Fast Thoughts For 03/26/08

GREEN LANTERN #29 - I can already tell that this is going to be the origin story that Emerald Dawn should have been.

Formalizing what has already been hinted at or discussed in flashback in a number of his Green Lantern stories to date, Secret Origin is Geoff John's reimagining of the Hal Jordan mythos. Fleshing Hal out beyond the fearless he-man of the Silver Age, Johns' Hal isn't quite fearless but he is courageous, reckless and could easily out-Maverick Tom Cruise any day of the week. He also formalizes some points that have been implied by other writers (i.e. John Stewart's Marine background - first presented in the Justice League cartoon - is now gospel background for the New Earth John Stewart) but never outright confirmed before.

If you haven't been reading Green Lantern but are aching to start in the wake of the buzz about how great The Sinestro Corps Wars was, this is a good place to start. Not just because it shows the literal beginning of the Green Lanterns' presence among Earthlings but because the last few pages appear to tie-in to the next big Green Lantern saga.


HELLBLAZER #242 - Another place-keeping issue as we see John's two greatest enemies in Diggle's run so far form an alliance after indulging in some torture. There's precious little of John this time around, but I suspect that Diggle is, as per usual, building to something bigger and special. The tone is also, as I've said before, very close to that of the Delano Run. Indeed, we get another reference to a classic Delano story as we get a reference to John's long lost twin and the parallel reality where he, not John, lived.


JACK OF FABLES #21 -For once, I agree with Jack's surly comments about how an issue without him isn't worth reading. Well, I take that back. It's not that this issue isn't worth reading - I just don't find this one as amusing as previous issues. Maybe it's because I'm too much of a theater geek to find much humor in a "comedy" where one of the actors refuses to learn his lines or his relations to the other characters, an actress has to be coerced into seducing an actor (and then some) in order to get his cooperation and an actor/director gone mad with power. Still, I'll be back next month if only for the promise of Jack fresh off his conquest of the Page Sisters. :)


KNIGHTS OF THE DINNER TABLE #137 - It's been a while since I've laughed out loud, or laughed long at an issue of this comic. But this time, I did.

I won't spoil the gag or even attempt to describe it. Suffice it to say that while Jolly Blackburn may decry his skills as an artist, he perfectly nailed the "Wile E. Coyote" look in B.A.'s eyes as he watched the metaphorical piano drop.


SHEENA #5 - Delayed for a few months, presumably so this final chapter of what was meant to be a five-part mini-series could be rewritten to allow for a hopefully long-lasting continuing series, this issue did prove worth waiting for.

And why shouldn't it? If there's some manner of afterlife for the good and just, then Will Eisner is smiling right now. Because Robert Rodi and Matt Merhoff have taken Eisner's creation - the first heroine to have her own solo comic title - and made Sheena their own baby as well as the best book among a host of pitiful imitators.

Rodi has routinely proven capable of doing something that nobody else on the market seems capable of doing - writing a "queen of the jungle" heroine who is smart, confident and easily capable of holding her own in a fight and surviving in the wilds. And unlike a certain "Cho-sen" one, who tried to corner the market on jungle girl comics (the title says it all - girls, not women), with cheesecake poses and gratuitous thong shots, Monsieur Merhoff - along with a bevy of amazing cover artists - has depicted Sheena as a heroine who is beautiful, powerful and as sensibly dressed as you can be in a leopard-skin unitard.

The first TP should be available soon and a one-shot, Trail of the Mapinguari, is on the way along with a HC collection of Eisner's Sheena work. So if you missed this comic the first time, don't worry. The Real Queen of the Jungle is here and I don't think she'll be leaving anytime soon.