Halloween and Comics

Two tastes that go great together! Just don't get chocolate on your comics books. Since I live in the so-called "Historical" section of my town, (or as I like to refer to it, the "Hysterical" section) we don't have a lot of little kids around. So, I only get about a dozen or so every year for trick or treating. I don't mind. I buy the good stuff, and finish it off myself. GOD, I love Three Musketeers bars! And that kind with the toffee and chocolate...is that a Heath bar?

Anyway....so I'm trying to find the scariest thing possible for a Halloween post. I think I've hit the nail on the head.

THIS is quite terrifying.



Oh, the horror!

*Blurg*

It is a lovely lovely day here in New England, but I have a ferocious headache, and do not therefore appreciate it.



Trust me, I know EXACTLY how Hal feels right now.

So I'm going instead to direct those of you who want to have clever and scintillating commentary on Green Lanterns and other objects of desire, to Sea of Green's site at http://hoosierinanity.blogspot.com/. It is fabulous! I just wish that it had a "comments" thingie at the end of each entry.

I think I'm going to go and lie down.

Tales of Sinestro: Superman Prime

Well! In all the excitement over the weekend, in-between the Red Sox winning the World Series (yeah!) and Jimmy Johnson winning in Atlanta (booooo!) not to mention moving the cable, the television AND the piano around, I completely forgot to mention that I really rather enjoyed Geoff Johns story of Superbrat Prime.

You all know Superbrat Prime. He's Clark Kent from an Earth that has no real superheroes, all that he knows, he learned from comicbooks. And then one magical day, he realizes that he DOES have super powers! The world is at his feet! Then the real Superman shows up, the Anti-Monitor shows up, and the shit hits the proverbial fan, in the original Infinite Crises. I admit it, I felt sorry for the poor kid.

I no longer feel sorry for the poor kid. I DO want to slap him silly. Other and better writers than I, have proposed the theory that Geoff Johns is using Superbrat Prime to comment on the self-entitled uber-Fanboy, and I may say that I agree. Moreover, he does it quite cleverly. Let me also state that I am the mother of teenagers, and I need say no more.

Firstly, he starts by mocking Bart, and defacing his Flash statue. That seems a bit on the nasty side. Then we have this lovely scene.



And



He's really happy to be getting all this attention. Of course he beats them all up, and then starts down memory lane for a bit of self-justification. Red Star shows up and lays down a nice smackdown, but of course it isn't Superbrat's FAULT that he murdered Red Star's family ! They MADE him do it. Risk shows up, and unfortunately for him, gets his OTHER arm ripped off! He really should quit while he still has any remaining limbs. I WAS going to say while he was a head, but that's a terrible pun.

Then he whines some more, and incidentally gets in some very nice explanations for why the heck he is hanging out with the Anti-Monitor, instead of doing his best to destroy him. He's being SUBTLE...at least for Superbrat. He's going to make the Anti-Monitor PAY! Some day maybe.

Then all the Super people show up and smack him around a little more, which is very satisfying. I really do wish that they allowed Power Girl to neuter him. Then, he bursts into tears, and says that once again, it's all their fault, and if they don't leave him alone, he's going to take all his toys away! That...that will show them! Seriously, if anybody ever needed a spanking, it's this kid. And I don't give a CRAP about his self esteem. I hate self esteem. I consider the current worship of self esteem to be one of the main things wrong with the world today. CRIMINALS have enormous self esteem. I do believe in self respect, but that's a horse of a different color.

*Ahem.* Where was I?

Oh yeah, then Alan Scott and a bunch of heroes show up, and Alan mentions that Superman was probably getting tired of listening to Superbrat whine. I LOVE Alan. That really is such a Guy thing to say. Remember when Guy called him a crybaby back in IC #7? Heh. Lanterns call it the way they see it. They all manage to mostly rip his armor off, but of course the sun comes up, and he flies up and rips his Sinestro Corps shirt off, exposing that big creepy "S" that he carved into his own skin, and just revels in the moment.

I must say that this was a stunning set of panels, with the coloring being quite lovely, the rising sun shining through the silhouette of the bridge and so on. The art is excellent in this.

And then...then Ion shows up.

It's going to be great.

I also noticed that in that large group picture, there is Ice! Woohoo! Finally, we're going to get her back together with Guy, although probably not until GLC #18 or so. I wonder if anybody else in the group noticed that she was back, and said anything?

Lazy Post

It's raining, and it's cozy inside, and the heck with it, I just don't feel very inciteful or even cranky today. So I'll just post some pictures. Everyone likes pictures right?



This one cracks me up far more than it probably should. I love how Kyle is just so...relaxed.



I've said it before and I'll say it again. Guy has SUCH pretty eyes.



Never stand in front of Superman, when there is a free buffet.



Using that same theme, Booster really shouldn't have taken the last donut.

And finally....



Heehee!

That was easy AND fun.

Blue Beetle #20

Sinestro's Reach!

That's the title, and it took me two days and numerous readings before I even noticed it, but darn it to heck, that's clever. Well, actually, the title is Fear to Live, but I like the one on the cover better.

So, this takes place during all the hoohah going on with the Sinestro Corps war, and the Green Lanterns and everything. The GL's have been given a license to kill, and quite a lot of them, think that that is just fine and dandy. Therefore, Sinestro rings have been flying all over the place, looking for new candidates, and lo and behold, WHO should get one, but Peacemaker!

Peacemaker isn't really very enthusiastic about this, but that smarmy little Reach guy shows up with some of his equally smarmy cohorts and decide that being covert allies of Sinestro is a good idea. And it turns out that poor Peacemaker really DID have a scarab embedded in his spine as well.

Jaime of course knows that SOMEthing strange is going on, and keeps trying to contact various super people, but he can't because they are all out fighting Sinestro, Superbrat Prime, Henshaw and the Anti-Monitor. Man, they are all going to sleep well tonight! Jaime scarabs up, and flies off to Fort Bliss, trying to get them to evacuate, since the Sinestro Corps is going after military installations, when he is attacked by the newly Sinestrofied Peacemaker, who now resembles a bigger, meaner version of Blue Beetle, with the added touch of a yellow clown collar and Parallax emblem.

So they fight. A lot. Meanwhile, the Reach guys are gloating.

However...as Jaime is fighting SinestroPeacemaker, he notices that he doesn't rant about Order, or Fear, he keeps saying that he'll bring Peace. This is of course, highly unnusual, and Jaime is about to try and figure it all out, when Brik from the Green Lantern Corps shows up.

I like Brik. She's this large rocky lady, who was recruited by, and has an unrequited crush on Hal Jordan. (Join the club, Brik!) She is also doing her level best to fry Jaime, because her ring is reacting to the Scarab, and like Guy before her, she thinks that Beetle is a BAD guy. Poor Jaime is trying to dodge her attack, and also mentions that it's really ok, and that he KNOWS Guy Gardner, and they're cool. Brik replies hotly, that he's not worthy to even mention Guy's NAME! Gosh, it's so nice to see Guy getting a little respect for a change.

SinestroPeacemaker finds all this to be a hoot, and is trying to kill them both, while Jaime is desperately trying to hold him off, and explain the entire thing to Brik.



Meanwhile, the Reach are getting impatient. Shouldn't Jaime have been killed by now? And SinestroPeacemaker STILL keeps babbling about peace. Oh, and if Blue Beetle surrenders, he'll kill him somewhat LESS slowly. So while Brik distracts him, Jaime manages to breach their armor, and his..."scarab's system can interface with your scarab's neural pathways. We're in your brain!"

Peacemaker is restrained there of course, but in proper hero fashion is still desperately trying to resist being taken over by the Scarab and the Reach. Naturally, Jaime talks him down, and he's able to overcome the big bad Sinestro ring, while USING the Scarab, which was a nice touch. The ring gets pissed and flies off, and Jaime thinks that everything is hunkydory, when Peacemaker grabs a honkin' big knife and hacks the scarab OUT of his spine! That's seriously hardcore!

He then apparently expires in Jaime's arms, after explaining that he was the monster that he was afraid that Jaime would be, and could he just have a little peace now?

*sniff*

I really hope he isn't dead, because Jaime has one of the best support groups of any comic book, and he can't afford to lose ANY of them. On the other hand, if he is really dead, he had a much better death scene than Big Barda. ( I know, I should just let it go.)

So, good stuff as usual. I really do wish that more people were buying this book, it is one of the best that DC puts out.

Blue Beetle #20

Green Lanterny Goodness

Despite all the excitement of the last couple of days, it does feel good to be getting back to the welcome arms of the Green Lantern Corps. However, I must admit that I've been reading WFA, and my usual list of blogs,and it occurs to me, that I have acquired something of a...reputation if you will, for my love of the Green Lanterns.

I know, I know...you're all shocked. Why some fellow named "Rational Mad Mad" has called me ..."the Green Lantern objectifying sallyp." Objectifying? Me? I am stunned!

Foldedsoup, over at "The Want List" calls me his "Emerald Fanny Fetishist". I must say that I am QUITE enamoured of this title, and am seriously thinking of changing the name of my blog. That has some ZING!

But let me cut the cackle and get to the hosses, and my review of Green Lantern Corps #17.



Boy Howdy, that's a cover!

The Guardians, being the geniuses that they are, have finally figured out that Earth, not Oa is the focus of Sinestro's attack. As you will see, this issue takes place concurrently with Green Lantern #24. The Corps shows up on Earth, and Salakk is giving everybody their orders, and incidentally, telling them to repair the damages to their uniforms, because they are the GLC dammit! He sends Isamot and Vath off to Lubbock, Texas, which for some reason, I found to be terribly amusing, and Stel and Green Man to Las Vegas, which I found equally amusing. Soranik Natu FINALLY shows up, and gets sent to Mount Rushmore along with Sodam Yat, Arisia and Bzzd and a few others, while finally, he and Kilowog end up in San Diego.

It is rather cute that Soranik isn't very impressed with Yat, who is all gung-ho and champing at the bit. Arisia agrees that he's a bit full of himself, but not to bad to have around in a fight.

In San Diego (I was BORN in San Diego!) Kilowog meets up with none other than Arkillo. Woohoo! There is also a really spectacular shot of Kilowog's magnificent backside.

At Mount Rushmore, we come in at the same moment from Green Lantern #24, when Guy was ambushed by the Sinestro Corps. The Lanterns are nice enough to lend him a hand, while Soranik weighs in on the idea of lethal force (she's against it.) She and Guy have a little bit of nice banter as usual, and Guy is also introduced to Sodam Yat. At first Guy thinks the little snot is being sarcastic, but Yat has the wit to apologize, and they get along fine after that. Guy still has to get the painting to Kyle, so he take off, and the resf of them are ordered to New York.

Meanwhile, Arkillo and Kilowog are having themselves a fine old time, and even get to tear up the San Diego Convention Center! Oh no! Where oh where will they hold the next comic convention? DAMN YOU SINESTRO! Kilowog doesn't actually kill Arkillo, but he DOES drop an aircraft carrier on top of him, and cut off his finger and ring. Have I mentioned how much I love Kilowog?

Vath and Isamot are busy putting out oil well fires in Lubbock and dispatching Sinestro Corps members. Stel seems a bit confused by the purpose of Las Vegas, but confesses to a desire to play some games of chance..."a purely intellectual interest of course." Now that they went and blew up Ranx, the Sinestros have to have SOME place to make Whoopie, and I guess that they figured Las Vegas was a proper den of iniquity.

Well, everybody ends up in New York, along with all the rest of the heroes. Soranik is quite eager to get her hands on Sinestro himself, as does Yat, and Arisia mentions that they'd better form a line. And of course Sinestro shows up along with the Anti-Monitor. Of course Yat goes off half-cocked with a couple of other Red Shirts...I mean nameless Green Lanterns, and gets fried by the Anti-Monitor for his troubles. Being Sodam Yat, he's NOT dead, once again, he's only MOSTLY dead, to Soranik's surprise.

Sinestro is quite angry that Soranik didn't stay on Korugar as he told her to, so he's ready to make Green Lantern Mincemeat out of her, when Iolande shows up, which is nice, I've been wondering where she was. Probably back on Betrassus,mourning her father I suppose.

Then, to fight the Anti-Monitor, the Guardians show up with Ion, and put Ion into Sodam Yat. Didn't see THAT coming! Yat really looks very very pleased with himself, and he'd better be confident, because he's got to fight Superbrat Prime in the next issue!

The story was good, the dialogue was fun, and there was tons of action. I'm not quite so happy about the art. I absolutely love Pat Gleason, but in an "all hands to the bilge pumps" manner, there were no fewer than FOUR artists, and FOUR inkers! I also rather miss Moose Baumann on the coloring. I'm so used to seeing Gleason's art, that I was quite flummoxed by the different styles. There were flashes here and there, where you could tell that Gleason did the panels, I'm pretty sure that he did the Arkillo/Kilowog stuff, but whomever did Guy was pretty horrible. For the last time, he doens't have the bowl haircut anymore! Sheesh!

There was still more Green Lanterny goodness this week, what with Superman Prime coming out, not to mention the Blue Beetle story which was excellent, and THIS little number...


Yes. That's Bizarro Hal, hitting himself in the head again. He's ALSO ordered to show up...or ELSE!

I can hardly wait.

I Feel so Special

I never thought that the day would come. I have experienced my first troll on these, the hallowed pages of my blog. Granted, Mr. Anonymous wasn't a really RAGING Troll, but I'll take what I can get.

I pointed out to Ragnell, that I have been a little tiny bit envious of the sheer awesomeness of the trolls that make their way onto her site, not to mention some of the quality that pester Kalinara. I never had a troll before. I've only been accustomed to the utter wit, intelligence, beauty AND handsomeness of my readers!

The other day, I blogged about how it had been a bit of a tough month for Comicbook Women, what with Tigra and Barda having bad days and a couple of other topics, one of which was the slightly gratuitous depiction of Wonder Woman, Black Canary and Vixen trussed up and on display for Superman and Black Lightning...courtesy of Lex Luthor.

Anonymous called me to account. I guess it WASN'T in the least bit gratuitous, it was just Luthor taunting Superman. Which may very well be the truth, but still, there they were.

Then he started babbling about "wank" material, and I guess I just got confused. I guess it is his (and I can only assume that it is a he) is goshdarned entitled to his boobs and butts.

However, when they show Geoforce...who was also tortured, hanging with his back arched, and his full luscious mouth in a grimace, and his round, firm supple package displayed to the world...Naw! Like that would ever happen!

Hmmm....I seem to be getting sidetracked here.

Oh yeah! Well anyway, he was at least reasonably polite and didn't start using obscenties or anything. Why I have even been guilty of using the occasional swear word myself. So, Thank You, Mr. Anonymous! You certainly livened up my day!



Now THAT'S gratuitous!

And on a Lighter Note...!

Ok, enough kvetching. I'm still pissed about Barda, but it is an absolutely gorgeous day out, and I can't stay in a bad mood. The sky is that insanely intense shade of blue, the trees are all turning color, there is a nip in the air, and the cider is delicious. Gosh, I love Autumn!

So, to get the bad taste out of my mouth, here are a few pictures of Hal getting bonked in the head. Because few things can cheer my up as much as that.



Whew! That's a good one! I'm not quite sure what the toboggan has to do with the plot, but you know it MUST be good!



Wow! LOTs and lots of things heading right for Hal's head. It's like a magnet or something.

And finally,



Heehee!

I feel SO much better now.

What the Heck is Going On?

It is turning out to be something of a bad month for any number of Superheroines. They took out Big Barda of all people, in her kitchen, off-panel, and with nary a fight. Big Barda! The more that I think about it, the more confused and annoyed I become.

Then Brian Michael Bendis beat the crap out of Tigra over in Avengers. His new villain, the Hood, is going around trying to be the next Kingpin, and paying all the various bad guys, and declaring that it is open season on super heroes! So he goes over to Tigra's house, and smacks her around, while Jigsaw films the whole thing, and even calls up her mother, in order to make it worse.

Ok. So Tigra got beaten up...it happens. I don't even like Tigra that much. But the more that I read it, the more I realized how crappy it all was. She didn't even fight back, and spent all her time screaming Aeiiiiiiiiiiiii....! Yes, he had a gun, and apparently was able to be invisible or something, but still! She's got claws and judo and stuff!

In Birds of Prey, Oracle was shot at, and managed to break the Calculator's leg, by whacking him with a stick from underneath the computer comsole! Oracle put up a better fight than Tigra! Aunt May could have put up a better fight than Tigra! I'd like to say that Big Barda would have put up a better fight than Tigra, but apparently not.

Exactly what the heck is going on lately?

And then I read the interview on Newsarama by Matt Brady, with the aforementioned Mr. Bendis. And Mr. Brady says this:

"There's a hair-trigger on the misogyny gun that's fired anytime violence against women is seen."

Whahuh?

I love comics. I understand the violence in comics is a given...nay a requirement of the genre. I enjoy a good kick to the face as much as anyone. I realize that men are killed and beaten up as well. But this was a completely rude and dismissive statement by Mr. Brady, and a smack in the face to anyone...man or woman...who might object to the idea of a woman being beaten within an inch of her life. I wasn't too impressed with Mr. Bendis' replies as well, there was an air of smarminess that annoyed me, the two boys were just a little too chummy, a little too ready to dismiss all those smartassed hysterical wimmens.

And then, just to top off my foul mood, I read the article where Judd Winick has to EXPLAIN what he was REALLY trying to convey with Black Canary and Green Arrow. If you have to explain the joke, it isn't really funny. If you have to go back and explain what you were writing, you can't really get upset if people didn't understand your ideas from reading the book. That's just poor writing.

And finally, the capper. Wonder Woman, Black Canary and Vixen strung up by the bad guys in Justice League. Not quite as bad as the Heroes for Hentai cover, but still a bit on the gratuitous side. I'm starting to get a little sick of comics this month.

Thank goodness for the Sinestro Corps war. Arisia's outfit is a little on the outrageous side, but at least she can actually fight.

Birds of Prey #111

Now THIS was a good book. I especially liked the title..."Nerds of Prey". That's the best title since Blue Beetle did "Total Eclipso the Heart". What can I say? I have a punnybone.

While I rather miss Nicola Scott, the art was nice, and the story by Tony Bedard was very well done. I'm rather fond of the Calculator anyway, he makes for an interesting villain, and it makes perfect sense that he is obsessed with Oracle, especially after the spanking he got a number of issues earlier.

He finagles his way into a massice Macroware seminar in order to retrieve a valuable piece of information that might lead him to Oracle. It's a piece of her old equipment that was salvaged after she had to blow up the clocktower back in Gotham, and she explains this very nicely to Misfit over the phone, since Misfit can't for the life of her, understand what Babs is doing off at a Nerd convention.

Needless to say, Babs and Noah Kuttler (the Calculator's real name) run into each other in person...although neither of them realize it. At first, Noah is just annoyed, but then she foils his first attempt to retrieve the information, although it is inadvertently, and they go off to have lunch together. And his icey geeky little heart melts when exposed to the Nerd magnificence that is Babs. I rather got the impression that Babs was a tiny bit charmed herself.

When Noah goes off to once again try and retrieve the information he's after, he's actually thinking about something OTHER than destroying Oracle. He's wondering if he shouldn't give "Sylvia" (Bab's fake name) something nice...like the treasury of Andorra or East Timor. Alas, his moment of lust is shortlived, when he hacks in, and finds out that someone else is after the same info.

There ensues a lovely computer battle, and you just can't help but root for both of them. Of course Oracle wins, but Babs makes the mistake of a lusty "Yes!" of triumph, and the Calculator realizes that his oponent is actually in the same room. Off he goes to investigate, and to his chagrin discovers "Sylvia". He's downcast, but it doesn't stop him from pumping her body full of lead. He discovers however, that he actually just shot a stuffed lion, and Barbara is underneath the console, where she promptly gives him a whack in the shin with her trusty stick things. She breaks his legs, and is about to break his face, when Calculator's trusty cohort shows up, namely Hellhound, who comments that she is one MEAN cripple!

Hellhound wants to kill her, but Calculator demurs, saving that she's their only link to Oracle. Hellhoud also thinks that this proves that Oracle is a man, since he only hires hot chicks. Meanwhile, Babs is crawling away, and manages to get a hold of the gun that Calculator had dropped when she whacked him. She's about to get her head handed to her regardless, when all the OTHER nerds at the convention show up . Turns out that Misfit had sent a message to everyone on their iphones and blackberries and stuff, and since apparently Oracle has become something of an urban legend, they are all just panting to be of service.

So, Barbara is saved, although Calculator and Hellhound do manage to get away in the confusion or something. That's alright, because I want Calculator alive and well, and being nefarious. The poor boy is STILL completely obsessed, but hey, at least it gives him a purpose in his life.

It wasn't Gail, but it was fun.

The Death of the New Gods is a Terrible Idea

Nothing like getting my opinion right out there. I am also going to reveal some rather drastic Spoilers here, so if you haven't read it yet, stop now.



I'm not quite sure why I picked this up. I'm rather sorry that I did, except that I'm quite fond of Barda and Scott Free, and even like Metron. Orion is a bit of a jerk, and to be honest I don't have the foggiest idea who half of these people are. Oh, and a whole bunch of villains show up with Darkseid.

As has been rather painfully depicted lately in various other books, SOMEONE is going around killing off New Gods. Light Ray has already kicked the bucket, and so did poor ol' Knockout. No real reason for all of this of course. I'm not quite sure why exactly DC thought it was a good idea to kill off the New Gods. I'm not sure why DC thinks that it is a good idea to kill off ANY of their creations, other than for a quick jolt of outrage. It seems quite counter-productive to me, not to mention it is foolish to piss off fans of those creations. (Oh Ted! And Ralph and Sue! And Max!)

So the "Killer" manages to off the guy who is the Black Racer. Not really sure why,a nd I really don't care. Jimmy Olsen shows up and wanders around for a while. We end up on New Genesis, and get a long drawn-out explanation of the whole creation of the New Gods, and New Genesis and Apokalips and so on. We see Scott and Barda foil a robbery while out shopping for groceries. Metron is having bad dreams. I think that the narration switches between Darkseid and Metron, but it is rather confusing as to which is which.

Clark and Lois are supposed to be coming over for dinner, so Barda goes into the kitchen to prepare, while Scott is sitting in front of the computer. He gets up and wanders into the kitchen to dicover Barda's lifeless body lying on the floor, with her heart gouged out of her chest. Scott has angst and cries and goes through all five stages of grief in thirty seconds.

This is the WORST death of a superheroine since Katma Tui got offed by Star Sapphire. Oddly enough, ALSO in her kitchen and off-panel.

There is no battle, it doesn't even look as though Barda lifted a finger in her own defense. No property damage, nothing out of place except for a few groceries lying on the floor. No crashing, no banging, so screaming, no nothin. Hell Knockout at least got to fight back a little.

I like Barda. I like Barda a lot, and I've been especially enjoying her over in Birds of Prey, not to mention she and Scott were always fantastic in the old JLI. This sucks. They killed BIG BARDA of all people, off panel, and in her kitchen.

Thanks SO much.

Booster Gold #3

Heehee. Best cover of the week!



So have I mentioned how much I love this book? Which is why I was quite astonished to read the review of it at "Line of Fire" reviews. The guy writing admitted that he liked the book, and couldn't find anything to complain about...but that in the FUTURE, it might not be so good, so therefore he was going to complain about that. I am paraphrasing of course, but still, I wanted to just bang my head against the desk in despair. Are the Fanboys so jaded, and so addicted to kvetching, that they are whining about possible future storylines, that haven't been written or even conceived of yet?

What the HELL is wrong with some people?

Ok, rant over, but I did have to get that off of my chest.

Anyway, Booster is going back in time, because he' finally figured out that Daniel, his idiot ancestor no longer has the Supernova suit, and that the person who stole it, is up to no good. Daniel also gets to meet Booster's future ancestress, and he spends quite a fair amount of time running around in boxers and nothing else, so I'm happy already.

Oh, and the Doctor Thirteen people put in another appearance. No reason really, but it's fun to see them.

Rip has figured out that Bad Guy's going to interfere with Superman's existance, by going into the past to mess with the Kents. No Kents, no Superman apparently. Instead, the young Kal El is found by none other than Lionel Luthor, and brought up along with Lex, who discovers Kal's...excuse me, Lionel Jr's secret, and in horror and disgust betrays and destroys him. Well crappity crap crap!

Somehow, this all involves going back to the wild wild west, and running into Jonah Hex. I dont' really CARE why Booster is going back to meet Jonah Hex, I'm just going with the flow and enjoying it. However, going back to the old west does involve some wardrobe adjustments.



Yeah, I've already posted this picure. Sue me. So Booster sashays into the saloon and picks up Jonah. Just like he already did with Guy last issue. He's really GOT to learn to be more subtle. Jonah doesn't really appreciate strangers with a lot of questions, but instead of blowing Booster's head off, he makes him a wager. If Booster can outdrink him AND buy all the whiskey...he'll answer every question he's got. Otherwise...it's curtains.

So they get drunk. Howlingly, stinkin' drunk. And are having quite a good time as it all turns out. In fact, Jonah forgets to kill him, which is probably a good thing. He even answers Booster's question. It turns out that the bad Supernova has hired a pro to kill a Doctor Jeb Westfield. Westfield is the Doctor who delivers Jonathan Kent's great grandfather...without his presence, complications during childbirth fill Kent's ancestor...so no Kents...and no Superman. It's diabolical!

Of course Booster is still pretty wasted, and launches into a whole tirade about how he used to actually have a cape to go with his costume, but the bad guy grabbed him by it, and he had to be saved by Superman, who told him he couldn't "handle a cape".

Also, Skeets rides a horse.



Let me say that again. Skeets rides a horse!

Teehee!

Then Supernova shows up to kill the Doctor, and the fight is on! Being drunk, Booster isn't surprised to actually be seeing three versions of Supernova, but since Skeets also sees three, it is obvious that he's using it as a diversionary tactic. Supernova also teleports in buffalo to trample Dr. Westfield, but Booster manages to save the day. The good Doctor decides that he's had enough of Kansas City, and it is back to Smallville for him!

Booster then ends up back with Rip in the bubblemobile, drunk as a skunk, and insisting on taking over the wheel. Rip says that friends don't let friend's drive drunk, and Booster demands to know what the heck he could possibly hit! And then there is a WHAMMM! Booster thinks they just got rear-ended, but it turns out that they've somehow run into Flash and Kid Flash on their little treadmill thingie, which I find hilarious.

So...regardless of what anybody else thinks, I loved this issue and give it twelve thumbs up. The extra thumbs are for the FUTURE issues, which will also be good.

So there.

Green Lantern #24

Well, it certainly took me long enough, but I have finally gotten around to reviewing Green Lantern, and the ongoing Sinestro Corps war.



Things are not looking too good! While back in GLC, Mogo has been saved, and the Guardians decided that use of lethal force when dealing with the Sinestro Corp was just a peachy idea, it turns out that the Anti-Monitor, and Sinestro and Henshaw, not to mention Superbrat Prime have all shown up on Earth to do a little fandango on the heads of the Justice League, the JSA, and everyone else that shows up.

Superbrat Prime in particular has been looking forward to this for quite some time. Superbrat Prime does not seem to be wrapped too tightly in my humble opinion.



Hal, John and Guy can't just jump in and start beating up Sinestro and his flunkies however. Kylellax is back in Coast City about to remove Hal's Brother's family's heads from their shoulders, so Hal has to go zooming off to save them, with a power ring that is just about out of juice. John and Guy go after him, but John (and Hal) make Guy make a detour to pick up Kyle's painting. This is the painting that was referred by Kyle as being important back in the very first Sinestro Corp #1, and was also referred to in the more recent one-shot with Kyle and Parallax. This does not please Guy, who figures that he should be kicking Parallax tail, but he goes after it...grumbling all the way.

Hal does manage to save what is left of his family and is grappling with Parallax, and trying to reach Kyle, when his ring finally does run completely out of power...and he's swallowed by Parallax. When John finally shows up, he sees a new Parallax,all in yellow this time, which is rather cool.

Guy in the meantime, gets ambushed by a passel of Sinestro Corps members, who basically tell him that he's no real threat, since he can't really do anything to them...Arkillo said so! Guy's about to open up a can of whup-ass, when who should show up, but the whole bloody Green Lantern Corps! To Guy's undisguised delight, they show the yellow meanies exactly what's for!

He does get the painting and rushes to help John, who is managing a fight against Parallax all by his lonesome, and doing remarkably well. Inside of Parallax, Hal finally finds Kyle, and together they manage to bust out in a beautifully drawn, but highly disgusting scene with bits of yellow goo and Parallax body parts all over the place. A rather bemused Guy and John are watching this in what appears to be both hope and disgust, and Guy remarks "That's pleasant."

Poor Kyle is still coughing up Parallax phlegm which must taste terrible, while Guy makes a nice pair of glowing green shorts for him, since he's all naked and such.

*sigh*

Parallax may be down, but he's not completely out, but just then Ganthet and Sayd show up with the four Lanterns that belong to each of our heroes. You can tell whose is whose just by looking at them...Guy's for example has a University of Michigan logo stuck on the side. I have to admit that I absolutely loved this bit. It's small and easy to overlook, and yet just SO perfect.

Ganthet points out that once again the Earth Lanterns are better at dealing with fear than the freakin' Guardians, and he and Sayd split up Parallax and imprison him again inside all four of the power batteries. Sayd introduces herself after being asked who "Smurfette" was, by Guy of course. Then Ganthet reveals that the two of them have been booted out by the rest of the Guardians because they "feel". He also offers Kyle his ring back, although it will be as a regular Lantern, and not Ion. Kyle being Kyle, doesn't care, and joyfully puts his ring back on. And we have a LOVELY shot of the Four Musketeers.



Beautiful.

There has been a certain amount of grousing that there wasn't enough butt-kicking going on. The Sinestro Corps is certainly fighting with the JLA and the JSA and everyone else, but the emphasis was on the Hal, Kyle, Guy and John. This actually makes me quite happy. While I certainly can enjoy a well-placed kick to the head, I also enjoy the smaller, quieter character moments as well. Kyle manages to get free of Parallax, with the help of Hal and his own determination and willpower. Hal managed to get free of Parallax with the help of the Spectre for heaven's sake, so I don't want to hear any nitpicking about Kyle being weaker than Hal.

John is quiet and competent as usual, and manages to hold off a Parallax powered by BOTH Hal and Kyle by himself, which is quite an achievement. Guy has all the best one-liners of course.

The players are all at the table, and the stakes are enormous, which sets up the next issue. The skill and pace of this story has been amazing, and the art has been nothing short of stupendous.

Something Different

Wow. For once this weekend, I didn't do ANYTHING that was comicbook related. Instead, I went on a tour along the scenic backroads of Northwestern Connecticut, with my son and husband, and forty or so vintage Volkswagens. I grew up with antique automobiles, since my Dad collects them, my husband collects cars, and my son has the same bug. So it is LIKE collecting comicbooks, except that cars take up a whole lot more room.

Nevertheless, it was a lovely day, and the foliage is starting to turn color, and we ate a lot, and actually encountered another carshow full of WATER-cooled Volkswagens. We of course beeped and blatted our tinny little teutonic horns in derision. Air-cooled all the way, baby!

So...if there is a point to my meanderings...it is sometimes a nice thing to take a look at your significant other's hobbies as well as your own. You might enjoy it. Or at least get some fresh air. But I'll be back with Green Lanterny goodness tomorrow.

I'm Still At It

And so, alas, we are drawing to the end of Beefcake Week. I hope that it has been as much fun for you as it has for me. All that hard work, looking over all the scans and pictures...it was tough work, but SOMEone had to do it.

So I give you...



...Yes, that's Booster with his shirt off. And he's going Western, which makes it doubly magnificent. AND he pairs up with Jonah Hex. It doesn't get much better than that. Unfortunately, Jonah keeps his clothes on during Booster Gold #3, but go visit Dwayne over at Matching Dragoons, for LOTS of pictures of Jonah with his shirt off.

Woohoo, Beefcake!

Yes, I'm still at it. And now for something a little bit different from all the Green Lanterns (and Superman) who have been showing up lately.



Gosh, I just loves me some Nightcrawler. Besides, it's HARD to find half-nekkid pictures of Hal and John for some reason. And I dont' think that half-nekkid pictures of Kilowog even exist, which saddens me unspeakably.

Day Four, and I'm not quitting yet.

Yes! More Beefcake! And this time, it's a two-fer!



Yes, that IS Superman and Guy Gardner in bathing suits. Actually, I think that ol' Supes looks a wee bit uncomfortable, but then he HAS just been teleported from a pocket dimension to Aruba, and that has to be a tad disconcerting. Guy however, looks simply fab. I know that not everyone was "into" Guy as Warrior, but I never had any complaints. Afterall, he WAS running around half-nekkid most of the time...wearing tatoos and a smile.

And speaking of a smile, here's one final shot of Guy...just for fun.



Portrayed by the amazing Pat Gleason.

*sigh*

Still MORE Beefcake

Boy Howdy, I'm a roll now. I've even infected OTHER people with my madness! Bwhahahaha!

Now this NEXT one is a little on the unnusual side, I must admit.



Yes, that's Sinestro. NOT my first choice when it comes to good looks and studliness. On the other hand, he IS naked. THAT'S something that you don't see every day.

And in order to take away that strange burning sensation at the back of your throat, let me just throw this one in. Yes, I've shown it before, and dammit, I'll probably show it again. You just CAN'T beat Kyle in a loincloth.



Rowwwrrr!

Day Two, in Beefcake Week

Well, now that we got off to a nice start, here's another contribution to the cause.



*sigh*

Oh Kyle, you're just the cutest little thing there ever was. Even being Parallax can't take the pretty out of you.

And just for fun, here's another view of Kyle for those of you who truely appreciate a really magnificent behind.



You just can't beat a good Green Lantern Butt.

It's Beefcake Week!

It's been quite a while since I indulged in gratuitous, but heartfelt leering...hence I feel that it is high time for some really good beefcake.

Starting off with a bang, I present to you...!



...yes, straight from the pages of Green Lantern Corps, it's Sodam Yat! Gosh, he's purty! And the fact that Patrick Gleason has presented him with such a strategically shredded costume is even better! Daxamites are tough! And gorgeous!

Please feel free to come up with some nice beefcake of your own. Because it may be a little harder to find than cheesecake, but it is OUT there!

Salakk

Salakk, you magnificent bastard! Really, you are beginning to grow on me more and more. Originally, Salakk was unusual in that, unlike all the OTHER Green Lanterns, he wasn't a kiss-up to Hal Jordan. This attitude made him refreshing. I love Hal, but if there was anything that he DIDN'T need, it was more ass-kissing, and Salakk filled that much-needed niche.

Salakk was cranky, morose and definitely a "glass-half empty" sort of character. I found it hilarious, that his best friend was an anthropomorphic squirrel. When I saw "The Hitchhicker's Guide to the Galaxy" and the cute little robot, as voiced by Alan Rickman, I squealed out..."Look! It's Salakk!" So of course, every time that I now read about him, it is with Alan Rickman's voice.

I've enjoyed his continuing battles with Guy Gardner, because if there is one person in the universe who would get on Salakk's nerves, you KNOW that it would be Guy. But I also enjoy the way that he was been portrayed as being a whole lot smarter and even good-hearted than he appears. He's also manipulative and officious, hung up about protocol, and really enjoys bureaucracy.

I must admit that Iwas a bit startled at his actions in the latest Green Lantern Corps #16. The part where he comes swooping in and saves Kilowog is great. The part where he incinerates the baby is even better. Unlike some of the other Lanterns, he's not filled with rage, or eager for vengeance, he's just being efficient. And Salakk is nothing, if he is not efficient. As he points out to Kilowog, he's not particularly happy about the use of lethal force being authorized, but it is after all, his duty to serve. And Salakk will ALWAYS do his duty, as he sees fit.

He's also machiavellian enough to be in cahoots with Ganthet and Sayd. He serves the Guardians, but that doesn't have to mean that he also can't think for himself.



So here's to Salakk. I'm SO glad that they haven't killed him off. May he continue to be a thorn in Guy's side for some time to come.

Green Lantern Corps #16

FINALLY!

I admit that I was getting a little testy there, staggering into my locak comicbook store expecting to find this little tome waiting for me...an waiting...and waiting. I take back all the bad words I said, it was worth it. As usual, Mr. Gibbons and Mr. Gleason hit it out of the proverbial ballpark once again.

You may recall, that a huge contingent of the Sinestro Corp had attacked Mogo, along with the sentient evil city Ranx, and the Children of the White Lobe. The Guardians, who are scared to death because of that nasty little prophecy, dispatched Kilowog and a number of Lanterns to help protect Mogo. Because basically, without Mogo, the Lanterns are seriously screwed. It is Mogo who directs the rings to new recruits if the wearer is deceased among other things. Besides...Mogo is just too cool.

Arisia has been assigned by Salakk to keep a close eye on Sodam Yat, per orders of the Guardians. Arisia isn't too thrilled by this, but she's doing her best, and in fact has to disobey a direct order by Kilowog to go chasing after Yat into Ranx itself. The Lanterns who are fighting a rearguard battle on Mogo are getting creamed, but in proper Green Lantern fashion, they continue to fight as best they can.

Meanwhile in Ranx, Sodam Yat, Issamot, Chthos and Stel, shortly followed by Arisia are looking for a way to shut him down. Ranx keeps bellowing for the head of Guy Gardner. This rather puzzles the rest of the Lanterns until Chthos explains the loss of dignity to Ranx due to Guy's rather...interesting methods during their last incounter.

Back on the surface of Mogo, Green Man has come up with an interesting strategy. On his planet there is a species that can "reabsorb its life-energy to transmute its soft skin into an impenetrataable shell. Then it sleeps near death until the danger is past and it can come back to life". He suggests that Mogo do the same thing, protecting his core until his fellow Lanterns can repel the Sinestro Corps. Vath thinks that this is just a dandy idea, as does Mogo. I like it, because in a weird way, it sort of fulfills the prophecy without killing off Mogo. It works pretty well, and Kilowog and the rest are now trying to find all the Children of the White Lobe before they can detonate their blink bombs.

Somehow, Mogo quietly communicates with Sodam Yat who is hiding out on Ranx,and explains in part at least, some of the mystery and the prophecy concerning the two of them. The Guardians are terrified that Yat will be killed, but he refuses to get out, which rather puzzles Arisia. For a rookie, Yat seems to be getting the hang of things awfully quickly, and he takes charge too, which rather ticks off Issamot. Ranx is so pissed that he's overloading his gravity disruptors, and losing control of the source of their power, which means that he may end up blowing up a black hole. Ranx doesn't strike me as being awfully bright.

So, they have to go in and try and disable Ranx as quickly as possible, and to my sorrow, poor Chthos gets killed by Enkafos, the Sinestro baddie. I LIKED Chthos. Dagnabit. Stel is trying to overload Ranx's circuits, and just then all the Lanterns get the news from Oa that it's ok to kill Sinestro Corps.

The reactions to this bit of news are quite varied. Green Man seems stunned, Vath is thrilled, Kilowog is shocked. Suddenly the tide is turned, and Sinestro rings are zipping all over. Even Salakk shows up and takes out the last Child of the White Lobe, who incidentally was trying to explode Kilowog. Salakk is very cool and collected, and just says one word when he has the little bugger in an energy ball.

"...incinerate."

Whoa!

Sodam Yat and the other Lanterns in Ranx have just gotten the lethal force directive, and in a scene that freezes my blood anyway, Yat gets this terrifying smile on his face, and his eyes glow with the Lantern symbol...just like the Guardians, as he and Isamot go to town on the remaining bad guys. Arisia however, just can't bring herself to kill.

Stel can't override Ranx's core, and in his hate and rage, Ranx is getting dangerously close to blowing up. Yat gets the rest of them out of there, and calmly and as cooly as Salakk, he fires on Ranx...who explodes with spectacular results. They all think that Yat is a gone goose, but he shows up a bit tattered and battered, but otherwise in one piece. They all decide to head back to Oa, for the final confrontation. Since Mogo can also kill now, they figure he'll be safe.

And then they get the word from a slightly busy Hal Jordan. The confrontation isn't on Oa...it's on Earth...and he really could use a bit of help.

The art just flows, and it is all nonstop action throughout. It's about time that something is going right for the Lanterns! Too bad about poor Chthos though. I do have my doubts about the ultimate wisdom of the Guardians decision to use lethal force however. Some of the Lanterns took to the new rule with glee, some with resignation. Some are soldiers, some wanted vengeance, and others are troubled by it. All of which sets up some interesting ideas down the road.

JLA/Hitman #2

Damn. Dammit this was so good. Could they possibly put John McCrea as the artist on the new JLA with McDuffie? Bueno!

Well, back in issue #1, things weren't looking too good for our heroes. The astronauts have been taken over by the Bloodline thingies, and somehow, all of the JLA has lost their powers. This is rather serious for Superman, since he was OUTSIDE when it happened. When Tommy points this out, Batman's attitude is basically "tough!" Nevertheless, everyone is quite nervous.

It gets even more nerve-wracking when the poor astronauts show up on the station, remove their helmets and show the newly evolved Bloodlines critters attached to their heads, with things up their noses, and in their eyes, and...just...yecchhh! They even brought a few spare critters, for the Justice League. While the Justice League in fact just stands there, with their eyeballs popping, Tommy decides to take matters into his own hands and opens fire. Naturally Batman has a hissy fit, and then the possessed astronauts open fire on the Justice league, by shooting beams out their eyes!

Oops, guess they DO have powers!

The Justice League does finally start to attack, since that is what they do, although Batman just can't help yelling at Tommy all the time. Tommy does start shooting them in the knees instead of the head, just to get Batman off of his back. Kyle is just a little bit terrified, but does a bang-up job, whacking the critters in the head with a chair.

Then Batman gets taken out, and a critter is now firmly attached to his head. Double yecchh. The good guys manage to drag him off and make a run for it, while Wonder Woman uses Bats belt to blow up the corridor.

Somehow the critters are using telepathy to communicate, and when Tommy starts shooting at the one on Batman's head, it decides it doesn't like being hurt, and tells him to quit it. They are able to glean a fair amount of useful information this way. Oh, and the U.S. Government, already rather nervous about the missing Space Shuttle, has decided to nuke the Watchtower.

Oops!

Leaving GL and Flash behind, Wonder Woman and Tommy climb up the endless ladder to get back and try and fight the nasty little monsters. Unfortunately, they are attacked on the way, and they get Wonder Woman,who nevertheless gives quite a good account of herself. Puffing away, Tommy makes it to the top, only to be confronted by a horribly possessed Superman, who naturally tries to blow Tommy into little Hitman pieces. Tommy fires back, knowing perfectly well that his bullets can't do a thing to Superman, but still screaming at the top of his lungs that he IS Superman!

Lo and behold, he actually gets through to him, and Supes manages to pull the horrible little brainsucker right off of his head, but it takes a LOT out of him. He and Tommy then have a nice little heart-to-heart talk. Superman still really can't believe that he was friendly with a guy who kills people for money, but despite himself, he still can't help but like him.

So, all by his lonesome, Tommy goes up, and since he really doesn't have any other option, he just shoots all of them. Their powers come back, Flash zooms up and tells the military to please call off their nukes, and the others are freed,and everything is hunky dory...except that of course it itsn't.

Batman just can't let it go, and wants to hand Tommy over to the authorities, to be tried for murder, but Superman offers to testify in his behalf. And indeed that is what they do. Batman puts Tommy in cuffs and hands him over to the Gotham police. Who promptly hand him a pack of cigarettes and offer to drop him off at Noonans. Turns out they all play poker together.

Heh heh.

Nice, fun plot, lots of action, Batman being a douche...it's all good, right? But the real meat of the story is the moral implications, that really get examined as Clark Kent is explaining all of this to the young reporter. The Justice League, doesn't kill or torture, no matter what. At least not in THIS incarnation. Somehow, some way, they always find a solution. Except that Tommy ISN'T a super hero, and he's just trying to do the best that he can. He doesn't have superspeed, willpower, heatbeams or the brain of the world's greatest detective. He's just a guy. He's just a guy trying to save the lives of the world, and incidentally, the depowered superhero team that hates him.

Tommy and his buddies didn't think too much of superheroes in general, but Tommy always liked Superman, and now we know why.

In the very end, Superman flies into the sunset, and in a really lovely series of panels, goes into darkness, and then up into space and back to the moon, where there is a tiny little memorial to Tommy. That bathroom that was destroyed, that they never rebuilt, where Tommy impishly scrawled his name, is still there...and that is where Superman goes.

*sniff*

Man. This was good. This was really really really good. Garth Ennis's take on superheroes in general is usually pretty caustic, but he's a little gentler here, although still just as funny. His portrayals of the League are pretty darned good, from poor flustered Kyle, to a stern and austere Wonder Woman, to a really obnoxious Batman, but his Superman just shines.

Bueno!

Hair Color for Super Heroes

This is an awfully silly topic, but I just can't get it out of my head. I can only assume that the hair colors of blonde and black were immensely popular in comic books because they were relatively easy to do with the old-fashioned four-color process. Nowadays with all the computers and such, it isn't such a big deal.

But there are an awful LOT of people out there with blonde (blond) hair. AND blue eyes. And this is just DC, I haven't even included Marvel, which has Capt. America, Hawkeye, Hank Pym, Thor, Angel and Speedball.

Alan Scott/Green Lantern, Barry Allen/Flash, Aquaman, Black Canary, Green Arrow, Booster Gold, Animal Man, Liberty Belle, Supergirl, Wondergirl, and John Constantine, and probably a whole crapload more.

Then there are the ones with black hair AND blue eyes:

Superman, Batman, Nightwing, ALL the Robins, Wonder Woman, Wildcat, Captain Marvel, Garth, Zatanna, Donna Troy, Huntress and Hippolyta and probably a whole crapload more.

There are a couple of redheads, but they seem to automatically have green eyes for some reason.

Wally West/Flash, Roy Harper/Speedy/Arsenal/Red Arrow, and Starfire. I'm not sure if Barbara Gordon/Oracle has green eyes or blue.

Ted Kord had DARK red hair and blue eyes, which was delicious.

Guy Gardner has red hair and BLUE eyes, not green, which is also delicious.

The Green Lanterns are a bit on the odd side. You have Hal Jordan, with BROWN hair and BROWN eyes, which is quite an unnusual combination, if only in comicbookdom. Kyle has black hair and HAZEL eyes, which is also different. John Stewart has black hair and brown eyes which is lovely.

Jaime Reyes has black hair and brown eyes, and I think that Jesse Custer did as well. Hawkman started out with black hair, but it has now turned brown I think. Kendra has brown hair and brown eyes, which is as unnusual for a woman as for a man...but only in comicbookdom.

It would just be nice to have a little more variety I suppose. How about auburn, or mousy brown? Dirty blonde? Vixen has unnusual hair color, which is nice. Maxine Hunkel has red hair and freckles, which delights me to no end.

How about a blond with BROWN eyes? I can't think of anyone.

Guess, I'll just go and get my comics.

And one final last look at the Wedding

Really, I am probably beginning to flog the proverbial dead horse here, but I just can't help myself. Please look closely, at this superb rendition of Ollie and Dinah's wedding...especially the location.



I do believe that they are at the original cave headquarters for the Justice League. It is nice that they prettied it up with the draperies and flowers and candles and such. Although I'm not completely convinced that decorating Oracle with flowers all over her feet is in the best of taste.

But LOOK at it. It...it rather resembles an arena doesn't it? And is that an altar? My question, is, does it normally look like this, or did Geoforce come up with the steps and stuff? If it really IS some sort of arena, then what on earth were they using it for?

This rather comes to mind...



This is just my version of the original by the incredible Frank Cho.

Now you know where the idea for "Celebrity Deathmatch" came from. I guess that the old JLA had to finance themselves SOMEhow.

Blue Beetle #19

You must all be getting bored by now, because every month, I rave and marvel at how great Blue Beetle is. Well bucko...get used to it, because the new one is just as awesome as the rest.

We begin with Jaime doing a little man-to-man training with Peacemaker, which is a good idea. Tim was right, Jaime shouldn't only rely on the suit. Peacemaker wins of course, because he uses "pressure points", making poor Jaime blork all over the desert. Sneaky but effective.

Then of course, there is an explosion, and off they all go, just thrilled to be heroes. The explosion is at la Dama's house, which complicates things of course. In the meantime, Brenda, who is amazing, has managed to track down Jaime's "Beetlecave" and his helpers, and discovers that her house, which she shares with her aunt (La Dama) is under attack.

Which leads to this.



Oh Paco. You always get the best lines. Sexy fight indeed.

Needless to say, La Dama is not particularly pleased with giant women attacking her home. In fact, she's pissed as hell. Beetle is trying to save her, and Brenda is just stunned to realize what is actually going on. Apparently Intergang is behind the hit on La Dama. What REALLY annoys her however, is that Brenda has discovered her secret identity as a crime boss.

Next we get into some really good stuff. Blue Beetle can't figure out why nothing that he's doing is even slowing Giganta down. Peacemaker goes into a lovely dissertation about magic, giant humans, robots, and leaking fluids. Jaime, realizing that Giganta is being powered by magic, uses his head, and rings up Traci Thirteen. Any appearance of Traci is a good thing in my book.
Traci is a leeeetle bit busy with the Croatoans at the moment, but she is still glad to talk to Jaime.

Beetle tried going for her eyes, and that only slowed her down a minute. Now he and Peacemaker use their collective noggins and go for the pressure points. How's THAT for foreshadowing? I just hope that Jaime remembers this particular ploy later on. Giganta is naturally quite contemptuous of their initial effort, until her leg collapses underneath her, and then she gets another shot in the arm, and declares in a huff that "...Quit it! Seriously! This isn't fun anymore!" She also says it isn't personaly, she's just in it for the money. La Dama isn't amused, since her house was attacked, and her secret identity is now known to Brenda.

One more hit, and Giganta is out like a light. Paco is suitably grateful that they didn't use the "puke point" on her...as are they all. La Dama is still furious with Jaime, even though it isn't his fault, and Brenda is furious with all of them

Finally, Brenda is sitting on a bench, when Jaime's support team shows up and gives her the dossier on La Dama, and they also explain that the reason they all hid the truth from her, was because they didn't want to lose her.

And then Jaime's mom shows up,and makes it all better. As Moms do.

Seriously, Jaime has the best mom. And the best family and support system. Everybody knows who he is, and what he does, and does their darndest to help him. It is just such a wonderful concept.

I hope, I really hope that they never cancel this book. And I'm a Ted lover.