Hope is a requirement

Captain America: Home of the Brave tpb (Collects issue Nos. 695-700)
Marvel Comics
Creators: Mark Waid, Chris Samnee, Matthew Wilson and Joe Caramagna
Release date: 2018

I read two of the single issues collected in this volume, and liked them enough, I said I would buy this trade. Don’t believe me? I wrote about it here.

I bought the trade and just recently, I had time to sit down and read it. It was full of surprises despite my having already read nearly one-third of the contents previously. In fact, it was so surprising, I might not have purchased this trade if I had known more about the contents beforehand. And that would have been sad, because had I not bought the trade, I would have missed out on a wonderful story.

But let’s back up. I took a break from Cap comics after Ed Brubaker’s phenomenal, multi-year run on the title. Brubaker’s run saw Bucky brought back from the dead, Cap killed and eventually resurrected and explored a lot of what the character of Captain America is and represents. I liked that run and its focus first on Cap as an espionage-style character, then later as more of a traditional superhero.

After Brubaker’s run, a number of other creators took the reins of the book and guided it in different directions. I felt I had read the definitive Cap — at least for my tastes — in Brubaker’s run, so I bailed on the title. I can’t speak to the strengths or weaknesses of those subsequent stories because I didn’t read them. But the most recent one prior to the issues collected here was certainly a bit controversial. In that lengthy story arc, an evil version of Cap was revealed as a sleeper agent for Hydra and helped bring the world “to the brink of destruction,” according to a brief introduction in this book, before being defeated by the original hero.

This book opens with the real Steve (Captain America) Rogers traveling the country, getting in touch with common folks and trying to rebuild his reputation. The issues I’d read previously included a done-in-one story along those lines from issue No. 696 and a confrontation with Kraven the Hunter in issue No. 697, which seemed to be kicking off a multi-issue arc when it was revealed that Kraven’s attack was orchestrated by another group. What I didn’t know when I read those two issues was that the group behind Kraven’s assault on Cap had faced the star-spangled hero twice before in the pages of issue No. 695, the first in this collection.

The group is a white supremacist, paramilitary organization called Rampart that tries to stage a coup of the United States, beginning in the small town of Burlington, Nebraska. Captain America thwarts that small-town takeover attempt shortly after the Avengers find and revive Cap from the ice-induced suspended animation that had held him captive since World War II. Cap begins his tour of America by returning to that small town, now renamed Captain America, Nebraska. It is the 10th anniversary of Cap’s defeat of Rampart, but that newly rebuilt terrorist group has also returned, seeking revenge.

Cap once again dispatches the Rampart goons with some help from the residents of the small town, and he leaves feeling somewhat re-invigorated. That is where we find him in issue No. 696, where he happens purely by chance upon a plot by the new Swordsman, the done-in-one tale I’d read previously. What Cap doesn’t consider is that none of the Rampart ringleaders are defeated or rounded up in the battle from the previous issue. Instead, they put in motion the plan with Kraven that is meant to end with them once again putting Captain America on ice, which is exactly what happens in issue No. 697.

When issue No. 698 begins, Cap is once again revived from suspended animation to find an America much changed and at the mercy of Rampart and its mysterious leader. Nuclear war has ravaged the population, leaving the few survivors weak or mutated. With the exception of issue No. 696, this entire trade is one big tale about Captain America facing off against this one group three times and ending up in a rather dystopian future that is quite bleak, to say the least.

I’m not a fan of dystopian future stories, as I believe I have discussed before, although there are always exceptions. I’m glad I didn’t know this tale would so heavily involve such a future before I bought it or I likely would have passed it up. Instead, though, I happened to read the two chapters that did not deal with the bleak future and found them quite enjoyable. I've read and enjoyed Mark Waid’s writing in other books; and I appreciate Chris Samnee’s clean, flowing art style; it isn’t too cartoony but still harkens back to a simpler time, with clean, simple lines. It also didn’t hurt that I knew from previous cover art that the Thing and the Hulk would also play a role in this story, and I like both of those characters.

So I did buy this trade, I did read it, and I was not disappointed. This team has crafted a stirring tale filled with heroism big and small, with tragedies befalling beloved characters and innocent masses, with examples of mindless depravity and noble sacrifice. And all of it hinges on a simple little concept, one critical to these kinds of four-color heroes, but especially to Captain America — hope. As Cap himself says in this tale near the finale, “Hope is not a plan. But you sure as hell can’t win without it.”

Well said, Cap, and well done, Messrs. Waid, Samnee, Wilson and Caramagna!

Free Comic Book Day finds and thoughts

Captain America No. 696
Marvel Comics
Creators: Mark Waid, Chris Samnee and Matthew Wilson
Release date: February 2018

If you follow the Steve's Comics for Sale Facebook page, you already know I enjoyed some Free Comic Book Day offerings: notably Dynamite's James Bond: VARGR preview and the DC Nation No. 0, although that last one wasn't free. (It cost a quarter.)

I support the idea of Free Comic Book Day: to get new people into comic book stores with the lure of free stuff. But I also very much support the idea of not going, grabbing all of the free books you can and rushing back out. Stay, browse, look around, ask questions and find soemthing else you like or want to try that you can pay for. FCBD is free to the consumer, but not to shop owners, who still have to pay something for those giveaway books. Help make it worth their while by buying some comics, too.

I attended FCBD this year with my 6-year-old daughter and my 17-year-old nephew who shares my interest in the hobby. We traveled to one local store and three others in other town looking for some good books. And at each store in which we stopped, I bought something in addition to picking up a few of the free books to try. Thanks to that free James Bond preview, I decided to go ahead and spend the money to buy the full story in trade. And that wasn't the only purchase that day that prompted further buying.

I was browsing the shelves at the last stop of the day. This shop owner's shelves were pretty picked over by 4 p.m., but he still had several issues that caught my eye, including the one above, Captain America No. 696.

I haven't bought a Cap issue in quite a while. I loved Ed Brubaker's phenomenal run on the title and just hadn't cared to try another run since that one. This cover, showing Cap wielding a sword instead of his usual shield, was interesting. The creative team was the same one I'd enjoyed on Daredevil a few years ago as evidenced by posts here and here and here. And the shop had this issue and the next, No. 697, by the same creators. As a bonus, No. 697 had Cap on the cover with Kraven the hunter, a villain I like. So I picked them both up.

I'm glad I did. No. 696 is a standalone story that was a great read, a well-done Captain America tale that has him stumble across a villain purely by accident. No. 697 was also good, but ended up being continued into the next issue. So I opted to seek out and buy the trade that collects both these issues and the subsequent ones by this creative team.

That's how Free Comic Book Day should work, at its best: Get a person into the store so he or she can find something they want to try, and maybe, find a title they can get into and follow to another purchase and another enjoyable tale.

History Really Does Repeat Itself

Essential Captain America Vol. 4 (collecting Captain America Nos. 157-186)
Marvel Comics
Steve Englehart, Steve Gerber, Roy Thomas, Tony Isabella, Mike Friedrich and John Warner, writers
Sal Buscema, John Verpoorten, Frank McLaughlin, Alan Weiss, Frank Giacoia, John Tartaglione, George Roussos, Vinnie Colletta, Frank Robbins, Tom Orzechowski, Herb Trimpe and Mike Esposito, artists

These massive, black-and-white collected volumes — Marvel's Essentials line and DC's Showcase editions — can be a great way to experience classic stories at a reasonable price. Or they can be a bit cumbersome to get through if you don't really have an appreciation for the character, group or time period being presented.

This volume is one of the good ones. Despite the abundance of names listed above, the vast majority of this volume is the brainchild of writer Steve Englehart and artist Sal Buscema, and that helps this volume maintain a unified voice throughout. The books reprinted here come from the mid-1970s when the title featured both Captain America and the Falcon on the cover and the real-life America was in turmoil. The creators used those turbulent times as a backdrop for an identity crisis of sorts for Captain America himself.

This series of issues brings Cap and Falcon into confrontation with a villain named the Cowled Commander and then a new version of the Serpent Society. The heroes quickly thwart the villains' plans only to have one of the Serpent Society hatch a new plan to drive a wedge between the pair and discredit Captain America in the eyes of the public. That latest plot unfolds over several issues leading into a battle with a new group named the Secret Empire, which in turn leads to yet another incarnation of the Serpent Society.

Captain America and the Falcon aren't the only heroes in these pages. Various members of the Avengers make a number of appearances, along with Nick Fury and various agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., both named and unnamed. The Black Panther and the X-Men also show up for several issues each. And a number of villains, both old and new, also make appearances at various times forcing our heroes to keep on their toes. These nefarious figures include names like the Porcupine, Madame Hydra, Yellow Claw, the Tumbler, the Eel, the Viper, Stoneface, Lucifer and, of course, the Red Skull.

The stories collected in this volume are some really great reads, but it surprised me, reading through a number of these issues for the first time, how many modern ideas began here and how many themes explored in these pages have also been explored in more recent Cap stories. For instance, issue No. 170 is where the Falcon first gets his Wakandan-engineered wings. Before that issue, he used a rope to swing around the rooftops like other non-flying heroes. And while this earliest version of his wings merely helped him glide, they look quite similar to the modern pair he wore right up until he assumed the role of Captain America in the most recent Marvel Comics issues.

Cap's girlfriend in these pages is former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Sharon Carter, the same as in current Cap comics, although her back story has undergone some revisions over the years. But Cap's former World War II-era love interest, Peggy Carter, is re-introduced in these stories and becomes a current agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., somewhat mirroring events from the modern "Captain America" films and the "Agent Carter" television series.

The conclusion of the confrontation with the Secret Empire — particularly the revelation of the leader of the terrorist organization — leaves Cap shaken in conviction and spirit. This is when Cap first decides to stop being Captain America and creates the identity of Nomad, the man without a country. The Nomad identity would return in several story lines since this time, but also, during this period when Steve Rogers is Nomad and there is no Captain America, a number of others try their hands at wielding the famous shield in his absence. The fates of these folks who try to be the new Captain America are quite different from any of those following the death of Captain America in Ed Brubaker's Cap run from a few years ago or of the Falcon assuming the mantle in the most recent comics, but there are also similarities.

These are really some great stories and some very key issues in the history of Captain America. Much of the credit for that goes to writer Steve Englehart, again the writer or co-writer on almost all of the stories from this era of the character. That single narrative voice allows the various story lines to weave in and out of each other and interconnect in a way that multiple writers would find harder to pull off. This book alone represents two-and-a-half years worth of Captain America comics at the end of Englehart's run on the title; he also wrote several of the previous issues, collected in Essential Captain America Vol. 3.

On a side note, one of the fill-in issues collected in this volume, No. 168, is a nice little diversion co-written by Roy Thomas and Tony Isabella titled "... And a Phoenix Shall Arise." This story, minus a few references to then-current continuity that dated the story, was turned into a Captain America Power Records book and record set, a copy of which I still own. If you aren't already familiar with Power Records, you should check out Rob Kelly's excellent Power Records blog (http://powerrecord.blogspot.com/) for more on these great little sets.

Switching to the art side of things, Sal Buscema lends his considerable talents to giving the look of these stories the same cohesiveness Englehart's writing does on the story side. Buscema had several different inkers on the issues included here, but the consistency in the pencils gives all of the characters distinctive looks throughout. Buscema's Cap is a strong, muscled defender of the American ideals and the quintessential silver age heroic ideal.


The drawback to that consistency shows up to horrible effect in four of the last five issues collected in this volume when penciller Frank Robbins takes on the art chores. I don't mean to attack the man's skill; I am no artist myself, so I have little room to criticize. More importantly, I have seen some absolutely gorgeous Frank Robbins art in some other titles. But his work in these issues of Captain America looks very rough throughout and downright awkward in a number of action panels. I've included a couple of the worst panels. The one on the left shows Steve Rogers in his Nomad guise traveling across the rooftops in a very strange pose, and the right one shows one of the Captain America wannabes traveling in the same manner with the Falcon. Neither image makes the subject look very comfortable, natural or heroic. These images are not typical of Frank Robbins' art in other venues, but his art on these final issues is the only downside I see in an otherwise great Captain America collection!

Farewell Epic

Captain America 14-16
Marvel Comics
Ed Brubaker and Cullen Bunn, writers
Patch Zircher, Mike Deodato and Scott Eaton, artists

These three issues wrap up the "Shock to the System" arc and launch the "New World Orders" arc, but as with this entire relaunch of Captain America, the big bad throughout is Bravo, along with his wife, the new Hydra Queen. The first arc of this relaunch introduced readers to Bravo, a World War II-era ally of Cap's who was lost in an alternate dimension during a mission and listed as missing ever since. He's managed to find his way back now and Bravo is out for revenge against those who left him behind.

So far, through various story arcs and manipulations, Bravo has caused Cap to lose his super-human abilities for a time and has led to the deaths of a number of Cap's former allies. Along the way, Bravo has also allied himself with a number of Cap's former foes such as Machinesmith and Baron Zemo.

"New World Orders" looks like it could be the final arc before Brubaker's tenure on this title is over with issue No. 19. And Bravo has upped the game to pit all of America against Cap, turning public sentiment against him in the form of reality television attacks. This promises to be a huge endgame for this huge story.

It Feels Like The Curtain Is Already Coming Down

Winter Soldier 5-6
Marvel Comics
Ed Brubaker, writer
Butch Guice and Michael Lark, artists

I talked about the first couple issues of this series here. That first issue especially made this seem like a great series continuing on the best from Brubaker's Captain America run. While the first arc, which continued through issue No. 5, was good, it wasn't quite as great as I'd hoped overall. The first arc revolves around some contemporary Marvel villains -- including the Red Ghost and his super gorillas -- reviving three Soviet sleeper agents trained during the Cold War by the Winter Soldier and using them to attack Victor von Doom. Naturally, S.H.I.E.L.D. pairs the Winter Soldier with the Black Widow to shut the scheme down.

As this first arc is winding down, we are reminded that there were three former Soviet sleeper agents, but only two are taking part in the Dr. Doom plot. Issue No. 6 answers the question of what happened to the third sleeper agent for both the readers and our heroes, while nicely setting up the next arc.

This title seems like it will end with issue No. 13, the conclusion of its third upcoming arc, and the departure of Brubaker from both Captain America and this book. As I said at the start of this post, the first arc wasn't bad -- it brought back some of the espionage elements that I very much enjoyed from the pages of Captain America and uses characters I enjoy reading about. But it is almost like Brubaker's enthusiasm for the title is already winding down. As great as his contributions to the legacy of these characters, maybe the time is right for Brubaker to be leaving these titles now.

Bittersweet Reading

Captain America (2011) 10
Marvel Comics
Ed Brubaker, writer
Alan Davis, artist

I have thoroughly enjoyed Ed Brubaker's run on this title. I came in late during the first Winter Soldier arc and had to seek out copies of the first few issues wherever I could find them. (Thankfully, I wasn't coming in too late to the party, and a local comic shop in my area, Hawg Head Comics, was able to get me set up with what I'd missed; thanks, Mike!)

Anyway, I've been with Brubaker since the beginnings of the rehabilitation of Bucky, the death and replacement of Cap, the return of Cap, the maskless Steve Rogers, the short period of time when Cap and Bucky shared the mantle, and now finally these wonderful arcs with rotating artists as the one, true Cap again wears the star-spangled uniform alone.

The bulk of Brubaker's run has also had more of an espionage feel to it that suits Captain America just as much as being a superhero because he is a soldier. Paired with Nick Fury, Sharon Carter and S.H.I.E.L.D., Cap's adventures should have more of a spy feel to them. Now with this most recent relaunch of the title, Brubaker has brought things full circle, making the Cap stories without Bucky, Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. more straight superhero adventuring. Cap works well in both settings, especially with Brubaker at the helm.

This issue brings the most recent arc, Powerless, to a close as Cap, Sharon and the Falcon finally defeat the new Queen Hydra and Machinesmith, restoring Cap back to full power and overcoming the effects of the madbombs the villains were using on the populace. The ongoing plot running through all 10 issues of this relaunch so far involves a former World War II ally of Cap's turned villain named Bravo. Bravo is a time-displaced hero much like Cap, but rather than spending the intervening years in suspended animation as Cap did, Bravo was helplessly stuck in another dimension. He blames Cap for that situation and is back trying to wreak revenge on the Avenger.

All of this makes for thoroughly enjoyable reading, as I said before, so why "bittersweet?" Because I know that in less than 10 more issues, Brubaker's run will be coming to a close. I will miss this title once he is no longer at the helm, and each wonderful new issue brings that end that much closer.

"From The Pages Of ..."

Winter Soldier 1-2
Marvel Comics
Ed Brubaker, writer
Butch Guice, artist

Ed Brubaker accomplished a great many things with his incredible run on Captain America (A run which is just wrapping up with Brubaker's departure after scripting Cap's adventures for eight years.), but if you wanted to sum that run up in just a few words, those words would have to be: Brubaker brought back Bucky.

Yes, it's true Brubaker's run also saw Steve Rogers -- Captain America -- killed, but we all knew Steve would be back, and sure enough, he is. But Brubaker's run took one of the pillars of comics continuity, the fact that Cap's World War II partner, Bucky Barnes, was dead, and changed that reality. Through the course of the first 20 issues of Brubaker's run, we learned that the Soviets recovered Bucky's body, reanimated it, replaced the broken parts with cybernetics, and reprogrammed Bucky's brain to make him the ultimate assassin. They renamed him the Winter Soldier and kept him in suspended animation, reviving him only briefly for specific missions over the years. Few people left alive had glimpsed the Winter Soldier in the intervening decades, thus the assassin's true identity was not known.

Brubaker wove a narrative wherein Cap discovers the true identity of the Winter Soldier and sets out to rescue his former partner. He succeeds in not only finding Bucky and freeing him from his controllers, but also in restoring Bucky's memory of his true identity and all of the crimes he committed as the Winter Soldier. As if that weren't enough to deal with for the former sidekick, it isn't long after these events that the Red Skull and his agents appear to have succeeded in slaying Captain America, and Bucky must also deal with that grief.

For a time after Steve Rogers' death, Bucky picked up the shield and mask and became Captain America, not so much because he felt worthy to do so but more to keep someone else from doing so and disgracing the memory of his friend. While serving as the new Cap, Bucky and several other heroes learned that Steve Rogers was not dead, but merely "dislodged in time" (Just go with it, or better yet, pick up the issues and read 'em; they're good stuff!). They rescue him and for a very brief time, there were two Captain Americas in the Marvel Universe.

Now, Bucky has again adopted the name Winter Soldier, but this time he's working to make up for the things he did while under Soviet control. These first two issues read very much like some of the better issues of Captain America under Brubaker's hand. Even the artwork is similar as Butch Guice was one of the frequent Cap artists during Brubaker's run. Along with Bucky is the Black Widow, another former Soviet operative now working with America's forces. This book reads like a natural continuation of what Brubaker started, and I imagine it will continue to do so as long as he helms the adventures.

Strolling Down Memory Lane

Captain America & Bucky 622-625
Marvel Comics
Ed Brubaker and Marc Andreyko, writers
Chris Samnee, artist

These are the final three issues of this arc looking back at the history of Bucky's partnership with Captain America and continuing through some revelations about his time as the Winter Soldier. This book continues the numbering from the previous Captain America series and is featuring rotating co-writers with Ed Brubaker and rotating artists for each arc.

This look back at Bucky's history isn't so much an everything-you-know-is-wrong retcon as comics are somewhat notorious for. Rather, Brubaker and Andreyko craft several solo stories narrated by the modern Bucky about his past relationships with Cap, the Invaders and Black Widow, among others, which serve to flesh out the character -- especially his current incarnation as created by Brubaker -- and add some welcome depth to Bucky's backstory. Nothing here contradicts what has come before, but rather adds to the mythology, building on what other creators have done.

That isn't a new idea; in fact, it's a convention that is quite popular now (and much appreciated by this longtime fan). Comics don't always get credit for building on what has gone before, but when done right, these kinds of stories give continuity a good name.

Well done, all!

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On a housekeeping note, I think the Tuesday/Friday schedule is working well enough that I want to add a third post each week. Sunday would seem to be the next natural day to add, so check back here this Sunday for another all-new post in addition to the ones on Tuesday and Friday. Hope to see you then!

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.

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.

Time To Play A Little Catch Up

January is better than half over, and I’ve yet to post a single tidbit about the December releases. Let’s rectify that just a little bit right now.

52 Weeks 30 and 31 (DC Comics) — Not sure I enjoyed the glimpse of Batman’s activities as much as I expected. This issue almost seems as if Dick and Tim are abandoning Bruce to his demons. We also get some glimpses into the beginnings of plots from the Mystery in Space and the Omega Men miniseries. We also learn that while Supernova is not a reincarnated Superboy (no surprise there), he is someone we are familiar with under an assumed name. Right now I’m figuring the safe guess is Booster Gold trying to start over.

Captain America 24 (Marvel Comics) — I was a little disappointed in this issue, the last of the Civil War tie-ins for this title. This comic read more like a fill-in issue to me. There was the big reveal of Arnim Zola at the end, but I’m not that familiar with this WWII villain, so that wasn’t an emotional moment for me, really.

Green Lantern 15 (DC Comics) — This book was also a little disappointing. This Wanted: Hal Jordan story arc was supposed to include guest appearance by Green Arrow, Batman and others who have yet to make an appearance.

Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis 46 (DC Comics) — This issue, on the other hand, was a nice surprise. I don’t dislike Kurt Busiek’s run as writer on this title or his “new” Aquaman, but I like the classic hero better. This is the first of a two-part tale featuring the classic Artie, which is A-OK with me.

Powers 21 (Marvel Icon) — I read the image issues of this series in trade paperback form, reading complete story arcs in one sitting. It’s a bit of a change reading these single issues as they come out. I still like the story lines Bendis and Oeming are creating, but things seem to drag a lot more by comparison. It’s also sad how the only remaining letter column in comics today has so many inarticulate idiots who give fans a really bad name.

Teen Titans 41 (DC Comics) — I like Geoff Johns’ writing. I like the Titans and the legacy the team has. So why don’t I like this title so much of late? Maybe Bombshell hit it with her taunts to the newly revived Joseph Wilson, “The glory days are over, Jericho. The Teen Titans will never be the family they once were. ... No one trusts anyone. Hell, they don’t even like each other.” Hopefully, now that this arc is winding down, that will change.

Batman 659 (DC Comics) — Grotesk from John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake begins, and it gets off to a good start. Classic Batman comics here.

new universal 1 (DC Comics) — I have never read any of the original New Universe comics in the concept’s first go ’round, so I’m coming into this series with no knowledge of how things were done before, no insight about in-jokes and special tribute moments. But I also have no preconceived biases about the series. After this first issue, it looks promising.

Agents of Atlas 5 (Marvel Comics) — This series surprised me. I fell for the teaser of a double agent last issue pointing to Venus. That is what I was supposed to think so I’d be surprised when the double agent was revealed to actually be M-11, sort of.

Detective Comics 826 (DC Comics) — Dini is having a wonderful run on this book; this one is another done-in-one great.

Outsiders 43 (DC Comics) — I’m not quite sure what it is, but this story arc that ends with this issue just feels like a final story line of a title. Maybe just because I’m losing interest, although I am curious about the flashback story beginning next time.

Manhunter 26 (DC Comics) — Excellent return to a great comic. Glad to have Manhunter, Andreyko and Pina back.

Nightwing 127 (DC Comics) — This issue was a little confusing and jarring, not quite as good as Wolfman’s first two. I like Nightwing’s focus as he struggles to free himself from the deathtrap, but some of the recap/backtracking took a couple reads to figure out.

Welcome To tranquility 1 (Wildstorm) — Another promising start to a new series, but this one is almost a little too cartoony. I’m not ruling it out yet, but I’m hoping for great things from Gail Simone.

Special Bonus Review
Sandman Mystery Theatre Book 1: The Tarantula (DC Comics) — This trade collects the first four issues of the 1993 series by Matt Wagner and Guy Davis re-imagining Wesley Dodds’ Sandman character from the WWII era. While these stories are set in the late 1930s, they include a darker, more modern storytelling style which makes these books not for the faint of heart. But the book is well worth a read if you like noirish, gritty crime drama.

Lightning Round

Hey, kiddie cops. I know it’s been over a week since I had a chance to post something. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t been reading. In fact, since last time, I’ve finished the rest of the books received in my last shipment. So, without further ado, let’s dive right in and catch up a bit.

52 Weeks 24 and 25 (DC Comics) — I’ve said it before; I’ll say it again. Individual issues are not always great, but the overall story line this series was designed to tell is interesting. I’m curious where Ralph is headed. I like the story line with Montoya, Question and the Black Marvel family. The Steel/Luthor story seems to be old news, but is maybe going somewhere interesting. Green Arrow’s cameo was nice. Super Chief didn’t last long, did he?

Action Comics 844 (DC Comics) — This wasn’t a bad beginning, but it almost seems more a sequel to the Donner films so far more than a continuing story of the comic book Superman. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but is this story gonna “fit” in continuity? I mean, Jimmy isn’t an inexperienced photographer anymore.

Birds of Prey 99 (DC Comics) — Black Canary’s departure. I agree with scribe Simone that it feels right for Dinah to leave now, even though I’ll miss her. As far back as Longbow Hunters we’ve seen that Dinah wants children but wrestled with the issue of raising one while adventuring. Now she has one. It makes sense for her to step back now.

Captain America 23 (Marvel Comics) — A nice interlude with Winter Soldier/Bucky and Nick Fury in the middle of the Civil War tie-in. It updates us on the ongoing story line with Bucky, but doesn’t interupt the flow of the Cap Civil War events. Very nice.

Checkmate 7 (DC Comics) — I wanna like this title, but it just doesn’t seem to be as good as it should be. I know the Suicide Squad has its fans, but I can take it or leave it. I think this title should include some superheroes on the periphery, but for the most part, avoid overt superhero action and costumes.

Civil War: Front Line 7 (Marvel Comics) — Typical stuff here. The first two stories following the reporters and the former Speedball are excellent storytelling, while the Sleeper Cell bit does little for me, and the final bit just seems pretentious. I think one of the reasons Sleeper Cell is uninteresting to me is there is no tie-in to the Civil War. I assume this Atlantean faction is merely trying to take advantage of the strife above for their own ends, but that is just a guess on my part, not something we’ve been told.

Criminal 1 (Marvel Icon) — Not sure if this is a mini or an ongoing. Not even sure if I like it yet or not. But it was an OK beginning from I writer I really like, so I’ll hang around.

Daredevil 90 (Marvel Comics) — This issue seemed to slip just a bit. Matt is trying to track down who had Foggy killed because he doesn’t know Foggy isn’t really dead. Forget that Matt would be very hard to fool on that point, but I don’t like how easily he’s gotten sidetracked by this woman, even if she does have a power that explains why.

Donald Duck & Friends 345 (Gemstone Publishing) — Just good Disney fun. I’ve always liked Donald, and the mix of classic and newer tales is great. Plus, there’s always one story featuring someone else, this titme a great Goofy tale. Shouldn’t we all laugh more?

Fables 54 (DC Vertigo) — Sons of Empire continues. I didn’t think things could get much creepier than the Snow Queen’s plan for destroying both Mundies and Fables. I was wrong. Hansel is so far beyond creepy that he belongs in his own Mundie slasher series.

Jack of Fables 4 (DC Vertigo) — The promos for next issue seem to indicate this won’t happen, but wouldn’t it be too funny if after all this planning and helping all of the other escapees, Jack himself doesn’t make it out?

JSA Classified 18 (DC Comics) — The back half of a two-parter featuring Hourman, both the modern version and the Golden Age one. A solid tale from Tony Bedard, as usual. And besides, it isn’t necessarily that hard, but its always fun to watch someone out-think Bane.

The Lone Ranger 2 (Dynamite Entertainment) — I stand corrected from my criticism of last issue. Black Bart is an enforcer, not the criminal mastermind. This issue hints that the individual who pulls Bart’s vicious strings is none other than Butch Cavendish, the villain from Ranger lore. Brett Matthews, you have my apologies for doubting you. Carry on.

Martian Manhunter 3 (DC Comics) — Enter the Justice League, which was good to see. After all the divisiveness stemming from Identity Crisis and leading into Infinite Crisis, it’s nice to see these heroes acting like colleagues and friends once again. Oh, wait. Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman don’t seem to want to listen to J’Onn about what is going on. Right now, I’m willing to assume that maybe this wasn’t really the three heroes it appeared to be. So much subterfuge has been going on in this story dealing with shape-shifting Martians, that’s what I’m hoping anyway. Otherwise, this story might’ve worked better before IC.

New Avengers 24 (Marvel Comics) — This Civil War tie-in is the Sentry entry, but seems to be more about fallout from the House of M and the Inhumans than Civil War. It’s sad that the interaction between books that I love from DC is one of the things I don’t like about Marvel because I buy fewer of those books and am less interested in the intermingling there.

Omega Men 1 (DC Comics) — My knowledge of this team is limited to their interaction with the Titans in the “olden” days, but I liked their recent cameos in Adam Strange and Infinite Crisis, so I decided to give this a try. Andersen Gabrych’s usually great writing didn’t hurt either. But I have no clue what is going on in this title right now. That’s not good.

The Perhapanauts: Second Chances 1 (Dark Horse) — OK, this mini DOES seem to pick up right after the trade I just read, as I assumed it should. But the letters column has a bunch of people commenting on issue #104. Now, I could just assume the first mini was numbered funky and move on, but the letters also mention a story titled “The 28th Anomaly.” There’s no story with that name in the trade. Am I missing something here?

Secret Six 5 (DC Comics) — Did they really just kill the Mad Hatter?!?

Stan Lee Meets the Thing 1 (Marvel Comics) — Much better than the Spidey one-shot, the only other one of these I read. It’s been long enough now that Ben has come to grips with his appearance. Heck, most New Yorkers have, too. He’s a celebrity, not a monster now. Good to see that reflected here.

Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes 23 (DC Comics) — Cosmic Boy decides the Legion needs to deal with the superpowered delusional in their midst. So, does that mean Supergirl is going to be going away soon? Dunno if I trust these “Kryptonians.”

Superman/Batman annual 1 (DC Comics) — This is a totally bizarre story, but it’s a fun one. Accept it for that and it works. Look for more and it falls apart.

Tales of the Unexpected 1 (DC Comics) — I’ve heard this mini isn’t getting much interest online. Truthfully, it wasn’t great. But it was intriguing, and I liked Crispus when he was alive, so I’m intrested enough to hang with this one a bit longer. The Dr. 13 story left me cold, but then I’m not as familiar with the character.

Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters 4 (DC Comics) — I thought this might be the exception to the mostly so-so minis DC is spitting out right now, but I’m starting to lose interest in this one big time, too. This is supposed to be an alien suddenly sitting in the White House and part of a shady government operation spitting out new metahumans like they’re no big deal, and no other teams notice? No Titans, no JSA, no Superman, no GLs. Just doesn’t ring true.

Whew! That was a bunch, but that’s all of the October releases I have. See ya next time.

And A Blind Man Shall Lead ...

Let’s talk some Daredevil for a bit today. I’ve seen some Daredevil comics from the previous Bendis/Maleev run, and I’m familiar with the overall story line: Daredevil has been outed as Matt Murdock by a tabloid, and the feds are pursuing possible charges against him for that; at the same time, DD has defeated Kingpin and set himself up as the replacement. But I haven’t followed every issue of the title until Ed Brubaker took over the writing chores. I liked what Brubaker had done with Gotham Central at DC and, more recently, Captain America at Marvel.

So, I’ve read the individual issues of The Devil in Cell Block D starting with #82 to now. These issues were very good, as we’ve discussed in some previous posts. And they served to make me curious about what came immediately before. So I recently purchased, and just read (all in one afternoon), the previous three Daredevil trades to catch up a bit. In all honesty, only one of these trades, the most recent one, really serves as a prequel to how Matt Murdock ended up in jail. The other two trades could almost occur at any time in DD’s past, but they were damn good stories.

Daredevil tpb 11: Golden Age (Marvel Comics) — This is a historical tale about the Kingpin of Crime who came to power before Wilson Fisk. The small-time hood rose to the big-time after killing a costumed hero, then was later brought down by a novice Daredevil. The current part of the story is this hood, Alexander Bont, as he is finally released from prison and goes about exacting his revenge on the man who put him away. It’s a very nice story with a lot of parallels between past and present events.

Daredevil tpb 12: Decalogue (Marvel Comics) — This collection is a very dark, demonic little tale that takes place entirely during an evening support group meeting where residents of Hell’s Kitchen have gathered to talk and share their common Daredevil experiences in light of recent events. What becomes clear as different people share their tales is that all these various people are linked to a common event which has put the red-garbed vigilante on the trail of one of them.

Daredevil tpb 13: The Murdock Papers (Marvel Comics) — This last collection depicts the actual capture and arrest of Matt Murdock as the incarcerated Wilson Fisk tries to make a deal with federal authorities for his own release in exchange for handing Daredevil over to them. The tale brings in various DD alums such as Black Widow, Elektra, Luke Cage, Iron Fist and Bullseye, among others.

Daredevil 89 (Marvel Comics) — And then this is the current issue. At the end of the Cell Block D arc, Matt escaped from prison with the help of Frank Castle, the Punisher. Matt is now on the run from authorities and trying to track down the killers of his friend, Foggy Nelson, who DD doesn’t know isn’t really dead. This issue takes him to Monaco.

Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters 3 (DC Comics) — The new Black Condor debuts as do a whole new team of characters with political jargon names. Father Time is still after Sam and the Freedom Fighters who left S.H.A.D.E. to assist Sam — the new versions of Doll Man, Human Bomb, Phantom Lady and Ray. And Firebrand, although he wasn’t part of S.H.A.D.E. First up is Chief Justice, Spin Doctor, Propaganda and First Strike. When they don’t fare so well, Father Time himself shows up. I want to like this series and these characters, but I find myself not caring that much about them.

The Trials of Shazam! 2 (DC Comics) — This book is going downhill fast for me, and I don’t think it will survive for all 12 issues. I’m not sure I really understand Billy’s new role or why it took over a year for this new manifestation of his powers to show itself — after all, in story, this is a One Year Later tale and Billy’s been in charge at the Rock of Eternity for that entire year. About the only thing I do understand is that he can no longer be Captain Marvel like he was, and that Freddy Freeman now must prove himself worthy of assuming that mantle.

Action Comics 843 (DC Comics) — Another great story; another placement headache. Story lines with lots of characters interacting usually are. This concludes the story line where an intergalactic “auctioneer” snags a whole bunch of Earth’s heroes. Superman, Nightwing, the new Aquaman, Firestorm, Skyrocket, Bluejay, the Veteran and Livewire lead the charge to free the others and stop the acquisitions. Very nice work.

Civil War: Front Line 6 (Marvel Comics) — This title continues to thrill and bore me. The Embedded and Accused story lines are incredible. The Sleeper Cell story added late in the series is OK, but not up to the standards of the other two. And the final installment in each issue just strikes me as pretentious. I get the symbolisms. Don’t beat me over the head with it so much.

Batman 657 (DC Comics) — This is the third installment of Batman and Son. Bruce brings Damian home to Gotham where the boy proceeds to use his assassin’s training on his rivals for his father’s affections. By the end of the issue, Damian has done something off-panel with Alfred and left Tim injured and bleeding in the cave while adopting parts of Jason’s enshrined costume and pronouncing himself the new Robin. Could he be any more his mother’s son?

Secret Six 4 (DC Comics) — This issue proves once again that this comic is a good one, but not nearly as good as its predecessor, Villains United. I can’t quite put my finger on what, but something is missing.

Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes 22 (DC Comics) — What to say about this title? I’ve tried Legion titles before, stay with them awhile, then lose interest. The concept of this latest incarnation sounded quite good. Then they added Supergirl and it seemed to flounder a bit. Then it got good again. This issue wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great.

Captain America 22 (Marvel Comics) — With this issue, Cap’s own title catches up with the events in Civil War. Cap is in hiding, and S.H.I.E.L.D. has decided to use Agent 13, Sharon Carter, Cap’s liaison and girlfriend, to trap him. And Sharon is torn: she truly believes Cap is wrong and that superhero registration, as the current law of the land, should be upheld, yet she doesn’t want to betray her lover. And hey, one of the villains, according to the last page, is Dr. Faustus; I don’t follow that many Marvel Comics on a regular basis, but I don’t think he’s been seen in quite a while. Good stuff.

JSA Classified 17 (DC Comics) — This first part of two focuses on Hourman, the original and his son, as they are forced to work side-by-side with Bane. This story posits that the basis of Bane’s former drug-of-choice, Venom, is originally based on Rex Tyler’s formula for Miraclo, the source of Hourman’s power. I’m not certain, but I think that idea has been used before, but this isn’t a bad tale, so far.

Jack of Fables 3 (DC Vertigo) — This book is just as funny as the original Fables, but decidedly wickedly so.

Justice League of America 3 (DC Comics) — OK, this book is starting to worry me. I want to like it. I really do. But the story is starting to seem severely disjointed. The triumvirate of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are shown still voting on the roster for the latest incarnation of the League, but they’re rehashing the same candidates as before. They vote on Nightwing in this issue after Batman and Wonder Woman shared a humorous exchange about Dick in the last issue. The first issue made it seem like the team had been formed and the voting was mere flashback, but this issue makes it seem like the current mission of Arsenal, Black Canary and Green Lantern know nothing about a new League. And the pacing seems to indicate that 12 issues is going to be waaaaay too long for this arc.

Stan Lee Meets Spider-Man 1 (Marvel Comics) — I was a little disappointed in this comic. It was a tad humorous, and I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting, but this was just not quite as good as I’d hoped. I’ve also ordered the Thing comic in this series. Maybe I’ll like it better.

Next post, we’re back to the past as this was the last of my current comics from my last shipment and the next hasn’t yet arrived. Until then, happy collecting, kiddie cops.

Give It A Try (Reprise)

I’ve already given my thoughts on trying new things — and not all that long ago — so I won’t rehash the entire thing again. Suffice to say, I think it’s good to try new stuff from time to time. You find some duds along the way, but the gems you uncover make the hobby worth it.

My latest “trial” yielded some quality moments in a rather odd-looking trade paperback, the collection of an initial four-issue series which is very soon to be followed up with another limited series. Based on this trade, the new series is going on my “pull list.”

The Perhapanauts: First Blood tpb (Dark Horse Comics) — Writer Todd Dezago and artists Craig Rousseau and Rico Renzi brought about this somewhat disjointed tale about a group of paranormal investigators working for the Bureau of Extra-Dimensional Liabilities and Management (BEDLAM). The organization tracks down unexplained phenomena, figures out why they/it/whatever is/are here and sends them/it/whatever back. There are two teams, red and blue, but our focus is primarily the five-member blue team which consists of a psychic, a mystery guy, a ghost, a mentally-enhanced sasquatch and a comic-relief Chupacabra. The characters are immediately likable, and they seem to be an accomplished, if slightly less than perfect, team. The story combines humor, drama, mystery and suspense in just the right measures to keep the reader entertained and wanting more.

The story begins with blue team taking on a chimera, then an aswang, along the way providing glimpses of the members of red team and the history of BEDLAM. As I said, the story is a tad disjointed at times, at least in the trade. Maybe the individual issues were presented somewhat differently. And the story presented in the trade really doesn’t end. But it is good enough — and fun enough — a story to make me anxious for the next limited series and willing to seek out more of this team.

Outsiders 40 (DC Comics) — Not a bad issue, but I’m still puzzling over why and how the team went “underground,” and especially how the Nightwing in this book fits in with his actions in his own title. Winick needs to delve into that territory soon as, from what I hear, this title is beginning to lose its readers. Most of the team was captured last issue by Mallah and the Brain. In this issue, Katana and a “piece” of Metamorpho help free them by setting loose a bad clone of Superman — bad as in poorly done, not evil, but then calling him good or evil is ascribing too much brain power to this behemoth. In the end, the Outsiders learn that Mallah and Brain are in cahoots with Dr. Sivanna.

Boneyard 22 (NBM) — The latest story line for this black & white Richard Moore comic involves a gathering of all the various nether-creatures on earth. Representing the graveyard, Abbey and Michael arrive in the hopes of staying on the good side of their host, the Illuminary. First they find Nessie and Ralph in attendance after Abbey specifically told them to stay home. Next they spy a couple more less-than-welcome guests, one of whom manages to spike the normally reserved Abbey’s drink causing her to act quite drunken and embarrassingly. Things do not look good. Oh, and back home at the cemetery, Glump has unleashed yet another death machine now out of his control — but what else is new. This is just a fun comic. If you aren’t reading it, you should be.

Justice League Unlimited 25 (DC Comics) — Another fine issue, this time focusing on Blue Devil.

52 Weeks 19-21 (DC Comics) — The first issue here raises the ideas of a new Booster Gold and Supernova being Superboy. And Lobo’s found religion?!? Then we see Steel acting the part of the hero once again in the next issue; that’s a welcome relief from his whining in previous appearances. That scene also leads to the beginnings of Steel uncovering Luthor’s agenda behind the Everyman Project. Supernova is seen rummaging through the Batcave, and the space stars are on the run again. The third issue here reveals more of Luthor’s hidden control over, as well as the death of, one of the Everyman heroes. The issue focuses mostly on those Everyman heroes, now called the new Infinity Inc. and a run-in with the current Titans roster, just before most of them quit. This title is just good stuff.

Martian Manhunter 2 (DC Comics) — J’Onn raids the secret government base from which the dead Martian escaped only to find several more captives being held and tortured. Many of the base’s personnel escape while J’Onn helps at least four refugees to freedom. I go back and forth on this series, but I am curious, so I’ll hang around a bit longer.

Captain America 21 (Marvel Comics) — This is the conclusion to the Twenty-First Century Blitz story line, and, in a way, a bit of a resolution to the entire series, so far. Cap and Bucky are reunited, albeit briefly; the stage is set for Bucky to “come in from the cold;” the Red Skull is “back;” and the other villain of the last few arcs, Lukin, has been cleared of suspicions. Ed Brubaker has been weaving some fantastic stories in this title, and Steve Epting’s art is gorgeous.

Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis 44 (DC Comics) — Our band of heroes moves in to rescue the captive Atlanteans and learns that the ultimate villain behind their enslavement is Ocean Master. I don’t dislike the new Aquaman, although I have several burning questions about his origin and ties to the original, but I still long to have the “real” Aquaman back. This issue’s confrontation between Ocean Master and young Arthur seems to have set the stage for old Arthur to regain his memory and lose the Dweller in the Depths moniker. I hope that’s the case.

Fables 53 (DC Vertigo) — Sons of Empire part 2 shows us the Adversary’s war council and reveals the plans the Snow Queen ultimately has for the mundy world — our world. They are truly chilling. This is another great title everyone should be reading.

Green Arrow 66 (DC Comics) — This issue begins to fill in the missing year and the new training Oliver and his companions went through. I’m interested in seeing this story, but from every indication, Winick isn’t going to answer all the questions I really have. His One Year Later story line has made it clear that Oliver, Conner and Mia went away to retrain and better themselves in much the way that Batman, Nightwing and Robin did. Winick’s story so far makes it obvious that part of that early time also involved Green Arrow healing from the life-threatening wounds he received just before OYL began. It doesn’t explain his healthy appearance in the final issues of Infinite Crisis unless the destruction of Star City came later, and also doesn’t address his appearance alongside other heroes at the attempted resurrection of Superboy in the pages of 52. He seemed pretty healthy then, too. What gives?

Superman 656 (DC Comics) — I like the methodology of Superman in this issue by Kurt Busiek. He has seen so many threats, it is unfortunately natural that he would begin to see a monstrous appearance as the only important indicators of a rampaging beast. Solution: stop it first and ask questions later. Then, once the Man of Steel learns that his adversary can reason and think, he immediately tries to reason. That makes sense to me. Superman is not without compassion, but he’s seen so many threats, he jumped the gun. Unfortunately, the damage has been done, and there is no reasoning with his sparring partner by the time Superman realizes that might have worked. In fact, the only thing I don’t like about this story line is the inclusion of Arion. I admit, I don’t know much about the character and have never followed his adventures before. But man, he’s a sanctimonious jackass in this tale.

Birds of Prey 98 (DC Comics) — OK, I admit it. I thought the new Batgirl was gonna be Barbara, just like Black Canary did. OK, obviously that was wrong, but she obviously does know Canary and Huntress, but I don’t know her. We’ve seen her face now, but who is she? Should we know at this point? I’m still confused. But at least I’m regaining my interest in this title again.

Checkmate 6 (DC Comics) — The Suicide Squad is back. The Society is obviously not happy about it. What I don’t understand is, are they back at Waller’s behest, in spite of Waller, some combination of both I haven’t worked out yet? But, whatever the motivations and who knows what, I am betting I’m supposed to be confused at this point, because that seems to be the style for this book.

Civil War 4 (Marvel Comics) — OK, as everyone probably already knows, Thor is NOT really back, but Reed and Tony cloned him. And the clone messed up in battle, killing Goliath. Some of Cap’s rebels are seeing this as a reason to get out before they are killed. Some of Iron Man’s troops are questioning how far they are willing to support him. Again, I like this series, and I don’t see how the Marvel Universe can be the same afterwards unless they Wanda (I doubt I coined a new term here; somebody’s used that before, right?) this whole thing away at the end. Too many heroes are acting unheroic right now.

Donald Duck and Friends 344 (Gemstone) — Curiously, the “and Friends” is gone from the title on the cover this issue, but it still appears in the Reader Services box, so I guess they aren’t changing the name. This issue features a new version of the Carl Barks classic Pawns of the Loup Garou.” Donald and a werewolf. How can you go wrong?

And I think we’ll call it an entry for today.

We’re Absolutely Flying Through August

Hey, Kiddie Cops, it’s time for some more comic book reviews from the month of August. We’re already halfway through the month, and I’ve been reading at a better than normal pace, so we’re almost through the entire month already.

Martian Manhunter 1 (DC Comics) — Another limited series, this one with some strikes against it right off the bat. First off, I don’t much care for the new costume design. From what we’ve seen of the character in the past, the costume doesn’t make much sense, so there better be a darn good in-story reason for it. Second, I didn’t much care for the creative team of Lieberman and Barrionuevo on Gotham Knights; actually, the art was fine,but the story rang off for me. However, I’m curious about where this discovery of other green martians on earth is going.

52 Weeks Fifteen and Sixteen (DC Comics) — Still liking this series, especially the arcs involving Black Adam and Isis and Montoya and the Question. It was nice to see a glimpse of the stranded space heroes again, too. No sign of Ralph Dibny, though, so apparently they’re going to make us sweat his fate out a bit.

Manhunter 25 (DC Comics) — I’ve mentioned that the last arc of this book was a little disappointing. This new story seems to be starting off nicely, but I wonder how this story is going to mesh with what is happening in the relaunched Wonder Woman title. Speaking of which ...

Wonder Woman 2 (DC Comics) — Very interested in where this story is going, but what is up with Wonder Girl? Cassie was devastated by Conner’s death and Diana disappearing, but what is up with her joining a resurrection cult, blowing off the other Titans and being a complete jerk when Diana resurfaces. She was hurt, sure, but endangering Donna and other civilians to get back at Diana? What’s up with that.

Checkmate 5 (DC Comics) — I’m glad I waited this title out. It’s getting better and better.

Nightwing 123 (DC Comics) — This first One Year Later arc wasn’t bad, but I find myself just waiting for Marv Wolfman’s run to begin.

Donald Duck and Friends 343 (Gemstone) — I like Donald. I just do. But there’s no escaping the fact that the best stories in these books are the reprinted classic Carl Barks stories.

JSA Classified 14-16 (DC Comics) — This story arc was a sequel to the most recent JLA Classified arc with the Royal Flush Gangs. But this story just didn’t seem as good to me for some reason. I like most of the characters, but the tale just left me saying “So?” I’m not exactly sure why.

Daredevil 88 (Marvel Comics) — I shouldn’t have doubted Ed Brubaker. The stories he’s churning out in this title and Captain America are incredible. But when I learned Foggy was still alive, I feared the explanation would fall flat. I should’ve known better. He’s written another ace that keeps the characters in question completely in character.

That’s it for today. Check back next time for the rest of the August release comics, or at least the ones I received for the month. And quite probably, there’ll also be some more retro-reviews.

Comic Book Revew Whirlwind

OK, I’m back again today, and as promised, we have a lot of comic book ground to cover, so let’s get started.

Manhunter 23 (DC Comics) — I really like this series. Apparently sales weren’t too good, as DC announced the title would be canceled after issue #25. Well, this issue promises a reprieve through #30 because so many fans protested the cancellation. This issue continues to explore Kate Spencer’s family history. The previous arc, just before One Year Later began, revealed Kate’s super-hero grandfather and the villainous madman her father was. This issue reunites Kate with her equally heroic grandmother. I won’t reveal who the heroine is for anyone who hasn’t yet read this book, but I must say one of the reasons I love DC Comics so much is their acknowledgment of the heroes who have gone before, familial ties to the heroes of today and the sense of legacy this creates within their line of books.

The New Avengers 20 (Marvel Comics) — This is the final installment of The Collective story arc, which picks up plot threads from the House of M event from last summer. I didn’t follow that series, and I don’t follow most of Marvel’s ‘X’ books on any kind of regular basis. I like some of the mutant characters, but X-Men just doesn’t hold my interest on a monthly basis. Maybe that’s why, but this story just didn’t hold my interest very well.

Captain America 19 (Marvel Comics) — I’ve always liked Cap, but these stories by Ed Brubaker are truly dynamic. It’s a little hard to place these issues in time along with the events of Civil War also running through most Marvel titles right now; Cap’s opposition to the hero registration act has led to S.H.I.E.L.D. declaring him a criminal, yet in his own title, he is clearly working with the spy organization, particularly Agent 13, Sharon Carter. But the whole Winter Soldier storyline and the events that have led directly from that arc are some incredible storytelling, keeping me coming back each issue to see what happens next.

Birds of Prey 95 (DC Comics) — I’m not sure how I feel about the most recent arc of this title. Chuck Dixon did an excellent job when he created this book. His departure meant the book floundered a bit until Gail Simone took over the writing chores. I don’t agree that only a woman can write the book since the main characters are all heroines — obviously, Dixon did it — but Simone was a great fit nonetheless. Most of the changes introduced as part of One Year Later, however, have also been undone as of the conclusion of this arc, or at least seem to be. So is everything just back to status quo? That seems to be somewhat of a letdown from such a good writer.

Fallen Angel 6 (IDW Publishing) — The relaunch of this title continues to explore the origins of the title character. The first arc moved the overall storyline ahead almost 20 years, but also gave us a glimpse of why Lee was cast out of Heaven. This arc continues to explore the origins of the character by picking up immediately after Lee was stripped of her divine abilities and landed on earth. It also reveals a bit more about her relationship and attitudes about God as her first “good deed” among humans does not go “unpunished.”

Marvel Westerns: Outlaw Files (Marvel Comics) — I was disappointed in this book, but I think that has more to do with my misunderstanding of what it was intended to be. Essentially, this is a Marvel Handbook edition featuring the Western characters from Marvel’s past and present. I would much rather read some of the classic stories featuring these western characters than just text pieces, and somewhere along the way, I thought that was what this book was going to be. I was wrong.

Flash (2006) 1 (DC Comics) — This wasn’t a bad story. I bought it mainly to satisfy my curiosity about who would be the Flash in the wake of Infinite Crisis. I don’t know that I will continue with the title beyond knowing this detail. It’s not that I don’t care about the character; I’ve followed some of his solo adventures and some of the team books on which he was a member and enjoyed them quite a bit. I’m just not sure I care that much about the direction this book seems to be headed, and I’ve been needing to make some cuts in the number of titles I buy each month. This one may be cut, again, not because it isn’t good, but just because I don’t care as much about it.

Superman/Batman 27 (DC Comics) — This was a fun comic. I’m pretty sure it was a stand-alone issue. I simply can’t talk about this one without some spoilers; it’s been out long enough, I assume that’s OK; if not, you’ve been warned. OK, taking Superman and Batman and putting them into women’s bodies has a certain adolescent charm. The male heroes having to function as women isn’t a new concept, but it’s not what sets this issue off so nicely. It’s the fact that the Superman and Batman team in this issue are the heroes from Earth 2 and the Huntress in this issue is Batman’s daughter, not Helena Bertinelli. It’s nice to see these Golden Age heroes in action again, probably for the last time as the Earth 2 Superman was killed in Infinite Crisis.

Young Avengers 12 (Marvel Comics) — This is another title that may be going bye-bye from my buying list. Writer Allan Heinberg has made me care about these young heroes and their adventures over the past year, but again, something’s gotta give and this is an easy target that doesn’t affect other books I collect. This issue is also a good jumping off point as it wraps up the Family Matters arc and the first year’s worth of formative stories.

52 Week Eight (DC Comics) — I’m still along for the ride, but this series is raising way more questions than answers right now. Biggest question right now is: What’s up with Green Arrow? This is only eight weeks; how is Ollie not in a hospital or dead from the multiple stab/arrow wounds he received in the last issue of his own book before One Year Later? Next biggest question: Who is this new hero they haven’t revealed to us yet? Third biggest question: I don’t care how mad she is, what is Natasha irons thinking going to Lex Luthor for help?

Batman 654 (DC Comics) — The conclusion of Face the Face, the first Bat story One Year Later. James Robinson did a solid job on this tale re-introducing not only Batman and Robin to the DC Universe after their one year away, but also nailed the characterization on returning supporting cast members Two-Face and Gotham City Police Commissioner James Gordon. This arc is well worth the bucks.

Action Comics 840 (DC Comics) — As great as Face the Face was, that’s how great this storyline started out. Up, Up and Away! reintroduced Superman to the DCU One Year Later. It started wonderfully, showing us a non-powered Clark Kent confident and at the top of his game following Infinite Crisis. But as the story progressed and Clark’s powers began to slowly return, the story seemed to lose focus. Luthor’s plan seemed desperate and not well-thought out. Superman managed to defeat him, but mostly through luck and brute force, not the clever cunning he displayed when Clark kent was all he was. This story started well but ended leaving me feeling cheated somehow.

That’s enough for today. I’ve got more books in the stack that have been read but not reviewed, but I don’t want this post to grow too large. So, more to come.