Disney Buys Marvel Comics

Go here for the full story -----> Disney Buys Marvel

My Thoughts: Talk about unexpected!  Disney buys Marvel for a whopping $ 4 billion!  That will certainly keep someone happy for a while.

However, I do have concerns.  I believe the films will go as planned, and the comics will remain as they are.  However, does this mean we will be getting the Disney logo tagged onto every Marvel film?  If so, damn it all!  Now Marvel will feel even more kiddish to me!

I certainly hope Disney doesn't try to make Marvel comics more family friendly either.  They should leave the comics alone and not bother trying to change how they are written and produced.Marvel and DC have been doing great with sales, it would be a shame to see Marvel go down because it's owned by a family oriented company.  But of course, Disney does own Miramax and they haven't really done anything to change the adult content of their films. 

Only time will tell if this will be a good thing.  Just keep disney away from DC and I'll be fine!

Best And Worst For August

My ranking system: I grade comics I read once a month based on writing and artistic quality. However, a comic could have top notch writing, but terrible art, and vice versa. If the two don’t serve each other well, then a book could possible rank very low.


Any questions or comments, please feel free to leave a comment!


15. Green Lantern #45

I really didn't enjoy this issue.  Johns seems to be stalling to much and not pregressing along in the story of Blackest Night

14. Batman #689
Winick just isn't that great of a story teller.  Hopefully we see some better material coming from Wein, or at least hire a new writer.

13. Superman Annual #14
Not a bad story, but not great. It does help us to understand Mon-El a little better though.

12. Justice League: A Cry for Justice #2
I like this mini series thus far  However the introductory part needs to be done so we can get on with the story.

11. Justice League of America #36
I'm sure most of us are glad to see McDuffie gone from the JLA title and see a good writer bringing the Justice League back to where it should be in quality.  The Royal Flush Gang is getting some serious back sor going!

10. Superman: World of New Krypton #6
Not a lot of progession in story, but fun none the less. 

9. Justice Society of America #30
A fantastic, Old School way of telling a JSA story. 

8. Green Lantern Corps #39
What a nice twist to put on the ending.  Let's hope Rayner can survive this!

7. Action Comics #880
Intriguing story, a lot of drama and agnst.

6. Supergirl #44
Power story, everyone at odds with one another and the world against Kryptonians.

5. Batman and Robin #3
Great book, not a very satisfying ending though.  Quietly is fantasic!

4. Blackest Night #2
Way to go Geoff Johns!  I loved watching zombie Geoff Johns go crazy on his wife!

3. Superman #691
Emotions running rampid!  Everyone hates the good guy and loves the bad guy.  Isn't that how it usually ends up?

2. Wonder Woman #35
Yes, Wonder Woman makes the #2 slot again.  Honestly, Gail Simone is one of the best writers in the business today!  You couln't ask for a better story!









And Now The #1 Comic Of August

1. Power Girl #4
Power Girl is getting some serious character development thanks to the writing of Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray. Everyone has been waiting for Power Girl to eventually get her own ongoing title, and it definitely started off with a huge bang!


This issue deals mainly with the social life of Power Girl. Please see my review of this issue for more information.

We can’t deny that in today’s world people take life way to seriously. Even within the pages of my favorite title, Wonder Woman, the tone is quite serious and on the negative side of things. Palmiotti has started what I hope will be a trend in giving new life to a popular super hero.

All four issues of Power Girl have been great adventure stories, but have always felt light-hearted and fun. Power Girl reminds me of my wife in a lot of ways. The faces she makes to display how utterly annoyed she is with the villains she has to fight makes me wonder if DC has been spying us and watching how my wife responds to my stupidity on a daily basis.

I have to give a very enthusiastic two thumbs up to Sarah Conner and her art work. It’s not over the top art, nor is it too cartoony. It’s right there where it needs to be, in the middle. A nice happy medium. I certainly hope to see Conner stay on this title for some time now.

All in all, Power Girl #4 deserves the top spot this month purely based on how much this issue was able to stand on its own. No issue this month was able to do what power girl was able to do. Anyone could have picked this month’s issue up and wouldn’t have had to worry about back story and continuity. This was a grade A story!

Comic Book Review: Justice Society Of America #30

Written by Matthew Sturges and Bill Willingham
Art by Jesus Merino

Plot: We find the JSA ambushed by a collection of super villains aimed at annihilating the entire team…except for Stargirl. However, with the return of a DC hero favorite, Dr. Fate, the team has the fire power to put a wrench in the bounty hunting plans of the super villain team. The team now comes back to discover Mr. Terrific on the ground bleeding and almost dead. The JSA now faces a major splintering in leadership as Magog and the first Wildcat butt heads on how things during the battle should have been handled.



My Thoughts: I love how old school this title feels. The battle scenes are solid and the dialogue between characters is superb. My favorite part of this issue is the return of Dr. Fate. All of his corny, monologging and menacing speeches felt so powerful and right and made me wonder how much better this issue could get, and it most definitely does get better. We find Magog and Wildcat at each other’s throat at whose ideas better serve the team in this day and age. It’s the classic tale of the old (Wildcat) vs. the new (Magog).

In the meantime, we have two mysteries that certainly have my interest. The first is the mystery behind King Chimera and how American Boy was hypnotized into stabbing Mr. Terrific. I’m sure it is made to look as if King Chimera was the source behind American Boy’s hypnosis, but I know there’s got to be more to it than that. The second is Stargirl and why the team of super villains refused to harm her during the battle with the JSA.

Jesus Merino seems to be an admirable artist as well. I would even say he is up there with Lee, Benes and Quietly. But I would want to see him do more work before I make a final judgment on where he might rank among the comic book art gods.

A negative aspect about this issue is how predictable it seems to be. The super villain team has members in it to counter a specific JSA member. We’ve seen this mostly in books like Justice League, X-Men, etc etc. Now this fact doesn’t cause me to lose interest in the story, but I do think it might be a downer for a lot of avid DC readers. But again, this helps to boost the old school feel to the JSA title, which of course I love!

The book is good, even in its predictability. I love that Dr. Fate is back, even if it is a younger, less experienced one. And some great mysteries are starting that show a lot of potential in producing some good stories.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Next Month: Justice Society Of America #31 

Magog and Wildcat square off as the team traitor involved in the attack on a fellow JSAer is revealed! It all leads to greater tension and permanent rifts within the most storied Super Hero team of all time! Clearly, this was an inside job, and though they may not realize it now, the damage to the group is deeper than any of them suspects.

Comic Book Review: Superman #691

Written by James Robinson

Art by Renato Guedes and José Wilson Magalhães

Plot: General Lane’s plan of manipulating the man of steel and tricking the world into fearing him and all Kryptonians has finally taken its course. Mirabai, Metallo and Reactron have framed Supergirl, Nightwing and Flamebird, further enforcing the world’s fear of Kryptonians. Superman, now looked upon as a traitor to the world with all that has happen, has very dim days ahead of him. The future of The Man of Steel now resembles that of Spider-man, a hero who is viewed as a public enemy. Now with the world putting all their trust into Lane’s protection, he can now mold the world into an alien-free zone.

My Thoughts: I always say the best chapter in a story is the one where everything goes wrong for the good guys. Firstly, we have Mon-El beaten and bloodied by Metallo who disguised himself as Nightwing, and Supergirl seems to be missing along with Nightwing and Flamebird. And Superman, who has done everything he can to stop Ral-Dar from killing the president, walks into a trap set by General Lane to make it look like Superman has been involved with all the terrible events that have occurred lately. Now the world fears Superman and all Kryptonians.

How do I describe the emotions floating through this issue? Superman feared by all, his cousin missing, and Lois Lane who will most likely be forbidden to have anything to do with the Man of Steel, James Robinson decided to throw as many curveballs at Superman as possible. Superman is of course welcome on New Krypton which he does not consider his home, and his home does not want him back.

I do, however, take issue with using magic as a way of keeping Superman at bay. General Lane thinks he is safe when making his new base of operations on Mirabai’s magical home world, where Superman is at his weakest. It seems magic is always used to solve any problem, whether good or bad. I was a bit disappointed with this ending and was hoping for something new and fresh. But this is me hoping for too much I guess.

I’m beginning to wonder, with all the legal issues surrounding the Superman franchise right now, if DC is trying to prepare for the worse in the event they lose all rights to Superman.

James Robinson makes a great commentary on the effect that the media seems to have on people as a whole. Lies can go such a long way as long as people are scared enough to believe them. General Lane is one of the more diabolical characters that have come around in the DC universe.

The art by Guedes and Magalhães is wonderful. At times the characters seem to stiff for me, but the overall look of the book is beautifully colored and drawn.

Overall, a great book. Most definitely within the top 5 for this month.

4 out of 5 stars.

Next Month: Superman #691

Tragedy strikes in the aftermath of "Codename: Patriot" as Metropolis buries one of its own! And with a man down, the Science Police are on their own to stop a cadre of Super-Villains from stealing a formerly common commodity that has suddenly become rarer than gold!

Batman Returns From The Dead

From Bleedingcool.com
It took a long and winding path to get to this story. But here we go.

The Search For Bruce Wayne. The Return of Batman. Two series by Grant Morrison kicking off from Summer 2010. After his apparent death (twice) and revelation that Bruce Wayne is stuck somewhen in the past (possibly crossing the spirit path of Captain America, I dunno) word is that DC will be bringing their world’s greatest detective in rubber back in a series of series, the details of which are completely unknown (to me, I mean) save for their working titles (which may be old) and that it’s all part of the Big Grant Morrison Batplan for 2010. For which, one day, I wish DC publish big hyperlinked blueprints. That would be nice.

Oh come on, how long did you think he’d be dead for anyway? And odds are there will be a number of clever surreal twists to this return to delight the senses. Enjoy…

My Thoughts:  I'm pissed, but not surprised.  The world of comics is nothing but one big soap opera.  Always bringing their mainline characters back from the dead is an old habit that will never die.
 
I hope they at least bring Bruce back, but not as Batman.  I like Dick carrying on the cape and cowl.  And with this new series, Batman and Robin, I was convinced that DC decided to truly keep Mr. Wayne dead.  But maybe Bruce can return and run Wayne Enterprises and die a happy old man. Who is running Wayne Enterprises right now by the way?
 
I wonder if Warner Bros. had anything to do with this.  gggrrrrr.......

Comic Book Review: Green Lantern #45

Written By Geoff Johns
Art by Doug Mahnke and Christian Alamy

Plot: So much is happening in the world of the Green Lantern Corps. This issue starts off with the inner monologue of Carol Ferris, a Star Sapphire who seems to have mastered the power of the ring beyond the expectations of her fellow Sapphires. Ferris is in the middle of a battle with the Sinestro Corps who are trying to free their leader, Sinestro, from their violet conversion chambers. Another battle on Ysmault, where a handful of Green Lanterns and Alpha Lantern Boodikka, fight the Red Lanterns in an attempt to retrieve their fallen comrade, former Green Lantern Laira. Elsewhere, Agent Orange is challenged by many recently risen Black Lanterns of whom no doubt he killed himself.


My Thoughts: So as much I like Geoff Johns as a writer, this issue was not very good. This issue was filled with more of the same stuff that we've been seeing in many of the related Green Lantern titles, the rise of dead heroes and villains. And as excited as I am about all the different characters rising from their graves, I'm starting to wonder when the plot surrounding the mystery of the Black Lantern corps is going to develop. There has not been much plot progression in the Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps titles. We continually get the same old angst driven storylines that are mainly concerned with showing off the risen heroes and villains.

The only bit of good story we get in this issue is when Carol Ferris confronts Sinestro to show that, even in his dark heart, there is the slightest illumination of love. Sinestro becomes quite angry with her and almost kills her in the process. Now as interesting and well written as this interaction is, it holds very little weight in the Blackest Night story arch, so it was in essence a bunch of page filling dialogue with no real purpose other than to show Sinestro does have a human side and to give Carol Ferris a bigger role in the story. I wonder if we will see her next month.

From what I've read in this issue, it seems it should have been used in the Green Lantern Corps title. We jump around from Oa, to Ysmault, to Agent Orange. Hal Jordan gets very little screen time as well as many of our mainline Green Lanterns.

I do not doubt the quality of the writing and the poetic language of Geoff Johns, but the plot development is practically non-existent in the pages of issue #45.

The art is what saves this issue. Mahnke is nowhere near my favorite comic book artist, but I still recognize the talent he has, and it's definitely displayed in this issue.

Overall, not my favorite Green Lantern issue. Geoff Johns and the team involved with this amazing story arch had better start getting on the ball with Blackest Night or it will fail miserably.

3 out of 5 stars.

Next Month: Green Lantern #46

BLACKEST NIGHT continues! For months, Mongul has wrested control of the Sinestro Corps. Now Sinestro wants a word with him. And Hal wants a word with Sinestro. But in the midst of BLACKEST NIGHT, they'll all become the hunted as the fallen Sinestro Corps members rise. What will happen? Here's a hint: Sinestro gets some serious payback.

Comic Book Review: Wonder Woman #35

Written by Gail Simone
Art by Aaron Lopresti and Matt Ryan

Plot: Black Canary and Wonder Woman, AKA the Orphans, gain popularity in Tokyo in their meta cage matches.  However, thier undercover operation is revealed and they discover they were being watched and plotted against this whole time!  In addition,a familar face comes with a vendetta against Wonder Woman and is separated from Black Canary in battle that brings some new light to the life of Wonder Woman.

My Thoughts: As a sociologist, I found the first five pages of this book so interesting and intellectually satisfying.  Wonder Woman's statement wondering if "different cultures actually see them (super heroes)differently" made me smile.  We delve into the the personal life of Wonder Woman where Dinah (Black Canary) takes it upon heself to help Wonder Woman to fix her life and find new meaning in it.

In this day and age, the majority of your comic book buyers are male, which makes it hard on the comic book sales of a title staring a female.  Most males aren't going to fantasize about being a female super hero, therefore the male dominanted titles reign supreme, and the female dominated titles remain to be at the bottom of the totem pole.  This sleeper title has most assuredly been and under rated title.  Wonder Woman has transcended far beyond her past titles thanks to Gail Simone.  The battle with the Goddess of violence was one of the more powerful and moving comic book scenes I've read in a long time.  Gail Simone's treatment of Wonder Woman is nothing short of phenominal, showing Diana's Strength's and weaknesses gives Wonder Woman a much more human side to her that readers of any gender can relate too.

Lopresti again brings his sensational sense of emotion of his artwork to the pages of Wonder Woman.  Simone and Lopresti are a match made in heaven.

There was nothing wrong with issue what's so ever.  I haven't complained about this Wonder Woman title since is began.  I think Wonder Woman might very well be the best and most intelligently written comic book of 2009.

5 out of 5 stars.

Next Issue: Woder Woman #36

"The Rise of the Olympian" has changed Wonder Woman's life completely, and it's

 not over yet as repercussions are still being felt all over the world! In this issue, Diana finds herself fighting for her life against the man destined by the gods to take her place – Achilles, the Warkiller!

DVD Review - Green Lantern: First Flight

Plot: [From Amazon.com] Green Lantern: First Flight is an animated and lively origin story about the transformation of test pilot Hal Jordan into a member of an intergalactic society watching over the universe. Flying an experimental jet one day, Jordan (voiced by Law and Order: Special Victims Unit's Christopher Meloni) encounters a dying alien who is a Green Lantern protector of Earth's sector of the cosmos. The alien's ring, a repository of enormous power granted by a council of elders called the Guardians, zips onto Jordan's finger, but neither the Guardians nor other Green Lanterns are ready to accept him as an unproven member. Complicating things for Jordan is the fact that the Green Lantern tasked with mentoring him, Sinestro (Victor Garber), is plotting the destruction of the Guardians with the acquisition of "yellow power," the only force that makes the Lanterns' green power useless.

My Thoughts: My excitment for this DVD was immense, I couldn't wait for this DVD to come out in stores.  sadly, budget restraints kept me from getting it right away.  But I finally managed to pick it up last week!  I of course immidiately watch it.  And I must say, it does have an equal amount of good and bad qualities.

The film did not waste any time getting into the death of Abin Sur and Hal Jordan reciving the ring.  I barely had anytime to get into the feel of the movie when Jordan was already inducted into the corps and off fighting the bad guys.  I felt this was too quick of a beginning and doesn't allow the audience enough time to understand the setting and framework of the film. 

The storyline overall was decent, but not enitrely what I expected.  It followed the original origin story very well, but at the same time, pumped through it so fast that there wasn't enough time to figure out what was going on.  I think someone who knows nothing about Hal Jordan watching this can still figure out the story, but it would take a few rewinds to get it.

The casting is excellent as well as the animation.  If you follow any of the recent DC animated films, and enjoy their animation style, you'll enjoy this very much.  I raised and eyebrow to the costume designs at first, but decided it was a good choice after watching it a while.  The armor-like feel to the costumes gave the a more "policing" and "militaristic" attitude to the GL Corps.

My biggest gripe with the story was the floating yellow power battery, destroying everything on the planet Oa.  At this point, the film became silly and cheesy and I was hoping for a much more serious tone to the film. 

I would say this isn't the best DC animated film, but definitely not the worst.  I would rank this film the 2nd best DC animated film right under Wonder Woman.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Comic Book Review: Batman and Robin #3

Written by: Grant Morrison
Art by: Frank Quietly

Plot: The Circus of Strange is brought down and Professor Pyg is stopped.  Batman and Robin's first real battle together shows Gotham that they are here to save the city and protect it from the evil's of the world.  Yet, something doesn't seem quite right.  There is a third player in this scheme.  And who that might be definitely comes as a shock.

My Thoughts: I have to be honest, this third issue wasn't fantastic as far as the story is concerned.  The first two issues of this run were great, but #3 just didn't measure up.  I wouldn't say it was a bad issue, just not truly as satisfying of a finale as I was hoping for.  I wasn't exactly sure what happened and the reasons for why they happened.  Professor Pyg's actions seemed very random and out of place.  Now that could be because I don't know the back story behind Proffesor Pyg that well and it may be a sign that I need to be patient to find out more.

Now what is interesting is how Morrison has basically switched the roles of the dynamic duo.  When Bruce Wayne was around, it was Batman as the conflicted, dark one and Robin the more light hearted one.  Now we have the two taking up different roles.  Robin now is the dark one and Batman now has the more light hearted role of the two.  It's an interesting and creative take on the Dynamic Duo.

I still am not convinced about Damian Wayne as Robin.  I feel he is too much of a brat and needs to grow up before taking on this role as Robin.  Until he does grow up, I just wont be able to accept him as Robin.

Quietly does it again with absolutely fantastic art work.  The first page of the book is worth it all.  I can't understand why no one seems to apriciate Quietly's work.  He brings out so much emotion in his art that you can't help but love it!  Sure he's no Ed Benes or Jim Lee, but he definitely has his own style and creativity that surpasses most artists in the field.

Overall, decent.  I was confused by the ending, but that's morrison for you.  If it wasn't for the art work, I don't think I would give this issue such high marks.  But my distaste for Morrison in the past doesn't help how I view this issue either.

3.5 stars out of 5

Next Issue

Batman and Robin #4

Meet the Red Hood and his sidekick Scarlet, Gotham City's vicious new "protectors," in the start of a new arc! This dangerous duo is out to destroy the very reputation and legacy of the Batman by replacing it altogether. Writer Grant Morrison (FINAL CRISIS) teams with hot new artist Philip Tan (GREEN LANTERN) to bring you what's sure to be the new Batman and Robin's biggest challenge yet!

Movie Review: Julie and Julia

I always find it refreshing when a film goes beyond what people expect of it. Typically films that star a female, and are grounded in a real-life story, are all about women and the pursuit of a man. Examples are Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail, Ten Things I Hate About You, The Notebook, etc etc. There are very few films these days (that star women) that show a woman whose life and dreams stem beyond seeking a soul-mate. In the film Julie and Julia, we find a wonderful new look on the social lives of two extraordinary women.

Now I don't mean to imply that this film is not about love, rather it is the definition of love. Both Julia Child and Julie Powell both have husbands and are deeply in love with them. However, the two women's marriages is not the central focus of the film. This is a film about the love Julie Powell has for one woman, and the art of cooking.

Julie Powell goes on a quest of culinary exploration and discovery as a way of distancing herself from her frustrating job as a secretary. Her goal is to go through all 524 recipes in Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" cook book in only one year. As she does this, she documents her experiences on a blog and slowly captivates the cooking and food lovers of the world. This is not just a film about Julie Powell going through the cook book of Julia Child's however. All Through out the film we toggle back and forth through time to both the present and the past, and discover the life of Julia Child as she goes through the process of becoming a professional cook and attempting to get her now famous cook book published.

As this toggle through time progresses, we learn of the culinary ambitions that both women share. These aren't just two women who cook, these are two women who understand the meaning of cooking and appreciate the art, talent and time it takes to create delicious and savory meals for all to relish and enjoy. The joy of cooking is an ideal that Julia Child's tried to bring to the minds of all cooks of America, and it was something that Julie Powell eventually learn throughout her cooking project. The experience she got from this endeavor was a new self confidence and taught her how to appreciate who she is. And though the hard and rocky times, she became to love Julia Child's. She now understood the appreciation and love that Julia Child's had for the art of cooking.

I found this film to be an absolute delight! The acting was superb, the script was sensational, and I found myself very hungry leaving the theatre. Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci delivered Oscar worthy performances just as they did in "The Devil Wears Prada." Tucci is gallant as he is self assured in his eloquent portrayal of Mr. Child as he is over powered by the dominant performance by Streep. Amy Adams of course cannot be forgotten as she shows how mature of an actress she truly is in her role as Julie Powell.

I would recommend this film to anyone who loves to cook, anyone who enjoys good food, and to anyone who enjoys a story about love.

5 out of 5 stars.

Comic Book Review: Power Girl #4

Space Girls Gone Wild, Part 1
Written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin gray
Art by Amanda Conner

Plot: Power Girl and Terra go for a night on the town and decide a horror flick is the best choice for their girls night out. However it is interrupted when randomly monsters start parading around Manhattan causing nothing but destruction. Power Girl, always on top of things helps Terra fight crime in nothing but her under shirt and underwear and must stop a new villain who calls herself "Zoraida," whose sole purpose is to put an end to man's abuse of the world.

My Thoughts: I don't care what anyone says, this issue was fantastic! corny...yes, silly...yes, but 100% fun and full of energy. I'm glad to see Palmiotti and Gray making an attempt at giving Power Girl a social life. That's the one thing she has always missed. While Superman has Lois, Batman has his enterprise and playboy lifestyle, Power Girl always seemed to be in her costume when and where ever she was. This issue brings reveals her social life.The opening pages made it all worth it. The boys coming down the steps during the film attempting to hit on Power Girl was the funniest exchange of dialog I've ever read in comics.

I do have one major gripe...how much longer are we going to make jokes about Power Girl's boobs? Every issue has made light of her sexy and seductive side so much and I wonder how far this is going to continue in this title. Don't get me wrong, I think the sexual jokes are funny, and I understand that her costume makes one think she's making a statement like "Look at my boobs! They are huge! Make comments about them! Look at them! Stare at them! Please, keep all your attention on them!" In fact, Power girl constantly complains about men always looking at her boobs, which reminds me of the high school girls walking around town or working out that wear the shorts with words on them like "love" or "respect" or "Jesus" right on their backside. But so many of the female hero's whose bodies are just as curvy, whose boobs are just as big, and whose costumes are just as revealing, and the sexual jokes hardly come out. I only hope that more focus will be put on the stories rather than the boobs.

Not only that, Terra, Power Girl's buddy, seems to forget that the superheroing business is a 24 hour deal and needs to have her outfit handy at all times. Well, since she's new to the business, she find herself fighting crime in nothing but her underwear. This again does not help bring the focus off the sex and more on the story.

Overall, a great book. Fun and entertaining to read. Too over "sexified," but still great fun. Go look at the preview pages on the DC Comics Website to get a glimpse of this issue. Igive this comic a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Next month
Power Girl #5,
"Space Girls Gone Wild!" part 2 of 3! As the trio of sexy alien marauders continue their rampage across Earth, Power Girl tries to figure out how to stop 'em! But with aliens this gorgeous, readers won't ever want them to leave!
(taken from dccomics.com)

Quick Review #1

Well I am at a dilemma, having kept up with all my comics while not having internet access; I have a TON of things to write about. However, I don't want to take up so much space in one post, nor do I want to spend the time getting all my reviews out at one time. So, I going to start up a new little feature called "Weekly Quick Review," which will be a list of the comics I've read each week. I'll still continue to write my individual reviews, but, but my quick reviews will be there so you know what will be coming!

So, here begins the first installment of my Weekly Quick Reviews!

The Week Of August 5, 2009

Justice League: A Cry for Justice #2

Good book, but this mini series is starting off very slowly. I think this mini will be the start of a new monthly title. I'm waiting to see when all hell breaks loose!

Superman: World of New Krypton

Pretty darn good, but I was shocked to see Superman put his costume back on and fly to Earth. I guess since he was protecting New Krypton, Alura will forgive it. And I was a little disappointed in the lack of dialog in the first few pages of the book.

The Week of August 12, 2009

Batman #689

Judd Winick is not doing it for me! Of course, I have never been a huge fan of Winick's work.

Blackest Night #2

Good grief this was great! Aquaman was kicking everyone's head in. I can't tell if he misses his wife or if he truly hates her and is just toying with h

er mind. And let's not forget the shocking rise of the Spectre!

Green Lantern Corps #39

Very nice, people keep rising that never even crossed my mind! Abin Sur will be fun to see in zombie form, and I was thrilled to see that Jack T. Chance is coming back as well!

The Week Of August 19, 2009

Justice League of America #36

Thank heavens for Wein! Justice League is finally making a come back! Who knew that a criminal gang like the "Royal Flush Gang" could have such an in depth storyline!

Power Girl #4

I will never get over how good this series is right now. This title is my favorite monthly title right now, and I can't see any of the others beating it out.

Supergirl #44

I sure hope Supergirl and Lois can make amends, other wise this is going to be a slippery situation for Superman!

Superman Annual #14

This was actually boring. I enjoyed the creativity involved, but the writing didn't make me want more.

I'm Back!!!

Well, almost. I plan on blogging again once we have internet back up. We have to wait until friday of this week to get hooked up. Im currently blogging at panera bread using my wife's laptop.

But I do have some great reviews and stuff ready to blog about! I know a lot of you have been asking when I'll be blogging again. Well, you don't need to wait much longer. see ya soon!

Blog Will Be Down!

Hey everyone, seeing as how I will be moving Colorado next week, I will not be blogging for at least a week, maybe two. Depends on when we can get our internet hooked back up in our new apartment.

Also, some changes will be made once I'm in Colorado. I'll be getting a layout, I like this one, but I need a change. Also, I wont be sticking to my 9:00 posting every morning on Monday through Friday. From now on, I'll post something once I finish writing it instead of scheduling posts for 9:00 every morning.

Anyways, thanks everyone! I had a few requests for certain types of posts so I'll be taken them under consideration. Be patient with me while I move and get settled!

Comic Book Review: Justice Society Of America #29

Written By: Bill Willingham and Matthew Sturges
Art By: Jesus Merino

Plot: Two new members are introduced into the JSA mold, All-American Kid and King Chimera, and they couldn’t have joined at a worse time.

Obsidian has formed into a black, egg shaped ball and seems to be weakening by the second. As Mr. Terrific volunteers to run tests on the obsidian egg, The JSA is rushed away to a hostage situation. When they arrive on the scene, they find they run into an ambush consisting of some of their deadliest foes. The JSA didn’t have a chance and the only heroes left standing are Liberty Belle and Flash Jay Garrick.

Back at the JSA headquarters, Mr. Terrific, while working on the Obsidian egg, is stabbed in the back by the newly recruited (and very hypnotized) All-American Kid. The last page shows Mr. Terrific lying on the ground bleeding.

My Thoughts: A very enjoyable issue. I’m not sure what I think of these two new recruits, but I’m sure they will need to grow on me. King Chimera seems interesting, although I hate his name. The writers wanted us to think that it was Chimera was controlling All American Kid, but it doesn’t take a genius to know there’s more to this than meets the eye.

What really boggles my mind is why every villain seemed to be avoiding Liberty Belle. Why is she so important, what was worrying the villains or surprising them about her?

I would echo many reviewers out there saying this issue is not ground breaking or even a great issue, but it is a lot of fun with the start of a great mystery. I’m looking forward to seeing how this unfolds.

3 out of 5 stars

Comic Book Review: Justice League #35

Written By: Len Wein
Art By: Eddy Barrows and Rudy Jose
Cover By: Ed Benes

Plot: The Royal Flush Gang Returns! And the entrance they make into the Las Vegas casino does not disappoint. However, there is more to this than simply robbing a casino of its 25 million dollars. After immobilizing the security guards and generating a force field around the casino, The King of Spades is in contact with a phantom team member who is referred to as “Wild Card.”

Meanwhile the Justice League is down to two members, Vixen and Firestorm. Determined to keep the League alive and kicking, the two answer the casino’s distress call and enlists the help of Dr. Light, Red Tornado and Plastic Man.

Not surprisingly, the Royal Flush Gang is defeated, but escapes the League with no trace. As the League ponders on where the gang might strike next, we switch to a room where we find two very familiar enemies planning the next step to eliminate the Justice League for good.

My Thoughts: I must say, it’s really nice to have Dwayne McDuffie OFF the Justice League title. Having not read a decent Justice League book for almost a year, JLA # #35 made me exhale with relief!

This issue is a good read, well written and drawn. However, I’ve never been a fan of the Royal Flush Gang. They are a silly and corny idea for a super villain team that should never have been concocted in the first place. On the other hand, Wein uses this band of super villains quite intelligently and creatively. He made good use of the “whole deck” and it made for an interesting story.

I was happy to see that Roulette is making a comeback. I have no idea how popular she was with fans, but I personally enjoyed her battling the Justice Society back in the 90’s.

I wonder how much of what Len Wein is doing will roll over into what James Robinson will be doing with the League in the next few months. Vixen is a strong character who I feel needs to continue to stay in the League, as well as Firestorm. I enjoyed the conflicting attitude that Vixen and Firestorm are having in trying to decide what steps to take to bring the League back into full force. This was a good issue overall. But of course, anything would beat what we’ve had with the Justice League title recently.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Comic Book Review: Wonder Woman #34

Written By: Gail Simone
Art By: Aaron Lopresti

Plot: After the events one of the best issues I have ever read in Wonder Woman #33, Issue # 34 has Wonder Woman contemplating her actions. She has renounced herself as an Amazon and left Paradise Island, and refused to adhere to the rule of Achilles and Zues while her own people accept it without question.

Wonder Woman travels back to the world of men only to learn that one of Wonder Woman’s deadliest foes is not actually dead, only held by Dr. Psycho in a small town in Tokyo. Wonder Woman, with the help of Black Canary, travel to Tokyo to an underground wrestling arena that resembles the likeness of Mexican Wrestling.

Under their wrestling team name (The Orphans) and in new disguises, Black Canary and Wonder Woman fight two exceptionally formidable foes in an attempt to find Genocide’s body and destroy it. As Wonder Woman and Black Canary ultimately win the match, we are brought to the office of the arena’s manager watching the fight on his television with a mysterious female behind him who claims to be the goddess of violence.

The issue ends with the violence goddess asking for a match with Wonder Woman out of revenge for killing her father.

My Thoughts: Gail Simone has officially become one of my favorite writers in comics right now. We have too many comics these days that take only minutes to read because of lack of dialogue and are more concerned with hitting, kicking and punching the enemy. Gail Simone gives her readers a lot of dialogue and material to read, while still allowing Lopresti to give us incredible artwork.

The story is very solid and quite humorous through the middle of it. The conversation that Black Canary has with Wonder Woman was Simone’s attempt to show that Black Canary, being as tough as she is, still has that gitty, girlish side to her. The best part was calling Wonder Woman’s breasts the “second most famous bosom, after power Girl.” I would dare say that this issue will appeal to any male who enjoys listening to women talk about their bodies. And who knew Wonder Woman was so clueless as to how “desired” she is by fans.

I wasn’t sure what I thought about the “Mexican Wrestling” theme, if indeed that’s what the writer and artist were going for. It would have been fine if they hadn’t gone overboard on the costume changes. It had become a little too silly for me, but it wasn’t so bad I didn’t enjoy the issue. I suspect Simone and Lopresti had a lot of fun coming up with the idea for these costumes.

Overall, the issue was great! Wonder Woman is my favorite title right now. It’s creative, inventive, original, thought-provoking, and just perfect in every way. I hope Gail Simone and Aaron Lopresti continue to do this title for a long time. They have DEFINED Wonder Woman and I can’t see anyone outdoing what they have established.

5 out of 5 Stars

Comic Book Review: Superman #690

Plot: We pick up where we left off last month, with Atlas confronting Steel. The first half of the book is nothing more than a brawl to the finish. Atlas ultimately comes out the victorious one and contacts Major Lane to inform him that his mission is complete.

We then move to the headquarters of the Science Police where The Guardian allocates his new team leaders, Wilcox and Romundi. Harper on the other hand seems to be getting the shaft as she is assigned to a job she seemed less than thrilled about.

We then make a Scene change to Zatara’s theatre where a mystery begins involving the Parasite wanting to suck the magic out of Zatara. Geoffrey, Zatara’s handyman, reveals himself to be the famous wizard Mark Merlin and offers his assistance in finding the Parasite and solving this mystery.

We are now in the park and the Guardian and Dr. Light share a very subtle, romantic moment together while their kids play in the park.

We end this issue with Ion and Ganglios in space. Ganglios requests that Ion not return to Earth and remain in the stars, otherwise Mon-El could be in serious danger.

End issue.

My Thoughts: All I have to say is, WHAT THE HELL?!? We have five different plots going on at the same time in this issue! I felt so disjointed through the whole thing that I wanted to throw the issue across the room and burn it! I understand that the world of Superman is highly active right now and a lot is going on that needs to be resolved, but what is the point of trying to fit so much story into one issue?

I would also like to reiterate how frustrating it is to have the Superman title continually going and not have Superman IN IT! And what’s more frustrating, Mon-El, who has taken over for Superman while on New Krypton, makes no appearance either! This issue was not a Superman issue in the least. We have Steel, Dr. Light, The Guardian, and Green Lantern…how is this a Superman title?

I know everything could possibly make sense in the end, but this issue will never be able to stand on its own. I think I will be dropping this title until Superman comes back from new Krypton.

1 Star out of 5 Stars

Best and Worst for July

Yes, once again I decided to do my best and worst list for the Month of July. This month was a great month, lots of great stories and events going on, new titles starting up, etc etc. DC is really making headway in the world of comics!

My rankings are based on 3 components...
1) A well written story
2) Artwork
3) How well the story and the artwork serve one another.

And without anymore delay, here's the list...

15. Superman #690
This issue of Superman was really bad. No redeeming qualities except maybe the artwork.

14. Green Lantern Corps #38

I felt lost through most of this issue. And I wasn't sure why Kilowog was holding all of those rings in his hand on the cover.

13. Action Comics #879

It was just too darn quick. I think this issue could have bee great if only it had been a little longer.

12. Green Lantern #44

Good Issue, just wasn't outstanding. It had some good one liners in it, but overall, not the most satisfying issue I've read of the Green Lantern series.

11. Batman #688

Morrison is doing a much better job with Batman right now then Winnick is. I hope the story starts to develop a little more because what's going on right now isn't exciting me.

10. Justice League: A Cry For Justice #1

This issue is a lot of fun. However there isn't a lot of depth just because the story is just now getting started.

9. Superman: World Of New Krypton #5

The only gripe I have with this mini series is the fact that they ended the story arc and will start a new one. I thought a mini series was it's own story arc!

8. Justice Society Of America #29

Not groundbreaking, but a lot of fun. Definitely worth reading!

7. Justice League Of America #35

Finally, a break from McDuffie! Hopefully it's a permanent break!

6. Batman And Robin #2

Two thumbs up for Morrison! Batman has never been better! his mystery is becoming very intriguing, and then relationship between Dick and Damian is so tense!

5. Power Girl #3

Palmiotti should always write Power Girl! He's fantastic and Conner has such a great artistic style. This is a title could very well become one of DC's best in the near future!

4. Green Lantern #43

Wow was this issue twisted! I have a new found sympathy for William Hand. I still hate him, but this issue helps you to find why he is this way.

3. Blackest Night #1

Incredible! Zombie tales could never be better than this! This issue brings the death of two very well known heroes, and you'll never see it coming!

2. Wonder Woman #34

Gail Simone has officially become on of my favorite comic book writers. She gives you so much to read in one issue where every other writer gives you next to nothing. And Lopresti should always do the art for Wonder Woman!

And The Number One Issue For The Month Of July Is....

1. Supergirl #43
Yes, Supergirl gets the number one spot for this month! This story was all about developing Supergirl's character since, well, she does need to start growing up.

You learn more about Alura and why she has such a stern attitude towards everyone around. Given the circumstances she was put in, I think we can understand why she was distancing herself from her daughter, and from her emotions.

I had to read this issue three times to soak it all in. It deals with the issue of family love, understanding, patience, and selfishness. Supergirl #43 tops every issue that came out this month and is only closely followed by Wonder Woman #34 !