Fast Thoughts - The Week of 5/02/07

Expect a Spider-Man 3 review before weekend's end.

Oh, and in totally irrelevant to the comics industry news, I'm finally working full-time in my Secret Identity as mild-mannered librarian Matt Morrison.



52 WEEK #52 - Here it is. The moment we've all been waiting for.

Is this a perfect story? No. Did all the questions we need answered get answered? No.

Do I care in a story where we find out that old Captain Marvel villain Mr. Mind is a baby Cthulhu capable of devouring all of space and time? HELL NO!

So... yeah. The DC Multiverse is back, 52 Worlds strong. Which 52? Well, I'm sure this will get mapped out eventually but here's the ones we know about for sure.

Earth 1 - New Earth (i.e. where most of the DC Comics take place)
Earth 2 - The JSA Earth, where Huntress is Batman's daughter.
Earth 3 - The Evil Earth Prime. Home of Crime Syndicate of America.
Earth 4 - Charlton Comics
Earth 5 - Old School Captain Marvel
Earth 10 - Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters
Earth 17 - Unknown, save the Knights are riding weird white monster mounts through the rubble of another civilization.
Earth 22 - Kingdom Come
Earth 50 - Wildstorm Comics (Gen-13, WILDCATS, Authority)

One more thing: I want more adventures of Ralph Dibny: Ghost Detective!



ASTONISHING X-MEN #21 - The one X-Men book I'll read, and not just because it seems to annoy the piss out of the people who read all the other X-Men books. Like Grant Morrison before him, Joss Whedon is dragging the X-Men concept into new territories. About the only thing you can guarantee with each new issue is that there will be something to make you go into squeeing fanboy excitement at the sure coolness or appropriateness of the moment.



GIANT SIZE RED SONJA #1 - A value for the price, though I would have favored more of the new material and less of the remastered and recolored reprints of classic Roy Thomas tales. Not that I hold anything against Roy Thomas - far from it - but I had read some of these tales before and apart from one story I believe was originally told in the old Savage Sword of Conan magazine, none are particularly hard to find. Still, it's worth getting just for the one new story... a continuation of the story from the Red Sonja #0 issue, with the barmaid who aided Sonja's enemies in an ambush against her setting upon her own path of revenge.



GREEN LANTERN #19 - You know, I should be worried that they are taking the Emotional Color Wheel concept that begat Parallax and are running with it. I mean, it's a silly, old-fashioned concept... unworthy of the great concept of a man with a ring that let him do anything... except affect things that are yellow.

Nah, unlike many of my brethren I actually LIKE the concept of an emotional spectrum with Yellow as Fear and Green as Willpower. It's completely and totally unsound scientifically but... it's comic book physics.

So in this issue, we find out that long-time Hal Jordan villain Star Sapphire is also connected to this color spectrum. Billions of years ago when the alien Guardians who created the Green Lantern Corps, a number of females (dubbed The Zamarons) from their species struck out on their own. The exact reasons for this have never been fully explained... until now.

Basically, they were concerned about the Guardians taking a Jedi Order approach to their plans to police the universe (no fear, but no love either) and they set out to create their own guardians using the Violet light manifested by the Power of Love and (Cue the Huey Lewis music) and the

But the power proved all-consuming to any connected to the crystals, so the Zamarons relied upon deceit to control the women the crystal possessed, making them think they were to be Queen of their homeworld. They also gave the crystals only to the girlfriends and wives of male Green Lanterns in the hopes that The Guardians would see their good works and realize their folly.

Problem is, apart from the connection to all-consuming love tends to make most women crazed dominatrixes (I've had that happen a few times) that the means by which a world gets "saved" by a Star Sapphire involves everyone being frozen in amethyst.

So it all gets explained. Why The Star Sapphire only possessed two (now three) of Hal Jordan's girlfriends out of all the women on Earth... why their powers seemed so similar to those of the Green Lanterns and... oh yes... why the Zamorans are now gathering up an army of women to bond to their Sapphires.

I trust in Geoff Johns to pull this off. I just fully expect a revamped Rainbow Raider once this is all said and done.



TEEN TITANS #46 Duela Dent isn't dead. Much happiness.

And yeah... while this doesn't even begin to fix all the damage that has been done to Slade's character in the last year, it's a good first step.

Can we believe that Slade Wilson would honestly set up an evil Titans team and lead a fight against the latest incarnation of the group, purely so that his own children would fight against him, remove any doubt of where their loyalties stand and give them the family he couldn't provide?

The Slade of five years ago, sure. But not the Slade of today. Too much twisted evil has been done in the name of a character who was a killer and a mercenary, but one who still had something of a code of honor.



XENA, WARRIOR PRINCESS - DARK XENA #1 -The Cthulhu tributes continue this week, with this "What If?" (I think) story about Gabrielle meeting one of the Old Ones and bargaining to bring Xena back to life and put things back "as they were before". The catch being, of course, that Xena comes back as the ruthless, amoral warlord she was before she met Gabrielle and... well, hilarity occurs.

I saw the twist coming a mile away (the story title is Dark Xena, for crying out loud!) but the story is an ammusing tale regardless. I'll definitely be picking up Issue 2.

Fast Thoughts - The Week of 4/25/07

52 WEEK #51: And we get back to the high quality moment here as we enter the home stretch. A lot of good character moments here, but if I had to pick a top five...

5. "Can we keep her?" as Starfire collapses on Animal Man's porch after saving him and his family from a group of alien assassins. Because honestly, what preteen boy wouldn't want his very own amazon space princess?
4. Buddy Baker's Homecoming. The perfect mix of silly and touching, especially the line about "He's got a hair-piece, I just flew across galaxies to get to you. I don't think there's any contest."
3. The explanation for Robin's new red and black costume - to honor Superboy, as those were his colors.
2. Clark's comment on Diana's new look in her new secret identity - "I like the glasses."
1. The return of Lobo as we know (and some of us love) him, making up for a year of almost complete pacifism in the only way possible - by killing a god.


AMAZONS ATTACK #1: You know, apart from one scene we really didn't need this book with Wonder Woman #9 out this week. But given the poor quality of Jodi Picoult's run on the book so far (more on that in a moment), I prefer to think that we really don't need that book compared to this one.

Why? Because the idea of the Amazons invading Washington DC - even without a single named character to latch onto as a focal point in the narrative - is infinitely more interesting than watching Wonder Woman and Nemesis banter back and forth during an ill-conceived jailbreak only to notice "Oh wow... Amazons invading Washington DC..."

Still, Hippolyta is back so that's worth something. Especially if we can get her back into the JSA. Yes, I know that's highly unlikely given that she's just tried conquering America, even if she has been doing it at Circe's whim. I'm just saying I miss having her in the JSA.


BRAVE AND THE BOLD #3: I missed this one last week and for the first time I don't feel like I missed much as this was the weakest issue of the series so far. Maybe it's because I'm so disinterested in the new Blue Beetle, but I kept bearing through those scenes hoping for a continuation of the Supergirl storyline. Thankfully, I wasn't disappointed and we do get a quick preview of next month's promised team-up between Lobo and Kara.

By the way, Mr. Mark Waid and Mr. George Perez? If you read this, I just want you two to know something. Regarding the scene with Kara showing Lobo something that she thinks is good for credit on paying him for a ride? The one with the leather coat that completely covers her costume? And the panel where it looks like she's not wearing anything under said coat as she undoes it and we see Lobo looking shocked?

You are bad, bad men. And God bless you both for it. :)


CONNOR HAWKE DRAGONS BLOOD #6: The mini-series ends and without any further disturbing (or if you're Judd Winick, incestuous) scenes of Shado playing kissy-face with Connor but with a whole lot of last-chapter "What the-" exposition.

Seems that the whole plan to summon and kill a dragon had nothing to do with saving China and everything to do with creating a fountain of dragon blood that makes anyone who bathes in it faster, stronger and immortal. The whole thing falls apart if you think about it a bit. But this is good fun action, which is all you can really ask of a Chuck Dixon Book.


DAREDEVIL #96: Okay, this is officially the best book being published by Marvel Comics and one of the best books published anywhere right now. And I'm not just saying that because it's up for a well-deserved Eisner as is its' author. My one complaint is that I really don't want this story to be heading where I think it is heading.

Melvin Potter was a rarity in Marvel and indeed all of comics: a former bad guy who was trying to get help for his condition. Now, as someone who has had friends with mental health problems, most of whom have been more successful than not - I kinda like the idea of seeing one character in comics who beat the odds and didn't stay like Joker or Two-Face. Someone who was a sweet and basically innocent guy who had some issues, worked through them and was now redeeming his past.

Of course the writer in me knows that the drama behind taking such a character and reverting him back to his old ways is irresistible. And I'm fairly certain that Brubaker has a few twists left so that it will turn out that this isn't what it looks like. Still, I worry about the character. And that is what makes this book so great - that I enjoy the story even though the story itself has me annoyed and worried about what may happen to one of the characters.


DORK TOWER #36: Give John Kovalic credit: he does not got halfway on the drama. Which is kinda funny when you consider that this is supposed to be "a funny book". But between Igor planning a convention that promises to be a total disaster, Matt's last-minute attempt to get his comic ready to sell at said convention and Ken's relationship with Sujata falling apart after she panics when he proposes, there is enough drama here for one of those serious relationship comics.

And that, in itself, is pretty funny. Funny "makes you think", not Funny "ha-ha".

Sure, this comic has laughs a plenty. But what it does better than any other gaming-related comic anywhere is show that underneath the somewhat silly exterior of people who CosPlay, LARP or go to Renn Fests, they are still people. People who are not the least bit different than the so-called "normal" people who don't have "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" memorized and who are stunned to know there are dice made with more than six sides.


JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #5: I loved this issue, plain and simple.

Was it the presence of Doctor Destiny? Yes.

Is it the fact that all the old-school Legion stuff is now cannon again? Yes.

Was it all the Sandman References? Yes.

Was it Batman having to fight nightmare versions of himself, plucked from the dreams of Arkham Asylum inmates? Yes.

Was it finally getting to see Sanderson "Sandy" Hawkins in a story ever since he changed costumes and started calling himself Sandman instead of Sand? Hell yes!

The one downside? That this has to get tied into the lackluster JLA issues dealing with the same plot. Geoff Johns can rock a story line this. Brad Meltzer can't.


NIGHTWING ANNUAL #2:Another one that I missed last week, this time intentionally. My thanks to all of you, who through LJ and e-mail, let me know that my query last week about "And when are they going to explain when Babs and Dick broke their engagement?!?!?"

Well, the answers are here. And I loved this story. And I think that - Marv Wolfman, be damned - we need to Marc Andreyko writing the monthly title ASAP.

You don't want to get spoiled, don't read any further.



I have to agree with Mark Poa. "Dick Grayson is a dick."

Honestly, all you people who are complaining about the Green Arrow/Black Canary engagement and how Oliver Queen is the filthiest, lying dog cheater on the planet? Read this issue and get back to me on that.

Dick Grayson hasn't been one of my favorite characters in a while, but he was in my top 5 back when Chuck Dixon was still writing the book. Still, it's a bit disturbing to me that Dick and Barbara's "first time" came six months after her accident and how it was a spur-of-the-moment thing that happened as Dick was coming to give Babs an invitation to his wedding.

I'm not saying that I can't see it happening and that something like this isn't in character for Dick. He's had spur of the moment romances before. I'm just saying that I'm still disturbed by it given the long romance between the two. Thankfully, this issue does explain just why things never quite reached that point until then as well as the Wuthering Heights-style chain of events that kept them apart as well as what point they are at now.

Incidentally, am I the only one amused that Starfire's "lounging around the house after a night of loving" clothes actually cover more than her regular costume?

Despite the infidelity all over the place, this was a very cute and surprisingly sweet issue. There's a lot of touching moments along with some laugh-out-loud comedy involving Dick having the natural reaction to being locked in close-quarters (i.e. a safe) with Batgirl and trying to disguise that fact afterwards by walking hunched over once he gets out. Can you say "doing math problems at the chalkboard"? :)

I recommend it to all of you old-school Nightwing fans who, like me, had been steering clear of the title since the dark days of Devin Grayon's run.


WONDER WOMAN #8: I had one of my local Comic Shop Guys ask me, as I was telling him about how badly Jodi Picoult's has been received and how all the fans on the web are clamoring for Gail Simone to take over sooner than Issue #13 say "She's a published novelist so she must be a good writer."

Now, I haven't ready any of Jodi Picoulet's books, admittedly. I can't say one way or another if she can write a good novel with original characters or not. I suspect, however, that she may be a writer who can do good work with original characters, but can't change their own style or internal speech-patterns when writing an established one. That's the only reason I can think of why Wonder Woman, in these last three issues, has sounded and acted like a Cybil Shepherd to Nemesis' Bruce Willis.

I think Ragnell nailed this last week when she said that the greatest part of Diana's personality is confidence. No matter where she is or what she is doing, she does not back down from her right to be there or to do what she thinks is right. She should not sound like a confused sorority girl, worrying about how popular she is, what people think of her or any of the normal things that female characters in modern literature obsess over.

And on a personal note: Wonder Woman should not ever call anyone a pervert.

Looking To The Stars - The Week In Reviews For 04/23/07

My comic shop didn't get a few titles, so this isn't quite a complete review of everything I wanted to read this week. But it is a complete review of everything I did read this week.

52 #50
Company Name: DC Comics
Writer: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid
Artist: Various

The book that managed to be everything that World War III wasn't. Which is ironic, as World War III was meant to be everything that 52 wasn't.

52 was meant to explain away exactly what happened to everyone during the missing year between the end of Infinite Crisis and the start of One Year Later. It didn't, and World War III was created, in part, to answer all the questions that 52 left open.

It didn't do that either. So what exactly did 52 accomplish?

Well, it was entertaining more often than not. And quite honestly, I'm a lot more interested in the various mad scientists and what the heck Rip Hunter and Booster Gold are up to than I am resolving just how the new Firestorm got unscrambled from Cyborg and started connecting with Firehawk.

Also, I'm somewhat pleased to see Power Girl taking a major role in taking down Black Adam here as opposed to in World War III where the job of tackling the big heavy is limited strictly to a group of powerful male characters. I'm just saying.

Grade: B



Birds of Prey #105
Company Name: DC Comics
Writer: Gail Simone
Artist: Nicola Scott & Doug Hazlewood

Okay. So you have the Birds. And they rock.

And you have The Secret Six. Well, technically The Not So Secret Five, but why quibble? And they rock.

And you have Nicola Scott's artwork. Which rocks in socks.

And you have Gail Simone writing and bringing Ice back from the dead. Which rocks foxes in socks.

How - HOW do they make this comic rock even harder?

Two Words: Harley Quinn.

Seriously, we need to bring Dr. Seuss back from the dead so that he can create a letter to go before A in the alphabet, so that I have a better grade to give this book every month. Alas, it shall have to, as usual, settle for an A. Again.

Grade: A



Conan #39
Company Name: Dark Horse Comics
Writer: Timothy Truman
Artists: Cary Nord & Rafael Kayanan

And here is another book which is testing my ability as a writer to continue to say original kind things about it. Honestly, there's not a lot I can say about Truman's writing I haven't said before - how he has kept the tone of the book consistent with that of Kurt Busiek before him to the point that I had to double-check and make sure the book had changed writers. I've already said, many times, that his work is done in a style and format to do Robert Howard proud. And even with a fill-in artist this month, I can't complain about the artwork as it is still quite good, despite Kayanan having a different style than Nord.

You know what? Since I have nothing really new to say about Conan, I'm going to bring in a substitute reviewer. That's right - I'm going to take the lazy route this time. I'm going to quote the beloved Chris Sims of Chris' Invincible Super-Blog and what he had to say about this issue.


Conan is one of the rare books that's managed to maintain a consistent, high level of quality not just for the past three years, but even through the change of writer from Kurt Busiek to Tim Truman, so it's often pretty difficult for me to think up something new to say about it. Really, once you've reviewed one issue, you've reviewed them all: "Conan acts like a badass, kills a bunch of dudes, and it's really, really good."


That just sums it up perfectly.

Grade: A



Hellblazer #230 & 231
Company Name: Vertigo Comics
Writer: Andy Diggle
Artist: Leonardo Manco

Somehow, I missed the first issue of Andy Diggle's Hellblazer last month and now that I got it and his second issue this month, I am kicking myself furiously. I had been looking forward to it so much, after all, having enjoyed Diggle's work on Lady Constantine and his all too brief run on the new Swamp Thing series. And with Diggle penning the upcoming Green Arrow: Year One, I was a little anxious to see how he handled my favorite anti-hero before handling my favorite hero this summer.

Without giving too much away, the plot of these two issues centers around John finding himself in a rock and a hard place, ready to take the fall for a gang-related murder of a notorious London gangster's daughter. Of course the real murderer is the thug charged with the task of seeing that John gets what is coming to him and the first half of this story ends with John tricking up a magical solution to his problem.

The second half shows John dealing with the consequences of his solution and trying to do the right thing, only to wind up having things go pear-shaped. All par for the course for John Constantine, naturally - but in these two issues Diggle manages to capture the essence of the character completely.

Is he a bastard? Of course he is. But Diggle argues, as Ennis, Jenkins and Carey did, that John has become a bastard by necessity and that deep down he's still the 20-something punk who is trying to do something to make the world a better place by using his magical power against all the bastards, mortal and immortal, who abuse the power they were given by birth and not by right. As much as he may deny it, there is still a good person in John Constantine trying to get out. And that good person is seen here, trying to do the right thing by the ghost of the daughter of an old friend only to have it all go wrong with John able to do little more than apologize.

Diggle has proven himself to be a masterful Hellblazer scribe and has found the perfect balance of "total bastard" and "sad bastard" to John's character. The artwork by Leonardo Manco is dead perfect too.

Grade: A



Justice League of America #8
Company Name: DC Comics
Writer: Brad Meltzer
Artist: Ed Benes and Sandra Hope

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I love Brad Meltzer's character moments, even if I hate his plots.

There is just a certain amount of brilliance to little scenes here.


Batman: Clark has him listed as a Level 15 fighter.

Black Lightning: Is that good?

Batman: Put it this way. Clark has me listed as a 12.


This leads to a scene in which a time-displaced Karate Kid jumps Black Lighting, dispatches him easily, Batman easily blocks the attack aimed at him and then thinks to himself about how much he enjoys proving Superman wrong.

So there's that. The three-way chess match between Hal Jordan, Mr. Terrific and Black Canary. The war games between the various JLA and JSA members. And the splash-page full of conversations with everyone... especially the conversation between Batman and Power Girl regarding the collecting of first edition war journals and Doctor Midnite's attempt to hook up with Black Canary again yielding the same answer.

"I'm not selling." Classic.

That being said, the actual plot of the story - involving time-displaced Legion of Superheroes members (who aren't related to the current incarnation of the Legion of Superheroes, oddly enough) - is somewhat flat and uninspired in comparison to what the characters are doing in their down time. This is a bad sign in a comic that is nominally a high-action adventure book.

Roger Ebert had a good rule about judging the inherit goodness or badness of a movie's story; if your idea for a movie is less exciting or amusing than the idea of a movie about your actors having lunch together, it's probably a bad idea. That seems to be a good appraisal of Brad Meltzer's comic work so far. In fact, I'd love to see him write something akin to Geoff John's old "JLA/JSA Thanksgiving dinner" stories rather than write a story involving missing heroes from the Future.

Grade: C



World War III #1-4
Company Name: DC Comics
Writer: Keith Champagne
Artist: Various

Why were these comics collectively called World War III?

Because Shakespeare already holds the copyright on Much Ado About Nothing.

That's a crap joke, I admit. I know Shakespeare is long dead and his works are in the Public Domain, so logically the joke makes no sense. And yet, if you're the pedantic sort to argue this point while missing the point of the joke - that World War III was "much ado about nothing" - then you're probably the target audience for this book.

A little back story for those of you who read this column to keep up on the comic news without actually reading comics; a little over a year ago, DC Comics had most of their books jump forward One Year in time following the Infinite Crisis storyline. They created a new weekly title, 52, that was meant to cover everything that happened during the missing year.

This allowed the writers to start their books over with some completely new and interesting premises meant to encourage reader interest, if only by confusing them into reading more just to understand what had happened. In some cases, such as Birds of Prey and Detective Comics, it worked. In other cases, the results were confusing and turned off more readers than it brought in. Such was the case with books like Aquaman (aka Conan of Atlantis), Greg Rucka's Supergirl and Nightwing (aka OH GOD THE BURNING!)

The problem is that right now we're on Week 50 of 52 and there's still a LOT of big mysteries that haven't been touched. Enter World War III which tries to explain away some of those mysteries away. To be fair, some of the big mysteries are seemingly clarified in these four books. One of these involves J'onn J'ozz and his sudden "badass" attitude in his new solo title. This is, I think, explained away here as being the result of J'onn having been telepathically connected to Black Adam when he got pounced by the JSA. Somehow, the connection made the highly empathic J'onn more like Black Adam.

The problem is that there are a lot of mysteries that aren't even touched and there are quite a lot of things that are even more confusing once they are explained.

The destruction of Atlantis and salvation of Sub Diego, for example. Now, I haven't been reading Aquaman but I knew that basically part of San Diego was sunk and that the people there mysteriously developed the ability to breathe underwater before OYL started. Well, just as suddenly, according to this book, they were being slowly killed by the ocean and this had something to do with the ancient Ocean gods being pissed about surface dwellers being in their domain. So Aquaman wound up using his own magic, saved the people of Sub Diego and turned himself into Davy Jones from Pirates of the Caribbean.

You heard me.

Also, Supergirl - who disappeared during a Zeta Beam explosion during Infinite Crisis - apparently didn't return until Week 50... which leaves her two weeks to hook up with Power Girl, get some Kryptonian power suits and then decide to go into the Bottle City of Kandor, fighting crime there... for some reason... at the start of HER book One Year Later.

And despite being elected mayor and not having been seen for over a year ANYWHERE according to his own book, Green Arrow is among the heroes assaulting Black Adam as he stages a one man invasion of China. So is Black Canary, who was supposed to be in a rice field somewhere in Southeast Asia training with...

You know what? Forget it. It's not worth going into any further. It sucks. Don't buy it. Just read 52 #50 and whatever books you want and you won't miss a thing.

...

And when are they going to explain when Babs and Dick broke their engagement?!?!?

Grade: F

Fast Thoughts - The Week of 4/11/07

52 WEEK #49 - Much better than last week's dull, plodding mess, this issue is just further proof that mad scientists make everything better. And mad scientists with hypno-goggles trying to hypnotize Power Girl make everything dark near perfect.


ALL STAR SUPERMAN #7 - This am worst issue of All Star Superman yet! Me hate the use of Bizzaro here and conclusion of old non-Bizzaro Bizzaro Superman who am Bizzaro Superman we have seen before. Me not reccomend this book to anyone, or the trade of the first six issues that did not come out this week!


CONAN & THE MIDNIGHT GOD #3 - The weakest chapter of the series so far, but that's only because we've seen this scene (mysterious witch offers help to Conan before turning on him) before in other Conan stories. Indeed, it ammused me that Conan himself seemed to see the "trap" coming a mile away. At least the atwork is still good, but this issue felt like filler.

FABLES #60 - A fairly slow issue but it is the first part of an arc building to something bigger. I do like the focus on Flycatcher, who has been one of my favorites since his first appearance. And am I the only one who thinks that here, with the full beard, he looks somewhat like a depressed Tom Baker?


FRANK FRAZETTAS DEATH DEALER #1 - I suppose if one is going to do a story based around a famous painting, this is the way to do it. At least the artwork, while not quite Frazetta style, is interesting - but the dialogue is uninspired and the story seems to be fairly standard fantasy fare.


GEN 13 #7 - Been a while since I picked this up, but the cover - a tribute to the original Gen 13 #7 - caught my eye. Needless to say, it was hillarious but more impressively, Gail Simone actually came up with a GOOD reason for Caitlin to remove her costume and don a jungle-girl fur bikini (It involves dehydration, tropical climates and her costume being mostly plastic) even as Grunge removes his costume for the same practical, but less pure reasons (i.e. building a new society, free of pants).


GREEN ARROW #73 - The Countdown to Cancelation Continues. You've heard me grouse about the title enough and I'm honestly sick of grousing about it. Indeed, I'm numbed at the prospect of talking about this book except to make one point - just how the hell did Ollie get elected to high office in the first place if the Mia - the young lady living with him - a former teenage junkie prostitute, who I don't think Ollie ever legally adopted - had outstanding warrants on her? You'd think SOMEONE in the press would have caught that during the campaign.


SPIDER-MAN FANTASTIC FOUR #1 - Note to everyone at Marvel except Dan Slott, Dwayne McDuffie and Ed Brubaker. THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT!


TEEN TITANS #45 - Not much happens here, except I'm glad to note Duela Dent isn't evil. Her whole reason for joining Deathstroke's team? She wanted to be a Titan and they asked. She switches sides the minute she gets an invitation to join the team with all her friends. It's nutty. It's silly. It's everything I love about the character.


WONDER WOMAN #7 - Ho-hum. That about sums it up.

Fast Thoughts - The Week of 4/04/07

52 WEEK #48 - Is it time for Countdown to start yet?

Seriously, this was the biggest yawnfest of the week. Then again, I seem to be alone in finding the "Rene Montoya Becomes The Next Question" arc to have been the weakest of the series, so keep that in mind when considering my opinions. No surprise then that - for me at least - the best part of the issue was the last page involving the mad scientists. Cause mad scientists always rock!


DETECTIVE COMICS #831 - Paul Dini writing Harley Quinn! What else do you need to know?

Seriously. That's all that needs to be said.

Look, it's the guy behind the best episodes of "Batman: The Animated Series" writing Batman. That should be all the motivation you need to pick up this book.

Fine. You want more? This issue pairs Dini's most famous comic character creation with the most inspired new character of his brief, but always exciting, run on Detective Comics so far.

Buy this book. Seriously. That's it.


FANTASTIC FOUR #544 - I somehow missed out on this issue and am kicking myself for doing so. McDuffie has made this title his own in a few small issues. But what truly amazed me is how McDuffie easily anticipated all the complaints that his critics had about the idea of Black Panther and Storm move into the Baxter Building while Sue and Reed go on vacation to work on their marriage and answers those questions here.

Why are they staying there? The Wakandan embassy was destroyed during Civil War and Reed generously agreed to let them use The Baxter Building as a temporary embassy.

Shouldn't he be running his country instead of staying in New York? The Superpower Registration Act is of great concern to his country and he is working with other concerned nations through the United Nations. As such, it's best that he stay in New York for the present.

Why are they joining the Fantastic Four? They aren't joining the Fantastic Four - the Fantastic Four is a family, at its' heart. However, since they are guests in the Fantastic Four's home, it is only fitting that they do what they can to help around the house... even if the help does involve traveling to other dimensions and stopping alien invasions.

Throw in a healthy helping of dry humor from all the characters (My favorite line: Johnny's note, when asked on a way of getting The Watcher's attention - "We could set something on fire. I'm good at that!") and you have one more sign that not all is hopeless at Marvel Comics.


JACK OF FABLES #9 - One of the funniest books on the market, but also culturally important. For too long, the menance of the Belgium Mafia controlling Vegas has been covered up by corrupt cops and politicians who are too busy raking in cash on the illegal waffle-smuggling operations that filter in and out of Nevada diners. I may not ever write another column again for daring to speak the truth and I may wind up in a landfill somewhere for saying this - but good on Bill Willingham for finally standing up to them!


JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #7 - I have a love/hate relationship with this book and indeed most of Brad Meltzer's writing. On the one hand, there are certain characters that he can just NAIL and he can deliver some very genuine pathos. On the other hand, he can - on occasion - do things that just flow so completely against the grain of what the character is about that you have to wonder if he's ever read a comic and is being coached on the fine points of character history.

It happened in Archer's Quest, which was a great insight into Oliver Queen's personality - until the final chapter revelation where Black Canary was written horribly out of character and we find out that Ollie Queen - in defiance of years of continuity and characterization of having always wanted kids - was a dead-beat dad.

It happened in Identity Crisis, which was a great insight into the relationships between the various JLA members that explained so much (Why was Batman so paranoid about other superheroes, How did the Ollie/Carter feud REALLY come to a head, The differing portrayals of Doctor Light, etc) and yet was built upon destroying the happiest, longest-lasting marriage in comics history and many head scratching moments such as Green Arrow bossing around Wonder Woman and the "who done it" itself, which was the worst kind of hack mystery cheat.

And with this issue, it has happened with JLA.

There's a lot of things I do like. I like their being an actual Hall of Justice in Washington DC as well as The Watchtower. I like the fakeout scene where Dinah becomes League Chairperson (She's got the power, she's experienced and she won't back down to Bruce... yeah, I vote for Canary too). I like the incongruity in Batman putting together the Trophy Room. And I loved the scene with Roy "graduating" and his favorite Uncle and Aunt (Dinah would kick his ass if he ever called her Mom) tearing up at the sight of him in his new costume.

But there's a lot more I don't like. I don't like how the "Red Tornado Becomes Human" story ended in the most cliched way possible - the tragic android romance was done before and done better with Vision and Scarlet Witch.

I don't like seeing Oliver Queen - who was put into a young man's body not too long ago in the comics - is still grousing about getting old and Hal Jordan talking about how Roy will be surpassing him soon.

I don't like how Roy credits Dinah solely with being the one who saved his life when he turned to drugs. IIRC, Hal AND Dinah were the ones who got Roy to the hospital and into rehab.

But what I REALLY don't like is how - despite the team being nearly half-women for the first time in its' history - most of the female characters are limited to supporting "approved" roles.

Despite being elected chairwoman, Dinah is just there to cry over how Roy looks in his Red Arrow costume. Diana just shows up for the team photo and in a few panels here and there talking with Superman and Batman. Hawkgirl is just there to comment on how stupid Roy looks. And Vixen gets one page of "talking on the phone" time before showing up for the group picture. Most of the comic is devoted to Black Lighting talking with Superman, Black Lighting talking with Batman, Black Lighting talking with Geo Force, Green Lantern talking with Green Arrow. Nary a girl talk moment to be seen.

We'll see if it gets better...


KNIGHTS OF THE DINNER TABLE #125 - Two things I loved about this issue.

1. The Bob/Earl Scene - had a lot of talks like that during my time working at the game store.

2. Squirrley Runs With The Loot - When Bob, through his own stupidity, gets jumped by three trolls, Squirrley just runs with the loot. This is funny in itself but it made me laugh because I did the same thing in one of my early D&D games. I was the only one with any previous gaming experience, playing a thief in a group full of macho teenagers who were all playing fighters. They gave me hard time about looking for traps and being so afraid... until they wandered into a Beholder's lair, got vaporized and I ran off with all of the valuable loot. Ah, memories.


SAVAGE TALES #1 - Book of the Week, this one. The first issue of a monthly anthology series doing stories in the same vein as Robert Howard and H.P. Lovecraft. And what does this first issue offer?

* A Ron Marz-penned Red Sonja story about Sonja's encounter with a kindred spirit witch
* A tale of Howard's Atlantis - before the days of Kull the Conqueror!
* A story centering upon The Hunter - the villianous dark cultist from the current Red Sonja title.
* A Lovercraftian/Howardian hyrbid tale of how The Elder Gods and Great Old Ones came to Earth in a land before time, when man was young...

Something for everyone and well worth the $5.


SUPERGIRL #16 - Give Joe Kelly credit again. He has managed to take all of the disjointed, broken "hints" about Kara Zor-El's past that had been hinted at in the writings of Loeb and Rucka and has made sense of them. Granted, he had to fudge a few details (i.e. Kara's dad not being a truly bad guy) but the story he crafts here easily stands alongside Busiek, Donner and Johns recent reimagings of Kryptonian Culture before the disaster as well as explaining away much of Kara's confused behavior in a way that doesn't have to be written off as "three writers without a direction".

Highlight for the spoilers:


In short, Zor-El - Jor-El's brother and Kara's father - theorized that The Phantom Zone his brother discovered wasn't truly empty and that there might be beings there that they could not percieve. He became convinced of his theories as, the more and more criminals were put into the Phantom Zone, the more crime increased as his fellow Kryptonians became possessed by spirits - spirits who were becoming more and more corrupt based on the presence of other people in their home dimension.

He discovered that Sunstones - the same crystal Jor-El used in most of his inventions- could drive the spirits out of a body, but that this often required mortally wounding the possessed subject. Still, he judged this a lesser evil than allow a person to die with their own spirit tainted. He did experiments on his daughter using the crystals that allowed her to carry their power within her. He then used Kara as a plan to "cleanse" Kara's school, after Kara realized that most of her fellow students were possessed. Zor-El himself was sentenced to the Phantom Zone for his actions but before he could be transported, SOMETHING came out of the projector coinciding with the last big quake before Krypton exploded.

Jor-El, putting aside his differences with his brother, told him that he had designed a rocket that might save his child. Zor-El adapted the same design to save his daughter, fearing that the ghosts that haunted his family would go after Kal-El. It was then that he left her instructions - confused by Kara's swiss-cheesed brain following hibernation - that she must be ready to kill Kal-El if neccesary.


So there we have it. Kara isn't crazy. Her dad wasn't a bad guy. And Jor-El wasn't nearly as perfect a scientist or a man as we previously thought. Honestly, this read like vintage Alan Moore in terms of execution and like Doctor Who in concept. Good stuff.

Fast Thoughts - The Week of 3/14/07

SPOILERS WITHIN!

Turns out that bit from last week was wrong. It was Spider-Woman talking to Ms. Marvel and them going to investigate a rumor that Captain America wasn't really dead. And that was all a lie.



52 WEEK #45 - Still not really caring about Black Adam's rampage. I'm more interested in the new Suicide Squad or just what an island full of Intergang-funded mad scientists have on hand to deal with a very annoyed Black Adam. Hopefully we'll get to see both next issue.

CIVIL WAR: THE CONFESSION - I liked the second story in this two-parter, simply because Captain America finally said, to Tony, everything that SHOULD have been said a long time ago. And I admit to liking the first story - not because it was good - but because some dark twisted part of myself enjoys seeing Tony Stark crying like a little bitch and whining about how much he needs a drink. I dunno... maybe it would have had more meaning if they did the story with Tony and Steve arguing first and THEN had the "talking by the grave" story second.

FABLES #58 - This book is still ten pounds of awesome in a five-pound sack. Not much else needs to be said.

GREEN ARROW #72 - Three issues until the supposed proporosal occurs and nary a Canary nor sign of Dinah Lance's inclusion into Oliver Queen's life is to be seen.

KNIGHTS OF THE DINNER TABLE #124 - I'm gratified to see that my suspicions regarding Brian - long thought to be the most anti-social and antagonistic of the "Knights" - were born out. Without giving too much away, Brian is given a nice moment in the closing part of this issue which shows that underneath his greedy, point-whoring, rules-lawyering exterior, there is something of a heart of gold. It is golden character moments like this that make KODT the best gamer comic on the market.

SUPERMAN #660 - Goofy as it was and as much as I loathe "The Prankster" in general (a poor man's James Jesse), this story was good for a much-needed laugh. I especially love how the new supervillain, Nitro G, has the same name as a hero from "Who Wants To Be A Superhero" and some of the outright goofy gadgets "Uncle Oswald" had. The Joy Buzzle was priceless.

WONDER WOMAN #5 - Should I feel bad that I liked this one-shot looking at how Wonder Woman changes the lives of people she's never met for the better more than I have the first four "regular" issues of this series?

What... the... Hell? News

I didn't read this one, but apparently in the just-released-today "Civil War: The Initiative", there is a scene where, while talking to Ms. Marvel, Tony Stark says that - despite the events of Captain America #25 - Steve Rogers is alive and well and in a special sick-bed somewhere safe.

One problem - Marvel is now saying that Steve Rogers really is dead, that this issue is wrong and that his apparent "non-death" will be explained later.

You know what? I take back everything I said about DC and Marvel editorial being equally screwed up. Marvel is FAR more screwed up.

I'm not crazy about how "One Year Later" has robbed us of some moments in 52 that would have been truly dramatic (Ralph Dibny "permanently" stopping Neron and Felix Faust, being Sticking Point #1) but DC has not put out any stories that required an immediate "Pay No Attention To The Man Behind The Curtain" order.

I'll give them the benefit of a doubt though - they MAY publish this story Judd Winick was speaking of where Shado comes back to me a mother figure to Connor Hawke - which would just be seven kinds of creepy given his current mini-series.

But that is another story... and one I may tell if there is a request for it.

Fast Thoughts - The Week of 3/7/07

Since I have a lot of thoughts on some things that need to be said this week that won't make it to the column - and since I'd like to have something special for my fans on LJ - starting today, my brief thoughts on whatever books I read each week are getting posted here.

There will be some spoilers, so be warned.



52 WEEK #44 - Nice to see why Black Adam went back to being a bad-ass in One Year Later. The Four Horsemen are seriously underwhelming. And I still don't care about "Next Question".


CAPTAIN AMERICA #25 - Am I the only one struck by the irony of a Captain America comic with such a strong anti-authority message featuring a GO ARMY advert on the back? Regardless, this story - which is making headlines in the mainstream non-comic press - is one of the best so far this year. I don't expect the events to actually stick - but even before that moment, this book had me thinking that as much as I hated Civil War, Marvel Comics isn't completely hopeless yet. That's Reason Number One.


DETECTIVE #829 - (sung to the opening line of "Money For Nothing") I want my Paul Dini. And it's still way too early to be doing "terrorist-blowing-up-financial-centers" storylines.


FANTASTIC FOUR #543 - As Ben says, "If you think Cap has given up, you don't know him at all." Between that line and the crowds of people showing up to support Cap at his trial, I think THAT is the real reason Cap allowed himself to be taken into custody. He can't beat Tony and the pro-registration forces by beating them up - but he can damn well make them look bad and put their "New World Order" to the test as we see how they go about throwing the man most consider the greatest hero in the world in a secret prison for trying to help people. All this, Dwayne McDuffie setting up a chance to write the two most prominent Black heroes at Marvel AND a classic Stan Lee story with Mike Allred art. Reason Number Two Marvel Comics is not totally doomed yet.


JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #6 - Lot of the same flaws as Identity Crisis - way too scattered (what the hell was with the GeoForce scenes?) and as much as I dig the use of Vixen's powers, that was still WAY too Deus Ex Machina - which doesn't seem a fitting phrase for a fight in which a god-like machine is destroyed by a woman with the speed of a falcon and the weight of a dinosaur... but it's all I've got. Still, a damn sight better than anything done with the JLA since Mark Waid was writing it.


RED SONJA #20 - This book, too, is becoming far too scattered. The title is Red Sonja. I want to read the adventures of Red Sonja. Not see the mooks she's traveling with being put on trial ala Planet of the Apes. Not seeing some mysterious pirate wench (whose name is too close to that Howard heroine Valeria but is obviously not Valeria) running about dealing with impending disaster. Not seeing random villagers turning to barbarism - well, a more bloody barbarism, at any rate. Sonja is in danger of becoming a supporting player of her own title, being in barely half the pages of this issue and a majority of those being splash pages with little to no dialogue.


SHEENA PREVIEW - I picked this one up for three reasons. First, the price (99 cents). Second, I figured my girlfriend - who loves tough girl comics - might get a kick out of it. And the third - well, call me a sucker for anything inspired by the work of Will Eisner. And make no mistake - this book is Eisner-worthy. No pin-up book this, this book leaves the feminist and conservationalist leanings of the original Jungle Queen character pretty much intact. And while the series appears to have been modernized in some respects - Sheena now protects the Amazon rainforest from a corrupt Banana Republic government and loggers rather than the Congo from poachers and cannibals - the base idea of a woman who protects nature through the help of her animal friends and her own animal cunning that was the heart of Sheena, The Jungle Queen is still there. Highly reccomended.


ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #106 - I rag on Bendis a bit, but then he does an issue like this that reminds me of why Ultimate Spider-Man was such a breath of fresh air when it first came out. And after the sheer depressing weightiness of some of the Marvel books of late, it's a pleasant surprise to read a book where Peter Parker's biggest worries involve Kingpin buying the rights to his name, talking his way into keeping his job and a Kitty Pryde/Mary Jane Watson love triangle. Reason Number Three Marvel Comics is not totally doomed yet.

Looking To The Stars - Starman's Reviews

As record numbers of people come down with the flu in Texas and I seal myself up in my Fortress of Solitude, here are some reviews of some books I read this week when I wasn’t stocking up on chicken soup and orange juice and hoping that new cough was just due to allergies.

Oh, and there will be Spoilers on 52 – just so you know.



52 Week #43
Company Name: DC Comics
Writers: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid
Art: Various

As much as I may crack wise about Marvel and their lack of editorial prowess, I must admit that DC has not been much better. Elongated Man’s death would have meant a lot more to me had I not seen the villains he sacrificed himself to stop alive and well and back to their wicked ways in some of the One Year Later titles. Vic Sage’s death would have been a lot more powerful if it had just been sudden and not dragged out over the course of two months, making him the most hammy dying man since Boromir.


So while I know I’m supposed to be shocked at the death in this issue, it just seems too much, too soon given all the deaths I actually cared about.
Grade: D



Conan and the Midnight God #2
Company Name: Dark Horse Comics
Writer: Josh Dysart
Artists: Will Conrad & Juan Ferreyra

More than even the monthly Conan series, this title seems to be less a story about Conan than it does an unearthed piece of hereunto discovered Hyborian history. His first born child killed by Stygian sorcery, Conan takes the whole of the armies of Aquilonia across the continent intent on revenge. Many stories have been told about Conan leading his armies and about fighting the evils of Stygia but never, to my knowledge, has a story actually had Cimmeria’s favored son taking the fight to his most famous enemies.

With such a novel concept put forth along with Dysart’s masterful dialogue as well as Conrad and Ferreyra’s suitably spooky art - truly, this is a Conan tale worthy of Howard himself!
Grade: A



Connor Hawke: Dragon’s Blood #4
Company Name: DC Comics
Writer: Chuck Dixon
Artist: Derec Donovan

Am I the only one who noticed how much the newly-grey Eddie Fyers looks an awful lot like Chuck Dixon? And how - while this story is nominally about Connor Hawke in an archery tournament and confronting the woman he blames for having destroyed his father’s life – there seems to be just as much time being devoted to Eddie picking up the hot blonde assistant to the Vegas showman archer?

Well, all wondering about Dixon’s writing his dreams into his own stories aside, it’s still an amusing story. Pity the artwork by Donovan doesn’t come close to equaling the story in quality. They really should have let Scott McDaniel do this one.
Grade: C average. B for the story. D for the art.



Green Lantern #18
Company Name: DC Comics
Writers: Geoff Johns
Artist: Ivan Reis and Oclair Alber

Most of the complaints I had about the last few issues are now negated. We now know why John Stewart hasn’t been around. We know that Cowgirl – who is looking more and more a match for Hal Jordan in all respects – is still alive. And the Sinestro Corps plot is finally moving forward with some unexpected recruits. (The scene with Batman was priceless!) My one complaint - and I hope this will be addressed next issue – is that the new Star Sapphire’s costume still looks ridiculous. Regardless, this is still one of the best written and best looking books on the market.
Grade: A




One more thing before I go: a shameless plug for the convention I will be appearing at in two weeks time. So if you live abouts the DFW area, come see me! Look for the guy in the Dr. Who scarf and fedora.

Tune in next week. Same Matt time. Same Matt website.

Looking To The Stars: Random Thoughts While Dashing Out The Door

Forgive me for keeping it brief this week, but I have a rather busy weekend ahead of me. Still, there are a few things I had to get off my chest before I left the office for the weekend.

1. Ghost Rider

For those of you who were wondering after last week’s little parody, I actually did enjoy Ghost Rider for the most part. As two hours of entertainment, it really isn’t that bad of a film. I just had to point out that the die-hards were ill-pleased about it and that the film did have a number of flaws – apart from the fact that nobody involved in it had ever been to Texas. It wasn’t perfect, but it is nowhere close to even making the Top 10 Worst Comic Book Movies Ever Made. I’d still recommend waiting for the DVD or the dollar theater, though.

2. Countdown

No doubt most of you have already heard about Countdown: DC Comics up-coming new weekly series. Now, there are many good reasons to be excited about this title, not the least of which is the fact that Paul Dini writing anything is cool and the idea of the opening chapter centering on Jimmy Olsen vs. The Joker is an interesting one. But what really got my little fanboy heart a fluttering was this bit of information.


Will we get the perspectives of any villains?

DINI: That’s seen from the point of view of two of the more illustrious members of the Flash’s rogues’ gallery, which are the Trickster and Pied Piper, who have at various times kind of cleaned up their act and fought on the side of angels. Even though they’ve never really gotten along, they find themselves forced to cooperate in Countdown. So much like Jimmy Olsen is the view of the common man, Trickster and Piper is the view of the common criminal.



It’s a little known fact that I am one of the proud few fans of The Trickster. I flinched when James Jesse was written as a B-list Joker in the Flash live-action series. I was one of the few who cared that he was portrayed as a bumbling basketcase in Justice League Unlimited. And I was one of the few who groused when Geoff Johns undid all of Mark Waid’s work in Underworld Unleashed and had James Jesse go straight, lose the ponytail and become... an FBI agent. And then Geoff Johns undid his undoing and put James back to the unheroic soul he was back in the day.

The truth is that Trickster as a character is not a Joker rip-off and there is a good deal of difference between him and... gag ... The Prankster - apart from better fashion sense and the fact that James has issues with killing people that Oswald Loomis doesn’t.

Suffice it to say, I could write a whole column about why I think The Trickster is a cool character. In fact, I did. So in lieu of an extensive article today, please go back and read one of my earliest works. I’m afraid it doesn’t amount to much more than a recapping of the best of James Jesse’s heroic adventures pre-1999 (I was still finding my style back then) but I think that should answer any questions anyone has about “Who is The Trickster and why should I care?”

3. derangedcomics.com

There are two web comics I’d like to pay a complement to this week.

The first, Deranged Comics, is a new comedy series written by the mysterious Doctor Deranged. A comrade and former writing partner of Something Positive author R. K. Milholland, Deranged displays the same sense of twisted humor and smart comedy. His main comic - Stellar Worlds - centers upon the comedic aspects of science. And lest you think that’s a very limited subject not well given toward comedy, here are a few of the plotlines the good Doctor has touched upon so far.

* On-set troubles on the set of the fake moon landing
* A Frank-Miller inspired parody of the recent astronaut love-triangle murder-plot.
* A war between dolphins and humanity once a car that runs on water is made
* George W. Bush pressuring NASA to get a man on Mars before he leaves office.

If you’re of the geeky persuasion and like smart comedy with absurd leanings, you’ll enjoy Deranged Comics.

4. Punch and Pie

Honestly, I can’t review this yet because as of the morning I write this, the comic is still not up yet. But I expect it to be nothing short of glorious given that it combines the talents of Aerie from Queen of Wands and Chris Daily from Striptease. It’s supposed to be up Monday though, so by the time you read this, it should be ready to go.

http://www.punchanpie.net/


Tune in next week! Same Matt Time! Same Matt website.

Looking To The Stars - The Week In Reviews for 1/22

HEROES returns tonight! I am a happy little fanboy. So while I am busy cuing up every recording device I have and strapping myself down to the couch lest I be washed away in the waves of pure awesomeness that are sure to follow, why don’t you read some reviews?


52 Week #22
Company Name: DC Comics
Writers: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid
Art: Various

The cover gives the secret away, but it appears that we have finally learned who Supernova really is. And it appears, also, that the death of a big-name character last issue was naught but a red-herring. But what really sold this issue for me was a brief, two-page scene between Black Canary and Green Arrow that is everything their relationship should be. I’m not sure if the rumors of an impending wedding in 2007 are true – but if they are, I’d say this scene with an Ollie who wonders aloud about how it is possible to love a woman enough to let go of her is a fine way to start moving toward that end.

Grade: A





Birds of Prey #102
Company Name: DC Comics
Writers: Gail Simone
Art: Nicola Scott and Doug Hazlewood

Okay, if you’re a Manhunter fan – buy this book. It will help ease the withdrawal symptoms as your favorite character sinks into oblivion until the next time they try and reinvigorate the franchise. There’s a lot for the rest of us to enjoy as well, including a battle of wits between Lois Lane and Barbara Gordon and Big Barda teaching the lesson of why it is always important to be sensitive about a woman’s figure even if she isn’t capable of shot-putting an SUV. The one downside? The new Judomaster is still very much a cipher and I sill miss Black Canary’s presence on this book.

Grade: B





Conan #36
Company Name: Dark Horse Comics
Writer: Timothy Truman
Artist: Paul Lee


A sequel of sorts to the very first published Conan story, The Phoenix On The Sword, this two-part “flash-forward” story tells us a tale from Conan’s days of the King of Aquilonia as he fights a threat to his kingdom. While I have been rather looking forward to the next chapter of the adapted chronology of the Conan history (Rogues in the House is my favorite Conan story of all time) and was a little upset at this digression, I cannot fault this story for not being worth the time of telling. Truman continues to wield Busiek’s sword and matches him for style and quality. And the artwork, by Conan and the Demons of Khitai artist Lee is a most worthy temporary replacement for Cary Nord.

Grade: B





Fantastic Four #542
Company Name: Marvel Comics
Writers: Dwayne McDuffie
Artist: Mike McKone, Andy Lanning and Cam Smith

I used to think there was no more thankless task for the writer of a regular comic-book series than having to shift your entire story-line around a big company event. I now think there is one worse thing – having to start your run on a regular comic-book series while shifting your stories around a big company event.

Thankfully, Dwayne McDuffie (the genius behind Static and most of the best episodes of Justice League and Justice League Unlimited) not only proves capable of hitting the ground running - he sets the world record for the 100 yard dash.

In this 90% talking-heads issue, McDuffie takes some of the more ludicrous attempts to justify some very out-of-character behavior during Civil War and turns them on their head. Perhaps the best example of this is Johnny Storm calling Reed Richards on his bullshit speech about “the importance of following the law, even if you don’t agree with it” by pointing out that the adventure that created the Fantastic Four began with Reed stealing a spaceship and wondering just how many times Reed has violated international law by interfering with the affairs of state in other nations. We also get a much more in-character motivation for Reed going along with the Pro-Registration side that he didn’t think anyone would understand or believe.

Note to Joe Quesada: Do not make the same mistake DC Comics did. Give McDuffie more work. Give him as many titles as possible. I don’t think any one writer can single-handedly pull you out of the pit that you’ve gotten the company into... but McDuffie can be the first to start pulling you up.

Grade: A



Green Lantern #16
Company Name: DC Comics
Writers: Geoff Johns
Art: Ivan Reis and Oclair Albert

Judging by the Comics Nexus Forums, I am one of the few who is enjoying this title. And yet, even as a die-hard Green Lantern who is pleased to see Hal Jordan back, even I think there is way too much going on in this book right now. Between the formation of a Sinestro Corps to counter the Green Lanterns, the return of the Manhunters under the command of the Cyborg Superman, the resurrection of a now legal Arissa, John Stewart being off “on a mission undercover somewhere”, intergalactic bounty hunters looking for Hal Jordan, the POW subplot, Hal’s crush on fellow pilot Cowgirl, the reformation of The Rocket Reds, a new branch of the Global Guardians harassing Hal in the wake of some treaty that forbids superheroes from operating outside their country of origin and the upcoming creation of an all new Star Sapphire – it is too much.

Even though some of this does get put on the path to resolution this issue, with Geoff Johns finally doing something with a villain who had perhaps the most inspired idea as well as the worst execution during the Kyle Rayner years, it still seems like there is enough drama here for a whole Corps of Green Lanterns much less the one Green Lantern of Earth. Still, you can’t say that Johns does not try to do justice to all these stories or that he indeed fails. I just wish we could actually go somewhere with one group of villains before he introduces another one.

Grade: C




Red Sonja Annual #1
Company Name: Dynamite Entertainment
Writer: Michael Avon Oeming
Art: Stephen Sadowski

I refuse to believe that the Michael Avon Oeming who wrote this issue can be the same Michael Avon Omeing who writes the regular Red Sonja series. Because the story in this annual, I’m sorry to say, is several sorry steps down in quality from his usual stellar work. The plot, in brief, involves a buxom 40-something barmaid who is inspired by the legends of Red Sonja to free herself and the girls in the brothel/inn her husband runs from their virtual enslavement.

Now this, in of itself, is a great idea for a story. After all, some of the best stories in comics are those in which we see the positive changes a hero brings about through their inspiration, not direct action. But the action in this issue defies belief, with a woman killing her husband and a few other men, burning an inn to the ground and then waking up, along with the girls, unharmed in the smoldering wreckage the next morning.

How did they survive- divine intervention? And where was the city watch in all this? Even by the lax standards of your average lawless Hyborian town, you’d expect at least one guard to show up and make sure the fire didn’t spread. And when Sonja herself shows up to give her nod of approval to the whole venture, it’s as cloyingly sweet as the ending of your average Mr. T cartoon. And no, that’s not a compliment.

Still, all silliness of the story aside, this issue does have to factors that redeem it. First, the artwork by Stepehen Sadowski is excellent, resembling a less-posed and more realistic Joseph Linsner. Secondly, the back half of this annual is taken up by a complete chronology of all of Red Sonja’s appearances – in her own titles, Conan and the Savage Sword of Conan magazine - complete with annotations, notes of continuity conflicts and exact issue numbers making this issue a must-have for any Sonja fan who has wished to collect her past adventures without having to buy up entire runs of comics.

Grade: C overall. A for the chronology, B for the artwork and F for the actual story.



Xena Warrior Princess Annual #1
Company Name: Dynamite Entertainment
Writer: Keith Champagne
Artists: Noah Salonga


If this is the kind of work we can expect from Keith Champenge in the upcoming World War III books from DC, I think I’ll pass on the storyline, thanks.

Perhaps it is wrong to expect a serious attention to detail from a book as silly and self-mocking as Xena. Then again, when a casual fan of the show like myself can spot continuity errors - such as Gabrielle swearing by The Prophet Jebus - I mean Eli, despite the fact that her costume is that of the earlier-seasons Gabrielle before that storyline ever took place – I doubt it will please the die-hard fans of the Warrior Princess.

Still, ignoring all issues of show history and where this story would fall into it, this issue is still a real mess. The story, which introduces aliens into the world of Xena, destroys the thin veneer of seriousness that makes Xena work as a concept. Yes, some of the characters are goofy and yes the action is over the top. But in a world full of magic and gods who are actively screwing with the cosmos, it makes an odd sort of sense. Bringing in creatures from outside this world – literally, in this case – breaks the fourth wall that makes the entire concept work.

It doesn’t help matters much that the art, good as it is in portraying the characters from the show, makes the aliens Xena fights here resemble Predator – adding an unintentional comic aspect to the whole story of Xena mercy-killing a shipwreck survivor as he tries to tell her that he’ll be fine once its’ mate, a medic, returns and said mate going on a rampage to avenge the death of its’ loved one.

Grade: D

Looking To The Stars - Heroes, Civil War and More!

It’s official. I am addicted to Heroes. This is partly due to the execution and in part because I really DON’T know what to expect next. With the comic industry and a better part of comics fandom right now being so obsessed with previews and nearly every geek out there being eager to know more than all the other geeks out there like that makes them “better” somehow, it is welcome change to see something relating to superheroes that actually maintains the mystique and wonder of the genre.

So if you haven’t caught Heroes yet, do so. You won’t regret it. You should also give a look-see to the official on-line comic. It’s a pretty good read, particularly the most recent installment centering upon Hiro – the Japanese office worker who seems to have developed the ability to alter his position in time and space at will.

And speaking of comics, I believe I have a few – very few, since this was a light week – titles to review.


52 Week #22
Company Name: DC Comics
Writers: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid
Art: Various

Give this one props for having a great parody title (if you don’t get the joke, ask your parents – assuming one of them read the old Gold Key comics in the 60s) but not much else. I am pleased to note that they finally explained away the 1990’s series where the Metal Men were retconned into being real people in robot bodies – especially if the explanation makes Doc Magnus into a somewhat more interesting, if troubled, character. Then again, that may be redundant for a man who created a nominally female robot who is madly in love with him.

Grade: B




Detective Comics #824
Company Name: DC Comics
Writer: Paul Dini
Artists: Don Kramer and Wayne Faucher


I may sound like a broken record, but Paul Dini is doing wonders on this title. He’s found the perfect blend of humor and mystery that made so many of his Batman: The Animated Series stories sparkle and, in doing so, he has made this the best Batman title in a long time. On the humor side, we have Bruce Wayne stuck with a nightmare date that only bares a slight resemblance to Paris Hilton and a new villain, Mr. Zzz – a narcoleptic who is an amazing fighter when he is asleep. On the mystery side, we have Penguin attempting to go legit as a nightclub/casino owner and someone attempting to the bank on his casino on opening night. All this and a Lois Lane cameo.

Grade: A



Doctor Strange: Oath #1
Company Name: Marvel Comics
Writer: Brian K. Vaughn
Artist: Marcos Martin

I’ve given up my general disregard for all things Marvel at the moment in regards to this comic for two reasons. First, I’ve always had a weak spot for Dr. Strange and wish SOMEONE would do a monthly title for him. Second, this was written by Brian K. Vaughn. Brian K. Vaughn CAN’T write a bad comic. It’s impossible. Seriously. Beyond that, you really don’t need to know much about this going in. It’s a fairly standard plot – hero risks all to save a friend only to have things get more complicated. But it’s Brian Vaughn so it’s far from standard in execution.

Grade: A



Fantastic Four #540
Company Name: Marvel Comics
Writers: J. Michael Straczynski
Artist: Mike McKone and Andy Lanning

Whoever is in quality control at Marvel needs to be fired. Now.

Seriously, you’d think it would be an easy matter to coordinate between TWO writers and get them to agree as to just exactly how and when Sue Richards left Reed Richards. But noooooooo.

(This last paragraph brought to you by Sarcasm Awareness Month.)

Mind you, I have a hard time believing that Sue would ever abandon her children and leave them with the man she’s leaving for being a fascist scumbag totally different than the man she loves and had children with. Still, I will give props to Straczynski for handling Sue in a slightly more believable manner here than the way Millar handled it in Civil War #4. Telling off Reed while holding back the tears (“Do you think I need you to protect me?”) vs. A ‘Dear John’ letter and disappearing into the night after honoring National Steak and a Blowjob day?

Grade: C

And speaking of Civil War, you can’t miss the best art-based parody of Civil War yet.

Tune in next week. Same Matt time. Same Matt website.

Looking To The Stars - Another Week, Another Bunch of Reviews

Not much on my pull-list this week. But with one exception, everything I read this week was great.

52 Week #18
Company Name: DC Comics
Writers: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid
Art: Various

I thought it was John Constantine on the cover at first, but no – it’s Ralph Dibny in a trenchcoat. Regardless, this was one of the better issues in recent memory as we get to see the plot for Question and Montyoa move forward (finally), the possible return of a Booster Gold and…well, I won’t spoil the surprise but I don’t think anyone saw what appears to be happening in the last few pages coming by a long shot.

Grade: A

Detective Comics #823
Writer: Paul Dini
Artists: Joe Benitez and Victor Llama

It’s official. Detective Comics is my favorite post-One Year Later comic book. Dini is in fine form, adding new corners onto the regular universe while bring the unique blend of horror and comedy that made him one of the most popular writers on Batman: The Animated Series. If you haven’t started picking this title up yet, now is the time to start. Don’t worry about catching up – apart from one mention of last issue’s revelation that Riddler has gone straight and is now a detective for hire – the story is entirely self-contained.

Grade: A

Spider-Man Special: Black and Blue and Read All Over
Writer: Jim Krueger
Artists: Drew Johnson & Tom Palmer

Doth my eyes deceive me? A Marvel Comic NOT written by Dan Slott that is… fun? No Joke, True Believers! This is one of the best Spider-Man stories in recent memory – and not JUST because there is no taint of Civil War, the Iron Spider Armor or Peter not having a secret identity anymore in it. Indeed, the whole story hinges upon Peter planning to reveal his secret identity in exchange for a chance to tell his own story in The Daily Bugle. What happens next? Read it and see!

Grade: B

Savage Red Sonja: Queen of the Frozen Wastes #1
Writers: Doug Murray and Frank Cho
Artist: Homs

Frank Cho knows how to draw a pretty woman, right? And Red Sonja is a pretty woman, right? So this should be a decent looking book, right? Well, it might be except for three problems. (Four if you count the scary man-legs Sonja has on the Cho cover)

1. Cho isn’t the artist on this book. He’s the co-writer and one of the cover artists. So except for the cover, his fans are going to be disappointed.
2. His writing isn’t all that great, with Sonja sounding like a valley girl.
3. The artist, this relative newcomer Homs, draws Sonja in similar fashion, with “Ohmygod!” expressions throughout. Hardly the hardy warrior maiden we know.

But the really bad thing about this book, particularly in light of the recent Red Sonja #13, is the costuming. Now understand that unlike many critics, I have no trouble recognizing that scanty, impractical armor is a convention of the fantasy genre. (And fair being fair, Conan’s fur boxers aren’t much good for repelling swords either) I think that Mike Oeming’s explanation for Sonja’s armor (maximize agility against slower male warriors while distracting them) is actually a very good one. But the fact is that Sonja’s homeland is a desert. Most of the places we’ve seen her traveling in the monthly title were, at the very worst, of temperate climate. And now in the monthly title, when Sonja is traveling into the frozen northlands, what does she do?

She puts on several layers of fur – that’s what. Because Sonja, unlike this book, isn’t stupid.

Grade: F

Finally, on a less happy note, Killer Princess,/i> artist Lea Hernandez needs our help. Even if you aren’t a fan of her work (and I don’t know why you wouldn’t be), send what you can.

Tune in next week. Same Matt time. Same Matt website.

Visit our blog at: http://www.livejournal.com/users/looking2dastars/

Looking To The Stars - The Week In Review

Quite a lot of news this week. And yet, I read more than a few comics this week. And it has been ever so long since Unca Stars has treated everyone with a batch full of reviews.

Lucky you. I’m Super-Sizing your column this week, free of charge!

Okay, it’s always free. But you’re getting more bang for the buck you aren’t giving me. Should anyone feel that I am worth a buck, please e-mail me for Paypal instructions.

And now that I am done with my joking and likely pointless shilling, LET THE NEWS REVIEWING BEGIN!

Marvel reverses labeling policy for gay characters

I’d be more impressed with this most progressive news if…

a) Marvel had bothered to put out more than ONE title with a gay/lesbian/bi-sexual main character in all the time the MAX line has existed.
b) Marvel’s two main teen-books (Runaways and Young Avengers) didn’t have three openly gay members between them.
c) Joe weren’t quite so proud about declaring gay hero Freedom Ring the star of Marvel Team-Up… which is due for cancellation, so who cares if people complain about it before then?
d) Marvel weren’t desperate for any kind of good publicity in the wake of the massive delays on Civil War announced last week.

IMAGE PROVIDES RETAILERS WITH FREE COPIES OF “STRANGE GIRL” #10

Retailers drop free copies in Quarter-Bins to save time, make money faster.

TONY HARRIS ENTERS THE QUICKENING: AWARD-WINNING ARTIST NOW REGULAR HIGHLANDER COVER ARTIST

Matt Morrison enters state of bliss: Tony Harris Fanboy now giving Highlander a shot.

“DARKMAN VS. THE ARMY OF DARKNESS” RAGES ON

I’m going to have to start sending my paycheck to Dynamite Entertainment at this rate. Between this, Highlander and the Red Sonja and Xena comics my girlfriend collects, seems like half the books I actively collect are by DE.

Well, it may SEEM like it. But it’s not quite true, as this week’s batch of reviews will clearly show…

52 Week #16
Company Name: DC Comics
Writers: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid
Art: Various

This issue wasn’t bad but it didn’t thrill me as much as past issues of 52. After the bang-up ending last time (sorry…sorry), this issue just felt a little flat. The Question/Montoya doesn’t seem to be going anywhere and Black Adam’s whirlwind romance is coming off as being a bit rushed. Still, who am I to question the wisdom of gods? The sight of Mary Marvel being alive and well was an uplifting note, at least.

Grade: C

Birds of Prey #97
Writer: Gail Simone
Artists: Paulo Siqueira and Robin Riggs

Glad as I am to see that at least one writer has not abandoned the idea of The Society (being played for chumps by Luthor aside, it DID work really well for the villains) this issue came off a little forced. Emo-brat Black Alice was always shown as being a little more canny that she comes off here. And I am looking forward to seeing this new Batgirl storyline resolved even though I know we are being massively played on what we are supposed to expect.

Grade: B

Daredevil #88
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artists:Michael Lark and Lee Bermejo

A one-off issue centering upon the now-in-hiding and thought dead by the world (and Matt Murdock) Foggy Nelson this one is a Brubaker bread-and-butter special. We get some nice factual information on what life is like for someone in the witness protection program. And ninjas fighting the Mafia. Everything goes better with ninjas!

Grade: B

Jack of Fables #2
Writers: Bill Willingham and Matthew Sturges
Artists: Tony Akins and Andrey Pepoy

Jack was my favorite character from the original Fables series, so no surprise me loving this one given that I’m also a sucker for any story with a trickster hero. Throw in the fact that the villain of this piece, who we meet in this issue, is a librarian dedicated to a most literal form of censorship (pretty much the epitome of evil for a librarian like myself, who believes that information is meant to be free) and you have one rollicking good read for a mythology librarian geek like myself. But I think that the rest of you will enjoy it too.

Grade: A

Justice League of America #1
Writers: Brad Meltzer
Art: Ed Benes and Sandra Hope

I’ve had a love/hate relationship with Brad Meltzer since Green Arrow: Archer’s Quest. I love most of his characterization and dialogue but I hate his plots and 11th Hour plot twists. Still, I will say two things about this book.

1. He made me care about Red Tornado.

Not an easy feat given I’ve never liked the Pinocchio Syndrome cliché and I think the old Avengers comics with Vision pretty much handled the subject definitively. But damn me if the parts featuring him in this issue didn’t make me start to give a damn about “John Smith”.

2. This is, by far, the most ethnically diverse Justice League ever.

Indeed, it is a Justice League made up entirely of minorities.

I know this is a minor point but given all the talk of racism and religious-bias in comics I’ve seen on this site and others of late, I thought this worth noting. And I expect this to be highly debated but consider the following.

Superman – Granting that he was raised WASP, the man is still the poster-boy Alien Immigrant. And with two female Kryptonian cousins, he is now a minority in a minority.

Batman – Okay. He’s a rich White guy. But given that most of his writers agreed that Batman is Catholic, Anglican or Episcopalian – all relatively small denominations in the USA – he’s a rich, religiously repressed White guy.

Wonder Woman – Greek Mythology pagan.

Green Lantern (Harold ‘Hal’ Jordan) – Hal’s never been portrayed as a spiritual character with a stated religion, but there is a belief by some fans that Hal is Jewish. Indeed, his appearance in 1959 was based on Jewish actor Paul Newman and he once wished Barry Allen a Happy Hanukkah.

Black Canary – Never stated any religious belief as far as I know. But she’s a woman so she still counts as a repressed minority regardless.

Arsenal – Roy was raised Navajo and has been shown to subscribe to their beliefs and to be considered one of the tribe. I think that’s enough to qualify him as Native American for tax purposes.

Black Lightning – do I really have to explain this one?

Vixen – African. Not African-American. African Tribal.

Hawkgirl – Half-Latina who may worship ancient Egyptian gods.

Red Tornado – If sentient robots with souls aren’t a minority group in the DCU, then Dr. Morrow and Dr. Magnus have been putting in some overtime.

All arguing of semantics aside, this book was enjoyable enough. I’ll be anxious to see how the first arc ends (Meltzer is weak on endings, IMHO) but so far, so good.

Grade: A

Red Sonja #13
Writer: Michael Oeming
Art: Mel Rubi

The artwork is gorgeous as ever and I do like this clearer retelling of Sonja’s origin that makes it clear, once and for all, if she was honestly blessed by a goddess or just hallucinating in the pain and confusion of what happened to herself and her family. I’m still a bit confused as to what the “mystery villain” who was brought back from the classic Sonja Marvel Comics has to do with the action right now but I am content to sit and find out.

Grade: B

Supergirl #9
Writer: Joe Kelly
Artists: Ian Churchill and Norm Rapmund

Blind optimism has kept me glancing at this book in the store hoping that it would finally achieve the potential it had when Jeph Loeb first brought back the classic Supergirl. Blind optimism finally paid off. Freed from trying to finish off whatever Greg Rucka abandoned during his brief tenure on the title, Kelly is starting to turn this book into his own creature, by setting Kara up on her own and having her talk about her displacement issues with the new Captain Boomerang – who also has some issues with his parents and his place in a world he is just now learning to be a part of. It’s quirky but it works. And the set-up on the last two pages seems a natural progression for two characters who should honestly have been put together as natural friends by now.

Grade: B

Ultimate Spider-Man #99

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Art: Mark Bagley

Well, this is better than the original Clone Saga. But if that’s not damning with faint praise, I don’t know what is. Honestly, this issue is crammed full of so many shocking twists that it isn’t the least bit shocking. Nearly everyone who was dead isn’t dead anymore and the only thing that’s for sure is that Peter is somehow going to get blamed for all of this. 10 to 1 Norman Osborne shows up in Issue #100 as the mastermind behind all of this. At least Bagley’s art is still ‘a might pretty.

Grade: D

Wonder Woman #2
Writer: Allan Heinberg
Art: Terry Dodson and Rachel Dodson

You know, I really would like to be able to care about this book. But I don’t. Much as I am glad to see Nemesis alive and well (and the in-joke about his Catwoman appearance where he ‘died” is priceless), I just can’t get all worked-up about this book. I can’t get excited about Wonder Woman as Lara Croft in her secret identity. I can’t get excited about Donna Troy’s appearance here given that we know Diana is alive and well and active. And I really can’t get excited about her doing the spin and change into costume thing at the end of the book. The Dodsons do their usual job where all the female characters looking buxom and all the male characters looking just plain weird. Seriously. Look at Robin. Weird.

Grade: D

Xena: Warrior Princess #2

Writer: John Layman
Art: Fabiano Neves

Dynamite seems intent on reviving a lot of forgotten movie and TV properties with comic-book tie-ins of late. The only thing saving them so far (apart from some cunning marketing) is the fact that as cheesy as some of the properties they’ve invested in are, they are fun. And whatever else may be said of Xena – it is a fun book that truly reads like one of the better episodes of the TV show.

The plot, such as it is, is that the Egyptian Gods and Greek Gods decide to settle their personal war by having two champions fight to the death. Through a bit of a fluke, Gabrielle winds up being chosen to be the representative for the Greeks. Thankfully, the rogue Autoylcus (played by the great Bruce Campbell) is able to convince the gods that having just one pair of mortals fight for their glory is a bit of an understatement. Unfortunately, they just open up the playfield drafting the incompetent Joxer and the psychotic Callisto for the Greek team along with Xena and the sneaky, but not a fighting-man Autoylcus.

The artwork captures the likenesses of all the characters from the show well and odds are that if you’re a fan of the show or comedic fantasy in general, you’ll enjoy this book as much as I did.

Grade: A

Tune in next week. Same Matt time. Same Matt website.

Visit our blog at: http://www.livejournal.com/users/looking2dastars/

Looking To The Stars - The New Look

My apologies for the late posting. It was a long weekend.

Remember what I said last week about big changes and a big surprise coming soon?

Well, the big surprise is still a little further off.

But the big changes start now!

Doubtlessly most of you have already read The Dark Overlord's missive regarding how the look of the site, the layout of reviews and other things are going to be changing over the next few weeks.

If you haven't, you'd better go read about it quickly, before he has you flayed. There will be new columns, new writers and a lot more graphic elements to the site among other things.

This of course begs the question, how will THIS, the column that has been a staple of this magazine since Day One be changed by these changes?

The answer is, not much.

The column is still here.

Barring my being framed for an assassination attempt on Mark Millar and jailed or being made king of New Marvel, I'm not going anywhere.

And my original contract to write whatever I want, however I want so long as it is turned in before Sunday evening still stands.

There have been no modifications or requirements that I shift everything into a pure graphics format so as to capture that important demographic of illiterate web-surfers who find text and prose-style writing frightening.

You know, the morons, who don't read my column anyway. ;)

So what changes are there? Well, here comes the first one.

And it is a big one.

So big that I've been trying to pad out this introduction so as to better disguise it.

It is, in fact, a logo.

Every feature on the site now has a logo and we will not be exempt from this.

Because of my commitment to being as independent as possible, I designed the logo myself, from scratch, from a photograph of yours truly taken by my friend Donna.

Using the magic that is Paint Shop Pro, I have chopped it, channeled it, fiddled around with and then hit it with a hammer to create something that screams Indy. Something that screams inspiration. Something that didn't take all afternoon. And something that was free so I didn't have to pay Daron's friend to make me one.

With that, I give you this... the new face of Looking To The Stars as we enter this bold new age of graphic-enabled independence!



We've come a long way baby!

Well, that's all! I'll see you all next week!






































Okay. You're all still here.

Yes, I do actually have SOME content to the magazine this week, besides the spiffy new logo.

First, a review of the latest work by a writer who I have been missing for a long, long time.


Detective Comics #817
Company Name: DC Comics
Writer: James Robinson
Layouts: Leonard Kirk
Finishes: Andy Clarke
Colors: John Kalisz

The minute I saw the previews of this book, I knew I'd have to get it. Not just because I usually get all the Batman books whenever a new direction begins. Not just to learn the fate of Batman and what happened to him after Infinite Crisis. No. I had to get it because my favorite writer of all time is writing comics once again.

James Robinson, the creator of Starman, is back in comics. And with this, the first Batman comic taking place One Year Later, he has brought back…

* Jim Gordon as Police Commissioner
* Harvey Bullock, with a badge!
* Harvey Dent – Vigilante!
* Batman (Apparently he was gone for a year)
* Robin in a new suit!
* Poison Ivy – not dead and more powerful than ever!

There's not much of a plot at this point past setting up the Gotham City of One Year Later. Despite this, the story goes smoothly and this feels a lot more like what Batman should be than anything written on the Bat-Books since Jeph Loeb left the title. And I'm glad to see somebody FINALLY doing something with the reformed, newly-sane (as far as we know) Harvey Dent.

The art is might pur-tee too. Dark but not overly so. Of course it's not Tony Harris (which would make this book 10 kinds of heaven) but it works well.

Grade: A

And if you're wondering about the new 52 comic, I recently stumbled across a preview of the first five pages.

Finally, on a happy note, I got some fan mail from Jason R Svoboda. This made me laugh after a hard day at work. Hopefully it will do the same for you too.


I'm a long time reader. Very VERY occasional feed-backer. Good job with the column, BTW.


Don't laugh! That's not the funny part!

Anyhow, after reading the spoilers and such on Marvel’s “Civil War” which is being written by Brian Michael Bendis, I think I have an idea of how the editorial meetings with him must go…

Marvel Editors: OK Brian, we need some hot new ideas to spark interest away from that Crisis stuff at DC.

BMB: OK, here’s my pitch: Thor, harder edged. Modernized for the modern fan.

Editors: Sounds good so far.

BMB: Alright well we start off with the Iron Fist holding a meeting with some of his allies in regards to starting a new “Heroes for Hire.” We would have Black Knight there, White Tiger, maybe some mutants like Wolfsbane or Marrow or some other b-leaguers.

Editors: Interesting.

BMB: And then right as they’re talking, in walks… get this …. D-Man! With a bomb strapped to his chest, babbling about “the coming Ragnorak!” At which point it explodes and kills every in the building!

Editors: But what does Heroes fo Hire have to do with Thor…?

BMB: Also, Moon Knight hears the commotion and heads over to investigate, and a piano falls on him.

Editors: ……… why would you kill Moon Knight?

BMB: Eh, I don’t plan on writing him. So why not kill him?

Editor: Well we can’t do that because we are planning on a Moon Knight minseries.

BMB: Oh. Well I do have another idea, it’s a series of one shots involving the key members of the Defenders.

Editor: Sounds better…

BMB: We start off with the Controller feeding the kids from Power Pack into a wood chipper…

Editor: Uh no. We are still using Power Pack for our kid friendly comics.

BMB: Huh, comics for kids… don’t think that would work. Well if not that then howabout this…a saga with Captain America where I kill every single Marvel character whose name starts with the letter “R.”

Editor: Uhm, do you have any ideas that don’t involve randomly killing off characters? Maybe a story where the good guys…. uhm win? Or a story where some dying is integral to the story and not just killing off someone you don’t care for?

BMB: …. I don’t get what you’re trying to say.

Tune in next week. Same Matt time. Same Matt website.