Week of June 13th

Honorable Mention

Batman and Robin # 10 (DC Comics)

Damien Wayne has thrown down the gauntlet and is going to prove once and for all that he is the best Robin to ever wear the suit. A family portrait of the Wayne’s never hid so much family angst. Dick Grayson, Jason Todd and Tim Drake are in for an experience as Damien has his mind made up...and he may not be too far off the mark. But it isn’t just about physically defeating them for Damien...it’s about taking something from them, and leaving them with the realization that he is the son of the Batman...and he is the best. First up...Red Robin, place your bets!

Shade # 9 (DC Comics)

The Shade has some pretty...shady relatives. Seems like they’re always into something clandestine and not so upright. This simply will not do for such a...refined criminal like himself. The hypocrisy of this book is amazing, if you’re familiar with the Shade, and yet it still manages to paint him as altruistic. The art is vibrant and the character itself is very interesting as he has come a long way from his JSA days as a punchline villain good for a few panels of action. He is immortal, he is deadly, he is smart....and although his “human” status can be contested, he is very much in the middle, like most of us. Armed guards and ninjas don’t even slow him down...good thing the bad guys have Egyptian Gods working for them!

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

Before Watchmen: Silk Specter # 1

Company: DC Comics

All-Star Crew of Presenters: Writers: Darwyn Cooke & Amanda Conner, Artist: Amanda Conner, Letterers: Carlos M. Mangual, Colorist: Paul Mounts, Editor: Mark Chiarello

All-Star Summary for Choice: There is so much to like about this book, beginning with the art. Amanda Conner is a great artist with a very expressive style. She is not unlike Kevin Maguire when it comes to facial expressions, and the nature of this story and layout of this book lends itself perfectly to her particular brand of artistic talent

   This book is not heavy on the action, although there is plenty going on in the story, but primarily driven by a great story laid out and expressed with the right artistic talent. In the movie, the Silk Specter was interesting to me...when she was fighting. In this book, she is just a very interesting character as we are shown her early upbringing...which is tantamount to her mother, the original Silk Specter, hellbent on her daughter carrying on the legacy. The clash of this with adolescence and “boys” is what gives this story a kick.

   By high school laurel Jupiter is a physical specimen that outclasses all the boys, which of course, puts her on the outs with all the girls...especially when she has her eye on the one boy everyone else wants, and he has his eyes on her. Her self critiques in the mirror, something all young girls do, is offset by her being besieged by a masked assailant...which is really her mother enacting another training tool for her daughter’s inevitable career. The juxtaposition of these situations is extremely refreshing and serve as another straw on the camel’s back as Laurel makes a decision for herself and what she wants...in sharp contrast to a life lived for what her mother wants.

  

All-Star Quote of the Book: “Frankly, I don’t see the family resemblance Oh wait...now I see it!.”

Green Lantern # 10

Company: DC Comics

All-Star Crew of Presenters: Writer: Geoff Johns, Artist: Doug Mahnke, Colorists: Hi-Fi, Inkers: Christian Alamy, Keith Champagne, Mark Irwin & Tom Nguyen, Letterer: Sal Cipriano, Editors: Brian Cunningham & Matt Idelson

All-Star Summary for Choice: The art and coloring of this book still don’t disappoint and make it a visual pleasure to read. The writing of this issue is also first rate and keeps me on the edge as the story unfolds. There are few books that make you angry you have to wait thirty days for the next issue, this book is one of those books.

   Jordan and Sinestro are running on fumes with Sinestro’s ring drained and Hal’s unable to give him flight or forcefields. Not a big deal except the Indigo Tribe power battery has been destroyed, letting them all loose from the Indigo mandate. No big deal...except they are a tribe of the worst killers that can be found anywhere, and the Indigo light is their path to redemption. Without it...they are just ruthless killers, wanting nothing more than to get their hands on Jordan and Sinestro. Ok...now it’s a big deal.

   Jordan must now convince Natromo to remake the power battery to save all their lives, but without a spark of the Indigo light, there is nothing he can do. Time is not on their side as the freed Indigo Tribe is closing in, forcing Sinestro to make an unexpected sacrifice...while Jordan looks for a miracle. In all of this...where has William Hand gone? Losing track of him will have things going from bad to worse!

All-Star Quote of the Book: “Indigo Lantern of Sector 2814 deceased.”

Kirby: Genesis - Captain Victory # 5

Company: Dynamite Entertainment

All-Star Crew of Presenters: Writer: Sterling Gates, Artist: Dennis Calero, Letterer: Marshall Dillon, Editor: Joe Rybandt.

All-Star Summary for Choice:  Jack Kirby was a genius ahead of his time. I’m a fan of almost everything he’s created, mostly all the New Gods and Fourth World stuff...but now I get to immerse myself in Kirby Genesis titles like Captain Victory. This book brings back all the great things I love about Kirby creations, and also takes that “space adventure” feeling to the next level. The don’t call Jack “The King” for nothing.

Captain Victory leads a contingent of Galaxy Rangers. If this is beginning to sound like something you made up as a kid, then you’re getting the right impression. This book has a knack for bringing that childhood feel to it, but with a serious twist. It’s almost like Star Trek, with crew members having special hero type abilities. The book takes itself very serious and this takes all the hokiness out of it.

The Rangers have crash landed on Ilili and are being besieged by the Iira Tribe. An earlier Ranger expedition has already been lost on the planet and the Rangers must repair their ship, survive the onslaught, and solve the mystery of the earlier Ranger expedition. No problem for the Galaxy Rangers....well, not really. Lot’s of problems actually. This issue plays out like a really good television episode of your favorite science fiction show.

All-Star Quote of the Book: “Major Klavus, once she’s shadow-stricken, she can’t be cured.”

The Mighty Thor # 15

Company: Marvel

All-Star Crew of Presenters: Writer: Matt Fraction, Artists: Pepe Larraz, Colorists: Frank D’Armata, Letterer: VC’s Joe Sabino, Editors: Lauren Sankovitch .

All-Star Summary for Choice: The artwork of this book is very striking, both in technique and colors, and is the first hook that sinks in. The second hook is the story. A race of Mares has trapped everyone and anyone they encounter in a communal nightmare...and stray dreams and thoughts become dangerous and deadly.

   Thor has had a bad dream...a very bad dream, about his father. Now Odin returns, demented as a giant, intent on teaching Thor many lessons in pain and suffering. It’s not often you pick up a comic these days and see Thor kicked around from page to page. It’s rarer still to see it happening on his own book. As bad as this is, it’s not the worst of the situation.

   Donald Blake has made a pact with the Enchantress (now how stupid is that)to attain godhood. I honestly don’t know why he is surprised in the manner in which she keeps her promise. It’s one of those “see for yourself” situations that I won’t write about here. add to this that a local kid has come into town and fallen victim to the Mares...and the stuff he dreams about make all of this go from bad...to worse. This is the type of issue that puts the fun back into reading comics.

All-Star Quote of the Book: “I had a bad dream.”

X-Men Legacy # 268

Company: Marvel

All-Star Crew of Presenters: Writer: Christos Gage, Artists: David Baldeon, Colorist: Brian Reber, Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit, Inker: Jordi Tarragona, Editor: Daniel Ketchum.

All-Star Summary for Choice: I’m not a regular collector of this title, and I don’t remember what compelled me to look in this book, but I’m glad I did. The artwork was very good, with clean lines, nice color, and excellent inking. Perhaps I looked at it because it had the “A vs X” label on it...although the story doesn’t directly deal with events happening in that story.

   I wasn’t familiar with the main character of this issue, Frenzy...but good storytelling has made me very clear now on who she is, what her motivations are, and the baggage she carries with her. Five X-Men have been imbued with the Phoenix Force and are remaking the world into a better tomorrow (or so they say). One of their new rules: no more war. Some people didn’t get the memo, so Frenzy is dropped into an African war zone to enforce the new law. From here, the story gets serious as the subject of abuse is tackled in a way that only an X-Men book can.

   Frenzy is witnessed to a particular brand of abuse that trigers memories for her...and inspires her to action. A woman is being abused by her husband, not unlike the abuse Frenzy faced from her father when she was a child. The depiction of these sequences is quite brutal...even for a comic, and of course, the worst situation is the one in which Frenzy’s mutant power manifests. The woman Frenzy saves in the beginning has an equally gruesome story of her own, although it’s told with words instead of pictures. In the end, this book leaves us to ponder the merits of a life lived with pain...and if the lessons that can be learned, should be learned.

All-Star Quote of the Book: “Teach me. I dare you.”