Happy Birthday Superman!

Or at least, Happy Day that we celebrate as Superman's Birthday, none other than the Fabulous February 29, or Leap Day.

Speaking of February, what...what is this strange white frozen substance that seems to be falling from the skies? It's been so long since we in New England have actually SEEN an accumulation of snow, that everyone has completely forgotten how to drive in it.

*sigh*

But anyway, in honor of Superman's Birthday, and also showing Guy at his best, I give you the following. Superman had been taken over by Eclipso of all people, and guess who is the only one who can help?



Not that he's being particularly cooperative. This is right after Hal took Guy's ring, and he had to go and get Sinestro's yellow ring off of his cold dead finger, which meant that he had to doublecross Lobo, and fight off an invasion of Qwardians attacking Oa, and get John Stewart off of his back.



Oh Superman/Eclipso, you're crowing too soon.



This one brings chills to my spine. Go Guy!



Hah! Take that, Justice Losers! Guy rocks! And this was crazy Guy!

I love it.

More Good Guy

Once you actually get him on your side...which may take a while...Guy is a good friend to have. Loyal to a fault, he'll put up with all kinds of stuff...which doesn't mean that he won't needle you a bit, which is the way that he deals with Hal.

But still...that's a LOT of chocos.



Awwwww...I love that he remembered to bring the milk. Hal would have forgotten.

Good Guy

Now that I have spent a week hi-lighting some of the really dastardly things that Guy used to pull...I feel that perhaps it is time to give equal time to the GOOD things that he would also do...and does. Other than just going out and doing his job, and saving the Universe on a weekly basis at any rate.

There was a rather interesting story in Justice League Europe quite a few years back, when Hal was in the group, and they all ended up with things altered, and the REAL Green Lantern was none other than...Guy. Who was of course, quite quite fabulous.



At least Hal seemed to think so. When they eventually found out that Hal was supposed to be the Green Lantern, and that Guy would have...er...problems if he gave up the ring...he did it anyway, and without a moment's hesitation. Because he's just that fabulous.

Sheesh!

This whole working for a living thing is getting a bit tiresome. I had to work late most of this week, and I'm a little tired. Mainly because I am a pampered and fragile flower. But no time for posting! Not that I had a whole lot to say anyway...but still...it's the principal of the thing!

Anyway.

To round out this week's theme of Guy being a complete jerk...



Flying up and scaring the people in a jet, is just...so...bad! And yet...it does look like fun.

New Books!

Man, I do love Wednesdays.

All-Star Western #6

I am also enjoying the heck out of the new Jonah Hex. Although, now that it is six months into the experiment, I suppose I should stop referring to them as "new" books. But still...new continuity!

Jonah and Arkham are trapped in the weird caves under Gotham, and Jonah fights and kills giant giant killer bat, which impresses the lost Indian tribe, and they manage to crawl out of the hole, and into...Stately Wayne Manor! None other than Alan Wayne, whom we recently met over in Batman. So, the Waynes, and Jonah and Arkham summon the constabulatory, and they raid the child slave ring, and all ends happily, except that the kidnapped boy of the rich guy, was kidnapped by the poor people who lost THEIR kid, just to get some attention, and then it turns out that the rich guy was the one behind it all! And...and there are owls all over the place at Thurston Moody's house (the rich guy) and whoo-boy, this is all going to eventually tie into the Order of the Owls crossover.

But...I like it. Plus, Jonah has had enough for now of Gotham, and is headed to New Orleans. Good grief, this is good stuff.

Aquaman #6

So...Mera goes into town to get some dog food for Salty, and runs into a whole lot of trouble. Firstly, there is the lecherous shopkeeper, who won't stop with the slimy comments nor the roaming hands, till she breaks his arm. This naturally brings out the cops, who react by pointing guns at her, and refusing to listen. Things begin to escalate, until they hear an APB about a guy who killed his wife and has taken his daughter hostage. Mera suddenly surrenders, and they all go in the police car to the hostage standoff, where she suddenly UN-surrenders, and takes out the bad guy. But still, it annoys the cops. So finally, Mera has had enough and goes home.

Fortunately, she impressed the young girl who worked for the slimy shopkeeper, and she brings her a bunch of dogfood and dogstuff. Yeah! And we also got a bit of flahback about her original quest to kill Arther. Who does show up, and decide they have to go and see Doctor Shin, who knows who sunk Atlantis.

Oh...really?

Also fun as usual. I think that Ivan Reis was only helping on the art however, with Joe Prado doing the bulk of it, because it's just...different. Not bad...but different.

Flash #6

Barry is having both a good and a bad day. He's got a girlfriend now apparently, but he can't go over a certain speed, or he will destroy the space/time continuum or something. And Captain Cold is having a REALLY bad day. His sister is dying, and he blames the Flash for it. It's not actually Barry's fault, but Cold doesn't know that, so he's busy freezing the harbor and doing bad cold things.

Gosh, I love this book. I love the writing and I love the art. What more could you want?

Green Lantern:New Guardians #6

Well, Kyle and Glommulus go up against the Angel guy, and aren't doing too well. The inhabintants of the giant construct seem to think that THEY are the bad guys...a little tidbit of information that neither Sayd nor Larfleeze thought to pass along. They are getting their collective butts handed to them. Kyle is trying to warn them, but the rings won't interact, until Kyle figures out a way...simply because he is Kyle and therefore awesome. It annoys the piss out of Arkillo however, who can't understand how it is that Kyle is using a yellow ring to communicate. Bleez sort've shows up, and St. Walker is having problems.

This was...ok. the art is a bit overwrought to my eyes, and while I love Kyle, I really do miss having more Lanterns for him to interact with. Like Guy. Still, I'm keeping up with it.

Justice League Dark #6

I am enjoying this book too. After the last issue, they all split up, and went their separate ways, and Madam Xanadu foresaw a horrible horrible future. In THIS issue, they are all having these horrible nightmares, and manage to all come together again, even though they don't really seem to like each other very much. Xanadu warns them, that their nightmares are a possible future that COULD have come true, but they altered it, by working together...so they have to STAY together in order to save the world. There's just one itsy bitsy problem...!

Pretty art, and an interesting story. John Constantine being an utter jerk. Deadman and Zatanna! Shade! I am having fun with this one.


The Ray #3 of 4

Awww...this is only a mini-series? Because it is a whole lot of fun. The new Ray is young, impetuous and slightly confused. And occasionally, quite amusing. The plot begins to thicken, the bad guy also has these powers, to be able to basically do whatever he wants to reality...and what he wants is to make a...movie? With the Ray as the hero! He doesn't really WANT to be in the movie, but has to keep doing heroic things to save the people that Crazy Guy keeps trying to harm.

The new Ray actually reminds me a little bit of Jaime Reyes, when HE was a new character. Young, inexperienced, full of enthusiasm, short on experience, and...welll...fun.

I have to say that I have dropped the new version of Blue Beetle, because it is the complete OPPOSITE of fun. I'm not saying that it has to be nothing but jokes, but the new version is just awful.

So...not a bad week. Not a bad week at all.

And continuing my theme of pictures of Guy Gardner doing bad bad things...



This was when he had just lost his ring to Hal, and was trying to figure out how to get Sinestro's yellow one, which had been buried with him. He managed to con poor G'nort into making a ship for him...by scratching him behind the ears.

Haw!

Misbehaving

Bad Guy. Bad bad Guy.

Oh Guy!

Well, yesturday, I requested a rather obscure Guy Gardner picture, and I'll be darned if Gary didn't come through! Woohoo, and my deepest thanks! Which has put me into such a good mood, that I think I should just be putting up Guy pictures. But only ones where he is being PARTICULARLY obnoxious!

Because as much as I love the modern sane Guy, my heart still holds such a warm and fuzzy spot for the old, unimproved, unrepentant, totally rude, crude and lewd Guy.

Thus...



Guy and Peej interacting. Always a hoot.

Monday Already?

Well, that was a fast weekend! And...as usual, I don't have a single thought in my head. Except...a request perhaps.

It has come to my attention that out there...somewhere, is a Swamp Thing issue, that is quite old, that I do NOT have...that actually has Guy Gardner in it, as drawn by Rick Veitch, where he's being obnoxious as usual...and Abby throws a clod of mud at him, and he blocks it with his ring, smirking all the while.

I have HEARD of this...but I haven't seen it, and I've been scouring my local comic book store and going on-line, and I can't find it ANYWHERE!! Does...does anyone have a possible scan of this? Because it sounds quite wonderful.



Incidentally, it is also Hal Jordan's Birthday! He's turning 29...again.

Green Lantern Corps #6

And our little romp through Machoville, comes to a satisfactory close. Yes, "Lee", "Bronchuk" and "Flint" were a bit over the top, but I actually find the idea of a bunch of gnarly, leathery old Special Ops sorts of guys hanging around stealing beer from Warriors to be a great idea. I hope that this isn't the last we've seen of them. And besides, I'm sure that Guy was having the time of his life. And although we haven't seen Arisia or Soranik in a while, we DID get to see Sheriff Mardin and Brik. I like Brik. I've always liked Brik.

Anyway, John and his two remaining Lantern comrades are still being tortured by the Keepers, who want the codes for the Central Battery...OR ELSE! Ve haff Vays of making you cooperate, Amerikaners! But then the Keepers go and show that they aren't just misunderstood and oppressed nice guys, but that they are draining their own people for the power to open the Stargate and to destroy the Guardians, thus proving that they are actually your average power-hungry tyrannical despots. The usual Ends Justify the Means sort of guys.

Unfortunately, Kirrt, one of the Lanterns being tortured just can't take it any more ,and offers to spill the beans. John and Vandor are outraged, but Kirrt starts whimpering and apologizing. John says he's sorry too...and BREAKS HIS NECK!

Geez...John!

John and Vandor manage to break out, powered by John's stolen bit of willpower, but they're surrounded and about to be recaptured...when Guy and his Wild Bunch show up, mad as hell and armed to the teeth! Woohoo! As Guy points out, the Keepers may be immune to Willpower, they ain't immune to Lead! Earth Weaponry Rocks! Take that you pansy Aliens!

There is subsequent mayhem...LOTS of mayhem, but in the end, they just can't do it all by themselves, there are just too many Keepers, who are fighting to the bitter end. So...back up in the ship, they decide to drop their Fear Bomb. You remember those two nasty little Sinestro Corps members that they borrowed from the Sciencecells last issue? Well, they drop them into the fight zone, and they detonate, and...and...SCARE THE BEJESUS OUT OF THE KEEPERS!

I kid you not.

So, they start to grovel and surrender, and the Lanterns are able to free the rest of the populace from their evil overlords, and once they've recovered from their fear, they demand to see the Guardians. Except that John and Guy have already talked to the Guardians, and their punishment is to stay...and bury the bodies of all the victims that they killed when they stole their air, water, etc. Which is a rather nice twist. Guy's idea...he has rather a talent for this sort of thing.

I have to say that this was a little on the ridiculous side...but heck, it was also rather fun, in a completely over-the-top sort of way. And you also have to admit that Guy and John are VERY efficient. However...dropping Fear Bombs? Killing a fellow Lantern? I certainly can't see Hal doing something like that, at least not in the old days. But the new Corps seems to be a bit leaner and meaner. And now of course, the Guardians are planning to dump them, which I am sure isn't going to go well in the long run.

And I also assume that John's actions will have consequences. Granted, he didn't off another planet, for which we can all be thankful...but...still!

Slightly Delayed Reviews

My, but this was a very nice week. Very nice indeed.

Batman #6

Damn, but this is a seriously fabulous book. Last issue was mind-boggling, and this months takes us to the confrontation finally between a drugged, exhausted and hallucinating Batman and the Owl Court's assassin, the Talon. Bats, as might be expected, isn't doing too awfully well, and all these incredibly creepy little owl people are calling for his blood as the Talon kicks the crap out of him. Until...he looks up and sees the final picture of his great grandfather, or whatever, Alan Wayne, and decides that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! And summons up his Batitude, and starts kicking some Owl butt! He's still halucinating, but at least is rational enough to be able make an explosion out of the minerals in the fountain and the filaments from the camera...which is such an incredibly Batlike thing for him to do. And he escapes! Well...maybe.

Damn, this is good.

Birds of Prey#6

I like this book, but I'm confused a little bit. Did I miss something? I could have sworn that Starling was all by herself on a bridge somewhere, thinking she'd been betrayed, and this issue, we have the whole bunch of them together, trying to deprogram Brendan Bowman, who is the guy who infected Dinah, way back when. The art is lovely as usual, and there is some interesting stuff going on, and whoo boy, it turns out that a WHOLE lot of people are infected, but I'm still slightly confused.

Fables #6

I never thought I would say this...but I'm finding that things are starting to...drag a bit. This whole heir to the North Wind storyline is on again and off again, and now there is another storyline with a possibly evil toy boat, and other stuff is still going on in Oz, and they're moving back to Fabletown, but find Mrs. Sprat, who is probably up to no good, and it is all a bit...disjointed and scattered. Still good...but not quite as good as it was.

Green Lantern Corps #6

Oh...John!

Wonder Woman #6

Now this book just keeps improving and improving and it was already pretty darned fabulous to begin with. Diana is pitting Poseidon and Hades against Hera in an epic battle and betrayal and it's all just quite amazing. The art is simply spectacular, the story is amazing, and really,you ought to be reading this book.

It's A Guy Thing

And naturally, we saved the best for last.



I still think Pat Gleason is my favorite Guy artist. He just has a...knack for getting his...Guyness.

*sigh*

Be still my heart.

Hal lelujah!

Oh Hal. I never ever ever get tired of showing your pictures. Big brown eyes, gorgeous hair, head-bonking, ass-displaying pure joy.



Gosh, he's so pretty.

Kyle!

Oh, I'm just loving this week. It is so easy! I like easy. Basically I am an incredibly lazy person, so just putting up scans is right up my alley.

And really, how can you not like Kyle?



Heck, here's one that is just tailor-made for Valentine's Day! Kyle you are SUCH a heartbreaker!

Too bad about all your girlfriends dying though.

More Lanterns!

Moving on from Alan, I guess I should go to John Stewart next. I like John too, although he's not quite as close to my heart as Guy or Hal. At least he's actually getting some attention lately, which is a GOOD thing!



As much as I like the stoic, pragmatic John, I do miss his coffee-swilling, ABBA-listening past.

Feeling Lazy

Every once in a while...actually probably several times a week, it dawns on me, that I really don't have anything particularly worthwhile to say. Other people and other blogs do a much better job than I do, of addressing the annoying and invigorating thing about comics.

So I'm just going to post some pictures for a while. No reason really...just because I can.

And we'll start with a little bit of love for Alan Scott.



I like Alan. I like him a lot, and he hasn't been around lately, although I am hoping that he'll be showing up in the Earth II stuff that will be coming out shortly. At least I certainly HOPE so.



Heck, he may be old, but he's out there flaunting his buttocks with the rest of them. Not easy to do when you're wearing a cape, but unlike Batman or Superman, Alan makes it WORK!

Green Lantern #6

Gosh, I do love this cover.



Seriously you two...just get a room already.

But anyway, moving on, we have Hal adjusting to life without a ring...and for a change, he's actually...doing well! In between he and Carol humping like bunnies, he's been taking her out to places that SHE likes, and now she's returning the favor, by going to the Coast City Aeronautical Museum, so that Hal can ogle the...planes. Then, while she's in the powder room, he stumbles across some nogoodnik's threatening a nice old mechanic guy, and unarmed, and un...er...ringed, he beats the crap out of four other dudes. AND he takes one of their ties to replace his, that was torn. Way to Go Hal!

Meanwhile, Sinestro is off on the planet Ogoro, looking up an old foe, he needs his help to find none other than Lyssa Drak. The old foe, who happens to be called Starstorm, is a bit down on his luck, probably after Sinestro beat him and humiliated him into the bargain. We can't ALL be like Hal! Sinestro isn't putting up with his self-defeatest talk, he bullies him into donning his super helmet of power or whatever, so that he can locate Lyssa, who as usual, is up to no good. She just happens to have the Book of the Black, nicked from Nekron, apparently, and she's having herself a fine old time. But she's not averse to drinking the pain of both Sinestro and Starstorm.

Sinestro isn't having any of that, and he manages to rip a page from the Book, and seems all sorts of horrible visions, of the Guardians gone mad, killing their own Lanterns, himself as an Indigo Lantern, and Hal's death, not to mention Ganthet holding a white ring. Even Sinestro is shocked by what he sees, and vows to put an end to the possibility. He manages to defeat Lyssa, with the help of Starstorm's helm, and then takes off to find Hal, leaving Starstorm alone and bereft.

Hal is slightly annoyed when Sinestro shows up, since he's just about to jump Carol again. He even tells Sinestro that he's through with being a Lantern...as though we haven't heard THAT before from Hal! But Sinestro isn't about to let his favorite boy off the hook, and next issue, they'll go off and visit the Indigos!

I loved this story. As for the art, instead of the incomparable Doug Mahnke, we had Mike Choi...whose style is VASTLY different. It is very soft and pretty and painterly...but Hal didn't look at ALL like Hal, and it took me out of the story a little bit. Hopefully, Mahnke will be back next issue.

This was good stuff, and I'm looking forward to what is happening next. And for a change, it was nice to see Hal actually not being a monumental screw-up. I'm sure that won't last, but still...a pleasant interlude.

Thursday's Reviews

Not a bad week, certainly more than the first week of the month. So, without further ado...

Batgirl #6

I'm liking this book. I'm not loving it yet...but I'm liking it. We have poor Batgirl going up against an apparently mind-controlled Bruce Wayne, and she's not happy about it. At all. She's holding her own, but barely, as he keeps yelling 338 which is the post-hypnotic suggestion trigger that was used by Gretel. There's some flashbacks, which shows Barbara and Bruce's relationship that is rather nice, and we also go into the motivations for Gretel, and how she was going to be a hot-shot reporter who got in over her head, and paid the price. Now she's out for revenge against the rich and powerful in Gotham. Barbara realizes that without the support of Bruce and her Dad and so on, she could have turned out like Gretel, so she tries to go a bit easier on her, later, when she tries to assasinate Bruce all over again, and uses the Gotham Police to do it for her.

It was a good story and decent art, and you got to get into the heads of the protagonists a bit, which was nice. Definitely improving issue by issue.

Batman & Robin #6

I also continue to enjoy this book. We have Damian teamed up with Nobody, who is busy trying to see just how far he can corrupt our young bratty hero. Damian is going right along with it apparently, even pulling the trigger of a gun pressed against the head of a certain poor schlub. Batman in the meantime, has a few flashbacks, telling the story of how he went along with the Ducards, and how he was bamboozled and how he almost killed Morgan. But mainly he just wants his boy back, in one piece. It is a delight when Damian does finally reveal that he's really on the side of the angels after all, but it's one heck of a cliff hanger as Morgan/Nobody decides to send Damian back to Bruce...in pieces.

Great stuff!

Batwoman #6

Different artist this month, with Amy Reeder. I have to say that she did a bang-up job of it, it has to be hard to come into a book that is lauded far and wide for its spectacular artwork, but she's up to the challenge.

Kate has an...unfortunate run-in with a particularly nasty bad guy, and we get more insight into her dealings with Maggie, and with Cameron Chase, and we discover who the Weeping Woman is, and how she came to be.

Still a fabulous book.

Demon Knights #6

Yet another book that I'm loving. Man I'm on a roll here! Exoristos is feeling guilty for getting that young village girl killed, and jumps over the palisade to fight the invaders on a rather large rhino all by herself. And she's doing a pretty good job of it. Vandal Savage of course has defected to the other side, but I'm still not completely sure that he's not just faking it. Madame Xanadu considers making a terrible choice, but in the end doesn't go through with it, the Horsewoman rallies a bunch of horses, which actually is cooler than it sounds. Etrigan is fabulous. I'm really starting to get a crush on Etrigan...and that is something that I NEVER thought I would say.

The invading horde breaks in and we have a lovely splash page at the very end...I can hardly wait!

Green Lantern #6

Oh mercy!

Resurrection Man #6

I really did like this book this month as well. Mitch has managed to get himself locked up in Arkham of all places, and nobody is listening to him, as he begs them to kill him, so that he can show them he'll come back. To be perfectly honest, who can really blame them? It all sounds so insane. So of course they think he IS insane and pump him full of drugs. He's being harassed by a particularly obnoxious guard, and finally manages to start a riot at breakfast, which gets him thrown into the "Bin" with the Big Bad Boys of Arkham. This is actually a good thing, since they stop giving him the medication.

A bunch of the guys are planning prison break, because well...it's Arkham and that is what they do. They are actually being abetted by the obnoxious guard, Mitch realizes this, and gets his neck snappe by Sumo. And then, boy howdy, he's back and beating the crap out of the prisoners as they try to flee. Gordon sees that he's actually helping them, and demands that the cops hold their fire, but wouldn't you know it, the evil guard shoots him through the head!

Gordon and the coroner go to the morgue, where our boy Mitch has long since flown the coop, and he finds his way to the evil guards house, where he scares the living daylights out of him, and justice is served. This may have been my favorite issue so far.

And finally, the lone Marvel entry,

Journey Into Mystery #634

Oh Loki, you get more adorable every month. Damian Hellstrom has shown up and he's drawn to Loki for some reason, since all sorts of evil seems to be centered around his cherubic little godly head. Loki manages to escape, temporarily at least, by getting Damian to basically look behind him, which made me chuckle. Then Leah shows up to help and her magic holds off Damian. The two of them start bickering, as they always do, which convinces Damian that they really ARE just a couple of kids. And Thory, the Hel-dog, is just in love with Damian, and wants him to be his master. It's so sweet.

So anyway, then end up going into Loki's dreams, and an undead Thor shows up and makes Loki feel bad, and the Hel-Wolf shows up and the Disir, and even Leah, but Loki realizes that it is all fake,when she is too nice to him...and lo and behold, it turns out that Nightmare is behind the whole thing, and he's trying to make a crown out of the energy from the dreams or something, and gosh, it's all just fun.

I do love this book. Mainly because Loki is hilarious.

So...a good week. A DARNED good week.

Oh Hal

I'm just not in the mood for anything learned or important today. Instead, I feel that frivolity is just the thing, on a Monday. Therefore, I give you...Hal.



Falling, about to get hit in the head AND showing off his shapely buttocks.

What more could anyone want?

The Guardians and the Corps

I think that Geoff Johns has done a phenomenal job with reviving the entire Green Lantern Corps, bringing back and rehabilitating Hal, keeping Kyle alive, actually using John once in a while, and doing a surprisingly bang-up job of writing Guy. I love what he has done with Sinestro, he's brought back Arisia and heck, he's brought back the entire Corps...but what IS it with the Guardians?

Something is certainly up with those little blue dictators. They've become increasingly erratic, suspicious, power-hungry, and just MEAN! It didn't used to to be like this. They were aloof, certainly, a bit self-righteous and arrogant, but at least they seemed to be genuinely concerned about the welfare of the Universe and their Corps. If the situation called for self-sacrifice, they didn't hesitate to throw their wizened little bodies into the fray. They put up with ALL kinds of insubordination from the likes of Hal Jordan, because they recognized his potential. Heck, same thing with Guy.

Heck, I was even mildly fond of them in a way.

Now of course, I want them to die. Slowly and in great pain.

Johns of course has been building this up since the very beginning of Rebirth. He brought in all the other color corps, and the whole range of emotions, and it was revealed that the Guardians are afraid of emotion. That seems to be the crux of the whole problem. The Guardians are just rotten with Fear.

Could this be a consequence of having Parallax in the Central Battery all those years? It certainly corrupted Sinestro, who seems to be doing pretty well, now that he's away from its influence, and back to being a GREEN Lantern. The whole point of the eligibility for being a Green Lantern, in addition to Will Power, and a FINE behind, is the ability to overcome Fear. The Guardians, unlike their Corps, don't seem to have that ability any longer.

Waaaaaay back in GL #12, I think it was, when Hal and Guy go off to Biot and find the Lost Lanterns, the Guardians are plotting about how to make the rest of the Universe afraid of them. Then Scar gets infected, and betrays them all, then the rest of the emotional entities are running around and possessing the Guardians, and the Lanterns that are still standing at the end of the Green Lantern War, realize that something is terribly terribly wrong with the Guardians. They're Afraid.

Afraid of their OWN Corps, not to mention all of the others. Which presumably is the rationale for dumping their Corps and getting something that will obey them without question. They tried that with the Manhunters, they tried it again with the Alphas. Is this then, going to be the Next Big Thing for the Green Lanterns? It seems to be going in that direction. I rather hope, that Ganthet and Sayd will be able to get back together. I'd like the remaining Guardians to be purged of their Fear, and go back to being relatively benevolent little blue Munchkins. Probably because I'm a sap, and I adore a happy ending. And because I feel a bit sorry for them.

But boy, do they need a spanking.

A Bit of an Odd Week

Only a few books out this Wednesday, and I'm a bit ambivalent about them. I had a "What the Hell?" moment, a "Woohoo!" moment, and a "Well, that's not bad" moment.

Firstly...

Action Comics #6

This was definitely my "What the Hell?" book this week. I've been doting upon this ever since it debuted, but I have to say that I am left scratching my head this month.

It's a flash-forward, with Superman in his Super-togs, hanging out with the Legion for some reason, and they're hiding in his brain, and Kryptonite is involved, and there is a flash-back to the first time that they met Clark, but it's further back, than the present, and he does stuff that they KNEW he'd do...and I'm frankly, confused as all get-out.

I rather missed Rags Morales artwork too. Andy Kubert is nothing to sneeze at, but it just wasn't flying for me. You will probably read other reviews that will say this is the greatest issue ever. I'd prefer to have my Superman back in his old jeans and work boots and cape, thank you. But I do have to say that I liked the back-up story by Sholly Fisch and ChrisCross, which was sweet and a little sad and certainly a whole lot easier to follow.

Justice League International #6

This of course, was my "WOOHOO!" moment!

It's the aftermath of their first adventure, with Batman and Booster taking out those dastardly young fellows who blew up the original Hall of Justice, because they apparently thought that the new League was a bunch of poseurs. It seems a bit drastic to me...usually that sort of person just blogs furiously about things like that...but these boys decided to use dynamite. And they're not alone!

Meanwhile, Guy, Tora and Gavril have gone off to sort through the debris left behind by the giants from their first battle. Guy is complaining about doing all the work, while Booster grabs some glory. Gavril is doing his thing, as is Tora. Then Guy and Tora start talking, she's telling him to lighten up on Booster a bit, and he's grumbling, and says that it's easy for a Goddess to say. Gavril is intrigued that Tora is a Goddess, which annoys Guy, who tells him it's a private conversation, and to take a hike.

YES!!

Take that Winick!

Tora is back to being an Ice Goddess! No more of that idiotic Norwegian Romany garbage! Thank You Comic Book Gods and Goddesses!!

*ahem*

Gavril wanders off, thinking that it is a shame that they have to destroy all this cool alien technology, and inadvertently trips some sort of device that is glowing and probably probing his brain or something, because he's a bit out of it, when Guy starts yelling for him, and then forgets all about it. Aha! A plot device for the future, methinks!

Then Godiva goes out with Fang, to get hotdogs. His REAL title of course, is August General in Iron, but his actual name is Fang, so that's what I'm going to call him, because it is a whole lot easier to type Fang than August General in Iron.
Besides...it's cute. He's feeling just a little sorry for himself, and she's sympathetic as well till he starts in on her behavior on the ship and around Booster. They're having a nice moment until our little terrorists show up again, trying to blow stuff up for...well, really no reason at all, and they thwart the plot again, using her hair, to disarm the bomb, which I actually find rather bizarre. Bizarre but intriguing.

Finally, Booster has to go before the U.N. to justify his existance, along with Briggs, Fire and Vixen. The U.N. people are being pretty snooty, considering the group DID manage to save the Earth. Then Booster gets annoyed, when they start talking about how much better the REAL Justice League is, and points out that the REAL Justice League has been together and trained together for five years, and they'd been together for about five minutes, and that if they WANT the REAL JL, they should go get them...but they can't because they can't control them, and to cut them a little bit of slack already! It's a lovely speech. The U.N. dithers, and complains, but in the end, they decide to endorse them, and they all show up for one of those wonderful "let's pose for the camera" moments. Even Guy is feeling fairly mellow.

And then the terrorists set off their last bomb.

Oops.

Man, this was good.

Swamp Think #6

This was also good. Things aren't looking too good for the Green, that's for sure, as the Rot is taking over Abby, and Alec has to try and become Swamp Thing again, but it may be too late, and boy howdy, but Abby's little brother is a twisted little individual! Pretty art, and a good story.

Finally, I went and picked up The Mighty Thor, mainly because I've been loving Loki so darned much lately, and it was pretty good as well. Thor is about to be eaten by the Demogorge thingie, that devours dead Gods, when, thanks to Loki and the Silver Surfer, messing around with his hammer, he remembers who he is, and all kinds of interesting things begin to happen. Also, Ulik, who is disguised as the new Thunder God Tanarus is making a real pest of himself, as Sif and Heimdall discover. Pretty art here too, and lots of wheels within wheels. And Loki!

So...not a bad week, although a small week. And Tora Is Back!