Metropolis

Not much to note this week.  I finished off RESIDENT EVIL 5 and started in on RAINBOW SIX: VEGAS.  I don’t like Tom Clancy books, but for some reason the RAINBOW SIX game series just meets all the requirements I have for a great action series. Along with RESIDENT EVIL it is one of the few game series I’ve followed across every platform.  So…I’ve played almost all of them, and have enjoyed every one, but by God this VEGAS (part 1) is freaking awesome!!  Seriously.  You’re all lucky I managed to read and post reviews this week, cause I didn’t want to put the controller down.  I almost cried when I saw that shot of the Vegas Strip for the first time.  **sniffle** 
 
Now – on to the comics!!!
 
EUREKA 4 – The main selling point for this book, based on the Sci-Fi television show, is that writer Andrew Cosby is the creator of the show. The characters voices are all genuine and spot on, as a result, and the plot line is believable within the confines of the reality of the show.  This mini-series would have actually a pretty decent episode.  A soldier killed in Afghanistan was resurrected, thanks to some unscrupulous scientist, and turned into a killing machine. I can’t really complain. Like I said – all the voices were “true”, the plot worked, the art was decent, etc. etc. In the end it was nice fun diversionary fluff – just like the TV show.  GOOD STUFF.

 
STAR WARS: CLONE WARS 5 – During my sabbatical from reviewing, this book went from a mini-series to a full fledged series, based on the ratings for the cartoon series.  This issue is pretty heady stuff for the average Clone Wars fan, who I peg to be roughly from ages 5-45, with a villain who wants to break the will of the Jedi by punishing her slaves for their indiscretions.  AND – it appears to be working on Obi-Wan.  Ah, but I bet old Obi-Wan has a plan. Obi-Wan always has a plan.  GOOD STUFF.
 
R.E.B.E.L.S. 3 – I’m not very fond of the costume design on Vril Dox’s newest enlistee, Wildstar, but that is almost my only complaint about this new series. Tony Bedard has an excellent handle on the Machiavellian Vril Dox, who is not above ruining someone else’s life if it will work to his plans, as he does the aforementioned Wildstar.  And the beauty of Dox is that he does it in such a way that the person whose life is ruined often thanks Dox for doing it. The man is a genius! I can’t wait to see what he does next. FANBOY FUN!
 
SUPERMAN/BATMAN 58 – What does this “superheroes get shrunk down to microscopic size” story have that others don’t?  Not much. EH! 
 
BATTLE FOR THE COWL: ORACLE – THE CURE 2 (of 3) – Not nearly as good, and that ain’t saying much, as the first issue.  Instead of fan service pantie shots, this issue gives us plenty of goofy computer techno-jargon via a discarded script from HACKERS or THE NET.  The only thing worse than shrinking a superhero down is trying to use the computer world to make your comic seem hip and/or cool.  AWFUL!
 
GREEN LANTERN CORPS 35 – Am I the only one having more fun with this series PRELUDE TO BLACKEST NIGHT tie-ins? I’m loving seeing Mongul take over the Sinestro Corps, Sodam Yat race to the rescue of his own culture (who he hates), and the break out on Oa of the Sinestro Corps. Page for page this book has the main GL book beat by a mile.  FANBOY FUN!
 
PUNISHER  4 – I long ago decided to stop reading or buying any modern PUNISHER books that were not written by Garth Ennis.  Every other writer who tried just failed to make the book as much fun as Ennis did.  It seemed like the character had long ago become a bit of a joke, as well as an obsolete caricature of the, admittedly, one-note character he had been in the past.  Then along comes Rick Remender and the Marvel editorial decree to bring Punisher back into the mainstream MARVEL Universe, from out of the fringes of the MARVEL MAX imprint.  I know, I know – they already did this with Matt Fraction’s PUNISHER: WAR JOURNAL series which came out before CIVIL WAR.  But where Ennis’ Punisher is the perfect balance of Wile E. Coyote and Travis Bickel – Fraction’s Punisher felt like a very violent TICK comic.  It just didn’t do much for me.  Enter Norman Osborn, the DARK REIGN and Rick Remender.  Remender, who I have never read anything of before, seems to have found the perfect balance between the screwball dark comedy and the violent realism that this character needs to elevate him from one-note caricature of a character to three-dimensional wrath.  FANBOY FUN!!
 
INCOGNITO 3 – I was under the impression that this was a three issue series, and then the team would go back to making CRIMINAL (i.e. the BEST series being published today, that you are not reading).  Color me surprised when the issue ended on a “to be continued…” note.  Also – color me happy! BUENO EXCELLENTE!!!