QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 01-09-08

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 01-09-08
By John Judy

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #546 by Dan Slott and Steve McNiven. Okay, Spider-Fans, I know a lot of you are out there licking your wounds (gross!) after Mephisto Quesada brought back Harry Osborn and un-did yet another decade or so of continuity. So buy SCALPED already! It’ll put hair on ya! (Ahem.) Beyond that, I offer these words of comfort: “Dan Slott.” Dan Slott can write anything in any circumstance and find real character-based humor and drama even in the most forsaken realms. He made SHE-HULK work. Think what he can do with Spidey. And he’ll be doing it three times a month. This week’s “Gotta-Look.” Recommended.

BAT LASH #2 of 6 by Peter Brandvold, Sergio Aragones, and John Severin. There’s bears! Bears drawn by the great John Severin! Recommended!

BOYS #14 by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. C’mon, you know you have to look. The crazy Russian hero “Love Sausage” is back in costume. His tight, tight costume… Recommended, but Not for Kids or those who already teeter on the brink of madness.

BPRD: 1946 #1 of 5 by Mike Mignola, Joshua Dysart, and Paul Azaceta. Okay, this one sounds like a lot of fun! The early days of the BPRD, when they were still mopping up after the ratzis and the mysterious “Project Vampir Sturm.” A must for Hellboy/Mignola fans!

BPRD VOL. 7 GARDEN OF SOULS SC by Mike Mignola, John Arcudi, and Guy Davis. Collecting the whole series featuring Abe Sapien, steampunk cyborgs, and a mummy!

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER OMNIBUS VOL. 3 SC by Various Creators. Collecting BUFFY #1-8 (original series), “Play with Fire”, and “Spike and Dru.”

CONAN: THE BLOOD-STAINED CROWN AND OTHER STORIES SC by Kurt Busiek, Fabian Nicieza, Bruce Timm, John Severin, Tim Truman, and Others. Collecting a series of “done-in-one” stories by some of the heaviest-hitting talent in the comics biz. Worth a look even if you don’t usually read CONAN.

ESSENTIAL CAPTAIN AMERICA VOL. 4 SC by Lotsa People including Steve Gerber, Tony Isabella, Herb Trimpe, and Frank Robbins. Collecting issues #157-186. Werewolves, Nomad, Yellow Claw, Secret Empire, X-Men, Namor, Dr. Faustus, and the Falcon, of course. Enjoy!

GOON #20 written and drawn by Eric Powell. The Goon and Franky fight tartish harpies! “Mmmm, tartish harpies…”

HULK #1 by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuiness. Hulk’s red. Darkstar and Red Guardian aren’t dead. Doc Samson is short-tempered and appears to be having trouble pounding the Red Guardian into paste, which says to me at least one of them is a Skrull. Plus, the return of an old friend who was not dead last time I looked.

JLA CLASSIFIED #50 by Roger Stern and John Byrne. A couple of veteran creators team up again, this time for a JLA story that’s half-fight, half-mystery.

JSA PRESENTS STARS AND STRIPES VOL. 2 SC by Geoff Johns and Lee Moder. Collecting issues #9-14 of the series that launched Johns’ career. Neat stuff.

JUDGE DREDD COMPLETE CASE FILES VOL. 9 SC by John Grant, Alan Wagner, and Various Artists of Note. The latest volume for fans with reinforced bookshelves.

MIGHTY AVENGERS #7 by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley. The entire population of New York has been transformed into murderous, flesh-eating Venom creatures. “How could they tell?” – Dorothy Parker.

NEXTWAVE AGENTS OF H.A.T.E. VOL. 2: I KICK YOUR FACE SC by Warren Ellis and Stuart Immonen. Collecting issues #7-12. You know you want it. Recommended.

SALVATION RUN #3 of 7 by Bill Willingham and Sean Chen. Also known as “Planet Luthor!” Featuring the world’s naughtiest talking monkey! And it ain’t George Bush! (Okay, technically it is.)

SCALPED #13 by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera. The casino’s been open less than 24 hours and Agent Dash Bad Horse’s mom has been murdered. This is the week you put that stupid WOLVERINE comic that hasn’t been good since Rucka left back on the rack and start reading SCALPED. Not for kids. Consistently, highly recommended. Find out why.

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: ROBIN, THE BOY WONDER VOL. 1 SC by Lotsa People, including Gardner Fox Neal Adams, Gil Kane, and Everyone Else. It’s a whole lotta Robin, folks.

SPIRIT #12 written and drawn by Darwyn Cooke. It’s Cooke’s last issue before a fill-in and then the new team of Mark Evanier, Sergio Aragones, and Mike Ploog take over! This one features the return of Sand Sarif. Recommended and already missed.

STUDENTS FOR A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY GN by Harvey Pekar, Gary Dumm, and historian Paul Buhle. A non-fiction account of the rise and fall of one of the most ambitious and controversial activist groups of the 1960s. For grown-ups and interested parties. Very well-timed publication. Recommended.

SUPERMAN #672 by Kurt Busiek and Peter Vale. Insect Queen is on the Moon and on the move! It’s Insect Queen! Recommended!

TEEN TITANS: THE LOST ANNUAL by Bob Haney, Jay Stephens, and Mike Allred. The original Teen Titans: Robin, Wonder Girl, Kid Flash, Speedy, and Aqualad go on a mission in space to rescue President John F. Kennedy! Featuring a cover by the great Nick Cardy! (I kind of love this comic…) Highly recommended.

THE TWELVE #1 of 12 by J. Michael Straczynski and Chris Weston. You remember all those great 1940s Timely heroes who weren’t in the Invaders of the Liberty Legion? Yeah, me neither. But Straczynski does and Chris Weston’s drawing them! A great read that embraces the weirdness of the Golden Age. Recommended.

WOLVERINE #61 by Marc Guggenheim and Howard Chaykin. Howard Chaykin created AMERICAN FLAGG and is a terrific artist.

X-FACTOR #27 by Peter David and Scot Eaton. Part Eleven of “Messiah Complex” which means it’s almost over.

YOUNGBLOOD #1 by Joe Casey and Derec Donovan. It is, of course, wrong to shoplift comics for the express purpose of setting them on fire in a ditch… But this one has a character saying “Yo! Wassup!” in 2008!!! And its sales would enrich Rob Liefeld!!! No, it’s still wrong. Always wrong, no matter what. Don’t shoplift.

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