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Friday, March 29, 2013

Comic Reviews 3/29/13

Title: ULTIMATE COMICS WOLVERINE
Issue Number: 1
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Cullen Bunn
Artist: David Messina
Inker: Gary Erskine
Colors: Javier Tartaglia
Letters: Joe Caramagna
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero



In the Marvel Ultimate Universe Wolverine was killed by Magneto. Later we
learned that he had a son, Jimmy Hudson, with the same healing abilities and
claws. Jimmy has been a key member of the Ultimate X-Men headed up by Kitty
Pride. Before he died Logan left a hologram message for Jimmy that Kitty
delivered to him. Jimmy has been searching for more information about his
origins since then. This series is about both Logan and Jimmy. It starts with a
flashback set in Missouri years ago where Logan is heading up a government team
on alert about an organization or project called Mothervine. There is a rally
going on for a likely presidential candidate, Senator Lee and the team is
scanning the crowd for their target. But the danger comes from an unlikely
source, a young girl whose apparent mutant ability was just triggered by the
whispers from a man in the crowd. The team sees her as the threat but Logan
holds them back while Lee's security prepare to take lethal measures. Whoever
activated her is the real threat and the lead they have been looking for. This
scene is the set up for the real plot in the present time. As Jimmy listens to
Logan's message to him the technopath among the X-Men, Garab Bashur - aka Black
Box, finds underlying data indicating Mothervine is calling her children.
Convinced this was purposely part of Logan's message the two will travel on
their own to see where it leads. Elsewhere we learn that Mothervine is aware
they have been compromised and there is another mutant looking for more than
just answers. So this story is more than just Jimmy wanting to know more about
his father. It is about Logan assuring Jimmy he did not regret the choices he
made in life and that Jimmy must make his own. The addition of the other mutant
will prove interesting, considering his role in the Ultimate universe up to this
point. It may eventually mean their purposes and motives are at odds with each
other. The art is very good in all aspects. I think this is a fine addition to
the Ultimate story at this point.

Title: SUPERBOY
Issue Number: 18
Title Story: Mind Your Manners
Publisher: DC
Writers: Scott Lobdell & Tom DeFalco with Tony Lee
Artists: R.B. Silva & Iban Coello
Inkers: Rob Lean & Denis Frietas
Colors: Richard & Tanya Horie
Letters: Travis Lanham
Cover Artist: Brett Booth & Norm Rapmund with Andrew Dalhouse
Price (USD): $2.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero



Once again I am looking at one of the New 52 titles I have not been following. I
frankly was not that interested in SUPERBOY or the related titles TEEN TITANS or
the RAVAGERS from my first samples. So I decided to see what Superboy is up to
now that the H'el on Earth arc has finished. It opens with Superboy returning
millions of dollars to a bank vault. No explanation is given as to why he took
it in the first place but that he apparently has gained a conscience and plans
to turn himself in to the authorities. Unfortunately his plan is interrupted by
a being of living fire called Plasmus who plans to take money to get back at the
corporations who made him this way. He seems to be a peripheral character to the
main plot as elsewhere in Manhattan we see a diminutive mentalist scamming rich
people with his power. He is Dr. Psycho and he is hiding from the H.I.V.E. who
want his power. Does that make him a small medium at large? As the battle
between Superboy and Plasmus spills out onto the streets Dr. Psycho senses
Superboy's telekinetic power and wants to siphon some of it for his own use.
Reaching out with his mind Psycho is suddenly pulled into Superboy's mind where
he sees some of his memories. This is something his power never did before.
Strangely enough this will lead Psycho to Lex Luthor and the tease is that
Luthor will reveal the secret origin of Superboy?  Well, that may be worth
sticking around next time if you are interested. There is another brief story in
the back called "Good Boy" by Scott Lobdell and Ken Lashley that is about an
alien female that just crash landed in the Amazon and is immediately set upon by
a group of aliens unlike her that mean her harm. Fortunately for her a familiar
canine is nearby. What this has to do with Superboy or the other plot is
unclear. It seems to be just another plot to be developed later. This issue was
okay but leaves a lot of questions unanswered. The art is decent but there is
not enough here to get me to come back for more - not even Superboy's secret.
Your opinion may be different.

Title: THOR: GOD OF THUNDER
Issue Number: 6
Title Story: What the Gods Have Wrought
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Butch Guice
Inker: Tom Palmer
Colors: Ive Svorcina
Letters: Joe Sabino
Cover Artist: Esad Ribic
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero


Someone recently mentioned this title to me so I picked up the latest issue to
see for myself. I turns out I seemed to have picked an issue where the title
character is nowhere to be found. Evidently this may be part of a longer arc,
but it is not noted as such. The reason Thor is not in this issue is that it is
all about a centuries old being called Gorr The God Butcher. He has vowed to
kill all deities across the cosmos and has been at it for a very long time.
According to the intro he has encountered Thor numerous times across the
centuries but now he has revealed a horrific end game to his mad quest. So this
is a break, or perhaps a prelude, to his latest encounter with the gods of
Asgard. His story begins 3000 years ago on an unnamed planet far away. He is a
young child alone with his recently widowed mother. They are trying to eke out a
living on a mostly desolate place. If the heat and lack of food don't kill them
the predators will. Through all their hardships his mother counsels him to honor
the gods and count his blessing - they will always provide. He still does not
understand why his father died even though they made the sacrifices to the gods
but she is adamant in her belief. Well, we can guess where this is going at this
point. Years later as a grown man he has children of his own and a pregnant wife
but living conditions have not changed. They are all starving and yet his wife
repeats the same things Gorr's mother had told him, "put your life in the hands
of the sky gods, they will provide." Tragedy after tragedy strikes those he
loves with no intervention from the gods though. When he refuses to follow the
rituals the tribe has set for the disposal of the dead he is shunned by them as
well. Alone with no faith or hope he just wants to die and be done with it. It
is at such an appropriate point in his life when he comes across two beings that
crashed to the planet from beyond the sky. It is the events that unfold next
that provide him with the will to carry on, and the power to begin a new quest -
to find and kill all the gods in the skies. It is a fascinating origin that
makes us believe how and why Gorr is on this quest. The final scene shows him on
what appears to be his own world. He has taken many gods lives but it here we
see what he is doing with those not yet dead, one is a very familiar Asgardian.
The story by itself is very good. It is scripted and drawn very well. Even the
observation the prisoner makes near the end is an obvious conclusion that
emphasizes what Gorr has become. I liked this issue a lot and will probably
check a few more out to see the big picture.


Title: ALIENS VS. PARKER
Issue Number: 1 (of 4)
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Creators/Writers: Paul Scheer & Nick Giovannetti
Artist: Manuel Bracchi
Colors: Vladimir Popov
Letters: Deron Bennett
Cover Artist: Phil Noto
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Science Fiction




This is an interesting space opera type story. It opens with a bunch of guys
fighting the Rakk'nar on a moon somewhere out there and as they have some
progress superior forces soon attack them until Parker shows up in the drop ship
to rescue them. What we soon find out is that this is only a video game and the
main characters are on a break from their real job as employees of Space-Ex the
space delivery service of the future. They basically pick up people and/or their
stuff and deliver it to other planets. There are five of them and Parker is the
title character. Their latest mission is very unusual. It is classified for one
and to their surprise when they get to the pick up location they find United
Space Marine warships waiting for them. The marines are stereotypical big
muscular macho dudes, sort of like the characters these guys pretend to be in
their video games. Another big surprise is that these guys are supposedly just
hired security and the real client is a female civilian. Her story is that the
company she works for lost contact with a mining station on Xeones and so she is
going to investigate. Well this bunch of space mailmen is more than a little
suspicious, and very much bored with life in space transportation. Before long
they decide to follow the marine drop ship and see what is really up. What could
possibly go wrong? The interesting part of this comic is not so much the plot
but the interactions among the main characters. Each has a unique personality
and the banter among them and others has a nice touch of humor that is fun and
believable. Them taking an unauthorized jump planet side on a whim - not so
much. I am guessing there will be much danger and tight situations ahead with
our heroes perhaps outshining the marines eventually. So far it is a fun comic
with decent production values and that makes it worth your time.

Title: SHRUGGED Volume 2
Issue Number: 1
Title Story: New Body To Fear
Publisher: Aspen
Creators: Michael Turner & Frank Mastromauro
Writer: Frank Mastromauro
Artist: Jonathan Marks & Micah Gunnell
Colors: Beth Sotelo
Letters: Josh Reed
Price (USD): $1
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Fantasy



I am not a regular reader of anything from Aspen though I have reviewed a few
titles in the past. Since this one is a new first issue I decided to take a
look. There are a couple of stories involved here going on at the same time and
a third at the end. First we have Theo who is a high school student. If you just
look at his story and the dialogue going on between him and others it seems to
be a typical story of a teenager. He goes to school, hangs with his buddy Thom,
gets paired up with a hot chick Louisa in Biology lab much to the dismay of
Kiori who has taken a liking to him and so on. While all this is going on we
also see the angel and the devil on his shoulders, literally. It is not really
good versus evil though. Angie is very much the one who wants to help keep Theo
focused on important things while Devonshire wants to appeal to his more basic
instincts. Basically he wants him to enjoy the fun in life and she wants him to
take it more slowly. Just how much influence they really have on him is not
really clear. Their dialogue between each other get into incidents from the
previous volume and they involve other-worldly adventures some of which Theo was
involved in. It is all a bit confusing and re-reading sections doesn't help a
lot. The last section takes place in the world where Angie and Devonshire come
from. He is a Neferian and she is an Elysians. On their world the two races have
formed an alliance against a common enemy - again someone from the previous
volume of the series.  This whole work is too jumbled to make it really
enjoyable. It certainly does not stand-alone as it refers too much to the prior
series. It may help boost sales to have a new number one but you cannot ignore
the need for new readers to comprehend what is going on. The fact that Devon and
Angie argue about what Theo should be doing and how they have to influence him
makes little sense when nothing in this issue indicates they have any influence
on his behavior. The back-story from the previous adventures involving the
Neferians and Elysians may have some bearing on all this but it is too difficult
to keep straight. The art is the best part of the book but it is not enough to
carry things for me.

Title: WOLVERINE
Issue Number: 1
Title Arc: Hunting Season
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Paul Cornell
Artist: Alan Davis
Inker: Mark Farmer
Colors: Matt Hollingsworth
Letters: Cory Petit
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero



Wolverine has two first issues this week. This one is the one in the normal
Marvel Universe. This series is just one more in a whole slew of comics he
already appears in. The editorial comments mention that this one will feature
him more on his own - that is not at the school or with other X-Men or the
Avengers. That does not mean other Marvel characters won't appear. In fact two
are promised for next issue. But this first issue is all about the main man on
his own with a rather unusual opponent. There is a man with some sort of
disintegration weapon that leaves the bones behind. In an indoor mall he has
already claimed several victims, others are bound by some kind of energy bands
and are kneeling around him. His son is standing nearby talking to Logan who was
also shot but is healing fast but the father is escalating and it appear the son
will be his last victim before he commits suicide. But he is not the unusual
opponent I spoke about. Wolverine manages to make his move and diffuse the
situation the only way he can to spare the remaining hostages and the son. As
the riot squad moves in to secure the scene the boy approaches Logan with
questions and then takes control of both the cops and Logan amazingly and grabs
the ray gun himself.  Either he and his father were more than they appear or
something else is at work. The hook of this first issue is not so much the
action when things are happening but the surprise of the young boy becoming the
aggressor and doing a pretty good job of it. There are some lighter moments
before the boy takes over between Logan and the female cop in charge, which
makes the sudden change of pace more pronounced later. But in all it is nothing
outstanding - just interesting. I like Davis and Farmer's work and they do their
usual good job. If you can't get enough of Wolverine this is for you. So far it
is not something I can get excited about.


Title: POISON ELVES
Issue Number: 1
Title Story: Presumed Dead
Publisher: Ape Entertainment
Creator: Drew Hayes
Writer: Robb Horan
Artist: Montos
Letters: Deron Bennett
Price (USD): $2.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Fantasy
Mature Readers



This is a revival of an old series created by Drew Hayes who passed away some
six years ago. I have never read an issue though I remember seeing it on the
racks in the old days. As your humble reviewer I decided I should give it a look
to see what it is all about. Bob Horan has taken much effort to move the
characters and story forward from where it left off. This is not an easy task
after a long hiatus. He has to educate new readers as to the history of the last
80 issues or so while satisfying long time fans who need more than a lot of
recap. Fortunately Keith Davidson provides the basic background in a two-page
summary in the back material called The Poison Elves Primer. I would recommend
that new readers go to this first. Although the main story gives the gist of
most of what is going on and why this primer provides a lot more information
without having to tell a new tale at the same time. In the world of Amrahly'nn
the Dark Wars between the Dark Army of the trolls and the rest of the beings on
the planet. They would have wiped everything out had Elves not risen to the
cause and finally defeat the trolls wiping all but a few that fled to the
wilderness. After that humanity arose to become the dominant life on the
continents, the dwarves retreated to their underground kingdoms and the elves
also kept to their own concerns while the trolls and their allies became the
stuff of legends. That was ages ago. The main stories began in 1513 when a rogue
elf called Lusiphur Malache unwittingly unleashed evil back into the world when
he slew a certain demon. Lusiphur became a marked man among every society and
trouble followed him everywhere. But his fortune turned when he befriended Elvin
soldier Jace San Lanagraith. They got a chance at redemption when they fell into
possession of the Elvin Fire, the greatest power in the world sought by the
forces of good and evil alike. After facing many adversaries along the way they
brought the Elvin Fire to the Elvin High Council and in exchange for their
lives, which would have been forfeit for past crimes, the two became personal
agents of the wizard Mogre-Ur. As their story ended prior to this issue Lusiphur
was forced to leave Jace and their charge Wisp trapped in the troll stronghold
at Fell Keep. As this issue opens Lusiphur has begun to mount a rescue mission.
The story is told from the perspective of Jace's journal as he writes in 1527
but the story itself takes place twenty years earlier. It follows Lusiphur and
his companions the human Bob and the pixie Petunia. It will involve Lusiphur
meeting with the wizard, getting into a fight with a retired Elvin general with
surprising results, and having a conversation with his sword that changes all
his plans. Oh, and his ex-wife is also involved.  Parts of this whole thing are
amusing and at times interesting but for me it fails to rouse sufficient
interest to keep with it. There is just too much history to plough through and a
lot of emotion between the players that alludes to the past. I realize the main
point - a lot of the players want to rescue Jace - but there is a lot of things
going on that hinder everyone getting on the same wavelength to accomplish that
goal. It may be a welcome return for old time fans but I do not see enough to
interest new readers.

Title: DARK AVENGERS
Issue Number: 188
Title Story: Agents of Thunder
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Jeff Parker
Artist: Neil Edwards
Inker: Terry Pallot
Colors: Chris Sotomayor
Letters: Joe Caramagna
Cover Artist: Joe Quinones
Price (USD): $2.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero



I never was attracted to this title when it first came out but I decided to see
what the latest issue is all about. The Dark Avengers are Toxie Doxie, Trick
Shot, Al Apaic, Ragnarok and Moonstone. The story 'til now explains that the
group was on its way to the Raft prison when they were teleported to an
alternate reality along with their warden USAgent where New York is divided in
factions controlled by that Earth's heroes. Moonstone has been capture by this
world's Dr. Strange along with Skarr and forced to provoke war between Warlord
(Ben) Grimm and the rest of the Earth. Toxie has freed Trick Shot, Al Apaic and
USAgent from the evil Tony Stark and his weak-willed assistant Hank Pym but
Ragnarok, the Thor clone is still in their clutches. Stark is preparing for an
attack from Namor and the minions of Atlantis. As the story begins Moonstone has
been mortally wounded by Grimm's minions. On that battlefield two agents of
A.I.M. have been watching while shifted slightly out of phase with this
dimension but their equipment has malfunctioned enough for them to be seen and
attacked by Skarr. This world's Reed Richards is allied with Skarr and he
realizes theses spies are connected with the people who are manipulating events.
It is a bit complex situation to jump into at this point but the individual
scenes are easy to comprehend on their own. One major scene is in Hell's kitchen
where Daredevil and his faction have captured Toxie and the others and they are
webbed to the wall by this world's Spiderman who has evolved into a non-speaking
hero with amazing new powers of perception and mind-controlled webs. It is up to
the prisoners to convince DD that they are working against Strange. Spider-Man
will be the key to what happens next. Meanwhile Tony is forcing Pym to make a
neutron bomb though it appears Hank is finally growing a spine. The two main
plots move faster as the assault on Dr. Strange begins. There is a lot going on
and things may reach a major climax soon. I did get into most of it though the
scenes with Skarr, Grimm and Reed refers to things not explained in the recap.
Not being all that familiar with the Dark Avengers it is sometimes difficult to
realize who they are and who is from this alternate world. I would give this one
a passing grade for effort, although the alternate reality premise is overused
in my opinion as evidenced by my next review. Still the art is good. The whole
thing did not engage me enough to want to read the next issue so that is the
final word.

Title: X-TERMINATION
Issue Number: 1
Publisher: Marvel
Story: David Lapham, Marjorie Liu & Greg Pak
Writer: David Lapham
Artist: David Lopez
Inkers: Alvaro Lopez and Allen Martinez
Colors: Andres Mossa
Letters: Chris Eliopoulos
Cover Artist: Ed McGuinness & Morry Hollowell
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero


The lineup for this crossover event features over two-dozen major characters
from three series. This also involves characters crossing dimensional barriers.
We have two mutants from the Age of Apocalypse, Nightcrawler and Dark Beast, who
will provide the catalyst for action as they join forces to try to get back
where they belong. Meanwhile The Astonishing X-Men lead by Wolverine are
tracking down Nightcrawler for a vengeance murder he committed. Elsewhere the
transdimensional team known as the X-Treme X-Men has found that the barrier
between dimensions in Multiverse is becoming unstable. So the question posed as
the story starts is what effect will Nightcrawler & Beast have on that barrier
by the method they use to get home? It is Dark Beast that comes up with the plan
and it involves the Dreaming Celestial in Golden Gate Park. Essentially they
will get inside and if Beast's theory is correct they should be able to emerge
in any reality they desire by manipulating the cosmic energy of the Celestial.
Naturally at a critical moment Wolverine and the rest show up and indeed things
go wrong. This one event is the thing that will bring together all of the cast
as a dimensional breach like no other opens into New Apocalypse. Here members of
the X-Terminated want Dark Beast to pay for his crimes. Wolverine and his crew
want to take Nightcrawler back with them against the wishes of X-Terminated. And
as if it isn't crowded enough already the X-Treme X-Men show up because the
dimensional rift is threatening destruction to all reality. It doesn't get much
bigger than that. Oh wait, it does! Can three teams of X-Men handle what comes
next? This comic has affirmed something I decided a long time ago - don't read
any more X-Men crossover events. To me it seems like the effort is being made to
portray the situation as disastrous as possible and only the fabulous X-Men will
be able to prevail in the end. We have the usual posturing as the good guys
threaten the bad guys and each other while all reality is beginning to unravel.
No doubt before it is over one or more of the characters will be killed - not
Logan or any other regular long time character but there is plenty of fodder in
X-Terminated and X-Treme to work with. It is not worth going any further. I
realize hard-core fans love this kind of thing. For entertaining comics
involving mutants I'll stick with a well-written comic with self-contained
stories featuring characters that grow and evolve and hold my interest. I am
talking about X-FACTOR.

Title: CONSTANTINE
Issue Number: 1
Title Story: The Price We Pay
Title Arc: The Spark and the Flame
Publisher: DC
Writers: Ray Fawkes & Jeff Lemire
Artist: Renato Guedes
Colors: Marcelo Maiolo
Letters: Sal Cipriano
Price (USD): $2.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Supernatural



Well it took them long enough but DC finally got around to restarting yet
another of its longest running comics, changing the title and giving it a new
number 1 issue. Many probably don't realize that with the demise of the
numbering of ACTION and DETECTIVE COMICS, HELLBLAISER held the new longevity
title. More and more over the years DC has brought Constantine into mainstream
DC - not so much Vertigo anymore so maybe it fits that they make the effort to
boost sales with a new first issue. One thing that appealed to me right away
with this story is that it involves a teenager who is troubled but can lead John
to a mystical device that can be used to find the source of any form of magic.
It is something both good and evil people would want to own. It is just the kind
of thing Constantine would want to hide away from those people. There are three
parts to Croydon's Compass scattered about. The trail first takes them to Norway
and even in route adversaries begin to attempt to thwart his efforts. The set up
for what awaits them has already been previewed in various DC comics. It appears
that good magicians gone bad are planning something and the first one of them
John will encounter is Sargon the Sorceress. This story has a little of
everything for this type of story. There is a large than life plot with mystical
characters but there are also human adversaries and real world threats.
Constantine always manages to see a solution but getting there often means hard
choices. While this is part of a larger story it has its own beginning, middle
and end. The writer's style is appealing and the art team does a splendid job.
Regardless of the whole first issue gimmick it is a worthwhile comic.

Title: NOVA
Issue Number: 2
Title Story: Believe
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Jeph Loeb
Artist: Ed McGuinness
Inker: Dexter Vines
Colors: Marte Gracia
Letters: Albert Deschesne
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero



I was so intrigued by the first issue of this new series I decided to look at
the second to see the rest of the origin of the new Nova. In the previous issue
we met Sam Alexander, a teenager from a small town in Arizona. He grew up
listening to his dad tell stories of space adventures with an elite group of
space peacekeepers called the Nova Corp. The Black Novas or Supernovas was the
cream of the corp and allied with non-members like the green assassin lady
Gamora and a talking raccoon being called Rocket. Alex believed these stories to
be made up fantasies by a dad who wanted his kids to think of him as something
more than a janitor with a drinking problem. We know different as we saw Jesse
really was a Supernova and had given up the service for his family. But Jesse
has disappeared and through a bad circumstance Alex ended up in the hospital
where he was stunned to find both Gamora and Rocket in his room when he awoke.
They wanted to talk to him about his father but the kid freaked out at the sight
of a talking raccoon! The meeting had to be cut short at that and Sam was left
with his father's helmet, still not believing in the myth. There is not much
else to the plot except what happens when Sam decides to put on the helmet
triggering not only the power it contains but also a pre-recorded message from
his father. As it all sinks in Sam realizes his life has changed and now he can
do incredible things. After he is discharged when his injuries have miraculously
healed and he is taken home by his mother he decides to experiment with his new
abilities. Now kids are kids and his enthusiasm over the incredible power of the
Nova helmet will take him somewhere he should not be, much to the chagrin of the
resident there as revealed on the last page.  This issue combines well with the
first to complete the initial origin of Nova. There is much more to come and he
has more to learn about the Nova helmet and his dad's friends. The script has
just the right amount characterization for the key players. It is a traditional
approach to the super hero origin with power thrust upon an unsuspecting teen
that has some issues but is basically a good person. I like the approach to
easing him into his new role and the bits of humor that keep things on the light
side at this point. The art is top notch from start to finish. I recommend you
pick up these first two issues as interest in this title is bound to gain
momentum, as the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY movie gets closer to release.

Title: BATMAN BEYOND UNLIMITED
Issue Number: 14
Title Story: Legends of the Dark Knight: Dana
Publisher: DC
Writer: Adam Beechen
Artist: Peter Nguyen
Inker: Craig Yeung
Colors: Andrew Elder
Letters: Saida Temofonte
Cover Artist: Ryan Benjamin
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero/Cartoon Adaptation


The BATMAN BEYOND series began as an adaptation of one of the better super hero
cartoon shows based on DC characters. The comics have gained a following as well
and lived beyond the life of the TV show. DC restarted the comic incorporating
not just the future Batman but also other heroes of the era with shorter backup
stories in this new title now up to #14. This "Beyond" universe is set in the
future. Bruce Wayne had long retired from crime fighting when Terry McGinnis
stumbled on his secret. Terry has overcome tragedy in his life and his
intelligence and skills gained him Bruce's respect and blessing and so now Terry
fights crime in Gotham City as Batman Beyond. This chapter of his story turns
out to be a turning point in his career. There has been a tragic incident
involving the Joker Gang with many people hurt in an explosion including Bruce
Wayne and the father of Terry's girlfriend Dana Tan. It turns out Dana's brother
was involved with the Jokers and has paid the ultimate price for his crimes. But
this story is about the aftermath and a decisions Dana has made.  The first is
with her family as the relation between her father and brother were always
strained. Then she decides to have a long talk with both Terry and Bruce about
what she has known for a long time, that Terry is really Batman. How the all
turns out is the crux of the story. The epilogue is fitting as well and in its
own way rather ironic. The story serves to end some plots, resolve dangling
issues and keep the adventures moving forward in a new way. The art as always
stays true to the animation style of the cartoons.  It is a terrific comic for
all ages.

But wait - there's more!

"A Gift From Above" by JT Krul, Howard Porter, Livesay & Carrie Strachan

This first backup is a story involving Superman set in the same time period. It
starts years ago as Superman in his familiar red, blue and yellow costume came
across a planet where a race of feral creatures called Mangals were abused and
forced into slavery by the more dominant race. He helped free them to return to
their forest habitat and build a new future. As we flash forward Superman, now
in his future black and white togs is back on the planet but the old oppressors,
the Trillians, have him captive. His friends the Mangals are shooting their way
in to rescue their "savior". As he is rescued and returns to the Mangals'
habitat he learns many things. The first is that they revere him as nearly a
god. The other is that they want his help in eliminating the Trillians entirely.
This is one of those Superman stories where he has to help those he should but
not too much less they become what they hate. This is the first part of the
story and we see that the Trillians have a master plan as well. Even set in the
far future the Man of Steel has to maintain his values and will hopefully set
things right. This is a decent filler story.

"Flashdrive" by Derek Fridolfs, Jorge Corona, Derek Fridolfs and Nick Filardi

The final story involves the Flash of the Beyond era. She is Danica, a young
teen with the Flash power. What is unique about her is that she communicates in
her head with the previous Flashes - Bart, Wally and others - who are evidently
residing in the Speed Force. This brief story finds her at the opening day of
the new Flash Museum but she is not the main attraction. A villain named
Mindslide has taken over and the current Justice League, less Superman, are
trying to stop him. They are failing badly. It will be up to her and her half
dozen back seat driver Flashes to save the day.  It is a solid story for a new
hero's baptism of fire as she proves she can see the solution to the problem
without any help from her predecessors. She also gets a deserved reward from
Superman in the end.  The best part, after the main plot is resolved, is her
challenge to Superman - in the tradition of those before her she wants a foot
race to see who is the fastest person alive. It brought a smile to my face.

                                    *****
TRIVIA CONTEST!!!!     WIN REAL PRIZES!!!!!


If you think you know the answer to the trivia question send your guess via
Email to me at ComicBkNet@aol.com and you could win the prize. The first six
correct answers will be assigned a number and a roll of the dice will determine
the winner. You should put your real name in your message so we know who you
are. Prizes must be claimed at our store within 30 days of winning. The prize
will be a $10 credit slip, which will be redeemable for merchandise at regular
retail or in-store ongoing specials only.  Only one prize per person will be
allowed per every 4 weeks. I will be the sole judge of the correct answer even
if more than one answer could be correct. Submit only one answer per Email
please but guess as often as you like.

Last week's trivia question:
In 1991, the first issue of BONE appeared, X-MEN began with a new #1 - setting
an all time sales record - and one of the first modern comic books to appear in
the former Soviet Union was a Russian version of WHICH character?


The character in question was Mickey Mouse. The winner by the dice is Keith
Martin.

Here was your no prize question:
What unique circumstance in Major League Baseball occurred at Ebbets Field on
August 15, 1926?


One of baseball's most baffling moments occurred in a game between the Brooklyn
Dodgers and Boston Braves. Three Dodgers - Dizzy Vance, Chick Fewster and Babe
Herman - all somehow ended up on third base at the same time, stunning fans,
players, and umpires alike. Umpires eventually called both Fewster and Herman
out.

THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION:
When Jack Kirby switched to DC in the 70's he introduced many new characters to
the DC Universe.  Which major supporting character was introduced in Jack's
debut issue at DC in 1970?


Folks, you never know who among the readers is knowledgeable about the question
so don't hesitate to send in an answer - even days after it appears.


Friday, March 15, 2013

Comic Reviews 3/15/13

My View                                     
David LeBlanc
ComicBkNet@aol.com

David LeBlanc was the Editor of the Comic Book Network Electronic Magazine for
over ten years. He is a life-long fan of comics and moderated online comic book
forums long before the Internet became the place to be. David works part-time at
THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT, the Eisner-winning comic store in Worcester, MA.


REVIEWS

The comics reviewed are chosen by David not by THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT management
or staff. The opinions expressed are his alone. If you have an opposing view you
are welcome to respond to David directly by Email at the address above.


Title: AGE OF ULTRON
Issue Number: 1 (of 10)
Title Story: Book One
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Bryan Hitch
Inker: Paul Neary
Colors: Paul Mounts
Letters: Cory Petit
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero




This is the kick off of the next Marvel event that will run for ten issues and
tie in to a few other titles. They even provide a recap of what has gone before
at the start. "Hank Pym of the Avengers created the artificial intelligence
known as Ultron. It hates humanity.and it has returned." That is all you need to
know presumably as the issue drops you right into the middle of a reshaped
Manhattan - half destroyed rubble of what it was and half enormous structures
that are futuristic techno-buildings. The opening page says only "New York City,
Today." That begs the question, if this is "today" when did all this stuff
happen? We are left to ponder that assuming we will be filled in on the detail
in a later issue. I am guessing some sort of time travel related work is at
play, but that is just a guess. The story is presented in two parts. Most of the
issue is Hawkeye on a mission to rescue Spider-Man who is being held in one of
the few standing apartment buildings by the Owl, Hammerhead and a bunch of
thugs. They evidently have an arrangement with "the big guy", presumably Ultron,
that if they turn over any heroes they will get a free pass. It is the same old
story - the good guys are looking at the long-term big picture, the salvation of
humanity, while the bad guys are looking short time for their own needs. This is
a pretty gruesome kick off with lots of violence, first among the humans, which
catches the attention of the Ultron patrolling robots. It does not end well for
some.  The second part shows us the heroes in their hiding place trying to hold
it together while they come up with a plan. This small group includes Luke Cage,
She Hulk, Tony Stark, Emma Frost, Sue Storm, Wolverine, Captain America and a
few others still in the shadows. They are in makeshift quarters in the sewers
and have to take extreme precautions that none of their own has been infected in
any way that will lead Ultron to them. This issue highlights the attitudes at
this point. Again we do not know how things got from normal to this situation or
how long that took.  Some are overly cautious; some like Hawkeye will not give
up their values no matter what the risk. And one, a big surprise, seems totally
despondent. Some are overly cautious about compromising their situation, others
are mad that the brains among them have not come up with better defenses or an
attack plan. This really sets the mood for what will be coming in the future.
Another thing I noticed, Peter no longer has his mask so I guess everyone knows
who Spider-man is. I think the structure of the plot in this fashion works well
for this story. It gets us right to the heart of the problem without a lot of
details so we can appreciate the seriousness of the situation. The art is
terrific and with some parts having no dialogue at all it is important to be
visually dynamic to move the plot. I also like that Hawkeye is a stand out
character risking it all to save his friends while doing anything he has to do
to that end. There is a lot of story yet to tell and I am definitely going to
see it through.

Title: GREAT PACIFIC
Issue Number: 5
Title Arc: Trashed
Publisher: Image
Creators: Joe Harris & Martin Morazzo
Writer: Joe Harris
Artist: Martin Morazzo
Colors: Tiza Studio
Letters: Doug E. Sherwood
Price (USD): $2.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Science Fiction




This ongoing series has an interesting premise. Half way between North America
and Asia there is a new continent made of trash, mostly plastic, discarded over
years by humanity into the Pacific Ocean. The currents have brought all this
together into a landmass that Chas Worthington, heir to a great oil fortune, has
decided to claim and dub New Texas. Over the first few issues we learned that
Chas faked his own death to fly under the radar while exploring his new country.
While exploring the place he found he is not alone. He is being stalked by
hostile tribesmen from some nearby island who also worship a great sea monster
lurking around and under the Gyre as their god Yalafath. Recently a plane
crashed on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and Chas is traveling with the female
pilot to escape the monster and the natives. Her motives are not entirely clear
but that may change quickly. Just to mix things up the place is under satellite
surveillance by the military that have Chas' friend and partner in protective
custody. As this latest chapter opens we find see that the female pilot, Zoe, is
working with a band of thugs who fashion themselves modern day pirates. Her
purpose was to find something stuck on the Patch - a Soviet satellite filled
with nuclear arms that was lost days after it was launched years ago. Zoe was
tasked with finding it and the pirates will cash in when they sell it. Presently
they have Chas bound and hanging from his feet. They consider Chas unnecessary
but Zoe warns them he is more valuable as a ransom hostage since he comes from
wealth. Is she just being ruthless or has she taken a liking to Chas and would
rather not see him killed? But Chas has something up his sleeve, or rather in
his belt pouch. Research he funded developed a device he calls HERO. It is
capable of turning hydrocarbons like plastic into any state he wishes. It is
part of his grand plan for the tons of plastic on the Patch. By the end of this
issue there is mutiny in the ranks, the natives reveal themselves to be more
than they seem and the US military make their move. This is a fast paced
adventure with lots going on and plenty of mystery along the way. Harris puts a
lot of sarcastic humor in his script making it all the more enjoyable. Marazzo
is a very good artist. The amount of detail in nearly every panel is amazing,
considering the "ground" is all bottles and cans. Things get more interesting
each issue and it is not too late to catch up on this title while its popularity
is growing.

Title: HELHEIM
Issue Number: 1
Publisher: Oni Press
Writer: Cullen Bunn
Artist: Joelle Jones
Colors: Nick Filardi
Letters: Ed Brisson
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Mythology/Supernatural






I am not a big fan of this type of fiction but I like to sample first issues in
general and have not read much from Oni Press for a long time. The setting is
somewhere in Northern Europe in 580 A.D. (kudos to Bunn for not using the more
politically correct C.E. designation) Rikard and his father Kirk are running
back to their stockade village after an unsuccessful mission to kill the witch
Groa. They are pursued by her men and their demon dogs but must make a stand at
the gates of the village, lest the enemy gain entrance. It seems to be over when
the bad guys retreat. We see that life in this camp is less than idyllic. In
fact Kirk blames their troubles with Groa and her minions on Rikard's woman
Bera. This belief is reinforced when the spirits of their slain enemies rise
from their bodies and animate skeletons of other dead to renew the attack in a
more supernatural way. Yes these night creatures truly do seek Bera and it is
only after tragedy strikes that Kirk learns the truth about Bera and the meaning
of a vision Rikard had earlier that day. This story turned out to be more
interesting than I thought it would be. There is strong element of the
supernatural involved here that is too key to the plot to give away. It moves
forward at a good pace and provides a couple of surprises as it reaches the end
of the first issue. The art team is very competent with good panel placement
being very noticeable. In several places the art carries the story forward on
its own. The coloring is strong enough to not distract and adds nicely in scenes
involving a certain ghost. As I said, it is better than I expected and is worth
checking out.

Title: WORLD'S FINEST
Issue Number: 10
Title Story: Some Things You Can Change, Some You Can't.
Publisher: DC
Writer: Paul Levitz
Artist: Kevin Maguire
Colors: Rosemary Cheetham
Letters: Carlos M. Mangual
Price (USD): $2.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero




I picked another of the New 52 that I have not been following to see what is
going on now.  WORLD'S FINEST was a second wave book so it is only up to #10. I
also chose it because it has a peripheral connection to the Batman family and
deals with the recent death of Robin. In case you don't know this title involves
a different dynamic duo, Huntress and Power Girl. They are both from Earth 2, a
terrific comic so far, and were transported to our Earth in a climactic event on
that Earth that apparently saw the deaths of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.
Helena and Kara are making their way on this Earth as a team while hoping
eventually to return to their own. The other key fact is that Huntress is Helena
Wayne, the daughter of Earth 2 Batman, Bruce Wayne. She was his Robin on that
world. Elsewhere in New 52 comics we know that Kara had been seeing Michael Holt
aka Mr. Terrific. As we open this issue Power Girl is on a one-woman hunt for
against various facilities owned by Holt Industries. She somehow sparked a
thunderstorm that damaged one lab and is about to set off an earthquake in
another facility in Silicon Valley. Though we are not brought up to speed as to
why this is going on her monologue mentions raiders who came to her island and
that are somehow connected to Holt. After she does her thing and returns to
Starr island Helena has already left for LA to use her detective skills at Holt
HQ to find out if or why the long-missing Michael Holt could have targeted these
two. While snooping she is attacked by T-Spheres and manages to elude them but
before she can resume her mission Kara phones with the news to return
immediately. Yes it is news about Damian, whom she calls her not-quite brother.
By the end of the issue we return to Holt Headquarters to pick up the aftermath
of Helena's break in but the pause in the middle is particularly well done.
Helena visits Damian grave to ponder if this is her fate, to have everyone she
loves taken from her. The end of the scene is the most interesting as she deals
with possibly facing Batman, her not-father. It is handled well. This is not a
bad issue to follow considering it is a section in the middle of an ongoing arc.
Enough is said to understand why the ladies have been placed at odds with Mr.
Terrific. We know he is actually a hero so on the basis on just this issue we
take it he is not directly involved in any criminal activity. It might be worth
staying for a few issues to see how it plays out. Levitz, who by the way
actually first created the Huntress, provides a decent script with some touching
moments while Maguire is a great choice as artist on this title. If you haven't
sampled this title you might want to try this issue.

Title: LOST VEGAS
Issue Number: 1
Title Story: First Hand - Stays in Vegas
Publisher: Image
Creators: Jim McCann & Janet Lee
Writer: Jim McCann
Artist: Janet Lee
Colors: Chris Sotomayor
Letters: Dave Lanphear
Price (USD): $3.50
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Science Fiction




When I glanced at this comic on the rack I first thought the title was LOST
WAGES, which brought back memories of a Steely Dan tune. I always though that
was an apt label for the infamous sin city of the desert. Far in the future the
space station gambling Mecca is known as Lost Vegas. It is really not important
to know the details of how big it is, it is vast, or where it is. We glean from
the story that all the high rollers come here for their pleasures. But the story
is more about the staff as they are all prisoners from various worlds and
cultures. In particular this is the story of one of them who is a human, Roland.
He had the misfortune to try and cheat at poker with faker chips, did not fool
his mark and was only rescued from a severe beating by the sudden interference
of two men who show up to assume his debt and take him with them to Lost Vegas.
Now he is working for the man to pay off his debt like the rest of the servants.
But he has learned over the last five years that with the company taking 95% of
his wages for his room and board he will never be able to pay it down. So the
alternative is to try to an escape. That is the essence of this story.  On this
casino in space all of the various alien's in the same situation as Roland wear
special collars at the start of their shift. These collars transform their image
to humans to present uniform appearances to all the races that show up here to
gamble. His master plan involve a few others, most notably a tech genius who can
modify the collars and an alien who has a unique way of connecting the
conspiracy telepathically, even in the confines of their cells. The basic plan
is to be out on the floor during the shift and at the right moment have the
collar shift Roland's appearance to that of a customer rather than a member of
the staff. Then it will only mean somehow getting a ship to leave on. It is an
interesting set up and the dry run in this first issue serves to familiarize us
with the characters and the setting. This will not be a simple prison escape
adventure as McCann spends time on elements here and there that are sure to play
into the action later. Lee is doing a fine job on the art and Sotomayor does a
real nice coloring job. The only irritation I had was the narrative text, which
is done, in brown lettering on a light brown background. In dimmer light it
becomes hard to read for these old eyes, but that is just me. I enjoyed this
comic. The combination of science fiction, gambling and a prison break works in
this title. You might want to see if you agree.

Title: BEST OF ZENESCOPE SPECIAL EDITION
Publisher: Zenescope Entertainment
Cover Artist: Alfredo Reyes & Ylenia Dinapoli
Price (USD): $6.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Fantasy/Horror




Probably the most eye-catching series of titles on the racks are from Zenescope,
at least to your average male comic fan. They usually feature covers with
alluring females showing a lot of cleavage and sometimes more. This annual-sized
volume collects stories from four of Zenescope's titles, either ongoing or soon
to come, with a bonus story that is a prequel to the upcoming UNLEASHED event.
Here is a brief look at what to expect.

GRIMM FAIRY TALES #8
"Jack and the Beanstalk" is by Joe Tyler, Ralph Tedesco, Chris Moreno and
Melanie Olsen. This most closely follows the Grimm Fairy Tales formula by taking
a well-known story and retelling it in modern times while tying it in to a story
in the book held by Sela, Guardian of the Nexus. In this case Jim is a small
time dealer who needs to hit it big so he and his wife and child can escape the
city to a better life. Looking for that last big score he goes to see his
source, Manny, but instead finds Sela who shows him where his greed is leading
him as revealed in her book. His life parallels that of Jack of beanstalk fame.
We all know the usual version how jack sold the cow for beans and then found
they were magical when the stalk grew into the clouds. All the elements are
there. He climbs and steals the gold, the singing harp and the goose from the
giant. When he is followed down at the end he has to cut down the stalk. The
question is will the ending of this version convince Jim to change his ways?

SINBAD #0
This is done by Joe Brusham, Ralph Tedesco, Dan Wickline, Gus Vasquezand Jim
Reddington. The story introduces the title character in the port of Al Jahra in
the Persian Gulf during the Islamic Golden Age. He suddenly shows up as one
ship's captain is about to whip a clumsy servant on his deck. It turns out the
captain has a magic gem which he uses to control male and female alike for his
own purposes. They cannot even revolt at his cruelty. Sinbad has really gotten
himself into a bad situation but since this is the "zero" issue story we know he
will get out of it. This is not a bad story and does what it sets out to do,
introduce the character and his crew for future adventures.

RETURN TO WONDERLAND #0
By Raven Gregory, Al Rio, Thomas Mason & Artmonkeys
This is a very brief look at Alice as a grown woman back in the real world. She
is a wife and a mother and she just tried to kill herself by slitting her wrists
while in the bath. It is indeed brief as it only gets to the point where she is
in therapy after the incident and the doctor recommends something to help her
recovery. The final panel is a bit of a payoff and perhaps a foreboding of what
the title says - a return to Wonderland.

NEVERLAND #0
By Joe Brusha, Jean-Paul Deshong, Jason Embury and Jim Campbell
This appears to be a prequel zero issue to GFT's retelling of Peter Pan. It
involves Wendy looking after John and Michael on her own with no parents. For
now there is no hint of what is to come. The only conversation that may have
bearing is the story of their great uncle who was one of the survivors of the
Titanic tragedy but disappeared at age 18, never to be seen again. Hmm. One
other element is that of another family whose son went missing after his bedtime
and the only thing out of place in his room is a pile of shiny dust. This story
also provides a short scene involving a man with a hook as well as our first
glimpse of Neverland and how Wendy may have attracted someone's interest. It is
clearly not meant to be Peter Pan chapter and verse. Like the rest of
Zenescope's stories there will be twists and additions with only the basic
elements staying the same.

GRIMM FAIRY TALES PRESENTS: UNLEASHED (Prequel)
"A Shadow Falls" by Raven Gregory, Pat Shand, Francesco DiPastena, Ben Sawyer &
Jim Campbell
This is only a hint of what the event crossover will entail. The narrator is an
odd-looking guy not wroth describing. He mentions a few characters from the
Grimm Universe of books, like Sela, Venus, Belinda, Robyn and even some of the
Greek gods. The actual story scene involves Cindy who as the Dark One's assassin
is tasked by him to summon the Dark Horde by opening a rift in the Nexus. It is
shortly after she does that the narrator appears with some revelations for both
Cindy and the reader. The art in this prequel is the most overtly sexual in the
whole issue, except for the bathtub scene noted above, with lots of cleavage
about to burst out and a couple of up skirt shots. If you are into that you are
probably reading Zenescope comics anyway. If not be aware that is what they do.

                                    *****
TRIVIA CONTEST!!!!     WIN REAL PRIZES!!!!!


If you think you know the answer to the trivia question send your guess via
Email to me at ComicBkNet@aol.com and you could win the prize. The first six
correct answers will be assigned a number and a roll of the dice will determine
the winner. You should put your real name in your message so we know who you
are. Prizes must be claimed at our store within 30 days of winning. The prize
will be a $10 credit slip, which will be redeemable for merchandise at regular
retail or in-store ongoing specials only.  Only one prize per person will be
allowed per every 4 weeks. I will be the sole judge of the correct answer even
if more than one answer could be correct. Submit only one answer per Email
please but guess as often as you like.

Last week's trivia question:
A more recent quote, "Wow. That ain't nice at all. I think an apology of some
sort is due." Who uttered those words as his first dialogue in a comic book?


It was Miles Morales as the new Ultimate Spider-Man in ULTIMATE FALLOUT #4. The
winner by the dice is Erin O'Connor.

Here was your no prize question:
What was the first major Oscar contest to end in an exact tie?

It's a tie!" Ingrid Bergman exclaimed upon opening the Best Actress envelope.
The award went to both Katharine Hepburn, for her turn as Eleanor of Aquitaine
in The Lion in Winter, and Barbara Streisand, for her debut performance in Funny
Girl. Both Streisand and Hepburn received 3,030 votes each; it was the first
exact tie in a principal Oscar category.

THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION:
In 1991, the first issue of BONE appeared, X-MEN began with a new #1 - setting
an all time sales record - and one of the first modern comic books to appear in
the former Soviet Union was a Russian version of WHICH character?

Here is your no prize question:
What unique circumstance in Major League Baseball occurred at Ebbets Field on
August 15, 1926?


Folks, you never know who among the readers is knowledgeable about the question
so don't hesitate to send in an answer - even days after it appears.

Friday, March 8, 2013

Comic Reviews 3/8/13


The comics reviewed are chosen by David not by THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT management
or staff. The opinions expressed are his alone. If you have an opposing view you
are welcome to respond to David directly by Email at the address above.


Title: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
Issue Number: 0.1
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Steve McNiven
Inker: John Dell
Colors: Justin Ponsor
Letters: Cory Petit
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero




In case you are unaware there is a GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY movie coming out.
There have been previous iterations of the group starting with the classic team
first appearing in MARVEL SUPER HEROES #18 in 1969 in a story by Arnold Drake
and Gene Colan through the most recent version by Abnett, Lanning and Pelletier.
Characters from that version are in the movie and this new comic as well as a
new member - Iron Man! But first Bendis wanted to explore the story of Peter
Quill, the boy who would become Starlord, so this point-one issue is his origin
story. The story begins thirty years ago, before Peter was born. One evening the
current holder of the Starlord title crashed to Earth and was found and nursed
to health by a single girl called Meredith Quill living in a remote area.  The
story explores how they came to be friends and eventually lovers as he worked on
repairs to his ship. He is J'son of Spartax and the ruler there. His planet is
involved in a terrible war and he must return to fight and lead his people.
Inexplicably he leaves his weapon, one made especially for him alone, as a token
of his love for Meredith. We watch as ten years later her son from their union
is still bitter about never having a father, unaware of who or what he was. That
will change when the Badoon arrive to wipe out the Spartax royal bloodline. The
events that occur will shape his future for years to come, leading to the point
when he became Starlord himself.  To bridge this issue into the series the last
page reveals he has been telling his story to his teammates and their newest
addition. Their mission will be to protect Earth from the Badoon and any other
alien threat. I liked this story. As far as origin stories go it does not
actually show what happened to Peter between the aftermath of the attack until
the present when he is twenty years old and leading the Guardians. That story is
left for another day. For now this story tells the motivating circumstances that
changed his life at such an early age and set him on the path he is now on. The
art is spectacular and the dialogue is what you would expect from Brian Bendis.
I am impressed with the start and look forward to see where it goes from here.

Title: THE FLASH
Issue Number: 17
Title Story: The Way Home
Title Arc: Guerrilla Warfare
Publisher: DC
Writers: Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato
Artist: Francis Manapul
Colors: Brian Buccellato
Letters: Carlos Mangual
Price (USD): $2.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero


I have been revisiting some of the New 52 I have not been reading all the time
and this week I decided to see what is happening in THE FLASH. It turns out this
is the final episode in a five-part arc involving Gorilla Grodd. There is no
recap at the start so we have to jump right into the final showdown between
Grodd and Flash. Along with a few civilians they are in the Speed Force dukeing
it out. Meanwhile Central City is encircled by some kind of force field keeping
out military forces. Inside at the arena a bunch of Grodd's apes are fighting
off the police and members of the Rogues. The civilians are being mind-
controlled by Grodd through the use of amplifying towers and the good guys know
they have to knock those towers out. And to mix things up Mirror Master is
looking on from Mirror World adding his aid as best he can. All the conflicts
are resolved, The Rogues are about to get a shake up and someone in Elias
Laboratories is shown to further a future plot. Speaking of future plots, the
last page reveals the return (into the New 52 continuity) of a famous Flash foe.
The story is good enough for what it is and it is hard to judge an entire arc
from just one part of it. Some of it is a mystery if you have not been following
along and the action is typical for this comic. On the down side I am not a fan
of Manapul's art at all. While the layouts are dynamic the actual line work is
not appealing to me. I don't just mean Barry's new look with small lines of
lightning flashing around him, it is just not consistent from panel to panel.
Some times the faces look rushed and other times there is good definition.  The
most interesting thing for me was Barry's non-involvement with Iris and the
obvious closer relation with a female cop he works with. So I would give this
one a low grade. Reading several issues at once could prove me wrong but I think
I will pass for now.

Title: FIVE WEAPONS
Issue Number: 1 (OF 5)
Publisher: Image
Creator: Jimmie Robinson
Colors: Paul Little
Price (USD): $3.50
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Action/Adventure








If you are Tyler Shainline, son of the most notorious hitman in the business
where do you go to school to carry on the family tradition?  The answer it seems
is the School of Five Weapons. Here they combine traditional education with
personal instruction in weapons. Tyler is starting his first day and soon learns
that each student must join a club, one of five, to master their choice of
weapons. They include guns, knives, the staff, archery and exotic weapons like
poison, garrote, blow darts, snake charming and some Ninja arts. Each club has a
teacher and a student class rep. Tyler first meets Jade the Blade of the Knife
club who is tasked with giving him the tour. They look in on her club first
being run by Mr. Sensei and then in order the Staff Club run by Mr. Log with the
rep Rick the Stick, Archery Club run by Ms. Featherwind and her rep Darryl the
Arrow, the Exotic Weapons Club is empty of students with only the teacher Ms.
L'Harma standing alone in a field, and the Gun Club essentially being run by the
rep Nat the Gat as the teacher Old John Boy is taking a nap. Tyler is not eager
to join any of the clubs, and would probably not want to join any if it was up
to him. That is the setting as the story begins. Later he meets the rep for the
Exotic Weapons club, Joon the Loon, rounding out the introductions. At first
look this seems like the whole school is loony. The class reps all have
exaggerated personalities and the teachers are peculiar in their own right. The
principal isn't much better as Tyler makes some frank observations about her to
the school nurse as he hatches a plot to chart his own course at the school. We
even find out that the reason he is here is not entirely to learn a deadly skill
when we look back two days as parents in their home are making the decision that
will change the entire family. Tyler is initially treated with kid gloves at the
school due to the notoriety of his father but it won't take him long to
antagonize both students and teachers alike from what we see in this first
chapter. This is a fun book with bits of humor throughout both in the dialogue
and the visuals. There is some mystery surrounding the school and there could be
outside threats later in the story. Tyler is instantly likeable since he is
apparently the only person that is near normal around the place. Robinson is
very accomplished in both writing and artwork so the whole package is
interesting.  This is something a little different from the norm and I recommend
you give it a try.

Title: DEADPOOL KILLUSTRATED
Issue Number: 2
Title Story: Strong Temptations - Strategic Movements - the Innocents Beguiled
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Cullen Bunn
Artist: Matteo Lolli
Inker: Sean Parsons
Colors: Veronica Gandini
Letters: Joe Sabino
Cover Artist: Mike Del Mundo
Price (USD): $2.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Anti-Hero


I finally gave in to seeing what this Deadpool series was about. From the first
two covers I only guessed it would be a retelling of classic stories of
literature with Deadpool somehow mixed in. When I began reading this second
chapter I found it was more than that. It seems as though Deadpool has gained
access to the dimensional pocket worlds of the characters of fiction. He is on a
mission to kill those inspirational characters we all know because it is the
right thing to do, in his mind. He already knocked off Don Quixote and Moby Dick
and is about to do in Captain Ahab as the story resumes. As he slashes apart the
crew and is about to get Ahab when the Nautilus shows up and he scoots off to
more adventures. Each one is different and amusing, in a sick kind of way. In
this issue he confronts Tom Sawyer, Dracula, the Headless Horseman of Sleepy
Hollow and even Little Women. Is there no one to stop this madness? Of course
there is. In the opening scene we learn the reality of his situation. He was
sent into the world of fiction, the Ideaverse, and those who sent him
perpetuated the myth he is pursuing. But they realize the error they have made
and its drastic consequences and so are recruiting other classic characters of
fiction that might have a chance at stopping Deadpool. The leader will be a
certain well-known British detective from the 1890's and he will assemble his
own League of Extraordinary Gentlemen to oppose this unstoppable assassin. I'll
leave it to you see who these characters are. The art team does a very good job
on this script which calls for a lot of changes almost every other page. I
realize Deadpool is a unique character that may not appeal to many readers but I
find these stories a nice diversion combining both gratuitous blood fests with
wacky humor.

Title: THE ROCKETEER: HOLLYWOOD HORROR
Issue Number: 1
Publisher: IDW
Creator: Dave Stevens
Writer: Roger Langridge
Artist: J Bone
Colors: Jordie Bellaire
Letters: Tom B. Long
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Action/Adventure





IDW has been putting out new series featuring The Rocketeer. This latest mini-
series involves his girlfriend Betty yearning to share in his adventures. When
Cliff shuts down that idea she gives him the cold shoulder. That sets up her
state of mind for a decision later on. She gets a phone call from her roommate,
Dahlia, who is in a panic. Betty becomes concerned when the call is cut off.
Dahlia is a newspaper reporter on the lead to a big scoop involving a missing
scientist and an inspirational speaker going by the name of Otto Rune. Well,
after Cliff's rebuff Betty decides to do some sleuthing of her own. The other
plot follows Cliff during the same day. Some of his day is on the lighter side.
As he rushes to be on time for his date with Betty he runs into one delay after
the other, and these situations add a touch of humor to the plot. He also is
plagued by a couple of thugs who want the jet pack. I always enjoy these
stories. They are set in a time when the country was on the brink of war;
coincidently super hero comics were just starting to make a splash. The whole
cast of regular characters are likable and the plots provide action and
adventure usually involving criminals and/or spies. This one, as the title
suggests, involves something more that may or may not be a real monster. Then
there is Betty, designed after pop icon Batty Page. She is a bright part of the
cast and adds some class and sexiness to the mix. But most of the time she also
gets in too deep, becoming a damsel in distress. The art in this particular
series is well done. It is not done to mimic Steven's art but it has an appeal
all its own. IDW does justice to the legacy of this character and his friends.

Title: HAUNTED HORROR
Issue Number: 3
Publisher: YOE Comics/IDW
Cover Artist: Tony Mortellaro
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Classic Horror Comics


This series features stories reprinted from the horror comics of the 1950s -
titles like MISTER MYSTERIES, WEB OF EVIL, TALES OF HORROR, CHAMBER OF CHILLS,
WORLDS OF FEAR, JOURNEY INTO FEAR and MYSTERIOUS ADVENTURES. I like to look back
to those days on occasion. Even I am too young to have read these first time
around (hard to believe, right?) but I still appreciate their place in comic
history. There is a good mix of stories in this volume. In "Hangman's Horror"
the corrupt politicians running an English hamlet frame a political rival for
murder. As he is about to be hanged he swears to return to avenge his death. As
you might guess his ghost indeed returns. The charm of this story is how he
accomplishes this with each of the rivals. "The Thing In the Pool" is about an
overbearing boss who is outraged that his secretary is leaving to get married.
He comes up with a plan to exact revenge on the couple involving a house he
constructed over a pool with a prehistoric monster lurking in its depths. In
"The Eyes In His Hand" a young boy is good marble player but becomes even better
when he accidentally acquires a glass eye from the evil man trying to force the
boy's mom to marry him. Like all these stories there is a good twist at the end.
"The Haunt From the Sea" is about a young lady who is shipwrecked when her
sailboat runs aground on a seemingly deserted island. It turns out she is not
alone and soon she is being held by a lagoon creature who has amorous feelings
for her. This is one of those tragic stories with a ray of hope just before the
end. Probably one of my favorites is the last story called "One Man's Poison"
attributed to Ross Andru. It is about an elderly couple who live far from town
and are secretly vampires. They have survived near the town without bothering
the locals by feeding off of the occasional traveling salesman that came by. But
when none show for a long time they cannot help themselves and so the ice
deliveryman becomes their victim. This is a big mistake as it arouses the
suspicion of the local sheriff who comes up with a plan to fix the situation.
Some of the reproductions are a bit grainy but the essence of the stories still
comes through.

                                    *****
TRIVIA CONTEST!!!!     WIN REAL PRIZES!!!!!


If you think you know the answer to the trivia question send your guess via
Email to me at ComicBkNet@aol.com and you could win the prize. The first six
correct answers will be assigned a number and a roll of the dice will determine
the winner. You should put your real name in your message so we know who you
are. Prizes must be claimed at our store within 30 days of winning. The prize
will be a $10 credit slip, which will be redeemable for merchandise at regular
retail or in-store ongoing specials only.  Only one prize per person will be
allowed per every 4 weeks. I will be the sole judge of the correct answer even
if more than one answer could be correct. Submit only one answer per Email
please but guess as often as you like.

Last week's trivia question:
First words of a character - who uttered this line in their comic book debut?
"A card trick. How positively dreary."

The person who said this was: Giselle from the Crossgen's premier title, Mystic
#1 in the original CrossGen series. No winner this time.

Here was your no prize question:
According to Guinness what is the record number of children born by one woman?


The greatest number of children born to one woman is 69. The 'lucky' lady was a
Russian peasant who gave birth to 16 pairs of twins, seven sets of triplets and
four sets of quadruplets between 1725 and 1765.

THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION:
A more recent quote, "Wow. That ain't nice at all. I think an apology of some
sort is due." Who uttered those words as his first dialogue in a comic book?


Here is your no prize question:
What was the first major Oscar contest to end in an exact tie?


Folks, you never know who among the readers is knowledgeable about the question
so don't hesitate to send in an answer - even days after it appears.

Friday, March 1, 2013

Comic Reviews 3/1/13


REVIEWS

The comics reviewed are chosen by David not by THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT management
or staff. The opinions expressed are his alone. If you have an opposing view you
are welcome to respond to David directly by Email at the address above.


Title: JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA'S VIBE
Issue Number: 1
Title Story: Not-So-Secret Origin
Publisher: DC
Creators: Gerry Conway & Luke McDonnell
Writers: Geoff Johns & Andrew Kreisberg
Artist: Pete Woods
Inker: Sean Parsons
Colors: Brad Anderson
Letters: Carlos M. Mangual
Cover Artist: David Finch
Price (USD): $2.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero

DC has reintroduced Vibe as a character into the NEW 52 and he will be a
founding member of the new Justice League of America.  More on that in the next
review. This first issue is his origin story. I much prefer this method of
starting a comic. You may recall that most of the first wave of NEW 52 comics
began five years into the story. In this title we get to see how Francisco Ramon
gained a unique power. In fact Johns has tweaked it a little with his origin. We
start his story five years ago and then come back to current time later as he
begins his career in the JLA. Back then he is with his older brother Armando and
his younger brother Dante on the streets of Detroit as they are discuss
Armando's pending exit to California on a college scholarship. It is then that
their world is turned upside down by the first incursion of Darkseid's minions
into Earth. Cisco is caught in the event horizon of the Boom Tube that brought
the first Parademons to Earth and it changed him forever. Unfortunately, Armando
was not so lucky and became the first casualty of the invasion. Five years later
we find Cisco working at the local big box technology store, Tech Mecca. The
scene serves to show us one peculiar thing about his new power. As a customer is
trying out a camera we see Cisco's image is all blurry - he cannot be filmed or
recorded. Cisco is working hard to save for college while the younger brother
chides him about not attending the ceremony marking the anniversary of his
brother's death.  But this story is really about how he gets recruited by Dale
Gunn, an A.R.G.U.S. agent working for Amanda Waller. They have already given him
a code name, Vibe. They have been monitoring Cisco and know a bit about his
power. Gunn explains to Cisco that he has an internal vibration that is out of
sync slightly with this dimension. Additionally the vibrations become agitated
when in the proximity of other things or beings from another dimension. It is
this power that allows him to locate threats to our world and Gunn has purposely
taken him to a building where a parademon is hiding. In a baptism of fire Cisco
exacts revenge and justice for his brother's death. It is after this that Gunn
convinces Cisco they can train him to gain greater control over his abilities
and help protect the Earth from threats not only from Darkseid but other
possible dimensional enemies. And so begins the first chapter of a new super
hero's story. We also get a brief glimpse behind the scenes at A.R.G.U.S. some
of which is questionable as to Waller's motives. Be that as it may, it is a good
start to what promising comic. Cisco is cast as a typical new young hero who is
not living an ideal life but is given the opportunity to be more through a twist
of fate. The art in this one is splendid and there is just enough intrigue to
make us think that Cisco may find out more than he should down the road. For now
it is worth sticking around to see what develops.

Title: JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
Issue Number: 1
Title Story: World's Most Dangerous
Publisher: DC
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: David Finch
Colors: Sonia Oback with Jeromy Cox
Letters: Rob Leigh
Cover Artist: David Finch
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero


DC is celebrating it's third Justice League title (remember JUSTICE LEAGUE
INTERNATIONAL?) of the NEW 52 with 50 variant covers showing the new JLA
hoisting each state flag ala the famous Iwo Jima image with the regular cover
using the US flag. Naturally I picked of the cover with the Massachusetts flag
for my collection. The first issue it starts with a scene five years ago but in
this case it is not about any of the emerging super heroes of the time but
instead a couple of villains who are concerned with that proliferation and have
a plan of their own. The bulk of the book is about Amanda Waller's plan to
create her own Justice League. She is explaining to Steve Trevor, the former
liaison to the Justice League and one time boyfriend of Wonder Woman. She tells
him they need a better league - one that isn't watching the planet from a
satellite with their own agenda. She needs a league that can help other super
humans or stop them if necessary. The hook she uses is a picture of Superman and
Wonder Woman in a lip lock. She poses a number of "what ifs" about that
relationship and how A.R.G.U.S. needs to be ready. The rest of the book is a
brief introduction to the team she is putting together, or will with Trevor's
help. They plan to gain Hawkman by absolving any issues that arisen by his
vigilante clashes with authority, essentially granting him diplomatic immunity
to continue his hunt for alien fugitives and the humans working for them. They
plan to offer Katana help in finding the people that killed her husband in
return for her services. Vibe has the right power they need to counter
interdimensional threats while Star Girl can put a popular face on the league as
she is a media star already and wields the powerful cosmic rod. And so it goes
on. Rounding out the group will be Martian Manhunter, the new Green Lantern -
Simon Baz, Green Arrow and Cat Woman. Each adds something unique to the mix and
should have their own reasons for joining. Some may not be even disclosed to the
public to make them more effective. And speaking of that, we witness one of the
group coming back from a first mission with a deadly wound. It has to do with
those criminals we saw in the opening scene, who are given a name just as the
issue ends. So like most first issues this is setting up things for the future.
In a somewhat bizarre scene we see a photo array of most of the members side by
side with member of the Justice League - as if Waller is purposely choosing
members to counter each one of the first league - Superman and Manhunter for
example.  I'll leave the rest for you to discover. I am hoping this is not going
to lead to an all out fight between the two groups but super hero comics
traditions suggest that could happen. For now lets see how this develops. It has
got some interesting characters and the art is terrific. I'll be sticking with
it for now.

Title: YOUNG JUSTICE
Issue Number: 25 (Final Issue)
Title Story: Rolling Doubles
Title Arc: Invasion
Publisher: DC
Writer: Greg Weisman
Artist: Christopher Jones
Colors: Zac Atkinson
Letters: Wes Abbott
Price (USD): $2.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero = Cartoon Adaptation
ALL AGES

I am a fan of the Young Justice cartoon on Disney XD and this comic features
those characters as well as their adult mentors in adventures similar but not
exactly the same as the TV show. Since this comic, like the cartoon, is ending I
decided to look in on the ending. This issue is not only the last issue but also
the concluding chapter in a six-issue arc called "Invasion." The beginning of
both series had the young heroes coming together as a team in training to aid
the Justice League when appropriate. At some point they have jumped five years
to the future with a few characters added and all of the originals more
experienced in their abilities. What seems like the entire DC hero pantheon has
been battling a double invasion threat. On one front we have The Collector, whom
you will recognize as Braniac, who has erected a force field around Metropolis
preparing to add that city to his collection. While Blue Beetle, Queen Bee and
others are fighting him on his ship another squad including Batgirl, Black
Lightning and Plastic Man are having no luck trying to defeat the force field.
The other invasion involves Kylstar who refers to himself as the First Leader.
It appears he has been collecting people with powers in order to free his people
but has realized the error in imprisoning others just because they are weapons
to be used. Among those here are Wonder Woman, Superman and Conner, Shazam, Ms.
Martian and Captain Atom along with an array of villains and aliens. To correct
his mistake he offers to send everyone back to his or her worlds but offers
glorious battle elsewhere in the galaxy to those who wish to remain. Some take
his offer while the heroes and a few of the criminals are transported back to
Brainiac's ship to confront that threat. The ongoing conflict is wrapped up
leaving some threads dangling perhaps for another day. In the framing sequence
we get to look in on the relationship between Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon
both as young teens starting out on their careers and later as proven heroes and
lifelong friends. It is a fitting way to wrap up the comic for now. There are a
number of subplots involved that give some detail but not enough to know what
happened before. There is also more than a few jumps back and forward in time
that can be a bit confusing for those of us that have not kept up with the
series. Still it is a fun book with lots of familiar characters. The art is true
to the depiction of the characters in the cartoon as are the characterizations.
Perhaps DC will revive the series some day. I found the cartoon to be one of the
better comic book related series out there.

Title: NOVA 
Issue Number: 1
Title Story: Nova
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Jeph Loeb
Artist: Ed McGuinness
Inker: Dexter Vines
Colors: Marte Gracia
Letters: Albert Deschesne
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero

As we switch over to the Marvel Universe and their reboot known as Marvel Now we
follow the beginning of the hero that will become Nova in the upcoming series
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. There are several traditional ways a character becomes
a super hero in the comics. One of them is inheriting the mantle and the powers
that come with it. That will be the case with Sam Alexander but the story in
this first issue begins six months earlier in Arizona. Sam is a good kid, a
teenager who has his own problems. Among them are his father, Jesse, who is the
school janitor and a bit of a drunk. Aside from the derision of some of the
crueler classmates Sam also tries to keep his dad from screwing up too badly,
even to the point of sometimes doing his work for him when he has hit the
bottle. His mother seems resigned to the situation and tries to keep Sam from
thinking too badly about his father without explaining fully what has driven him
to be like this. Juxtaposed with these scenes are those of Jesse telling Sam and
his sister Kaelynn about his exploits as a space adventurer known as Nova. One
of these stories is presented to introduce us to his teammates in the Nova Corp
as they rescue a green female assassin called Gamora and a talking raccoon named
Rocket. This happened long ago and sets up the story that explains why he left
the corp before Sam was born.  As a set up for what is to come the much younger
Kaelynn is in awe that her dad was such a hero while Sam has written the whole
thing off as the ramblings of his failure of a father. That is all about to
change very soon.  But not in this issue.  This is the setup and Loeb is taking
his time with the characterization of the main characters to make the pay off
that much better when it happens. If you have no knowledge of previous
incarnations of Nova and the Guardians you just might side with Sam on his
assessment of his dad - until you see who shows up in the last panel. This is a
good start. We instantly like Sam and sympathize with his situation such as it
is. At this point we can only hope that nothing really tragic will happen that
will cause him to become the new Nova. But his is comic books so anything can
happen. I like everything about this comic. The art team does a great job with
both the space adventures as well as the down to Earth stuff. It has a lot of
promise and is worth checking out.

Title: ALPHA: BIG TIME
Issue Number: 1
Title Story: I Used To Be Big Time
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Joshua Hale Fialkov
Artist: Nuno Plati
Letters: Joe Sabino
Price (USD): $2.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero





The second new series about a young super hero from Marvel this week is about
Alpha. The first thing that struck me was the title and how odd it is to include
BIG TIME in it. Anyway for those who missed his first appearance in Amazing
Spider-Man his story is recapped on the first page. His story is similar to
Peter's. He was visiting Horizon Labs while Peter was demonstrating his new
discovery he dubbed Parker Particles. Something went wrong and Andy Maguire got
caught in the emissions and soon had super powers like flight, speed and super
strength but he could only use one power at a time. Spider-Man was tasked with
watching over the new hero dubbed Alpha that the world knew was Andy. Well,
things went wrong and soon Peter created a device to deactivate the powers.  As
the first issue begins Andy is a depowered former celebrity. He is the
stereotypical teen in such a situation - he is a nerd with few friends, or at
least other nerds that will tolerate his presence, and a target for the bullies.
But every couple of weeks he is flown to New York where he is submitted to tests
at Horizon Labs to make sure he is still depowered. Well, that was before Doctor
Octopus swapped brains with Peter Parker and is now Superior Spider-Man as well.
So Otto/Peter, who has all of Peter's memories, has decided that depowering Andy
was a mistake, and he is going to fix things. He has decided to give Alpha back
his powers, a little bit at a time and be a better mentor than Peter ever was.
He even lays a new catch phrase on Andy, "With great power comes great
opportunity!" What could possibly go wrong?  Heh, heh! You'll find out as Andy
decides to jump right into the hero thing once again. I liked this book for a
couple of reasons. First it is a very clever way to use the whole mind-swap
situation that is now the norm in ASM to jump-start Alpha once again. Clearly
Otto does not see things the same way Peter did and his constant effort to prove
his superiority would not let him pass up the chance to "fix" what he feels was
Peter's mistake. Of course others who were involved with the situation the first
time around will probably have something to say about "Peter" doing this
turnaround. In fact the books I have seen with Superior Spider-Man in them, like
the latest AVENGERS, are correctly portraying the character so as to raise some
eyebrows with people who have known him a long time. There is also a theme in
this first story that has Andy determined to be better this time around, to do
things right, but clearly his inexperience is a major issue. Right now things
appear to be set up for lots of problems down the road. It gets you to a point
where you want to know what will happen next, which is always a good thing. The
art is pretty cool but in its own unique way. I recommend you give this fun book
a try.

Title: RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS
Issue Number: 17
Title Story: Don't Let the Door Hit You On Your Way Out!
Title Arc: Death of the Family: Aftermath
Publisher: DC
Writer: Scott Lobdell
Artists: Adrian Syaf, Robson Rocha & Ken Lashley
Inkers: Wayne Faucher with Julio Ferreira, Ken Lashley, Jaime Mendoza & Le Beau
L. Underwood
Colors: Blond
Letters: Taylor Esposito
Cover Artist: Mico Suayan with Blond
Price (USD): $2.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero

Just when you thought the whole Death of the Family show was over we get an
epilogue that involves Jason Todd. His teammates Kori and Roy just found out he
is alive after being abducted by the Joker and are on their way to pick him up
at Wayne Mansion.  The main plot has Jason more or less saying his goodbyes to
the rest of the family - Bruce, Damian, Dick and Alfred. Each scene is played
well and has its own unique twist on the relationship he now has with them -
seemingly more improved.  He gets some advise, gives a little and seems
satisfied when it is time to go.  To add a counterpoint to some serious dialogue
we get Damian mouthing off to Arsenal in his usual fashion and before you know
it the two are having a friendly sparring match as if they were brothers. It
lightens things up temporarily. So in case you are wondering what all this has
to do with the picture on the cover that comes at the end. As an aside the cover
art by Mico Suayan is very impressive. It is partly symbolic with Batman
kneeling while cradling a limp Red Hood in his arms. He is kneeling in a large
puddle, possibly blood or just more symbolism, and the reflection in the puddle
is Batman kneeling while cradling Robin (Jason Todd) in his arms - a scene from
Death IN the Family. The image implies Jason will again suffer the same fate he
once did at the hands of the Joker. And indeed Joker has left a surprise for
Jason that provides the climax of this issue. But you will have to read this
issue to see how it plays out.  I only picked this up to see what qualified as
aftermath to the big arc. I was pleasantly surprised at the good feelings among
the group so shortly after the downer at the end of BATMAN #17.  The entire team
put together a decent issue, though fans of this particular title may feel this
story short changes the other main characters. The art is very good. I
especially like the payoff sequence at the end. It is worth it for those who do
not normally buy this title but followed the Death of the Family story to pick
it up. It is fitting aftermath, in more ways than one. One final note - things
are not going so well for Robins these days. If you have seen or heard about
BATMAN INC. #8 just out you know what I mean.


                                    *****
TRIVIA CONTEST!!!!     WIN REAL PRIZES!!!!!


If you think you know the answer to the trivia question send your guess via
Email to me at ComicBkNet@aol.com and you could win the prize. The first six
correct answers will be assigned a number and a roll of the dice will determine
the winner. You should put your real name in your message so we know who you
are. Prizes must be claimed at our store within 30 days of winning. The prize
will be a $10 credit slip, which will be redeemable for merchandise at regular
retail or in-store ongoing specials only.  Only one prize per person will be
allowed per every 4 weeks. I will be the sole judge of the correct answer even
if more than one answer could be correct. Submit only one answer per Email
please but guess as often as you like.

Last week's trivia question:
In the old series, who replaced Sinestro as Green Lantern?

Katma Tui is the answer and the winner is Steven Berk.

Here was your no prize question:
What did Percy Spencer invent in 1945?

Percy Spencer was an American engineer and became known as the inventor of the
microwave oven. A candy bar in Spencer's pocket began to melt as he stood in
front of a magnetron tube that had been switched on. Intrigued, he placed
kernels of popcorn in front of the tube, and they too popped. He then conducted
a similar experiment with a raw egg, which exploded when the inside yolk cooked
faster than the outside of the egg. His work progressed well, so Raytheon filed
a patent on October 8, 1945, for a microwave cooking oven, eventually named the
Radarange. For his invention, Spencer received no royalties, but he was paid a
one-time $2.00 gratuity from Raytheon, the same token payment the company made
to all inventors on its payroll at that time for company patents.

THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION:
First words of a character - who uttered this line in their comic book debut?
"A card trick. how positively dreary."


Here is your no prize question:
According to Guinness what is the record number of children born by one woman?


Folks, you never know who among the readers is knowledgeable about the question
so don't hesitate to send in an answer - even days after it appears.