Here 'tis. Still reading my books but I have to comment on Supergirl - whoa, what a turnaround.
Welcome to Traquility #5: Whoa. This is cramped. Did this thing suddenly get cancelled? Because it feels like Simone’s tying up plot threads she hasn’t even introduced yet.
Detective Comics #831: Harley feels like she’s missing something when she doesn’t have Joker or Ivy to play off of. Her entire backstory is that she’s tragically obsessed and massively codependent. She doesn’t have a strong solo presence.
**Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes:**Of course it was a setup, doofuses.
The All-New Atom #10: This vacation in EC comics is decent, but not why I like Atom.
Superman/Batman #33: Despero? Where in hell? I’ll stick around for Metal Men. If I don’t see some real improvement in that arc, I’m outta here.
Jonah Hex #18: This is hilarious. A truly horrific comedy of errors, made possible only because Hex’s like is so awful that we immediately assume the worse. A great antidote to the usual revenge porn theater that this book usually is.
Superman #661: Charmingly old fashioned filler issue. And not only because of Wonder Woman’s fugly dress.
52 Week 48: She’ll get better, folks. She got too much publicity not to.
And I Byrned Justice League of America #7: Three issues looking at photos, and that doesn’t even factor in to the final selection? Great googly-moogly. And why did everyone just assume Roy was interested in dropping the identity he created himself and taking one that’s derivative of Ollie’s? And then treated it like it was some kind of advancement worthy of tears. Yeah, bad fanfiction.
JLA #7 : I have to disagree completely. Loved the book, loved the new HQ(s), and I especially love the last-page teaser with the shocker about Trident.
Welcome to Tranquility : You know, I think this book just seems slightly denser because so many other things are written for the trade.
The local comic book shop won’t get Buffy issue 2 until next week. (some other comic arrived a week early)
Brian
I’ll agree to disagree on JLA. It just amazes me that Meltzer is doing so little in so many issues when he only has a twelve issue run! And the next two issues are a crossover with JSoA!
As for Tranquility, it just seemed a jarring change in pace from the previous issues of the title, with multiple revelations coming from left field.
That’s a pity, because damn, is it a good read. Better than #1, even. Solid dialogue throughout.
Detective - I liked the story, thought it was touching, and I’ll take this and TEC’s Joker/Robin story over the crap Morrison tried to push over in Batman last week, anytime. Not really digging the art though. Something wrong with the faces.
Nightwing - a couple of odd interludes, but otherwise not too shabby. It’s definitely stronger than the first OYL later arc, but… I wonder if there’s enough to distinguish 'Wing in his own book. Wolfman’s trying to emphasize the differences between Nightwing and Batman, and that’s good, but I don’t know if it’s enough.
Superman/Batman : Yeah - implausible plot. Despero from nowhere. Not really loving it. On the other hand, Batman’s choice at the end and the consequences were a nice touch - just wish they could’ve been attached to a better story.
Hulk #105: This is the last issue of Planet Hulk and the prelude to the upcoming World War Hulk. Hulk mad. Hulk very very very mad.The ship that the Illuminati sent Hulk away in explodes, destroying the planet that Hulk saved and the alien chick he was groovin’ on.Here’s to hoping that World War Hulk kicks all kind of ass, or at least Tony Starks ass.
Avengers: The Initiative #1: Our first full issue with those that will be the [del]New Avengers[/del][del]Young Avengers[/del]…with those kids that will be something eventually. First off, not enough Slapstick. Nowhere near enough Slapstick.[spoiler]We’ve got our drill sargeant, oddball mad german scientist, first death amongst the recruits in a training accident, and first washout recruit. Not sure exactly what they were expecting when the paired the girl up with the person who transforms into the monstrous version of her worst terror. Even less sure of why Gyrich is involved. Must be his tremendous success record.
The death and autopsy results of MVP/Captain America jr. as we was called are potentially worrisome. Rumors have been floating about of Cap clonage. Would Marvel go there? Yeah right. That’s as crazy as cloning Thor.[/spoiler]
Omega Flight #1: “Clone!” 
The latest Ant-Man: This guy is so bad…yet I like him a lot. Much more interesting than half the heroes out there, I’ll tell you that.
JLA: I was kinda confused with Geo-Force’s stuff. Didn’t he already have Terra’s powers?
Yes, I deeply want Hulk to smash everyone, and yes Initiative was eh. I want there to be a secret agent attempting to infiltrate the program! I know, it’s just the first issue, but I hope it will get more complex.
I’d’ve dropped JLA but for the upcoming JSA and Legion of Super-Heroes! crossover. This wasn’t even interesting character development – we’ve seen all those interactions before; Vixen’s brush with fame was the only new bit.
I feel like Busiek dropped back and punted Superman smack back into the Silver Age: never-before-seen antagonist, weird powers that take away Superman’s superpowers, deus-ex-machina solution (“she’s drawing on my solar power… and your magic-based power… and the two apparently don’t combine well…” say what?). I’d half expected Jimmy Olson to show up with a fembot that speaks Viking or something.
I think that this wasn’t the correct story-arc for the All-New Atom to have gone forward with if it really is on the bubble in terms of sales. It’s not playing to the book’s strengths, at all. (although: undead, flaming-nunchuck wielding zombie putting on lipstick… when he no longer has lips… was funny)
About Buffy number 2. I enjoyed it overall, but am I the only one who’s having trouble keeping track of who is who because of the art? That was Buffy who said “Try to kick my ass”, wasn’t it? I think so because her hair has the two little swept-in bangs.
And then I had trouble tracking the magic-induced dream sequence. Or at least, that what I think it was. Again due to the art. Upon a second reading or mulling over the page for a bit, I was able to, I think, figure out what was going on, but I was a bit irritated that I had to make that extra effort.
And that had to be Andrew aroundt the campfire, right?
As an aside: at least that’s one nice thing about superheroes and their costumes. Even with shifting artists, you always know which one is Superman and which one is Captain Marvel/Shazam.
Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness #2 was pretty cool, mostly for the last panel. I’m enjoying it so far.
Supergirl and the LoSH was quite good. I’ve been extremely pleased with this new launch of the Legion since the beginning.
I haven’t decided to drop the Justice League of America yet, but if something doesn’t change soon, I will. But about Geo-Force his powers were different from Terra’s. He could fly, manipulate gravity, fire “lava blasts”, and he’s tough and strong, going toe-to-toe with Superman at one point. But he couldn’t actually manipulate earth like that. That’s a new development.
Jack of the Fables has yet to disappoint, but then I’m a huge fan of Bill Willingham.
52 # 48: I enjoyed this issue - a few unexpected plot twists, and good movement on the Intergang/Montoya/Batwoman plotline. I do hope Batwoman doesn’t die; we already lost Isis and Osiris, and I’d hate for all characters introduced in this series to be dead by its end. The one thing that doesn’t make sense to me it what made Montoya put on the mask at that time. She quotes Richard Dragon’s line that “some questions can only be answered when wearing a mask” - at the point where she put it on, she already knew how to find Batwoman; what did she need the mask to ask? Loving the look of next issue. Still disappointed we haven’t seen Booster/Rip/Skeets in so long, also missing Adam Strange and Starfire.
Supegirl and the LSH # 28: Nice turnaround. I thought that’s what the Legion was pulling, but I couldn’t be sure until I saw it. Love the fact that the Dream Girl sub-plot is going to tie into this.
Same here. Gotta love Lu and Cos’s commitment to their craft. Was I the only one expecting Duo Damsel to be created? Didn’t think so.
52 - Not as good as it should have been, not as bad as it could have been. Dammit, Dick, you’re supposed to be a detective, can you really not figure out Renee’s motivation here? Also: Too bad we know Mannheim’s alive, since he’s in Superman, OYL. (Looking very different, though…maybe the two are from different Earths…Would explain the fairly rapid change from Brother Bruno to just Ugly again.)
Buffy Season 8 - Lots of interesting stuff here. Yay, Giles! [spoiler]Yay, Willow! Mm. Willow.
Xander/Buffy is a Very Bad Idea, but…they make the work here (including acknowledging the Very Bad Idea aspect).[/spoiler] I still want to know what (or who) the ‘boyfriend’ is. Also, Dawn’s got a point…Buffy might still love her, and all, but she sure seems to like the Slayers more. I love [del]Sgt Fury[/del]Xander psychoanalyzing her. Also…Giant Naked Dawn…I am all full of joy at this thought.
Nightwing - Meh. Mehmehmeh. An OK book, but that’s it. I like the concept of the Bride and Groom, hate the execution - he’s a snivelling little wimp, she’s a manipulative bitch. With this concept, I want a Spike and Dru type of relationship, not Spike and Buffy! (Good lord, did I just make a Buffy analogy to describe Nightwing? How huge a geek am I?) Dick’s defining himself by the Bat way, way too much. I hate that Wolfman seems to be discarding the supporting cast as fast as he’s creating them.
What Nightwing needs are some really good villians. Granted, those don’t grow on trees, but still, he could really use someone fun to play off of or get smacked around. That might help the books do better. No?
That’s one of my bigger complaints with this arc. Played differently, Bride and Groom could be really good villains. As it is, they’re as big a threat to each other as to Dick (and as Dick is to them), they have zip chemistry, and he’s not even bothering to try to give them any good interaction with Dick.
Superman : I thought it was perfectly charming filler. I like seeing a book like this once in a while.
Legion : Continues to rock. Will be sad to see Waid leave.
Atom : It is quite different from what has gone before, but honestly, I think it works. It’s like the Buffy series. Ryan is a damn weirdness magnet.
52 : Hmmm. Looking forward to next issue, but this one was okay.
Jack of Fables : Still awesome.
Oh, and…Superman/Batman…When I read last month’s issue, I thought that the villain might turn out to be something better than it turned out to be. (Although I do like how they defeated the Others…)
But, my line of thought:
Black rocks, falling from space, possessing people.
Hmm…who’s currently orbiting a sun, has a connection to black stones, possesses people, and has a big role in a soon-to-appear major event?
(OK, so it’d just be Eclipso: The Darkness Within all over again, but, dammit, it would have been better than this!)
Also, I’m torn on the art this issue.
On the one hand, I hate when they change artists in the middle of an arc.
On the other, the skill, and general attractiveness of the art in this issue was better than it was in the previous arcs.
On the third hand, the look of those possessed was altered so much that the apparent nature of the Black Rock didn’t seem the same. And someone forgot to give this artist current character references for some of the characters. Hawk<female>, specifically, I noticed - Kendra’s colours, Shiera’s costume’s cut, and Shayera’s hair. And no harness. Argh. And that brings us back to the first hand, since that’s why I hate changing artists in the middle of an arc - being a little off-model is forgivable, as long as it’s consistent through the arc. Suddenly going off-model in the last issue is not.
I picked up the Showcase Presents–Legion of Superheroes, and I was disappointed. It’s mostly Superboy or Supergirl stuff. I’d have rather seen some of the good stuff from the 70’s.
Give it a pass.
In 52, who was the werewolf that Nightwing and Renee were so friendly with? Maybe I haven’t been paying close attention. Have we seen this werewolf before?
His name is Kyle Abbot. He and Whisper A’Daire (the snake chick) used to work for Ra’s al Ghul. I’m not very familiar, so I can’t say if they’ve appeared anywhere between then and 52, but their first appearances was in 'Tec 743.