Bought/Thought January 14, 2009

[Spider-Jay420]

X-Men and Spider-Man #3 - I like this series. This issue was very 90's as we see Ben Reilly Spider-Man and Bone Clawed Wolverine in action. There was a nice little exchange between the two as Wolvie wonders why Spidey doesn't remember them; "Are you on dope?!". And as people read last week, it was nice to acknowledge the Clone Saga in more than a one line goof, and Ben goes into detail about the Jackal and the whole thing. As far as the issue, evidently Sinister decides he needs a sample of Carnage's symbiote to further his genetic experiments and create mutantkinds salvation and all that. I'm assuming next issue will take place present day, and this most be Sinister's longest scheme in history. As always Mario Alberti's art is great and I look forward to the conclusion.

The Origin of Richard Rider, NOVA - I thought this was very nicely done. I was not familiar with Nova's origin at all and had no idea he's been around as long as he has. My first encounter with Nova was when Bagley first started on Amazing Spider-Man with #351. Anyway, another day in the life of Nova, as Rich makes a rookie mistake while stopping some space robots. He slightly injurs himself and immediately receives another distress call. It's a long journey, so Worldmind uses this oppurtunity to remind Rich just how far he's come since first being given these powers. Marv Wolfman and John Buscema's origin story from NOVA #1 is certainly dated has a very Green Lantern-esque feel to it, but I enjoyed it. It also has the Peter Parker/Spider-Man feel to it, as Rich has these cool powers but still is a nerd who has to deal with bullies and has a math test to pass.

The 2nd flashback tale is Nova #4 which he battles Thor who is being mindcontrolled by the Corruptor (whoever he is?) and of course, realize the misunderstanding and then team-up to stop him. Again, very nostologic and 70's feel, but still fun to read. Meanwhile, present day, Thanks to Worldmind, Nova realizes the hero and man he's become and is ready for action.....until you see next issue's cover with his Nova suit tossed on a chair as it looks like "NOVA, no more!!"

Oh well, fun issue and I think a must have for Nova fans!

 

[TheCorpulent1]

The Corruptor

 

[GNR]

So [BLACKOUT]Darkseid killed Batman[/BLACKOUT]?

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Looks like it.

 

[Themanofbat]

Amazing Spider-Man #583
Amazing Spdier-Girl #28
Simon Dark #16
Invincible #56
X-Men/Spider-Man #3

 

[Themanofbat]

Oh yeah...

Walking Dead Vol.9
Rex Mundi Vol.5

 

[CaptainCanada]

Part I: Marvel Comics

Amazing Spider-Man #583

Yeah, I bought it for the Obama bit; I'm a poli-sci nerd; from what my LCS clerk said, they got tons of calls from people asking for a hold on one of them, so it's a successful gimmick at that. The Obama story is cute; nothing remotely substantial, but it's not meant to be. Totally harmless either way.

However, the main story was quite good. Unlike the Colbert story, which got stuck on the final issue of a multi-issue story, the Obama piece is attached to a one-shot, which strikes me as a much better idea; you get a satisfying single story with your novelty buy (albeit, with lead-ins for future stories). Written by Mark Waid (Barry Kitson on art), it's a Betty Brant-narrated story that focusses on her relationship with Peter; she spends the week trying to get him a girlfriend and complaining about how he's always missing appointments, is a bit sad at being the only remaining old guard at the DB, and is horrified to find that most of her old friends (except Peter) now dislike her because of her grudging participation in Bennett's sensationalist reporting. The buildup to that is really well-done, and Waid writes a good Betty. Spider-Man in-costume is only glimpsed at here; this is a Peter story; it does a nice job of showing him manage, despite all his superhero-necessitated-absences, to be a reliable friend.

Captain Britain and MI-13 #9

Another good issue; Plotka's disposal feels a bit arbitrary in some ways, but the mechanics of his defeat work well, and are well set-up. Taking Captain Britain's "confidence" powers in that direction is kind of a risky way to take the character, in my opinion; vaguely defined powers just create problems and inconsistency in the future. It's a nice big moment for the character, though (although that's two straight story arcs where Brian has the end-save; he's got first-billing, but it might be nice for somebody else to get the big finish). The treatment of Captain Midlands, meanwhile, I thought was weirdly harsh; the Dream Corridor was shown to be a strongly temptive agent that the team members barely resisted (Captain Britain even temporarily fell under its power), but everybody acts like he sold them out totally without influence for some cash. I hope that's not where we leave the character. Elsewhere, plenty of plot threads; Spitfire/Blade I'm not sure about, but it at least heads off her shacking up with the guy wearing her dead brother/father's costume (sorry, Joey; look elsewhere); and, unexpectedly, the origin of the fake Ebony Blade is tying into the next story. I loved the final bit, a jab at the "romantic" vampire stories like Twilight and such.

Still to Come: Booster Gold #16, Manhunter #38

 

[GNR]

Hmm,I like the sound of ASM,has there been alot of these Peter/character centric issues during BND?

 

[CaptainCanada]

Wouldn't know; this is the first one I've read.

 

[Adam3482009]

I just got back into comics (after 9 years). I mainly just go for the novels.

Today I bought League Volume 1 and the Black Dossier. I've read them previously and like them alot. They go hand in hand with the annotation books supplied by Jess Nevins. Believe me, you'll need 'em. The amount of thought that went into these is insane!

 

[Spade]

I'm writing this after about 12 hours of college, so forgive the abruptness.

Captain Britain and the MI-13 #9: I'll admit right off the bat that I know next to nothing about Captain Britain nor how Blade ended up in his exploits besides a line or two in the summary page. Despite this, I enjoyed it very much. It has an interesting premise, the kind that brings up questions as to what any person would do if fantasy and wistful thinking could be made manifest. I liked the cast, with no one sticking out as annoying or poorly written. I still have to get used to reality-bending characters like Plotka and the Captain, but I'm definitely looking into what this title has in store for the coming year.

Final Crisis #6: Maybe if I was more invested in the current DC Universe, I would have had more to say about Final Crisis #6 besides my thoughts on what happens to Batman. But as it stands, I feel like the story is somewhat incoherent and not as gripping as it tries to be. I could care less which Marvel family member is being shoved through a building or how that "thought machine" was supposed to come into play in the last issue. These are all ideas that might actually be interesting if fleshed out by themselves; still, few feel essential to the main story.

Spoiler

On the subject of Batman: Yes, I am disappointed. No, it is not for the reasons I have seen presented by others. I have no problem with Batman using a gun. When it comes down to it, I wouldn't care if my parents were killed by way of a gun, sword, or popsicle stick. If I was in the same situation and could prevent millions of children from losing their parents to yet another face of evil, I'd do what's right. Batman's best option laid in breaking that rule. Now, I can complain that Batman spent a lot of time explaining himself when he could have made it short and sweet by shooting Darkseid ASAP. But I expect literature to wring out moments for every drop like that. I'm disappointed because I have never liked the idea of a huge Batman-altering event taking place in the cosmic realm. I know I'm old school in this regard, but Batman has always worked for me best when he's shown as a pulp hero. Yes, I get it- it's very symbolic that the darkest New God was struck in the breast with a potentially mortal wound by a mere mortal. But this did not need to be done with Batman. I know many have become used to a Batman who's in the Justice League and fights aliens in his spare time. However, I have never approved of that take on Batman. I can accept it just fine. Still, I prefer a Batman who operates on a more domestic level. I don't like that the "end of Batman" comes in a cosmic event that had plenty of good, albeit oddly developed, twists without requiring the Dark Knight to have such a role. I preferred the Batman #666 revelation that Batman might be slain in the streets he served to defend. Maybe there's a remaining plot twist; I've read here that the Omega Sanction is fundamentally different from the Omega Effect I'm more familiar with, and if I recall correctly Darkseid speaks of "the death that is life." But for now, in the context of this issue, Bruce Wayne looks pretty dead and I'm not impressed with how it happened.

If there's a positive I can speak of, it's that the "Multiverse having a menstrual" was a pretty striking visual. Besides that, though? I can't recommend this issue.

 

[THANOSRULES]

I'm writing this after about 12 hours of college, so forgive the abruptness.

Captain Britain and the MI-13 #9: I'll admit right off the bat that I know next to nothing about Captain Britain nor how Blade ended up in his exploits besides a line or two in the summary page. Despite this, I enjoyed it very much. It has an interesting premise, the kind that brings up questions as to what any person would do if fantasy and wistful thinking could be made manifest. I liked the cast, with no one sticking out as annoying or poorly written. I still have to get used to reality-bending characters like Plotka and the Captain, but I'm definitely looking into what this title has in store for the coming year.

Final Crisis #6: Maybe if I was more invested in the current DC Universe, I would have had more to say about Final Crisis #6 besides my thoughts on what happens to Batman. But as it stands, I feel like the story is somewhat incoherent and not as gripping as it tries to be. I could care less which Marvel family member is being shoved through a building or how that "thought machine" was supposed to come into play in the last issue. These are all ideas that might actually be interesting if fleshed out by themselves; still, few feel essential to the main story.

Spoiler

On the subject of Batman: Yes, I am disappointed. No, it is not for the reasons I have seen presented by others. I have no problem with Batman using a gun. When it comes down to it, I wouldn't care if my parents were killed by way of a gun, sword, or popsicle stick. If I was in the same situation and could prevent millions of children from losing their parents to yet another face of evil, I'd do what's right. Batman's best option laid in breaking that rule. Now, I can complain that Batman spent a lot of time explaining himself when he could have made it short and sweet by shooting Darkseid ASAP. But I expect literature to wring out moments for every drop like that. I'm disappointed because I have never liked the idea of a huge Batman-altering event taking place in the cosmic realm. I know I'm old school in this regard, but Batman has always worked for me best when he's shown as a pulp hero. Yes, I get it- it's very symbolic that the darkest New God was struck in the breast with a potentially mortal wound by a mere mortal. But this did not need to be done with Batman. I know many have become used to a Batman who's in the Justice League and fights aliens in his spare time. However, I have never approved of that take on Batman. I can accept it just fine. Still, I prefer a Batman who operates on a more domestic level. I don't like that the "end of Batman" comes in a cosmic event that had plenty of good, albeit oddly developed, twists without requiring the Dark Knight to have such a role. I preferred the Batman #666 revelation that Batman might be slain in the streets he served to defend. Maybe there's a remaining plot twist; I've read here that the Omega Sanction is fundamentally different from the Omega Effect I'm more familiar with, and if I recall correctly Darkseid speaks of "the death that is life." But for now, in the context of this issue, Bruce Wayne looks pretty dead and I'm not impressed with how it happened.

If there's a positive I can speak of, it's that the "Multiverse having a menstrual" was a pretty striking visual. Besides that, though? I can't recommend this issue.

I'll respond to your comments on batman...

Spoiler

I don't think the x's and o's of the death are that big of a deal. In fact, they are actually decent. First off, Batman gets offed by (arguably) DC's most historied and powerful villian. Darkseid is a freakin worthy guy to kill you, he's not some second rate Doomsday or Bane, guys who came from nowhere to fill a shock effect arc's villian quota. Secondly, its in a cosmic setting , ergo easily ripe for an eventual cosmicly stupid retcon. I would just argue that the death of Batman at this time, comes off as contrived, boring, and redundant. So in genral, I dont have a problem with how it was done, rather, I have a problem that it is being done.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Captain Britain and MI-13 #9
Loved this issue. Great conclusion to the arc and loads of interesting stuff set up for the future.

The bits with Pete and Captain Midlands were especially good. In splitting MI-13 into two halves comprising shady covert ops types and bright, colorful superheroes, Cornell has basically made Pete a symbolic encapsulation of the covert ops man, so I like that he isn't pulling punches with that portrayal. The ending, with Pete being totally unrelenting despite Sid's loss and handing him the gun to kill himself, was great. I don't like Pete Wisdom, but I appreciate the role he fills on the team and Cornell is ensuring that he fills it well.

The other parts of the issue weren't quite as compelling as Pete's, but they did serve to create intriguing possibilities for the future. Spitfire and Blade as a couple? Odd, but I suppose it works. I think he's actually older than she is, so it must be nice for Spitfire to finally have an older man again. Of course, I was pretty interested in the faux-Ebony Blade subplot and where that'll go now that we know it's somehow tied to Dracula. Speaking of whom, I'm glad the obligatory vampire arc (since they've got a vampire and Blade on the team) is going to center on Dracula rather than the obvious choice, Baron Blood. I wouldn't be averse to Baron Blood appearing, but Dracula's so much more formidable and creepy, and this way the whole cast can be on more equal footing (except Blade) rather than the story necessarily becoming an emotional rollercoaster for Spitfire and no one else.

Finally, to those who lol'ed at my suggestion that Plokta, a duke of Hell, would totally be enough of a dick to send the real Meggan to Brian, only to have Brian reject her as a fantasy, I have one thing to say... but since I'm a bigger man, I'll let it slide.

(But, in case you're curious, I'll give you a hint: it starts with "I" and ends with "told you so." )

 

[fifthfiend]

So I happened to skim Action Comics? I like how they've decided to solve the problem of Supergirl being a heinous, unlikeable *****, by making her mom also a heinous, unlikeable *****.

Wheeeeeee!

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I'm just waiting for Rucka's first issue. Supposedly, he's going to reveal Nightwing and Flamebird's identities in the first 3 pages, which is convenient for me because, depending on who they are, I may not have to bother reading past those.

 

[Spade]

I flipped through a copy a classmate had of this week's Action Comics. Apparently:

Spoiler

The Kryptonians lift up their city into space and Superman is banned from their New Krypton. Kara joins them because of her father's dying wish to watch over her mother. Relations between Earth and New Krypton, which is supposed to be visible from Earth, are bad; people consider all Kryptonians save Superman terrorists. "Superwoman" either lobotomizes or kills Agent Liberty with heat vision. At the end, it turns out Alura has been cavorting with Ursa, Non, and Zod, who are on this New Krypton and plan to do something with Supergirl.

I didn't buy it myself because I haven't really been feeling the New Krypton arc. Also, Gary Frank is a big reason why I used to read Action Comics.

 

[Phaedrus45]

I Kill Giants #7: This conclusion fills me with mixed emotions. It was a great story, and something completely different from all the other stuff I read. I just felt as if some of the aspects to the story in the final two issues lessens what could have been more impactful. I didn't like that the other friends saw the giant-like creature, and felt it should have stayed within the main character's imagination. Plus, I felt the acceptance of the main character to her mom's condition was resolved too easily. Still, it was a great story that too few people chose to read. (I know my comic shop never carried an extra copy on their shelves after the third issue, and I believe I might have been the only person ordering it.)

The Origin Of Richard Rider, Nova: What a rip-off! I can get Very Fine copies of issue #1 and #4 of the original issues reprinted in this comic for less than the 4.99 that Marvel charged! The new material is crap, too.

 

[RockSP]

Captain Britain and MI-13 #9
I loved the final bit, a jab at the "romantic" vampire stories like Twilight and such.

One of the few times a comic has made me laugh out loud.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Blah, my shop didn't get I Kill Giants this week. The owner told me he'd have it for me in my file next week.

 

[JewishHobbit]

I got my comics but don't feel like doing a write up. However, here's a criticism on Infinite Crisis 6

Spoiler

Batman gets blown away. Superman goes ape nuts on a city. People turn their heads and Supes is holding a fried Batman. Is it just me or did they miss SOOOO much oppertunity for amazing storytelling here? It's like the Martian Manhunter death. Morrison just did it and moved on without feeling. What was Superman's reaction to finding Batman killed or hearing him killed, etc? He flipped out, which was cool, but it seemed pointless really because there's no mention of Batman being killed before that and then he's just holding him randomly. I just feel like with the death of someone as huge as Batman this should have been a larger scene. I'm very disappointed with how it turned out.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

That stuff'll probably be covered to some extent in the next issue. Remember, this is Final Crisis #6 of 7.

 

[GNR]

Sounds pretty bad to be honest.

 

[moraldeficiency]

no, it had tawky tawny, therefore it was awesome.

 

[bryanss3]

well as far as I'm concerned he is due to him being on the cover the only two places that sell comics near me were sold out of ASM 583 check out ebay for how much those things are going for. you can't even get the standard issue for less than 20 on ebay. this is stupid. But Deadpool was great and I got Detective comics 853 the one with Hush on the cover that was a real good read even though its from lat week

 

[SouLeSS]

I got my comics but don't feel like doing a write up. However, here's a criticism on Infinite Crisis 6

Spoiler

Batman gets blown away. Superman goes ape nuts on a city. People turn their heads and Supes is holding a fried Batman. Is it just me or did they miss SOOOO much oppertunity for amazing storytelling here? It's like the Martian Manhunter death. Morrison just did it and moved on without feeling. What was Superman's reaction to finding Batman killed or hearing him killed, etc? He flipped out, which was cool, but it seemed pointless really because there's no mention of Batman being killed before that and then he's just holding him randomly. I just feel like with the death of someone as huge as Batman this should have been a larger scene. I'm very disappointed with how it turned out.

This is the fundamental problem with the tie-ins and the way they were released. While Final Crisis 6 just hit, Revelations still isn't finished, which in the timeline of the main series is sometime prior to 5. So Montoya pops up and is running around with Waller in issue 5 and 6 of Final Crisis, but still isn't finished with her adventures over in Revelations, so it seems skewed.

It's very possible that at the end of the Legion of Three Worlds book, that the scenes with the thought box and Braniac 5 sending Kal back will be extended and into much more detail, where I'm assuming Brainiac is going to show Kal what's going on or let him know that Batman's dead, something like that to explain why he's all the sudden back, raging, and pissed.