BOUGHT/THOUGHT June 6, 2007

[TheCorpulent1]

****ing Cassaday. AXM can stand a fill-in. He should be concentrating on Planetary so that DC can finally put out Absolute editions for the rest of the series.

 

[PhotoJones]

****ing Cassaday. AXM can stand a fill-in. He should be concentrating on Planetary so that DC can finally put out Absolute editions for the rest of the series.

Nah, AXM is really Joss and John's book, at least in my eyes, it is. It's one of those books that I can actually stomach the long delay between uses.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I'd prefer more Planetary over more AXM. "Unstoppable" hasn't even been that interesting. Not as bad as "Danger," but still kind of lackluster.

 

[PhotoJones]

I'd prefer more Planetary over more AXM. "Unstoppable" hasn't even been that interesting. Not as bad as "Danger," but still kind of lackluster.

Man, I disagree. I'm liking it just as much as Gifted, maybe more. The characterizations are just phenomenal in my opinion. And I love the pairing of Hisako and Logan.

 

[MaskedManJRK]

Throughly agree on the Det. issue, did NOT see that coming. Can't wait to see the next installment. t:

Question, what is this Black Summer you guys are mentioning?

 

[PhotoJones]

Question, what is this Black Summer you guys are mentioning?

It's a miniseries by Warren Ellis and Juan Jose Ryp about a superhero who murders the Bush Administration for their crimes.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

Ellis would write something like that.

 

[Darthphere]

It's a comedy book.

 

[PhotoJones]

Ellis would write something like that.

Yes...I suppose he would.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

That's why I said it.

 

[PhotoJones]

That's why I said it.

Neat.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

Okay then.


Carry on.

 

[King_Mungi]

Omega Flight #3

at issue's end, one of the Crew (I really can't tell them apart) is putting the ole crowbar to his horsehead.

That was Wrecker
===
I wonder if the other Great Beasts will appear, that was just Tanaraq there's more.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Dynamo 5 #4: Just a great title, and another reason that the Bought/Thought thread works so well. After you hear 3 or 4 people saying how good a book is, it's your own fault for not at least checking it out. This issue, which came out so quickly after the last issue, deals with Father's Day, and it's clear that all five members of Dynamo 5 now have severe daddy issues. On top of that, we already have a great mystery concerning who is the superhero posing as Captain Dynamo. Fantastic book, and big thanks to those who gave it the big recommend. 9/10

Witchblade/Punisher #1: Not a bad crossover. I've definitely read much worse. The obvious problem is that the story could have been written by any Joe on the Hype. (Well, except for maybe Darth....I think his warped mind would combine Witchblade and Punisher with Lost Girls....hmmm, that would be more interesting.) Basically, Witchblade and her partner are transporting a villian willing to turn evidence to an undisclosed location, when the drivers come across a tree that's fallen in the road. Of course, they get out and The Punisher takes over. From there, it's just a question of whether Punisher will kill the villian or if Witchblade will save his worthless life.

I just wish these crossovers would be more developed. Make up a reason that Punisher can visist Witchblade's world. Have a crossover be more than one quick issue, which cannot really develop anything more than a predictable story. 6.5/10

Midnighter #8: I was worried when I started reading this issue and realized that Vaughan didn't write it. Last issue was just so perfect. Surprisingly, this is a nice little one-shot that is only hampered by some terrible art. Midnighter is given the challenge by Jack Hawksmoor of getting back in touch with ordinary people by helping a little girl find her lost cat. There are some great comedic moments, like when he asks the little girl for something with the cat's scent, and she points at the cat's litter box. Of course, this isn't something as simple as having the cat getting run over by a car...villians are involved. And, the ending is just great. Not as great as last issue, but still pretty good. 8/10

 

[Darthphere]

Witchblade/Punisher #1: (Well, except for maybe Darth....I think his warped mind would combine Witchblade and Punisher with Lost Girls....hmmm, that would be more interesting.)

Who showed you my fan fiction?

 

[LouFerignoDemon]

Who showed you my fan fiction?

You shouldn't trust things in my hands.

 

[Phaedrus45]

You shouldn't trust things in my hands.

I never figured you would have given Darth a handjob.

 

[LouFerignoDemon]

Hardly would I ever touch him.

Witchblade on the other hand....

 

[PhotoJones]

Dynamo 5 #4: Just a great title, and another reason that the Bought/Thought thread works so well. After you hear 3 or 4 people saying how good a book is, it's your own fault for not at least checking it out. This issue, which came out so quickly after the last issue, deals with Father's Day, and it's clear that all five members of Dynamo 5 now have severe daddy issues. On top of that, we already have a great mystery concerning who is the superhero posing as Captain Dynamo. Fantastic book, and big thanks to those who gave it the big recommend. 9/10

Exactly. For four months now, I and others have been raving about this series. It's so funny to me to read people's negative reviews for books that they buy every month, and yet I bet they've never even thumbed through this one. Fanboys are strange, dude. I understood women at 10 years of age better than I understand the average fanboy here and now.

 

[PhotoJones]

Fear Agent: The Last Goodbye #1 - At last, Fear Agent debuts with a new publisher and a new number one. The story continues from the Remender and Moore's old Image Fear Agent series, this time taking the Mike Mignola approach of doing an ongoing as a series of miniseries.

I love this book, pure and simple. It's got that classic 50's Martian Invaders, Sgt. Rock, Doc Savage vibe mixed in with current politics and strong characters. This new arc picks up where #11 left off, with Heath and Mara having arrived to the base on the moon. Heath has taken up drowning his sorrows in whiskey (big surprise), and remembering the past. That's where the storyline kicks off. It's an origin story of sorts of how Heath Huston became the last Fear Agent. We know the gist of story already, but these four issue serve to flesh it out and provide us with a closer look. It's a perfect jumping on point for anyone who's never read a Fear Agent issue and there's even a recap page.

This issue also marks Tony Moore's return to the book. He co-created the title but left partway through the first run to move onto doing Exterminators for Vertigo (which I'm reviewing below). It's nice to see Moore being able to juggle more than one project at once and I'm excited to hear that he's committed to doing every other arc. The other rotating artist is Jerome Opena, who took over for Moore after he left. Opena's a hell of a talent in his own right and while he's got a style all his own, it blends perfectly with Moore's. But, back to Moore....his work in this issue is really, really good. It's easily the best work he's done on the series so far, and tops what he's done on Exterminators. I don't think I could label it the "best work of his career", as in my opinion, The Walking Dead holds that title. But it's well inked and well colored, and it's just beautiful to look at. I mean damn...if you haven't been to the shop yet this week, stop to look through the book. The cover alone is worth the $3.

The real mastermind behind the book is Rick Remender. This guy's like my new Robert Kirkman. His characters are so fun to read, and the stories are so ridiculously nostalgic, while still being very contemporary. I love it. If you like fun books, then I'd think you dig a Remender written title. It's a shame Strange Girl ended, but at least I've got this book to help fill the void.


The Exterminators #18 - I think I'd enjoy this book a lot more if I could sit down and talk to Simon Oliver. Here's what I think is going on. I think Oliver's stalling. I think he's purposefully writing filler to fill the gap between Tony Moore's departure and his return. The frustrating thing is that the filler material is not bad. It's just so sporadic. Each little two issue arc goes in a completely different direction and it's frustrating to have invested time into some of these characters and then not see them for 5 or 6 issues. I really have no idea where he's taking the book. Maybe he's directionless, or maybe this all part of some larger picture that I'm not getting. Like, where the hell is Henry James, the main character?! This storyline has followed Stretch and Dr. Sar's trip to the convention and last arc dealt with Laura and her boss. And where the **** is AJ? Is he alive or undead? Is he a zombie? Is he the host body for an ancient god? And what the hell's with that box and all the weird secret society stuff that Nils' father was a part of? It's almost maddening to think of all the loose threads just dangling out in front of you, and yet Oliver acknowledges none of them. Or if he does, he'll do it for an issue and them *bam* new story arc and new artist. Jesus Christ. And the thing of it is, is that it's not a bad book. The dialogue's great, and the art is generally very good. Why the **** am I buying this? Where the **** is Tony Moore?

What the **** is going on?!

 

[WOLVERINE25TH]

I thought Invicible was late. Turns out my shop just got gypt. Dammit.

BOUGHT:
AVENGERS INITIATIVE #3*
BIRDS OF PREY #107
BLACK SUMMER #0*
BUFFY #4*
CONAN THE BARBARIAN #143 & 153
COUNTDOWN #47
CREATURES ON THE LOOSE #24 & 28
DANGER GIRL BODY SHOTS #3
DAREDEVIL BATTLIN' JACK MURDOCK #1*
DEFENDERS vol. 1 #22
DETECTIVE COMICS #833
G.I. JOE #24
GHOST RIDER TRAIL OF TEARS #5*
HULK AND POWER PACK #4
INCREDIBLE HULK #315 & 319
IRON MAN #18
IRREDEEMABLE ANT-MAN #9*
KING CONAN #9
LONERS #3*
MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN #28
MARVEL ZOMBIES ARMY OF DARKNESS #4
MARVEL’S GREATEST COMICS #54 & 55
MICRONAUTS #24 & 31
MS. MARVEL #16
MYSTIC ARCANA BOOK OF MARVEL MAGIC
NEW WARRIORS #1*
NIGHTWING #133
OMEGA FLIGHT #3*
PLANET TERRY #1
POWER PACK #47
PUNISHER #48
ROM #12
SHOWCASE ’95 #1
SKULL THE SLAYER #3
SPIDER-MAN FAMILY #3
SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY JANE #19
SUPERGIRL #18*
UNCANNY X-MEN #487*
WITCHBLADE PUNISHER #1

THOUGHT:
AVENGERS INITIATIVE #3*
Komodo gets put on her first assignment: take down Spider-Man! The problem with this book being so good is that it makes it hard to continue to hate the post-Civil War direction of Marvel. The new characters are each given a chance to shine and the other characterizations are spot-on as always. Unfortunately, we get some b-list Spidey villains who have recently undergone changes only to apparently return to their status quo. Too bad the same can’t be said about other characters. We’ve also got another happy-go-lucky Spidey in the black costume, another thing writers can’t seem to decide on. Is he normal? Or is he Batman-ish? Also, looks like some trouble is brewing with the Initiative’s secret weapon thanks to one of their teammates. So far, this book is very good and on par with Dan Slott’s usual quality.

4 out of 5

BIRDS OF PREY #107
Ice is back and mad as hell, but the Six and Birds just want to keep fighting anyway! An excellent issue full of the character moments this book is known for. We have some more of the standard funny dialogue as well as more shake-ups within the team. All of it builds up to the confrontation next issue. However, the pacing felt a bit quick and rushed, even though it didn’t hamper the story too much as to leave it not enjoyable, and the upcoming events seem to also be coming a bit too quickly. It’s a shame when writers decide to leave a book, because usually they need to rush through everything they wanted to do in order to wrap up for the next creative team. But, with all that, it’s still one of DC’s most solid books.

4 out of 5

BLACK SUMMER #0*
The set-up preview for Warren Ellis’ new series where things get very bloody very quickly. This is intended to be a new take on the superhero genre mixed with the political commentary most of Ellis’ stories are known for. This definitely isn’t your typical superhero book, and makes no apologies for the abrupt way it starts. This looks like it could be the most interesting read of the summer, if not a strong contender. Hey, for a buck, you can’t go wrong picking it up to check out.

3.5 out of 5

COUNTDOWN #47
A new story is added courtesy of Catwoman as the others begin to progress, albeit still slowly. However, the snail’s pace isn’t felt as bad this time around for some reason. Most likely because this is Sean McKeever’s first issue of Countdown and he’s usually very good with character driven tales. The only major thing is now we’ve got a serious plot hole that needs to be filled in about how Black Adam’s word suddenly works again and how he got ANY access to his powers. Other than that, an improvement as the series chugs on.

3.5 out of 5

DANGER GIRL BODY SHOTS #3
The mysterious sniper confronted as the President infiltrates the enemy base! Some interesting twists in this issue. We also learn the actual plot of the bad guys and that things may not be as they appear. Not as many humorous moments this time around, but plenty of action to make up for it.

3.5 out of 5

DETECTIVE COMICS #833
Paul Dini returns as he teams up the Dark Knight and Zatanna in an investigation in a very lethal magician. The bar has definitely been raised with this one, folks. Not only in the sheer ruthlessness of the villain, but the true identity as well! Dini is back and he was missed, and now he’s giving us a helluva homecoming.

5 out of 5

G.I. JOE #24
The Sins of the Mother arc concludes as everything falls into place for World War III! This story was incredibly good, showing that these ain’t your daddy’s G.I. Joe comics. The characters are actually complex with a full range of motions, and the artwork, while reminiscent of the old 80s cartoon comics, gives it more feeling of mass when accompanied by the textures in the coloring. The only real problem with the artwork is Bear seems unable to keep proportions right in tight shots. Full or far shots, characters look good, but just the tight shots everything starts to shift. For anyone curious about the Joe comics, this would definitely be the arc to pick up to get you hooked on them.

4 out of 5

HULK AND POWER PACK #4
A big hero misunderstanding fight ensues, and it’s up to the Power Pack to get the grown-ups to act, well, grown-up. A little light on the laughs but heavy on the cameos. This issue was a bit better than the last one, but overall this mini-series was nowhere near the quality of the previous ones. It was more like a World War Hulk in miniature. The best part of the issue was the Mini Marvels strip by Chris Giarusso. Although slow itself, it offers up hearty laughs towards the end. That’s the only thing that saves this issue from a poor grade, unfortunately.

3 out of 5

LONERS #3*
The Loners learn about the after-hours activity from within their group as Katie winds up in the hospital and Hollow is now in their lives. Another good issue in this mini-series which gives us a glimpse into the misunderstood Penance (or Hollow, whichever floats your boat). We get the other former heroes reacting accurately to the revelation some of their colleagues have fallen off the wagon, and tensions build all around. The only confusing part is what transpired between Turbo and the bad guy of the story, but hopefully that’s being left ambiguous to be addressed in the coming issues. Overall, the Loners has done Runaways proud. The artwork is also a lot more consistent between panels this time around.

3.5 out of 5

MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN #28
Green Goblin wants to become a crime lord, but his reputation has been tarnished at the defeat of Spider-Man; something which he plans to rectify. The quality of this book has been slipping considerably the last few issues, and it’s showing. This was a story we’ve seen many times before, except far too much time was spent on Gobby’s vengeance quest than what SHOULD have been the actual focus. There were some good lines, but very few laughs. Gobby was played up entirely on his insanity to almost comical (yet unfunny levels) and nowhere near approached the arch-rival status of the main books. Also, it keeps the awful redesign from Volume 2 alive and well, and that right there is a crime in of itself.

2 out of 5

MARVEL ZOMBIES ARMY OF DARKNESS #4
Ash meets Doom. ‘Nuff said! Another good part to the mini where Ash comes off as a buffoon and ends up screwing things up. As usual. Doom is presented very well here and the Necronomicon is even given a personality. The only real complaint with this book is the artwork towards the end. We go from the realistic style that embodied both Marvel Zombies and this mini into a cartoony look that belongs on the regular AoD title. Aside from that, everything else right down to the dialogue and the spoof on Mary Jane’s classic first line to Peter Parker was perfectly done. Be a shame to see this great rendition of AoD end in an issue.

4 out of 5

MS. MARVEL #16
Ms. Marvel learns the secret behind the AIM plot, and that she has a traitor in the ranks. A pretty good issue setting up a couple more mysteries due to shake up the life of Carol as she STILL tries to adjust to her new role in SHIELD. So far, Civil War has done wonders for this title; increasing the drama and quality of the stories being produced. Also, nice to see Wonder Man lose the 80s look, even if it only lasts till the next issue.

4 out of 5

MYSTIC ARCANA BOOK OF MARVEL MAGIC
For once Marvel does the SMART thing and releases a handbook BEFORE a book comes out. This ties into the Mystic Arcana book due out next week, and covers some well-known magicians in the Marvel U, as well as some very obscure ones most people are very likely not to have heard of. More handbook goodness.

5 out of 5

NEW WARRIORS #1*
Some new heroes have taken up the mantle of the disgraced team, and Tony Stark intends to stop them! A very good first issue with the return of a couple of all but forgotten X-Men characters. This one has a lot of potential to it. Hopefully, it won’t disappoint in the coming issues.

5 out of 5

NIGHTWING #133
Nightwing has a mysterious sniper running around, and an old foe from the past returns which may end up killing them both. A pretty good start to the new arc with an interesting character watching from the sidelines. However, the return of Dick’s femme fatale, Liu, doesn’t offer new readers much who may not be familiar with her as a character…or if she’s an old one at all! We get a brief glimpse into their history, but nothing to really highlight anything but the basics. Other than that, this tale looks promising.

3.5 out of 5

OMEGA FLIGHT #3*
The Wrecking Crew’s true purpose of being in Canada is revealed, and Beta Ray Bill ain’t having none of it! The final member of the team finally comes into play in this all-out action issue. Not much really happens in this. Talisman complains some more about the government’s choice of team and Bill and the Crew fight it out while Sasquatch is still being dragged around unconscious. Definitely the weakest issue, especially since during the fight the action was hindered by a lot of tight close-ups which barely showed anything. Also, a book that seemed to be anti-decompressed is starting to fall into decompression.

2.5 out of 5

PUNISHER #48
The detective draws closer to the women, which means he needs to be taken care of. The end of this issue looks like this won’t end like most other Punisher tales, which can work well in it’s favor as many have said it’s started to become formulaic. It’s also cool to see the women steadily fall apart as they realize doing the mob thing isn’t as easy as their husbands made it seem, especially with all the mistakes they’re collectively making in underestimating their foes. The punishment next issue should be particularly sweet.

4 out of 5

SPIDER-MAN FAMILY #3
Five more tales of Spidey and his friends! The first was a team-up with the Fantastic Four, which had very stylized artwork. It started off slow, but once the story got on a roll there were some pretty funny jokes and moments in there…if one can overlook how Spidey misses a flying brick and the mischaracterizations of some characters. Next, one that was a long-time coming; Scorpion vs. the new Scorpion! Much better artwork and a very well-done story. We haven’t seen much of new Scorpion since Civil War started, which is a shame, so it’s nice to see her again. It’s also nice to finally see this issue addressed, and hopefully it will be picked up again somewhere down the line. The reprint this time is What If Spidey joined the FF from What If volume 1 #1 and once again another weird and confusing Spider-Man J strip from Japan. Hopefully, they’ll stop putting in those strange wastes into these books.

3 out of 5
.
SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY JANE #19
The secret of Flash revealed as friends need to be there for their friends in many different ways. Another great issue, offering some character insights and furthering a lot of the plotlines going on. There was even a surprising twist at the end. This book just continues to get better and better, it’s just a shame that all needs to end with the next issue.

5 out of 5

SUPERGIRL #18*
Supergirl vs. Supergirl! Again! This entire issue is one knock-down drag-out fight between the Supergirls, and it’s not until the ending we find out what the heck’s been going on in the book the last couple of issues. Kelly has taken a cue from Loeb for sure in that department. The new artwork still doesn’t compare to what we’ve gotten from this series; at times it looks good, at other times flat and cartoony. The story was also not too thrilling, being more confusing than good and just tying the book into a current DC event (which shall remain nameless but is currently shipping weekly…shhhhhhh!) Also, it renders a lot of what has happened completely pointless. Overall, a good contender for the worst issue of this series.

2 out of 5

WITCHBLADE PUNISHER #1
Remember those pointless inter company crossovers of the 90s? You don’t have to. Here’s one right here. That’s right, we get a generic story that uses a generic character to unite these two comic heroes together in order to have them go at odds with each other. Basically, it comes down to whose way is right: Punisher’s lethal solution or Sarah Pezzini’s upholding of the law? The artwork was thankfully much better than the cover, but the story was nothing too memorable. No matter what, with how it was set up there’s no way Punny could ever hope to stand up to the Witchblade.

2.5 out of 5

 

[BrianWilly]

Countdown #47
"Shazam"? Black Adam's new magic word was Shazam? But he'd already tried that. I'm hoping that it was just the word he used to transfer his powers and not the actual magic word 'cause, y'know, that'd be pretty stupid.

Monitors need to stop talking. Like now. It's just...too much talking. About the same. Frakking. Things. I don't know if it's the result of too many writers not working in unison on this thing but...seriously. Throw in the fact that they frikkin' look the same and that there's absolutely no way to tell the difference between "Monitor Who Doesn't Want to Kill People" and "Monitor Who Wants to Kill People" than by their dialogue...

We see a new character, Holly Robinson, and wikipedia tells me that she's The Other Catwoman, who apparently has something to do with all this even though I don't read Catwoman so I don't know. Hopefully we're not talking The Other Catwoman as in she's literally from another Earth 'cause that would just be...overkill, at this point.

The Rogues storyline gets a nice scene, showing perhaps that Piper's not-really-evil isn't quite as not-really-evil as it might seem and permaybehaps his not-really-evil is actually not really not really evil. Except that it's not. Interesting.

Mary's story officially passes the introductory phase and into uncharted territory. It's what happens now that's important. I wonder what exactly is so different about Mary's powers now than the ones she had before which is supposed to make her all dark or whatever. Different gods, sure, but the general idea behind it should be the same, right? Having power from different gods doesn't make you act any different from when had power from the gods before. On a related note, Jerry Ordway is not happy.

An okay issue, nothing really astounding but nothing really wrong. Next up: Shamazons Attack. Great. Just...great.

lol you see what I did there by combining words.

(6.9 out of 10)


Avengers: Initiative #3
Not bad. Not bad at all, oddly. I liked the Spiders. I liked Komodo's little freakout and her later scenes. I really liked Trauma's little session with Moonstar, if only to show Dani being badass again, having gotten her groove back following her poor showing lately. Y'know, what with her being fired by Emma like a little btch in that horrible, horrible New X-Men book.

Everyone seems to be singing the praises of how Slott writes Spider-Man, but I'm more half-and-half about it. When Slott is on Spidey's game, he's really on Spidey's game. But there's a bit of an offness to some of his dialogue that I really can't describe. Perhaps it's because he's being written so...different...from his other incarnations in other books. What's the word I'm looking for? Could it "competent?" Spider-Man being written competently feels out of character to me now? Wowa. There's food for thought.

One thing, though, is that I'm not really sure I understand why all of a sudden SPIN is such a better and more practical method of detainment than inhibitor collars. I mean, sure, if it were just ordinary darts or something, but adamantium tipped? We just have all this adamantium lying about, now? If it's so much more expensive, why not just stick to the old inhibitor collars which -- as far as I can tell -- serve the exact same purpose for the purposes of law enforcement? Darts can be used offensively, but so can collars. The darts are permanent...except that they're apparently not, and there's no way that the resident eggheads don't know that. It seems to serve no purpose than to make these guys seem that much more hardcore or whatever. Which is understandable. It seems like it'll play more of an important role soon, so we'll see how it all works.

Speaking of which, Hardball has a big ol' secret or something, and I hope it's got something to do with his hard balls 'cause otherwise this subplot's a little overdone, a little cliche. Particularly when, less than several pages before, we see that Komodo has a big ol' secret too and apparently Trauma's got a big ol' secret and the trainers still got their big ol' secrets and, well, I guess if everyone's got to have a big ol' secret it might as well be in a book like this, but still. I'm sure everyone will eventually come to trust one another and be all happy and trusting with their secrets. Except if they die. Which is possible. And would be funny. And I'm not nearly connected enough to these characters to care if they die, so here's hopin'!

(8.8 out of 10)


All-New Atom #12
Oh that fcking head. I love that head. I would buy comics for that head. In fact I do.

The abortion that was "Jia" is finally over (never thought three issues could last so long) except for her thankfully brief cameo here, so what we got is a pretty amusing issue with stock fighting. Stock fighting would have looked a bit better with a more dynamic artist, but the point got across. 'Sides, this guy is great with Ryan's facial expressions.

Pretty much completely a setup issue, and does it reasonably well. We're looking for Ray Palmer now which means Countdown crossovers galore, and the jury is still out on whether that's a good thing or not.

(7.3 out of 10)


Birds of Prey #107
I believe I'm going to start collecting back-issue TPBs of this. This is...well, this is really good. Art, dialogue, action, momentum, the whole nine yards. And, in moments, utterly hilarious.

And, damn it to poo, I just cannot get enough of writers who actually seem like they read other writers' work. I KNOW! I KNOW! IT'S SO CRAZY! But when Oracle gets Ice to do the whole "Remember who you are!!" thing by name-dropping Guy Gardner, it just felt like the DCU again. People who know each other who know even more people, and they have histories and connections that matter in the long run. We've been getting away from that. It's this exact sort of DCU that titles like Amazons Attack seek to destroy

, and the fact that Gail Simone is such an antithesis of this is a fine thing indeed, particularly when she takes over Wonder Woman in the fall.

Plus, y'know, you got hot people hitting each other with sticks.

(9 out of 10)


Buffy the Vampire Slayer #4
This is the single best book on the shelves right now. I may be biased but if you're not biased that means you're not reading it which means that you actually have no idea, do you? You're just babbling nonsense now, aren't you? 'Cause you just don't know. You're like this girl. Yeah, that's right. That's you, man. That's what you get.

So now that I've proven beyond a shadow of a doubt why this book is the best there is and that you won't like it when it's angry, let's talk details. The dialogue is superb. The action is great. We get a more than competent conclusion to the first, ah, "epsiode" of the season. A packed arc of a comic book finishing in four issues?? I honestly don't care if an arc is four or six or eight issues long, so long as it actually uses its time effectively. I've said before that television writers like Heinberg and Whedon are classic examples of writers who actually know how to use their time effectively due to the constraints you are often met with in serialized television. Every panel counts for something. Every line of dialogue is there for a reason. Pages after pages of ridiculously overblown splash art are no-nos. In this day and age of decompression hell, that is a welcome reprieve.

I love the depiction of Willow's goddesses (spirits? elementals?). You know, I believe this is the first time we see corporeal, intrinsically benevolent higher powers in the Buffyverse. Sure there were the Powers That Be, but they've never actually been seen and besides no one likes them, least of all the characters.

The Scythe returns, and what a return. There's a small, rational portion of my brain asking how in the world Buffy and Satsu managed to decommission an entire roomful of soldiers with a magic axe thing and a damn katana without killing a single one of them. Then I realize that with the room as packed as it was, the Slayers have far, far more control of the situation than the soldiers, so taking care to go for the crippling blow is probably not inconceivable. Then that rational portion of my brain goes on to ask how in the world those soldiers were firing bullets all over the place without killing themselves. Then I slap my rational portion and tell it to go get laid or something.

At first I thought we were seeing Super Saiyan Primeval Buffy again with the Willow possession thingy, but hey this works too. Kudos and mad cookies to Joss for managing to come up for a reason for the twilight cult or whatever to be going after the Slayers that actually does sort of make sense and doesn't just sound like evil government people doing evil government things or big bad Men out to put down powerful Women. The idea that the demon inside a Slayer isn't just this docile, inanimate power that these girls can access but is instead a sentient, driving force that would control them all is a...well, it actually falls apart under a bit of scrutiny, but it is fascinating and I can see why that would worry the wrong people.

According to the letter pages, apparently the title of this run is called Buffy: The Chain. I don't understand why it's called this, but I can't wait to find out. So now the first arc has ended, and we've got a pretty good idea of what the feel of this book is going to be like. I think, perhaps, that it's time to focus a bit more on the specifics of their operation a bit. With Wolfram & Hart at Angel, for example, we had a pretty good idea of just how things worked and why they worked and why everyone was there. That's still a bit missing from the Slayers' operation...see, we don't even know what the operation is called. There's no name for it. We know there are Slayers here, but why are they here? Hundreds upon hundreds of girls and we have no knowledge of how they feel to be a part of something like this. Are they happy? Sad? Do they not have families or lives or schools or jobs of their own? What's life like for a Slayer in this operation? Why do they all defer to this one woman, Buffy, especially considering the problems she had with command during season 7? And for the love of Buffy, where in the world is all the money for this coming from?? The next issue is supposed to be focused on a single Slayer (one of the Buffy decoys) and the arc after that focuses on Faith and her rounding up a rogue Slayer, so hopefully these questions will be answered soon.

...F'ing A, I just realized that the next issue comes out in August. Goddamn August. At least I'm used to waiting for Whedon's books by now.

(10 out of 10)
(9.4 out of 10 for the entire arc)

 

[PhotoJones]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #4
This is the single best book on the shelves right now.

That's big talk.

 

[Dread]

Some really great reviews from other posters this week. I really don't like being a gloryhound and I never encouraged people who would ignore other posters in favor of me, and I am really glad to see so many great reviews hoppin' in here. Granted, it was a great week all-around for comics. Got some new launches, continuation of good stuff and really not a clunker in the entire week. What I think is noticeable is that whether you love or hate CIVIL WAR, the aftermath has given the MU all sorts of direction and excuses to revive lost characters. Whether they always work or not is up in the air, but the effort is there. Whereas it seems DC usually relies on standalone series doing their own thing or sometimes awkward tie-ins and so on. The reversal of tactics and quality of these two after less than 2 years is staggering. Still, I got one DC book, and it was good.

And who'd have thought Image would one day be a reliable place for spandex goodness?

Wiggy times these are, but better than '05 sure was. And overall a great week to kickoff June.

As always, Octoboss am give full spoiler!

DREAD'S BOUGHT/THOUGHT for 6/6/07:

DETECTIVE COMICS #833: After another fill-in that I avoided, Dini & Kramer return for the 9th issue in his supposed year-long run on DETECTIVE. Out of 9 issues, Kramer has done about 6-7 of them so he is pretty much Dini's official artist for the run. What we get is another solid Batman tale, only this one is actually a 2-parter that ends in a TO BE CONTINUED, a rarity for Dini's run as he has relied on standalones with interconnecting subplots, a tactic that has usually become rare these days in favor of "Part 3 of 5" esque arcs. Dini, co-producer of the legendary BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES with Bruce Timm and writer of many episodes, is obviously having a ball with the more liberal format of comics, that allow him to include things like murder and whatnot to spice up Gotham's seedy nightlife and the mysteries Batman is involved in. This one involves the death of Katy, one of the buxom "helper ladies" of goth magician Ivar Loxias. For those keeping track, Loxias had appeared before; DETECTIVE #824, the one with Penguin on the cover. Batman gives a rundown to Zatanna, who also cameoed that issue and mentioned her pal Katy. In this way the tales are connected without being part of a strict arc and I prefer this approach in many ways, because it feels more natural and flowing to me. Dini also continues on his trend of inserting Zatanna into Bruce Wayne's backstory in "retcons" that involve the pair meeting as kids after the Waynes were murdered. This is nothing new for Dini, of course, whose love for Zatanna almost borders on Claremont's love for Storm, although at least the latter created his muse; Dini just had a shinin' for his. Loxias has become more daring after he was abducted by goons in #824, increasing the danger and injuries to his assistants during performances to amuse bloodthirsty spectators, another sign of how twisted the city really is (and, well, anyone who doesn't believe audiences like that sort of thing hasn't seen reality TV much). Dini, in all his retconning, doesn't forget the work of others, and has Batman and Zatanna feeling strained due to the events of IDENTITY CRISIS, when she mindwiped Batman to essentially hold the JLA together after the Dr. Light affair, a crime she may forever be trying to attone for. There is a twist at the end about Loxias; not only is he a hard-carrying psycho, he is The Joker in disguise. Zatanna mentioned working with Loxias before in years past, so one wonders whether Joker seriously maintained a false identity/career for years, or he either abducted or murdered the real Loxias to replace him to bait Batman into a trap. This is only a 2 parter so I will be patient for some details. The final scene evokes memories from the B:TAS episodes "Be a Clown" and "Almost Got 'im", and also "Zatanna", the latter two written by Dini himself about 15 years ago. In "Be a Clown", Joker displays his fascination with the "water escape" trick that he locks Zatanna in (after shooting her in the neck; ouch), and in "Almost Got 'Im", Joker straps Batman to an electric chair to kill him slowly. "Zatanna", of course, is the episode that first bright the notion of connecting Batman to Zatanna by having Wayne be a student of her father Zatara because, Dini figures, he had to learn how to be an escape artist from somewhere. Also in "Zatanna", a crime involving the magic world forces Batman & Zatanna to fight together and rely on each other to survive. So naturally there is some sense of Dini repeating himself here. But they're more homages and themes than direct rips (like, say, Bendis evoking the image of Ronin for two stories at the same time) so they are acceptable. Plus, of course, we expected Dini to bring his B:TAS flair for the character & his universe into DETECTIVE, so he is really just delivering what was expected. It's a shame that Morrison's BATMAN has soared above this in sales because Dini's entire DETECTIVE run have just been nothing but excellent Batman stories. They're usually simple, effective, and not very long, and in that way taut. And they have carry-over details to reward longtime readers while usually having a complete story to reward those just trying the book. It's had some filler interuptions but because of Dini's style, they're not as jarring as, say, interupting late runs in ACTION or WONDER WOMAN have been. Right now I am wondering just how Batman & Zatanna will escape this one, which means the cliffhanger was effective. In 2 out of 3 of those above episodes, Batman needed aid from someone else to escape (the young Jordon helped Batman escape the water trap in "Be a Clown", albeit in a minor way, and Catwoman outright rescued Batman from Joker's electric chair in "Almost Got 'Im"). The only characters who could seemlessly launch a rescue would be either Robin, or, in a more contrived way, the Riddler, who Dini has set up as a legit themed P.I. The most likely answer is both Batman and Zatanna use willpower and escape skills to survive whatever Joker has planned for them. But, hey, it's the guessing between months that is half the fun sometimes. One final nod is I like how Dini's theme here is that things are violent but not over-the-top violent, not unlike an average episode of CSI: MIAMI or something, which suits DETECTIVE well. He's not making as many waves as some other "see what I can do!" shock theme writers, but that's part of the charm, Dini doesn't see a need for that kind of stuff. He knows what the audience expects from Batman here and usually delivers on the fundamentals.

DYNAMO 5 #4: Faerber & Asrar's Father's Day themed issue is dedicated to the memory of the father of the latter, who died 3 years ago, and also ties in well with not only the theme of the book but last issue's cliffhanger. Fans who read INVINCIBLE may note the book kicked off it's first year with a bang by making some shocking revelations about the father of the hero, and DYNAMO 5 essentially looks to follow suit, albeit in shorter time. That works out better as the entire premise of the book are that an iconic dead hero had skeletons in the closet (many affairs) that have given rise to a new team of young superheroes from various awkward home lives who slowly are evolving into their own family of step-siblings. What is particularly interesting and amazing to someone like me who sometimes has become jaded with the more "structured corporate decompression" of Marvel & DC's 40+ year old franchises is these characters are starting to grow at a rapid rate. Scatterbrain is moving beyond a lot of the typical jock stuff to try to be supportive of Visionary and even Slingshot, as his telepathy has made him somewhat more sensitive to the feelings of others. He's not all cheese, though, still retaining some of his cockiness and self-serving nature with his power (jokingly offering $50 a pop to read parents for X-Mas gift info). The kids, whether from having at least one good parent like Scrap & Visionary, to none like Myriad, are learning to lean on each other for support without it always needing to be a supervillian fight. There is none in this issue and that was good, every now and then there should be some breaks in action. Maddie, meanwhile, is disturbed upon the sudden re-appearance of Capt. Dynamo, and FLAG's agents are debating how to debrief him, as the "hip young turk" seems to disbelieve Agent Ford's other plausible theories, noting that in their (re: comic book) lines of work, resurrections are less convoluted than clones, shapeshifters, robots, or psychic illusions. But it could be a variation of all of that. The book ends on another equally interesting cliffhanger with Capt. Dynamo, who even Maddie claims "seems so real", returns to the abode and seemingly the arms of his old enemy, Chyrsalis. She's a tech-master so is this a clone or robot, as Ford suggests? Or perhaps Capt. Dynamo, a hero who had been cheating on his wife endlessly, decided to fake his death simply to avoid a messy divorce? Seeing Maddie shaken up by the return of her dead husband allowed the rather common comic plot point of resurrection to have more depth and feeling in much the same way that Colossus' resurrection was handled better than, say, Psylocke's. Hopefully Marvel takes notes when they inevitably bring Steve Rogers back (lord, I could imagine Thor literally leading a legion of warriors into the underworld for him or something). It also helped Maddie shed her own stereotype of a "hard arse femm" for a moment so she seems more real. She has seemed to succeed in getting her husband's kids to start sharing bonds as people and Dynamo 5, and hopefully she can tuck things back a bit so they get to like her, too (Slingshot at least does, but that may be because her own mother died). It definitely can be a sordid little family, but these things do happen, especially in comics, and the creator of NOBLE CAUSES is really a master at this sort of thing. This is another issue where one pays $3.50 for 20 pages of story, and combined with many small LCS' ordering few of any copies of this may keep some way, but Erik Larson's EIC statements on the last page about Faerber notes that it is selling very well for a non Big Two book, where every issue so far has warranted a reprinting (and, hey, anyone who isn't Marvel or DC would kill for sales in the 5 figures). But, hey, it's 20 pages of no ads which sort of justifies the extra 51 cents. What I especially like about this book and INVINCIBLE is while they do pander to the expectations of the genre and have the big budget action we like from the Big Two, they have more freedom as these are their own franchises and thus they can be a bit more daring than stuff you read from the big kids (to which anyone who has been reading indie's for years goes, "No, DUH!" in reply). Definitely one of my fave books right now. Actually, I have a lot of fave books at this point in time. It usually requires some chasin' down but it's been worth it so far. One of many launches from this year that have been a pleasant surprise.

INVINCIBLE #42: Really review-proof at this point; people who read it love it, and people who don't usually don't know what they are missing. This issue is a recap issue that is $1 cheaper with lots of taggers on the cover (which admittedly is fairly generic). Some of Mark Grayson's past is recapped by some astronauts debating his status as he works to help them establish a security station on the Moon following the thwarted Martian invasion of last month, and also in the several pages of recap of the series, USM style. The realist in me doubts this will lead to the sales this book deserves, but I don't blame Kirkman for trying, especially as he launches ASTONISHING WOLF-MAN. This series after all got him on the map and opened the doors for his Marvel work. The astronaut recaps actually don't seem too heavy handed as it creates the notion that not everyone worships Invincible as a hero, which is good because that gets unrealistic and boring (everyone has their skeptics/critics, espeically with the Omni-Man affair). Mark also fights a massive villain called The Giant and has a rematch with Octoboss, but the majority of the issue is low-key, as if taking a gasp of air from the back-to-back adventure arcs of the last 5 or so issues, which is a good idea as we anticipate the Viltrumite stuff to eventually come. INVINCIBLE combines the arc-serial format as well as the subplot format which is why it has the best of both approaches. Every action has a reaction and Kirkman is a master at exploring that stuff despite a large cast. Mark talks with William about breaking up with Amber and how it is effecting him, even if he did it for some good reasons (to allow her a more normal life, and to explore his feelings for Eve). It's good to see that he's not as cavalier about it as some of the fans may be (who have been shipping for Mark & Eve for years now), because that makes him seem more human in the story; despite all the logical reasons, he loved Amber so it will take some time to deal. The biggest development of course, is another the fans have been anticipating; seeing how his step-brother Oliver is doing. It was good to see Mrs. Grayson again, after being absent from many issues, and Oliver, who is still growing rapidly and after a few months resembles a kid who is maybe about 8 or 9. He has stilted "I learned English from textbooks" type dialogue, which is fitting, and it was interesting how Mark sort of probably imagined taking the place of his father as he wore his dad's old catcher's mitt. As well as remembering their own games of catch in happier times, which we experienced, so it flows together and seems more real than any silly retcon usually is. Naturally, the cliffhanger is that after asking Mark about when he could expect to gain superpowers (Mark, who was a "late bloomer", didn't gain his until he was 18 and nearly finished with high school, recall), only to reveal that he apparently can fly (or hover about 5 feet off the ground), and his powers are starting to bud. A lot is invested in Oliver on many sides; Cecil wants another Viltrumite powerhouse in his deck like Invincible, Mrs. Grayson has used caring for Oliver to overcome some of her depression regarding Omni-Man and give her some purpose (as well as, I am sure, relive those moments of child rearing most mothers liked, lord knows my mother has gone on and on about missing the young childhood years of my life), and Mark naturally doesn't mind a little brother. The fans may be eager to see Oliver don some domino mask and be Invinci-Boy or something, which will be interesting, but I am content to be patient on that angle for now to see Oliver & Co. develop, and because I have faith in Kirkman here that whatever angles worth exploring, he will, in due time. It might be interesting if Oliver becomes a much better student than Mark, who is flunking out of college because he'd rather be Invincible, is. Basically I am saying, I have no doubt Oliver will be involved in adventures soon enough, let's not yell if Kirkman doesn't rush it. My favorite book every month, even if these days it has some competition.

 

[Dread]

AVENGERS: INITIATIVE #3: The only real quibble is the recap page gives away the identity of Trauma's instructor before the actual story does. Granted, Mirage was guessed by many fans, not myself, as the most obvious choice and to Slott's credit, he didn't make some "WHO IS SHE" type hype poll on Marvel.com or something, so an easy mystery isn't an issue. That's not what he wants. Slott instead is more interested in playing with his new characters as well as the new status quo of the MU, where the SHRA is law and the feds are training a new line of heroes to battle villains and "rogue vigilantes", like Spider-Man. This series needed a man who has a deep love and knowledge of Marvel continuity and Slott is the man for the job, hands down. There is hardly anyone better at this juncture and Marvel is only aided from him rising to A-List status with this, his first Top 10 seller (issue #1 debuted at #6 in April, not shabby at all) and his placement on the "counsel of elders" style creator meetings at Marvel (he's joined the editorial dept. along with Bendis, JMS, Loeb, Millar, Brubaker, etc). And, yeah, he's hit A-List and I'm easier on him than I am on Bendis. I admit the bias. I also admit in my eyes, Slott's committed far fewer sins of story or hubris, if any. He hasn't lost that fanboy zeal as a professional, or at least radiates it better. This issue naturally continues following on elements from the last; Mirage, despite being powerless after M-Day (it was a huge thing for C-Listers like herself), proves worthy to train Trauma having mastered her own fears with her simular powers as Trauma throws the Demon Bear at her (nice ref). Hardball, meanwhile, is suspicious of Cloud 9's "therapy" sessions with Justice, feeling she will be the one who breaks their "chain of silence" about MVP now that Trauma is being tended to. Slott has created factions inside this cabal, of course; Yellowjacket and War Machine are more in bed with Gyrich and what the feds want (Rhodes more than Pym in some ways), while Justice is more skeptical and wants to put the welfare of the kids' first. I doubt Justice will be trying to relive the CW anytime soon, but he isn't towing the line like a peon, either. Slott also remembers his "mentor/student" relationship with the Thing, who he has wrestle with the new recruits as part of their training; Hardball, Komodo, Rage, Slapstick, Cloud 9, Triathalon, and Bengal take part in this brawl. Part of me wonders whether Rage alone should be capable of giving Thing a good fight (he's a 50 ton class tanker whose strength increases with his anger), but naturally it serves the same lesson as Scott having the X-kids spar with Wolverine in AXM; just the fact of training with a legend is inspirational. Slott also pokes fun at how easily HYDRA is dispatched most times. Most of the issue, however, focuses on Komodo, who has emerged as the most promising recruit so far, at least after MVP. Hopefully she has a better fate. Dr. Conners pays a visit and is skeptical that his research is being used in the best ways, especially after he's plagued the world and his family as the Lizard for over a decade of Marvel time. Conners doesn't trust the military with the serum and who could blame him, now that Komodo has perfected it (becoming a regenerating reptile warrior with at least maybe 10 ton strength and all of her mental faculties). The issue, however, revealed her weakness, and it is that while she enjoys her Komodo form and has boundless confidence, she hates her "true" self and still has some rookie jitters. This comes into play when War Machine taps her as back-up for a raid against half of the Sinister Syndicate, and Spider-Man, a top priority to capture after leaving Iron Man's teet. Yes, this means for the second time in a few months Slott gets to write Spider-Man, and it seems to not be a coincidence that Marvel may be gearing him for such a task, with SHE-HULK soon coming to an end (or at least his run on it). Considering that fans have been begging for him on a Spidey book for at least 2 years now, I certainly am not about to complain about it. Slott's Spider-Man is a return to not only good banter, but cocky banter that actually can be backed up via Spider-Man's skill, powers, and experience. He's not a helpless, inept man-child feeb that Bendis made so popular in USM and everywhere else he writes Spidey. He's fighting Shocker, Hydro-Man and Boomerang and is fully confident in his ability to beat them, because he's done so countless times. And when Komodo takes him on with the fed's new cape-killing weapon, SPIN, which are adamantium-tipped tranqs filled with the same power-inhibiting stuff that is in collars for inmates, and the solution apparently is unique for every metahuman, which makes more sense than a cover-all because everyone has different powers (or sources/explanations for said powers). Spider-Man, naturally, quips at letting criminals go free just to concentrate on him, but Slott has that covered, too. Apparently, Iron Man's "Iron Spidey" suit has been duplicated at least three times and given to others, dubbed Scarlet Spiders or Red Team (how is THAT for homage?). That also makes sense; why make waste of that costume just because Peter trashed it? The Scarlet Spiders take out the villains while Spider-Man essentially uses his expertise to make Komodo flinch, which he uses to escape from her. Really, that page where Spider-Man turns the tables on Komodo is priceless, and Caselli is a natural for Spidey; yet a page later we can also feel sorry for Komodo again as we recall she is still just a kid in a hectic adult world. Hardball also has someone who is blackmailing him into investigating the SPIN tech, so this angle isn't going away. In fact the one bit that made me groan was the tagger: NEXT MONTH WWH. Why? Because this series is only 3 issues in and has more than enough material to go on without another crossover event, yet one is due up around the corner. Oh, I have no doubt Slott will use the event to fuel his own stories, as he did with CW's SHE-HULK issue. But it still feels too fresh, too soon to be at the heels of a 3-6 part crossover. With NOVA, connecting him to Initiative after a single issue felt natural because the fans were begging for it, but I'm not sure everyone was begging Marvel, "oh please have Slott throw his new characters at Hulk so he can jolly spank them". I mean, really, Hulk can't lose outside of the core mini, so most of the crossovers just seem to be, "Hulk beats [INSERT NAME OF STAR OF TITLE HE IS GUESTING ON]". And that just seems too primitive to me. Some books need to breathe without endless crossovers and this one is more than able to swim. But, well, it is what it is; WORLD WAR HULK is here, it was built up over a year and it would be unrealistic for the feds to have a platoon of heroes ready and not throw them at Hulk. Still, hopefully, I hope they realize the difference of throwing Rage at Hulk or Cloud 9 or something, otherwise Gyrich will just seem like a gorilla with ADHD playing MARVEL ULTIMATE ALLIANCE, throwing random people at a threat regardless of skills or experience (some episodes of JLU had this problem). Granted, like I said, I expect Slott to make a go of it despite having to conform to yet another crossover so it is sort of baseless complaining. I just feel a little event-fatiqued now, especially on a great book like this that really needs no help. Still, I guess the ultimate act of initiation is getting beaten up by the Hulk. I mean, 33 years ago it worked for Wolverine. Slott's created not only some great characters and some excellent aftermath from CW, but a must-read book from Marvel.

FYI, those teasers for ANNIHILATION CONQUEST look very STAR WARS-ish, which is as it should be, really.

IRREDEEMABLE ANT-MAN #9: Another must-read launch from Marvel, unfortunately it's selling quite poorly and I will be amazed if it survives past #12. It sells in the Top 120 and while that is fine for an Image comic, it's low by Marvel standards. Still, the fact that it has made it this long is testament to Marvel's newfound success and patience; a few years ago Marvel would axe a book at #6 or #7 just for hitting the bottom of the Top 100, now they are willing to bare with it just to see a book at least last a year. They were quite patient with MTU, allowing Kirkman to end it on his terms despite it selling dismally for the last 6-8 issues. Which means I will enjoy this trend while it lasts because Kirkman has created a character and universe not like a book I have read from Marvel in ages. The misadventures of Eric O'Grady, now going by "Derek" and working for DAMAGE CONTROL, INC as "Slaying Mantis" continue. It also allows Kirkman to flesh out more history on his AMAZING FANTASY #15 creation from a while ago, Monstro. It is revealed the big guy is on the run from the law & other sources after his inexperience with his power caused him to accidentally kill his family, yet he still strives to do good, either as a fireman or, now, a rescue worker for DCI. Eric has also made a friend, albeit an annoying one, in Black Fox, who breaks into his apartment at night just to play Nintendo Wii with him (and it old enough to be his grandfather). SHIELD is still hunting for him and apparently Veronica is interested in finding him to share knowledge about their impending child, in a scene we call foreshadowing. "Mantis" gets his rear kicked by Dragon Man and becomes the first hero besides USM to lose more often in his own comic than not and yet doesn't come off nearly as wussy. He helps Monstro get a fake ID when SHIELD comes calling to enforce the SHRA and Derek's improv "mask" is priceless, although one wonders how long he can pull the daylight charade before SHIELD gets wise. Visionary's big secret is that she has a kid, which makes Eric furious and he storms out in a rage. A jerk move, but also one we see happen in everyday life all the time; countless single moms have bemoaned the fact that most men don't want to date them if they know they have a kid. Eric actually did seem to genuinely like her, because they had a bit in common. While "irredeemable", Eric in his way is probably more like an "averge guy" than Peter Parker was, as the average person tends to be more selfish and than selfless. I can't say how I would have reacted in Eric's shoes, because I don't date much, if at all (all of womanhood got together and decided they knew better than to give Dread a shot, which gives me time for career and brooding). This book's provided a side to a "hero" legacy that is rarely seen as well as more down-to-earth depictions of SHIELD and Damage Control (the latter especially needed it after their questionable WOLVERINE arc in CW). Plus, there is a cute Mini-Marvels comic in the back by Chris Giarrusso, and while not as good as his shorter ones, it's still adorably funny. Ant-Man is Kirkman's best Marvel work and really shows what he can do when he has a direction and a unique spin on a property. It just is a damn shame the "casual" comic fan hasn't rewarded him, despite bestowing needlessly high sales to mediocre, yet bigger name, franchises. Another one of my favorite Marvel titles that I'll enjoy for as many issues it has left. There really is no one quite like Eric O'Grady and one wonders if this book ends if he will be treated as well. Kirkman also has some semi-commentary on events/CW in the story which is always seemlessly entertaining.

THE LONERS #3: In some ways the most awkward issue of the 6 issue mini yet to mark the midway point, but only by the standards of the great first two issues, especially #2. The issue focuses on Phil Urich, ex-Green Goblin who seeks to control his life yet fears he has the insanity of the Osborn's inside him by association (and because his costume technically activated powers he did gain from a chemical bath, so the stuff is still in him). As the cover shows, the real Penance, or "Hollow" as she goes by now, returns in this issue from her appearance in the last. The somewhat awkward bit is that Julie Power apparently followed Ricochet into investigating the Fujikawa lab despite him not calling her about it, as I recall (he called Darkhawk and Mattie, who both declined to help for various reasons). Both Hollow and her Loner would-be saviors misread the situation; Ricochet mistakes her actions for attacks and Hollow stabs Julie in a panic, landing her in the hospital and the self-help group on the verge of being outed to the feds for not registering (they are supposed to be "retired" and thus don't have to register). Phil's rundown on the first page gets interestingly deranged as it ends and he is revealed as a control freak among other things (so rare in Goblins, roll eyes). As the team squabbles over secrets and vigilante actions, they are confronted by troops from the Fujikawa labs as well as Delilah and a Japanese woman, perhaps Miss Fujikawa herself. Mickey manages to talk themselves out of a fight in Japanese, noting they were in a hospital parking lot and a fight would have endangered countless lives. She also probably wanted to protect her friends and avoid another spandex wearing incident. Hollow, however, has a "beast girl" type rapport with the conflicted Phil, making out with him and rooming on his floor. It seemed a little random but for me it worked as Hollow was supposed to be "beastial" following her last appearance in GENERATION X about 8-9 years ago, and instantly connecting to random people who show some sort of compassion is standard for "beast girls". Either some else is inside the Penance body or the body is indeed Hollow and running on whatever vague human emotions/psyche it gained from it's hosts from the St. Coix family. Cebulski again deserves credit for trying to dust off and use a D-Lister that few in the biz likely remember or want to do much with. The final page really recaps where all the characters stand and I enjoyed it overall; it's a B+ issue compared to last month's A+ issue but that in no means is bad at all. At the end I felt I understood Phil a little better which is what these issues are supposed to do, anyway. Focus on one of the characters and boil down what they stand for now and what conflicts them. Phil wants to help himself by helping others and while his work with the Loners may not be perfect, maybe things will go better with Hollow. I also am genuinely interested in the MGH story and what the full fallout from the team's battle with them may be. Mickey may have talked their way free from a fight now, but Ricochet, Darkhawk & Mattie won't let it stand and it may be inevitable that the Fujikawa folks wants payback. Between this and OMEGA FLIGHT, while I enjoy both, I'd rather see this become an ongoing; unfortunately it sells worse (it sells with in the Top 85, about where RUNAWAYS sold before Whedon, implying at least it appeals to the target audience, people who liked RUNAWAYS). Moline's art was good as always. It was a brisk read and not the best issue, but a fine midway installment to an enjoyable mini. And hey, no crossover worries!