Week of February 29th

Honorable Mention

Astonishing X-Men # 47 (Marvel)

   Charles Xavier must be defeated in order to save the world!

Bionic Man # 7 (Dynamite Entertainment)

   The origin of Colonel Avery Hull...the first Bionic Man!

New Avengers # 22 (Marvel)

   The New Avengers are hunted and on the run...from the Federal Governmet!

The Shade # 5 (DC Comics)

   Battles Vampires on the high seas for the life of a baby!

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents # 6 (DC Comics)

   Could this be the last run for Lightning?

...and now for this weeks All-Stars!

Avengers # 23

Company: Marvel

All-Star Crew of Presenters: Writer: Brian Michael Bendis, Artist: Daniel Acuna, Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit, Editor: Tom Brevoort


All-Star Summary for Choice: Captain America has been captured and become a pawn in terrorist negotiations...and then is forced to watch good soldiers ripped apart by hulked out H.A.M.M.E.R agents. The Vision is trounced in melee combat by...Norman Osborn??  This book continues to twist and turn at the tune of the master plans of Norman Osborne to the point that every small victory is looked at with skepticism. When the heroes win, but you just can't bring yourself to believe it, that’s a reflection of some good storytelling.

The good art and surprise and intense action just continues to get the blood pumping. The bad guys are still winning and even a ray of hope can’t be counted on when Osborne is plotting against the good guys. Hail H.A.M.M.E.R.! 

All-Star Quote of the Book: “Please, I beg you, resist my authority.”

Invincible # 89

Company: Image Comics, Inc

All-Star Crew of Presenters: Writer: Robert Kirkman, Artist: Ryan Ottley, Inker: Ryan Ottley, Letterer: Rus Wooton, Colorist: John Rauch, Editor: Sina Grace


All-Star Summary for Choice: Invincible is laid low by a newer and stronger strain of the Scourge Virus...the only thing known that can kill Viltrimites...and being half Viltrimite hasn’t done Invincible any favors. Grand Regent Thragg has his top scientist trying to find a cure because if Invincible dies, so does the Viltrimite/Earth agreement he made...and so might everyone on Earth soon after! Even the genius Dinosaurus has come to the aid of his former foe. Everything is on the brink...so what better time to make a discovery that’s worth killing for? Make way...Invincible is stepping up to the plate...but who is he?

Besides the art being great, the story draws me in...and it’s not just the overall big picture, but the small details dedicated to the great dialogue that gives all these characters a senses of realism and larger than life personality. I find any book that can enthrall like this without having to resort to gratuitous violence is simply a masterpiece. Of course though...what would any book be without some gratuitous violence...?

All-Star Quote of the Book: “Grand Regent Thragg, I have discovered something...extraordinary.”

Justice League # 6

Company: DC Comics

All-Star Crew of Presenters: Writer: Geoff Johns, Artist: Jim Lee, Inkers: Scott Williams, Sandra Hope, Batt & Mark Irwin, Letterer: Patrick Brosseau, Colorists: Alex Sinclair with Tony Avina & Hi-Fi, Editor: Brian Cunningham


All-Star Summary for Choice: The Justice League are fighting for their lives against Darkseid...without their two biggest assets, Superman and Batman! I’ve seen many battles in my day between these two forces (yes, Darkseid can only be described as such you blithering fool!), but this one was particularly brutal. Perhaps it’s because the Justice League really doesn’t stand a chance? But don’t tell that to Wonder Woman or Aquaman who take it to the big guy in hopes that he “sees their point.”

Despite the epic battle and the Flash naming the team the Super Seven, the most interesting portion of the book for me was the end...a confrontation between the Phantom Stranger (yaaay! he’s back!) and a mysterious woman named Pandora whom he charges with  being “...a foolish girl whose curiosity cursed the world.” They go in to talk about the “Third Sinner” still being loose in the world. Mark this post folks...I predict Pandora is none other than Eve...as in, might the Phantom Stranger be Adam?

All-Star Quote of the Book: “A sword and a trident through his eyes and he’s still standing? What else can we do?”

Kirby Genesis - Dragonsbane # 2

Company: Dynamite Entertainment

All-Star Crew of Presenters: Writers: Robert Rodi & Alex Ross, Artist: Fritz Casas, Colorist: Salvatore Aiala, Letterer: Simon Bowland, Editor: Joseph Rybandt


All-Star Summary for Choice:. Sigurd Dragonsbane, Balduur, Heimdall and Honir have all been turned into pigs by Circe. No surprise, she does things like that. The surprise comes when our adventurers are saved, and then their quest joined....by none other than Ulysses! King of Ithaca and hero of the Trojan War, I don’t believe this character has ever been used in comics in the mythological sense that we see Thor, Hercules, or even most recently, Achilles in the pages of Wonder Woman prior to the New 52. This book is shattering the mythic hero ceiling long held by Thor in my opinion....and it’s only on issue number two!

The art is excellent and as I’ve mentioned before, setting of all the mythologies as being simply the land next door is an interesting perspective that is paying off with every issue. When our heroes are besieged by a Cyclops and Balduur is forced to summon a Frost Giant to combat it...that encounter itself speaks volumes to where this book is going...somewhere we have never been before!

All-Star Quote of the Book: “By Hagbar’s hairy chin, that swing struck true!”

The Twelve # 10 (of 12)

Company: Marvel

All-Star Crew of Presenters: Writers: J. Michael Straczynski, Artist: Chris Weston, Letterer: Comicraft’s Jimmy Betancourt, Colorist: Chris Chuckry, Editor: Tom Brevoort


All-Star Summary for Choice:  Writer of the Babylon 5 television series, J. Michael Straczynski is arguably one of the greatest writers of science fiction fantasy...ever. The art of Chris Weston is awesome because it’s clear, crisp and vibrant with great detail to facial expression and nice perspective for diversity as you go from one panel to another.

The Twelve are heroes from the 1940’s that were frozen and brought back to the world of the living in the year 2008. One of them has been mysteriously murdered by another among them. This book is an episode of “Clue”...on steroids! I’m a pretty good detective...and although I figured out who the murderer was, I was totally blindsided as to why...and then laid out upon discovering that guilty person wasn’t at all what probably everyone had been thinking they were. The writing of this book, and this particular issue...is simply brilliant!

Don’t let the cover fool you...besides, you shouldn’t be judging a book by the cover anyway, because this has been one of the best books I’ve ever read...period.

All-Star Quote of the Book: “I’m the Man of the Future! And I’m going to kill...every...last...one of you.”