BEST SHOTS: SECRET HISTORY, FS: NEW AVENGERS, GI JOE, AND MORE

[MattBrady]

by The Best Shots Team, courtesy of ShotgunReviews.com
Your Host: Troy Brownfield

Last week, I promised a split week with a “bonus edition” of the regular column. Well, things went off the rails a bit, although the team did manage to knock out the regular books, some Top Shelf extras, and more. This coming week, we will hit a bonus edition, as well as “Extras” devoted to the Hulk, Nightwing, and more Top Shelf.

Right now, though . . .

The Secret History Book One: Genesis (of 7)
Writer: Jean-Pierre Pecau
Artist: Igor Kordey
[b]From: Archaia Studios Press/b]
Recap and Review By: Jeff Marsick

“History is the version of past events that people have decided to agree upon”, said Napoleon. If that’s the case, then be prepared to have your horizons expanded with this first issue of an ambitious series that reveals the machinations behind the rise, and sometimes near collapse of, Western civilization. Throw away the propaganda that has served you in your formative years in academia as “history” texts, because this series will lay bare the true catalysts of our growth as a culture on this planet.

It all starts in 3000 BC, the end of the Stone Age, as one clan wars on another, and four siblings—the boys Dyo and Erlin, the girls Reka and Aker-- escape bloodshed with their wounded tribal shaman. Before he passes, the shaman hands each of them a rune (the chalice, the lance, the sword, the shield) that provides the user with unique abilities. But each rune comes with a warning, that they are never to be used together, for all together they can destroy the world. More importantly, each holder, each archon, is only to have one rune, and one only. After the four siblings swear a vow of promise to the mystic as his last breath escapes, what do you think is the first thing that happens?

Bad things, man. Bad things.

The foursome incite the power of their new gifts as a means to take vengeance on the tribal clan decimating their home. What they get is a meteor that impacts the planet and essentially clears the away the enemy (and everything else) as easy as a tissue on a dry-erase board. When the smoke clears, the siblings realize that the shaman tried to warn them, but they didn’t listen:

“It all began in death and flames. It all began with our failure.”

Fast forward to Egypt in 1350 BC. Running in the background are the events described in the early chapters of the Bible’s book of Exodus. At the fore, however, is an older Dyo, rune around his neck, waging an assault on the fortress of Kouma, defended by his brother Erlin along with Moses (yes, that Moses) and an army of freed Hebrew slaves. Dyo seeks to possess the other runes in order to become all powerful.

Not far away, his sister, Reka the Lioness, is slowly descending the stairway of paranoia and madness, buoyed by the power of her rune and Dyo’s clever scheming. Convinced that rebels have infiltrated her kingdom (they haven’t) and her citizenry is sympathetic and disloyal (they aren’t), in one tap of her staff shockwaves reverberate through the kingdom, and her subjects fall dead. Punishment apropos of disobedience, but action brought upon by a growing bloodlust fueled by her rune.

The siblings have not only forgotten their promise to the shaman, but they’ve forgotten that initial lesson with the meteor. They don’t use their runes half-cocked or even at a fraction of its potential, no sir. It’s all or nothing. As the devastation at Kouma in the aftermath of the battle indicates, using the runes at full strength leaves the land cursed and poisoned. It’s not a stretch of the imagination that over the rest of this series, the periods of strife and devastation that we are familiar with in civilization’s expansion, will be somehow associated with the siblings’ blatant and irresponsible use of their runes.

As a fan of historical fiction and alternative history from the likes of Harry Turtledove and Robert Harris, I found this to be an exciting and captivating beginning to a series. It has a mythological feel to it, as if Mr. Pecau is revealing a lost text from the library of Thomas Bulfinch. This issues ties the Biblical stories of the Nile turning to blood, the locusts, and the parting of the Red Sea as circumstances arising from the use and misuse of power, and future issues promise (to name a few): the true origin of the Grail myth, how the Spanish Armada was really defeated, and what hidden motive Napoleon had for invading Egypt. Mr. Pecau keeps the issue moving at a decent pace, packing it with action from start to finish, and it’s such a satisfying ride that afterwards you want to curl up and do it all over again. My only criticism comes in the use of the runes, and how, in order to exact the most sorcery from the talisman, it requires some of the archon’s blood to be spilled. Not a pinprick, apparently, but a decent gusher. After a few of these, I had to wonder how many centuries the siblings can survive if these frequent displays of masochistic sacrifice are required. Then again, maybe it will all tie in later on to the secret origin of the Red Cross and its blood drive.

Igor Kordey’s artwork fires on all cylinders in this issue, with the action of the fortress assault intense and gripping. I have always enjoyed Mr. Kordey’s work, and I look forward to his depictions of the knights in the Crusades, the Spanish Armada, and Napoleon’s army.

The Secret History, like the rest of the fantastic line-up from Archaia Studios Press, is not ubiquitous to comic book stores everywhere, so running out and grabbing a copy of this issue may be prove to be a chore. But in the end, it is well worth the effort, as I anticipate that this seven issue series will be one of the most under-rated of the year.

Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America: Avengers
Writer: Jeph Loeb
Artist: Ed McGuinness
Marvel Comics
Review by Steve Ekstrom

Anger.

It’s the theme for the newest installment of the series of aftermath books involving the death of Captain America. It’s also the emotion I’m feeling after having read this comic book. In an attempt to juxtapose both teams of characters and summing up all of their sentiments in one self contained story, Jeph Loeb ultimately creates not one but two crippled, emotionally forced stories that have no reason to be juxtaposed next to one another other than the blanket concept of being an angry Avenger. Oddly only two of the Avengers seem angry—Ms. Marvel and Spider-Man.

Maybe I was confused—I thought the death of Captain America was something that was supposed to be ‘heavy’ and full of depth and emotional tumult. Yes, reader, I understand it’s a comic book—but Captain America has died—and I find the catty attempt at humor in this book to be an insult to not only this tragically great upheaval in the status quo of the Marvel Universe and the sensibilities of the reader but the concept of the 5 stages of “grief” as well. The two stories seem to focus more on the perceptions of Ms. Marvel and Spider-Man—everyone else is business as usual.

Having lost my Grandmother to cancer last November, I understand that the pacing of this story and the relative “shock” some of these characters are going through is still fresh—but in the mind of at least one reader, the story has been broken—I’m hungry for more but because of the delay of time in between the release of each of these books, the level of urgency that this type of story carries—diminishes. However, an odd thing takes place—when someone like me picks the next installment of the book up—I’m expecting the story to stay tightly cohesive. I’m expecting to have the theme of anger be prevalent and on the surface. I’m not expecting there to be one completely skewed moment and another two pages of lashing out followed by more dry banter. I think this book fails to deliver because there just isn’t enough substance between the two stories. They follow tightly to Brian Michael Bendis’ books—a commendable attribute—but they don’t really soak up the gravity of Captain America’s death all that well. Well, let me correct myself—Spider-Man is affected the way I would think a superhero would be effected but this is an Avengers book and Spider-Man’s book hit stands later.

Loeb does a very similar job to Bendis in that both of his teams dissolve to pseudo-zippy banter. I feel like I’m watching a television sitcom with the detected dryly delivered sarcasm of the characters doesn’t make me smile—it makes me say, “Yeah they seem unhappy, but where’s this misplaced anger that the book is supposed to touch on?” There are 13 Avengers in this book—only two of them seem “angry” enough to garner any kind of reader connection to the theme.

Ed McGuiness has been one of my favorite artists since his first work at Marvel on Deadpool. I really enjoyed his take on some of these characters. Another thing that I enjoyed was the symmetry of his execution of these two half-hearted stories—it was somewhat of a saving grace on my overall sentiment regarding this book. I didn’t feel completely robbed of my $2.99. Also, I love his Spider-Man; even with such a minimalist look (all that black!) McGuiness does an amazing job of conveying of Spidey’s emotions with his body language and eyes—great work.

My initial response to this series of books was favorable—this book has made me rethink my stance and I question the depth to which Marvel’s take on grief has been embraced. It may have something to do with the episodic nature of these books and their encapsulation but Cap’s death is weeks past over in his own book and in the minds of the readers. By no means, am I remiss or numb to his death; in fact, I’m still waiting for a deluge of emotion at the loss of the Marvel Universe’s greatest hero and leader. From the looks of it, I might be waiting a long time.

The Walking Dead #37
Writer: Robert Kirkman
Artist: Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn
Image Comics
Review by Steve Ekstrom

I have a deep-seated, near comical, fear of the undead but after reading Kirkman’s refreshingly spectacular look at the human condition in a time of imminent catastrophe—I’m more afraid of the rest of the human population and what they are capable of. Barely scratching the third year of Kirkman’s foray, the newest issue of The Walking Dead travels back to its inception and runs an undercurrent of revelation in regards to the relationship of Lori, the wife of lead protagonist Rick Grimes, and his former best friend and rotting corpse, Shane.

I am blown away at the level of humanity boiling out of the pages of The Walking Dead. With the efficiency of a zombie infected bite, Kirkman cuts to the heart of his readers as his cast deals with consequence and calamity with a mixture of short yet timely reprieves. The level closeness to the characters has a profound effect—you feel like you’re right there in the story. In a book like this one, where there are no superheroes—there are surviving humans learning to interact with one another in extreme conditions; dialogue is the most important element to the book. Kirkman’s exchanges run a gamut of emotions from sadness and confusion to euphoria and terror—this book’s verisimilitude resonates with the turning of each page. As a newly formed addict to this series, I must say “Damn you, Robert,” for his apparent mastery of the cliffhanger in this serialized, monthly epic. I’m ravenous for the next installment already.

The other two stars of this book are Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn, who have—for the better part of the series thus far—provided the eerily haunting and deceptively simplistic imagery of this series. The book will remind you of George Romero’s classic, Night of the Living Dead. There are no heavily stylized pages but Adlard delivers concretely solid angles that enhance the dynamic of Kirkman’s rollercoaster ride. Cliff Rathburn’s work on the gray tones of this atypical black and white series creates a warmth of depth. Who needs color? The Walking Dead would almost seem “less human” with it.

Describing this book to a friend of mine outside of comics—who enjoys zombie stories, I said, “What’s really cool about this book—is that the zombies, at this point in the series, are almost an afterthought. Don’t get me wrong, these people live in danger of getting eaten still, but the human element is far more savage, far more dangerous.” Needless to say, my friend went and purchased the first trade of this series and subsequently returned to the store and bought the rest of the trades the following day. Set the hook and reel them in, Robert. The Walking Dead is truly an amazing book.

The Complete Peanuts: 1963-1964
By Charles Schulz
From: Fantagraphics
Review by Tim Janson

It’s hard to believe that Peanuts was already a veteran of some 13 years by 1963. It is the strips of the 60’s that I think people most associate with Peanuts. This is the era that gave birth to the first Peanuts animated specials. It’s certainly clear that Charles Schulz had a firm grasp on his characters looks and personalities by this time. In this volume we see the characters as we probably know them best. The futility of Charlie Brown’s baseball team as they lose their opening game 184 – 0; Lucy tempting Charlie Brown with yet another try at holding the football so he can kick it; Linus’ almost neurotic fears contrasted by his childlike philosophy; and Snoopy being Snoopy.

Many of these strips, over 150, are seeing print for the first time since they appeared in newspapers over forty years ago. These certainly include references to news events of the day such as Charlie Brown lamenting the fact that Willie McCovey didn’t hit the ball two feet higher (Schulz did live in the San Francisco area, after all…). Baseball plays a big part in this collection, particularly in the Spring and Summer strips from 1963. Charles favorite (unnamed) player goes o for 5 and commits three errors and promptly gets sent down to the minors. Seems even Charlie Brown’s heroes struggle just like him. Another hilarious topical reference is when Snoopy scares away a couple of birds who land on his doghouse. Seems Snoopy doesn’t trust birds ever since “that movie”, i.e. Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds.

Linus is once again back in the Pumpkin Patch at Halloween time, waiting for the arrival of the Great Pumpkin and doing his best to convince his friends, and himself, that the Great Pumpkin really exists. A couple of the strips from this book would make it into It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! animated special, including Linus accidentally saying “If” the Great Pumpkin appears, rather than “when”.

My favorite Peanuts strips were always the Christmas ones. In the 1963 strips, Linus is terrified when Lucy volunteers him to sing Jingle Bells in the school’s Christmas program in front of the PTA. In 1964, we see more strips which helped to make the classic A Charlie Brown Christmas as Linus is readying for another school play, this time playing a shepherd where he will read his famous line from the bible when he explains the meaning of Christmas. Schulz was truly amazing!

The book features an introduction by Bill Melendez who was Schulz’ partner on all of the animated specials and talks about how Charlie Brown Christmas all came about. Fantagraphics continues to do an amazing job by reprinting all of these classic Peanuts strips in chronological order. Five out of Five stars!

Batman: Detective
From: DC Comics
Written by Paul Dini, Royal McGraw
Art: Don Kramer, J.H. Williams III, Joe Benitez, and Marcos Marz.
Reviewed by Tim Janson

Batman: Detective isn’t your usual trade paperback. The six issues of Detective Comics collected here don’t represent a single story arc but rather, it presents six stand-alone stories that call upon Batman to use the skills that have made him the world’s greatest detective. In another twist, the stories feature some of Batman’s greatest foes including The Riddler, The Penguin, Poison Ivy, and the Joker, but rather than battling these arch foes, Batman actually has to aid them…with one notable exception we’ll get to in a moment.

In the opening tale, members of Gotham’s high-society are falling victim to crime by a gang masquerading as blue bloods themselves. A new villain named Façade is in town and Batman needs to track him down before he can commit further crimes. This was the weakest story in the book. A new, uninteresting villain barely caused Batman to break a sweat.

“E. Nigma, Counseling Detective” finds the Riddler going straight by opening his own detective agency. In his first case, he helps to prove that Bruce Wayne did not commit the murder of former girlfriend Karrie Bishop. Just when the Riddler thinks he’s nailed the case, Batman ups the ante with his own detective skills.

In “Stalked” Poison Ivy is attacked in her Arkham Asylum cell by a monstrous form of plant, which she cannot control. Batman takes her to the Batcave for safe-keeping but in searching her former hideout, finds a DVD which repulses he and Robin. Ivy developed a new form of carnivorous plant that slowly dissolves its victims. But somehow this plant maintained the souls of its victims and they’ve come looking for revenge on Ivy and anyone trying to help her. Solid story although it involved little detective work by Batman in keeping with the overall theme of the book.

The Penguin is also attempting to go straight in “Night of the Penguin” but his new venture may be short-lived as he’s endanger of being wiped out in a high-stakes poker game. Batman suspects that Mr. Zzz is cheating and enlists the aid of Zatanna to find out how. A light story, filled with a lot of humor…particularly from Bruce Wayne’s date for the evening at the Grand Opening of Penguin’s new lounge. Lets just say she bears more than a slight resemblance to Paris Hilton…particularly in the dumb blonde department.

The best story in the book is actually the odd story out in terms of the detective motif and Batman barely makes an appearance. In “Slayride” Robin is being pursued by gun-toting thugs and gets a ride from a passing motorist…The Joker! Robin awakes bound and gagged with the Joker at the wheel of a Soccer mom’s van (mom and dad are dead in the back seat!). During this maddening ride to Hell, Robin watches helplessly as the Joker runs down innocent pedestrians and shoots a fast food restaurant Manager when they can’t get his order right. Can’t say as I blame him for that one…

The stories were written by Paul Dini and Royal McGraw, with art by Don Kramer, J.H. Williams III, Joe Benitez, and Marcos Marz. The book is a little uneven and some stories, particularly the Joker story is an odd fit. One gets the sense that it was included only to round the book out with six stories. Four out of five stars.

G.I. Joe: America’s Elite #23
Written by Mark Powers
Illustrated by Mike Bear
Published by Devil’s Due
Review by Koben Kelly

Okay. I’m going to be honest, here. With the exception of a single issue of Dreadnoks, I haven’t read a Joe comic in at least twenty years. I had absolutely no idea what the current continuity was, no idea what the story would be about, and not a glimmer of any expectation of what I was in store for. In light of the recent tragedy of Virginia Tech, I wasn’t sure how I would feel reading an issue of a military comic featuring idealized versions of American soldiers in combat. I felt that I had had my fill of gunfire and bullets to last me for a long time to come. And, to make a bit of a confession, I have a paralyzing fear of guns. After adding it all up, I wasn’t thinking I would enjoy this book at all… and now I can admit that I was wrong.

When I was a wee kid in middle school, I would rush home every weekday to catch the afternoon’s episode of G.I. Joe. Though I can hardly claim the same now, back in the day I knew every code name of every member of the team by heart, and I loved them all. Hell, I even had a raging crush on Scarlet, but, didn’t we all? Oh, so strong was the spark of my rekindled youth when I laid eyes on the first page displaying the issue’s roll call: Duke, Spirit, Stalker, Hawk, Roadblock, Scarlet, Shipwreck, Snake-Eyes, and even a character based on the original incarnation… G.I. Joe with beard and all.

Another feature that helped me get into the mood was a recap box of sorts explaining the essentials of previous issues. The Baroness had been captured and taken into custody. Pregnant with what we are to assume was Destro’s child, she gave birth while imprisoned by the government. During an attack by C.O.B.R.A., the baby had been kidnapped. Soon after this, the Baroness had escaped her incarceration, and has been taking bloody revenge on anyone affiliated with C.O.B.R.A. who she felt had betrayed her.

Before the true story of the issue begins, we are treated to an intro detailing a scenario form months ago before the Baroness’ escape. She is extremely hostile, and refuses to provide any form of informative answers to her interrogators. When a government representative suggests torturous methods to encourage her assistance, he is shot down by a Joe member. The central idea is that true soldiers of the Joe team are wholly above such barbaric methods of human cruelty. In the immortal words of Keenan Ivory Wayans… “Message!”

Things kick into high gear as the story jumps head-first into a firefight in Saudi Arabia. The known Baroness affiliate, Bludd, had been tracked down, and the team wants him for the information he can provide on her whereabouts. While the gunplay is intriguing, it is also highly unrealistic. In many instances, there is absolutely no way that neither Bludd nor any Joe members are not disemboweled by close proximity gunfire.

Meanwhile, Flint is conducting an exercise in surveillance of the leader of a terrorist faction, Red Shadows. By chance, he witnesses the Baroness offer the man a highly dangerous high tech battle suit weapons system in exchange for his assistance. The oddity is that she aims to take down both G.I. Joe and C.O.B.R.A. Sure, she’s a naughty-hot bad girl, but, she doesn’t play favorites, it seems. I loved the idea of a former cut-and-dried black-and-white C.O.B.R.A. agent bending her own set of rules to a twisted sense of karmatic justice. The cartoon this ain’t. *ahem* Flint stows himself away aboard the Baroness’ hijacked plane, and a brawl between the two mid-air ensues. Not only does Flint have his ass handed to him by a hottie in a skin-tight latex suit, but he also gets his mind F-ed with in the process. Love it.

I’m sure many of you are aware of this, but, I had no idea that Destro already had a son. Tucked away in Scotland, Alexander and his girlfriend are the recipients of a Joe attack to gain info on daddy’s whereabouts. Points to the girlfriend, Armada, for not mistaking stupidity for loyalty.

Without spoiling a beauty of a cliffhanger, I was completely surprised by the last page and its implications. After checking out the cover graphic for the next issue, Domestic Abuse might make a fitting title.

This issue’s artwork by Mike Bear is delicious. He has a wonderful sense of storytelling, and a decent sense of minimal line placement. The latter truly conveys the weight of his figures and the emotional impact of every given situation. Have I mentioned that he draws on Hell of a hot Baroness? His action depiction is crystal clear and top-notch.

My only beef with this issue is occasional bits of awful dialog. For example, when conducting his surveillance, Flint actually states aloud, “The Baroness—alive—meeting with Vaughn? What in blazes have I stumbled onto…?” I’m sorry to be so blunt, but that’s just… bad.

All in all, I had a fun time reading this book. I’d love to read some more. A wonderful trip back to my innocent (okay, not so innocent) days of youth. I give G.I. Joe: America’s Elite issue number twenty-five seven out of ten Infernos.

Xombie: Reanimated #1
Written by James Farr
Illustrated by Nate Lovett
Published by Devil’s Due
Review by Koben Kelly

Wow. I just can’t remember a comic book I have ever been this divided in my opinion of ever. The miles of difference between story and artwork are unbelievable.

Here’s the concept: In the future, war has ravaged the world. Entire countries have become colonies of survivors holed up in guarded strongholds. The catch is that, this time, the enemy was the undead. There was no definite winner of this war as those who died to save their people wound up populating the enemy’s armies. Science has produced methods to keep the living safe or hidden from their predators.

Now, something unexplainable has been added to the equation. A sizable troop of soldiers have all been taken out systematically by one single zombie… armed with only a single firearm. But, if the undead are mindless creatures, how is this possible? Who can defeat a one-man army that won’t die?

Enter Zoe, a schoolgirl who insists upon tales of an intelligent zombie who saved her meager life when she was a young child. Can she be the secret to locating the single being who has a chance to save humanity? Can her Dirge be the key to defeating this undead gunman?

Okay… sounds cool, right?

But then, there’s the art. Man. There’s not-so-good, and then there’s just-plain-bad. Lovett’s style is extremely minimal and cartoony. It’s an inappropriate match for the story, and it has none of the enchanting flavor of the work of a Bruce Timm or a Darwyn Cooke. It’s almost as if he was using four or so templates to draw his characters. Every average man has the same build, the same pointy head, the same sunken cheeks, the same broken Roman nose, the same spade-shaped protruding jaw. In the scene of the troop being mowed down, I actually wondered why certain characters being shot in multiple panels weren’t falling down dead… oops.

If only Tim Seeley, writer of Hack/Slash, who provides one of the two covers, had drawn the whole issue. His interpretation of the main character, Dirge, is fantastic and creepy, not goofy and humorous-looking. *sigh*

I loved the concept of this book. It was a great read, and the story would make for an awesome DVD on horror night at Casa de Kelly. I honestly hope that this series lasts for a long while, but, with better fitting artwork.

In a Best Shots first, I’m splitting my scoring of this issue. The story, itself, of Xombie: Reanimated number one gets seven-and-a-half Savinis, while the artwork gets three.

Justice Society of America #5
From: DC Comics
Written By: Geoff Johns
Drawn By: Fernando Pasarin
Reviewed By: Kevin Huxford

The first thing that struck me when reading this issue: who had the “bright idea” that the best time to use fill-in artists is on a high profile crossover between the JLA and JSA?

In fairness, Pasarin does a pretty good job here. But when you’re picking up the second issue of a highly touted crossover between two of DC’s biggest titles, you don’t expect a “pretty good”, relatively new artists. You expect something better than that. You expect someone who can do a bit more of their backgrounds, rather than have somewhat psychedelic, blurred digital backgrounds and colors to fill-in those large areas. You expect an artist that won’t have a difficult time drawing the younger JSA members in a scene with Superman without making him look more like Superboy.

I don’t want to give the wrong impression here. If Pasarin had done work on almost any other title this week, I’d be sitting here extolling his virtues and heaping on praise. But to throw him on this crossover commands more scrutiny. Then, again, Shane Davis blasted such concerns right out of my thoughts rather quickly with his JLA work last week.

On to the story itself, I think it suffers one of the same problems the first issue had: Batman fisticuffs being relegated to “off-panel”. Batman is a criminal’s worst nightmare. How can their nightmare be dismantled and dismissed offhandedly and out of our sight? Upon further examination, it would seem like more importance was given to Sandman delivering a scary vision of what would happen and then do as little as possible to allow payoff on that line.

I can’t help but feel like action scenes that would make perfect sense to stage and show are being sacrificed for more setup. It has the unfortunate effect of making me feel that I can’t trust this crossover to ever deliver on the “oh *&%&!” moments that it continually teases. Did editorial slap on a limitation on the length of the crossover that is possibly forcing the best moments off the page? There are many books that struggle to find legitimate ways to introduce dramatic action sequences that fit their story, while this crossover fights to find ways to throw them off the screen.

There’s another feeling I get from this issue that I’m sure no one in the creative process means to give me: on first read through, I wondered how the JSA got kicked out of their own book. I realize that isn’t actually the case, but I can put my finger on why I feel that way: Starman. The further this story goes along about the stranded Legion of Super-Heroes members, the less he feels like a member of the JSA. So, we have an issue that feels like it is taken over by Batman, Superman/Superboy, and the Legion of Super-Heroes, even when that isn’t necessarily the case.

As much as it pains me, I’d give this issue six and a half flight rings.

Josh Howard Presents: Sasquatch
From: Viper Comics
Review by Troy Brownfield

Josh Howard is known for bringing his own uniquely talented twist to somewhat familiar material. Whether it’s teens fighting monsters or shadowy conspiracies, Howard’s primary skill (just nosing out his ferociously energetic art) comes from finding the unexpected in what’s right in front of us. And even with all that . . . Bigfoot?! Freakin’ Bigfoot?!

Damn right, Bigfoot. Howard has assembled a murderer’s row of talent and brought them to bear on the titular creature in this 250 page anthology. The whole thing fairly crackles with creativity and results in one of the most consistently fun, seemingly-out-of-nowhere reads in a long time.

Howard’s own vision appears a couple of times. He leads off the set of tales with a twist on that old urban-myth tale of the woman who fears that she’s being followed because the semi keeps getting closer and flashing its lights . . . (you know the one). His other appears to be taking the piss out of Frank Miller, to hugely funny effect. Either way, I can only say this: Mitch Nelson series. NOW.

The 25+ other tales cover all types of ground, bringing more horror or more science fiction or more abject craziness as it suits each creative team. It all makes for an extremely fun burst of creativity, sold all the more impressively because it hails from such unexpected subject matter.

Among the others, I really enjoyed: “Sasquatch vs. UFOs” by Greg Gatlin, which had a great Kirby/Larsen-on-Savage-Dragon feel; Tom Kurzanski’s cute “Heart Mountain, WY: 1942”; “Monster Z”, another concept begging for its own book (think Bigfoot-meets-X-Men); and “A Good Scout”, which pairs some Howard-esque art from Martin Abel with an EC sensibility.

Josh Howard Presents: Sasquatch wins you over with solid creators, vivid concepts, and big, huge fun. The only real question I have is this: when’s volume two?


LAST RITES BY THE REV. O.J. FLOW
Firestorm: The Nuclear Man #35
Writer: Dwayne McDuffie
Art: Pop Mhan & Steve Bird
Publisher: DC Comics

What was once one of my favorite superhero books DC was producing has now gone into the proverbial long box of canceled titles. Firestorm :The Nuclear Man did get a respectable run, one issue short of a solid three years, not bad in the current marketplace. I have remained faithful to this book since issue #1, as did thousands of others to whom I tip my hat. When this book was at its pinnacle, there were very few books out there that were half as rewarding a reading experience, and the all of the creators who had a part in chronicling the modern era of the Nuclear Man should take a bow in successfully contributing plenty to the Firestorm Family mythos. The only thing more disheartening than reviewing this title for its final issue is reporting to you that things ended on a considerable low note in terms of writing and art. With all due respect to the creators involved in the thankless job of wrapping this book up in dubious fashion, I can’t guarantee you that I would’ve stuck around a whole lot longer if the book was not canceled and this was the regular creative team going forward, at least if this is what we could continue to expect.

I thought things got off to a really good start two issues ago, in #33, when writer Dwayne McDuffie took over for the exceptional Stuart Moore with art accompaniment by Ken Lashley and Rob Stull. The first chapter of this story that had Firestorm interacting with New Gods good and bad was very well-produced, even though I had received every indication that this was “dead series walking.” Early on, McDuffie grabbed the reins of Firestorm: The Nuclear Man with great zest, and I never questioned whether or not I was going to stick around despite the loss of Moore and artist Jamal Igle. Speaking of art, I do want to commend the consistently terrific cover art for these last three issues by Pete Woods. Dude showed a knack for this version of Firestorm in a recent Action Comics story arc, and it would’ve been nice to see him get a more substantial crack at the character. Guess we’ll see what the rest of 2007 in to 2008 has in store for artist and character.

But the next two chapters of this three-parter were drawn primarily by Pop Mhan, a guy whose résumé I am unfamiliar with, and I would like to keep it that way. By the time we get to Firestorm :The Nuclear Man #35, the work had a constant feel of being rushed and not in a positive way that reflected the frenetic action that took place in the final chapter. Part of that problem was underscored by the mediocre-at-best coloring offered in issues #34 and 35. The first chapter – you know, the one good one – was colored by Brad Anderson, but the other two were done by Guy Major, and it looked like he did it without the guidance of a decent editor or style guide. After the way I hung in there through thick and thin with this book, it bordered on insulting the way Lorraine “Firehawk” Reilly, a well-known redhead, was consistently rendered with a woeful shade of brown hair. Weak. By Part 3, Mhan’s work felt especially rushed, not to mention the story that felt shoehorned to accommodate bigger doings in the DC Universe. Since we have moved way past Infinite Crisis now, I guess we can attribute certain series’ company-wide shortcomings to DC’s upcoming Countdown.

Guess I’ll have to lean on that to get my fix of Jason Rusch and Prof. Martin Stein, because it won’t be in Firestorm: The Nuclear Man anymore. To all those people out there who have grown attached to a television series that gets prematurely axed, especially without necessary closure, let me just say that I now feel your pain. I don’t blame McDuffie for this (totally), but if this book didn’t end on a cliffhanger, it was the second least desirable situation. I rest indictment of the questionable way things wrap up squarely on the shoulders of editorial. Someone needs to let me know about something comparable in terms of book or TV show cancellation, but we get a scenario where Darkseid (Hello, Countdown) has literally stripped Firestorm of Martin Stein because he apparently holds the key to unlocking secrets of the Anti-Life Equation. In the tenure of the Firestorm book, no sadder words were printed than on the last page of #35 when Jason merges with his girlfriend Gahenna (the issue’s one and only effectively meaningful scene) to purse Martin, and the bottom caption reads, “Look for the further adventures of FIRESTORM throughout the DC UNIVERSE.” [NOTE: Actually, I lied. The most sad was the books final page, in DC Nation, where they thankfully took the opportunity to pay tribute to the late, great Marshall Rogers.] I knew the cancellation was coming, but the final notice, and the way things ended still had me going “WTF??”

Any wit, humor and drama that McDuffie contributed (especially with Grant Morrison’s take on Mr. Miracle and the titular character) in the beginning of his stint faded by the series’ end. By Part 3, the narrative was packed with way too many wisecracks, in fact it felt like every panel was crammed with snarkiness to a distracting level. I know your typical Firestorm, whether it was the previous guy or now Jason, is gonna give you the jokes, but it was forceful all though the last two chapters. When it wasn’t forced, it felt mailed in by all contributing parties. Please know that I don’t throw that out very often, always wanton to appreciate the efforts, but when it’s not there it’s not there. I’ve caught suggestions from readers that McDuffie in particular is doing quality work elsewhere, but I didn’t find it here. Firestorm deserved better after three loyal years of service, but I’m enough of a fan of the characters that I’m prepared to follow them in their endeavors, wherever and WHENever that may be. Let us pray.

Pellet Reviews!

Testament vol. 2: West of Eden (DC/Vertigo; review by Mike): There are undeniably some very interesting ideas and themes going on in this series, yet I still find myself not fully engaged in the story unfolding. Although I feel that author Douglas Rushkoff could spend more time developing his characters and adding emotional investment to my intellectual investment, upon further consideration, I’ve decided that that particular flaw isn’t my primary dissatisfaction with Testament. No, the reason for my disconnect is that the series hasn’t been given the room to achieve the thematic and epic sweep of its Biblical ancestor. Thicker trades would give the reader more time to mesh with the series’ Old Testament parallels and socio-economic themes. Rushkoff giving his characters better dialogue than the current continuing stream of transgressive sound-bytes would probably help just a little bit too. Undeniable positives: Liam Sharp’s art adds terrific layers of meaning to the worlds of man and god, and Rushkoff’s excellent End Notes are invaluable to non-Bible scholars.

The Secret #3 (Dark Horse; by Jeff Marsick): If you are a fan of horror comics and you are not reading this series, get thee to a therapist. Or at least a comic shop to catch up. Jason Shawn Alexander’s moody and dark artwork sets the tone for the book and is probably the best thing going in recent horror tales. Mike Richardson takes us by the hand and we walk with Tommy, who a year after Pam’s disappearance, just can’t let it go that she’s done and gone. Tommy thinks he’s found the house where the creepy guy in green they punk’d in issue #1 has taken her, but the police are moving quick-as-molasses and Pam’s mom has made peace with the situation so just leave me be, thank you. All that’s left is for Tommy convince Pam’s friends—the ones who like him a shade less than cancer – to come with him to the dilapidated farm house with the trap door in the kitchen floor and skin mags stacked floor-to-ceiling (nothing out of the ordinary about that, is there?). Grudgingly, they do, and sure enough, the creepy guy in green is there. But why is he dumping bags of lime into that empty oil tank buried in the back forty? You know, the one that’s big enough to dump a body in? Satisfyingly spooky and delightfully disturbing, this series ends with issue number four.

Ex Machina TPB Volume 5: “Smoke Smoke” (Wildstorm, Reviewed by Steve Ekstrom): Brian K. Vaughn is one of the most proficient and talented writers in the modern comic book industry—bar none. Having arrived late to this series much like Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead, I rush down to the store and buy these trades up as fast as I can complete them. I had sworn, because of my ever bleeding wallet, that I would “trade wait” this series because of my enjoyment of the installments. However, you sir, with your less than delicate affront to human nature, current issues, and political satire, coupled with the supremely unique artistic talent of Tony Harris, have made me completely rethink my purchasing strategy. This book is so good that I guess I’m going to have to learn how to eat comic books—because my “dealer” is going to have every last one of my pennies that I scrounge up in desperation so that I can buy the monthly incarnation of this book. I actually have “cuts” that need to be grudgingly made to my subscription plan. Apparently I have “girl” to break up with, so let’s do that in my next pellet review, shall we?

Powers #24 (Icon, by Steve): As terrible as this song is, Anastacia sums up my feelings about Powers the best: “I’m out of love/ Set me free/ And let me out of this misery/ Just show me the way to get my life again/ ‘cause you can’t handle me.” This storyline pulled a complete upheaval and finished with a poorly executed “triple question mark” finish that has left me confused and hurt—like someone just street hustled me with some Three Card Monty. What has happened to the sexy meta-comic that this husk of a book used to be? I mean the art by Michael Avon Oeming is still great and the coloring by Peter Pantazis rocks my world—but Mr. Bendis, you’re not the same writer of Powers I fell in love with. The last two issues of this book seem phoned in. Can we stop with the over-the-top allegorical God/Devil fixation and return back to your hard hitting “human” crime drama roots, sir? I guess what I’m trying to say, is that we’re breaking up—the love just isn’t there anymore. Sadly, I’m dropping this book as soon as I hit the comic shop on Wednesday. I feel like I’m taking Old Yeller out behind the shed—and I’m sad. We’ll always have the “pre-Icon” run, Brian. I’ll miss Powers—the sex is still good but the love just isn’t there anymore.

Daredevil #96 (Marvel; review by Koben Kelly): The boys from Gotham keep pumping out issue after issue of quality for the Man Without Fear. Melvin Potter, also known as the Gladiator, has committed a double-murder while being transported from Riker’s to a mental institution. The only problem is that this time it’s not his MPD-birthed costumed identity who did the killing. Murdock, Nelson, and Co. are representing Melvin as his defense, and nothing makes sense to Matt. A sanity hearing finds Potter sane, and the doctor responsible for the evaluation implies that he’s actually lying. As much as he wishes things were different, DD’s senses tell him as much. Things go crazy when an attempt is made to spring Melvin while he’s being transported back to Riker’s. Is Potter being set-up, or is this the emergence of a third personality, one with a manic blood lust? Peppered throughout the issue are beautiful scenes of Hell’s Kitchen’s defender doing what he does best: rooftop acrobatics and kicking asses while his internal monologue rolls on. I really want the nearly retarded Melvin to be innocent and manipulated by outside sources. He’s been a wonderful supporting character, and it would be a shame to lose him to redefinition. Hollingsworth again proves himself to be the industry’s best colorist with this issue. The lighting effects he creates with his palette are the icing on the cake. If you dig Iron Fist or Captain America, the Bru puts just as much effort into this title as he does those, and it’s definitely worth your time to check this series out if you haven’t yet.

Amazons Attack #1 (from DC Comics; by Kevin): I know that many will wonder why this isn’t a full feature review. I can discuss this issue better a few words than I could do in a few paragraphs. This issue read like it was part two or three in a huge event where I missed several tie-in issues already. It could have greatly benefited from an editorial note saying to read Wonder Woman #8 first (even if they both seemed to happen concurrently). Before saying that reading WW#8 first is common sense, remind yourself that we’re talking about an arc in that book that is being written by a hot author, so you’d expect it to be driven by HER IDEAS, not her merely scripting over editorial’s plot. The art is beautiful, the bloodshed is jarring, and I expect a more cohesive story in the coming issues. Pfeiffer & Woods, I’m certain, will deliver…maybe well enough to make me forget the failings of this issue.

Blue Beetle #14 (from DC Comics; by Kevin): There is plenty of fun to be had in bouncing Jaime off Guy Gardner in a more friendly atmosphere (and fighting together is still more friendly than Guy trying to kill Jaime the first time). There are just a few things that are off in this issue. After ramping up an alien race to be an imminent threat last issue, you can’t scale it back down to them being nothing that should make you race through cocktails or stand in the way of reading a good book. The threat loses credibility and disbelief ceases to be suspended. Recurring antagonists (and how they’re approached) have to be handled much more consistently from one issue to literally the next, especially in a book that can’t afford to lose any of the audience it currently has. This issue is still enjoyable and a good place to spend your dollars, but it can (and likely will) improve in some areas.

Connor Hawke: Dragon's Blood #6 (DC; by Caleb): And thus ends Chuck Dixon's six-issue miniseries featuring The Other Green Arrow. A story of Connor Hawke and Eddie Fyers traveling to another country to fight some bad guys, that was heavily influenced by action and kung fu movies, it ultimately amounted to just another arc from Dixon's Green Arrow run. There's nothing at all wrong with that, of course, at
least not from my perspective—I quite enjoyed Dixon's GA run. What really stood out for me about this issue, and the series in general, had little to do with the story, and more with the politics of the writer and the direction of the company. A lot of real estate in earlier chapters focused on how Connor likes the ladies, he's just shy, a story beat struck exclusively in response to fans wondering aloud too often about the character's sexual orientation. In this last issue, Fyers has a last word on Connor's straightness, although, ironically, the climax involves Connor mud-wrestling a mostly-naked man. Did
I say mud-wrestling? I meant blood-wrestling. The battle between our hero and our villain is conducted in a huge pool of dragon blood, and I was tempted to see it as a clever visual metaphor for the current level of gore and violence in DCU comics, but
somehow I don't think that was the original intention. Most significant is probably the fact that Connor takes his first life, killing the bad guy, a milestone in his fictional history that seems like a good place to start a six-issue story, not end it. I wasn't disappointed in the series as a whole, but I was disappointed with Connor Hawke by the time it wrapped
up.

Fantastic Four #545 (Marvel; by Caleb): It's good old-fashioned cosmic adventure in the mighty Marvel manner, as the brand-new FF tackle Galactus' heralds (the one with the movie coming out soon, and the one I never heard of). Why the conflict? The heralds want to add Epoch to their boss' menu, and the FF want the sentient planetoid to tell them what’s up with Gravity’s corpse. I have thus far been nothing but impressed with Dwayne McDuffie's scripting on this title. He gives us a crazy space battle that borders
on the ridiculous, but remembers to give it a veneer of veracity (explaining how the combatants can talk and/or flame on in the vacuum of space, for example). He writes darn good superhero fight chatter, a must with chatterboxes like Thing and Human Torch, and really nails The Black Panther's character. T'Challa's ultra-competence is often played up in such a way that he seems like an arrogant ass that all the characters seem to like anyway (more pre-war Tony Stark than Namor). But McDuffie plays the Panther as simply cool and aloof, at one point to extremely comedic effect here. Paul Pelletier's art is similarly good old-fashioned Marvel, and a little stronger here than in the last issue; it's too bad that Michael Turner's on covers still, as the outside of the book looks so incredibly different than the inside.

Heroes For Hire #9 (Marvel; by Caleb): I haven't read a single issue of this series prior to this one, nor a single issue of the Daughters of the Dragon series that preceded it, and the fact that the title even exists strikes me as a strange one.
This is one of those cases, like DC's repeated decision to introduce brand new C- or D-list legacy characters or Marvel's strategy of re-using old titles on new concepts, that seemed bizarre to me. I just don't think the phrase "Heroes for Hire" is particularly strong brand in and of itself. This issue is the first of a new creative team, with Zeb Wells in the writer's chair, and is thus, in industry parlance, a good "jumping on" point. But that's not why I picked it up. No, it was the appearance of Devil Dinosaur on the cover. DD's like my own personal Wolverine. Slap him on a Marvel Comics cover, and I'm buying that
issue. He didn't actually appear inside, but he's the job the team is hired for. SHIELD wants them to journey to the Savage Land and capture Moonboy, with the big red guy optional. Despite my incredible unfamiliarity with the characters (I have no idea who
the woman in white is, and most of these characters I've never even read a story about), I kinda dug the story on a purely superficial level. People fighting prehistoric monsters is always kind of cool, and a two-page sequence featuring monstrous giant butterflies was easily a high-point of last week’s superhero comics (Man, what a week for giant monster
bugs of the catepillar family it was!)

Panthea Obscura: Deifornication #1: Brought to you by Mike Luoma, the guy who did the sublime Holy ____!: Or Pat Robertson Is The Anti-Christ, Panthea Obscura trades heavily on two trademarks that Luoma established in that earlier book: a fine eye for cultural weirdness, and lacerating humor. Once there were gods, and now the gods are suffering a bit of an existential crisis. Humanity’s kind of moved on, the and the Gods consider their role. What they decide is hilariously appropriate for the graphic form, and Luoma’s given himself a place from which to rain barbs down upon politics, religion, and comics itself. The art by Juan Carlos Quattordio is a bit rough, but succeeds on its appropriately indie-bred scrappiness. This is one to watch.

Mouse Guard #6: A Return to Honor (Archaia; by Troy): What more can be said? This excellent mini-series by David Petersen reaches its rousing climax as the usurper of the Black Axe lays siege to Lockhaven. Terrific, anthropomorphic high adventure is the rule of the day, and Petersen’s renderings of battle are just spectacular. The collection of the mini is a must-own for any discerning fan of fantasy, and the next mini, debuting in July, should be highly anticipated.

Giant-Size Red Sonja #1 (Dynamite; by Troy): This special presents one new tale, a handful of reprints from the Marvel days, and several ‘70s pin-ups as well. The new story, by Michael Avon Oeming and Ron Adrian, has an interesting POV and a nice ironic twist, but the real fun of the volume can be found in the older stuff. Told by the likes of Roy Thomas, John Buscema and Howard Chaykin, the stuff is suffused in that vintage ‘70s anthology magazine vibe (which was, of course, edgy at the time). Dynamite should be commended for the care with which they’ve been re-presenting this fine, little-seen-in-decades, material.

Catching Up: Dragonlance (Devil’s Due; by Troy): Devil’s Due wrapped up Dragonlance Chronicles: Dragons of Winter Night with a 48-page issue #4, and followed a scant two months later with Dragonlance Chronicles: Dragons of Spring Dawning #1 . This adaptation of the much-loved Weis and Hickman novels has been powered by the strong scripting choices of Andrew Dabb, who has shown a gift for showcasing the meatiest material from the novels. The climax of Winter Night features arguably the most devastating emotional low of the series, the heroic (and ironic) death of one of the more interesting characters. Steve Kurth does a terrific job on the art, and it’s all effectively done. With Spring Dawning, Julius Gope takes over on pencils (with a style somewhere between Mike McKone and the original Larry Elmore paintings of the characters) and does a fine job. The best effect of these books would be to get some of the readers of the novels to check out the offerings from Devil’s Due, but intrigued comics fans could do much worse than checking out Weis and Hickman’s original pair of trilogies.


Warning Shots: Two Quick Reviews of Upcoming Books

Runaways #26
Writer: Joss Whedon
Artist: Michael Ryan
From: Marvel Comics
Reviewed by: Richard Renteria

Picking up immediately following events from last issue, the Runaways must runaway, and fast. After fighting off numerous enemies and Molly giving a gut check to the Punisher, the kids begin to realize that maybe working for Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin of Crime, may not have been such a good idea after all. Realizing the device as something that was potentially created by his parents, Chase and the group make a fateful decision. A decision that begins in a roomful of ninjas and ends in the last place the kids could have expected.

Joss Whedon is doing a wonderful job of filling in for BKV on Runaways (yeah, I know, he’s gone, but a person can dream). Packed full of dialogue, this issue lives or dies by the interactions of the Runaways and the various individuals out to get them. To make matters worse a member is seriously injured and requires immediate medical attention, which adds a nice layer of suspense to the story. Whedon also does a great job of giving a reason why the Kingpin is in New York without dwelling on it, an explanation that will prove acceptable to most readers. His use of the Punisher, while fun, was not something that sits well with me. The Punisher I know exists in the MAX titles, not the Power Pack Universe, but in the context of the story it worked well enough.

Michael Ryan continues his amazing work on this title. He’s really coming into his own and his powerful pencils do a lot to help progress the story. Even during the times when the issue gets wordy, Ryan’s art never gets in the way of the story. Ryan’s knack at detailing emotions takes one giant leap forward this issue as the kids are thrust from one situation to another at an almost breakneck speed and the art never lets up.

Whedon and Ryan continue their successful run on the title and take no shortcuts in delivering a great story. This issue was a fun read that should leave the reader wanting more with the reveal on the last page.

Marvel Zombies vs Army of Darkness #3 of 5
Writer: John Layman
Artist: Fabiano Neves
From: Marvel Comics/Dynamite Entertainment
Reviewed by: Richard Renteria

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, the zombies are proving to be a success. This episode finds Ash trying to make sense of his untimely death at the hands of Howard the Duck. After filling in the reader on how he managed to survive, Ash, Dazzler and new member the Scarlet Witch resume the mission of finding the Necronomicon, a book that could potentially save the planet from the plaque currently spreading across the planet. Unfortunately for Ash and his crew they must make their way to a Quinjet to get to their next destination, Latveria.

John Layman does an excellent job of writing zombies. His script is witty and sharp while effectively capturing the sheer horror of the events as they unfold. Having Ash as the primary protagonist helps to keep the story from drowning in the horror. Utilizing every hero of the Marvel Universe, Layman is able to keep the reader entertained throughout the issue. I completely enjoyed how Layman writes Ash, especially a scene that employed a fireplace and talking books to great effect. There is a purely superfluous cameo, but in the context of the story and considering who makes the cameo it works perfectly to allow our heroes the opportunity to steal an Avengers Quinjet.

Fabiano Neves provides some solid, if somewhat stiff, artwork. Having to draw a bunch of zombie heroes is grisly work, but Neves manages to effectively capture the unfolding carnage. The art works perfectly for the story, as it never seems to let up.

If zombies are your thing, you won’t be disappointed in this chapter of everyone’s favorite Marvel Zombies, even Power Pack makes an appearance.

Richard gives a special thanks to the friendliest comic shop in Orange County; Comic Universe located in Fountain Valley, California.


Best Shots is brought to you by Newsarama and ShotgunReviews.com. In addition to reviews and articles across the pop culture spectrum, The Shotgun hosts “Shots in the Dark”, a weekly internet radio show. Check out www.shotgunreviews.com, www.shotgunreviews.com/shots and www.myspace.com/shotgunreviews.com at your leisure.

[CitC]

I have loved every issue of Mouse Guard, but I did not know that a second mini was coming so soon. Good news.

[dcbill]

Why do you seem surprised and frustrated that the Powers arc ended badly? Having read this series in TPBs from the beginning, I can't remember a storyline that hasn't started with an intriguing premise only to fall very short at the end.

[feltonbass]

GI Joe America's Elite #25? Gotta be a way advanced copy.

The last issue in stores was #22, this sucker doesn't hit till June. Part One ( of 12 ) of WWIII.

I avoided reading the review as to avoid Spoilers, did see Flint and Red Shadows mentioned.

[cerebaton]

I thought #5 was the best issue of JSA yet! and i much prefer Pasarin's art to Eaglesham's (although i do like his alot too). Todally disagree with the reviewer on this one.

[The Guvnor]

Thanks for the reviews as always guys.

Originally Posted by Steve Ekstrom

Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America: Avengers
Review by Steve Ekstrom

I understand where you are coming from in your review but I found this issue to be pretty good. Granted that was probably due to the very impressive work of Ed McGuinness and company on art but you are right in saying that there is not enough anger shown. However, I was very disappointed in the selection of characters chosen to grace the cover. Spider-Woman barely appears in the issue and it mislead me into thinking that she would have a very big role to play in this issue.

Well, let me correct myself—Spider-Man is affected the way I would think a superhero would be effected but this is an Avengers book and Spider-Man’s book hit stands later.

Yeah this did annoy me, it's almost as if Spider-Man is getting double the amount of screen-time so to speak, although Logan also appeared for a bit in this issue. Hmm, the more I think on it, I'm starting to like this book less so I should move on before I feel my money was wasted.

Originally Posted by Caleb

Fantastic Four #545 (Marvel; by Caleb)

I'm afraid that I have to disagree with your review as I had a lot of problems with this issue. Things like Storm creating lighting in space, Johnny flaming on in space, Panther being able to put a hold on the Silver Surfer all seemed to defy logic and I thought that T'Challa came off as being a bit of a dick when he decided what the team should do and then he just up and left. Yes, I know he has a plan but it just seemed I just didn't like the way he was portrayed. Although to his credit, McDuffie does write the banter between the team pretty well.

There were also too many characters appearing in this issue and shouldn't the whole Gravity situation be done in a title like Annihilation as it is related to space and cosmic entities. Also I found the art to be very hit and miss as I found The Thing to be drawn well, but Storm was just awful and I could not stop staring at her ridiculously over-sized lips. I'm willing to give the creative team the benefit of the doubt. but I felt that this was a very disappointing issue.

[deathmasterj]

Originally Posted by feltonbass

GI Joe America's Elite #25? Gotta be a way advanced copy.

The last issue in stores was #22, this sucker doesn't hit till June. Part One ( of 12 ) of WWIII.

I avoided reading the review as to avoid Spoilers, did see Flint and Red Shadows mentioned.

This confused me too, so I read the review and it seems to be of #23 (which also isnt out yet), as the review mentions a few pages we have already seen in the preview.

Can't wait for this issue, I havent been this excited about GI Joe since it first re-launched!

[STL]

The Secret History has me interested. I'll have a look for it tomorrow.

DD continues to rock and I'm very tempted to give the FF a go again after that horrid JMS-CW nightmare. All I hear is good things about FF.

[durkadurka]

Loved JSA #5! Cannot stress that enough...except maybe with more exclamation points: !!!!!!!!
I noticed some of the things that Kevin found detracted from the title, including the change-up in art as well as Batman's off-panel beatdown of his nightmare counterparts. But where was a Batman being torn to shreds? I don't think i caught that, and Sandman said it was supposed to happen. And the allusion to the Vertigo Sandman was like crack to me. Nothing will come of it, at least not anytime soon, but it was still damn nice to make that connection when Dee showed his bony face.
FF was fun. I really like what Black Panther is doing in that series. Hopefully, in Brubaker's next Uncanny arc when he brings storm back in, Panther will be with her, or at least show up at some point, and will still be done well. I imagine an interaction between him and Warpath would be fun to read.
Amazons Attack has already been talked about a good deal in the other thread, so i just have to give it a thumbs down. Hopefully it will improve.
Can't wait for Runaways.

[nickmaynard]

i could not agree more about fallen son. i expect cap 26 onward will deal with the sad stuff we want to see, but i could be wrong. fallen son is fallen crappy so far.

it's like when thor died. thor is/was my favorite character by far, and he died, and we never saw any follow through. i hated that.

[Kevin T. Brown]

Originally Posted by cerebaton

I thought #5 was the best issue of JSA yet! and i much prefer Pasarin's art to Eaglesham's (although i do like his alot too). Todally disagree with the reviewer on this one.

I back you on this statement.

People complain constantly about late books and DC gets a great fill-in artist to make sure this title remains on schedule. IMO, there was no drop-off in quality between Eaglesham and Pasarin, though their styles are different. When JSofA needs another fill-in, I can only hope Pasarin is there once again.

So to those who complain about no Eaglesham: I'd rather have a title that's on time, rather than one we're waiting on for weeks on end. Especially when you can get this type of high quality fill-in.

[durkadurka]

Originally Posted by Kevin T. Brown

I back you on this statement.

People complain constantly about late books and DC gets a great fill-in artist to make sure this title remains on schedule. IMO, there was no drop-off in quality between Eaglesham and Pasarin, though their styles are different. When JSofA needs another fill-in, I can only hope Pasarin is there once again.

So to those who complain about no Eaglesham: I'd rather have a title that's on time, rather than one we're waiting on for weeks on end. Especially when you can get this type of high quality fill-in.

I'd have to agree with the reviewer in this regard. I'm not saying Pasarin is any better or worse than Eaglesham. Far from it, i liked the art. But the difference did stick out. And having thoroughly enjoyed the first 4 issues of the series, art and all, it was a little disappointing that the first JSA issue of the cross-over was done by a fill-in artist. True, i would not want it to be delayed, but i would have preferred a little consistency. It's a problem that i've been having with some recent issues of Titans as well. It's not that i don't like the fill-in artists, but i'd prefer some consistent art from issue to issue.

[PhilKost]

Good review of GI Joe:AE #23. I enjoyed the honesty of the reviewer.

One point I would like to make on the Flint dialogue, there are no thought bubbles in GI Joe comics, thus the reason many things are "said out loud" as opposed to just a thought bubble.

[Colonsus]

Now this is a good Best Shots- ample coverage of many publishers, ALL kinds of comics. This is MUCH better than last week. I like it when you guys throw in a few more obscure things most people might not have seen at their LCS to get the word out. I mean, how many reviews of 52 or Civil War does this world actually need?

[deworde]

FF #545 - Mild Spoilers







Alright, before putting money down for this book, you need to read this spoiler.
*At one point, Black Panther puts the Silver Surfer into a choke hold.*
This is very, very silly. The Silver Surfer is as unto a demigod, The Black Panther... Isn't.
The explanation for how is reasonable, but not seriously convincing. There are other moments like this, but this pretty much gives you a taste of the style of this issue.

Whether or not you will enjoy this book depends on whether you can accept this. If you can, it's an enjoyable old-school cosmic FF story with wacky characters like Epoch the Living Planet, Stardust the Herald Pokemon, and Gravity, Protector of the Universe. Otherwise, it's full of "that couldn't happen" moments that will annoy the crap out of you.
If you are the kind of person who can accept a bit of daftness in your comic books, then buy it, it's fun. If not, try something else. MAX Punisher maybe.

There's also some nice little relationship moments, between Reed and Sue and TChalla and Ororo, which remind you that this is still a family, not a team. It just so happens that Aunty Storm and Uncky Panther are babysitting the terrible two.

I haven't read the backstory of Gravity. If it's anything like his character here, I plan to. He's a good character, and seems like a good replacement for a few characters who are currently moving on to other things. He's got the Normal Kid vibe that Spider-Man's grown out of, and at the same time, he's filling the Quasar gap left by Annihilation.

The problem with him is that he appears to be too similar to the current incarnation of Nova. It's the same style of Human Out Of Depth In Cosmic World. If they intend to reuse this concept, the two may begin to overlap alarmingly. Which would be a shame.

At the same time, he would be wholly inappropriate for the dark tone of Annihilation:Conquest, with lines like "The Protector of the Universe has, you know, spoken." This is definitely the book to reintroduce him in.

Cosmic but Daft. Just how I like it. A-

[JohnnyZemo]

Originally Posted by The Guvnor

I'm afraid that I have to disagree with your review as I had a lot of problems with this issue. Things like Storm creating lighting in space, Johnny flaming on in space,

How those things were accomplished were explained in the book.

There were also too many characters appearing in this issue and shouldn't the whole Gravity situation be done in a title like Annihilation as it is related to space and cosmic entities.

Too many characters? There were a total of about eight, which isn't a heck of a lot. You must hate the new Justice Society book....

And you're saying that a story involving space and cosmic entities doesn't belong in Fantastic Four? Wha-a-a-a? You *do* know where Galactus and the Silver Surfer made their first appearances, right?

[Steve J.]

Originally Posted by Kevin T. Brown

So to those who complain about no Eaglesham: I'd rather have a title that's on time, rather than one we're waiting on for weeks on end. Especially when you can get this type of high quality fill-in.

I must agree. I havent read the issue yet, but when I picked it up off the rack I thought, "what? a fill-in artist already?" then I thought, "at least it's on time". it's not like that would keep me from buying it anyway. in any case, there will always be complaints, whether it's late books, fill-in artists, the price of gasoline, stale bread, sun, rain......

[kalorama]

Originally Posted by cerebaton

I thought #5 was the best issue of JSA yet! and i much prefer Pasarin's art to Eaglesham's (although i do like his alot too).

Second that. I was very impressed with Pasarin's work in this issue.

With regard to Connor Hawke: Dragon's Blood ... maybe I missed something in the review, but what exactly did this mean:

Originally Posted by Caleb

"I wasn't disappointed in the series as a whole, but I was disappointed with Connor Hawke by the time it wrapped up. "

What about Connor was so disappointing? The fact that he killed a guy? (Because the review gave the impression that it was an intriguing idea worth following in its own story.) In any event, I thought it was a good story. Dixon's work on GA and Nightwing (along with great art by DiMaggio and McDaniel) was what drew me back into comics after a few years off, and I was a bit ticked when Connor got kicked to the curb. Very nice artwork by Derec Donovan, as well. Hope to see more from him.

[Kevin T. Brown]

Originally Posted by durkadurka

I'd have to agree with the reviewer in this regard. I'm not saying Pasarin is any better or worse than Eaglesham. Far from it, i liked the art. But the difference did stick out. And having thoroughly enjoyed the first 4 issues of the series, art and all, it was a little disappointing that the first JSA issue of the cross-over was done by a fill-in artist. True, i would not want it to be delayed, but i would have preferred a little consistency. It's a problem that i've been having with some recent issues of Titans as well. It's not that i don't like the fill-in artists, but i'd prefer some consistent art from issue to issue.

The thing is, I reall didn't notice at first that it was a fill-in..... until I saw the Batman figure. And while Eaglesham is an excellent artist, I think Pasarin is equally as good. Any complaints about the art I feel are unwarranted. It's not like we're expecting Eaglesham and getting Carlo Barberi. (No, not saying Barberi is bad, just wildly different in style.) I think DC did the right thing and got the right artist. Ditto for JLofA.

Originally Posted by Steve J.

I must agree. I havent read the issue yet, but when I picked it up off the rack I thought, "what? a fill-in artist already?" then I thought, "at least it's on time". it's not like that would keep me from buying it anyway. in any case, there will always be complaints, whether it's late books, fill-in artists, the price of gasoline, stale bread, sun, rain......

It's usually 6 of one, half dozen of another. People will complain no matter what. If JSofA was late because DC wanted to have Eaglesham draw it, then I wonder who would be complaining about that....?

[jaredgood1]

Originally Posted by deworde

FF #545 - Mild Spoilers

Alright, before putting money down for this book, you need to read this spoiler.
*At one point, Black Panther puts the Silver Surfer into a choke hold.*
This is very, very silly. The Silver Surfer is as unto a demigod, The Black Panther... Isn't.
The explanation for how is reasonable, but not seriously convincing. There are other moments like this, but this pretty much gives you a taste of the style of this issue.
...
Cosmic but Daft. Just how I like it. A-

That was honestly one of the most preposterous things I've read in a comic in years. I can accept the whole powers in space, living planet, cosmic power, etc., but that was just silly. Panther should teach that hold to Thing and then we can have Thing use it on Hulk and end World War Hulk in 3 panels.

[durkadurka]

Originally Posted by Kevin T. Brown

It's usually 6 of one, half dozen of another. People will complain no matter what. If JSofA was late because DC wanted to have Eaglesham draw it, then I wonder who would be complaining about that....?

Sure, people are going to complain. But the complaints are warranted. There are complaints of the artist changing, or for it being delayed so the comic can be done by the same artist. Both complaints are justified. If you have a deadline, you need to try to meet it. I know there are always extenuating circumstances, but if DC schedules a book like this, they need to make sure it comes out, and it's at least fairly consistent.
Again, liked the art, but would have preferred it remained with Eaglesham.

Edit: Superman looking like Superboy Prime was a bit disconcerting.

[ziza9]

I thought the art in JSA #5 was actually pretty good. I didn't have a problem with it. As the preview pages had been out for several weeks now I kind of knew what to expect. There wasn't a really big shift in styles and the story flowed well. Perfect complement to a stellar story. The emotuional beats with Superman remembering his time with the LOSH was enough to make the book one of the best of the week.

[Deathangel]

I'm wondering if Heroes For Hire will be in-continuity with Nextwave

[POWRSURG]

Originally Posted by JohnnyZemo

How those things were accomplished were explained in the book.

??? I read the issue and you're right about how Johnny was able to flame on was explained, but I missed the explanation for how Storm was able to create the lightning bolt? What was it?

What I was shocked about was that the FF just accepted that Surfer was working with Galactus again. Granted they would have had to explain the whole Annihilation thing and that would have taken up way too much story telling.

That said, I would have LOVED to see the FF's reaction as they realized that Reed was the cause of the deaths of billions of people through out the galaxy

Surfer: I returned to my master in order to better serve the war against Annilus.
Thing: Annilus is back?
Surfer: Yes, he recently broke into this universe with claims that this universe was invading the negative zone. He set out to destroy the entire universe. He destroyed Xandar, leaving only your Earth's Richard Rider as the soul torchbearer for the Nova Force and the leader of the resistance. Every Skrull world has been destroyed and the Kree have been reduced to less than half what they once were. Countless other planets were destroyed. Your former enemies the Super Skrull and Ronan were two of the top heroes fighting to save this universe.
Surfer: Can you please relay a question I have for Reed when you see him next? While Richard Rider was able to stop Annilus, I am still left wondering about his claims about this universe invading the Negative Zone. I believe it is only just that we stop the cause of such galactic turmoil before another rises up to destroy this universe.
Thing: People coming from our universe to the Negative Zone nearly caused the destruction of the universe?
Surfer: Indeed
Thing: Nope, haven't heard of anything going on recently with the Negative Zone, but I'll give a heads up to Stretcho on that.

Now what is up with Epoch claiming that the universe needs a new protector? Sure, Quasar died but Phylus got the negative bands. Shouldn't she be the new protector?

[s*p rules]

I thought the Conner Hawke mini was great, if not a little padded. I've been following, and a fan of, this character since his first appearence, and I'm not sure why people have ever questioned his sexual orientation; I think some people were just looking for details that were was never there, or perhaps just wishful thinking. Anyway, if I read the last issue correctly, Connor has now been imbued with some superpowers, thanks to his exposure to the dragon's blood, and hopefully this change to the character will be picked up and explored more fully sometime soon. I really wish DC would put Connor on a team, already. The JSA could use an archer, especially a legacy character.


Hey Kevin Huxford, did you catch the Martian Manhunter on the Batman this past weekend? I thought it was a very good episode, as that whole series has been getting better and better. Even Robin and Batgirl are less annoying, and they had one scene with Alfred that made me spit out my Coco Puffs from laughing so hard. J'onn was portrayed perfectly, and very much like he was in New Frontier - a bit more light hearted, and, thankfully, longer shorts They even paid homage to a great scene from NF, which I won't spoil if you haven't seen the episode yet. Good stuff, and looking forward to part 2 next weekend.