Small reviews and updates

I plan to shop myself around at the upcoming comic convention. I know I won't be able to show my stuff to some of the major studios, but I'll be able to show it off to indies and artists already in the industry. I need all the help I can get, but I have a good start thanks to Kal. More on this later as it develops.

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52 still on schedule as of issue 3 and still strong. Black Adam and Power Girl are fun, and Booster is a total puppet.

Batman #653 - Wow. Almost nothing happens in this issue, but it's one of the best I've read in a long time. Face the Face is the best story I think I have ever read in the main continuity.

Secret Six #1 - Off to a great start. Gail Simone is quickly becoming my top favorite writer for DC. Her intercharacter banter really makes her work fun to read. Hate that this is only a miniseries.

Battle for Bludhaven #4 - Hey look, body count is finally growing! I still don't know what is going on, nor are any of the character interesting. By the time the ending happens I doubt the end will be any more interesting than X-Men 3 (see earlier post).

JSA Classified #12 - Ok, first of all I have to say I enjoyed the issue, however one thing seriously bothers me about this issue. Either the writer or penciler has never been to the Appalachian Mountains, which is where the story takes place. In the issue it looks like they are in the Rockies or Himalayas. It's a very old range so there are no sharp peaks, and it is basically a temperate zone allowing many trees of various types to grow. Here's an example. Living near them and able to look out a window and see them makes the art really bother me. Aside from that error, the story is still interesting (including a mention of Sand).

Saw X-Men 3 last night...

All I can really say is "wow."

Wow, as in impressive special effects.
Wow, as in terrible writing.

I'll try to keep spoilers out.

Honestly, I don't care that Ratner took over directing. I don't care that they killed people off. I don't care that Storm had more screen time due to her having an Oscar and demanding it.

Still, there was little plot except as an excuse to fight. Mutants tossed in that really didn't belong half the time (I'll admit you need many mutants for an army, but they don't all need screen time). Glaring continuity problems. And, contrary to what Piccard was trying to teach the kids early on, there are no ethics or morals involved at the end - it is just one massively pretty battle.

It's sad too, becuase there were several moments where the film touched a very strong core. Angel crashing through the window and escaping over the street protest. Close up on Rogue when the cure is announced. Magneto working his magic is equally fun to watch.

I'll give it a C overall. If it would have been well written and executed it would have been much higher, and only the visuals save it from a worse grade.

All Star Batman & Robin is Awesome!

I'm going to get a lot of flak for this, but I think All Star Batman & Robin is awesome. I can't wait to see how the series wraps up. There is so much that could happen, and I can't wait to read it. Frank Miller is awesome.

Ok, this is where I take a breath at just the right moment and deliver an ill concieved punchline.

By awesome, I mean awesome like a car wreck. As bad as it may be, you can't help but watch as medics arrive and pull the bodies from the mangled wreckage. Issue two was a train colliding with the car wreck. Three was a plane making an emergency landing on top of the train. As for issue 4, I'll say Bizarro tossed a cruise ship on the whole mess becuase nobody wants to go on a cruise when they are sad.

The only redeming point in the issue, or the whole series so far, has been the six page fold out of the batcave. Still, even that was tainted by lots of Frank Miller homages. He is basically tagging with his hand that which he did not create - I seem to remember that being called vandalism. Problem is, DC gave him permission for this monstosity.

Still, I suppose I can be content in the knowledge that Frank Miller got Batman. Imagine what he would have created given access to Superman or Wonder Woman. Wait, he did have Superman running (running! Frank, the man can fly) and I think Wonder Woman is on the cover of an upcoming issue. Crap. This will never end...

Comics!

Yeah, it's been a while since I actually typed about comics that came out shortly after they actually came out. I have excuses and no need to make them online. Here's what I thought about yesterday's pull.

52 is still going strong.

Robin 150
Hmmm...well this is crazy. Cassandra has gone off the deep end - or so they want us to think. Thanks Kal for calming my nerves before I read it. Yes, she spoiled it before I read it, but I'm a bit glad. I think I would have seriously lost a nerve if Cass really is crazy.

Green Arrow 62
Spoiler: Ollie beats the crap out of Deathstroke tactically, and calls in the national guard to arrest him. Very very fun to read.

Man-Bat 2
Issue 1 had my curiosity with the wiping of the history the character had. Now with issue 2 I have to say I'm a bit disappointed. The plot didn't advance at all, and the little it did became more twisted. My biggest disappointment? Black Mask is alive, having admitted to surviving Catwoman's point-blank shooting. They don't explain it, but he is alive and has no real point in the series aside from exposition.

Conan 28
Retelling an alternate view to a previous adventure, as a nice homage to Robert E Howard. The art didn't seem quite up to par with the rest of the series to this point, but it was a nice read.

Now, for the lengthy look at Shadowpact #1.

First of all, Day of Vengence was probably the most enjoyable of the preCrisis miniseries. I'm a fan of disfunctional groups who try to act heroic, when pulled off well. The group that gathered in DoV was great, and I wholely enjoyed their antics. Out of the miniseries I have to say I liked Blue Devil and Nightshade. Blue Devil seems to be a lot like Hellboy in action, and Nightshade is just really interesting to me. The showstealer, however, was Detective Chimp. When I read that the group was getting its own ongoing series I was happy - more disfunctional magical adventure!

Reading the first issue I have to admit it didn't have the bite I thought it would have. It opens one year ago for the setup with Superman, who apparently isn't bothered at all by Infinite Crisis which should be going on (becuase, well, after IC there is no Superman and the Shadowpact formed on the brink of IC). The pact themselves seem kinda bland, almost very accepting of each other. Teamwork is one thing, but where is the spice that made them so fun before?

Another thing - the villains are basically the anti-Shadowpact. Same powers, different colors and clothes, and they are evil. Hopefully there will be some good witty banter in the next issue then the groups finally fully enounter each other. I still have hope for the series, but it isn't off to a great start.

A few things about Battle for Bludhaven

Issue 3 of the series, halfway through, and I still don't know what's going on. Opposite of Ion, I think this is a bad thing for this comic.

First of all, they have a cast list of who is who just inside the cover. Many characters, and I don't care about any of them with the exception of the Teen Titans. It isn't that I don't like them, it's that none of them have been developed at all to a point where I'm interested. Almost everything so far I have read concerning the characters relies on gimmicks and stereotyped personalities, as far as I can tell.

Honestly, I don't know who the good guys and the bad guys are. Sure, I'll admit I think there isn't supposed to be a line drawn between who to back and who not to cheer for. However, I think I'm supposed to be interested in this S.H.A.D.E. group as the victor in the end, but there's just one thing wrong with that idea.

I don't like S.H.A.D.E. and here's a quick little rundown as to why.

Bigfoot acts and sounds like a antebellum slave. The way he talks and his mannerisms feel ripped out of books set in that time period. For a character named Bigfoot I would have thought he would be someone who rarely, if ever, talks and just appears and disappears. Like Batman in a few ways, but not the deductive part. He would follow his orders and spook his targets, occasionally berserking in combat.

Phantom Lady is a porn star blow up doll and seems to have no depth so far. Beyond that she hasn't had much focus.

Human Bomb I actually like, but by design only so far. Spontanius human explosion is a fun concept, and I like the black trenchcoat. Fingernail explosion of that size is fairly outragous though.

Doll Man has had little so far, so that's all I'm going to say.

Replicant had me groaning right at birth. "Hey I'm an all powerful telepath, and I know what everyone is thinking and doing within 100 miles. I'm going to help you without question because you're in charge here." I'm also not fond of the thick inking of his outline, kills his implied shape.

Father Time could be interesting, if he would actually do something. Looks like he will next issue, so we'll see. Right now he's playing the mightier-than-thou card with everyone.

Major Force and Captain Atom seem to be basically the same as before, and I'm happy with that. The action I've seen Atom in has made me like his character (though most of the experience was JLU). Force seems like a fun character from the little I've seen.

On the other side of the action, the Atomic Knights need a lot more explination for how they are organized. They seem like the good guys, but like I've said before I have no idea who to back.

On a positive note, the plot is really moving along and should have a good conclusion. I'm just not liking this new "super hero" group at the moment.

Things I picked up on today in comics

A few things grabbed my interest today as I read comics that were pulled today. No real structure today, just typing as I think of things per issue.

First of all, in JSA 85, I notice that Alan doesn't have anything wrong with his eye. I like the eyepatch and wish he had it still, or at least had it hanging near bedside. I also like Powergirl landing on Gent Ghost and knocking him low on the ground making him bamph out. Ghost's story is still mediocre, and still not explaining how he is what he is now. The dead realm was interesting and fun, but I am really curious and confused as to why Batman was there. Good moments with Jade.

Action Comics 838 - Really curious about what is going on. My first assumption is that the thing stuck in the earth could be something that allowed Krypton to know of Earth, like a scout probe or something. Supe's is slowly getting his powers back, and I think they are doing the slow recovery well. What really made me chuckle is that, if you look closely, Clark is reading Jennifer Government at the ballgame. I'm not sure what to think about that, but I think it is clever.

Detective Comics 819 - No! They killed Orca! I guess that was bound to happen, but that was a bit icky of a discovery (thanks croc). I liked that they developed her a bit more, and that she was one of the few that had a good one year after IC. Well, who am I kidding - I barely know the character aside from how absurd she was in concept. Still, good ending and still much to twist around in the final chapters of the story. Question though, is that former Comm. Akins turned villain?

Teen Titans 35 - Not a whole lot of plot progression, but a periodically fun issue. Robin is still playing mad scientist inbetween getting hit on by a nude Ravager, to which I grinned at both. Everything is screwed up for the Titans. Mystery surrounding human cloning stuff, and Tim's playing clueless. Interesting.

As for Infinite Crisis 7, no spoilers but it has one hell of a conclusion.