BEST SHOTS: FLYING FRIAR, LOCAL, RANN-THANAGAR SPECIAL, PUNISHER, & TONS MORE

[MattBrady]

by the Cast and Crew of ShotgunReviews.com
Your Host: Troy Brownfield

Welcome to the 50th installment of Best Shots! Befitting a 50th issue and Super Bowl weekend, we’ve loaded this edition up on variants. If you happen to notice any misspellings or improper grammar, congrats! You’ve pulled up a copy of our rare “Unchekked Edition”; the regular column will have a black and white cover by Turner (who knew Ike could draw?).

Here’s hoping that you enjoyed the big game and all attendant commercials with your fermented beverage of choice. If you’re one of the few who succumbed to Wing Overdose Syndrome . . . we applaud you.

And now, on with the countdown . . . we’re leading off the week with a feature review from Caleb that involves a writer that you may know (remember, Caleb’s opinions carry a green light . . .).

The Flying Friar
Writer: Rich Johnston
Artist; Thomas Nachlik
From: Speakeasy Comics
Review by J. Caleb Mozzocco

Is the story told in this one-shot a good one? Is it interesting, is it fairly original, does it turn on a clever premise? Yes.

Is it drawn well? Does the bold black and white art strike a good balance between appealing style and visual information conveyance? Does it match the tone of the story, and further it in images? Yes.

Perhaps most importantly, is it worth $4.95 of your paycheck and a twenty minutes to a half hour of your time? Once again, the answer is yes.

Feel free to stop reading this review now. It’s pretty difficult to say much in a review of The Flying Friar, which is one of those works that is very difficult to thoroughly review without the risk of ruining it for your readers who are looking to you to endorse or condemn the work for them before they commit to it themselves. At least, it’s very difficult to do it without ruining the experience for them, or prejudicing them against the work.

Of course, chances are you may be prejudiced against it already, as it’s written by Rich Johnston, long-time Internet gossip columnist who’s Lying In The Gutters can be read every week at that other comic book website, Comic Book Resources. Chances are, you may already have an opinion, perhaps even a strong opinion, about Johnston from his work at LITG, before you so much as crack the cover of The Flying Friar (Personally, I’ve read his column regularly since I first discovered it, and the only umbrage I take with it is the somewhat egotistical introduction, which in the past has had a pretty wide definition of what constitutes “investigative journalism.”).

The other challenge of reviewing the book is that it’s central concept, a connection that is at once brilliant and head-slappingly obvious you’ll likely be shocked no one’s thought of it before (or, if anyone who’s ever pitched to a certain big comic book publisher has ever thought of it, they certainly didn’t have the balls to publish it). Much like a movie like, say, Fight Club, there comes a point in the story where something is gradually revealed, and once you make the realization it changes the entire nature of the story, making you want to start over at the beginning to re-read it in that light.

The story itself is about a saint, one those superheroes of the Catholic Church, who could fly, talk to animals, wrestle with supernatural forces, cure the sick, raise the dead and, in the craziest examples I can recall from my 17 years of education in Catholic schools, light fires by rubbing two icicles together and cause transfemination in children. Simply put, it’s about time a saint got the superhero treatment.

This saint is Joseph of Copertino, who’s most well-catalogued miracle is his ability to fly (hence the title). Johnston’s story is more or less based on the true one, but how true history is, especially four hundred year old history dealing with miracles and saints, is always open to endless debate.

The story starts eight years before the birth of Joseph, with a falling meteor. A fatherless little boy being raised religiously by his devout mother, young Joseph is especially troubled, having strange, violent fits, seeing visions and prone to episodes of gaping. His first friend is a neighbor boy named Lux, son of rich, atheist scientist, who reluctantly allows the two boys to be friends when he realizes Joseph’s strange visions, which he attributes to God, mirror the same scientific truths about the heavens and the microscopic world that he himself has sought to prove scientifically.

After a troubled youth and young manhood, the faithful Joseph finds a home in the religious life, while his atheist friend Lux pursues the dream of flight, growing more resentful of Joseph once Joseph achieves flight through faith where he’s failed over and over through science.

Is it faith? Or witchcraft? Or something more…comic book-y? That’s the question the Vatican, the Inquisition, and Lux and his father seek to answer as Joseph’s flights continue, and further, familiar incredible powers are exhibited. After the “Aha!” moment, which, admittedly occurred to me a little later than it probably should have (a credit to Johnston and Nachlik’s ability to evoke enough period detail to lure even a cynical reader into losing himself in the story), the story becomes somewhat less and somewhat more of a story about a saint.

Instead, it turns into a story with pretty limited appeal—if you aren’t familiar with the other comic book story, probably the most well-known of comic stories, it’s built on, it will likely sail over or at least past your head—but it remains a pretty clever take of intertextual commentary. At the risk of giving too much away, let’s just say it’s one of the best and, given our current American culture’s fear of offending anyone when it comes to discussing religion, ballsiest Elseworlds stories that DC never published (and is certainly much, much better and more relevant than a lot of the Elseworlds stories they have published).

Editor’s Note: We understand that Flying Friar’s media push has outstripped people’s ability to find it in comic shops, or even, people’s proximity to comic shops. If you’re looking, you may find download copies from www.richjohnston.com

Rann-Thanagar War: Infinite Crisis Special #1
Writer: Dave Gibbons
Artists: Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Marc Campos, Oclair Albert and Michael Bair
From: DC
Review by J. Caleb Mozzocco

You can complain all you like about David Gibbons’ writing on space-opera miniseries Rann-Thanagar War—I know I did; I checked the cover to make sure I wasn’t reading Super Friends the first time I heard Kyle Rayner shout “Great Guardians!”—but you can’t accuse the guy of wasting time, drawing the story out or decompression. Like the last Infinite Crisis Special to spin out of one of the Countdown minis, the Day of Vengeance one, a lot of fairly major stuff happens here, including a fairly significant death (well, more significant than any of the deaths in Infinite Crisis thus far) and a fairly significant change in a character that will set-up an all-new monthly title.

But before we get ahead of ourselves, countdown to spoiler warnings in 5…4…3…2…1…Blast off!

Gibbons picks up with the stars of Rann-Thanagar mini—Kilowog and Kyle Rayner, The Hawks, Adam Strange, Captain Comet, The Omega Men—Donna Troy’s New Chronus strikeforce of Earth Heroes, and just about every DC space hero (Let’s see, J’emm Son of Saturn, Ultraa…what, no Space Cabbie?!) in the center of the universe, where a giant pair of hands have just appeared. That’s right, it’s all of DC’s space-faring heroes vs. Alex Luthor’s giant hands…

…to the death!

Gibbons writes in the same fleet style of the preceding miniseries, where almost every line of dialogue is used to simply advance the plot, and usually ends in an exclamation point. There’s a lot of screaming of updates and plans, and pointed questions asked just to identify a character. The action centers on a battle against the hands and the universe altering-energy they release, and of finding evidence that it was the architects of the four-pronged Infinite Crisis attack that destroyed Thanagar (and a clear illustration of just how powerful Superboy Prime really was—Yowza!).

The main development here revolves around the death of a long-time DC character, one with direct ties to one of the oldest superheroes in the DCU and one of the younger, more controversial ones. I’ll try not to name any names here, but if you paid attention to Dan Didio’s comments about getting rid of some of the company’s redundant characters and how unlucky it is to date a certain ring-slinger, it’s a character who went into this adventure with the biggest target on her back.

Of course, her “death” looks to be about as final as that of Donna Troy’s last death, as it’s extremely unclear what exactly happened, but it seems to be the mysterious catalyst behind Kyle Rayner’s Ion-ization. Now, the news broke here on ‘Rama long ago that Rayner would be going from Green Lantern to Ion in a new series by his creator Ron Marz, and here’s where it starts.

Again, it’s not clear what happens—Rayner’s costume suddenly morphs slightly (Man, and I was just getting used to his current threads, submissive dog collar and all!), his ring disappears and he gets the ugliest mask in the entire history of masked heroes, the Guardians make some cryptic remarks and he flies off shouting “The name’s Ion!”

I’m pretty skeptical of the change, seeing how short-lived and/or creatively disastrous previous attempts to turn Green Lanterns into new characters with new code names have been (see Alan Scott, Sentinel; Guy Gardner, Warrior,; John Stewart, Dark Star; Hal Jordan, Parallax; and Hal Jordan, The Spectre for some examples). Not to mention the fact that Geoff Johns so recently seemed to solve DC’s Lantern problem with the everybody wins compromise at the end of Green Lantern: Rebirth.

A must-read for Green Lantern, Kyle Rayner and JSA fans, this special seems pretty essential to the Infinite Crisis saga, to the point where it should probably have been labeled Infinite Crisis #4.5. It’s neither as character-driven nor as well-illustrated as IC, but it sure has the same sort of “Holy crap!” moments. Plus, a sweet Gibbons cover.

Caleb Mozzocco can’t think of an uglier mask than that sported by Kyle Rayner, Ion, but would love to hear from people who can. Post your nominees below—the only ones that come close in his book are the Silver Age Owlman of Earth-3 and pre-JMS Nighthawk.

Local #3 “theories and defenses”
From: Oni Press
Writer: Brian Wood
Art: Ryan Kelly
Review by Sarah Jaffe

Brian Wood is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers. DMZ got me hooked, and now I’m working backward through his collection of uber-hip, perceptive books, I honestly can’t believe I didn’t discover him sooner.

The blurb at the top of Local #3 says “The coolest short film never shown on the IFC or Sundance Channel.” This comment is from Sequential Tart, and I couldn’t agree more. There’s a very cinematic feel to these books, but it doesn’t show up in oversized panels of action or gore. Instead, Local loosely follows the story of a girl named Megan as she moves around the country. The first two issues were directly about Megan, whereas in this book she just makes a cameo appearance. Local is designed for each issue to be a stand-alone story, again, perfect for those of us who can only make it to the comic shop infrequently, or who have the infinite patience required to order things online (suffice it to say that there’s a reason I didn’t review this book last week when it actually came out, and that it involves a major online comic book retailer). Each episode takes place in a different “local,” a real city in the U.S. and real locations within it. Not the big, cool cities you’d normally think of, either, but smaller ones that nevertheless have plenty of personality.

Local focuses on quiet, personal stories often told through silent panels and expressions on characters’ faces. They could be short stories, I suppose, but Wood and his partner in crime here, artist Ryan Kelly, know how to use the strengths of the comic medium to tell their stories. Local #3 is the story of a successful band who have broken up and returned, separately, to their hometown of Richmond, Virginia. The story is split into four individual stories, one for each band member, tied together with a voice-over. Don’t ask how that works in a comic, just accept that it does. A phone interview with the band’s singer provides exposition and at times, interesting counterpoint to what his former compatriots are up to. It’s a view of a band that we don’t often see—what happens when they’re alone, after the fame and the ride are over. The glamour is gone, and we get a glimpse at the failed relationships, money troubles, and irritating questions about what one owes one’s fans that come in its wake.

Brian Wood probably should write for film, but he’s got plenty of able artists willing to climb inside his brain and translate these scripts into human, feeling faces. Ryan Kelly’s black-and-white drawings do so perfectly, conveying emotion better than many Hollywood actors.

Take a break from the superheroes and read Local. I swear it’s not too hip for you, even when it’s referencing indie rock bands. You’ll probably fall in love with cute little Megan. And don’t tell my boyfriend that I have a crush on the black-haired, glasses-wearing guitarist from this issue, either.

Sarah is the only member of the team who has to go to another state to get comics. She’s hardcore.

Aquaman #39
From: DC
Writer: John Arcudi
Artist: Freddie Williams III
Review by Jeff “Bad Cop” Marsick

Here’s my plea to The Powers That Be at DC Comics: Either do something with Aquaman or retire him. This isn’t some third rate character like the Resurrection Man we’re talking about here, it’s AQUAMAN. One of the Magnificent Seven. You know, that water guy who hasn’t had a decent series since his first one back in the sixties. It’s like Kanye said: George Bush doesn’t care about Aquaman. Well, The Powers That Be, anyway.

To be fair, there hasn’t been a lack of trying to make the swimming carrot appealing. He got a retractable harpoon thingee instead of a hand, but that was about as swell an idea as New Coke. He got an attitude adjustment to make him more interesting, but Batman’s got the patent on irascible and acerbic, and at JLA meetings you can only really tolerate one rooster in the henhouse. Insult to injury, he got a costume change to show off his stomach, a mullet, and discovered a bastard son who hated him. Great. Instead of King of the Seven Seas, he had become Typical NASCAR Fan (able to shotgun a six-pack of Genuine Draft and make whale noises in a single bound).

This series was yawn-erific until it was decided to drop San Diego into the ocean (calling the new place SUB Diego was creative genius at its best). Okay, I said at the time, it’s a completely implausible plot. But then again, so was inducting Damage and Nuklon as members of the Justice League. Perhaps Sub Diego and the mystery surrounding it wouldn’t turn out so bad.

Unfortunately, just like Paris Hilton’s sex tape, the longer it went on, the less interesting it became. The Eel, an underwater mafia (if they killed you, would they put you in water wings and float you to the surface?), some idiot dressed up in a techno-lobster outfit, and Ocean Master (aka Reverse Aquaman) were sent to spice it up a little, only didn’t. Even Black Manta, that perennial favorite of the Legion of Doom from the Super Friends (back when Ted Knight rivaled Casey Kasem as king of the cartoon voice), took a shot at the title and has ended up looking moronic over menacing.

It doesn’t get any better in this issue. Let’s start with the Brian Bolland cover. Now, I’m normally a fan of Bolland, but it looks like he traced a page from a My First Super-Hero Coloring Book. Even the vomiting purple rhino-fish on the upper right knows it’s bad. You wouldn’t catch something like this on a Batman or Superman title. Hell, even Looney Tunes has better covers.

On the inside, the art is good (although I prefer the layouts and finishes of Team Kirk and Clarke who seem to do a few issues then take a few off). The problem lies in the story. I can’t say that John Arcudi’s steering is bad, but it feels like he’s trying too hard to make Aquaman interesting, so much that Aquaman’s been a pinball, flitting between Sub Diego, the surface, and Atlantis; a random search pattern for a purpose. If anything, Arcudi’s made the people of Sub Diego, even the Atlanteans, more noteworthy than the title character. Even Lorena (Aqua-Girl, essentially) has become a scene-stealer. Perhaps they should get their own series, call it Sub Diego Central: A League Apart (if you don’t get the nautical reference, that joke falls flat).

The best example of how impotent Aquaman has become occurs in this issue when he sets to stopping Black Manta’s (who really needs to do background checks on his lackeys. For two issues now, Ensign Jones has screwed him over and messed up the grander schemes, giving Manta almost comical “D’oh!” moments) sub…by shooting at it while piloting another sub! That’s like Superman borrowing the Invisible Jet to shoot down a missile. If he’s the King of the Sea, he should be KING of the Sea. Where’s his telepathic fish power to send thousands of pounds of krill into the engine vents? Why not 911 a mega shark to eat the vessel whole and be done with it? Has his fathom-hardened body become so overrated that he can’t swim or punch his way through a simple bathysphere? Somewhere out there, Namor shakes his head in pity. The lone bright spot is that the confrontation ends in a did-he-or-didn’t-he moment. But Aquaman’s blasé-ness afterwards makes you wonder if he even cares.

With Aquaman #40, the One Year Later chapter for Aquaman begins (The Savage Sword of Aquaman or Warlord: Atlantis by the looks of the teaser), and yet another iteration of Aquaman will be rolled out. The Powers That Be need to realize that Aquaman’s Atlantean heritage is rife with magic and mysticism, and that underwater world he calls home is largely unknown and mysterious to the world above. If those elements are exploited and explored, Aquaman has the potential to be a phenomenal comic. And for a guy who turns 65 this year, he deserves the effort.

Remember, Jeff loves your cards and letters!

X-Factor #3
From: Marvel
Writer: Peter David
Art: Ryan Sook, Dennis Calero
Review by Koben Kelly

Many moons ago, when reading the Madrox miniseries, I never thought critical praise, word-of-mouth, or sales would be enough to warrant an ongoing series. The adventures of Jamie Madrox and friends, focusing on the dark side of private detecting in story and artwork, seemed to appeal to too small a niche market. Whereas I was totally in love with the limited series, I wasn't sure it would be everyone's cup of coffee. The dark, heavily shadowed art and the gumshoe-like narrative seemed like a cliché after Sin City and The Matrix trilogy had rocked the box office. No one seemed to be interested in grim and gritty comics, anymore. It was a trend that had been actively bucked. I guess it was only the trappings of grim and gritty, not necessarily the darkness of tone. As many dark titles have been popping up, sales have indicated that the overly optimistic and heroic titles may not be the only game in town, again. An influx of darker books have seemed to indicate a rebirth of sorts. Books like Manhunter, Sleeper, Ultimate Nightmare, and much of the output of IDW have given us all access to heroics in a violent, shadowed, adult-oriented world. The Madrox mini struck a chord within the comic book community. The success opened the doors for an X-Factor ongoing title to become reality.

Peter David, teamed up with Ryan Sook, has created one of the most engrossing comics to come out recently. There are many elements that combine to make this relatively new book as great a read as it is.

First, the promotional campaign. I'm not sure how many of you caught the initial image presented to advertise the book, but Sook's imagery was eye-catching. It featured all of the team members crammed into a small office, blinds closed to create minimal light patterns on everyone inside. Just from the identity projected upon each individual by Sook, you could tell how the dynamic of X-Factor Investigations was going to work. Even the morose Rictor showed a tint of depression (from his power loss) foreshadowing events of the first issue. Seeing all of the members in such a darkened, noir manner conveyed to me, almost instantly, that I was going to be the prime market in this case. The fact that it was PAD's name before Sook's on the credits of the image didn't hurt my appetite for it, either.

Secondly, what comes to mind when Peter David's name is mentioned? For me, it indicates solid characterization with a healthy dose of humor. This book has plenty moments of levity, while not betraying its dark roots.

Thirdly, this book is about family. A family of familiar members who I have been caring about for many, many years. Rahne (pronounced RAIN f.y.i.), the lycanthropic mutant with conflicting loyalties to both the Catholic church and her animalistic side. Strong Guy, former bodyguard of intergalactic rocker, Lila Cheney, who I witnessed changing his name from Guido in an issue of the former X-Factor title. Siryn, Banshee's daughter. Rictor. Monet. Together as a family, with the good, the bad, and the not-so-ugly.

In this issue, Siryn and Madrox use their combined powers to investigate a murder connected to a previous investigation. An agent from the competition sees fit to place himself in their way with the knowledge of Siryn's vocal talents. Strong Guy and Rahne attempt to stop mob-style fighting between the homo sapiens and the homo superior. Layla Miller, who knows stuff, X-Factor's newest member (?), goes at it with an assassin inside headquarters. We are allowed to see what knowing stuff can do for the team.

Here's my beef. It totally takes me out of the story when different artists are used to tell the complete story. Especially when the story is told in a manner that requires a back-and-forth of artists. Ryan Sook is an amazing talent, who has many irons in the fire, and who can only devote so much time to any given title. Since he has emerged from the cocoon of being a Mignola clone, his availability has been cut into. His pages for this issue are wonderful, especially the bit where a female member exposes herself accidentally. It brings the story to a grinding halt when Calero suddenly takes over art chores for a page or two. Now, it's not that I have a problem with his art. I suppose someone may dig it. It's the random change from the smooth, flowing style of Sook to the scratchy, sketchy style of Calero. Very disturbing to the natural progression of the story. Hopefully, a single artist will be able to commit to a full book's worth of art for future issues. I pray that it is Sook, as he is a strong selling point for the series' longevity.

Koben is detoxing from soda withdrawal, so no one tell him Sook has left the series. Thanks.

Detective Comics #816
DC Comics
Writer: Shane McCarthy
Artist: Cliff Chiang
Review by Richard Renteria

Do you know where your butler is? Batman continues his hunt for Zsasz as do the police. This time however, the GCPD is also hunting Gotham’s other very wanted criminal, The Batman. Alfred is recovering nicely after being attacked last issue by Zsasz. When our resident homicidal maniac discovers that one of his victims has survived an attack, it is apparent that he must rectify that situation (after all, he did add the victim to his ever growing count of victims, by means of a new slash mark on his skin). Batman, while being hunted by the GCPD must stay one step ahead of Zsasz or risk loosing the one person who has been there for him throughout his life. When Batman finally has the chance of catching Zsasz, the oh so gung-ho GCPD do all they can to ruin the moment. A final confrontation in Alfred’s hospital room decides the final outcome.

Shane McCarthy does it again. It has been a long while since I’ve enjoyed a story, any story, set in the main continuity of the DCU. Even worse, it’s been too long since we’ve seen Batman being both Batman and Bruce Wayne as distinct individuals. Yet somehow McCarthy has managed to tell a perfect Batman story.

It is great to see that McCarthy uses the current state of the GCPD/Batman relationship to add suspense to the overall story. Also nice was to see Bruce Wayne. This is the second issue in a row that we see Bruce and it’s nice to find him portrayed in a very genuine way, not dark and grim. It is very obvious that these are just fill-in issue before the leap one year later, but McCarthy does not let that stop him from really showing what kind of character both Batman and Bruce Wayne are as individuals and as one person.

Cliff Chiang on art was an excellent choice. Chiang is a natural at the grim and gritty. At times I was totally lost in the story thanks to the real feel that Chiang brought to the entire story. When the story does shift to a more light-hearted moment, you can immediately sense the shift in style. The colors by David Baron also help to enhance the shift in moods.

If you miss Batman like I do, pick up Detective Comics #815-#816. You won’t be disappointed.

Two the Death – MAX Style
Punisher #30
From: Marvel Comics
Writer: Garth Ennis
Artist: Leandro Fernandez

Supreme Power: Nighthawk # 6 of 6
From: Marvel Comics
Writer: Daniel Way
Artist: Steve Dillon
Review by Richard Renteria

I decided to review these two titles together for one reason; they are the final chapters of two six-issue story arcs that somehow seemed to tie in together. In both stories, we have the protagonist pursuing one individual specifically. Both antagonists must pay for their crimes and since they are both MAX titles, said punishment will fit the crime. The protagonists of both stories, the Punisher and Nighthawk, make no apologies or excuses for the way in which they take down criminals.

I am not a violent person by any stretch of the imagination. I prefer comedies and sometimes a good horror movie. The majority of the violence I deliberately expose myself to is in the form of comic book characters beating each other senseless. The Punisher and Nighthawk are perfect examples.

“Don’t come back here.” Having shut down Cristu’s slaving operation, violently, it’s time for one more last task. Tiberiu, the old man, must die. The Punisher is not only shutting down this group; he intends to send a message, in flames.

“I’m ready to go back to my cell now.” After killing Nighthawk’s confidant and kidnapping the baby he saved, the Clown is on the loose. Nighthawk is determined to put an end to this madness. Unlike the character he is modeled after though, putting an end to the madness may be a gut wrenching experience.

Both Garth Ennis and Daniel Way seemed to have mastered the art of violence. They understand that violence, when used correctly in a story, can send a powerful message. Ennis’ job is easiest. He gets to play with the Punisher in new scenarios. Readers expect the Punisher to be violent and deadly. Unlike Nighthawk, who has until this point been portrayed as extremely violent, but without the Punishers death count. Due to the newness of this incarnation of Nighthawk, there is still a fleshing out period that the writer and readers must go through to understand this new “hero”. By the end of this issue, the readers understand exactly what this incarnation of Nighthawk is all about.

Making the jobs of both these writers easier is the fabulous artwork provided by Leandro Fernandez and Steve Dillon. Although they have vastly different art styles, both artists are able to convey emotion and violence in vividly realistic representations. While Fernandez’ art is very urban and gritty, Dillon’s art boasts the clean and classic Marvel look. The final moments of both antagonists are done extremely well as splash pages that just leap off the page and that needed oh ____ moment that every good story arc should end on.

If you’re looking for a good double dose of mayhem and violence, look no further than Punisher and Nighthawk, you won’t be disappointed and you’ll definitely be entertained.

When Zombies Attack! #1
From: Grimm Grotto Goods
Writers: Chad Waters and Matt Rose
Art: Jim Mahfood
Review by Troy Brownfield

Professor Brownfield, your resident zombieologist here. P.M.A.C.: When Zombies Attack!! was itself a short-film created by Chad Waters and Matt Rose. If those names sound familiar to the movie-aware among you, it’s because the duo have previously collaborated onscreen, creating creature and character effects for the likes of Hellboy, The Ring, both Men in Black movies, and three installments of the Batman franchise. Waters and Rose extend their COPS parody into comics with this new title, and they demonstrate that their talents are not merely confined to the celluloid frame.

WZA incorporates at least three story engines that the creators have running smoothly. Obviously, there’s the main set-up: zombie fighting as reality television. Post Mortem Animation Control officers Frank and rookie partner Chet do their daily routine, followed by a film crew that catches all the action. Frank is your standard seen-it-all veteran; Chet is the cautious rookie who has a little bit of telekinesis thrown in for good measure.

While the premise itself is sound, and draws out several laughs, the notion of a world where everyone acknowledges that vampires, werewolves and zombies exist is kind of refreshing. Typically, the battle between good and evil in the horror genre is a secret; here, it’s appointment television.

The third major element that works for the creators would be their depiction of precinct life. Sure, the cops fight zombies, but they’re still bickering, overworked, ball-busting cops. Even Chet’s TK problems feed into this, as his general weirdness makes him a target of station-house pranks.

Jim Mahfood’s art, while not as smooth as I’ve seen it in some instances, creates the right atmosphere. Mahfood gets the juxtaposition between comedy and gore, and uses it effectively. The general attitude and execution from all concerned could best be described as Raimi-esque, and coming from me, that’s a huge compliment.

When Zombies Attack!! will likely benefit by arriving in a time when zombies are hot, but it will gain attention of its own by being a sharp, funny book.

Red Sonja #5-#7
Red Sonja vs. Thulsa Doom #1
From: Dynamite
Writers: Michael Avon Oeming and Mike Carey (#5-6); J.T. Krul (#7); Peter David and Luke Lieberman (RSTD1)
Art: Mel Rubi (#5-6); Noah Salonga (#7); Will Conrad (RSTD1)
Advance Reviews by Troy Brownfield

My enthusiasm for the new Red Sonja books from Dynamite has been well-documented. The publisher is making up for some schedule gapping by catching up in a big way (more on that here. Expect to see issues #6 and #7 join the freshly shipped #5 in a matter of weeks, not to mention the first issue of companion mini Red Sonja vs. Thulsa Doom, as these were the full, completed and printed issues that were provided for review.

Issues #5 and #6 wrap up the first story arc, pitting Sonja and company versus the enemy known as the Celestial. Many things become clear by issue #6, not the least of which are the Celestial’s identity and more on Sonja’s fight against the Dark Gods. This book has a welcome drive and direction; Oeming and Carey have done a bang-up job of making Sonja a believable character, and Rubi’s art is uniformly outstanding.

The 7th issue gives the main team a breather as fill-in squad J.T. Krul and Noah Salonga step in. This is a nice self-contained tale that gets to focus on Sonja the cunning heroine. Much focus is put upon the character’s appearance by fandom, but she really is, in the capable hands of these various creative teams, an intelligent woman forged the trials of her life and world.

The companion mini will be a huge treat for fans of the first Conan film. Sonja faces off with Thulsa Doom, famously essayed by James Earl Jones. Conrad sticks with that depiction, and under his sure hand, the first issue has a great cinematic quality. It’s a genuinely interesting tale of deception.

Taken together, the Sonja books are just great comics. The writing is smart and true to the flavor of Robert E. Howard’s worlds. The art is outstanding, particularly the work done by Rubi. Each issue promises action and a rollicking good-time; the best part is that Dynamite delivers.

Feature-within-a-Feature!
LAST RITES by Rev. O.J. Flow
Part 1: PLASTIC MAN, ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN, WONDER WOMAN

A golden opportunity presented itself to pay tribute to three DC series that are winding up their respective runs. In a couple of separate installments, I am going to wish Adventures of Superman, Wonder Woman, and Plastic Man a fond farewell as one ends its run for good, one winds up in anticipation of a post-Infinite Crisis relaunch, and another gets downsized and renumbered with a companion title.

The one book that is over and done with right here, right now is Plastic Man. Issue #20 came out last week, and I have to say that writer and artist Kyle Baker certainly put his stamp on this character. While of course the primary focus was on the titular character, every issue of this book found Baker grabbing more and more chances to satirize the comic book industry as well as the company that allowed him this forum. While lackluster sales have ultimately doomed this niche market title, one wonders if the first three pages of #20 was Baker thumbing his nose at recent DC content knowing in advance that he was putting together his final Plastic Man story. The book opens with a loose parody of 2004's Identity Crisis where we are taken to a funeral for Captain Marvel's alter ego, Billy Batson. A couple of the allusions to IC are wince-inducing, especially a reference to an unholy alliance between Batson's murderer, Dr. Sivana (seen in issue #19), and Dr. Light. As much as it made me cringe, it was also funny because it was true (Batman: "Like that's Light's new power now."). But the ultimate brilliance is found in a eulogy given by Mary Marvel about her late brother about how they did it "for the children." With every underscore of superheroes as role models, Baker illustrates in two to three simple frames the contradiction of content that plays to adult tastes that's being worked into a historically adolescent medium. But not even singling out comics, you have a panel with the Huntress and Supergirl standing side by side that may as well be Lindsey Lohan and Christina Aguilera, and this is followed by an image of the mourning, albeit voluptuous, Power Girl, Black Canary, and Catwoman. Sometimes the imagery can be heavy-handed, but it's no less entertaining.

Kyle Baker could've saved this opening segment for a third volume of Bizarro Comics should that ever come, but it merely serves as a prelude to the real Plastic Man story, "The Edwina Crisis: Chapter Three - The Gritty, Realistic Conclusion." Don't let the title fool ya. It's madcap action all the way. I'm quite sure that this sort of tale wasn't in the game plan a couple years ago, but DC-wide upheavals had to have forced Baker's hand in drawing out a scenario where Plastic Man & Co. are on a rescue mission to save his adopted daughter, goth girl Edwina, and DC's Holy Trinity of Superman, Wonder Woman & Batman swoop in on the action. My personal highlight has to be the righteous indignation of Superman over Wonder Woman's treatment of the lead antagonist, Ra's al Ghul: "STOP KILLING THAT GUY!" The most unfortunate thing about this series finale is that it clearly feels like Baker was trying to squeeze every single idea that he could into this last issue, yet it lacks any sort of conclusive statement on the Eel O'Brian character. Editorial is just as much to blame, but one wonders where Plas' place in the DC Universe is now in anticipation of a new JLA that's reportedly going to favor Elongated Man as the resident stretchable sleuth, and an Infinite Crisis series that has yet to include this decades-old hero. Issue #20 doesn't even hint at an answer to that. With any luck, Grant Morrison, the scribe with whom I am forever indebted for refreshing Plastic Man's legacy in the DCU, might have plans for him with whatever he has planned for the post IC landscape. He is an FBI agent, after all. We need someone in that agency that we can trust.

Plastic Man reminds me of my favorite TV show that's been put through programming hell for the last couple of years, Arrested Development. Like AR, Plastic Mancarries with it the burden of being too clever for it's own good. Being the sharpest guy at a Super Bowl party ain't necessarily gonna get you the ladies' phone numbers, as ratings-starved AR can attest to, something they even recognized in a recent episode that was virtually in code about what the Bluth family could do to save their show from cancellation ("This family is finally becoming sympathetic and relatable — that's what people want to see," hilariously suggested by the show's lead, Jason Bateman). If you reread issues 1 through 20 of Kyle Baker's book, there's an excellent chance that you'll find a couple dozen winks at the proverbial camera that you may have missed the first time around. And recently I came to the conclusion that this title might have survived if produced more as an ad-free semiannual anthology series instead of one on a bimonthly schedule. This book, as we got it, probably never stood a chance of gaining any momentum in the cannibalistic market that it tried to survive in, though I do wonder what allowed it to even go twenty issues. Fantagraphics Books seems to have a knack for producing series for sophisticated tastes (works by Jessica Abel, Daniel Clowes, and Chris Ware immediately come to mind), and I have not known them to be a company that has anything on a monthly schedule. Even when Kyle Baker would do an episodic arc worthy of a trade (a purchasing practice hilariously skewered in #11, "Homeland Security" by President Luthor when Identity Crisis is mentioned by Superman), it's ludicrous in this instant gratification age that we live in to expect that it'll keep readers reeled in the same way one would expect from Batman Family titles.

My colleague, J. Caleb Mozzocco, suggested last week that Baker's book could've gained more readers if certain issues featured indications on the covers that there were tie-ins to Villains United or Infinite Crisis, or that guest stars should've received better front-page mention, but wouldn't it be false advertising if it the content was all strictly out-of-continuity parody? Readers are way sensitive to that stuff. Maybe if this book's schedule ran with the efficiency of Green Arrow or Legion of Super-Heroes it could it have fallen under the IC banner with the complimentary coverage, but Plastic Man was all but DC Comics' answer to classic works like Archie, Richie Rich, or Uncle Scrooge. To adorn this book with cheap marketing gimmicks (no slight to the fine DC Universe titles that have been creatively thriving lately) would have stripped it of its timeless nuances. Plastic Man may not have been for everyone, as the numbers painfully show, but it wasn't any less appreciated by the faithful readers who needed a breather from the relentlessly melodramatic content in today's superhero market.

While we still have one issue to go with this title, Adventures of Superman is the swan song for writer Greg Rucka, who has done a commendable job with the Man of Steel for the last two years. There is one more issue left of this title before it maintains it's numbering but becomes THE "Superman" title, but clearly the book is headed in a new creative direction that does not include Rucka and artist Karl Kerschl and it is worth commemorating. Issue #649 is coming later this month, but it's basically an all-star production centering around the Earth 2 Superman and his reemergence in Infinite Crisis. I'll get to that when it hits the stands.

Overall I'd give Greg Rucka's time on AOS very high marks. I've probably stuck with it more diligently than any other Superman book of late. The Azzarello/Lee stint on Superman was an absolute snooze, and the subsequent creative team failed to produce anything I remotely felt compelled to pick up, and ultimately I just wasn't feeling the work on Action Comics produced by Gail Simone & John Byrne. Not to say it wasn't inspired at times, because it certainly started out strong, but by the end it felt fleeting at best with no indelible features to speak of. But Rucka, despite a rotating staff of artist with whom to collaborate, maintained a welcome sense of consistency that the other Superman titles have lacked. Rucka also displayed a great penchant for characterization for characters that have been around for generations. Clark Kent and Lois Lane, relatively speaking, seemed to carry the weight of matrimony well, and I've probably never been more enthused about their marriage and how it's functioned in the DC Universe than I have since Rucka started writing this book. They really played like the ultimate power couple. Even a fairly disposable character like Lupé Leocadio managed to make a mark in the Man of Steel's world, and bless Rucka for developing a decent character in the "LL" tradition. I've held this theory that at times Greg Rucka is what a lot of readers wish Brian Michael Bendis was for their beloved Marvel characters: a writer who perfectly balances personal "civilian" moments with Mach 5 superhero action. For the most part, the artistry in AOS successfully complimented the realism with a penchant for the fantastic that Rucka created best. The two standouts during this run were Matthew Clark and Karl Kerschl. Both were able to nail Rucka's more intimate scenes between Clark and his supporting cast and illustrate the "never-ending battle" to exhilarating effect.

Any writer or artist who gets a chance with Superman is going to have to pass at least one test in particular to get a good grade from me, and that's making a classic rogue memorable. Rucka managed to do this with, of all characters, Mr. Mxyzptlk. While AOS was bogged down at times with the meandering Ruin saga, Superman's 5th Dimensional pain-in-the-butt was given excellent coverage, as evidenced in issues #634, #638, and, tragically, #646. While the character is being used right now in a more traditional fashion in Jeph Loeb'sSuperman/Batman, Rucka was very effective in giving Mxyzptlk an esteemed status that made him much more than the Superman Family version of Bat-Mite.

Not to say Rucka was without fault. To this day, I don't know if he developed the big wuss reputation Superman has had or if he was saddled with it and did the best job seeing it through. Rucka was the lead scribe on the stories in OMAC Project, this book, and Wonder Woman, where Superman's most irritatingly passive behavior was documented. It pains me that years from now this era of the Man of Steel is going to be dismissed by many when there was clearly good storytelling to be found. But I am of a mind that you can't bring a character up without knocking him down some, and it's a testament to Rucka's talents that his professional reputation has managed to remain intact despite an off-putting disposition that's pervaded in a lot of recent Superman episodes. Historically (and in various mediums) Kal-El has had several instances where he's been in self-doubt over his place in a world where he is a god among men. To suggest that Rucka broke new ground in this area is absurd. Plus as much as I have been jonesing along with everyone else for a Superman with some balls, it says something that I am really going to miss Greg's work on this book. I don't think he polarized half as many readers as, say, Bendis has with Daredevil.

And so a creative era has come to an end with Adventures of Superman #648. Only fitting that the final story that's told is one heavily tied into the goings on in Infinite Crisis while providing so emotional heartfelt heft the reminds us why Superman remains the greatest superhero ever. Readers are offered a fairly thorough glimpse into the damage that was caused by the instance most people saw at the opening of IC #4 when the villainous Society laid waste to Blüdhaven with a weapon of mass destruction (Hey, George! I found one!). There's no actual dialogue in this issue, which is a welcome switch for any given title. Instead the narrative of Blüdhaven's decimation by Chemo-drop is relayed to us by way of a Daily Planet article written by Lois Lane. In it, Lane recounts the swift response by Superman along with the Metal Men (Chemo's longtime foes), Nightwing, and others and how they likely saved countless more innocents after 100,000+ were killed in the initial blast. One thing I totally appreciated was the stat sheet on page 4 that laid out the casualties from this and previous DC Universe disasters. Way to put it in perspective. While things are bleak for the chemically ruined city (something we're all too aware of in real life with post-Katrina New Orleans), Rucka, by way of Lane, says it best: "Superman reminded us that hope exists when we never give up on each other." Truer words were never spoken. And Superman is not without help in handling this crisis, metahumans and civilians all do their part. But the Last Son of Krypton wouldn't be the best if he wasn't the one who comes up with the idea to rid the fallen city of Chemo's threat once an for all, and it's truly inspiring material here that Rucka (with art by Kerschl and Renato Guedes) produces. By the last page of "Look... Up in the Sky," you can feel Superman getting his mojo back, remembering that he's the one who people, superpowered or not, look to for inspiration (Take that, Batman!). Somehow it figures that Greg Rucka would be the one to write about it.

Go figure that Superman wasn't the only hero Greg Rucka (I know... "Greg this," "Rucka that..." -- bear with me, I'm almost done) decided to restore some shine to. In this penultimate issue of Wonder Woman, we find that not everyone is so easily swayed by the recent out of context footage broadcast globally that has all but terminated Diana's mission in Man's World. It is the end of an era for Wonder Woman, and this issue reminded me of The Sopranos when the juiciest stuff happens on the second to the last episode rather than the season finale. Just about everything you need to be up to speed on Diana's story can be found here even though there's one more issue to go (more on that in Part 2 later this month). In the wake of the goddess-willed disappearance of Themyscira to avoid destruction by the OMACs, Diana herself is absconded by the deities for whom she serves, and the meeting serves as an exit interview of sorts. No longer can she count on them, and while her spirit takes its share of hits, she still has purpose. When she returns to her stateside embassy to let her staff know that The Mission has come to a close, she finds that they are more willing to fall on their swords for her than ever before. When the goddesses earlier in the story ask her why she is willing to serve others on Man's World, she says it's because she still has hope. Diana has this same situation turned on her with the embassy staff and followers from all over the world who congregate at her office to let her know that they still believe in her cause. The common thread is hope, and even at its bleakest, heroes like Wonder Woman and Superman are continuing to instill it in those they serve. I won't lie to you, it's why I myself stay faithful to these characters after all these years.

Overall this was a solid issue, and Greg Rucka, with some exceptional art by Cliff Richards & Ray Snyder, wraps up things nicely for the Amazing Amazon. My one caveat with Wonder Woman #225 is that the narration throughout the issue is a bit excessive at times. Sometimes it weighs the scenes down when the dialogue and illustrations capture everything perfectly. Reminding me of another TV show, it's like when the sing-songy narration of long deceased Mary Alice in Desperate Housewives makes you want to hit the mute button because it's needlessly hitting you over the head with its redundancy. That being said, there's nothing redundant about the positive message found in this book, and it's why I've frequently viewed Rucka's time on Wonder Woman a creative success even when the sales numbers might not have always reflected that. The next creative team telling Diana's story have a tough act to follow.

Readers! Do you like the notion of “Last Rites” as a recurring feature? After all, there are always cancellations coming up… Let the Rev. know! Also vote if he should wear the black-and-yellow E2 Robin outfit or the Neal Adams “adult E2 Robin” outfit while he writes. Both are uncomfortably tight. Uncomfortable for anyone who has to see him wearing them, that is.

Pellet Reviews!

Bulleteer #3 (DC; by Caleb): The title character is one of a pair of super-bodyguards protecting a mermaid actress—though she prefers the term “person of marine origin”—at a superhero convention. Anyone who’s been to a comic book convention will have a hard time telling the difference between the two. Another deliriously dense and fun book by Grant Morrison, this issue is packed to the gills with cameos and in-jokes for the DCU’s faithful (or fans of superheroes in general). Golden Age fans should especially appreciate many of them. The best line, just in time for our world’s awards show season: “Aquaman just walked off with best comeback! All he did was shave!” But the most darkly clever moment may be the last few panels, in which Morrison seemingly comments on the “women in refrigerators” trend in DC violence against women by having a super-powered catfight that involves one scantily clad woman beating another …with a refrigerator.

Green Lantern #8 (DC; by Caleb): Geoff Johns gives readers the second half of his story grafting the plot of Alan Moore’s old Superman gem “For The Man Who Has Everything” onto modern Green Lantern and Green Arrow continuity. Johns manages to make the story his own, however, and in addition to plenty of random fan-stroking cameos—Onomotapeia, Ch’pp, a new Parallax and about 40 more—provides a nice two-issue meditation on the importance of family. Family means something quite different on Earth than it does on Debstam IV, of course, as is graphically illustrated in one gloriously gory panel. At this rate, people getting their heads punched off is going to be to Johns what people getting their hands cut off is to George Lucas. Green Arrow fans take special note: this is probably the best GA story since Meltzer wrapped “The Archer’s Quest” and Identity Crisis.

JSA Classified #8 (DC; by Caleb): Hey, what gives? I thought Peter Tomasi was simply an editor of some of DC’s best books (Seven Soldiers, Hitman), know he’s a great writer all of a sudden too? What next man, pencils? Following his Outsiders fill-in (the most readable arc in the book’s run, in my opinion) and the trade of his The Light Brigade, Tomasi tackles Jay Garrick and Wildcat in the JSA’s sister book. The pair are menaced by an old enemy who’s got his hands on an old weapon, that piece of deux ex machina used to explain why the All-Star Squadron never won WWII for the Allies, the Spear of Destiny (Hey, the Shadowpact could have used that a couple of months ago!). Tomasi works its long, convoluted history into the story pretty seamlessly, and writes the hell out of the two lead characters, both of whom have the unfortunate tendency of not getting much room to breathe in their normal appearances. After the fun and funny Power Girl arc and the interesting Injustice Society story, this well-written, well-drawn (by regular Society sketchers Don Kramer and Keith Champagne) story presents a pretty good argument that JSA might not be the best JSA book on the stands for long.

Marvel Romance Redux: But He Said He Loved Me #1 (Marvel; by Caleb): Marvel Zombies will likely be more interested in My Mutant Heart, the company’s romance stories set in the Marvel Universe proper, but fans of funny funny books and/or classic Marvel art may instead prefer this issue, which, taking a cue from Keith Giffen’s recent war comic redux, goes all Tiger Lilly on four Marvel romance comics drawn by John Buscema, John Romita Sr., Dick Giorda, Vinny Colletta, Gene Colan, Jim Mooney and Jack Kirby. Filling in the jokes are Jeff Parker, Roger Landridge, Jimmy Palimiotti and Giffen himself. It’s an interesting experiment that grows pretty tedious pretty quickly as many of the jokes are so incredibly random. Palimiotti reaches out to regular Marvel readers the best, having the male character constantly referencing Marvel continuity and our heroine responding “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Giffen and Parker also manage pretty consistent, interesting stories, but having read one, I don’t see any reason to read the next four issues.

Thunderbolt Jaxon #1 (of 5) (Wildstorm; by Jeff): Three kids come across some ancient relics and split the take amongst them, unaware that the loot once belonged to the Norse gods. In this issue, the consequences of their ignorance begins to dawn on one of the kids in a strange yet cool way. It sets the stage for the return of that British comic hero, a graduate of the School of Shazam: Thunderbolt Jaxon. Never heard of him? Then pick up this issue, which is my vote for underrated comic of the month. Written very well by Dave Gibbons, it’s got mythology and witches and a pinch of weirdness to it that is sure to appeal to fans of Watchmen. John Higgins’s art more than does it justice, so much that when Larry hits his stepson Jack, MY cheek hurt. It’s a good beginning and a welcome addition to the world of Albion.

Gotham Central # 40 ( DC; by Koben): So, we know that Corrigan is responsible for Cris Allen's death. We saw it happen. A good man, a decent cop, shot down to cover up corruption in the GCPD. His partner, currently a drunken mess, has all the right motivation to end Corrigan permanently. Officially, nothing can be done due to lined-up testimony and pay-offs. Renee could simply break into his house, pistol-whip his dirty, lying, piece of sh*t girlfriend, and shoot him point blank in the head. Would anyone deny her that small consolation? I wouldn't. I want the bastard to go down. I'm positive that the vast majority of fans of Gotham Central want the bastard to go down. Coming to the last issue of this amazing series, if it's going to happen, it has to happen now. We know that she's involved in the DCU after this series ends. What will Renee's contribution to 52 be? Stay tuned.

Hard Time: Season Two #3 (DC; by Koben): After the make-out session between Ethan and Curly's granddaughter, Red, in the visitors' restroom, it's no surprise that Ethan would send out his energy-self to check up on her in the real world, outside of prison. Too bad he doesn't like what he sees. Why is it that he gets sick to his stomach every time new inmate, Cutter, passes by? Cindy seems to be getting downright friendly with the self-scarred mass murderer. Is Cutter interested in decorating her, too? This doesn't bode well for anyone involved, including Cindy's cell mate, Cole. A wonderfully rounded cast continues to make Hard Time a fun read every issue.

Outsiders #33 (DC; by Koben): Wow. What can I say? The regularly well-written, well-drawn team book that I enjoy so much is nowhere to be found in this guest-created issue. The story is terribly lacking in correct characterization and decent art. Why would anyone in the Society mistake Arsenal for Deathstroke? The voice... no. The smaller build... no. The all-eyes-on-me presence... not there. The artwork looks like someone's art-school attempt at mimicking comic book style. I have bought every issue of Outsiders, and have no intention of stopping unless Winick and Clark leave. This issue is not worth the $2.50 price tag. It just reminds me of Liefeld's issues of Teen Titans. What were they thinking?

The Thing #3 (Marvel; by Richard): Dan Slott’s all-new Thing series is a blast. Not only do we get classic Marvel covers, we get classic Marvel stories that acknowledge the vast history of the Marvel Universe. Assisted on art by the talented Andrea DeVito, who draws a great Thing, Slott puts our hero through the paces. Arcade has trapped the Thing and a few of his billionaire friends on Murderworld for some fun and games. Included in the group of rich are Nighthawk, the Constrictor, and Tony Stark. These four must work together to save the other kidnap victims and themselves from Arcade’s machinations. The best part of this issue for me though was the glimmer of hope for reconciliation between Alicia and Ben. It’s been long overdue and I hope it happens sooner rather than later.

Jeremiah Harm #1 (Boom!; by Troy): Keith Giffen? Alan Grant? Science fiction anti-hero? Sold! Giffen and Grant introduce Harm, a human ass-kicking machine who begins the series as an inmate in an alien prison. After some particularly vile criminals escape with an urge to do Earth dirty, prison officials release Harm to bring them (likely piece by piece). If you’re familiar with what Giffen and Grant can do with this kind of premise, then I don’t need to convince you that this is a fun read.

Troy Brownfield founded ShotgunReviews.com and serves as the Editor-in-Chief. He’s a professor of English, journalism and communication and freelances for a number of print and online sources. Anyone wishing to submit their titles for review can contact Troy at psikotyk@aol.com. If you’re interested in taking a class with Troy via the miracle of Distance Learning, check out the program here http://www.smwc.edu/prospective/ugdistance , and specifically mention him or his areas (Journalism, Professional Writing, New Media) when you call. This week, he’s giving a special greeting to his wife, just because she’s great and he can.

[Howard]

You’ve pulled up a copy of our rare “Unchekked Edition”; the regular column will have a black and white cover by Turner (who knew Ike could draw?).

That'd be the Cake'N'Shoes variant, right?

[ejulp]

does local ship this week?
or did my shop forget to put another comic in my pull box?

[sequart]

I have to say that Mondays are a little better when I see this column. And, by the way, this is quite a long column this time! Bigger is better! Keep up the good work people!

[Spaz_Monkey]

he had become Typical NASCAR Fan (able to shotgun a six-pack of Genuine Draft and make whale noises in a single bound).

As a non-mulleted, non-alcoholic, educated NASCAR fan from California, I'd like to thank you for not stereotyping my fellow NASCAR fans.

Oh, wait......

Never mind.

[c_andrew_s]

I really enjoyed Rucka's run on WW and Supes.

I too enjoyed the Sub Diego arc.

Local rocks!

Nighthawk had lots of ... HOLY**** moments.

Hardtime is amazing, I really look forward to it. I hope it comes back for another season.

x-Factor is amazing, I am happy to see PAD working on it.

[Colossus2420]

Originally posted by Spaz_Monkey
As a non-mulleted, non-alcoholic, educated NASCAR fan from California, I'd like to thank you for not stereotyping my fellow NASCAR fans.

Oh, wait......

Never mind.

Spaz, I too am a non-mulleted, non-alcoholic, educated NASCAR fan, but from Connecticut. I've been to a fair share of races and I gotta call 'em the way I see 'em.

-Jeff

[BlakSun]

Originally posted by MattBrady

Green Lantern #8 (DC; by Caleb):Family means something quite different on Earth than it does on Debstam IV, of course, as is graphically illustrated in one gloriously gory panel.

yeah...that was quite the panel

[Michael C Lorah]

Sarah is the only member of the team who has to go to another state to get comics. She’s hardcore.

Sarah is hardcore, but the first sentence is patently untrue. I know of one particular Jersey-based Shooter (who was off this week while he helped his girlfriend move into his apartment) who hasn't bought a single comic in the Garden State in probably two years. I mail order out of Illinois, with a few purchases in New York and a few books bought in Pennsylvania at my old stomping grounds when I go to visit my folks.
Admittedly, Sarah's "out of state" is far more grueling than mine, though. I've probably got ten shops within three as-the-crow-flies miles. But they are out of state.

To be fair, there hasn’t been a lack of trying to make the swimming carrot appealing. He got a retractable harpoon thingee instead of a hand, but that was about as swell an idea as New Coke. He got an attitude adjustment to make him more interesting, but Batman’s got the patent on irascible and acerbic, and at JLA meetings you can only really tolerate one rooster in the henhouse. Insult to injury, he got a costume change to show off his stomach, a mullet, and discovered a bastard son who hated him. Great. Instead of King of the Seven Seas, he had become Typical NASCAR Fan (able to shotgun a six-pack of Genuine Draft and make whale noises in a single bound).

Jeff, I love ya, but PAD is still the only creator to make Aquaman work for me. Jurgens wasn't bad either. But PAD was supreme. It wasn't about the hair or the harpoon (although, visually, both worked very well), but rather it was about the Arthurian/king parallels and struggle to balance the duties of the crown with Orin's personal feelings and beliefs.

Overall I'd give Greg Rucka's time on AOS very high marks. I've probably stuck with it more diligently than any other Superman book of late.

As a devout Super-geek and a fan of most of Greg Rucka's work, I have mixed feelings on Rucka's Superman run. I loved his Lois/Clark relationship, and I was intrigued by the cast of The Shack, but ultimately letdown by the lack of development that they received.
Ruin drug out relentlessly, but the Mxy issues were great.

I can accept the need for Superman to have doubts on occasion, but I still disagree with the characterization of his reaction to Wonder Woman's killing Max Lord. I, honestly, didn't feel that there were very many "Goddamn! You go Superman!" moments - those spine-tingling moments that only Superman can give.

It was a good run. I definitely enjoyed it, but it's not one of my personal favorites. The fact that so much of the run fed into The Big Crossover, which I have little interest in, probably doesn't help my opinion though.

[SpyGuy]

Originally posted by MattBrady
Okay, I said at the time, it’s a completely implausible plot. But then again, so was inducting Damage and Nuklon as members of the Justice League.

Damage was in the Justice League? Must have missed that one. At the time I was reading about Damage in THE NEW TITANS.

As for Nuklon, it seems the creative team behind the JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED series didn't have a problem with using the character...as long as he was using his "Atom-Smasher" identity, that is.

[Deep shock]

I'm really surprised that there exist at least a couple of people who actually liked the Sub( ) Diego direction in AQUAMAN(for a couple of issues at least)! IMHO it was probably the lowest point in the hero's history! And the return to his retro look ! I mean, who came up with this embarrasing decision? The combination of those two things send readers away in horror! No wonder DC finally decided to introduce a new character to take over the mantle and bury all that stuff!
Oh and gentlemen, Aquaman HAS has had a decent series after the 60s! Peter David's run was probably the all-time high in the hero's career! Wish DC had stuck with that!

[rahnefan]

Rahne ain't Catholic and never has been.

[jdowney488]

Detective Comics:great
Green Lantern:great
Rann/thanagar war special:not as good as the Day of vengence special
Aquaman:John Arcudi sucks cmon Kurt Busiek

[User Name]

Originally posted by rahnefan
Rahne ain't Catholic and never has been.

???

Are you sure about that?

[rahnefan]

Originally posted by User Name
???

Are you sure about that?

Positive. She's Scots Presbyterian.

She was erroneously referred to as a "shy Catholic schoolgirl" by Josh (Elixir). The writers (Nunzio & Christina) were told by fans about the error but it's still cool because it's Josh's error, not an error in canon.

There was also a preview page of Madrox wherein she was referred to as having a Catholic upbringing. We wrote Peter David and before the book was printed it was changed to "fundamentalist upbringing."

Common error nowadays. But dude was cool to include the proper pronunciation of her name.

HATE that Sook is leaving. He's a force. See sketches of his (of Rahne) @ http://www.rahne-sinclair.com/sook.html

The book rocketh. Check it out.

[O.J. Flow]

...I am always going to opt for the Earth 2 Robin costume. ALWAYS.

[Cyphon]

I'd like more Last Rites personally.

[skaly]

I do not consider Busiek's upcoming changes to be permanent. I think that comics, when given enough time, always find their way back to what they were meant to be. (Unfortunately, in some cases that means "cancelled.") From my point of view, Arthur hasn't been "de-throned" as the star of the book. He's just taking a vacation. This new guy will take up the reins for a while until DC feels it's ready for Arthur to take the spotlight again. Hopefully with Geoff Johns at the helm, as he seems to be the go-to guy for re-invigorating a character who's had better times.

That said, I think we really ought to give Busiek's new Aquaman a chance. He's proven to be a great storyteller, and Arthur's hiatus will give DC enough time to figure out what they can do with character, as well as create some buzz/anticipation among the fans. I have absolute faith that Arthur will return, so my advice is to relax and enjoy the ride. Or don't.

[Deep shock]

i just hope that when DC finally brings the original Aquaman back, he will be the popular Peter David version!

[CitC]

THis past Punisher story line has made me feel ignorant to a major problem, and has made me feel like the world is a little bit worse than I thought. Powerful work Mr. Ennis.

comicsintheclassroom.net/

[Colossus2420]

Originally posted by Michael C Lorah


Jeff, I love ya, but PAD is still the only creator to make Aquaman work for me. Jurgens wasn't bad either. But PAD was supreme. It wasn't about the hair or the harpoon (although, visually, both worked very well), but rather it was about the Arthurian/king parallels and struggle to balance the duties of the crown with Orin's personal feelings and beliefs.

Actually, PAD was given props on the first draft of this opus, and then was left on the cutting room floor. I did enjoy his run and under his watch Aquaman was on my "Comics I need to have if ever marooned on a desert island list" (sure, it was a long list, but still he was there). And while I agree that PAD was heavy on the balance of duties and personal struggles, I feel that ball has been dropped since he left. Like I said, I don't think Arcudi's BAD, he's just relied more on situation as opposed to characterization on Arthur Curry, esq. And therein lies the fault.

And to those who think I'm advocating a boycott on the Water King, I'm not. I just think it's high time and tide that DC gives as much attention to a classic as they do to the flavor of the month.

[sabremike]

The best example of how impotent Aquaman has become occurs in this issue when he sets to stopping Black Manta’s (who really needs to do background checks on his lackeys. For two issues now, Ensign Jones has screwed him over and messed up the grander schemes, giving Manta almost comical “D’oh!” moments) can.

It's a case of "you get what you pay for". Manta is infamous within the supervillain community for not treating his lackeys well. In contrast, Ocean Master offers his lackeys a generous bennefits package, full medical and dental coverage, a 401 K plan, and a full months paid vacation. Thus, all the quality lackeys who are interested in the field of underseas villainry choose to work for him.

[Lex]

A must-read for Green Lantern, Kyle Rayner and JSA fans, this special seems pretty essential to the Infinite Crisis saga, to the point where it should probably have been labeled Infinite Crisis #4.5.

I don't know if I'd say it was "essential." Or even "necessary." But that's me.

Feature-within-a-Feature!
LAST RITES by Rev. O.J. Flow
Part 1: PLASTIC MAN

Thank you very much for giving Last Rites to Plastic Man. It was an absolutely wonderful book, that sadly a lot of people ignored.

Keep up the Last Rites! It's a cool feature.

Bulleteer #3 (DC; by Caleb)

This was a fun issue.

Following his Outsiders fill-in (the most readable arc in the book’s run, in my opinion)...

I totally agree! I dropped Outsiders after the Fearsom Five arc, but picked it back up for Tomasi's two issues. That was a good story. Not only did it feature the real Outsiders, but they mentioned my hometown of Sioux Fall, South Dakota in it. Yay!

[caleb]

If anyone's keeping score:

I loved David's AQUAMAN run (and ATLANTIS CHRONICLES! Collect that $#!+ DC!), and while I wasn't too hot on Califore's art for the character, I think it qualifies as a good A-man series. For my money, no writer's handled him better than David...although Morrison has done a great job balancing king/superhero/grumpy bad-ass in his JLA stories. Oh, and Ross' stuff has all been out of continuity, but his is a great Aquaman too.

I haven't been a big fan of the Sub Diego direction, but infinitely prefer it to Vietch's Lady of the Lake, fight The Thirst for eight issues storyline....

I preferred the hook and beard, but am getting used to the classic look again (as long as it includes gloves! And a trident would be nice..) Just wish DC would STICK with a look long enough to get used to again...

[Devster]

Readers! Do you like the notion of “Last Rites” as a recurring feature? After all, there are always cancellations coming up… Let the Rev. know!

Sure. And maybe you can add a review of Gotham Central #40 to the next one. I seemed to have missed it.