Comics! - Finally!

Yes, I have comics and they have been read. Not many came out from my selections, but I figure some things are worth talking about. Here are a few reviews, now with bold!

OMAC #1 - OMAC Project was interesting enough for me to get into the current Checkmate ongoing series, which I really like right now. However, with time I have drifted away from the idea of OMAC, and I'll admit I sort of skipped over the story in Brave New World. Now the question is begged of what I thought of this issue.

Personally, I didn't feel much happened. A single OMAC still exists and Brother Eye apparently still exists, and OMAC is being called "home" by Eye. Despite the lack of progress the story really flowed well. I'm still curious about this mini, and I have a sneaking suspision they may turn OMAC into a sort of Robocop type character - driven by protocol, nearly unstopable to carry out the law, and torn by the human aspect when making descisions. 7.5/10

Detective Comics #821 - Paul Dini writing Batman is good. Finally a single solid issue. No arching plot. One fully contained mystery that gets resolved in classic Batman style. I love it. Not much else I can say about this issue, except that I would think it would be a great starting point for the new reader.

Two things about the issue I'm not too fond of. One is petty, the other is odd. First off, I think the cover art is odd due to the way the cowl is drawn on Batman. It looks like Batman has no neck and the eye holes are huge. The petty bit is the massive 8 page ad in the center for that Dew competition. It's absurd, and who in their right mind would really read the whole thing? I barely notice ads in comics because I want to read the story. I notice ads like those because I become frustrated not being able to switch back into reading mode. It's jarring and takes me out of the story, like an infomertial in the middle of a television show. Still, I guess they could get away with including something like that considering the story. 8/10

JSA #87 - I didn't even know the title was ending on this issue. The fact that it did is upsetting, mainly since it didn't feel like it needed to end. Characters were still missing, and there was no reason to end except that the brownstone was demolished in battle.

JLA dissolved because they couldn't make ammends with each other, they went their seperate ways to cool off. Breaking up - it's a good reason to end a title. JSA didn't break up, in fact it looked like they became closer knit - not a good reason to end a title. To me, it looks like they are rebooting the title becuase they are rebooting everything else. Can't a single group title survive Infinite Crisis? I mean, come on, there has to be some continuity between preIC and postIC, and why not the group of heroes who pretty much personify legacy?

Oh well, my biggest complaint was that the title ended in more of a pop-fizz than a bang. Gent Ghost felt in the end felt like a generic bad guy bent only acting like a villain-of-the-day. No extreme struggle in which lives were honestly threatened. Ghost threatened their lives, but they were never in real danger. Besides, Wildcat gets a real shining moment, and that was fun to read. 6/10

Transformers: Evolution#1: Hearts of Steel - Long title, but I like the concept of the title. Basically think of it as an ongoing Elseworld title based on Transformers. This first story arch puts them in the Industrial Revolution, with John Henry and Mark Twain. In the begining with the story background all the transformers are like dinosaurs and dragons and stuff. Later when they reawaken, Bumblebee turns into steam engine and shockwave appears as an ironclad ship. So far I'm really liking this title, because it is essentially extreme bizarro Transformers, and that is awesome. 9/10

Quickies!

52: Week Nine - It's not Galactus, and more Question! 7/10

Batman: Secrets #5 - I've really liked the insanity spun by this miniseries, and the ending is just as nicely twisted as the rest of the run. 8/10

Teen Titans #37 - Doom Patrol exposed, Kid Devil and Ravager are become pretty interesting, and I didn't especially enjoy the ending. 5/10

Supergirl #7 - Supergirl is manic, Powergirl is awesome, and once again the ending left me scratching my head in a bad way. 5.5/10

Secret Six #2 - I think I have to reread Villains United and the special, becuase I don't remember some of this, still, the plot is very nice and twisted. 7/10

Conan and the Songs of the Dead #1 - Most hardcore and potentially offensive issue of DH's Conan yet, and it still reads like classic Conan. Not for kids! 7.5/10

That's it for this week. I like this review style, so look forward to it being the standard now (allows me to focus on the issues I liked, as shoot through the rest of what I have read).