Thursday's Reviews

Well how about that?  A pretty decent week!  It's about time!


JLA #4

I find that I am enjoying the Hitch version of the JLA a whole lot more than the Johns version with the Darkseid war. It has Hal in for one thing, and it has the Justice League actually acting like...well like the Justice League. 

So not everyone is thrilled with Rao coming to earth and offering paradise.  Mainly Batman, but that doesn't really surprise me.  But even Superman is beginning to have some doubts. Also, due to some testing, it turns out that Rao is slowly altering people's DNA or something in order to make them more receptive to his "saving" them. 

Hal meantime has gone back in time on Krypton, and ends up talking to a 300 year old Rao, who is a cranky old man. He's actually rather thrilled to see a Green Lantern, since Tomar Re hasn't been by in a while.  Hal, of course falls for this completely, especially,  old Rao takes a bit of his assistant's life force to give him some more strength as they go to fight some weird energy source.  It's nice to see Hal being written according to character for a change.

So...not bad at all actually.  The art is pretty, and the story is a nice old-fashioned JLA story, and God, I do enjoy that.


Fables: The Wolf Among Us #10

This is a bit on the grisly side.  Snow and Bigby have figured out that Crane is a first-class creep, but he's not actually the murderer.  Meanwhile, Mary who has "married" the creepy guy in the mirror and gotten pregnant is having her baby.  Kinda.  Since having a mirror doppleganger give birth is a bit on the iffy side, the creepy husband, cuts the baby out of her womb with shards of the mirror and runs off with it.  This does not make Mary...very happy. 

At all.

Oh, and a rather interesting cliff hanger.  Things have actually picked up a bit in this issue, it was starting to drag there for a while.  Nice to see the variety of artists in this as well.  Still a little slow, but it is still a good book, and always nice to see the bunch from Fables.

Doctor Strange #1

This actually came out last week, but I heard good things about it, and decided to give it a shot.  Bachalo is not one of my favorite artists, but I do think that for a book of this type, filled with the fantastical and grotesque, he's pretty damned perfect.

Jason Aaron is the writer, and he does a darned fantastic job of it himself.  We get a quick recap of the original Stan Lee origin, and an explanation that to this day, his hands still have a tendency to shake and ache.  Strange things are showing up...unusual things, and while he handles them with his usual aplomb, he's getting a little worried.  I liked the Bar, where he hangs out with Wanda, Doctor Voodoo and Shaman, it's another nice touch.

I can understand why it was rated so highly, it is a very good read.  So nice to find a new book that is GOOD!

Invincible Iron Man #1

Also came out last week, and again, had very good reviews, so I figured what the heck?  I'm fond of Tony in a rather contemptuous way, and I haven't been too happy with him acting like a complete asshole as opposed to a slightly loveable asshole, so this new book is a lot more enjoyable. 

He's back to his old self more or less. The ego is still there of course, he's still making new suits, but at least he's not a villain now.  Madame Masque shows up and she's upped her game.  Tony has a nice date with a pretty Sril Lankan Biophysicist, whom I actually like quite a bit. I hope she shows up again. 

Oh, and Doom is back.  And boy howdy, is he! 

Maybe.

This is pretty good too.  The art is nice, and although Bendis isn't my favorite writer, he does seem to have an actual ear for how Tony talks and thinks, which is nice.  So very good too.


Ms. Marvel #19

This is the last issue of her book before it all ends, fortunately, I know that she's coming back. It is spectacular of course.  She and her mother have a nice talk, about the fact that her mom knows all about her being Ms. Marvel. She's not mad, although she worries, but she's glad that if her daughter is sneaking out at night at least she's doing it to help people. 

Everyone is at the High School trying to cope with the mess, although most of them seem to think that they are going to be attacked by Zombies.  Kamala and Bruno really are the only ones who know that it is all ending.  People talk, confess, and clear the air, and finally everyone decides that the best way to go out is by dancing.

God, I love this book. 

Spectacular!

The New Avengers #1

I got this because I really like most of the characters, such as Squirrel Girl, Billy and Teddy from Young Avengers.  Also Clint/Hawkeye.  Also it's by Al Ewing, whom I really like as a writer.  Not so thrilled about the artwork however, it's just so...angular and sharp, I'm afraid I might cut myself reading. 

These Avengers aren't like the other Avengers, they are more "undercover" Avengers. The writing is sharp and witty of course, as they are sent into investigate some weirdness in Paris.  I don't care so much about some of the characters like White Tiger or Songbird or Power Man. Roberto DaCosta is okay I guess, but a bit on the smarmy side.  Thank goodness for Tippy Toe.

It's okay.  Not bad.  Has potential.  And that's a good thing.

So...a pretty decent week for a change!  Hope is on the Horizon!