The Comic Review

REVIEW - Justice League of America: Team History

2011-04-14T17:00:00.000-07:00

Writer: James Robinson

Pencils: Mark Bagley

Inks: Rob Hunter, Scott Hanna, Marlo Alquiza, Walden Wong, Norm Rapmund, Jonathan Glapion

Colors: Pete Pantazis

Letters: Rob Leigh, John J. Hill

Collects: JLA #'s 38-43

This is the downside of trade reading. Sometimes a collection comes out that either starts, continues, or finishes what began in another collection. The whole purpose of a trade is to get a complete story in one or two volumes without having to rely on other works. Team History is happening at about the same time as Blackest Night, Cry for Justice, and JLA: Rise and Fall. Yeah, that's right, three books is what Team History revolves around. But is you're current on your DCU, it's not that bad.

I like to think I am well aware of the goings-on in the DCU so I found this trade fine to follow; I liked it for the most part. It's a different league than what I grew up with and I'm fine with that. It's nice to see other heroes make it to the "big" leagues. But rather than pick threads from other stories to build your team, I think it would have been nice to spend a few issues exploring the characters and kind of have a few key characters discuss amongst themselves potential candidates. Among some of the new recruits are Starfire, Cyborg, Mon-el, Guardian and Green Arrow returns -- though I wasn't sure if this was before or after his trial in Rise and Fall.

There're two three-issue arcs in Team History; the first part is a tie-in to Blackest Night and it wasn't too bad. I'm not familiar with the Detroit years of the JLA so I didn't have any knowledge or connection to the dead heroes who rose. This arc revolves around the lesser known league members such as Dr. Light, Gypsy, Red Tornado, Vixen, and Plastic Man, who from the story I picked up were members of the Detroit league. If you're wondering where the other members of the league are most of them got their own three-issue mini that explores their undead adversaries. A couple of weeks ago I read through all the Blackest Night material and it just wore me out. By the time I got to Team History, I was just burned out by anything BN. That could of affected my reading experience with this trade.

By the time we get to the second arc the team changes again. Red Tornado is damages, Vixen leaves, Cyborg devotes his time to repairing Red Tornado and building Roy's arm, and Starfire leaves without an explanation. In their place Robinson adds Congorilla and Starman (Mikaal Tomas) and by story's end we're left with only four members: Donna Troy, Batman (Dick Grayson), Congorilla, and Starman. Dr Light is a member, I think, when she's not taking care of her kid. So already the team goes through a couple change ups in the course of six issues. I think I spent more time figuring out who was in or out rather than focus on the story. There's some alien device that's been uncovered and it opens some kind of doorway to the multiverse. And that's where the trade ends.

I am looking forward to the next volume because multiverse traveling is fun. I haven't read anything about the other 52 worlds since 52. So I'm eager to see the characters and "other" versions of my favorite heroes.

REVIEW - Justice League: Rise and Fall

2011-04-14T10:21:00.000-07:00

Writer: J.T. Krull

Pencils: Diogenes Neves, Mike Mayhew, Fabrizio Fiorentino, Fedrico Dallocchio, Geraldo Borges, Kevin Sharpe, Sergio Arino, Fabio Jansen

Inks: Mike Mayhew, Vicente Cifuentes, Ruy Jose, Fedrico Dallocchio, Marlo Alquiza, Mark McKenna, John Dell, Scott Hanna

Colors: Nei Ruffino, Andy Troy, Michael Atiyeh, Hi-Fi

Letters: John J. Hill, Sal Cipriano, Rob Clark Jr.

Collects: JL: Rise and Fall special #1, Green Arrow 31-32, JL: Rise and Fall 1-4, JLA #43

Quite a list of contributors for a four-issue series. But it's not all that bad. For the most part I enjoyed Rise and Fall; though I feel like the ending is just a repeat of Cry for Justice and in a few months we'll have a "Fall of Red Arrow" special.

**SPOILERS**

The first part of this trade collects the "Fall of Green Arrow" two-parter, which I enjoyed more than the "Rise" arc. This story follows on the heels of CFJ and puts GA in the role of fugitive. I find it somewhat hypocritical for some heroes to look down on Ollie for what he's done when they have done the same thing. Even Star City is split on what to do with GA. One side blames him for all the devastation he's brought to Star City, while the other half defends and appreciates the number of times he's saved them. I'm lacking in my GA knowledge but I thought Star City knew Ollie and GA were the same person; I must of missed this because the city is shocked when it's revealed that GA was their former mayor. We have a small courtroom drama that finds Ollie not guilty of his crimes but ends up being banished from Star City.

I like the "fugitive" angle Krull has chosen to place Ollie in. We're even treated to a few pages of the new direction for the GA series which this story was set up to do. It feels like a mix between some Robin Hood and a little of the Fugitive. It looks like it'll be fun.

The main arc in this trade is the Rise of Arsenal special and while it doesn't disappoint, it does have its share of missteps. Krull starts to tread on similar ground if your familiar with the O'neil/Adams series from the 70's. At first I was a little hesitant with this due to the fact that Krull just didn't know what else to write but then I thought about it and I actually like what was done. It makes sense that a recovered drug user would possibly slip back to his old habits when his mind has been fractured; he lost his arm and daughter in the span of minutes. That has to have an affect on the human mind and psyche. He starts to get the urge to use drugs when hallucinations of his dead friend urge him. He's already taking god knows what for his injuries; couple that with the death of his daughter and you see how those drugs become addictive if they make the pain go away. The whole series is Roy trying to overcome that urge and come to terms with Lian's death. He still has trouble believing it and when he accepts it he starts to take it out of friends. It's a struggle for him to keep going. What's interesting is that many members of the JLA are his old teammates from his Titan days, which brings a little comfort but not enough.

The ending I see more of what just happened with GA. So is Roy now going to be a fugitive hunted down by the JLA? What I got out of the ending is a unstable hero with more-than-average human abilities out to deal out his own brand of justice. I do have the two JLA trades by Robinson that I'm onto next so maybe I'll get an answer.

Another scene I found out of place was with Cheshire, Lian's mother. It's understandable she would be upset and blame Roy for her death; though I highly doubt that Lian would of been safer growing up with her mother. I understand them getting a fight and all but sleeping with one another seemed it was done for the sake of not having anything else to write. I could be wrong though; it could of been the drugs that affected him, or just the heat of battle.

The art could of been better. It wasn't bad but when you have a handful of artists it just becomes inconsistent. I prefer one artist, two I'll let slide if their styles are similar. But overall it didn't bother me enough to not enjoy the book. So, a fun read with some good ideas and a promising future. Up next, Robinson's JLA.

Review - JLA: Cry for Justice

2011-04-01T23:19:00.000-07:00

Writer: James Robinson, Sterling Gates

Art: Mauro Cascioli, Scott Clark, Ibraim Robertson, David Beatty, Federico Dallocchio

Colors: Mauro Casciolo, Siya Oum, Giovani Kososki

Letters: Steve Wands

Collects: Faces of Evil: Prometheus #1, JL: CRJ #'s 1-7, 52 #'s 22 and 42 (origins)

This series had its fair share of critics and discord from fans but I found there's also some great stuff to enjoy as well. This is not the league that you've grown up with; gone are the simple days when a villain was just out to make a few bucks by robbing a bank to only be stopped -- in an unbelievingly humorous way -- by the hero. Times have changed: the same tricks don't always work, villains learn from their mistakes, the world's not as simple as it once was, and sometimes -- as evident in this story -- you have to do some pretty drastic things to get your point across.

I think if you can take yourself out of what you're use to reading and just read this as a story as a group of individuals trying to stop a villain from destroying their city, it comes across as a decent read. However, these characters are decades old and have a somewhat consistent career that writers have usually kept to, being careful when trying to take the hero in new directions. I'm all for putting these guys in new situations and trying out different things because -- at least for me -- reading the same story every month would get boring.

The story picks up on events following Final Crisis; the deaths of J'onn J'onzz and Batman have hit a few members of the league pretty rough, particularly Hal Jordan and Oliver Queen. Jordan voices his concern that villains don't get the punishment they deserve after what they've done and that they should be hurt just as much as they hurt their victims. He wants "Justice." Obviously this causes a splinter in the group and Jordan decides to take matters into his own hands, and Ollie tags along for the ride. Along the way other superheroes begin to feel the same way after friends of theirs begin to be murdered or tortured by other B-list villains following the orders of Prometheus. The result is a "tougher" league out for justice and make criminals scared of them and to combat force with force; in some cases...torture.

I'm glad to see Prometheus back, he's basically Batman but a villains version. He thinks his techniques through and has a contingency for everything: magic, willpower, speed, you name it and he is prepared for it. When he's captured at the end, he still manages to be a formidable foe even though he's tied up. And he's evil, more so than I remember from his JLA days. What he does to Roy Harper, his daughter Lian, and Freddy Freeman is pretty rough. You kind of feel Hal and everyone is right in seeking out "justice" and using any means necessary to stop the villain. As I get older I like to see my heroes mature as well and be put in situations like these. What would you do if you were a hero and the only way to stop death and destruction was to kill? It's a tough question and an even tougher job for a writer because you're going to have critics on both sides; you'll upset the older generation who grew up with these heroes because "their" hero would never lower their self to that level; and this generation which has seen so much violence and become used to it, want the heroes to go grow with the times and see them taken in new directions. Ultimately, what happens in the story is what it is. You either like it or don't. I didn't mind it too much and I am curious to see where some of these heroes go next.

I didn't find the book excessively violent but there were some scenes I did find a little bit too "whoa." I can understand what DC was trying to do in establishing that Prometheus was serious with his plans and the pain and suffering he wanted the heroes to feel. So on that level, you accomplished that. What I don't like when there are dramatic changes to a character is when down the road the company buckles due to the backlash and retcon the events or doesn't pay heed to them. "That was a robot?!" "You were magically sent to another dimension?" Stuff like that that gets written to wipe that event from our minds. I prefer they stick to their decisions and see them through whether good or bad.

One thing I would like to nitpick at is -- and this more of my nerdiness coming out -- the continuity in reference to other events going on at the same time. This is why I don't like too many events going on because I like my continuity to jibe. New Krypton was going on at this time and Supergirl is involved with this new league. I also have her NK trades and she has a lot going on and to take time out to be part of this story just doesn't seem to fit well. Same for GL;Blackest Night was a big event and to see it just mentioned as an after thought like it was no big deal doesn't make sense. You can't tell me that BN happens between this issue or that, it's not feasible. Also, none of the characters seem to be fazed that a they just battled Death and thousands of his minions. Nerdiness over. But I'm pretty good at putting that aside so I can read and enjoy the story for what it is.

In going with the more darker tone of the story, the art is top notch. There're are few artists on this series but for the most part it flows nicely. Again, it had a more darker finish to it with a nice touch of dark and vibrant colors. It gave the work an "adult" look, again emphasizing that this was a more mature read of the JLA than we've seen in the past.

I liked this trade, didn't love it but didn't hate it either. And I've read that editorial wanted to go further with some of what happens so give Robinson credit for helping tone it down. I already picked up the Rise of Arsenal trade because I am curious to see where he goes now and see the aftermath of this story. I also am curious to see what Robinson does with some of these characters so I've picked up his two trades beginning his JLA run, which I believe follow CFJ. We'll see how that turns out.

Geoff Johns confirms Aquaman later this year

2011-03-27T19:16:00.000-07:00

You knew it was coming; Aquaman is undoubtably the main attraction in Brightest Day and since his resurrection in the pages of Blackest Night, many people began wondering when he would have his day in the sun, and thanks to BD and fan response, Aquaman will finally see print on a -- possibly -- monthly basis. It's now official: Aquaman will see print once again later this year -- but whether or not it's an ongoing or limited series, or who drawing, has not been announced.

"I'll be moving over to a new book -- Aquaman #1 coming later this year!!"

- Geoff Johns

The announcement was made at Orlando's MegaCon and later confirmed by Johns on his twitter page. Many people have been predicting this and rightly so; it's clear that DC wants to bring Aquaman to the forefront as one of its top-tier heroes -- similar to the recent success's of Green Lantern and Flash. And who better than to have the man responsible for those resurgences.

I am extremely looking forward to this series. Of course, being a trade reader I won't experience this till probably summer or fall of 2012. But that's ok, at least it's happening and I'll have my pre-order in when it's solicited.

Other than the "Showcase" series, there's not a whole lot out there for continual Aquaman stories. There are a few trades but usually they only collect bits and pieces of runs. However, in July, DC will release Aquaman: Death of a Prince, a beefy 336-page trade, which I assume is a well-known story. My only exposure to Aquaman has been in the JLA trades and I liked what I read; it's about time he be brought back to a position of prominence.

Thank you BD for bringing Aquaman to a level of coolness that hasn't been seen in a while. The only reason I picked up BD was to follow Aquaman in preparation for an regular ongoing. And what I've read of BD so far has got me psyched for the next two volumes -- especially "AquaWar."

I hope that Johns remains on the title a at for at least a couple of years, if it's an ongoing. I think that'll give him time to build up Aquaman and his supporting cast, his rogues gallery, and the mythos, similar to what he did with GL and GLC; as well as possibly having one or two "Aqua" events. I think Johns has proved that he's capable of breathing new life into characters as well as his love and care for the DCU. I've only been reading comics for a few years but I can sense in his writing that he really appreciates what has come before and to take and add twists to old concepts and make them new to tell fun stories and take characters in new directions.

As committed as I want Johns, I also want the artist in it for the long haul. I think it's very important for a series to have a nice consistent look because it shows how supportive the company the the creators involved are. Can a series survive by having a rotating set of artists? Yeah, but I'm willing to bet that a series would do a lot better if the creative team stayed the same. There are exceptions; if a story is divided into arcs a set of rotating artists can be pulled off. Take Batman & Robin, because each arc was three issues so you had a complete story by the same artist which made for a nice consistent flow. Then when a new arc was started you had a different artist which made the transition easier. This would work for Aquaman if they were going that route.

I'd love to get your guy's thoughts on this. You excited, hesitant; what are you looking for in an Aquaman series? What do you feel will make or break this series?

**UPDATE** 4-1-11 - It's confirmed now that Aquaman will be an ongoing and that Ivan Reis and Joe Prado will be on art. This series is really starting to take shape and looking to be like it'll be one of DC's top books as the year ends and hopefully continue into next.

REVIEW - Trials of Shazam vol. 2

2011-03-23T13:32:00.001-07:00

Writer: Judd Winick

Art: Howard Porter, Mauro Cascioli

Letters: Rob Leigh, Travis Lanham

Collects: ToS #'s 7-12

It's nice when the money you've spent on a trade turns out to be worth it. I was happy with vol. 1 of this series and I am just as pleased with the second volume continuing the trials of Freddy Freeman's journey to claim the power of Shazam.

This trade picks up from the cliffhanger at the end of vol. 1. Sabina, who is the daughter of a magical couple, has been on the hunt for the gods of power so that she and her Council of Merlin can claim the wizard's powers. At first Freeman seemed to be moving along fine until Sabina began to use magics of her own to steal and murder the gods to claim their portion of the power. So what we ended up with was Freeman claiming one god's full power and half of another and Sabina doing the same and this continues through to the end when they are both evenly matched and the last god left is Zeus.

I like the maturation we see Freeman go through in this arc. He still has his personal problems from the previous trade -- even though they weren't addressed -- but he understands what's at stake if Shazam's power is in the wrong hands. I like the responsibility he takes and courage he shows as he battles his way through demon hordes and the like. Of course he has some help along the way, both the JLA and Shadowpact assist in helping Freeman locate missing gods and battle Sabina and the Council. And because of that maturation seeing Freeman fighting alongside them and really taking command of the situation enforces more the trust that Superman has in him. They're called to fight forces of magic and that is Superman's weakness but he has complete faith in him to handle the situation. I'm not too familiar with Shadowpact, only through Day of Vengeance, but they got a little screen time; would of liked to see a little more maybe. There's something about a talking detective chimp that just screams $$$. But it was nice to see them as they are comprised of magic-related beings.

It's unfortunate that Porter injured himself and couldn't finish the series but his replacement did a fantastic job. You might recognize Cascioli's name because he also penciled Cry for Justice. And both artist's styles were similar enough to not be jarring when Cascioli took over. Again, in going with the theme, tone, and maturity of the story and Freeman the art is perfect. I love when art begins to cross into realism and Cascioli art is more life-like than Porter's and has a more water color look to it. The colors really stand out nicely.

I would have liked to see what happens with Mary Marvel and Freeman's relationship with his girlfriend. But that could be in another trade, I just picked up Countdown to Final Crisis and I know Mary plays a role in that so I'm anxious to get started there. And I think I remember Freeman being part of the Titans for a little bit. I have to do some research.

A nice conclusion to the series and I think Freddy Freeman has a promising future as Captain Marvel and in the DCU.

REVIEW - Trials of Shazam vol. 1

2011-03-23T10:57:00.000-07:00

Writer: Judd Winick

Art: Howard Porter

Letters: Rob Leigh

Collects: Brave New World #1, ToS #'s 1-6

Enjoying the previous Marvel trade that Winick wrote, First Thunder, I was looking forward to another Captain Marvel adventure and I was not disappointed.

It helps a little if you're a little familiar with what has been going on in the DCU -- particularly with the magic realm -- but have no fear, if you are entering this cold turkey, you'll be brought up to speed within the first few pages. The world of magic is in a state of flux and as a result the Marvel family is having problems with their powers; Freddy Freeman (Captain Marvel Jr.), and Mary Marvel have lost their powers. Freeman now is back to his crippled human form and Mary lies in a coma.

Freeman is summoned to Captain Marvel, who now is watcher of the Rock of Eternity since the wizard was destroyed (see Day of Vengeance). Marvel explains that the powers of Shazam have been running wild and releasing all forms of magic and demons but that it began to repair itself by taking back the Marvel's powers that were bestowed on them, hence that Freeman and Mary don't have access to it anymore. And Captain Marvel was chosen to help contain the power and fill the void left by the wizard. Marvel goes on to say that the power of Shazam still needs an acolyte and that he, Freeman, has been chosen take up the mantle...but it will not be given, he has to earn it through a set of trials given by the gods of magic signified in Shazam's name: Solomon for wisdom, Hercules for strength, the stamina of Atlas, the power of Zeus, Achilles' courage, and the speed of Mercury. And if he should fail, they will be passed on to another magical lineage. This other "lineage" is the Council of Merlin who is trying to stop Freeman from passing the trials so they can inherit the powers of Shazam. Already they seem like a formidable group of villains that I think will be a nice challenge for Freeman and hopefully future Marvel stories.

Winick's now written Marvel on both sides of the spectrum: in his early years and now as a more seasoned veteran yet still a child at heart. In First Thunder, we see how Superman was asked to guide young Billy Batson on his journey as a superhero and now we see Marvel become that role model to Freeman. I hope to see more in vol. 2 of Marvel guiding Freeman along these trials he has to undertake. After losing his powers he decides to quit school and try to figure things out, having problems with his girlfriend, and he's constantly visiting Mary at the hospital who remains in a coma. He's got some troubles to get through and I look forward to seeing him -- hopefully -- work through them.

And the art is another gem to this collection. It has a nice mature look to it, giving it a nice sense of realism -- reminded me of Cry for Justice. It's different from what I've seen of Porter; I've only seen his other work on the 90's JLA series but he didn't ink that. This trade has him doing everything and I liked what I saw.

I'm off to read vol. 2 so be sure to check back for that review...happy trade reading!

REVIEW - Superman/Shazam: First Thunder

2011-03-22T14:43:00.000-07:00

Writer: Judd Winick

Art: Joshua Middleton

Letters: Nick J. Napolitano

Collects: S/S: FT #'s 1-4

What we have here is a nice tale of the first meeting between Metropolis's Man of Steel, Superman and Fawcett City's champion, Captain Marvel. Continuity-wise, this takes place right about when Superman and Batman started but before Wonder Woman, Flash, and Green Lantern make their debuts.

I'm just getting into Captain; I also picked up Winick's Trials of Shazam. My only exposure to the character has been through guest appearances in other titles and I liked what I saw enough to go out and read some more of his exploits. This trade is a great intro to the character if you've never read a Captain Marvel comic before. Since it takes place at the beginning of his career there's no worry of continuity baggage that comes along with these decades-old characters. His origin is summed up in just a couple "thought" boxes and we're thrown right into the action a couple pages in. And if you've read any of Winick's Outsiders and Day of Vengeance, you get some nice intro to characters he's already used.

The story -- First Thunder -- refers to the first meeting between Captain Marvel and Superman; but more than just that it is the start of a great friendship that slowly gets more intimate as it reaches its conclusion. I found issue four -- my favorite -- powerful in that it put in perspective the responsibility and power granted to young Billy Batson. Every hero, usually early in their careers, suffers some kind of tragic event that gives them a wakeup call -- this could be the death of a family member, friend, or just an innocent person who just happened to be at the right place at the wrong time. It's sad what happens to Billy at the end and I think Winick handles it nicely; and it's learning experience for Captain Marvel as well as Superman which is what makes this a unique friendship. Both these heroes are at the beginning of their careers and there is going to be some stumbling blocks along the way but the bond formed as these two worked together helped them to get over that hump which presents itself at the end. And it shows you what a great person Superman is as he matures in seconds what takes people years and years and take the responsibility for the guidance of young Billy.

The team-up is the result of Superman following a group of museum thefts, involving magic -- his weakness -- beginning in Metropolis and leads him to Fawcett City where he runs in Marvel combating the same crime. The gang is trying to summon the demon, Sabbac, and along the way Eclipso is also brought back to help Dr. Sivana destroy a business rival that could bankrupt his company. Infuriated that his plans are spoiled by these two, Sivana requires the assistance of Lex Luthor to find and capture Marvel. Luthor lends him a metahuman tracker who unravels the mystery behind Fawcett's champion.

There're some great moments as the hero's relationship develops; there's a nice scene atop Mt. Everest where Marvel and Supes discuss the limitations of their powers, their costumes, and the need for their identities. Though he's granted the wisdom of Solomon and such, Marvel is still a boy at heart who can't believe that he's friends with Superman. Billy is constantly bragging to his friend about his adventures with him and it also goes to show what Superman means to so many heroes in the DCU; to many he is their inspiration and role model and what made them decide to be heroes. And to see Billy fighting alongside his boyhood hero is just a treat.

WEIVER - cigaM of ssertsiM ehT: annataZ

2011-03-21T22:49:00.000-07:00

Writer: Paul Dini

Pencils: Stephane Roux, Chad Hardin, Jesus Saiz

Inks: Karl Story, Stephane Roux, Wayne Faucher, Jesus Saiz

Colors: John Kalisz, Lovern Kindzierski

Letters: Pat Brosseau

Covers: Stephane Roux

Collects: Issues 1-6

Just a quick side note, if DC wants to advertise trades in the back of their collections it would help if the trade was still in print. They have Batman: Detective and Death and the City -- both also by Dini -- listed when in fact these two trades have been out of print for a couple years now. Anyways, on to the review.

Overall, I enjoyed this volume; I haven't read Dini's other Zatanna appearances in Detective Comics for a while but I remember really enjoying the character then. It could be -- and this could go for many of the lower-tier characters -- there's just not enough interest and/or stories to tell of these characters to sustain an on-going series. I find that the "lesser known" heroes do quite well when they make guest appearances and such in other books but when they're given their own series, interest in the character diminishes. Sales play a big part in this equation too; the book can be critically praised but if the number's aren't there it's going to be canceled. Look at Gotham Central or Manhunter.

This trade collects two 3-part arcs; the first deals with the deaths of San Francisco's top mob bosses by supernatural means. Knowing this crime to be out of his league, Detective Dale Colton calls on the services of Zatanna and she ascertains that it is the work of Brother Night -- a mob boss of the underworld bent on taking over the land of the living. The second arc team Zatanna with her cousin, Zachary, as they try to stop another supernatural threat in Benjamin Raymond, a Las Vegas kingpin who has been given immortality in return for souls he captures to give to the demon, Mammon.

Typical of Dini, he does a great job in giving you a whole story -- a beginning, middle, and end -- in just a few issues. As much as I love stories that engage the reader and make you think, it's a relief when you come across one that doesn't require and Ph.D. in analytical thinking. It's just pure fun and adventure in San Fran and Vegas. And it's nice to see DC utilize some of the unnatural villains of the DCU. Fighting robbers and such is ok but this is a sorcerous, she needs to have villains in her power range to make her a more compelling and worthy crime fighter. Superman can't just fight Luthor all the time, he needs villains that can stand toe to toe with him, give him a challenge.

I haven't kept up with my JLA but I thought Zatanna was a member but in this trade I guess she is just on call. Either way, since Identity Crisis she has stepped more into the spotlight of the DCU and I think this series will be a welcome treat to many -- myself included -- fans of the mystic arts and the potential they have within the DCU.

My only gripe with the collection is I quickly tired of reading backwards. It's fun at first but I was getting annoyed by the books end. I know that's her whole schpeel in casting her spells backwards but, it broke my rhythm to stop and spend a minute figuring out what she was saying. A quick mention about the art, great. Nice panel layouts, consistent -- even though there are three artists -- and it fit the stories well. More the first arc but I found the easy line almost cartoony but in a good way, like I said, it paired well with the story and vibe of the arc.

Overall, a good first outing into Zatanna's world; I probably will pick up the second volume due to my interest in the character and I enjoy this simple adventure stories that don't span a year or so to tell. I hope this series has a home for the foreseeable future in the DCU because, like Gotham Central and Manhunter, you have a nice ensemble of cast members and villains that we don't see all the time and they have interesting and fun stories yet to be told.

Review - Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall

2010-12-14T08:05:00.000-08:00

Writer: Bill Willingham

Art: Esao Andrews, Brian Bolland, John Bolton, Mark Buckingham, James Jean, Michael Wm. Kaluta, Derek Kirk Kim, Tara McPherson, Jill Thompson, Charles Vess, & Mark Wheatley

Letters: Todd Klein

I'm a sucker for these origin/early adventures of characters stories, especially when the creative team is also behind the regular series. Willingham brought these characters to life and he should be the one to detail their beginnings.

***SPOILERS***

1001 Nights follows the same structure as its Middle Eastern and South Asian counterparts, One Thousand and One Nights. Characters are switch of course but the overall idea and theme is the same.

Early in fables history -- after the Adversary's pillage through the land but before his complete takeover -- Snow White travels to the land of the Arabians to ally what is left of the fables community who haven't fallen prey to the Adversary's machinations. Upon arriving the Arabians are offended that a woman was sent to negotiate at a time of war. For this reason and having caught the eye of the Sultan Snow is held captive and ordered to become the bride of the Sultan, only to be decapitated the following morning. This is due to the Sultan's displeasure that his and his brother's wife were caught in adultery. So he takes a virgin bride to wed to only have her killed the following day. To escape this ordeal Snow begins to tell the Sultan tales dealing with many other fables. Hence the "1001 Nights" title; this is how long Snow stays telling the Sultan tales of adventures, revenge, love, and sorrow. In the end, he confesses that he has grown very fond of her and he came to the conclusion long ago that he wasn't going to kill her as he wanted her to stay because he enjoyed the stories.

This is a wonderful collection of stories that take place at different times in the fables's lives. Some are origin stories, as with Bigby's, who we find was fathered by the North Wind (though it was revealed in Storybook Love) and was the runt of the litter who had to fight for his survival from his brothers. Other tales occur during and after the exile. There's one dealing with Snow and Rose's escape from a goblin camp where they meet the black forest witch (from Hansel and Gretel); and the witch's origin is probably one of the most interesting origins I've ever read. It offers some great insight into why she needs to eat children. We see what King Cole was up to during the invasion and how his actions led him to be elected Mayor of Fabletown; the unfortunate life of the frog prince, the slaying of the seven dwarves, Prince Charming training Snow in fencing by her request. To my surprise, Snow might have been involved in a devious act, which was hinted at in the Legends in Exile arc.

There are a handful of artists who contributed to this trade and it works really well. I tend to be hesitant when there're too many artists involved in a project but because the stories are just one-in-dones you get a nice mixture of different takes in early fable history. Some artists are you might have seen before, as they also have illustrated on the regular monthly series. Though only two pages, Bolland's art was nice. There's some nice painted sequences, and the colors throughout the collection is very eye pleasing. These types of collections do a nice job of showcasing some wonderful talent who we don't get to see too often. And all the styles in this book fit the stories very nicely.

Review - Fables Deluxe Edition vol. 2

2010-12-12T18:17:00.000-08:00

Writer: Bill Willingham

Art: Mark Buckingham, Lan Medina, Bryan Talbot, Craig Hamilton, P. Craig Russell, Linda Medley, & Steve Leialoha

Letters: Todd Klein

Colors: Daniel Vozzo & Lovern Kindzierski

Covers: James Jean & Aron Wiesenfeld

Collects: Fables #11-18, The Last Castle, A Wolf in the Fold

As with vol. 1 of Fables, this collection is just wonderfully written and beautifully drawn. I am a big fan of these deluxe/oversized editions; comics are a visual medium and when the art is this good it's only fair to give it the attention it deserves.

Vol. 2 collects the next batch of stories following the exiled fables as we begin to see a few unexpected deaths, some surprises, and devious members of the fables community exposed. There's two, single issue arcs, a two-parter and the four-parter, Storybook Love, which is the main story. The book is capped off with the short prose story, A Wolf in the Fold, which didn't make the first edition -- though it is in the first volume of the Legends in Exile paperback.

***SPOILERS***

What I enjoyed most were the continued development of some of the main players, mainly Snow and Bigby. I can see why the prose story was collected in this volume rather than the first as it deals more with the first encounter between Snow and Bigby and shows us a little about how their relationship began and the development of Fabletown. The main arc is somewhat of a team-up between the two as they try to figure out how they were stranded in the woods without any recollections as how they got there; while also trying to escape from the "hit" that someone has placed on them. We learn quite a bit about Mr. Bigby and his desires for Snow; and on the flip side we learn why Snow has a tendency to not let anyone get too close to her, particularly suitors. And this is the unlikeliest of romances as one is a reformed murderous beast while the other is a beautiful, divorced princess who doesn't want to go through the trials of another failed relationship. There looks like there is a possibility of these two getting together but I'm not sure. There is a nice surprise at the end though that could change things.

We also get some answers to who was behind many of the recent activities taking place, in particular the revolutionaries. And while some characters may have reformed, we see that some of those reformers have returned to their old ways. I forgot to mention in the vol. 1 review but these characters are not what they seem. You may think you know but you have no idea. Willingham does a great job of making you believe that this is how these characters would be if they were real. Putting aside they were exiled by the Adversary, they have real-life people problems to contend with and seeing folklore characters deal with human problems is a treat.

The single issue arcs are more backstory and do a nice job of further developing some of the other characters. I found the Barleycorn story very funny and smart. A wonderful tale showcasing the origin of Smalltown and it's inhabitants. Jack of the Tales is the star of another issue which details some of his past exploits, further cementing his greedy ways. Then there's a nice two-parter dealing with a journalist who has discovered the hidden society of the fables and has photographs of them. Bigby rounds up a few of the fables to put a stop to the man's plans.

The art again is a real treasure and really shines on the oversized paper. The detail and colors are just fantastic; very clean and sharp. There is some nudity and suggestive themes in a couple of the issues which I didn't care for too much but they are there if you were planning on picking this up for the little trade readers.

Review - Fables Deluxe Edition vol. 1

2010-12-12T13:50:00.000-08:00

Writer: Bill Willingham

Artisit: Lan Medina, Mark Buckingham, Craig Hamilton, & Steve Leialoha

Colors: Sherilyn van Valkenburgh & Daniel Vozzo

Letters: Todd Klein

Covers: James Jean

Collects: Fables #1-10

It's difficult to put into words how fantastic this book is. From the writing, art, characters -- even the presentation, this books shines on so many levels.

If you're just getting into Fables -- like myself -- you owe it to yourelf to check this collection out. This beautiful deluxe edition collects the first 10 issues of the series, two story arcs: Legends in Exile and Animal Farm.

**On a side note, the deluxe version is cheaper than buying the two trades, so you can't go wrong with this edition.**

***SPOILERS***

If you're a fan of fairy tales this is right up your alley. I think readers will have a greater appreciation for the story if you are familair with fables, folklore and fairy tales. This is one of those "I can't believe they didn't think of this before" ideas. Let's tell a story about what happened to fables after they lived happily ever after ... and you know what? things didn't turn out quite so "happily" ever after. In fact, the fables have been kicked out of their homeland by the Adversary and live in a hidden community in Manhattan and upstate New York. The human-looking fables and ones that can afford speels to mask their apperances live in a Manhattan highrise called the Woodlands; while the animal fables live on a farm in upstate NY.

The first arc, Legends in Exile, deals with the murder of Snow White's sister, Rose Red. This arc introduces many of the fables and their positions within the community. We also get a glimpse of some of the personal matters of the characters: Snow White's divorce from Prince Charming, Jack of Fables's greedy nature, and Beast's revert back to beast form whenever he and Beauty have marital spats. We get an idea of the structure of Fabletown, as it's called, and who the main players are. The mayor is King Cole but Snow White, the deputy mayor, is the one pulling the strings. As shes says, the Mayor's job is to just meet and greet with everyone and put on a happy face.

The second arc, Animal Farm, introduces us to the other fables of the fable community, which live at a farm in upstate NY. These are mostly the animals, orges, trolls, etc with some humans as well; the're role being more mediator and liason between the two communities; Weyland Smith is the head honcho in charge. We finsd that a small revolution -- they like to call themselves the revolutionaries -- is brewing among the creatures as they want to build an army to take on the Adversary and reclaim their homes. The arc does a wonderful job of fleshing out these characters and providing nice background material to help us learn more what was behind their motives for this revolution.

I read this series in paperback form first and while it was still good, the art was bland, being it was printed on that non-glossy newsprint. Again, let me say what a wonderful presentation this book is. The oversized art printed on nice paper makes the art beautiful and really this is how it should be viewed. Ther're are a few just wonderfully drawn splash and double splash pages with great deatil and colors. Each character has their own distinct look and the designs for some of the well known fables -- one of my favs is the three little pigs -- is great. Each pig is distinct not only in looks but character traits as well. Props to Willingham for not just have three plain old pigs but giving each one a unique quality and voice; same goes for the art. This could of just been three similar looking pigs but size, stature, hair, color all play a role in distinguishing each one from the other.

The downside -- there's always one -- is the loooong release bewtween the editions.In the into Willingham says that these deluxe editions will be released once a year. What!? Once a tear!? Oh the horror the horror ... yes, that's the downside to trade waiting. But he also said that the true test of a great story is one that can be read over and over and over and still capture the reader's enjoyment as if it was the first time. This book is one of those stories that just gets better each time you read it. This is my fourth read through and I've enjoyed just as much as the first. So while vol. 3 is quite a ways away, we have vol. 1 and 2 to keep our fablelicious appetites quenched. (I know the paperback editions are up to vol. 13 but I feel Fables deserves to be read in deluxe format.)

DC Comics - December 2010 Trade Solicitations

2010-11-26T14:37:00.000-08:00

December sees the release of a handful of trades from DC, a few of them are sure to grab your attentions as well as be on your x-mas lists.

First up is the hardcover release of the first volume of Brightest Day. This trade collects issues #0-7 and hosts a handful of talent from Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, David Finch, & others. If your not aware, it seems like DC will try to get as much as they can from these BD collections. It's a year-long series coming out bi-weekly comic, which means there'll be 26 issues -- but there is a 0 issue so it'll come in at 27 issues total. I see DC trying to get a three-volume, possibly four-volume set from this series. I'm sure that some issues will be double-sized, so I can see DC squeeze a fourth volume out. What's that mean for trade readers ... more money out of our pockets. This could probably easily work as a nice two-volume set, 13 issues one volume, 14 in the next. There are plenty of trades out there that house 12 or more issues in a collection. But this is what we're probably stuck with. I told myself that Blackest Night would be my cut-off point as I felt that that event was a nice place to stop, and just follow a couple characters. I'm not interested in most of the characters BD is following. But I could change my mind if I read enough good things. I would think, similar to 52, that it will read better in trade format. And being how there's so much time between releases I could get bored picking each one up when it's released. Might be better to just wait for it all to be collected.

Next up is Superman: Secret Origin. I'm looking forward to this one as I have liked Johns's work with Superman plus, I think Gary Frank draws the best Superman ever. To me I feel his Superman is what he would look like if he were real. Just an average looking Joe, no huge muscles or anything, just normal. Plus, I grew up with Christopher Reeve as Supes and I think of him when I think of Superman and Frank's strikingly similar Clark/Supes makes me feel young again. However, even though it's not considered canon anymore, I find Birthright, so far, to be a very strong take on the origin of the Man of Steel. But I do like how they are bringing back his time with the Legion back into canon. I love Johns's stories invoving the Legion and I'm super excited to read a little more about Supes Legion years. And this is the Deluxe Edition, which I am a big fan of. The oversized Frank art is going to be gorgeous in this collection. Can't wait.

There are a few other releases such as a couple Batman trades, more of the "DC Comics Presents..." series, Bootser Gold, and Batgirl to name a few. What are you guys excited about for DC's december?

REVIEW: Batman: Streets of Gotham vol. 2 - Leviathan

2010-11-26T08:42:00.000-08:00

Writer: Paul Dini, Chris Yost, & Mike Benson

Art: Dustin Nguyen

Inks: Derek Fridolfs

Colors: John Kalisz

Letters: Sal Cipriano, Steve Wands, & John J. Hill

Covers: Dustin Nguyen

Collects: SoG #5-11

Let me say that Dustin Nguyen is now my favorite artist who draws Batman. Him and Dini have been working together for quite some time, going back to their early Detective work, and I just love the way he draws Batman and his supporting cast. Props to Fridolfs as well who has been along for the ride too. It's super clean and distinct, and the way Nguyen draws Batman is just awesome. The features, shadows, and lines he uses give Batman a distinct personality and it just looks awesome. Of course this is a team effort, so with the addition of Kalisz's colors this book really shines in the art department.

***SPOILERS***

And the story within is just as great. There are a couple other writers that provide a few fill in issues but they are more than that. Again, while they are one or two issue arcs they are just well done and entertaining. You get a great story in one sitting without the baggage of continuity. There are three 2-parters and a single issue story. The first arc deals with Black Mask getting possession of a weapon's suit that makes its wearer invisible. Huntress is the star of this story and oddly we find a surprisingly good story with her teaming up with Man-bat to put a stop to Black Mask's plans. Dini's single issue is a great stand alone issue but also kind of builds a little on what he ended with in the last SoG trade. We find out what Zsasz has been planning when he purchased his hideout and where the missing kid's have gone. The next arc follows Batman and Robin on the trail of a murderer that leads back to an escort at a gentleman's club. The final arc wraps up the Zsasz storyline and Robin, along with Colin -- a boy who was exposed to the venom virus by Scarecrow -- team up to take down Zsasz's bloody child fighting ring.

Zsasz is one crazy guy and I think quite underused. He's a great villain and is very capable of going toe to toe with Batman. I think the way he slices a "tic" mark on his body to represent another of his victims just shows you what kind of nut he is; his whole body is covered with these marks. The fight at the end between him and Robin and Colin shows what a vicious son of a gun he is and his determination. He is a non-stop terrorizing machine; it seemed that nothing would slow him down. This is a little more graphic than previous Batman titles. lots of blood and slashing going on but I think this adds to the seriousness of the story and with the characters of Zsasz and Damien. They are both killers -- more so Zsasz but remember, Damien was trained by the League of Assassins and this final fight is the kind of stuff he's been trained for. This is up his alley.

If you're a fan of Hush you probably will be a little turned off as he doesn't even make an appearance. I would have liked to see more of what Dini has planned with Hush but this is not the trade for that. Hopefully the next book will continue where Dini left off. But this trade continues with these wonderful short tales set in the Bat verse. Odd team-ups, a great murder mystery, and a frighteningly good story dealing with missing children and a deranged murderer.

REVIEW - Batman: Streets of Gotham vol. 1 - Hush Money

2010-11-21T14:56:00.000-08:00

Writer: Paul Dini

Art: Dustin Nguyen

Inks: Derek Fridolfs

Colors: John Kalisz & Guy Major

Letters: Jared K. Fletcher, John J. Hill, & Steve Wands

Covers: Dustin Nguyen, Alex Ross, Andrew Robinson, & J.G. Jones

Collects: Detective Comics #852, Batman #685, SoG #1-4

With all the hoop-lah surrounding Grant Morrison's Batman it can become difficult for other -- often good -- Batman stories to be overlooked; and unfortunately I feel this is true for Paul Dini's Streets of Gotham. Both Morrison and Dini began their repective runs on Batman at about the same time, and Dini's work has been overshadowed with what Morrison has been doing. It's unfortunate because Dini has been delivering some excellent stories -- I find his work to be just as entertaining as Morrison's, and at times more enjoyable -- and SoG is just another great addition to Dini's already great Batman work. And don't worry if you haven't been reading any other Batman titles, Dini's stuff -- as well the other Batman writers -- does their own thing so if you just follow SoG or B&R you won't be lost; they don't cross.

**SPOILERS**

Dini's work has been exceptional on Batman. I enjoy his one-in-done style which gives us a chance to explore the many facets of Batman's life from different characters, locations, new villains, and interesting takes on familair rogues. I find his stories also tend to focus more on the detective side of Batman which I enjoy quite a bit. What's nice with his work is you can get a complete story in one sitting, which is greatly apreciated to today's arc sometimes lasting three to six issues, sometimes more and often not being resolved.

The opening story is a nice epilogue to Dini's Heart of Hush arc. We're caught up to speed with what Selina has been doing with Hush's money as well as the steps he takes to bring himself back into the picture. At first I was a little hesitant where this arc was going by having Hush impersone Bruce Wayne but it's nice when you read Dini's overall plan; it's quite intriguing how Hush decides to take out Wayne this time.

This continues to the next arc as it deals with Hush's plans to ruin Wayne. Having fooled Gotham into thinking Wayne is back he begins to squander the Wayne fortune by giving donations to struggling businesses and charities throughout Gotham. He hasn't fooled everyone though as Dick, Damien and Alfred see what he's up to and bring in the help of some JLAers to keep Hush in check. While this is going on citizens of Gotham are bursting into flame, which leads Batman and Robin on the trail of Firefly. With the device installed by Black Mask to keep the Arkham prisoners in check, Firefly re-purposes it so he's able by the flip of a switch to make people burst to flame.

The highlight of the trade is the stand alone issue at the end dealing with a real estate agent, known as the Broker, who happens to find old, deserted and decrepit locales for the villain community. It's something you don't think about too often and it's one of those why-didn't-they think-of-this-sooner moments. It's the same when Marvel did that issue -- I think it was ASM -- when we learn who the hero community goes to when their costumes are damaged or they're looking for a different look. It's those tiny details that really add so much life to the story that make it more believable.

When all the Bat titles were announced for "Reborn" I was a bit skeptical with so much out there. I consider myself a continuity junkie and I like my stories to flow with one another and I like to connect the dots between them. But if you have "x" amount of titles for one character when does all this take place? On the one hand it is nice that you have a few options; maybe Detective wasn't your cup of tea so you can try SoG. Or SoG wasn't doing it for you so that leaves you with B&R or Batman. But if you happen to find them all of good quality, that's a lot of things happening to Batman and no matter how good he is he's bound to get burnout somewhere. But that's just me being a continuity nerd, overall I am liking the different Bat titles more than I though I would. Up next for me is vol. 2 of SoG.

REVIEW - Batgirl: Batgirl Rising

2010-11-20T15:10:00.000-08:00

Writer: Bryan Q. Miller
Art: Lee Garbett & Tim Levins
Inks: Trevor Scott, Sandra Hope, Dan Davis, Aaron Sowd, Oliver Nome
Colors: Guy Major
Letters: John J. Hill
Covers: Phil Noto
Collects: Batgirl #1-7

What a surprise this book turned out to be. Regardless of whether you prefered Cassandra Cain as Batgirl, Stephanie Brown makes an exceptional Batgirl; she's energetic, committed, experienced, and her costume is not as creepy as Cassandra's.

**SPOILERS**

This trade collects two 3-part arcs and a single arc issue. And they serve wonderfully as an introduction to Stepanie's new life as she juggles the responsibilities of school, work, and her personal life. And one of the thibngs I like in these coming-of-age type stories is the progression of the character (s) as they begin to embrace their role more. Yeah she's heroed as the Spoiler and Robin and what she goes through is not all new to her but she's still a young woman (college freshman) and going out fighting crime -- representing the Bat -- is not an easy task. Barbara (Oracle), at first against the idea of Steph as Batgirl, makes a an excellent point when saying that wearing the "bat symbol" makes criminals wanting to make a mark make her one. I really like Barabra's role as the "older sister" type. Being she was the first Batgirl she's got a lot of experience to share with Steph as she grows into her role as Batgirl. We also have a nice tale with Barabra struggling with some jealously because she's not out their swining through the skies of Gotham. But also with the fact that Steph has made some mistakes in her past that have caused her a lot of injury. So this tension between them is handled nicely with a positive resolution.

This is a fresh start for Stephanie as she tries to lead a normal teengae life: friendships, classes, parties, and boys. The first arc deals with her role as she steps into the shoes as Batgirl following Cassandra giving up the role. Someone is dealing out a deadly drug, called thrill, which causes severe halucigenic episodes. It's up to Steph, with Barbara's help to find the culprit. At the end Barbara realizes Steph's commitment and courage as she takes down the villain and gives her her new costume. The single issue is an epilogue of the first arc.

The second arc cameos some other members of the Bat family as Batman and Robin help Steph and Barbara find who has kidnapped a real estate mogul's son, who happens to be a classmate of Steph's. This arc has a trio of villians who have to be contended with and while they might not be new to the game they still offer our heroes a worthy challenge.

These stories might not seem like the saga Morrison is telling in Batman but I gotta say that they are extremely fun to read. It's nice when you can go into a comic and get a great story in a couple issues. This reminds me of Dini's wearly work on Detective, just great one-in-done type stories that are filled with plenty of action, mystery, suspense, and humor. And the humor in this trade is funny. I love the characterization between Steph and Damien, they have a wonderful sibling rivavlry going on and Miller really delivers on the dialogue. In the other Bat books I've read Damien can come off as a bit too full of himself. He's got that same attitude here but it's done more humorously and really brings out the 10 year old in him. Yeah, he was trained by the League of Assasins so he gotta have an edge but he's also still a kid and that part comes out more in this story.

And on the art side, it's very clean. Some of the art chores are shared on a few issues but it's not bad at all. character design are exceptional; I really like Stephs costume and I'm digging the blades -- that are part of Batman's gloves (is that what thy're called?) -- which Steph has along the side of her boots. In addition to her utily belt she also has an extra one on her thigh. I'm not a big fan of her hair being out seeing as it can getting distracting while fighting and offers a little advantage to any villain. But overall I really like the look.

So far, this whole "Batman Reborn" arc has been surprisngly good. I thought there would be too much of Bat-related stuff but it turns that there is some great stories to tell with other members of the Bat family. I'm off to check out another of the "Batman Reborn" stories in Dini's Streets of Gotham.

REVIEW - Thor: Latverian Prometheus

2010-11-18T08:21:00.000-08:00

I think Kieron Gillen is a fine writer and unfortunately, he was picked to finish where JMS left off. I say unfortunately because, while Gillen is a very capable writer - and does a good job of closing out Straczynski's run - he isn't JMS. Also, Gillen had to wrap it up quick because Marvel was about to begin Siege, which was going to star Thor heavily. So Gillen already had a couple strikes against him.

One of the problems I had with this arc is that it was only three issues long - the trade comes in at only four issues and a couple of backups from Thor 600. It's a shame Marvel didn't include this in the Thor omnibus. I know the omnibus is advertised as a JMS collection but come on, this story closes out what he started - and it's only three issues. You telling me you couldn't fit three more issues in there? The fourth issue is a Sif one shot which didn't add anything to the story. It was actually pretty stupid and pointless. I struggled to get through this one and I didn't even bother with the two backup stories. So really, when you get this trade you are only getting a three issue trade disguised as a 5-6 issue trade that actually contains relevant issues. I'm sorry but this is unacceptable.

**SPOILERS**

The actually story is not bad and does a good job of closing out the Thor/Doom arc. It is a little rushed and the confrontation between Thor and Doom isn't quite the epic I thought it would be. You put two of Marvel's heavy hitters against one another and you expect some earth shattering moments. Instead we get a pansy Doom who seemed to do more running than fighting. I don't read Fantastic Four so maybe this is trait of Doom's; but I felt that he was dumbed down in this arc. What he was doing to the Asgardians was definitely evil and when his plans for the Asgardians were revealed in the omnibus it was shocking. But here it seems as though you could of replaced Doom with any other villain and it would of sufficed. He didn't seem as all powerful, cunning, and malicious as in JMS' run. Even going back to JMS' initial run of FF that preceded his Thor run, Doom was written very powerfully and didn't back down from anyone. I'm sorry to keep bringing comparing this to JMS but it was his story and as this is part of it I will continue to bring him up. Doom is supposed to be one of the strongest characters in the Marvel U and what we get is Doom running away most of the time. He does get the upper hand when he uses the Destroyer armor - powered by the Asgardians he's captured - to almost destroy Thor, but when the armor is nearly destroyed, Doom is teleported away by Loki.

I'm not sure if this is what JMS had planned but the relationship between Bill and Kelda was one of those unlikely of romances that inspire us to follow our hearts and not be concerned with trivial matters. The death of Bill did show us how he meant to Kelda cared and that he wasn't just some plaything to satiate her interests. When Balder brings the news of Bill's death he tries to comfort her saying he would of met his end eventually, being he was a mortal. She replies that now she will live with this pain forever, being that she is immortal.

I couldn't get it out of my head when reading this but it should have been in the omnibus. While it is a good story I just wanted to hurry up and get through it. Maybe Marvel can do a "What If?" trade and bring back JMS to rightfully close out this arc.

REVIEW - Thor by JMS Omnibus

2010-11-17T19:31:00.000-08:00

Mighty! - pardon the pun. That's how I describe this omnibus by J. Michaels Straczynski. Yeah, his time on the title was unfortunately cut short but what he was able to do with Thor while he had him was storytelling at its finest. Who would of thought putting Asgard in the middle of Oklahoma could be so entertaining?

And putting it in Oklahoma made for some wonderfully humorous interactions between the town and Asgardians. But there's a lot more than just ha-ha moments. There are some real touching moments where JMS has Thor and the Asgardians confront real world issues. Thor was gone for a time and he's left wondering why his friends - The Avengers - let some of this stuff happen. He comes back to a world that's changed quite a bit from when he left it. One of the best scenes of the whole collection is when he seeks out Captain America - Steve Rogers, but is confronted by his ghost. Remember, Thor was absent during Civil War and wasn't there when Cap was killed. I didn't realize till I read this collection that they had a pretty strong friendship - highlighted even more when Thor tells Cap that in all the ages he's been around and all the great warriors he's been honored to fight beside, the greatest honor was in fighting by his side.

This collection has one of my all time favorite scenes in a comic. It's when Thor in confronted by Iron man regarding the status quo of heroes following the super-hero registration act. JMS has a way with words that seem to capture what it would really be like if this were happening in real life. He gives Thor such power and authority that every time I read this sequence I am in awe at how well-spoken and terrifying Thor can be.

Ragnorak happened and the "Gods" are gone, inhabiting the bodies of humans scattered all across the globe. Thor awakens and decides to bring Asgard back as well as his people to give them a chance to live out their lives as they wish, and not part of the death-rebirth cycle which they were trapped in before. And in the background Loki, Thor's half brother, is at it again scheming of ways to destroy Thor. That's all I'm telling you; you owe it to yourself to read this and not be spoiled by reading too much into the story.

Equal praise is also given to Oliver Coipel and Marko Djurdjevic for some wonderful art. I'm am a big fan of Coipel and find his art to have a innocent child-like expression to it; especially faces. His design of Thor, I think, is what will stick with people for years to come. His uniform, while new, still has some of the classic in it to appeal to old time fans as well as give him a modern look. And Djurdevic's art is just eye-popping as Coipel's. His art has a more matured look to it which I found refreshing. It's a bummer that towards the end though the art started looking like it was rushed; a look at the credits and you see why, six inkers. So toward the end the art was as sharp and clean looking.

JMS paced the first 12 issues beautifully, it just read really nicely. However, and I'm not sure if this is because that I knew his run would end abruptly or not but I felt like the last few issues didn't match the tone and pace of the first part. It seemed as though he was trying to hurry up to his conclusion rather than slowly build up to it; I noticed a slight shift in quality. Again, I'm not sure if this is because I was expecting it or not. Maybe if I was unaware of what happened with JMS and Marvel this "shift" wouldn't have been noticed. But that shouldn't stop you from picking this book up, because JMS set the status quo for Thor and I believe future will build off what he has established.

Does it end unresolved? Sure does, and that's what I'll be reviewing next, Keiron Gillen's follow-up which concludes what JMS left off with.

REVIEW - Invincible Iron Man Omnibus

2010-11-17T18:24:00.000-08:00

In the hands of Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca Iron Man has enjoyed quite a success over the past few years. This nice oversized collection of the first 19 issues of the series is a great entry for new readers to Iron Man.

Similar in tone to the films, not to mention showcasing many of the characters, Fraction and Larroca bring a very cool, futuristic-type atmosphere to the series. Tony Stark is one of the smartest and richest men in the Marvel universe and we see why he is often sought after for help.

This collection collects two stories, and a stand alone issue. The first arc is The Five Nightmares; it follows Ezekiel Stane, son of Stark's business rival, Obadiah Stane, as he seeks to destroy Tony Stark. The second story is the Most Wanted arc which falls under the "Dark Reign" banner as Norman Osborn goes after Stark. In-between the two stories is an epilogue to the first arc which follows Peter Parker as he tags along with Iron Man and put the pieces together following the events in Five Nightmares. The only downside to the book is that Secret Invasion happens in the middle and sets the tone for the Most Wanted arc. If you've read Secret Invasion then you have nothing to worry about, however, a new reader to IM will probably be a little confused.

I still have a hard to believing that the U.S. government hands control of S.H.I.E.L.D. (now H.A.M.M.E.R.) to Norman Osborn. But that's what we have so I gotta accept it; but you know what, it sure does make for some fun reading. I found the first arc a better story but the second arc was more intriguing as we see how closely Tony and the Iron Man are linked and what was at stake, which left Tony no choice but to do what had to be done. This series is a lot of fun and has the same feel as that made the films popular; many of the characters are also in the comic. In the film I wasn't too fond of Pepper Potts but in the comic I am finding I like her a lot. Great interaction between her and Tony; and while he is seen as a playboy I can see Potts as the woman to tame him. She has a lot of strength and I like how she changes over the course of this book.

Hats off to Larroca for consistently delivering month to month. We're 33 issues into the series and he's been there from the start and it's been delivered on time, and consistently. The art is top notch as well, though there are a couple of action panels that just didn't look too friendly. But overall Larroca does a fine job and I love the change in Tony as the Most Wanted arc continues.

Coming up next is another omnibus review, Thor by JMS!

REVIEW - The Nightly News by Jonathan Hickman

2010-11-14T13:43:00.000-08:00

I first of Jonathan Hickman with his run on Fantastic Four. Reading the good work his doing there as well as on Secret Warriors I did a wiki search and came upon Nightly News. Being this trade was about the world of media and communications - which is the field I work in - I was instantly attracted.

Visually, this is by far one of the most creatively designed comics I've seen. In the afterward Hickman offers some advice for aspiring writers and that is do not be afraid to try something different.

I don't consider myself to be a zen master when it comes to comics but I have read quite a bit of comics and I cannot remember ever reading one this eye catching. The art is nicely illustrated, having this unique "graphic design" feel; very Illustrator, Photoshop-ish. It's different than your average comic book and I think that plays very well to it's strengths. If you put this book in a lineup it will definitly turn some heads.

I don't want to give too much away without spoiling but the basic premise is a mysterious cult called "The Voice" arises that begins to commit acts of violence towards members of the media for it's slacking of reporting factaul information - from reporters all the way up to its CEOs.

The book is flowing with tidbits of information from polls, statistics, charts and graphs, and facts about the media and how much it controls to the public's perception of it, how much control parent companies have to "fact checking" departments being cut, and what some outlets have gone to to better report accurate information. Some of the information presented in the book I wasn't too surprised by and other information I found to be quite intriguing. It's a real eye opener and what makes this comcis really stand out is that it requires your undivided attention; it makes you think and question everything you see on television and/or read in the paper. Every page - and I mean every page - is there for a reason; not one is put to waste. There is so much information thrown at you you will be re-reading certain passages or whole pages multiple times. I think that's a true test of a comic, one that makes the reader so engaged you want to read it over and over to better grasp what author is trying to convey.

I enjoyed reading his little informative sidebars just as much as the story itself. Some chapters begins with a little information regarding certain aspects of the media and other world issues and Hickman humorously suggests that we can continue reading if we are only concerned with satisfying our personal entertainment, or take a break and read up on issues such as globalization, education, and drugs. He also offers an equation to see if your education was worth it.

While I agree that certain aspects of what the media does is a little unethical, taking members of it out is not the right course of action. And Hickman - in no way shape or form - condones that this is how it should be resolved either. This is entertainment but with some truth squeezed in-between.

REVIEW - Punisher: Welcome Back, Frank

2010-11-11T14:26:00.000-08:00

I think to a certain extent people can understand why the Punisher does what he does. When you hear on the news of an innocent life taken in some drug/gang war, a domestic incident, or just someone who hurts another person because they want to we cry foul and a part of us gets that urge to just want to take that person(s) down; take the law into our own hands. So we turn to movies, books or whatever to get that urge controlled.

**SPOILERS**

I didn't know this trade is what inspired the movie, or I think it did because a lot of elements from this trade were in the Punisher film from 2004. This was a very very fun read. From the second page I was hooked and just loved it. It's the Punisher, and I've read a lot that Garth Ennis was made for it and now I see why.

**On a side note, I also picked up Ennis's MAX run because I wanted to compare the two; and if Welcome Back is any indication I can't wait to start reading the MAX series.**

This is Punisher at his best and aptly named too. He's back and he's not taken crap from anyone. From the issue to the last he is dealing out punishment - hard. There a sequence in the third issue where he attacks a mob at their hideout and he uses a flamethrower. Once inside he runs to the elevator heads up. The thugs are thinking they got him and they run up the stairs to meet him. They beat him to his floor and when the elevator doors open they start firing; what they didn't realize was Castle wasn't in the elevator and that he left the flamethrower for them. So the whole place gets torched with the thugs. It's just good old fun in every issue. Someone bites it hard every issue and in addition to the violent deaths Ennis throws in some great humor.

Castle return after being gone and he gets right to work taking out the criminal element. One of the guys he kills is the brother of another mob boss who in turn is the brother of another mob boss who in turn is the son of the head honcho - or honcha. She's referred to as Ma Gnucci. And she hates the Punisher an orders all the family to take him out. Basically the whole city, police, government, and mayoral office are in the pockets of the mob so the police are pressured into tracking dow Castle. They like what he does because he does their job, and does it well. Every person Gnucci sends after Castle is taken out and eventually she runs out of men so she hires "The Russian." The same one in the film. They discover where Castle is staying and the Russian

kicks the crap out of him; almost kills him. But Castle is saved by one of his obese neighbors who he throws on top of the Russian suffocating him. Then Castle hunts down Gnucci - and this is great. What little is left of the family drops their weapons and abandons Gnucci leaving her at Castle's mercy. And mercy he doesn't have, he torches her place and when she tries to escape he kicks her back into the fire.

Steve Dillon is the artist for the series and I did adjust to it as I got along. His art is nice but it just wasn't my taste. But I think it did fit this series's style perfectly. Similar to how Ed McGuinness's work fits with Loeb's story for the Hulk. It was an smash-em up series and McGuinness's art just fit that style; just over the top action. I think it's the same here with Dillon. It's just a little too cartoonish for me.

If you've never read any Punisher this is a great place to start. I've never read Punisher before and I found this to be a lot of fun. Good action, dark humor, solid art, and most importantly you have a writer who really understands the character and loves writing him; and it shows.

JMS taking a leave of absence from monthlies to focus on Earth One sequel

2010-11-10T16:38:00.000-08:00

When JMS was announced to be the writer for Superman and Wonder Woman I was pretty excited. I'm a fan of his work and find his writing simple yet elegant. He's got a way to just grab the reader in and tell a fantastic story when given the opportunity. To me at least, I don't know about you guys but I knew a sequel to Earth One would happen. Comics are like movies in a way; if the original does really well a sequel is green-lit.

JMS said that, "...creatively, limited series and graphic novels have always been my strong suit in that they let me tell cohesive stories with a beginning, middle and end."

When a writer has a long term story idea it can get annoying having to wait months before it finishes. I'll use New Krypton as an example; that is a two year story told over 15 different trades. 15! Trades! I don't hate NK but I do get a bit of burnout and uninterested waiting for the trades to be released. I can understand how some people start to get sick of events or a long arc to finish up. I think one of the big pluses these Earth One novels have is they tell a complete story in one sitting. There's no waiting at all - unless you're counting the days till the sequel comes out.

If you've read any of JMS's previous work you can see that when he tells a story he has it all planned out. In the introduction to JMS's Midnight Nation, Neil Gaiman mentions how well thought out and far ahead JMS works. Babylon 5 was all planned out: a beginning, a middle, and an end. I think this is a great move for JMS and if this where he feels comfortable and able to tell great stories then by all mean sir, you do what you do best.

It is a bummer though because I was really looking forward to his WW run. If Thor was any indication, I couldn't wait to see what he does with greek mythology. I wish JMS would at least finish his arcs on Superman and WW. I know he will have some say into how the next writer finishes his arc but it would of been nice for JMS to wrap the series up before stepping away. Chris Robertson is wrapping up the "Grounded" arc with #707 and Phil Hester will take over for WW with issue 605.

JMS said that he isn't just abandoning the titles, "I’ll dive in on occasion as needed for important story points. It’s still my story, I’m involved in both books, and they’re going to continue in the direction we set up. I’m looking forward to seeing what Chris and Phil have in store."

Looks like Earth One just moved up on my "to buy list." It's unfortunate that JMS is leaving monthlies so soon but I think he's really going to shine with this format and if these OGNs are released in a timely manner we're looking at some great story telling.

Where should I start? Breaking into DC and Marvel

2010-11-10T08:16:00.000-08:00

So after reading DC for a while I wanted to take a break and familiarize myself with the Marvel Universe. I'm still going to get a few select DC titles but my attention will largely be devoted to Marvel.

In the picture you can see my collection; this picture was taken a couple months ago. Five of those seven shelves are DC; so I feel well versed in the DCU and can carry on a good conversation/debit about DC's heroes. Now I know a little about Marvel but nowhere near what I know about the DCU. The second to bottom shelf on the right you can see my Marvel collection. And half of the books on that shelf are other titles.

I'm using the same formula I used when I started reading DC, pick a title you're interested in and go with it. There's another part to the formula which I'll discuss later. I'm going to have another post going through some of the characters and picking starting points I feel can get you moving along on your way to understand the DCU and MU.

Each company - whether the big two, Image, Dark Horse, Wildstorm, etc have a lot of characters and I think if you want to get a feel for the universe it's best to start with one character or title to get yourself familiar with the surroundings. Then you can start diving into other areas.

I think team books are a great entry point for new readers because you get introduced to a few characters which gives you the opportunity to see if you like any of them. And from there you can branch off and get those character's solo titles. Take the Avengers, you start reading it and you find you like Thor and would like to know more about what he does when he's not with the Avengers. Lucky for you Thor was recently somewhat rebooted and Marvel just released an omnibus collecting J. Michael Stracynski's run (issues 1-12, 600-603, and a Giant-size Finale). And if you're interested in older stories of Thor you can pick up Marvel's essential series which are black and white reprints collecting 25-30 issues from Thor's debut. Marvel has done a good job of collecting and keeping in print character defining runs.

52 is what got me branching out a lot. I loved how it focused on the lesser known characters which I probably would never get a chance to see in regular titles and gave them an opportunity to shine. Black Adam got me interested in the JSA, The Question portions made me a fan of Greg Rucka and introduced me to his little Rucka-verse, as I like to call it. Because of him I purchased the O'neil/Cowan series and Gotham Central. And his writing made me try out his Wonder Woman work, and Wonder Girl's cameos got me into Teen Titans, and so on and so on.

Which brings me to the other part of the formula: following a writer. DC has Geoff Johns; Marvel has Brian Bendis. To me those guys are the real driving force behind what's happening in their respective universe's. You follow a title by one of those two and you will get an idea of the happenings going on. I'm going to use the Avengers as an example again. Bendis has been writing that for quite some time, I think over five years now. Events that have happened (i.e. House of M, Civil War, Secret Invasion, Siege) he started planting the seeds for them in his early work. I think it's safe to say that the MU revolves around the Avengers. And I think if you're getting into Marvel or have some interest of seeing what's been happening or why certain things are the way they are, New Avengers is a great starting point. Technically, you should start with Avengers: Disassembled.

And the great news for you trade readers is that they are all in print. Marvel has collected them in nice oversized hardcovers. They're up to volume five, which collects up to Secret Invasion.

Back to following writers. The nice thing about following a writer or creative team is that they tend to start doing their own thing. That doesn't mean that they retcon what came before, they just go in a new direction, which gives us - the readers - a great jumping on point without having to read years and years of stories to understand what is happening. New writers sometimes do build on previous writer's ideas but when it's done they usually do a good job of bringing the reader up to speed. And sometimes, not always though, if an event or series based on a previous story does really well the older story will get reprinted.

I am currently working on a list that will be a guide for absent/new readers that will recommend a "jump on" point. This list will most likely change as new creative teams are brought in and titles go out of print.

REVIEW - X-23: Innocence Lost

2010-11-09T20:32:00.000-08:00

I've been getting into Marvel lately and have purchased a wide range of trades to get a understanding of the universe and the happenings going on. And contrary to what might be believed, getting into the X-men isn't all that bad.

One of the trades I picked up was X-force and that was my first exposure to X-23, Laura Kinney. At first I thought it was just a knockoff of Wolverine. If you look past the claws I think you'll find that, while there are similarities between the two, there are some unique things about X-23 that make her one of the "best at what she does . . . and what she does isn't very nice."

**Spoilers**

Innocence Lost is an origin tale and details Laura's life from birth to her arrival in New York City. Her tale continues in Target X and NYX; and then regularly in the pages of New X-men, Uncanny and X-force.

Laura got her start in the animated X-men:Evolution series in 2003, and a year later made her comics debut in NYX. Created by Craig Kyle, who, along with Christopher Yost, wrote the episodes she appeared in, seem to be the main writers for this character. And it's no surprise that in their hands she shines, as does this trade.

Laura is a clone of Wolverine. Bred to be an assassin for hire, she has all of Wolverine's powers but they're more enhanced. I know Wolverine likes to brag that he's the best at what he does but, after you read this you will come to respect Laura. She kills with no remorse; when given a target, she wastes no time in taking them out - and take them out she does. Looking at the cover you think what's the point of having claws come out your feet. Well, she showed me what can be done, and do I pity whoever crossed her path. This book is bloody and some of the deaths are not pretty but I didn't find it to be as gory as I've read. Still not something I'd let your little brother borrow though. She's trained young in martial arts and her mutation (healing factor) is sped up through radiation poisoning so adamantium can be laced though her. When she reaches her teens she is sent on missions eventually is used as an assassin for hire.

Her surrogate mother, Sarah Kinney, a geneticist involved in the cloning begins to turn a new leaf and doesn't like how Laura is treated. Laura is confined to a room with the only interaction coming from an envelope which is slipped beneath the door identifying her next target. Once the mission is complete, she's back to her room.

Then there's Zander Rice, who's the second-in-charge of the project. He's got his own issues to deal with: his father, Dale Rice, was killed by Wolverine during his experiments, and you can see that the way he treats Laura stems from his hatred of Wolverine. He sleeps with the boss's wife and ends up having a son. Adding more fuel to the fire he wants total control of the project and of Weapon X. Martin Sutter, the man in charge, who worked with Dale and raised the boy when he died, along with his wife and supposed son are the targets for Zander's twisted scheme.

Kyle and Yost give Laura a distinct personality. At first she's a ruthless killer, taking orders without question; but as the story progresses you see her start to grow and question herself and on one mission, she decides to let the target live. But Laura had help along the way; from the beginning her sensei is kind to her and treats her normal despite Zander's request that she not be nurtured. Sarah's interactions and reading also do Laura some good as she tries to get her to open up and express herself. And as a clone of Wolverine, while having those killer instincts, she possesses some of his better qualities that make him human and not just a killer. By the story's end Laura, like Wolverine, is a normal teenager who had her life taken from her and brainwashed into doing the murderous deeds of others. Just like Wolverine had the

X-men to help him along, Laura had Sarah, who reveals to her the details of Weapon X and who her mother really is. And it's at this moment that we see Laura transform to who she will be.

It's a great story and you see the struggles she, along with Sarah, go through. There are so many regrets and missed opportunities that when you get to the end you're left wondering how Laura's life could of been rather than what it is now. And the artwork is great. I can see in Billy Tan some hints of Michael Turner, Marc Silvestri and Jim Lee. It's still different but when I see some of his lines, to me at least, I see inspiration from those other artists. Very clean; you can see clearly what's happening in the panels. And Laura is just so innocently drawn it's surprising to see she's the same girl when she's drawn during her berserker moments.

Welcome to The Comic Review

2010-07-04T23:19:00.000-07:00

Hello, and welcome to my comics blog. I will be talking about comics and giving reviews; and I am in the process of putting together a timeline of DC Comics's TPBs.

A little about me; I have been reading comics regularly for about a year now. I started a few years ago but, I didn't read too much. I just stuck with the big ones: Watchmen, Batman: Year One, Dark Knight Returns and Crisis on Infinite Earths - anything by the big names like Moore, Miller, Lee. etc.

I never got into comics as a kid because I never understood how to read them and there so much history that it just confused me. Plus, I was never big on reading. When I was older I had a night job with a lot of downtime so I started reading books and magazines; then I was hooked. I started reading everything I could and I found I loved it.

One day at work, I was wikipediaing superheroes and just learning about all the history and the way the numbering worked, all the different versions of characters and so on. That's when I started to read the big comic works like Watchmen, Year One, Sin City, Dark Knight Returns and Crisis on Infinite Earths. I enjoyed those books and slowly started getting other big collections like the Death of Superman and Knightfall.

When I moved to Connecticut for work I didn't have a TV or computer so I would read a lot. That's when I started researching more superheroes and comic series'. And I started with Grant Morrison's Batman (my fav character). I've been hooked ever since. I then expanded to Infinite Crisis and some of the tie-ins, then the Teen Titans and Outsiders, 52 and Identity Crisis (which is probably one of my favs).

After reading 52, I was drawn to other characters and grew to enjoy the whole DCU and not just Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. It also got me into reading comics outside of DC and Marvel like Vertigo, Wildstorm and Image.

I hope you guys enjoy it. Please, I welcome any feedback or critique to better improve my blog. This is my first so I'll be learning quite a bit, but slowly at first.

thx