Fantastic Four #562

***This review is spoilerish. You've been warned.***

I like Between Stories. You know, the pause in the action, the issue where the characters take a breather in preparation for the next attack or crisis. Fantastic Four #562 is an issue full of Between Stories, and plenty promises to happen.

Of course, it starts with Sue Storm Richards's funeral. The kicker? Sue gives her own eulogy. One thing I don't get about this scene, though, is the fact that everyone seems to assume that the Future Sue in the grave is the Official Future Sue. There may be infinite Alternate Future Sues, branching off from Official 616!Sue, with permanent microscopic tracking devices. (I picture something that looks like a cladogram.) I guess that wouldn't make the mourning any less profound, though. (Imagine, speaking at what is sort of maybe your own funeral. Yikes.)

Okay, I have to move on to the other Between Stories contained within this issue, inasmuch as overthinking Marvel's time travel logic is never a good idea.

Ben is happy (really genuinely happy) for once. Five beautiful (Bryan Hitch deserves his reputation) pages are devoted to this. Can't argue with that. Ben needs all the genuine happiness he can get his mitts on. There promises to be more for him. But where is Alicia in all of this?

Dr. Doom is in jail, and he has a word of warning. Apparently there is a villain coming that gives even Doom chills. Is this something connected to Marvel 1985? I have no idea. I haven't read it. Anyway. Doom gets to be ominous. He's good at that.

Please do not let this be foreshadowing.

Finally -- and I've been recounting this out of order -- there is Valeria's super-genius intellect, which she has just recently revealed to the rest of the family. I like this concept. I like the possibility of a future genius Invisible Girl. And in current continuity, it opens up some interesting possibilities, throwing the "family dynamic" into more than the usual "flux". Also, Franklin is jealous.

Yeah. That can't be good.

The Franklin panel appears about halfway through the magazine, and nothing afterward -- not Doom, not Ben, not Crazy Powerful New Villain -- even comes close to matching the Holy Cow Factor.

Everything in the Millar/Hitch run has been connected so far. I doubt that will change, and I look forward to discovering how, exactly, the Between Stories dovetail into Stories Proper.

Blue Beetle #26

I love Blue Beetle. Every month, without fail, Jaime's adventures make me smile. His family and friends make me smile. He makes me smile. I even like that this latest issue was in Spanish. Well, there's some English, too. The sound-effects are, well, sound-effects, and the "Scarab-speak" is clearly alien. But the bulk of Blue Beetle #26 is definitely something I can't read.

So I open it up for the first time. Actually, my comic is opened the first time by the manager at my LCS, who is curious. I like it when that happens, since the majority of my comics-based conversation occurs online, and I don't even have much of that. So he opens the book, tries reading some of the dialog aloud. He's pretty clearly not fluent. His 'r's, which are difficult in Spanish, don't sound right, but hey. It's fun! I don't try reading aloud. The manager has had two years of high school Spanish to my one. (French was my language of choice in high school. Had four years. I'm not fluent in that, either, but it's easier to pronounce.)

Yes. I can't speak, read, or understand Spanish. The characters' voices don't come alive in my head. So, when I open the book for the second time, I am effectively linguistically immersed. And I have the comforting knowledge that the equivalent of a Spanish phrasebook is tucked in my figurative back pocket. With one hand marking that handy English script, I play. Sometimes I read a page of script first, and then read the Spanish page it corresponds to. Sometimes I read a few pages in succession, Spanish first, then go back and translate before rereading those same pages. That's how I read a good chunk of the battle scene between Blue Beetle and Parasite. I realize, in my reread, that I hadn't been lost the first time through. Clear imagery and cognates probably have something to do with that.

There are quite a few ways, I'd imagine, for a non-Spanish speaker to read Blue Beetle #26. I'm patient enough to read it as a "'Nuff Said" comic, but that could be done. Again, the imagery is clear, and the characters are plenty expressive.

It's also a relatively simple story. It has depth, of course, between the family relationships and Parasite's analysis of Jaime. The Scarab gets to cut loose for once. The fact that Jaime trusts it enough for that says a lot about how he has come into his own as the third Blue Beetle. But nuances aside, I don't think the plot would be hard to follow even without that phrase book. It's a hero versus villain fight, framed by a family gathering, after all.

Actually, now I'm kicking myself for not reading this without a crutch the first time through. Did anyone? If so, how did it work out for you?

At any rate, it's fine Blue Beetle, and the last page, which has no words and needs none, is one of the sweetest things ever. And while I wouldn't want to read Spanish comics every month, this is a great novelty.

Also, it is easier to understand than DC Universe: Zero. That's in English, but the depth immersion is more than I am ready for. Can anyone translate that comic for me?

On 19 September, 2007

It's 11:30 on Friday night, and I am very tired, and do not feel like doing things that are more important such as class work, so it's comics blogging time!

[SPOILER WARNING IS POSSIBLY APPLICABLE.]

This past week, I read Avengers books, including (and limited to)...

...Marvel Adventures: The Avengers #16, in which there is Hawkeye, true to form! Everybody thinks he's a criminal at first, but then he proves them all wrong. He also flirts with Storm and Giant-Girl, with skill that actually comes in handy.

...Avengers Classic #4, in which Captain America joins the Avengers! I like seeing the reprints in brightly colored Kirby glory, but I'm also in this for the back-up stories. And this one, naturally, focuses on Cap, and his reintroduction to life. There is a little fighting, but it is mostly just bittersweet.

...a bunch of story bites contained in...

...Marvel Comics Presents #1, in which there is a cockamamie Spider-Man story that I won't try to describe, though it is amusing; a fluffy Ben Grimm and Alicia vignette; the beginning of the Immonens' Hellcat tale; and two other Chapter Ones that are lost on me. I do not see myself following this title religiously. Will they collect the Hellcat story when it is finished, I wonder?

...Jungle Girl #0, which is all about a buxom, scantily clad woman who hunts giant aquatic beasties for a living. In other words, it's about what you might expect based on the cover. This is not necessarily a bad thing. It is simply what it is. Which is not my cup of tea.

...and a triple helping of Hulk, including...

...World War Hulk #4, World War Hulk: Front Line #4, and Gamma Corps #3, in which there is a lot of smashing. Most of the smashing occurs in the main title (the Illuminati are compelled to smash each other and in front of a crowd of eager onlookers. It is naturally a disturbing, mostly-'splosion issue. Gamma Corps has somewhat less smashing. About half of it is the tragic story of Ryker and his wife (in flashback), and the rest is the Corps versus the Hulk.

Front Line, because it is Front Line, provides the reporters' perspective on war, and gives us some insight into Sally Floyd's family life. The backup stories are more fun (as usual.) "Costume Division: Death of an Android" continues, the murder investigation progresses, and Korg becomes my favorite Warbound alien. Finally, an extremely goofy "What If?" story. But the highlight of Front Line?

It's Earl! Don't go in there, Earl! You risk seriously bad karma points!

And... that was my comics week. Yes indeed...

On 12 September, 2007

[WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD]

So, yes, I am trying once again to keep up this blog. And I apparently get bored writing review-like posts the same way week after week. How do people do that? Last week I was full of thanks. This week -- well, I'm thankful this week, too (I'm always thankful for comic books) -- but this week...

Well, this past week, I read...

...Gen13 #12, in which we learn all about Percival Edmund Chang. Once upon a time, little Percy was a hard-working uber-genius who spoke formally, wore a sailor suit and got himself beat up a lot. Tired of that, he remade himself into Eddie, a slacking uber-genius who talks casual, avoids clothing wherever possible and gets himself beat up a lot. He also absorbs abilities and shows us that Fairchild's super-strength may be somehow connected to her breasts which begs the question: If she were to choose to undergo reduction surgery for whatever reason, would that be like Samson getting his hair trimmed? Anyway, this is always a fun book! It is! (Hopefully, next month there will be an adventure in outer space. There's no way we've seen the last of Doc Tomorrow in this title.) Now say hello to little Percy!


...Welcome to Tranquility #10, in which Tommy consults with Salabal the Jungle Princess who bakes hallucinogenic cookies and takes Tommy on an astral journey, where we learn that the Fountains of Youth are made possible by an evil television dance show host and that there is a key to defeating the zombies (who are still at large.) There is also a backup story in which we learn that the Liberty Snots used to be very like a super-powered Scooby Gang, complete with a cowardly dog whose current whereabouts are unknown. I think. The story involves attacking scarecrows. (There are attack scarecrows in this month's Gen13, too. Go figure.)

...Wonder Girl #1, in which Cassandra Sandsmark fights stray mythical monsters (remnants of that whole "Amazons Attack" thing); the stigma of being an Amazon (see previous parenthetical); and potential romance with Robin in a highly enjoyable, bright, animated style. All this, and a Save the Hydras protest to boot!


...Fantastic Five #5, in which an extra-mutated Franklin Richards leads his team to Doomstadt for a daring rescue attempt, most everybody gets to blow up a Doombot or three, Lyja gets to be armor, and Reed gets to have some sort of extreme mental showdown with Dr. Doom. This has been an entertaining mini-series, and I do hope there will be a sequel.


And that was my comics week of September the 12th!

Thursday Thank Yous

Thank you...

... Dan Slott and Ty Templeton for wrapping up your run on She-Hulk with a sweet goofy story that ties up loose ends without feeling rushed; for redeeming Mallory Book; and for nearly making me cry with awwww. (It is not mean-spirited either, so Kalinara might like it!)

... Rick Burchett, Cliff Rathburn, Andy Troy and Dave Sharpe for stuff like this:


... Gail Simone for Head; Panda; for not making me buy Countdown even though The All New Atom #15 is technically a tie-in; and also, Head.

... Fred Van Lente and Gurihiru for a colorful romp in Latveria; Doombots on spoked wheels; and convenient penpals.

... Brian Reed for writing Aaron Stack after Warren Ellis.

... Warren Ellis for Aaron Stack as we know him today.

... Greg Pak for balance between verbal sparring and general smashing; and Greg, Carlo Pagulayan, Jeffrey Huet, Chris Sotomayor and Joe Caramagna for this:


... Zeb Wells for the whole snake versus mongoose battle in Snakewoman: Tale of the Snake Charmer #3.

Thoughts on 25 April, 2007

Spoiler warning! Just in case, you know?

I picked up seven titles this week, taking place in a total of four universes. One of which is our very own universe! (It still involves super-heroes, though. Go figure.)

Amazons Attack #1

-Is it me, or are the Amazons here as irrational as those in Y: The Last Man? No attempt at diplomacy at all? No warnings? Just... land and start beheading fathers in front of their sons? Aren't these women supposed to be civilized? Good grief.

-Wonder Woman is not going to like this, is she?

Blue Beetle #14

-The supporting cast member of the week is Jaime's mom:

-Guy Gardner is a pretty cool guy, so long as he's not trying to kill you.

-Yay for flightful harmful penguins! With glowing red eyes!

Fantastic Four #545

-Only a couple pages of Reed and Sue, but they're just enough to make you think the two might actually mend things. They've had a major disagreement, but they are mature adults who can handle it.

-Who's watching the kids? Reed and Sue are honeymooning, the active team is in space, Crystal's occupied with a major Inhuman crisis (see Silent War), and Jen is otherwise occupied with S.H.I.E.L.D. So who does that leave? H.E.R.B.I.E.?

-Life support bracelets! Precursors to the PEG units in Fantastic Four: The End?

-Ororo has had experience with cosmic stuff before. Not sure about T'Challa. They're both a little overconfident in dealing with the Silver Surfer though, I think...

Silent War #4

-So the Inhumans are awful. That's not a good way to treat the mentally ill.

-Maria Hill is also awful, but we already knew that.

-Black Bolt can write after all. He just generally chooses not to.

Snake Woman #10

-Yeah, right, Jessica, like prison would keep you safe. Interesting idea, though.

-There's a month missing. What happened then? (And how is Jessica not in prison, given what her detective friend knows about her?)

-And it turns out that Raj is... Raj is.... Well...

Yeah...

The Faithful characterize Jessica as "afflicted," and Harker is becoming slightly sympathetic. (He wants the cycle of violence to end, after all.) These people are twisted, and do want Jessica to die (though Harker wants everyone else to die first), but they're at least about survival. Jessica is about survival. Well, that and revenge. She has trouble controlling that. And Justin, who really is the only sane (maybe) character left at this point, doesn't seem too bothered by what Jessica is capable of... And Raj is just plain evil.

True Story, Swear To God #5

-Tom Beland's take on Spider-Man is freaking adorable. Also, Iron Man and Cap at a hot dog stand. Hee! Ahh, the fantasies associated with NYC...

-And the scene with Letterman? Nice.

Wonder Woman #8

-I'm still trying to decipher Circe's line of reasoning here, but I expect that there really isn't one. Just evil, evil magic.

-Nemesis suddenly seems competent. Except for not seeing through Diana's super-thin disguise. That's traditional though, right?

Thoughts on 18 April, 2007

Only four titles this week, taking place in three universes.

Bizarre New World #1

-Cityscapes and landscapes, 'scapes with both land and city... They are all beautiful in this book.

-Something that is better than caffeine: The sudden manifestation of flight capabilities.

-Paul's visit with his son is heartwarming without being sappy, probably because it's also hilarious.

-Actually, the whole book is funny, in an honest, non-snarky way.

The Brave and the Bold #3

-Batman probably does have a Bat Snowblower back in the Batcave. Right next to the Bat Lawn Tractor and the Bat Weed Wacker.

-Acting to save Lobo's life isn't enough to buy his services. Wow. Now that's being a jerk.

Manhunter #30

-What can I say? Wanted to finish reading this arc, whether or not I read the next one. Also, the cover is sweet.

-Wonder Woman in a Hummer is a good example of good driving evil.

Mighty Avengers #2

-Why does Jan ever have dragonfly wings? I don't understand.


-Bizarre three-way battle. A villain who is sometimes kind of sympathetic versus a twisted villain who is never sympathetic versus a group of heroes who may all be insane... (Should I be rooting for Mole Man here?) Wow.

Thoughts on 11 April, 2007

This week, I read seven titles in about four universes. Or maybe five. I'm not sure about Spider-Man/Fantastic Four. Usual warning about spoilers applies.

Gen 13 #7

-Goofy stand-alone issue involving a scantily-clad Caitlin and dinosaurs. The cover does not lie.

-Caitlin: 1, Smilodon: 0. There's no way raw saber-toothed tiger pelt is sanitary, but if you're stuck in a tropical setting and your current outfit is too warm, you make do, I guess... oO

-I'm not a big fan of game ranches, so the ending made me happy.

Legion of Monsters: Man-Thing #1

-Speaking of happy yet grim endings, Evil Nature-Battling Wetland Hating People: 0, Man-Thing: 1. Yes!

The Loners #1

-There is not much to say about Loners. It turns out that I really don't care about any of these people save Julie Power, if only she weren't all (sort of) grown up and Blonde. She's like Susan Pevensie or something.

newuniversal #5

-Native American shaman. Vision quest complete with a feather, a campfire, and a hawk. Casino. There are so many ways this set-up could have gone wrong, or maybe it does, but at least Emmett Proudhawk is all mysterious in more ways than one.

-The government is awfully quick to dispatch nuclear weapons at newly-minted superhero types. So if you ever develop superpowers, be sure to build a really good bunker before you do anything else.

She-Hulk #17

-Line that annoys me now because I feel like I see it everywhere: "Way ahead of you." It's not just Dan Slott, but it does occur twice in this issue. Egad, stop it! Seriously. It's right up there with "Go limp..." *sigh*

-For some reason I thought Jen had standards. Where did they go? *double sigh*

-I want to hear Rick Jones' "Hulkbusters" song.

-Mal actually defends people she believes are bad and/or evil [insert expletive noun here]. Good grief. As of last issue I was actually feeling some sympathy for the woman. Not so much anymore. Great bar scene, though.

Spider-Man/Fantastic Four #1

-Impossible Man can be fun in small doses. Overdoses have side-effects of annoying. Which is probably the point. Actually, he kind of reminds me of Jim Carrey. You know. Guy with an extremely flexible face who is much easier to take in slightly serious roles.

-Very nice prank on Ben's part. Not to be performed on somebody who can't fly, though.

Wonder Woman #7

-Well, that was an angsty yet anti-climactic rescue.

-Does Nemesis actually get treated for fleas, or is the bottle just sitting there?

-I like the Villains and Vixens Bar concept. Especially in contrast with "The Bar With No Name" (see She-Hulk #17). Not sure which is better. The bar with loser villains or the bar with losers who want to be villains?

Thoughts on 4 April, 2007

Hmm. I do like this format. Less labor-intensive than writing actual coherent paragraphs, and the content is really about the same! There may be spoilers, so be warned.

Eight titles and five universes this week...

The All-New Atom #10

-The first few pages are a flashback (i.e., no zombies), and reminded me about how bad my memory is. This is not due to the story (which eventually I did remember from March), so much as the narration, which told me where I went wrong on my geography quiz last week.

-Ryan has an incredibly loving and thoughtful father. (Please don't kill him, Gail!) His panels and dialogue overshadow the flirting and zombie fights that make up the rest of the book. Others will disagree, inasmuch as there are zombies, but hey, bring it on. I'm still half sick of zombies after that Ultimate Fantastic Four story.

Avengers: The Initiative #1

-Happy accidents: "What God intended." Heh.

-So things in Iraq could be worse, if we had Hydra in real life and they set up shop in Baghdad. (What's a little Civil War aftermath story without a little politics, eh?)

-Why do Marvel civilians call their super-heroes "capes?" Honest question here.

-For a while there I thought Southpaw had adopted a new identity. Don't know why. Armory's energy is the wrong color. Still, her attitude kind of fits.

-Trauma really should listen to Gauntlet and change his name to Emo Boy. Much catchier. Yep. Also, while his power is disturbing, it has nothing on Robbie Baldwin's. It really doesn't.

-Poor Cloud 9.

Hulk and Power Pack #2 (of 4)

-Power Pack isn't limited to loser villains? Cool.

-Ad juxtaposition: On a left page, we see a well-adjusted (sort of) and cheerful Marvel Adventures Hulk preparing to put the smash-down on Zzzax. To the right of said page, we see an ad with an angry warbound 616 Hulk preparing to put the smash-down on Earth. Rainbows and fun versus fire and 'splosions. Interesting.

-From the "Mini Marvels" short, we learn that Devil Dinosaur makes a bad babysitter:


Edit: See Chris's Invincible Shopping List...

Incredible Hulk #105

-BOOM! Earth is so screwed... This is not a shock to anyone who has seen the ads (see above) of course, but still... Wow.

Ms. Marvel #14

-Carol feels guilt. A lot. Nothing new there.

-The Carpenter child custody hearing would be an interesting story in and of itself.

-AIM. DNA bomb. MODOK.

Painkiller Jane #0

-Skeevy tattoo parlors are a bad place to hang out unless you are an undercover cop with super healing powers. And even then...

Runaways #25

-Creepiest recap pages I've ever read.

-Joss Whedon really is a natural on this book. Characters on the wrong side of the law, trying to do good and stay alive all the same (not necessarily in that order). Dealing with unsavory crime bosses. Robberies gone terribly wrong, ending in explosions and possible death. A resident pilot who likes dinosaurs...

Um. Geez. He's written this before, hasn't he? There are aliens involved this time, though.

Welcome to Tranquility #5

-Is there a new mystery here, or has my memory failed me yet again? Something different about the water in Tranquility? Interesting...

-I like Mangacide's (I think that's her name) power. Not sure what it does, exactly, but lines like "Medi-shock horror image mirror!" are certainly welcome, even if (or maybe because) they sound like something out of Nextwave.

-Dr. Hate redeemed? There's something about an evil old skull-headed guy with a black eye and an IV looking contrite...

Thoughts on 28 March, 2007

(Yes, I do have thoughts once in a while. They are not necessarily original, but they are there. This format is not original, either. Everybody does this sooner or later. I am a sheep and that's nothing to be ashamed of! I hope.)

Anyway... Six comics this week, taking place in a total of four universes.

Blue Beetle #13

-This issue would make a great jumping-on point for people.

-Two pencillers. I didn't notice until I really read the credits. Actually, I didn't actually notice afterwards.

-Is the Justice League really cool with evil money-worshiping aliens? (The Justice League has a Green Lantern, right?) Is The Reach really, as Jaime says, that smooth?

Fantastic Four #544

-In what issue of Black Panther does Ororo beat up on Clor? I want to see that.

-T'Challa intimidates Tony Stark. Very nice. The Batman Effect is alive and well.

-Is this the first time capes have been worn in the Fantastic Four? Just wondering.

Silent War #3

-So Pietro is a completely irredeemably evil creep. Sad.

-Speaking of, I'm having trouble getting my head around Pietro's time travel methods. For some reason, longer jumps are easier to grasp.

-Note to self: Read X-Factor some day. Layla Miller is interesting. She's creepy in her own special way (and looks even creepier through Luna's eyes), but she lacks the evil. Maybe.

-Is madness infectious?

Snake Woman #9

-I actually like the cover this month. Definitely an improvement over the past few.

-If any characters ultimately survive this title, I will be shocked.

-This title's sole non-creepy characters are actually police. One detective in particular gives Jessica some perspective: A job doesn't have to be or define a person. Sometimes, when a job is ugly, a person can dissociate themselves from it. Jessica, unfortunately, has been letting the serpent define her. Does she realize this? Would it be better if she doesn't?

-If Raj is really one of the Faithful, he has to be one of the smartest. He does not wear the seal that triggers Jessica's transformation. (The seal is the trigger, Jessica is the gun, and the Snake Woman is a bullet that has yet to miss.)

-What the heck is Harker eating that's alive? Do we really want to know? Ew.

Ultimate Fantastic Four #40

-Switching between Scott Kolins and Mark Brooks every so many pages is slightly odd, but not too disorienting.

-There's a four-page ad for the 616 Fantastic Four. This sort of ad is always annoying, but at least this one is logically placed.

-Correct me if I'm wrong, but Ultimate Diablo could probably kick 616 Diablo's arse. Or would, you know, if they met. Regular Diablo needs potions. Ultimate Diablo has a magical eye, a better costume, and disturbing control over the classical elements. Both versions are tied when it comes to the 'stache.

-If your group wears colorful costumes, have strange abilities and otherwise looks outlandish, disguise your operation as a traveling circus. It might work for a few minutes. Just don't expect to enjoy it:

Wonder Woman #6

-A super-hero theme park. In context, that's just odd. (Also, green popcorn looks unappetizing.)

-The Super Real characters could totally take Maxi-Man.

-How long, exactly, has Diana been participating in human society? Does she really not get turnstiles?

Hulk and Power Pack

Some team-ups just seem completely natural, and Hulk and Power Pack is one of them. Assuming Banner sticks with transforming into the childlike savage Hulk, and not Mr. Fixit, anyway.

In this first issue, he does. Hulk and Power Pack #1 is a bright and inviting cartoon, and was especially appealing in an otherwise dark post-Civil War week. Power Pack battles loser villains while cracking all the required Hulk jokes and making it clear that, yes, they are kids. Smart kids, sure, but Jack in particular is obsessed with his hand-held video game, a running gag from beginning to end.

As for Bruce, he's in surprisingly good spirits. Why not? He's off to meet up with James Power, do some sciency things, and his super-powered colleagues aren't actively shooting him off into space. Live is pretty good, considering, but naturally the Hulk puts in an appearance too, and gets to smash a not-so-loser villain of his own.

The whole thing, being a kids' book, is fun and lacks in any real Hulk-related angst. Between that, and the bonus Mini Marvels story... If this ends up in Digest format, it'll make a great gift for one of my younger cousins.

Holy Low-Stakes Bet, Batman!

A while back, Kalinara and I were discussing Heroes over the world's most evil instant messaging service (AIM) and for some reason decided to make a bet on Zach's sexual orientation.

The Terms: Is Zach gay? I said he wasn't, Kalinara said he was.

The Stakes: The loser was to choose and review a book from the winner's pull list. The book was not be one that loser would normally pick up, and the review was to be at least 300 words in length. If Zach turned out to be bisexual, we would both lose. And we had an end-of-January deadline. I assumed that this meant January, 2007. (I'm flexible, though.)

The Outcome: The character was originally conceived to be gay. The network decided to make Zach straight, instead. We both won, but we also both lost, and in this case, losing seemed like more fun. Well, it did to me. Kalinara apparently agreed.

The Choice: I looked over Kalinara's pull list. (Hers is heavily weighted towards DC, mine towards Marvel. Not much overlap, which is helpful when it comes to stuff like this.) I'd already tried quite a few of the titles. A few others were coming out on January 31st, which really messes with the deadline, since I (originally) wanted to pick up a "fresh" comic for this exercise. That narrowed it down quite a bit. Seeing as how I'd never read a Batman comic (assuming that Catwoman doesn't count), Robin #158 seemed like a good bet. Well, it did until I read the solicits and realized that issue would be the second half of a two-issue story. But I stuck with the chosen title, and went with the first part of the story: Robin #157

Anyway... The Review:

I went into this knowing next to nothing about this or any Robin. Now I know that this particular Robin's name is Tim, and that he goes to high school. (I know he goes to high school because there’s a scene there during which he placates an angry girlfriend. He’s good at talking to girls. And keeping secrets. Guess that’s a DC thing.) Tim looks young for a high schooler, some how, but maybe that's more the art than anything. Or maybe Tim is just gifted (with more than the ladies) and talented. That would make sense. Why a gifted and talented youth would feel the need to rescue a cat from a tree, I don't know, but it makes for a fun story. This cat is a big orange furball with a lot of attitude and a big Cheshire grin. His scene with Alfred is priceless; clearly the good butler is not a fan of animals. Non-bat animals, anyway. (Where's Selina Kyle when you need her, huh? Or Holly or whoever?)

Right. The initial mission, being kind of lame (and Robin does acknowledge that it's kind of lame, though not in those exact words), explodes into something a great deal bigger. The mysterious cat leads Robin to dead pushers, disturbingly huge footprints, and various other damage, all of which suggests that there is a large, dangerous creature loose in Gotham City. (How often does Gotham have to deal with stuff like that?)

Naturally, a big fight ensues. Robin versus an angry dragon, and Robin is the underdog. This being a two-part story, a lizard remains at large, and a character I know even less about than Robin appears. Kid with blue skin, pointy ears, horns and way too much eye makeup. Goes by the name of Klarion, according to the cover. (What is it about guest stars showing up on the last page?)

Yeah, it’s a fun comic, and while I probably won’t continue to read the title (if only because my pull list needs trimming), I will at least be reading one more issue.

On 20 December, 2006

--Warning: Spoilers ahead--

Quick Tally: 1 universe, 9 books, 3 themes.

1. Big Fellas in Flight.

So Ben Grimm goes to Paris, and hassles aside, he does get to carry his toothpaste. He arrives; hooks up with an eclectic group of Parisian heroes; embarks on an underground adventure (think the Gallic version of Mole Man); and picks up a new battle cry. "Il est temps de battre!" It's a bit of old school fun, a far cry from the drama across the pond. Ben's pleased with that, and I like it, too. I also like that the French people get some respect for once (They fight! And they win the fight! With a little help from an American, sure, but let's not overthink it.). I like that the Eiffel tower isn't in every panel, and that the accents aren't overdone. Yes, Ben's flight in Fantastic Four #541 is a positive one.

The same cannot, unfortunately, be said for Awesome Andy as of She-Hulk #14. Andy trudges through the story of his life. His origin, emancipation, and heartbreak are all presented here, in Andy's own voice. Star-crossed by Starfox and scorned by Mallory Book, the big gray android literally flies into the wild blue yonder, hoping to find himself there. Ohhh, Andy.

2. Women in Alternate Lives.

In Ms. Marvel #10, Carol discovers that the psychotic version of herself travels from universe to universe killing Rogues. And other Carols. Not the best of revelations, certainly. Of course, 616 Carol must stop Psycho Carol. Even with the help of 616 Beast and 616 Rogue, this is a tricky, given that evil Warbird is powerful crazy. Standard doppelganger fare, I suppose. It seems the problem with facing an evil twin is that sometimes you sort of recognize yourself. Not a good feeling. Through the course of her escapade, Carol discovers that she's not a bad superhero (like evil Warbird), but that maybe, just maybe, she's not as good a person as she thought. So now she has a different, perhaps heavier, load of insecurities to deal with. And that's probably a step in the right direction. She has the skills; she needs strength of character.

You know who isn't facing herself though? Wanda Maximoff. The not-so-late Clint Barton sets off to find his sometime killer in New Avengers #26. He wants closure, you see, and well, it doesn't seem like he'll get it. Wanda just isn't herself anymore. No need to upset her with a past she doesn't remember. She's living her own alternate life in the bliss of ignorance. And maybe that's better for everyone. Except maybe Clint, who doesn't know how to leave well enough alone. Not sure about the story, but the art is exceptionally pretty.

3. Beating Up on Iron Man.

I've rather had my fill of Tony Stark this week. The man's a twit. But he takes a lot of blows, physically and psychologically, and that helps. Here's a rundown:

-New Avengers: Illuminati #1 -- Tony (along with the rest of the team) is captured and tortured by Skrulls.

-Civil War: War Crimes #1 -- The Kingpin outsmarts Tony. Tony captures a lot of supervillains, which is certainly a good thing, but that doesn't change the fact that, well, Iron Man gets played for once.

-Iron Man/Captain America: Casualties of War #1 -- Iron Man and Cap meet at the Avengers Mansion (what's left of it) to talk. Naturally, they end up fighting, and Cap proves that he's better than Tony at hand-to-hand combat.

-Iron Man #14 -- Iron Man and Captain America meet at Yankee Stadium for a parley. They end up fighting, and Cap has backup. Tony takes hits from Captain America, Luke Cage and (I think) Ultra Girl. Later he gets smacked by Sue Storm.

No wonder Tony looks so haggard in Front Line...

On 4 October, 2006

I bought a copy of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Overcoming Procrastination about five years ago, and it's been collecting dust on my bookshelf ever since. (Clearly, it hasn't helped.) Well, this blog is starting to collect dust, too, but it's a beautiful new month, and a good time for a fresh start. Stale reviews can come later...*

Reading music: KT Tunstall: Eye to the Telescope

--Warning: Spoilers ahead--

DC

The All-New Atom #4: Dr. Ryan Choi is growing. Not literally so much, because apparently abrupt size-changing is difficult for him even though mass, weight, and density changing are easy. But he's growing just the same as he continues to learn the art of superheroics. Much of that learning this issue occurs in the mouth and, later, stomach of a 30-foot naked woman. Anyway, Ryan escapes, makes with the banter, and sees his reflection in the mirror. Well, he sees his reflection, but I think he's also starting to see some of his predecessor in himself. And he starts to learn about the sacrifices a superhero has to make. He also kicks butt. Gotta love seeing an effective size-changer!

I really wanted to go all A.P. English on this one, but, well, the procrastination thing. Maybe next month...

Do I Know What I Just Read? Yes.
Do I Care? Yes!

Marvel

Amazing Spider-Girl #0: Adjectiveless Spider-Girl is a series I didn't follow, but here's a nifty scrapbook/diary that tells me the trades are something to add to the ol' Amazon wishlist. If it's any indication, anyway. Meanwhile, I won't be totally lost when I try the first issue of Amazing in a couple weeks. I shouldn't be lost anyway, with a #1, but references can still come in handy.

Do I Know What I Just Read? Yes.
Do I Care? The jury's out 'til the actual story starts.

Dr. Strange: The Oath #1: I don't know much about Dr. Strange, but Vaughan introduces him in a way that touches upon all aspects of Strange's name. Most of what I've read of the character seems to focus the "Strange" aspect, and of course there's still an emphasis on that in The Oath, but Stephen is also trained as a medical doctor. That's not lost here. As a wounded Dr. Strange watches the Night Nurse patch up his body, he watches her work with a critical eye and proves once again that doctors make the worst patients. (To be fair, he also praises her suturing skills.)

Of course, while he's lying on the table he's also floating above it in astral form. Both Dr. Strange and Wong relate how Dr. Strange came by his gunshot wound. Wong, the faithful assistant, has been hiding a medical illness from his master: An inoperable brain cancer. Of course, the good doctor finds out about this and isn't about to lose Wong to some terrestrial disease. Can't cure it scientifically? Well, if you're Dr. Strange, you try to cure it metaphysically, even if that means stealing magical elixer from an extra-dimensional demon. And if that elixer happens to be the cure for cancer, people will come after it. This series plays on a fantasy I can totally get behind, and it's well-written, too.

Do I Know What I Just Read? Yes
Do I Care? Yes

Fantastic Four #540: Sue leaves Reed. She also leaves Reed with an estimated $789,000 of damages as she slams the figurative door on the way out, and it's surprisingly hard to blame her. Better that she takes her wrath out on an innocent building than her (soon-to-be ex?) husband, right? Well, maybe. Reed continues to be a twit, telling himself to "focus on the numbers" and wondering whether if that isn't what he's always done.

I don't think it is. Isn't one of Reed's past strengths the ability to look at the big picture? To create a big picture out of disparate concepts, to link things? If so then, no, he hasn't always had numerical tunnel vision. I'm sorry. No. Sue's right, he's not the man she married. And she's probably right to leave at this point, but jeez. (Also, is she the woman he married? Leaving the kids like that? Sue, what is wrong with you?) It's still kind of sad. *sigh*

Do I Know What I Just Read? Yes.
Do I Care? Yes. *wistful sigh*

The Irredeemable Ant-Man #1: This is a slow read with lots of little panels and lots of dialogue. I'd be okay with that, but it doesn't do much for the humor. I guess I just expected more of the bad heroism and less of the low-level SHIELD agent sitcom. I want to love Ant-Man, but this just isn't doing it.

Do I Know What I Just Read? For the most part.
Do I Care? Not really.

Marvel Team-Up #25: This is not a series I've been following, though I did pick up three key Titannus issues some months back, so I wasn't totally lost. In fact, this was a nifty conclusion to that story. Dr. Strange summons a whole bunch of heroes to tackle the problem of a mindless Titannus who is trashing Baltimore. Warbird is playing pool with Luke Cage when Strange's astral form appears. Captain America is playing solitaire. Spider-Man is out being nostalgic about his old costume. Wolverine is fighting with Deadpool. And She-Hulk is in bed with her husband. Dr. Strange doesn't even give her time to get dressed. (Jerk.)

So, anyway, they team up, (sort of) help defeat Titannus, and conclude the series. Also, there's a gag involving Speedball being an idiot in the future. Not the Stamford future, an alternate future. Guess I might pick this up in trades...

Do I Know What I Just Read? Yes
Do I Care? Yeah

Week's most memorable moment: Dr. Strange and Night Nurse discuss fetishes in Dr. Strange: The Oath #1.



Tentative checklist for 11 October, 2006
(**Indicates a title I've preordered.)
**Civil War: Front Line #7
Gen 13 #1
Ultimate Power #1 -- Hmm... On the one hand, this involves the Ultimate Fantastic Four (Yay!), but on the other, it's pencilled by Greg Land (Nay!). Decisions, decisions...

*Later: A procrastinator's favorite word.

On 7 September, 2006

Reading music: Dusk Till Dawn: The Best of Capercaillie

--Warning: Spoilers ahead--

DC

The All-New Atom #3: The greatest philosophers have, as a general rule, been philosophers, haven't they? I suppose it's fitting that Dr. Ryan Choi, also (supposedly) a great scientist, finds himself in the age-old war between science and faith. In this particular conflict, Ryan finds himself on neither side. On the side of reason (sort of) are the strange creatures with perplexing grammar; and on the other is M'Nagalah, a vile sewer-dwelling Cancer God who has brainwashed many an Ivy Town resident. Naturally, Ryan is fighting both factions. (And he has an arch-nemesis lurking in the background, no less). While he trusts in empirical science ("I believe in reason. I believe in science," Ryan insists to M'Nagalah), he is certainly open-minded enough to accept certain unbelievable things, such as the fact that a monster can live in the sewer and convince otherwise intelligent people to worship it and dress oddly besides.

So Ryan is in the middle. He's on that bridge between science and religion. He is a philosopher, of sorts, or at least he could be. Now, if only he can save that town...

Do I Know What I Just Read? Yes
Do I Care? Yes

Marvel

Marvel 1602: Fantastick Four #1: The Fantastick Four, strangely enough, doesn't appear much in this issue. Six pages involve Grimm (mostly in disguise), and the the very last page is devoted to Reed and Susan. John does not appear at all. Instead, Fantastick Four tells the story of the Most Frightful Four (here it's the Wizard, Sandman, Trapster and Medusa), their battle at sea, their discovery at the end of the world, and their eventual alliance with Count Otto Von Doom.

The language is archaic, but only just enough to give it the proper Shakespearean flavor, I think. I'm sure it's not perfect, but it's not painful to read, either, and that's what really matters here, isn't it? And, hey, it's a fun set-up issue, even if the Four are a bit lacking.

Do I Know What I Just Read? Yes
Do I Care? Kind of

Virgin

Snake Woman #2: Jessica's reptilian side comes out in full force, with lots of hissing, eye-color-changing, strange cold flirting with Raj, and raw bacon eating. Needless to say, Jessica is confused and scared by the whole thing. The mysterious Brinkley describes her well:

Changed inside, from the serpent's glare
No longer small, nor kind, nor fair
But I'll protect my maiden, though she wishes me ill.
Now that the snake has made her first kill...

Jessica isn't the only one dealing with a dual identity. The major players here are all (I think) souls reincarnated who know a surprising amount about their past lives. Harker, the key villain (or one of them) embraces his, and knows how to awaken, what, ancestral memories(?), in others. And, of course, there is the enigma that is Brinkley. Maybe Jessica's human instincts just aren't that good. Jessica maybe be Brinkley's "maiden," but Brinkley is also 68 (whatever that means), and who is Snake Woman to him? This is one heck of a mystery, and it probably deserves a longer, more in depth analysis. There's quite a bit packed into this little comic...

Do I Know What I Just Read? Yes
Do I Care? Yes

Week's most memorable moment: This panel, from All-New Atom #3, should speak for itself.



Tentative checklist for 13 September, 2006
(*Indicates a title I've preordered.)
Civil War Files #1
*Ms. Marvel #7
Wasteland #3

On 2 August, 2006

Still catching up...

Reading music: Riverdance: Music from the Show

--Warning: Spoilers ahead--

DC

The All-New Atom #2: Well, okay, I kind of wish this issue had an essay question to answer, like the last one, but the Scientific Method theme makes up for it. It's as though, for Ryan, becoming The Atom is a grand experiment. At least, he wants it to be as he tests ants as a means of transportation and the parameters of the size-changing ability. He observes the powers, tests them, and sketches atomic fire rockets on napkins whilst eating "Chinese" food. The scientific method doesn't quite line up with the process Ryan is going through, I don't think, but maybe it's not really supposed to. After all, Ryan soon dons brightly-colored spandex and dashes off to learn the life-or-death science of superheroics. And that requires a different method altogether.

Do I Know What I Just Read? Yes.
Do I Care? Yes.

Image

Doll and Creature #4: With macabre political commentary (sort of), and lots of 'splosions, the wonderfully morbidly amusing Doll & Creature concludes. I hope there will be a sequel.

Do I Know What I Just Read? Yes.
Do I Care? Yes.

Liberty Meadows #37: Comic strips don't get much more juvenile than this without losing the funny, do they?

Do I Know What I Just Read? Sure...
Do I Care? Kinda.

Marvel

Fantastic Four #539 is, of course, a Civil War zone. This one focuses on Ben and his home street. Thinker and Puppet Master team up yet again to lay a complex trap for the opposing superhero strike teams. As the villains work to light a fuse on Yancy Street, they discuss their anger management issues and mutual hatred of the Fantastic Four. Stuff naturally goes sour, pushing Ben over the edge and out of the fight entirely.

Note: Sue, Johnny, and Reed are conspicuously absent here.

Do I Know What I Just Read? Yes.
Do I Care? Yes.

On 23 August, 2006

Okay, this is just unusual. Not much of interest from Marvel this week. Go figure.

Reading music: Riverdance: Music from the Show

--Warning: Spoilers ahead--

DC

Blue Beetle #6: Blue Beetle and the Posse take the good fight to a metahuman compound that rings of the 198 prison camp over on Earth-616.

But there are two characters I feel like I ought to know. There's the burly tattooed fella on the red motorcycle, and there's the mysterious Dr. Strange type who keeps popping up out of thin air. Who are those guys?

Do I Know What I Just Read? Yes. Mostly.
Do I Care? Yes.

Justice League of America #1: I have seen that first page floating around the blogosphere for what seems like months and, well... It's even weirder in print, and it is not comfortable. Maybe discomfort is what they were going for, but... Geez, it's weird.

Of all the stories here, Red Tornado was the most touching. Diana, Clark and Bruce voting on JLA members was entertaining, too. As for the rest, I have no clue. Eh.

Do I Know What I Just Read? Generally speaking, yes.
Do I Care? Not really, no.

Wonder Woman #2: I like that Diana is this woman confused about what her role in life ought to be. Very existential and very human, that. I like that, on top of the "Who am I?" stuff, she's managing the whole big sister/mentor role by watching over the two women replacing her as Wonder Woman, and she's maintaining a new job as a government agent.

I am going to posit that it is taking both Donna and Cassie to replace Diana as Wonder Woman, but that may be as shaky as Diana's secret identity, seeing as it's based primarily on this one comic. (I had no idea there even was a Wonder Girl.) Oh, and Kingdom Come. At any rate, in Kingdom Come, Diana is characterized as having two roles, right? That of a warrior, and that of a teacher/peacemaker... Something like that. (I can't believe I'm writing this. I shall probably be smote by the collective feminist comics blogosphere or something.) At any rate, in Wonder Woman, Donna (in the middle of a battle) calls herself a "kinder, gentler Wonder Woman." That's probably kind of tongue-in-cheek, but however it's meant, Donna still shows she has a sense of humor. Meanwhile, Cassie displays a quick temper and a less-than-forgiving nature. Are the attitudes of Donna and Cassie sort of representative of what Diana has to balance within herself?

Or not. It's a very fun, very pretty book though.

Do I Know What I Just Read? Yes.
Do I Care? Kind of.

IDW Publishing

Supermarket #4 (of 4): The relationship between the two families (the Yakuza and the Swedes) is a bit confusing. A fake rivalry that disguises an alliance?

At any rate, whatever the deal is with the organized criminals, Supermarket #4 is an unexpected but strangely satisfying conclusion to Pella's story, complete with a great car chase and surprisingly little bloodshed.

Do I Know What I Just Read? Yes
Do I Care? Yes

Image

Elephantmen #2: "Shock Crock!" A Howard Stern parody interviews Crocodileman Elijah Delaney. There is goofy banter, and there is the question as to how Elijah lost his tail. And whether he likes scantily-clad human women, of which there are two. That ends rather poorly. But what else do you expect from a Howard Stern parody?

"Behemoth and Leviathon." Okay, this is just odd. An epic battle between Hip Flask (I think) and a... That's not Elijah, is it? It would explain how he lost his tail, but honestly, that reptile looks more like something out of Jurassic Park. At any rate, it's narrated by Job. As in, the Book of Job, or parts of it. Weird contrast.

Do I Know What I Just Read? Pretty much, yeah.
Do I Care? Sort of.

Marvel

Women of Marvel Poster Book: Okay, so I'm guessing there won't be any "Men of Marvel" poster books. There should be, in all fairness, but no. At least there's variety here, anyway, with all manner of reprinted images from various artists, most of whom are not named Greg.

In case you're curious, the following is a listing of all posters and artists, verbatim, from the inside front cover:

She-Hulk by Mike Mayhew
Spider-Woman by Andrea DiVito
Ms. Marvel by Frank Cho
X-23 & Psylocke by Randy Green
Black Cat with Wolverine by Joseph Michael Linsner
Rogue by Rodolfo Migliari
Invisible Woman by Steve McNiven
Wolfsbane by Josh Middleton
Misty Knight & Colleen Wing by Khary Evans
Arana by Mark Brooks
Emma Frost by Greg Horn
Jewel by Mark Bagley
Mary Jane with Spider-Man by Takeshi Miyazawa
The Women of Marvel by Greg Land
Black Cat by Terry Dodson
Dazzler by Michael Ryan
Dagger with Cloak by Josh Middleton
Mystique by Mike Mayhew
Power Princess by Gary Frank
She-Hulk/Jennifer Walters by John Buscema
Psylocke by Josh Middleton
Ms. Marvel (House of M) by Terry Dodson
The Women of Marvel by Mike Mayhew
Ultimate Invisible Girl, Marvel Girl & Vision by Brandon Peterson
Storm by Michael Turner
Blink & Nocturne by Adrian Alphona
Spider-Woman by Joe Sinnott
Black Widow by Greg Land
Spider-Girl by Ron Frenz
Sersi by Rick Berry
Shanna, the She-Devil by Frank Cho
Kitty Pryde by John Cassaday
Rogue by Chris Bachalo
Polaris with Havok by Billy Tan
Phoenix by Greg Land
The Women of Marvel by Bruce Timm

The book might be worth unstapling for Steve McNiven's Sue Storm, though I have no idea where I'd display it, if at all.

Week's most memorable moment: Pinata (a.k.a. Cinetico), a member of the Posse, describes her powers in Blue Beetle #6. (It's like something out of Nextwave...)



Tentative checklist for 30 August, 2006
(*Indicates a title I've preordered.)
*All New Official Handbook Marvel Universe A To Z #8
*All Star Superman #5
CSI: Dying in the Gutters #1
Civil War Young Avengers & Runaways #2 (Of 4)
Mythos: Hulk
*She-Hulk 2 #11
Snakes On A Plane #1 (Of 2)
*Ultimate Fantastic Four #33

Lordy...

On 19 & 26 July, 2006 -- Part II: Everywhere Else

Catching up. Part I is here

Reading music: Kitty Donohoe, This Road Tonight; Leahy, Lakefield

--Warning: Spoilers ahead--

DC

Blue Beetle #5: Jaime Reyez makes a truly public debut as Blue Beetle. I think it's good publicity. He still doesn't have complete control over the Scarab, but he does manage to save a baby from a bizarre religious demon creature. We learn more about the Posse, and Jaime learns (at long last) he's the only one hearing the voice in his head. ("I'm not crazy. I just hear this voice in my head!") Inasmuch as the main storyline focuses on the Posse and La Dama, the two Brenda pages seem kind of thrown in. They're good bits, just oddly placed. Blue Beetle is consistantly good, and it's probably about time I added it to my standing pulls.

Do I Know What I Just Read? Yes
Do I Care? Yes

Image

Elephantmen #1: "See the Elephant." I'm not a fan of any portrayal of George W. Bush as an utterer of wise words, but it's easy enough to put the inside cover page out of mine and focus on this little vignette of innocence lost. Or gained, or never had, or... something. The Elephantmen, creations of a mad scientist, are born and bred to be soldiers, and like many soldiers who have been to war, they have regrets and trouble integrating into society at large. That's the case with Ebony, at least. He has disturbing bloody flashbacks, and they are triggered by Savannah, a young girl in pink, the very picture of innocence. And maybe she's the key to unlocking some sort of innocence in him. It's a sweet story, actually.

"Just Another Guy Named Joe." A vignette from the perspective of a man who resents the Elephantmen and their place in society. This is a short one, very dark, and somewhat tricky to get a real handle on, at least here. Call it a small window into a big fictional world.

Do I Know What I Just Read? Yes
Do I Care? Yes

Marvel

Black Panther #18: Iron Man and Cap are too royally cheesed off at each other to stick around for the ceremony. It's a shame they miss it, too, because ceremony consists of Ororo and T'Challa making dramatic entrances, then going to the spirit realm to face the judgement of the Panther god, who slobbers all over Ororo, finds her tasty, and says she's cool to join the club. After the ceremony, Spider-Man fights a drunken Man-Ape, and the newlyweds receive an invitation to Latveria from a surprisingly cordial Dr. Doom. So ends Marvel's wedding season. And divorce season? Just around the corner!

Do I Know What I Just Read? Yes
Do I Care? Kind of?

She-Hulk 2 #9: So J. Jonah Jameson is insane. His son and his new daughter-in-law aren't exactly thinking at full capacity, either. (Why else would they elope? In Vegas? With an Elvis impersonator??? This is more entertaining than the T'Challa-Aurora and Jessica-Luke nuptuals, but it's also more disappointing. Maybe that's the point.) Mallory and Awesome Andy are under the same spell as the newlyweds. Naturally, that leaves Pug tearing his hair out, as he is perhaps the only major character who is compos mentis. And he knows it. Poor Pug...

Do I Know What I Just Read? Yes
Do I Care? Yes

Virgin

Snakewoman #1: The, well, the hissing and such is justa wee bit corny, and Jin (Jessica's roommate) is a tad two-dimensional. In spite of that, though, Snakewoman endeavors to answer a question of trust. Consider the men. Raj, the new neighbor, seems nice enough, but Jessica is wary of him. Maybe her trust is "delicate," but this time she's probably right to trust her judgement. I takes a surprisingly short time for her to find him in bed with her boy-crazy roommate. Then there's the man in plaid, Brinkley, an eccentric regular at the bar where Jessica works. He seems to know Jessica's schedule, tips only her, and writes prophetic poetry for her. And he bothers some people. She trusts him though, knowing that he's harmless. It's the nice-looking gentleman with the golden bracelet who throws her. The Naga within her, maybe, makes her drop her guard. He turns homicidal, and so does she. Later, with blood on her hands, she is confused, frightened, and cold. Her judgement has failed the heck out of her. That's where this first issue leaves off, with a frightened woman not ready to come to grips with a dual nature.

Of course, green and purple seem to be her colors of choice. Go figure.

Do I Know What I Just Read? Yes.
Do I Care? I do want to see where this is going...

Week's most memorable moment: Mallory Book and Awesome Andy relax in She-Hulk 2 #9

On 16 August, 2006

Okay, so I'm a month or so behind. But then, so is Marvel, and they are actually working with deadlines.

I have to live up to some linkage (Thanks, Kalinara), though, meaning it's time to get current and worry about catch-up later. It's usually the other way around, and that never works.

Ohh, I'm also having trouble settling on a new avatar. Sheep? Shulkie? Or should I go back to the porcupine? Or find a suitable Gert Yorkes image to crop and resize? Decisions, decisions...

Reading music: Leahy, Lakefield

--Warning: Spoilers ahead--

Marvel

Nextwave #7: Warren Ellis tackles Marvel Mysticism, conjuring a demon from the Dank Dimension who eagerly accepts payment in United States currency and Suicide Girls. Demonic forces are unleashed, and of course Nextwave has to deal with them, and of course the demons explode beautifully. (It wouldn't be Nextwave without explosions!)

Before the explosions, though, we see: Dirk Anger sinking deeper into his drug-addled depression; see Monica and Elsa speculating about Captain America's sexual orientation; and Aaron Stack literally hooking himself up to a keg.

Memorable dialogue:

Elsa: What's our E.T.A. to Shotcreek?
Monica: Couple of hours. I just wish the Marketing Plan was more specific about this one.
Elsa: Yeah. "Magic deal." What do you think?
Monica: Could mean anything. Tabby said there was a "Magik" in the X-Men.
Elsa: Didn't Tabby also say that Magik was dead?
Monica: Like that matters. X-Men come back more than Jesus.

Do I Know What I Just Read? Yes.
Do I Care? Yes.

Runaways #18 & 19: Oh, Mr. Vaughan. How could you? Why did it have to be her of all characters? *sigh*

Still, hers is a hero's death, and while the Children of the Pride are diminished in number and spirit, they haven't lost their sense of purpose. They've gained a member in Xavin, too, and not a moment too soon, because there's demonic trouble ahead, and Victor still has to take a crash course in Leapfrog piloting.

The Runaways try to deal with their teammate's death, of course. One confides in the Leapfrog; another in Xavin; a third in Victor. Xavin him/herself is also trying to deal with the probable death of two planets, something that doesn't help matters.

It's a lot of good stuff to take in. As usual.

Do I Know What I Just Read? Yes.
Do I Care? Yes.

Ultimate Fantastic Four #32: Yes. The light at the end of the dark tunnel is here: the conclusion of the (aptly named) "Frightful" arc and the end of the Millar-Land run. Maybe the new team will bring back some of the magic Ellis and Bendis put into this title.

'Cause in spite of the mystical Atlantean ritual Dr. Doom (in Reed's body) uses to draw the alien out of Johnny Storm's torso, this is decidedly non-magical.

Reed (in Victor's body) deals with the Zombie Four using maggots. (Brilliant!) And Victor eventually takes back his own body in order to play hero, capturing the world-eating alien within himself and leaping into the zombieverse. Boy! Zombies, explosions, and aliens, but... Nah. It's just a little too much. And it's over. Yes.

Do I Know What I Just Read? Yes.
Do I Care? Eh.

Ultimate Fantastic Four Annual #2: Between this and Nextwave, it is Stuart Immonen week! Lovely! And energetic! And fun! (Let's review. Immonen: Fun. Land: Not so much. Or in the words of my AP English class not so way back when: "Beowulf good, Grendel bad.")

Anyway, Annual #2 goes back to the fun and the magic that got me started reading FF in the first place. It's the return of Dr. Molevic, the terribly disgusting Mole Man, plus an introduction to a few of the other Think Tank members. This little group of geniuses is led by none other than Strange Josie, slightly misandric inventor of the Stealth Corset.

Ultimate Mole Man, though. He has a thing for young scientific genius. Specifically, he has a thing for kidnapping them and dictating to them his life story. His hilarious bio recounts early scientific endeavors and devolving his baby sister into a lungfish.

And on. He has quite the bio. The story fluctuates between Mole Man's narrative, and monster-bashing a la Fantastic Four. The Think Tank crew, meanwhile, becomes another heroic team, riding to the rescue with Lemurian-style death weapons. There's even a moral. (Sort of.)

Thank you Mr. Carey and Mr. Immonen. You both rock.

Do I Know What I Just Read? Yes.
Do I Care? Yes.

Oni Press

Wasteland #2 focuses on a brewing religious conflict. The wandering protagonists struggle to live off the land, and through it all they worship "Mother Sun" and "Father Moon." (Talk about your symbolic role-reversals. I love it already.) At Abi's request, the village Sun-Singer recounts the legend of A-Ree-Yass-I, an apocalyptic Noah's Arc style tale featuring the aforementioned celestial gods. A flood, an almost empty sky, and a poisoned ocean (among other things) set the people on the path to redemption. That's what the Sunners believe.

But the Sunners are heathens in the eyes of Newbegin's ruling church. And the church is not to be trifled with. Even if the villagers can survive their trek through the desert, will they survive their destination?

It'll be worth finding out.

Do I Know What I Just Read? Yes.
Do I Care? Yes.

Week's most memorable moment: I am a sucker for badass Sue moments, like this one from Ultimate Fantastic Four Annual #2.

Tentative checklist for 23 August, 2006
(*Indicates a title I've preordered.)

Blue Beetle #6
Elephantmen #2
Women Of Marvel Poster Book (???)

On 19 & 26 July, 2006 -- Part I: Civil War territory

Calvin Pitt and his anonymous commenter are right. Marvel's Pro-Reg faction is full of intellectual elite. Doctors, lawyers, scientists and what have you. I don't think that smacks of anti-intellectualism, however. Not quite. It's too clearly polarized, a better set-up for a parable than a diatribe.

I think these characters (those with Iron Man) are accustomed to living in their heads when they're not out beating people up. These are characters who, in their civilian lives, work through hypotheses and problems using pure logic and reason. Then they take their logical ideas (which tend to look great on paper), and test them in controlled settings, like laboratories and courtrooms. Sometimes things work, sometimes they don't, and sometimes they actually blow up, but whatever happens, the intellectuals generally live through it and move on to the next logical thing.

Well, Iron Man's headstrong team is sticking with the logic behind the the SHRA. And in a way, they're right. The idea of a little government oversight of superhero activities isn't a bad thing. The intellectuals though, to their detriment, are hanging onto that, apparently forgetting that the the "experiment" is not being conducted in a controlled setting. There are too many people involved, too many variables. And the Act itself, spurred by a rabid Public and rushed through Congress, is fatally flawed.

See, the deeper we go into Civil War, the more frightening the regulatory end of the SHRA becomes. Look at Young Avengers & Runaways #1. "Public Sympathy Ratings" determine how hard the SHIELD enforcers hit "rogue" heroes. Aren't the officers saying, in essence, that "it's okay to beat mercilessly on someone as long as the Public doesn't care?" It's not about what's right or just; it's about what the authorities can get away with. Ugh.

And look at Cable & Deadpool #30. (No, it's not part of my regular pile, but the Great Lakes Champions sold me on this issue.) The CSA hires a mercenary with questionable morals to do the government's dirty work. They do this after Deadpool, without provocation, attacks (and is thoroughly whipped by) Squirrel Girl and friends.

That's the government, and hopefully Marvel's authorities will feel repercussions in due time.

The Marvel heroes are already feeling them. For them, it has become a polarized battle between the head and the heart. In Civil War: Front Line #4, "Embedded Part 4," Ben Urich warns Sally Floyd about her speculations, about "seeing things that aren't there." He is a proponent of the objective fact, while Sally, is playing hunches and generally going with her gut. Guess who represents which side.

In Amazing Spider-Man #534, Peter feels as though he has no choice but to battle Captain America, a warrior for whom he has nothing but respect. His sense of logic says he's doing the right thing, but his conscience is eating away at him. His Spider Sense ought to be tingling.

And Civil War #3? Iron Man's strike team, in its cold logic, sets a trap for Captain America's Secret Avengers. The bait? A fake emergency, used with the knowledge that Cap and his teammates will follow their hearts whatever the risk.

Iron Man sets the trap because he's using his head, not his heart. Captain America falls into the trap because he's using his heart, not his head. Use one without the other, and you are running an enormous risk, aren't you? That's a good warning, whatever your political beliefs. Moderation in all things. (And an inefficient legislature helps, too.)

Look back at the panel up top, now, the one from Young Avengers & Runaways #1. Wiccan is right. Nobody is acting normally (normal being a relative term). Whether they are polarized by a villain or just Mark Millar, the result is the same. Follow the characters alone, and Civil War is becomes less a political diatribe about security versus freedom and more an allegory about the mind versus the... well, the soul. And what's not to love about that?