Comics and thoughts

Ok, here are my thoughts and comments about what came out last week. No particular order, except as how they were pulled from my folder...

Justice #3
The first two issues were really building an interesting premise, and this issue seems to be on the same track. I really like how most of the dialogue is still internal, and obviously I still love artwork. I'm not big on spoiling, but I'll say there are major events happening. It's annoying that Justice is bimonthly, but I guess that's the price of the realism in the art.

Infinite Crisis #3
Wow. The buildup is over and the real fireworks are begining. As frustrated I have become with the Batman side of the DCU, I love what he's doing in this line. Also, crazy stuff going on in the rest of the universe - I can almost hear people saying "I told you so" in one particular instance.

Batman: Journey into Knight #5
Originally I thought they were simply recycling the Contagion plot from way back, as more issues have come out it really feels like they are churning out a half-way original story. Batman in this series is one of the most human versions I've read in a long time - he talks a normal amount and gets in real harm's way to escape halfway by a knowledge of physics (even if they are a little skewed). Also, this miniseries seems well written, or at least a good amount of time has been spent on it. I'm really enjoying this series, thanks in part to the main titles feeling shoddy.

Batman: Gotham Knights #72
Finally a decent story in the main Batman titles. It's a single shot story that barely has an appearence of the caped crusader, mostly flashback and character drama. I enjoyed how it came across, though I do have a fondness for Batman - I don't know if everyone would enjoy it since the most action was Bruce getting slapped by an old woman.

I'm still new to the Green Lantern side of the DCU, so you can take these opinions with as little weight as you want. Much of what I know has been told by Kalinara, so you can imagine how that could be a little slanted. Still, I'm sure at least she is a little curious.

Green Lantern: Recharge #3
About time this showed up, could use a better cover too - Guy's face looks like a tomato and Kyle has huge teeth. Aside from those petty details the story is shaping up well. You can tell who are going to be the major players, and who will be teamed with who, and I think they are good match ups for now.

Green Lantern #3
Great how the gremlins are really aliens, and that German is an alien tongue (and Egyption). Didn't feel like a whole lot happened aside from the fight, though if anything important occured in the flashbacks I didn't catch it. Next issue may be more interesting, since this one flowed as more of an inbetween chunk of story. Also found it funny how everyone seemed to know who Hal was.

Okay, that's it for the DC chunk. I also pick up Darkhorse titles from time to time, and I regularly read Conan. I'm a sucker for sword and scorcery when it is well written and well illustrated - so here's my review of Conan #23...

Looks like Nord took a break from this issue, but the sketched art is still there with Ruth's own style - I don't know if Nord will return though. The afterward also said that Busiek will be leaving as script writer, who has given the series a strong narritive. I hope the comic doesn't suffer.

Essencially the entire issue is a massive flashback, with a flashback inside the flashback. Part of the story of Conan as a child, and is pretty straight forward in content. What really drives the story, and why I love the title, is the art. The comic is absolutely raw in its portrayal and energy.

The next issue's cover was previewed in Demons of Khitai #3 by accident, and I'll quickly touch on it simply becuase it is in my mind at the time. The cover featured full frontal nudity, which I hope is kept simply beucase it was a good work of art (and yes I consider it art, thanks to the context) - but I am afraid and sure it will no doubt be censored but cloth of some type. It will be sad to see if it is, but if they didn't I'm pretty sure comic shops and the publishers will get yelled at if it is put on the shelves that way.

Also worth noting, the Green Lantern: Rebirth graphic novel came out in hardback. That's it for (last) week's comics, in another few days I'll repeat this all over again...and maybe something of other interest will come around.