Wednesday's Loot - 5 October 2005

Yep, I'm a day late but I did pick up a lot more books this week (and one a week late).

Powers #13 - Brian Bendis, Michael Oeming.
I love this series. Sure I only started reading it when it moved to Icon and even then I only started reading at book five or six, but I still like it. The trades are on my list of things to go back to. Like The Walking Dead I feel like I should starve myself of these stories and just read them in a long uninterrupted sitting. I like the juxtaposition that takes place in this issue. The angry yet socially poignant stand-up comic against the police procedural works here. The message is strengthened by this play between words and images. We’re left wondering about the message of the comedian and his relationship to the manslaughter story. I’m just left wondering who the comedian is based on. I’m hoping Bill Hicks or George Carlin, (heck even Lenny Bruce or Richard Pryor).

I rate this story – About as good as they get.

Detective Comics #812 – David Lapham, Ramon Bachs, Nathan Massengill
For a story with a lot of exposition I really don’t understand a lot of what’s going on anymore. I think it has a lot more to do with my house-sitting and not sleeping in my own bed than this actual story. I like where it’s been and I think I like the bone structure of it but I felt lost. I’m a fan of the undercover Batman and Robin with the cops is a great set piece but I really was confused.

I rate this story – Um, actually I don’t know what to rate it.

Rann-Thanagar War #6 – Dave Gibbons, etc.
Well that really didn’t resolve anything did it? Kind of like the sequel Matrix films. I guess war really is pointless.

I rate this story – Inconclusively epic.

Green Lantern Corps Recharge #1 – Geoff Johns & Dave Gibbons, Patrick Gleason, Christian Alamy & Prentis Rollins.
In a lot of ways this is what I was looking for when I started to buy Rann-Thanagar War. I never read any DC sci-fi comics before and I’m happy to pick this one up. I have next to no history with any of these characters but their introduction and characterization in this book are top-notch. I felt like I got a feel for all the characters and know what their deal is, in one issue. I have no idea what the old Green Lantern Corps was like but this one seems very current. I really like the storytelling and the art here so I’m hoping it doesn’t have a non-ending like most of these other minis coming out from DC. Please give the mystery an ending even if this needs to tie into the super-duper crisis.

I rate this story – Better if you let it age a week.

I’ve also picked up Batman: Gotham County Line #1 and Fantastic Four/Iron Man: Big in Japan #1 but am saving them for later today.

Cheers!