illegal immigrant gives up citizenship, breaks Internet

ah, the brouhaha that comics cause nowadays. the medium has gone a long way from merely sending conservatives into a frenzy because it allegedly poisons the minds of kids. oh, wait. we're still in that era, aren't we?

it has been awhile since Supes has made a blatantly political statement (hmm, we should probably count his "Walk Across America" campaign last summer). basically he's leaning closer to Batman's politics. not so much, but closer.next stop: Batman, Inc.

and what does Marvel have to say about this?

nahh, that's Glenn Beck masquerading as the Thing. we all know Benjie's a hippie and moved to France (let the surrendering jokes commence) during Marvel's Civil War.

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Action Comics #900, FF #2

motoring

drive-by readings

Superman #702 (DC) "Grounded" J. Michael Straczynski Eddy Barrows J.P. Mayer Rod Reis John J. Hill John Cassaday/David Baron (cover) Kevin Nowlan (variant cover)

what we learned: Superman helps out Detroit via some aliens who provide an excuse for some fisticuffs (or else the action fans will be bored outta their skulls) and job creation for the unemployed. a feel-good story, that one hopes were true.
oh shit moment: Batman is such a damper. what, are you breaking out your protocols again? put down that K-gun!
what's next: Arizona needs some assistance on this illegal immigration thing.


hey! that's definitely not Dwight Howard!

el kryptonians

drive-by readings

Superman: The Last Family of Krypton #1 (DC) "The Last Family of Krypton, Part One/Part Two" Cary Bates Renato Arlem Allen Passalaqua Pat Brosseau Felipe Massafera (cover)

what we learned: not sure if this should have just been released as a one standalone volume trade, but money talks, thus we have a three-parter. but i like it: Kal-El and his parents crash-land in Metropolis and after a tense confrontation, manage to convince us Earthmen that they want to make this their new home. so instead of just a Superman, we get a Super-family. eventually, with the demands of the new world weighing down on them as miracle workers, they decide to have Kal be raised by a set of worthy Earth parents (choices include legendary DC Editor Julius Schwartz and Dr. Thomas "I Could Be A Murderer or A Saint, Am Not Sure Yet" Wayne), settling for - ta-dah! - Jonathan and Martha Kent. against Jor-El's wishes, Kal grows up to be Clark Kent, mild-mannered student with a secret.
oh shit moment: not to sound crass, but Renato Arlem draws a mean Lara El with a damn fine booty. sorry.
what's next: twin siblings, Lex Luthor, and would B(rainiac) turn into a villain?


that invention would have made Luthor a billionaire.

the weekly hits

The Thanos Imperative #2 (Marvel)
Dan Abnett/Andy Lanning/Miguel Sepulveda/Jay David Ramos/Joe Caramagna (cover: Aleksi Briclot)
what we learned: this whole Cancerverse War became officially big time with the addition of Galactus and the Celestials. however, for some reason, Ben Urich is not covering this conflict. boooooo!!!
oh shit moment: Guardians kicking some faux Defender butt, and Thanos permanently ending the faux Defender butt.
what's next: why are Major Victory and Namorita anomalies? were they secretly resurrected with a White Lantern? will Thanos gain the upperhand after all is said and done? and will Urich make it to the front lines before this series ends??

the Thanos Halogen Headlight Upgrade Imperative

Tom Strong & The Robots of Doom #2 (ABC)
Peter Hogan/Chris Sprouse/Karl Story/Todd Klein/Darlene Royer
what we learned: mostly the backstory of how his Nazi son Albrecht brought about the Fascist world victory, and where the Dero really came from. looks like the situation is bleak. but wait! somehow Tom's faithful robot butler overrode his reprogramming and sends him back in time to fetch his younger self and play as the Tom/Tom Club! (yeeeessh, did you pay Chris Franz and Tina Weymouth their royalties?)
oh shit moment: the Dero apparently wiped out the African population. they must've been programmed by white people.
what's next: Tom/Tom Club playing at a venue near you this summer!

hello, Pneuman!

Justice League: Generation Lost #5 (DC)
Judd Winick/Keith Giffen/Aaron Lopresti/Matt Ryan/Hi-Fi/Steve Wands (cover: Tony Harris/JD Mettler, variant: Kevin Maguire/Hi-Fi)
what we learned: Max Lord really wants to reform the Justice League International. and the new Rocket Red is a gas. somehow a sombre Booster Gold is not the overinflated jerk i remember.
oh shit moment: not much, unless you count Max comparing himself to God. ya believe this guy?
what's next: is there a foreshadowing here that Blue Beetle is going to die, and Ted Kord is going to be resurrected? nah, that's just fanboy rumor-mongering.

because the world needs more Giffen/DeMatteis/Maguire JLI madness and mirth, that's why!

X-Force: Sex & Violence #1 (Marvel)
Craig Kyle/Christopher Yost/Gabrielle Dell'Otto/Cory Petit
what we learned: apparently, Kyle and Yost wanted to explore more of Neena and Logan's relationship (wait, didn't he have a girlfriend or that one died too?) since that X-Men 2001 Annual and that spiffy X-Force cover (whoa, Mike Choi!). and it might not pass editiorial muster, if it just said "Logan/Domino: Sex". because as we know, Americans are horrified by sex in mass media, but violence? bring it on!!! so, here we have Domino on the run from the Assassins Guild, because as a mercenary with scruples, you get dragged into the wrong crowd who hired you, then turn the tables on them.
oh shit moment: art's a bit murky but that's a great visual complement to the clanging sounds you hear in your head seeing Domino pulling bullets out of herself.
what's next: more sex! more violence!

yeah, Josh ... talk to the effing Hand!

Iron Man #28 (Marvel)
Matt Fraction/Salvador Larroca/Frank D'Armata/Joe Caramagna
who got chumped by Hammer? Tony Stark! who doesn't remember his one-night stands? Tony Stark! who's gonna build an non-gas powered car in six weeks? Tony Stark!!

Avengers Academy #2 (Marvel)
Christos N. Gage/Mike McKone/Jeromy Cox/Joe Caramagna
what we learned: so the next generation of Avengers could potentially be the next gen of bad guys? of course! but the drama between the students don't compare to the crap that goes on with the teachers. i mean you got noted wife-slapper-cum-Skrull/robot-banging-Scientist-Supreme Hank Pym as headmaster, what else is gonna happen? well, they're at least updated somewhat with pop music. or whatever passes for that these days.
oh shit moment: borrowing a trick from Josh Whedon's Astonishing X-Men, the new class is subjected to an impromptu survival session. just when Finesse and Reptil were about to kiss. dammit, man!
what's next: not only does Pietro get away with his shit, he's likely going to pass on his life lessons to a volunteer. wonderful!

oh-oh-oh! oh-oh-oh-oh!!

Batgirl #12 (DC)
Bryan Q. Miller/Lee Garbett/Pere Perez/Walden Wong/Guy Major/John J. Hill (cover: ArtGerm)
what we learned: Batgirl aces her final exams, rescues her mentor, and turns a friend away from the dark side. even if they cancel this book, she's too good a character to be killed off. you hear that, DC Editorial??
oh shit moment: can i say its that awesome cover by ArtGerm? i never looked at Stephanie Brown this way before. and at the same time, she's slapping me upside the head for looking this way.
what's next: Oracle has a Proxy, and a capable successor.

i think she's describing how she's going to be expelled from school because one too many missed homework.

Batman #701 (DC)
Grant Morrison/Tony Daniel/Ian Hannin/Jared K. Fletcher
what we learned: what really happened between Batman R.I.P. and the ending of Final Crisis? the God of Comics finally deigns us dust bunnies worthy of knowing. but then again the first of a two-parter doesn't provide much except there's a definite connection between the Hidden Room in the Wayne Manor and whatever Dick Grayson unearthed in the past issues of Batman & Robin regarding the Wayne family line. also, who knew Bruce liked mulligatawny soup?
oh shit moment: deleting pictures of our exes just like everyone else. though i assume there's a backup somewhere. hwahahahaa!
what's next: was it really Thomas Wayne who engineered sending Bruce back through time? man, Morrison not only thinks one step ahead, he thinks one thousand steps ahead.

"and you beat it out of the Soup Nazi just like i like? awesooooome!!!!"

Vengeance of the Moon Knight #10 (Marvel)
Gregg Hurwitz/Juan Jose Ryp/Andres Mossa/Joe Caramagna (cover: Francesco Mattina)
look who's playing well with others. but you know, Steve, you still better keep a close eye on this Moon Knight character.

Hack/Slash: My First Maniac #1 (Image)
Tim Seeley/Daniel Leister/Mark Englebert/Crank! (covers: Seeley/Nei Ruffino/Erik Jones)
what we learned: additional backstory for stabby heroine Cassie Hack, whose long-awaited film debut is still long-awaited. here she's trying to fit into a high school but tracking a long-dead farmer who kills kids that won't git off his farm.
oh shit moment: slasher stories/movies practically write themselves, but you gotta surprise the viewer. this one involves barbed wire.
what's next: this is pre-Vlad, so it'll Cassie doing her lone wolf thing. am sure her newfound 'friends' will end up dead by the end of this.

huhhh-huhhh ... he said 'bone'. huhhh-huhh.

Daredevil #508 (Marvel)
Andy Diggle/Antony Johnston/Roberto De La Torre/Matt Hollingsworth/Joe Caramagna (cover: John Cassaday/Laura Martin)
what we learned: the White Tiger is slowly pushing "Lord" Daredevil into doing the bidding of the Snakeroot, and at the same time, endangering his former friends. also, i'm in the minority here, and i love John Cassaday, but i don't think he fits into doing Shadowland covers. grim and gritty is not just his style.
oh shit moment: the real moment was in Shadownland #1 with the apparent death of Bullseye. here we get the requisite Elektra appearance. who's next, Stick? by the way, where is Bullseye's body? the Hand always resurrects a potential asset.
what's next: Ben Affleck vs. Jennifer Garner!

it means, your movie sucked! you need a reboot!!

Superman #701 (DC)
J. Michael Straczynski/Eddy Barrows/JP Mayer/Rod Reis/John J. Hill (covers: John Cassaday/David Baron/Alex Sinclair)
Superman walks across America and goes to toe to toe with ... Joe Q. Public. its an interesting premise, right on the heels of the Kryptonian War and Superman questioning his role again in his adopted planet. the fact that he even deigns to do so, earns him a lot more of Lex Luthor hate points.


note: because of Blogger's technically-limited tag constraints, there's a bunch of other books that's going to show up in other posts. actually, maybe i should start making individual posts for the Weekly Hits. which means, this is going to be last time i'm putting everything in a basket. thanks, Blogger.

snaps: Superman #701

... where Forrest Gump Superman takes his long walk cross country, but with a lot more sense and direction. he's around Route 80 now, if you wanna catch him.


pet peeves: idiot reporters. who does he look like again? Harry Knowles?



first, Danny Rand had a dollar. now Superman has one. can't Dr. Fate or Zatanna keep a magic petty cashbox for the heroes to use when they need a burger and fries in between punching villains?



and you're something off Drag Race, you jerk.


the sequence theisb calls "stupendous!", "amazing!" and "what a douche!". hey, Superman wants YOU to take responsibility for your goddamn health problems.


screw The View! they're discussing the Wendy Williams Show!!!



and while you're ruminating on politics and talking to this jumper-wannabe, there were two plane crashes, four train derailments, three heart attacks, nine burned houses, and a couple of tsunamis and tornados. and oh, Fletcher Chu-Fong is up to his ears organizing the DC panels for the SDCC!!! it just ... is.


"of course not, Officer. what do you think i am, some kind of powerful alien dressed in a colorful costume who wants your adoration but somehow am tired of you all depending on me for everything you want?"

" ... "

up and down

drive-by readings

Superman #700 (DC) "The Comeback" James Robinson Bernard Chang Blond "Geometry" Dan Jurgens Norm Rapmund Pete Pantazis "Prologue: The Slap Heard 'Round The World" J. Michael Straczynski Eddy Barrows J.P. Mayer Rod Reis John J. Hill Gary Frank/Brad Anderson (cover)

have not been following the Man of Steel that closely after All Star Superman ended, save for some peeks at War of the Supermen, and i was kinda turned off with the whole let's-bring-back-the-Kryptonians thing. turns out they're all gonna be whacked anyway. but still.

the lead story from outgoing writer James Robinson, has the long-awaited reunion between Lois and Clark. if anything, i was happy for the two of them, and i haven't felt like that in a while. you take these two for granted too much.

there's a fill-in story (but doesn't feel like one) by Jurgens in the early years when Robin disobeys Bruce Wayne's orders and goes after some gunrunners, and his bacon gets saved by Superman (along with his geometry assignment). its weird to see Dick in his classic child-molester-attracting duds, but hey, that's part of history multiple Crises can't erase.

what really intrigues me is new direction set by Straczynski, who takes over the main book and will set the tone for the Superman stories to come (who isn't excited about Paul Cornell putting Lex Luthor on center stage in Action Comics?). in this prologue, Superman attends a press conference in the aftermath of War of the Supermen, and his previous dalliance with the idea of New Krypton, and a distraught woman slaps him to everyone's surprise (this recalls a similar incident in the Marvel Universe where a woman spits on Tony Stark during Civil War). Superman hears her story out, and though its an unfair burden, seeks out the meaning of what is "important" in the scheme of things and as the premier superhero of the planet. where this takes him will shape how he will be reacting to the DC Universe from hereon.

well, it certainly is ALIVE!

Saturn Girl is making a killing isn't she? i mean, shouldn't this have been featured prominently with Jean Grey in X-Men: First Class?


Clark Kent's first threesome! HAH!!!


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Adventure Comics #12

things i liked this week

Justice Society of America #39 (DC)
Bill Willingham/Jesus Merino/Jesse Delperdang/Rob Leigh/Allen Passalaqua

and this is how i like my alternate future crisis stories - although it reeks of Days of Future Past (and its not even a broad comics event in any case), the idea that the super-Nazis have taken over the world and defeated most of the good guys, has got me cheering the resistance led by Mr. Terrific. but right at the last second, a twist - aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh. looking forward to the conclusion (and let it be not a post-event narrative a la Secret Invasion #8)

Avengers Prime #1 (Marvel)
Brian Michael Bendis/Alan Davis/Mark Farmer/Javier Rodriguez/Chris Eliopoulos

the Avengers Big Three in an in-between days adventure before the Avengers relaunch (man, how do these guys breathe?). divided fans of Iron Man and Captain America should not miss this, as i expect chockfulls of fanboy goodness (though there might be some mis-characterizations).

Superman/Batman Annual #4 (DC)
Paul Levitz/Renato Guedes/Jose Wilson/Steve Wands (cover: Art Germ)

probably the best Batman Beyond story in years, Terry McGinnis gets to be in an unlikely teamup with an aging Superman in a downtrodden Metropolis to go up against who else, but longtime nemesis Luthor. is this a sign that McGinnis will get to be featured in more high profile stories soon? continuity freaks will nitpick this, but hell, i just want me some Batman Beyond. looks like Paul Levitz didn't miss a beat.

The Thanos Imperative #1 (Marvel)
Dan Abnett/Andy Lanning/Miguel Sepulveda/Jay David Ramos/Joe Caramagna (cover: Aleksi Briclot)

and here we go! with the Cancer-verse growing by the minute and their version of Mar-Vell aiming to wipe out death in this universe of ours (well, isn't that a good thing?), the Guardians of the Galaxy try to balance things out by reinjecting Thanos into the equation. this series is not to be missed as usual, with the great space opera work DnA have been churning out in the past few years, but am a bit apprehensive that this is their swan song and they're going out with a bang. a big bang.

Invincible #72 (Image)
Robert Kirkman/Ryan Ottley/Cliff Rathburn/FCO Plascencia/Rus Wooton

the Viltrumite War begins and it looks like major characters will not survive. when Invincible ends, they should just make a coffee table book of all its gory moments. that's a conversation starter.

Amazing Spider-Man Annual #37 (Marvel)
Karl Kesel/Paulo Siqueira/Fabio D'Auria/Joe Caramagna (cover: Marcos Martin)
Spidey meets Cap - the original - for the first time. but if Cap first saw him back in Avengers vol. 1 #11, how come he's been using a computer to track down Spidey? it must be that fluid Marvel timeline. also, i bet Cap still uses AOL to get on teh 'Net.


Captain America/Black Panther - Flags of Our Fathers #3 (Marvel)
Reginald Hudlin/Denys Cowan/Tom Palmer/Pete Pantazis/Joe Sabino (cover: Cowan/Sandu Florea/Pantazis)
worth the price of admission: the Armless Tiger Man! man, the Red Skull sure knows how to pick 'em!


Avengers - The Origin #3 (Marvel)
Joe Casey/Phil Noto/Albert Deschesne
the fledgling Avengers track down the Hulk in a circus, where the collateral damage is bound to be high. and they're likely to make mistakes because they're inexperienced and a tad excited about this whole superheroing thing. excellent work by Phil Noto.

Secret Warriors #16 (Marvel)
Jonathan Hickman/Gianluca Gugliotta/Sunny Gho/Dave Lanphear (cover: Jim Cheung/Mark Morales/Justin Ponsor)
just like the best spy-vs-spy conflicts, am already at a loss as to what's going on. yeah i know the ugly guys are the bad guys, but with Nick Fury being revealed as a member of a Shadow Council taking care of the Serpent Crown (Serpent. Hydra. Leviathan. scary creatures.) - unless that was an LMD and Hickman and Bendis are laughing at my confusion. and now, another betrayal. looks like nothing changes in Fury's world, S.H.I.E.L.D. or no S.H.I.E.L.D. i miss Stefano Caselli though.


Hercules - Twilight of a God #1 (Marvel)
Bob Layton/Ron Lim/Mike Cavallaro/Dave Sharpe
no Amadeus Cho, but no matter - Herc's still up to his old shenanigans, mostly saving the world and being drunk. hey, old people need their meds - fact of life. but those pills of lucidity may not save him from an enraged Silver Surfer looking for some payback. catfight!!!

The Brave & The Bold #34 (DC)
J. Michael Straczynski/Jesus Saiz/Rob Leigh/Tom Chu
i took a stab at this, and i liked it. time travel, black holes, a randy robot and a pink fluff. wheeeeee!

covers of the week

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The Thanos Imperative #1 by Aleksi Briclot
Superman/Batman Annual #4 by Art Germ

things i liked this week

Avengers #1 (Marvel)
Brian Michael Bendis/John Romita Jr./Klaus Janson/Dean White/Cory Petit
Avengers - reformed! Kang - in da house! Wonder Man - on the verge of becoming a douchebag (again)! Hulk - on the loose! Next Avengers - now part of the 616! me - hoppin'!

Batman: Streets of Gotham #12 (DC)
Paul Dini/Dustin Nguyen/Derek Fridolfs/John Kalisz/Steve Wands

i like this book for its consistent quality output, not to mention the longtime partnership between artist and inker. "The Carpenter's Tale" is an interesting one - an SFX expert hired for the 'Death of Batman' movie may be way out of her depth (yes, "her") - but am intrigued more about Damian's wheeling and dealing on the side. not unlike his dad (example, bribing Mirror Master, JLA #12).

Atlas #1 (Marvel)
Jeff Parker/Gabriel Hardman/Elizabeth Breitweiser/Ed Dukeshire (cover: Terry/Rachel Dodson)
wasn't sufficiently intrigued before (liked: crossover with T-Bolts, X-Men), but now with framed 3-D Man on the run, and possibly joining them, all bets are off.


X-Factor #205 (Marvel)
Peter David/Val De Landro/Pat Davidson/Jeromy Cox/Cory Petit (cover: David Yardin/Nathan Fairbairn)

a Second Coming tie-in, David neatly segues Bastion's plans into whatever he's had in mind for Madrox's team, but it doesn't look like X-Factor Investigations can be separate any longer. i mean, if they're all dead by the end of this thing. and hmmm, an uneasy alliance with Baron Mordo may be in the works.

X-Men Legacy #236 (Marvel)
Mike Carey/Greg Land/Jay Leisten/Justin Ponsor/Cory Petit (cover: Adi Granov, variant covers: David Finch/Matt Banning/Peter Steigerwald/Mike Choi)

sorry to be playing like a broken record, but Second Coming maintains its breakneck pacing (Siege? what Siege?) and am thoroughly enjoying the heck out of it. our merry band of mutants are now trapped inside a sphere covering the San Fran area, and uber-Nimrods have arrived to finish the job. we also see the first team-up with the Avengers 4.0, and its fun, despite some awkward jokey dialogue between gods, mutants and mortals. now i wonder when Hope is going to pull her weight.

Zatanna #1 (DC)
Paul Dini/Stephane Roux/Karl Story/Pat Brosseau/John Kalisz (variant cover: Brian Bolland)

and y'all thought Z was sexy naughty! now. must. buy. statue. what about this debut issue? ummm, she owns crowds. and she pwns demons. yeah, that's it.

Rescue (one shot) (Marvel)
Kelly Sue DeConnick/Andrea Mutti/Jose Villarubia/Clayton Cowles (cover: Travel Foreman/June Chung)
well, this should be called "Are Those Your Gloves or Are You Just Happy to See Me" ...ok, moving right along - at least someone remembered who Happy Hogan was, and i for one, am glad to see him make a reappearance here (although it is really about Pepper). whether Tony cut off his life support or not, i want him, or better yet Pepper herself, to beat the snot out of Spymaster for causing the events that led to Happy's coma. and now let us sing, "God bless you please, Missus Frac-shi-on, we like this book than you will know, woh woh woh ..."


Deadpool #23 (Marvel)
Daniel Way/Carlo Barberi/Juan Vlasco/Marte Gracia/Joe Sabino (cover: Jason Pearson)

Deadpool's quest to become a good guy brings him to Vegas, where he finds his old pal Weasel working as a glorified security guard. now that sounds like a good gig, right? but am just not sure about Grizzly - shouldn't he be in jail after serving with Osborn's Thunderbolts?

War of the Supermen #3 (DC)
James Robinson/Sterling Gates/Cafu/Bit/Blond/John J. Hill (cover: Eddy Barrows/JP Mayer/Rod Reis, variant cover: Aaron Lopresti/Matt Ryan/Brad Anderson)

to rescue the dying Kryptonians, Flamebird restarts the sun as yellow - and cough, cough, conveniently only saves Superman and Supergirl. General Zod wants payback - and the Earth is doomed. man, at this rate, nobody would insure anyone anymore - everything's force majeure.

Invincible Iron Man #26 (Marvel)
Matt Fraction/Salvador Larroca/Frank D'Armata/Joe Caramagna (cover: Carlos Pacheco)
i only have one question: was the fat programmer that Spymaster bought out at the beginning really Robert Kirkman?


Superman/Batman #72 (DC)
Paul Levitz/Jerry Ordway/Steve Wands/Pete Pantazis (cover: Fabrizio Fiorentino)

ex-publisher Levitz returns to full time writing, and here he puts Lois Lane in mortal danger from a Superman-worshipping cult. only Bats is around to help, but will he be there in time? Ordway's art seems enhanced, and maybe its because he's inking himself, and the Pantazis coloring.

G.I. Joe #18 (IDW)
Chuck Dixon/SL Gallant/Gary Erskine/Andrew Crossley/Chris Mowry (covers: Kelsey Shannon/Robert Atkins)

a paintball training exercise goes belly up as a Joe team finds itself against two Cobra soldiers, instantly morphing into live fire action. only Covergirl's (yes, Covergirl!) instincts save the day. man, you guys better step up.

Ultimate Avengers 2 #2 (Marvel)
Mark Millar/Leinil Francis Yu/Gerry Alanguilan/Laura Martin/Cory Petit

so there's another Hulk, someone who came before this Ultimate Hulk we know? apparently, he's a badass gangster using the Third World as his toilet. exactly the kind of guy Samuel Jackson, i mean, Nick Fury needs for his black ops team, because they need to take down ... the Ghost Rider? do tell.

Atomic Robo & the Revenge of the Vampire Dimension #3 (Red 5)
Brian Clevinger/Scott Wegener/Ronda Pattison/Jeff Powell
let's just say this put the icing on the cake:

things i liked this week

Siege #4 (Marvel)
Brian Michael Bendis/Olivier Coipel/Mark Morales/Laura Martin/Chris Eliopoulos (variant covers: Gabrielle Dell'Otto/Joe Quesada/Danny Miki/Richard Isanove)

and that's the fall of Norman Osborn in four tidy chapters. the world is right again, and don't you give too much credence to those who complain. i for one am glad the Blackest Night Dark Reign is over, and let's get back to our shiny happy heroes doing the one good thing for the first time in a long time: playing together again.

Dark Avengers #16 (Marvel)
Brian Michael Bendis/Mike Deodato/Rain Beredo/Cory Petit
a thrill-an-issue ride comes to a fitting end. in Hollywood, they might treat this as a franchise and churn out unworthy sequels. in Marvel, they ... whooops, don't give them any ideas! (wait, it is the House of Ideas after all ...)

Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #1 (DC)
Grant Morrison/Chris Sprouse/Karl Story/Guy Major/Jared Fletcher
who doesn't want to see prehistoric Batman? crusader Batman? pirate Batman? revolutionary soldier Batman? Zulu Batman? WW2 infantryman Batman? disco roller Batman? wait, are they all available in action figures? count me in!!!

Birds of Prey #1 (DC)
Gail Simone/Ed Benes/Nei Ruffino/Steve Wands
aaaand they're back as well. this should be a consistent highly-touted title, and maybe Gail Simone can make this work again. not sure about Ed Benes who didn't exactly totally wow us in the Justice League reboot, but is actually returning to a book he did before. i want to enjoy this ride, and its with the usual suspects (Oracle, Huntress, Zinda and Black Canary) with a few new ones (Hawk & Dove). Hawkgirl should also be here from time to time. let's go, Birds! woooo-wooooo!


Black Widow #2 (Marvel)
Marjorie Liu/Daniel Acuña/Nate Piekos (variant cover: Stephanie Hans)
whu-? how the hell did i miss the first issue? after looking up images of Ms. Liu on the 'Net, man, am sold! i mean she's the reason why Daken's in touch with his feminine side. seriously, here's the premise: someone's gunning for 'Tasha, and she's suddenly like public enemy number one. we see Clint rocking the Hawkeye duds again, so its already the Heroic Age. hello, can't someone vouch for her? and will see that fake ass bitch Widow Yelena again? probably.


War of the Supermen #2 (DC)
Sterling Gates/James Robinson/Eduardo Pansica/Wayne Faucher/Blond/John J. Hill (cover: Eddy Barrows/J.P. Mayer/Rod Reis, variant cover: Aaron Lopresti/Matt Ryan/Brad Anderson)
hmmm. maybe it is fun to see arrogant Kryptonians and equally-douchebaggy Earthmen duke it out. i dont know, though, who's the most loathsome: Lex Luthor, General Lane or General Zod. whatever, i hope they all get sent to the Phantom Zone then play tag with Prometheus' ghost or something.


Justice League: Generation Lost #1 (DC)
Judd Winick/Keith Giffen/Aaron Lopresti/Matt Ryan/Hi-Fi/Sal Cipriano

right, your best friend-turned-evil Max Lord is back in town and he just gave everyone the shivers. even worse, he just made you forget he ever existed. JLI and FKATJL fans, don't expect the ha-ha-ha this time around, if only because Kevin Maguire isn't involved in the interiors.

Daytripper #6 (DC/Vertigo)
Fabio Moon/Gabriel Ba/Dave Stewart/Sean Konot
the melancholy daytripping continues. Moon and Ba find these stories that are tailor-made to pinch your heart. some people might say, if God existed, He works in mysterious ways, and we have no control over our destiny, because its been already set. so why bother living? should we not fear the unknown, but be always ready for the ride to come to a grinding halt?

Amazing Spider-Man #631 (Marvel)
Zeb Wells/Emma Rios/Chris Bachalo/Tim Townsend/Jaime Mendoza/Antonio Fabela/Joe Caramagna (variant cover: Doug Braithwaite)
let me just ask one question: how is it that Peter has not yet been driven insane with all the crap he has to deal with since Brand New Day? well, the answer might be it gets balanced because he gets to be in a happy place when he's with the Avengers ... (Chris Bachalo, your scaly lizards rock!!)


Avengers: The Initiative #35 (Marvel)
Christos Gage/Jorge Molina/Andrew Hennessy/Edgar Delgado/Joe Caramagna (cover: David Yardin)
and this is the end of the Initiative. though you're somewhat required to check out the other books for certain events in here, it doesn't detract much as a bookend to almost three years worth of stories of Avengers-in-training. some loose ends will still be loose ends (the Baron, the robbin' Hood) and some issues are open-ended (Diamondback and Constrictor). bonus: gratuitous T&A shots of suddenly-a-MILF Tigra. oh yeah.

doesn't he have the Skrull Hank's eyes?

Flash #2 (DC)
Geoff Johns/Francis Manapul/Brian Buccellato/Sal Cipriano (variant: Ryan Sook)
this merits a "like" because am a bit intrigued where Johns is going with this (with that, should i also say, "Wally West, we hardly knew ye"?). on the flipside, its just the second issue and Manapul's backgrounds have been barely there or completely disappeared. is it because 'everything's a blur' with this title?