Disney's Aquisition of Marvel Comics

Howdy digital dirtbags!

So I was awoken by a flood of "happy birthday" texts today, followed by a brief simple message reading, "Disney bought Marvel." Before I did my daily devotional and had my morning sandwich and Propecia combo, I'd already heard enough of senseless bitching from fanboys on the internet.

Seriously, I have three things to say, as a fan and comic reader myself, regarding the news:

1: Fanboys stop complaining. Regardless of whatever blood feud you have against the Disney corporation or its affiliates (personally, I love Disney movies and Pixar and the whole shebang), if Marvel Comics was in a position where they had to sell in order to stay afloat, then you weren't doing your job as "fans." If you don't BUY comics, they won't keep MAKING comics. I know we're in a recession and we've all taken a hit, corporations included, so if downloading the latest Marvel comics or Marvel movies is your style, you're only hurting Marvel.

2: In all likelihood, the content and the characters in Marvel comics won't change. They're not replacing all the talent with Disney animators and writers, and if they are, I can't imagine why. The sad thing, and @ronmarz had a good point; if you're more worried about what's gonna happen to the Hulk and or Captain America (although it seems like more people are concerned for Wiccan and Hulkling) that what will happen to the REAL PEOPLE working at Marvel like Matt Fraction or dare I say Jeph Loeb, then you're not a fan, you're a piece of shit.

3: This buy may be a GOOD THING for Marvel comics. Fanboys have been complaining recently about the selective $3.99 price on some comics. If you knew jack shit about the publishing business right now, you wouldn't give a rat's ass about healthcare or the auto industry. Publishing is expensive, and Marvel has been trying all sorts of ways to cut costs without cutting corners (online content, web ads, price increases, you name it, look here: http://comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=21873). Now, one of the bigger media conglomerates in the world has its hold on Marvel comics. Ever think MAYBE this will keep that price tag at $2.99 instead of $3.99? Let's wait and see how things pan out.

That's it for now. Until then, parents, you'll just have to get used to your kid's Crayolas looking more like this:

As always, thanks for listening and enjoy my birthday. I hear it's nice out.
-Steve

Happy Birthday...to Me!

Kudos one and all!

Today is that magical day that comes around only once an Earth revolution. The day I was born. I've sort of been celebrating all weekend, but I'll post pictures of tonight's fun after all is said and done.

This won't affect my normal sporadic posting schedule. I'll have a new comic review up on Wednesday with any luck.

In the meantime, some photos of the weekend:

Some pickled grilled chicken I made. Shared a little with Iric.

Listened to a bit of "The Whisper House" by Duncan Sheik

Had girly Peanut Butter and Jelly shots with Iric and Nick. (don't knock it till you try it)

My favorite beers, a seasonal brew, and this was the last sixer they had. Yum!

That's about all. Well, take it easy then!
-Steve

Wolverine: First Class

Bienvenido a la Madhouse!

So in the spirit of better comic reviews, I'm dedicating all of my attention to one comic each week, instead of "my sad life of comics in 1500 words or more." Here is the first post in the new tradition.

This week's comic is Wolverine First Class #18.

Now I hate Wolverine. I hate him. The most overused two-dimensional character Marvel has and here he is this week, in the hands of one of my favorite comic writers, the legendary Peter David. This was entirely an impulse buy, because when I saw "David" and a swarm of Jamie Madrox (my favorite Marvel character, the Multiple Man) on the cover, I had to give it a try.

I was pleased to find this was an issue revolving almost exclusively around Shadowcat and Madrox. Wolverine was used mainly as comic relief, which is how I prefer him to be used, much like Joss Whedon's Wolverine in Astonishing X-Men.

(This issue takes place long before the first appearance of X-Factor. It's bright colors and Madrox's original costume help set the scene in the past)

In summary, Madrox visits the X-Mansion in search of a renegade dupe who has taken asylum there. He explains to Shadowcat and Wolverine how dangerous it is to have a part of yourself doing things that you will eventually have to answer for. Shadowcat however, believes that the dupe is a person too, and as such has a right to live his own life. This leads to issues of morality, mortality, trust, and knowing yourself and what you're capable of.

(Peter David can write Shadowcat's plucky sense of humor and her Jewish heritage really well. It's not over the top, but in good taste. Thanks in part, I assume, to David's own Jewish heritage)

I really enjoyed this issue for its whimsical yet philosophical analyses of Jamie Madrox's unique ability. He doesn't even know exactly how it works. Are his dupes 100% perfect copies? Are they merely aspects of his personality? Are they truly each individual people? Madrox in this issue compares them to locks of hair or fingernails, each one being an extension on himself. This is a funny rationalization for why he has the right to reabsorb them, but also highlights his youth and suggests he may feel guilty for ending dupes' lives.

As an added bonus, if you're a fan of Peter David's current near-50 issue run of X-Factor, lots of parts of this issue will carry a little more meaning and be just a little funnier since you know how things turn out for Madrox in the future. Or the present. Damn continuity.

Nobody writes Madrox better than Peter David, but failing to mention how well suited this artwork is to the themes and tone of this book would be a crime. Bright colors, clear lines and expressive faces make the story pop. Aesthetically, this is a fine book.

While I can't recommend Wolverine First Class on the whole, I can suggest looking at issue #18.

That's all for this week. Have a good weekend!
-Steve

Poetry for what it's worth

Hello happlejacks and susannas!

So I didn't get around to writing my review of Ed Brubaker's Sleeper, Season 1. In short, it was really damn good. It's like The Departed with superpowers. Creative, fun, and I should stop before I write the review.

What I did do was attend my first day of Poetry and Fiction classes, and got my first assignments. Here's the poem I wrote for a prompt asking for a description of a "thing." My thing is a tree, or more precisely the fruit of a tree I saw in a dream. A little lame I know to say "I saw this is in a dream," but if you know anything about me, you know my dreams are more fantastic and entertaining than an acid trip could ever be. (side note: I may start up a dream journal section of this blog...)

Here's my poem, a rough draft to be edited in class Tuesday, entitled "The Light Trees"

I was walking

In the open woods

By Cortico Bay.

A low fog obscured

Distant landmarks

And civilization.

Only cricket chirps

To let me know

I wasn’t alone.

There it stood,

The Light Tree.

Tiny fist-sized bulbs,

Dozens, no

About a dozen hung from

Willow-like branches.

Each one glowed

With a pearly white

Core caged by varied

Color coats.

A red one, a purple one

A green one, a yellow one.

The hanging lights shined

Through the fog

That nearly made the branches

Unreckognizable. They looked

Like a nighttime car wreck

Suspended in mid-air.

Twelve feet off the ground.

The air around the tree was warmer

Than the damp cool air

Blowing in from the bay.

The smell of oak bark

Rotting made the fruit of the

Light Tree so much more

Seductive.

I reached up but

The tree seemed to meet me

Halfway, offering a cool pink bulb,

The one shining brightest.

It was here I found the fog didn’t

Blur the lights of the fruit,

But their brightness was milky and

Out of focus all its own.

My lips were wet.

I was salivating before I knew it.

My eyes fixated on the perfectly round form in my hands

Smooth, but dry.

A strange sensation of fear

And excitement rushed through me.

I wouldn’t wait any longer,

Thrusting the bulb fruit to my face

And tearing its soft tissue with my teeth.

Its flesh was bitter,

Unsatisfying and unexpected.

Creamy juices ran through my fingers

From the wound I had inflicted.

I lifted the fruit again, pouring the juice

Down the front of my lips,

Tasting only with the tip of my tongue.

Sweet.

Like somewhere between strawberries and

Tart apples, but juicier.

My hands trembled and

I dropped the chalice I had

Supped from. A half sphere,

Half-full, rolling on the greenest grass

I hadn’t even noticed was there.

My feet were bare, another detail I failed to note.

My toes seemed to dig into the soft soil

Under the grass.

Cool dirt sifted through my feet,

Nourishing in a way,

Like washing down my dessert

With earthy vegetables.

I felt tall and timbering.

My limbs grew weak so I stretched

Them to get blood back in my veins.

My arms were extended out high and wide,

As if I were trying to catch a planet

Falling from the sky,

That looking up now,

Was darker and mistier than

It had been before.

Suddenly I found I was

Eye to eye

With the fruits of the Light Tree.

I couldn’t step back.

I couldn’t walk away.

I would shine my own lights

Over Cortico Bay.

Tell me what you think.

Have a swell weekend.

Comic Day at Last!

Congratulations web-reader-guy! Here's what you've won!

Brief reviews for some of this week's, last week's, and older comics. Once I'm only a steady "every Wednesday" reading schedule I won't feel as rushed to read 30 comics in a day and review them so quickly, meaning more pictures, and more in-depth looks and themes and storytelling, which are my favorite bits to look at.

Anyway:

DC Comics
Titans #16 -7/10
Booster Gold #23 -8/10
Green Arrow & Black Canary #23 -8/10
Batman #689 -7/10
Green Lantern Corps #39 -8/10
Blackest Night #2 -7/10

Marvel Comics
X-Factor #47 -8/10
Dark Reign: The Hood #4 -10/10
The Mighty Avengers #28 -7/10
Ultimate Avengers #1 -7.5/10

Indie/Minor Imprint
Parker: The Hunter -9/10
Sleeper -?/10

Titans And entirely Starfire based issue, and I love Starfire, came up just a hair short of what I'd like. The story involved her visit to a psychiatrist to discuss her deep-rooted issues with Blackfire, Dick Grayson, and the Justifier Helmets of Final Crisis. Starfire has always been quick to anger and quick to seetle down, which was written flawlessly, but the artist gave her and indignant, aggrivated look throughout the issue that didn't seem to follow what she was saying. Starfire's pains about being controlled via the Anti-Life Eqaution are pungent and I am glad that Yost took an issue to flesh them out a bit. The end also confused me a bit. There's no real-time dialogue, just the imagery of Starfire leaving Earth, but I wasn't sure whether she eventually accepted Vixen's offer to join the Justice League, or just left Earth altogether. If she joins the League, awesome. Starfire is way underrated and her unique character would bring some fun team dynamics to the group. If she left Earth, why? I know she's struggling with identity, but what is out there for her? The only good thing that could come of it is her becoming a Star Sapphire out of her love for Dick Grayson. The new Batman would be faced with his old girlfriend as a Violet Lantern, his old mentor's skull in the hands of a Black Lantern, and his parents as Black Lanterns. Could be sweet.

Booster Gold Always good. Always. Dan Jurgens is the man, and Blair Butler on the cover wasn't the only reason this issue was sold-out when I went to pick it up (pervs). The Black Beetle is a terrifying villain for his ability to appear anywhere and anywhen he likes. Booster, having failed to save Dick Grayson in the past, winds up stuck in another dismal future alongside Rip Hunter and Raven where Trigon rules over Earth and a resistance movement is led by Zatanna and Kyle Rayner. What's so awesome about Booster Gold as a title is that the book can have all the "epic" moments of a major event, but still be lighthearted and fun because everything can be undone via Rip and Booster's time travels. It's kind of like that XBOX Live game, "Braid;" if you had the power to undo your mistakes, shouldn't you be rewarded for the wisdom gained in making mistakes in the first place? Due to continuity and the nature of DC time travel, Booster is branded a failure eternally, but somehow he gets to fight alongside big leaguers like Rayner, Raven, and Zatanna against superstar villains like Trigon and Lex Luthor. Everything will turn out alright in the end. Or will it? (Also, Booster's sister, who ran away a few issues ago, has yet to come back, a potentially emotional reunion for him and the girl-who-should-be-dead)

Green Arrow and Black Canary The all-star couple continues to drift apart due to superhero ideology disagreements, psychopathic obsessed super-vixens, revenge-driven supervillains, and an unhealthy sex life. One of Green Arrows old foes had a son, and that son's father was killed by Cupid, the fanatic wannabe girlfriend of Green Arrow. I think the idea of Big Game's son gunning for the one who killed his father is a sort of weak story. It all fits together nicely, but I hope Kreisberg draws more out of it than just "you killed my father, prepare to die." The incorporation of Wildcat as Black Canary's longtime friend and mentor is awesome. He's such a fun guy in the JSA and the perfect personality foil to Black Canary's anger and guilt. The story's just getting started, but I really like how Cupid is so crazy. I feel for the girl, and her obsession with Green Arrow makes some bit of sense. Her dialogue is so funny and her logic so distorted it makes for really awkward, dangerous and potentially marriage-wrecking situations. Best villainess I've seen in a while.

Batman One of my favorite writers, Judd Winick. He stays with classic comic cool, no wild continuity-shattering events, no dimension/time hopping retcons, and no heavy-handed political agenda. Just clean action and concise, effective dialogue. The story is simple, Black Mask, Penguin and Two-Face all gunning for this "new Batman" in their own way, often stepping on each other's toes. Dick Grayson establishing himself as a unique and more media-friendly Batman has given Two-Face all the evidence he needs to know that Bruce Wayne is really dead. As the villains plan to spring their trap on Batman and either expose him or kill him, the reluctant Robin, Damian Wayne, has taken a little too much initiative in his caped crusading. Clayface and a new villain make a move on Batman with the help of Black Mask and Penguin, while Two-Face readies himself for an attack. The idea of Damian rushing to save Batman is not one I imagine is in his character. I still believe that Jason Todd's battle for the cowl is far from over. Winick doesn't seem to be interested in analyzing human behaviour or showing readers what wrong with the world, Batman is just entertaining for now and sometimes, entertainment is what I'm looking for. But who knows? With Alfred's flashback to Bruce's happy days, and Damian seeing the "Dark Knight" for who he really was, maybe there is room for some serious character-building and psychological observations. (note: The picture here is not from Batman but rather the aforementioned Titans issue. I love Dick Grayson and Koriand'r)

Green Lantern Corps Tomasi sure knows how to do a lot with alot. While Johns has entire issues to dedicate to Hal Jordan, Tomasi has to cram Kilowog, Guy Gardner, Kyle Rayner, John Stewart, Sodam Yat, Soranik Natu, and Arisia all into each issue. Guy and Kyle have been very close since the end of the Sinestro Corps War, and their bonding culminates in reflecting on lovers past. Kilowog and the bulk of the GL Corps are assaulted at the crypts on Oa by a swarms of Black Lantern rings, reviving Jack Chance, Jade, Tomar Re, Abin Sur, and presumably Arisia's father and uncle. Sodam Yat, who I believe is not dead, is still casting yellow sunlight on the Daxamites who have squandered his gift and become even more isolationist. This is a powerful story because it truly shows how stubborn people are that even when you help them change and believe they have taken a step forward, they truly will never change in their hearts. Natu was not there to see Mongul bring his faction of the Sinestro Corps to Korugar and enslave the entire planet, and if that doesn't piss off Natu, it will piss of Sinestro. I smell a Yellow and Green team up coming very soon. Father and daughter united despite being estranged so violently. The emotional flood that will sure come from the GL Corps facing off against loved ones and friends who are now Black Lanterns will be something to watch. I look forward to seeing how strong their Will is going to be in the face of Death.

Blackest Night I may have finally put my finger on what erks me about Blackest Night. Corny color-based emotions? No, I like the rainbow Lantern Corps. The blindness of the Guardians in failing to realize how dangerous Scar was? No, that's classic storytelling in which the people with the power to make a difference are always the last to know. The way that all it takes to be "epic" in comic books is to use characters everyone knows and loves as bad guys? DING DING! Geoff Johns is an amazing storyteller and I love the mythos and the mystery of these worlds of emotions and powers that he's created. But the story that comes out of all of this is weak to me. Earth-2 Superman, Martian Manhunter and Aquaman make the story more "epic" by virtue of being characters with loads of history. That's cool I guess, but what's the core of the story? The dead coming to life to claim the hearts of the living to do what? Bring the Anti-Moniter back to life? Return Darkseid to this universe? End all life in existence? The goals of the Black Lanterns are varied, which is also okay, because like the Sinestro Corps, that internal conflict with be the weakness that the heroes expolit to win the day, but why are Supes, Manhunter and Aquaman interested in any of these goals? Revenge? I don't know, "black" isn't at the far end of the emotional spectrum like "red" and "violet" so mind control doesn't seem likely. Plus, Dove was unaffected by the Black Rings trying to revive him, why? Maybe this is all still too early in the event to be asking these questions, and if that's the case, I tip my hat to Geoff Johns for keeping it interesting, but if so, I learned nothing new about the Black Lanterns (or the Indigo Lanterns for that matter) in issue #2 of Blackest Night than I learned in issue #1. Right now it's all "BANG! POW! Did you see Supes and Manhunter? BOOM! They just KILLED Hawkman and Tempest! CRASH! Epic shit epic shit epic shit." These are the same sorts of issue I had with Secret Invasion. The Sinestro Corps War was paced beautifully and each issue had dramatic reveals and "epic shit" to keep me interested. I may have to read the Batman, Superman, and Titans tie-ins to get the meat and potatoes of the story that I'm looking for, but I'll wait for the trade paperbacks for those. I know I'm being harsh, and don't think I don't like Geoff Johns or Peter Tomasi, otherwise I wouldn't buy their books, I just want a little more from these all-star talents for my $3.99 than stuff that sounds like it was written be Brian Michael Bendis...yuck!

X-Factor The consistently good, un-X-pected X-Factor brings back the big reveals and the fun, witty character interaction that I know and love it for. The reason for the disappearance that Madrox was brought to the future to investigate for Layla and Cyclops seems to be Cortex and his murderous rampage in the past. Darwin, Siryn, Monet and Longshot fight for their lives against Cortex and a troop of future-tech Sentinels. Meanwhile, Guido, Rictor and Shatterstar leave "John Maddox's" (aka a dupe's) house continuing their search for Madrox. The senile Dr. Doom and his dialogue with Madrox and Layla is funny, if not a little sad. It gets you thinking... man, if Doom did get so old he couldn't be a supervillain anymore, what would he do? The big reveal is a little unclear to me just because the artist didn't include any real distinguishable feautures when his hood is pulled off. Perhaps Peter David could've added a "Gasp! It can't be! ****!" As far as I can tell, it's one of three men, Rictor, Madrox, or Monet's brother. Rictor because the guy looks like Rictor and mentions having seen Monet naked before (long story), Madrox because his mind controlling powers, although they seem tech-based, have a physical appearance component that looks like a purple Madrox symbol on his forhead, Monet's brother because as we know, she was tortured and fed on by her brother and he presumably would have similar psychic powers. It sucks, because I know I should know who it is and the dramatic reveal would be more dramatic, but relying solely on art without distinguishing features was a bad call. Otherwise, this was a great issue that answered one or two questions, had lots of funny moments and (albeit unclear) a nice cliffhanger at the end. (note: Madrox's grave reads "James E. Madrox" but his name is James Arthur Madrox. Mistake? Or clever hint?)

The Hood THE. BEST. SUPERVILLAIN. IN. COMICS. PERIOD. Parker Robbins continues to juggle his family, his new girlfriend Madame Masque, his mob of henchmen, his alcoholic cousin, and his seemingly unbreakable bond with Dormammu in this, the best Dark Reign tie-in around. His family life has never been better. With all the money he's been able to provide for his wife, daughter and mother handsomely. His henchmen plot against him while his cousin watches them and dives deeper into the bottle, growing ever tired of Parker's judging. Madame Masque is jealous because he has let Satanna into his gang so that she may secretly exorcise Dormammu from his body. And now, his greatest mistake has come to bite him in the ass, White Fang, the vigilante whose husband was accidentally killed by The Hood, has kidnapped his family and is fighting his gang single-handedly. Will Parker try to keep his balancing act together? Will he abandon his humanity and let Dormammu's power save his gang and his family? Will his gang still respect him if he loses the powers granted to him by Dormammu? This is a very dramatic and moving story about a man who only ever tried to make ends meet until he finally gained the power to do so, and now it's all about to implode on him. He succumbs to vices and temptation, but remains protective and responsible. The core of this story comes down to one simple question; how much of your life is truly under your control?

The Mighty Avengers A decent book thus far I suppose. The "Xerogen Crystals" and the "Unspoken king of Attilan?" I'm interested to see how these elements will play out. The Inhumans are one of my favorite parts of the Marvel Universe and Dan Slott is taking a huge gamble with me (though not necessary mainstream audiences I guess) in retconning their origins to include a king that came before Black Bolt, a mysterious Slave Engine, and Xerogenesis as opposed to the familiar Terrigenesis. I will be SO FUCKING ANGRY if this storyline butchers what I feel are the coolest quasi-cosmic characters Marvel has. But that said, the Pym Avengers are growing on me, and I like their personalities and how they interact with one another. Cho, Herc and Jocasta are fun. I like US Agent. I hate Slott's political one-liners more than heavy-handed political story arcs because at least stories explore the issue as opposed to a quick judgemental condemning of one side or the other. Maybe I should consider it an accurate portrayal of a character to do so, but I'm not so sure when it's the character speaking, or the author, you know what I mean? If I'm wrong, then it's just good characterization, but if I'm right, it's just tasteless. I'm glad someone finally noticed that Scarlet Witch is not back, but Loki is manipulating this bunch of tools that call themselves "Avengers" for God know what reason. I like Clint Barton and I like Quicksilver and I like the Young Avengers, so I can hope that all these elements will come together in a good story that won't ruin the Inhumans for me.

Ultimate Avengers Finally, Millar returns to right all the wrong of the Ultimate Marvel imprint. With a nice cliffhanger, keen characterization of the three core members of the Avengers (Iron Man, Hawkeye and Captain America) and new look at an old villain. I was a little unimpressed with the Nick Fury and Carol Danvers, mostly because it's basically a clean rip off of Nick Fury's relationship with Maria Hill in the 616 universe. Warren Ellis did a much better job with her character in the Ultimate Galactus or "Gah Lak Tus" Trilogy and Pluskommander Geheneris Halason Mahr Vehl (who I wish would get more screen time). Unless Carol Danvers gets some Kree powers from Mahr Vehl's lizard-like penis, I will have a hard time enjoying that aspect of the comic. Iron Man is as cocky and irresponsible as ever, the way Ultimate Iron Man was meant to be. The angles and images in the art give it a classic action movie feel with lots of hand-to-hand tussles and daredevil antics (think 90s Schwarzenegger movies a la "True Lies" or "Last Action Hero"). The real drama here, comes from the appearance of Red Skull. No longer some outdated Nazi bigot who somehow never died after Cap disappeared, but rather a cunning and powerful villain who...drumroll please...claims to be Captain America's son. Damn! Not too creative a twist, I'm sure there's a "What If?" about just that, but now we see it; what if the Red Skull was Cap's son? His motives and his goals are yet to be revealed, but the Ultimate Avengers are leaderless and short-handed. This promises to be an interesting story at the very least and a stellar revival of the Ultimate imprint if all goes well.

Parker: The Hunter A very good recommended read by Pat over at Velocity comics (good people, if you're a Richmond resident, check them out). The fast-paced story of betrayal, bloodshed and revenge starts "in media res" with Parker, a criminal presumed dead, searching for a girl and Mal. Throughout the story it is revealed that the girl was his wife and Mal was a one-time partner on a gun smuggling operation. Mal double-crossed Parker and tried to have him killed while his wife ran off with him. Some time later, and Parker is out for revenge on these people that ruined his life. It's a classic story (based on the Richard Stark novel series) brought brilliantly to life (or at least to printed image media) by Darwyn Cooke. Thematically speaking, the story is sort of hollow. It's like watching an action movie you've seen a hundred times, the message is blurry. It's very much a modern Count of Monte Cristo. That's not a bad thing at all. I love both of these stories just like I'm sure everyone else does. Everyone can relate to that all too human desire to deal out justice when you've been backstabbed. The difference here? Parker doesn't stop. He never quits even when most people would. When Edmund Dantes stopped, Parker kept going. It wasn't about his wife. It wasn't about Mal. It was about his cut of the loot from the job. All he cared about was putting the backstabbers in their graves and getting what he'd earned. No more and no less. It won't change your religion but Parker: The Hunter is a damn good read.

That's all for now. I also picked up Brubaker's Sleeper. I love Ed Brubaker's work and I wanted to sample the first volume of this one. I'll pop a review up when I'm done reading it but for now I bid you all get a life!

Comic Day! (Reviews and Raves)

Greetings web donkeys!

Today I have a nice and full docket, so forgive me if my attention to certain books is lacking. I'll stick to the more important titles as well as the most thought provoking for the bulk of this, day of comic book reviews.

The Breakdown is as follows:

DC Comics
Blackest Night #1} 9/10
Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps #1-3} 8/10
Green Lantern #44} 7/10
Justice League: Cry For Justice #2} 7/10

Marvel Comics
Captain America #601} 6/10
Iron Man #16} 8/10
Dark Reign: Hawkeye #4} 8/10
Dark Reign: The Hood #3} 9/10
X-Factor #46} 7/10
War of Kings #6} 8/10
War of Kings: Ascension #4} 9/10
The Mighty Avengers #27} 7/10
The Dark Tower: Fall of Gilead #3} 9/10

Indie/Minor Imprints
Asterios Polyp} 8/10
Parker: The Hunter} ?/10

Now all these ratings may seem high, but bear in mind that regardless of what my review says, I still like all these comics (otherwise I wouldn't buy them!) getting them all an instant 5/10. I'm a little more critical when I talk about them closely because I hold all these writers and artists to a pretty high standard. Whew! Now that's out of the way, I can get a bit more detailed.

Justice League: Cry For Justice Not a lot of major developments in this issue, still working out the kinks of this new Justice League. Supergirl is the newest addition to Green Arrow and Green Lantern's (my personal favorite DC team-up) superhero hit squad. The characterization is exactly how I like to see it, but the plot is a little slow for my taste. Congorilla is interesting as a wildcard character. The painterly art of Mauro Cascioli makes any storytelling flaws easy to overlook. This is a really pretty book. I recommend at least picking it up at looking at it. The theme seems to be justice... but at what cost is justice?


Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps Great little peeks into the live of some of the major players of the War of Light. I love the "Animatrix" approach that's being applied to so many things now (I know they weren't the first to use different writers and art directors to tell different parts of the same story, but they are the most notable contemporary example). In this case, the art styles do a fairly good job of reflecting the personality traits of the characters being described.

I love Saint Walker's story(Blue). Larfleeze is just amazing(Orange). Mongul and Carol Ferris were less exciting, but great characterization(Yellow, Violet). The stories of Bleeze, Kilowog, and Indigo were neat(Red, Green, Indigo duh). I'm liking the little taste of what the Indigo Tribe can do. Arisia was the least interesting to me, but it's nice to see the line of Lanterns she came from(Green). I don't consider the books worth $12 especially considering that the stories have no real impact on one's enjoyment of Blackest Night, but the there's no denying great content when it's there.

Captain America This issue was really disappointing to me. In place of Luke Ross's expressive pencils we have an overly artsy flashback to Bucky's days with Steve Rogers during WWII hunting vampires. Personally, I can't stand the sight of Nick Fury, so the book turned me off immediately there. I know the "kid trying to fill Cap's shoes" story can't go on forever, but I want something more than war stories and throw away stuff in anticipation of Rogers' inevitable return. I hope next month's issue will come back to the present and show Bucky's war scars haunting him now rather than penis length comparisons with the former greatest spy of all time. (perhaps this issue should have come out sooner and been tied-in with the awesome final arc of Captain Britain and MI-13, that would have been AMAZING)

War of Kings: Ascension Now concluded, this was a great little look at the mythos of the Darkhawk armor that gave the young hero of that namesake so much trouble. Lots of action and a thrilling moment of conflict as Darkhawk regains control of his armor just as Lilandra of the Shiar is killed, by his gun! This issue details Darkhawk's struggle to face both the X-Men and Kallark, more commonly known as Gladiator. It was a good mini, my only complaint being that it seems to set up for an arc of Darkhawk that I don't really care about. On his own I don't think the character holds water, but maybe as a member of a superhero team? I don't know. But an ongoing series based on Darkhawk's new mission seems uninteresting.

Dark Reign: Hawkeye and The Hood Both minis have kept the action coming and the stories fresh. Personally I prefer The Hood, because as a villianous character he is one of the best written and most compelling and his Dark Reign storyline is dramatic and touching while being full of violent killings and revenge driven heroes. The book puts conventional hero/villain relations on their heads as The Hood tries to exorcise Dormammu from himself while White Fang, the wife of a cop that he unintentionally killed seeks to kille him with the help of The Controller, a two-bit Iron Man villain. Hawkeye is just as, if not more action-packed. Obviously a character like Bullseye has less emotional paydirt than Parker Robbins, but the twist of this story is that Bullseye's father is out to swap bodies with him, trading a withered wounded body for Bullseye's young adamantium laced one. Good stuff. These are two of the better minis that Marvel has put out. Each deals with issues of morality and what it means to be good or evil, as well as the cost of leading double-lives. Diggle and Parker are talented writers.

X-Factor This has been on my recommended reading list for being consistently good. Peter David has created a magical world of noir where Layla Miller and Jamie Madrox's turbulent relationship is put through the wringer time and again. This issue is no different. Jamie, still trapped in a future dystopia with an aged Cyclops and Layla has to solve a mystery involving a mutant's disappearance. If I explained any more about what happened in this issue I'd have to explain like 50 issues of buildup and important plot points, so that's all I'll say. The issue itself is sort of a lull in an otherwise great story. Typically David seems to lose the attention of a drama fanatic like me in between plot twists and epic moments. The case is a little unclear at the moment, but each issue peels back one more layer of the mystery. The tagline of this book is always apt, "expect the un-X-pected."

Mighty Avengers Dan Slott has been on again off again for me. This week was a little more off again. I enjoyed his first arc of Mighty Avengers and the team is well constructed. It's nice to have someone write Hank Pym as the inventor he is and not the wife whacking pill popper he was. What irritates me is his sudden expertise in the field of magic. Is he Dr. Doom now? Since when? Pocket dimensions are cool, like the stuff Reed Richards does, but saying that it's magic? That's a cop out. I also like that Quicksilver is an Avenger again, but after such great characterization Peter David gave him, Slott is running a potentially great character into the ground. It's great how US Agent wants to assemble all the Avengers. The idea of an Inhuman king before Black Bolt that wasn't his father is neat, but a little lame so close to the War of Kings event. The art is still decent. I still hate Amadeus Cho (despite my feelings on him being a great candidate for the new Ant Man). I think this is a good story, with poor characterization, and being written at the wrong time. Maybe I'm just not ready for the magic that is Dan Slott's Avengers.

Blackest Night The War of Light is on! What a great opening number. There's death, mayhem, destruction, emotions flying everywhere (literally and figuratively), and plots for universal domination. This is a well planned and well executed event taking place in the DC universe that's at least six years in the making. The first issue of this exciting cross-over does a pretty good job of setting the stage for the action to take place. Unfortunately, if you don't know what's been happening in Green Lantern, Superman, Infinite Crisis, 52, Final Crisis, Booster Gold, and almost all of the DCU's hero books, you may not grasp the intensity of some of these great moments. No worries though. Blackest Night #0 did a fine job of summing up all you needed to know to enjoy the book, without maybe understanding it 100% or feeling the gravity of the situation. With an awesome artist in Ivan Reis at his side, Geoff Johns brings us to the logical conclusion of the Green Lantern mythos, an all out war between the spectrum of light and the prophesied rise of the Black Lanterns of death. Themes at play here are both meta, as in what becomes of superheroes upon death and in-universe, such as what is the true power of emotions and is the pain and fear worth the hope and love that intertwine into the fabric of what we call life. Perhaps the resulting chaos may give rise to the White Lanterns of life? Maybe old favorites like Aquaman and the Martian Manhunter don't have to stay dead or be zombies.


Green Lantern Okay, I love Geoff Johns as much as the next guy. Probably moreso even. But I don't know about this one. The issue does a good job of staying in line with the Blackest night without spoiling anything or being redundant (no easy task in events like these). Unfortunately, I still have a problem with Johns making Hal Jordan and Barry Allen seems like best friends. Apart from both being JLA veterans, I see no reason that they should be such "best fwiends." Allen has more in common with Bruce Wayne, just like Jordan has more in common with Ollie Queen or even Michael Carter. While the Yin of Allen's seriousness and attention to detail are a perfect counter in terms of great storytelling to the Yang of Jordan's arrogance and recklessness, that doesn't mean they'd be best buds, but rather bickering and overcoming differences like any good partnership in fiction. Call me crazy, but perhaps Johns just likes the idea of his two favorite characters being bosom buddies. He's earned that right I suppose, but it's skating dangerously close to writing like Jeph Loeb.

Iron Man Matt Fraction continues to hit home runs with the Golden Avenger. Stark is still on the run from Norman Osborn and Fraction is keeping the fate of Iron Man pretty well unpredictable. I don't know how a character can survive having their brain erased, but I have faith that the series is going in a great direction. Fraction poses a good question in the line of Iron Man; "what happens when the world's smartest man is smart no longer?" It may no be wholly original, but his take on it is compelling. My only complaint with this issue was the fact that is seems to me like every woman in the Marvel Universe has the hots for Stark. I don't deny that it's probably true, but Madame Masque, Pepper Potts, Maria Hill and (I suspect) Black Widow (due to her involvement in the film franchise) are all over Iron Man. Sad, because soon it seems he won't have the brain capacity to talk them into a 5-way love fest.

War of Kings A great Marvel cosmic event comes to an explosive end that left me a little wanting. The action was great. The writing was great. The final battle between Black Bolt and Vulcan couldn't have been more awesome. My complaint is that the ending, rather than resolve anything, resulted in the Guardian's of the Galaxy failing to stop the Shiar-Kree War from tearing a hole in space-time, setting up Darkhawk's evident ongoing. The rise of Gladiator as Majestor of the Shiar is cool as hell, and likely to be followed up in X-Men. The power vaccuum in the Inhuman Royal Family will surely cause tension when Ronan of the Kree competes with Maximus for the throne (that is my prediction anyway). I was disappointed with the lack of Nova and the new Nova Corps in this issue, but I'm sure questions will get answered. Abnett and Lanning are the best thing is cosmic comics right now, but I still wish they'd given me a little more in this final issue than "see what happens next" and "Darkhawk is gonna be important!"

Dark Tower I didn't think Isanove could hold up without Jae Lee's incredible pencils, but I'm a believer now. Peter David's heartbreak-a-minute prequel saga to Stephen King's novel continues to rock my world. Roland's new squeeze, Aileen, has just just lost her father, and now gone all Mulan, cut her hair and become a gunslinger. Cuthbert's attraction to Aileen became more apparent when he learn to empathize with her lose upon hearing his own father had been killed as well. Gilead is indeed on the way down and Roland's friends must hurry before he is sent to the gallows for killing his mother. Total. Drama. David's writing is amazing as always; he keeps you hoping for the best even though you know Roland is destined to be alone.

Asterios Polyp What a trip this book was. Before I say anything else, I have to explain how awesome the art is. I think each page could be a Threadless t-shirt they're so good. PLus the art is incredibly expressive as a storytelling device. This was a great comic. It juxtaposes lots of popular philosophies, focusing on the difference in perspective and perception, and how it affects the way humans communicate. The main character's obsession with duality is angering at times because it's so convincing. I do feel as if more conservative philosophies and religions are painted as very two-dimensional, but that's to be expected in a first-person narrative such as this. It's not all that biased. No one person's way of thinking is presented as wholly right or wrong. That's part of the reason I love it so much. It's like Chaucer in it's observation style of writing. The writer has the clear perspective of self-reflecting and aged. Despite the narrator's inclinations, I immediately respect his wisdom and experience. I do have an issue with the ending. I can appreciate the irony of it, but I still think of it as a bit of a cop out. A good read if you're prepared to think a bit. Maybe consider calling up anyone you may have fallen out with and apologize. That sort of thing. A pretty good message in that.


Parker: The Hunter What does ?/10 mean? Simple. I haven't read it yet! There was simply too much on my plate today to finish EVERYTHING. So I overlooked it. Expect a review of this novel into comic later this week.

Well that's everything. I apologize for the brevity I gave these reviews. There was a lot to read! Truth be told though, I prefer discussing comics to reviewing them so feel free to share yours thoughts! Comment with all of your questions, complaints, declarations of vehement disagreement. I will reply to 100% of comments because I have no life and I love talking about comics.

Enjoy your week!