I’m both excited about the upcoming return of The Brave and the Bold, and more than a couple of today’s comics, while not strictly Bat-books, do, in fact, guest-star a certain Dark Knight Detective. What can I say? Sometimes a theme just comes to you; other times, you have to make one up as you go along.
Tales of the Unexpected 4 (DC Comics) — Former Gotham City police det. Crispus Allen, now joined with the spirit of vengeance as the Spectre, has been keeping pretty close to his old stomping grounds. So, it’s only surprising that it has taken Batman this long to show up. And he’s none to happy about the Spectre claiming lives in his town. The lead story in this book just keeps holding my interest as a well-written, down-right creepy detective story. The Dr. 13 backup — the less said, the better.
Green Arrow 70 (DC Comics) — The Red Hood has traveled to Star City for an arms deal with the Brick. Batman has followed him. So we have GA and Bats against Brick and a former Robin. Two issues in and this story is still in the opening acts, but next issue promises to be a little more action-oriented. And writer Judd Winick is doing some nice characterization in this story.
Justice Society of America 2 (DC Comics) — I love this book right now. The sense of history. The feeling of family and legacy. I wish they would tone down Damage’s attitude just a bit as he seems a bit more angry than I remember him from previous appearances in the DCU. And, at least so far, Starman is just too crazy to safely keep around young heroes in training, in my opinion. But otherwise, this book, with just the right mix of new characters and ones picked up from other books in continuity, is a great read.
Outsiders 44 (DC Comics) — OK, no Batman in the last book. None here, either. But not just one, but two former Robins. This issue of Outsiders begins explaining where the Outsiders were during 52, and how they went from a divided super-team to everyone believing they were dead. Obviously Nightwing is part of the group, although at the beginning of the flashback, he’d be with Batman somewhere, and the Red Hood is to figure prominently in the story. I’m curious to see where this one goes.
Squadron Supreme: Hyperion vs. Nighthawk 1 (Marvel Comics) — OK, not really Batman in this one, either, but Nighthawk is obviously an “elseworlds” version of Bats. This limited series pits the two heroes against each other as expected, but uses the real-world events in the Sudan as a backdrop.
52 Weeks 37 and 38 (DC Comics) — The bulk of the first issue is taken up by the explanations about Supernova — who, how and why. Rip Hunter, Booster Gold and Skeets all figure into that mix. Plus, a quick check-in with the space heroes reveals that Animal Man is, in fact, not dead, but still in trouble. Next comes the unveiling of the monstrosities the mad scientists have been concocting and more on Montoya’s efforts to get the Question to Nanda Parbat before he dies.
Green Lantern 16 (DC Comics) — We really are back to Batman guest-starring this time as the entire Justice League descends on Russia to assist Hal. Doesn’t mean things are going well for the ring-slinger, though. In fact, the son of the late Abin Sur, the “villain” of this story, is quite happy at the end of this issue. On a personal continuity note: the League members depicted in this issue are not generic Leaguers, but rather the exact members from the new book. So obviously, this GL tale must “take place” after the new team is officially formed.
Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis 48 (DC Comics) — The new Aquaman, King Shark and the Dweller in the Depths are on the “road” seeking injustices for Arthur to right when they run afoul of the Fisherman gone just a tad freaky. Y’know that goofy-looking hood he always wears? It ain’t just a hood!
Birds of Prey 102 (DC Comics) — I’m really wondering what Manhunter’s secret agenda is here. The other agents coped quite nicely without Oracle’s help. And all I can say about Lois Lane is — classy. I really think she enjoyed baiting Barbara just a little bit, but I should’ve known she’d never betray a friend.
Checkmate 10 (DC Comics) — Pawn 502 gets lucky, or does he? This story arc concludes and I have to say: This is what this comic should be about. The heroes of Shadowpact were involved in this story line. That’s OK. Checkmate operates in a world filled with superheroes and supervillains; that fact should be acknowledged. But by and large, this should be a spy series. This story was. Kudos.
Fables 57 (DC Vertigo) — Snow and Bigby take the cubs to visit their grandfather, the North Wind, and the children promptly get into trouble — very dangerous trouble. Plus, a peek in on Pinnochio and Gepetto reveals a rather nasty temper on the part of the Adversary. Have I mentioned that I like this book? A lot.
That’s all we have for today, Kiddie Cops, because that closes out the comics I have until the next box arrives in a week or two. That means I’m caught up, which means next time we’ll have some more retro-reviews from 1987. However, that may or may not be next Tuesday as I will be out of town for a few days. See ya next time.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Moving Into January
Lot of ground to cover today, Kiddie Cops. I’ve managed to finish reading the last of the December-releases and start on January, if only a little bit, so let’s dive right in.
Powers 22 (Marvel Icon) — I read the entire Image run of this title as trade paperback collections. There is definitely an advantage to waiting for the trade on a title like Powers because it has a tendency to come out on such a slow, irregular basis; reading one entire arc all the way through leaves less opportunity to forget what's going on in the series between individual issues. And, of course, since I came to the Powers party late, I didn’t really have to wait that long between most of the trades, either.
Since the title switched to Marvel Icon, however, I’ve been buying the individual issues as they are released. One benefit to the pamphlet-style books is the infamous Powers “letter column.” It amazes me the number of people who don’t even seem able to string a group of words together and make a coherent sentence. If you’re e-mailing a friend or simply chatting online, slang and abbreviations are just fine, but when you’re sending something to a stranger, something you think might be printed — and especially for the seemingly never-ending supply of people soliciting writing advice from Bendis — you really should be able to compose a rational thought in print.
Maybe some of these people write what they do deliberately trying to provoke a certain response. In fact, I’m certain some of them do. But some of the “writers” featured there each issue have got to be legitimately clueless, and it worries me about the future of the industry when the most vocal “fans” are — I’m sorry to say — such morons.
Jack of Fables 6 (DC Vertigo) — New two-issue story arc begins. Jack and his fellows escapees are all in hiding. To wile away the time, jack regales his current traveling companions with a tale from his past, specifically, how he received winter powers and became Jack Frost. Another nice Willingham fable.
Daredevil 92 (Marvel Comics) — Penultimate chapter of Devil Takes a Ride wherein we learn the identity of the mastermind behind DD’s recent woes. The beginning of this arc was starting to lose my interest, but I am intrigued by the revelation that Vanessa Fisk is behind it all. Of course, since there is still one chapter to go, there may yet be more to the story.
Winter Soldier: Winter Kills (Marvel Comics) — This one-shot comic is everything a mega-crossover tie-in should be. It provides a nice, done-in-one story which adds to the overall tapestry of the crossover if you have an interest in picking it up without being so essential to the plot that the crossover won’t make sense without it. This tale by Ed Brubaker and Lee Weeks also relies heavily on flashbacks from World War II, and does this quite effectively, providing some nice scenes from the past which truly enhance the current drama being played out without changing everything you thought you knew from that time period. Highly recommended.
52 Weeks 35 and 36 (DC Comics) — Rain of the Supermen was very dramatic, but after a while, one has to start to question why Luthor gets away with everything so easily. Despite all of his denials, some of the general populace of the DC Universe beyond the heroes have to suspect he knows more than he is letting on. We also learn that the Question is not yet dead as I’d suspected a few issues ago. Does that mean there’s hope that this issue wasn’t really the death of Buddy Baker? I hope so.
New Universal 2 (Marvel Comics) — More questions and still no answers that make much sense in this series so far, but I still get the vibe from this story that we readers are in the dark intentionally while the author of our confusion knows exactly what is going on. Under those circumstances, I can be patient for answers.
Superman 658 (DC Comics) — On-time issues growing with this title right now, which aren’t helping my overall enjoyment much. I just can’t make up my mind on this arc from Kurt Busiek. The first issue, 653, I believe, was excellent. The next two introduce a new alien named Subjekt, whose interaction with Superman was also great. Then this great character is suddenly and anti-climactically dispatched in favor of the alternate future shown to our hero and his friends by the insufferably egocentric Arion. I cannot stand this incarnation of the Atlantean mage. I’ve never really followed his adventures before, but I’m surprised he could carry a title if Arion’s character has always been like it is portrayed here. I could maybe like Khyber if he is developed more over time. And the alternate future and the ever-growing threat of man’s downfall are intriguing. But I can’t get past the boor presenting it all to Superman.
Manhunter 27 (DC Comics) — What th--?! I can hardly wait for the next issue of this book so Marc Andreyko can explain this one.
Nightwing 128 (DC Comics) — In all honesty, the ending of this first arc by Marv Wolfman was a tad disappointing, but the overall arc is still head and shoulders above the dreck that preceded it. Now that Marv is on the title to stay for a while instead of just filling in for a few issues, I look for things to get even better.
Civil War 6 (Marvel Comics) — Double-agents and double-crosses abound in this issue, and I’m truly anxious to see what happens in the final chapter and where the Marvel Universe is going from here as the powers-that-be keep promising real change in the aftermath of this “event.”
Civil War: Front Line 10 (Marvel Comics) — Not sad, but surprised to see Sleeper Cell and the usual text piece gone from this issue, but then I’ve always said I feel Embedded and The Accused are the strongest two components in this title. Nice to see the entire issue devoted to these stories this time. I kept hoping for a reveal from Sally and Ben that I knew the writers wouldn’t share with us and spoil things, and I genuinely feel the pain and torment Robbie Baldwin is suffering through.
Boneyard 23 (NBM) — Another title that doesn’t come out nearly often enough, but this one is designed to be a quarterly comic anyway, so I can’t complain. Interesting solution to Abbie’s current problem, but I have to wait three whole months to see how it plays out.
Justice League Unlimited 29 (DC Comics) — This issue focuses on B’Wana Beast and Animal Man and their respective differences as the League takes on first the denizens of Gorilla City, then Queen Bee.
Batman 662 (DC Comics) — The end of the Grotesk story line. I really kind of thought that Grotesk was going to turn out to be the sister rather than the brother, even though the story indicated otherwise. Overall, this arc was OK, but unspectacular.
JLA Classified 26-31 (DC Comics) — This story line by Howard Chaykin was disappointing. Several other writers of late have done stories pitting the Justice League against a “real world” dictator, forcing them to debate whether or not to interfere in the politics of a sovereign nation. But what disappointed me the most with this arc was the characterizations of the Leaguers themselves. I realize this story is “out of continuity” and takes place much earlier than the events of Infinite Crisis, so the Batman here should be the paranoid, non-trusting one. He and Superman aren’t friends. But this group is like a twisted parody of even that League. My ideal Justice League is made up of a group of individuals who work with each other for the greater good because they respect each other’s dedication to the same ideals. They may not always trust each other. They may not always see eye to eye with each other. They will have internal conflicts from time to time. But deep down, they remain a group. The “heroes” in this tale don’t even like each other a little bit. There’s no reason for them to cooperate.
Well, that was a lot. So let's call it a wrap, and see ya next time.
Powers 22 (Marvel Icon) — I read the entire Image run of this title as trade paperback collections. There is definitely an advantage to waiting for the trade on a title like Powers because it has a tendency to come out on such a slow, irregular basis; reading one entire arc all the way through leaves less opportunity to forget what's going on in the series between individual issues. And, of course, since I came to the Powers party late, I didn’t really have to wait that long between most of the trades, either.
Since the title switched to Marvel Icon, however, I’ve been buying the individual issues as they are released. One benefit to the pamphlet-style books is the infamous Powers “letter column.” It amazes me the number of people who don’t even seem able to string a group of words together and make a coherent sentence. If you’re e-mailing a friend or simply chatting online, slang and abbreviations are just fine, but when you’re sending something to a stranger, something you think might be printed — and especially for the seemingly never-ending supply of people soliciting writing advice from Bendis — you really should be able to compose a rational thought in print.
Maybe some of these people write what they do deliberately trying to provoke a certain response. In fact, I’m certain some of them do. But some of the “writers” featured there each issue have got to be legitimately clueless, and it worries me about the future of the industry when the most vocal “fans” are — I’m sorry to say — such morons.
Jack of Fables 6 (DC Vertigo) — New two-issue story arc begins. Jack and his fellows escapees are all in hiding. To wile away the time, jack regales his current traveling companions with a tale from his past, specifically, how he received winter powers and became Jack Frost. Another nice Willingham fable.
Daredevil 92 (Marvel Comics) — Penultimate chapter of Devil Takes a Ride wherein we learn the identity of the mastermind behind DD’s recent woes. The beginning of this arc was starting to lose my interest, but I am intrigued by the revelation that Vanessa Fisk is behind it all. Of course, since there is still one chapter to go, there may yet be more to the story.
Winter Soldier: Winter Kills (Marvel Comics) — This one-shot comic is everything a mega-crossover tie-in should be. It provides a nice, done-in-one story which adds to the overall tapestry of the crossover if you have an interest in picking it up without being so essential to the plot that the crossover won’t make sense without it. This tale by Ed Brubaker and Lee Weeks also relies heavily on flashbacks from World War II, and does this quite effectively, providing some nice scenes from the past which truly enhance the current drama being played out without changing everything you thought you knew from that time period. Highly recommended.
52 Weeks 35 and 36 (DC Comics) — Rain of the Supermen was very dramatic, but after a while, one has to start to question why Luthor gets away with everything so easily. Despite all of his denials, some of the general populace of the DC Universe beyond the heroes have to suspect he knows more than he is letting on. We also learn that the Question is not yet dead as I’d suspected a few issues ago. Does that mean there’s hope that this issue wasn’t really the death of Buddy Baker? I hope so.
New Universal 2 (Marvel Comics) — More questions and still no answers that make much sense in this series so far, but I still get the vibe from this story that we readers are in the dark intentionally while the author of our confusion knows exactly what is going on. Under those circumstances, I can be patient for answers.
Superman 658 (DC Comics) — On-time issues growing with this title right now, which aren’t helping my overall enjoyment much. I just can’t make up my mind on this arc from Kurt Busiek. The first issue, 653, I believe, was excellent. The next two introduce a new alien named Subjekt, whose interaction with Superman was also great. Then this great character is suddenly and anti-climactically dispatched in favor of the alternate future shown to our hero and his friends by the insufferably egocentric Arion. I cannot stand this incarnation of the Atlantean mage. I’ve never really followed his adventures before, but I’m surprised he could carry a title if Arion’s character has always been like it is portrayed here. I could maybe like Khyber if he is developed more over time. And the alternate future and the ever-growing threat of man’s downfall are intriguing. But I can’t get past the boor presenting it all to Superman.
Manhunter 27 (DC Comics) — What th--?! I can hardly wait for the next issue of this book so Marc Andreyko can explain this one.
Nightwing 128 (DC Comics) — In all honesty, the ending of this first arc by Marv Wolfman was a tad disappointing, but the overall arc is still head and shoulders above the dreck that preceded it. Now that Marv is on the title to stay for a while instead of just filling in for a few issues, I look for things to get even better.
Civil War 6 (Marvel Comics) — Double-agents and double-crosses abound in this issue, and I’m truly anxious to see what happens in the final chapter and where the Marvel Universe is going from here as the powers-that-be keep promising real change in the aftermath of this “event.”
Civil War: Front Line 10 (Marvel Comics) — Not sad, but surprised to see Sleeper Cell and the usual text piece gone from this issue, but then I’ve always said I feel Embedded and The Accused are the strongest two components in this title. Nice to see the entire issue devoted to these stories this time. I kept hoping for a reveal from Sally and Ben that I knew the writers wouldn’t share with us and spoil things, and I genuinely feel the pain and torment Robbie Baldwin is suffering through.
Boneyard 23 (NBM) — Another title that doesn’t come out nearly often enough, but this one is designed to be a quarterly comic anyway, so I can’t complain. Interesting solution to Abbie’s current problem, but I have to wait three whole months to see how it plays out.
Justice League Unlimited 29 (DC Comics) — This issue focuses on B’Wana Beast and Animal Man and their respective differences as the League takes on first the denizens of Gorilla City, then Queen Bee.
Batman 662 (DC Comics) — The end of the Grotesk story line. I really kind of thought that Grotesk was going to turn out to be the sister rather than the brother, even though the story indicated otherwise. Overall, this arc was OK, but unspectacular.
JLA Classified 26-31 (DC Comics) — This story line by Howard Chaykin was disappointing. Several other writers of late have done stories pitting the Justice League against a “real world” dictator, forcing them to debate whether or not to interfere in the politics of a sovereign nation. But what disappointed me the most with this arc was the characterizations of the Leaguers themselves. I realize this story is “out of continuity” and takes place much earlier than the events of Infinite Crisis, so the Batman here should be the paranoid, non-trusting one. He and Superman aren’t friends. But this group is like a twisted parody of even that League. My ideal Justice League is made up of a group of individuals who work with each other for the greater good because they respect each other’s dedication to the same ideals. They may not always trust each other. They may not always see eye to eye with each other. They will have internal conflicts from time to time. But deep down, they remain a group. The “heroes” in this tale don’t even like each other a little bit. There’s no reason for them to cooperate.
Well, that was a lot. So let's call it a wrap, and see ya next time.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
More Quickie Reviews
I still haven’t made it quite all of the way through the December-release comics in my stack, and I’ve already received the January releases. Needless to say, I’m running a little behind where we usually are at this time of the month, so here are some more short and sweet reviews as I try to catch up just a bit.
Checkmate 9 (DC Comics) — Sarge Steel and Sasha Bordeaux verbally spar in this issue over who can best take down the terrorist organization Cobra, and over who most screwed things up last issue. I’ve heard rumors that this book may not have much longer to live, which would be sad, but so far, it hasn’t really lived up to its potential.
Teen Titans 42 (DC Comics) — This issue is a nice recap of the history of Kid Devil. I knew most of Blue Devil’s story, but not Eddie’s, so this was nice.
Civil War Front Line 9 (Marvel Comics) — Sally slaps down Captain America during an exclusive interview as she points out that both sides of the war see themselves as right and will stoop to any low in order to bring down the other side. Morally, I’m on Cap’s side, but as we’ll see in a bit, Cap has a parallel with Iron Man’s side using bad guys.
Civil War: War Crimes (Marvel Comics) — Captain America’s rogue heroes make a deal with the Kingpin in an effort to doublecross Iron Man’s band of zealots. I think I would have liked this better if Captain America himself had not made the decision to work with Kingpin. Other heores can make an occasional mistake: Spidey was on the wrong side of things for a bit, then wised up, for example. But Cap should be above reproach in his actions.
The Lone Ranger 3 (Dynamite Entertainment) — A few more changes to the story I’m familiar with, but nothing that really detracts or lessens the overall origin of the masked man. This is a good comic.
Fables 56 (DC Vertigo) — Very nicely done Christmas tale introducing us to holiday-themed Fables while also providing hints of things yet to come involving not only Snow, Bigby and the cubs, but also Flycatcher.
Iron Man/Captain America: Casualties of War (Marvel Comics) — The two heroes meet on neutral ground in an effort to talk things through. Captain America states that such a thing would’ve been much easier before the Thor clone killed Goliath, which is true, but no less tragic. These two heroes have fought before, but will this be the last time?
New Avengers: Illuminati 1 (Marvel Comics) — This series is starting off to be a little disappointing for me. This first issue takes us back to the time of the Kree-Skrull war and shows exactly how the six members of this secret cabal tried to persuade the Skrulls to leave earth alone rather than retaliate. The plan is disastrous at first, but the newly formed group manages to succeed in the end. If each issue of this limited series is going to look at a specific event from Marvel history, then this series is nothing more than an expanded version of the Illuminati one-shot from a few months ago.
Athena Voltaire: The Collected Web Comics (Ape Entertainment) — This trade collects the first two story arcs introducing 1930s aviatrix Athena Voltaire as she takes on Nazi plots, mysterious yetis and vampiric descendants of Dracula. The stories in this collection are a little more raw than the current miniseries starring the same heroine, but they depict the origins of the character and her creators.
52 Week 34 (DC Comics) — This was a sad installment of the weekly comic as we see not only the death of the Question, but also the betrayal of the Black Marvel family, some of the best characters in this series. And Luthor decides to literally pull the plug on his Everyman project.
Batman 661 (DC Comics) — I am seriously losing interest in the Grotesk story line. Why couldn’t this tale have been done in two issue instead of four? John Ostrander can be an exceptional writer, but this is a case where writing for the trades truly hurts the medium. As a fill-in story, this arc wouldn’t fit into a trade collection with either the Grant Morrison story before it or the one after, so it has to be long enough to support its own trade collection, but the story feels artificially padded by being four issues.
Detective Comics 827 (DC Comics) — This Batman tale, on the other hand, kept me guessing. Paul Dini brings back Scarface, but who is in control and who is pulling the strings, the dummy or the brand-new Ventriloquist?
Justice League of America 5 (DC Comics) — Finally, this story is starting to make a shred of sense and flow in a somewhat linear fashion. All of the various players have been brought together more by chance than by Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman’s selection process. But they’ve all agreed to work with Solomon Grundy in an effort to stop the latest incarnation of Amazo in Red Tornado’s body. I’m hoping things continue to get better to the point where this all makes sense at some point.
Lastly, here’s another book from that stack of out-of-continuity trades and graphic novels I read from occasionally. This time out, we have Neal Adams’ Monsters (Vanguard Productions) — This beautifully illustrated graphic novel presents an original tale featuring the three most popular movie monsters — Count Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster and the werewolf — together in one story. In addition, the book offers notes and sketches from Adams, a truly revolutionary comic artist and story-teller.
That’s it for today, Kiddie Cops. Next time we’ll hopefully finish up the last holdouts from December and move into January. Until then, happy collecting.
Checkmate 9 (DC Comics) — Sarge Steel and Sasha Bordeaux verbally spar in this issue over who can best take down the terrorist organization Cobra, and over who most screwed things up last issue. I’ve heard rumors that this book may not have much longer to live, which would be sad, but so far, it hasn’t really lived up to its potential.
Teen Titans 42 (DC Comics) — This issue is a nice recap of the history of Kid Devil. I knew most of Blue Devil’s story, but not Eddie’s, so this was nice.
Civil War Front Line 9 (Marvel Comics) — Sally slaps down Captain America during an exclusive interview as she points out that both sides of the war see themselves as right and will stoop to any low in order to bring down the other side. Morally, I’m on Cap’s side, but as we’ll see in a bit, Cap has a parallel with Iron Man’s side using bad guys.
Civil War: War Crimes (Marvel Comics) — Captain America’s rogue heroes make a deal with the Kingpin in an effort to doublecross Iron Man’s band of zealots. I think I would have liked this better if Captain America himself had not made the decision to work with Kingpin. Other heores can make an occasional mistake: Spidey was on the wrong side of things for a bit, then wised up, for example. But Cap should be above reproach in his actions.
The Lone Ranger 3 (Dynamite Entertainment) — A few more changes to the story I’m familiar with, but nothing that really detracts or lessens the overall origin of the masked man. This is a good comic.
Fables 56 (DC Vertigo) — Very nicely done Christmas tale introducing us to holiday-themed Fables while also providing hints of things yet to come involving not only Snow, Bigby and the cubs, but also Flycatcher.
Iron Man/Captain America: Casualties of War (Marvel Comics) — The two heroes meet on neutral ground in an effort to talk things through. Captain America states that such a thing would’ve been much easier before the Thor clone killed Goliath, which is true, but no less tragic. These two heroes have fought before, but will this be the last time?
New Avengers: Illuminati 1 (Marvel Comics) — This series is starting off to be a little disappointing for me. This first issue takes us back to the time of the Kree-Skrull war and shows exactly how the six members of this secret cabal tried to persuade the Skrulls to leave earth alone rather than retaliate. The plan is disastrous at first, but the newly formed group manages to succeed in the end. If each issue of this limited series is going to look at a specific event from Marvel history, then this series is nothing more than an expanded version of the Illuminati one-shot from a few months ago.
Athena Voltaire: The Collected Web Comics (Ape Entertainment) — This trade collects the first two story arcs introducing 1930s aviatrix Athena Voltaire as she takes on Nazi plots, mysterious yetis and vampiric descendants of Dracula. The stories in this collection are a little more raw than the current miniseries starring the same heroine, but they depict the origins of the character and her creators.
52 Week 34 (DC Comics) — This was a sad installment of the weekly comic as we see not only the death of the Question, but also the betrayal of the Black Marvel family, some of the best characters in this series. And Luthor decides to literally pull the plug on his Everyman project.
Batman 661 (DC Comics) — I am seriously losing interest in the Grotesk story line. Why couldn’t this tale have been done in two issue instead of four? John Ostrander can be an exceptional writer, but this is a case where writing for the trades truly hurts the medium. As a fill-in story, this arc wouldn’t fit into a trade collection with either the Grant Morrison story before it or the one after, so it has to be long enough to support its own trade collection, but the story feels artificially padded by being four issues.
Detective Comics 827 (DC Comics) — This Batman tale, on the other hand, kept me guessing. Paul Dini brings back Scarface, but who is in control and who is pulling the strings, the dummy or the brand-new Ventriloquist?
Justice League of America 5 (DC Comics) — Finally, this story is starting to make a shred of sense and flow in a somewhat linear fashion. All of the various players have been brought together more by chance than by Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman’s selection process. But they’ve all agreed to work with Solomon Grundy in an effort to stop the latest incarnation of Amazo in Red Tornado’s body. I’m hoping things continue to get better to the point where this all makes sense at some point.
Lastly, here’s another book from that stack of out-of-continuity trades and graphic novels I read from occasionally. This time out, we have Neal Adams’ Monsters (Vanguard Productions) — This beautifully illustrated graphic novel presents an original tale featuring the three most popular movie monsters — Count Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster and the werewolf — together in one story. In addition, the book offers notes and sketches from Adams, a truly revolutionary comic artist and story-teller.
That’s it for today, Kiddie Cops. Next time we’ll hopefully finish up the last holdouts from December and move into January. Until then, happy collecting.
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