost tell that she herself is having trouble with it.

It really doesn't help that the main focus of this story, Jia, is the single most unlikeable female character you're likely to come across this year. Even from the outset she's simpering, mewling, unhelpful and irresponsible. And then everything that the "antagonist" says about her -- that she's a manipulative, lying, deceitful, murdering, cheating skank -- ended up being completely true! Simone, a master of writing strong women, must have known that she was writing someone that the readers would absolutely hate. I guess seeing that Ryan is still madly in love with her in spite of her being a vacuous tramp is saying something about the character of his...character, but it doesn't make the story any easier to read.

(5 out of 10)
(6 out of 10 for the whole arc)


Buffy the Vampire Slayer #3
It just keeps getting better. And better. And better.

Loved Willow's awesomeness. Loved Giant Dawn's "FINISH HER!" moment. Loved the Big Three together. And then I loved the other Big Three together.

And, heh, did everyone else catch a cameo of Joss in Buffy's dreamscape?

Let's see...triple Xs. Triple X's. Looks kinda like a high school thing. Maybe it had to do with Amy's mom. Maybe Amy's mom switched with her again. But I dunno...I just rewatched the Witch recently and looked at some screencaps and it doesn't seem to have anything to do with triple Xs in that way. Ethan mentions twilight, which seems significant to the frowny-face symbol thingy.

Hey, look, Warren. Great ending. Can't wait for next issue. Etc etc.

(10 out of 10)

 

[Darthphere]

Checkmate #13
Oh, look. Government agents who actually acknowledge protocol before resorting to extreme controversial methods.

As we all expected, Rucka does with the Outsiders what Winick hasn't quite done in a while: make them awesome. So much happened in this issue and yet it all went by in a flash. I don't know how many times I need to say this, but this is the single best DC book that you're not reading. Read it. That is all.

(8.6 out of 10)

By getting their asses handed to them?

 

[BlackKnight1]

Actually, both past and present versions of Pym showed up.

As for Bendis, he really hasn't mentioned it often, if memory serves. In interviews, he's expressed a personal dislike for the character, but it isn't like he has Hank hitting Jan still.

Yep your right, and the past one was the one with the problem with Jan, and the present one, just had confidence problems, which was his problem at the time.

Yep, Bendis has not really used Pym, but your right, he thinks Pym is a wife beater, even though he only hit Jan once, and the issue was resolved years ago. Hey go figure.

 

[Colossal Spoons]

Avengers:The Initiative #1 and 2 - For the the first time in a good year and a half or so,I picked up a new Marvel series on a whim.Slott's always been in my good books with Thing and I'm With Stupid,plus the action scenes looked good,so I thought what the hell.

Very enjoyable ensemble book which does a perfect job of shifting the focus from character to character.I found alot of lines awkward like Gauntlet's "badass" military rants and the whole idea of calling careless and wreckless heroes "New Warriors".Caselli's art really grew on me,I complained earlier how it looked like fan art,but it's very fluid and loose,I like it.

Overall,I'm digging the premise of the book.I just hope Slott tones down the military cliches a little bit and gets some solid stories going instead of having young heroes getting their balls busted every issue.But hey,it's only 2 issues in. 9/10

Glad you enjoyed man. It really is a fun read. I'm curious as to what they're gonna do with Trauma once he gets his powers under control.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

By getting their asses handed to them?

It's what they do best. Or, at least, with their current roster it's what they should do best.

Your review was about the same as I felt about Checkmate. Great start from Rucka, but I'm dreading Winick's follow-through. "At least no one got HIV," indeed. I kind of wish the next issue of Outsiders would feature Dick screwing up and getting captured himself, and then the crossover ending. Just leave the Outsiders in Checkmate custody and cancel their comic. No one reads that **** anyway.

 

[Darthphere]

It's what they do best. Or, at least, with their current roster it's what they should do best.

Your review was about the same as I felt about Checkmate. Great start from Rucka, but I'm dreading Winick's follow-through. "At least no one got HIV," indeed. I kind of wish the next issue of Outsiders would feature Dick screwing up and getting captured himself, and then the crossover ending. Just leave the Outsiders in Checkmate custody and cancel their comic. No one reads that **** anyway.

I think that is whats going to happen. In the issue Sasha stated she didnt need to find Dick that Dick would find her, so he's falling into her trap is my guess.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Nah, there was an interview where Rucka said that the Outsiders get out of Checkmate's custody. Neither Winick nor Rucka wanted their team to look bad (even though Rucka's team is vastly superior to Winick's in every way), so the Outsiders eventually get back at Checkmate. Lame, but it's one of those metafictional things where the story has to appeal to both groups' fans.

 

[Darthphere]

Nah, there was an interview where Rucka said that the Outsiders get out of Checkmate's custody. Neither Winick nor Rucka wanted their team to look bad (even though Rucka's team is vastly superior to Winick's in every way), so the Outsiders eventually get back at Checkmate. Lame, but it's one of those metafictional things where the story has to appeal to both groups' fans.

Well thats poppycock. Either way I want to see how Oolong Island fits into all of this.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Maybe they get a lead on Black Adam over there. Or maybe one or more of the freaky-ass inventions the scientists left during 52 starts going wonky.

 

[Phaedrus45]

And More Thoughts:

Showcase Presents The War That Time Forgot Vol. 1: It's cool to have these old stories; but, I am always thinking how DC just doesn't get it. First, who was banging on DC's door, saying, "I have to have those old War That Time Forgot" stories of yesterday reprinted?" Seriously, I have never heard of this war title; of course, I'm not the biggest DC fan. Second, we have another title that was written before Marvel's Fantastic Four ever came out (these released originally between 1960-1966), and the writing and stories really reflect that. I haven't read the whole book; but, it doesn't sound like much happens in these stories that doesn't involve the military on a remote island fighting dinosaurs. It really gets very dull after a while. Thirdly, why can't DC give the readers a few books that are more current? When Marvel started out their Essential books, we got Uncanny X-Men (not starting with issue #1, but jumping all the way ahead to issue #94) and Wolverine. DC could still have their much older books; but, why not mix in a New Teen Titans or something else from the early 80's. I own every Showcase they've put out, because I totally support the release of inexpensive tpbs in this form; but, I have never been able to read a full volume, unlike with Marvel's Essential trades. 7/10

The Punisher #47: For quite a while, I was getting completely bored with this title. Every issue just seemed to be there for shock value, not really giving much to the reader besides violence and presenting sex also in a very violent way. But, for the last 25 issues or so, some excellent stories started to emerge for these pages. Each storyline consisted of a variety of characters on different paths, all converging in the end. In fact, the characters are usually more important to the story than The Punisher. They are definitely more interesting. (For an example, just look at the popularity of Baracuda.) In this current story, you have five of the vilest yentas you'll ever meet all planning to kill the Punisher for his part in the killing of their mobster husbands years earlier. And, they almost succeeded, except for the mystery woman who saved Frank's life last issue. In this issue, we get the backstory of the mystery woman, why she is thankful that the Punisher killed her own mobster husband, and how this mysterious woman survived her supposed death years earlier. Another top-notch issue. 9/10

Checkmate #13: Another case of good news/bad news. First, the good news: The Outsiders have never been so interesting. The bad news: Checkmate has never been so un-Checkmate-ish. What has made this title so great is the dialogue and complexity of the stories. I understand that if this issue of Checkmate was presented as a normal issue is, many readers of Outsiders would be confused by what was being said and the complexities of the relationships within Checkmate's structure. But, for once, we get a very fast paced, action-oriented issue that feels dummied-down for the average reader. 8/10

Ultimate Fantastic Four #41: I feel a bit sorry for the writer of Ultimate Fantastic Four, Mike Carey. He's actually presented two very decent Ultimate storys, the first, Godwar, introducing the Ultimate Universe to Thanos, and this one, Devils, which gave the Fantastic Four its first encounter with Diablo. It is just very hard to come onto this title after Millar and Land were doing such an excellent job before. I will say, though, I've changed my mind and think this is still the best Ultimate title people could buy, including Ultimate Power, which I've been enjoying from issue one.

As I said, this issue, involving the Fantastic Four's first encounter with Diablo, is concluded with some possible changes to the Thing in upcoming stories. It's well written; and, unlike Bendis, who just seems to tweek established characters for the sake of tweeking, Carey thinks out his stories pretty well, and the reader accepts the changes being made. It's too bad that many might have dropped this title after Millar and Land left. I was one who was disappointed in Carey's first issue; but, he's really grown on me and seems to have just as good of a sense of these characters as Millar did. This is definitely a case where a writer needs to be given more than a one or two issue shot to prove himself to readers of a book. I've come completely around on my original assessment and am very happy I tend to stick with a book long enough to give a writer a chance to prove me wrong. 8/10

Runaways #26: So far, it's been an excellent batch of books I've read this week; much better than the week before. I was very hesitant about whether Whedon would have what it takes to continue the excellent job that Vaughan did previously in Runaways; but, after reading two issues, I think I'm liking his writing better than that last bunch of issues that Vaughan did. While Vaughan's run was consistant throughout, it was starting to drag a bit. The kids were becoming too moody, and the light-hearted appeal of the characters had disappeared a while back. (How refreshing to see Chase being chipper again!) Plus, as Whedon's pointed out, for a title called Runaways, they hadn't really been doing a lot of running, staying in one area far too long. This trip to New York is definitely reinvigorated this group. It's good to see them interacting with the Punisher, Kingpin, and a host of ninjas. The dialogue is witty and extremely funny, the action consistant, and everything is paced perfectly. 10/10

Jonah Hex #19: Still one of my favorite comics DC is putting out. I've always loved a good western, and Hex' one-shot stories always satisfy. Each issue is filled with sex, violence, and an interesting cast of characters, many of which meet their death in interesting (and, not too graphic, which is a nice change) way. In this issue, Hex is looking to rescue two kidnap children of an evil businessman, while also taking a job capturing a man-killing, money hungry ****e. Pure fun and an enjoyment to read! 8/10

Detective Comics #832: While I welcome Jonah Hex' one-off stories, I'm getting bored with the ones in Detective Comics. I read Batman for the great cast of villians, his rich history and intense storylines. These stories just seem like filler until something more exciting happens. They have no value to Batman's future, which is one of the reasons I don't buy Legends of the Dark Knight. I miss the Batman of No Man's Land or War Games. I miss the stories the directly impacted on Batman's life, or the lives of those around him. This is just another issue that's read rather quickly, and just as quickly bagged and forgotten. 4/10

(Dang, it was a busy week. I still have 24 more comics that I bought this week to read.)

 

[TheCorpulent1]

The Loners #2: ****ing yes. This is what I expected this comic to be. After a pretty uneven but mostly entertaining first issue, #2 ramps it up by tackling everything The Loners' premise suggested it would be completely and without shame. Yes, there is emoish self-examination and lamentation. Yes, there is a heavy skew on interpersonal relationships. Yes, there is falling-off-the-wagon stuff in the form of superhero action. And yes, they're all balanced in such a way that they come together to form a thoroughly entertaining whole.

Maybe I'm biased--scratch that, I know I'm biased--but this issue's spotlight on Ricochet was everything this book needed. By that I mean that finally Cebulski bridged the gap between the previously incongruous Slingers-Ricochet and Excelsior-Ricochet. For the first time since he appeared with Excelsior in Runaways, I finally get why Johnny is there. We get to go inside his head, see him wax philosophical on the nature of LA, showbiz, and superheroics, and it all fits perfectly with the Johnny I knew and the Johnny I'm learning about now. The issue of Hornet's death is finally addressed in a really strong, albeit somewhat obvious, way. As I've said with Brubaker's Winter Soldier revelation, however, "obvious" doesn't always have to equate to "boring." The pathos Cebulski wrings out of the Hornet/Rico relationship and their idealogical juxtaposition made for great reading. Plus, bonus, we finally see another relic from the post-Clone Saga/Identity Crisis era of Spider-Man's comics. I happened to like Delilah and the Rose as villains a lot back in the day, so it was nice to see her again (even if I didn't know it was her right away because of the haircut and the wildly different visual stylings of Joe Bennett and Karl Moline). I liked that Johnny showboated a bit but still managed to take down the highly skilled, super-strong, super-agile Delilah; that hearkened back nicely to his Slinger days, when he emerged as the most naturally talented at superheroics of the team.

As for the actual plot of the issue, the non-Johnny's-internal-conflict parts basically followed the threads from #1; Mattie, Johnny, and Chris are trying to follow up on the MGH drug ring, Johnny wants to go to the others, Mattie and Chris tell him to wait, Johnny winds up playing a hunch alone. There's not a lot to it since most of the issue is devoted to Johnny's internal conflict, but the pace is brisk and we get a few new wrinkles to the overarching mystery behind the MGH plot. I don't even care about Penance (the Gen X'er, not Emoball), but I'm excited to see where she takes the story in the next issue.

If the first issue were a solid 6 or 7, this issue would be a 9.5. The only thing that keeps it from being a 10 is that there was no mention of the fact that Johnny's other buddy Prodigy is in SHIELD custody after the Civil War. But there was that panel of Mattie looking at dossiers on the three Slingers besides Johnny, so maybe it'll be touched on later (and maybe they'll touch on what the **** ever happened to Dusk then, too). I have officially been hooked.

 

[El Bastardo]

Teen Titans #46
Huh. What's that sound? Oh right, it's the mewling, pathetic gasps of a whimper.

Y'know, as opposed to a bang?

Johns' last issue on this series, and my Buffy I don't think I've hated any other issue quite as much as I've hated this one. [...] Johns, who I'd once considered a master at voicing strong, diabolical masterminds, makes Slade utterly unlikeable in every single way. He talks too much. What he says (which there is entirely too much of) makes no sense. He's pompous to the point of disbelief, and yet we're supposed to take him completely seriously. Everything that you could do wrong in the characterization of a villain manages to go wrong here. Okay, sure, I thought his little twist justification at the end was a kinda cool twist ending...too bad it doesn't save the prior twenty-one pages.

(3 out of 10)
(5.4 out of 10 for the whole arc)

Quite. I hopped onboard DC titles when OYL happened, and Teen Titans was one of them, but this arc... Sheesh. I agree wholeheartedly.
Though I would say that, in Mr. Johns's defense, he didn't actually write this issue. He did start the arc, but Beechen hopped onboard halfway through, and at least for issue, and I believe the issue previous too, he was the one writing the script. So those godawful words are Beechen's, not Johns.

...Which demonstrates what can be looked forward to in Beechen's next issues. Yep. Teen Titans is going the way of Ultimate X-Men - i.e. off my pull list.

 

[PWN3R]

I keep reading how good the Midnighter issue was, I'm going to get it. Even though I've never read any Authority/Midnighter comic before.

BKV I love you.