Slightly Delayed Reviews

Yeah, yeah, I took yesturday off.  But it certainly was a heckuva a nice week!

Batman '66, #2

I think that this is the one that is released on-line, but I don't know how to do all that new-fangled computery stuff, and besides, I'm old-school.  I want a book that I can hold in my hands.  So I have to wait a little longer, but gosharootie, it is worth it!  Jeff Parker writes, and incredible Ty Templeton draws, and it brings back so many halcyon memories of my childhood.

We have the Penguin who has his own iceberg in the middle of Gotham City harbor, and he's setting himself up as the ruler of his own little fiefdom, courtesy of Mister Freeze.   Submarines, flying umbrellas, Bat-Boats, and more fun than you can shake a stick at.  This is fabulous.

Batman and Nightwing #23

Batman continues to suffer over the loss of Damian, going over the whole scenario in the Batcave on one of those recorder/virtual reality thingies, while Alfred pleads for him to knock if off.  Fortunately, Dick shows up, and decides if he can't talk any sense into Bruce, he will join him.  And it works!  Fortunately, Bruce finally seems to be seeing the light, and Dick is able to get him to calm down and see reality. 

This is a good thing.

And then Alfred takes a turn with the virtual Reality, because he is also suffering, since he let Damian out of the Batcave in the first place, and he relives what happens, and what would have happened if he had just been able to keep him from leaving.  Bruce comes back, and realizes that he isn't the only one who lost a son, and he and Alfred have a deeply moving bonding moment.

I have to admit that this one made me tear up.  Peter Tomasi has a definite talent for tugging at my heartstrings, and Pat Gleasons artwork is as sublime as always.  Man, this was good.

Batwoman #23

And speaking of good,  this issue is a bit of the calm before the storm, as things get set up for the confrontation between Kate and Batman.  The machinations of the D.E.O., Flamebird's perspicacity, and Kate and Maggie's  devotion are revealed, and it is pretty fabulous.

Birds of Prey #23

Well,  A bunch of Bad Guys have shown up and rather easily taken the whole group prisoner.  The young member of the Baddies, has these psionic powers, and has incapacitated them all, and they are living their most fervent desires, with Condor mooning over Dinah, Dinah mooning over her dead husband, and then apparently over Condor, Barbara experiencing the perfect Norman Rockwell family life, and Strix back in her childhood.  She is the one who figures it out, and she and Batgirl manage to escape.  Dinah and Condor aren't so lucky, he is especially in trouble since what seems to be an old girlfriend is in with the Baddies.  And Dinah makes a fateful discovery!

This wasn't bad.  Wasn't great, but not bad. 

Demon Knights #23

I was supposed to get this last week, but my store didn't have it for some reason.  This is the final episode of our Medieval Justice League, and I am sorry,because I have really enjoyed this book.  It was a little different, it had the Demon in it, and I like the Demon, and heck, there was a bit of humor mixed in with all the mayhem. 

Giants have attacked, looking for the black diamond or the Grail, and our trusty group goes out to try and hold them off, while Xanadu and  Al Jabr launch an attack from the air.    They actually release the black diamond, which makes the giants all crazy, while Vandal Savage is busy urging them on, because as usual, he has betrayed his former companions.  It's what Vandal does! 

Jason calls up the Demon, and a lot of nice fighting goes on, and it has something of a...happy ending!  The Grail and the diamond cancel each other out, everyone is healed or at least in one piece, and Savage is gone, and Jason comes back, although he is a bit surprised that it worked, and Lucifer's plan is thwarted.  I will miss this book...but it is nice to actually have a happy ending once in a while too.

Fables #132

Rose Red has decided to create a new Round Table, which for the moment consists of a couple of folding chairs and a card table in the woods.  But you have to start somewhere, and she sends the Fable birds to all the lands, to find heroes.  Peter Pumpkin eater doesn't want to join, but Bo Peep does.  And Reynaud the fox of course.

Meanwhile, Prince Brandish has come back to life, because he managed to secure his heart somewhere completely safe, so he can never die.  Doctor Swineheart is quite intrigued by this, he tried it, but it didn't work.  We find out more about Brandish, and gosh, what a vile little creep he is!  Rose Red also hears that he is back among the living, and takes...steps. 

She's a girl after my own heart.

Green Lanterns: New Guardians #23

Well, Relic has gone off to the new planet of the Blue Lanterns, because it makes sense to extinguish Hope, when you are planning on annihilating everything.  Adara, the entity of the Blue Lantern is now dying along with the rest of the Lantern entities, and flies off to join them, leaving St. Walker, Warth and the others up a creek without a paddle. 

Fortunately, Kyle and his crew show up in the very nick of time.  They keep trying to convince Relic that they don't have to fight, but he is being awfully enigmatic, and hinting at stuff, and it's not working.  Carol tries to stop him with love, but it doesn't work, because he is fighting OUT of love...or something.  And the new Guardians seem pretty awkward at this whole thing, he is able to talk to each of them telepathically, and tells them all something Extremely Important...and they fold like a deck of cards.

Warth gives the last of his power to Kyle...and says that All Will Be Well.

Except that it won't.  Dang.  I like Warth.

I haven't really taken to this book as much as to the other Green Lantern books.  I don't particularly like Kyle and Carol jaunting around together, he ought to be with Guy, and she ought to be with Hal, but that's just me.  The Guardians seem fairly ineffective, and Kyle himself doesn't seem to be doing a whole lot.  This is all leading up to the newest crossover with "Lights Out".  That only took what...six months?  Sheesh.

This is ok.  Not great, not terrible.


Justice League Dark #23

Well, the art is very pretty.  Basically this is one huge long fight scene.  Wonder Woman has Pandora's box, which makes her go crazy,  Shazam tried to get it but it made HIM crazy.  I can't help but think that the original Billy would have been sweet enough not to fall for this.  At first it seems as though Zatanna can get everyone to calm down, but not for long and the box is making all of the various Justice Leagues fight each other.  And finally, Xanadu reveals that it is actually...a doorway...and Evil Alfred is there to open it.

I can't say that I am really all that into this story.  It is leading up to the whole Villains Month stuff, and I am not particularly excited about that either.  I also don't care about DC's stupid covers that won't be shipping, the whole thing seems like a self-inflicted debacle.  If it all leads to DC going back to the REAL Continuity however, I will be cheering.

As it is...not sure yet.

Wonder Woman #23

Damn I do like this book.  It really hasn't much to do with the real Wonder Woman, but for a twisted look at Green Mythology it is a hoot.  They are back from their little visit to the New Gods, and are fighting a new God of their own, the vile and nasty First Born.  Diana is tired of being Ms. Nice Goddess, and takes off her bracers, which brings out the Berserker in her, and she and First Born go at it...but only after War decides to bring a few of his armies to the fight.  It is quite a spectacular moment really.

Orion tries to help, but gets the crap beaten out of him, while Zola and Hera are trying to help each other.  Hera has really grown in this book. 

Diana can't beat First Born, and realizes that giving into her baser nature isn't who she really is.  War takes over, but he can't beat him either...until Diana runs a spear through the both of them.  War is dying, but he applauds her tactics.  She is heartbroken, and First Born is furious, because apparently now she will be the new God of War, not him.

Hades shows up to take War to his realm and Hera says goodbuy, and Diana picks up War and they go out to the boat with Charon.  She doesn't kill First Born however, and he's lying on the floor...and Apollo shows up. 

I am dying to see how this all goes.  But dang...I liked War!  At least he went out with a bang.  

Great stuff, and the Cliff Chiang artwork is to die for.


Daredevil #30

Now that I finally started picking up this book, I can't get enough of it.  It is great! 

Matt's former girlfriend (?) Kirsten McDuffie,a former asst. D.A. shows up uninvited to fill in for Foggy, who is still in the hospital.  And then this...Alien appears out of nowhere, and begs for Matt's help, and asks to be taken to the Avengers.  This all seems like a reasonable request, and Matt is about to do so, when who should show up but the Silver Surfer!  And he is pissed. 

He attacks the nice Alien, but accidentally puts some of Matt's staff in harms way, which makes him mad, and of course then he and Silver Surfer start to fight.  Fortunately before things can get out of hand, they decide to actually talk before they kill each other, and Matt discovers that the nice friendly Alien is anything...but.

So, they have to go chasing after him, and this is my favorite part of the book,because Daredevil manages to convince the Surfer, that as a native New Yorker, he knows where to go...and HE gets to fly the Board all through town.  The Surfer is a bit skeptical, but Matt is having the Time Of His Life!

Eventually they find the Alien over at Stark Industries, pulling the same scam, and they manage to capture him, but not before he whispers somethng in his ear.  It is all just fabulous.

Finally, I managed to get my greedy little hands on an art book by none other than Mark Schultz.  I LOVE Mark Schultz!  I have the first two collected books of the Xenozoic Age, which are completely fabulous, but I don't know if there was ever a third!  Anyway, the artwork in this is completely gorgeous, and I am pleased as punch to have found it.

So...a simply sensational reading experience all around.  Some really incredible books, and some that if not incredible, were at least solid decent comic book stories.  I'll take that any day!