guarding the globe

Holy cats, I am so far behind in reviews. Here’s the biggest set of comics, I believe, within the last month’s worth of titles. I’ll be working hard at getting the rest of my comics reviews completed soon.

Angel & Faith #2-3: The take away of this comic right now is very simple: Angel is trying to make amends for killing Giles (by bringing him back to life) and Faith is his increasingly unwilling partner. Plus, despite the fact that Angel’s name has first billing, it is Faith whom we really follow in this title. Normally, this lack of focus on a titular character would bug me, but I really like that Faith leads us through the narrative thus far.

Aquaman #2: I have to admit, the Trench are pretty generic adversaries for Aquaman, not to mention their point of origin as shown in very limited form last issue makes it hard to accept that Aquaman had never heard of them? I’m sure we’ll get an explanation soon, especially since Aquaman was tagged by one of the Trench to be taken back “home”. I know that this title has its detractors, but I’m still liking it a lot, especially the art. I can’t wait to see more of Aquaman and Mera being a couple exploring this new phase of their lives.

Daredevil #5: What a great cover! Unfortunately, Matt get’s out of the multiple sniper situation a bit more conventionally than I expected, but still Daredevily. :) I don’t know who the tough guy is that seems to win the fight with DD at the end of the issue, but it’s refreshing to see DD lose a physical confrontation every once in a while, especially since he’s usually presented as the smartest fighter in the ring. Here, he’s doing everything correctly, yet he’s still getting the snot beat of him.

GL: New Guardians #2: Poor Ganthet. I’m sure that his new condition will not be permanent, but the Guardians, as I’ve come to know them ever since Blackest Night, are just bastards! I’m expecting that we’ll get a story where the GL Corps rebels against the Guardians thus changing the core of the Corps, but that’s the future. Right now, Kyle has to contend with the multiple rings wearing him at the end of this issue.

Guarding the Globe #6: Oddfellow and I once discussed on the podcast the sometimes contentious idea of waiting for delayed issues as long as the issue was worth it. The first issue of this title was released in August 2010. The time between the fifth issue and this last issue was three months; the time between the fourth and fifth issues was four months! Did I get an exceptional series? Hell, no. Was there a big payoff, either in plot (worldview) or character? No. Because of the delays and lack of wowness, I just didn’t care anymore. Pretty much what happened in issue one hasn’t really changed by the end of issue six, so this was a waste of time and money. If you haven’t read this series and they put out a trade, i recommend you avoid this title.

Justice League Dark #2: One of the (pardon the phrase) bright spots of Brightest Day was the relationship that developed between Deadman and Dove. Anyone who has followed this blog or listened to the LBR podcast knows how much I care for the Dove character, so all of the appearances in her own series, in DC Universe Presents, and in this issue of JL Dark all equals good to me, but I have to admit, even I’m getting tired of the relationship between Deadman and Dove as it is being shown in the new 52 titles. What was once a sweet romance now appears to be turning sour without much provocation. At this point, especially with what we’re shown in this issue of JL Dark, I just wish the characters would move on. As far as the overall plot of this title, I’m already tiring of not knowing why the Enchantress is doing what she’s doing. Let’s move on already! Great looking art still.

Sixth Gun #16: I am really loving Gord’s backstory, and hope we continue to get more about this man. Other than the beginning of the issue where Becky speaks to her grandfather through time and via the power of the gun she holds, I’m not really caring much about her any longer. In fact, I’m hoping we’ll get more story concerning Drake in the near future.

Spider-Island: Amazing Spider-Girl #3: This was a weak offering focusing on a former interesting character to me. I hope Marvel does something that better fits Spider-Girl. And the artist chose too often to show various characters with their mouths wide open in exclamation.

Supergirl #2: Boring. This issue was mostly a fight scene between Supergirl and Superman. The decompression storytelling style does not benefit this title at this point. Let’s move on and make the character an interesting read. If we continue down this same path, I will be dropping this title.

Superman #2: This was definitely an improvement on issue one. I am really liking the relationship between Clark and Lois as depicted here–it’s different from anything we’ve seen previously with these two. Lois treats Clark as an equal and not, as usually depicted, the hick from Smallville who confounds her as to his scoops. Lois is also instrumental in helping to save Superman from an alien attack.

Voodoo #2: First of all, apologies to Sami Basri for my identifying him as a she on the podcast. Mr. Basri’s art is so far the saving grace of this title. I’m still not convinced that this title is a stinker as much of the Internet seems to think, but at the very least the Basri art is a nice draw. :) I am curious about this mission that Voodoo has, and why she considers humanity weak and contemptible. The adversarial relationship between Voodoo and Fallon could work well, or it could be like that of David Banner and Jack McGee from the Incredible Hulk tv series. Plus, we all now know that Ron Marz has been pulled form the series, so how will that change the tone and direction of the series?

I also read All-Star Western #2 (not much went on in this issue, but it looked good), FF #11 (whoo-wee! I cannot wait to see what happens next issue!), Firestorm #2, I, Vampire #2 (this has moved to my pull list and am still surprised at how much I enjoy this title considering I wasn’t even going to pick up issue one), Savage Hawkman #2, Star Trek #2, and Teen Titans #2 (This is another title that improved in issue two and continues to impress me. Not like I, Vampire, mind you, but still better than I thought this title would be.).

Alpha Flight #2: I was so excited to see Alpha Flight back, but this issue was just a little disappointing.

Batman, The Dark Knight #3: Not much actually happens in this, but it’s nice to look at. However, it bugs me when the artist gives me a two-page spread of just some random bad guy’s head. That just tells me that Finch needed to fill up two pages, but there wasn’t enough story.

FF #6: Wow, after the first five issues, and especially after the wonderful Barry Kitson art, this was a huge disappointment. I know Hickman is building a larger story with this interlude, but I want to read about the FF, not the Inhumans. Plus, I just don’t care for Paul Tocchini art (though it does remind me a bit of Gene Colan’s work).

Green Lantern #67: Holy cats, the ending! Unfortunately, the news from San Diego ComicCon spoiled this for me, but still, what an ending to the final issue of Green Lantern before the September relaunch. But first, Hal shows what an awesome GL he really is by killing a major Green Lantern universe character. And by awesome, I mean powerful and scary (at least to the Guardians). If you don’t read the comic, but still want to know, select the next bit of text to reveal the spoilery bit: a GL ring chooses Sinestro as a ring-bearer, and then the Guardians fire Hal and transport him back to Earth, no longer a Green Lantern. I can’t wait until September 14 to see how this all works out in the GL universe!

Guarding the Globe #5: If you like the larger Invincible universe, read this, but the long release schedule between issues is just irritating me.

Lady Mechanika #0-2: This is an interesting book in a couple ways. 1) When it came out: I ordered this back in February, plus issue #2 came out on the same day as this. What is up with that? *shrug* Maybe only I find that interesting. 2) I absolutely could not stand Joe Benitez’s work on the Titans title a few years back, but it works here very well. I also like the world to which I’m introduced. Something about the steampunk genre appeals to me, and Benitez’s art suits this comic very well. If he continues to put it out (hopefully on a more regular basis), I’ll buy it.

Teen Titans #97: The whole Solstice storyline is surprisingly good, and much better than the previous storyline by J. T. Krul.

I also read:

Batgirl #23
Flashpoint: Citizen Cold #2
Flashpoint: Emperor Aquaman #2
Flashpoint: Frankenstein & the Creatures of the Unknown #2
Unwritten #27
Birds of Prey #14: No Gail Simone, so what?

I’m enjoying the Flashpoint second issue tie-ins more than the first issues, and if you want to keep up on the world of Flashpoint, these are a must buy. Batgirl is always a joy to read, as is Unwritten, and are two titles you should have been reading from the start. :)

Disagree with my assessments? Let me know!