Browsing: Review

Or – “”The Mask In The Iron Man…” The aftermath of the superhuman civil war left Tony Stark in a precarious position, one where he single-handedly shouldered the burden of superhuman affairs in the Marvel Universe all by himself.  SHIELD came apart a bit at a time, and the Skrull invasion revealed the weaknesses in Iron Man’s facade, leaving Norman Osborn in a perfect position to seize the unprecedented position of power Tony had created.  On the run from nearly the entire government, Stark has forcibly erased his own mind to keep sensitive information out of the hands of Norman and…

Fifty years of Asterix and Obelix is certainly something to celebrate, and in the tiny Gaul town, the celebration is just getting started.

Or – “站立反對罪惡浪潮的英雄…” It has long been established that the United States isn’t the center of metahuman power in the DC Universe, despite the presence of Superman and Batman here.  Other heroes predated the JLA, notably the Global Guardians, Japan’s Big Science Action, and more.  In the heart of China, the greatest “super-functionaries” of the state work together (whether they want to or not) under the auspices of the government in Beijing.  But what happens when a threat is bigger even than their combined abilities?

For four issues, Stephanie Brown and Barbara Gordon have been working out their working relationship as Batgirl returns to crime fighting. With the release of the new issue, it’s time for Stephanie and Barbara to start working on their personal relationships.  A little romance, a little fighty-fighty, and a ten year old who is about to hit puberty – what more could you ask for?

Of all the comics released this week, the one I was most excited about reading first was Hunter’s Fortune by Andrew Cosby and Caleb Monroe. The first issue kicked off a grand treasure hunt that will lead the hero to a vast fortune, and a mystical relic. The issue had all the ingredients to make a great story, and issue two continues to thrill.

Years after leaving his team, Majestic-XII, the superhero known as Legend is convinced to come back and lead them once again. But what will he do when he finds that most of his teammates have been replaced by criminals, and there are aliens knocking at Earth’s door?

Or – “Fifty Issue, Fifty Graves…” I’m actually remarkably impressed at the longevity of this book in a climate where even superhero titles are tanking with regularity.  It’s most assuredly not just a “superhero with guns instead of capes” title, focusing on a protagonist who doesn’t even like HIMSELF, and a rotating cast of misfits, rogues and malcontents who don’t really like him either.  This issue marks an important milestone for Jonah Hex, both for the title and for the man himself… 

As powerful as I, your Robot Overlord am, I have yet to comprehend your silly holidays and mail shipping schedules! The holiday you call Thanks-Giving was two weeks ago – why then, would you delay the comics arriving in stores last week?  It has thrown off my control of the Matthew and Stephen units and gave them a day of rest, when they should have been doing my bidding! MY BIDDING! I’ll let this incident slip this time meat bags, but you will rue the day you miss your Dueling Review deadline. Stephen: You kind of sound like Victor Von…

Or – “Not Bird, Nor Plane, Nor Even Frog…” The 1960’s featured a proliferation of spy organizations, from Nick Fury’s SHIELD, to Derek Flint’s ZOWIE, even Napoleon Solo’s UNCLE. In fact, for a time it seemed that the only thing more plentiful in the mid-60’s than intelligence operatives were superheroes, so it was natural that, eventually, SOMEBODY would discover a way to combine the two. The T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents were created in response to a dangerous world, working as operatives of the United Nations to combat threats that your average super-friend wouldn’t have the reach or resources to combat, and foremost…

If you are a near immortal kept alive by how popular you are in the minds of those who grew up on fairy tales, at some point you’d become daring enough to want to try anything.  For Cinderella, becoming a spy seemed like a natural way to get out her aggressions over loves lost, and protect her interests at the same time.

While I’m not a die hard film noir fan, I’ve seen my fair share of flicks that feature the duped detective, devious damsels, and dire dilemmas that usually end with someone dying. Whether it is Sam Spade, Philip Marlowe, Dave Bannion, or Jeff Markam, the tales never have a happy ending where the hero rides off into the sunset with the girl.  Oni Press’ You Have Killed Me is no different, and for those who are unfamiliar with the genre, it’s a perfect primer for pulp plotting.

 Or – “Whatever Happened To Noh-Varr?” One of the more vexing things about the Dark Avengers title is the fact that, because of the timing of the stories, Noh-Varr (aka Marvel Boy and the latest Kree warrior to call himself Captain Marvel) disappeared from Norman’s team MONTHS ago our time, but has apparently been missing for approximately 16 minutes in the stories.  This annual promises to tell us where the hero has been, but the question is, will the answers be meaningful, or will they just set up the next big crossover event?

Or – “Didn’t Saint Walker Used To Work For Jabba The Hutt?” Earlier this week, I took a look at Blackest Night #5, in which the seven primary bearers of the emotional spectrum came together to try and stop Nekron’s evil Black Lantern Corps.  You’ll have to check out that review for more details, but here’s the story that explains how Atrocitus, Larfleeze, Sinestro, Hal Jordan, Saint Walker, Indigo-1 and Carol Ferris became the (barely) coherent collection of ring-bearers that I have dubbed The Rainbow Coalition…

I haven’t talked with anyone who is a big fan of Damian Wayne.  The side-kick-wanna-be grates on every nerve and it’s a wonder he’s able to get anything done with his rotten attitude.  There are probably more people who like the Guardian, Metropolis’ Science Police Field Commander. But he too tends to push certain buttons that turns some people off.  Toss them both in an issue of World’s Finest, and watch the fireworks fly.