QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE THURSDAY (not Wednesday) 12-03-09
By John Judy
BLACKEST NIGHT: THE FLASH #1 of 3 by Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins. Barry and Wally have to duke it out with zombie rogues. This one sells itself! Recommended.
BLACKEST NIGHT: WONDER WOMAN #1 of 3 by Greg Rucka and Nicola Scott. WW vs. Zombie Maxwell Lord, the guy whose head she nearly twisted off during that hideous OMAC storyline. So let's twist again like we did last Summer!
THE BOYS #37 by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. The origin of The Frenchman! Sacre bleau! Not for kids! Recommended.
DARK AVENGERS ANNUAL #1 by Brian Michael Bendis and Chris Bachalo. Captain Marvel Boy wants out! But every time he tries to get out Norman Osborn pulls him back in! Plus, more Sentry craziness!
EMPOWERED SPECIAL written and drawn by Adam Warren. "The Wench with a Million Sighs!" The tribulations of a super-heroine as related by a captured demon-lord on her coffee table. Features swearing, sighing and lots of zappage. Recommended.
EX MACHINA DELUXE EDITION, VOL. 2 HC by Brian K. Vaughan, Tony Harris and Others. Collecting issues 12-20 plus the two-issue Special, this makes a nice gift for the Super-Hero/Political Thriller fan on your list. And you. Recommended.
FALL OF THE HULKS ALPHA #1 by Jeff Parker and Paul Pelletier. Doctor Doom and some other clowns who think they're on his level team up to bring down the Hulk family. About time! "Hulk! There can be only one!" Gotta look!
JSA ALL-STARS #1 by Matthew Sturges and Freddie Williams II. The first issue of the new monthly spin-off title! Featuring a more militant JSA so look for lots of punching, hitting and zapping. No old people or brainiacs need apply. Gotta look.
MARVELS PROJECT #4 of 8 by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting. Project Rebirth is on! Steve Rogers hits the juice and the world of star-spangled super-heroes will never be the same! Highly recommended.
POPEYE, VOL. 4: PLUNDER ISLAND HC by E.C. Segar. A complete eight-month run of Sunday color comics featuring Popeye's epic battle with the Sea Hag and the Goon! Plus dailies and a whole lot more! Thank-you once again, Fantagraphics! Highly recommended.
SCALPED #33 by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera. Red Crow's leg-breakers vs. tattooed Hmong gangsters with FBI Special Agent Dash Bad Horse caught in the middle. If you wonder where all the Awesome went this month, it's here. Not for kids. Highly recommended.
SIEGE: THE CABAL ONE-SHOT by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Lark. Norman Osborn takes on Doctor Doom. There's a reason this is a one-shot, folks. Recommended.
STRANGE #2 of 4 by Mark Waid and Emma Rios. A young woman saved by Dr. Strange becomes obsessed with learning everything she can about the Master of the Mystic Arts. Maybe she can even figure out how he got replaced in the Magic Pecking Order by Brother Voodoo. (I mean, come on!) Anyway, this is really a good take on the Doctor by Waid and Rios. Recommended.
SUPERGOD #2 of 5 by Warren Ellis and Garrie Gastony. What a superhuman arms race would look like before everybody died screaming. Yeah, that's it really. Cheaper and better-written than 2012.
SUPERMAN: WORLD OF NEW KRYPTON #10 of 12 by Greg Rucka, James Robinson and Pete Woods. There's been a murder on New Krypton, which is really quite a feat if you think about it. Now it's up to Supes and Adam Strange to track down the culprit. With General Zod looking over their shoulders. No pressure…
THOR #604 by Kieron Gillen and Billy Tan. Y'know, if you're the new creative team following Straczynski and Coipel on THOR, you could do a lot worse than having the Thunder God beat the sweet, living bejeezus out of Doctor Doom. Well played, gentlemen. Recommended.
TORCH #4 of 8 by Mike Carey, Alex Ross and Patrick Berkenkotter. So the original Human Torch is doing better now that the no-longer-dead Toro has freed him from the Mad Thinker's control. But boy, coming back from the dead just to get mind-controlled into char-broiling some random shmucks? It throws off your game, y'know?
UNCANNY X-MEN #518 by Matt Fraction and Terry & Rachel Dodson. Cyclops journeys into Emma Frost's mind to purge the evil influence of The Void. Because he's too cheap to buy flowers! Recommended anyway.
