Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes: Season 1 Review

Writers: Chris Yost, Brandon Auman, Keven Burke, Chris Wyatt, Michael Ryan, Paul Giacoppo, Joel Sellner, Eugene Son, and Brian Reed

Directors: Vinton Heuck and Sebastion Montes

Starring: Brian Bloom, Chris Cox, Phil Lamarr, Eric Loomis, Gabriel Mann, James C. Mathis III, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, Fred Tiasciore, Rick D. Wasserman, and Wally Wingert

The history of cartoons based on Marvel comics is mixed bag of super hero cartoons. From older cartoons that weren't that well animated, to cartoons in the 90's that weren't that well animated, most of the shows made before the year 2000 just weren't that good. Even cartoons that were a beloved part of many fans' childhood, such as the X-Men and Spider-Man cartoons from the 90s, just haven't aged too well. Still, in recent years a few gems have emerged, such as X-Men: Evolution, The Spectacular Spider-Man, Iron Man: Armored Adventures, and Wolverine and the X-Men. These were series that not only had great animation, but were also well written, fun shows that any animation junkie can enjoy.

Last year, The Avengers got a new series called Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. The series follows the Marvel Universe's greatest team with a very classic line-up of Iron Man, The Hulk, Thor, Ant-Man, Wasp, Captain America, Black Panther, and Hawkeye.

Now, right out the door, this show is a little tough to get into. The team doesn't actually form until the seventh episode, with the first five episodes being introductions to the various team members with the sixth and seventh episodes telling the story of how the Avengers came together. These are a rough seven episodes, with Captain America's episode being the strongest of the first five and the two-parter being just alright.

Things pick up a bit over the next few episodes as the team begins to get some more interaction. One of the things the writers really got down well is how the Avengers are very flawed individuals. Iron Man is the cool jerk leader whose ego often gets the better of him. Ant-Man is a good natured scientist, but is a little too hesitant to take action at times. Hulk and Thor are both a little too violent.

The writers also do a great job of putting some conflict in there with these characters. Hulk and Thor are quite stand-offish in the beginning. Iron Man and Thor will often argue about just how useful earth technology is. On the flip side, there are times where the conflicts can be a little cheesy, with the worst offender being a mid-season episode where Iron Man and Cap have an argument over whether having a well trained body or technology feeling a little weak considering that these are both rather intelligent men.

Perhaps the biggest strength of this show is just how well it was planned out. While the first seven episodes aren't very strong, they each have elements and plot points that carry throughout the first season and that pay off so well in the long run, with a few future threads hung out there to boot. It really helps that there is such a wealth of stories to draw from, with elements from the comics and movies.

For the truly nerdy at heart, there are also some really cool easter eggs thrown into the show. One example is James Howlett (aka Wolverine) being in the Howling Commandos in the Captain America episode. At another point, Hawkeye jokes that the Avengers should move to the West Coast. It's things like these that show that the writers really care to show that they know the base material well and intend to use it to the fullest.

If the show has any real weakness, it's that it may not be aesthetically pleasing to everyone. This is a very stylized series. Still, designs are very close to the original looks of their comic counterparts, save for Iron Man, who looks more inline with his look from the movies and Wasp, who sports a completely original design. Of all the designs, my favorite is Ant-Man, who has a really cool costume that uses the classic Ant-Man design when he shrinks, and the Giant Man design for when he grows into a giant.

Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes is an all around great cartoon. After the initial hump, which pays off later on, the series really picks up and shows it's stuff as perhaps the finest Marvel cartoon yet. If you love the Avengers, or even just cartoons in general, give this series a look. It can be found on Disney XD, Marvel's website, and on Netflix Instant Streaming.

Comics I Like: 8/03/2011

From the depths of the internet, it's COMICS I LIKE! August is here and that means we're reaching the end of the Summer. It also means we're a month away from the DC Relaunch. This week, we've got comics, comics, and more comics. We also have some manga! So let's get started:

DC/Marvel/Liscensed

Batman: Knight of Vengeance #3

Writer: Brian Azarello

Artist: Eduardo Risso

Batman: Knight of Vengeance has been quite the wild ride. This alternate reality tale where (spoilers)Bruce Wayne died and Thomas and Martha Wayne ended up as Batman and the Joker is a truly tragic tale. Watching the flashback to young Bruce's death is a real heart breaker. Watching the Waynes slowly lose themselves in their attempts to cope with their son's death is crushing. All of it comes down to a final, devastating confrontation where nobody walks out okay. This team of Azarello and Risso have crafted a truly amazing take on this mythos that stands so well on it's own. As good as Flashpoint itself has been so far, this comic by itself stands leagues above it and goes above and beyond what my expectations for this event and all of it's tie in stories.

Secret Six #36

Writer: Gail Simone

Artist: J. Califiore

Colorist: John Kalisz

Letterer: Travis Lanham

Just like Batman: Knight of Vengeance, Secret Six was an ending that made me sad. Over the last three years, this has been hands down one of my favorite team books coming out of DC. As the story draws to a close, we find the Secret Six aiming to take down Batman by attacking and killing members of his "family". We're also treated to 3 small vignettes between, each summing up well how the members have grown over time. Each one sums up nicely the growth this team has gone through over the run of this series: Scandal Savage has found herself some happiness and Catman, Deadshot, Ragdoll have a particularly touching moment where they come to terms with what it means to be friends. Perhaps the best moment is the group realizing that they're at the end of the rope. Their last stand, along with Huntress' little monologue, is a great way to end this book. And it really sums up what I've loved about this book: Sure, these characters aren't heroes, but they are people and most of all, they're friends. Thank you, Gail Simone, wherever you are. This was a really fun ride while it lasted.

Venom #5

Writer: Rick Remender

Aritsts: Tony Moore and Tom Fowler

Inker: Crimelab Studios

Colorist: John Rauch

Letterer: VC's Joe Carmanga

Okay, this one's actually from last week, but still, Venom #5 is my first foray into this title from Mr. Rick Remender and it's got me sold on this series. This issue, we find our hero (Flash Thompson, Spider-Man's high school bully and the current recipient of the Venom Symbiote) actually not doing much work as Venom. He takes out some weird fly person at the beginning of the issue, but for the most part, this is a story about Flash Thompson's relationship with his dad, which is an abusive one. Reading this one tore at my heartstrings, and if you've ever had a loved one who was addicted to substance abuse, it'll resonate with you too. Reading about how Flash's life was affected by his father's alcoholism and just what he went through in his attempts to earn the love and respect of a man who didn't seem to keen on giving it is crushing. It's a harsh issue and by the time it's over, I don't see how anyone won't feel a little choked up reading it. (What is it with me and heart breaking comics this week?)

Amazing Spider-Man #666

Writer: Dan Slott

Artist: Stefano Caselli

Colorist: Marte Garcia

Letterer: VC's Joe Carmanga

Enough of this sad stuff; let's get to some good ol' fashioned comic book fun. If that's what you want, look no further than Amazing Spider-Man. Issue #666 is the Prelude to the Spider Island event, where New York comes down with a case of Spider Power fever. This issue is comprised of small scenes showing off just how awesome Peter's life is lately. There's a great mix of the Peter Parker and Spider-Man parts of Pete's life here, so there's not too much of one half. this is a nice little issue that gives us one last little breath before the storm that's about to take us through to November begins. Dan Slott's run has been nice so far, but this is the first big test as this is the first major story arc we'll really have. This will also be the last time I talk about this book on the blog until Spider Island ends. I want to see how it plays out entirely before I really voice my opinion of the entire story.

Hulk #38

Writer: Jeff Parker

Artist: Elena Casagrande

Colorists: Bettie Breitweiser and Jim Charalampidis

Letterer: Ed Dukeshire

Forget the Blob: nothing can stop Jeff Parker's run on the Hulk. Not even a mediocre event like Fear Itself can slow this series down. Yes, this is yet another great issue in Mr. Parker's great run on this series. This issue, we've got the Red Hulk getting his butt kicked around the the Hammer possessed Thing and MODOK and new Hulk baddie Zero/one teaming up together to kill Nazis. Not once does this event tie-in issue slow down because of it's association with Fear Itself. This is a plot that just keeps on soldiering along, even if it has to acknowledge that something big is happening across the Marvel Universe. So I salute you, Mr. Jeff Parker; not only are you writing two amazing books, but you're doing so despite the fact that they're being tied into one of those pesky event books.

Indie/Creator Owned

Criminal: The Last of the Innocent #2

Writer: Ed Brubaker

Artist: Sean Phillips

Okay, so this one isn't from this week, but if you're not reading Criminal: The Last of the Innocent, then you're just really bad at comics. Yes, the creator owned series from the team of Ed Brudaker and Sean Phillips is back and I've decided to take the dive and give the series a shot. This series follows the tale of a man who wants to kill his wife so that he can get out of his marriage while still remaining rich. This is a really great tale of what drives a man to kill and it's fascinating to watch the depths of underhanded, mean things that are accomplished. Mixed into it all is flashbacks done in the style of old Archie, but with much more vulgarity mixed in. And just when you think you're done with the issue, unless you've been reading this series for a while now, you'll find yourself surprised to learn that each and ever issue features a fascinating little essay in the back. So for the price of one comic, you're getting a great comic and a great essay. Why haven't you purchased this one yet?

Manga

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Vol. 1

Writer: Kenji Kuroda

Artist: Kazuo Maekawa

Translators: Alethea and Athena Nibley

Letterer: North Market Street Graphics

One of my favorite Nintendo DS games is Capcom's Ace Attorney series. Sadly, the latest title in the series might not get distributed in North America, which really sucks. Still, I managed to find a bright side this week, as I came across this at my local comic shop this week. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, from Kodansha comics is just the fix I need, providing new stories set in the world of the games. It even follows the formula of a game in the series. Every case has twists and turns in it, each a little more complex than the last. Also like the games, the first case in this manga features poor old Winston Payne as the prosecutor who just can't seem to build a solid argument. Another great things about this book is the art.

Artist Kazuo Maekawa does a fantastic job of making this comic look incredibly close to the art in the games. She even does a great job of working well with the tiny details in images. One great example in the first case is a very important detail in a cellphone image that ends up proving the defendants innocence. This is exactly the kind of thing you'd find in the games themselves, and this team of writer and artist really did a great job of crafting a story that fits in perfectly with the games. Another nice part of this comics is a section that gives some translation notes: it's nice to see the translators explaining that Japanese and English aren't perfectly compatible and explaining who and why they made some of the changes they made. There is one part of this manga that left me scratching my head: the Honorifics Explained section is nice and all, but it's unnecessary when this thing doesn't even keep the honorifics in the dialog (which again, runs true with the games).

Overall, this is a great book and belongs on the shelf of any fan of the Ace Attorney series. Even if you haven't played the games yet, give this one a shot; you may like what you read. (You might also be interested in previous manga releases "Ace Attorney: The Phoenix Wright Files" and "Ace Attorney: The Miles Edgeworth Files").

That's it for this week (and some of last week) in comics. Come back for some more reviews next week and maybe even a few more surprises (like me posting at all!) I've been watching a lot of Doctor Who lately, so I think I'm going to post up a big ol' review of the first three seasons. I've also got to get back to posting Webcomics I Like; I've really been slacking off on those. Enjoy your weekend!

Comics I Like: Procrastination Edition!

Hey, look at the time! It's REVIEWING TIME! Sorry for procrastinating on these so much lately, I've really been getting distracted by my 3DS. Between replaying Super Mario 64DS and Cave Story and finally playing Ocarina of Time (I'm ashamed to admit that it's taken me this long to play this game), watching Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (Which I will do a large review of when I'm all caught up) and Doctor Who (not so much reviewing this one, but I am loving it), I've distracted myself a little too much to do these little reviews. Still, here I am, with a bunch of comics I've been reading. I'm even dipping into non-creator owned stuff with this post! So let's get to it.

INDIE COMICS

The Goon #34

Writer and Artist: Eric Powell

It's been quite a while since the last issue of The Goon came out, so it's really nice to have this series back. This issue, Powell tackles the Twilight phenomenon in one of the best introductions to a comic I've ever read. He really does a great job of satirizing the Twilight style vampires and even provides us with a cover that I'd love to have on a T-Shirt.

But, oh, Twilight is only the beginning, as the Goon decides that it's time to take the fight to the source itself: tween girls. Yes, for too long we've had to sit by and watch these young lasses flood the airwaves with terrible things like Twilight, the Jonas Brothers, and dozens of other terrible, horrible forms of entertainment that no one should ever be forced to endure. Powell tackles this subject with his usual style of crude humor and he does so very well. If you haven't been reading The Goon, give this issue a chance. You won't be disappointed.

Verdict: BUY IT

RASL #11

Writing and Art: Jeff Smith

Much like The Goon, it's been a little bit since the last issue of RASL hit. Unlike The Goon, this isn't a one-and-done story. Still, this is yet another solid chapter in Jeff Smith's latest book. This issue has a really neat, trippy sequence in it, too, as our hero finds himself disconnecting with reality as a result of his travels between alternate timelines. If you've been reading this series so far, then you'll really be intrigued by the big event of this issue.

Unfortunately, I can't recommend this issue to new readers. If you haven't been reading this one, put out the money for the large hardcovers or the paperback pocket edition. Otherwise, you'll really find yourself confused with what's going on. Still, I do recommend that you read this series, because RASL is such a good read. Don't miss out on it.

Verdict: BUY THE COLLECTED VOLUMES INSTEAD

American Vampire: Survival of the Fittest #2

Writer: Scott Snyder

Artist: Sean Murphy

Colorist: Dave Stewart

Letterer: Pat Brosseau

I have a confession to make: I haven't been reading American Vampire. I'm ashamed of myself. It's got one of my favorite artists, Rafael Albuquerque, providing art that's finally getting him noticed and it's apparently an amazing read. So needless to say, I took this opportunity to get started on the series with American Vampire: Survival of the Fittest. This miniseries follows two of the characters from the main book as they go on a mission to take down Nazi Vampires before they can be unleashed onto the battle field. So we've got secret agents fighting Nazi Vampires using guns that fire wooden bullets? Awesome.

Sadly, regular series artist Rafael Albuquerque isn't providing art on this miniseries. Fortunately, Joe the Barbarian artist Sean Murphy is providing the art. Needless to say, said art is fantastic here. Heck, this may be a case where I pick up a series more for the art than for the writing. Considering how fantastic the writing is on this mini, that's really saying something.

Verdict: BUY IT

Marvel, DC, and Everything Else!

Sonic The Hedgehog #226

Writer: Ian Flynn

Artist: Patrick Spaziante and Tracy Yardley

Inker: Terry Austin

Colors: Matt Herms

Letterer: Matt Workman

First up on the Non-independently owned side of things is Sonic the Hedgehog, a comic that I'm actually jumping back onto. This issue is the first part of the Sonic: Genesis story line, in which writer Ian Flynn hits the reset button and sends the story back to the original Sonic the Hedgehog for the Sega Genesis. Needless to say, this issue is one huge nostalgia trip as our hero traverses the Green Hill and Marble Zones. Long time fans won't lose too much, as Freedom Fighters Sally, Antoine, and Rotor join him in his adventures. The story is light and fun, which is great because fans old and young alike will find themselves enjoying this one.

Perhaps the strongest element of this comic is the art, which is great. Spaz and the other artists really do a great job of bringing the classic games to life, bringing back some of the classic designs. This works especially well with Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik himself, who is back to his orignal design. Every page is like a window into my childhood, where I spent hours in front of my Sega Genesis playing old Sonic games.

If you're looking for a nice piece of 90's nostalgia, give Sonic the Hedgehog a shot.

Verdict: BUY IT

Batman: Knight of Vengeance #2

Writer: Brian Azzarello

Artist: Eduardo Risso

Of all the Flashpoint tie-ins out there, I'm only reading two different series. Of those series, Batman: Knight of Vengeance is far and away the better of the two. In fact, I'll go as far as to say that this is the best event tie-in series I've ever read. The story revolves around the Flashpoint timeline Batman as he searches for the Joker, who has kidnapped the children of Harvey Dent. The big twist of the issue is just who the Joker is, though I actually saw it coming by the time I was halfway through the issue. Still, just the way they reveal the Joker's identity and just what the Joker does at the end of the issue is powerful enough that it still pays off.

Mr. Azzarello really does a fantastic job weaving this story of a darker, older Batman and the fact that it's Thomas Wayne who fights to avenge Bruce's death makes this twisted image all the more intriguing. I think what I love most about this story is that you could actually remove the Flashpoint banner as this could stand alone as an Elseworlds' title. You don't need to know why this world is the way it is and you don't need to know that this Batman is helping Barry Allen fix this dark reflection of the DC universe. All you need to know is that this is Thomas Wayne a man who lost his family that night, who now fights crime as the Batman.

Verdict: BUY IT

Amazing Spider-Man #665

Writer: Dan Slott

Artist: Ryan Stegman

Inker: Michael Babinski

Colorist: John Rauch

Letterer: VC's Joe Carmagna

Finally, we have Amazing Spider-Man #665, the final issue before we start huge Spider Island storyline. This issue focuses on how Pete's new chapter in life affecting his tradition of taking in crappy movies with his good friend and former love interest Betty Brant. Sadly, Pete's new job and his membership in the Future Foundation and the Avengers, on top of his regular Spider-Man duties keep him from taking part in their favorite passtime. So when Betty decides to take in a movie she really wants to see by herself in a bad part of town and ends up getting mugged and seriously injured, Spider-Man goes on the hunt. Add in some touching moments in the main story and the back up and you get and this issue isn't too shabby.

Still, this isn't the strongest issue of ASM, and considering how close we are to Spider-Island, that really makes this issue stand out even less. It's still a good issue, just not a very strong one. That being said, the art in this issue is great. From that lovely cover up there (easily my favorite cover of the week) to the lovely interiors, this is a pleasure to look at.

Verdict: BUY IT

So that's it for now. I'll be back Thursday or Friday with a few of my favorite issues from this week, too. I'll also be back within the next two weeks with my thoughts on the first season of Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. For now, however, I'm going to go get some sleep.

"Thor: The Mighty Avenger" and The Crying Shame

This week, issue #6 of "Thor: The Mighty Avenger" came out and I've already read it. If you've read any of my older blog posts about this comic, then you should already know that I love this title. If you haven't, then I'll tell you now: I love this comic and this issue is no different than the five preceding it. With each and every issue of this book, Roger Langridge and Chris Samnee retell the origin of Thor in a way that is fresh, accessible, and (most of all) a pure joy to read. This is a comic that can read and find something they enjoy in it. Hell, it's pretty close to being my pick for "comic of the year". And yet it's a comic that isn't going to be around much longer.

Yes, unless you live under the internet's most impressive rock, you should know that "Thor: The Might Avenger" is ending as of issue #8. There's a multitude of reasons as to why this is sad, perhaps saddest of which is that Langridge has mentioned that the first full story arc of this comic would run until issue #12. That's right, not only is this comic dying, but it's dying before it can get it's first full story told.

Well I think it's a damn shame. It sucks that this comic is dying like this while lesser books continue to sell like hot cakes. Go into your local comic shop this week and count how many Deadpool books are on the shelves. Last time I checked, it was about 5. Now, I'm going to spoil something about each and every one of these books: they're all terrible. Not a single one is worth actually paying money for. And yet it continues to go on and "Thor: the Might Avenger" is cancelled. Do you want to know why? It's because these Deapool books sell. "Thor: the Mighty Avenger" on the other hand, isn't selling all that well. It's a sad truth about this industry, but it's a truth and it can't be ignored.

So what can we do? Honestly, going out and buying every copy from your local comic shop isn't going to help; they've already ordered and payed for those books. I'm not saying you shouldn't buy the issues of this series: it's a great book and your local comic shop could certainly use the business. But saving the series is going to take a bit more than buying the issues already out. No, what we have to do is buy the issues that haven't come out yet and the trade that's coming out in a few weeks. And not just buying them, but preordering them. Got to your local comic shop and let them know just how much you want this and do so in large numbers. The trade you can either get there, or you can save a few bucks and preorder it from Amazon.com, because they track the number of preorders they receive instantly.

Now, I'm not saying we're definitely saving this title: it's going to take effort from everyone and then some, but if we all go in and Marvel sees our money and hears our voices, than there's a good chance we could just save the day. We have the power, we just have to use it. We can save "Thor: The Mighty Avenger", but we have to do it now or all hope is lost. So when it comes down to it are we just going to watch this wonderful story slip away into the world of obscurity or will we raise our own hammers and utter those famous words "I Say Thee, Nay"?

The Weekly Round-Up: 10/20/10

Hey there, anybody awesome enough to read this; it's time for the Weekly Round-Up! What's the Weekly Round-Up? It's where I get every comic I've read this week, pick out a few, and write a short review for each one because I'm too lazy to write up a full review for each individual comic! Now let's get started shall we?

This week saw the release of Kick-Ass 2 #1, the first chapter of the sequel to Mark Millar's crazy comic which got turned into one of my favorite movies from this year! This issue has us looking in on the current situations of both Kick-Ass and Hit Girl after the big finale from the first series. Kick-Ass is trying to step up his super hero game, which include getting training from Hit Girl as well as looking into joining a super hero team. Hit Girl, meanwhile, is trying to get back into living life with her mother and new step father, which means she might just have to give up her life as Hit Girl. Story wise, it's a slow start back, though it is a first issue so it's not like I was expecting anything huge to happen. Still, much like last book, we're given a small taste of what's to come towards the beginning of this issue and what's to come looks amazingly awesome. Mark Millar, you have me ready to buy issue two, so please don't let me down with this one! Art duties are still held by John Romita Jr. and I wouldn't have it any other way. The guy draws some great violence and he draws a pretty good showdown between Kick-Ass and some thugs. There's also a nice little thank you letter from Millar himself as well as a look at how one of the pages from this issue was made, which is always kind of cool to see. I'm still on the fence on whether or not I'm going to buy all of this volume in issues: if I'm going to be waiting 2 years for 6 issues again, I'll just wait for the collected version. But if you liked the first one and you want at least a taste of what's to come this time around, pick this issue up!

This week also so the release of Carnage #1 by Zeb Wells and Clayton Cain. That's right, Marvel decided that it was time to bring Carnage back! Okay, I know how horrible that sounds; I'm not a fan of the guy either, but I picked this issue up because it's being penned by Zeb Wells, the guy who wrote the fantastic "Shed" story in Amazing Spider-Man a few months back. If he can make the Lizard awesome again, I have no doubt he can make Carnage into something other than a crap relic of the 90's! So does this first issue have me sold on this series at all? I'm still not sure, myself. The dialog here is good enough, and it's not too bad a start, but this issue has heavy reference to Maximum Carnage, which I've never heard anything good about (except for the SNES game based on it; that was awesome). We've got the Spider-Man doppleganger showing up and Shriek even shows up towards the end. Spider-Man even recounts a small bit of what happened in Maximum Carnage and how Carnage has the ability to make people go crazy. Wells already visited something like this in "Shed", so to see him maybe bringing an element like this into another one of his stories so soon is a bit alarming. And at $4 an issue for a mini bringing back a character I'm not sure should even come back I really need to be sold before I can recommend this to anyone else. So if you're really looking to feed that itch for Carnage, give this one a look. For everyone else, give this a small skim through at the LCS. I'm probably coming back for issue two, but I'm not sure I'll be going much farther than that.

Speaking of characters I wasn't sold on getting redemption: Jeff Parker's Hulk #26 is out this week and the big red jerk is actually proving to be a really good read! We start right back where we left off last issue with Rulk and Iron Man facing off with the cyborg drones from last issue. That doesn't last too long, as Rulk gets that solved rather quickly. We also get to see Thor smack Rulk around for a bit before the two are sent off into space to stop two comets from crashing into earth and doing some serious damage. We've also got the A-Bomb back-up which isn't too shabby itself. Parker is doing a great job writing this series so far and I look forward to seeing where he's going next.

Meanwhile, over at DC, Grant Morrison's Batman and Robin continues this week, with the penultimate issue of Morrison's run seeing release this week. This issue starts us off with Robin kidnapped by the Joker, Batman captured by Hurt and his cronies, and Gotham on the brink of destruction thanks to Hurt's plan. This issue has Robin kicking some ass, Hurt almost taking the win, and a final page that has me excited to see where this final issue of the run is going to take us! Not to be out done by the writing, Frazier Irving does a magnificent job on the art duties in this issue; I may still miss the glorious styling of Frank Quietly, but with Irving around I think I can live. Hopefully next issue isn't delayed too long, because I'm ready for it already, as well as the final issue of "The Return of Bruce Wayne". Add on top of all that the promise of the upcoming Batman Incorporated, and I'm as giddy as a school girl!

Finally this week, we've got Darkwing Duck #5. This is the start of the book's second story arc, and is the perfect jumping on point for anyone who hasn't done so yet. Negaduck is back and he's looking to take Darkwing down. This time, however, he's teaming up with a powerful ally that Ducktales fans might recognize: Magica de Spell! Their plan: destroy Darkwing's reputation by hypnotizing various Darkwings from alternate worlds and having them wreak havoc! To say that I'm loving this book would be a huge understatement: this is the book I find myself looking forward to more than any! It's funny, it's well written, and it isn't afraid to be a comic book, and I love it for that. And on top of all that, this is a comic that can be entertaining while still being for both kids and adults. There's only a handful of comics that can say that and as far as I'm concerned, this is the best of them! If you're planning on picking up only one comic this week, this is the comic you should be buying! I know how much wank I'm writing for this title, but it deserves every last bit of that wank and it deserves every last bit of praise and money I can give it.

And that's if for the Weekly Round-Up! But before I go I do have one last thing to add: DC Comic Presents: Batman 100-Page Spectacular is out this week and it's got some fantastic Batman reprints from none other than Ed Brubaker. It's an $8 book, but it's damn good and if you've got the money to dish out for it, get it! It's awesome. I'm also going to write up a full review for Strange Tales 2 #1 at some point in the next two days, so look for that!

The Weekly Round-Up: 09/29/10

Another week, another stack of comics and this week had some really good comics! So let's get started with this week's first book

We'll start off with a book I didn't think I'd ever be reading: Hulk! Yes, the one with the big red guy. The one that had Jeph Loeb's name on it until very recently. Well, I decided to give Jeff Parker's run on the book a chance; the guy is doing well on Atlas and Thunderbolts, so I can't go wrong here, right? Well, it could, but luckily for me it didn't. The issue itself is a pretty good jumping on point; Rulk's now under the watch of Bruce Banner and Steve Rogers, so that means he's playing on the good guy's side, whether he wants to or not. Of course the real surprise here is the art, which I thought was going to be the delicious Ed McGuinness art on the cover (the cover actually states otherwise, but I'm an idiot.) At first that put me off a little; the art by Mr. Hardman is so much different from the McGuinness art, but after a few pages of comic I found that I actually love Mr. Hardman's stuff just as much. There's also an A-Bomb (and I will go on record by saying that that name is stupid and should go back to the 90's where it belongs) back-up, and a one page story featuring three different hulks. The (ugh) A-Bomb back-up is a fun little story, with nice cartoon-y art by Mark Robinson (writer is still Parker). The one-page hulk story is written by Audrey Loeb with Dario Brizuela on art, and that story will fit right in with those of you who love the mini-marvel stories. Overall, if you've been avoiding the Red Hulk like it was red tide, you might actually find yourself surprised with this one. Give it a shot!

Meanwhile, over at DC, Paul Cornell is tearing it up on Action Comics; his Lex Luthor story is getting more and more fun with each issue. This issue has the mortal enemy of Superman facing down one of the Flash's greatest foes, Gorilla Grodd and what a fight it is! Luthor pulls some impressive stunts and Grodd goes the Venom route and eats brains (FOR THEIR DELICIOUS, DELICIOUS KNOWLEDGE!). And the whole thing ends with a guest appearance that will knock your socks off! (...unless the internet already spoiled it for you.)Of course that's only 1/3 of the issue; there's also the start to what is looking to be one of the most unusual second features yet as Jimmy Olsen, Superman's pal gets his own stories told. No Superman here, though; this story is following the events in the life of Jimmy Olsen during Superman's time on New Krypton! Oh, and Chloe Sullivan from Smallville is in it. One of the few things I really enjoyed about Smallville up to the end was Chloe, so I was really happy to see her showing up here. Overall, this is a fantastic book and is easily one of the best things DC is putting out right now!

Amazing Spider-Man #644 continues the finale of "Brand New Day" with "Origin of Species part-3" and boy does it have some great moments. Spidey continues to face off a huge gauntlet (oh, hey, I see what I did there) of his greatest foes and he does so while protecting a baby! Favorite moments from this include: Spidey getting rid of the Rhino using logic, Spidey beating Mysterio with logic, and Spidey beating up Vulture and Freak with, you guessed it, clever decoys! Okay, that joke was bad, but this issue had some pretty good LOL moments, like Doctor Octopus' "Octo-tracers" and the Chamelion pulling one over on Spidey. With one more issue left in this story, Mark Waid continues to build the grand finale that Brand New Day deserves and I'm excited to see how it all ends.

And finally, Brian Michael Bendis' Powers continues in Powers #6. Bendis' fantastic little series about police officers dealing with super power related crime is a pretty good series, and this issue has flash backs, twists and turns, a dead god, and a last page that will have long-time readers doing a double take. If you aren't reading this series yet, this is a good issue to give it a shot with. If you are reading, then I don't have to tell you twice. If you're only reading this one in trade, then I'm not going to spoil much more than I already have.

Overall, while this is a light week for me, it's a pretty good week. I found a new book, and got three issues of books I'm already really enjoying. And I'm not done yet! I've got the final issue of Atlas and a Pilot Season one-shot from Top Cow to talk about later this week, but for now I've got a cold and I feel like being lazy for a bit!

THORSDAY, Part Three: THORSDAY EVERYDAY!

Hey kids, guess what time it is! That's right it's time for THE THORSDAY REVIEW OF AWESOMENESS! What's that? "But it can't be Thorsday because Thorsday is a Thursday pun!" GUESS WHAT POOZERS, THORSDAY IS TOO POWERFUL TO BE JUST ONE DAY SO IT TAKES THEM ALL! Friday? THORSDAY! Saturday? THORSDAY! Christmas Day? THORSMAS DAY! So let's stop whining like little babies and man up because it's THOR TIME!

Today we look at Thor #615, which is the start of Matt Fraction's run on the series, which promises to be awesome. And if you look to your right, you'll see the cover for this issue. I really like this cover; Thor's standing in a heroic pose, looking up to the skies as is to signify that we're about to start up the winding road filled with all kinds of awesome adventure. Behind him stands Asgard, surrounded by dark ominous clouds, signifying that the Siege and fall of Asgard is over and it's time to start picking up the pieces. It's a new beginning and this cover does an awesome job of showing us that. It gets me excited and pumped for what's about to come up after it. And I'm glad to say that the content itself does not disappoint.

This first issue is a bit all over the place; We've got an off screen Asgardian talking with a scientist with a warning about the dangers of Asgard being on Earth, sweet little aliens getting decimated by meaner, planet conquering aliens, and Thor reminiscing on Loki before he heads off to give Balder a much needed pep-talk. Still, it manages to be a good start to a promising run on the book. There isn't much action, but Fraction's got some big threads starting here and I'm excited to see where it all goes. And it isn't all action and danger that's good, there's a hilarious little dialog between Thor and Daniel Blake as well as a funny, if not slightly predictable last page reveal. There's also some heartwarming moments, such as Thor's dialog with Balder. This isn't anything new; Fraction's done this same kind of stuff on Invincible Iron Man, but that doesn't stop this from being good.

My one complaint with Fraction's Invincible Iron Man is that the Larroca art is terrible; with Thor I absolutely cannot complain. The art here is awesome; the beautiful little planet of the doomed little aliens, the sheer savagery of the invader aliens, and a gorgeous two page spread of Thor looking over the fallen Asgard are all fantastic examples of Mr. Ferry's outstanding artistic abilities. This book is simply beautiful. Another visual pleasure is that the lettering here looks like it was done by hand. In a day and age where lettering is done on computers, it's kind of nice to see a comic look like it was lettered by hand. It's one of the things I love about Jeff Smith's comics and now it's one of the things I'm going to love about Thor.

If this issue is anything to go by, it looks like Thor is about to go to some very exciting places. If you haven't picked this issue up yet, you're really missing out because this is tied for my pick of the week!

The Weekly Round-Up: 09/22/10

Alrighty folks, if there's one thing I've learned from my summer of useless blogging, it's this; I like doing multiple review in one post. Let's face it; I don't review much outside of the stuff I'm already reading. I may occasionally pick up something new, but that only happens every once in a blue moon. Meanwhile I want to talk about what I'm reading and what I'm reading is stuff I've talked about at length multiple times. And since (a) piracy is wrong and (b) I'm not getting any review copies, it seems I'm just stuck writing about the same things over and over. Now then, ONTO THE WANK!

So first up this week is the book that should be the main Justice League book, Justice League: Generation Lost. First off, let's talk about that cover. Goddamn is that a sexy cover. If I ever saw that cover at a bar, I'd buy it a drink and then I'd try to hit on it, only to fail and end up back at home in a puddle of shame. That's how sexy this cover is. If I have one gripe with this cover it's that it's more misleading than the first Bleach Opening-a-majig. Batman appears in this long enough to give us a hint at just how powerful Max's trick is working. It's actually one of the cooler parts of the issue.

As far as the rest of the story in this issue goes: pretty standard. We get the team figuring out what they're going to do next (hunt down all of Max's little bases to see what they can find) and we see what Max is up to (tricking Magog into working for him). Still, there are three really cool moments in this issue: a nice moment between Fire and Ice, the already mentioned scene with Batman, where he and Power Girl show us just how powerful Max's world wide mindfudgery can be, and the final page, which has the appearance of an awesome group of characters that I'm not spoiling for you. Honestly, if you aren't reading this book right now, then you should be, because it's freaking awesome.

Meanwhile, back in Marvel Land, Jonathan Hickman is tearing it up on the Fantastic Four. And this time, he's got STEVE EPTING on art duty, as we start up "Three" which promises to kill one of the FF. Now before I get to what I liked, I do have to say that I'm disappointed in Hickman for doing the whole "Someone dies" story: not only is this a tired cliché, but it's the hook to a story that Mark Millar did on his run on FF, which was the run before this. Still, that being said, this isn't bad for a tired cliché story that the previous writer already covered. We've got a great little scene between Valeria and Doctor Doom, we've got the FF doing their fantastical thing and fighting against fantastical baddies, and we've got hints of something happening involving Doom, Reed, and third guy that I have yet to recognize hooked up to some weird machine. It's all over the place, yet I had no time following what was happening save that part with the weird machine. And much like Justice League, this issue closes with an "OH S#!%" moment, which got me really excited for what's next.

Art wise, Steve Epting is off to a nice start, with the high point being that last page. His art is definitely a big factor in the crazy awesomeness of the last page and his art is just all around good. I look forward to next issue, which will have Ben Grimm de-Thinging, which promises to be heartwarming. (I can't even tell if I'm being sarcastic here)

And while I didn't bother to scan their covers, the Ultimate Universe got it's monthly dose of Bendis with the release of both "Ultimate Mystery #3" and "Ultimate (Comics) Spider-Man #14". Ultimate Mystery continues to be a pretty great Spider-Woman and Fantastic Four tale. We get to see the new Ultimate FF smack down the Ultimate Nova, while Jessica continues her infiltration of Roxxon. We also finally get to meet the guy behind the attacks from Ultimate Enemy, and if it is who I think it is, then holy crap Bendis really pulled one over on me. Still, I can't advise anyone to buy this in issues, because this is just gonna read better in trade. But definitely pick it up in trade, because this is pretty awesome.

Meanwhile, Ultimate Spider-man ends "Tainted Love" and what an ending it is. The (boy)Chameleon faces off against Johnny Storm and Iceman in a fight that does nothing but satisfy. The Creepy Chameleon sibs end up getting their comeuppance, which involves one of the coolest displays of the human torch powers that I've ever seen. Still, the status quo of the Ultimate Spider-man story is once again shaken and it looks like Pete's gonna be single again. Oh, and did I mention that David Lafuente is a beast, because he is.

Finally we've got The Flash #5, which may or may not feature a typo: the chapter title reads "Dastardly Death of the Rogues Part Four", though I do believe this story started in issue #1, which would make this part 5. Again, it may not be, but I'm too lazy to look this type of thing up.

The issue itself is pretty good, with The Rogues and the Renegades facing off over who gets the Flash. There are some really cool Rogues moments here, like Mirror Master escaping an attack from the Flash by hiding in the little wings on his cowl and the reveal of what is hidden in Scudders giant "Break In Case of Flash" mirror. There's also twist I actually did not see coming and it's a big one. And for those of you who either listen to Tom vs. the Flash or are familiar with silver age Flash, there's a reference to the fact that time cops are always dicks who only care about their era.

Much like Lafuente, Francis Manapul is owning the art in this book. While we don't get any huge awesome Flash sequences where we get to see the Flash doing his thing, we do get a full page spread of the Rogues and Renegades fighting, there's the sequence with the Flash getting trapped in Scudder's big trap, and an awesome page where we get to see the Weather Wizard show off his weather wizardry! This may not be the best book DC is putting out at the moment, but it certainly is the best looking book they're putting out right now. (Joe the Barbarian is a very close second!)

Tomorrow (maybe!): I take a look at Thor #615 as I do a THORSDAY REVIEW OF THOR-Y GOODNESS of the first issue of Matt Fraction's run on the book! And (maybe!) then I'll talk about Avengers and the Infinity Gauntlet, by two of my favorite Brians: Brian Clevinger and Brian Churilla!

THORSday, Part Two: THOR HARDER

Two Thor comics are out on a Thursday? Looks like it's time to do another THORSDAY DOUBLE REVIEW! That's right, I'm following up my blog post about how I want to do more than just reviews by giving you maggots a DOUBLE REVIEW! That's the power of two reviews and they're multiplied my THE POWER OF THOR! Did you feel that? That was your soul exploding from the sheer awesomeness of the THORSDAY DOUBLE REVIEW MULTIPLIED BY THE POWER OF THOR!

I'll start you off with Thor 614, which is the final chapter in Kieron Gillen's awesome run on the book. Thor is in Hell and he's summoning the Disir (read: zombie viking chicks) to save Tyr and Hela from getting eaten alive. Needless to say, he wins, and the way he does so is pretty damn brutal. Doug Braithwaite just killed it on the art here and for that I can only give my thanks, because this is how a story about Thor adventuring through Hell should look. Overall this was a great end to an overall awesome run. If I ever reread this story again I'm gonna have to put together an awesome Metal playlist so that I can have the proper backgroung music for something of this magnitude (sorry Scott Pilgrim soundtrack, but you just don't work as well for Thor books!)

Meanwhile, Thor: The Mighty Avenger, continues to be the smash hit of the Summer, as well as one of the books I look forward to the most with each new issue. If you're looking for a place to start reading Thor, this is it; it's out of continuity enough that anyone can pick it up and read it, but it's so well crafted that any seasoned comic fan will just fall in love with it.

This issue we find Thor meeting up with his old friends the Warrior Three and they go out drinking. Then hilarity ensues and I mean actual hilarity; there's a scene where Thor and the Warriors Three are fighting this issue's guest star where there's a dog pile that is just pure comedy gold. Aiding it all is Chris Samnee's fantastic art. If you aren't buying this book, you're missing out, because this is easily in the top five best books that Marvel is putting out right now.

So there we have it; THE THORSDAY DOUBLE REVIEW OF THOR-Y GOODNESS, MULTIPLIED BY THE POWER OF THOR! Don't worry, I'm sure your soul can be put back together and even if it can't, go buy some more Thor, you damn Thor junkies!

The Gauntlet 2: Reviewapalooza aka Oops I forgot to review...

Hey there, tiny reader base! I'm angry at myself for slacking off lately, so to make it up here comes "The Gauntlet"!

Red Robin #15 might just be the best book I've read this week, with the third chapter of "The Hit List" being perhaps my favorite issue of this story yet. The issue deals with Tim trying to keep the secret identities of the entire Bat-family secret (as Vicki Vale seems to have figured it all out), and he does so by tricking the public into thinking that Tim Drake has been shot and that Red Robin has stopped the assassin who tried to get the kill, Scarab. Fabian Nicieza has been doing a bang up job on this book since he took over for Chris Yost and I look forward to this new status quo for Tim making for some interesting stories for the immediate future. Marcus To also does a great job on this book, where he draws what might be the cutest damn Miss Martian ever. Jump on this one if you haven't already, because it's damn good.

Secret Six, while not the other contender for best book this week, was awesome. This issue takes place almost like an Esleworlds story, with the Six being re-imagined into the Wild West, with a surprise appearance of Slade Wilson, also re-imagined for the setting. Gail Simone has yet to disappoint with this book and if you aren't reading this book yet, pick this issue up because it's a great point to start on.

Meanwhile, over at Marvel, Jonathan Hickman continues to do a bang-up job with every and anything he's writing there. S.H.I.E.L.D. #3 (my other choice for best book this week) is out this week and it gives us a new way to look at Nostradamus and another of history's greatest minds that I won't name, because you should be reading this. This is the kind of book that I've wanted from mr. Hickman when it came out that he would be working with Marvel and I am so glad that it's not disappointing. As a nice little bonus we get an awesome little transcript of the conversation between Pope Gregory XIII and Galileo about Galactus which is pretty awesome to read. This is just an all around fantastic book.

Speaking of Fantastic, last week gave us another of Hickman's current Marvel books, Fantastic Four. This issue has us looking back on Reed and Ben in college, where they went to school with Victor Von Doom, and then we get to see Reed's father appear right out of the pages of Hickman's S.H.I.E.L.D., looking for help to fight off his doppelganger from another reality. This is a nice little issue, with the best part being Reed having to suck up his pride and ask Doom for help which Doom does with the aid of his large assortment of weapons (because Doom had Doomsday devices in college, too). Neil Edwards does a decent job on pencils here, though I'm counting down the issues until Epting takes over (583 cannot get here soon enough!). If you're reading S.H.I.E.L.D., then this will be an interesting issue for you, and if not buy it anyway.

Hellboy: The Storm continues to be an awesome follow-up to the last mini, and it continues to be a book everyone should be reading. Hellboy continues his journey across Europe and he continues to face off against the various beasts and demons that get in his way. We're building towards something huge and I'm excited to see what it is. Duncan Fegredo also continues to provide amazing art for this book, giving us art that looks like Mignola's without feeling too forced, and I love it for that reason. If you aren't reading this book than do yourself a favor and get started on those trades and then slap yourself for not jumping on this thing already.

Finally, we have Doomwar which ends this week which goes out on a decent bang. We end with everyone showing up for one final showdown with Doom who now controls all of the Vibranium in the world, which means he has his claws in just about everything. Everything looks like it's going to end in Doom's favor and that we'll have to put up with an overlord Doom status quo (which actually sounds awesome), but then T'Challa hits us with a huge bomb that will actually have an impact as he brings in a huge change in status quo for himself and the entire country of Wakanda. If you're a huge fan of Doctor Doom or Black Panther than this is the book you need to be reading, though at this point you should wait for the trade.

So there it is, six reviews to make up for a few weeks of inactivity. Each of these books is something you should be reading. I'll probably be back before Wednesday with a big RASL review, so look for that when it hits!

THORsday Double Review!

This week Marvel is giving us a double helping of Thor-y goodness, so it's only natural that I give you the same. That's right, this isn't Thursday, this is THORsday! We'll start things off with Thor #612.

Kieron Gillen gives us one hell of an issue as Thor and Tyr head off to Hell to face off against the Disir. That's right, this issue is about the god of thunder heading down to Hell itself to fight what are essentially viking zombie goddesses. This is a damn awesome way for Mister Gillen to close out his time on this book and while I am excited to get my hands of Fraction's upcoming run on the book I don't think I'll be bored with stories like this filling the pages of the book.

And before I get on to our other Thor title, I must say that this cover is very, very awesome. We've got Thor surrounded by what I assume are the fires of Hell, which is just awesome. And the preview for next issue shows an even better image of Thor fighting some hell beast with a Ram's head. Awesome.

Our next book, Thor: The Might Avenger, might not have Thor in Hell fighting viking zombie goddesses, but that doesn't stop this from actually being my favorite of the two Thor books this week. While Gillen's book is awesome in a "Hellfire and Brimstone" way, Roger Langridge and Chris Samnee's Thor is a combination of fun and funny with just the right amount of heart that it's officially won me over with it's charms.

The story is a retelling of Thor's origin story, but with a lighter, fun fulled, and humorous tone. Thor has been banished from Asgard to Midgard, and with nowhere to live he finds himself living with Jane Foster, who provides the moral support and reason that the big guy needs while living on earth. This issue he faces Hyde again, who wants to make smooches (of the non-consensual kind) with Jane, and Thor has to step in and save her. Pretty standard until you add in Langridge's dialogue and humor into the mix and this book just works you over with it's lovable charm.

Complementing the writing completely, making everything in this story just that much more great. There's a scene with Thor sitting down and watching TV while eating a sandwich that I don't think would have worked without Samnee's art, giving Thor some brilliantly done facial expressions. And it's not just the humor; it's the drama, the action, and every emotion in between that Samnee captures pitch perfect. Matt Wilson makes it all that much better with his coloring; this bright and warm coloring makes it all that much more perfect.

Without a doubt, books like these and an upcoming movie means that this is a good time to be a Thor fan. And if you aren't reading any Thor yet, pick up either of these books, you won't be disappointed!

Shadow Land #1: Ninjas, Ninjas, Ninjas

Oh hey, it's summer and you know what that means. No, it's not time to go to the beach, that's silly. No, it's not time to get yourself a new tan. No, friends, it means it's time for a large crossover event. Time for Shadowland, the event where Daredevil becomes evil and throws hordes of Ninjas at everyone!

It's kind of cool to get an event that's actually on a smaller scale. This isn't for control of earth, or for the fate of the universe, instead focusing simply on New York City and the vast quantity of street level heroes that live and operate there. And it's nice to see things scaled down so much.

In our opening chapter, we find Bullseye escaping his captors and getting back to what he does best; killing people with sharp objects. And by people I mean Daredevil, which now means he aims to kill the hand. Of course Luke Cage and Iron Fist want to talk to Daredevil to see what's going on, but good ol' Bullseye beats them to it. What goes down next is Bullseye killing his way through Hand ninjas, the preferred cannon fodder of the street level Marvel Universe, before Daredevil just destroys him. With a (not too) shocking final page, we see that Daredevil isn't messing around here, and as one particular crappy music video shows us, there's no looking back. Until retcons happen, that is.

Billy Tan's art does it's job, even if I'm not necessarily blown away by it. It fits the story well enough and I really can't think of too much more to say about it.

Overall, this isn't too bad of a start. Not much really happens, but what does happen packs enough of a punch to bring me back. Just make sure to avoid those tie-ins, they'll kill your wallet.

The Gauntlet: 6 reviews in one post!

So I've been out of my reviewing ways for quite a while. As such, I feel like I've got a lot to make up for. There are a ton of things that I feel that I've missed out on reviewing that I feel bit disappointed in myself. So, to make up for lost time I shall over compensate with 6 reviews in one go. There will be no scoring in my reviews because shut up this is my review blog.

First up on out plate is 3 issues of Amazing Spider-man: 633, 634, and 635. In issue 633 we find ourselves at the end of Zeb Wells and Chris Bachalo's "SHED" story, with Emma Rios lending a hand with the art. This is a satisfying end to what has been one crazy 4 part ride. Wells has taken the Lizard and made something truly spectacular with the character, and for the first time in ages the character is actually interesting. Bachalo's new look for the lizard only makes things better, turning the character into an actual lizard and a creepy one to boot. Ms. Rios doesn't do half bad herself, blending in so well that I didn't even know two artists did pencils for this. Good to see the book reach this high again, and the next two issues are only building upon that.

634 and 635 start Joe Kelly and Michael Lark's story "The Grim Hunt" which is what this book has been building to since beginning "The Gauntlet" and sweet mama is it a doozy. The Kraven family, sans Kraven himself, have banded together to hunt the "Spiders" which is pretty much any Spider themed hero and Kaine, who needs to not exist. By the end of issue two, we find ourselves with a twist that I loved and an ending that had me saying "Oh $#!#" out loud. Joe Kelly, if this book ever becomes a one writer show, you should be the man to take it over. Lark's art is surprisingly appropriate for this story, which may just be the understatement of the year. It's a good time to be a Spider-man fan!

Review #4 is New Avengers #1, which is actually my favorite first issue of the new batch of Avengers books from Marvel. Here we have Luke Cage putting together HIS team of Avengers, which he's running in the Avengers Mansion, which is now his. This time however, Maria Hand is being tossed into the mix, which is a really good thing; I'm excited to see what Bendis has in store with her on the team. Art is once again the duty of Stuart Immonen and for all I'm concerned it can stay that way. He draws this team like nobodies' business. I look forward to reading issue #2!

Over at DC, Batman is the man as far as this post is concerned; with two issues getting covered, let's start things off with Streets of Gotham #13. Paul Dini and Dustin Nguyen start off year 2 of this book with the second half of a two part-er about the carpenter, a joke character from Dini's run on 'Tec. This may sound like an awful idea, but it's actually a really decent issue. Dini's strength with this book has been in building up Gotham's underground and here it's no different. The Carpenter is a really cute character and I'm actually glad we get to revisit her for these two issues. Mr. Nguyen needs to never stop drawing Batman. There's also the Manhunter back-up which is pretty good, though I really don't care for the art.

Finally, we have Grant Morrison's "Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne" #3 0f 6. Holy cow, this is the best issue of this series by far. The first two were good, but this, this is fantastic. Here we find Bruce captured by a crew of pirates who are forcing him to traverse a familiar little cave. Batman and pirates is like peanut butter and chocolate; I don't think I'll ever get enough of it to truly satisfy me. Also, Morrison really has a knack for writing pirate dialogue. Yanick Paquette's pencils combined with Michel Lacombe's inks and Nathan Fairbairn's colors complete the combo and give us a spectacular pirate story. Oh, and next issue is Batman vs. Jonah Hex. Grant Morrison, you magnificent bastard.

And there we have it! Six, count em', six comics reviewed in one post. Now I need to sleep.