QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 02-13-08

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 02-13-08
By John Judy

Remember: Nothing says “Happy Valentine’s Day” like an armload of comics! Right, honey? Honey…?

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #550 by Marc Guggenheim and Salvador Larroca. Jackpot! Menace! And maybe some more new characters with so-so names. It’s no “Doctor Octopus” is all I’m saying.

ASTRO CITY: THE DARK AGE SPECIAL #2 BEAUTIE by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson. The secret origin of Astro City’s own living doll, Beautie! We’ve been waiting years for this and so has she! Recommended!

BAT LASH #3 of 6 by Peter Brandvold, Sergio Aragones and John Severin. Necktie Party! How’s ol’ Bat gonna git outta this one?! Owl-hoots beware!

BLACK PANTHER #34 by Reginald Hudlin and Cafu. Featuring Skrull gangsters and frogs.

BOOSTER GOLD #0 by Geoff Johns, Jeff Katz, and Dan Jurgens. It’s official: This is the latest-shipping title ever!!! Ladies and Gentlemen: the Booster Gold/Zero Hour cross-over! In your face, Kevin Smith! Eat it, Ultimate Hulk/Wolverine #3! Miracleman #25? 1963 Annual? All is forgiven. You can come out now… Please?

BPRD: 1946 #2 of 5 by Mike Mignola, Joshua Dysart, and Paul Azaceta. Professor Bruttenholm teams up with the Russkies to find out what’s up with Project Vampir Sturm. Creepy Horrific hi-jinks from the House of Hellboy!

CAPTAIN MARVEL #3 of 5 by Brian Reed and Lee Weeks. Paintings and Skrulls.

DMZ #28 by Brian Wood and Riccardo Burchielli. The secret origin of Soames, New York’s most infamous eco-warrior!

DOOM PATROL ARCHIVES VOL. 4 HC by Arnold Drake and Bruno Premiani. Collecting issues #106-113 of “the strangest super-team of all.” No, the other one. Silver-Age, dinosaur-punching fun! Recommended.

FANTASTIC FOUR #554 by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch. A new team and a new look for The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine! Very ultimate-y without feeling as wholly detached from the rich details of the mainstream Marvel Yoo. Recommended.

GHOST RIDER #20 by Jason Aaron and Roland Boschi. Okay, I know it’s Ghost Rider which is usually a title on par with its movie adaptation. However, this new arc is being written by the guy who writes SCALPED and SCALPED is completely awesome. That alone gets this issue a read. A very hopeful read….

GOON #21 written and illustrated by Eric Powell. The Priest’s unearthly kin would like a word with him.

NEW AVENGERS #38 by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos. Jessica Jones turns herself in to The Law to protect her baby. Very “Juno” if “Juno” was a noir super-hero story without all the chipper pseudo-Canadian accents and West Wing-y banter. Okay, it’s Bendis so the banter is there. No getting around the banter. Sorry.

NEXT ISSUE PROJECT #1: FANTASTIC COMICS #24 by Many Twisted People. Okay, Booster and Company are off the hook. This one is the Latest Comic Ever by about 66 years. The last issue of FANTASTIC COMICS was on the stands in November of 1941. A little thing called “copyright expiration” kicked in and now anyone who wants to can publish all the characters contained therein, no harm, no foul. So brace yourself for a golden-age sized delight containing the new adventures of Samson, Stardust, Flip Falcon, Sub Saunders, Yank Wilson, and more! Marvel’s got THE TWELVE. Dynamite’s got that Alex Ross thing. Now it’s Image’s turn at bat, Gotta look!

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: ENEMY ACE, VOL. 1 SC by Robert Kanigher, Joe Kubert, John Severin, Howard Chaykin, Neal Adams, and wow, how do you even follow that? A must for fans of great comics, “war” or otherwise.

SUPERMAN #673 by Kurt Busiek and Peter Vale. Superman fights Insect Queen on the moon! And he’s got a bug’s head on the cover! What more can one ask?

WALKING DEAD #46 by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard. Oh man, I hope they didn’t really kill Michonne last issue…. Not for kids. Must have.

WILL EISNER’S SPIRIT ARCHIVES VOL.24 HC written and drawn by Will Eisner. The final volume of Eisner’s most famous creation, collecting the weekly Spirit adventures up through the early 1950s. The cover art alone is worth it. Recommended with awe.

WOLVERINE #62 by Jason Aaron and Ron Garney. Best Wolvie story in quite a while from the author of SCALPED. Featuring Mystique and a seriously ruthless Scott Summers. It’s like he grew up on a reservation or something… Recommended.

WONDER WOMAN #17 by Gail Simone and Terry & Rachel Dodson. WW vs. evil Amazons and Nazis. Classic stuff, beautifully drawn and on time!

X-FACTOR #28 by Peter David and Pablo Raimondi. Finally free from the last Big X-Over, we learn who Madrox knocked up and what’s happening around Mutant-Town. Helpful x-slang to learn: “PAN = Pass As Normal. REM = You still have your horns, tentacles, weird brow ridges, but no friggin’ powers.” It’ll be on the test.

X-FORCE #1 of 6 by Christopher Yost and Clayton Crain. Wolverine, Warpath, Wolfsbane, and the Wolverine Tranny-Clone X-23. Cyclops has assembled a mutant murder squad to kill anyone he doesn’t like. Because that’s what heroes do. Do protect Freedom or something. Comes without poly-bags, trading cards, or a bucket. But it does have those highly collectable variant covers!

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