Reviews as Usual

Well that wasn't a bad Wednesday at all.  Brought my books home, curled up beneath the air conditioner, got a drink, and went to town.  Figuratively speaking of course.


Doctor Fate #3

I want to like this. The art is quirky, and it is nice to see someone other than the obligatory young white male be a hero...but man, this is really dragging a bit. Not a whole lot has happened really since the first issue, and if you are doing a new character of an old character, I think that a bit of action and stuff is in order.

There has been action of course, Anubis is up to no good, but for some reason, it's just not grasping my attention with both hands.  I do seem to be in a bit of a malaise lately, with my comics, so maybe I'm just being too picky, but I find that I am less and less inclined to keep buying something on the off chance that NEXT MONTH it will be good.

So I think I'm dropping this.


Green Lantern: Lost Army #3

Although I've dumped Hal, I am still in there for Guy and John, and this actually is pretty decent.  Their doughty little crew has ended up in the Universe of Relic, prior to ours, and they are in a bit of a pickly, trying to help him, but not let on who exactly they are. Plus they have a pre-crazy Krona in tow. 

The art is pretty, and Guy is in it, so naturally I like it. Plus, he's being GUY.  John is being pretty cagey with Relic, which I suppose isn't the worst thing he can do, but Guy thinks he's being a bit TOO cagey, and isn't all that into John's strategy.  They do go off to fight some pirates, which is nice, although Relic isn't telling them everything either.

And supposedly, Arisia runs out of power and...DIES! 

I really don't believe that for a second. For one thing it hasn't really been all that long since she came back from the dead, and heck, there are plenty of other newer characters just ripe to be cannon fodder.  I do wish that they would actually give Kilowog a few lines once in a while, he's just...there, and you would think, being Guy's bestest buddy, that they would have had a nice reunion, after Guy comes back from the Red Lanterns, but I don't think that hardly anyone has even mentioned it. 

Still...this is as much Green Lanterny goodness as I am going to get.


Justice League #43

Well.  Batman has taken Metron's chair from him ,and is all spooky and godly now. Well, more so than usual. This freaks out everyone else of course.  Superman and Lex are running about on Apokolips, which has no sun, so Superman is running out of power.  Scott Free shows up, and fills them all in on...stuff.  Metron plots.  Hal wants to go with Batman into space, because then they can have wild space adventures and bang hot alien chicks!  Or something...it's Hal after all. 

Oh, and Darkseid. 

It's okay.  Not great. Not terrible.  At least I can read about Hal being Hal instead of being Space Gambit.


Robin: Son of Batman #3

I really do like this book.  Damian is a brat, but he's an interesting little brat. He's more or less teamed up with the daughter of Nobody, who is trying to avenge her evil father, but doesn't really seem to have her heart in it.  Robin is trying to redeem some of the bad things that he did while under the thrall of his mother, who apparently has been resurrected too.

Oh, you just can't keep an Al Ghul down!  Gleason is turning out to be a pretty good writer, and of course, I adore his artwork, so this is a win/win for me. 

Sensation/ Wonder Woman #13

Not my favorite story from this book, but still head and shoulders over the regular Finch Wonder Woman book.  Three girls jogging on a beach run across Diana, who is running as well, and in a bit of a...boastful mood, telling them that they can do better, if they want to be as fabulous as she is.  Some of the girls call her out on her attitude, but she just feels that she's telling the truth.

Then she runs across Evil Lois from the Evil Super League, and they fight for a while.  Diana wins of course, and the girls all agree that she is the ginchiest of all. 

It's okay.  Not the best, but not bad.


Howard the Human #1

What the heck?  Okay, it IS hilarious, but Howard only had...a few issues already, and here we are starting over again.  This has been one weird summer for comics. 

So the twist is that everyone else are animals, and Howard is the only human.  He's a detective still, trying to find a possum who has possibly been murdered, for the Black Cat, but other people are trying to find him too, and is he really dead, and why is Howard in a a sleazy bar telling this story to everyone?

Naturally the possum was only PLAYING Possum, the cops show up, Howard is more or less victorious, and it is a bit of a hoot. 


Loki: Agent of Asgard #17

This...this is the last issue of what has been one of my favorite books, and it is one heck of a way to go out! 

As you recall, last issue, came Ragnarok, with the end of everything, including earth.  Loki has successfully rebooted himself...he has a talent for that.  He saved all the gods in his little memory blue ball, and now it is just he and Verity left. 

Except that They Who Sit Above in Shadow show up. Thor thought that he had gotten rid of them way back, but Gods have a way of coming back...especially Gods of Gods.  Loki, being Loki manages to talk his way out of trouble, by pointing out, that who exactly creates Gods anyway, and he's the God of Stories now, and stories have a way of surviving.

And he calls their bluff.  Naturally.  Being Loki, he does it with a great deal of style. 

Then he and Verity run across evil old Loki, who ran off during the last battle, and they have their final confrontation too, with Loki ripping the head off evil Loki...and it is actually Loki III, the one who killed Kid Loki, and hung out with the Young Avengers and was trying so HARD to be able to change.

He's...not a happy camper, poor baby.  But he's still not actually evil, just confused, and he and new Loki have a nice sit-down and discuss things.  Loki's plan to change caused a lot of mayhem...he IS Loki after all, but in the end it did work, and he is finally absorbed into new Loki's sceptre, and that's more or less the end. 

And we have a new Loki. Still likes mischief, because that's who he is, but no longer burning, no longer evil, a trickster, but not a villain.  And so he draws a door on the wall, and he's all fresh and ready for the next writer to use.

This has really been a spectacular book, and I am devastated to see it ending, but what a run!  Al Ewing did a truly magnificent job of taking over from Kieron Gillan, and Lee Garbett did an equally wonderful job of the art. I really really hope that Marvel will see fit to bring my favorite trickster back...soon. 

The pick of the Week!


Secret Wars/Secret Love #1

This is a little on the silly side, but I couldn't resist that Romance Comic cover.  We have a collection of five stories.  Love stories, more or less, and they are all pretty good, although some more than others.

We begin with Daredevil fighting Typhoid Mary, with Karen Page, and it is probably my least favorite, with Mephisto actually in the body of Mary...or something.

Then we have Robbie Reyes, who drives a flaming car...is he supposed to be Ghost Rider or something?  Anyhoo...he wins some big race/competition thing, and everyone in the arena is swooning, and Kamala's sent in from the Quickie Mart to give him a Squishee, when they are attacked and each does their superhero thing, and gaze into each other's eyes, to the horror of their other loves or wannabe loves, but all they really like is that they are kick-ass fighters.  So that's kinda cute.


Then we have Jessica and Luke Cage babysitting  Misty and Danny's baby so that Misty and Danny can go out for a romantic evening, which they need since the spark has gone out of their marriage or something. Things are adorable of course, although I am with Luke on the question of chunky or creamy peanut butter. 

Misty and Danny sit awkwardly, but fortunately their restaurant is attacked, which is almost a given in New York...and they fly into battle,and hence into each other's arms.  Also cute.

My favorite of course, is when Squirrel Girl wins the God-Doom's Annual Super Triathalon for Animal Welfare, and wins a date with Thor.  Old Thor.  Odinson. Who flexes.  So off they go to Asgard, where the great hall is FULL of superheroes all hooking up.  It's a small but hilarious scene, with Magneto tenderly holding Charles in his arms, She-Hulk holding Daredevil, David kissing Tommy, America Chavez and Kate Bishop, and a hold lot of other couples. Or in some cases, triples.  It's a hoot.

I especially liked Mary Jane and Gwen.  Anyway, as Doreen and Thor are dancing a candle falls on the floor and ignites Sunfire, who is probably NOT at any risk, and to put it out, Doreen rips Thor's shirt off to smother the flames.  So Thor is standing there with no shirt on, and he allows her to make her acquaintence with his rock hard abs.  Then he takes her home in his giant Squirrel-drawn chariot.

It is...magnificent!

Finally, we have Ant-man, and all the avengers drawn as... actual insects. It is quite adorable, with Hulk as a roly-poly bug, Black Widow as a spider, and Moth Eye instead of Hawkeye, and Thor-Hopper from As-Garden.  Sweet and fun.

And that was the week!  I have to say that once again the Asgardians have performed the best. And Squirrel Girl of course.