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This is the fourth Wednesday in October and while that usually means the end of the comic-reading month, not so this month. There is a fifth Wednesday this month so luckily for me and my wallet, the loads have been a little smaller this month. This week the tally looks like this: 1 Wildstorm, 9 Marvels and 13 DC’s. So 23 titles is more than I averaged even a year ago but now, it’s a short week. Let’s get to the comics!
Spoiler Alert
The Main Event
-What If…? Planet Hulk #1- This issue reminds me a lot of some of the earlier What If issues from the late 70’s. This is two tales featuring Planet Hulk, the first being a look at what if Hulk died and Caiera lived. Caiera would go on to destroy Iron Man, Black Bolt, Strange and Reed, destroy half the moon and enslave the Earth. That part wasn’t that great but the second story, one featuring Bruce Banner arriving on the peaceful planet was very cool. He basically battles with the Hulk over how they will live on this planet, with Hulk actually becoming a god of sorts on this new planet as he protects a young race and allows them to evolve. This is the first of a new series of What If’s and was a valiant showing.
-Foolkiller #1- We are introduced to an ex-NFL player who ran into some gambling debts. As a result, his hand is maimed and his wife and young daughter are killed. His oldest is raped and they promise she is next if they do not pay up. The oldest is also saved by a brutal vigilante named Foolkiller, who has been brutally killing criminals all over the city, including politicians. This man seeks out the Foolkiller, and finds him at issues end. This is a very brutal opening story and well deserving of the Max brand. This is gritty, violent, and I await other issues to learn more about the origin of the Foolkiller.
Marvel
-All-New Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Update #4- This tells us all we need to know about all the minor characters you’ve never heard of in the MU. I don’t know why I continue to pay $4.00 for this stuff.
-Annihilation Conquest – Wraith #4- Wraith, Super-Skrull and K’Lrt go after the Kree who plan on unleashing their ultimate weapon, the Supreme Intelligence under Phalanx command. Wraigth goes there and sees his father, who tells him to stop Supremor he must take his soul, which he does. Ronan is now no longer under Phalanx command and wants to kill himself for being a traitor but Wraith convinces him not to, and to lead the rebellion against the Phalanx.
-Marvel Spotlight: Marvel Zombies- Really awesome interview-packed issue here, with all things Zombie related (and for some reason a Magik related interview as well, I guess they had a few extra pages). You get a history of the Zombies, an interview with Kirkman, Philips, and Suydam, as well as an interview with Chris Yost about Magik. The Suydam interview was very interesting, actually.
-Moon Knight #13- This was a tough one to get through. The art was very murky and the writing was just plain boring. Basically, Moon Knight somehow convinces the guy interviewing him to give him credentials as a registered superhero with SHIELD. Blah, blah, blah, other stuff happens and this title has been too confusing and I eagerly await a change in writing and artistic chores.
-She-Hulk #22- Jen Walters is no longer a lawyer but a bounty hunter, someone who tracks down criminals who have jumped bail. She tracks down one called Hi-Lite who is actually the cousin of Absorbing Man. She-Hulk and Absorbing Man throw down and a mini-Titannia enters Jen’s ear and knocks her out. Great start to an arc by Peter David and Jen as bounty hunter should bring some good stories.
-Thunderbolts #117- Len Samson interrogates Penance and seems to have some crazy thoughts before doing so. He tells Penance that he can talk to him and that he can’t hurt him. They seem to share a bond of some sort. Meanwhile, Mindwipe is brought to the prison and there are three other unregistered superhumans who control minds who have dastardly goals for the Thunderbolts. They want to use their mind-control powers to kill them. Norman goes into his desk drawer at the end and finds a Goblin mask in there! Uh-oh! This was a serviceable story, nothing too great but nothing that isn’t enjoyable.
-Ultimate Spider-Man #115- Spider-Man is held captive by Carol Danvers and he doesn’t know why. Since this is a Bendis title, we have about 50 panels of Spider-Man talking to Carol. Kitty sees this on the news and goes to rescue him. She breaks him free but they learn Carol kept Peter there as bait for the Goblin. The Goblin didn’t bite but killed his old lawyer since he’s convinced the lawyer took money from him and goes after the second one when Spidey and Kitty and SHIELD show up to stop him. The issue ends with Peter and the Goblin falling out a window. I enjoyed this and Stuart’s first arc on the title has been going very well so far.
DC
-Action Comics #857- Superman is still on Bizarro World with a whole bunch of crazy stuff going on. Superman saves his dad and wants to leave but Pa Kent convinces Superman he should stay and help out. So Superman stages a fight where Bizarro wins and wins the love of his people, allowing Superman and Pa Kent to go home, having saved Bizarro World. I will miss Powell’s work on the title, but the three-parter was silly at best.
-Blue Beetle #20- The Sinestro War reaches the small town of El Paso, Texas as one of the rings chooses Peacemaker as its holder. This seems to be a scheme by the Reach to have someone on Sinestro’s side and a scarab has been placed on Peacemaker so the Reach can control them. Peacemaker ends up fighting Blue Beetle and Jaime is able to get the ring off of Peacemaker. Peacemaker then takes a knife to his back to get rid of the Scarab. I was expecting a lot more from this, seeing as it tied into the Sinestro Corps War but it was a stand alone story focusing more on Peacemaker than anything. I don’t dig the Reach at all, either.
-Countdown 27- Karate Kid and all end up in Bludhaven with Darkseid looking on, Jason seems to change sides and joins the Monarch and his army, and blasts Donna with a gun to show his loyalty, Forager takes Jimmy Olsen away, Mary Marvel meets the Shadowpact, Holly has to outrun some dogs on the island, and Trickster and Pied Piper release Two-Face from the Suicide Squad then bail. I don’t care for these types of issues where they try to pack so much into it that it gets ridiculous. Previous issues focused on one or two main stories and it read much better than these vignette issues.
-Countdown Special: The Flash- This is a monster collection of four reprinted Flash tales from the late 50's into the mid 60's. Issues 106, 113, 155 and 174 are presented here, all by the team of Broome/Infantino. I haven't read this yet as this is more of a TPB than an actual comic but I'm sure this issues are pretty good. Still, its all reprints and no new material, and the gripe I have with this is that the original covers were not printed.
-Flash #233- The Flash continues to fight the sea-monsters when he’s saved by his kids. The JLA come to help and after all the fighting is done they chide Wally for using his kids in battle. Wally asks Batman how he can say that seeing as he’s had four Robins (ZING!) and he convinces them his kids are safer with him, which everyone agrees to. There’s also a back-up tale where Jay Garrick is teleported to another world in hopes of saving them and is actually a good little story.
-Gotham Underground #1- I guess this is supposed to focus on the underbelly of Gotham but really seems like an excuse for another Batman book. Basically this is Batman going undercover as Matches to spy on the Penguin and his underground railroad to help criminals being rounded up by the Suicide Squad. He has a group of villains he’s about to help when the Suicide Squad show up and take them out, and Bane knocks out Matches. Nightwing and Robin seem to be helping the cops deal with the crime wave in the absence of a crime leader.
-Green Lantern Corps #17- The Corps arrive at Earth and with the ability to use lethal force seem to be turning the tide. They get a distress call to show up at New York City since the Anti-Monitor is there. A bunch of young rookie Lanterns disobey orders and attack Monitor and all are killed except Sodam Yet. He is badly injured but the Oans continue to rewrite the book and make him the new Ion! Looks like he’s ready to kick some Anti-Monitor ass. Great reading again.
-Robin #167- This is a touching tale of Robin battling some baddies and feeling loss everytime a civilian dies and how he remembers his father. This is what makes Robin so great, every issue tells a story and even though they continue you don’t need previous ones to know what is going on. I love Freddie Williams art on the title and the use of Batman, while in other titles may seem forced, never is here.
-Superman #669- Superman finds the third Kryptonian and we are all shocked to find out, it’s a woman in her 60’s? Good one, there. Anyway, she was rogue soldier from Krypton who bolted when science started taking over. She was chased all over the universe since she was a Krypton soldier and finally found love with another Krypton soldier. She lost him, though, when Amalak started killing Kryptons with the goal of wiping them off the face of the Earth. She’s been hiding ever since and found Earth as a way for her to be protected. If Superman, a Krypton, was being so outright in his actions, this Amalak would find him first and give her time to leave. Her thinking is ruined when, after 70 years in continuity, Superman is only discovered by Amalak while he’s with this other Krytpon. Actually the story is interesting and I wonder how powerful they will make Amalak.
-Superman/Batman #41- Batman is still wildly in love with this New God, Bekka, and it could be because of her power. Superman is used by Desaad and Darksied to retrieve a powerful staff from the Source Wall, which he does, and to demonstrate the staff’s power, Superman is sent to the other side of the Source Wall, to his death. Looks like Superman is in trouble. Batman finds a frozen Bekka as well. Nothing too crazy and I don’t really think Superman is dead, seeing as he’s fine in the other 40 titles he’s currently appearing in.
-Tales of the Sinestro Corps: Superman-Prime- This is really just a tale from Superman-Prime’s side of the story. He hates the Anti-Monitor for destroying his world and sided with Sinestro to finally take his shot at the Anti-Monitor. He arrives on Earth, fights a huge amount of heroes (even tearing off Risk’s other arm) but is superpowered at the end of the issue when the sun rises. He is ready to battle the new Lantern’s Ion in a to be continued. I don’t know if it was worth the $4.00 but it was not bad.
-Teen Titans #52- The Teen Titans continue fighting their future versions with some surprising information (Kid Devil killed Blue Beetle) and the Blue Beetle frees the trapped JLA. Somehow Kid Devil, Ravager and Blue Beetle end up in the present (I think) with future Kid Devil to fight the Injustice League. I don’t know if they are in the past, present or future although it’s been entertaining, DC really needs to have what Marvel has, brief introductions in the beginning of the issue to get the readers caught up to speed.
-Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters #2-This isssue details the downfall of Stormy Knight (odd name for a celebrity in peril, eh?) and how she is a drunk and while drunk kills someone in the public eye. She is shunned by everyone and Uncle Sam takes her to his seceret hideout to clean her up. She ends up slitting her wrists at issues end. It seems this version of the mini-series highlights certain members of the team in lieu of telling a story. This issue was much better than last issue, though.
Wildstorm
-Gen13 #13- This is a very touching story showing how Grunge deals with killing last issues villain (in self-defense of course) told through the eyes of Caitlin. Then Gen14 shows up with their “mother” to attack Gen13. Gen13 shows them they could break their programming and this is too much for “mother” to take, as she kills Gen14 and then herself. The Gen13 kids are family now. Very well-written story.
Awards
-Book of the Week- I battled between She-Hulk #22 and Robin #167 as to which one should win honors and in the end I enjoyed Robin #167 just a little bit more. Both stories were great but Robin really struck a chord with me. It shows the personal battle young Tim Drake faces when he goes out at night and how the loss of his father affects him. The appearance of Batman at the end was just excellently done, too. This was an amazing effort by newcomer Brandon Thomas.
-Disappointment of the Week- Moon Knight #13 was easily the worst issue I read this week. It was almost unbearable to get through and I really struggled getting through it. This is a book that eagerly awaits its new direction.
-Cover of the Week- She-Hulk #22 by Mike Deodato was the best cover this week, with She-Hulk literally tearing out of the cover to grab you by the arm. It’s just a really cool cover and the one that stood out the most this week. Sorry Suydam, no two in a row for you.
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