Backlog

Been absent this week…long story short..quit my old full-time job in prep. for a new full-time so…things have kinda been nuts.

Onto the reviews!

Countdown to Final Crisis #16 – Monarch & the Monitors fight, Olsen and the bug gal are getting closer, ANNND…Superman Prime shows up looking to really cause some chaos. Decent issue, again glad they have been slowly wrapping things up these last couple of issues.

Green Lantern Corps #20 – Guy & Kyle decide to move to Oa, Guy leaves a note by Ice as she sleeps….cause Raven & Beast Boy’s relationship issues didn’t torture me enough…they gotta pull the same stuff with Ice & Guy….ARGH.

Oh…Mongul goes searching for more rings…based on adverts and this issue…Mongul looks to be a red ringbearer. Little creeped out by the fact he caries his dead sisters’ maggot-infested head around though, yech! Art by Gleason & Magno is alright. Tomasi writes a nice little light issue for us to catch our breath with, after the epicness (it’s a word now…I’m using it) of the Sinestro Corp War story.

Salvation Run #3 – Rule 1: Don’t put Lex Luthor & the Joker on the same planet and just expect them to get along. Rule #2: Don’t touch the Jokers’ jacket….it’s just not smart.

Good issue. I really have started to dig this series, between the dark humor and the story arcs being laid down it’s pretty nice. Not a huge fan of Chen’s penciling…I don’t know…the pencilling of the Joker is almost to effeminate and Scandal….what’s up with the hair and just her in general….I know I know different penciling but still.

The Amazing Spider-Man #546 – I am gonna get flack for saying this but, I don’t care….I actually liked this issue. Now before you start thinking I am insane, you gotta understand, outside of Ultimate Spider-Man…I have read little if next to nothing involving ole’ Spidey….except for maybe The Other(…which apparently had no purpose.). I know a lot of hardcore spidey fans hate this issue…and hey…I can understand…if somebody started screwing around with Flash’s or Blue Beetle’s continuity…I’d be pissed too BUT…the fact remains…this issue is not BAD….Battle for Bludhaven…Loebs’ recent arc on Wolverine…most issues of Aquaman….THESE are examples of bad writing. Slott writes Pete well and I like McNiven’s art style. For a person who has only dipped their feet casually into the world of Spidey…I think it’s a decent jumping on point. All this being said, I understand the people who hate this issue….I am just not necessarily one of them. Good thing I am not alone

Green Arrow and Black Canary #4 – Connor is shot, Ollie freaks out and calls out for Clark, Connor is whooshed off to a hospital, with Ollie close behind. After getting to the hospital Winick writes some really good scenes with Ollie in…what I can only describe as “hysterical anger”. Ollie lashing out at everyone there…feeling helpless and wanting to do something. All of the scenes….yeah…again…really well written. The last couple of panels of this issue you find out what happens to Connor….and….well I’d rather not spoil it for you. The overall story contained in this issue was really good, a friend of mine put it really well…at the beginning you start reading this issue wanting to know what happens to Connor and along the way get sucked into the other elements in the story…Ollie’s reactions…his guilt, how the rest of the “Arrow” family deals with everything…it’s just really good. Chiang’s style I am not in love with but his style has started to grow on me.

BPRD: 1946 #1 - Mignola writes a fantastic story exploring Hellboy’s origins possibly more. Paul Azaceta’s art for this issue, is alright, though his lines seem almost too thick and just don’t fit the tone of this book as well as maybe say Jason Armstrong’s style would.

Nightwing #140 – It’s a good Nightwing story folks….I know I was shocked. Little bit of the aftermath from the Ressurection of Ra’s is explored but does not drive the new arc. I like the overall return to roots feel Tomasi has going on, having Nightwing actually meeting with Tim and Bruce. I don’t mind Dick Grayson on his own but, the only person who really made that work longer then an issue was Chuck Dixon..I mean Fabian did a decent job for that one “buried-alive” issue but again that was only one issue. This issue starts a new arc called Freefall…basically some group of people are stealing the bodies of dead heroes/villains..for what purpose..your given a slight hint here and there. The adverts and this story’s start suggest a zombie army of some sorts is being assembled…but…I could be totally mis-reading that one. Morales does a good job with the penciling on this issue, it seems lighter somehow…I don’t really know how to explain it. Really looking forward to seeing if Tomasi can write #141 as well as this issue.

Ultimate Human #1 – Bruce Banner finally has the idea: Hey Tony has those nanite things….maybe they could help with my whole “Hulk” problem. Fun issue…and now looking at the writer I know why. Warren Ellis…why don’t you write more super-hero tinged titles? Pick this issue up.