How were they? ver. 2 SPOILERS

[udasu]

The Spirit #3
Good read. Like the golden age cartoon/artwork. The Spirit/Batman run was fun too. Interesting story, tells of how he 'died' and became the Spirit.

52 - Week 42
I'm just starting to not care about Ralph's story anymore. The series started strong, but has become sort of a weekly yawner..

Immortal Iron Fist #3
Very cool - artwork reminds me of Batman - Year One, and the backstory on the Iron Fist legacy is very cool. It makes him more than just a 70's kung-fu dude.

Illuminati
So far good art and interesting character studies in absolute power. DS and Namor have some Defender-esque banter, and Reed, as usual, get ahead of himself.

Conan #37
Cary Nord's got a new inker and colorist, so the work, though good, isn't as Frazetta-like as usual. A fun romp, as Conan boxes for a few rounds.

Civil War #7
Are you kidding me?

[spoiler] 
I waited through the delays and Punisher-Cap over and over stuff, just to see Milar do his familiar "oh look, we bashed up the neighbohood - we're the bad guys" shtick? Anti-climactic, Civil War is your name. After reading his Ultimate story, I really was expecting more, and was severely disappointed with this. Great Art, more "meh" than house of .. uM.. Marvel will never be able to do a Secret Wars or AoA again, and they prove it year in and year out.. Don't ding me for spoiling, I just saved you some money - don't waste it. OK, if you want to see Herc get a great splash page in, go for it..
[/spoiler]

[Sword]

that herc page and the namor page will be plastered over the internet by month's end. No need to do it.

[thanoson]

Anihhilation: Heralds of Galactus. I liked this. Terrax is back baby. My favorite of the Heralds by far. Paibok is free as well. Quick question, can the Surfer destroy a planet with a single hit?

Black Panther- Clone Thor vs Storm. Herc makes an appearance as this is in the middle of the big brawl. Intertaining. Art left me a little meh.

52- Osirus, that had to hurt.

Heroes For Hire- This is becoming like Nextwave. Funny stuff but the ending looks bad for a certain sea guy.

X-Men Rouges team- I love this guys art. Not sure who the badguy was, but he got punked pretty good. I liked how they worked as a team to stop him.

[Talavar]

I liked the Heralds of Galactus one-shot as well, up until Terrax took out that planet.  It was just kind of silly - I mean, he can take out a planet, but lose to the Fantastic Four?  Seems off to me.

Wolverine 51 - This saw Wolverine and Sabretooth continuing what's being touted as their 'final' fight, which I'll believe when it happens.  Great art, but really, does anyone get what the paleolithic wolf people have to do with this?  Or care?

Civil War: Frontline 11 just got me all worked up about Civil War, and how much of a jerk Tony Stark is now, and Sally Floyd apparently too, the reporter.  I mean, she and Ben Urich sit on a story that basically proves Stark is an evil puppet master war profiteer because they believe in what he's doing?  Bah!  This was worse than the rosy ending to Civil War 7.

Daredevil 94 was basically a recap issue, told from Daredevil's new wife's point of view.  Wake me when the next story arc starts.

Dr. Strange - the Oath 5 ended the mini-series in style.  If Brian K. Vaughan was willing to write it, this would make a great on-going.  Kind of a cop-out on the potion that can cure all disease, but still awesome.  I love gnarled-hands Strange laying the kung-fu beats to his opponent.

Runaways 24 is the end of Brian K. Vaughan's work on the title, which disappoints me, but I'll definitely tune in to see what Joss Whedon cooks up with these characters.  A great, if understated end to his run.  This book also has the second great fastball special joke of the past two weeks. 

[Agent]

Frontline #11 - I didn't originally plan on getting this but the cover and the ending of Civil War got me curious.  After flipping through it briefly I decided to get it.  After reading it the first word that comes to mind is damage control.  Um . . . okay that's two words but you know what I mean.  The issue is basically divided into two parts.  First the reporters, Ben Urich and Sally Floyd, interview Cap in his apartment - I mean cell.  The reporters actually comment on how big the cell is but there's never any explanation for why a prison cell would be so swanky.  Anyway, the reporters proceed to "interview" Cap which means they ask two questions then talk at the interviewee until their time is up.  What I assume was meant to be Cap defending his ideals and the reasons he did what he did comes off as weak and contrite.  Especially when Floyd goes off on a tirade with barely a peep from Cap.  The whole interview comes off like the writer, Paul Jenkins is trying to shore up Cap's abrupt 180 in CW #7 by pounding into the reader's head that Cap was actually wrong so it was right that he gave up.  After a brief interlude, the issue moves on to the reporters' interview of Tony Stark.  Again there are 1 or 2 questions then the monologue starts.  After 3 readings I think what they're trying to say is that Tony Stark, knowing that if unchecked the conflict created by the SHRA would tear the country apart, sacrificed his own reputation in order to make sure that the transition was relatively peaceful.  He used Norman Osborne to orchestrate an attack on the Atlantean delegation knowing the gun he used wouldn't be a real threat.  The threat of a new war with Atlantis makes the number of registered heroes shoot up.  He used the Civil War as a pretext to get the government to build a state of the art super-villain prison, hence the pardons for the unregistered heroes after the war was over (the flaw here being that Marvel already has a state of the art super villain prison called the Vault).  On top of all that he used his knowledge of the Atlantis incident to manipulate the stock market to the tune of $90,000,000 then used the money to start a charitable organization benefiting first responders and registered heroes.  That's why I said this issue was Marvel's attempt at damage control.  They basically have 2 uncharacteristic and inexplicable 180s to deal with.  Everyone remembers Cap's but there's also the fact that Tony Stark was the first to oppose registration but then, after the Stamford incident, did a 180 that would make Cap proud.  Jenkins is dancing as fast as he can here but it would have been better to keep the damage from being done in the first place.   
Rating:  :(

Iron Man #15 - In case someone hasn't noticed from my other posts here, as far as I'm concerned, Tony Stark wasn't in Civil War.  Some jerk just got hold of a Tony Stark mask and went nuts.  If you want to see the real Tony Stark pick up this comic.  As SHIELD's new director he's definitely shaking things up but he's not egotistical or condescending.  The Knaufs have created some interesting internal conflict with Dugan disapproving of some of Stark's policies.  Stark starting a casual Friday for the support staff was a nice humorous touch.  The coolest thing is seeing the tech upgrades SHIELD gets thanks to Stark's presence.  The Stark Tactical Assault Repulsors were my favorites.  Considering that many of his past adversaries were basically engaged in industrial espionage moving Tony over to dealing with real espionage is a nice fit.  It's also cool to see that Sal Kennedy and suprisingly, Maya Hansen, the creator of the Extremis virus, will still be part of the supporting cast.  In the two page conversation between Tony and Maya, the Knaufs demonstrate a better understanding of Stark than Millar did in 7 issues of Civil War.  Plus there's the mysterious prisoner being held in a secret Chinese prison.  Can anyone say Mandarin?  If Marvel really wants to mitigate the character assassination perpetrated by Mark Millar they better beg readers to give this title a try.
Rating:  :thumbup:

Firestorm: The Nuclear Man #33 - This is the beginning of a 3 part storyline by Dwayne McDuffie  :)  McDuffie's involvement is cool enough but it also features the New Gods.  Despite a minor screw up with Jason's powers (someone forgot to tell McDuffie that Jason can't become intangible) he really has a great handle on the character's personality.  The story involves Prof. Stein publishing a paper mathematically describing a hypothetical ether were all atomic processes are anchored.  Of course, this "hypothetical" ether is actually the Firestorm matrix.  It's also part of the anti-life equation.  The gods of Apokolips and New Genesis are now after Prof. Stein in order to get their hands on it.  It's great to see Mister Miracle, Orion, and the Female Furies again and the fight scenes really emphasize how powerful Firestorm really is. 
Rating:  :thumbup:


QUICK HITS

52 Week #43 - Lady Styx's rebirth = Ewwww.  Sobek's eating habits = EWWWW!!
Rating:  :)

Green Lantern #17 - Seeing the Sinestro Corps ring try to recruit Batman was cool.  Is it wrong that I really liked Batman's Sinestro Corps uniform?  Ivan Reis draws an awesome John Stewart, too.
Rating:  :thumbup:

Justice #10 - John Stewart FTW!
Rating:  :thumbup:

Action Comics #846 - Now that's a cliffhanger!  Superman trapped in the Phantom Zone and General Zod ready to conquer Earth with an army of Kryptonian criminals.  The only down side is how long I have to wait to see what happens next.
Rating:  :thumbup:

Doctor Strange: The Oath #5 - Brian K Vaughn gives Dr. Strange an actual personality and a very cool one at that. 
Rating:  :thumbup:
Series Rating:  :thumbup:

Supergirl & the Legion of Super-Heroes #27 - Great issue.  The Dominators are definitely returning as a seriousthreat these days.  The tribute to Dave Cockrum at the end was pure class.
Rating:  :thumbup:

X-Factor #16 - Peter David throws in a major moral dilemma for Jamie Madrox.  He handles it very well.
Rating:  :thumbup:

Flash #9 - Marc Guggenheim is off to a good start.  The previous writers made Bart a bit to stoic.  Guggenheim seems to be giving Bart back some of his old humor while still letting him grow up a bit.
Rating:  :)

JSA Classified #23 - The story's not bad but the artist, Alex Sanchez, keeps making Dr. Mid-Nite look like he's part owl.
Rating:  :)

Batman Confidential #3 - This is turning out to be pretty good.  Batman/Bruce Wayne vs. Lex Luthor is a very interesting contest.  I still don't like Whilce Portacio's art though.
Rating:   :thumbup:

Blue Beetle #12 - After a shaky start, this series seems to be finding it's way.  Peacemaker is a good addition to the cast.  We're getting closer to finding out what the Blue Beetle scarab is, too.
Rating:  :)

JLA Classified #35 - After a really interesting story last issue, this storyarc devolves into a boring "been there, done that" sort of comic.  The baddie creates a reality were he's found scientists to give him a ridiculous number of powers (63 to be exact) then proceeds to kill off the JLA one by one.  Yawn.
Rating:  :thumbdown:

Annihilation: Heralds of Galactus #1 - The Terrax story is okay.  It's good to see him return to form as a cosmic terror.  The second story is my favorite though.  I didn't know what Stardust was supposed to be until a read it.  It's a nice introduction to the character.
Rating:  :)

Eternals #7 - It never really blew me away but it's a decent reintroduction for the Eternals.
Rating:  :mellow:
Series Rating:  :)

Connor Hawke: Dragon's Blood #4 - Again, not spectacular but still fun. 
Rating:  :)

Daredevil #94 - Basically just a "This is your life Daredevil" issue.  Meh.
Rating:  :mellow:

Freshmen #3 - I've lost interest.
Rating:  :(

Overall a very good week.   :thumbup:

[yell0w_lantern]

Sinestro Corps, ehh?
Sounds interesting but they better not be using the Yellow Lantern Corps' symbol...

[thanoson]

52- Wow, this has been a real bad day for Adam. But, I get to see the old Adam come back. :thumbup:

JLA- Wow, I really liked smart Grundy. Had a ferociousness to him that was cunning. Nice to see the League work together in fighting Amazo.

Mighty Avengers- Eh, art was good. Tony is still a jerk. I like how they got Ares to join the team.

Onslaught Reborn #3- Dear Jesus! I'm gonna try to not be negative here and go against my normal bashings. I will say something nice about the issue......... Well, there's umm...... you see.......ummm........ that scene where Thor.......ummm........wait! He knocked at Civil War. He made a statement that Thor was not a clone. Everybody hates clones he said. That's good? Damn, this is hard. To some it up, if anybody looks at the 2nd to last page, you'll see everything that is wrong with this issue.

[Agent]

Mighty Avengers- Eh, art was good. Tony is still a jerk. I like how they got Ares to join the team.

I thought about picking this up (I miss the Avengers) but decided against it because I'm just not a Bendis fan.  Your "Tony is still a jerk" comment makes me glad I didn't.

I've been an Iron Man fan for almost 20 years now.  It used to be that if he was in a comic, it increased the chances that I'd pick it up.  Now I have to check and see if it's the real Tony Stark or the CW Tony Stark.   :(

[B A D]

Ive got a run of Iron Man from 70-300 up in my attic. What they are doing to the character makes me itch. It makes me long for the days of him passed out drunk.

[konbiz]

Mighty Avengers- Eh, art was good. Tony is still a jerk. I like how they got Ares to join the team.

I thought about picking this up (I miss the Avengers) but decided against it because I'm just not a Bendis fan.  Your "Tony is still a jerk" comment makes me glad I didn't.

I've been an Iron Man fan for almost 20 years now.  It used to be that if he was in a comic, it increased the chances that I'd pick it up.  Now I have to check and see if it's the real Tony Stark or the CW Tony Stark.   :(

From what I've seen this isn't a typical Bendis book. He even uses thought bubbles! I would say check it out, without any bias even if it is Bendis writing it.

[Agent]

Captain America #25 - Obviously this is already being discussed in other threads but I've noticed there doesn't seem to be a lot of comment on what happened within the context of the story.  So to recap, in the past 2 or 3 issues Cap, Nick Fury, Agent 13, and the Winter Soldier have been trying to track down the Red Skull.  Meanwhile, the Red Skull has re-teamed with old allies Dr. Faustus (who has managed to infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D.) and Arnim Zola.  Add in the events of this issue and you've got 2 obvious possible scenarios.

Scenario #1 - Cap really is dead.   :thumbdown:
Scenario #2 - Cap, Nick, Sharon, and Bucky (or some combination of that group) have faked Cap's death in order to draw out the Red Skull.  The Red Skull said in an earlier issue he was going to exploit the chaos caused by the superhero Civil War.  Using Civil War to trick him into thinking his greatest adversary is out of the picture would be a nice bit of irony.

Of course it's possible there's a Scenario #3 that hasn't occured to me.  So the rating . . .
Scenario #1 Rating:  :thumbdown:
Scenario #2 Rating:  :)
Scenario #3 Rating: ???

Iron Man: Hypervelocity #3 - What the heck happened?  Adam Warren wrote two issues featuring a fun, heroic, and even funny Tony Stark.  Now in the third it's like he suddenly derails the story so he can smear the character he's been writing for 2 issue by claiming Tony Stark has stolen tech from villains.  Including tech that was tested on unwilling humans.  Did Marvel send him a memo telling him to make sure readers don't like the character he's writing.  This comic went from a hidden, Civil War free, gem to one I'm not sure I'll keep reading.  Hopefully Warren will stop taking part in Marvel's retroactive jerkification of Tony Stark and get back to telling his story.  I've got my fingers crossed.
Rating:  :(

The Authority #2 - After a somewhat uneventful first issue and a long wait for the second, the Authority begins firing on all cylinders.  The best part?  The Authority actually shows up in their own comic this time.   :P  The carrier has crash landed in what the Doctor calls a "low energy universe" aka our universe.  Our universe can't support their biology.  The cities barely speak to Jack Hawksmoor, the Doctor's magic is a shadow of it's former self, and the Carrier has almost completely shut down.  If it shuts down completely the team will be stranded.  While exploring our universe, the Doctor theorizes that something about our universe allows information  to bleed through from all other universes.  He discovers this by finding a copy of The Authority: Relentless graphic novel in a comic shop.  Meanwhile, Apollo is shot down while trying to absorb enough solar energy to restart the Carrier's nervous system.  The team prepares to rescue him but the Midnighter gets there first  and he's about to take on the U.S. military.  That can't be good.  Hopefully this series will begin to come out more regularly from now on.  Now that Grant Morrison has gotten things moving I can't wait to see the next issue.
Rating:  :thumbup: 

QUICK HITS

52 Week #44 - Looks like the build up for WWIII is starting.  Lot's of people predicted Isis's death but personally I was hoping she'd stick around.
Rating:  :)

Justice League of America #6 - Pretty good conclusion to Meltzer's first arc.  However, is it just me or does he seem to have heroes grab bad guys' legs a lot.
Rating:  :)

newuniversal #4 - I've really been enjoying this series.  I especially like the fact that the 4 people who have received powers got them for a specific reason.
Rating:  :thumbup: 

Manhunter #29 - I knew that wasn't really Ted Kord.  Anyway, Marc Andreyko really has a good handle on Diana's personality.  Her reason for not revealing that she killed Max Lord to protect the world from a mind controlled Superman fits the character perfectly.
Rating:  :thumbup:

The All New Atom #9 - Another quality issue from Gail Simone.  My only question would be why is Ryan's school bully from his childhood in China named Alvin?
Rating:  :thumbup:

Detective Comics #829 - Unfortunately, some people might skip this arc because it's a fill in by Stuart Moore.  That would be a mistake.  It's a simple premise.  Wayne Tower is attacked by terrorists and Bruce Wayne is trapped inside where he can't change to Batman without giving away his secret identity, so it's up to Robin to save the day.  Robin's resourcefulness and Batman's ability to influence the situation without actually being suited up is in full display.
Rating:  :thumbup:

Midnighter #5 - This comic is my guilty pleasure.  It's sick and twisted and I love every page.
Rating:  :thumbup:

Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters #8 - Captain America may be "dead" but Uncle Sam is alive and well at DC.  Not a perfect series but I'd still like to see more of this team.
Rating:  :)
Series Rating:  :)

Star Wars: Legacy - The Force is strong with this one.
Rating:  :thumbup:

Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born #2 - A lot of new characters are introduced at the same time which made this issue a little confusing.  Hopefully it'll be cleared up.
Rating:  :mellow:

Welcome to Tranquility #4 - Simone has created an interesting world in this series.  The investigation into Mr. Articulate's death continues and the Liberty Snots (I love that name) cause trouble.
Rating:  :)

Nightwing #130 - Jamal Igle's art looks great but the story is just okay.  The Bride and Groom just aren't very interesting villains, IMHO.
Rating:  :mellow:

Jonah Hex #17 - Tallulah Black gets revenge on the men who wronged her.  Cool issue but it looks like she won't be sticking around which is kind of disappointing.
Rating:  :thumbup:

[udasu]

Wolverine 51
Wolverine vs. Sabertooth, round # 937. Decent art, same ol stuff..

Superman/Batman 32
Interesting take on Mind-frelling aliens speaking to their own kind. But are the aliens calling each other aliens..? Decent Art.

52 44
Adam is on his own again. Too bad.. Where is this all going? It frankly escapes me..

(Planet) Hulk 104
I've liked this run - it's a nice break from Civil War, and reminds me of the 70s for some reason. Looks like he's making his way back to Earth, babe. With a burning hate inside..

FF - The End 6 of 6
Always loved Alan Davis' Art, and the story is actually pretty epic and FF-family-centric. It's cool seeing Torchie leading the Avengers.

The Mighty Avengers 1
It's all been said - Tony's a jerk, Shield is a bunch of nazis, and Ares is a neat twist. Decent art, and Tony gets hosed at the end - good stuff..

JLA 6
Nice artwork, decent story. Too bad for RT, but at least he's 'alive'. Glad to see Grundy again, the Amazo thing was interesting. Super-Adaptoid was a ripoff, huh?

Cap 25
OMG! You killed Cap! You ________'s! He's not dead, he's just in the Fury/Qesada bull pen. I'll play along.. How could you kill the paragon of truth, justice, and the American.. Oh wait, they did that to Superman too right? Okay, never mind..

LOSH 27
S'ok. I like the artwork, but the storyline is slowing down for a good 'ol Dominion invasion.

Brave & the Bold1
Perez rocks. GL and bats gamble, fight aliens, etc. Fun stuff.

Onslaught Reborn 3
I really want to like Liefield.. And his art is getting better.. ugh..

FF 543
A fun mag, with realitic repurcussions to Civil War, from the family it tore apart. Reed & Sue go to marriage help while T'Challa and Ororo keep Ben and Johnny from tearing the place apart (while Frank and Val bet on them). Best line: 'Stand still so's I can clobber ya!' There are some Marvel house / FF self-depricating cartoons after the main story which I haven't read yet.

[Talavar]

Mighty Avengers bugged me for a couple of reasons.  First, those thought balloons bugged the crap out of me.  Way over-used, and kinda pointless.  Second, why the hell did Stark... [spoiler] turn into a female Ultron?  I know since Extremis Tony's been mentally controlling the armor directly, a mind-electronic connection of some kind, but that let's the whole suit and his anatomy get turned into putty?  Dumb.  Robots having gender, generally dumber. [/spoiler]

[crimsonquill]

Second, why the hell did Stark... [spoiler] turn into a female Ultron?  I know since Extremis Tony's been mentally controlling the armor directly, a mind-electronic connection of some kind, but that let's the whole suit and his anatomy get turned into putty?  Dumb.  Robots having gender, generally dumber. [/spoiler]

Uhm, Bendis already addressed that issue in two words... [spoiler]Battlestar Galactica. If some old '70s sci-fi show could manage to overhaul the star villians by giving them a human form in the 21st Century then why not an old supervillian too? Plus he was tired of the same old Ultron plus infinity model once again attacking the Avengers for some old drawn out plotline. And with Frank Cho being the artist on the comic... what gender would you think Ultron would be?  :rolleyes:

This new Ultron should be more "unexpected" since that is the key word for Marvel this year. And I doubt that Tony will be stuck as Femtron for too long since she probably needs to find a body of her own before too long.[/spoiler]

- CrimsonQuill

[lugaru]

Tony being turned into something is possible but dosent make much sense. A female Ultron Posing as Tony maybe?

But yeah, that pannel really threw me off. The thought balloons are kind of intrusive too, I mean I like the idea but they should weed out 2/3rds of them, it reads like bad manga.

[Agent]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8 #1 - I've missed Buffy and the Scoobies.  It's great to see just how things have changed since all the potential slayers were activated at the end of Season 7.  There are 1800 slayers roaming the world now, 500 of which work with Buffy's group divided into 10 squads.  There are even two fake Buffy's one of whom is used to explain "Buffy" dating the Immortal.  As far as the Scoobies are concerned we only see what's going on with Xander and Dawn in this issue.  Xander is acting as Watcher/mission coordinator for the Slayers and Dawn has been transformed into a giant due to time spent dating something called a thricewise. Meanwhile, a general is convinced the slayers are a threat to national security, in no small part due to what happened to Sunnydale.  Speaking of which, a team inspecting what was left of the town for the general finds Amy and her "boyfriend."  We never see the boyfriend but the general wonders how it could be alive the first time he sees it.  Not suprisingly the characterization is great (Xander has a great moment near the beginning of the issue) since Whedon is jumping back into a familiar sandbox here.  Georges Jeanty's art is excellent.  Dawn doesn't quite look like herself but I can forgive that.  I'm looking forward to seeing what Whedon and Co. have planned.
Rating:  :thumbup:

Green Lantern Corps #10 - Dave Gibbon's first issue back since Keith Champagne's 3 issue run really suffers from the comparison.  Particularly when you compare the two writers' takes on Guy Gardner.  Champagne made him a lovable rogue.  Kind of like Han Solo with a power ring.  Gibbons makes Guy seem like a whiney, brat.  There's also this animosity between Guy and some of the other Lanterns that never seems to have any real basis.  It just comes out of nowhere.  There's a sub plot involving Isakot and his partner whose name I can never remember visiting Mogo that doesn't really go anywhere.  On the bright side, the sub plot involving Soranik Natu is actually very interesting.  Natu's home planet, Korugar, views GLs as evil thanks to Sinestro (when he was Korugar's GL he took over the planet).  Natu is shown providing medical care to Korugar's under-priveleged.  I like the idea of Korugar developing it's own subversive (from their point of view) pro-GL underground thanks to Natu's efforts.  Newly graduated GL, Princess Iolande is chosen to be Natu's new partner which has the potential to be a cool pairing.  Natu's story benefits from being drawn by Patrick Gleason rather than Gibbons.  Gibbons style just doesn't fit this type of title.  Gleason's art is full of energy and he's great a drawing weird looking aliens.  Gibbon's work seems to static for the story being told.  As far as his writing, I liked Gibbon's first storyline (the one that introduced Iolande) but his subsequent stories just haven't been that good.  Particularly when Guy's involved.
Rating:  :(

Superman #660 - This is Superman's book but this issue is actually a Prankster story and a very good one.  Once again a writer, in this case Kurt Busiek, re-imagines an older character.  What makes this so great is the fact that Busiek doesn't try to make him scary or menacing.  By taking this approach he saves the Prankster from being just a poor man's Joker.  The Prankster works as a diversion for hire.  Criminals hire him to perform one of his pranks, which he views as performances, to distract the authorities and of course Superman while they commit their own crime.  In the course of the story we get to see what happens when one of the Prankster's clients disrespects his art.  It's great to see a writer embrace the idea that you can make a character interesting, and in this case fun, without going the grim and gritty route.
Rating:  :thumbup:


QUICK HITS

52 Week #45 - DO NOT harbor man made incarnations of Death while Black Adam is around.  He does't like it.  I wonder what the Oolong Island scientists have in store for him?
Rating:  :)

Teen Titans #44 - Batgirl fans should be happy.
Rating:  :thumbup:

Wonder Woman #5 - A fill-in issue but not bad.  I would've liked to see the end of Alan Heinberg's story but I can't blame DC for deciding to get on with it.
Rating:  :mellow:

Stormwatch PHD #5 - We find out why Stormwatch Prime is still alive and there's even an explanation for Jackson King's involvement in the Monarchy.  The connection between the Wildstorm and DC universes is hinted at, too.
Rating:  :)

Mystery in Space #7 - Lots of action in this issue and the Captain Comet and Weird storylines converge.
Rating:  :thumbup:

Martian Manhunter #8 - Unfortunately the conclusion to the mini doesn't tie up all it's loose ends.  I do like J'onn's new look though.
Rating:  :(
Series Rating:  :(

Green Arrow #72 - Red Hood and Speedy fight for some reason.  To be fair there was something about Red Hood wanting to teach Speedy a lesson but it's not doing too well on my logic-meter (patent pending).
Rating:  :(

Grifter/Midnighter #1 - Lots of set up but Chuck Dixon seems to have a pretty good handle on the characters.  However, when did Grifter get powers?
Rating:  :)

Robin #160 - Robin versus superpowered gangbangers.  Pretty fun.
Rating:  :thumbup:

[Agent]

Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #50 - So begins fantasy novelist, Tad Williams' run on Aquaman.  He starts off putting a lot of plot points in motion.  We're introduced to amnesiac "villain" Narwhal.  I put villain in quotes because the fact that Narwhal can't remember anything prior to a year ago makes me think he's actually a hero we've seen before being manipulated by Dyss's  evil Sea Bishop.  Dyss, another new addition, is a hidden city ruled by the Deep Church's Sea Bishop and dedicated to bringing about the return of an evil god called the Awaited.  On a lighter note, Williams introduces us to his version of Topo.  In the Silver Age Topo was Aquaman's octopus sidekick/pet.  Here he's a little squid man (he calls himself a coleoid humanoid) from a city called Neos.  Topo provides a bit of comic relief as well as exposition.  Williams actually adds a good bit more comedy to the title than Busiek did but thankfully he doesn't go overboard with it and he doesn't create comedy at the expense of the characters.  The banter between Topo and Arthur are especially fun to read.  Williams also brings back several characters from Aquaman's past, most importantly, Tempest who has been missing and presumed dead since Atlantis was destroyed.  One thing I was very happy to see was Williams' continued use of characters reintroduced by his predecessor, Kurt Busiek.  The Sea Devils, Vulko's ghost, Mera, Sub Diego and Rodunn all appear to have prominent rolls in the upcoming storyline.  Shawn McManus's art is good if a little too cartoony.  However, it seemed to improve as the issue went along.  I'm not sure if that means he got more comfortable with the characters or I just got used to the art.  Anyway, it was an enjoyable first issue and I'm interested to see what else Tad Williams has in mind.
Rating:  :thumbup:     


QUICK HITS

52 Week #46 - Let this be a lesson to everyone.  Don't mess with nerds!  Especially the mad scientist variety.
Rating:  :thumbup:

Justice Society of America #4 - Cool conclusion to the opening storyline.  I especially liked Wildcat and son taking on Vandal Savage.
Rating:  :thumbup:

Checkmate #12 - We learn what Amanda Waller was using to blackmail Fire into doing her dirty work and she earns a new advisary in the Black King, Taleb Beni Khalid.  It's very interesting that Rucka chose to use a real event - Operation Condor.
Rating:  :thumbup:

Birds of Prey #104 - This was an awesome issue.  Gail Simone knows how to write action.  The clash between the Birds of Prey and the numerically inaccurate Secret Six was great throughout the issue.  Add to that a great surprise ending and you've got a winner.  BTW, I hereby nominate Gail Simone to write Hawkgirl.
Rating:  :thumbup:

Brave and the Bold #2 - The interaction between Hal Jordan and Supergirl is a lot of fun but there seems to be a huge gap between the way she acts here and the way she acts in her own book.
Rating:  :)

Detective Comics #830 - Not bad for a fill-in but I was a little disappointed that Batman eventually did show up to save the day.  I would rather see Robin figure out how to handle the situation on his own.
Rating:  :)

Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #10 - It was cool to see Bart put his new detective skills to work.  The cliffhanger reveal of who sent Zoom after Bart was great, too.  Didn't see it coming at all.
Rating:  :thumbup:

X-Factor #17 - Peter David introduces readers to the X-Cell although we only see there pint sized leader, Elijah Cross.  The issue is setting up the upcoming storyline and I'm very interested to see what happens.
Rating:  :thumbup:

Ion: Guardian of the Universe #12 - While seeing Kyle deal with the death of his mother was touching, the ending for this series leaves me cold.  Considering all the times Kyle's had to deal with the loss of someone close to him, killing his mother almost seems like piling on.  At least it's clear we'll be seeing more of Ion in the Sinestro Corps story.
Rating:  :mellow:
Series Rating:  :)

Batman Confidential - Still like the story but still dislike the art.  However, I don't think respectable businessman Lex Luthor would be this forward about his plans for world domination.
Rating:  :)

Spirit #4 - Here's hoping we'll get to see Silk Satin again soon.
Rating:  :thumbup:

Red Menace #5 - Gray Eagle to the rescue and the real baddies are ready to strike in LA. 
Rating:  :)

[GhostMachine]

The Wonder Woman thing has me steaming:

First, the book ends up being made bimonthly with very little notice (I didn't find out until well after issue #2 had been out), then they end up not ending the story and making everyone wait. I've heard the conclusion will either be in a standalone special issue or in the annual, but won't be out until the latter half of the year either way.

Does anyone know if the Dodsons will continue doing the artwork when the new writer takes over? If not, I'm dumping the book.

[bredon7777]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8 #1 - I've missed Buffy and the Scoobies.  It's great to see just how things have changed since all the potential slayers were activated at the end of Season 7.  There are 1800 slayers roaming the world now, 500 of which work with Buffy's group divided into 10 squads.  There are even two fake Buffy's one of whom is used to explain "Buffy" dating the Immortal.  As far as the Scoobies are concerned we only see what's going on with Xander and Dawn in this issue.  Xander is acting as Watcher/mission coordinator for the Slayers and Dawn has been transformed into a giant due to time spent dating something called a thricewise. Meanwhile, a general is convinced the slayers are a threat to national security, in no small part due to what happened to Sunnydale.  Speaking of which, a team inspecting what was left of the town for the general finds Amy and her "boyfriend."  We never see the boyfriend but the general wonders how it could be alive the first time he sees it.  Not suprisingly the characterization is great (Xander has a great moment near the beginning of the issue) since Whedon is jumping back into a familiar sandbox here.  Georges Jeanty's art is excellent.  Dawn doesn't quite look like herself but I can forgive that.  I'm looking forward to seeing what Whedon and Co. have planned.
Rating:  :thumbup:

I loved it too, though Joss was a teeensy bit rusty ("Great Muppety Odin" is not a phrase that would EVER come out of Buffy's mouth. Xander, sure, but not Buffy :D)-

as for Amy's "boyfriend" [spoiler]
I think it's Warren.  Remember, Willow was powerful enough to resurrect Buffy before she absorbed the Magic Box, and Amy was her equal. If she was able to bring him back, but not reskin him, that would explain the generals comment.

But, since Buffy evaucated Sunnydale I dont know who- or how - Amy ate to survive.

Oh, and best quote: "Magic. You have to learn the rules, General. There are no <bleep> rules. That was kind of my point"   [/spoiler]

Thunderbolts 112- It took 3 issues, but I finally get it.  This book is The Colbert Report of the registration act.  Just like Colbert skewers the right wing by pretending to be one of them- this book is about skewring the rotten core of the registration act by pretending to praise it.  As with Colbert, if you're not in on the joke it's horrifying - but if you are, it's hysterical.  :thumbup:

Justice Society of America 4- This is the best comic on the stands, so I'm assuming you're all buying it. If not, start. Don't even read the rest of this- go out and get it.  A fairly perfect comic book.  :thumbup:

[bredon7777]

[
QUICK HITS

52 Week #46 - Let this be a lesson to everyone.  Don't mess with nerds!  Especially the mad scientist variety.
Rating:  :thumbup:


Brave and the Bold #2 - The interaction between Hal Jordan and Supergirl is a lot of fun but there seems to be a huge gap between the way she acts here and the way she acts in her own book.
Rating:  :)

Actually, I found both these books worrying.  Now, I've been one of the stronger proponents of the modern age of comics; I dread, absolutley dread, a return to the silly sensibilities of the Silver Age.  And again, I've been a champion of the "Comics are no longer for children (barring the obvious ones that are) - and that's a good thing."

But both those comics went too far.

52 -Veronica Cale referred to Black Adam using a certain genital representation I certainly dont expect to see outside a Vertigo book.  And it wasnt even the usual "@#$%", nope, the full word. Jarred me right out of the story.  There are a dozen differnt epithets she could have used - its clear this one was used for shock value.

Brave and the Bold -[spoiler]
Supergirl needs to disguise herself to fight the Grag brothers, fine.  There's a dozen differnt costumes she could have used. But they chose to dress her up as a five or six year old child- after going out of their way to establish that she was only seventeen earlier in the book.  I dont know about you, but the last guy I heard about that had pictures of a seventeen year old dressed up as a five or six year old got arrested- and for very good reason.  Gave me a skeevy feeling that jarred me right out of the story. [/spoiler]

Now I'm all for shock value. I understand the desire, even the need for it in most cases, whether it be to sell books (Cap 25) or for story purposes (Identity Crisis).  But this is the first time I've started to think that those of you who have been saying its been taken too far might have a point. :(

[Talavar]

Really?  52?  The word they used, that was jarring enough?  Not Black Adam murdering a country?  Huh.

[Podmark]

as for Amy's "boyfriend" [spoiler]
I think it's Warren.  Remember, Willow was powerful enough to resurrect Buffy before she absorbed the Magic Box, and Amy was her equal. If she was able to bring him back, but not reskin him, that would explain the generals comment.

[/spoiler]

I had the exact same thought.

[bredon7777]

Really?  52?  The word they used, that was jarring enough?  Not Black Adam murdering a country?  Huh.

Actually, an arguably insane Black Adam not murdering a country, given his history, powers, and recent events would've been far more jarring.  The murders made perfect sense, story wise.  That particular epithet did not.

[Agent]

If she didn't have a problem with helping to build the 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse why would she suddenly draw the line at saucy language?

[the_ultimate_evil]

ahh come on, you though something like that was bad. i must admit i didnt even notice it.

[Sword]

I didn't notice it either. To tell the truth, she's an incidental character. Her existence in 52 brings nothing to the table. I picked up the issue just to see Black Adam kicking the crap out of Mad Scientist devices, and getting the crap kicked out of him.

[Talavar]

I had to go back to re-read the issue to even know the word in question, a word that the filter on this board doesn't block, even was.  If that's bad language these days, TV, film, books, and most people's vocabulary better watch out.  I mean, is that even saucy any more?  It's about as bad as saying something sucks.

[GhostMachine]

Justice Society of America #4 - Not happy the storyline ended abruptly, but watching the two Wildcats whip the snot out of Vandal Savage, and the two page spread where Wildcat introduces his son to the team, more than made up for it. The cliffhanger ending? WHOA!

Wonder Woman #5 - Again, I'm steamed that we have to wait months for the end of the opening storyline, but the standalone story was pretty good. I'm glad the Dodsons are only taking a short break from doing the art, though, or I'd be dropping the book.

Wanted to pick up Flash #10 to see how someone in the issue gets killed off; long story short, Guggenheim occasionally posts at another forum I visit and `picked' that victim from the posters at that board (no, I'm not the victim). Unfortunately, the shop was already sold out of the issue. :(

Didn't see anything on the stands that grabbed me.

One thing I'm ticked about? I added Honor Brigade to my subscriptions when it was first solicited in Previews, but I guess they must need a minimum # of people asking for it to order and didn't. :(

[Agent]

Wonder Woman #6 - The first thing that came to mind after reading novelist, Jodi Picoult's first issue was "She's trying to hard."  Picoult spends a lot of her first issue (too much of it in my opinion) exploring Wonder Woman's struggles to adapt to her new secret identity.  I agree with the idea that this would require an adjustment on her part (AFAIK post CoIE Diana's never had a secret identity before) but I think Diana's been in man's world long enough to have the basics down already.  It makes since that she might not have a credit card but Picoult gives the impression (possibly unintentionally) that she doesn't even know what a credit card is.  I also disliked the use of Circe as the big bad.  She's revealed in a way that suggest she's supposed to be a big shock to the reader but we just saw her in Heinberg's unfinished storyline.  Seeing her again here is just anticlimactic.  At this point, Picoult writes Diana a little to angst-y for my tastes.  Hopefully, she'll get a better handle on the character next issue.
Rating:  :( 

Blue Beetle #13 - This issue was kind of a pleasant surprise.  I figured the Reach, the aliens responsible for creating the Blue Beetle scarab, was hiding something when they were introduced last issue but I didn't expect it to be revealed this soon.  The Reach claimed to be a benevolent organization that seeks to help civilizations survive the point in there development when they possess the technology to destroy themselves but not the wisdom to avoid doing so.  They seed the galaxy with the scarabs and once a world reaches this point it activates and creates a guardian to protect it until the Reach can arrive and offer help.  As the comic's writer put it, they're our Space-Pals.  At least they pretend to be.  In reality the scarab was supposed to create a super powered pawn for the Reach which is really sort of an intergalactic business conglomerate that conquers worlds in order to use them to make a profit (they even have a "holy writ" full of business plans for their potential conquests).  The Earth's scarab is defective due to repeated exposure to magical energy.  Not only has it's function been split with Jaime getting the armor and Peacemaker getting the instructions on how to use it, it's left Jaime with his free will intact.  Jaime and Co. know this but the Reach has already made contact with the US Government claiming to be peaceful visitors.  Rogers has set up an interesting conflict for Jaime and established, along with Keith Giffen, a strong supporting cast.  Especially Peacemaker.  Rafael Albuquerque's fun and expressive art is great for the series.  I particularly like his designs for the Reach's leader and minions.  There's a clear connection between them and the Blue Beetle and they look deceptively benign.
Rating:  :thumbup:

Fantastic Four #544 - I'm not a fan of a lot of Marvel's post-Civil War changes but I am a fan of Dwayne McDuffie and the Black Panther so I picked this up.  I have to say, I'm a little surprised Marvel didn't announce the fact that this is a follow-up to McDuffie's recent miniseries, Beyond.  For those who don't know, in Beyond, Medusa, the Wasp, Henry Pym, Firehawk, Gravity, Venom, the Hood, and someone else whose name I can't remember were abducted by the Stranger.  Gravity sacrificed his life to help them all escape.  In this issue, the Fantastic Four, with the Black Panther and Storm replacing Reed and Sue, discover Gravity's body has been teleported away.  The resulting investigation leads them first to the Watcher's place on the moon then to Epoch.  She's using Gravity's body for some unknown purpose but she has to hide her activities from Galactus and his Heralds.  Her efforts are unsuccesful and the Silver Surfer arrives while the FF are tussling with her.  I like the tone McDuffie strikes with this issue.  Reed and Sue's departure is addressed but it's not bogged down with a lot of CW angst.  The Panther and Storm make interesting fill ins for them and McDuffie takes the reader right into one of the big cosmic adventures I've always liked to see in an FF comic.
Rating:  :thumbup:

QUICK HITS

52 Week #47 - This issue touches base with the storylines that got sidelined by Black Adams rampage.  We even see some set up for the new Infinity, Inc. ongoing staring John Henry Irons (writer-Peter Milligan, artist-Max Fiumara).
Rating:  :)

Green Lantern #18 - Star Sapphire is back and lookin' for love!   :P I liked the main story but the Tales of the Sinestro Corps story was better.  It had a reverse-"Mogo Doesn't Socialize" feel to it.  I'm sure that wasn't a coincidence.
Rating:  :thumbup:

Firestorm: The Nuclear Man #34 - New Gods continue to pop up and complicate Firestorm's life with Metron, Kalibak, and a new version of the Parademons making an appearance.  McDuffie's keeping the action coming with one more issue to go.
Rating:  :thumbup:

Action Comics #847 - Another fill-in but Dwayne McDuffie (he seems to be everywhere this week) ties it into the Last Son storyline very nicely.  Renato Guedes art is fantastic in this issue.  This is one of the best Superman covers I've seen in a long time.
Rating:  :thumbup:

Batman #664 - This was a great issue although the first page was a little confusing.  Morrison ignores the last 4 issues and picks up right after the end of the Son of the Bat storyline.  The first page shows Bruce Wayne strolling down a street littered with defeated Man-Bats, chatting with his new love interests on a cell phone.  Now how cool is that?
Rating:  :thumbup:

Star Wars: Legacy #10 - Ostrander's doing a great job exploring the politics and intrigue of the future Star Wars universe.  He even includes a surprise reveal of Cade Skywalker's mom.
Rating:  :thumbup:

Daredevil #95 - Ed Brubaker gets back to his and Daredevil's strength as Matt reluctantly agrees to defend Melvin Potter, aka the Gladiator, who has been charged with murdering two of his fellow inmates.
Rating:  :thumbup:

JSA Classified #24 - Pretty cool use of Dr. Mid-Nite.  Still wish they'd gotten a better artist for the arc though.
Rating:  :)

Superman Confidential #4 - I just can't get into this story.  I still feel like Cooke's Superman is too whiney when he gets into trouble.
Rating:  :(

Connor Hawke: Dragon's Blood #5 - Chuck Dixon delivers wall-to-wall action with Connor fighting a dragon for the whole issue.  I liked how he and Eddie took it down by giving the legend a modern twist.
Rating:  :thumbup:   

[Monkeyman]

Yay Connor Hawke reader! Great story.