Sunday, September 20, 2009

Quick Reviews for Comics Due 09-23-09

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 09-23-09
By John Judy
 
BLACKEST NIGHT: SUPERMAN #2 of 3 by James Robinson and Eddy Barrows.  If you've ever wanted to see Superman fight a zombie version of himself with wistful, poetic dialogue by James Robinson THIS is the one for you!  Plus, other zombies with rings.  Fun stuff.
 
DARK REIGN: THE LIST: X-MEN ONE-SHOT by Matt Fraction and Alan Davis.  Fraction!  Davis!  Osborn!  X-Men!!!!  (Contains some verbs.)
 
DETECTIVE COMICS #857 by Greg Rucka, JH Williams III and Cully Hamner.  Batman had the Mad Hatter.  Batwoman has "Alice" which should be a lot hotter than it sounds.  At least there's poison gas involved.  Also, the Question takes on a human trafficking ring.  Note:  Human traffickers are this year's drug dealers.
 
FANTASTIC FOUR #571 by Jonathan Hickman and Dale Eaglesham.  Ben and Johnny get ready to road trip while Reed gets ready to fix everything.  "Socialism!"
 
FLASH CHRONICLES VOL. 1 SC by Various Silver Age Legends.  Collecting the earliest adventures of Barry Allen, the fastest man alive, in affordable paperback.  Great gift idea for the young and old.  Recommended.
 
GOON VOL. 9: CALAMITY OF CONSCIENCE SC written and drawn by Eric Powell.  "Now that's a beatin'.  You know you been beat proper when your arm is stickin' out at an angle like that."  Collecting issues 28-31, this twisted humor-adventure title will tug at your heart strings then get really angry and rip them out entirely.  And make you like it!  Recommended.
 
HELLBLAZER #259 by Peter Milligan and Simon Bisley.  The Biz is back for two issues of covers and interiors!  First up, Constantine tries to escape his troubles by skipping town.  Because that always works when you're John Constantine…
 
IMMORTAL WEAPONS #3 of 5 by Rick Spears, Duane Swierczynski and Timothy Green II.  If you're a down on your luck orphan during China's first opium war, have no fear for Living Weapon Dog Brother #1 is on your side!  And you have opium!
 
INCREDIBLE HULK #602 by Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente, Ariel Olivetti and Michael Ryan.  Hulk and Son take on the Juggernaut!  There's also this back-up story about the appalling new She-Hulk but don't let that ruin it for you.
 
MARVEL ZOMBIES RETURN #4 by Seth Grahame-Smith and Richard Elson.  One of the authors of "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" takes a swing at a Zombies versus Hulk story.  On the moon!  Gotta look!
 
ODD AND THE FROST GIANTS HC by Neil Gaiman and Brett Helquist.  A hardback edition of the story Neil wrote for the UK's World Book Day about a boy in Viking times who must save Asgard from the Frost Giants and restore springtime to the world.  Illustrated by Brent Helquist (of Lemony Snicket fame), 128 pages and appropriate for young readers.  Recommended.
 
NEW AVENGERS #57 by Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen.  The Avengers are powerless and now so are the Dark Avengers and they're all facing seriously hacked off rogue criminals who are not powerless.  Boy, I sure hope they all get their powers back in time for a BIG FIGHT!
 
SPIDER-WOMAN #1 by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev.  Congratulations to Bendis for finally getting his dream job and his old DAREDEVIL partner to draw it.  Let's hope this doesn't distract him from the other 20-some weekly titles he's writing!  "Thwip!"
 
SUPERMAN: SECRET ORIGIN #1 of 6 by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank.  It's the new Official Canon of Superman's Life and Times.  Put your Byrne-autographed MAN OF STEEL back on the shelf, kids.  It is now an antique.  Recommended.
 
UNCANNY X-MEN #515 by Matt Fraction and Greg Land.  One of the original X-Men makes his exit!  But who is it?
 
UNDERGROUND #1 of 4 by Steve Lieber and Jeff Parker.  "Thriller set in a cave" doesn't really do justice to this tense, good-looking comic by the artist of WHITEOUT and the author of AGENTS OF ATLAS.  Highly recommended.
 
WEDNESDAY COMICS #12 of 12 by Various Courageous Risk-Takers.  Final issue!  Some hits, some misses, a few head-scratchers, but overall a noble and successful experiment that gave us some great artwork and appreciation for just how beautiful the Sunday newspaper comics used to be.  Highly recommended.
 
WOLVERINE GIANT-SIZE OLD MAN LOGAN #1 by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven.  Grampa Wolverine chops up a bunch of green people.  The final chapter.  Not for younger kids because it's got a guy with claws killing people fer cryin' out loud!
 


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