No particular reason for doing comic book reviews — but the week before last was a pretty good comic week, and I wanted to share. (And maybe I’m getting my virtual pen in shape for the Blogathon in June …)
Green Hornet #1 (Dynamite) w. Kevin Smith, a. Jonathan Lau. Dynamite is kicking off a big Green Hornet frenzy of comics, of which this seems to be the core. The book is pretty decent — the first half giving the “retirement mission” of the original Brit Reid / Kato pair, and the second half setting up Reid’s wastrel son as (we expect) the next Hornet twenty years down the line. Decent fun, esp. that first half. Based on an unproduced GH screenplay by Smith. Will continue to check it out. 
Cinderella: From Fabletown With Love #5 (Vertigo) w. Chris Roberson, a. Shawn McManus. Continuing adventures of the Bond (or perhaps Mrs. Peel) of the Fables set, shoe-loving uber-spy Cinderella, wherein she learns who the true villain of her particular tale to date. Decent fun not helped by pedestrian art. 
JSA All-Stars #4 (DC) w. Matthew Sturges, a. Freddie Williams II. All sorts of big stuff going on against some recent standard JSA villains, most notably Johnny Sorrow. But it all feels a bit of a mish-mosh, too many splashy pages, too many characters, too many action packed scenes, none of which complete gels. Ultimately, it’s hard to care about what’s happening.
Ultimate Avengers #5 (Marvel) w. Mark Millar, a. Carlos Pacheco, Dexter Vines. Millar has fun with the Ultimate U, complete with the Red Skull, the Cosmic Cube, and some Avengers. Oh, and Captain America, still being hunted by SHIELD because he’s the Red Skull’s father (yes, really). Nothing earthshattering, but an enjoyable read.
New Ultimates #1 (Marvel) w. Jeph Loeb, a. Frank Cho. Picking things up post-Ultimatum, there’s plenty of decent action and intrigue and so forth. Loeb doesn’t have quite the cut-throat Millar/Bendis approach to the title and world that it almost needs. Cho’s art feels muddy here — unclear if it’s his computer inking/coloring or the reproduction. Still, it’s a decent enough comic for me to want to read it, if only because it gives the most unlikely cheesecake shot in this month’s comic (Hela) and because Loeb and Cho, even at their worst, are still better reading than many.
The Mighty Avengers #34 (Marvel) w. Dan Slott, a. Neil Edward, Andrew Currie, John Rauch. This second-bananas Avenger book (half was-Avengers, half Young Avengers) continues to feel its way along, even as I suspect its days are “Heroic Age” numbered. Hank Pym, the leader, varies between improbably competent and abruptly nuts, but it looks like the standard Pym meme (Ultron) will be stopping by imminently. Not sure I plan to stick around. 
Jack of Fables #43 (Vertigo) w. Bill Willingham, Matthew Sturges; a. Tony Akins, Jim Fern. I know Willingham can write fantasy ten times better than this, and Sturges is no slouch, but this title remains a muddy mess, not helped by mediocre art. Even if it is part of the Fables franchise, I’m losing patience.
Adventure Comics #8/581 (DCH) (three stories with various writers, artists). More Legion of Super-Heroes rebootingness, some focused on Braniac 5, some focused on an adventure with (20th C) Mon-El and Superboy. An intersting mix of characters from different LSH eras, but I soundly hate Sensor Girl’s new outfit (which is like her old one, only with a deep decolletage and everything painted on her (all of the LSH except Brainy are now all about form-fitting outfits. With multiple stories it’s hard to judge everything, but I’m not seeing anything that makes me want to see a full-time LSH series.
Zorro #20 (Dynamite) w. Matt Wagner, a. Francesco Francavilla. This will never be the hottest, trendiest, coolest comic on the block, but Wagner is doing a solid job with the Zorro legend, and the art remains respectably realistic and workmanlike. The biggest challenge faced is how to let the title evolve without losing what it currently has. Good stuff.
The Boys #40 (Dynamite) w. Garth Ennis; a. Darick Robertson. Ennis’ anti-hero iconoclastic series continues to please and get kicked up a few notches, esp. as Hughie and Annie’s romance becomes known, and Butcher thinks that means Hughie’s a V-A plant. Plus, finally some (graphic) details on the hold Butcher has over the Homelander, and how V-A is becoming a bigger threat than ever. Triffic stuff. 
The Sword #22 (Image) w/a. The Luna Bros. Dara and Malia have their big knock-down, drag-out battle, which suits Malia purposes fine — until Dara figures out the PR war is as big a prize as whether she can take down the goddess. Heading to a big finish in #24. Triffic stuff, some more.
First Wave #1 (DC) w. Brian Azzarello; a. Rags Morales. DC’s attempt to set up a pulp noir universe, apparently set in modern times but with a 30s pulp feel, helped along by bringing in a huge raft of period characters together: Doc Saveage, the Spirit, Batman and others. Too soon to pass judgment, but the initial outing is promising, even around semi-introducing the players. I’ll be back.
Astro City: the Dark Age Book IV #2 of 4 (Wildstorm) w. Kurt Busiek; a. Brent Anderson. Life in the 70s (80s?) continues, darkly (though ironically with a great neon-garbed character on the cover). The tropes come hot and heavy in this usually fine title, weakened only by having lots a bit of the “this is what heroes look like to normal folks” and “here’s what the non-4-color life of heroes is” in favor of a story that could be ripped out of the pages of a standard Marvel comic. In short, fun, but not up to the series’ standards — which still leaves it head and shoulders above a lot of titles.