Here 'tis. Slow week.
Not for me! (Didn’t hurt that I picked up two older books I’ve missed in previous weeks)
Wonder Woman #219: I forgive Rucka a bit for putting this thing outside of the OMAC mini, just a bit mind you, because this is a hell of thing. Great fight. Wonder Woman held her own without devaluing the unstoppable force that is a really pissed irrational Superman. Check out the look on Max’s face. He knows he’s screwed.
Y: The Last Man #36: Yay! Pia’s Back! And she’s brought Beth! And freaky dreamscapes! Always a nice change of pace after all the lesbian pirates. Interesting title for this one. Are they giving away the ending, or setting something else up?
Birds of Prey #84: Oracle is so freaking cool. Wonder who the mystery ringer is? Ollie? One thing I liked about this book is that it makes it clear that this is big darn universe full of superheroes, and they have each other’s phone numbers when they need it. It’s one of the better aspects of Infinite Crisis.
Justice #1: Six months ago I would’ve raved about this thing. I’m an Alex Ross mark, and the story’s pretty compelling. Or would be, if the whole “we can’t trust Superheroes” bit wasn’t being done in OMAC, and Villains United, and the last season of Justice League Unlimited, and the Lex Luthor mini. Now, it’s kinda tired. Also, the Doom Patrol sucks. Must we be nostalgic for the stupidest treatment of the Justice League.
Aquaman #33: Poor Esther. Poor Mera. Cool issue. I like how they’re handling Black Manta.
Serenity #2: Well, I didn’t see that coming. Wonder how they’ll wrap this all up in the next issue. There’s still holes to fill until they catch up to the movie! Big holes.
Me neither! Probably because I picked up quite a few back issues and a couple that I skipped within the past two weeks. I’ve only read one so far:
Fury of Firestorm #3: I love this Firestorm. I read issue 1 of the new Firestorm series, but it didn’t hook me (maybe it gets better?). Have any of the cerca The Crisis Firestorms been collected in TPB? I’ve been looking, but haven’t seen anything.
Much more later.
gah! Brain fart! I meant Legion of Doom, obviously.
I have a couple random Firestorm back issues from the mid '80s. Want 'em? I think I have #50 and #52.
Odd that Wonder Woman’s tiara was able to cut Superman. How did that happen?
Combination of it being magic metal and Diana hurling it really, really hard.
I liked the issue a lot (especially the end!) but the tiara cutting Superman opens up all sorts of inconsistencies. Just shows how writers differ. Thor’s hammer is not, according to one writer, a magical attack (severl other writers disagree with this) despite the fact that it is made from a magical metal and unlike a tiara has a sole purpose of smiting and killing things. The notion that Thor’s hammer is not a magical attack is silly and this issue just confirmed that for me.
I hear ya. Superman’s semi vulnerability to magic has always been a sore point with me. The problem is, even those who support magic physical attacks (like Thor’s hammer, Diana’s tiara, or Captain Marvel’s fists) still give Superman an edge over normal humans (unlike direct magic spells like mind control or transformation).
A punch from Captain Marvel that would vaporize my head may only KO Superman.
If I was writing Superman, I’d make it so he has no defenses against spells cast on him, but magically generated physical force doesn’t hit him any harder than mundane superstrength.
This means that Superman’s not Diana’s bitch in fisticuffs, but would still be compelled to tell the truth by her lasso.
Diana trained in Japan under Sailor Moon for a little while. She actually learned the glowy nude costume change thing too, but she doesn’t use it that often.
No thanks. I was hoping for an arc or at least a collection. I did however pick up Justice League Europe #22 because I loved the cover (a man pointing a gun at Power Girl’s cat with the caption “Buy this comic… or we won’t shoot this cat!” I may have a new favorite comic cover.) and I remember you raving about JLE. I might have to find a cat to yell “You’ve done it now cat! The die is cast! The Rubicon is crossed!” at. Then again, considering the results… Looks like I have a new title to look for in the back issue boxes. That reminds me, where was that cat in JSA Classified #1? I half remember it appearing for a frame in an issue of JSA so its’ still around.
JSA #76: Lot’s a things happening in this issue. References to every Inf Cri run-up except for Rann-Thanagar. Power Girl gets visitors just before her physical as seen in JSA Classified. That last panel: sweet!
JL Unlimited #12: Jay Garrick helps out Wally. Not the best JLU, but enjoyable.
A few more left.
Is there any particular reason why these threads are always DC-only?
This is pretty much how I’ve always considered magic used against Superman, just never said so succinctly. Thanks.
Cuz Marvel suxx!
Ok, here’s mine.
New Avengers #7 and #8: I also picked up the #1-6 Hardcover, since it’s only $20 and it won’t be coming out in trade paperback until FEBRUARY (I guess this is Marvel’s new way of trying to stick it to people who wait for the trades instead of buying individual issues). In one day, this book has shot up to my top 3 books being published - everything about it is pure, raw, unabashed quality. Incredible art - very slick and photoshopped, but in a good way that makes it really feel like something worth paying $2.99 an issue for. Bendis’ writing is absurdly good, especially for a guy juggling so many books - he perfectly nails every character down to the little nuances, and this team really works together in spite of being all A-list heroes and big personalities that usually dominate their own teams and solo books. That splash page at the end of #8 is KILLURR.
Y: The Last Man #36 - Beth’s alive! I’m not sure if we knew that already, because I didn’t start reading Y until issue 15 or so, but I was surprised, at least. I liked that this wasn’t a “big action” issue after the whole Pirate Adventure, but it’s also one of those issues that advances the story by about 25 seconds.
Light Fare:
For me, the strength Ultimate Spiderman has always been the intensity with which Bendis and Bagley reimagined and added so much emotional depth to the familiar struggles of the young Peter Parker’s early “career” as the Amazing Spiderman. Reading issues #80 and #81, the second and third parts of the “Warriors” storyarc, I enjoyed Parker’s conversations with Wilson Fisk and Jean DeWolfe (wherein he’s presented, and wrestles with, a minor moral dilemma). It was also clear I’d just missed a pretty intense passage (Parker’s break-up with Mary Jane)[/spoiler]. What follows is pretty light fare, as B&B introduce (or reintroduce) their versions of Elektra Nastachios, the Moon Knight, Danny Rand and Shang Chi, Master of Kung Fu. It’s all fun, akin to the current chapter of the “Maximums” arc in last weeks Superman/Batman, but I do wish Iron Fist and Shang Chi’s scenes had bit more intensity, and the fight with Hammerhead a bit more suspenseful. I did like the look of Bagley’s redesigned Black Cat. Her weird fixation on Parker (and this version’s antipathy for the Kingpin) makes me curious enough to want to check out the next issue. C.
Good, Solid Stuff.
The political machinations of powerful men always make for entertaining reading. It’s what makes Shakesphere’s schemers so engrossing, however straightforward, or even predictable, their trajectory. Something similar animates John Layman’s (ably complemented by Scott Eaton’s pencils, lent a very-Alan Davis-like finish by Don Hillman’s inks) in House of M: Fantastic Four #2 though the seeds of Doom’s downfall, are all too clear in this reworking of Marvel “history”. I suspect however, Doom’s ‘fall’ will be brief, if costly. [COLOR=white]Someone has to lead the rebellion against the House of M, and Layman’s Doom is as good a candidate as any. Love Dean White’s colors here. B.
Rucka, Brubaker, Kano and Guadiano deliver a solid police procedural in “Dead Robin” (Part 2 of 4) in Gotham Central #34. They never let the presence of the current Teen Titans distract from the firmly grounded ensemble storytelling that readers come to appreciate about this book: the rotating spotlight Rucka and Brubaker shed on the individual detectives’ strengths, weaknesses and frustrations. Every scene pays off beautifully (though I also wish that the sweatbox interviews were longer this time around). Good, solid stuff. B.
Anderson Gabrych opens “War Crimes Part 1,” in Detective Comics #809 on an intriguing note: a victims right group mobilizes to hold Batman and his foes responsible for the high body count of the gang war recounted in last summers “War Crimes” storyline, including poor Stephanie Brown. Then Gabrych “throws” the reader a real “curveball” at issues end. (I hope the Joker’s presence here is more than a routine cliffhanger. I’ve missed the peculiar horror he brings to Batman’s grim world.) This is a solid read thoughout: Woods, Bit, Catillo and Ramos provide good detailed straightforward storytelling throughout. B.
Perfect.
Gone are the expository scenes that slowed down the two previous chapters. Phil Jimenez, Jose Garcia-Lopez and George Perez start DC Special: the Return of Donna Troy #3 off with a beautifully executed fight scene that’s enriched by Garcia-Lopez’s expressive characterizations. Starfire and Cyborg are almost unnecessary in the current Teen Titans (and I don’t know what’s wrong with Dick Grayson in the Outsiders but the 80’s Titans really come to life in this crews hands. Nightwing especially: we need to see more of this version of the character. Like last weeks DD #75, this issue’s definitely worth picking up, even without reading the previous issues. Great stuff! (One minor continuity quibble: Donna Troy ‘died’ before the Young Justice and the Titans reorganized themselves into the current incarnations of the Teen Titans and the Outsiders – How did she know their team affiliations? A.
Overdone.
Ross, Krueger & Braithwaite open Justice #1 with an apocalyptic vision of worldwide disaster, made all the more chilling for the narration that carries us through the images, the rant of a man who would destroy the world in order to save it from those whose very presence, in his eyes, saps humanity of the drive to greatness. Of course, the narrator is Lex Luthor, who uses his mental domination of their dreams to drive the super-criminals of the world to collaborate in the destruction of the JLA. It’s all very reminiscent of Ross and Krueger Universe X which weighed down their clever inventions with a heavy tone of despair, definitely driving this reader from the world they reimagined. I’m worried that, the leavening humor of black comedies, like the film Oldboy or the balancing hope that suffused Waid’s *Kingdom Come, Justice *will become another long dark journey into an endless night. C.
A Bit Too Busy.
In J. Scott Campbell, Andy Hartnell and Edgar Delgado’s relentlessly bright Wildersize #1 we’re re-introduced to a group of gifted teenagers who, lead by Styler, a young Reed Richards stand-in, stand on the cusp of great adventures, aided by his miraculous holographic inventions. However, the kids in question: Styler, Bam, Zack, Jess and Kat; are all so beautiful, strong, intelligent and athletic (and their opponent so much a walking caricature of overweening greed) that I find it hard to believe a situation so dire will arise that their eventual triumph wasn’t assured from the start. This kind of treatment worked in Danger Girl because that was so obviouslyl a light-hearted tongue-in-cheek parody of the super-spy genre. In Gen 13, the kids weren’t icons of perfection, and their foes were often pretty scary. Here, the kids are all too nice, too perfect. I’m left wondering if, in these blessed environs, Cambell & Co. will be able to generate enough suspense to hold the readers’ interest. C.
I was going to say. >_>
Although, to be fair, right now the Patrol DOES suck.
Damn you, Byrne.
I haven’t got my books yet, this week…don’t know that I’ll be able to get them and read them and post before I go on vacation.
But, since we often bring up old books in these threads, I’ll do that, too.
Still rereading old Legion books.
Cosmic Boy’s late-70s costume sucks. Seriously bad. I don’t know if it’s Cockrum, Grell (can’t remember who was pencilling when he took on the costume), or a reader’s fault, but good god a’mighty, it’s bad.
It never occured to me while reading The Legion, but it did once I got to Dawnstar Rising - Shikari from DnA’s Legion was essentially Dawnstar turned into an alien.
[Blasphemy]I think Shikari is done better.[/blasphemy]
[sub]
[More blasphemy]Cockrum and especially Grell, weren’t very good on the book.[/more blasphemy][/sub]
DC Special : Return of Second-Rate Wonder Woman #3 - Sigh. A Sun Eater factory? A Sun Eater Factory? Ugh… and this trash is going to pollute JSA next month…
Justice #1 - Well, they managed to intrigue me, so that’s going for them. I’ll stick around.
Firestorm - picked up this week’s issue because it ties in with Villains United next month; looks like Luthor has some plans for the new Firestorm. Hopefully this involves killing him and bringing the old one back.
Superman - A nice aftermath issue for Superman and Superboy, reflecting on their respective mind-control incidents; ties in with OMAC a bit, and we get to see John Henry Irons, and the Eradicator. Problem : Superman has soul-vision.
JSA #76 - Very nice. Loved the issue - I had forgotten about Terrific’s invisibility to technology.
New Avengers #8 - Heh. Not bad. I wonder how horribly this book will be interrupted for House of M.
VCO3 : These threads aren’t all DC, as may be obvious by now.
Lochdale : Superman’s skin is cut by enchanted sharp things. This has always been so. This is not inconsistent.
Wolfian : I believe the yellow cat is visible in Kara’s apartment in JSA Classified.
A reference to a famous National Lampoon cover. (Apologies if you knew that.)
I haven’t gotten my comics yet (today maybe), but I’ve been digging through my old issues recently. This week I reread Strikeforce: Morituri #1-20 by Peter Gillis and (mostly) Brent Anderson. This was a great book. The idea, for those of you unfamiliar, was that to repel an alien invasion, several teenagers undergo a special process which gives them super powers but which will also kill them within a year. The real focus is on the psychological effects this has on the kids who take the Morituri process – for instance, the military doesn’t want to waste their powers on minor battles, but the Morituri know they’ve given up their whole lives for this and they don’t want to spend the year they’ve got left sitting around.
James Hudnall took over as of issue #21 and his stuff was not nearly as good as Gillis’s run. But those first 20 issues are worth picking up if you can find them.
–Cliffy
Yes and in several panels. :smack:
I think the typical breakdown is 60% DC, 30% Marvel, 10% other. Couldn’t tell you why DC has the edge.
No, I didn’t. Thanks.
So it doesn’t get better. Great… Then again I loved The Return of Donna Troy #3, so maybe we have different tastes. I’ll look the other way on the Sun Eater Factory for the beautiful reunion. I don’t even know Donna Troy that well and this issue got to me. Loving the blur effect in the fights.
So an enchanted weapon (not a tiara or bracelet or hair bob) should eviscerate him then. Particularly when it is one of mythologies most famous weapons.
DC have not followed this though. For example, Dracula being able to pierce Superman’s skin.
I think I would agree that magical beings, that is beings whose powers derive from a magical source, should not affect Superman any differently. A punch from Thor or Captain Marvel should do not more damage than a punch from the Hulk for example. Magical weapons though seem to (and should) obviate his personal force field. If that is the case then weapons such as Mjolnir should wipe him out imho.
As for recent releases…
House of M - Iron Man Number 2: I’m enjoying it but the art is just not to my liking. Far too anime like and everyone looks too young. Gripping story especially with Pym.
House of M - Fantastic Four Number 2: Well I guess the “It” isn’t Reed Richards afterall. Issue sets us up nicely for a major fight in the concluding issue. Not sure how all of these are going to tie into the main House of M series but it should be fun to find out.