Ela - Despina Vandi (The Milos Song)

I've been reminiscing about my home island of Milos today after stumbling upon half a dozen facebook groups dedicated to it, and discovering as many old friends online!

This videoclip was famously shot on the summer of 2002, across the many beautiful beaches of the island.

Artist: Despina Vandi


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Marvel Capsule Reviews Week 26 2008

So Marvel released 23 titles this week.

Out of which six have 'Avengers' in their title, six more are Secret Invasion tie-ins, two are drawn by Takeshi Miyazawa, two are written by Matt Fraction, five of them feature Hulks of three different colours in total, but only one features two favourite super-heroes in cross-dress... -Sigh-

and I review them all:


ANGEL: REVELATIONS #2

(Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa / Adam Pollina)

Young Warren is trying to make sense of the changes happening to his body (teenage boys are barely fit to deal with acne, let alone molting)- while his protege silently suffers from a molesting teacher/priest (brilliantly and subtly portrayed in the writing and art) and the attack from Warren's stereotype school rivals and bullies (that part I could do without).

Adam Pollina has grown into an amazing visual artist, with stunningly bold choices in perspective and character designs. Perhaps we could see him pay a short visit to X-Force (the title that launched his career in the 90s) after this mini?

7.5/10

AVENGERS FAIRY TALES #3

(C.B. Cebulski / Takeshi Miyazawa)

... or more appropriately YOUNG Avengers Fairy Tales.

The size-changing Cassie Lang -fittingly- stars as the darling (and slightly disturbed) Alice, shrinking down into the magic Wonderland inhabited by Young Avengers versions of the famous characters. Cebulski keeps the plot structure of the original story, while changing the core emotions into the more personal story of a girl trying to come to terms with her father's passing and discovering her real identity in his absence.

Miyazawa is an utter star choice for this, providing amazing Lewis redesigns of the main cast. Cassie is delighful, along with the twin brothers Wiccan (the wizard Hare) and Speed (the white-haired Rabbit), Iron Lad (the smitten Dormouse), the Ant-Man Caterpillar, Cheshire Tigra and Vision, Ultron, Jocasta replacing the classic playing card army! I was only slightly disapointed with the choice to use Patriot and Hawkeye for the big roles since they're the less known of the cast, yet it makes more sense in the updated context of the story Cebulski wants to say. Bonus brownie points for squeezing almost the entire story in standard 23 pages and making it look ever so easy!

8.5/10






AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #14 (SI)

(Dan Slott & Christos N. Gage / Stefano Caselli)

Year 2 of the Initiative? Totally better than year 1.

3D-Man joins his new Hawaiian Avengers ('the Point-Men') team, only to discover a very Skrully-looking infiltrator. Meanwhile back at base, the non-invadey (yet still very secret-ey) Skrull hero the Crusader discovers Hank Pym's replacement through a culinary disaster.

Dan Slott has been setting up his pawns on the chessboard for the past year for this pay-off: the 3D-Man's Skrull detector, the Crusader as an unwitting foil, Pym's plan to put a Skrull in every Avengers team in every State. Even Stefano Caselli seems to have fixed his game, looking better than ever, and without the annoying coloring faux-pas of season 1. Is this title finally realising its promise to become a true core Avengers title?

8/10






FANTASTIC FOUR #558

(Mark Millar / Bryan Hitch / Andrew Currie)

'Death of the Invisible Woman' part 1. Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?

Millar & Hitch kick off their second storyline in style. This issue shows even more promise than their first issue on the title, but I do hope it's not squandered in the following ones again. Ignoring the attention-starved infant of a title (wasn't Sue just killed off a few month ago in a special oneshot? And the Thing before her a few years ago? Give it a rest), the storyline focuses on the 'New Defenders' an utterly mysterious and spoilery group who have targeted Doom and the FF.

Millar teaches class here on how to plant hidden clues and drum up suspense - from the new villains (?) themselves, to Johnny and the Thing's new girlfriends, the witch-ful new Nanny (who might not be as old as she lets on, judging from the excellently detailed and telling manner in which Hitch portrays her body language), Valeria's secret, Mentallo's puzzle and that final page reveal...

I really can't spot any of the problems I had with the last few issues anymore. Hitch has corrected his unfortunate Thing anatomy, Millar has reigned in his mad ideas to actually serviceable concepts (Saturday morning Villain drills? brilliant) and gotten a feeling for everyone's voice.

Oh, and they still haven't missed a deadline in 5 months! Go Team Millar!

8/10

HULK #4

(Jeph Loeb / Ed McGuinness / Dexter Vines)

Finally! Green Hulk (newly re-stupidified) vs the evil militant gun-happy Red Hulk. It's a slugfest so momentous that the Watcher showed up - and got a rightfu lseeing to that I'm sure made a lot of fans happy.

Yes, this is the sort of comic where the Watcher gets punched in the face and then pummeled in the mud until he loses consciousness...

As for the Red Hulk mystery - well, no matter how many curveballs Loeb tries to throw our way, I can't really see how it can be anyone other than Thunderbolt Ross. I mean, really - the army training, that horrid haircutm the Hulk-hatred? Euch :)

It took a few issues, but Loeb has won me over this unapologetic fan-service punch-athon.

7.5/10






IMMORTAL IRON FIST #16

(Matt Fraction / David Aja)

'The Mortal Iron Fist' part 1. Okay, they totally got one past me. All these issues, all those biographies of previous Iron Fists, and I never connected the dots...

This issue Fraction flies solo on Danny Rand, giving us possibly the most honest and intimate look on a character we're only really beginning to know now. We follow Danny through a few days of his new life: coaching neighbourhood kids in Kung Fu, making love with his 'girlfriend', hanging out with his best bud, planning the transformation of his company into the ultimate charity. all the pieces of the puzzle fit to give us the portrait of the new Danny Rand, the wide-eyed dreamer, over-grown kid and hopeless 'good guy' who is often out of his waters in his everyday reality.

David Aja gets a chance to really strut his 'art fu' throughout the issue: from the opening happy moments with the kids, the intimate bedroom scene (subtly adding little details like a hint of a metallic joint on Misty's bionic arm), the cinematic dream sequence and the trully haunting closing scene.

Simply Perfect.

9.5/10

MARVEL 1985 #2

(Mark Millar / Tommy Lee Edwards)

Keeping up the same high standards as the opening issue (hey, that's a first for non-ultimate Millar), our young protagonist survives a run-in with the Hulk in the forest, but has trouble getting even his uver-geek of a dad to believe his story. Meanwhile, the mystery and conspiracy of the Marvel Villains' landing into our own 'real 'world deepens.

7.5/10

MARVEL ADVENTURES FANTASTIC FOUR #37

(Chris Eliopoulos / Ronan Cliquet / Amilton Santos)

Nonononono...

See: the Swarm. The Swarm is a funny super-villain made out entirely of killer bees who wears a purple cloak and talks in a sssssilly lisssssp. Big hit.

Now, this issue we're introduced to the Cockroach version of Swarm: the Collective. Let's back up a minute...

Cockroaches.


Sorry, but ewwww.

In the issue's defense, we also get to see the Thing in a tutu skirt, the Torch in a french maid uniform, and the Blue Smurf Hulk. Not a total waste.

6/10

MIGHTY AVENGERS #15 (SI)

(Brian Michael Bendis / John Romita Jr / Klaus Janson & Tom Palmer)

Hank Pym.

Goliath, Yellowjacket, Giant-Man, Ant-Man, Dr. Pym.

Poor Hank.

Avenger, drunk, wife-beater, villain-by-mistake, inventor of deadly robots, suicide case. Lovable loser Hank.

Somehow his revelation as a Skrull didn't really come as much surprise. If anyone was acting Skrully the past year... Hank had managed to be a prominent figure in the big 50-state initiative plan, but also well out of focus on any of the titles, that it was a big shining beacon.

This issue tells the back-story of his Skrull replacement: after a(nother) big argument with the on/off missus Janet Pym, Hank beds the bright-eyed young blonde Gwen-wannabe thing that's been rubbing off on his leg in conferences. Um, you know the rest of the story. Very typical mid-life crisis-y, very typical Hank. I hadn't even realised how much I missed Doc Pym until this story, major points to Bendis for instantly capturing all the loser charm that makes Pym a classic hit.

8/10




MS. MARVEL #28 (SI)

(Brian Reed / Adriana Melo / Mariah Benes)

Crossing out of Secret Invasion #3, Ms Marvel's in the middle of the NY Invasion and she'sabout to go full-on punch-ey and blast-ey on the Super-Skrull Armada. It's solid action from the first to the last page, and Carol finally enjoying herself for once as she discovers that, well, war turns her on! I think Reed finally figured out what makes Ms Marvel tick and stand out from the rest of the Marvel heroes.

Colour me intrigued.

7/10

NEW AVENGERS #42 (SI)

(Brian Michael Bendis / Jim Cheun / John Dell)

...and while Mighty Avengers tells the story of the Hank Pym infiltration, this same week, New Avengers gives us the greatest mystery in this whole affair: the replacement of Jessica Drew by the Skrull Queen.

Jessica Drew... quintuple agent now?

The Skrull Queen posing as Jessica Drew, secretly working for Nick Fury, pretending to secretly work for Hydra, pretending to infiltrate SHIELD, and joining the New Avengers. Oof. She's sure giving that other Jessica Garner/Alias chick a run for her money!

Bendis goes back to the earliest issues of New Avengers, revealing he DID have a plan - it all makes perfect sense in retrospect, this staggeringly scary level of detail in planning earns him mad brownie points. Being prepared to put up with an insane amount of fan derision just to set up your ultimate sleeper hit plan? Cajones!

and what about this cliffhanger? I've never been so anxious to see the familiar white-out House of M cliffhanger before! Bring it on baldy!

8.5/10






POWER PACK: DAY ONE #4

(Fred Van Lente / Gurihiru & Colleen Coover)

The fluffy bunny (oh dear, and I'm sooo serious) ending to the Power Pack's action-packed origin versus the alien Snarks and the Project Pegasus. I can appreciate Van Lente's dedication to always put in little over-the-top camp bits to appease the older audience as well as the kids.

Colleen Coover gives the last of the 4 pseudo-scientific Power kid bios, with Jack explaining Archimedes' Greeklish theories in hilarious fashion.

6/10

RUNAWAYS #30

(Joss Whedon / Michael Ryan / Ketcham, Olazaba, Paris & Yeung)

Joss Whedon *finally* concludes his 2-years-long mammoth 6-issue (heh) run.

But, honestly? I wouldn't have minded waiting another year, if in the end we get 6 issues that stir up so many emotions and thoughts. After all, it may have been published in 6 issues, but there's enough story, characterisation, action and new characters in here to fill 2 full years of other writers' titles.

The kids' wrap up their adventure in the start of the last century, escape the explosive war between the super-gangs and head home, with a surprise new member in their ranks and an immense upheaval in their dynamics. The action contains dozens of Whedon-isms and smart-talk, and almost all the new characters get a brief moment to shine. Before the end, Whedon tips his hand, revealing the soul of his story: living in the past, the despair from the pointless struggle to escape the loop of pre-destination, regret, true love, the adults' yearning to relive their youth and correct their mistakes, the children's need to grow up as fast as they can - and now the realisation that they might just not be ready...


The strongest mirror parallel echoes from the finale: Gert's parents - going through the remainder of their lives knowing their daughter - the reason for their atrocious actions- is going to die, but cursed to be unable to change anything or repent from their fated course of action on the one side; and on the other, the Wind-Dancer at the end of her life, knowing how her love story ends abruptly by her fault, trying to warn her young self, arm her with the knowledge of her lonely destiny - yet her younger self chooses to make the same mistake again because of her fear of the future's uncertainty just as her old self chooses to keep trying in vain by sending her lover in the past over and over...

9.5/10





SECRET INVASION: RUNAWAYS/YOUNG AVENGERS #1

(Chris Yost & Takeshi Miyazawa)

Crossover Madness!

Chris Yost manages to tie together: the ending of Whedon's Runaways (which left them with an added member, and stranded in New York), the Young Avengers scene from Secret Invasion #2-3 (keeping some of the same dialogue, while putting it into the context of the larger story here), and even the entrance of the Initiative (later linked into from the relevane crossover issue of their title). I'm quite impressed with the level of planning that's gone into this.

Yost has an amazing rapport on the Runaways (hmmm), and a passable handle on the Young Avengers who feel more like the guest-stars in this first issue. Much of the issue is spent setting up the forgettable (hey 'they all look the same to me) Skrull supporting cast, and an ineffective faux-double cross. This sequel to the teams' original meeting during Civil War already looks more promising! After all this is the closest they get to Karma, as both teams utterly coincidentally (trust me i've checked with both teams' writers/creators) have a gay Skrull in their midst. Now the Empire is here to gay-bash their teen brains out! Or, you know, take over the planet and stuff...

8/10



SHE-HULK #30

(Peter David / Val Semeiks / Victor Olazaba)

The Bran subplot finally gets resolved with a gigantic fistfight across the city and a divine twist with a slice of PAD-ian moral dilemma. It's all too spread-out since the start of the arc, convoluted, and yet quickly resolved.

The real appeal of the issue? Another notch on Shulkie's belt, this time of the Greek Demi-God variety. Naughty Naughty!

Although Semeiks did deliver in the boudoir scenes, the rest of the issue felt too rushed in places, with She-Hulk going up and down in bra-sizes between panels and generally looking like a hoppity gamma-irradiated cow. Bad form.

The new status-quo and supporting cast hasn't even remotely clicked for me yet, I still have faith PAD will find his footing soon and remind us just why he's considered the best Green-genes writer.

6.5/10






THUNDERBOLTS #121

(Warren Ellis / Mike Deodato Jr)

'Caged Angels' part 6.

The ultimate Thunderbolt vs Thunderbolt storyline wraps up with two last gritty & nasty showdowns: Doc Sampson vs Moonstone (with a side of Penance) and Songbird vs the Green Goblin. Both these battles felt absolutely cathartic, as Ellis has been building up the tension on both fronts for a while, so these characters had enough pent-up hatred towards each other to blow the whole of T-Bolts mountain in the sky - which they kinda do come to think about it! So when the time comes where evil super-villains (as opposed to our cuddly ones) manipulate them each other, they barely take a moment to resist the urge, and instead revel in the all-out hair-pulling, floor-busting release of it.

Punching people is good for the soul!

9/10





ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #123

(Brian Michael Bendis / Stuart Immonen / Wayne Von Grawbadger)

Heh. Bendis tries his luck on those silly type of narratives with our hero dissing out his life-story sat on a bench/table/bed, zooming in and out of the story while the audience he's talking to changes, showing the endless loop of the story's repetition to random new people. Ahem, yeah, storytelling 101 for you. Funnily enough I caught the exact same Forrest Gump device used today on Youtube for a 'Samantha Who?' recap trailer.

Aaaaanway, yeah, Bendis does that same thing here.

Only, with Venom/Eddie Brock.

Sitting in the park.

Telling the story of his genesis, his stalking of Spidey, and their big fight in a museum.

To old ladies, frat girls, soon-to-be-lunch innocent bystanders...

I quite enjoyed the whole quirky creepy manner of the story unfolding, very much like an oddbeat Twilight Zone or Goosebumps (hehe) episode. Still, the issue wraps up way too fast for my taste, with the action scene thrown in the last pages as more of an after-thought ("oh hey, we got carried away having fun this issue we totally forgot to include Pete and a fight scene! Can we make do with the last 5 pages?")

7/10

ULTIMATES 3 #4

(Jeph Loeb / Joe Madureira / Chis Lichner)

What a gigantic mess.

We're only one issue before the conclusion, and nothing still makes much sense. Half the team is in the Savage Land battlnig Magneto & the Brotherhood (well, more like posing for a series of brief versus splash pages one by one), while the Wasp & Hank Pym face off against a robot version of the original (read: more interesting) Ultimates.

Where's the problem?

There's little to no plot - random people just show up and take each other out while spouting their names. The art isn't up to Mad's standards as the digital inking process is muddying up every page (where's Tim Townsend these days?). There is nothing remotely 'ultimate' about any of the characters here, as they all flatten into a stereotypical cardboard personalities and attributes.

We have to look forward to another volume of this drivel? Someone call Millar... please!

5/10



UNCANNY X-MEN #499 (DWS)

(Ed Brubaker / Mike Choi & Ben Oliver)


'X-Men Divided' part 5. Oh, well, at least it's over. Brubaker hasn't been seting my world afire with his UXM run, but this latest arc had been the worst, slow-paced, non-event filler storyline of them all. So Scott & emma finally fight the hippie X-Men under Mastermind's control, with the entire struggle resolved by Emma... getting through the illusionist's telepathic defenses and turning the illusions off? That's it? Did we really need to drag this 5 issues just for the pinup shots of Angel, Warpath and Hepzibah dressed like Flower Children?

4/10





WOLVERINE: FIRST CLASS #4

(Fred Van Lente / Salva Espin)

'The Last Knights of Wundagore' part 2. Havoc! The High Evolutionary has de-evolved the animal bits out of Wolvie (turning him into a meek little coward ****), and evolved Kitty into, well, her namesake - a humanoid cat-girl who leads the attack against Man-Beast and his own Ani-Men.

Seeing Kitty in her shiny and sleek Feline armour (kudos to Espin for the very original look) brought back the exciting memories of Claremont's first handling of the character in the 80s, when she would change names and outfits between issues (or even between scenes). This title has been a complete geek-joy/fan-service to Kitty loyalists, and we've not even hit the half-year mark yet!

7/10

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS #13

(Jeff Parker / Roger Cruz)

With Angel on holiday, it's time for Xavier to enlist a new recruit in his school for gifted youngsters...

oh, hey wait... You mean:

Machine Man??

And not even funny, brutal, misanthropic Aaron Stack from Nextwave "I hate you fleshy ones" Machine Man!

No, no, original, whiny, constantly depressed "Why do I only dream about stupid robot sheep" Pinocchio Machine Man!

Damn continuity!

An amusing issue nonetheless, especially Xavier taking an amusing stance towards the usual superhero team-up plot...

6.5/10





X-MEN: LEGACY #213

(Mike Carey / Scot Eaton / Andrew Hennessy)

Did Mike Carey just successfully manage to collect all the disparate Alamagordo threads from all over the 90s X-titles, and make sense out of them into a surprising twist reveal (and an even more shocking last page?). Guess there was a purpose behind what Nicieza was babbling about after all! I don't know how much of this is the original purpose and how much is Carey working his magic, but I'm completely satisfied with the result.

Plus, we get to see Sebastian Shaw being a formidable villain, Sinister an actual menace, Gambit as a charming swashbuckler hero, and... Amanda Mueller? Talk about bringing a poisoned chalice to the dinner table! Carey safely sidesteps across the minefield here, but the wikipedia entry is just full of fun facts about the geriatric witch: Scott Summers' great-great-grandma, Sinister's deranged lab assistant, the head of the Black Womb Nazi experiments, and Fontanelle's mother (do you remember Fontanelle?), back when Nicieza was really pushing for the 'Gambit as the Third Summer brother reveal'.

I love the 90s (when done right!)

8/10

YOUNG AVENGERS PRESENTS #6

(Matt Fraction / Alan Davis / Mark Farmer)

Alan Davis?!? Wow, they really went for the big guns this last issue of the spotlight anthology mini-series. Although I can't be convinced the teenage Hawkeye deserves the honors on her own, Fraction's tale of her meeting the original Hawkeye (since resurrected, working undercover and showing up to challenge the young girl for his name and bow back) has enough heart and sappy pro-dream messages to make it worth Alan Davis' time and effort.

Major brownie points to readers who recognise where Hawkeye's dress in the bar scene below is based on!


7.5/10

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Watchmen Trailer - Finally

The Watchmen trailer has been (of course) leaked a day early online through various sources. Check it out while you can (with the official release tomorrow before Dark Knight in the cinemas).

Do pay close attention for Snyder's signature direct panel-to-screen adaptation, and Rorshach's animated mask (!). Plus, you know, finally: Dr Manhattan!


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Giant-Girl in Wonderland

Showcasing the beautiful Takeshi Miyazawa redesigns for C.B. Cebulski's Avengers Fairy Tales series, adapting Alice in Wonderland



Giant Girl/Stature Cassie Lang stars as Alice, and casting her friends and family as the characters of Wonderland.

Her deceased dad, Scott Lang/Ant-Man is the Caterpillar:

Tigra as the Cheshire Cat:
From Left to Right:

Speed as the White Rabbit
Wiccan as the Hare
Hulkling as the Mad Hatter
Iron Lad as Dormouse
Kate/Hawkeye as the Queen
Eli/Patriot as the King

and a cast of Ultrons, Jocastas and Vision as the adorable deck of cards army :)

Source: Avengers Fairy Tales #3 (Marvel Comics)
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Storm Smash

The day that the Hulk swapped minds with Storm (and Wolverine with Ant-Man):



Source: Marvel Adventures Avengers #25 (Marvel Comics)
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DC Capsule Reviews Week 25 2008

The last of the daily reviews for now, moving back to a more comfortable bi-daily schedule for the rest of the week to catch our breath.

Today, from DC: a double Vertigo shot of Jason Aaron, one last taste of Chuck Dixon on the outside, romantic entanglements in the Teen Titans and an otherwise average presence from everyone else in the room



BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS #8

(Chuck Dixon / Julian Lopez / Bit)

An uneventful closing to the action-packed storyline as Dixon crosses his t's and dots his i's, the separated Outsiders teams come together and new member ReMac finally makes his debut - in an amusing fashion.

Dixon salvaged the Outsiders brand name from the limbo it had sunk to, but this could actually have been his last issue on the title - pending to DC's mysterious whims. It's been an amazing 8-issue ride, thank you for the thrills!

7/10

HELLBLAZER #245

(Jason Aaron / Sean Murphy)

'Newcastle Calling' part 1. I've only ever read one Hellblazer run, and that's because of Mike Carey, my then favourite Vertigo writer. It makes sense that I would pick up the habit again with the arrival of my new number one sinful pleasure - SCALPED's Jason Aaron - on board the title for 2-issue stint.

Aaron picks up on the aftermath of a classic (thank you Wikipedia) Hellblazer storyline - involving his punk band Mucous Membrane, the ghost of a young girl Astra and a string of violent murders, as a film crew visits the scene of the event to shoot a documentary on the mysterious band and its history. Impeccably paced and plotted like a Hollywood horror movie without the hindrance of the pesky MPAA censors - everything starts going horribly wrong as the filming crew one by one falls victim to the curse still haunting the old club. The story runs the full gamut from self-mutilation, hallucinogenics, to necrophilia, sodomy and bestiality (actually the last three are all combined in one scene - yum).

It's somewhat of a shame that Aaron's been lured away to Marvel with an exclusive contract, while Vertigo stood helpless waving goodbye. Stupid DC...

8/10

SCALPED #18

(Jason Aaron / Davide Furno)

Another self-contained gem focusing on one of the many intriguing satellite characters populating the reservation of Prairie Rose and the book: Officer Falls Down.

It's the classic story of the small-town sherriff who has lost his edge and is searching for meaning in his life post-prime. Reeling from the nightmares of his wife's death, and dreading getting involved in the mystery of Gina Bad Horse's murder, it takes a unique Indian spiritual ceremony to make him identify his true self and get back on the horse - so to speak.

Just like real life, you really read so many stories with these characters lurking about in the background- never giving them more than a moment's notice; it takes this special kind of vignette to really take a closer look in their lives and mindsets, and become more involved. Jason Aaron has managed to make each and every last of his characters here worthy of attention.

8/10

BIRDS OF PREY #119

(Tony Bedard / Nicola Scott / Doug Hazlewood)

The Birds move from Metropolis to their new digs in Platinum Flats, acquainting themselves with the local law enforcement, the riff raff (seriously: the villainous Carface? I'm disappointed this wasn't milked more for all it's worth), their new headquarters and some very familiar neighbours!

Black Canary is back for a guest stint (and the traditional punch-and-kick dance Manhunter always seems to go through with every superhero she meets), and her absence on the book and its dynamics rings more important now with McKeever's departure. Bedard has some interesting ideas on Lady Blackhawk (whom Simone had neglected more, but McKeever had helped bring to the forefront) and maybe Babs (although she's all too cold), but the rest of the cast simply lingers about between odd dialogue (poor Calculator), unfortunate plotlines (Manhunter's mindprobe mystery, the lost sisters, etc) and simply unexplainable behaviour (Manhunter's confrontational, ok, but never to this annoying unreasonable degree)...

Next issue will be the end of his grace period, I'm waiting to be wowed or this book goes to the Scans' section, breaking a nice happy collection of over 60 issues...

6.5/10

THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #14

(Mark Waid / Scott Kolins)

Oh, ouch.

Deadman enlists the help (well, more like the body) of Green Arrow to chase the 'Ghost Killers of Nanda Parbat'. As far as eam-ups go, this isn't the most efficient, and everything goes sour - REAL sour by the issue's startling cold-blooded finish. mr Waid, here I thought I had you all figured out!

Scott Kollins on art fires on all cylinders as usual, such a huge mystery why he's not been anchored on a regular gig in the past 4 years since his Flash run ended...

7/10




CATWOMAN #80

(Will Pfeiffer / David Lopez / Alvaro Lopez)

'Final Jeopardy' part 1. One short breath before the title's cancellation - and boy is this the title most deserving of the fate...

Pfeiffer and the editors have lost their handle on the character ages ago, so it's better to finish things off while everyone has their dignity intact. Catwoman goes after the multiplying crook Repro (?), the Calculator and some cat burglar guy whose name I didn't quite catch.

Frankly, the entire past two years of stories on the title, from the villains to the supporting characters and the situations are so far below Catwoman's worth. Foiling and trapping an art thief? This is what she's sunk to? After giving her a baby, and a cardboard father, getting rid of both, shippnig her to space, tiling around in alternate realities, facing off against film fanatics and Madrox rip-offs...

Poor Selina, you've had a crappy couple of years, time to rest and re-group.

4/10


DC/WILDSTORM: DREAMWAR #3 (OF 6)

(Keith Giffen / Lee Garbett & Trevor Scott)


Action Action Action!

Legion vs Stormwatch (bore)

JSA vs Tranquility (I hate the smell of old people)

JLA vs Wildcats & the Authority: hmmm let's stay here! Batman vs Zealot - to the death (no, really), Superman vs Hawksmoor and the utterly amazing visual of the week: Green Lantern shooting Batman inside their HQ like a bullet through a handgun!

The crossover has had its ups and downs, although at this point everything is too muddied up and the whole thing reads like a last-minute effort to push in a script and art.

6/10

THE FLASH #241

(Tom Peyer / Freddie E. Williams III)

'Fast Money' part 4. So the spin storyline wraps up (I think?), still not making much sense, as the mysteriously-appeared Grodd brings mayhem to the Flashes' city.

I'll just say it, I don't care for this villain, for this battle, and especially not for this horrendous art.

It doesn't matter. Peyer hits the reader with such a whallop of an emotional impact this issue, that it makes all the rest seem insignificant. Wally faces his inability to support his kids and find a solution to their ever-rapid aging, and muses back to the string of bad decisions made this past year - his live TV statements, his cruel revenge against Bart's murderer Inertia, everything that's out of his control and making him feel like a failure. In the face of this turmoil, he still swallows everything deep inside him, puts on a brave face for his children and is a hero and a father to them. Peyer has a chillingly clear and perfect take on Wally at this moment in his life, and I can't wait to see where he takes the character and his family next.

7/10

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #22

(Dwayne McDuffie / Ed Benes)

This is tiresome.

It's 2 years (3, considering the delays) into the new title's life, and since Brad Metzler has left ship, we've been stuck retreading the same old ground, rehashing the same stories - only adding and retracting random members - like a bad (ok, worse) version of Young & the Restless...


It's the same three plotlines since year one: Red Tornado's missing sense of humanity (along with his marital problems, body trouble, and constant tendency to get hijacked and go evil), Red Arrow and Hawkgirl's sexual tension (this time awkwardly addressed by Superman having a birds-n-bees moment), and of course - everyone's favourite-: Vixen's new secret siphoning powers. I'm really hoping all these left-overs get dealt with by #25 so McDuffie can really shine on his lonesome with a finalised tight roster.

6/10

SUPER FRIENDS #4

(Sholly Fisch / Dario Brizuela)

The Super-Friends are being picked out one-by-one -- by giant explodig cakes, banana peels, squirting flowers, pepper-bombs, novelty cans and trap-door buckets of slime!

Can it be?

Introducing the allied Jesters' League of America: Joker, Harley Quinn, Trickster, Trapster, Jewelee and Punch!

Gotta love a good gag!

5.5/10

TANGENT: SUPERMAN'S REIGN #4 (OF 12)

(Dan Jurgens & Ron Marz / Jamal Igle & Fernando Pasarin / Robin Riggs & Matt Banning)

Green Lantern Jon Stewart has a talk with the evil (?) black Tangent Superman, while the New Earth Heroes finally make a jump through to Tangent Earth, and a traitor is revealed in their midst.

Things are moving, but in quite the snail's pace, as the back-up History stories eat up way too much of the main plot's momentum. This issue: a brief summary of the Tangent Superman's origins (even though I'm much more interested in the identity of this new Power Girl myself. Can't they coordinate the two stories a la Trinity?)

5.5/10




TEEN TITANS: YEAR ONE #5 (OF 6)

(Amy Wolfram / Karl Keschl / Serge LaPointe)

Ah, young love...

Wonder Girl goes on her first date with Speedy, while Kid Flash and Aqualad stay behind the Titans cave for some teenage male -burp- bonding and Batman drops by for a surprise parental inspection.

Wolfram really has a unique handle on each of these kids, in all their awkward, anxious, dream-filled glory. She looks at them less like empowered teen role-models, and more like real kids who have been thrust into lives and situations out of their comfort zones, doing everything they can to be, well, normal and accepted - like most kids their age would. DiDio recently announced there are no plans for Wolfram and Keschl to get a regular outlet for their version of the Titans - sad news, especially considering the sheer multitude of Titans projects out there right now (Teen Titans, Titans, Teen Titans Go, Raven, Cyborg, Tiny Titans, Terror Titans, Robin, Blue Beetle, etc) most of which don't hold a candle to this unique and spiritful series.

8.5/10

TRINITY #3

(Mark Bagley & Fabian Nicieza / Mark Bagley & Mike Norton / Art Thibert & Jerry Ordway)

Enter Konvikt: an unfortunately named DC idea of a Purple Hairy Hulk, only carrying on his back his own tiny press representative to provide enormous threats and battle banter.

The main story deals with the JLA (sans the 3) fighting and losing to the enormous brute - until our titular heroes arrive on the scene to everyone's delight. The rest of the JLA does come across as - well- ineffective and lazy, but Busiek expertly comments on that on his own before any mean-spirited bloggers (represent!) get their nasty commenting claws typing. As corny as the scene carries out, it is typical of the way the three are treated in comparison to the other heroes, probably what Busiek wanted to examine by pitting them against this utterly forgettable menace.

I only have one real problem with the writing here: Busiek has taken the time to really delve into the dynamics of the trinity, the way they operate together, the way they view each other, how the rest of the DC universe looks at them, etc etc I've mentioned all that. He's done a stellar work, and each of his scenes is subtly infused with so much rich subtext, it's a joy to pore into and explore.

Well, it would be, if each scene wasn't intercut by the two villains reading the story with us, and providing an intrusive director's commentary, pointing every smart bit of subtext to each other (=the reader), essentially spoon-feeding us the information I would much rather discover on my own.

The back-up by Nicieza & Norton features a new (?) hero, Tarot, as her everyday life of Tarot-reading and coffee-sipping is interrupted by an attacking gang and a feral protector. Average enough to flip through and move on.

5/10

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Panel of the Week Voting Weeks 19-23 2008

Last voting was hiding some surprises. I had no doubt AXM's crowning Kitty moment would win the voting, but I never expectedit would be such a close call between that and the return of Stephanie Brown/Spoiler, while others like Zur Enn Arrh and Archangel were left way behind!

This week, back to our funny fair, with panels from May and June 2008:




Panel AHulk Kick - Marvel Adventures Hulk #12 (Marvel Comics)

Panel B
John (Lennon) the Skrull & the Sword of Excalibur - Captain Britain & the MI-13 (Marvel Comics)

Panel C
Warren Worthington III - Poor Little Rich Mutant - X-Men: First Class #12 (Marvel Comics)


Panel D
Too Hot To Handle - Ghost Rider #23 (Marvel Comics)



Panel E
Spot the Cross-Dressing Aquaman in the Background - Super-Friends #3 (DC Comics)



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Marvel Capsule Reviews Week 25 2008

Bumper car wars, ancient Greek underage gay sex, blasphemy, drugs, gamma-irradiated cross-breeders... and Arnim Zola! Something for every perverted taste?


AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #563

(Bob Gale / Mike McKone / Marlo Alquiza)

Hey, it does what it says on the cover! Spidey versus the Enforcers (perhaps his unintentionally lamest villains) in a bump-car ride in Coney Island...

All that plus a truckload of villains, betting-a-plenty and a 22-page long anti-smoking ad.

Oy Vey, Quesada, we get it already!

6.5/10



GHOST RIDER #24

(Jason Aaron / Tan Eng Huat / Jose Villarubia)

'God Don't Live On Cell Block D' part 1. Ghost Rider locks himself inside prison to get close to the man holding the answers to advance his hunt for the renegade angle who sired him. Jason Aaron has turned Ghost Rider around into the book it was always meant to be - but no man (writer or editor) dared make true. Dark, twisted, and bloody blasphemous, this Ghost Rider is the ultimate Vertigo avenger in Marvel's homestead, waging war against Heaven like a hardcore flaming skull leather biker version of Jesse Custer for the new millennium.

Tan Eng Huat (Doom Patrol) fills in for this arc, although it took the credits for me to recognise his style. The distinctive lines and style are there, but dulled down by yet another attempt at digital inking or colouring straight over pencil art. Villarubia is probably the best in the biz to attempt this process, but I still think the results can never compare to a traditional inking process.

7.5/10



GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #2

(Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning / Paul Pelletier / Rick Magyar)

Starlord. Adam Warlock. Gamorra. Drax. Quasar. Rocket Raccoon.

Even for someone like me, who could never hold a prolonged interest in Marvel's cosmic history and adventurers, a colourful/volatile setup like this (especially including supporting members like Mantis, the sociopath bonsai Groot, Cosmo the talking Russian cosmodog) holds an inescapable allure (much like the classic Infinity Watch team). DnA have very carefully picked their players for this new space team galvanised after the two gigantic Annihilation events. A mix of old and new, rich in history, and bonded through war, love, family and hate, each of them brings something different to the table, be it power, intelligence, muscle, tactics, grief, optimism, slapstick or pure sex appeal.

The great Marvel Hype machine of course spun the discovery of Captain America's shield as another wink wink hint at Steve Rogers' inevitable return, but eagle-eyed GotG fans easily guessed the real big return this issue: Vance Astrovic, or Major Victory from the original run of the Guardians. It's the last missing puzzle piece that really makes this the ultimate Marvel cosmic story, and earns the new team its new name - appeasing all concerned fans after the last botched attempt at resurrecting the brand name. Now, when can we expect Captain Marvel in for a visit, I wonder?

8/10





INCREDIBLE HERCULES #118 (SI)

(Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente / Rafael Sandoval)

'Sacred Invasion' part 2. Oh naughty naughty writing team, teasingly playing up the oh-so-very-forbidden parallels between Hercules's current relationship with sidekick Amadeus Cho and his famous actual relationship/love affair with his young companion, the boy Hylas, during the Argonauts' journey.

In this issue, Hercules compares his current companions in the 'God Pack' to the original Argonauts' line-up, stopping short at making the parallel between Hylas and Amadeus. Later on in the story, he does confess to the similarities between the two boys, even recounting Hylas' tragic fate (-ahem- being wooed away from Hercules by a woman/nymph essentially... the nerve on some kids!) - but still leaving out the details of Hercules' severe reaction to this loss...

Would the Marvel writers really dare go down that route in future issues, like Radical Comics' Steve Moore has done in their version of Hercules? LYS@D is keeping a close eye.

Oh yeah, this is the must-have to-know-us-better 'personal nightmare' issue, as tghe Gods are trapped in Nightmare's clutches. A true and tried recipe, it's served rather expertly here - even if the resolution was a bit too easy to swallow. (Yeesh, look at me and the food similes - I'll sound off now and head for a snack)

7.5/10




IRON MAN: DIRECTOR OF S.H.I.E.L.D. #30

(Stuart Moore /Roberto de la Torre, Carlo Pagulayan & Steve Kurth)

'With Iron Hands' part 2. One of Stark's old drinking buddies (an old and trusted plot device that feels especially forced in this handling) shows up - grown up into a world terrorist with a penchant for bringing nuclear terrorism technology into life...

Apart from the odd cool line here and there, I didn't care for the plot, the adversary, the SHIELD trappings, the new supporting cast of rookie Iron Men, or even at least the art. Thankfully, there's other venues for an enjoyable Iron-Man fix these days.

5/10





MARVEL ADVENTURES THE AVENGERS #25

(Jeff Parker / Ig Guara / Sandro Ribeiro)

'Who Wants To Be A (Different) Super-Hero?'

Yes, the genius of Jeff Parker did decide to combine an Arnim Zola (camera for a head, face on his chest on a screen - yay!) story with an Avengers mind-swap! Seriously, it's like cool on cool squared. All that plus the Wrecking Crew...

The Hulk in Storm's body trying to uproot a forest.
Wolverine in Ant-Man's body on a pocket-sized berserker rage.
Ant-Man in Spider-Man's body trying to talk to an ant-hill.

It goes on and on. Bonus points of course for: the most imaginative use of Arnim Zola in a comic yet, the clever foreshadowing with the Avengers cam chat earlier in the issue, and the Sitcom-tastic cover that rivals the excellence of last year's Modok and Ego covers!

8/10







SECRET INVASION: FANTASTIC FOUR #2

(Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa / Barry Kitson)

Lyja's back, as the Skrull's chosen warrior agent to tear the FF apart in the Negative Zone. Thankfully RAS loves the old Ms Green Storm as much as the rest of us queer fanboys and doesn't stoop to a vengeful b*tch cardboard characterisation. I do miss the DeFalco Fantastic Family days...

Kitson is a master of his craft surely, and brings significance to this crossover tie-in, along with Davis' stunning cover. Otherwise, the issue is packed with cute moments, from Franklin & Valeria's bug-stomping armour, the Thing's pest control issues and Johnny's recounting of his major love-affairs in a purely Johnny fashion...

7/10





ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #55

(Mike Carey / Tyler Kirkham)

Carey isn't at the top of his game in this title, and the continued nuisance of the amateur-hour Top Cow Productions art team isn't really helping matters. It's nowhere near the levels of ground-breakage this title should be aiming for, and reads much more like an actual Top Cow product (insert index finger in mouth) than I'm comfortable with.

Salem's Seven take control of an emergency situation over the FF, although the new characters and their powers are presented in such a quick and confusing fashion that I was left with a headache trying to decipher who's who on the double-page spread. Certainly an occasion where the pictures and words didn't work together well at all...

Professor Agatha Harkness keeps sinking into new levels of weird, obviously tampering with the team dynamics, messing with the four's heads, and shamelessly hitting on jailbait Johnny... The current take on the characters is more dysfunctional than what I'm comfortable reading, and the only saving grace of the story is the emotional rooftop break-up rooftop scene.

5/10





ULTIMATE X-MEN #95

(Aaron Coleite / Mark Brooks & Brandon Peterson / Jamie Mendoza & Brandon Peterson)

'Absolute Power' part 2. The jury's still out on new scribe Coleite's take on this title, as the drugged-up super-X-Men track down Ultiamte Alpha Flight to save Colossus' loverboy Northstar.

A lot of the problems I had with the first issue are gone as he's gone through his growing comics-writing pains: the roster's significantly reduced and focused (probably Heroes bad habits washing off slowly), the fight scenes are more cinematic, the villains are becoming more interesting. Still, there are new problems rising to replace them: a sort-of lame continuity fixation (is there a point in making Rahne Sinclair into the new Sasquatch, other than mad geek-cred?), the jovial kicking-off of characters for cheap dramatic effect, and the underlying warped anti-drug message. More on the latter: Wolverine has a total sissy freak-out fit when he's accused of having used the mutant-enhancing drug Banshee, while, earlier on in the story,half of the team doesn't bat an eyelid at the idea of pumping their systems full of the steroid.

Certainly an improvement over Kirkman's 90s-fest, it's still not up to par with the usual standard set by the first three writers on the title.

6/10





WOLVERINE #66

(Mark Millar / Steve McNiven / Dexter Vines)

'Old Man Logan' part 1. It's 50 years from now, America is an endless wasteland, the heroes are defeated and the villains have divided the land and are... living off the rent? Wolverine is no more, just the old man named Logan, with his wife and kids, living on the land owned by the Hulk's hillbilly grandchildren.

It's an offbeat, borderline ridiculous concept, but it does work - Mark Millar knows the strength of his collaborators and just how much he can get away with because a typically stunning artist has his back. Magneto and Kingpin as landlords? Blind Hawkeye driving the Spider-mobile into the sunset? The probably incestuous retarded Banners family arriving on their pimped-up Fantasticar? Big flashy crazy insane concepts. Steve McNiven manages to make them all seem grounded and believable as he creates a world at the sunset of the Marvel universe with breath-taking texture and emotional detail.

7.5/10






X-FACTOR #32

(Peter David / Valentine De Landro / Drew Hennessy & Craig Yeung)

After the recent DWS events, Mutant-town is no more, and Val Cooper joins the book's supporting cast (or is it Rogues' Gallery?) with an ultimatum invitation to join the O*N*E (eek, when will the x-editors let that ill-conceived concept die away), or the Initiative. Our boys and girls of course opt for the third fugitive route, affecting a time-jump of 6 months (PAD so loves those, although it will certainly wreak havoc with inter-X-title continuity) and a move to... Denver?

Plus: Siryn's baby gets a name, and it's a familiar one, although PAD is quick to poke fun at that particular x-tradition before we can...

With a tight core line-up, a renewed sense of family, new threats, new base of operations and a refreshed status quo (and two very interesting additions coming up next month), X-Factor's future is looking bright.

7.5/10


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Marvel Vs Smoking

Much publicity was given to the lifting of the smoking ban for a recent Amazing Spider-man storyline. Joe Quesada had famously banned smoking from the pages of any Marvel Comic a few years ago, after his father passed away from lung cancer. He only hinted that there was a special reason behind this particular character smoking in the comic. Let's take a closer look:




What? This is all too subtle for you? Take a closer look:



Source: Amazing Spider-Man #562-563 (Marvel Comics)
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**** me, Amadeus

Oh naughty naughty writing team, teasingly playing up the oh-so-very-forbidden parallels between Hercules's current relationship with sidekick Amadeus Cho and his famous actual relationship/love affair with his young companion, the boy Hylas, during the Argonauts' journey.

In this issue, Hercules compares his current companions in the 'God Pack' to the original Argonauts' line-up, stopping short at making the parallel between Hylas and Amadeus. Later on in the story, he does confess to the similarities between the two boys, even recounting Hylas' tragic fate (-ahem- being wooed away from Hercules by a woman/nymph essentially... the nerve on some kids!) - but still leaving out the details of Hercules' severe reaction to this loss...




Source: Incredible Hercules #118 (Marvel Comics)
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DC Capsule Reviews Week 24 2008

Working our way through June, exactly a month ago we saw the return of Brainiac & Plastic Man, Blue Beetle's demise, Savage Diana, nude Barbara Gordon on Catwoman action, nude Nightwing on Starfire action, and Tiny Titans East!


ACTION COMICS #866

(Geoff Johns / Gary Frank / Jon Sibal)

'Brainiac' part 1. Geoff Johns knows no bounds. In the relatively small time he's been on Superman's flagship title, he has continuously struggled to up his game with every issue. Kicking off with the introduction of the one true Zod, introducing Superman's 'son', redefining Superman's teen years and redesigning the Fortress of Solitude, answering 'whatever happened to the Legion of Super-Heroes after they grew up' and re-introducing the concept of Bizarro World... Johns is writing this title like there's no tomorrow and no 'holy cows', writing the ultimate take on every aspect of Superman's history.

This month, he tackles... the ultimate Brainiac story.

We're treated to a flashback of Brainiac's famous bottling of the city of Kandor (with the added perspective of Zod and his allies), segueing into a modern-day attack in Kansas, and a mysteriously melancholic look at Brainiac himself. Meanwhile, over in the offices of the Daily Planet, a lot of classic faces make a return while the entire cast mysteriously transforms into their actor counterparts from the Donner Superman movies. I wonder if DC is paying Christopher Reeves' family compensation for using his likeness in such an obvious way that it felt spooky at times. There's tribute and reverence to the classic form-- and then there's just simple anachronism and fanboy obsession taking the reader out of the story. Greg Manuel goes more in depth about this in his column at the Nexus.

7.5/10




BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #18

(Fabian Nicieza / Kevin Maguire)

'The Bat & The Cat' part 2. Naked Girl on Girl action in Gotham's Elite Orgy Club? Oh, no, you didn't!

Barbara Gordon drops her cape (and dignity) chasing Catwoman inside the nudist club, in the two ladies' most tongue-in-cheek chase and fight yet! Pure unabashed shameless fanboy self-indulgence - in a good way! If this was drawn by anyone other than Kevin Maguire I would be too disgusted to pick this up, but his larger-than-life designs and humanizing facial expressions make this a joy to behold.

7.5/10





BOOSTER GOLD #10

(Geoff Johns & Jeff Katz / Dan Jurgens / Norm Rapmund)

'Blue & Gold' part 5. Let's recap. Booster Gold travels back in time; he saves old pal Blue Beetle from his ultimate demise before Infinite Crisis; the butterfly effect puts Max Lord & his Checkmate/OMACs as the supreme dictator of the present; Blue & Gold reunite the Justice League International and take Lord down; meanwhile Booster's dad leads the Time Stealers to sabotage Booster's time-sphere, effectively erasing him from existence in T-minus 10...9...8...

Phew. It's been an insanely enjoyable and convoluted plot to get us here to the final showdown between JLI and the Time Stealers. Johns has lost control of the plot destiny at some point, resulting in a quite huzzuh moment here - the Time Stealers themselves (Despero, Ultra-Humanite, Degaton: all major-league DC baddies) barely get any panel time, despite the insane amount of set-up in this title, JLA and JSA, with all the spotlight shining on Booster's dad and the surprise reveal of the true mastermind.

The ending resolution was of course inevitable as all puzzle pieces are put back into the toy chest and the status quo is restored. Dissapointing to say the least, as I was rooting along with Booster for a permanent return of the Ted Kord Blue Beetle, at least in these pages. What good is this series if it can only tease about toppling the status quo, but never get any real wind behind it...

8/10








GREEN ARROW/BLACK CANARY #9

(Judd Winnick / Mike Norton / Mike Faucher)

'A League of Their Own' part 1.

Best news out of the recent weeks' convention circuit? Judd Winnick is off this title as of #12! Ah, about time.

Actually not much to comment on this issue. Ollie and Dinah stumble upon Plastic Man and spend the issue chatting about nothing much, while Speedy and her new (tragically stereotyped) British renegade beau (who tries for James Bond but ends up with Remy LeBeau) fight off against the super-powered League of Assassins while spending too much time with ineffectual (and sadly un-entertaining) quips -- and even more time strangely quipping about their constant quipping - which unfortunately (since this isn't a Peter David comics) doesn't excuse the general annoyance of the whole affair.

5/10










SALVATION RUN #7

(Matthew Sturges / Sean Chen / Walden Wong & Wayne Faucher)

Last Issue. Lots of stuff blows up, Vandal's wives form a revenge club, the Rogues shine together, Grodd returns, some evil guys die and Luthor gets to be the Hero for the Villains. The finale didn't have as many gripping moments as past issues, while Sean Chen's return on art meant that even the few good moments were utterly squandered through amateurish-looking art. Sigh...

The final tally? I could have used without ever having read this mini...

5/10





TINY TITANS #5

(Art Baltazar & Franco)

Funny thing, the issue sports an inside ad for Justice League Unlimited, whose final issue came out only a week before! Smart campaigning, DC...

The story itself? The Titans East are here, modelled after the recent Geoff Johns villainous team: Inertia, Sungirl, Risk, Kid Crusader, Enigma and Duela Dent. Most of them don't make more than a cameo appearance; Inertia gets his laughs off Kid Flash in the quikest round-the-world race, Enigma floors Speedy with her (admittednly hilarously paced) lame jokes, while Duela Dent and the rest get their laughs off poor Robin/Nightwing. Meanwhile, Bat-girl Barbara Gordon (the absolute cutest Tiny Titan) spends the day with Robin as they attempt to pile up and dress like Batman to report in Police HQ.

These vignettes keep getting better with each issue, although they still skate on a fine line between Kids comics and geekboy fan-service (like the sea of in-jokes and the inclusion of obscure Titans continuity at every turn), as well as still trying to master some pacing issues... Disney Comics are also aimed at kids but they don't need to use such blindingly-big size fonts, or stick to a page-munching three-panel grid...

6.5/10








TITANS #3

(Judd Winnick / Joe Benitez)

-Yawn-

The Titans are hot on the trail of Trigon and his child(ren), stumbling into one of the oldest tricks in the book: Divide & conquer with a side of emotional manipulation as they're trapped into bickering, fighting and -cough-having sex-cough- (hey it IS a Winnick book) with each other...

I can't say I still see the point of this book existing still, diluting the already too-thin Titans franchise with a badly thought-out spin-off/companion piece...

Joe Benitez... His Starfire is indeed a thing of absolute style and beauty, and Beast Boy is growing on me - slooooowly. The rest of the cast? Ugh... I guess if DC must absolutely use him somewhere, he's better off paired with the sex-obsessed Winnick than muddying up McDuffy's JLA.

5.5/10

TRINITY #2

(Kurt Busiek & Fabian Nicieza / Mark Bagley & Tom Derenick / Art Thibert & Wayne Faucher)

Superman goes planet smashing, Wonder Woman tries for a personal best at giant robot smashing and Batman gets scarier than ever with cold focused mental control as the shady villains make their first move. Meanwhile a very badly-drawn Jon Stewart Green Lantern fights off against an amusing couple of alien villains. Why is tom Derenick and Sean Chen still finding regular employment in DC baffles me, and I'll continue moaning about it each week for your enjoyment until they no longer do...

If this second issue is any indication, we can look forward to a very snaily pace for the rest of the book's year; the writing is still enjoyable, as is the way the two writers intertwine their stories and feed off each other.

6.5/10





WONDER WOMAN #21

(Gail Simone / Aaron Lopresti /Matt Ryan)

'Ends of the Earth' part 2. This arc is quickly losing my interest as the sword & sorcery elements take over, and Diana gets deeper into her Xena the Savage headtrip. Guest-starring Beowuld (pass), a Loki facsimile, and the trollish uncredited... Conan? I have tremendous confidence in Gail Simone's simple destiny to write this title into the Top 20, but I do hope this Red Sonya phase passes quickly...

6/10



HUNTRESS: YEAR ONE #3

(Ivory Madison / Cliff Richards / Art Thibert)

A little less talk, a little more action...

Helena foils a kidnapping, touches base with an old friend in a surprising new outfit, and gets her own super-hero threads. The series keeps getting less and less interesting, as we move away from the drama and clever dialogue, and further into super-hero territory.

6/10


YOUNG LIARS #4

(David Lapham / David Lapham)

The Love Boat issue!

Our young pack of liars have boarded a cruiseship, sailing to escape the Pinkertons (the surreal ultra-sneaky masters of disguise private investigators) and the authorities (for murdering one of the aforementioned detectives), in search of the hidden booty detailed in the (dubious) treasure map.

What happens on the ship, almost stays on the ship:

Our loser protagonist Danny wakes up, bound, gagged, with a shrivelled-up wee-wee and a virgin blood stain on his sheets.

Our insanely innocent schizoid Sadie goes cruiseship-skiing on a silver platter and nude-pirating (plus she might be involved in the previous scenario in some bloody manner)

Our towering romantic trannie Donnie discovers the joys of scrapbooking

Our ambitious slutty band floosie Big C realises her ugly future

and our anorexic model Annie X gets a nasty anxiety attack in the face of old age.


Lapham defies the nasty tongues who dismissed this new title as an easy money-grab in between Stray Bullets issues, and keeps surprising us with the depth and desperation of his new regular cast. A weird, definitely Vertigo, mix of Childrens' Crusade, big concept action moments, the 'sex, drugs & rock'n'roll' trifecta and a pessimistically introspective look at the human condition. Oh yeah, and lies, lies, and more lies!

8.5/10



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What The ****

Count the **** in the Room to Win Big Prizes!





Source: X-Force - Ain't No Dog (Marvel Comics)

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