Farewell to 2011

This has certainly been an...interesting year. Although I suppose that you can say that about ANY year. The weather was bizarre, at least in my little corner of New England. A tornado, an earthquake, hurricane, blizzards, floods...there weren't any red skies or locusts, but that was about ALL that we didn't experience. And so far, except for the Halloween disastrous snowstorm that knocked out our power for a week...we haven't had any snow. Not that I'm complaining. I'm just worried that we'll suddenly get twelve feet in February, because these sorts of things have an odd way of evening themselves out.

I understand that the rest of the country has had interesting weather as well!

There has been the unrelenting parade of Republican candidates, which has been alternately hilarious and terrifying. And gosh, we have another whole year of it to look forward to! The price of everything has gone up...and up. On the plus side, we are coming home from Iraq which is a very good thing, and the economy seems to be improving...very very slowly.

For the world of Comics, it has also been an interesting year. There was Thor, The Mighty Avenger by Landridge and Samnee over at Marvel that was simply fantastic, although it ended far far too soon. There has also been Journey into Mystery, with Loki as a young boy, and it has also been fantastic. DC had its reboot in September, and has surprisingly been putting out some pretty decent books. On the other hand, other than the marketing coup, I can't really see that any of those books couldn't have been created using the OLD Continuity. I miss my continuity...I really do.

Action Comics with a young and raw Superman has been superb, but there is no reason it couldn't have been brought out as a new book, it's written by Grant Morrison and drawn by Rags Morales. People were going to buy it no matter what. Same thing with Wonder Woman, which has also been excellent. She's been rebooted and redone so many time already...what's one more? The Bat Books and the Green Lanterns passed through the tumult mostly unscathed, although I am still uncertain as to what is still in their combines history. The the JLI being new, does this mean that Guy never got the "One Punch" moment? He doesn't know Martian Manhunter anymore, and he's only dated Ice a couple of times, which makes me sad. Also, we lost Secret Six which also makes me sad.

They broke up a LOT of couples, which also depresses me to a certain extent. In the meantime however, I can only assume that someday it will all be put back as it should be, and I'll keep buying and enjoying my books. On the plus side, Batwoman was fantastic.

The Green Lantern movie came out and I don't care what anyone says...I loved it. The Thor movie was also very good. I haven't seen the Captain America movie, but I understand that it was pretty decent as well, and I will be looking forward to the Avengers movie. The Green Hornet movie was just awful. Although Kato and the car were ok. We also had the epic story of Wonder Woman' pants.

I had two kids get married, my Sweet Babboo started a new job, we marched in a lot of parades, and I made the last payment on my car. Huzzah! The New Year beckons, with all sorts of promise and hope. I do trust that you will ALL have a safe and happy New Year and that good things happen. And when bad things happen, we'll get through them.

And please please, let the comics be good.



And you can count on there being a lot more of this sort of thing.

Thursday's Reviews

Well, this was a fine little crop of comics for the last week of the month. Heck of the year! So let us begin.

All Star Western #4

Man, Jonah just can't seem to get clear of Doctor Arkham. He's out minding his own business, hunting down bounties, when he's approached by a gentleman who is missing a child. Hex isn't interested until he offers an ENORMOUS reward, and then he's all ears. He ends up at an orphanage and is being given the bum's rush by a nun, when the good doctor shows up and vouches for him.

It turns out that there have been an awful LOT of kids gone missing over the years, but since they were from the wrong side of the tracks, nobody has bothered looking for them...'till now. Jonah and the Doctor end up going underground, and find what appears to be a monstrous construction site with the kidnapped children as slaves. Hex is quietly going around picking off the overseers, while Arkham tries to shepherd the kids out of there, but naturally, he gets caught. Lots and lots of fun as usual. There is a second story as well, of the "Barbary Ghost" with a Chinese girl looking for the man who killed her family and she has eerie powers. Nice.

Aquaman #4

It's always just so nice seeing Ivan Reis's artwork. Arthur and Mera head down to the Trench,which is the home of the nasty nasty baddies who have taken all those nice surface dwellers home with them. They are a little startled to discover what appears to be a centuries-old ship embeddened in the wall of the Trench...from before Atlantis sank. Pressing on, they discover a whole slew of the creatures, and they aren't doing that well. Their offspring are weak and mutated, the Queen can't breed, and Mera thinks they should be exterminated. Arthur is more concerned about getting the kidnapped people back to the surface. He breaks off the whole wall where they are imprisoned, and Mera takes it back,while he stays to run interference.

Naturally, the critters aren't too happy about seeing their meal tickets disappearing and attack. He's about to be eaten by the Queen, when he hurls his trident at the volcanic vent, and things immediately go sideways. The ensuing volcanic eruption collapses the Trench, and the lava seals it off...presumably. They are able to return the townspeaple to their homes, with only two fatalities, which is pretty good all things considered. The sheriff is still being a bit of a jerk, but a little boy tells Arthur that he is is bestest most favorite superhero.

Awww...!

So, Arthur and Mera end up back at the Lighthouse, which does seem to have just the purtiest sunrises and sunsets. And the other nice sheriff shows up with the dog that they had rescued a couple of issues ago, and now they have this nice Golden Retriever who can't swim.

Double Awwww...!

Now Arthur and Clark can play frisbee together with their puppies.

Flash #4

God, I am loving this book. The things that Francis Manapul is doing with the art boggles the mind. It is beautiful, it is innovative, deceptively simply in line, but oh, the craftsmanship is there, and it is amazing. The story isn't too bad either. Barry's friend is still a bit of a jerk, and his clones are still trying to get him back, and all sorts of things are going on, and Iris is captured, and she thinks the Flash is a menace, and it just zips along, and Flash decides that he needs to run, and...It's Just So PRETTY! And fun!

Green Lantern: New Guardians #4

I'm finally getting involved in this book. Larfleeze showing up certainly helped, and he brought Sayd with him! Man, we haven't seen her in ages. Too bad that Ganthet can't appreciate it,since he's been brain-washed by the other Guardians. Bummer. Larfleeze is kicking the Guardians collective tiny wizened blue asses with astonishing ease, and Ganthet is trying to persuade Kyle to dump these losers and stay with HIM, because he's just so exceptional, and by the way, can they study him?

Kyle wavers for a minute, because after all, he does owe a lot to Ganthet, but Ganthet isn't precisely in his right mind at the moment, and Kyle tells them all to stuff it, and they ALL take off for Okaara. The are getting along about as well as one would expect them to. St. Walker tries to calm down Arkillo and creates a Hope version of Sinestro, who restores Arkillo's tongue, which had been ripped out by Mongul. Arkillo can talk again! He's not particularly grateful, but hey.

Sayd keeps getting in these little digs at Larfleeze, which is fun. But she's discovered a huge threat in the middle of an even huger black hole, and they all apparently need to get their colorful asses over there. Good. Pretty darned good.

Justice League Dark #4

I'm also enjoying this book. June Moon is still running around with Deadman, Dove is still pissed, and even more pissed to come home and find John Constantine in her kitchen, looking for Deadman. Shade is having some problems, Madame Xanadu is looking for drugs,and Zatanna is in a bit over her head. The story is interesting, and the art by Mikel Janin is quite beautiful. So definitely worth your while.

I also picked up DC Comics Presents: Elseworlds 100 page Spectacular! As I recall, this is the one that they pulled years and years ago because of the baby in the microwave bit, although I do have to say that having read that story, it is QUITE amusing. This is bizarre and crazy and absurd, and I enjoyed the heck out of it. It also includes some spectacular Superman dickery, which is always a plus.

Not a bad week, not a bad week at all!

Back In The Groove

Well...Christmas is over, and I do have to say that having Monday off, was a wonderful wonderful thing. It was so nice to have time to pick up all the wrapping paper, put one's feet up and eat left-overs and just relax for a little bit.

I do have to say that it is a wonderful thing to have one's children competing for one's love. Heh. I got home-made peanut/chocolate thingies from one, not to mention fudge, a blue Hope-Lantern sweatshirt from another, and a gorgeous turquoise necklace from a third. Not too shabby! Also a Guy and Soranik figure, so I'm just as happy as a clam. I hope that YOU all got some wonderful goodies as well!

And by Jove, tomorrow is Wednesday yet again, with still more literary delights coming to our beloved local Comic book shops. My equally beloved comic book store owner gave me a book of Romita artwork...signed by both John Romita Sr. and Johnny Romita Jr. I am beside myself. It is always a good idea to bring cookies to your comic book store!

And...because I simply cannot help myself...one more goodie from Black Cat.



Adorable!

Oh...You know.

Be sure to have A Merry Christmas, a Happy Hannukah, and a Klassy Kwanzaa. A Superb Saturnalia, and a Fine Festivus.

Have I left anything out?



Just a little something from Black Cat, who continues to delight us all.

Green Lantern Corps #4

This wasn't bad...seriously, NO Green Lantern book is ever BAD, but it does seem to be spinning its wheels just slightly. John and several other Green Lanterns have been taken prisoner by the Bad Guys, who simply blow one GL's head off, simply to prove their point. The others are enraged of course, but John keeps his head, and tells them to wait for their moment. In the meantime, they are told to walk across the "Emerald Plains", which is quite stunning...with the imprint of countless Green Lantern batteries pressed into the ground.

In the meantime, the Green Lanterns that made it back, are still upset. Sheriff Mardin is practising hard, and Honnu is having a tantrum more or less...because Lanterns were left behind. It wasn't his fault, but he doesn't see it that way. Guy is busy interrogating the lone Bad Guy that they managed to take prisoner, with mixed results. He is trying to pull the old "Good Cop/Bad Cop" routine, but Salaak keeps flubbing his lines...much to Guy's disgust.

He's not getting anywhere, and is becoming increasingly frustrated, when who should appear but J'onn J'onnz, the Martian Manhunter! Woohoo! I love J'onn! However, in this continuity, he and Guy have never met, and certainly have never been teammates before. Guy is understandably a little disconcerted by this large green gentleman who rises out of the floor in front of him, but J'onn manages to convince him that his intentions are good, and that he and Stormwatch ARE on the side of the Green Lanterns. Which doesn't stop him from getting in a few digs about the Guardians, and just where were the Lanterns when Mars was being decimated.

J'onn discovers that the Bad Guys call themselves the "Keepers". The Keepers of the Lantern's Power Batteries no less. I guess that explains the imprints in the dirt of the Emerald Plains, then. Guy is a bit confused...but the two of them come to the realization that the Guardians have been...less than forthcoming when it comes to explaining some things. What a surprise!

And what exactly to the Keepers want? Well...just the Central Battery.

It was nice to have Fernando Pasarin back, and it is an interesting story, with some more plot points explained, and it is always a thrill to see J'onn. But I am ready for this story to pick up just a little bit. This issue seems to be mostly exposition...which isn't necessarily a bad thing...but not a whole lot of action. However, I am sure that there will be action galore soon enough.

Reviews!

Well bless me, but this was a simply sensational week, when it came to comics. Which I rather needed, quite frankly, since yesturday morning, I managed to trip over the new bag of dog food while heading from the kitchen to the dining room, twist to save my breakfast, and landed on my left knee, with a handful of oatmeal. HOT oatmeal! So now my palm is burned and my knee hurts. But I do have new comics, so it all works out.

Batman #4

Dagnabit, but this is good. Dick shows up, which is always nice, and gently tries to convince Bruce to slow down a bit. Bruce still...even with all of the evidence before him...doesn't really believe in the Court of Owls, mainly because he went looking for them after his parents were killed. He basically was looking for someone to blame other than a petty criminal, because really, who would have murdered his parents for handful of pocket change and some pearls? Oh Bruce.

It's a lovely look at the burgeoning Bat's first case...taken when he was just a kid. But a relentless kid! Beautiful art, wonderful dialogue, and a heck of a story. Twelve thumbs up!

Batman: Odyssey #3

You know, this book is making less and less sense as it goes...not that it ever DID make much sense...but I Do Not Care. If it gives Neal Adams a chance to draw Batman riding a dinosaur or giant bat, or tiny evolved little...critters try to take a nip out of Robin's rear end, or for Batman to have a duel with Ra's crabby old son...then I Am FOR it! I basically didn't even try to make any sense out of the story, I just looked at the pictures. The purty purty pictures.

Birds of Prey#4

This is actually growing on me. I wasn't too sure at first, and I do still miss Gail Simone, but the story is picking up. I think that I wrote pretty much the same thing about this book last month...but it's true. Batgirl shows up, which is nice, and Poison Ivy is helping out, and being all fierce and darned efficient, which I always admire. Even Katanna does stuff. I still don't like Starling that much, but at least Dinah gets the bomb out of her brain, and the plot is advanced,and interesting things manage to happen. So pretty good.

But boy, that cover by Finch is really terrible. They...they ALL have the same face! And some peculiar body positions.

DC Universe Presents: Deadman #4

This has also been an excellent ride. Deadman takes the knowledge that he's gotten from the Librarian, and goes to a carnival where he meets the Morningstar, and has one craaaaazy roller coaster ride. He also asks a lot of questions, and gets some rather interesting answers. He also finally is beginning to understand Rama's motivation. Too bad that she's not particularly happy with his quest for knowledge.

Very good.

Fables #112

Good as always, although for some reason, it makes me think that I missed something. For some reason, Rose Red is now being picked to be an avatar of Hope? A cricket (Jiminy?) shows up on Christmas Eve, and takes her all over the place to see the other Hope entities, although some of them are now dead, and she owes a kiss to a dead guy who rather resembles Boy Blue, and to be brutally honest, I didn't really quite follow all of it. I guess we'll see.

Green Lantern Corps

Oh...you know, I 'll cover this tomorrow.

Justice League #4

You know...this is big sloppy fun. Aquaman finally shows up, and thinks he should be the leader. He's not too happy about the parademons in the water. And Cyborg freaks out a lot. And Hal makes a complete ass of himself, but heck, I always enjoy that. Barry is amusing, Batman is also dryly humorous, and Wonder Woman is just so happy to be cracking heads, that she could cry. Hal just can't quite understand who Aquaman thinks that he is...until Aquaman SHOWS him some of the things that he can do...like have giant sharks eat parademons by leaping out of the harbor. At which point, Hal decides to just shut up.

Oh, and Darkseid shows up. There is no pretense here, to being anything deep or particularly cerebral. It's just loud and violent and I have to admit...I loved it.

Wonder Woman #4

I loved this too. Diana isn't too happy with the revelations about her parentage, and she takes off to listen to a concert. Apollo and Ares are plotting, Hermes is hanging out, and Eris just can't seem to tear herself away. That is one messed up family that she's got. And Hera goes to Themyscira, and has it out with Hippolyta.

Damn. You know, we have GOT to stop killing off Amazons.

Done!

Hah! I'm finished...completely finished with my shopping, and I am simply overflowing with smuggery. Bwhahahahaha! Even the wrapping is mostly done. Of course, I still have to finish the fudge and the cherry-chip bread, and cook the ham and make applesauce...!

I think this is more of a "girl" thing. Most of the guys I know don't obsess over Christmas...or any other holiday for that matter. In fact, my Sweet Babboo pretty much takes it for granted that I'll do his shopping FOR him. There are bonuses in this...I usually end up with exactly what I want...like that Kilowog action figure a couple of years back! On the other hand, no pressure at all.

I don't think that there is going to be a separate Holiday book out this year, at least by DC...which is a bit of a shame. I LOVE Holiday books! Last year, the Larfleeze Christmas Special was...well...special! But I suppose that if I am in the need of Christmas cheer, I can unearth them, and read them all over again. That's one of the benefits of collecting comic books...they aren't perishable! You can read them over and over and over...and I do.

Is It Just Me..?

...Or is December just FLYING by? It's the last week before Christmas for heaven's sake! I need cider! I've made my fudge and cookies, and now I need Wassail. Delicious delicious Wassail. Oh, and the home-made eggnog (with the BOOZE in it) isn't too bad either.

I have family flying in from Arizona today, so blogging may be light for a few days, as we wallow in family and food and stuff. But to get us all in the mood...



Courtesy of Black Cat. I DO wish that DC would give you a book. I would read "Batman & Sons" religiously.

A New Record!

Well, I'll be damned. This, according to that handy dandy little counter thing, is apparently my 1500th post. That is a LOT of Green Lantern Butt objectification! It all just goes to show what a fetish can do for a person! So thank you to every one who has read this silliness. And please be warned that I have a whole lot more silliness in mind.

And now, here's the Review of Green Lantern #4. Because it is all about the Lanterns. And their behinds.

As you all no doubt recall from LAST issue, it sure looked as though Hal had just been disintegrated by Sinestro's Yellow Battery. Hal certainly wasn't very happy. But naturally...being Hal...he used his last seconds to think about Carol.

Sinestro isn't too happy either, wondering how Hal managed to screw things up. But the Battery realized that Hal wasn't Sinestro, and therefore spit him out, instead of sending him to Qward. Of course he is promptly taken prisoner by the Sinestro Corps, and tossed into a cell, which will drain his ring of its power. I'm not quite sure if Hal was out of it when he was tossed into the cell, because the tosser DID announce quite loudly that it would drain his ring. He also thinks that Hal is beautiful.

Hal IS beautiful. And dumb, because he immediately starts making constructs to cut his way out of the cell, and none of it works



Hal is nothing if not persistent. He does eventually realize that he just blew all his power, and decides that he only has enough power for one more thing, so he conjures up an image of Carol. Awwww...that's so sweet! Now if he could only actually TELL HER of his feelings!

Anyhoo...Sinestro isn't having a much better time of it, as he's being tortured by his erstwhile followers. They just can't understand what he's doing with a green ring and are doing their level best to get it off of his finger...and throwing a little torture into the mix, because why the hell not? But the ring won't come off, and they are contemplating removing his whole hand. They don't but do toss him into another cell, that is holding all of the Korugarians. Sinestro can't quite understand why they are all so mad at him. We also learn more about Arsona, and it turns out that she was one of the few who stood up for him way back when, except that she's not too happy with him NOW. Sinestro tries to defend his methods, but she's not having any of it. Meanwhile, Hal is listening in, from his cell next door.

Then Sinestro does something amazing. He...he actually says that he's sorry. And I actually think that he even...means it! The rest of the Korugarians aren't necessarily buying his remorse, but still...for Sinestro, that's quite a step! Hal decides to put in his two cents right about this point, and says that Sinestro could make rings for EVERYONE, so that they could escape. He also gets in a little dig about how Sinestro's ring isn't as good as a REAL Green Lantern ring, just to that Sinestro doesn't think that Hal thinks he's All That.

Sinestro is skeptical, and who can blame him, but with Hal playing cheerleader, he pours out his willpower, and lo and behold, everybody has a ring! Woohoo! Too bad that all they want to do is kill him! Oh Hal. Oh Sinestro, for listening to Hal!

As usual, the art by Doug Mahnke is sensational and the colors just...glow. Geoff Johns has a deft way with the story, I swear to God, that Hal and Sinestro act like an old married couple. This is just a whole lot of comic book fun.

Thursday's Reviews of Wednesday's Comics

Well bless me, but what a fabulous fabulous week this was! So let us just leap into things right away.

And without further ado...

Batgirl#4

I...liked this. It took a couple of issues, but I think that Gail Simone is finding her footing on this book. Barbara begins by going down memory lane, after her encounter with the Mirror guy, but fortunately for her, it all turns out to be a dream. But a most disturbing one. She also finds out that her new roomie, is a whole lot cooler than she had originally thought. After warming up with a bunch of low-life thugs, where she incidentally saves some very nice vegans, it's off to the cemetary where she lays out an invitation...which leads to a confrontation in an abandoned Hall of Mirrors.

Oh Gotham, I love you. You just have SO MANY abandoned things! Seriously, Gotham City's tax rate must be really weird, with so many unproductive taxpayers. Here however, she confronts the Mirror guy, and there is a nice little fight and a lot of psychosis, and...and stuff. And a very unexpected guest shows up on Christmas.

Batman & Robin #4

This is also very good. Nobody has captured Bats and Damian and is holding them in an abandoned Movie Drive-In. (Please see my previous comment on exciting Abandoned Property in Gotham City) and he and Bruce exchange bon mots about what does and does not work, when it comes to crime-fighting. Fortunately, Bruce is thinking ahead, and calls for backup in the form of Alfred and heat-seeking missiles or something, and they manage to get out their predicament.

Later in the Batcave, as Alfred is patching Bruce up, Bruce continues to show why Dick is so much better at handling Damian. Alfred continues to prove that Bruce IS a Dick. And Damian and the Bat Hound begin to bond. The art by Pat Gleason is lovely as always, and I'm enjoying this a lot.

Batwoman #4

Good God, but this is a pretty book. So...so pretty. While Kate manages to have a VERY interesting evening, poor Flamebird goes out on her own, in order to prove something,and only manages to get one heck of a whuppin'. Unfortunately for her she's rescued by Cameron...but not with particularly atruistic motives. She's tricked into giving up Kate's name, and Mister Bones makes his much anticipated appearance. Oh, and Kate is also finally figuring out more about the drownings.

All sorts of interesting things are coming to a head, and it should be quite the ride next issue.

Demon Knights #4

This book also continues to be enjoyable. We find out a heck of a lot more about the Shining Knight, as Merlin enters into the picture. Jason Blood isn't too happy about Merlin, and Vandal Savage continues to be my favorite character. He's just so...so happy! The Horsewoman shows up, but is she friend or...foe?

Green Lantern #4

Really, Hal and Sinetro just need to get a room! More tomorrow.\

The Ray #1

I was of two minds about picking this up, but then realized that it was by Gray and Palmiotti, whom I have enjoyed so much with Jonah Hex and Power Girl. And Jamal Igle is the artist which is always a plus. But I liked the OLD Ray, and I loved that black and gold costume with the stand-up collar SO much.

This however, is awfully good. And funny. That's got to be one of my favorite origins, that's for sure. So do pick this up, it is fast-paced, and fun, and has a charming hero and interesting cast of characters so far. In fact, it reminds me a little bit of Jaime Reyes in his original book...which is high praise indeed.

Resurrection Man#4

We learn more about the Transhuman, and it is actually rather an interesting twist. The Body Doubles finally realize that Mitch isn't lying about not knowing who they are, and he agrees to go with them, mainly in order to figure out just what the heck is happening. And a really cranky angel shows up. It's a little weird sometimes, but I'm liking this book too.

The Shade #3

Oh Shade. You continue to delight me as well. For some reason, Dickie is off to Australia, where he encounters a number of interesting people from his past, and learns a bit about Dream Time, and duels quite the unnusual foe. And all to meet someone out of HIS past. Dang it, but this is good.

And finally, my lone entry from Marvel...

Journey Into Mystery #632

Well, Thor is dead, and Odin went back to Asgard with the dead body of his Serpent Brother, and Bifrost is shattered, because when Odin sulks, he does it in a MAJOR kind of way. There is still the ruins of Asgard in Oklahoma, which is being ruled over by a triumvirate of Goddesses, who quite frankly, can't possibly do a worse job of it than Odin. And Loki, bless his little heart, is still my hero.

Leah has reluctantly come to live on earth, and he's dumped her in a cave. She's not particularly happy about it, and then Hela shows up with a box. It turns out to be full of puppies. PUPPIES! But not just ANY puppies, but the offspring of Garm, and the Hel-Hound, and Loki is presented with the task of finding homes for these little bundles of joy or else...disposing of them. Mephisto takes one, and Gaea/Jord is a sucker for cuteness. Heimdall takes one, and Tyr, and one is posted on the internet, but the last one is a bit of a puzzle, because it is the only one that can talk, and all it wants to do is pee on the rainbow bridge and kill people. But...but it's just SO CUTE! Loki is advised to throw it off the cliff by the World Tree, but he just can't do it. He names it Thori.

Oh, and Volstagg plays Santa for the children of Broxton.

The art is beautiful, the coloring is beautiful, the dialogue is hilarious...there is SO much to love in this book. Which naturally means that they'll be cancelling it any time now, because that seems to be what always happens when I fall in love with a Marvel book. But for now...enjoy!

Tuesday Twaddle

Oh I am just on fire with the alliteration! And desperate for an idea...ANY idea! And what do we do when inspiration has gone off Christmas shopping? Why, we head to Photobucket! My savior!

This seemed awfully appropriate for the Season



Oh Phantom Stranger, I love your dapperness.

Monday Meanderings

Well, my Christmas shopping is done. Almost. Mostly. I need one or two more at the most, but at this point in the game, is where I start to second-guess myself. Christmas drives me nuts! Now if I can just find the wrapping paper.

There are various changes going on with DC's 52 new books. Gail Simone is off of Firestorm, which doesn't really break my heart, since I just couldn't warm up to it for some reason. Now, if they would just give her Secret Six back, I would have the best Christmas gift of all! Gene Ha is going to be doing the artwork instead of Jim Lee on Justice League which also warms the cockles of my heart. I love Gene Ha! I don't think that they've cancelled The Shade miniseries...yet.

However, in the midst of my musings, it occurs to me, that lately I've been wandering away from the original premise of my beloved blog. And that of course, means showing Hal flying with his legs open.



Oh Hal. No wonder Sinestro wants to keep you and make you his pet.

Slightly Delayed Reviews

Sorry about that. Out Christmas shopping. 50% sales at Macy's! Woohoo!

*ahem*

A fairly small week for me, but some decent stuff and some stuff that was...eh.

Action Comics #4

Man, I just love this book to death. Rags Morales artwork is simply sublime, and he does such a fantastic job of rendering those jeans and old work boots! Grant Morrison's writing isn't too shabby either. I love his weaselly version of Lex "I for one, welcome our alien overlords!" Luthor.

Bad things are happening, with machines being randomly taken over, including the army's secret weapon against Superman. Lex of course has sold out to our mysterious alien friend, who naturally betrays him. What I find quite amusing is Lex's indignation at being betrayed. Superman is fighting the good fight of course, with varying degrees of success, while Jimmy and Lois are right there too, and Lois doing her best to get through to John Corben. Too bad it's not working. And then Steel shows up, swinging his hammer and being all cool and stuff. There is also a nice extra story in the back, all about Steel, by Solly Fisch and Brad Walker, which is very well done.

This book is fabulous. I have always liked Superman, but in a nebulous sort of way. THIS Superman is great.

Green Arrow #4

I mean it this time, I think I'm going to drop this book. Which pains me to say, and perhaps it will get better when Anne Nocenti takes over, but it is just so...generic and rather dull. This Ollie isn't anything much like the crazy OLD Ollie. No Hal, no Dinah, no rants about nazis...it's just not the same. The art is pretty of course, by Dan Jurgens, and I really do like Keith Giffen, but this just isn't singing for me.

As for the plot, some ninja type named Blood Rose shows up with a serious hate for Ollie for some reason, that I'm sure will be eventually shown.

Justice League International #4

I...don't quite know what to do with this book. It is about some of my absolute favorite people, and I do like Dan Jurgens very much. The artwork by Aaron Lopresti is also very nice. The new JLI continues to fight against Peraxxus, the baddie introduced in the last issue, and it turns out that he has usurped power over the four giant robot-thingies, which were placed there by a now extinct alien race, because he wants to harvest all our minerals and stuff, and apparently make a killing on the intergalactic stock market or some such thing. Not a bad premise by any stretch of the imagination.

It's nice that Ice and Godiva had a few stand-out moments this issue. It's always a bit of a problem with team books, making sure that everyone gets a few moments to shine. The bit where Godiva is using her hair to look for a weapon in Batman's utility belt, and finds...something else, made me snicker. It pleases me to no end that there are actually a LOT of women in this book, and for a change, all of them are actually covered decently, instead of having their boobs hanging out all over the place, ala Benes. Their costumes are practical and attractive, and I like that.

What does annoy me to a degree, is that it seems as though everyone in the team has been defeated just so...so easily. None of their powers seem to work against this guy, who really doesn't seem to me to be that big of an obstacle. Guy in particular is a bit of a misstep. He's a Green Lantern for God's sake. An HONOR GUARD Green Lantern. He should be able to take this guy out with one hand tied behind his back, before even having his morning coffee! And yet, Peraxxus defeats him and beats him up and hauls him off, and all Guy does is stand there and sneer a bit and spout a few tough guy aphorisms. He doesn't ONCE use his ring to actually even defend himself or land a blow on this villain. I find that quite perplexing.

Booster has all these nice powers, so does Fire, so does Ice, so does Rocket Red, and even General In Iron. Vixen and Godiva's powers aren't quite so amped up, but they should be able to hold their own. And Batman isn't doing too well either, which I am actually enjoying for a change. Well, I assume that they'll all get their shit together by next issue. Maybe they're being psychically influenced or something.

So...not my favorite issue, but still, I'd rather have the JLI around to mock, than not, so I'm still happy. In a confused comic books sort of way.

Red Lantern #4

Meh. Peter Milligan uses this issue to focus on a few more Reddies, giving us their backstories, and Atrocitus continues to be a Red Lantern version of Hamlet. He does a lot of standing around and soliloquizing, without actually doing too much. He likes to talk to Krona's rotting corpse apparently, and is highly indignant, when it disappears at the end.

Again, I'm not really loving this too much. Needs More Dex-starr!

Swamp Thing #4

This is pretty darned good in comparison however. Alex Holland is still being told by the Green, to get his act together and help them out, but he's resisting being turned into a muck monster again...and really who can blame him? Abby has shown up, and he can't help but feel some emotions towards her. They are after her little brother, who is not a very nice person at all. Her family is prone to causing Rot, as opposed to the Green. It's a little hard to explain, but I like it. Pretty artwork too.

That's it for this week. Some highs, some lows, but I do have to say that the artwork for the most part has been awfully nice lately. That's always a plus.

Geoff Johns and Guy

Everyone says that Geoff Johns has a mancrush on Hal Jordan. I'm not too sure that necessarily go along with that. I think that he likes Hal a lot. Heck, I like Hal a lot, when I'm not in the mood to kick him. I like John and Kyle too. There is no denying that Geoff Johns has done an exemplary job of bringing back Hal...AND the entire Green Lantern Corps from comics purgatory, to the fabulous position it now occupies. Hal is back to being a stand-up and take-charge sort of fellow again, as opposed to the whiny, vascillating maniac he had been reduced to.

But I think that in all of the hoopla over Hal, Guy has been overlooked. That's not unusual of course. Hal has a habit of overshadowing everyone. But what I have noticed, is that in the issues where Geoff Johns writes BOTH Hal and Guy...inevitably, Guy simply shines. He certainly gets all the best lines. For the most part, Hal is reduced to being the set-up man for Guy's snarky comments and witty one-liners. Obviously, there is some affection on the part of Mr. Johns for my favorite red-haired lunatic.

Heck, way back, in issue 12 and 13 for example, when Hal and Guy defy the Guardians and fly off to rescue the Lost Lanterns from the Cyborg Superman, it's pretty obvious that Guy is the hero of that story. Hal lies to him right from the start, saying that he has permission from the Guardians, not to mention that Guy was the one who stood up for him in the Cafetorium on Oa, when some of the other Lanterns wee dissing Hal. Guy probably knows that Hal is lying, but he still flies off with him into the unknown with nary a problem. And when they get back, with all the Lost Lanterns in tow, and are being yelled at by the Guardians, it is Guy who stands up to them and says that it was all his idea, and HE is the one who receives punishment...not Hal. And Hal stands there and lets him do it.

More recently in the War of the Green Lanterns story, there is the delightful issue where Guy and Hal are being influenced to violence by the tainted rings, and start beating each other up. For once, Guy actually gets to let lose, and tell Hal a few home truths...not to mention beating the crap out of him. They do manage to realize that they're being mind-controlled, and cooperate to get to Oa, with all the hilarious banter and one-upmanship that goes with a Hal/Guy pairing. And in the end, it's Guy who manages to save the day, and free Parallax and all that stuff.

Johns does write a very very good version of Guy Gardner. He writes him as being smart and funny and honest. Usually, he ends up being the moral superior of Hal, which I find rather breathtaking. I like Hal, but he can be awfully petty sometimes. Guy is never petty. Obnoxious yes, petty no.

Johns writes a good John and a good Kyle too, but still, I have to admit that I just love it when he gets Hal and Guy together, because it always is magic. Plus he gets to show off his sense of humor more readily. Hal isn't a particular amusing character, and Guy IS.



Man, I just love this picture.

Bored

I hate to say this...but things are a little dull comic-wise lately. Maybe it is having a fifth week in the month, that has thrown me off of my stroke or something, but I am feeling just a wee touch of...malaise.

Nothing terrible has happened lately! Oh yes, Frank Miller has made an ass of himself, frothing all over the OWS people, but heck Frank Miller makes an ass of himself on a regular basis. Besides Ty Templeton and Alan Moore mocked him rather superbly. There haven't been any mind-bogglingly misogynistic drawings of Catwoman or Starfire in a week or so, no trolls, things have been smooth and dare I say it...pretty good natured.

This...shall not stand!

Oh, I'm sure that there is hate and discontent somewhere, but I haven't found it much. Maybe there is something to this whole Christmas spirit thing after all. Maybe I'm not just looking hard enough. Maybe I shouldn't be wallowing in shadenfreude at this time of year.

Or maybe...just maybe I've been deprived of Green Lantern butts for too long, and I'm starting to get cranky. Oh, it's happened before. Thank goodness that JLI comes out this week!

Speaking of which.



You know...I miss stuff like this.

Shadenfreude

I've been making my usual round of the various blogs and message boards and stuff, and it has come to m attention, that James Robinson is expressing some doubt about whether or not DC will continue to publish his Shade Mini-series...due to faltering sales.

Gahhhh!

This...will not stand! I LOVE the Shade! I've naturally bought and devoured the first two issues of the Mini-series, and have loved them. It has good art, and the best writing by Robinson in quite some time. There are other crackerjack artists lined up as well, not to mention the possibility of a gander at Shade's actual origin, which would be rather delightful.

I do hope that DC doesn't pull a Marvel and start cancelling their mini-series, and other offerings before they even make an appearance. I really don't want to see a lineup of JUST Wolverine and Avengers from Marvel, or JUST Justice League and Batman from DC. I wouldn't mind about twelve Green Lantern books, but that's just because I'm warped. Even I understand that not everyone wants to see a Kilowog and Arisia mini-series (but you know it would be good)

You know what mini-series I WOULD like to see? How about Ralph and Sue Dibny: Ghost Detectives. They could team up with the Justice League: Dark or something. Or throw in Detective Chimp and Traci Thirteen. I would also happily buy something with just Fire and Ice, because I love them, and they don't get much attention, which is a darned shame. I also wouldn't mind having Justice Society Quarterly, or Green Lantern Quarterly, or Justice League International Quarterly. Or something with Ted Kord. Or Milago Reyes. Or heck, even Hal and Ollie going camping or something.

There are tons of good characters and tons of stories that can be told. So please...buy the Shade, and save it from an ignoble demise. You won't be sorry.

New Green Lantern

Well I'll be gobsmacked. In all of the fuss and fury of Statement Day, I completely forgot that I also picked up the new Green Lantern Book, #0, and by cracky, it was pretty darned fabulous. It basically is a nice all-ages book that more or less is drawn the same way as the new Green Lantern Cartoon, which debuted with its hour-long pilot a week or so ago, and it's just a heck of a lot of fun. So far, they are sticking with just Hal and Kilowog, but for somebody just starting out, or for kids, it is the perfect plunge into the Green Pool of Lanternage.

You don't need to know years of continuity, and Hal is actually NOT a complete jerk for a change, and Kilowog is awesome...as usual. Fun for everyone!

And...because I simply can't help myself...



By Alex Ross, and darned, if they don't all look wonderful. You can tell that Hal is puffing out his chest and sucking in his gut, because Katma is there.

Egad!

My goodness, it is December already? It's the first, and that means that it is Statement Day! Got to send out the bills! This is always a long and all-hands-on-deck sort of circumstance in our beloved place of business, and today was no exception. First you have the constant clunking and whirring of the printer, spitting out the statements and invoices. The phones are ringing, and the assistant Manager who for some reason thinks that he is Pavarotti, is wandering around singing Christmas songs through his nose. The crazy Brother of our Boss, who is useless, but nevertheless still works here, because his name is on the building, is busy screaming obscenities at deadbeats over the phone. There's nothing quite like it.

I have to come up with a better way of referring to the Crazy Brother. I think that I shall henceforth refer to him as Dinsdale. As in Doug and Dinsdale. If you are too young to catch that reference, please ask your parents. One of these days I'm going to stab Dinsdale in the heart with my letter opener.

But anyway...Comics! Only a very few comics, but comics nevertheless.

Fables was great as usual, they are still trying to figure out who amongst Bigby and Snow's children should be the new North Wind, and apparently we have a winner. And bad things happen to Bufkin in Oz. Or...do they? Fabulous.

Batman: Odyssey

This is just the weirdest book. It makes no sense whatsover. I really am not quite sure what the heck is even going on, but heck, the art is pretty, and as I have mentioned previously...and frequently...I REALLY enjoy seeing Batman be somewhat less than omnipotent. Or even potent. Or even, in this case, competent. I don't know what Neal Adams is ingesting, but it must be really good stuff.

And now, I think I have to go and lie down. Statement day takes a lot out of me.