UNKNOWN SOLDIER 8 – New storyline with a plot that would make me feel uncomfortable if I were a celebrity trying to draw attention to the atrocities being committed on the other side of the world. GOOD STUFF!
 
BACK TO BROOKLYN 5 (of 5) – That last minute plot twist turned this around from a so-so mini-series into a pretty shocking and brutal successor to Ennis’ PRIDE AND GLORY. GOOD STUFF!
 
BATTLEFIELDS: THE TANKIES 2 (of 3) – Two issues in and this one is no where near as good as Ennis’ two previous BATTLEFIELDS story arcs.  More reminiscent of his RIFLE BRIGADE than anything.  Does Carlos Esquerra bring out the dark humor in Ennis? OKAY.
 
BATTLE FOR THE COWL: GOTHAM GAZETTE 1 (of 1) – Several short stories bringing the new status quo of Gotham into focus, showcasing Harvey Bullock, Azreal, Leslie Thompkins, Stephanie Brown and Vickie Vale.  And that Vickie Vale one is actually pretty killer.  OKAY. 
 
BATMAN IN BARCELONA: DRAGON’S KNIGHT 1 (of 1) – This little one shot, which finds Batman hunting down the always under-rated Killer Croc in Barcelona, was just enough of an old school Batman thrill ride to make me wish Mark Waid still worked for DC on a regular basis and was not in charge of BOOM! STUDIOS as the EIC.  FANBOY FUN!
 
RUNAWAYS 10 – I think this is just a fill-in issue while we are in between regular writers. I think…  The end result was that I now want Christopher Yost (and presumably his writing partner Craig Kyle) to be the full time writers of this book. I haven’t had as much fun reading this title since Brian K. Vaughn left to TV land.  FANBOY FUN!
 
IMMORTAL IRON FIST 26 – Anyone want to bet how long it has been, on Earth, since Iron Fist has been stuck in a Hell dimension?  Anyone?  ….am I the only one still reading this? Your loss!  GOOD STUFF.
 
NOVA 25 – Whew!  That was some pure unadulterated FANBOY FUN!  Nova finally got the full Nova powers restored, Worldmind is back and the Imperial Guard better watch their backs.  Awesome!
 
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 14 – This was pretty much the greatest cliffhanger ending in this book’s history.  Next issue the Guardians take on The Inhumans AND the Imperial Guard.  At the same damn time!!! FANBOY FUN!!!
 
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA 27 – As good as you would expect a Jerry Ordway JSA comic to be.  Me – I expected it to be good fun, and it was.  GOOD STUFF!
 
GREEN LANTERN 41 – ZOMG!  Did Agent Orange just do what I think he did to my boy Hal Jordan?  Awwww, Hell naw!  FANBOY FUN.
 
IGNITION CITY 3 – LASER GUN FIGHT!!!  Woo-Hoo!!!  Eat this, J.J. Abrams!  BUENO EXCELLENTE! 
 
CROSSED 5 – For the first time in this entire series there was not one moment where I literally wanted to tear my eyes out of my skull.  Instead we finally get more than a fleeting glimpse into the minds of our protagonists.  BUENO EXCELLENTE!

 
ATOMIC ROBO: SHADOW FROM BEYOND TIME 1 (of 5) – This issue Robo teams up with HP Lovecraft and Charles Fort, or rather – he spends the issue arguing with them about Armageddon.  As fun as this book usually is – this issue was probably my all-time favorite. The action takes a back seat to expository dialogue that is smart, funny and reveals dimensions of the world of Robo thus unseen.  Everything you could ask for from a first issue.  FANBOY FUN!
 
JONAH HEX 43 – The first half of this book is largely sans words of any kind (dialogue, captions, sound effects, etc.), and Palmiotti and Gray let the legendary Paul Gulacy really shine on the artwork and storytelling.  GOOD STUFF.
 
BATTLE FOR THE COWL: THE NETWORK 1 (of 1) – This was not only pointless – it was horrible. If this is what the future of the Bat-titles is going to be like, I won’t stick around for long.  AWFUL!  Why? It seemed like Fabian Nicieza was attempting to write a quick epic battle from the perspective of Oracle, who is removed from the battle, but it came off choppy and poorly executed. Again – AWFUL!
 
FLASH: REBIRTH 2 (of 6?) – Am I the only one who is bored by this? Geoff Johns does a good job of trying (TRYING) to make Barry Allen interesting, but he says himself that everyone always thought of him as a saint or a boy scout. And that is the problem – that is how he was always written and my memory is long – any attempt to retcon that, or shift it in any way just seems to me like they are trying too hard.  Plus – I can’t be the only one having trouble telling Wally and Barry apart when they are in costume. EH!
 
POWER GIRL 1 – I really wanted to like this, but the text heavy way this read just seemed like overkill, and the scene shifts just kept it from really coming together for me.  Amanda Conner’s art was absolutely beautiful though, as always.  Here’s hoping the next issue gets better.  OKAY.
 
AGENTS OF ATLAS 4 – I really like the way Marvel is using their big company wide crossovers to really make their new series seem consequential to the whole of the Marvel U, like they did with GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY and CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI-13, but I’m afraid in the long run the stories may seem dated.  Fortunately this book is also using Silver Age history to flesh out the characters, and create a book with as much past as present.  It is a plot device Jeff Parker used to great effect in the original AoA mini-series, and continues to utilize well here.  This issue we see the Atlas interact with Capt. America in the past and the present.  BUENO EXCELLENTE!
 
WAR OF KINGS 3 (of 6) – I’ve always loved the Shi’ar Imperial Guard, being Legion of Super-Heroes analogues as they are.  So to see them really step up to the fore front of this massive cosmic saga has been a delight.  Unfortunately they have been on the opposite side of the “good guys” (Starjammers, Inhumans, etc.), until now…. ***Spoiler Alert Activated*** Man, was it cool seeing Gladiator finally step up and switch sides? I’ve been wondering how the Hell he could continue to serve Emperor Vulcan while knowing he was an evil despot, and then POW! He blows the head off of one of his own teammates. Ho!  Man, that was awesome! ***SPOILER ALERT DE-ACTIVATED*** If you aren’t reading the WoK, you are missing out. This book is some serious FANBOY FUN!!!
 
BUFFY TVS: SEASON EIGHT 25 -  Well…at least Dawn isn’t cursed anymore.  EH.
 
THE BOYS 30 – A bit of a wrap-up to the latest story arc, as well as the first thirty issues. Not much happens, and the character development didn’t really hit home for me as well as I had hoped. It was OKAY, but not the excellent heart breaker I was hoping for. 
 
~*ReTro ReVieW*~  SEAGUY 1 – 3 – I read this when it came out back in 2004, and loved every bizarre throwback to the psychedelic age of comics.  Anticipating the new series, and failing to remember what had happened to make some of the events of the new series seem so significant, I decided to drag it back out for a reread.  It was more fun and chaotic than I remembered.  Just a totally unexpected almost whimsical look at a superhero who is the last of his kind, and his cigar chomping best pal, Chubby da Chuna, a flying air breathing tuna fish with a sailor hat.  They go out looking for adventure and run into a gondola operating Death, an ocean filled with chocolate, a warrior woman with a curly beard, and more. I had forgotten the bizarre stuff with Mickey Eye, the Egyptians and the secret history of the moon. I just – I just can’t really do justice in explaining this book, and I can’t really even begin to put it into words how weird it is to have a book this silly and fun come from the uber-serious mature readers Vertigo imprint of DC. This book also brought Cameron Stewart to my attention, and his pencil does not fail to really bring this character to three dimensional life.  BUENO EXCELLENTE!
 
SEAGUY: SLAVES OF MICKEY EYE 1 & 2 (of 3) – This mini-series picks up right where the previous one left off, and continues the trend of the first with a fun bizarre romp through the world of Seaguy.  This time around we catch up with Seaguy and his friends in New Venice before we meet three heroes inspired by Seaguy, and then watch as Seaguy himself becomes a “bull dresser” (which has to be seen to be believed). Morrison has called this book his own Watchmen, referring to the 1980s deconstructionist super hero series (you may have heard of it), as each series examines the super hero from a new perspective. The first series being the adolescence of Seaguy, the sequel being his teenage years, and the future sequel being his adulthood. If you aren’t familiar with the first series, it is essential that you read it before reading this one.  You just can not go on without reading that first.  BIZZARO EXCELLENTE!

MY NAME IS BRUCE stars legendary B-list celebrity Bruce Campbell (EVIL DEAD trilogy, BURN NOTICE, Sam Raimi’s go-to guy, etc.) in his first directorial effort.  It follows the pattern established by THREE AMIGOS and GALAXY QUEST of a character actor mistaken for the character he plays on screen played out to hilarious effect.  Campbell portrays himself as a washed-up drunken lout brought into the town of Gold Lick to fight the resurrected Chinese God of War and Protector of Bean Curd, Guan-Di.  It’s a very tongue-in-cheek satirical skewering worthy of the man who wrote the book on hammy scenery chewing.  You’ll love it! 
 
Now – on to the comics!

 
TERRY MOORE’S ECHO 11 – I’m starting to think this would read better as a series of graphic novels instead of the condensed story-telling Moore employs here.  I’m still committed to the story, as it is actually quite readable, but I have a lot of trouble summing up what happens from issue to issue without feeling like I’m treading water.  Which is to say that, plot-wise, not a whole lot has actually happened over the full course.  Having said that, this is still GOOD STUFF.
 
BOOSTER GOLD 19 – What a difference a writer makes.  Before Geoff Johns, and writing partner Jeff Katz, rejuvenated the character in 52 and then this series, Booster was pretty much on the D-list of comic book characters. He was a joke, if not a footnote in the publishing history of DC.  Johns and Katz were able to take him and make him a solid B-lister again make me surprised and excited for each issue. Exit those two and enter Booster’s creator and suddenly the character is looking pretty insignificant again.  The originality and fun have been sucked right out of the book and in its place is a pretty so-so book bordering on cancellation (by me, not DC).  In this issue Jurgens wraps up Booster “exciting” team-up with himself and…..EH.
 
BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL 28 – Great way to end this goofy storyline!  With an even goofier twist that sets us up for more crappy characters in our Bat-Villains roster.  Yay!  EH! 
 
BATMAN: BATTLE FOR THE COWL 2 (of 3) – Hooo Boy!  Where do I begin?  I really wanted to like this one, too. Despite what I’ve said about Tony Daniel’s talent as a writer and/or artist, and despite what I’ve said prior about him being the wrong choice to allow solo credit on such an important book to the cornerstone of the Bat-Family titles for the months to come.  I really did want to like this.  Sigh. ***SPOILER ALERT ACTIVATED***  Okay, first up is page two, Panel four: What the Hell did Penguin do there? Is he dropping a napkin made of feathers? Come on, Tony Daniel!  Your inability to draw shouldn’t be affected when you wrote the story yourself!  Page 7: Really, Nightwing? It took you more than one second to surmise that that was Jason Todd? Way to train them in detective skills, Batman!  Page 24: So even though Tim Drake is still a kid, he suddenly looks like he is about the same height, roughly, as Michael Phelps.  Despite what Catwoman says about his being short – he sure as heck don’t look it.  Way to draw, Daniel! Page 29: Very subtle the way Drake wails on Todd with a crowbar (Joker killed Todd with a crowbar before Superboy Prime punched a wall. Comics R Fun!) before he realizes that he has just been stabbed with a foot long Batarang.  Uh huh.  Yeah, I believe that.  ***SPOILER ALERT DEACTIVATED*** AWFUL!!!
 
WAR OF KINGS: ASCENSION 1 (of 4) – I never would have thought that a comic book starring Darkhawk could have been this enjoyable.  It wasn’t the greatest thing Abnett and Lanning have ever written, but it was surprisingly fun. After the forgettable events and laughably awful WAR OF KINGS: DARKHAWK two-issue lead-in to this series I was led to believe we were in for another recreation of a hero on par with what ANNIHILATION did for Nova.  How wrong I was!  ***SPOILER ALERT ACTIVATED*** Darkhawk has been training with a second similarly armored subject who was trying to help him work through his anger and control the armor in ways he never could before. But as this issue reveals he is actually a villain who wants to destroy the human inside the armor and return control to his fellow compatriot in crime. It was a shocker, that I never saw coming, and it actually made me smile. Yeah – I hate Darkhawk. This was fun. ***SPOILER ALERT DEACTIVATED*** FANBOY FUN!
 
CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI13 12 – Paul Cornell and Leonard Kirk are redefining what a cool Marvel comic book can be, with each and every page of this series.  Kirk is doing some of the best work of his career by humanizing characters and letting their emotions shine, whether they be sitting down for tea or whipping out Excalibur to throw down on the bad guys. Cornell, on the other hand, just fills this book to the brim with crazy ideas that leave me foaming at the mouth for more. And this has never been more true than the current storyline involving Dracula and Doctor Doom setting up shop on the moon (the Moon!) and preparing for vampiric war.  BUENO EXCELLENTE!
 
SECRET SIX 8 – Speaking of great books that no one else is reading…  Gail Simone is really having fun with this amoral group of super-villains. In this complete done-in-one issue, Deadshot and Scandal Savage go on a double date and promise not to kill anyone.  With a promise like that you just know there will be a body count at the end. FANBOY FUN!
 
GREEN LANTERN 39 – Hal meets his first Orange Lantern.  Some controllers die. Some Guardians make some prophetic statements and a new rule.  Yep – all the earmarks of a lead-in to a big Summer crossover.  OKAY.
 
DOKTOR SLEEPLESS 12 – Warren Ellis and Ivan Rodriguez take a moment to show us society as it crumbles in the city of Heavenside.  If this had been any other book, or by any other author, I would have felt slightly ripped-off with page after page of silent panels and just a few pages of very dense, very revealing and necessary dialogue.  Rodriguez deftly uses the silent panels to show just how bad things have gotten and how low they can still go.  I don’t recall if we’ve even seen the good Doktor in the last few issues, but I honestly haven’t noticed or cared, a feat all the more impressive when I think about it.  This is probably my favorite thing Warren Ellis has ever written. I can’t get enough.  BUENO EXCELLENTE!
 
ANNA MERCURY ARTBOOK -and- IGNITION CITY 1 – Where does Warren Ellis get those wonderful artists?  I threw these two into one because they both feature artists that I had never heard of prior to working with Ellis for Avatar, and yet they are so far ahead of the game that I’m ashamed for Marvel and DC for not hiring these guys.  At the same time – I pray that DC and Marvel never get their hands on them either.  Facundo Percio made Ellis’ ANNA MERCURY mini-series, a sort of analogue of Lara Croft or any other video game “vixen”, into a sheer delight to look at. Thi artbook is more or less a glorified pin-up book with tons of Percio and other artist’s interpretations of Anna. It was $3.99 well spent in my opinion.  As was the first issue of Ellis and artist Gianluca Pagliarani’s new book. IGNITION CITY has a great European feel while also evoking the old manga standard of having a more richly detailed and flowing background when juxtaposed against the human figures occupying the panel. It is a jarring and mind-blowingly beautiful piece of work.  As for the story, Ellis is in his old habit of world creating on this one with some echoes of his own MINISTRY OF SPACE and perhaps a little bit of the recent AETHERIC MECHANICS.  Thanks to the artwork of Pagliarani I’m already in love with the protagonist and desperate to know more.  BUENO EXCELLENTE -and- BUENO EXCELLENTE!!!

that is all.

 
DOCTOR WHO CLASSICS: SERIES TWO 3 – I really really really do not like Charlie Kirchoff’s attempt to do a Dave Gibbons style cover. GOOD.
 
STAR WARS: CLONE WARS 4 – My son’s enthusiasm for The Clone Wars, and my already ample enthusiasm for Genndy Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars cartoons, has me savoring each and every adventure Obi-Wan and Annakin get into, Ahsoka be damned.  In my mind the it sorta feels like Lucasfilm’s version of an ULTIMATE or ELSEWORLDS version of the STAR WARS universe.  Anyway – this mini-series (which has been expanded to a regular series) has the dynamic duo of S.W. and their Batgirl, Ahsoka, fighting the enslavers of Ahsoka’s people.  Just like the cartoon it isn’t too dark, but does a good job of exploring the atrocities of war in that galaxy far far away.  FANBOY FUN!
 
BOOSTER GOLD 17 – Not much happens this issue with the exception of Booster tricking Barry Allen into going back to his lab to be struck by a lightning bolt of destiny and then teaming up with his own past self.  OKAY.
 
R.E.B.E.L.S. 1 – Much much better than I would have expected.  I was a fan of Vril Dox (aka Brainiac 2; aka The “Good” Brainiac) from back in 1989, so that alone made me try this out sight unseen.  Color me surprised when Tony Bedard and Andy Clarke made this inaugural issue one full of intrigue and excitement.  Vril Dox is portrayed in total synchronicity with the character I knew way back when, as a master manipulator and brilliant tactician.  Vril is on the run from his own universal police force for reasons that are unknown and hot on his trail are a group of bounty hunters looking to bring him back. Clarke’s art is of that old school IMAGE-style ultra detailed, but with a fluidity that was pleasantly unexpected.  All in all – FANBOY FUN!!!
 
BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL 26 – Whoever’s idea it was to try and bring KING TUT, the villain of the 1960s BATMAN TV show, to the comics page, should be kissed.  Whoever’s idea it was to NOT go with the fat guy with the funny beard look (like he had on the TV show) and the harem of hotties feeding him grapes – shame on you!  OKAY. 
 
NIGHTWING 153 - This being the final issue of the series, I was expecting the book to go out in a confused jumbled mess as the creative team tried to wrap up loose ends and sub plots before shuffling uncomfortably off the stage.  Instead we get a loving tribute to a devoted ward as he remembers his mentor and his legacy.  Very well done!  BUENO EXCELLENTE! 
 
BATMAN 686 – An open letter to Tyson Cromeens:
Dear Tyson, I DO NOT agree with your assessment of this issue being “a steaming pile of poop” or “garbage”.  When I open the book I was expecting, based on your unfair assessment – the Gaiman of ETERNALS and MARVEL: 1602 fame.  Two books that I did not like, despite the creative caliber attached.  What I found when I opened BATMAN686, aka WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE CAPED CRUSADER, was an elseworlds-style imaginary story (or is it?) was a thought provoking and heart-warming love letter to my favorite character in all of comics, The Batman.  Note that use of “The” in that statement.  The Batman found in these pages, as villains and friends alike reminisce, is The Batman found in the pages of Bob Kane and Dick Sprang’s heroic detective.  Each tale that the aforementioned villains and friends tell are totally out of continuity and wrapped in as much mystery (who is the spirit of Bruce Wayne talking to? Why are these tales wildy contradictory?) as the ones the man they speak of is known for solving. In all this was the BEST BATMAN comic book I have read in the past two to three years. It was beautiful.  A work of art drawn with care by one of those Kubert guys.  It was utterly BUENO EXCELENTE!!!!  P.S. Tyson, you’re an idiot.
 
DARK AVENGERS  1 – I passed this up when it was released a few weeks ago, but decided to try it out – just cause.  The premise is that Norman Osborn has been placed in charge of the nation’s security (i.e. the seat vacated by Tony Stark and Nick Fury before him) and he comes up with a crew of Avengers that are devoted to him.  His Avengers are all criminal types or morally ambiguous types.  Thus…Dark Avengers.  My main reason for picking this up is that Marvel Boy (Grant Morrison’s M.B.) is one of the team members.  I know that no one will do M.B. like Morrison did, but I still like to keep up with what Marvel does with him for some reason.  This issue was all set up, but it was a fairly interesting set up as we follow Osborn approach various Marvel baddies and enlist them to his cause with promises and new identities.  Wolverine’s goofy son is posing as Wolverine in his brown (and best) costume, Moonstone is posing as Ms. Marvel in her 70s era costume, Bullseye is dressed up in Hawkeye’s costume, etc.  It’s a twist on the original premise of THUNDERBOLTS where a bunch of villains became heroes, but where that series explored the ramifications of the villains actions as they became more and more the heroes they were pretending to be – I’m betting the opposite happens here.  All in all Bendis has a nice little book on his hands.  GOOD STUFF.
 
CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI13 10 – Vampire missiles – shot from the moon.  Dracula and Doctor Doom – on the moon!  VAMPIRE MISSILES, DOCTOR DOOM AND DRACULA – ON THE FREAKIING MOON!!!  FANBOY FUN!!!
 
GREEN LANTERN CORPS 33 – This was a very dense and text heavy lead-in to the Blackest Night crossover, aka the saving grace of DC Comics.  Very light on action and very heavy on depth and emotion.  All in all a nicely done prologue. I’m looking forward to this. GOOD STUFF.
 
GRAVEL 9 – This just might be my favorite issue of this series.  Not much happens beyond William Gravel starting to investigate the death of another magician, but Mike Wolfer has hit a nadir in his scripting and artwork.  Particularly I enjoyed seeing inside Gravel’s head and getting a little backstory about more than his being a Combat Magician for the S.A.S. And I soooo did not see that last page coming.  I’m actually worried about the ramifications of that last page.  GOOD STUFF.
 
INCOGNITO 2 – I’m saying this one more time, for those of you who weren’t listening last time – you NEED to READ Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’ comics.  CRIMINAL is probably one of the best titles on the stands right now, and this series, INCOGNITO, is a really great twist on their previous super-villain epic, SLEEPER.  See – I didn’t steer you wrong on SLEEPER did I?  Listen to me – you need to read this.  We have a former super-villain in the Witness Protection Program and as his past catches up to him, his present falls apart.  Best book I read this week!  (Well, with the exception of BATMAN 686. Sorry, Ed.)  BUENO EXCELLENTE!!!