QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 03-11-09

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 03-11-09
By John Judy

30 DAYS OF NIGHT: 30 DAYS TIL DEATH #4 written and drawn by David Lapham. So it looks like vampires and self-control don’t always go hand in hand….

ACTION COMICS #875 by Greg Rucka and Eddy Barrows. Traditionally Superman comics without Superman have not been very good. But this is written by Greg Rucka so it will be as good as it can possibly be.

ALAN MOORE’S LIGHT OF THY COUNTENANCE GN by Moore and Felipe Massafera. A new tale from the creator of WATCHMEN about television, ghosts and old gods. Contains no giant blue phalluses that we know of.

BATMAN BATTLE FOR THE COWL #1 of 3 written and drawn by Tony Daniel. Lotsa people fighting to wear Bruce Wayne’s old undergarments. I think it should be Bucky!

CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI 13 #11 by Paul Cornell and Leonard Kirk. It takes a certain brass to write stories in which Dracula trades catty remarks with Doctor Doom on his secret vampire moonbase before going off to fight limey superheroes. It’s something you don’t see everyday and thus evokes a sense of “Gotta Look.” Make of this what you will.

EX MACHINA SPECIAL #4 by Brian K. Vaughan and John Paul Leon. More weirdness from Mayor Hundred’s superhero past comes creeping into the present day. A political thriller with jetpacks. Recommended.

GHOST RIDER #33 by Jason Aaron and Tony Moore. After everything blowed up real good last issue it is time to reassess. Do Ghost Riding and Vengeance Spiriting really have a future in today’s economy? And, based on previous Ghost Riders’ experiences, is it really something you’d want to pursue in the best of times? Maybe community college ain’t so bad….

IMMORTAL IRON FIST #23 Duane Swierczynski and Travel Foreman. Our heroes are getting their asses kicked in the Eighth City of Hell. And that, ladies and gentlemen is how you tell a Great Kung-Fu Story! Recommended.

LOSERS BY JACK KIRBY HC written and drawn by “The King.” Collecting OUR FIGHTING FORCES #151-162 and featuring the adventures of Johnny Cloud, Captain Storm, Gunner and Sarge. Stories influenced by Kirby’s own service in WWII. Featuring a foreword by Neil Gaiman.

NORTHLANDERS #15 by Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly. The penultimate issue in which we learn of Magnus’s past and what has made him so relentless in his vendetta against the Viking invaders. Great stuff. Recommended.

PERRY BIBLE FELLOWSHIP ALMANACK HC written and drawn by Nicholas Gurewitch. The final volume collecting the comic strips that claim such diverse fans as Jim Woodring, Scott McCloud, Tony Millionaire and the woman who wrote “Juno.”

PUNISHER: FRANK CASTLE MAX #68 by Duane Swierczynski and Michel Lacombe. Frank’s got three hours left to live and most of Philadelphia is still breathing. This will not do!

SCALPED #26 by Jason Aaron and Davide Furno. A stand-alone issue spotlighting Diesel, the rogue FBI, wanna-be Indian and his adventures behind bars. Among the best comics being published today. Highly recommended.

SPECIAL FORCES #4 of 6 written and drawn by Kyle Baker. Okay, so this title comes out about as often as Boo Radley. It’s still Kyle Baker so it’s gorgeous, clever and edgy as all get out. If the Iraq War and its accompanying military recruitment policies still have you mad you need to be reading this book. Highly recommended.

THE STAND: AMERICAN NIGHTMARES #1 of 5 by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Mike Perkins. The second arc of this amazingly high-quality graphic adaptation begins here. The super-flu has destroyed the world and now the survivors have to cowboy up and keep living. Turns out there’s a guy named Randall Flagg in town and they’re gonna have to choose a side. Recommended.

THE STAND: CAPTAIN TRIPS PREMIERE HC by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Mike Perkins. As noted above, Aguirre-Sacasa and Perkins have brought Stephen King’s epic to vivid life. This collects the first five issues to whet your appetite for what’s yet to come.

SUPER HUMAN RESOURCES #1 of 4 by Ken Marcus and Justin Bleep. A humorous look at a world-class super-team through the eyes of a temp worker. Hopefully no one tries to set the building on fire…

TOP 10 SEASON TWO #4 of 4 by Xander Cannon and Gene Ha. A jail-break in Neopolis, the city of science heroes. Now that’s how you wrap up a mini-series! Recommended.

WALKING DEAD #59 Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard. After the past couple of issues it’s kind of a relief to see some old-fashioned “drive over the zombies with a big car” action. Not for kids or otherwise squeamish folk.

X-MEN NOIR #4 of 4 by Fred Van Lente and Denis Calero. Wrapping up my favorite X-MEN mini-series in years: The X-Men re-imagined as hard-boiled pulp fiction characters from the thirties. Crackling dialogue with danger and double-crosses on every page. Highly recommended!

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