ACTION COMICS #894 Review

RATING 2.5 out of 5

This cover is awesome. Look at the background detail. Fantastic. Then you open it up. BLAH Blah blah blah... They talk and talk and talk.

Spoiler:
There's not even a good panel to pull. Maybe if David Finch had done the interiors, but all they did was talk. They walked around in the glade talking. Then she zapped them to a place where they could sit down and...talk.

The best part of the issue was shown in the previews where she touched his nose ...WITHOUT TALKING.

I'm leaving this title for awhile. What was a great idea for a story in the beginning of the arc isn't really being worked on.

Major Spoiler of ending:

How does Luther get out of... Death? Was it creative? Did he escape Death?

Well...He wakes up. Yelp. The ol' dream sequence skit was pulled.

ACTION COMICS #894  
Written: PAUL CORNELL, Art: PETE WOODS, Colorist: Brad Anderson
Letterer: Rob Leigh, Cover: David Finch, Batt and Peter Steigerwald(wonderful job guys)
Asst. Editor: Wil Moss, Editor: Matt Idelson
Publisher: DC Comics
Dec 2010

Blackest Night: Untold Tales of Review

RATING 2.7 out of 5

These stories feel like an after thought.  I've already lived through the Blackest Night storyline, so the ankst at seeing characters in touble... isn't there.  I already know their outcome. 

If you really liked the Blackest Day storyline, you may get a kick out of seeing the two deleted stories that are scripted in Blackest Night Directors Cut issue.  There is also a Brightest day story in it, but I have a feeling it will be covered again in one of the other books.

Even though these short stories are self contained and the art is great, unless you know something about Blackest Night, you probably won't get very much enjoyment out of it.

SPOILERS:

Titles & story:

Sea of Fear part 1: Writer: Peter J Tomasi,  Pencils: Patrick Gleason, Inks: Sandra Hope, Colors: Buccelato
Lyssa Drak's story of how she became traped in the Book of the Black.
Rating 2.5: Meh

Deleted Scene from Blackest Night 1: Writer: Geoff Johns, Pencils: Ivan Reis, Inks:Oclair Albert, colors: Rod Reis
Black Hand calls the dead souls that make up Ragman to RISE.
Rating 3 :I don't remember what the script said, but this would've been better spread to three pages instead of squashed into two.

Deleted Scene from Blackest Night 2: Writer: Geoff Johns, Pencils: Ivan Reis, Inks:Oclair Albert, colors: Rod Reis
Bunch of uknown criminals think that they can gain power by killing themselves.
Rating 2: Meh

The Evolution of Species; Writer: Sam Schlagman, Pencils: Jason Fabok, INks: Ryan Winn, colors: Alix Sinclair
Animal man loves his family but lusts after Starfire and is turned into a Black Lantern.
Rating 2: less then meh, didn't like the Starfire lusting crap, I hate disliking a hero.

A Losing Battle : Writer: JT Krul, Artis: Ed Benes, Colors: Brian Buccellato
Story of  Donna Troy being turned into a Black Lantern and her friends trying to save her, then Cassie believing she can be strong on her own.
Rating 3: I was enjoying the Donna story then poof.. it turned into a meh... Cassie story ending.

Blackest Nightmare Writer: Jeremy Love, Art: Bret Booth, Colors: Andrew Dalhouse, Letters: Steve Wands
Story of Scarecrow becoming a Yellow Lantern, when the ring is put on, he invisions himself as Ichabod Crane with a Batman like figure on a horse chasing him.
Rating 3.5: This one was  pretty darn cool.

An Incident on Korugar : Writer, art and Colors: Ehan Van Sciver
Yellow Lantern Karu-Sil has to fight back Black Lanterns of her parents.
Rating 3: You almost feel sorry for her but then... don't.

MAJOR SPOILER:
Sea of Fear part 2: Writer: Peter J Tomasi,  Pencils: Patrick Gleason, Inks: Sandra Hope, Colors: Buccelato
Lyssa Drak's being pulled out of the Book of the Black by the Mystery Guardian and told there is another book to be writen.
Rating 2.5 Meh..

Publisher : DC Comics
Dec 2010

BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #49 "Work That's Never Done " Review

Rating 4 out of 5

It's like letting chocolate melt in your mouth. It's smooth and satisfying. There are no surprises.. but once it's gone.. there is a little buzz of caffeine to tide you over until the next fix.

The cover is misleading, it's not Dick Grayson as Batman in the story, it's Bruce Wayne.

This has a complete story in this issue, you don't have to buy another in the series to get the whole story.

Review with Spoiler

Batman/Bruce Wayne intercepts a 911 call. He shows up at the scene. He has quite a bit of stubble on his chin which is getting close to being a beard, giving the impression he has been at this for sometime. He goes right into picking up clues and they are deciphered for us in captions (I love seeing him work through clues).  After solving this crime, he intercepts a 911 call...

This was SUCH a WELL written issue, the writer knew when to let the art tell the story, not every panel has type. The art is also very well done. Every panel was well done: the coloring... even in the smaller panels... his flashlight highlighting people he comes across...the shadows in the background behind him...the cape flutters...all excellent. 

I'll be looking for this writer in the future and the art crew.

Link to a interview with the writer on Batman Confidencial #49,  James Patrick

BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #49
Writer: James Patrick
Pencils: Steve Scott
Inks: Bob Petrecca
Colors: David aron
Letters: Swands
Cover : Andy Kubert with Brad Anderson 
Publisher: DC comics
Dec 2010

BATMAN : ODYSSEY #4 Review

 
Rating 2.3 out of 5
I didn't care for this issue...

I can forgive many things in a Batman comic that is outside of the formal Batman continuity.
I can ignore the manic behavior.
I can ignore the beligerance to Alfred.
I can get over the repetitive dialogue.
I can forgive an almost undecipherable plot.
BUT I can't ... won't...accept a stupid Bruce Wayne as Batman.
No ...no no no no

REVIEW plus Spoiler, or two

The dialogue...I'm either getting use to it...or it's a smege better, but the shirtless Bruce is gone...which is such a shame.  Maybe that's why I'm not digging this issue...no hairy chested Bruce to distract me from the dialogue.  I found myself plodding along in the storyline.  There is a scene where Bruce/Batman looses control and starts beating the bad guy almost to death, and it seemed to last forever....

< WHO is this guy in the baby blue and purple outfit? I already hate him  and his little Robin look-a-like partner.

Also ...some of the art is really sketchy.
And I hate the coloring for Aquaman, his skin, hair, and top of his suit, mesh together.

The part that really lost me in the story... was Bruce/Batman mistaking the man-bat, (the one stealing the album in the above panel) for Kirk Langstrom.  What??? Is this where the line... "all man-bats look the same to me"... should be used?
Even if, the man-bat in question, is twice as big, wearing old man pants, and undershirt?

No mater the story, in Elseworlds, or other worldly location, Batman is a Detective. This means he has trained himself in the ability to decipher small clues at a crime scene, and to be able to see the smallest detail.   Bruce can be unsure in personal situations, like with women, or with his actions, but.... HE COULD TELL THIS MAN-BAT WAS NOT KIRK.  It would not take four to six panels for him to figure that out.  I'm still not sure if he knows.

YES...I'm getting the next issue...I'm still interested ... but it won't be the first comic I pick out of my pile to read.

BATMAN: ODYSSEY part 4
Story and Art: Neal Adams
Inks: Neal Adams & Scott Williams
Color: Continuity Studios
Letters: Ken Lopez
Publisher: DC Comics
Dec 2010

WHAT'S NEXT!

Batman Odyssey Part 5
Link

Batman knows his Odyssey must happen soon before he loses himself, but Deadman invades The Dark Knight's world and only sees the inevitable crash and burn of his old friend. Should Deadman add to Batman's "crash" – or hold off and give the Caped Crusader a few last moments of relative peace? This is Deadman we're talking about – of course he's going to step in!

POWER GIRL : ALIENS AND APES 7 8 9 10 11 12 TPB Review

 RATING 4 out of 5

This is campy, Full of Fun, set of comics. At the time that the Power Girl series started, it was such a wonderful welcome relief to the stories of horror that DC was producing at that time.  The Power Girl series started out at the same time as the Blackest Night storyline. Almost every other series at that time had a crossover for Blackest Night, which usually involved the characters getting their hearts ripped out by zombie looking loved ones who had returned from the dead, but Power Girl didn't, Thank Goodness.... This set of issues in the Power Girl series does refer to a few things that happened in the previous issues, but you can still enjoy these with a big smile.

Full Review plus... Spoilers

If you haven't heard of Power Girl you probably need to go here: Link
Abbreviated: She is a cousin to a Superman from Earth-2, but is trapped on this Earth.  Even though she is one of the "Supers", she is not direct family.  This sometimes makes her feel very alone and out of place, so she has a "empty"/bare spot on the chest of her uniform because... one day... she hopes  to feel excepted enough to put a big red  "S" there (And there will be millions of Fanboys marching against DC if this ever happens).


Before we start on the review ...let's review ...the cameo characters...

Vartox of Valeron
 Vartox first appeared in 1974 in Superman #281 (PG 7 is similar to the cover from of #281), which was a year after the movie, Zardoz (1973).   Vartox is said to be based off the Sean Connery character in the movie Zardoz.

Ahw...The Seventy's...
They where Shagedelic, baby. 

And...ah... Zardoz, what can you say,  it's a movie that Sean Connery wishes... he never heard of.

That movie was the inspiration for so many... many comedy sketchs, and may have been the reason that Madonna looked so classy in the Eighty's. 

Did you say, "No"..."It can't be."... "James Bond would never be caught dead in that get up."

Ah Ha ha ha ha ha .....OH yes...yes he did...
(scene from Zardoz to the right).

Well...back to Power Girl...Vartox has troubles ....on his home planet Valeron.  Everyone has been sterilized except him, and he must find a suitable mate to help him populate the planet.

Do you know where this is going? Of course you do.

Vartox brings a dangerous monster, the IX Negaspike, and lets it loose on earth, so that he can defeat it.  Why? To show Power Girl that Vartox is a manly man .  Things go wrong... and Power Girl is the one who has to handle the monster, and the egotistical bas..  ah...beast that is trying to waylay her.

What's a girl gonna do?
Well... I guess you'll have to read it to find out. (grin)

Power Girl also has problems with ...Satanna.

Satanna is a  mad-scientist brain surgeon .....that  transplants human brains into animals.  In previous issues,  Power Girl had a beat down on Ultra-Humanite, who is Satanna's White Gorilla boyfriend. (Ultra-Humanite is also a brain surgeon who had transferred his own brain into the Gorilla.)

Santanna returns in these issues for a little vengeance, like she really needed a excuse.

Power Girl's friend, Terra, also makes a appearance to give her a helping hand.

Terra  Not Geoforce's sister, her real name Atlee,  is from another planet and can control the earth, as in the dirt around her.  She wears a Black and white costume and has dark hair.

These are a great set of campy... fun filled stories, they helped to establish the series, and gave it a really good start. The whole crew on these issues did a great job.  The art really fit well with the light hearted storyline.

I don't have all of the very first issues of Power Girl, so I didn't feel right giving a review of them, but the ones I do have were also full of fun, with a "Not so serious" attitude, and worth checking out.

POWER GIRL: ALIENS AND APES #7-12
Titles of issues:
#7: Lust in Space
#8: A Groovy Kind of Love
#9: This city is a Zoo
#10: War on  Terra
#11: Terra Alert! 
#12: The Little Things!
Writers; Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray
Art: Amanda Conner
Colors: Paul Mounts
Letters: John J Hill
Publisher: DC Comics
Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul 2010

BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL: 1 2 3 4 5 6 Rules of Engagement TPB

 RATING 3.7 out of 5

The story is...good, but it seemed a little out of place. Batman(Bruce Wayne) fights Lex Luthor outside of Gotham.  I was wondering at one point, where is Superman, who is more of globe trotter and Lex's protagonist.  The story is complete in six issues, and complete in the one TPB.

Review with some spoilers

This story's time frame is about a year after Bruce became Batman.  Lexcor and Waynetec are competing for bids for a government military contract, and this is the first time that Bruce and Lex meet face to face.  

As Lex is leaving the meeting, a large prototype remote controlled military Robot, created by Waynetec, attempts to kill him. Batman was close by and able to distract it, so that Lex could escape.  The intriguing part of the story was Batman finding out who is controlling the robot, and why. This part was too short, because it had a ghost in the machine feel to it, and it would have been cool to see the story expanded on.

Because of the incident with the Waynetec robot, Lex receives the military contract, and uses it as a way to take over military bases everywhere including somewhere outside of Gotham, but looks like Arizona, which is confusing.  

This story, over all, is good.  The writer, Andy Diggle, was good with the characterizations.  There are several fight scenes that are pretty good and well drawn, as well as some awesome Bat-hardware.  I would say I liked it, but it didn't 'wow' me.

BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL: 1 2 3 4 5 6 Rules of Engagement TPB
Writer: Andy Diggle
Penciller: Whilce Portacio
Inker: Richard Friend
Colorist: David Baron, I.L.L.,
Letterer: Travis Lanaham
Publisher: DC Comics
Feb, Mar, Apr, May, June 2007