Comic Books Issue #2

[Ser Paladin]

Infinite Crisis #7 was a satisfying conclusion. Interesting that the "heirs" to the original heroes are all down at the end. Don't know where they will go with that plot point, but Superboy died last month, Nightwing takes a ferocious beating, and Bart/Impulse/Kid Flash doesn't have powers anymore. Follow that with a year of no Superman, Batman or Wonder Woman (to be explored in 52), and it will be interessting to see the B-Listers in action.

Civil War was also interesting (and had a great line about the New Warriors being D-Listers, making a nice segue from Infinite Crisis). I'm a little upset that Speedball died (apparently), as I enjoyed him in the early 90s in New Warriors. However, it was very fitting that a villain like Nitro is the one to set this off. He's been nuts since the 70s, and was responsible for the original Captain Marvel dying. He should have been more high profile in the intervening years.

Ayway, good set up for what is to come. I feel bad for Reed Richards, though. The other two primary guys on the side of registration are the unstable Hank Pym, and the occassionally unstable Tony Stark.

Annihilation Silver Surfer #2 was enjoyable, as the pace picked up over last month. I'm a mark for space heroes, so Annihilation is hitting me in the sweet spot. This book features the heralds of Galactus getting together, and Thanos starting to manipulate things. Excellent scene with Annihilus commenting to Thanos on the whole Infinity Gauntlet thing. It's like one salesman saying to another "Oh, sorry that big account fell through for you." Very "humanizing," in a way.

[Galactus]

The art of Annihilation: Silver Surfer is terrible though, SS is at his best when he's all "spacey" and shiny, sort of like on the covers. He just loooks grey and boring in the actual comic. Which is sad.

[Ran]

From the first issue, I dug the art quite a bit, but I agree that the color-work could be a fair bit flashier. It was rather washed out and muted. But Arlem channeling Kirby and Buscema in his depiction of the Silver Surfer worked for me pretty well.

[Galactus]

Oh yeah, and Firelord and most notably Stardust looked all wonky.

Civil War #1 was interesting. Loved the Watcher's appearance, and that when Doctor Strange said something like "Are they going to make me a federal employee now?" someone answered "Actually, you're one of the few people they don't plan on covering".... Nobody messes with the Sorcerer Supreme!

[hauberk]

Still haven't managed to pick up my stash from the last couple of months (I subscribe at the store I worked at in College - still get my employee discount). However, I did pop into the local shop this weekend for Free Comic Day. Grabbed the swag (including a reprint of the first issue of Superman/Batman - REALLY liked it - good story, great dichotomy between the characters, good art. Also picked up the giveaway issue of Runaways - couldn't finish it - the art was TERRIBLE) and, because I feel bad about taking their freebies without buying something, picked up Ion #1 and Checkmate #1.

Ion felt terribly disjointed. Granted, I've never been a Kyle Rayner fan. However, it felt whiny, snivelly and overall didn't leave me feeling the least sympathetic toward out 'hero.' It also seemed like a gratuitous use of Torquemada (the mystic GL), though it's nice that they used someone from the previous Corps. I am a bit suspicious about how badly he got his a$$ handed to him given his other abilities. The art was what really caught my attention and not in a good way - my eyes bled.

Checkmate was fun. I really enjoyed the old title so, to me, it's exciting seeing the group relaunch and attempt to shake off the smarm of the past decade (where, in addition to the perversion wrought by Maxwell Lord, there have been a number of jackbooted thug fascist references to the organization). Besides, the knight uniforms were so cool!

The high point of the trip was cleaning the shop out of Heroclix boosters - got 10 boxes (7 DC Icons and 3 Collateral Damage) for $20. Ended up with 2 Uniques!

[Knight of Ashes]

[hauberk]

Forgot that I also picked up Moon Knight #1. I liked it, it was empy calories but I still liked it. The art was superb, the writing was decent (there just wasn't enough of it).

[Galactus]

Just finished a french (Belgian?) album-series/graphic novel by the original title "La Quête de l'Oiseau du Temps" a rather nice somewhat "comedic" Sword-and-Sorcery fantasy series with a very melancholic ending. (Sucks to be Bragon) it was creatued by Le Tendre & Loisel, and I kind of liked it. Had a few interestingly designed opponents, a very weird conclusion and a nice "theme" going through it.

Also, I think, shows that europeans can be a lot less uptight about sex than either the japanese or the americans (As in, it doesen't have to be a big deal with sex or nudity in fiction: It rarely happens in american comics and in manga it's usually very explotative, kind of, french comics seem to be much better at making it not "stand out" as either gratuitous fanservice (which it is, of course, but it doesen't *feel* like it) or trying to avoid it to such a degree it becomes even more noticeable)

[Nephrite]

52 #1 - This was so much better then Infinite Crisis.

Maybe because it had only 6 major characters and only 1 penciller.

And the presence of 3 other writers kept Geoff Johns' "wink-nudge-homage" mentality in check.

Bennet's art is great, maybe the best of his I've seen. Definetly better then the crap he did in Infinite Crisis. Jeez, that looked like he did it while driving on a bus.

As for the story...

SPOILER: Week 1

Ralph Dibney's house got demolished by the Monster Society. Some guys just don't get a break, huh? Well, he's pretty depressed, holds a gun while talking to Fire on the phone, and cries alot.

Fire BTW went back to her '80's style haircut with a complimentary headband.

Sometimes I think everything is reverting to the way it was when Geoff Johns was a kid.

Well, in oher news, Steel (John Henry Irons) is helping out with cleaning up rubble from the big fight in Metropolis, while his cousin is willing to drop that annoying clean-up for a shot at Titans membership.

How about those Titans?

Conner dies 4 days ago, and they're already finding replacements.

Well, She-Steel ain't gonna be one of them cause John Henry deactivated her armor.

He's a badass.

Black Adam takes over Khandaq, and decides to make the world a better place.

Some suicide-bomber tries to blow himself up but, Adam rips his arm of.

He's a badass, too.

Renee Montoya drinks alot.

Booster Gold uses history data from the future to catch badguys, and act as a walking billboard.

He has info that when Superman makes a speach on Superboy's funeral, Supes is gonna announce a new JLA (the greatest one in history), and ask Booster for membership.

But, Superman doesn't show up, and Booster has an episode.

The Question uses the Bat-signal to harrass Renne Montoya.

He's a badass, too.

Ralph Dibney is getting ready to blow his brains, when he gets a message of his cellphone about a message on Sue's tombstone.

Superman #652 - Supes gets his powers back-- well most of them. He can't fly so he just jumps around. Jimmy is happy. A bunch of nobies get their asses handed to them. Johns & Busiek once again use a sledgehammer to show us how important Lois is.

I'm really interested what's the deal with the buzzing in Superman's head, and what's the deal with Luthor, but man is this thing dragging on.

I guess it Geoff Johns' "save all the good stuff for the last freaking page" coming thru again.

Art is good, but it looks a bit rushed. Characters sometimes seem a bit stiff like dolls, and you'd think that Superman is taller then Lois.

[Galactus]

Annihilation: Super-Skrull #2:

Kl'lrt is a badass. Really. He uses his power in ways that would make the FF go green with envy. He's also ruthless as hell.

"You know something? I like you. Actually I don't. I like *hurting* you. In fact, I love it. And you and I could spend a lot of time doing the things I love...."

He also gathers an "army" of prisoners from a Negative Zone prison and gets going.

Ares 04: Zeus is taken out, Ares is stuck fighting the evil japanese god for five years. His son grows up to be all bad-ass. Next issue will have a big fight I think.

Fables 49: Mowgli finally finds Bigby. Whose been shacking up with some woman (named "Tanaraq".... Isn't that some kind of native-american monster?) but is willing to come back after some persuasion.

New X-men 26: Ouch. This one has more of a death-toll than I've seen in a lot of while. Two more New X-men bites it this time (or at least it looks like it.... At least one is very iffy, and with Omega-level Healer around it's not sure they'll stay dead)

Essentially, while the X-men are trying to prevent the Days of Future Past from ever happening, Styrker is trying to *make it* happen. And he's been guided by Nimrod to do so.

She-Hulk 2 #7: Not the best issue in the series, though it *does* kind of look at some of the old Starfox stories in a more modern light....

UXM #473: Lots of meaningless cosmic stuff that *doesen't even make sense* God I hate Claremont's cosmic stuff and that goddamn parrot and everything that goes with it.

[Lord Tarnin Aragoth]

Enjoyed Civil War 1, though I find it toally unbelievable that Captain America would behave as he did. This is a reasonable piece of legislation, legally passed and supported by the American people.

[Galactus]

Well, admittedly Hill pulled her guns on him first.

[Nephrite]

Enjoyed Civil War 1, though I find it toally unbelievable that Captain America would behave as he did. This is a reasonable piece of legislation, legally passed and supported by the American people.

But, the law hasn't been passed yet.

Hill says it wil be passed in a month, but at that moment she has no legal basis to go arresting these people.

So Captain America doesn't need to listen to Hill at all.

Why does she then send soldiers after Cap is a bit illogical, though.

[Nephrite]

Captain America is being set-up to lead the opposing side. It's a clear plot.

Yeah, I just wish Millar actually tried to make the pro-registration side a bit more sympathetic.

Iron Man, Reed Richards, and... that antenna guy with the world's biggest shoulder pads came off as total assholes.

"Yeah, we are futurists. You all shut up cause we know better."

[Galactus]

Yeah, I think they're doing a pretty hammy job of giving the pro-side good arguments.

Even if we are supposed to root for the anti-side.

I just bought/borrowed a whole lot of comics (The NYX TPB, I've read a few issues but never finishied it, the Infinity Gauntlet TPB "Tread Lightly godling, you address Omnipotence!", Annihilation: Super Skrull #2....

And the "comics creators about FF" book (they had the synopsis for the first FF issue and how Stan was talking about how Reed was trying to go to Mars and he put in a small comment "NOTE: At the rate the Communists are progressing in space maybe we ought to make this a flight to the STARS and not just to Mars, because by the time this mag goes on sale the russians might have already gone there." Which I found hilarious

I also borrowed a bunch of comics from Serieteket, eg. A bunch of albums called simply "1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, and so came 1944 and 1945" about life in german-occupied Denmark, as well as a few other things.

[Jaxom 1974]

1. Infinite Crisis #7: A very good ending, spoiled primarily by the need to have been reading the specials and the extras and the various regular issues themselves...If you read just the seven issue series, there's plenty to miss, i.e. Donna Troy and her group and the prison...though I suppose I'll go back and re-read to make sure I'm just not confusing myself...

2. 52 #1: INteresting start. DC had better deliver in the end though.

3. Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes #17: Why am I still reading this? Oh it's interesting enough, but the entire "revision" of Waid and Kitson of the LSH Universe has been leaving me flatter and flatter...

4. Civil War #1: It's a good start, but it feels like a re-tread in some ways. I don't know why, but it does. Marvel needs to deliver this one.

5. Thunderbolts #102: I love Grummet's art. There's an interesting premise here still. But if there's one thing that bothers me, and it's only because I know I don't read every single issue of Marvel out there, it's the reliance on some characters we know were dead. Nighthawk was DEAD! When did he come back? What did I miss? So frustrating...

[Ser Paladin]

1. Infinite Crisis #7: A very good ending, spoiled primarily by the need to have been reading the specials and the extras and the various regular issues themselves...If you read just the seven issue series, there's plenty to miss, i.e. Donna Troy and her group and the prison...though I suppose I'll go back and re-read to make sure I'm just not confusing myself...

Was there a "Donna Troy Special" tie in that I missed? They blew off Alex's finger and that was the end of their arc, I thought. Unless you are talking about Superboy's prison, maybe? I'm still thinking that something must be up with Donna Troy's handpicked team. Animal Man, in space? Ion is gone into his own series, Jade is dead, and Alan Scott (old GL) is in Checkmate now, but everyone else is still MIA.

I really hope they aren't planning on making a new "pantheon" out of them. There are a lot of cosmic level heroes with her, and they are hanging out in the Titans of Myth's old base, and with the GL based heroes gone, they all have "archetypical" powers. Donna has the Zeus level powers, Firestorm for fire, Red Tornado for wind, Shift for earth/elements, Animal Man for... animals. OK, it breaks down with Herald and Bumblebee. Anyway, hanging plot thread for me, unless I did miss something.

[Nephrite]

Was there a "Donna Troy Special" tie in that I missed? They blew off Alex's finger and that was the end of their arc, I thought. Unless you are talking about Superboy's prison, maybe? I'm still thinking that something must be up with Donna Troy's handpicked team. Animal Man, in space? Ion is gone into his own series, Jade is dead, and Alan Scott (old GL) is in Checkmate now, but everyone else is still MIA.

I really hope they aren't planning on making a new "pantheon" out of them. There are a lot of cosmic level heroes with her, and they are hanging out in the Titans of Myth's old base, and with the GL based heroes gone, they all have "archetypical" powers. Donna has the Zeus level powers, Firestorm for fire, Red Tornado for wind, Shift for earth/elements, Animal Man for... animals. OK, it breaks down with Herald and Bumblebee. Anyway, hanging plot thread for me, unless I did miss something.

Donna Troy will be telling the History of DCU in weeks 2-11 of 52.

By Dan Jurgens & Art Thibert.

[Jaxom 1974]

Was there a "Donna Troy Special" tie in that I missed? They blew off Alex's finger and that was the end of their arc, I thought. Unless you are talking about Superboy's prison, maybe? I'm still thinking that something must be up with Donna Troy's handpicked team. Animal Man, in space? Ion is gone into his own series, Jade is dead, and Alan Scott (old GL) is in Checkmate now, but everyone else is still MIA.

It is possible that I missed something...I was referring the the discussion at the end of #7 that sasid something to the effect that Donna had something to do with helping create Superboy's prison...

In any case...maybe I did miss something, I just couldn't remember, what, if anything significant, Donna and her "team" had done during the Crisis. I figured it had to have been in one of the specials I skipped in protest...

[Xanrn]

52#2 was pretty cool.

Lesbian Drunkard Ex-cop in bed with Blonde Chick.

The Question "?"

Then best scene so far, Cassie with her altar to Super-boy. :cry:

X-men 186, odd ending liked it though.

Wolverine : Origins 2 I like this story so far.

Moon Knight 2 , holy shit thats a vicious fight. Go Moonie!

Nova 2, Drax+Nova+Cammi and now Quasar is a damm cool costume = GOOD.