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LWIC: Rino Hacky Sac = Awesome!

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

 Batman #685

There is nothing scarier than the unknown. People are afraid of the dark because of the unknown just as many are afraid of the basement because it is not as familiar as the rest of the house. Villains are no different. The less we know about them, and especially the less we see of them, the more scary they are. When Hush first arrived in the Batman continuity, he was credible and posed a legitimate threat – he knew not just the identity, but also the person under the cowl. As readers, we didn’t know who Hush was, nor did we know what his motive was and that was scary. Since his first appearance, Hush as been featured in many Batman stories that he has lost whatever scary aspects the character originally had.  This issue features a Hush and he is not the scary one.

This issue features Catwoman as the villain not Hush, hence the Faces of Evil cover with her picture. Hush plays the role of the victim to Catwoman, even though her “evil” motives are not as diabolical as one would associate with a “Faces of Evil” title. Can you really blame Catwoman for getting revenge on a person who cut out her heart and kept her alive via life support just so he could play mind games with Batman? Yeah, I totally understand and wouldn’t classify her as a face of evil for that, not to mention the only reason she ran into Hush was because she was in the area stopping animal poachers. Truly the face of evil.

I guess it could be interpreted as evil when she put Hush into a potato sack and used him as a toy for a playful rhinoceros, but I interpret that as awesome!
 

 Final Crisis #7

You either loved or hated this comic – it was a good vs. evil story.

You also have probably already expressed your opinion verbally or online – Superman finally proves that he is the big granddaddy of all super-heroes.

You probably are reading too much or too little into the open-endedness of the whole issue – there are no more monitors and the multiverse is back and Batman is back in time.

And no matter what I say, it won’t change your opinion of this comic – I like the multiverse as long as heroes do not cross over, or universe hop, too often.
 

 Superman #684

Faces of Evil Parasite, umm yeah he just walks around whining about how he wants to siphon more power from Mon-El while wandering around Metropolis – pretty evil huh.

So the real evil, Superman’s aunt Alura, has released Zod and his followers from the Phantom Zone to lead her army of kryptonians. On Earth the Guardian is rallying the Science Police to prepare for a possible kryptonian invasion. Two opposing leaders with qualified, a hero and villain, preparing armies… hmm, do I sense tension and foreshadowing?

I am slightly disappointed in this issue following the New Krypton arc, and I expected something more from the Parasite since he was featured on the cover with the title “Faces of Evil.”

and

THE BEST COMIC OF LAST WEEK
BLUE BEETLE #35

As a proud owner of the full run of Ted Kord’s solo Blue Beetle comic, I loved the return of his corny cookie-cutter villains to annoy Jaime Reyes. This comic truly establishes Jaime as part of the Blue Beetle legacy, the legacy created in my favorite run of the series End Game. Before this connection or legacy was created, the only tie from the original Blue Beetle to Ted Kord was the name and a seemingly useless scarab. Jaime completes the legacy by connecting the “powers” that the scarab gave the two previous owners – the strength of Dan Garrett and the technology of Ted Kord.

The connection, or creation, of a Blue Beetle legacy and the respect that Jaime has for it is what makes this comic great… along with the strong characterization of the hero and all of his supporting cast. Superman, the comic, is defined not by the Man of Tomorrow alone,  his supporting cast of Lois, Jimmy, Ma & Pa, and even Krypto plays a large role in the icon’s status and comic longevity. Jaime Reyes as the Blue Beetle has the same type of supporting cast: Paco, Brenda, Hector & Nadia, Mom & Dad, Traci 13, and the Teen Titans.

In this issue, we see the legacy of the Blue Beetle continue, and maybe end, while the supporting cast shines. During End Game Jaime infiltrated the Reach, the crazy aliens who created his super powered scarab, and thwarted their plans to take over the Earth. The bond created by Jaime and the scarab caused the alien creation/being to rebel against it’s creators with Jaime. It seems as if the news of Kaji-Da’s rebellion against the reach and wish to free all people who are being oppressed by the state. This group of scarab wielding freedom fighters wants Jaime to lead them and if he refuses they will consider him an enemy. Yeah, Jaime does the hero thing and it looks as if the series will end with a bang… and I can’t wait for it, well the next issue that is, not the end of the series, that I can wait for.

Posted by Fred on February 2, 2009 @ 10:24 PM Under: Last Week In Comics
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LWICK: One-And-Done Comics Are Too Rare

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

Action Comics #873

Avid readers of this column, which is posted every Monday evening, know that I have been loving me some “New Krypton” labeling its parts the best comics of the week. So why is this issue not at the bottom of this post being proclaimed “The best comic of last week?”
Well a couple reasons:

This comic was not bad, just a letdown. I was excited to see the Guardian and Agent Liberty in action again, but the Kryptonians basically ran away. I guess this story will lead to another story that I will probably love. The creation of a new Krypton in opposite orbit than Earth around the Sun with Alura and General Zod ruling is promising, but the end didn’t live up to the build-up.

Oh, and why is it that General Zod and company are all wearing coats? The other Kryptonians aren’t.

Amazing Spider-Man #583

Thank goodness I had this on my pull list or I may not have got a copy.

Oh, and I got the regular cover copy too… no love for loyal customers… or maybe they gave me the standard edition because they know that A) I don’t care about the cover, only the story inside. or B) They know that I’ll come back every week anyway so giving me a “special rare” treat wont increase the chance I come back at a later date.

Anyway, lets move on from the President (Elect) variant cover rant and on the the comic’s content.
This comic automaticaly gets an A for being a one-and-done issue. Not only did this issue feature a single story, the story still tied into the big picture featuring scenes related to the many different story strands from past and upcoming issues.

This comic was not exciting, not action packed, not deep in story, but it was an enjoyable issue about Betty Brant and Peter’s relationship that I could read the introduction, plot, and conclusion. Making this comic even more rare than the variant cover.

Batman Confidential #25

After being let down by the conclusion of the New Krypton story, this comic made up for it.

This issue is probably my last Batman Confidential issue, gota save money yo, and it’s going off my pull list with a bang. I was afraid after last issue that this story was being streched out too long. The storyline started off showcasing the problem that the Gotham City Police department had with their first encounter with the Joker.

The appearance of Batman in Gotham City has enabled all of the city’s wackos to come crawling out of the cracks. Gotham used to be run by the mob before the Batman, now the mob is the small fry compared to Batman’s rouge gallery.

The Joker does what he does best even in the custody of the police including murdering one of the detective’s wife. I don’t want to give away too many spoilers, but the detective does not blame the Joker for his wife’s death, instead he blames the Jokers creator – Batman.

This story now ranks up there with my favorite Batman stories. With all of the hoopla surrounding R.I.P. the back issues for this story should be easy to get – and I recommend that you do!

Booster Gold #16

Enemy Ace?
Yeah, that was my original reaction when I picked up this comic. I had no idea who Enemy Ace was when first reading this issue.

Dan Jurgens does a nice job of tying in all of what happened in the three previous filler issues to a bigger story. It seems that the Egyptian kinfe is more important than just an item for Chuck Dixion to write two filler issues about. Enemy Ace was not as evil as I expected someone featured on a “Faces of Evil” to be, and it was a nice surprise. Anyone who has read any Enemy Ace comic in the past knows that he is a fierce warrior who dislikes killing. I did not expect Enemy Ace to act with honor and chivalry, and it made the ideas in the issue stick.

With his second solo issue Jurgens regains the stride he and Johns had for the first twelve issues and he introduces me to a character that I never knew existed that I am interested in reading more about – Can someone lend me Showcase Presents: Enemy Ace.

Final Crisis #6

I don’t know what else I can say that hasn’t already been said in message boards and other reviews. I do have some bullet points to mention:

I have no idea what to expect for the final issue of Final Crisis. I thought the regular DCU books might hint as to what the universe would be like post Final Crisis, but they all look to be ignoring the mega event. Other books may look as if they are ignoring it, but I am not – I am enjoying and looking forward to it.

and

THE BEST COMIC OF LAST WEEK
NIGHTWING #152

Another one-and-done comic in the same week. I must be in heaven. I know I already wrote a rant about this today, but mega events and special stories can be told in multiple issues not every monthly title. This kind of book may be more rare and valuable than last week’s Spider-Man cover.

Ok, now let me tell you why Nightwing 152 was the best comic of last week. As mentioned this comic ties into a larger story – what happens now that Batman is gone? It seems as if Ra’s Al Ghul belives that Dick Grayson will fill the cowl left behind by his mentor. One of the big draws to Nightwing for me when this comic started, yes I have almost a full run of this series, was the fact that Nightwing was not Batman and spent so much time redefining himself as a hero not just a “Batman lite.” This issue fits perfectly into the mold created years ago by having Nightwing not just redefining himself as a hero but proving that he is a hero who will “always be there to face down evil. whereever it goes, whereever it hides.”

Posted by Fred on January 19, 2009 @ 11:34 PM Under: Last Week In Comics
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LWIC: An Explosion of Fun Filled Goodness

Last Week In Comics:
A fresh take on 5 um… 3-day-old comics.


Batman #684

Issues of Batman have been coming out pretty much on weekly basis since the end of R.I.P. bridging that story into Final Crisis, until this issue.

Batman 684 is the second part of a story that started out in Detective Comics #851.  Now I have no problem reading a story that crosses over through different titles, proof of this is my love for the current Superman storyline, but with one other issue of Batman being published between this conclusion and part one is confusing. Here is a summary of the the Batman comics released in December:

Confusing isn’t it…

Now about the story – Since Didio wanted to and then decided not kill off Nightwing in Infinite Crisis, writers have been hard at work making him a real bonafied hero. Within the last year or two Nightwing has become a real hero no longer obsessing on living up to his mentors manles and worried about disappointing Batman. This strengthening of character plays well into the possibility that Nightwing may take over the mantle of the Bat after R.I.P… well not anymore.

In this issue Nightwing takes a step back as a character and returns to his insecure persona prior to Infinite Crisis. This whole issue may be a set up for him to accept the responsibilities that may be passed to him, but the whole “growth” process has already been done in his solo title and feels out of place here. I do have to admit that this is a good “feel good” story showing the growth of Nightwing, I just wish it was a good “feels in continuity” story too.

Blue Beetle #34
 

I was loving the first thirty issues of this series, heck issues 22 – 25 is my favorite storyline from2008, and was disappointed with the ones since then… until this issue.

The love I had for this series was based on the characterization and dialog between Jaime, his friends, his family, and his enemies. Recently this series has been lacking in both the characterization and dialog categories. I want to continue to complain, but this issue brought back everything the previous issues were missing.

This issue was action packed, witty, and full of the hero’s supporting cast finishing up a lackluster story with an explosion of fun filled goodness making the whole run good again.

I will let the following image prove my point on why this issue, and the whole series, is an explosion of fun:


Final Crisis Secret Files

Wait… Final Crisis is still going on?

Wait… Libra is still a major player in the Final Crisis?

Final Crisis is beginning to drag on so long that I am forgetting, or just not focusing, on aspects that were crucial at one time, like the character of Libra. Back in May 2008, Libra burst back into the DCU claiming to be a profit of a New God and gathering a new Secret Society of Supervillains. After killing Martian Manhunter, another aspect of Final Crisis that slipped my memory, Libra has not really been part of the Final Crisis. With Libra out of the picture for many months, this issue came as a nice reminder that he was a major player.

I never read the original story featuring Libra from the seventies, but did easily find the summary on the internet, but seeing a recap in detail within this Secret Files was nice. Even better than getting a detailed recap on a comic that I never read was the fact that the answer to how Libra returned from being one with the universe. It seems as if Libra’s original power, or invention, has been secretly tied into this Final Crisis since the beginning and his role as the herald of Darksied was predestined. This issue fills in all of the missing details of who and what Libra’s back story previous to Final Crisis and reminds some of us that Libra’s part in the story is far from over.

and

THE BEST COMIC OF LAST WEEK
SUPERMAN #684

Maybe I am bias towards Superman and this whole New Krypton storyline, seeing how almost every week a related book is proclaimed by me to be the best comic of that week.

Maybe Blue Beetle #34 should have been the best comic of last week because that one issue redeemed the previously lackluster issues.

Maybe seeing the Justice League of America and the Justice Society of America hovering over New Krypton, a city full of supermen and women, demanding a declaration of war will be issued. Tell me what better demonstrates “true heroism” than a dozen super-heroes prepared to go to war with one hundred thousand Kryptonians or “supermen” all in the name of justice?

Not only is the declaration of war powerful, how about Superman’s long lost family, specificaly his aunt, stating “Humans are poorer, lesser versions of us” followed by her own daughter, Supergirl, calling her evil… talk about splitting a family.

I can’t wait to see how this all ends in two weeks, then maybe something else can take the spot of “BEST COMIC OF LAST WEEK!”

Posted by Fred on January 5, 2009 @ 10:05 PM Under: Last Week In Comics
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LWICK: A Final Crisis to Live Up to the Hype

6/30/08

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

Green Lantern #32

Green Lantern #32

I still don’t know how I feel with a new or updated origin for Hal Jordan. I have a sweet spot for Hal’s second origin – Emerald Dawn was my first trade paperback in the DCU other than “Batman: A Death In the Family.”

I am enjoying this new origin… but it all is seeming to tie too easily into the new Green Lantern mythos born from Hal’s resurrection in Rebirth. I never had a grasp on Hector Hammond before and I like the setup to make him a major player again in the Green Lantern comics, since this seems to be an origin story for him as well.

As long as I can distance myself from the fond memories of Hal Jordan the drunk driver, I will continue to enjoy this newest origin of Hal Jordan.

Superman #677

Superman #677

I love almost all of Jack Kirby’s work. I admire his art and it’s awesome ability to tell a story. I even like most of Jack Kirby’s stories. Jack Kirby’s costume design… well sometimes I wonder…

I was all about to make fun of Atlas, yeah the guy who in mythological stories held up the planet, and even question his toughness seeing how he is wearing only a skirt and a scarf on his head. After surfing the net, I learned that this version of Atlas was a Jack Kirby design and character. Upon learning that I moved on and put the costume design into the Darksied category of a badass in a miniskirt.

Once able to read the story without laughing at Atlas, I came to the conclusion that the parts involving Atlas still sucked.

If you have this issue and were waiting five days from it’s purchase for my review before reading it here is my advice: Just read the part where Superman, Hal Jordan, and Krypto are playing fetch in outer space. Yes and Krypto has dialog that is deeper and more fun to read than that of the Science Police and Atlas who also appear in this issue.

Teen Tiatans #60

Teen Titans #60

I hope now that this issue is over there will be no more _____ Titans (fill in the blank with an evil sounding word) now that the Teen Titans defeated the Clock King’s Terror Titans.

What you mean there is a Terror Titans #1 solicited… damn!

Here is my take on this issue: “If the Blue Beetle was not in this issue I would not have purchased it and this title would be dropped a.s.a.p.”

There are only three characters on the current roster of the Teen Titans that I enjoy reading about: Blue Beetle, Ravager, and Robin. Now that Ravager is gone I am expecting Wendy and Marvin to pick up the slack in this series or I may not continue to read it.

Trinity #4

Trinity #4

I am still trying to figure out where this is going… for the last three issues the Trinity (Supes, Bats, and Wonder Woman) and the Justice League have been fighting a losing battle against a Doomsday-like creature. Here is a recap of the last three issues: 1. Creature takes out JLA. 2. Creature KO’s Superman. 3. Creature gets stronger (armor) and continues to kick butt.

When this series started I liked that aspect of a cosmic duo studying the Trinity, but that has slowed down. I know that this is a 52 week story, but the pace needs to pick up soon because as of now I am more interested in the secondary story.

I was never a fan of Gangbuster in the early 90s. Maybe it was the fact that Metropolis had so many other Superheroes that I wasn’t a fan of a man in riot gear single-handedly crusading against all gang activity. In this comic seeing the Gangbuster as a concerned citizen in a town without super-villains seems works better and right now that is the most enjoyable part of this comic.

and…

THE BEST COMIC OF LAST WEEK:
FINAL CRISIS #2

Final Crisis #2

I read Final Crisis #2 as soon as I sat down with it in my possession and my first reaction (that I posted on Twitter) was “Final Crisis #2 – WTF? I have to read through it again, but right now my head hurts.”

So I read it again, slower. I payed attention to the pretty pictures a little more before going to CBR’s Final Crisis Forums.

Discussing and dissecting a comic with peers can easily enhance “good book” to the “great book” status it deserves. This is where I am jealous of those who work in comic shops, because I have to rely on forums for my discussion since my comics come from a stand in a local indoor flea market.

The reason this comic is easily THE BEST COMIC OF LAST WEEK is not because of the story alone it’s because of the story telling found in this comic. The clues, or details, leading the readers to believe that Dan Turpin is the new host of Darksied, the imprint of Jon Stewart’s ring on Kraken’s hand, the exiled Monitor’s sketches, a time traveling bullet with what seems to be the Morticoccus virus inside of it, and the mysterious Libra are making Final Crisis one hell of a ride.

Oh, and any series that is prompting me to purchase Jack Kirby’s Fourth World Omnibus and Morrision’s Seven Soldiers of Victory so that I better understand it must make DC Comics one happy publisher.

Posted by Fred on June 30, 2008 @ 8:58 PM Under: Last Week In Comics
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High Hopes in ‘08 for a Crisis Critic

Instead of doing my graduate work I was browsing over at Newsaram this morning and read three articles with Dan Didio regarding DC Comics in 2008. (one, two, three)

Before I share my opinion and speculation of DC Comics in 2008, let me share my opinion on the recent “big projects” of the DCU.

Infinite CrisisInfinite Crisis was met with mixed reviews, while I am not a big fan of giant crossovers I do enjoy reading them. The problem with company wide crossovers is that many times it breaks up the flow of the company’s regular issues. Infinite Crisis did not interfere with the the regulart titles too much, meaning that you had to read Infintie Crisis to understand what was going on in Superman’s regular title, or vice versa. After Infinite Crisis I was a big fan of the One Year Later (OYL) concept. One Year Later gave the writers a fresh start with continuity without giving up continuity. Some OYL titles were a huge improvement/success such as the Superman and Nightwing along with the great new characters and series such as the new Atom and Blue Beetle.

52While the new series that came out of Infinite Crisis were very good the best byproduct was DC’s weekly series appropriately titled “52.” 52 proved to me that a comic publisher can have a huge universe wide event that did not interfere (for the most part) with the monthly titles. The success of 52 led DC to being a new weekly series almost immediately after its end, the Countdown to Final Crisis was not received as strong as its predecessor.

Countdown to Final Crisis is a comic that I have enjoyed, but I can easily say that it is not on par with 52’s writing, art, and appeal. Where Countdown went wrong was not the writing, art, or even appeal instead it was the fact that unlike 52 it directly tied into many of the regular ongoing monthly books. The direct tie broke the flow of the normal monthly books sometimes causing a story that seemed forced and out of place.

Looking into 2008’s future…

Blue BeetleIt seemes inevitable that DC will begin a new weekly sereies, and it has been reported that Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley will be helming the project. Possibly learning from DC’s sucess with 52 and the mistake of Countdown Dan Didio confirmed that the new weekly book, titled “Trinity”, will not be a direct link to the monthly titles but instead a stand alone book.

Didio also discussed another book, DC Universe #0, and dropped hints of what to expect from Final Crisis. DC Universe is a bridge that will take readers from Countdown and the monthly comics directly into the event that is Final Crisis. DC Universe, according to Didio, will not just connect Countdown to Final Crisis it will also lay hints to where the montly books will take readers. Atom

It has been rumored that Batman will die, some even thought he would become a God, Braniac and the Legion of Super-Heroes will play a larger role in the DCU. I have to say that even if I am against a company wide crossover, I seem to be magnetically drawn to them no matter how horrid I think they are, i.e. Civil War.

Lightning SagaI know that I will be purchasing, reading, and ranting about Final Crisis, yet I do not think they will be too negative. I have renewed faith based off what has happened, and seems to be still happening, with the Superman and the Justice League’s Legion of Super-Heroes storyline. It seems that DC has learned to write great individual stories and arcs for monthly books that tie into the larger picture.

Didio and DC bring on the Final Crisis I am looking forward to it with high hopes, I am tired of being a Crisis Critic.

Posted by Fred on February 10, 2008 @ 8:41 PM Under: Comics
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