Slightly Late Reviews

I can't put it off any longer, I guess I need to do my reviews. Not that I can assume that anyone is clamoring for them, but because it makes me feel important, I guess.

Anyhoo.

Batwoman #0

Now this, was without a doubt probably the best book that I read all week  The art was gorgeous as usual, nothing out of the ordinary there, because I expect the art to be gorgeous.  But it was a wonderful story, with Kate telling something of her relationship with her father and her family and her background, and what training she went through to become Batwoman. 

Every time she goes out on a mission, she leaves a note for her Dad.  So we got to hear it all in her voice, from her point of view, and it was beautifully done.  And she finally admits that she loves her father, which makes me happy, because I really love his character. 

Twelve thumbs up!


Birds of Prey #0

I guess this was Dinah's new origin story.  She was going undercover to infiltrate the Penguin's gang, and find a Baddie, she meets Starling who is also working there, and then Batgirl busts in and threatens to blow the whole surveillance thing sky-high.  Oh, and  apparently Starling was also working for Amanda Waller, and Dinah used to work with Waller in the Suicide Squad, and it was ok, I guess. 

The art was a bit over the top, sort of a combination of Jim Lee and Ed Benes, by Romano Molenaar.  Not exactly my cup of tea.  I really miss Gail Simone and Nicola Scott.


Fables #121

And we finally get something of a finale to the whold Toyland story.  As you will of course recall, in order to save his sister, Dare sacrificed himself at the end of last month's issue, which was a real kick in the head.   Therese who has been a spoiled brat, suddenly realizes that something has changed, things are growing again in Toyland, which they never had done before, and it is because of Dare.  There is now food for her to eat, and she's all excited until she finally realizes what has happened, and it all turns to ashes. 

Therese mourns him, but finally realizes that she has to pick up and go on, and make the best of things, and the way that she feels she can do that is to restore Toyland, but she's going to make them work for it, by saving children's lives instead of causing them.  Then finally she goes home, to say hello to Mom and Dad, except she's grown now, and they aren't because time flows differently.

I was getting slightly bored with this story, but it had a very good ending.


Justice League #0

What the hell?  The Justice League isn't even IN this issue, but it does take up the story of adorable awful little Billy Batson, which has been the back-up story in the book.  I love love love Gary Frank's artwork, and always have, but I have to say that I really can't stand this version of Billy Batson, who is frankly a dreadful boy.  He's mean, sarcastic, and obnoxious.  He apparently has a few good points, but he's FAR from the Billy Batson of old.

The ends up in the Wizard's lair, and the Wizard has been trying for eons to find a perfect person to become Shazaam.  Billy points out that nobody's perfect, so the Wizard then and there decides, that well, ok then, you'll do, which seems a bit sudden and arbitrary.

He does become Captain Marv...oops...Shazaam, and saves a lady being mugged, and then bums $20 off of her so he and Freddy can go carouse or something. 

I know that the original Captain Marvel was a wee bit on the corny side.  But I didn't care.  I  really liked that Billy Batson, and I loved Mary and Tawkey Tawney and all the rest.  It was silly and childish of course, but it WAS for children!  It was...sweet.

There ain't no sweetness here.


Wonder Woman #0

And again, this was pretty darned fabulous.  This is a tale of Diana's youth, and the issue pretends to be an actual old comic, with a tale taken from "All-Girl Adventure Tales for Men, #41" which just cracked me up.   Chiang and Azzarello do a crackerjack job of making this seem like an actual Silver Age comic book, and I appreciate it very much.

Diana is young and training, and feeling a bit  at odds with her Amazon sisters, who treat her differently.  And who should show up, but Ares, who is more than happy to train her and show her that it's alright to be different.  And I have to say, that I enjoyed Ares in this as well, he seems to be having a pretty good time, as well as Diana. 

Then she wants to duel with actual swords, even though Ares warns her that with steel, a fight is to the death.  He beats her, and she's prepared to give up her life, but he spares her, because heck, he actually likes her.  Then he has her fight the Minotaur for her graduation more or less, and naturally after a slow start, she does a bang up job.  Ares shows up, and is all proud and wants her to finish the job, but the Minotaur opens his eyes, and she hesitates, possibly because his little tongue is sticking out, and he's all cute and such.  This makes Ares cranky and he yells at her,and tells her she's weak and stuff,   The Minotaur wakes up completely but instead of fighting, he just shuffles off. 

Diana is left wondering if mercy is a good thing, and she decides that it is. 

Fabulous!


The Mighty Thor #20

As we continue with "Everything Burns", Thor is feeling slightly less than charitable towards Loki, who last issue tricked him into falling into the molten lake, where he's being attacked and eaten and stuff.    Loki, whom to all appearances is being just as bad as his old self ever was, goes traipsing off to join Volstagg, Hogun and Fandral, and lets drop the fact that he and Volstagg were the ones who stole the Destroyer, which gets Hogun all hot and bothered, and the Warriors Three start yelling at each other. 

Meanwhile, Heimdall gets zapped by whatever mind-control thing that Surter has going on and things are looking quite bad.  Loki is visiting in Surter in his realm of Muspelheim, and sucking up and asking for Surter's plan of attack.  As Surter monologues, Loki manages to sneak a shadow of the sword again,  and sneaks off with it.  He also shows up in a vision to Thor, and tells him to let go, and let the darkness win...it will be ok. 

Oh, and Garm, the Hell Hound is back, and after Loki too. 

Gosh, this is great.