Weekly Comics Review
Better late than never. Oversleeping on comic day when I have a meeting at work means I don’t get my comics til later. I did get them though and read through them and here’s my take on the books. I’m going to start with one I found that I missed before and just picked up this week.
Batman Incorporated #2 – I’m not a big Batman fan but I wanted to see how things unfold with the new “Incorporated” situation following Bruce Wayne’s return. We get to see the first appointment of a new Batman. Who knows how many will eventually be chosen. I can’t see there being a dozen or more Batmans running around for too long. It’s interesting watching the interactions between Batman and Catwoman. That always makes me wonder if things will eventually lead to marriage like it did on Earth 2. I guess only time will tell on that.
And now onto the current stuff…
Age of X Alpha #1 – I stopped reading X-Men a while back. The only X-book I’ve read in a while is New Mutants (see below for that) but I thought I’d see what this was all about. I looked at the book in the comic shop and the first thing I thought was “is there a lead up book I missed?” This book starts in the middle of everything. You get some back story from some o the characters to see how they got to where they are now, but you have no clue how this new world came to be. Hopefully things will make more sense real soon. Right now, you know a little about what’s become of Cyclops, Arcade, Cannonball, Husk, and Wolverine. Those are just small pieces of the puzzle though. Things seem interesting but it would be nice to be able to put each story into context.
Green Arrow #8 – I’ve always been a fan of Green Arrow. The story of the forest is turning out to be interesting. More parts of Galahad’s story come to light. And then there’s appearance of Jason Blood and Etrigan. I’ve always Liked Jason Blood. I thought he made an interesting fit in the JLA when the main team was sent back n time to ancient Atlantis. This is a whole different scene with them though. And then there’s a appearance of another guest star in the last panel that means that next issue should be interesting.
Justice League: Generation Lost #18 – One of the Brightest Day tie-ins, this title seems to be going on forever. To be honest, if I had realized that this was going to drag on as long as it has, I doubt I would have started with it. I’ll probably finish it out though. Maxwell Lord’s return wasn’t one I was particularly enthused about. This whole “no one but the old Justice League can remember Max” thing is growing old along with everyone seeing things not as they are. Overall, the story isn’t bad. It’s just been dragged out for much too long.
Justice Society of America #47 – This issue isn’t much more than a transitional issue. You get a few steps out of each path going on in the current JSA storylines. Mr. Terrific is in a downward slump due to his neural degradation. We all know that somehow this neural damage will somehow get cured as improbably as that seems. This is a comic though. And then there’s Dr. Fate. A new Kent Nelson with his own Inza though he’s not half the man (or hero or magician) as the original. Actually, I really enjoyed Hector Hall as Dr. Fate. The new one doesn’t even compare to him. Hopefully, things will pick up again next issue. I’ve loved the JSA since back in the Earth 2 days. Ever since the split into 2 titles, things haven’t been quite the same though.
New Mutants #21 – I read the original New Mutants title since the Marvel Graphic Novel first appearance through their 100 issue run. When I heard the new title was coming out, I was excited. The current storyline is just ending leading into the Age of X story. The characters as they are scripted now don’t seem to have the heart or personality, Illyana and Doug especially. A few others seem a bit out of character as well. I’ll probably stick with it through the Age of X storyline (if I stick through that) and then I’m dropping it.
Secret Avengers #9 – I used to be a big fan of the Avengers back in the day though recent iterations haven’t fared as well. I’m enjoying the team that’s been brought together here. Steve Rogers, Moon Knight, Beast, Black Widow. All fun characters. The new and annoying Ant-Man may actually not be as irredeemable as his canceled title claimed. The character Prince of Orphans has been interesting too. It’s sort of becoming a cross between the Defenders and the Avengers which I don’t object to. The current Shang-Chi storyline has been going nicely. With one chapter left, I’m looking forward to seeing how they deal with the return of Shang-Chi’s father. The stories around John Steele and Nick Fury’s rogue LMD are both getting quite interesting as well. This title is definitely a keeper.
Teen Titans #91 – This is one title I was about ready to drop before the recent restructuring back to something resembling the old team. Away from the original “New Teen Titans”, Beast Boy has gotten a bit annoying. No matter how bad he gets, he can’t be any worse than Damian though. He jsut joined the team a couple issues ago and I’m already ready for him to leave. The only thing interesting about him is his interaction with Ravager. I’m looking forward to the upcoming crossover with Red Robin though. And hopefully this issues emotional explosion of Raven’s will lead to something interesting in future issues. That and the current relationship issues between Superboy and Wonder Girl were about the only things all that interesting in the issue. (A majority was the issue was just fight scenes continued from last issue.)
Zatanna #9 – Always a fan favorite, it’s been good to see Zatanna get her own title finally. The current story line is kind of interesting. We’ve been seeing a little more of her history and the living dummy that popped up last issue, has me guessing as to what’s going on. It’s always fun when you don’t know whether or not to trust a character. I’m looking forward to seeing more of things about her background characters, especially with the inclusion of a gay character or two. This issue is especially fun with the back-up story of a teenage Zatanna. There is some great comedy in seeing a character whose shtick is vocal end up getting braces. The comedic side of this book really makes me hope that it keeps going for a while.
I’ll have to say my top 3 choices this week go to Green Arrow, Secret Avengers, and Zatanna. If you’re not picking these books up already, do so.
