QUICK REVIEWS OF COMICS DUE WEDNESDAY 01-07-09

QUICK REVIEWS OF COMICS DUE WEDNESDAY 01-07-09
By John Judy

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #582 by Dan Slott and Mike McKone. Spidey’s gotta settle the Molten Man’s hash and save Harry Osborn. Because that’s his job. Very specialized. Not just any insect-themed jamoke can do it. This is a Dan Slott story so it’s a cut above the rest. Read and see.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #21 by Jane Espenson and Georges Jeanty. Harmony the vampire attacks Andy Dick! The contest for Best Comic of 2009 is now officially over! Written by Mutant Enemy stalwart and “Battlestar: Galactica” scribe Jane Espenson! Recommended!

DC UNIVERSE ILLUSTRATED BY NEAL ADAMS by Neal Adams and Others. If you’re looking for any Adams DC material not already collected in Batman, Deadman or Green Lantern/Green Arrow trades it is probably in this book. Beautiful stuff. Recommended.

FACES OF EVIL: GRUNDY #1 by Scott Kolins and Geoff Johns. A one-shot exploring the story of DC’s indestructable swamp-monster Solomon Grundy. Everything you ever wanted to know and more! Gotta look!

HAUNTED TANK #2 of 5 by Frank Marraffino and Henry Flint. The comic that dares to ask “Can a black tank commander and his undead Confederate Army Great-great-great Grandfather put their differences aside if it means killing lots of non-Americans?” This should be Eddie Murphy’s next movie.

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #9 by Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca. Tony Stark has pretty much screwed up the entire world. Captain America is dead, SHIELD is defunct and we just got reamed by a bunch of green alien shape-shifters. Now Tony is persona non grata everywhere. He’s sort of like George Bush in a suit of armor, but more sympathetic. Anyway this issue has Tony trying to escape Everyone.

NO HERO #3 of 7 by Warren Ellis and Juan Jose Ryp. There’s a new superhuman in town and he’s looking…. Well, pretty darn strange actually. Having your mind cracked like an egg will do that to a person, even more so if it’s Warren Ellis making the omelet.

SANDMAN DREAM HUNTERS #3 of 4 by Neil Gaiman and P. Craig Russell. It’s the monk’s turn to plead with the Dream King for the life of the fox. Problem is, that Dream King? Real jerk sometimes…

SECRET SIX #5 by Gail Simone and Nicola Scott. Okay, it’s gonna be a trick bouncing back after most of the team was poisoned last issue and that freaky serial killer “Junior” begins closing in, but these crazy kids have moxie and that counts for a lot!

WALKING DEAD #57 by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard. The zombie killers continue their trek to Washington D.C. Seems to be the thing to do this January. Also the 9th WALKING DEAD trade paperback HERE WE REMAIN comes out, collecting issues 49-54. Weeks like this make a person glad to be alive and not eating human flesh! Not for kids.

X-MEN: NOIR #2 of 4 by Fred Van Lente and Dennis Calero. This series has me hooked like an adamantium claw with its crazy alternate universe X-folk spouting pulp tough-guy dialogue and acting like the “Gangs of New York” with super powers. Highly recommended!

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