Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Wednesday's Loot - 19 July 2006

52 Week 11
Okay the Ralph Dibny aspect seems to be ignored but is also a generally creepy mystery. The Renee Montoya and Question segment is a fantastic Batman, er, Bat-Woman story. They piece together some information, there’s some random were-animals and the snake lady, then BAM! Bat-Woman starts kicking gorilla ass. It’s the forties all over again.
I rate this comic: A decent intro for Bat-Woman.

Aquaman #43
Best opening page ever. Ever! This was a text heavy issue as the new Aquaman discusses his situation with Vulko and we’re given a bit more of the connection between him and the original. I felt this issue was chalk full of exposition and sets up some action in the next issue quite well. I’m actually quite taken by the mystery and I’m enjoying where this story is headed, and how it’s heading there. I do have to say that the dialogue was a bit confusing a couple of times but that might just be because I didn’t take any cold medication today and I’m quite stuffed up and dizzy.
I rate this comic: Engaging and intriguing enough to keep me on the series.

Battle For Bludhaven #6
Apparently this was all just a prelude for Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters. I’ll not be buying that so as a conclusion to this series I was left a little let down. I’ve been enjoying the hell out of this series since it began but I realized with the last issue and about half way through this one that there was no way all the loose ends would be tied up. It was well controlled insanity and does a good job of leading up to an intriguing ending/beginning but I don’t particularly want to jump on board a new series to see how this story “ends.” I am happy they destroyed Bludhaven though, there really wasn’t any way to make that place cool so just get rid of it. That’s quite ballsy. I am a little tired of the hero being pushed to the limit and having an extremely rash and overly dangerous temper tantrum. And Cpt. Atom’s armour is, well, not as cool as his regular get-up.
I rate this comic: A non-ending to a decent series.

Last week's stuff.

52 Week 10
This one is from last week but I didn’t post anything then. Clark Kent is pretty damned awesome in this issue but I’m sort of blasé about Super-Nova. I actually like where the whole Black Adam storyline is going although some name captions would have helped with the villains. I recognized August General in Iron from a previous issue and the Rocket Red Brigade but I have no idea who the rest are. Is that a female version of Copper-Head or is she like Dr. Medusa or something? And is that Dr. Strange? Still, I know a lot of folks are down on this series but I continue to appreciate it.
I rate this comic: Still worth the money week in and week out.

DMZ #9
This story arc is by far a high water mark for this series so far. Matty is equally engaging and paranoid in this one. He messes up as much as he learns but at least he’s developing as a person adapting to his situation. Plus his neighbour is a wonderfully mysterious “more-than-he-appears” character that feels like he’d be at home in Blade Runner or something along those lines.
I rate this comic: Setting a better standard for this series during this arc.

JLA: Classified #24
Okay I ended up buying this one on Monday when I went for a haircut since I had nothing to read and Green Lantern Corps was sold out. Sure this is a hokey return to a silly time in the JLA history and presents a lighter approach to story telling with Aquaman talking to salmon then washing himself in human blood. Read that again. AQUAMAN BATHES HIMSELF IN HUMAN BLOOD! What the fuck?! Okay, I like The Royal Flush Gang and all that, and this is a neat approach to their evolution and a decent focus on Vixen but Aquaman bathes himself in human blood.
I rate this comic: Reminiscent of a different time when comics were lighter and the heroes bathed themselves in the blood of their fallen enemies. Cripes!

Fear Agent #4
I also found this on Monday and couldn’t pass it up. Didn’t #5 come out recently? I don’t know what’s going on with this series anymore. I remember some cool old school sci-fi robots in the last issue I had and they seem to be back here but who the hell are the green barbarians? I have to go read the other issues because I was quite lost.
I rate this comic: Still good but does anyone know what the schedule is?

2 comments:

Marc Burkhardt said...

Actually the armor Captain Atom dons originally belonged to Monarch, the arch-villain of the pretty crappy Armageddon "event" some years back.

The hook for that series was that one superhero killed off all the others and took over the world.

Monarch was eventually revealed - in one of the lamest resolutions ever - to be Hawk of "Hawk and Dove" fame.

But, it was SUPPOSED to be Captain Atom - a revelation that was changed at the last minute when Monarch's true identity was leaked to comic readers.

Simple, huh? Another Monarch popped up in Extreme Justice, but hopefully that series was knocked out of existence by a Superboy punch.

Anyway, that's the secret origin of Captain Atom's armor.

joncormier said...

Wow, you're like a G. I. Joe commercial. And now you know, and knowing is half the battle.

Thanks Mr. Keeper.

I'm hoping the writers in DC just start to go apeshit with their series. What do you mean horses don't walk upright and want to take over the world - Superboy punched reality! It's like a get out of jail free card for creative freedom.

You can't do that. WHACK! Reality punching.