Book Review: Sex Lives of Superheroes

Explore these questions and more with this collection of speculative, comedic essays on how superpowers might affect the sex lives of famous superheroes. Based on genuine scientific research and both Marvel and DC comic book and movie canon (and more!), Sex Lives of Superheroes is a refreshingly frank and fun deep dive into the pros, cons, and plot twists of superpowered sex.

Sex Lives of Superheroes by Diana McCallum will be published on November 19, 2024. Smart Pop Books, an imprint of BenBella Books, provided an early galley for review.

Book Review: Frank Miller's Ronin Rising

A cursed Ronin. Psychological manipulation by a sentient AI. A security commander turned savior. And a postapocalyptic biotech war in the demon-teeming pits of a twenty-first century New York inadvertently started by the once benevolent Aquarius Corporation.

Eisner Hall of Famer Frank Miller’s Ronin is cited as the inspiration for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Samurai Jack. Now—40 years later—Miller, with the team Philip Tan and Daniel Henriques, returns to the world of Ronin, continuing his story for a new generation in Frank Miller’s Ronin Rising.

Miller and his team continue the story of Ronin deftly and intentionally, drawing the reader into his postapocalyptic world as completely as he did in the original series run, published in 1983–84 by DC Comics, which is widely considered to be one of his most influential original works.

Book Review: Dwellings

Welcome to Elwich—an oasis of small-town perfection, where the schools overflow with cheery-eyed children, lovingly adorned homes line the historic boulevards . . . and only the crows can see the deep, festering rot that lurks beneath the pristine surface.

Murder.

Demonology.

Possession.

Obsession.

Elwich has them all on offer—and behind every dwelling awaits a horrifying new story to be told.

Book Review: American Comics - A History

Comics have conquered America. From our multiplexes, where Marvel and DC movies reign supreme, to our television screens, where comics-based shows like The Walking Dead have become among the most popular in cable history, to convention halls, best-seller lists, Pulitzer Prize–winning titles, and MacArthur Fellowship recipients, comics shape American culture, in ways high and low, superficial, and deeply profound.

In American Comics , Columbia professor Jeremy Dauber takes readers through their incredible but little-known history, starting with the Civil War all the way into the twenty-first century, taking in the grim and gritty Dark Knights and Watchmen alongside the brilliant rise of the graphic novel.

Dauber’s story shows not only how comics have changed over the decades but how American politics and culture have changed them. Throughout, he describes the origins of beloved comics, champions neglected masterpieces, and argues that we can understand how America sees itself through whose stories comics tell. Striking and revelatory, American Comics is a rich chronicle of the last 150 years of American history through the lens of its comic strips, political cartoons, superheroes, graphic novels, and more.

Book Review: Secret Identity

It’s 1975 and the comic book industry is struggling, but Carmen Valdez doesn’t care. She’s an assistant at Triumph Comics, which doesn’t have the creative zeal of Marvel nor the buttoned-up efficiency of DC, but it doesn’t matter. Carmen is tantalizingly close to fulfilling her dream of writing a superhero book.

That dream is nearly a reality when one of the Triumph writers enlists her help to create a new character, which they call “The Lethal Lynx,” Triumph's first female hero. But her colleague is acting strangely and asking to keep her involvement a secret. And then he’s found dead, with all of their scripts turned into the publisher without her name. Carmen is desperate to piece together what happened to him, to hang on to her piece of the Lynx, which turns out to be a runaway hit. But that’s complicated by a surprise visitor from her home in Miami, a tenacious cop who is piecing everything together too quickly for Carmen, and the tangled web of secrets and resentments among the passionate eccentrics who write comics for a living.

Star Wars and Me

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away...

It was the summer of 1977 and I was twelve years old living in a small town in western New York. On that fateful day, the much younger next door neighbor kid Teddy came up to the group of us who were hanging out playing and excitedly said, "I just saw the coolest movie! There were space ships, and robots, and this guy got his arm sliced off by a laser sword!"

Marineman: A Matter of Life and Depth

Last month, Image Comics released a trade paperback collection of the first six issue of Ian Churchill’s Marineman comic (the first issue of the comic originally appeared in December of 2010). Churchill does double-duty as both writer and artist on this book, with assists from Alex Sollazzo and Nichola Chapius on the coloring. The collection also features a forward by famed comic book writer Dave Gibbons, sketches, the original cover gallery and more.

Flashpoint #5 (***spoilers***)

Well, here it is...my final monthly comic book. It is Flashpoint #5 (of 5), the last issue of the big summer event mini series and the stepping stone to the new relaunch of DC Comics (which began this week with Justice League #1).

Be warned: this post will have spoilers galore for the final issue as well as major personal opinion. Take it all with a grain of salt.

Flashpoint #5 (of 5)

So, a quick recap of how we got here. At the end of Crisis on Infinite Earths, Barry Allen (the Flash) was killed saving the multiverse. Universes merged to a single continuity. That was 1986. At the end of Final Crisis, Barry returned to life and the universe. That was 2008. At the end of Brightest Day, his old foe Eoward Thawne (Professor Zoom) was brought back to life. That was 2011. Zoom vowed to destroy his old foe and went back in time to kill Barry's mother. We saw this in the most recent Flash title and the Flashpoint: Reverse Flash one-shot.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 8 volume 8

Earlier this summer, Dark Horse comics released Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 volume 8: Last Gleaming. This collection with an incredibly long title collects issues 36 through 40 of the epic comic series. In this volume, the final part of the Twilight saga (not that Twilight saga) comes to a conclusion as Buffy faces the ultimate betrayal.

For those who followed my blog a few years back, you know that I came into the Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the Angel television series late into the game. I got them all on DVD and watched them, as they aired back-and-forth, from beginning to end. And I loved them! But, too, I was saddened when they came to an end.

Thank You, Comic Shops

As this Wednesday (8/31/11) will mark my final trip out for weekly comic books, I thought I would take a few minutes to fondly remember and publicly say thank you to the various places I purchased comic books over my thirty five plus years of collecting.

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 (8/17/11)

As I get closer and closer to my final comic book buying day (August 31st), I am finding every book I read from DC is less and less enjoyable. I actually knocked through all of my books from today while on the treadmill. Here's the skinny:

Flashpoint: Abin Sur #3 (of 3) - this final issue had two artists and it showed. The beginning and end pages were not too bad but the middle ones were horrendous. This mini was fair at best with the final pages possibly setting up a key element for the final issue of Flashpoint and the restart of the new DCU for September.

Flashpoint: Legion of Doom #3 (of 3) - this one ended pretty much as I expected - Cyborg owns Heat Wave, there is a lot of gratuitous violence and the ending implies that Heat Wave gets what he deserves. Sad. At the very least this issue spotlighted Cyborg, certainly showing some elements that will likely get some use when the new DCU launches with him as a founder of the Justice League. Beyond that, this mini was pretty skippable too.

Flashpoint: Wonder Woman and the Furies #3 (of 3) - I had a few problems with this final issue. First, it is practically half a retread of last week's Aquaman final issue. Yes, we get to see the motivation of the traitors revealed but that was about it. Next, it ruined the final issue of Lois Lane and the Resistance next week. Thanks a lot, Dan Abnett. Finally, for a mini that was supposed to also feature some Furies, we hardly got to see them more than just foot-soldiers at best. Wasted potential.

Justice League of America #60 - the final issue of Robinson's run and we know already that the team is disbanding. Funny, but a lot of the issue is about justifying why each of the team members is leaving. The rest of some Reader's Digest recaps of grand adventures of the team that never got to be fully written. Were these plots Robinson had planned out for the next few years? If so, sad to see they never happened. Most likely he knew the books were all coming to an end with relaunch and decided to blow out as many ideas as he could - knowing most would not fit/apply in the new revised continuity. So much lost potential here. Robinson clearly loves these characters though and wanted some happy endings (I won't run them). Funny but the final two page conversation between Dick and Donna seemed very much like a commentary on the relaunch. "Do you think they'll remember us?" "I want them to forget. Me anyway. I want the world to forget I ever existed."

One more full week left to go, then the final week with one title.

Comic Books of the Week (8/10/11) part 2

The month of final issues (for me) continues:

Batman: the Brave and the Bold #10 - this is one of the books I would have still picked up come September, but going to the shop for one or two books a month didn't make sense to me. The DC Kids line gets it right. Here we have a single issue tale, a trio of villains, a trio of guest heroes and a good character driven story about a father trying to take care of his family. It was light, colorful, fun - the way comics used to be when I first discovered them back in the 70's. Books could have continuity, the writers knew how to tell the reader everything they needed to know, and stories could have a beginning, middle and end between two covers.

Birds of Prey #15 - this final issue ends the two part tale by the guest creative team. Gail Simone already left the building after issue 13, leaving this story that feels more like a fill-in than a finale. Kid of disappointing really. And, I must ask, does a book that stars female heroes have to include blantant breast shots on nearly every page? Is this what comics have come to? Sigh.

Teen Titans #99 - how do you fit seven heroes, seven villains, and three Superboy clones in twenty pages? With a huge shoe-horn! We barely get enough details behind Superboy Prime's gathering of his team of evil or enough space for the various fights. The gals barely get a page each while most of the guys get two pages. The Golden Gate bridge gets trashed as does downtown San Francisco. And, oh look, a double-page spread to show us all the guest-stars for next issues anniversary/finale. I hope the final issue is double-sized because there is a lot to cover before this book bows out in two weeks. I have a feeling I'll be disappointed there too.

I think I'm getting too old for this.

Comic Books of the Week (8/3/11) part 1

Comic Books of the Week (8/3/11)

As we move into August and what is looking like my final month of collecting new comics (due to the relaunch of the line in September), my issue reviews might run a little longer. Allow me the space to wax poetically on these final issues.

Adventure Comics #529 - this issue marks the final issue of the run of a title that started out in the Golden Age of comics.

Adventure Comics was one of the first titles I picked up regularly when I started getting DC super-hero books in the 70's. Back then, Aquaman was headlining the anthology title though I remember seeing a few earlier issues that featured Black Orchid and the Spectre.

When Aquaman got his own solo title, Adventure Comics became the home once more for Superboy, then the book expanded with a number of features when it joined the Dollar Comics format. Remember when one dollar could get you 80 pages and no ads? I do. It was great!

And that's when I subscribed to the title - getting copies mailed to me flat with that brown wrapper for protection. I had a subscription to the title from the Dollar days to the Plastic Man/Starman/Aquaman run, followed by the Dial H For Hero run. Then the book moved to a digest format, mixing a healthy dose of reprints with pages of new material.

When Adventure Comics was relaunched a few years back, I was ecstatic. And old friend was back. And it went back to its roots of an anthology - with Superboy (Kon-El) in the lead and Legion backups. The Legion moved to the front and got the Atom for backups. It ended the run with the recent Legion Academy series taking over the whole issues.

I really enjoyed the Academy tales and issue #529 was a nice ending to that chapter. There was plenty of action in this issue and it felt like a full issue. The art was solid too. As expected, it managed to tie things up fairly well with the promise of the remaining Academy cast rolling into the new Legion title come September. I wish the new recruits well. With Paul Levitz writing the book in the new DCU, I am sure they'll be in good hands. This is one I will miss reading each month.

Secret Six #36 - Gail Simone managed to do something pretty rare - she wrote one of the longest running DC villain-team book and did it with a cast of lesser known characters, plenty of violence, a little perversion and a whole lot of heart.

She did what a writer is supposed to do - make you care about the characters. The fact that these were some of the vilest criminals didn't matter. As a reader, I cared. This was a book I welcomed every month. You never knew what was going to happen. You could predict the strangest circumstances and Gail would likely top it. That's how fun this book was.

Unfortunately, not enough people got it. Sales were surprisingly lower on the monthly title though the trades sold quite well. And when the book didn't make the cut for the September relaunch, DC at least gave Gail a chance to go out with a bang.

These last two issues managed to tie-up (rather quickly) the plot lines of the major cast as best she could in the space allowed. This issue felt like a proper ending. The villains, with their backs against the wall and surrounded by a plethora of heroes, went out in a blaze of glory. It spoke to these characters' natures and personalities. It did not feel like a compromise at all. They went out as any true villains should - fighting.

This is another book I am going to miss reading. I know Gail will be doing Batgirl and Fury of Firestorm come September, but those books won't be the same as this one. I don't think DC will have another great villain team book like this again. When they made Secret Six they broke the mold.

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.

DC Comics - the New 52 Preview

So, in June DC Comics released the news that coming September the entire line was going to be relaunched. This move entailed a number of things:

- all current titles and storylines ending in August
- starting all book back at issue #1 in September
- shuffling of creative teams working on the books
- cancelling some titles and introducing new ones
- releasing all books in digital format on same-day as paper releases

Comic Books of the Week (7/20/11)

Flashpoint: Legion of Doom #2 (of 3) - man, this is one seriously violent book. Yes, I know, it is about desperate criminals trying to escape a prison but wow. And I guess when you know your "world" is ending in another month it doesn't matter how many deaths you rack up either. I was kind of disappointed with the fates of Atom and Animal Man to boot. Ah well. I will likely only get the final issue for completeness sake.

Flashpoint: Wonder Woman and the Furies #2 (of 3) - more key story about the arrangement between Diana and Aquaman, and how everything went so horribly wrong. We get another hint that this war was not of their making - someone was pulling the strings but who? That mystery is enough to keep me coming back for the final month.

Justice League of America #59 - wow, seven of twenty pages spent on the musings of a mad-villain? Seriously? Clearly the passion of the story left James Robinson as the end of the road was coming up fast. His League's run ends next issue. This issue felt like a huge compromise - finish the arc asap so you can do a quieter final issue. I'm not that thrilled.

Legion of Super-Heroes #15 - the same can be said here. There is a lot in this issue, packed in, but it is done so at the sacrifice of some decent explanations. The Levitz Legion run of the past spent time developing and exploring character depths. I guess it all had to be rushed through so the arc could finish next month to clear the way for September. And DC wonders why a lot of fans were giving up on July and August issues after word of the September relaunch came out. It all seems kind of for naught.

Coming this weekend - my thoughts about "the New 52" based on the free sampler given out at the comic shops this week.

Comic Books of the Week (7/13/11)

We continue our countdown until August 31st, my final comic book buying day. Let's get to this week's books:

Batman: the Brave and the Bold #9 - this was an enjoyable, done-in-one adventure from the DC Kids line featuring Batman teaming up with Hawkman. The story mostly takes place in space, but shows good elements of both heroes (Batman being a friend, Hawkman being a devoted husband). The last page of the issue clearly was my favorite, a full page shot of what Hawkgirl was up to while her hubby was away.

Birds of Prey #14 - this was the first part of a two-part tale by a fill-in team. Gail Simone already finished her work on the run last time. This definitely feels like an inventory story to me - one that was there for release and had to be used before September's relaunch of the title with a new direction. While I enjoyed some of the art, the story really didn't excite me (between the WWII flashbacks and the return of some Nazi villains today). Yawn. I'll probably only pick up the final issue next month just for completeness sake. The series, one I once looked forward to greatly, is going out with a whimper.

Green Lantern #67 - the final chapter of the "War of the Green Lanterns" saga - another of a letdown. While I did like the nice touch of Kyle's role, the final battle with Krona seemed so arbitrary to me. Of course, the issue has a "shocker" but not really so much so. I am sure it won't be long into the new run starting in September before some things return to the status quo. As the final issue of this run, it too started out really well when Geoff Johns relaunched the book with Hal back in the Corps. Of late though things have gotten a little off - right after Blackest Night in particular. It just felt like it was spinning its wheels in a rut. Ah well.

Teen Titans #97 - the first of the bi-weekly issues so this book can hit #100 before August ends and the book is reconfigured again. I felt this story with Rankor has dragged on a bit too long, so I was glad to see it finally end. There are hints of subplots for the future in this one, but with only three issues left to go before the relaunch I am not really so excited about them. I can't get excited for a new member who won't be on the team in two months time. Ditto for a relationship between Superboy and Ravager when she'll be off the team too. Raven's mystery - I can't see that tying up in the next three issues either. At least with Superboy-Prime coming back next issue there might be some excitement before the final curtain call.

Booster Gold #46 - this book is dragging with the Flashpoint connection. So far we've seen Booster wasting too much time with Doomsday. Dan Jurgens only did half the art here and his story also seems severely shackled. I had hoped the Booster would play a key role in helping Flash solve the problem with changed history. But with only one issue left, if he does it will all be very rushed. Again, another book that I loved when it first came out, then got lost a bit with the change in creative teams, and is now going to go out with a big yawn.

Flashpoint: Citizen Cold #2 (of 3) - I loved the first issue, but this issue not so much. The issue is mostly a battle between Cold and the Rogues, but it just didn't do it for me. Perhaps it was Scott Kolins murky art or his disjointed story-telling. I know he only has three issues to get this done but any interest I was developing in the character and the setting has gone out the window.

Flashpoint: Deathstroke #2 (of 3)- did the art team change between issue 1 and this one? It certainly seems that way. Emperor Aquaman appears in this issue as Deathstroke's ship is attacked. Like with the above book, any interest I had from the first issue seems to have gone with this one - I was really bored. I'm probably going to skip the third one here.

Flashpoint: Emperor Aquaman #2 (of 3) - the art on this issue was very nice all the way around. The flashback of this Aquaman's origin was very detailed, almost too much so for a continuity that goes blip next month. But, perhaps, some of these elements might show up in the new Aquaman book come September. It is so hard to say. This book definitely has not been an Aquaman we've all known and loved for decades. This is more of an Aquman heavily influenced by Marvel's Prince Namor.

Comic Books of the Week (7/6/11)

Counting down to the end of August and the end of my picking up of new monthly comics... (sniff sniff), let's get to the reviews:

Adventure Comics #528 - Levitz and his varied art teams really deliver on this issue. As some old faces finally graduate the Academy, the Legion HQ is invaded. It is up to the only LSH members around - the instructors from the Academy - to find out what is up. Naturally, the current class follows behind, too curious for their own good. Will they survive the big battle in the final issue next month? I hope so. I'd really like this classic title to go out on a high note. More reminiscing next month.

Secret Six #35 - speaking of going out on a high note, Gail Simone and J. Calafiore are pulling out all the stops for this final arc of the team. After the revelations in Hell, Bane decides to take the team on a critical mission - to battle the Bat-heroes in Gotham! It is a shame we're only getting two issues for this story as I am sure it will be a good one. I know Gail and J. will not disappoint. Final thoughts on this series next month.

Flashpoint #3 (of 5) - another book that I really wish had more issues for it would be this one. Five is not enough to hold all the goodness. The opening pages really show why Barry Allen is the hero he is! That was amazing conviction and determination on his part. The scenes with Lois and the Resistance give a good glimpse at some elements of the post-Flashpoint DCU, which is fine. But I'm really digging the Flashpoint world and all its surprises. Speaking of: the revelation in the vaults of Project Superman was outstanding! Can't wait to see where this goes next issue.

Flashpoint: Abin Sur #2 (of 3) - this issue picks up from Flashpoint: Hal Jordan #1 and spins the story in an unexpected way. Loved it! What was even more shocking was the appearance of Sinestro and the revelation of why he decided to come to Earth. Could this be a key to the end of the event? I think it will be a factor with how things end up come September.

Flashpoint: Secret Seven #2 (of 3) - I was a little disappointed when I opened the book to find George Perez only did the cover this time out. I had hoped he would the pencils for the entire mini. Still, I loved what Milligan, Blanco and Koblish did with this one. Lots of characters, lots of intrigue, loved this version of Abra Kadabra (now that he didn't have a Flash to vex). I am sure some of the characters and elements of this book will also survive come September. Three issues aren't enough for this one either.

World of Flashpoint #2 (of 3) - Traci 13 is really trying to save the planet, but a teen can't do it on her own. I loved her little tour of the globe, looking for allies. Even though we only got glimpses, it was interesting to see how the characters we know and love were totally reinterpretted. Some great surprises here. I'm not sure how all this will end. Given the other books and the shortness of the main Flashpoint mini, I am thinking all the elements will come together in the final issue for some major re-triggering effect, out of which will spin the new relaunched DCU for September. More thoughts on all of this next month.

Comic Books of the Week (6/29/11)

Flashpoint: the Canterbury Cricket #1 - this one shot was really there to introduce a new character who then joins up with the Resistance against the Amazons in the UK. Will he stick around after Flashpoint ends for the new DCU? Probably so. Why else give him a one-shot like this? It was good to see the Demon and Godiva (though the later was poorly drawn, IMHO). Worth picking up? Only if you think the Cricket will be the newest breakout character. I am thinking not.

Flashpoint: Green Arrow Industries #1 - this one-shot really worked for me. Ollie as a weapons-seller, the use of villain-tech, the social commentary on big corporations destroying Main Street America - it all worked for me. Best book of the week.

Flashpoint: Hal Jordan #1 (of 3) - except for the Amazon/Atlantean war this read exactly like Hal's Green Lantern origin and the first fifteen minutes of the recent GL film. Yawn. Been here, done that. Give us something new, folks? Sigh.

Justice Society of America #52 - the mystery of the door beneath Monument Point continues. But, I couldn't get into it. Yes, we have some nice-to-see guest stars with the Challengers of the Unknown, but how can I get excited for a story that I know has just two issues to wrap up? And there is no sign of the JSA in the relaunch come September. Spinning our wheels here, people. Sad.