And Even More New Books!

I actually went to the comic book store on Wednesday and READ them in a timely fashion.  Not a whole lot of them, but still...!

All-New, All-Different Avengers #11

Did I miss an issue or something?  For some reason they are all fighting Annihilus!  Thor is holding her own, but Vision is wonky because of no solar power, while the kids are all mining...stuff. Plus Nova is really really cranky. 

But not to worry because the big guys know what to do and things happen and explode, and they get back through the rift, except they just happen to leave Spider-Man behind, which is not good.

I do like this book. This is my favorite version of Iron Man at the moment, because he is completely different in most of the other books, and Ms. Marvel is always adorable.  So...Good!

Ms Marvel #8

I missed this last week,because I thought it was just one of the million or so Civil War II books on the stands, but it is an actual Ms Marvel book.  And now I have some faint inkling of what Civil War II is all about! Some kid named Ulysses can see crimes happening BEFORE they happen, so the "good" guys can foil their nefarious plans before all the loss of life and property damage. Which in theory sounds really good!  Certainly Amala is convinced by none other than Captain Marvel, and given her own bunch of overly enthusiastic sidekicks.  But the morality of punishing people before they have actually comitted a crime is beginning to gnaw at her, especially when people that she respects, point out the down side to all of this. 

I now know that I will not be on Captain Marvel's side in Civil War II!

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #9

Each issue, I think that there is no way that the writer and artist can possibly out-do themselves...and each month I am wrong.  Doreen has been going through quite the wringer trying to get a date, with a bunch of losers. Although that Sentinal has possibilities.  But now Mole Man has surfaced, and they talk and stuff, and she agrees that it is horribly impolite to just be dumping toxic waste and dead bodies underground all the time.  Natually, Mole Man is charmed.  Nay, enamoured.  And the old-timey etchings are simply a delight. 

This is...a thing of true beauty.  And hilarity.

Archie #9

Archie and Mr. Lodge have come to a consensus.  No more hanging out at Veronica's house. The installation of the wall, concertina wire, guard tower and attach shark are pretty convincing.  So Veronica goes to hang out at Archie's house, and...brings along a few comforts.Also Archie and Betty have a talk. 

I still can't believe that I am reading an Archie comic book, much less enjoying the heck out of it, but there we are. 

A pretty darned good week!

Very Late Reviews

And back again.  Had a lovely time camping, the weather was bloody perfect, and we went to the Barrett Jackson auction at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, and there were over 60,000 people!  It was a little...insane.  Didn't buy anything, but had skybox tickets which was nice, with the booze and stuff.  Sometimes I really do love my life.

I brought my comics along to read, although there weren't too many.  I was supposed to get the new Hulk book and somehow managed to forget. 

Robin, Son of Batman #13

This I continue to enjoy.  Last issue, Robin saved Suren, the son of the Den
Darga, who was supposed to open up the portal or vortex or whatever it was to bring about the end of the world.  Of course, Suren's dad is just as big a whack-job as the Al Ghuls.  We are getting quite the little club of tween heroes and heroines here, not to mention Goliath, whom I adore. 

There is a lot of fighting of course, and Damian is actually....killed!  Except he's not, and Suren saves him, and they all fly off into the sunset to save the world again.  It sounds simplistic, but heck, it's a darn good comic book, the art is fun, the story is fun, and I LIKE it!

Wonder Woman #l

I still managed to miss the prologue, but I imagine they'll have it out again eventually.  This is pretty good actually,  the art is rather gorgeous, and I do love Rucka.  Her new costume is reminiscent of the late magnificent Darwyn Cooke, and a bit more "Greek" looking, which is always a bonus.

She is off in some jungle looking for answers to...something.  Meanwhile Steve Trevor is fighting some insurgents somewhere and there is a short plump feisty black woman, who turns out to be Etta Candy.  That threw me for a loop at first because I was sure it was whatshername from Suicide Squad, but my brain just farted, and I can't recall anything at the moment.  The alzheimers is catching up to me.

Anyhoo, it's pretty good too.


Doctor Strange #9

The Empirikul continues to wipe out all magic, while Strange and his remaining cohorts continue to try and glean any last remnants that they can. Also there is something really really creepy in Strange's basement. The interesting thing about all of this, is that it is invisible to practically everyone on earth, there is this huge monumental battle going on, and almost no one knows.

This is really really good.


The Mighty Thor #8

A couple of goons from SHIELD try and threaten Jane, which she finds to be hilarious.  Roz, who is Odinson's new girl friend shows up which is only a tiny bit awkward, since they manage to get along pretty well, all things considered. 

Meanwhile, Dario Agger is being confronted at a secret meeting in Switzerland of some of the really heavy hitters, when it comes to wealth and power. The one percent of the one percent. They aren't at all happy with Mr. Agger, and make their displeasure known. 

This...should get interesting.  There is a sad lack of Loki, but you can't have everything.  I am really loving this book, and the art is quite fabulous as well.

So...a pretty good week, if a bit on the small side.

AWOL Again

Off camping...I got my books but haven't had time to read them, and probably shall not for a few days at least. Off to the shore!

Egad and Forsooth

Tis Midsummer's day, or the Summer Solstice, which for some reason makes me want to read Shakespeare, or at least Neil Gaiman's Sandman, and hang out with Druids. But not Marvel's Dr. Druid, because he was a bit of a tool.

It is also a full moon tonight, which is apparently fairly rare in conjunction with the Solstice. The crazy people are certainly out however, a I discovered upon driving home from work, when the car in front of me missed his exit, slammed to a halt and STARTED TO BACK UP in the far right lane of a three lane highway! Also, someone was trying to panhandle in front of the package store, when all I really wanted was some red wine.

Yeesh!

Seriously, what ever happened to Dr. Druid?

Reviews actually on Time!

Yesturday was a rather more successful outing to my beloved Comic Book Store.  I missed the first issue of Wonder Woman however, although I'm pretty sure that he'll reorder some.

Black Widow #4

Well!  That was a clever little twist to the story!  Natasha has been approached and is being blackmailed by some personage named the "Weeping Lion" who wants to her to go back to her old Red Room stomping grounds and get some information.  We have a bit of a flashback to her youth, and she's stabbed by a young member of the newly resurrected spy gang.  And it turns out that the sheltered girl from her flashback, is now all grown up and cranky and out for revenge and such.

The art is lovely of course, and it's a nice story with plenty of twists and turns, and I like it a whole lot.

Patsy Walker, AKA Hellcat #7

Well, Jessica Jones was hired by Hedy to get dirt on Patsy, but Jess doesn't feel that's the right thing to do, so she teams up with Patsy to go snooping in Hedy's apartment. Naturally they are caught. Also Patsy has been doing some public signings and such to get a better reputation than just as a super hero.  The cover incidentally, is a hoot.

Then She-Hulk does her lawyerly thing, and there are twists and turns in this book as well, and woohoo!  Patsy gets her rights back!  Without throwing a punch! 

It's clever, it is witty, it is...just fun.  Exactly what I like my comics to be. And nary a decapitation in sight!


Vote Loki #1

Gosh, I missed my favorite Aesir Bad Boy.  Christopher Hastings is the writer, and someone that I am not familiar with, but he has a clever ear for dialogue, and a story.  Langdon Foss is the artist, also someone that I am not familiar with.  It wasn't at first, much to my liking, as it is very cartoony, and the perspective was so insanely off in the very first panel, that my eyes crossed.  But as I went through the issue, I began to appreciate it a bit more.  Still a bit too cartoony, but he does have a gift for expressions, which is always nice, and I think that I'll become more appreciative as time goes by.

So, we have an ace reporter, and we have two more or less lying candidates, and we have Loki, who shows up and rescues everyone at a rally from Hydra agents disguised as reporters.  He is interviewed afterwards, and admits he's entertained by the whole idea of elections and enjoys liars, but that he at least has the dignity to lie to your face. For some reason eveyone immediately thinks that he's going to run for President.

He thinks it's hilarious of course, but then decides to just roll with it. It gets a little crazier from there. 

I enjoyed the HELL out of this book.


Lucifer #7

Well, well well.  The chickens are coming home to roost.  Lucifer's kid wants to challenge Mazikeen. His mom doesn't want him hurt, and has a little confab with Mazikeen herself.  Raphael is having problems, the Metatron is a dick, and  there are wheels within wheels.  The art by Lee Garbett is delightful as usual., and it's just an interesting and slightly convoluted book to read.


Klaus #6

This is the one by Grant Morrison and Dan Mora about how Santa became who he is, but with a lot more wolves and blood and stuff.  Klaus gets caught, and brought back to his home by a nice kid, but then he gets caught again, and the poor miners unleash the creature that the Bad Guy has been serving this whole time, and he's fattening up the children....and it's a little on the weird side, that's for sure. 

But it has just lovely art, and a baddass Santa, and I like it anyway.

Not a clunker in the bunch this week!  Woohoo!

Belated Reviews

It took me a while, but I got there.  The results are...mixed.  To say the least. 

On the other hand, I NEVER say the least, when I can say it as pompously as possible.

Batman #1 REBIRTH

Well. 

Uh...Lucius got Bruce's fortune back for him.  Again.  I guess that's nice.  While Bruce is hanging onto a bar or something on top of a skyscraper, which seems like an odd thing for a billionaire to do...but hey...they are a whole different breed. Look at Trump.  That kid Duke shows up, and Bats has a proposition for him, but NOT as a Robin, which is probably a good thing. 

There is a really creepy thing going on with the Calendar Man, as he ages and unages with the passage of time, and the whole "molting" scene was a bit on the icky side.  And we find out that Bats can hold his breath for over four minutes!  That's something.

Again, the giant pages of ads for the REBIRTH stuck right in the middle of the story are amazingly annoying.  Marvel does it too, and I wish to heck they would stop.  It takes you right out of the flow of the narrative.

It was...a first issue, setting up new stuff, and having this Duke kid become Batboy or something.  That's about all I can say for it. 

Aquaman #l

At least Arthur actually does something. He fights Atlantean Terrorists, he goes to a nice Fish restaurant, and he and Mera have Chowder.  No sight of Salty the Sea Dog, but you can't have everything. Once again it is pointed out that although the average Joe in the street still thinks that he talks to fish, he is actually amazingly baddass and all of that. 

Oh, and he's being spied upon by Black Manta, who naturally threatens to kill Mera...because why not? 

*sigh*

But not terrible.  Not great, but not terrible.  Garth is back, that's nice.  Waiting for Tula.

Flash #l

Wally is back!  I missed Wally.   He remembers Linda, which is more than I can say for Barry.  Iris still doesn't remember Wally either.  There is a murder investigation, and Barry talks with his dad.  The art is nice.

Again nothing super duper, but it sets up the fact that something weird was going on, and now old forgotten characters are now back.  Wally feels a bit like a fish out of water, when it comes to the Teen Titans...or maybe I should have said that about Garth? 

Haw!

Green Lantern #l

Well, Simon actually did make it back to earth after being stuck with the rest of the Corp, and has to team up with Jessica, to solve a problem with a Manhunter.  Turns out that they squabble like children, and it is all a test set for them by Hal.  Why Hal can't do something about helping EArth isn't really mentioned, or perhaps it was, and I didn't care.  I'm not really all that happy with Hal lately. 

Simon whines a lot, and so does Jessica.  Hal is testy, which is actually hilarious, because when it comes to working well with others...he does not.  He is nice enough to actually give them batteries, which is really only the least he can do. 

Oh, and Atrocitus, Bleez and Dex-Starr show up on the last page.  Yeesh.

Meh.

You have no idea how much it hurts me, but I don't give a rat's patootie about the Green Lantern book right now.


Green Lantern Corps #6

Now the Corps...well I love the Corps.  And I assume this is the final issue, wherein they fight the evil Universe eaters, and do their Green Lanterny Goodness, having obscure characters die nobly.  And when they die, Simon notices that their rings are...going somewhere, so he dives into the rift formed when B'dge and Arisia were "killed" a few issues back.  Since we see him on earth with Hal and Jessica, we can safely assume, that it worked. 

The rest of the Lanterns are still fighting the good fight, and all, but it is mostly useless since that universe is ending.  Oddly enough, no mention at all is made of Krona or Relic, and none has been made for quite some time. 

So...all the remaining undead Lanterns jump into the rift along with Mogo, and God Willing, we will have a GOOD Green Lantern Corps book coming up. 

This wasn't bad at all, in fact it was the best DC book of all the ones that I got.

Daredevil #8

Now this was an excellent issue.  A one-issue story, where Matt goes to Macau to a casino, and manages to out-duel a bunch of poker players, and an evil psychic, who was actually hired by the casino to make sure that the winning prize stayed with the casino. 

Matt can't even read his cards, but he can read peoples tells, and outbluffs them.  The psychic attack is amazing, and again, would only work with Daredevil.  In the end he wins the tournament, but can't cash the cheque, because it is made out to his alias.  I would think that a good lawyer could think of ways around that, but still...it's a pretty fabulous story, and one of my favorites so far.

Howard the Duck #8

Howard goes to Maine to see Beverly!  He misses her, and she misses him, but she doesn't miss all the mayhem and craziness.  And Doctor Bong shows up in a flashback.  I LOVE Doctor Bong!  Bev just wants to become a Vet, and Howard can't understand why she doesn't want to be with him.  Naturally a crazed Sentinel shows up, and they are saved at the last minute by Scout, who wanted originally to be the Herald for Galactus, but got to keep her powers after a talk with the Silver Surfer. Did you know that Galactus is actually NOT eating planets at the moment?  That's just ducky!

Having a sarcastic Aunt May as Howards office manager just delights me more than I can say. Also Biggs the Cat shows up. 

Fun.  Crazy and just fun. 


So Marvel delivered in spades, and Green Lantern Corps was good.  The rest of the whole REBIRTH thing, was a tad underwhelming, but at least I got to see Wally.  That was nice. 

On The One Hand...

Well...I actually DID go to my Comic Book store this week, and picked up some stuff.  Decided to buy the first issues of the new DC books...what the hell, I may as well give it a whirl.  I haven't actually had time to READ them yet, but I will get around to it. 

This is a far cry from my previous attitude in those hallowed days of yore, when I could hardly wait to get home and dive into the latest Green Lantern book.  I'm older, crabbier, and a bit sadder and wiser as well...at least I hope.  At least as to the wiser part.  But I've been taunted with ret-cons, never-ending crossovers, and revamps for YEARS now, and it's...it's getting old.  Hell, I'M old!  And I am the first one to admit that I am probably not the premium target of most comic book companies, since I am a 50-something grandmother at this point.  And yes, there are a few of us around. 

But I do seem to spend a whole lot of time reading my OLD books. 

We will see.  I'll give the new books a chance. But the days of hanging in there for months and months and months, in the desperate wish that maybe...perhaps THIS month, the books will be good, are gone and done. 

Back Yet Again

Going camping twice in a row is exhausting. Fun... but exhausting.

I honestly cannot even do reviews because for the first time in... forever, I did not go to the Comic Book store last Wednesday. I looked at the list of books coming out, and there just wasn't anything that in was all that interested in. Maybe this coming week, there will be more and I can go back and reconsider.

Civil War revolted me the first time around, and I am not all that interested the second time. Plus I can only assume that Civil War II is being published simply because of the movie being out. So I will do my best to avoid it. I really have just about reached my limit when it comes to never-ending crossovers.

On the DC side, I am glad that they seem to be bringing back the REAL continuity, but since this is DC we are talking about, I am not all that sure that I can trust the same bunch of people that screwed it up in the first place, to fix it and clean up their mess.

I am getting seriously jaded in my old age.

We will have to wait and see.