Slightly Late Reveiws

Well, that was a fairly small week.  But not a bad week. Aww...who am I kidding?  It is NEVER a Bad Week for Comics!  And incidentally, I finally after a week, have my driveway back!  Sheesh!

Aquaman #14

We begin with a flashback, to the 1800's with a wooden ship, and an extremely cranky and Ahab-ish Captain, who hauls in someone who looks a lot like Arthur...but man, it ain't Arthur.  It...doesn't end well for anyone.

In the present, Arthur is still brooding over who it was that was behind Black Manta, so he decides to wander over to Atlantis and talk with his brother, Ocean Master, who in the new DC is a swell guy, who is ruling Atlantis in Arthur's stead, and who just loooooooves his baby brother.  Arthur isn't quite as overflowing with brotherly love, and asks him flat out if he was the one who bribed Manta.  He says...no.  But he also points out that it was those miserable sailors and their Captain who caught, gutted and killed their great grandparents or something.

Oh, and skinny Amanda Waller tries to get Manta to join the Suicide Squad, which works out about as well as you would think that it would.  And finally...someone...lets those ravenous critters from the first arc out again. 

There are some new ideas being introduced which is a good thing, and the art is pretty even though it isn't Ivan Reis, so this is still holding my interest.  Decent read.


Flash #14

Well, the Gorillas have invaded, and somehow Gorilla Grodd has tapped into the Speed Force, and while Barry is running around with him, the Rogues are trying their very best to hold off the rest of the attacking Simians.  I love the Rogues, I really do.  And Solovar shows up, and there is some other stuff going on, and time travel, and oh...what the heck.  The art is lovely, and this is a fun if slightly incoherent book.  I like it anyway.


Jonah Hex #14

I never ever thought that I would say this about a Western, much less a Jonah Hex book...but I'm getting bored with this.  Jonah hardly shows up anyway, we seem to have wandered into some sort of mish-mash horror book with Doctor Arkham and Jekyll and Hyde, and murderous Circus performers, and the Barbary Ghost, and ninjas, and stuff.  I rather miss Jonah being cranky and just shooting people.  He's not allowed to do that in Gotham. 

I also wasn't impressed all that much with the artwork.  At first the idea of Jonah in a city, much less Gotham City was a rather interesting twist.  It was nice to see Tallulah again, but she's run off...again, and it's starting to get a little dull.


Justice League Dark #14

Tim Hunter and Zatanna have been spirited away, Steve Trevor has called in some scientists to decipher the Books of Magic, which are apparently only magic when Tim Hunter is around, and Black Orchid, Frankenstein and Amethyst get lost in the House of Mysteries which does have its moments.  I like this book fairly well, although not a whole heck of a lot happens in this issue, except that Black Orchid manages to find a room full of clues, just like Rip Hunter's blackboards.  I...I THINK this is supposed to be John Constantine's office, but I'm not exactly sure.  The art is nice.

The Phantom Stranger shows up and is all enigmatic and stuff.  Also, Pandora shows up as well, which always makes me think that somehow...maybe...possibly, we are going to get into a story to bring back the REAL DC Universe.  Which would be a good thing.  They do mention Booster, which is a good thing.

Now I'm rather anxious to see what is going to be happening.


Thor, God of Thunder #2

Gosharootie, this is a nice book.  I dont' read a heck of a lot of Marvel these days, but  the stuff with Asgard has been consistently good.  They relaunced the Thor book...don't ask me why, something to do with the new NOW stuff that has been touted as of late. 

Anyhoo...the art is exquisite, the story is interesting, once again bouncing back and forth a bit between the three time periods, but focusing mostly on the past and Thor's first encounter with the God Killer, which is brutal, bloody and ends with a Bang. 

Really fabulous.

Feeling A Tad Grumpy

Bitch, bitch, bitch.  I'm actually not in a terrible mood...it IS Wednesday after all, and no Wednesday is ever that terrible...but I am feeling just a bit on the cranky side.  And it actually has nothing to do with comics.

Who'd a thunk?

Got my car fixed.  That's a good thing.  Expensive...but a good thing.  Except that in the month of November...in New England...my town decided that it was the PERFECT time to start ripping up our sidewalks and pouring NEW sidewalks!  I couldn't see anything wrong with the old ones, but that is why I don't work for the Town.  Cold, sleet and snow aren't actually the best things to have when you are trying to cure concrete, but hey, what do I know?  I DO know that I haven't been able to park in my own driveway for several days now, and it's getting old.  Very old.

Also, my boiler is acting squirrelly, and  my beautiful vintage cast iron radiators that match my beautiful vintage Victorian house aren't filling, so they are full of air, and make all these scary banging noises.  We keep bleeding them, and it's still not doing much, so we may have to...PAY someone to look at our furnace.  Which is painful, because I just paid to fix my car. 

Dammit. 

Oh well, I think I'll go and read my new comics.  And hopefully get into a better mood. 

Back To The Old Grind

Gosh, but I enjoyed those four days off.  So...Very...Much.  But I suppose it is just as well that I went back to work today.  The Friday that I was out, they blew up half of Springfield! 

And by "They", I mean the Gas Company.  Oops.  It took out the Gentleman's Club, so there are a whole lot of cold and unhappy strippers right now.  Fortunately, they were able to take refuge at another Strip Club down the block that didn't get blown up.  A Church and a Daycare also were damaged, being right next to the first Strip Club.  Only in Springfield, Mass. 

One of the young lady's was quite upset about having to abandon their....unique outfits at a moment's notice.  Apparently, and this is something that I never realized...they are quite expensive, and have all kinds of strategic velcro and other fastenings and...and stuff. 

Who knew? 

I do hope that the Gas Company is going to PAY for all of this.  The Gentlemen in Springfield certainly aren't happy.  All of which brings me to a weird thought.  How expensive would actual Superhero or Superheroine outfits BE?  I know that the treasured fantasy is that all Superheroes make their own costumes...a la Spider-Man, or Daredevil.  Or had their dear old Mom sew them for them or something, like Superman.  But how practical is that, really? 

Spandex may be readily available nowadays, but it certainly wasn't back in the OLD days.  And a lot of gentlemen don't necessarily sew very well...can't you just see it all coming apart?  And how durable would they be anyway?  Reed Richards came up with unstable molecules, which did manage to solve a whole litany of problems, but I don't know if that ever applied to the DC universe, where entire outfits can fit into a ring for example. 

Obviously Batman has Alfred who is ready to whip up anything that he may need, and I have rather enjoyed seeing Superman run around in work boots and a pair of jeans.  The Green Lanterns of course, have the most sensible solution of all...it is all made out of hard light from their rings.  If it gets torn, they just have to apply a little willpower, and it's all better.  Although I sometimes thought that Kyle LIKED all the rips and tears.  Probably Hal too.  Guy and John usually have their clothes on...dammit. 

I know that a lot of heroes wear their outfits under their streetclothes, which may be great in the winter, but man, that would have to stink in the summertime...literally.  Unless that stuff breathes, as Edna Mode said..."like Egyptian cotton". 

Oh well.  I guess they all get their stuff from the same people who supply them with trick arrows, light guns, batarangs and whatever other tricks they may have up their sleeves.  Their well-sewn sleeves.


Oh Hal.  He never met a mirror he didn't like.

Wednesday's Booty

I do hope that everyone had a suitably gluttonous Holiday.  I can still hardly move...but God, it was worth it.  I am also NOT out shopping, although I did take today off from work.  I'm doing really exciting things like laundry, and penning these immortal words.

Anyway, to the reviews.

Batwoman #14

Holy cow, but this is getting intense!  Great art, great story, Medusa makes for a suitable terrifying villainess, not to mention poor Pegasus predicament, and Diana's compassion.  You get the feeling that Kate is over her head, KNOWS that she is over her head, but wouldn't back out for the world.  

Very good.

Birds of Prey #14

This was okay..  Katanna's sword has been pilfered by the usual bunch of ninja clan types, and she wants it back.  Condor shows up, but it isn't the same one who used to hang out in Opal City.  Black Canary yells a lot, and stuff happens.  The art isn't terrible, but for some reason, this just isn't grabbing me.  I was so spoiled by Gail Simone, with the interaction among the various Birds...I just don't get that feeling from this particular incarnation.  Not terrible...but okay.

Fables # 123

This was nice.  It was a bit of a relief to finally be done with Therese's story, which got a bit draggy.  I always enjoy stories about Bigby anyway.  He manages to change his destiny, the tortoise was charming, and there seems to be an interesting twist at the end. 

Green Lantern: New Guardians #14

More of Kyle trying to find himself, and checking out his mettle using all of the rings, while simultaneously showcasing each individual wielder of those same rings.  In this issue we have Arkillo, whom I am sneakingly rather fond of.  He's struggling with his feelings of betrayal at the hands of Sinestro...and seriously, haven't we ALL experienced those feelings at the hands of Sinestro?  Kyle's not quite sure that he can fully trust Carol's motives, and he still wants to save Ganthet

My problem with this book is that there doesn't really seem to be much of KYLE in it.  Oh, he shows up, and manages after a bit of flailing around to figure out how to use each of the various rings.  But there isn't much of a surprise, it's been following the same formula for several issues now, and it is all more or less the same.  Kyle himself seems fairly emotionless about the whole thing, which is odd when you come to think about it.  It's as though he's not really THERE all that much.  His pesonality seems subdued and his...Kyleness is lacking. 

Which is a darn shame, because I really love Kyle.  We need to get him back with Guy where he belongs.  I know that all of this is prelude to the final throw-down with the evil Guardians, but I just want to GET to the throw-down with the evil Guardians already.  We seem to be spinning our wheels just a tad here.

Justice League #14

Well, the League fights with Cheetah, learns that SHE corrupted the spirit of the Cheetah,not the other way around, and that the woman that Diana thought was her friend is actually a serial criminal.  This makes Diana feel stupid.  So Superman takes her out on a date, and in costume they go and eat pancakes at a diner in Smallville. 

Where of course absolutely NO ONE recognizes Clark Kent.  Then they go look at the old Kent Farm, and Superman drones on a bit about hometown morals and such.  They start smooching, and it turns out that Batman is watching the whole thing on the satellite at the Watchtower, because his soaps were probably preempted, and what the heck. 

There is one actually rather cool splash page, where Aquaman catches Cheetah in a river, and they are surrounded by piranhas.  Best page in the whole book. 

I...am not loving this.  And yet, there is a certain train-wreck quality to the whole thing, that is fairly irresistable...you just can't wait to see what new horrendous idea they are going to bring forth to destroy the last 70 years of DC history. 

Incidentally, they do seem to have shrugged off the whole thing with Simon Baz rather easily.  You would think that they might be concerned about Hal and what is happening, but it doesn't seem to have even crossed their minds.  Short attention spans probably.

Wonder Woman #14

Dammit, I love this book.  It has nothing...NOTHING to do with the real Wonder Woman, but I frankly don't care, because Azzarello has come up with such a bizarre and fabulous story with all of the various Greek Gods, and her new relationship, not to mention all of her new relatives, that is quite quite fascinating. 

We have her winning over Scirroca, another one of Zeus's offspring, whose mother was murdered by Hera, not to mention herself, although she was found and turned into the Wind, by Zeus.  Diana tells her that Hera did the same crap to her own mother, and fellow Amazons, and after fighting for a while, they decide to be sisters, which is rather sweet.  They are still looking for Zoe's baby of course.

Then there is the problem of Zeus and Hera's first born son,who has finally shown up again, and isn't particularly happy. Oh those zany Greek Gods!  Meanwhile Apollo seems to be having a bit of trouble keeping the rest of his pantheon in line.

Oh, and Orion and All-Father show up at the end.  Yes, the New Gods aren't dead!  Scott and Barda must be around somewhere as well!  Woohoo! 

Dang it, this is a fun book.


Hawkeye #4

I cannot begin to tell you how much I am enjoying this book.  It is NOT a typical super-hero story, in fact I have hardly seen a costume yet in  it, although you know that they are out there, lurking in the shadows.  No, this is mostly about Clint himself, in this particular case, trying to go to Madripoor to retrieve an incriminating tape of him assassinating someone for SHIELD.  It's going to be auctioned off to the highest bidder, and natually all the low-lifes around are after it, and SHIELD wants it, so they won't be embarrassed.  SHIELD sometimes does the dumbest things.  The bit where Hawkeye is kidnapped off of the roof of his apartment during a neighborhood barbecue is a hoot. 

The whole book is a hoot.  Buy it!


Journey Into Mystery #646

I haven't quite gotten over my tears over the end of Loki, so I was a bit hesitant about picking this book up, but it is well worth the effort.  Written by Kathryn Immonen, wtih Valerio Schiti as the artist, it is a very good looking and well written story.  And hey, I like Sif.


Sif seems to be at lose ends after the end of the whole Surtur and Everything Burns business.  She's beginnign to suspect that there is a certain futility to their efforts at rebuilding Asgard, having it destroyed, and starting all over again, and who can blame her?  There is a lovely sequence with her hanging out at Volstagg's house, with his wife and kids

Then she decides to go off and consult a cranky old dragon, and sees a witch, and gets a boon, and goes a little berserk. 

Literally.  This is going to be interesting.

War is all Hell

Yes...yes it is.  There is no one like William Tecumseh Sherman for a pithy quote.  But anyway, may I just take a moment to say that the War On Christmas is a load of crap.  The War on Thanksgiving on the other hand, is apparently quite real, and almost at our throats.

I have point this out before, but I simply LOVE Thanksgiving.  It is quite my favorite Holiday of the year, because it is simple, it is low-key, and it doesn't involve the massive spending of cash.  You simply gather together your friends and loved ones, eat a stupifyingly fabulous dinner, possibly watch football, exchange all of the old stories that you've been talking about for the past thirty years and maybe take a nap before dessert. 

It's lovely.  No fancy decorations are required, although having pumpkins and gourds and Fall leaves, do look nice, as does that giant Turkey platter in the shape of a...well a Turkey.  You get to get all the nice dishes out for a change, not to mention the good silverware and the good glasses, and figure out how to squeeze twenty people into your dining room.  The children who may be in their twenties by now, still have to sit at the kids table, and probably will until they start hosting their OWN Thanksgivings, but secretly, they prefer it that way anyhow. 

And there is pie.  God, how I love pie.  Any kind of pie.  Even Lemon Meringue, which is probably my least favorite.  Still it's pie.  And while there is a certain amount of stress involved in the actual cooking of this sumptuous feast, it is still a lot less pressure than Christmas. 

Trust me, Christmas is in control.  Christmas is trying to horn in on Thanksgiving.  It wasn't enough that the stores had to create the entire idea of "Black Friday".  It's bad enough that they start playing Christmas music the day after Halloween.  The decorations have been up at the malls for a couple of weeks now.  The catalogs have been arriving in the mail since September.

But when, in the name of Consumerism, stores actually decide to OPEN UP ON THANKSGIVING ITSELF...then I say that it has Gone Too Far.  Are there actually people who can't wait a couple more hours to go and get that $30 DVD player?  Is it really fair to drag the poor people who work at Target, Sears and Wal-Mart away from their families and their own Holiday, just so that someone gets an extra 10% off of something?  We are ruining one Holiday, in order to get stuff for another Holiday.  That's a little crazy.  Wait...that's a LOT crazy.

I will not be shopping on Black Friday.  I will not be shopping at Target or Sears or Wal-mart.  There is nothing that I want to buy that I cannot buy somewhere else that didn't haul in some poor sales clerk on their day off.  It's not in the spirit of Christmas for one thing, and the executives who have come up with this idiocy deserve nothing but a lump of coal in their stockings. 

Bah.

Green Lantern Corps #14

Now that is one arresting cover!



Guy has not been having an easy time of it.  As a part of their insidious plot, the Guardians have decided to set him up as their mostest fabulous Lantern...even more fabulous than Hal Jordan!  Due to a certain innate skepticism, Guy isn't buying it completely...and yet acceptance and accolades must sound very sweet to a man who labored in Hal's giant shadow for so very long.  Naturally the Guardians don't let him savor it for very long, right after elevating him to the highest status, they immediately give him an impossible task...take a cadre of Lanterns and guard some Ambassadors...oh and by the way, that Bad Guy that you beat back when you are a rookie?  He's out and gunning for you...and your family and world.

Well you know and I know how Guy is going to react.  And so of course, do the Guardians.  In fact, they are counting on it.  Guy leaves a bunch of his Lanterns to guard the Ambassadors, while he high-tails it to Earth to protect his family...just as the Guardians knew that he would.  It was all a feint anyway.  On the way, they are attacked by more of the Third Army.  Guy has the moxie and the willpower to survive...but does everyone else?  Alas no, and they area all over-run and assimilated, much to Guy's horror.

The Guardians on the other hand, are simply delighted.  They have a mind-link to their Third Army zombies, and can see what is going on throughout the sector, and are actually seemingly turned on by all of the mayhem.  Sick little blue Bastards!  Guy is sick with grief and guilt, but he's smart enough to get the heck out of there, and the Third Army guys aren't fast enough to overtake him, which makes the Guardians all sad, since they had planned for this to be a One Way Trip for Gardner.  They are all set to come up with another plan for this death,when Ganthet convinces them that it isn't necessary to kill him...he's more valuable to them in undermining the rest of the Corps...somehow.  Ganthet gives the news to Guy's old Nemesis, who isn't happy that he isn't allowed to rip Guy's arms off, but he's going along with it ....for now anyway.

On Earth, Guy unceremoniously snatches up his Dad, his Sister and his Brother, and dumps them on the Justice League, with a hurried explanation, that they need to have a place to hide for a couple of days.  Cyborg and Flash are fairly laconic in their response...Barry hopes that they like Thai food.  More and more, I'm thinking that Barry is secretly Wally in disguise...at least when it comes to the Justice League.  Maybe it IS Wally, and Barry is busy in his own book or something.  At least that would explain Flash's not quite sotto voce remark that he hoped Guy was the defunct Lantern in this months issue of that book! 

Meanwhile, back on Oa, Kilowog and Salaak have made a rather startling discovery, newly deceased Lantern's rings aren't going out after new recruits, so the ranks of the Green Lanterns are being slowly but systematically decreased.  Of course Mogo was the one who took care of that little chore, but I am sure that the Guardians are up to the task...wait-a-minute!  Oh, those cherubic charlatans!  Kilowog and Salaak are sitting on this information...for now, but at least they are aware that the Guardians are up to no good, since they also found out that they had suppressed the tape of John's little neck-snapping incident, and purposefully whipped up the whole Alpha Corps confrontation.

The Guardians are sneaky, and murderous and nasty...but they really aren't quite as smart as they think they are. 

John has been sent on a futile mission to recover bits and pieces of Mogo, which seem to be trying to coalesce themselves again, which if true, would be a Very Good Thing, since I love Mogo.  I had thought however that he was currently orbiting Oa as a ring.  But Fatality, as a Star Sapphire gets a message that Love is in trouble or something, and shows up to surprise John.  John is VERY surprised, since they spent an awful lot of time in the past trying to eviscerate each other.  On the other hand, John has been very lonely for a very long time, and it sure doesn't look as though Katma is going to be resurrected any time soon, so what the heck?

After putting his family in safe custody, Guy is heading back to Oa, but he sure isn't happy about it.  He does get a heads up from Salaak, who tells him to report...and to be careful, and prepared for the worst.  Well of course, the worst...at least according to Guy...does happen.  The Guardians pretend to be furious, he's lost his cadre of Lanterns, disobeyed orders, the Ambassadors are all wiped out (at the Guardians urging) and he's in deepest Doo doo.  Guy naturally does the honorable thing.  If there is one thing that Guy loves, it is the Corps.  So in front of everyone, he has to resign.  Ganthet gets this wierd smirk on his face, and they take his ring, and zap him back to earth.

And all he is left with, is his old motorcycle, which is rather poignant.

Damn. 

Those miserable little Fiends!  I can only say that I am REALLY looking for a Comeuppance of the highest Degree!  And yet...and yet, something isn't quite right.  The Guardians were completely willing and eager to have Guy killed.  And yet Ganthet was the one who talked them out of it.  Guy doesn't have a ring anymore, but he's free and alive and pissed off back on Earth.  Salaak and Kilowog have secretly sent B'dg to Earth, to scout things out, so presumably he's hanging out in a tree somewhere, gathering intel.  Simon  Baz is also on Earth.  And...Guy's uniform didn't disappear when his ring did either. 

Something is going on.

This is great. Read it and enjoy!

Thursday's Reviews

Now this was a nice week!

Batgirl #14

I had actually dropped this for a couple of months, but the whole "Death of the Family" thing has sucked me back in...at least for a while.  And I have to admit that Gail Simone does a pretty darned good job of the Joker, which is no small task.  I still think that Babs is a little whiney, but on the other hand, she does have some reason. 

So there is murder, mayhem, kidnappings and pummelings galore.  Not bad.  Not bad at all.


Batman #14

Now THIS book on the other hand falls into the "incredibly GOOD" category!  I really can't believe that I am writing this about a Bat book.  Snyder's version of the Joker is fabulous, he's completely deranged of course, but again, there is an underlying logic, that neither we...nor Batman apparently can quite fathom...that's why he's so terrifying. 

Alfred has been kidnapped, Commissioner Gordon almost dies from blood thinner, random citizens are being cannon...or rather Joker fodder all over the place, and Batman himself, although he has a good grasp on things, is being out-maneuvered all over the place.  It is a joy to watch...and read. 


Batman & Robin #14

Gosh, I love this book.  Tomasi keeps right up with Snyder in making things a little...no, make that a lot...crazy.  Damian is doing his level best to actually save some people, trying to prove to his father, that he has it in him, to do the right thing.  Considering some of the stuff that Damian has pulled, that's a tall order.  So he saves  a bunch of people from zombie-like cultists, although ignoring Batman's calls is taking things a bit too far. 

Still, he does manage to pull it off, although Batman showing up at the end, does help a whole lot.  Then of course, they have The Confrontation, and the scene where Bruce hugs Damian brought a lump to my jaded throat.  Awwww!   And then the discovery that the Bad Guy isn't who Damian thought it was, makes it all a little more chilling. 

Very very good.


Demon Knights #14

Sheesh, there is just all kinds of double dealing and chicanery and betrayal going on this week!  Demon Knights has all of this and more, as Xanadu tries to outfox Etrigan, Etrigan tries to outfox Xanadu, Savage just wants to kill people, and Lucifer apparently outwits the lot of them. 

It's all very exciting, Avalon is in BIG trouble and oh heck, I really do enjoy this book.  This is one crazy cast of characters, but Paul Cornell makes it work.


Green Lantern Corps #14

Man, I just hate the Guardians.  I Hate Them So MUCH!!!


Thor, God of Thunder #001

It's not enough to start the series over at number 1 apparently, they had to make it 001.  What's up with that?  I did manage to snabble the variant cover, with the Skottie Young cover, which is seriously adorable.  Inside, Esac Ribic manages to do his usual beautiful artwork, while Jason Aaron takes over on the story.

This book jumps from a distant flashback, wherein Thor is helping out some nice Vikings, who discover a dead body, that is apparently that of a North American Indian God, that washes up on the shore, during their epic revelry.  This disconcerts Thor, to say the least.

Then we jump to the present,  on the planet Indigarr, where Thor answers the prayer of  a  young girl for rain to save her planet.  It's nice to know that Thor keeps an ear out for such things.  He does come, he makes it rain, and has one heckuva good time with the native ale, and tells a few stories along the way.  He is rather startled to learn that Indigarr doesn't seem to have any Gods to worship...as a God himself, he finds such a thing to be practically unthinkable.  So, he goes looking for them, and finds them...or rather their remains.  They've all been killed, in a most unseemly fashion, which makes him think of that other Godly death way back when.

And then we jump to the far distant future, where Thor is old, and cranky and the only God left in Asgard, as once again he faces the God Killer from the past.  It's beautifully done, and it has certainly piqued my interest.


Saga #7

Finally!  It seems as though it has been forever.  It took me a while to pick this up...and to find all the back copies, but it has been well worth the trouble.  This is really a stunningly good book.  The art by Fiona Staples is terrific, the story by Brian Vaughan is deeply engrossing, funny and gut-wrenching all at the same time. 

Our doughty couple have taken little Hazel, found a ship and are fleeing all the trouble, or at least trying to stay one step ahead of all the bounty hunters, armies, and crazy people.  Marko's parents have shown up, and they really aren't too thrilled to learn that he's married one of what they consider to be the enemy.  Alana isn't really all that thrilled to meet them either, especially since all she is wearing is a towel and a baby, but she handles things fairly well, all things considered.  They are especially peeved because Marko's mother zapped their ghostly babysitter Izabel off to some godforsaken planet, so Marko has to go and try and get her back.  Good sitters are hard to come by! 

But seriously, go out and buy it and read it.  Well worth your while.

So that's the week.  Not a clunker in the bunch.  I love weeks like this.

Green Lantern #14

Well now, this issue was interesting.  Very interesting indeed. 

We begin, with a little bit of exposition and gloating from the Guardians.  They are happy...oh so happy, that Hal and Sinestro have been taken off of the game board, despite not having realized that Hal even HAD a ring, and that it is never ever a good idea to underestimate Sinestro.  But then, the Guardians, although they have turned evil...are still no wiser than they have ever been.  Which is something that the First Guardian, still imprisoned in his Lantern, is happy to point out.  He also promises to make sure to have some "fun" with them when he manages to break out.  Which, he probably will do.


But anyway, in the meantime, poor Simon has just been confronted with the Justice League, and he's feeling just a tad gobsmacked, as well he should be.  Naturally, they are all smug and superior, and he's trying to explain that he DOESN'T want to fight them, and that it has all been a mistake.  Heck, he doesn't even know how or why he got the ring.  Batman and Aquaman explain how it works, at least a little, with Batman pointing out that the ring looks for courage, and Aquaman says that it choses a new recruit after the death of the owner.

And then Barry opens his big fat yap, and mumbles that in that case, he hopes it was Gardner.  Then he realizes exactly what he just said, and has the grace to apologize...a little.  Only a little.  You know, I am very fond of Barry, but right about now, I want to give him a big smack in the face. 

Simon sees Wonder Woman, and even volunteers to have her use her lasso, to prove that he is telling the truth.  Of course if they had all been smart enough to take him at his word, there wouldn't have been any problem, but we also wouldn't have had much of a story, so Batman tells him to take his ring off first.  Simon isn't even sure that he CAN, since he's tried taking it off before, but when they grab for it, the ring erupts, and a vision of Sinestro appears, yelling not to Touch My Ring!  Sinestro takes things very very personally.


And that of course, is all that it takes for things to just go to hell in a handbasket.  Simon realizes he's in BIG trouble, and apologizes, but of course the JLA isn't listening, so he beats feet out of there, and uses some rather spectacular ring  constructs, making multiple glowing green cars, to serve as decoys.  The Justice League falls for it, as he makes his escape.  It strikes me that the Justice League has just been made fools of by a guy who has been a Green Lantern for all of a day or so. 

Heh. 

Back in the hidden Space Prison where the other NOT crazy Guardians have been all these many millenia, the ones that are still locked up are just as cranky as can be...and who can blame them?  They can hear something in the outer chamber and wonder if Reegal, the poor guy who was killed by the Guardians can still be alive, but of course, it is just Black Hand.

And speaking of dead people...Hal and Sinestro are wandering around a grim and ghostly landscape, wondering what the heck to do next, when they encounter a hooded and ragged figure who tells Sinestro that the time has come to pay for his crimes. 

I wonder if it is Abin Sur? 

Things are advancing nicely.  The Justice League didn't really shine did they?  And Barry needs a spanking.  I hope that Guy eventually gives him one.  I may not know too much about Simon, but one thing is for sure, he is certainly smarter than Hal.    And naturally, I simply cannot WAIT for the Guardians to get their much deserved comeuppance. 

A Small Week...but a Decent Week

Due to my own stupidity, and fear of being killed in the first snowstorm of the year, I completely forgot to pick up my books Wednesday, so I had to go Thursday instead.  Fortunately for me, the books were still there, just dying to be picked up and read.  Not a LOT of books...but still. 

Action Comics #14

This was certainly a bit different.  We apparently have a manned colony on Mars?  Another reason that the DC Universe is so awesome, although I am not sure exactly how J'onn J'onnz may feel about this.  The colony is being attacked by giant metal robot thingies, that keep shrieking about Me Ta Lek!  Fortuantely for all, Superman shows up and gives them all a whuppin.  And then uses his brains, and his awesomness to do some more whuppin.

Alas it is for naught, as the extra astronaut turns out to be a rather nasty little fellow who is nursing a grudge.  Oh, and Killer Angels as well.  Rags Morales does his usual superb job with the artwork,  And the backup feature with Sholly  Fisch and Chris Sprouse is actually my favorite, with Superman showing up at an observatory, where they have managed to find Krypton.  Or actually, it has taken this long for the light from the destruction of Krypton to show up where we could see it.  I love that they are actually using Science!

Fairest #9

Well, I have to say that Rapunzel is quite a bit more interesting than I had originally thought.  This takes us to Japan, and all sorts of shenanigans, with the Japanese Fables hiding in plain sight, and Jack getting up to his usual antics, since this is all in the past a bit.  Not bad at all.

Green Lantern #14

Oh Barry.  Don't make me come over there and slap you!


World's Finest #6

I don't usually pick this up, but this cover, with Huntress and Damian, both drawn by Kevin Maguire was just too delicious to resist.  Although I have to say that Damian is even more obnoxious than usual.  Still...Kevin Maguire!

And finally just to top the whole thing off, I managed to get my hands on a DC Showcase of Young Love.

It...it is hilarious!  All those gawdawful Romance comics!  Evil sisters!  Handsome Doctors!  A Nurse who cries so much that I don't see how she can see to do her nursing stuff!  More evil sisters!  The belief that all pretty young women wanted nothing more than to be swept off their dainty feet by any good-looking young cad who wandered by!  EVIL SISTERS!!

Some pretty decent art actually.  But seriously, I laughed my ass off.  It's even more fun if you pretend that they are all Green Lanterns.


This is actually in the book, but it doesn't happen quite the way it is presented.  But when did the scenes in a comic book ever actually match the cover anyway1  Good clean horrible fun!

Oops

Well that's embarrassing.  Here in Connecticut, we are experiencing the first snow of the season.  It really isn't supposed to amount to much, but naturally, everyone is having hysteria and driving like idiots.  I was trying to get home from work in one piece, and completely forgot that it was Wednesday!

I forgot to get my Comics! 

This is unprecedented.  Normally I am simply champing at the bit, to go and get them, but it was so busy today,what with everyone and their brother trying to buy snow tires, that it completely slipped my mind.  I guess I'll have to go tomorrow. 

Sheesh. 

However, in order to make myself feel slightly better,



Here is more Gil Kane.  As for Hal's position, I never realized how...limber he must be.

Listen To Alan!

I only get to use this particular scan of Alan Scott every four years, so once again, I am trotting it out. 



As you can see, Alan takes Democracy very very seriously.  So please, do your civic duty and vote.

A Salute to Gil Kane

It occurs to me, that I have been straying lately from the original premise of this blog.  That is, to rightfully acknowledge the amazing pulchritude and veritable hotness of the various Green Lanterns...and their butts.  Their magnificent butts.  And it doesn't just apply to Earth based Lanterns.  Kilowog for example has an astonishingly taut pair of buttocks. 

And I don't think that there is a single man more to be admired for establishing this particular...cheeky characteristic for my beloved Lanterns.  And that man is of course, Gil Kane. 

An amazing artist.  Especially when he was drawing Green Lantern back in the day.  The contortions that he put Hal through were simply astonishing.  He not only managed to suffer head wounds in practically every issue...or at least it SEEMED that way, but he managed to show off his assets in a myriad and spectacular fashions.



What a lovely angle.



Not exactly a head wound, but still worthwhile.  And he's arching his back...as usual.



Actually he seemed to do a lot of back arching. 



He also liked flying with his legs spread. 



But dang it, Hal was pretty.  So...so pretty.  A little dim perhaps.  But pretty.  And we have Gil Kane to thank for that.

Stuff I Bought

I was pleasantly surprised this Wednesday.  I wasn't too sure that the books would even BE in, but they were.  Oh UPS...I love you so.  Also, since it was the fifth week of the month, I was expecting the pickings to be slim...but there was bounty.   BOUNTY!

And a lot of Annuals.  That helped.

Action Comics Annual #1

Dagnabit, I liked this.  For one thing I like Sholly Fisch.  For another thing I simply love Cully Hamner, and the two of them paired up to give me a rollicking good tale.  You have your usual mad scientist type, who wants to experiment on some disgruntled fellow, a fellow with a huge grudge against Superman.  Why do you ask?  Well this was the guy that was beating up his wife, and Superman threw him out the window.  I can see where that might not sit particularly well.

He gets exposed to a fragment of Kryptonite, which turns him into K-Man, and he has a fine old time beating up our hapless hero.  Oh, and General Lane shows up, not to mention Lex Luthor.  AND Lois and Jimmy.  Superman is even nice enough to pose for a picture, which I found to be rather hilarious.  Too bad he's having his behind handed to him by K-Man.  Fortunately before things can get too out of hand, Steel shows up and is smart enough to realize what is happening and runs interference for Supes, until he can put on a...radiation suit.

Haw!

It lasts long enough for Superman to defeat his foe, and then he and Steel have a nice sit down together and discuss heroics and saving the world.  Superman stays in Metropolis, while Steel goes around the world, and ends up in Australia showing people how to install solar panels and make their lives better, which I find to be a VERY worth while use of super powers.  Oh, and Lex plots some more.

And finally there is a lovely second story with the origin of the Atomic Skull by Max Lands and Ryan Sook.
Lovely.  Simply lovely.


Aquaman #13

Well, Arthur is still really really cranky, Black Manta has run off with the sceptre which he plans to hand over to a ship full of what appear to be Atlanteans.  More of Arthur's friends die, he's even MORE cranky and goes after Manta, but decides not to kill him after all, thereby showing that he Has Grown.  Black Manta gets handed over to the proper authorities so that he can live to escape and kill again, Arthur and Mera hug, and Salty the Sea Dog frolics on the pier.

Beautifully drawn by Ivan Reis as usual.  It was a bad story, although not a whole lot happened over the last few months or so, except to show that Aquaman is someone to be reckoned with.  But heck, I always thought that anyway.

Batgirl Annual  #1

This was actually...pretty good.  The art by  Admira  Wijaya and Daniel Sampere is very painterly, but pretty.
It goes back to the Talon who has been captured, the one who was the young girl during WWII.  She ends up being sprung by none other than Catwoman, and the two of them against all odds actually end up bonding a bit.  Then Selina delivers her to a Mr. Parsons, who is one of the few remaining members of the Court of Owls, who plans to use her to frame Bruce Wayne for any number of unpleasant things.

Batgirl has figured most of this out and followed them, due to some detective work that involves beating up large numbers of people and getting info from the young lad she saved way back when, which leads to some rather startling results...but anyway, when she realizes what Parsons is going to doing to the young Talon, Catwoman balks, and she and Batgirl go to town.  Then some more Talons show up and they are losing...badly until their very own Talon turns on her Owl buddies and helps them.

Parsons is about to blow them all away, but gets word that the court needs her, and he then blows his OWN brains out.  Man, those guys are strict!

Pretty good really.

Justice League Dark Annual  #1

This continues the story laid out in the 0 issue, with Nick Necro back from Hell, bound and determined to get his nasty little hands on the Books of Magic.  He's enlisted Felix Faust to help him, and has managed to take Zatanna prisoner, so that he can taunt John Constantine.  Xanadu has taken Timothy Hunter under her wing, and the rest of them all crashed the House of Mystery, while chasing the House of Secrets in a really spectacular dog fight.  Fortunately, since there doesn't seem to be a Home Depot nearby, the House is mending itself.

It turns out that the Books can't be held by anyone other than their rightful owners, which turns out to be young Tim.  He had given away all of his magic, but apparently you can't just get out of things like that.  John has his usual cunning plan, and a delightful time is had by all, with a little bit of help from that I, Vampire guy and Frankenstein.  Oh, and Amethyst too.  And the art is gorgeous as usual.

I do love this book.

The Mighty Thor #22

This is the aftermath story to Everything Burns.  Between them, Thor and Loki managed to save everything, and destroy Surtur, but it employed a certain amount of plotting, scheming and hauling Odin out of exile, so Odin is feeling very very pissy.  When is Odin NOT feeling pissy?

So he has Thor bound to this giant Doom Ring, so that everyone can gather around and condemn him, and they hold this trial thing.  Odin, calls for the Enchantress as the prosecutor more or less, and Hreidmar, that nice little elf guy is the defense.  Freyja, and everyone else is busy telling Odin to knock it off, because he's being a giant douche canoe, but what can you do?  That's Odin's schtick apparently.

In spite of the Enchantress's best efforts to make Thor look bad, naturally everybody rallies around him, and he's freed, and Odin slithers off, with a smirk on his face.  Turns out he and Freyja finally did the nasty, and she's pregnant!  Oh Odin, you sly old fox!

Now  I believe that they are going to be ending this book, but starting a new Thor series, which seems a bit weird, but I have to say that I've been enjoying this book and Journey into Mystery enormously.

So...a good week.  A darned good week!