As I boldly begin my new job… or rather, my same job, with a new employer… I still have time to post the comic book thread.
This was a big week for me - lotsa stuff. Forthcoming in a bit.
DC: The New Frontier: I can’t express how pleased I am with the conclusion of this book. The only downside is that it’s concluded. What’s Cooke up to next, anyone know?
War Games: Interesting. Does Batman typically take multiple knife wounds to the rib area and walk away without coughing up blood? That’s a nifty trick.
Superman/Batman: So a book that’s 2 1/2 months late can’t be bothered to change the promos in the back? Sure, that has nothing to do with the story, but it’s just another thing DC managed to screw up on this title. Sorry, but this issue was pretty lame for such a long wait.
**DC : New Frontier #6 (of 6) ** - I agree. I loved the book from cover to cover, and laughed out loud as the pair of scientists (Doc Magnus and… otherguy) realized the use of Palmer’s shrinking device.
Superman/Batman #12 - I loved it. Batman outmaneuvers Darkseid. My one objection is the closing few panels… if they’ve done this storyline so far and they don’t reverse that, I will be upset.
Amazing Spider-Man #512: HO-LEE-CRAP! I saw a preview of the first 5 pages last week and THOUGHT I knew what had happened. I was only partly right. I NEVER would have seen this coming. I’m talking of the revelation of the father of Gwen Stacy’s children:I assumed that Norman Osborn had raped Gwen in his office. Now (and I feel terrible saying it) I wish he had. It turns out she willingly slept with Norman, seduced by his power and mystery. I for one have never thought of Gwen as the wholesome girl-next door that would fall for a bookworm like Peter. I can see Pete’s attraction to Gwen but not vice versa. Now it appears she wasn’t the perfect girlfriend that he thought she was.This is actually a story that WILL affect Peter for some time to come. Sigh…I wish I could just take him out for a beer or something.
Doctor Spectrum #2: Like all stories that take place out of the boundaries of reality, I’m having a hard time following this one. At least the parts that take place in the crystal. Did he actually kill his mom and step-dad as a kid or was that him wiping his mind clean so that the crystal couldn’t use the thoughts against him?
Army of Darkness #2: Ok, haven’t read it yet, but my comic store sucks for not having the Tales from the Crypt style cover. In fact they only had the Greg Land cover and it was in b&w. Odd that. I think it was a second printing even.
OHOTMU Daredevil/Electra: Definitely haven’t read this one yet. I take my time on thse. Last me a good month or so. Nice to see Jessica Jones got her own entry in this one, but I’ll have to keep from reading most of it until I get the rest of the Alias TPB’s.
Wizard Magazine: My favorite issue of the year. The Halloween Costume contest. I love to see the creativity, the pathetic losers, the chicks in spandex (which was woefully light this year) The winner this year: a 10-yr old kid dressed like Snake Eyes. Really nice costume. His little sister was in the article dressed like a tiny little adorable Wonder Woman too.
I took it as something he’d really done. As he said, “I did it before.”
Pretty much, yeah. Actually, I believe that Batman’s costume is composed in large part of Kevlar, which may have prevented the knife from penetrating too deeply. Also, from where I was sitting, it looked like Zeiss slashed him rather than stabbed him- Bruce is pretty good at dodging, so he managed to avoid being punctured.
Also, I think he has learned to control his body functions to the point that he can stop wounds from bleeding.
Anyhoo, great installment (and the only title on my pull list for this week). I just hope Spoiler manages to get word to Batman that Orpheus is dead before the big showdown.
I got Doc Spectrum #2, of course. New issue of **Invincible ** - looks like they’re gearing up for another interesting story arc. New issue of **City of Heroes ** - amusing stuff with the sister, loved the 12 Angry Men angle. Got Batman this week - wondering who the person doing the Orpheus disguise is.
**JLA ** - Well, this seems like the best of Austen’s run on JLA so far, but it’s also thankfully the last. It does showcase Batman’s deductive ability a bit. Always appreciated. Outsiders - Yay, a team shake-up! Wodnering how the new member is going to be both her and in the other title she’s currently in, though.
Black Death. Black Skull. Whoever. Some dude with a skull for a head and really likes pain. It was revealed last week in Robin and Catwoman.
Black Mask.
Talk about a lame ASSPD name.
THE Black Mask? From the early-80’s Batman and Detective stories? Same guy?
A’ t’ink, so, yah, mon.
This is the first time I’ve met him. I’ve encountered the Joker, Penguin, Bane, the Scarecrow, Poison Ivy and Ra’s Al-Ghul by reading back issues (Dreamwell has lots and lots of bagged series at nice bargains), but this is the first time I’ve seen Black Mask outside of reading about him on Batman websites.
Man, that dude is freaky.
I need to get myself some of the “face putty” so I can smear some on during my commute and show up to work looking like Charlize Theron every day.
I had a giant stack of books again this week and I’ve been so swamped I haven’t finished reading them all yet. Hopefully I’ll remember to post about them sometime when I can put more than a couple of sentences together.
I am glad New Frontier is over, since I’ve been saving them up to read in one fell swoop. Yay, big stacks of cool books.
Yep, that’s the guy!
I’ll carefully try to use as few spoilers as possible.
Uh, Catwoman: When in Rome anyone? I love Loeb’s writing and Sale’s depiction of CATwoman; kicking ass and packing eleven pairs of shoes for her trip. However, I thought this was just “VERY good” when I expected “outstanding.” An opening dream sequence takes up half of the whole issue (and I presume this is a set-up for a future plot point for the remaining five issues) & it’s not made clear (at least to me) as to WHY she’s going to Rome in the first place. Just to ask Verinni about Falcone’s past? This was my most most-anticipated book this week, even moreso than …
Superman/Batman #12. Ah, nothing like reading a book cover dated September in October. *“I bet ussentinel will say he liked the Batman/Darksied confrontation.” * I liked the Batman/Darksied confrontation; especially the obseravaton regardi humans vs. Amazons and Kryptonians. *“Geez, so predictable. Now he’ll mention the ending.” * sighs The ending. You mean after all this, we get … that? Now say you still like the blue thought boxes for Batman and yellow for Superman I like those thought boxes too!
I didn’t know that Daredevil #65 was going to be an “anniversary” issue. This issue is a great starting point for anyone considering getting on board; the book capsulizes events in the title from the past 14 months to the present with a different artist taking a month. I thought Nick Fury looked a LOT like David Hasselhoff on pg. 7, panel 3. My favorite was the 6 page chapter with Spider-Man that had the art done by Greg Horn. Gorgeous stuff. The $3.99 price was kinda steep, but it’s a buck more than the regular price and worth it looking at it that way.
I haven’t enjoyed the “Pain of the Gods” storyline. I thought the previous issues seemed rushed in both the artwork and storytelling, but they saved the best for last in JLA #106. Batman using some detective skills and … hey look! More than two members of the team were together for a scene.
I won’t say if Major Force and/or Kyle Rayner dies in Green Lantern #181. I will say I expected beforehand at least one death in this issue & I liked the conclusion.
Considering Nightwing and Arsenal beat the crap out of each other for FIVE pages (precipitated by a low-blow comment made by Nightwing), I thought that would have made a much better cover subject than Jade (who’s only behind the scenes and appears on four pages), who’s on the cover of Outsiders #16 . Or is the cover caption “Finally! The fight YOU expected to see!” being used elsewhere this month? A person who Dick has slept with joins the team (and no, it’s not the Huntress).
Okay, comics readers have to suspend disbelief on a weekly basis, but now I gotta buy that Black Mask can disguise as Orpheus with shoulder padding, shoe platforms, AND his voice (with someone I doubt he’s heard talk that often) and fool Batman which happens in Batman #632. Oh yeah, and then there was the knife wounds, too. Safe bet Onyx will buy it next week?
Is it just me or does Mike Deodato’s pencils look a bit more thinner/finer of late? No complaints from me. I’ve treaded warily thru the “Sins Past” storyline currently running in Amazing Spider-Man. (Just how many “missing” kids are there that we don’t know about in the Spidey-verse?) Still, I’m a sucker for stories that seems to acknowledge and fit into past continuity and that what J. Michael Straczynski does here. As Peter says, “It all makes sense now.”
**Wonder Woman #208 ** just trudges the “Stoned” story along. I guess I missed something. I thought Pete Ross was now the US President in the DCU, but here it’s Jonathan Vincent Horne. Steve Trevor appears and he’s now the Deputy Secretary of Defense. Medousa continues to wreak havoc. To be continued.
Teen Titans Go!#11 plays out like a typical episode of the tv show, only shorter: The team having competive fun. Deathstroke behind the scenes watching the team fight robots Deathstroke planted. Terra.
I’ve yet to read **Superman #209, Adam Strange #1, Powerless #4, ** and X-Men #162 which I also picked up this week.
Transformers #8, Green Lantern #181 - I agree, I thought it was wrapped fairly well. Adam Strange #1 - Hmm… too soon to tell, but I like it so far; GI Joe Reloaded #7 - Great revamp, Powerless #4, Superman #209, Richard Dragon #5, Outsiders #16, Sleeper #4.