Until next time–Peace…

DUDE! This is hella-awesome!! Thor’s pissed at the gods and humanity for various transgressions and decides to say to hell with it all and thrashes everything on an epic scale. This leads to his father, Odin, to start smackin’ his son around and show him the error of his ways. If you love mythology, battles, great art and, of course, Thor then you should pick this up and revel in this mighty good tale. Grade: A+

DC Comics: Justice Society of America – Kingdom Come Special: The Kingdom ( one-shot )

I don’t understand why this and the previous JSA Kingdom Come one-shots weren’t just told in the regular JSA monthly title but, like the previous two, this is a decent story (with fantastic art) that adds to the mystery and drama surrounding the god-like being, Gog, and how it affects the JSA as well as the rest of the world. Gog has granted “the heart’s desire” of several members of the JSA and some see it as a blessing while others are waiting for the other shoe to fall. The last page of this tale gives you an idea (which at least to me was obvious) of what’s coming. A pretty good story here but only pick it up if you’ve been reading the JSA Kingdom Come storyline already. Grade: B-

Marvel Comics: Hulk #8

You have two stories here in this issue, both second parts of ongoing storylines, one starring the Bruce Banner Hulk and the other starring the very crappy Red Hulk. The Banner Hulk story is better but I was at least entertained by the Red Hulk story. Jeph Loeb writes, if you want to call it that. The highlight of this whole issue is the phenomenal art by Arthur Adams and Frank Cho. Both men are kicking serious ass here. I just wish the writing was up to par. Please Marvel, I beg you, let the Green Hulk kill this Red Hulk. The character really really sucks! Grade: C

Cover of the Week: Batman #681

I hear that the current storyline in this book kind of sucks…but damn, that cover sure is purty!

Until Next Time–Peace…

This was actually very good but with writer Peter Tomasi (Green Lantern Corps) on hand I should have expected a good story.

Along with artist Fernando Pasarin, Tomasi gives us some background on one of the key characters from the epic Kingdom Come miniseries from 1996 as well as the current Kingdom storyline in the ongoing Justice Society of America. Lance Corporal David Reid was brought back from the dead by the god-like entity, Gog, several issues ago in JSA and turned into the superpowered Magog. Not only do we get backstory but a good and very timely story about a confrontation between superheroes and armed rebel sadists in the Congo. Pick up the book…it’s a flat-out good read. Grade: A-

Marvel Comics: Deadpool #4

This is very simple…this book is tons of fun! Humorous dialogue, slick art, blood, bullets and zombies all wrapped up in a superhero-ish package. Worth the buy! Grade: A

Dark Horse Comics: Conan the Cimmerian #5

I really, really miss writer Kurt Busiek and artist Cary Nord on this book. It seems to be lacking vitality throughout and I’ve never really felt that reading any Conan before. Writer Tim Truman, who has done other great things, just seems to not be hitting all of the buttons that need to be pushed. It’s very hard to put my finger on. Artist Tomas Giorello is a worthy artist but lacks that bit of grace and punch we got from Cary Nord. I just can’t recommend this book and it pains me. Grade: C- (very close to a D)

Cover of the Week: Fantastic Four #561 (variant cover)

Gotta love chimps!

Until next time— Peace…

There is one reason you should buy this and it’s Alex Ross. The man is an unbelievably talented artist and he does the interior art in this thing front to back, not just the cover which he’s been doing mostly for a long while now. This book is beautiful!

If you haven’t been reading Justice Society of America then you might be a little lost. Basically, a much older Superman from a parallel Earth (the one from the most excellent Kingdom Come miniseries from 1996) has shown up on the DC Earth we usually deal with and has to come to terms that most of the allies he saw die on his Earth are very much alive on this one. This one-shot gives us some great moments that are wonderfully accentuated by the outstanding Ross art. He also wrote the thing as well. This is part one of a JSA Kingdom Come Special trilogy that adds to the great story happening in the regular JSA book. But, even if you aren’t following the story, pick this up for the art alone! Grade: A+

Marvel Comics: Wolverine #69 ( Old Man Logan part 4 )

Oh yeah, this story is still a lot of fun! Writer Mark Millar and artist Steve McNiven must be having a great time creating this story. To catch you up, the Marvel Universe has gone all to hell and it’s 50 years later. The supervillains won and divided America into quadrants ruled by particular baddies. Wolverine hasn’t given up his violent ways and just wants to take care of his family. Low on money to make the payment on his land he takes on a job with the now blind ex-Avenger Hawkeye to deliver some cargo to the east coast. They have run-ins with the Ghost Rider gang, the Kingpin and in this issue, the Moloids. Just a straight up cool read that’s superheroes mixed with The Road Warrior with a touch of the western flick Unforgiven. Definitely a fun read for those familiar with the Marvel Universe. The twists on what we know makes this worth reading. Grade: A

DC Comics: Green Lantern Corps #30

This title remains one of the best comics on the stands today. This issue is a lot quieter than previous issues but still gives you some good bang for your buck. This continues the saga of the expanding groups of ring bearers from the emotional/energy spectrum. The GLC go to the planet Zamaron, home of the Star Sapphire/Violet Lantern Corps, to spy under the disguise of diplomacy. They don’t like what they find being done in the name of “love”. And Kyle Rayner and other Corps members have a run-in with Kryb, a Sinestro Corps member who is murdering GLC members and their loved ones and abducting their infant children. Peter Tomasi has been writing his ass off on this book and Patrick Gleason is an artist with a fantastic visceral style that always makes this book find it’s way to the top of my read pile. Like I said, the issue is quieter than it’s been but still worthy of your moolah. Grade: B+

Cover of the Week: Marvel Comics – Magneto: Testament #3

This cover actually makes me feel sorry for the murderous bastard!

Until next time– Peace…

Written by Jimmy Palmiotti with art by Phil Noto, issue 1 of this 5 issue mini starts off with a Female Fury named Maelstrom who wants to become the queen of the evil ruler Darkseid and plans to do it by killing Superman. When she shows up on Earth she first encounters Supergirl and the aftermath of the battle takes a tragic turn. Pick this up. It apparently takes place before all of the Final Crisis crap, is devoid of excess continuity and has great art. Grade: A

Marvel Comics: Avengers – The Initiative ( one-shot )

I’ve stated before that the ongoing Avengers: The Initiative is one of the best titles that Marvel publishes and this one-shot is up to par. But I don’t really get why they just didn’t have this as part of the ongoing title. Written by Christos Gage with art by Steve Uy, this is a tale that concentrates on the romance between Initiative member, Hardball, and Komodo. Action, romance, origins and betrayal ensue. A good read. Grade: B

DC Comics: Trinity #23

This weekly series has been good most weeks and really good on some. This week’s issue….bleh! The cover’s cool though. Grade: D

Cover of the Week: A Tribute to Michael Turner (Aspen Comics)

RIP Mike…you are missed.

Until next time — Peace…

Wow! Just freakin’ awesome and if you are not onboard with all things Green Lantern related then you are missing out. Geoff Johns writes one heck of a tale here that formally introduces us to the Red Lantern Corps, rage powered individuals who are sure to give the Green Lantern Corps one hell of a time. Shane Davis pencils this issue and the guy is unbelievable. There’s a splash page in this issue that rivals what Ivan Reis is doing in the main ongoing GL book. Buy this one! Grade: A+

Dark Horse Comics: Hellboy – In The Chapel of Moloch ( one-shot )

For the first time in years creator Mike Mignola does the art duties on a full sized Hellboy tale. It’s your basic Hellboy goodness which in many, many ways is better than anything on the stands today. Creepiness abounds in this tale of an artist in Portugal under supernatural influence with Hellboy out to save the day. Buy this one too! Come on…it’s Mike frickin’ Mignola!! Grade: A+

Marvel Comics: 1985 #6 ( of 6 )

This mini, to me, has been a lot of fun. It’s all about the Marvel Universe’s characters in the real world circa 1985. Havoc ensues. This issue has the big confrontation between the villains and the heroes. Since issue 3 I knew where writer Mark Milar and artist Tommy Edwards were going with this but it’s still been a cool read with the nostalgia of the 1985 Marvel Universe. Not a fantastic read but definitely a fun one. Grade: B

Cover of the Week: DC Universe – Decisions #4 ( of 4 )

with the upcoming election I just had to pick this one!

Until next time– Peace…

So far I haven’t cared much for this series. This is DC’s big event book for 2008 and the big completion to their “Crisis Trilogy” started with Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1986 and continued with Infinite Crisis in 2006. This one has been a little hard to follow and frankly, a bit boring, but thankfully this issue kicks it up several notches.

I’m not going to go into how overrated I think writer Grant Morrison is. He’s got some fantastic ideas at times but often his storytelling isn’t my cup of tea. This issue is the first thing I’ve liked from him since his days writing Justice League in the Nineties. As far as art goes on this book, J.G. Jones rocks! His visuals always deliver even if the story isn’t really there. Issue 4 here picks up a month after issue 3 when the Anti-Life Equation has been broadcast across the globe by the evil minions of the god-like Darkseid. His soldiers have enslaved much of the world’s population and the superheroes, Green Arrow, The Ray, Hawkgirl, Oracle, etc., are the last bit of resistance. It looks like evil has won. But the heroes have a hail mary pass that will hopefully turn the tide. Since the last 3 issues of this book really left a lot to be desired I have to give credit and say that this issue did entertain me and didn’t leave me scratching my head. Grade: B

IDW Publishing: G.I. Joe #0

IDW Publishing has taken over the comic side of this beloved 80’s franchise and here we are with a zero issue priced at 1 dollar that gives you a taste at where they are headed with the further adventures of G.I. Joe. You get three stories here previewing three Joe titles coming to your comic shop very soon and all three stories center on the popular character of Duke. I’m enthused to see what will be done with this and this issue is definitely worth picking up…the thing is only a buck! That’s great for these recession laden times!! Grade: B+

DC Comics: Superman – New Krypton Special one-shot

The last issue of Action Comics tied up the storyline that had Superman meeting the real Brainiac (not his robotic probes) for the first time and had a final page that was a punch in the gut….the apparent death of Pa Kent. I really thought that he was just injured and we’d see him recovering in the next few issues. Well, he’s gone. This one-shot begins with the funeral of Pa Kent and it is incredibly moving and beautifully rendered by master artist Gary Frank. You feel the pain of loss to Clark and Ma Kent as well as the rage felt towards Brainiac, who had launched a missile at the Kent farm in the final moments of the battle with Superman in Action Comics. Along with the family tragedy, Superman also has the issue of the Kryptonian city of Kandor. The city was a minituarized captive of Brainiac but during the battle was liberated by Superman and placed near the Fortress of Solitude before it expanded to normal size. Now, there are thousands of Kryptonians on Earth and Superman and some military types are wondering how to handle this new world-changing situation. Writers Geoff Johns, James Robinson and Sterling Gates and artists Gary Frank, Pete Woods and Renato Guedes give us a hell of a tale that lays the groundwork for where the Superman mythos is headed for issues to come. Very well done! RIP Johnathan “Pa” Kent. Grade: A+

Cover of the Week: DC Comics: The Family Dynamic #3 ( of 3 )

I know nothing about this comic but this cover caught my eye with it’s beautiful animated style!

Until next time– Peace…

Here’s more goodness from writer Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegener, delving out good sci-fi World War II action in their own fantastic way.

I’m telling you folks, you can’t beat the entertainment value in this comic. We continue with Atomic Robo’s adventure of trying to stop the Nazis from interfering with the Allied mission in Europe in 1943, in which they are using walking tanks and other scientific means. This issue also has Robo “teaming-up” with Britain’s adventurer, The Sparrow, to catch the creator of the walking tanks. Lots of fun here! Buy!! Grade: A

Marvel Comics: Ultimate Origins #5 ( of 5 )

Something big is supposed to go down in Marvel’s Ultimate Universe and this mini-series basically gives you all of the origins of the major players in this upcoming event. The Ultimate version of the Watchers have been popping up all over and in this issue they reveal why they are doing the watching but it’s still pretty enigmatic. The Fantastic Four are center stage here so forget seeing Cap or Hulk as in the cover above. But, you do get a pretty sweet revelation here which has been teased for several issues that is a big deal and different from the mainstream Marvel universe. Brian Michael Bendis writes and Butch Guice handles the art, which is very realistic and beautiful. Not a bad book but you need to be interested in the goings on in this particular universe. Grade: B

DC Comics: Justice Society of America #19

Okay, I want to say right off the bat that the image above is not the cover for this particular issue, it’s last month’s. Every image I could find for this month’s cover was of very sucky quality. Anyway, if you’ve been keeping up with this Kingdom Come-esque storyline then you are going to really dig this issue. With all of the drama surrounding the activity of the god-like Gog from the previous issues, things really start to come to a breaking point here. Hawkman gets pissed. Starman is being all mysterious. And Kingdom Come Superman is about to go off…you can just tell. I really want the artist from the last few issues, Fernando Pasarin, back on this book but Dale Eaglesham still does a kick-ass job and it’s nice to have him back on the book. Comic book writing god Geoff Johns gives us another good read here. Oh yeah, Alex Ross is co-plotter and gives us the cover, which is actually good. I just can’t find a decent image of it anywhere. Grade: B+

Cover of the week: Vertigo Comics — Fables #77

ooooh, pretty….

Until next time– Peace…

Written by Joe Pokaski with art by Tom Raney (and a brutally beautiful cover by Stjepan Sejic), the third issue of this mini involves the strange royal family of the Inhumans as they deal with the Skrull invasion that is currently sweeping through the Marvel books.

The Inhuman queen, Medusa, knows that the Skrulls have her powerful husband, Black Bolt, captive as well as their son and are surgically tapping into his power to use as a weapon against the Inhumans. I’ve been a fan of the Inhumans since reading Fantastic Four comics as a kid. They’ve always been so weird, so visually interesting and so aloof that they captured my imagination probably in more ways than a lot of the Marvel characters. The back story on them is that they were created by the Kree, aliens that resemble us except for their blue skin, to be weapons directed against the Skrulls. A big battle was to take place many, many years ago but it never happened…until now. Which is what makes this mini so cool in that I love the Inhumans and they finally get to fight the battle they were made for. The art in here is well done and the action and dynamic between the characters makes this a book worth picking up. Grade: A

Wildstorm: Gears of War #1

You know, bad games make bad comic books and good games make…well, they usually make bad comic books or at least painfully average ones. I love the Gears of War game that this is based on but the comic doesn’t have much going for it except pretty visuals. It has the essence of the game but this just works better as a game. Writer Joshua Ortega and artist Liam Sharp do their best but this just feels like a way to cash in on the game’s success. Hell, it’ll probably work…I picked up the damn comic. So, again, great game….mediocre comic. Grade: C-

Marvel Comics: Deadpool #3

Yes! Yes! Yes! I’m loving me some Deadpool! I’ve always liked the character but really only read his first mini-series and about the first 10 issues of his first on-going (this one, is volume 3 btw). But damn, this comic is a buttload of fun. This 3rd issue continues with Deadpool’s infiltration aboard a Skrull ship to wreak havoc and do a little espionage in the process of all the havoc wreakin’. Yep, we’re dealing with the Skrulls here as it seems is the deal of the day on all of Marvel’s books with the Secret Invasion storyline but it’s pretty freakin’ funny here. Writer Daniel Way kicks ass by really getting you inside the insane melon of Deadpool and artist Paco Medina delves out detailed pencils that capture every nuance of humor and violence. I LOVE THIS BOOK!!! Grade: A+

Cover of the Week: Gen 13 #23

Almost makes me want to read it again!

Until Next Time–Peace…

As comic book companies like to do with their “milestone” issues, issue 25 here is double-sized….and contains a story that has many elements that we’ve seen in other titles that have been executed better. But there are some good things here and that cover is pretty kick-ass, huh?

Written by Dwayne McDuffie with art by several artists including the regular penciler Ed Benes (this guy really does a fantastic job!), this is part of the continuing saga of what is up with Vixen’s powers. The chick normally can replicate the abilities of any animal but lately she has been replicating the abilites of her JLA teammates and it’s causing her to freak out. So, she visits Animal Man, who has powers like hers but like hers his are all wonky as well and both characters discover that they have gaps in their memory. It all concerns the machinations of the evil African spider god, Anansi and that’s where the story seems familiar. You get the twisting of reality and alternate takes on the members of the Justice League. This is a plot device that I’m sick of seeing in comics. Quit with the alternate reality bullcrap. It’s a very tired scenario that we see all the time in comics. One thing I will give props to in this issue besides some really cool art is the characterization is well done and reminds me why I love these characters. But I really miss writer Brad Meltzer on the title. You want a stellar DC team title, read Justice Society of America. It rocks! JLA lately has been pretty run of the mill. Grade: C

DC Comics: Tor #6 ( of 6 )

Man, I’ve had a lot of fun reading this series! This is old school comic book goodness here written and drawn by comics legend, Joe Kubert. It’s not deep but if you like adventure, dinosaurs, monsters, primal heroes and straight forward storytelling then you can’t go wrong here. Issue 6 has the stone age hero, Tor, beginning his journey home from the strange land he’s spent the last 5 issues in. With him are a woman with indigo skin and a half human/ape boy. Oh yeah, they have a run-in with a horny Abominable Snowman dude. I’m telling ya, this is fun stuff! Grade: A

DC Comics: DC Universe – Decisions #2 ( of 4 )

This mini, written by Judd Winick and Bill Willingham with art by Howard Porter, is about the presidential race in the DC Universe. The first issue was decent and had some great moments but this issue trounces that one. But I’m also a little biased as this issue starts out with a fist fight between two of my favorite DC characters, Green Lantern and Green Arrow. The ring comes off and the quiver hits the floor and the fists fly along with some great dialogue between two characters who have a ton of history between them. The tension is all because of Green Arrow endorsing a presidential candidate and the Justice League having major issues with him stating his political views publicly. There’s not a lot of action here but the premise is very intriguing and seeing how some of the characters feel politically is as well. A cool and topical read. Grade: A-

Cover of the Week: Marvel Comics – Sub-Mariner: The Depths #2

Until next time– Peace…