Comics in December pt. 5

Continuing to work through the pile...

Justice Society of America #11 - the next chapter in the "Thy Kingdom Come" storyline. Mostly we get the JSA and JLA validating this elder Superman's claim that he is who he says he is and is from where he says he is from (a destroyed universe). They conclude his word is true and his intentions are good. And from his thought-narrations, it appears that way as well. So, that leaves me wondering "what's the big hook/payoff of this arc?". Clearly another shoe has got to fall at some point. I expect that Geoff Johns and Alex Ross. The question is what and when. I am hoping for a huge payoff from these two. The art by Dale Ealgesham is wonderful, as always.


Salvation Run #2 - the second part of this seven part mini-series kicks the story up a notch. We get some deaths of villains (as expected) and we get the Joker in an outstanding scene where he shows why he's someone even other villains fear in the DCU. Very nicely if not brutally done. And, of course, we get to see what happens when Lex Luthor drops into this exile party. Lex does what he does best, and he shows he'll lead through a different sort of method. So, the lines seem to be forming - and I predict a big villain war on this death-world before it is all through. Who survives to make it back to Earth? I think half the fun will be who we get shocked with seeing NOT make it home, and why. You need to be reading this book!

Company Christmas Cruise

Last night we had to do a company Christmas party - it was for my wife's company, not mine. The party was a dinner cruise on nearby Lake Norman. Now, normally that would have been fun - especially if the warmer weather had stayed with us. No such luck. It was cold (in the 30's) and rainy. So we spent most of the time inside the two-tiered boat or on the covered deck outside.

Still, it was a fun party. Dinner was very late (it was like 8:30 before we got fed - an hour into the trip). Good thing we stopped for a burger on the way to tide us over. The food was okay - typical buffet items of salmon, turkey, chicken, corn, rice with beans and a choice of two deserts (key-lime pie and cheesecake).

There was a cash-bar so naturally there was some drinking. As designated-driver, I had water. That made it interesting to watch and observe the others around me who did imbibe. Saw some interesting things(!). And, of course, since I don't work with these people or know who's who, it made it like people-watching of strangers.

Still, it was a nice night out - to get dressed up and have adult conversations around dinner with other couples.

Comics in December pt. 4

Continuing the pile of books showing up this month (man, there have been a lot!):

Countdown to Final Crisis #20 - Okay, four really good issues in a row meant we were due for a bit of clunker. This week's book was it. Despite the wonderful art by Howard Porter, the story was back to hitting each of the main characters for two to three pages each. Yawn. Momentum is quickly losted faster than the Pied Piper lugging around the Trickster's corpse (I'm still stinging from that death - but now it's getting morbid and not in a funny "Weekend at Bernie's" sort of way). I hope things pick up again soon.

Countdown: Arena #2 - the slaughter-fest continues this week with showdowns between trios of Rays, Blue Beetles and Green Lanterns. I liked the touch of telling us which of the 52 Earths each of the heroes comes from. It helps to map out the Multiverse a bit better. Some of the combatants were familiar or vaguely familiar. Others had interesting twists. Some of these death-fights though were pretty gruesome. I'm really glad this book only runs for four issues - all this month. While this is an okay as a one-time-deal story, I wouldn't want to see a steady diet of this.

Tales of the Green Lantern Corps: Ion - this one-shot kind of serves as an epilogue of sorts to the recent "Sinestro War" arc in the GL titles. Mostly, it focuses on the passing of the torch between Kyle Raynor and the Daxamite who is to serve as the new host of Ion. I picked it up to go with the other GL book this week, but I wasn't all that thrilled with it. It was just okay for me.


Green Lantern #25 - this was THE book for me this week! Man, what an awesome conclusion to an awesome story arc. We get a super-sized issue with some gorgeous double-page panels - the art was fantastic through-out (and well worth the few weeks delay in schedule). We get a ton of action and a conclusion worthy of any Hollywood blockbuster epic. We get guest-heroes (which should be there when a huge invasion hits the Earth). We get some nice family moments between Hal and his brother, as well as Coast City showing their love for the hometown legend. We get heroes fighting without their rings - because in the end it isn't the power that makes a hero a hero. We see see the villains - Cyborg-Superman, Prime, the Anti-Monitor and Sinestro - all get served, as well they should. We get it all! And we get hints of what's to come - as the next major GL landmark event will be coming in the summer of 2009. I guarantee the build up over the next year and a half will be amazing. Geoff Johns has proven once more his love for these characters and that he has the ability to build upon the foundations of the past while moving the whole pantheon to the next level.

Doesn't Feel Like Christmas Yet

First, I feel bad for everyone in the midwest that got slammed by the ice storms and such this week. That is just horrible conditions. I hope things improve there soon.

Meanwhile, here in NC, it hardly feels like Christmas time. The highs this week have been in the 70's. Now, I'm not asking for snow and ice - God forbid as Southerners just freak out at the mere chance of flakes. No, I wouldn't mind a little drop in temperature - perhaps a brisk upper 40's or so with a gentle, crisp breeze.

I hear we're supposed to get some weather from the North pushing down on us later in the week. That would be nice. Just to have the feeling of Christmas back in NY, without all the slush, muck and such.

Comics in December pt. 3

Continuing the pile of books from the last week of November and first week of December:

The Search for Ray Palmer: Red Son - this one-shot in the series of one-shots in search of the Atom was just so-so for me. I never read the Elseworlds Red Son book, wherein Superman's rocket lands in Moscow instead of America. So, this Soviet super-friends-slugfest wasn't all that exciting for me. It really was a lot of filler - I should have passed it up.

Justice League of America #15 - the final part of the new creative team's opening arc was just okay. Any time you have such a huge confrontation set up - the Justice League versus this new Injustice League - it has a good chance of falling apart due to too many players involved. Sure, there were nice character bits and such but the villains were beat too easily given their emassed power. I guess my expectation levels were a bit too high. The offering of JLA membership to a certain hero was an unexpected surprise, for me, but I guess it works. Every new writer wants to pepper the team with characters they are interested in, so this team really isn't an exception in doing so. Here's hoping the next storyline has a bit more meat than a couple huge brawls.

Countdown to Adventure #4 - In the lead tale, the creative team shows us how resourceful Adam Strange can be even when his back is up against the wall. Despite having no powers, we are shown that he is a true hero in every sense of the word - fighting his way through a building of enemies. We also get a little bit with Animal Man and Starfire, the later whom I hope gets her powers back soon. The art on this lead feature was very nice as well. In the back-up, Forerunner keeps plodding along and showing she can't get along with anyone. I'm curious as to what role she'll be playing in the big Final Crisis next year; she's given all this set-up storyline so it needs to payoff at some point.


Death of the New Gods #3 - part three in this epic by Jim Starlin and company was enjoyable. The art fits the grand epic nature of this "twilight" of the Gods storyline. About the only thing that might make this more enjoyable would be to read this entire tale in one fell-swoop. However, it is such a good story that waiting for the trade would be too much torture for me.

Films We'd Like To See

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2gHh5p8npA

Someone posted this link on a board I visit - so I don't know how long it's been around. Still, it comes across as a comic book movie I know I'd like to see!

Comics in December pt. 2

Continuing the plow through the comic pile from the last two weeks:

Countdown to Final Crisis #22 and #21 - wow! I am so glad I actually had stacked up two weeks of this mini series back to back. The final nine pages of #22 and the first three page of #21 were very powerful. And they include the final fate of a character I have enjoyed for decades. I was moved. Overall, I am happy with the way this mini series has tightened up its act over the past month or so. We are getting issues more tightly focused on one or two plotlines - as the whole plot ramps up towards a huge payoff in just a few months.

Teen Titans #53 - part three of a storyline I am getting bored with. I think the dragging of it out for four parts is hurting this one, especially when those four parts take four months to get out. One the plus side, I am loving the artwork by Eddy Barrows and Rob Hunter. These two make a great team.

the All-New Atom #18 - part two of the Atom/Wonder Woman team up. I enjoyed this a lot - thanks to Gail Simone's writing. She is bridging nicely from the character whose book she started and the character with whom she is taking over the writing chores. I think I might have to check out her work on Wonder Woman if this is how she writes the Amazon. And that last page - a nice payoff! I can wait to see Ryan's answer to the question.

Countdown Arena #1 - this is part one of a four week mini series. It basically pits three versions of various characters against one another in a Roman gladiator type competition. Three walk into the arena - one survives. The prize? To become a member of the Monarch's super-army. Fighting is not an option - you do or you die. I like the concept. What didn't thrill me so much was the artwork by Scott McDaniel and Andy Owens. It seemed too cartoony for something this intense and heavy. Give me someone like Perez and Jimenz on this book - that would have been awesome! Ah well. It is only four issues so I'll keep it on the list.