6/9/10

Man, that was great. This was a small week, but a powerful one, with a lot of great books and strong characters and gorgeous artwork. I mean, really, wow. It's just...wow. Let's get into it:

HERO OF THE WEEK: This makes my last post curiously foreshadowing, but it goes to FDA special agent Tony Chu. Chew #11 starts off the newest arc by introducing new food-based villains: an elite billionaires club that annually gets together to dine on the rarest of the rare cuisines, usually using crime to do it. This time around, it was wooly mammoth, stolen and reconstituted from fossils (think Jurassic Park meets...weirdos who like food). Naturally, Tony goes undercover and brings the lovely Amelia Mintz. He is totally badass, even in the face of dangerous crazly rich folk. And the final page is just funny and even a little heartwarming. If this is anything like Whedonesque storytelling, everything's about to go to hell. Still it's nice while it lasts, and as a standalone story it's just great.


VILLAIN OF THE WEEK: This is weird. Secret Six has won this the last three issues, in as story that hilights Catman as a troubled but brutal warrior. Issue #22 was the conclusion to this story, and while Thomas Blake does shine again, it's just not as powerful as the other issues. Catman's final kills are not as brutal or epic as the last few and the final plot twist with him has little impact. Really, in my mind at least, the show is stolen by Ragdoll. Since Black Alice joined the team, she's had this creepy friendship with Ragdoll (then again, everything Ragdoll does is creepy). However, her troubled mind and emotional baggage and youthful stupidity led her to believe the Scandal Savage was interested in him (despite the fact that she is a lesbian). At the end of the fight, Deadshot makes the usual lewd comment you'd come to expect from him. However, Ragdoll gets indignant, actually calling out Deadshot for being a dick, defending his friend, and, for the first time ever, standing up straight.

This is an incredibly significant development for Ragdoll. This is the first time he's ever demonstrated any semblance of empathy, the first time he's actually cared about others. He's been a creature of pure id up until this point, but Alice's genuine (and genuinely creepy) attraction to him has actually changed him. Ragdoll is the breakout character of this series and this is one of his finest moments. Bravo, Gail Simone. Bravo.


ISSUE OF THE WEEK: I'm genuinely surprised by this. Really, I just picked up this issue not knowing if i'd follow the series or not. But now I am because of this. And by this, I mean Young Allies #1. This issue was a coming together for the new team, bringing young superheroes together against a common threat. Their introductions don't have equal calibur, but that's actually okay. Toro gets the most development, as he is a mostly unheard of character and needs an origin and motivation, which is clear. Next is Firestar, who we learn is trying to pull a Peter Parker and balance superheroing and grad school, as well as maintaining a ties with her friends from Marvel Divas. Then comes Nomad and Arana, who are BFFs and are cute and fun. Finally, there's Gravity, but writer Sean McKeever's given him enough development. All of them are well set up and come together nicely to become...well, allies.

The villains are probably the best idea to ever come out of a bad pun. The Masters of Evil are a long running villain team in the Marvel universe, and the line-up has changed a lot over their 40-year tenure. McKeever presents the idea that these villains have had illegitamate kids, that those kids developed similar powers to their parents, and that those kids have banded together to form...wait for it...the Bastards of Evil. Yeah, I know, right? The Bastards (that's so fun to write) have just an okay start; the members are established, but not their motivations exactly. I suppose that'll wait til future issues, but i'm on the edge of my seat.

And now on to the art: It's gorgeous. David Baldeon is a lot like Frances Manapul; his art style is accessable and great in it's simplicity; focused and tight during quiet moments and dynamic during action sequences. It's really, really nice and matches the book perfectly.

I don't know why I love this so much. Maybe it's just cause of when I read it. It's fluff, i'll admit that. It's just pure, light fun. But after reading a stack of deep, brutal, confusing, and even somewhat tragic books, the fluff was really refreshing and really nice to see. Regardless, Young Allies was a great read and I highly recommend it.


OTHER THINGS OF NOTE: Avengers Academy #1 was also a strong start to a new young team of heroes, but not as strong as it could have been. The team is made up of superhumans captured by Norman Osborn during the Dark Reign and experimented upon. However, we don't learn much about them beyond basic character traits: Striker's a gloryhound, Hazmat's a bitch, Finesse is cocky, and Reptil has no personality and is pretty lame all around. The best of the team are Veil and Mettle, and the former only gets more development because she's narrating. The theme, however, is very clear from the get-go. For the staff, it's about redemption, especially for Hank Pym, Robbie Baldwin, and Pietro Maximoff. For the kids, however, it's about predemption. The kids were chosen because they were at the greatest risk for becoming supervillains. This is a brilliant idea from writer Christos Gage, and while the execution doesn't live up to what the concept promises, i'm definately hooked.

Ultimate Avengers 2 #3 was alright. I was hoping Ultimate Ghost Rider would get more development, but i'm cool with what we got. He's apparently the devil's hitman, and chooses methods of executions based on the answers to crossword puzzles (It's really lucky he gets words like 'heartless' and 'beheaded'). Pimp Hulk and the American Punisher are blending in uncomfortably to the team, which is good for them and for us. I'm looking forward to what happens here.

Cowboy Ninja Viking #6 was a very wordy issue. It's also different for two reasons. For one, the artwork. In previous issues, the coloring has been limited to one color. This issue stops being monochromatic. The change is unexpected, but actually adds more legitamacy to the comic. Second, we start a new story arc. Duncan's emotional baggage finally comes to a head here, as his feelings for Nix clash with his addiction to his ex-wife Grear. Dr. Ghislain sends him to a shrink, who, after 30 or so sessions, suggests that he could remove Duncan's alternate personalities. While this issue is tough to read dialogue-wise, it is more interesting to look at and sets up a cool story-arc (although I already miss the commentary from CNV).

And now it's time for QUOTE OF THE WEEK! This week's quote comes from Secret Six #22:

"From Hell's black heart to desert haunt
This rage still crawls between us
And don't pretend that you don't want
My boyfriends bendy &^*%^%!"

Well, that was fun. I feel sorry for the week of June 16th. It has to follow this. But, here's hoping it puts up a good fight. Until then, thanks for reading, i'll see you next time.

You Should Be Reading: Chew

It's rare that weird story ideas not only find an audience in a market where stories don't stray far from the norm, but become popular and successful. However, Chew is one of those rare ideas. And in it's short tenure on the market (10 issues), it's become one of my favorite indy series out there.

Admittedly, it does fall into an oft-used genre, the "Detective with a twist" story. However, it's weird enough that it can stray from the cliches and be a truly unique story. As can be expected, Chew is about food. Set in a somewhat-distant-but-not-to terribly-different-future, Chew presents a world where a deadly outbreak of avian flu lead to an embargo of land fowl in the United States. However, there are still speakeasies that serve chicken and many believe that the bird flu was a conspiracy perpetrated by the U.S. government. But that's not important.

What is important is our protagonist: Tony Chu. Tony is a detective from Philidelphia who has a special, food-based power. He's a cibopath (no, I don't know how that's pronounced), meaning that whenever he eats something, he gets a psychic reading from it and picks up on some of it's experiences and memories. This is a terrible inconvenience, and so Tony dedicates himself to eating the only food he doesn't get a reading from: beets. Tony is an absolutely tragic character throughout the series. This works because his failures make him likeable and make us keep reading and his victories seem all the sweeter.

Tony is quickly recruited into the most powerful law-enforcement branch of the U.S. government, the FDA. Supporting characters include John Colby, Tony's former partner and rather unlikeable yet funny character, and Mike Applbee, Tony's angry new boss. However, the best of them is Tony's new partner, Mason Savoy. Mason is crazy mish-mash of characteristics: He's part police officer, part upper class, part badass, and part fat guy. What's more, he's also a cibopath. He is doubtlessly the most fun character of the book and one of the main reasons I still read it: Hoping he'll show up again.

The stories are as strange and the premise, but usually they are comedic with a bittersweet ending. Tony's investigations will lead him down strange roads that will force him to investigate by eating strange things. He will frequently run into his brother, disgruntled chef Chow Chu, and the object of his affection, food critic Amelia Mintz, who has her own weird but sorta cool food-based powers. Writer John Layman makes sure the characters are sharp and interesting and that the stories are all unique, but easy to follow.

If I had any criticism, it would be the artwork. Rob Guillory's style is very cartoony, and while I normally like that sort of thing, it sometimes gets out of hand. Some of his characters look really good, like Tony, Mason, and Colby. Some are less appealing, like Amelia or Applebee. However, there was one that stuck out: USDA agent Lin Sae Woo. This woman is draw with ridiculous proportions that would make a Barbie doll look like Kevin Smith.

Still, it's the story that keeps us interested. Tony's episodic investigations, his conflict with Applebee, the promise of an appearance by Mason, and the mystery surrounding the bird flu outbreak are all unique, intringing, funny, tragic, and well written stories. The characters are vibrant and their interactions with each other are always fun. The first trade paperback is on shelves now and the second is on the way soon. I'd recommend it for anyone with a taste for the strange (Heh. Taste. Food humor).

Thanks for reading, friends. See you next time!

6/2/10

Hello again, folks. Forgive the lateness of this post, but there were extenuating circumstances (is that spelled right? Whatever). First off, the Memorial Day holiday delayed shipments, meaning I was picking my stuff up on Thursday. Second off, and perhaps more importantly, not much happened this week. Seriously, I barely got tish to write about. But, I can stretch. I can make do with what's here. So, without further adieu, let's take a look:

HERO OF THE WEEK: Did the Great Ten miniseries get shortened to 9 issues and nobody told me? Whatever. The Great Ten are the premier Chinese superhero team in the DC universe, and this miniseries hilights each of their members. Great Ten #8 showed off the Shaolin Robot. His origin is fishy, but go with it. Remember those Terracotta warriors (is that spelled right? Whatever) that whats-his-name was buried with? Well, in the DCU, they're robots. They are automatons programmed to kill grave robbers. Implausable you say? Well, it gets worse. Apparently, one of them was given anchient Chinese AI, and was renovated to be one of the super-functionaries of the Great Ten. This totally undermines Will Magnus's position as the creator of the artificial soul, but whatever. It works enough.

What's interesting is SR's position on the team. Everyone on the Great Ten is in conflict with each other. August General in Iron is a government puppet, Accomplished Perfect Physician is a man of the people, Celestial Archer is on both sides of the fence, Socialist Red Guardsman is taking advantage of his position of power, Immortal Man in Darkness is expendable and knows it, and everyone on the team has a weird name. Shaolin Robot is probably the most zen of the group, adapting to all of the chaos and taking the weirdness in stride. After seven issues of personal struggles and problems, it's nice to see that someone on the team is reasonably at peace, even if it's only because he's a robot.


VILLAIN OF THE WEEK: This one is tough. I mean really tough. Alot of my stuff this week hilights heroes more than villains, so finding someone to fill this spot is a challenge. Ultimately, because the issue deserves a mention, it goes to Modeus. Really, the star of Irredeemable #14 is Gilgamos, who's coping with Bette Noir's betrayal while the Paradigm have been captured...for some poorly explained reason. Seriously, in an otherwise brilliantly written series, this is a misstep for the government to turn on the only people capable of helping the Plutonian situation. Anyway, after Bette and Gil bust the Paradigm out (Gil mutilating himself to do it), they teleport away and run into Modeus, who is still possessing the body of young lobotomized do-gooder Samsara, who promises that the Plutonian is coming, and he is pissed. His role is brief, but he does leave an impression.


ISSUE OF THE WEEK: Avengers Prime #1. Doubtlessly. I didn't expect this to be as good as it is. Hell, I still don't know if it's a mini or an ongoing, but it really is well written. This first issue is about the immediate aftermath of Siege and the fall of Asgard, and the first reunison of Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, and Thor Odinson. Even in the wake of massive destruction, Steve and Tony find time to argue. This actually hilights them more than condemn, showing that even with Steve back from the dead, there's still a lot of issues lingering after Civil War. This is great stuff. With all the people happy about Steve's return, it's good that Marvel remembered that he burned some bridges before his assassination. After the mini-confrontation, the trio attempt to seal a portal and end up accidentally pulled into Asgard and seperated. Tony tries to fix his disfunctional armor, Steve beats up a bunch of trolls, and Thor runs into the Enchantress, his fairly psychotic ex. It's definately a good start, with great characterization and a brilliant way to hilight Marvel's trinity. Good on ya.


OTHER THINGS OF NOTE: Serenity: Float On was covered earlier. Go read it. The covering of the issue, not the issue itself. Or both. Whatever.

JSA All-Stars #7 is a book that's avoided the blog for a while. I've never been a fan of the JSA splitting, but I stuck with this book over the regular JSA book because it's got the more fun characters. That, and i'm not the biggest fan of Bill Willingham's writing. Don't get me wrong, he's got dynamite plots and the ideas behind his series Fables are really cool, but his dialogue is just flat. Maybe i'm just spoiled by the likes of Gail Simone and Joss Whedon. I don't know. Anyway, All-Stars #7 was a funeral issue. Team member Damage was killed during Blackest Night and his girlfriend Judomaster steps up to give a eulogy. It's a really nice issue and a great analysis of the two characters. It's a shame they can't all be like this.

And now it's time for the QUOTE OF THE WEEK! Or it would be if I had one. Seriously, I'm tapped out. Go pick your own or something. Or post one here. Again, whatever.

However, because it's the first week of the month, which means we can do WRITER and ARTIST OF THE MONTH!!!

WRITER OF THE MONTH: Last month's was difficult. This one? Not so much. Brian Michael Bendis, if only for sheer volume of work. Bendis finished up three series in one week: New Avengers, Dark Avengers, and Siege. Siege was an admittedly predictable ending to an epic blockbuster, DA was nice character study for the stars of Dark Reign, and NA was a strong emotional close to the first chapter of these character's lives. After that came Avengers and Avengers Prime. The former was a very classic-feeling superhero team and the latter was, as said above, a character-driven story about the main players in the Heroic Age. And he still has time for my favorite Marvel book, Ultimate Spider-Man. All of his stuff has great dialogue and character and are all a lot of fun. Bravo, Mr. Bendis. Bravo.

ARTIST OF THE MONTH: Like last month, this was about which artist left the strongest impression. And that artist is Ed Benes. Benes drew Birds of Prey #1, returning to DC's A-list girls...and I think that's it. If i'm forgetting anything, apologies. But BoP was just awesome. It's sharp and just a bit cartoony, but not enough that it ruins the more serious tone of the book. Gail Simone has called his artwork sexy, and I agree with that. He draws female characters with the same perfect proportions that are customary in comic books, but...I don't know, he just makes them look better. I think there's a touch more realism to his work and more emotional connection to these women and that makes them seem better. Or maybe i'm reading too much into this and making tish up as I go along. Still, his artwork is really dynamic and pleasing to look at, and I look forward to reading more of his work.

Well, thanks for reading everyone. Sorry it couldn't be more substantial, but maybe next time, which, I suppose, is when i'll see ya. Later!

Does this Suck: Serenity: Float Out

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the first installment of "Does this Suck"; a portion of the blog in which I will analyze a comic of questionable value and decide whether or not it's worth reading. For the first column, we will be establishing this week's release, Serenity: Float Out.

First, the backstory. For those of you who don't know, Joss Whedon is god. Or at least a prophet. Joss the Boss has an amazing body of work under his belt, including the popular TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the internet film Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, and a very successful run on Astonishing X-Men. However, my favorite is probably Firefly. Firefly is a science-fiction series that follows the exploits of the crew of Serenity, a smuggler spaceship in the distant future. While it was brilliantly written with vibrant and unique characters, it was poorly marketed and cancelled after 14 episodes were produced, only 11 making it to air (With the pilot being shown last). However, it left behind a rabid fanbase, who begged the Fox network to bring it back. Instead, we got a true closer to the series, the film Serenity.

Serenity was, tragically, not a box-office hit, but was still beloved by the fans and is one of my favorite films of all time. The film is notable for killing off two of the nine major characters: Shepherd Derrial Book, a preacher with a mysterious past, and Hoban Washburn, the ship's humorous but often wise pilot. And it's these two characters who get the tie-in comics; Boook will get a miniseries titled "A Shepherd's Tale" in the fall, while Wash recieved Float Out. Float Out was the first comic published in the Serenity universe to take place after the film, and was to be a send-off to Wash. Unfortunately, it disappointed, and here's why.

The story revolves around three people named Trey, Leland, and Tagg, who are christening a firefly-class ship named after Wash. Apparently, they all knew him and trade stories about their experiences. This is the first misstep of the comic: We have no idea who these characters are, why they're getting a ship together, or why we should give a kcuf about them. They are dull, bickering pointlessly about what kind of ship they should have bought, and only get interesting once we get to the point in the comic when we realize they're supposed to be interesting. When do we realize that? Halfway through, when it's abundantly clear that none of the crew of Serenity will be appearing.

This is the second misstep of the book: Not using the crew. Firefly was popular because of it's characters. Because of Mal. Because of Jayne. Because of Kaylee. Because of River. Hell, even Simon, for all his whining and overprotectiveness, was more interesting than any of the losers we see in this comic. We have no context as to why Trey, Leland, and Tagg matter at all and i'd much rather hear what the crew has to say about Wash than what three strangers do.

The next blunder comes in the artwork: It's really unpleasant to look at. Patric Reynolds draws spaceships and stations just fine, but his people all look weird. It's a mean, line-heavy style, reminding me a lot of a low-grade Alex Maleev. I don't like Maleev's style on it's own, so reading this book is actually difficult.

However, the book is not merit. One other member of the crew actually does attend this funeral/christening: Zoe, Wash's widow. Zoe is the only one who looks nice in this book, and actually has some nice things to say. The final page reveal with her is wonderful and really makes me hope that they continue with these stories, even if it's in comic form. And, like I said earlier, once you get into it the stories are genuinely interesting and hilight Wash's best qualities and help define the character.

And now for the big question: Does this suck? The answer: No, it does not suck. But sure as hell is disappointing. In a comic based off character driven series, it's a real let-down to only see two of the characters actually appear (i'm including Wash because, hey, it's his funeral). The art is unpleasant, we have no ties to the narrators, and the whole set-up is just weird.

Thanks for reading, friends. See you next time!

5/26/10

Hello again, friends. Forgive the lateness of this post, but due to lack of foresight, I have an incomplete pull list. I am not, however, without things to say, and in the interest of punctuality, here's this week's stack:

HERO OF THE WEEK: Another hero of the Heroic Age takes it this week. A new super-team launches in Thunderbolts #144, under the direction of none other than Luke Cage. Cage, being a reformed convict, is perfect to lead this group of crazies and semi-crazies, including heroes like Songbird and MACH, villains like Crossbones and Juggernaut, morally ambigous characters like Moonstone and Ghost, and...Man-Thing. Why? Because why the kcuf not. But it's Cage that ties them together and gives them purpose...until he's crushed by Baron Zemo, apparently back from his time romp and wanting to take control of the T-Bolts. Jeff Parker writes a great team building issue here and showcases what to expect from these folks. Great stuff.


VILLAIN OF THE WEEK: Slim pickings for this week's villain, but I gotta choose someone, and it might as well be the Red Lantern boys. Green Lantern #54 continues in the Brightest Day, with the New Guardians together looking for the seven entities of the emotional spectrum. With Hal, Carol, and Sinestro in, the next one up was Atrocitus. We find the guardian of rage in the angriest city on Earth, New York, providing vicious subway justice with his friend, Dex-Starr the Rage Kitty. The two meet up with the trio, fight, and are interrupted by Lobo. What's interesting here is that Atro has actually found affection for his previous ally, Mera. Can't wait to see how that plays out with Aquaman. Johns writes these guys as well as he ever did, but it's Doug Mahnke's art that makes them shine. I'm looking forward to how this storyline plays out.


ISSUE OF THE WEEK: Following up from last month, it's Secret Warriors #16. 'Wake The Beast' has been a strong arc thus far, and it's closer is no exception. A lot of stuff happenes, but Jonathan Hickman juggles it well enough to keep the readers interested in keep the stories intriguing. We start with a meeting between the heads of HYDRA and Leviathan, which, expectantly, ends in violence. Next is a brief flashback showing that Commander Kraken is not the first person to bear that name and killed his predecessor. Then we see Nick Fury mobilizing his forces to strike while the bad guys are distracted with each other. Finally, we see that J.T. James, card carrying member of the Secret Warriors, is on the payroll of Baron von Strucker, leader of HYDRA. It's a great plot twist, though I have to say I saw some of it coming. The only major fault with this issue is the art. Gianluca Gigliotta replaces Stephano Caselli on this book (which seems to attract Italian artists for some reason). Gigliotta tries to mimic Caselli, but it comes off as making all the characters look weird and misshapen. Regardless, this issue was strong on plot and i'm really looking forward to what happens in it.


OTHER THINGS OF NOTE: Secret Avengers #1 was another team-building issue of the Heroic Age. We jump right in here, seeing Captain Rogers's black-ops team in action. It feels weird seeing Mike Deodato draw people who aren't villains, but it still looks great. While it's too early to comment on the plot, the characters are well written and it's an interesting-looking team. I'd like to see how it plays out.

The Guild #3 of 3 closed the miniseries based on the web-series. The conclusion is bittersweet (mostly sweet) and the final line made me laugh. Jim Rugg's artwork switches between newspaper-strip cartoony for the real life portions and epic-style portraits for the game, both of which look really cool. The series overall was a fun little romp and if another of it's kind came out, i'd pick it up.

Amazing Spider-Man #632 debuted the newest version of the Lizard, who looks and is really cool. Go check it out.

And now it's time for the QUOTE OF THE WEEK! This weeks quote comes from The Guild #3:

"It might look like i've dug myself into a pit, but i'm actually happier now. Because of gaming with my guild. No matter what my therapist keeps saying to me, I can escape there. It's what I need right now. Besides, it's not like i'll ever have to meet these people."

And that's my stuff for this week (almost). Hope you enjoyed reading it! Thanks, i'll see you next time!

5/17/10

Welcome back, readers. Probably reader, actually. Whatever. Anyway, this past Wednesday I picked up two titles from each of the two major companies. However, one dominated the other in terms of quality. Lets take a look!

HERO OF THE WEEK: We're going old school on this one. 3-D Man takes it, for finally joining the Agents of Atlas. In Atlas #1, Delroy Garret, the successor to the role of the 3-D Man, begins tracking the Agents through San Francisco as he recounts his backstory. Jeff Parker is one of the few writers who can switch back and forth between storyline and exposition well, and he does so here, with Garret's search in the present and memories of the past mixing well and playing off each other. It's cool. I like it. I think i'm gonna enjoys this series.

VILLAIN OF THE WEEK: It's a new character this week. Not just new to the blog, but new to comics in general. In Ultimate Avengers 2 #2, War Machine is assigned to bring in the man who taught Bruce Banner how to be the Hulk, Tyrone Cash. In the beginning, he was Professor Leonard Williams, a physics teacher with injured legs who developed the Hulk formula with a young Banner before testing it on himself and leaving. Now, we discover he has changed his name and used his powers to become a crimelord in South America. He and War Machine fight, exchange words, yadda yadda yadda, until finally they reach a deal and Cash is brought into the Avengers. Their mission? To takein the previously unheard-of Ultimate Ghost Writer. Mark Millar and Lenil Francis Yu make a killer team here, with great artwork and cool dialogue throughout. I'm definately digging this series.

ISSUE OF THE WEEK: Marvel's Heroic Age officially starts with Avengers #1, from Brian Michael Bendis and John Romita Jr, and I loved it. Our story starts by introducing the Next Avengers into Marvel comics, which is a trippy twist to say the least. The NA were the protagonists of their own animated film, which itself was alright for a kids film. But now they're in comics and they kcufing killed Immortus! Dude! These guys are way more hardcore than I gave them credit.

After this, Captain Steve Rogers, America's new top cop, recruits his new Avengers team, consisting of Captain America, Thor, Iron Man (together again for the first time), Spider-Man, Wolverine, Hawkeye, and Spider-Woman. Several other heroes are brought in as reserves, but one rejects the offer: Wonder Man, planting the seeds for a future story arc. Anyway, during the first meeting, Kang the Conqueror breaks in. Kang, an old school-villain dubbed a 'time terrorist' by Captain Steve, exposits that the Next Avengers have been screwing up the timestream and that he needs the Avengers help to take them. He also appears to have a doomsday device Tony Stark has not yet invented. And, at the end, he confers with the Maestro, a super-strong, super-smart, despotic Hulk from the future.

In the first issue, Bendis and JR Jr set the tone for the series, with great Bendis dialogue and the beautiful artwork we've come to expect from Romita. The issue is a lot of fun, it sets up for the future, and is just generally really cool. I suggest you pick it up.

OTHER THINGS OF NOTE: Brightest Day #2 is a series that'll probably appear in the blog a lot. Despite that sweet-ass Aquaman cover, this issue was mostly about the Martian Manhunter, with him remembering his origin as well as learning of a new wrinkle to it. Some other stuff happens with the Hawks and Aquaman, but it's Deadman who steals the show, as the issue ends with him about to face the Anti-Monitor. This wasn't the best issue, but it was alright. Things'll pick up soon.

Legion of Super-Heroes #1 was Paul Levitz's return to the 31st century's greatest heroes. While fans of his work might enjoy this, I didn't. Levitz's work really seems like older writing, with a lot of narration and exposition driving the story. Plus some of the things involved just seemed stupid. For one thing, I have to imagine people in the 31st century know not to witness the beginning of the universe. That's one of he major laws of Oa. Second, the characterization of Sodam Yat was a lot different from Legion of Three Worlds. Wasn't he going to to rebuild the GLC himself and not just be sad that they're all gone? Third, the artwork just seemed off in some places. Good overall, but off. I do like that he kept Earth-Man around, though. He's one of the Legions more interesting villains as of late. I won't be buying this series anymore, but I'll probably follow it.

And now it's time for the QUOTE OF THE WEEK! This weeks quote comes from Avengers #1:

Bucky: Hey...
Thor: I'm sorry.
Bucky: No...I was just saying...Hey...
Thor: I'm sorry, I'm not entirely sure who you are.

That was my stuff for this week. Hope you enjoyed with my review. Thanks for reading, i'll see you next time!

You Should Be Reading: Runaways

Spider-Man was a massive success for a number of reasons. One of the major ones was that it mixed together two highly successful dramas: Superheroes and High School. Peter Parker may have beat up Doc Ock or the Green Goblin every other issue, but what kept people hooked was soap opera of a life, his relationships, all of his teenage bulltish. Runaways took that basic idea and made it work better.

Created by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona in 2003, Runaways was about, well, teenagers. Six adolescents, friends only because their parents are business partners, discover one evening that their parents business is honest-to-god supervillainy. Disillusioned, the teens, as to be expected, run away. Some discover that they have inherited powers. Some lose faith with everything they knew. But they all find that they suddenly have to grow up and the reality that they are fugitives from their own parents.

The cast begins with the six teenagers: Nico Minoru (The emotional daughter of sorcerors and amateur practitioner of magic herself), Chase Stein (The rebellious son of mad scientists and thiever of some of their devices), Gert Yorkes (The sarcastic daughter of time travelers and inheritor of a pet dinosaur), Karolina Dean (The kind-hearted daughter of alien invaders and inheritor of their powers), Molly Hayes (The energetic daughter of mutants and, at 12 years old, youngest of the team), and Alex Wilder (The quiet, contemplative son of mobsters).

The characters are all unique and vibrant and all have their troubles. Nico's personal baggage is a steady source of strife in the team. Karolina is struggling with the discovery of her new heritage and her personal identity issues. Alex has to lead the teens but is learning as he goes. And despite of this, there is still humor to be found. Chase's "dumb jock" persona clashes with Gert's "snobby intellectual". And of course there's always Molly, whose exuberance shines on no matter what the situation. It's doubtlessly these characters that keep us coming back. It's the quite moments, the struggle for survival, and the interpersonal relationships that make the series great.

Eventually, the cast expands. The team is joined by Victor Mancha (The smart but awkward "son" of robot conqueror Ultron) and Xavin (An alien super-Skrull in training). All of them come shortly after one of the original six dies and all of them bring something new to an already great team.

Eventually, in 2007, Vaughan left the book at a definite high point and was replaced by Joss the Boss Whedon. Unfortunately, Whedon only stuck around for six issues, during which time a time-travel mishap left the team in 1907. At the end of the story arc, the teens returned to the present with a new member in tow, 12-year-old Klara Prast, a plant-controlling mutant whose life experiences differ greatly from the others. Terry Moore took over as writer after that, with two lackluster story arcs. Finally Kathryn Immonen came in and wrote an exciting four-issue story before the series came to it's current hiatus.

While the quality of the book changes based on it's writers, it's Vaughan's stories that best represent this team. It's about struggle, drama, confusion, action, danger, and coming to grips with adulthood before you're ready. It's absolutely fantastic and I recommend to anyone who enjoys a new twist on a familiar concept.

Thanks for reading, friends. I'll see you next time.

5/12/10

Wow. Wow. That was a big week. With Siege #4 coming out this week, Marvel's Dark Reign is over, the Heroic Age is starting up, and several Avengers titles are ending with a bang. But it wasn't all violence and heroics; some other very nice titles made it into my bag. So, without further adieu, let's review.

HERO OF THE WEEK: Siege #4 had many heroes. Iron Man shut down Norman Osborn. Thor gave the Sentry a proper funeral. Hell, even Loki tried to be good for five seconds before getting disintegrated. But in the end, I have to give it to the big guy, Steve Rogers. In the aftermath of the Siege, the former Captain America was summoned by the President and formally asked to take over Osborn's spot as head of national security. Steve accepted, on the grounds that his demands were met, starting with repealing the registration act.

Making Rogers that top cop is actually a brilliant move by Marvel. For one thing, if you're going to have something called "The Heroic Age", the guy in charge better be the poster boy for heroism. For another, people have been asking why Bucky has remained as Captain America now that Steve's back and why Steve didn't pick up the shield and keep fighting the good fight. Now we know why. Finally, it just makes sense. Steve Rogers has tactical military knowledge, a strong sense of virtue, knowledge of what it means to be a superhero, and good relations with pretty much every good guy on Earth. Nice job, Marvel. Way to be.

VILLAIN OF THE WEEK: If the hero of Siege gets HotW, then the villain of Siege gets VotW. No, not the Void. Even as an omnipotent crazy motherkcufer, he still doesn't do anything (except kill Loki and look menacing). The real villain of Siege, of the whole Dark Reign, is the one, the only, Norman Osborn. Dark Avengers #16, the closer to Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Deodato's awesome series, sees the DA captured by the heroes and taken in for their unlawful attack on Asgard. Moonstone and Bullseye attempt escape, but are captured. Daken attemps escape, and succeeds (unfortunately). Victoria Hand is offered a position as Steve Rogers's new right-hand girl. And Norman is put in the Raft, Ryker's Island double-maximum security istallation, in a sub-basement level where he will be the only prisoner. While there, he has a conversation with an unknown person, outlining that everything he did over the past year was to save the world a protect it in a way that the superheroes could not, and it could have worked, if only the other person in the room didn't get in his way. The reveal is that Norman is talking to his own psychosis and inner demon, the Green Goblin, and he then realizes that he will likely spend the rest of his days alone with this monster. It almost makes us feel pity for Norman, and is a relly nice sendoff to a character who has become one of Marvel's best villains. Excellent.

ISSUE OF THE WEEK: Believe it or not, it's not a Siege tie-in (although most will be mentioned). No, it's The Flash #2. Picking up where last issue left off, Barry is hunted by the Renegades, time cops based on the modern-day Rogues, so that he can be arrested for a murder he hasn't commited yet. A brief fight ensues, which ends with the Renegades retreating due to a malfunction of their time-travel devices. However, this also leads to a nearby apartment building collapsing. Flash, of course saves everyone, but the accident leaves them homeless. So what does the Flash do? In one of the most amusing displays of superpowers ever, the Flash speed-reads entire books on architecture, gathers materials, and builds a new apartment, all in the span of a few minutes. It's actually pretty darn funny. Afterwards, the Central City crime lab finds traces of Barry Allen's blood on the corpse of Mirror Monarch, making for an awkward situation. Also, we see that Captain Boomerang is going to break himself out of Iron Heights prison (somehow) and rejoin the Rogues afterwards.

Geoff Johns loves the Flash and like last issue, he shows it here. Barry as a good sense of humor to him and a fun chemistry with his wife, Iris. The Rogues, particularly Captain Cold, remain badass and brutal villains. And Frances Manapul's art is still kcufing gorgeous. You guys should really be following this series.

OTHER THINGS OF NOTE: New Avengers Finale. The title pretty much says it all. Since the Disassembled storyline, New Avengers has pretty much been Marvel's A-list team. They've seen mutants decimated, Civil Wars fought, Skrulls invade, and been fugitives in the Dark Reign. This is a great closer to it, giving us both an end to the current story and the series as a whole. The story picks up after Siege, as the New Avengers hunt down the Hood and Madame Masque. It's a fun little romp, but the meat of the issue is the ending, where Luke Cage goes over what being a New Avenger has meant to him, what his experiences have been, and how happy he is that they are no longer fugitives ion the world. Had I read more of the series, this would have been really touching. As it stands, I get why it's supposed to be really touching and I think it does a good job of conveying it's message.

Avengers: The Initiative #35 is another closer. It starts with Taskmaster escaping Asgard with Constrictor, including a very tragic moment where Frank leaves Diamondback behind. After that, the Counter-Initiative beats back the Hood's syndicate and the first class at the Initiative reunites, including Komodo getting her powers back. The next day, Tigra confronts the newly captured Hood and, instead of killing him, leaves him to face his wife and daughter. We also meet Tigra's son, who was apparently born when we weren't looking thanks to her cat-physiology or some such nonsense. Then, the New Warriors decide that in the Heroic Age, the idea of the Avengers Initiative would flourish. Finally, we see a few snippets of what happened to other characters in the series. It's a great closer, with nice emotional beats and a clear love of these characters. I'm really looking forward to seeing Christos Gage's next project, Avengers Academy.

Alright, enough Siege. Ultimate Spider-Man #10 is next. It's honestly not the best issue, but it's still nice. When we last left our heroes, Kitty Pryde was in a classroom with federal agents pointing guns at her and demanding she come with them. While Johnny Storm and Bobby Drake want to do something about it, Peter Parker warns them about making the whole thing an incident. And guess who does something about it? KONG! That's right, Kitty's ex, the big bully turned big softie Kenny Macfarlane punches one of the agents. Kitty decides that enough is enough and she escapes with Kong into the sewers. The rest is...it's just drama. It's Kitty, as the Shroud, fighting the Spider-friends and saying that Magneto was right. It's well written, it's just wholly unoriginal and not really that interesting. It's something of a misstep, but establishing what it's like for mutants in a post-Ultimatum world was necessary, and Bendis pulled it off as well as he could.

Birds of Prey #1 puts us back on the DC train. Gail Simone's group of female superheroes reunites in this Brightest Day crossover with something unexepcted: a dude! The recently resurrected Hawk, of the duo Hawk and Dove, will be joining the team, which should make for tons of awkward but probably funny situations. The storyline is basically reintroduction to the principle characters: Black Canary, Huntress, and Oracle. We also get some stuff with Lady Blackhawk, but she's sort of relegated to being a source of out-of-date dialogue. It's pretty by-the-books, but Simone's dialogue and Ed Benes's artwork keeps it interesting. I'll keep on this series to see what happens.

And now it's time for the QUOTE OF THE WEEK! This weeks quote comes from Avengers: The Initiative #36:

"You think I changed my mind because I saw you? No. It's what I saw in the hall. I'm letting you live because you'll never get to hold your baby again. And because I want to spend a lifetime holding mine."

Whew. That was exhausting. Thanks for sticking it out, guys. I'll see you next time!

5/5/10

First off, forgive the lateness of my post. Tightness in my schedule led me to not read everything I wanted to as soon as I wanted to. But, now, at last, here's this weeks stack, and it's some good stuff. Here we go.

HERO OF THE WEEK: It's a first-time winner this week. Everyone's favorite chosen one, Buffy Summers, shines in Buffy: Season 8 #35. The conclusion of the craziest story arc of the series, part four of Twilight stars Buffy and her on-again, off-again, good-again, bad-again boyfriend, Angel. Because the TV series finale changed the status quo of the world so drastically, the universe had to correct itself, which meant selecting two people (Buffy and Angel) to go to the paradise dimension Twilight while the Earth was fixed (i.e. destroyed). Buffy has always been one to defy coonventions, and here she shows it off by choosing to save the world and her friends rather than live in heaven. It's exactly what we'd expect her to do, and yet it's satisfying to see her do it. Plus, the issue ends with Spike showing up! Spike! The series has one arc left before the finally and i'm really looking forward to what Joss Whedon does in it.

VILLAIN OF THE WEEK: Catman, hands down. Secret Six has made a point of tunring all of the irrevelent, D-List bad guys into badasses, and #21 is no different. Thomas Blake, still on the trail of the men who kidnapped his son, recounts his own childhood with his cruel and somewhat demented father. What happens in the flashback shows where Blake's fondness for felines came from and how he got so messed up. The present shows the effects, with Catman uttlerly tearing apart one of the mercenaries. It's twisted, it's badass, it's just what we'd expect from the series. Bravo, Simone and Calafiore. Bravo.

ISSUE OF THE WEEK: Brightest Day #0 introduced characters. Brightest Day #1 introduced plots. The characters all have their goals, and a few of them are established here. The united Lantern Corps (which from this point forward will be referred to as ULC) want to know who will be the first White Lantern (signs point to Deadman, which means it won't be him). Aquaman, for some reason, is still summoning dead sea creatures, and will have to fight the resurfaced Black Manta. Firestorm can't divide. Martian Manhunter has confusing memories about his past. And the Hawks are looking for the remains of their past lives. It's a lot of things going on, but it's good that the characters have direction beyond "We're back and we'll deal with it". And the artwork is gorgeous. Pencils are traded around by Ivan Reis, Pat Gleason, Ardian Syaf, Scott Clark, and Joe Prado, and it's all great, whether it's tense, bloody, dynamic, or just still and pretty. This looks to be a great series.

OTHER THINGS OF NOTE: Batman and Robin #12 was the closer to the "Batman vs. Robin" arc and one of the things I had to wait to read. It was worth it. It's not confusing or hard to follow as the last few issues and has two of the best villains ever. The first was Talia al Ghul, whose controlling behavior leads her son to be mind controlled (Just in time for Mother's Day!). The other is something of a twist. The identity of Detective Oberon Sexton has been a mystery for a little while, and here it's revealed to be none other than *** *****. No, i'm not telling. Go read it. It's awesome. Grant Morrison kicks ass.

New Ultimates #2 proves that this series is one to be avoided, because that sort of thing really needed confirming. Whereas issue one was just insulting in it's stupidity and treatment of the characters, issue two is downright boring. The women of the Ultimates are being turned evil by Amora the Enchantress who's working for Loki and Thor's coming back and some dumb tish is happening and I don't care about any of it because it's so stupid. It's not even entertaining stupid, it's just stupid stupid. kcuF this series.

Amazing Spider-Man #630. I know i've missed this stuff for a little bit, but i've dived back in and i'm glad. Curt Connors is back as the Lizard (with his animal instincts acting as a sort of DID) and Peter's personal life is complicated and funny. I don't like the new design for the Lizard, but who knows, maybe it's grow on me. We'll see.

And now it's time for the QUOTE OF THE WEEK! This week's quote comes from Batman and Robin #12:

Talia: I'll always love you in my own way. And I will permit you to leave with your circus boy in tow. But from now on, Damian, you are no longer welcome here. You may consider yourself an enemy of the House of al Ghul.
Damian: Very well. I hope I can be a worthy one, mother.

And that's my stuff for this week. Thanks for reading. I'll see you next time.

You Should Be Reading: Scott Pilgrim

Welcome to the first edition of "You Should Be Reading", a semi-regular article about a series that I feel more people should follow. The first, of course, is Scott Pilgrim. Now, I had heard some about the series, but after seeing this, I knew I had to read it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9nS9iDsaj8

Holy tish that's awesome.

The brainchild of writer/artist Bryan Lee O'Malley, Scott Pilgrim tells the story of our titular character. Scott is an average-enough 23-year-old living in Toronto. He is between jobs, he plays bass (adequately) in the band Sex Bob-Omb, and is dating a high-school girl just to have some stability in his life. Everything changes when Scott meets the new girl in town, Ramona Flowers, an American delivery girl working for Amazon.ca. After some awkward moments, the two begin dating. That's when Scott learns about Ramona's baggage: Seven evil ex-boyfriends who will do anything to keep her from dating. Scott must defeat them in order to keep his love life (and actual life) in tact.

While the series starts off as the average life of a comedic character soon becomes action packed madness. Scott's interactions with the League of Ramona's Evil Exes are video-game inspired fight scenes, with unreal physics and powers and over-the-top energy. What's more, the characters take no issue with this happening. Everyone in this world knows how to fight and, fortunately for the reader, most disputes inevitably lead to violence. It's crazy, it's energetic, and it's a whole mess of fun.

The series is full of likeable and funny characters. Besides Scott and Ramona, there's Wallace Wells (Scott's very sarcastic and very gay roommate), Stephen Stills (Sex Bob-Omb's obsessive lead guitarist), Kim Pine (Sex Bob-Omb's bitter and apathetic drummer), Young Neil Nordegraf (Sex Bob-Omb's biggest fan), and Knives Chau (Scott's high-school girlfriend turned stalker). They all have a unique voice and all have their own comedic potential.

Ramona's Evil Exes are as varied and interesting as the main cast, each one with their own powers and abilities. From an Indian who can summon demon hipster chicks, to a skateboarder turned actor, to a rival bassist with vegan psychic powers. Each has their own backstory and each feeds into the plot somehow. And they are all great villains the fit the tone of the story perfectly.

Scott Pilgrim's first five volumes are on shelves now, with the sixth and final volume coming in July. If you're looking for a fun, crazy and thoroughly enjoyable series, I highly recommend these books.

Thanks for reading. I'll see you next time!

4/28/2010

Hello and welcome to Panel-by-Panel: A Weekly Comics Review. This is the first of what I hope to be many entries in this blog, and what better week to start than week 4? See, the fourth week of a month is ususally the heaviest, and April of 2010 is a prime example. Notably, it's a big week for Marvel, which is why nearly all of my sections hilight Marvel titles and characters. So, without further adieu, let's review.

HERO OF THE WEEK: Since Ares's being-torn-in-half in Siege, the question (well, a question) on people's mind is "What's his son going to do about it"? Siege: Secret Warriors answers that question in a story starring Phobos. We open with young Alex Aaron watching the God of War get killed by the Sentry. He recalls a talk they had earlier, where Ares says that if he dies than he will simply come back, but that in the meantime it's Phobos's job to adress his death. This takes Phobos to the White House (He's friends with Nick Fury, he can find a way into the White House), where he demands to see the President. The Secret Service, obviously, doesn't let him, as President Obama is trying to tend to the Asgard situation. Naturally, Phobos's only option is to KILL THE KCUF OUT OF THE SECRET SERVICE until he gets to the President. Seriously, this kid goes psycho on these guys while the President escapes. It ends with Phobos leaving a note to Presdent Obama saying that Ares's death will be answered for.

As a reader of Secret Warriors and Dark Avengers, I've looked forward to seeing what Phobos would do about Ares's death, and this issue did not disappoint. SW writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Alessandro Vitti deliver a crazy, badass, and gritty story that looks beautiful and reads cool. Well done.

VILLAIN OF THE WEEK: The Hood has been noticably absent from Marvel lately, which is weird since, as a member of Norman's Cabal, he has a large stake in what's going on in Siege. In New Avengers #64, he gets a starring role. A flashback shows Parker Robbins's return since getting new powers from Loki and the Norn Stones. It's established in his conversation with Norman Osborn that they are both men of their word, which is why Parker remains loyal to Norman. We cut to the present, where Asgard has come crashing down and the Void towers over the heroes. With Asgard crashing, the Hood has lost the source of his new powers and quickly escapes with his squeeze, Madame Masque, in town. The two arrive at a hotel, where Masque tells Parker that while the Avengers will be hunting him, he needs to do something to prepare.

This is something that hasn't been on my mind, but is still a welcome surprise. As usual, Brian Michael Bendis writes clever dialogue and Stuart Immonen has sharp, dynamic artwork. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens to the Hood.

ISSUE OF THE WEEK: This was a tough one. Seriously, there were a lot of good picks here. After weighing my choices, I had to give it to Secret Warrios #15, just because of the emotion of it. We open with the Secret Warriors (pre-Phobos goes ape-tish) playing poker. Daisy decides that Nick Fury was wrong in firing Druid from the team and decides to demand Fury to rehire her. Meanwhile, Nick himself meets his old flame, Contessa Velentina Allegra de Fontaine, for dinner. We know that the Contessa is an agent of Leviathan and that this is a trap. When Nick arrives, he reveals he knows of her betrayal, and they both reveal they have soldiers pointing guns at each other. Then, Nick delivers a brilliant speech:

"You know, there was a time, when I was younger, that I would have simply looked at a situation like this and made a decision that guaranteed the best possible outcome. I'm sorry, dear...the truth is that I would have had you killed. But, as i've gotten older, I find there are certain things -- about certain people -- that I need to understand...you see, I wonder how much of this is my fault? I have questions like: Were you always a liar...or did I teach you to lie, and now it's just what you do? Contessa...I need answers. 'Cause you've been keepin' secrets, dalin'...and that's somethin' I cannot abide."

The Contessa explains that while she does care for Nick, her ideology and loyalty to Leviathan supercede that. They leave each other, with Nick clearly heartbroken. As he returns to base, Daisy confronts him about Druid, and he shuts her down instantly. And this is the emotion we really see. Nick's been a grizzled old man for the whole series and we love him for it, but it's here that his heartbreak is clear to see and it's so sad.

Again, Jonathan Hickman nails it. All the character moments and voices are spot on. The only part that dipped was the portion with HYDRA, if only because Viper as one of the Hive looks stupid, but that's more the artist's fault. Speaking of which, Stephano Caselli draws amazing stuff here. The emotion is easy to see and even Viper's transformation is cool it's own "Lady with an octopus on her head" kinda way. Great, great stuff.

OTHER THINGS OF NOTE: Ultimate Avengers 2 #1 almost makes up for UA #6 from last week, but not quite. It opens with classic Mark Millar, with the Punisher shooting up gangsters like crazy. This is the same kind of writing we saw in Wanted, Kick-Ass, and Nemesis, just crazy over-the-top violence. Millar also works in making the Ultimates Punisher different from his 616 counterpart: Whereas the old Frank Castle has a code and mercy for some people, this one will kill anybody involved with mobsters, and even take a few to a place dubbed "Baby Guantanamo". The action is really spot-on and artwork from Lenil Francis Yu supports it. I have high hopes for this series.

Green Lantern Corps. #47 shows Oa recovering from the Blackest Night. I'd recap it, but a lot of stuff goes on. Standout character moments involve Vath Sarn, Mogo, Kilowog, Arisia, Salaak, and of course, Guy Gardner and Kyle Rayner. Pat Gleason's artwork kinda falls off here, with facial expressions that just look goofy. Still, it's great fun and I recommend it to anyone who wants a good lanten story.

Cowboy Ninja Viking #5 was the end of the first arc in CNV. It's pretty clear that AJ Lieberman and Riley Rossmo expected this to be a 4-issue story, as this seems very rushed at times. It's got the comedy and charm you'd expect, but moves faster than expected. It ends on a cool note, though, as we meet the new SPP team: Duncan (Cowboy/Ninja/Viking), Ammo (Pirate/Gladiator/Oceanographer), Grear (Sniper/Chef/Samurai), Steed (Hitman/Navy Seal/Roadie), Dr. Sebastian Ghislain (Scientist/Cripple/Baldy), and Sara Nix (Secret Agent/Hot/In over her head). Rossmo's art is still sketchy and a treat to look at and the interplay between the various Triplets is great. Volume 1 is coming out soon and I highly recommend it.

Detective Comics #864 had a strong contendor for VotW. Jeremiah Arkham, former head psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum, was revealed to be the new top gangster in Gotham City, Black Mask, and was thus sent to his own Asylum. He quickly becomes top dog, having something over all of the inmates, and even manipulates Batman when he comes knocking. If the last part of the story made any sense at all, Jerry would have taken it. As it stands, he's just too crazy to be taken seriously.

Mighty Avengers #36 should not be read if you plan on reading Siege #4, because an important plot element is spoiled here. And it's stupid at a lot of parts. C'mon, writer Dan Slott! You're better than this!

And now it's time for QUOTE OF THE WEEK! This week's quote comes from Cowboy Ninja Viking #4:

"So no one in their right mind would look at us and think it was a good idea to have us try to save the world, though if you were looking for a band of ridiculously disturbed but highly effective assassins, who better to start with than a cowboy, ninja, and viking...or a pirate...or gladiator...or oceanographer...a sniper...a chef...hitman...Navy seal...roadie..."

But wait, there's more! As an added bonus, i'm introducing two new segments! As it's the end of the month, i'm going to say who my favorite creatives were of the past four weeks in our first ever writer and artist of the month.

WRITER OF THE MONTH: This one is a tough choice. Folks like Mark Waid, Mark Millar, Jonathan Hickman, Brian Bendis, and Gail Simone were all in the running. In the end, I had to give it to DC's biggest of the big dogs, Geoff Johns. Green Lantern and Brightest Day have proved his talents for writing books with large casts of characters, while Superman: Secret Origin snuck in and hilighted a specific character. However, what really put him over was the Flash, his long-awaited return to writing the Scarlet Speedster, and boy did he deliver, with strong character moments and organic, believable dialogue. He's one of the best out there today, and he shows it off with everything he writes.

ARTIST OF THE MONTH: This one was even tougher than WotM, with big names like Stephano Caselli, Mark Bagley, David Lafuente, Ig Guara, Georges Jeanty, and Scott Kolins all in the mix. In the end, the most memorable was Frances Manapul. Yeah, it's another DC guy, but Manapul's artwork really is breathtaking. It's sketchy, but warm and inviting, and really helps fall in love with the characters. The Flash showed off another side of his work: dynamic actions scenes, which show off the main character's speed and is very kinetic storytelling. He also contributed portraits for The Flash: Secret Origins and Files, which, of course, looked awesome. It's absolutely gorgeous and i'm looking forward to his work on the Flash.

Whew.

And that was my stuff for this week! Next week, i'll be back with another review. Until then, spread the word about the blog. Tell your friends, your enemies, your frenemies, your casual aquaintences, your family, your pets, and anyone else you know. Thanks for reading and i'll see you next week.