Comic Books of the Week (8/24/11) part 2

This is the second half of books for the week, this my final big week of weekly comic book purchasing. Let's get to these final issues.

Justice Society of America #54 - it seems like this final arc was rushed to fit in the end by the time of the September relaunch. Of course, the JSA are no where in sight for that. So this issue is a swan-song. Getting Jerry Ordway to do the art was the right way to go though. The inks fit perfectly to his style too. I loved seeing everybody in action, though we never did find out how Mr. Terrific got smart again. Oh well. And the shocking death - sad, but it doesn't matter really since reality is getting the cosmic reboot next week. I will miss the JSA. Been a fan since they came back in the 70's in All-Star Comics with the debut of Power Girl and all. You will be missed, old friends.

Legion of Super-Heroes #16 - another arc that seemed to rush to get done in time. Still, it was a good issue. Levitz tied up all the plot threads conveniently, Hdr and Deering did a great job on the art, and everything is set to go forward next month. Like the JSA, I have been a long time LSH fan. Discovered them around the same time - mid-70's - when Mike Grell was setting the 30th Century afire with his amazing renditions of the teen heroes. I was an instant fan. This too is another book I will miss greatly.

Teen Titans #100 - Krul and Scott give us an all-out battle for this anniversary and final issue. The story actually concludes pretty satisfactorily and all the loose-ends are tied up as best could be done. It was a good way to go out. Sadly, I did not snag the variant Phil Jimenz cover - I have seen the image online and it was amazing. The rest of the pin-ups in back were nice as they represent various eras in cast and artists over the long Titans history. You have Liefeld, a fantastic original line up by Garcia-Lopez, the gals by Amy Reeder, boys having fun by Booth and Hunter, and the villaisn by Burnham. Those were a nice bonus.

John Byrne's Next Men #9/#39 - it worked out well that this issue came out this month. It actually ends the story of the group, for now, at least. As I stop getting new books, this was one I would regret not picking up but having the story tie-up nicely here I feel like I am leaving it with closure. Yes, issue 40 is teased for 2012 but I am okay with this. It finishes the story for me and makes my collection complete. I have been a Byrne fan since the days of X-Men in the early 80's and consider him one of my favorite artists.

Wow, a positive second half of the week. I guess I might be getting a bit sentimental as my last comic day approaches Wednesday. Who would have thought it?

Comic Books of the Week (7/27/11)

Flashpoint: Hal Jordan #2 (of 3) - reading about Hal as a pilot-turned-hero isn't so bad. I've always been a fan of his outside the ring-identity of Green Lantern. This issue was a bit better than the last and the art style actually suits the story and character.

Flashpoint: Kid Flash Lost #2 (of 3) - this issue held up a little better than the last one. We actually get to see traits in Bart that were always interesting - a smart, capable hero. I wasn't as thrilled with the art on this issue though. I look forward to see how/if Bart can get back to his Uncle Barry in time and help resolve things. My gut feel is Bart, along with Booster Gold, will help Barry "fix time" and result in getting things not quite right (leading to the DCnU timeline come September).

Lois Lane and the Resistance #2 (of 3) poor Lois gets bumped as lead of her own mini, thanks to the appearance of the Grifter as leader of the Resistance. The issue is all about him, which I am sure excites his Wildstorm comic fans. It makes sense to put him front and center as he has his own DCnU book coming in September. For me, the issue really was so-so. The change in art style from last issue helped a bit but not enough.

Justice Society of America #53 - Jerry Ordway provides the art on this second-to-last issue for the series. I love his style as it is perfect for the JSA. I love the use of the Challengers of the Unknown. My only concern is this whole story is forced to a rushed conclusion next time. Sad. I was actually getting into it.

Teen Titans #98 - Krul and company are going out with a bang. So glad the powers-that-be gave them extra issues to get to #100 by the end of August. Superboy-Prime is back and he's brought some allies to take out the Titans. Things could get really chaotic really fast. I'm glad to see this version of the Titans go out with a bang rather than a whimper. So sad they're being totally retooled for September (just one of the many reasons I am dropping comics come Fall). Special kudos to the art team for the shots of Ravager on page 11. They made her look well-proportioned without going over the top. Clearly these guys know their anatomy. Something some comic artists could use a refresher course on.

John Byrne's Next Men #8 (#38) - Byrne provides an interesting way to bring one former cast member into the future with the rest of the group. However, that is pretty much all this issue is - vignettes of the move of Gil/Gillian from body to body over time. We only get a brief feel for each life she shared. I was a bit bored by the fourth jump. And, looking at the end, it appears that the story (and perhaps the series?) might conclude with the next issue? That works for me. Since my dropping regular comics thanks to DC's new approach means I lose this title (my one regular non-DC title), I would be happy if the run were ending at the same time. But if it does not I won't lose too much sleep over it.

Comic Books of the Week (6/22/11)

Green Arrow #13 - looks like we get a fill-in arc before the relaunch. The art by Agustin Padilla was pretty good - I liked it a lot. The story by James Patrick was alright. I'm not that impressed with Reverend Miggs as a villain, even if he seems to be well connected.

Justice League of America #58 - a sort of disjointed read by Robinson. The art by Sampere and Sepulveda was pretty good. Of course, everyone on the Internet is buzzing about the last page of the issue and what Eclipso does to one of the team. Now, do I think this is permanent? With the relaunch coming in a couple months that resets a lot of things, does it really matter? Sigh.

Brightest Day Aftermath: the Search for Swamp Thing #1 (of 3) - I pre-ordered this issue as it followed Brightest Day, not knowing who was being searched for. I was half-tempted not to pick it up since I am not a Swamp Thing or John Constantine fan. But, I did any way and it wasn't that bad. I liked the interplay with Batman and Zatanna. We'll see if I get the last two issue or not. I have no plans to follow the new Swamp Thing and Justice League Dark books after the relaunch.

John Byrne's Next Men #7 (37) - speaking of disjointed story telling, John Byrne was all over the map on this issue. I know he's trying to move the story along here but that was just too much jumping around for my taste. This was one book that I was going to keep me coming back to the comic shops after September (when I drop most if not all DC books) but now I'm not sure. I might skip the monthly and just wait for the trade paperbacks at this point. It might read a lot better in larger chunks.

Comic Books of the Week (5/11/11) part 3

Last comic posting for the week - let's do the "timewarp" again!

John Byrne's Next Men #6 (#36) - Tony's story in the Civil War continues. I love how John Byrne portrays this strong African-American agent stuck in a time that would be very difficult for a woman of her race and intelligence. His attention to detail in this period is outstanding and his artwork is amazing as always. Is it any wonder he's one of my all-time favorite comic book creators? I really thank IDW for believing in his vision and storytelling abilities. I hope this book runs for a long time because it is like he's giving us this great novel that has plenty of time to unfold.

the Flash #12 - the "final issue" for the moment, this arc comes to a close as "the Road to Flashpoint" concludes. Zoom is back, Hot Pursuit makes a fatal miscalculation, and Bart and Barry work together. Where do we go from here? That's easy - Flashpoint! What happens to this book after that? Time will tell. Solid issue by Geoff Johns and guest artist Scott Kollins and regular artist Francis Manapul.

Flashpoint #1 (of 5) - and things change in an instant! Thanks to Zoom, Barry Allen wakes up in a world that is drastically different. I love how Geoff Johns portrays Barry's methods of figuring things out - very police detective like. The art by Andy Kubert and Sandra Hope is solid, especially for such a wide-sweeping story. I love this reality's Batman - very grim and gritty. I love how Victor Stone is portrayed as well - a great character who doesn't get enough usage (good to see it here). The rest of the heroes (and I use this term loosely) of this world are intriguing as is the set-up of the war of the world between the armies of Aquaman and Wonder Woman. This series has a nice epic feel to it right out of the gate - and with all the tie-in minis to give us backstory it should allow us to explore this new playground nicely over the next couple months. Finally, fantastic revelation on the last page. I like it! Barry is going to need all the help he can get to put things right.

Comic Books of the Week (4/13/11) part 4

The final installment for this week's books...

Adventure Comics #525 - another great issue starring the Legion Academy. Phil Jimenez's artwork is outstanding as always. Paul Levitz continues to expand the LSH universe with these new characters. I also loved the tension between Cosmic Boy and Night Girl. This reminds me of the LSH of the 80's when Levitz was doing his first run - full of subplots and characterization that enriched the book greatly. I liked the art on the backup story; Borges and Alquiza did a great job as well. Next issue looks to be good as well.

John Byrne's Next Men #5/35 - Bethany's captor is revealed, only to lead to more questions. Antonia's time in Civil War America leads to some serious repercussions. Nathan goes from the German frying pan to an ancient Roman fire. And Jasmine's health takes a turn for the worse. This is the type of book that you have to be in for the long haul. The plotlines are complex and very detailed - not your typical "hero" book (not that this book ever was). Still, I've come to trust that Byrne will pay things off well - you just have to have patience. The cover of next issue looks very intriguing indeed!

Comic Books of the Week (3/2/11)

Giant-Size Atom #1 - this one-shot special finishes up the storyline from the Atom back-up feature that was running in Adventure Comics. DC cut out the back-up features on books when they went down to $2.99 leaving this tale stuck in the middle. I have to say that this was just an average conclusion to an average run. I appreciate that Lemire was trying to come up some new advesaries for the Atom, and pulling Hawkman for a guest-star in the end probably helped but it was just so-so for me. To make the Atom interesting you have to make it brilliant.

Brightest Day #21 (of 24) - full focus on the Martian Manhunter as his story arc ends and he joins the others for the final event. Gotta say that of all the arcs, the one featuring J'Onn was my least favorite. It just didn't do anything big for me. I love the character, love him in team environments. I think I just don't like him enough solo. Ah well.

Green Lantern #63 - the prologue to the "War of the Green Lanterns" arc. While I like the further fleshing out of Krona this issue seemed slow to me. I'm hoping for a big pick up soon - especially with the GL movie coming out.

Secret Six #31 - outstanding issue from Gail Simone and J. Calafiore. The Six is back after a few cross-over arcs, back to what they are doing best - in-fighting. I am so looking forward to their time in Hell - it always brings out the best and worst in characters. Is it next month yet?

John Byrne's Next Men #4/34 - so now we get a little back story of what happened between series and how the various members of the group got lost in time. This is typical Byrne to throw in the flashback as an issue, just when folks have so many questions, without any fanfare or anything else. I've gotten used to his irregular story-board flow over the years yet it sometimes throws you off for a second or two. Still, loving that this book is back.

Comic Books of the Week (2/9/11) part 2

Adventure Comics #523 - the title changes over from the Legion of Super-Heroes feature to the Legion Academy feature with this issue. Paul Levitz continues the writing of all things 31st Century and one of my favorite artists, Phil Jimenez, is on board for the art chores. I have to say I am loving this new feature and hope to see it for a long time. The Legion Academy is the training facility for young heroes - and the new crop of students looks very interesting. Old favorites from the LSH are around too - as instructors and such. If you are a fan of the LSH, you need to be getting this title too.

Birds of Prey #9 - "the Death of Oracle" story continues with Black Canary facing her biggest regrets (thanks to new villaness Mortis. Still, Dinah shows why she's the outstanding heroine that she is! The rest of the gals are in a tight spot too, but they can handle themselves (loving Lady Blackhawk in this series). And Hawk gets taken down a peg or two - always needed every now and again to keep that ego in check. I love what Gail Simone is doing on this title.

Flash #9 - "the Road to Flashpoint" begins here with major focus on Barry Allen, a vrey strange murder mystery and the introduction of a very interesting new biker character. All this is going to lead into the mega-event "Flashpoint" in a few months, when Professor Zoom decides to rewrite history and puts the entire DCU into a tailspin. Looking forward to that and the various crossovers that entail. Geoff Johns is doing outstanding work with this book and I have full faith in him for "Flashpoint" too.

John Byrne's Next Men #3 - where in the world is Bethany? This issue opens with that and allows Byrne to go light on the backgrounds (it does work for this environment though). We check in with the others lost in time too - Nathan in Nazi Germany, Jasmine in Victorian England, and Toni in Civil War South. There Byrne puts his artist talents to work, rendering each period well (clothes, backgrounds, etc.). The issue ends with a shocking reveal to Bethany, but we have to wait for next issue to see it. Looks like then we'll also get more on the "betrayal" her captor keeps alluding to. Good stuff.

Comics of the Week (1/19/11)

Brightest Day #18 - first, a nice cover of Hawkman and Hawkgirl by David Finch. Inside, while the story touches briefly on a few of the cast, it mostly centers on the Hawks on Zamaron. And while they do win the battle, did they lose so much more? That last page is a shocker and makes we want to read more! Nicely done.

Justice League of America #53 - final part of the "Omega" storyline, which I am glad to see finish. While I've loved Mark Bagley's art on this run (this is his last issue), the story seems to have dragged too much for me. I hope I like the next artist who comes on board.

Legion of Super-Heroes #9 - another solid team cover and continued focus on the Durlan plotline. Unlike Adventure Comics last week, here we get a bigger focus on more team members. This is classic Paul Levitz writing - many subplots advanced along with the main plotline too. Brings me back to his writing run on the team back in the 80's - a run I enjoyed a lot.

John Byrne's Next Men #2 - after fifteen years hiatus, this title came back last month and I'm so happy he found a new home for the book at IDW! Byrne is one of those creators in my top-five, one who I'll give a chance on whatever he is working on. Here we have his original creations with this issue focusing on three of the cast lost in time. He handles the period settings quite well.

Star Wars Omnibus: A Long Time Ago... volume 3 - Dark Horse has been reprinting the classic Marvel Comics issues of Star Wars, with a volume coming out every three or so months. This one covers issues 50 to 67, plus annual #2. You get a lot of color comics for the price - less that what it might cost if you had to hunt down the back issues. The book is slightly smaller than the original comic size but so far everything still looks good at the slightly reduced size. This has been a fun return to those "in-between film" adventures of Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie and the droids. Good stuff.