Suicide Squad #4 (DC) – Flashback story to Sgt. Rock and how he led one of the first suicide squads immediately after WWII to recover Nazi atomic research down in…
Suicide Squad #4 (DC) – Flashback story to Sgt. Rock and how he led one of the first suicide squads immediately after WWII to recover Nazi atomic research down in Argentina. Fair effort from Keith Giffen, with fine “DC War Comic” art from Russ Heath. [Writing/Art – B/B-]
Black Panther #39 (MarvPG) – “‘Nuff Said” installment (all art, no dialog), with plenty of battle action between BP and an evil/possessed Iron Fist. BP holds his own, interestingly enough. A bit of backstory, as Ross’s condition deteriorates, and a bit of fudging on the monthly concept by having some hand-written notes by Ross help explain what the frell is going on with him. [B/B+]
Fray #5 of 8 (DH) – More reluctant Slayer fun in the future. Joss Whedon’s book is fresh in a familiar way. This issue feels a bit more pedestrian than most, but it’s still worth the cover price. [A-/B+]
Captain Marvel #25 (MarvPG) – Rick gets depressed, Cap gets beat up on by Blastaar, Blastaar and Burstaar get angry, Moondragon watches Holy Grail, the Supreme Intelligence plots, Ronan plots, too, Una-Rogg gets snarky … and things get even more depressing. One of Peter David’s occasionally somber issues. [B+/A-]
Liberty Meadows #24 (ISG) – The funniest stuff on four — or two — legs. Frank Cho’s strip is ending in newspapers soon, but that’s so he can focus on uninhibited action in his comic. This issue, his how-to feature, “How I Draw Brandy With Outrageous Cans.” Buy it. It’s funny. [A/A]
Dork Tower #15 (Dork Storm) – John Kovalic’s strip is for anyone who likes gaming or scifi or (in this case) Renn-Faires, or for anyone who knows someone who does. Also very, very funny stuff, though the Matt/Kayleigh/Gillian triangle is starting to get a wee bit painful. [A-/B+]
Elektra #5 (MarvPG) – Bendis’ writing is fine as always, and works well in the spy/crime/honor/conspiracy realm, but Chuck Austin’s art is marginal at best, and far too awkward for a martial arts story. Bleah. [B/D]
Adventures of Superman #599 (DC) – Filler story from Joe Casey and Derec Aucoin, in the relationship between Supes and a sub captain he rescued from a Kursk-like event years ago. [B+/B]
Fury #4 (MAX) – Ennis is beginning to hit his stride here, with Fury playing Fury as a bitter super-soldier with the occasional surprising soft spot. There’s nothing really new here if you’ve read Punisher, but it’s still good stuff. [B+/B]
Green Lantern #145 (DC) – Winick continues playing with GL’s power in different ways, and this time he’s pushed the envelope even further. The writing is interesting, but Winick does better personal interaction than grand action, and the latter is what this story is mostly about. [B+/B+]
Detective #765 (DC) – Over the past year or so, the Bat-books — at least the ones I read — have been more about the people around Bats and how they perceive him, and themselves through him, than on Bats himself. And maybe that’s how it should be. A character this dark and mysterious should be mysterious. Greg Rucka has been having fun with turning Bruce Wayne’s bodyguard, Sasha, into a Bat-sidekick, letting her be sort of an Everywoman in the Bat-world. [A-/B] This title’s backup series is one of the best so far. “Josie Mack,” as written by Judd Winick, is a Gotham detective who can “read” objects, sense their emotions, their stories. Of course, she can’t exactly tell anyone this. Good fun, but it’s not clear that it would ever stand up as its own series, nor would she be a good supporting character (since she’d likely only be drawn in as a deus ex machina. [A-/B+]
Impulse #81 (DC) – After the relative pathos of the past few issues, this story, “Dan Coyote: The Man of La Jolla,” is classic Impulse fun. Bart gets to play Sancho Panza to a special effects guy who thinks he’s a super-hero. Hilarity ensues. Good work from Todd Dezago, and the art by Carlo Barberi continues the Humberto Ramos tradition. [A-/B+]
X-Treme X-Men #8 (MarvPG) – A “‘Nuff Said” issue, which is just what Chris Claremont needs. Though things get a tad confusing along the way (given that one of the villains is busy changing everyone’s perceptions of reality, and the art of necessity flashes back and forth between those perspectives), it’s a good enough issue. Sal Larroca’s art is definitely worth watching, if for no other reason than he’s finally gotten Gambit out of that really ugly thing he used to wear under his duster. [A-/A-]
Barry Ween, Boy Genius vol 3, #5 of 6 (Oni) – The third, and best, by Winick’s efforts reviewed here. Though the dialog sometimes gets a bit too South Park even by Barry Ween standards, the story has a great blend of both action and emotion. Barry, Jeremy, and Sara all get run through their paces, both comedically and dramatically. If you’re not reading this book — or the previous two series (conveniently TPBed for your purchasing pleasure), you should. [A/A-]