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LWIC: Nipple Tingle = Bug Sense

Last Week In Comics: giving a fresh take on 5-day-old comics.

Green Lantern Corps #26

At first when I read this issue I was disappointed by the ease and short length of pages that the Corps needed to take down Mongul. The last couple issues seemed to be a set up for Mongul, you know the guy who fights Superman punch-for-punch, to wield the most powerful weapon of evil in the universe - multiple Sinestro Corps rings.

With the Green Lantern ring being the ultimate weapon for good, giving the opposite ultimate evil weapon to an already feared warlord should have made for a great throwdown. Instead we were presented with a character piece where together the the Corps, along with help from Black Mercy, use teamwork highlighted by a heroic sacrifice to ultimately defeat Mongul.

After reading this once I wanted more punching and better one-liners from Guy Gardner, but upon reflection I am quite happy with the ending and the GLC is quickly becoming one of my favorite DC books each month.

Joker’s Asylum: Scarcrow #1

I have liked the Joker’s Asylum series it gives the Batman’s rouge gallery a place to shine. Each of Batman’s better known enemies have a deep psychotic story that usually are not paid enough attention to in a “Batman” story.

We all know the Scarecrow from the comics, cartoon, and movie. We all know how scary he is, but we usually only see it through other eyes. This issue uses Dr. Crane’s narration in relation to psychology to take an average story concept and make it highly enjoyable.

Justice League of America #23

Am I the only one who is getting tired of Amazo and the Red Tornado?

Apparently those who work on this comic are not. I love Dwayne McDuffie’s work and am glad to see his Milestone characters returning, but seriously I feel like I have been reading the same story since issue number one. Ok guys, I get it - Amazo the robot who can copy the super power of anyone he comes into contact with wants the Red Tornado’s superior robot body… can we just move on already.

That being said, the use of Zatanna was nice, and the way in which Amazo copies her powers and use them against her was classic: “Evomer S’annataz Hutom!” I also have to compliment Mr. McDuffie on the incorporation of Vixen’s power/lack of original power finally bringing some relevance those couple of backup stories recently.

I am ready for the Justice League to leave the Hall of Justice and save the world, just like I was ready for them to stop sitting around a table picking team members for two issues.

Robin #175

I was so excited to read this issue ever since I saw the cover on dccomics.com. Unfortunately the cover is a nice homage to Death in the Family cover… but it has nothing to do with the pages inside what so ever.

I understand that this is a Batman R.I.P. tie in issue, but Batman is not dead nor is he even in this issue. This issue showed Robin trying to figure out if Batman is going crazy, and what he should do about it, no Batman at all. I understand that sometimes a comic’s cover will depict an image that is not present within the pages, but usually it is related. This cover is only related to the title and the title only.

Now that I have vented on how the cover annoyed me I have to say the content inside was… just as bad. I can sum up the whole issue in one sentence: “I think Batman, the guy who has plans on taking down any other being in the DCU, has finally gone off the deep end and I, with less training and experience, will take him down.”

Superman #678

Blah.

Blah.

Blah.

There may have been a couple subplots worth noting but the boringness of the main story was too distracting for me to notice.

During his adventures with his pal Batman, didn’t we just read about the U.S. Military making Kryptonite weapons to take down Superman? So explain to me why I want to read a story about some military guy sending a confused mythological god to take down Superman?

Trinity #8

Wow story!

This is more like it. Instead of a ten page slug-fest we see plot movement, and I have to say I enjoyed this issue.

In this issue we get some explanation to the “evil trinity” and their hopes and dreams while seeing the “good trinity” do more than punch stuff.

I have read other people’s reviews of this series and many times they are not that impressed by the second story of each issue, but these have been my favorite part of this series. This week’s issue showed the importance of each of the 14 previous stories. If not for the discussion between Firestorm and John Stewart last week I would have probably not have recognized and realized the Cosmic Egg’s importance.

I said it before and I will say it again that I think this book will be a better read when collected in a trade and read in one sitting. That being said I am still enjoying at least one of the two stories each week.

and…

THE BEST COMIC OF LAST WEEK:
AMBUSH BUG: YEAR NONE #1

They say a real man is one who can admit to his mistakes and laugh at himself. So what does it mean when DC Comic’s publish a book that does both?

Ambush Bug is a character that breaks the fourth wall, knows he is a comic book character, knows that we are reading about him, and has the ability to see the DCU as the reader does.

Being able to see the DCU as we do makes for an interesting comic. Ambush Bug: Year None picks up where critics of the large amount of deaths in the DCU left off. Ambush Bug is investigating the murder of an old unknown and unused female character - Joni DC. Not only is the comic littered with dead bodies, again a reference to the incrased number of dead heroes in the DCU, it also pokes fun at the famous “Women in Refrigerators” plot device made famous in Green Lantern #54.

This, like Ambush Bug’s two previous mini series, pokes fun at everything in the DCU from stories like Identity Crisis to the change in narration and the use of thought balloons thought comic history making Ambush Bug: Year None #1 THE BEST COMIC OF LAST WEEK.

I notice that Superman #678 used an Omnipotent Narrator box as well.

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Posted by Fred, on 07/28/08 11:06 PM Bookmark this post Digg Reddit Blogg-Buzz StumbleUpon