Farewell to 2008

Well...it's the last day of the year, it is snowing madly, and there are no comics. Not 'till Friday, anyway. Curse those UPS men who actually want to take a day off! I suppose that I wouldn't be wending my way to the Comic Book Store anyway, since it is snowing. I mean, REALLY snowing. Snowing fiercely, if such a thing is possible.

On top of all that, I think I'm getting a cold, because I have a headache and my sinuses hurt. So I'm feeling pretty damned disgruntled today. What, oh WHAT could put me into a better mood?



Ok, that makes me feel better. Black Cat's artwork, and grasp of her characters just fills me with delight. Happy New Year!

All Romance Comic Heroes look like Hal...?

Well usually that is true. However, I may have to amend that rule, and change it to All Romance Comic Heroes look like Green Lanterns.



Man, that looks like...Guy! And, as usual, he's getting the shaft. I can't decide if I want the woman to be Kari Limbo or Lois Lane. It would be a lot funnier if it were Lois.

Poor Guy. He just can't catch a break.

It's All Karma, Really

Poor Janet Van Dyne. Killed off (?) in the last issue of Secret Invasion. Now, killed off aparently in the Ultimate version as well. What IS it about the Wasp that makes her such cannonfodder? She was even killed off once before, way back when they had that whole Secret thing with the Beyonder and all of that. Nobody noticed, and she showed up again, none the worse for wear.

I cannot help but think however, that in this latest "death" that Janet probably brought it upon herself. In fact, she's probably the one character who is the MOST to blame for the entire run of Marvel events, so in my view, she deserved to die. Not that I think that she really DID die, not for one moment. She's whisked off to another dimension by Thor? No big deal, knowing Jan, she's probably running the joint, and will be invading earth in a few more months herself.

Janet after all, is the one who was responsible for the whole House of M. SHE'S the one who while lying around gossiping with Wanda, couldn't keep her big yap shut about Wanda's imaginary kids. SHE'S the one who brought up the whole crazy mess with Wanda in the first place. Indirectly, she's responsible for the deaths of Vision, Hawkeye, and the second Ant-Man.

House of M, and its whole "No More Mutants" thingie, then led to Civil War. Civil War then led to Secret Invasion. Not to mention all the craziness going on with the X-Men recently. All because Janet couldn't keep from flapping her gums.

Jan has always been a bit on the...flighty side anyway. She's the one, who after losing her father, had Henry Pym...a man not completely working with a full deck of cards ANYway...experiment upon her, giving her wings, a sting and the ability to shrink. He also inadvertently made her more powerful than himself, which had to contribute to his own self-esteem problems. She spent her time buzzing around trying to trap Hank into marriage, or flirting with all the other members of the Avengers, when she wasn't designing hideous costumes and fainting.

Then there was this.



Yes, Janet tricked a crazy man into marriage. Mainly to score off of the other Avenger women, if my memory is correct. Remember, Hank was so nuts, he thought that he had KILLED HIMSELF! Or at least his alter-ego. Jan knew this, and played along with it. It's actually hard for me to decide which one of them was more psychotic. Later of course, poor Hank had a really bad day, and slugged her, which was a VERY terrible thing to do. And was lableled a wife-beater for all eternity. Funny, Reed has been shown smacking Sue around on a regular basis, but never got the same treatment. Anyhoo...they get divorced, then they get back together, then break up, then get back together, then get the Ultimate treatment, where he REALLY beats her up, then they get back together, then the Skrulls give her some weird potion to make her give people germs or something, and Thor blows her into another dimension.

But I'm sure she'll be back. Just remember...if you are lying around a pool, engaged in idle conversation with Janet Van Dyne...LEAVE IMMEDIATELY! Or you too, will be responsible for the next Marvel Event. A face worse than death.

All Romance Comic Heroes look like Hal...Part II

It's true. So very very true.



Looks like Hal to me. And what is worse, is that she's fantasizing about Alfred for God's Sake! Not that Alfred isn't awesome in his own way, but he hasn't got the kind of behind that Hal does. And those Romance Chicks are all pretty shallow anyway.

You know, posting is a lot harder, when I can't just yank up Christmas pictures anymore.

So, What DID come out on Wednesday?

It was a fairly small week, but a pretty GOOD week, all things considered. Now of course, we'll all have to wait until next Friday for another dose of Comical goodness, but them's the breaks, I suppose.

I have mentioned before, that I'm not a huge Batman fan. That said, I have been enjoying Grant Morrison's latest work with the whole Batman R.I.P. storyline, even though I only have bought the last few issues. Maybe it is because I'm not a huge Bat-fan, that makes it so enjoyable...I'm not invested in it emotionally. I guess if Grant Morrison had been pulling the same shenanigans with the Green Lanterns, I'd be going ape-shit crazy.

That said, I thought that Batman #683 was really good. It's a nice little filler story, explaining what happened after Bats fought the Bad Guys, and the whole imprisoned by Darkseid story. It's nice to see that Batman can STILL be completely dangerous, even in the fix that he's currently in. I also don't believe for a minute, that he won't be back...eventually.

Billy Baton and the Magic of Shazam #3 is delightful. It doesn't come out that often, but the book is so large and so dense, that it seems as though you are getting the equivalent of several regularly sized books at once. Mike Kunkel's artwork is as endearing as always, and it's a fun story. It has Mary Marvel being...well, herself instead of evil and sexy. And Black Adam is great!

The Brave and the Bold #20 continues its storyline with Hal Jordan, and his rather bizarre team-up with the Phantom Stranger. Things are going to hell in a handbasket rather quickly on a Green Lantern's home world, and as usual, the Guardians stand around going "Huh?" There are even several very nice shots of Hal's ass.

The Flash #247 has Wally going up against the Queen Bee, for Linda's life, not to mention Jai and Iris's. Oh, and the original Titans show up and are even helpful and all. Wally manages to tap into the Speed Force again, with Iris's help, the Queen Bee gets hers, and there is a...a HAPPY ENDING! Happy! There has been a bit of grumbling about the return of Barry, and the possible neglect of Wally. I don't really think that is going to happen, Wally is, and will always be...Flash. Maybe not the ONLY Flash, but frankly, the more the merrier. He's got a happy ending...or at least a happy interlude, and when I consider the things that they COULD have done to him, I'm grateful.

The Punisher: War Zone #3 continues Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon's madcap revisiting of the Ma Gnucci story with considerable zest and zeal. Yes, it is completely over the top. Yes it is mind-bogglingly violent. I...Do...Not...Care. It has the Punisher shooting things, and that always makes me happy. Especially when depicted by Ennis and Dillon. It is a little like having Preacher back for a couple of issues. Good mindless fun.

Thor #12 is pretty good, and beautifully drawn as usual. That's quite a twist there, with exactly whose body Loki has been...borrowing.

Trinity is consistantly entertaining.

Wonder Woman #27. Well the proverbial shit has hit the proverbial fan! The Amazons are back, but will they be back for long, if Zeus has his way? On the other hand, seeing the Olympic Gods running around in spandex, is a hoot. Diana is in a bad way, and Director Steel has gone completely off of his noodle. And it look as though the lasso is a lot more dangerous than we ever thought. This is really really good.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

It is that awkward time of day, after a HUGE Breakfast feast, and the opening of presents, and before the trek to my Mother's house for ANOTHER huge feast and more opening of presents. There is a lull, and I feel that I must fill it.

I was skulking around Scans Daily, and discovered this. It's just too funny not to steal, so enjoy.

A little boy has written a letter to the Daily Planet asking if Santa is real. Superman decides that he has to help out a little.



Naturally Batman shows up and points out that while Superman is larking about with one kid, the rest of the world really could use his help. Superman, shamefacedly agrees. But he can't just fly off without a last peek at the kid and his family...when what to his wondering eyes should appear?



Oh Batman. You really shouldn't try to steal Superman's thunder.



Best. Christmas. Ever.

'Tis Christmas Eve!

And quite frankly, we are stirring like mad. I've got to bake a ham, make dessert and dinner for family, and clean the bathrooms, in addition to picking up my books. Not a LOT of books coming out today, but...still I feel the need to READ!

I do hope that everyone else is going to have a lovely Christmas, or Hannukah or Solstice, or WHATEVER!

And, in keeping with theme from the past few days, here's another one of Black Cat's pictures.



Merry Christmas!

'Tis the Day before the Day before Christmas

It's NOT snowing! Woohoo!

And now, for my favorite Christmas song...



Have I mentioned how much I like Black Cat's stuff? Best Batman ever. Of course, now I have this song stuck in my head.

Only a Few More Days

Good Grief, Christmas is in only a few days! All the presents are bought, shipped and accounted for, although a few do still need to be wrapped. We've been digging out from under ANOTHER snow storm...but I do have to say that it is absolutely gorgeous out. The sun has actually come out today, it is cold as heck, but with all the white fluffy snow and the blue sky, it is very very pretty and Christmasy looking. Thank goodness the roads are clear!

So...to put you all in a good mood, here's some more of Black Cat's stuff from "Welcome to Wayne Manor". Why they don't give her a mini-series at DC is beyond me.



So...so cute.

Middle Names

How many super heroes and heroines have middle names? Well, I'm sure that they HAVE them, but it isn't something that is brought up very often. I for example, know the middle name of Wimpy from the Popeye cartoons is Wellington. J. Wellington Wimpy. I feel SO superior in this knowledge.

What is Bruce Wayne's middle name? What is Hal's? What is Clark's or Lois's?

You know who has a middle name?



Guy, that's who. In fact, Guy may actually have TWO middle names, as his mother, written by Beau Smith in the Warrior book calls him Guy JOSEPH Gardner. My assumption, is that Guy's parents couldn't agree on a single middle name, and therefore, his actual name is Guy Darrin Joseph Gardner. God only knows what Mace's middle name is. Probably Aloysius or something.

Does anyone know of other characters with middle names?

What the Heck...?

I admit it, at this time of the year, my brain starts to fry a little bit. The shopping, the lights, the liquor-enhanced eggnog, the parties...at times I start gibbering and thinking strange thoughts.

Such as...Why oh why, do ALL the men in those old Romance Comics...all look like Hal Jordan?



It doesn't matter what their actual names are, I see that thick brown hair, with the curling forelock, and immediately start using Hal's name. It can be QUITE amusing. Try it!

And speaking of odd, I saw THIS scan on Mike Sterling's blog...



...and all I could think of, was that if Guy Gardner was a kid, and an anthropomorphic duck...this is how he would have looked. I'll never be able to look at Baby Huey the same way again.

Maybe...just maybe I should start laying OFF the eggnog.

DC Universe Holiday Special

I am a total sucker for Christmas issues of comic books. I buy them every year, and revel in their saccharine goodness, and plot contortions. This year is no exception, expecially because that HAS to be a Frank Quitely cover. Nobody else can draw a chin like that.

There are quite a number of little goodies in this particular offering, not to mention some very nice artwork. The opening story is about a wonderful alien from another world who comes to earth and tries to make things all better. He then builds an incredible fortress in the arctic, grows a beard and starts delivering toys. I freely admit that I completely fell for this, and it has Ivan Reis helping to draw it.

Then there is an Aquaman story. Aquaman! In all of his orange and green goodness! It also has a pregnant lady, pirates, a storm and an honest-to-goodness Kraken. What's not to like?

Paul Dini does Good King Wenceslas, which I was humming as I was reading it. Dustin Nguyen does the art in a lovely watercolor look, that is just gorgeous.

There is a rather sweet story about Gotham, and how they go for the entire day without a single crime or emergency. Commissioner Gordon and the rest of the cops, not to mention Batman are going a little crazy waiting for the other shoe to drop, but they end up enjoying it all, and indulge in a little bit of hope. Then you get to the last page and realize that there is a twist...but a delightful twist. Let's just say that Supergirl is definitely going to sleep for a week.

There is a nice little story about Nightwing getting a present for Tim, and meeting him at the movie theatre, where Tim goes to watch "It's a Wonderful Life". Turns out that he used to watch it with his Dad. Who should show up but Boomerang! Turns out it was HIS Dad's favorite movie too! While I adore Boomer, I must admit that I had my moments of skepticism about this story. Didn't their respective fathers kill each other? That must have been...awkward.

Then...THEN there is a story with Blue Beetle. ALL the Blue Beetles! Woohooooo! Three generations of crooks being taken out by three generations of Beetles, with a nice little zing at the end. You just can't go wrong with a Blue Beetle story.

Huntress shows up next, with Rafael Albuquerque on the art. He didn't get to do Blue Beetle, but he does a lovely job with Helena, and a little story about high school, bullies, and redemption.

Then all the Titans show up in New York, to meet at Lincoln Center, and do a little shopping and bonding. Jaime goes off with Traci 13, while Red Devil pouts, Cassie and Tim make peace, and this new Bombshell person sulks and then gains a little peace. Oh, and Meggan shows up, and they get to beat up bad guys,and it all ends happily...of course.

But then, as they say, they saved the best for last. Or ALMOST last, as the last story is one with Doctor Light, being ambushed by the BAD Doctor Light's old buddies. The art, by Rudolfo Migliari is done in a very painterly fashion and it is GORGEOUS!

But the one that really tickled my funnybone was the one written by Alan Burnett and drawn by the incomparable Kevin Maguire. Ahhhhhh...Maguire drawing the Justice League just makes my heart go pitter-pat.

Vixen is hosting a Christmas party up in the satellite and it's falling rather flat, as everyone stands around and acts bored. Roy and John Stewart should be there, but they have to fight the Shaggy Man first. They do manage to defeat him, with Roy shooting him full of Batman's nerve drug, which puts him into a fairly happy frame of mind. Then they all show up at the party...



Heehhee! John in a Santa hat! They were going to drop him off at S.T.A.R. labs, but they were all having an office party. He then proceeds to eat all of Dinah's fruitcake and drink most of the punch. But his arrival does seem to loosten up the crowd a bit...



Fire and Booster seem to be having an awfully good time. Zatanna and Dinah are comparing stockings, while Wonder Woman seems a bit disconcerted by Shaggy Man's...er...dancing. They even get presents.



Hawkgirl gives Batman a tie. He already HAD a Defabrophibulator. Platinum gets Turtle Wax. Plastic Man gives Superman a framed photo of when he was turned into the fattest man on earth by red kryptonite. I LOVE Secret Santa gifts! I can't help but wonder what the rest of them got. Roy probably gave Hal a box of Christmas colored Condoms. Geo-Force got a box of Peanut Brittle, but knowing him, he's probably allergic to nuts.

But anyhoo...it's fun, and a little sappy, but what the heck. Well worth picking up.

Sweet Sweet Wednesday

Ahhhh...my favorite day of the week. Naturally it snowed, and we are currently experiencing freezing rain to boot. They even delayed school by 90 minutes, which seemed to be a bit ridiculous considering we only had an inch or two of snow, but I suppose the roads ARE a bit slippery. Nevertheless, I Will Brave Them, in pursuit of comics.

I'm also glad to say that my shopping is almost complete. Now I just need to start baking. I'm also going to bring in goodies to Matt at my Beloved Comic Book Shoppe. If there are crumbs in your new comics, it is probably my fault.

I just stumbled across some interesting news. Apparently, Peter Tomasi is going to be writing the new Outsiders book. I am quite fond of Mr. Tomasi, he has done a superb job of penning Green Lantern Corp, and he actually made Nightwing GOOD! Therefore, even though I have never read Outsiders before, I'll be picking it up.

The new characters will be Geo-Force, Black Lightning, Katana, Owlman, Creeper and Halo. Oh, and Metamorpho too, I think. I like Metamorpho and Black Lightning, Creeper can be amusing in small amounts and I really enjoy dumping on Geo-Force for some reason. I know vaguely who Halo is, and Katanna doesn't seem to do much except scowl, although she was a hoot briefly in Birds of Prey. Owlman, I don't have a clue.

But the Piece' de Resistance...the clincher in all of this...is that the team is going to be run by none other than Alfred Pennyworth! Alfred! They are taking him out of the cave, and out of his butler's togs, and suiting him up to be"M". I am delighted. Of all the Bat family, I like him the best. Well...I like Tim too, but Alfred IS simply amazing. He's one of the reasons that Trinity has been so good. And you can't go wrong with acerbic British wit and cunning.

So...everyone drive carefully today. And be kind to your Comic Shop proprietor, the dispenser of all our earthly delights.

Oh for Pete's Sake!

According to the previews for March, Nightcrawler is going to be leaving the X-Men. Again. To be replaced by that Pixie person, who apparently can teleport too. I didn't even know she could teleport. I thought she just buzzed around with her pretty little wings, sprinkling fairy dust on people or something. But no, so now Kurt is all depressed and feeling redundant.

Way to go, Marvel! In addition to a 33.30% price increase, you continually mess with the few characters that I still like.



This is the cover. Nice, eh?

It occurs to me, that although that isn't a Green Lantern butt, it is still a VERY nice tushy indeed. In fact, with only a little bit of color changing and the exchange of an "X" logo for a "Lantern" symbol, we could turn Kurt into a Green Lantern with very little trouble. He already has the black arms and legs going for him, and the white gloves. Just give him some green boots and...and voila'!

Heck, he'd make a simply adorable little alien Lantern. He's got a tail! He could wear his ring on it! My proposal therefore to Kurt, is to leave the X-Men behind for good, and high-tail it over to DC and join the Corps. He'd fit right in.

I'm Popular!

Please pardon my smuggery. Chris, from over at http://comicsalltooreal.blogspot.com/ has been kind enough to give me an award!



*sniff*

I'm a little...overcome. And all because I have this unhealthy fetish about Green Lantern behinds. I can tell you one thing. If I were male, and had an entire blog devoted to female breasts, I certainly wouldn't be able to get away with this sort of thing. On the other hand, there are an awful lot of blogs, and books, and comics and television shows and movies and paintings, and illustrations and cave paintings that have been JUST THAT for a very very long time, so pooh.

And that's my social commentary for the day. Sorry, got carried away. And, just to show OFF my fetish, we have...!



Oh...yeah!

Secret Six, #4

Well...like just about everyone else, I feel the need to gush over the latest issue of Gail Simone's "Secret Six". Nicola Scott does a fantastic job as usual, as does everyone else associated with this book. Exactly WHY do I like it so much?

For one thing, it is funny as hell. The artwork is gorgeous, and the dialoge is snappy. There is an actual plot. There is a horrific villain. There are flawed but human protagonists. And it has Deadshot in it.

So...they've discovered the "Get out of Hell, Free" card that was created by Neron. Tarantula of course, is sitting back and smirking, now that she's introduced this little apple of discord into the group. Catman is beginning to freak out. Scandal is disbelieving, yet torn. Bane, bless his heart, is totally pragmatic. Deadshot just doesn't give a shit, which is why I love Deadshot so. Ragdoll doesn't really seem to worry too much about it...yet, anyway. But there are definitely cracks in the wall of cameraderie in this misfit bunch.

Meanwhile, the vile Junior is on his way to waylay our whacky group in Las Vegas. The more that I see of Junior, the more discomfitting he becomes. This is a seriously demented villain, that Gail has created for our amusement. He REALLY wants that card, so that he can continue to kill, mutilate and torture to his heart's content...and yet he really believes in God, and the concepts of good and evil. He makes a pitstop at a Catholic Church, and demands absolution after confessing to the priest. The priest of course, cannot grant him absolution unless he actually repents his sins, which of course he does not. There is a tiny moment when you realize that the priest knows he is about to be killed and how he deals with his knowledge, that is quite poignant.

Bane continues to try and nurture Scandal in a fatherly sort of way. Scandal continues to be rather nonplussed by this behavior, but it is rather sweet when she finally realizes that as weird as it may be, he actually IS sincere. Blake continues to fall apart, and accidentally stabs Scandal while he's fighting with Bane, which was certainly reckless of him.

Finally, we are introduced to Jeanette, The Last Victim, and an old friend of Scandal's at the Las Vegas casino that she controls. She welcomes them with open arms, and then some. I have to admire Ragdoll's utter delight in...well, in everything. Too bad that things immediately hit the fan, when Bane is captured by Junior, and everyone else is attacked by the hordes of bad guys recruited by Junior.

Then our favorite poisoner shows up. How's THAT for a cliffhanger?

Is this going to be an ongoing series now? I originally thought that it was only a mini-series, but I'd be delighted beyond belief if this was to be an on-going. It would take some of the sting out of losing Blue Beetle.

In short, I give this twelve out of twelve butter brickle icecream cones!

Green Lantern Corps #31

This was a seriously creepy issue. I hope to God, that they never ever take Pat Gleason off of this book, because nobody else can combine the level of out and out weirdness, alieness, and humor that he can.

When last we left our heroes, the Guardians, in their INFINITE wisdom, egged on by the surly machinations of Scar, have decided that since Queen Aga'po of the Star Sapphires had the audacity to DISS THEM, they are going to make a third new ruling. Henceforth, "...physical relationships and love between Green Lanterns is FORBIDDEN within the Corps."

Tough luck on those Lanterns that are married I guess. Hal Jordan of course, is going to commit seppukku any minute now. Too bad for Kyle and Soranik, but on the other hand, at least she'll live now.

Meanwhile, Kyle, Soranik, Amnee and Matoo are busy fighting off Kryb, and having a pretty tough time of it. Kryb is no pushover, that's for sure. She's also the most seriously disturbing villain to come along in a VERY long time. Kyle has lost his temper, and starts laying down a serious whuppin'. If only Guy were here, he'd be SO proud. Kyle is even using all sorts of nice lantern constructs, something that he hasn't done in a while. Alas, it is all for naught, as Kryb blorfs her own "personal" version of baby formula all over all of them, thereby transforming them into her willing slaves.

Blurg!

This leaves poor pregnant Amnee all on her own, which isn't a very fair thing at all.

While all of this is going on, Mongul has dropped into a nice little space brothel for a bit of R&R. Apparently his decapitated arm is capable of maiming all on its own, while Mongul is off having fun time. SO handy!

Also, Miri, the new young Star Sapphire that we first saw a couple of issues back has completed her love training, and is all set to go out into the world and sing Hall & Oates songs in order to heal the Universe. I am wondering if she's going to show up in the next issue and lend a hand, which would be nice for poor Amnee, who is having an AWFUL time of it. She does manage to form a green construct of her unborn baby that beats up Kryb, which is rather cool of her. Too bad that Kryb calls upon her newly enslaved Lanterns to beat the crap out of Amnee.

Things are not looking good. I can hardly wait for next month.

No Guy, no Arisia, no Tora, no Yat in this issue, which was a blow, but still, there was a LOT of fabulous stuff going on. Gosh, I just love this book.

What a Bonanza!

Good Gravy, I LOVE the second Wednesday of the month! And this particular Wednesday was no exception. There were TONS of good books.

I managed to pick up the following:

Action Comics #872
Ambush Bug #5
Booster Gold #15
Final Crises #5
Final Crises: Revelations #4
Green Arrow/Black Canary #15
Green Lantern Corps #31
Justice Leave of America #27
Nightwing #151
Punisher: War Zone
Secret Six #4
Trinity #28
Lone Ranger #16

Hoohah! Not a clunker in the bunch, although I must admit to liking some more than others, or at least parts of some. Or something.

Seeing the Creature Commandos in Action Comics was a lot of fun. Poor Superman. Supergirl's mother is a real piece of work. Nice to see that Lex is having so much fun.

Ambush Bug is idiotic of course, but that's exactly what I'm looking for, so I'm always glad to read it. Plus the inclusion of Superboy Prime and the "Kandor Cheer" just MADE my day.

Booster Gold had Ralph in it! Oh, and Leonardo Da Vinci. And twin bickering. Dan Jurgens makes his debut as the writer as well as the artist,and I couldn't be happier. Oh Ralph.

Final Crises had a crapload of Green Lanterns, doing Green Lanterny things, which was very nice. Hal's hair was pretty. Guy showed up with Kyle and were simply magnificent. The Guardians weren't as stupid as they usually are.

I...I LIKED Final Crises. I know that it has been on the convoluted side, and it is ridiculously late, but what the heck. There are some really interesting ideas going on, and that two-page spread with the few remaining good guys was really spectacular. Not to mention the scan of all those Green Lantern butts falling into the singularity.

I think I need a cigarette. And I don't even smoke.

Final Crises: Revelations was...ok. I like Greg Rucka, but this one has been only mildly interesting. Still, the Huntress was cool.

Green Arrow/Black Canary sees the introduction of Andrew Kreisberg as the new writer. I thought that he did a fairly good job. He ain't Winick, and that's a plus in my book. The bit with Mia and the condoms was mildly amusing, and there was a cool cliffhanger.

Green Lantern Corps...well...I'll get to this later, but rest assured, that I am SERIOUSLY creeped out.

We finally get to see Dinah give the Trinity a good talking to, in JLA, and it is a talking to, that has been long overdue. I love the various guilty/sheepish looks on their faces, when Dinah discovers their secret clubhouse. She also has a very good point, it is about time they stop undermining her. Oh, and stuff goes on with Dr. Light. And those Milestone people.

Nightwing was oddly...sweet. A creepy confrontation with Two-Face, an INTERESTING pizza delivery, and the departure of whatshername...Dick's sort've girlfriend. But what I enjoyed the most, was the bit at the end. Quiet, but touching. Oh, and Alfred looks SO cool in that hat and the goggles.

In the Punisher:War Zone, Garth Ennis teams up with Steve Dillon again, and I'm just so thrilled. These two are like chocolate and peanut butter to me. And guess what...Ma Gnucci is alive and kicking! Well...not kicking...but you know what I mean. Good brutal fun.

Oh Secret Six, I just fall in love with you a little more each month. Again, a larger review of this to come. But the cover alone is hilarious.

Trinity just keeps plugging along,and being a good solid read. This is so much better than Countdown, that I can't even believe it, and yet I've heard that its numbers are worse, which I find to be unbelieveable.

Lone Ranger...well this is a very very good issue. One of my favorites so far, I think.

What did everyone ELSE buy this week?

Ooohhhh!

Isn't this just the prettiest ol' thang?



It's a promotional piece by Neal Adams, and it is simply gorgeous. No Green Lantern behinds, per se, but what the heck, I love Hal's hair almost as much.

It's that time of the Month...

...for me to feel all cranky about the state of Comics. What else where you thinking? Get your minds out of the gutter!

But seriously, normally, I am a pretty cheerful person, and I simply love my comics. Most of the time anyway. Maybe I'm just suffering from Green Lantern withdrawal symptoms or something. Maybe I just want all of the cross-overs to be OVER, for the love of God.

At Marvel, Secret Invasion finally...FINALLY came to an end. And contrary to what we were told, it DIDN'T change the Marvel Universe forever and ever. In fact, with one or two small exceptions, things seem to be pretty much back to status quo. Which of course, is more or less how we all like it. Change without REAL change. Yeah, the Wasp "died", and Mockingbird apparently didn't. Big Whoop.

I've been awfully jaded about Marvel lately, ever since Civil War, and Brand New Day, when they pretty much lost me as a reader for good. I still enjoy the Incredible Hercules, and Thor, and Namor, but that's pretty much it for me, lately. I STILL miss Nextwave. So I haven't been reading the entire Secret Invasion with the exception of those titles and their tie-ins. Frankly, I didn't miss it at all. I was still kept abreast of the situation, because it is impossible to read blogs and articles without knowing what was going on.

But it went on for SO LONG!!! Was it really necessary to stretch out what would, in the old days have been a three part story into EIGHT issues, not to mention the countless tie-ins? It was basically a fight between Skrulls and heroes. And, since Skrulls are shape-shifters, it becomes difficult to know whom to trust. That's it. It did serve as a sort've ending to Civil War, wherein Tony Stark finally gets his comeuppance, but it all just seemed so mindless. They fought in the Savage Land, they fought in New York, and now for some reason, Norman Osborn is going to be the head of everything, and SHIELD is disbanded, and the heroes are STILL looking askance at one another.

Several people have looked at this state of affairs and openly wondered if the people who populate the 616 Marvel Universe are simply complete idiots for putting up with this sort of thing...putting the good guys in jail, and worshipping the bad guys...and I have to agree. The average Marvel Citizen IS A MORON!

And the shocking...SHOCKING reveal at the end of all this, is Normie's little secret Cabal in the basement...consisting of the Hood, Emma Frost, Namor, Loki and Dr. Doom. And Normie is standing there, telling them all "how it's gonna be".

I'm sorry, but I laughed and laughed. And somehow, I don't think that was the reaction that Mr. Bendis was going for. Again, as far as I can tell from various blogs EVERYONE thinks this is a ludicrous idea. Dr. Doom and Namor are going to let a little small-time jerk like Osborn push THEM around? It is to laugh.

All of which will presumably tie into Marvel's NEXT huge cross-over, called Dark Reign. THIS one is going to go on for twelve months, and feature Norman and Dr. Doom arguing over the donut selection at their meetings.

Oh Alan...!

Really, Alan, this is NOT your shining moment. Usually these sorts of things only happen to Hal...and occasionally to Guy. I've discussed before, that John never seems to have really embarrassing moments. Angsty ones, yes, embarrassing...not so much.

But poor Alan here is getting clocked, and it isn't even with a stick...or...or ANYTHING! That's what happens when you start fantasizing about Thorn or Harlequin, I suppose.

Oh Hal

Even the bad guys want to be pounded by your big green boxing glove. Apparently, they are quite MIFFED that you are merely using your fists.

I'm not even going into the whole "aroused" thing.

Hallelujah!!!

It's fixed! My computer is back, and fixed, and my oldest reinstalled everything, and it's just zipping right along, and I smell it and it smells like VICTORY!! The malaise that I've been suffering through the past month has just fallen away and I'm feeling quite ornery.

I also finally got my new comics. Although it was a bit of a small week, it was still a pretty darned GOOD week. I'm also feeling quite contrary, in that I enjoyed all the books that everyone else hated, which always makes me feel warm and fuzzy all over.

For example...I hadn't really been following the whole Batman R.I.P. storyline much, certainly not buying the book, because I'm just not much of a Batfan. But of course, I couldn't avoid hearing about it, so finally, I went out and bought #681, which is the grand finale to the whole shebang...and you know what? I LIKED IT! Could the artwork have been better? Probably, but you can say that about a whole LOT of books. Batman's omnipotence can occasionally annoy me, but here, I rather enjoyed it. Then I went out and bought #682, and I liked IT too! Nice little tie-in to Final Crises, and it rather neatly explains why Batman isn't the deus ex machina that he usually is...at least not yet.

I went out and bought the Haunted Tank #1, simply because I've always loved the concept of the ghost of James Ewell Brown Stuart haunting a tank. It was a violent and hilarious story, and I liked it.

Jonah Hex #38 actually made me laugh out loud at some of the dialogue. Jonah has been bushwacked by a former acquaintance of his, a sheriff from a previous story. Continuity! Except that Jonah really hasn't the foggiest idea who the man is, which just infuriates him. He insists on going into great detail over his story,while Jonah rolls his eyes and complains.

"Ah'd prefer ya shot me in advance of any long-winded remembrances bloated with the kinda words women use 'round the teapot."

"Youll hear my story in its entirety BEFORE you die!"

"In that case Ah'm lookin' forward ta dyin' as a means of escape from yer dull exposition."

HAW!!!

Do you remember a few issues back where the two women on this ranch were kidnapping men and cutting them up into little pieces? Turns out this owlhoot was the sheriff of that town. His idiot son, rides in, after getting into some trouble, pursued by a gang of female bounty hunters, whom the sheriff and his son then proceed to gun down. The kid takes off, and the sheriff manages to talk his way out of trouble. Too bad that Jonah rides into town and tells them all about the killings and maimings. The townspeople get spooked,and elect another sheriff, so the poor guy has to leave town. He blames all of his troubles on Jonah of course.

Turns out that there is more blame to go around. Jonah had heard about the gunning down of Rose and her posse of bounty hunters, and isn't too pleased. He also just happened across the sheriff's moron of a son as the kid was in the process of robbing a bank,and taught him a lesson for his trouble. A permanent lesson. Also, beating up Jonah Hex never seems to work out too well, as he manages to spot a rattlesnake, and THROWS it at the sheriff. It just happens to bite the sheriff in a VERY unfortunate spot, and I have to say that the image is frightfully funny. BUY this and READ this, because it is SO worth it.

I liked the Justice Society of America #21 too. Yes, I suppose that we all shouldn't be too surprised that Gog is finally showing his true colors, but I still enjoyed it. Lovely artwork, and it was nice to see the befuddled Leaguers face off against Gog once he demanded their worship. I also enjoyed seeing Ted smack Teddy around. Grant got HIS comeuppance, and probably deserved it. Felt sorry for Mr. Miracle and Alan though.

Terra #3 has been quite nice, and the artwork by Amanda Conner just shines. I'm even able to tolerate Geoforce, which is a bit of a miracle in and of itself.

Trinity continues to present a fun and interesting story.

Vixen was pretty decent too.

I really really enjoyed my books this week. I'm also really enjoying being able to WRITE about my books this week!

Oh...Drat.

Well, the new books are in, but my car just drove off with my son in it, since he managed to lose the clutch in his truck somehow, and needed to get to school.

*sigh*

I can console myself with the fact that I'm not actually getting a whole lot of books today anyway. Nevertheless, I do feel something of a pout coming on.

So...to cheer myself up, and for the perverts among you, I present the cover to one of my absolute FAVORITE stories:



Oh yeah. The time that Guy Gardner got turned into Gal Gardner. The actual whys and wherefores really don't make a whole lot of sense, all you need to know is that Dementor did it...somehow...and that hilarity ensues! This was towards the end of Warriors, when Beau Smith obviously felt that he had nothing left to lose, and it really is an awfully funny issue.

I always have wondered how Hal would have reacted to the same situation, and my feeling is that he would have gone completely to pieces...and who could blame him? Guy on the other hand, although QUITE pissed, manages to acquit himself/herself with a certain degree of aplomb..not to mention grace under pressure.

But you know, that somewhere, Ted Grant and Zinda have photos of this whole episode hidden in a safe deposit box somewhere.

Well, today was a Washout

So...I showed up, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at my beloved Comical Book Store, only to be greeted by the SOUL-CRUSHING news, that the books have been delayed for a day. Curse you, UPS...wanting to have a holiday and spend time with your families!

On the other hand, I did get some Christmas shopping done, which is something, I suppose. As I was coming home, I need to make a left-hand turn at the intersection in the middle of town, and had to slam on my brakes, to avoid being hit by a car that went straight, even though I had the green arrow. At first, I was pissed, and then it occured to me...I had the Green Arrow! Ollie! Ollie is a traffic signal, and I had never noticed! Roy is a traffic signal too! So is Hal, if you really really stretch the idea of a Green Light with a Green Lantern.

All of which teaches me, that Comic book connections can be made all through the day, in the oddest of ways. And also perhaps, that I really ought to get a life.

Playing to my strengths

It occurs to me, looking back over the past month, that I spent an inordinate amount of time whining. This is not attractive. Taking my New Year's resolution a tad early, I hereby resolve to try and whine less. I also finally got the Restoration Disc from HP in the mail today, so hopefully in a few days, I'll be back on my regular computer and posting like sonufabitch.

Also, to all those guys who are moaning about the delay in the next Green Lantern issue over at the DC Message Boards, get a grip. It will be here when it gets here. I want it too, but I'd rather have it be pretty. Anyway, we had the Rage of the Red Lanterns issue to tide us over.

So...in conclusion, you can never ever have too much of Hal Jordan making a fool of himself.



In this particular episode, Hal pretends to love domesticity, and rhapsodizes about the joys of marriage. He even feels that his shirt needs a button sewn on. He offers to do the dishes! What you don't see, is that in the next panel, he and Tom fall into one another's arms laughing hysterically, and ordering Terga and Carol to bring them some pie.

THIS is the way that Backest Night Should Work Out

Over the years, Hal Jordan has done a LOT of things as a Green Lantern. Over the years, the Guardians have apparently gotten stupider and stupider. The following is a quick idea of how things should probably work out after Blackest Night. I can't remember, but I think that I swiped this from Scans Daily. Where they found it, I have no idea.







Tee hee!