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First off, Happy Labor Day! That officially means the end of summer for teachers who have to go back to work tomorrow. Sigh. Onto your regularly scheduled programming.
Another hefty haul this week as I bought 16 books on Wednesday. That’s a lot and about average for this month, which scares me, since I had 5 Wednesday’s this August and only 4 next month. Uh-oh. My wallet won’t like that and due to the fact I will be starting a new job teaching, I don’t know if I can keep this up! I will try my best, though. Anyway, getting back to the comics, there are 16 books waiting to be written about in this edition. The Civil War delays are really evident now as there are only 5 Marvels this week, 2 of them Civil War related. DDP showed up with 2 titles and DC led the way with 9 books. A Justice League book again will take the head honors with Justice #7 hitting the shelves. Will DC finally be able to break through and be the company of the week? Read on.
---Start Spoiler Warning---
I’ll start with the big boys. Justice #7 came out today and we are at part 7 of the 12-part epic by Ross, Krueger and Braithwaite. I’m shocked as I type this but I found the title a bit underwhelming this time around. The art was stunning but after 6 issues the mini has dragged a bit to this point. I didn’t feel that much was accomplished and not much was set up for the remaining 5 issues. Aquaman is found, most of the super-heroes show up at the Fortress of Solitude to plan out their plan of attack and Shazam and Superman stop Flash from running. Hawkman is on the cover and he and Hawkgirl take out the Brainiac clones quite easily. Also, some of the super-heroes family members and friends are kidnapped. It was not as action packed as previous issues, nor as well-written as previous issues. This will be the start of Volume 2 of the TPB and it’ll start on a low note and hopefully get better as it nears its conclusion.
One of the key characters in Justice is Superman and Superman starred (or co-starred) in three other books this week. First up is Action Comics #642. Action Comics remains on a hot streak as Kurt Busiek is writing some of the best Superman stories of the last decade. Here, a group of giants are stealing US landmarks and when they realize that there are metahumans on the planet, they decide to take them. So they take all the meta’s (including D-listers people haven’t heard of in years) and their powers are neutralized. One aspect of Action Comics that Busiek is adding in is that people don’t know if it is really Superman that has returned OYL. If you remember, when Superman “died,” four people took his place and people aren’t sure if they can trust this is Superman. Anyway, the book concludes with Nightwing, Superman and a group of C-listers trying to stop the power cell that neutralizes their power. Superman takes a big risk to dive into the energy (that could kill him) in enough time to save everyone. A big bombshell was dropped here too, as one of the alien thieves mention there are 3 Kryptonians on Earth. There’s Superman and Supergirl, but who else? Maybe the Connor that Robin has tried to duplicate? Very good issue here. Possible spoiler, but the book mentions the New Flash taking care of something. Does this mean Bart takes the mantle? Next on the list is Superman / Batman #29. This fell a bit on the reading order though I don’t know why. Since it’s been monthly with the new team, it has been very good, better than the stuff written near the end of the Jeph Loeb run (Maximums?). Here Batman confronts Martian Manhunter about his actions last issue by setting him on fire, and someone impersonates Lois Lane to get to Superman. Superman defeats the foe and Green Lantern takes him away but it comes back to bite them in the arse when it is revealed that something has corrupted the Green Lantern rings and none of the Lanterns are acting as normal. This is confirmed when Kilowog shows up at the end (with John Stewart’s ring, which he stole) and it looks like trouble for the dynamic duo. Like I said, being published on time has helped this book. The story is intriguing so far (though how many times can Lanterns go crazy) and the use of obscure villains gives a nod to long-time fans. We see Superman and Batman acting as they should, and having Alfred narrate this story helped fuel that dynamic. I anxiously look forward to the next issue. Finally, there is the Morrison/Quitely team-up on All-Star Superman #5. This issue was a bit of a letdown from the past few issues. It was well-written and drawn, but I didn’t find it as exciting as the previous stand-alone issues. Basically, Clark Kent interviews Lex Luthor before he dies, has an odd encounter with Parasite (who can leach off of Superman’s powers), so Clark has to cover it up as a clumsy oaf (meanwhile he’s saving people) and then learns that Lex Luthor has killed Superman by overloading his powers when he went to the sun in issue #1. Maybe it was the lack of Superman appearing in his suit, or maybe it was that it was a Lex story. It builds up the next issues but since it is bi-monthly I expect something a bit better. I enjoyed the fun, carefree atmosphere of previous issues (like the Jimmy Olsen issue) and this issue lacked it, and it showed.
We’ll take a break from Superman and DC for a while and turn to robots in disguise. Transformers starred in 2 books this week. On one hand is Transformers: Evolutions #3 and on the other hand is G.I. Joe vs. Transformers #5. Both books were pretty darn good. Transformers Evolutions wasn’t quite as good as the first two issues. It was mainly a set up for the battle that is to come between the Autobots and the Decepticons. In this issue, the Decepticons strike a deal with an entrepreneur who promises them money. Tobias, who escaped from the Decepticons last issue, is tracked down and attacked by a Decepticon. He only escapes when Mark Twain saves him. The Decepticons also learn that the Autobots are activated when a human reports seeing a yellow and black train that was Bumblebee. The Decepticons make their way towards New York City and the energy they need to take over the world as the Autobots, with John Henry Irons and crew, are on their tail. It was a good read, though not too much happened that made it as enjoyable as the previous two issues. Still, it was very good. An even better issue was G.I. Joe vs. Transformers as this issue delivered in the finale. It is an all-out battle between the Autobots/Joes and the Decepticons/Cobra. The bad guys are on the brink of victory, especially when Cobra Commander’s mind takes over Serpentor, but the courageousness of Duke stops him and brings the leadership matrix back to the Transformers. They celebrate their victory and mourn the lost as the mini-series ends on a somber note. This was a great mini-series that brought together my two favorite childhood toy and cartoon series. Even if I didn’t love them as much as I did, this was well-written, action-packed, and worth the paper it is printed on. Highly recommended, both the series as a whole and this issue.
The last title we looked at was entitled Art of War and there is a big war brewing in the Marvel Universe. The only thing that can stop this war? Delays. With that joke out of the way I can continue. Civil War: Young Avengers and Runaways #2. The Young Avengers and the Runaways pick up where we left off last issue, with both teams battling. They eventually realize they are fighting in error and should be teaming up and working together. Some of the members even have a chance to bond with each other. Unfortunately, SHIELD has an ace up their sleeves. Maria Hill visits the Cube and gets Noh-Varr to take out the two rogue teams. This Kree super-soldier can track any Skrulls and since the Runaways and Young Avengers both include a Skrull, they are in trouble. Trouble arrives at issues end when Noh-Varr meets both teams. This issue brought along both teams nicely and since the fight between the two teams are out of the way, we can see them team up and see what happens to them in the wake of the Civil War. This has been the best Civil War tie-in mini-series to date. Cable & Deadpool #31 was also a Civil War tie-in and is probably some of the funniest things you’ll read in a long time. Deadpool was hired to take out the heroes who haven’t registered. He finds where they are and they all fight. Deadpool is overwhelmed and tied up while the heroes leave. Cable then comes back for him and they head to the White House so Cable can have some words with the president about the act and so Deadpool can pee. The President orders his men to attack Cable who wards off the attack. Deadpool comes back from the bathroom and orders Deadpool to apprehend Cable dead or alive. These issues are Civil War tie-ins and are probably boosting their sales figures and I hope people who are new to the title can appreciate how great the writing is on this book. Deadpool is one of the funniest, off-beat characters to appear in the MU in a long time. This has been some top-notch writing and Deadpool’s humor are welcomed in a serious matter like the Civil War, and just comic books in general.
Staying with the Marvel U, there were two Hulk related titles this week: Mythos: Hulk and She-Hulk #11. Both titles featured cool cover art, but little else. Mythos Hulk was an uninspired retelling of Hulk #1. Here Bruce is shown to be almost manic-depressive, and crazy to start. Rick Jones was a drunk wandering into the yard, Thunderbolt Ross had planned to have the operation tank so he could get Bruce away from his daughter, whom he was dating, and it pulled everything that was bad about the Hulk movie to make this issue. It was just a sub-par effort the whole way through. If I want a good Hulk origin story, I would just re-read a reprint of #1. She-Hulk was not as bad as her cousin but it was Dan Slott’s most uninspiring work since the relaunch of Vol. 2. Man-Wolf goes crazy, Two-Gun Kid shoots him with a silver bullet, and so Jen brings John to the hospital. Unfortunately, he is an unregistered superhuman so Jen must deal with that as well. Also, we realize what Pug was trying to tell Jen about Starfox. She was still under his spell. It seems that when Andy battled him, he absorbed some of his powers and was unknowingly influencing Jen as well as his flame, Miss Mallory. Andy turns the powers off and Jen realizes she doesn’t really love John, and Mallory walks out on Andy. Man-Wolf even changes at the end to something called Stargod. For some reason, forgetting the panel some two pages ago when Jen realized she didn’t love him, she jumps in his arms when she finds John is alive. He tells her he will whisk her to the far ends of the universe but only if she goes first. Whatever that means. So the marriage was a sham, and the last two to three issues really didn’t amount to anything. The ending was just disjointed as well. Here’s hoping that the series will pick up, but I don’t like where it is going. Keep Jen as a lawyer, keep the silly comic book references. That’s what made the book so fun and enjoyable. There was also a throwaway Marvel title called All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z. I usually try and see how many of the first appearances I can guess and since these are more obscure characters it can get challenging. This month I got 9 out of 45.
We head back to DC for the rest of TPL. We’ll start with 52 Week Seventeen. 52 had a few points furthered. There was Lex Luthor’s superteam that staved off a Kobra attack and the clan talking about it later, and then we focused on our space faring trio. Basically they are in the middle of nowhere and are almost done away with when the Pursuer comes back after them. They are saved when the deadliest man in the world, Lobo, saves them. Starfire goes out to make a deal with him. They need him to get back home and they don’t want Lobo to kill them. Lobo says he’ll help them, after taking off her shirt, and off they go. They also wondered where Red Tornado has been and we find out; he’s in Australia. This was a decent issue overall. It featured the return of Lobo and the mystery of Red Tornado is revealed on the heels of JLA #1. Moving on there is Teen Titans #38. I have enjoyed the Teen Titans since watching the cartoon series (which I have reviewed, as well) and it is the team ending up in Russia in search of Raven. She left a mysterious message to Cyborg while he was inactive and the Titans want to know where she is. They meet up with Red Star and he tells them of an apartment she had in Beijing. They head to the apartment and learn something was stolen from Titans Tower and she has a list of the 20 members who served in the Titans during that time. We then see Raven running from somebody with a book. There was also a scene of someone telling Risk, an old Titan member, that he will join Titans East, or die. This was a compelling issue and the Titans are on a roll with the new team and the past history coming up. It seems that DC has used this month to reveal a lot of what happened during the one year gap.
There are also two DC books that sprung from Brave New World. The Trials of Shazam #1 is the debut of a 12-part mini-series. I didn’t know what to expect from Shazam but boy was I pleasantly surprised. It was gripping from the get-go and the art makes the book. I just found the art to be amazing. It fit the story so well and gave it a gritty yet mystical feel. The story was pretty damn good, too. Shazam has been investigating what is wrong with magic since Infinite Crisis and it leads him to Norway. He basically defeats the enemies (one who looks like a giant frog) but when he tries to turn back into Billy Batson, he can’t. The lightning strikes and he is now a white-haired, white-clad Captain Marvel. The Trials begin next issue, according to the teaser on the bottom. It was just a great story from start to finish and it just pulled me in and wouldn’t let go. Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters #2 also came out this week. I didn’t find it as enjoyable as Shazam but it was still a very good book. Basically, Uncle Sam meets with the government agents (Doll Man, Phantom Lady, The Ray and the Human Bomb). They are there to arrest him but he basically manhandles them without breaking a sweat and convinces him to join his side. They are his new Freedom Fighters. Their first mission is to free Firebrand which they do. They are now on their way to visit the Black Condor. This issue was very good for a number of reasons. I love Daniel Acuna’s artwork and the story has been well-written. You are pulling for Uncle Sam from the get go. There is also a very good scene with Phantom Lady and Firebrand that delves a bit into both of their characters. I would say that this has been one of the better Brave New World mini-series thus far.
There is not much left to talk about. The final title on the agenda is Solo #12, featuring the talents of Brendan McCarthy. I have to say I didn’t enjoy it one bit. It seemed like one big acid trip. I know there are people who like this but I am not one of them. To me, nothing made sense, I didn’t find the art visually satisfying and I seriously almost put the book down and stopped reading it. I finished it, I’m glad I did, but it just wasn’t for me. It was way to avant-garde for me. The worst of the Solo books I have bought thus far.
---End Spoiler Warning---
So there you have it. 16 comics came out this week and I was wholly underwhelmed by the majority of them. Marvel didn’t have a star-spangled week as the 5 comics that came out averaged out to a 2.8, and that’s with the help of the strong Civil War tie-ins. That brings the overall average down to a 3.24. DC fared better, as they didn’t have an overly bad book (besides Solo), just a lot of average to above-average ones. Their average this week is an impressive 3.39 and brings their overall average to a perfect 3. They will win both awards this week as well. Cover of the Week will go to 52 Week Seventeen for Lobo standing over the image that was used on Week 1. I just liked the cover and the throwback to issue #1 and honestly none of the other covers blew me away. Book of the Week was closer, though. Cable/Deadpool almost took it but I’d have to give it to The Trials of Shazam #1. It was a great story with great art and I look forward to the next twelve issues. DDP/IDW came out to a 4 average on two books and that’s their average overall, too. This week would have to go down in the books as semi-disappointing though as there were few books that really blew me away. I hope next week will be better but I don’t know. I don’t see anything from DC that I am really pumped for. Marvel will have Agents of Atlas #2 come out, and I loved the first issue so I look forward to this one. The beloved 1602 will have a third mini-series come out starring the Fantastick Four, and there’s a Spider-Man standalone as well. I guess we can only speculate from here but this week is sort of a wash and forgettable for the most part.
Quick Hits (in reading order):
Justice #7: The heroes need to regroup to stop the attack by the dangerous Legion of Doom. Quality has dropped since the last issue, and it was really just average this time around. 3
All-Star Superman #5: Clark Kent interviews Lex Luthor on the eve of his execution and learns a shocking secret. Average issue with not enough focus on fun or Superman. 3.
Transformers Evolutions #3: Paced slower than the first two issues, the Decepticons continue with their plans while the Autobots team up with some humans. It was still a good read, just not as good as the previous two issues. 3.5.
Mythos Hulk #1: Uninspired and pretty dismal retelling of Hulk’s origin. If they collect the entire Mythos run (there was supposed to be 5 of them), read it there. 1.5.
Action Comics #842: Superman must battle alien thieves collecting Earth artifacts. When their attention turns to collecting meta-humans, Superman must find a way to defeat them. Excellent writing and art make this a winner this week. 4.
52 Week Seventeen: What happens when you are stuck in space with a giant monster following? When you're only hope for salvation is Lobo, what do you do? A good week for 52 that brought us up to date on the space-faring trio. 3.5.
Civil War: Young Avengers & Runaways #2: The two teams meet and battle, but must join forces when an old villain returns. A very good read that combines my two favorite young teams in the best Civil War tie-in mini-series. 4.
Teen Titans #38: The Titans are searching for Raven, who is in turn searching for something. Very good issue that keeps Titans as the premiere super-hero team, at least for now. 4.
She-Hulk #11: Man-Wolf has gone crazy and the true extent of Pug’s revelation to Jen is revealed. A decidedly sub-par issue of what is usually a solid read. Bland writing and inane plot twists make this one to pick up in the trades, when it’s collected with some better issues. 2.
Superman / Batman #29: Superman and Batman must battle foes from the past and are shocked to discover who the real foe is, and that friends are being controlled. Verheiden has built a strong story the last two issues and this issue is a keeper. 4.
G.I. Joe vs. The Transformers #5: The final battle between the good guys and the bad guys concludes here. The Autobots and Joes face the Decepticons, who are on the verge of victory. Action-packed issue that concludes the story beautifully. 4.5.
Cable & Deadpool #31: Deadpool battles some rogue super-heroes then meets with the president. Hilarious Civil War tie-in makes this a winner. 4.5.
The Trials of Shazam #1: Excellent introduction to what should be a great mini-series. Shazam investigates what is wrong with magic since the events of Crisis. 5.
Solo #12: Very avant-garde art that didn’t tickle my fancy. I wouldn’t recommend to anyone, unless I recommended them to stay away. 1.
Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters #2: Uncle Sam is wanted for treason and the government hired meta-humans are there to take him down. Can he convince them to join his side? Very well-written and drawn issue that sets up the rest of the mini-series perfectly. 3.5
All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #8: More Marvel characters are chronicled here. Just buy the trade when it comes out. 2.
Rating Scale:
5 – Must Read
4 – Recommended
3 – Mild Recommendation
2 – Wait for the Trade Paperback
1 – Avoid at all costs
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