The Red Circle: The Shield – A Review

The Red Circle: The Shield One Shot

Writer J. Michael Straczynski

Pencils Scott McDaniel

Inks Andy Owens

Colors Tom Chu

JMS has done a fantastic job, in my opinion, with these four comics in bringing in the old Archie super heroes into the DCU. Each of the four characters was given enough of an origin or at least the hints of an origin to build a foundation for them going forward. He even added little ties from one to the other and ended the book where it began to bring it full circle, which was a little heavy handed, but still worked.

DC has been green lighting books like Magog, Red Tornado and Azrael and for the life of me I cannot imagine why. I will skip the Red Tornado and may skip Magog and Azrael also, but more likely I will at least check out issue #1.Even in interviews it was obvious with Magog there was no plan other then to give him a series. I don’t get it.

With these characters JMS was going to launch them via Brave and Bold and started down that path but ripped it up and re-did it as four one shots. It was the right move. None of these characters were that exciting to me and I really had little interest in what was going on with them, but now I’m anxious to read the two new series that with back up features will continue the stories of all four men.

The Shield’s story was that of a soldier who gets mortally wounded in a combat mission. In order to save him they try an untested procedure that melds nanotechnology with his body. The technology when activated via mental command by Lt. Higgins gives him a virtually indestructible layer of armor, limited flight, super strength and more. He is a super hero that is a Lieutenant in the army. The Army has made his identity known as he has no family that is alive. Of course his Dad is alive and working for the government but the Shield does not know that. Scott McDaniel and Andy Owens deliver their normal strong art job with a style that at times I love and at times it seems almost too loose, but it works well on this book. We get lots of great action scenes as the Shield is dropped into enemy territory and ripping up the tanks of the bad guys. It is funny how with all the wars the US has prosecuted in the Middle East, they are today’s generic bad guys lets Nazis of yesteryear.

It all sounds a little generic, but the point is that all four books are laying a foundation and starting a bible for the new writers to be able to build up from. Each character has a framework and each character has little things that are mysteries (with Inferno big mysteries) that can be played with. Lt. Higgins is now a super hero inside of the army. If they ever removed the nanotechnology he would die, so he is trapped by the technology that has saved him. He is unaware that his father is alive and has no clue why his father needed to disappear. These are lead to various questions like: What happens when James (The Shield) Higgins is not in accord with what the army wants him to do? Can he ever leave government service? What are his weaknesses? What happens when he is with a girl? Why did his Dad let him think he was dead? With the cost being so high they only could try it once, why was he picked? I think this makes it easy for the next guy to really flesh out the character and add the dry wall to the frame. I have carried the analogy too far, haven’t I? Anyway you get the idea and with the Hangman, Inferno and The Web JMS has given DC a start of what could be some exciting comics. Hopefully there is a bible on each character and a strong editorial hand to shepherd these characters going forward. They are not going to replace Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, but maybe they can be the next Green Arrow, Hawkman, Aquaman or Flash or Green Lantern.

Overall Grade A – That grade is not for the Shield itself, but for the whole introduction of the Red Circle Heroes.

Overall Grade B - For The Shield it had a solid story, was a good start and had decent art.

Fantastic Four #570 – A Review

Fantastic Four #570

Publisher Marvel

Writer Jonathan Hickman

Art Dale Eaglesham

Colors Paul Mounts

It has been a long time since I have gotten excited about an issue of the Fantastic Four, but this issue hit the mark. We all have favorite characters, groups or whatever and for me there has never been a book that I have not been willing to drop when it reaches some low ebb. The Fantastic Four was probably the book that hooked me into comics more then anything else. As a young kid I loved the Human Torch and thought it would be cool to have been him. Heck he can fly, flame on, raced cars and had great looking girl friends, what little hetro male wouldn’t want to be him. That was part of the hook, but the unreal adventures when the Frightful Four took their powers, finding the Inhumans, Johnny losing Crystal, Franklin being born, the Negative Zone, the list goes on and on. Over the course of the next 450 issues or so they lost me. There were some good times with John Byrne and I have the entire Waid run to read, but all in all I could never get back into their book and I wanted to. I also thought that the group had stagnated too much as Johnny is forever 25 or something, but Reed and Sue got older. I have that unrelenting desire for time to move forward for these heroes, but even with that handicap I still wanted to just read good FF adventures. It looks like Jonathan Hickman may be the man to make it work again. Heck if I like this run as much as I did the start I may go back and read JMS and Mark Millar’s runs on the book.

The books sort of picks up from what Hickman started in Dark Reign Fantastic Four mini-series, but it was all explained away with one or two sentences, Reed built a machine to see all the alternative worlds and is trying to use it to solve everything. That was all you needed and even that is explained in the actual comic. The actual issues opens with Reed as a child learning a lesson from his Dad that you have to be willing to try, you may fail, but you won’t succeed unless you try.

Then we jump right into the action as the FF is fighting some robots. They quickly discern the robots are made to fight each one of their powers. They change partners and win the day in rapid order. This happens too much in comics because many writers seem to think we don’t care about the action we have seen a thousand times before, but we are reading our billionth comic so a battle is okay. Still it is done quickly, but done well and we see Johnny show off an infrared red ability to see people’s heat signatures. I’m unaware if this has been shown before, but it was a nice touch. Reed pulls out a pocket transporter that leads him back to the controlling signal behind the human/robot creations of the Wizard and takes the Wizard down. The Wizard is ranting about how the world is coming apart and Reed knows it as well as the Wizard does as they both can read the math behind what is going on. The look on Reed face says that he agrees.

From there we cut to the Baxter Building and one of the strongest elements of this book is they are all family. In the next few pages that element is established very well, from putting the kids to bed, to Reed going to work late and Sue goes off to bed on her own, to Ben and Johnny paling around and being the friends that they have always been. It is the little touches that can elevate a book from being a good read to a great read. Part of what makes the FF special is the family dynamic and ignoring that turns them into just another super hero group.

The last few pages focus on Reed and he finds his way into an inter-dimensional nexus that is both outside and inside reality (or some other mumbo jumbo comic book science) and he is invented to join a council of alternative Reed Richards. We get a nice full page shot of a couple dozen Reeds from across the multi-verse. Reed is trying to solve everything and he is hoping for help from this group. He then meets the three founding Reed Richards who started the idea and each of them is wearing the Infinity Gauntlet. The all powerful gems that allow you to have god like powers. It was a great touch and a wonderful ending. You can just see that Reed’s desire to fix everything is founded on an altruistic principle, but is leading down a dangerous path. If you start a book invoking both Kirby and Starlin you have my attention.

Now why I love the story and need to have a great story to make it work comics are a visual medium and Dale Eaglesham did a beautiful job on this book. There is no inker credited, so I guess he inked himself and truth be told ever since DC teamed up Eaglesham with Nathan Massengill (I believe that is right) his work lost that edge it had when he started up the latest JSA book. It was great to see him on his own and I hope he can keep up a monthly pace. When I saw the preview I though his work might be too realistic to make this book work, but it really worked well. He showed off the entire FF using their powers in one single page fight against the robots and works well with the quiet moments. Dale was also able to depict the insane super science equipment that Kirby made a staple of the comic. The only minor complaint I have was that Reed and Johnny looked like they had been taking steroids and were way too heroically proportioned. A minor quibble in an otherwise stellar start for Dale’s run on this book.

Overall Grade A - A Fantastic Four comic that I can enjoy, it felt like I was coming back home and was welcomed with open arms. It had it all, family, action, adventure and cosmic story lines and it was $3!

Indies Preview Review for October Part 1 of 2

Lee: What a blah month! After the last couple of month chock full of goodies, this is a complete let down. There’s still good stuff, but not very much of it.
Jim: After draining my wallet in August for all the hard covers that came in I can live with a cheaper month.

Archaia Studios Press
Robotika Vol. 02: w/Dust Jacket HC by (W/A) Alex Sheikman (A) David Moran
Niko, the Steampunk Samurai in search of a soul, returns with Yuri Bronski and Cherokee Geisha. Join the Three Yojimbos on their latest adventure as they journey deeper into the Badlands of this bleakly dystopian future world, where sometimes the one and only currency that can satisfy a debt is blood. Welcome to the future! $19.95

Lee: Robotika has long been a favorite here at Comics And.. so you knew this pick was coming. I loved the first super, shiney hc and I’m sure I’ll love this one. It’s worth the extra pennies to get this in the nicer format.
Jim: Alex Sheikman pours his heart and soul into this work and it is worht anyone's time and money. Mark this hardcover with two copies sold from this blog.

Ardden Entertainment
Casper & the Spectrals #1 by (W) Todd Dezago (A) Pedro Delgado
Just in time for Casper's 60th anniversary, Ardden Entertainment proudly debuts Casper And The Supernaturals, an all-new take on the world's most famous ghost and his two friends, Wendy the Witch and Hot Stuff! There is a city within New York City known as Spooky Town, but most humans are unable to see it. Within this city live the Supernaturals, the ghosts, goblins, demons and witches of the world. When an ancient entity known only as the Volbragg threatens both New York and Spooky Town, Casper and his friends are forced to band together and defeat an unimaginable evil! $2.99

Lee: I admit that I like old school Casper but that’s really based on nostalgia more than anything else. My kids have no clue who Casper is and that makes this a tough sell to them. I hope this succeeds, I’m just not sure who the target market is.
Jim: Blechh, what a horrible idea. The original does not need updating for a comic book. This thing is a guaranteed loser as how does a little publisher like this find the proper audience.
Lee: And, let’s not even discuss how stupid the redesigned Wendy and Hot Stuff look. BLAH!

Jim: Lee is right. Horrible redesigns.

Berserker
Dead Kingdom of Flies SC by (W) Alan Grant (A) Simon Bisley
Britain has fallen prey to a mysterious plague of flesh-crazed zombies. Corpses litter the streets. As far as Derek Wall and his team of firefighters know, their Oxford HQ might be the last bastion of unaffected humanity in the entire country. But with every day that passes, Derek's men get weaker, while the zombies grow in ferocity and numbers. It's only a matter of time before the zombies break in - or the humans break out! Collects issues #1-4 of the smash hit series. $15.00 The official site here

Lee: This book mystifies me. It’s got a solid author, an incredible artist, and yet it has no buzz what-so-ever! Nothing. I can’t pass on Bisley’s art so I’ll get it but I’m still shocked there wasn’t any buzz whatsoever.
Jim: No buzz is the US, but this is apparently a British only comic, which has no real distribution in the US.
Lee: In other news, if you go here you can download the first issue of “Church of Hell” by Grant and Glenn Fabry! As they say, the best comics is free comics. Or do they say that about beer? I can’t remember.
Jim: It's beer, I'm 99% sort of positive it's beer.

Boom! Studios
Giant Monster HC by (W) Steve Niles (A) Nat Jones
Long out-of-print, Steve Niles classic Giant Monster comes back into print, and this time in a deluxe full-size hardcover! Ever since the original 6 x 9 paperback sold out, retailers and fans have been inundating BOOM! to put the book back into print, so were doing it, but with a new sense of flair and a splashy new hardcover package! Astronaut Don Maggert's first space flight swallows him alive in the grip of intergalactic horror, transforming him into something that throws the entire planet into peril! Featuring over-size Kaiju action in a full-sized deluxe hardcover edition. $24.99

Lee: I think it’s cool that Boom! is jumping into the hc market but chosing this book makes no sense to me. If I accept the premise that fans have been demanding this (which I doubt), then I have to assume they were demanding a pocket size tpb that was 1/3 the price of this. I already have the tpb so I’m not sure I’m willing to spend the money to upgrade to a hc. If I’m not willing to upgrade (and I’ll buy anything) then who is?
Jim: Great point Lee. Did I send the trade to you? It was a great story and a fun book, but not $25 worth of fun. So if Lee and I are hesitant this is a hard sell. The description needs to tell me more details of what extras I get for the extra bucks.

Life & Times of Scrooge McDuck HC by (W/A) Don Rosa
Greed is good! BOOM! Kids proudly collects The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck in a gorgeous hardcover collection like nothing youve ever seen before. These stories, written and drawn by legendary cartoonist Don Rosa, chronicle Scrooge McDuck's fascinating life. See how Scrooge earned his Number One Dime and began to build his fortune! An Eisner Award-winning in its original publication. $24.99

Lee: Yahhooooooo it’s the return of the ducks. I haven’t gotten to pick this in months!!! The kids destroyed my first copy. They are working on destroying my second copy so now I’m upgrading to fancy hc. And, a full sized fancy hc. This is outstanding and highly recommended.
Jim: Lee is in duck heaven. It is awesome when something you love gets put into a great format.

Fantagraphics Books
Gahan Wilson: 50 Years of Playboy Cartoons HC OVER ONE THOUSAND CARTOONS SPANNING 50 YEARS OF A LEGENDARY CAREER

Fifty-one, to be exact, but let's not quibble. Gahan Wilson is among the most popular, widely-read, and beloved cartoonists in the history of the medium, whose career spans the 2nd half of the 20th century, and all of the 21st. His work has been seen by millions -no, hundreds of millions- in the pages of Playboy, The New Yorker, Punch, The National Lampoon, and many other magazines; there is no telling, really, how many readers he has corrupted or comforted. He is revered for his playfully sinister take on childhood, adulthood, men, women, and monsters. His brand of humor makes you laugh until you cry. And it's about time that a collection of his cartoons was published that did justice to his vast body of work. When Gahan Wilson walked into Hugh Hefner's office in 1957, he sat down as Hefner was on the phone, gently rejecting a submission to his new gentlemen's magazine: I think it's very well-written and I liked it very much, Hefner reportedly said, but it's anti-sin. And Im afraid were pro-sin. Wilson knew, at that moment, that he had found a kindred spirit and a potential home for his cartoons. And indeed he had; Wilson appeared in every issue of Playboy from the December 1957 issue to today. It has been one of the most fruitful, successful, and long-lived relationships between a contributor and a magazine, ever. Gahan Wilson: 50 Years of Playboy Cartoons features not only every cartoon Wilson drew for Playboy, but all his prose fiction that has appeared in that magazine as well, from his first story in the June, 1962 issue, Horror Trio, to such classics as Dracula Country (September 1978). It also includes the text-and-art features he drew for Playboy, such as his look at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, his take on our country's pathology of violence, and his appreciation of transplant surgery. Wilson's notoriously black sense of comedy is on display throughout the book, leaving no sacred cow unturned (an image curiously absent in the book), ridiculing everything from state sponsored executions to the sober precincts of the nouveau rich, from teenage dating to police line-ups, with scalding and hilarious satirical jabs. Although Wilson is known as an artist who relishes the creepy side of modern life, this three-volume set truly demonstrates the depth and breadth of his range - from illustrating private angst we never knew we had (when you eat a steak, just whom are you eating?) to the ironic and deadpan take on horrifying public issues (ecological disaster, nuclear destruction anyone?). Gahan Wilson has been peeling back the troubling layers of modern life with his incongruously playful and unnerving cartoons, assailing our deepest fears and our most inane follies. This three-volume set is a testament to one of the funniest - and wickedly disturbing - cartoonists alive. $125.00

Lee: Incredibly pricey but so worth it. It will crush my budget for two months (at least) but I have to get this. Three giant volumes of nothing but Gahan goodness??? What’s not to love. And, I can attest to his strength as a writer because I already have a collection of his prose. If you can afford it, this is highly recommended.
Jim: I too have to have it. Lee can attest to my knowledge of Gahan's cartoons. Hell I have most of them memorized. $125 is very steep, but I will be buying this baby. Mr. Wilson is one of the absolute best cartoonist ever.

Griffin Books
Nylon Road Graphic Memoir GN by (W/A) Parsua Bashi
In Parsua Bashi's graphic memoir, she paints a revealing picture of what it's like to be a young woman growing up under Shiite law in Iran. In the tradition of graphic memoirs such as Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis, this is not only a look at a young woman's struggles growing up, but a window into a non-Western culture that we are still struggling to understand. Beautifully told and poignant, this is a powerful work about the necessity of freedom. $16.99 Some very small preview pages here

Lee: Gwen and I read Persepolis and loved it. Jim’s had a copy of the book for awhile and I’m sure he’ll like it when (if?) he reads it. Even though the previews are way to small the art looks good, and the story sounds fascinating. I’m sold.
Jim: I'm going to read it. You know eventually I will and you will get your book back. Once I read that I can have a more informed opinion on this book.

Part 2 Tomorrow!!!!

Best and Worst of Last Week

It has been a little while since I have gone off on a point away from comics. While politics, sports and the economy are three of my favorite things to discuss I often leave them alone to avoid being too preachy on a site that is primarily about comics. But all comics and nothing else is also too narrow and we have Lee with The Daily Life, Thomm and Gwen stray to other things, which I hope keeps this site from being too predictable. I also hope that we are consistent enough so that you know on certain days we will continue certain features. All of that is a long winded preamble to the economy. It is not getting better, it is actually getting worse. We are in a depression it will not be recognized until later, the Crash of 1929 had a 50% bounce up before bottoming out in 1931. The government wants us to believe it is better so we don’t vote them out of office. I’m not sure what the sh*t will really hit the fan, but it will. Finally, if you want to see a good website that that talks about the economy, and it goes into so heavy financial details, check out the Market Ticker.

THE BEST

Daredevil #500 - Writer Ed Brubaker, Art Michael Lark and Stefano Gaudiano with Klaus Janson, Chris Samnee and Paul Azaceta, Colors Matt Hollingsworth. This is like when Michael Jordan appeared to have retired from basketball after the Bulls beat the Jazz for the NBA Championship. Brubaker, Lark and Gaudiano went out at the absolute top of their form. I t took a long time for this 40 page story to finally hit the stands but this book seals the deal for Brubaker’s run to be the second best ever on Daredevil and any issues I had with how much Ed drew out some of his arcs is forgiven. This story did so many things and left me with an ending that has me begging for more, I wish it would be by Brubaker, but heck did he leave Matt in a new situation that Diggle should be able to have some fun with over the coming months. A nice unexpected treat was the origin story we got of Master Izo. It was not a straight forward origin, but it was more one of giving us little vignettes into his Izo life and as you read the entire story each piece fell into place and we now have a clear picture of who Izo is. See my full review here.

Batgirl #1 - Writer Bryan Q. Miller, Pencils Lee Garbett, Inks Trevor Scott, Colors Guy Major. I was really worried that the whole mystery of who is Batgirl was going to play way too big of a role in this book. Once I saw the DC solicitations for November and they talk about Batgirl fighting crime and dealing with a frat party I know it was not Barbara Gordon. Still page 6 put a smile in my face that was damn hard to take off it for awhile as I saw Batgirl is revealed to be Stephanie Brown, formerly Spoiler and Robin for a heartbeat, also assumed dead for a little while. For me this is a perfect choice for a number of reasons. Number one I liked her being Robin and when they killed it is was almost with disdain. Second, I always liked her character as she was portrayed as a good person with a lousy father (Cluemaster). Spoiler was always a great addition to the Robin book a few years book. She gave Robin someone he could mentor and a love interest that was part of the crime fighting scene. I thought her non-death was a little weak and the explanation of why Batman played along with it was lame, but it got Spoiler back into the DCU so I was happy. Now with Tim out of town, it just works to see Stephanie take up the Batgirl mantle. She has history with the group and she is a fun character. See my full review here.

Batman Streets of Gotham #3- Batman: Writer Paul Dini, Pencils Dustin Nguyen, Inks Derek Fridolfs, Colors John Kaliz, Manhunter Back-up Writer Marc Andreyko, Pencils George Jeanty, Inks Karl story & Jack Purcell, Colors Nick Filarid. This series is coming together very well. It is another gem in the whole re-launch of Batman. Paul Dini is making Hush and the other villains the “star” of the series with Dick and Damian almost acting as supporting players. What makes it all work is how effectively Paul is using all the characters. When Robin is holding onto Hush over a long fall and drops him you know Damian would kill him. We also know that Damian is aware that Batman was there to save him, so it keeps us guessing as to exactly what Damian is capable of. They are letting Hush run around as Bruce Wayne giving away money to help Gotham because it serves their purpose, but they also pulled in the Outsiders to keep an eye on Tommy. The sub plot of Black Mask and his helping to upgrade Zsazsa was also well done. Dustin Nguyen’s light line and almost ethereal style is working like a charm. Add into the mix the Manhunter back-up series, which is top notch also, and DC has crafted a winning package. The Bat line has never been stronger and this book is one of the best of what is a very strong line of excellent books from DC.

THE WORST

X-Factor #47 – This book is really starting to lose me again. The future storyline and the current storyline have way too much going on. They introduce Longshot, Darwin and now Shatterstar into this book, they have Trevor Fitzroy, who means nothing to me, be a big surprise character. David’s humor has been off as he tried to steal a line from “Die Hard” for Darwin and it fell flat. I have heard fears of this book being cancelled, but at this point it would not be a big loss. David needs to wrap up this storyline fast.

Wolverine Weapon X #4 – I was reading this book and I realized this was a relatively generic story. Well written by Jason Aaron and some very good art by Ron Garney, but it is a story that is going nowhere. Wolverine fighting knock off Wolverines and some big bad CEO is behind it all. There is no risk for Wolverine as he can recover from anything and the story is not giving us a new take or wrinkle on the character. Now normally I would think it is entertaining enough and maybe keep getting it, but it is a $4 book for 22 pages. If this is a five part story I would be paying $20 for generic entertainment. I said enough is enough and cancelled the book.

Quick Hits

Blackest Night Superman #1 (of 3) – This book almost made it into my best side of things. So far what has been most impressive about Blackest Night is the quality of the add-on mini-series. Both the Batman and Superman books have been well written, strong art and are telling good stories that are created because of Blackest Night, but so far are stories that I think could be enjoyed on their own merit. In this issue the main battle is between a Black Lantern Kal-L versus Connor and Superman. We also see Supergirl and her Mom watch as Zor-el raises from the dead. Each week I’m looking forward to more of Blackest Night as opposed to my normal feeling with events, which is along the lines of “is it over yet”. I’m expecting this series to have long term repercussions and make an impact across the DCU. Final Crisis’ impact was heavily muted with DC adding the last page showing Bruce Wayne still being alive.

Invincible #65 – Another solid issue in a long string of solid issues. This issue was a down time and recovery from the fight issue that was mandated. It also explained how Atom Eve saved herself and gave us some great lines about her increasing the size of her chest. Mark’s revelation at the end to Oliver about no longer letting bad guys live if they go after his love ones made a lot of logical sense. You have to love a series that is still going so strong with so much story potential after 65 issues.

Mighty Avengers #28 – This is the best Avengers book going. I guess I enjoy it when the characters are the focus and this issue Stature was given a lot of face time. The Unspoken is a great menace and they are slowly showing just how powerful he is and how hard it will be to defeat him. Finally for all the work Marvel has done to try and make the Young Avengers something to care about Dan Slott is doing it in this book. Dan seems to be really coming into his own with this book as he is interweaving a lot of plot lines, but keeping it all very readable.

Outsiders #21 – This issue was a good one. I like the old fashioned stuff where the group breaks up into small teams to go after a multiple threat. This book is also remaining current with the other Bat books as the Batcave is now shut down and the Outsiders are without a base. The book finally feels like it has a rhythm and this issue focus on Owl Man and Black Lighting going after Mr. Freeze was great.

Punisher Noir #1 (of 4) - It was really hard to decide to keep getting the rest of this series due to the $4 price tag and it is only a 32 page comic, but the art was good and it was an interesting start to the story. At the end of the story I’m still not sure if it is the father or the son who ends up becoming the Punisher. Too good of a story to let go of, but it would have been better as a $3 comic.

The Red Circle The Web #1 – Another well done opening issue. In the span of one book we get a solid origin story, that is a little generic, but then we get the twist. The twist gives our hero a new reason to for being a hero. An excellent updating of a character name and JMS again builds a wonderful foundation for the series to start from.

Superman Batman #63 – This was a good one and done issue. It is a story about Gorilla Grodd taking over the world and Batman is the last hero. It was revealed to be a simulation on Batman’s computer, but it was just a great little story with Batman helping Superman be able to survive on earth with all the green K radiation.

Wolverine Weapon X only goes into the worst column because I’m canceling the book. The $4 price tag for 22 pages of story and art is really hard for me to get over. I know BOOM, Avatar, IDW and other companies have that as their standard price, but I also understand the economics for those companies force that decision. Also their output is significantly smaller. When Marvel (as they are the biggest offender of this policy) charges $4 for 22 pages of story and art, then that becomes an element of how I view a book. For $3 do a good job and I can support you, for $4 it has to be very good, something a little different, flat out excellent or a critical book to keep up to date on the Marvel Universe. $4 for a 30 page comic and we are back to the norm. My list is about 25 books a week, so instead of $75 a week, my cost is $100 and I do not want to go there. So I continue to look at books to drop and a regular series at $4 a crack that is just entertaining is a good one for me to cut.

What I’m Getting Wednesday August 26

This week I decided to read the DC reprint of OMAC by Jack Kirby. First I have to say that I had great trepidation when it came to this format as the paper was so light and cheap, but it does reproduce the feel of old comics and once I started reading it I was fine with it. That’s a good thing as I have five other Kirby DC volumes with the same format. Second this is some wild stuff. I remember Kirby’s books not reading all that well and after following him from Marvel realizing that Stan Lee really help smooth things out for Jack, but the man’s mind is like a four color explosion gone wild. Re-reading this stuff it is easy to see that just mining his ideas and expanding on them you can have an entire career in comics, he truly was a King. The thing that stopped me in my tracks was the introduction, Kirby’s contract with DC called for 15 pages written, penciled and edited a week. Are you kidding me, 15 PAGES A WEEK. No one, no one can ever match the output of the man. It also explains why so much of what he did with DC just seemed to be rushed and almost manic, because it was. How many hours did he work a week? The more I know about Kirby, the more I am amazed.

The books I’m looking forward to most this week are:

The Absurd Adventures of Archibald Aardvark TP – This issue contains the final adventure in Grant Bond’s madcap Looney Tunes meets Slasher Film epic. Bond’s characters and great drawing carry the day and this is a book I would love to see as a hard cover one day. Inside “"BULLETS, BOOZE AND BEELZEBUB" Once the toast of Tinsel Town, faded movie star Archibald Aardvark has been slowly going insane trying to solve the brutal murder of his brother. But despite the hard drinking, womanizing and hallucinations, he's managed to follow the trail from the dangerous streets of Little China, all the way to the boardroom of Neptune Studios...and finally reveal the TRUE identity of the killer! FEATURING A BRAND NEW 22-PAGE STORY COMPLETING THE ARCHIBALD SAGA! NOT FOR KIDS!!”

Batman and Robin #3 – The slightly delayed, but eagerly anticipated third chapter of Grant’s take on the new Dynamic Duo. I love this stuff and while I will miss Frank’s work, I’m glad the next arc has a different artist to keep the book coming out monthly. The word “Written by Grant Morrison; Art and cover by Frank Quitely. "Batman Reborn" concludes the explosive reteaming of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, WE3, New X-Men)! Witness Batman and Robin's final showdown against Professor Pyg and the Circus of Strange! The future looks bright for the new Dynamic Duo as they prove themselves in battle, but lurking in the shadows is a mysterious red-hooded vigilante. Also, the origin of Scarlet!”

Fantastic Four #570 – It is a minor miracle that I’m willing to try the FF again. I tried it once when JMS wrote it and was unimpressed and was bored with Millar’s take, but Hickman seem to hit the right note with his Dark Reign mini-series of the FF and now he is the regular scribe, so here I am again. The hype “Brand new creative team - Brave new comics experience! Be there as Marvel's newest exciting creator, Jonathan Hickman, teams up with superstar artist, Dale Eaglesham, to give you the Fantastic Four experience you've been waiting for! It's adventure, it's family, it's tough questions in dark times...See what happens when Reed Richards tries to SOLVE EVERYTHING.”

Flash Rebirth #4 (of 6) - This series has a slow pace and apparently a slower publishing schedule, which makes no sense for the fastest man alive. Even with all the negatives I have with this series I still look forward to each issue. DC says “Written by Geoff Johns; Art and covers by Ethan Van Sciver. Barry Allen left a legacy that thrived after his death. Now his return threatens it all. What secrets does Barry hold inside him about the fate of the Flash Family? What destiny awaits Wally and his twins? What murderous force targets Bart Allen? And what does it truly mean to be a speedster?”

Green Lantern #45 - Blackest Night has been terrific so far and all the ancillary books have been great. Finally an event that I’m enjoying and almost wish we were getting more. The marketing pitch “Written by Geoff Johns; Art and cover by Doug Mahnke and Christian Alamy. BLACKEST NIGHT continues! The Black Lanterns descend on all the Corps throughout the universe! Sinestro's assault on the Star Sapphires' homeworld of Zamaron is interrupted by another Sinestro Corps – one made up of those who died during the Sinestro Corps War! And while the War of Light flickers, deep in the darkness of space, John Stewart comes face-to-face with his deceased wife – and longtime Green Lantern – Katma Tui.”

Incredible Hulk #601 – This is old friend week for me and Marvel. Since Greg Pak is back on a Hulk book, so am I. Between the covers “Gamma fans rejoice -- the rumors are true! The INCREDIBLE HULK book returns as an ongoing series written by acclaimed PLANET HULK and WORLD WAR HULK scribe Greg Pak! Get ready for Bruce Banner as you've never seen him, the Son of Hulk in a whole new world of smash, and an insane new adventure that changes everything for everyone's favorite Green Goliath! With art by Ariel Olivetti (CABLE) and introducing a new, regular bonus backup SAVAGE SHE-HULK story written by Fred Van Lente and drawn by Michael Ryan!”

Justice Society of America #30 – The second issue by Willingham, Sturges and Merino. I heard mixed reviews, but I think this book is in good hands and these guys will only get better over time. Inside the brownstone “Written by Matthew Sturges and Bill Willingham; Art and cover by Jesus Merino. "Bad Seed" part 2 of 5! The JSA feels the strain when battling a monstrous collection of villains who've mounted an all-out war on the team to collect a bounty placed on the head of everyone in the group except Stargirl! Tensions flare, and the group is forced to make a compromise in order to chase their fleeing enemies or return to the mansion to find out why Mister Terrific's communications have suddenly stopped! And Dr. Fate returns to the team in this second issue from the new creative team.”

Last Days of Animal Man #4 (of 6) – We last left Buddy down hearted and depressed and about to resolve his mid-life crisis by sleeping with Starfire. Alien chicks don’t count as cheating, so I’m sure this is okay! Buddy’s wife will kill him. Under the cover “Written by Gerry Conway; Art by Chris Batista and Dave Meikis; Cover by Brian Bolland. Regrets…he's had a few! Buddy Baker can't bear to live with the regret that comes of his infidelity with Starfire…but Prismatik and Bloodrage will be happy to take the burden of life off his hands! They've launched a full-on assault against the League of Titans' headquarters, and Buddy and Starfire are the only heroes who stand in their way!”

Madame Xandu #14 – This book is an automatic pick every time it is published. Wagner is crafting great stories and Amy (the regular artist) is stunning and we get Kaluta to be the other artist. This book is an embarrassment of riches. The cards reveal this issue is about “Written by Matt Wagner; Art and cover by Michael Wm. Kaluta. Nominated for 4 Eisner Awards! With the awards season in full tilt, Vertigo's biggest buzz book continues with "Sins of the Fathers," by comic book legends Matt Wagner and Michael Wm. Kaluta. Trapped in a secret that straddles two different centuries, time is running out for the beautiful mystic. And out of this land of nightmares steps a surprise player in the mystery theater!”

The Red Circle The Shield #1 – JMS wraps up what I believe has been a great introduction for these heroes. I hope the writers who are following stay true to his concepts. Archie says “Written by J. Michael Straczynski; Art by Scott McDaniel and Andy Owens; Cover by Jesus Saiz. J. Michael Straczynski dives into the DC Universe at last – and he's bringing four of the finest heroes of the Golden and Silver Ages with him! Completely reimagined for the modern world from their original appearances in Archie/MLJ publications, these four heroes will show you a side of the DC Universe you've never seen before! Lieutenant Joe Higgins was dying in the dirt of a battlefield in Afghanistan when they whisked him away to a top-secret facility and saved his life with nanotechnology so experimental they couldn't dare to use it on a living man. Now Higgins has been enlisted to a whole new mission – to be the public face of the American fighting man as the patriotic Shield! But today's grueling military battles test the limits of patriotism and the limits of the technology that keeps him alive. And the shocking secret behind that technology may be too much for his bullet-riddled heart to bear.”

Scalped #31 – Just the best gosh darn series being published today. If this book has a definitive ending and ends with the next couple of arcs it will take its place alongside Sandman, Starman, Planetary, All Star Superman and others as what has to be considered one of the best series ever done. Inside “Written by Jason Aaron; Art by RM Guera; Cover by Jock. FBI Agent Nitz finally has what he's dreamed about for years: an eyewitness who can put Chief Red Crow away for murder. Unfortunately, the only thing standing in his way just happens to be his own undercover agent, Dash Bad Horse. Part two of the pivotal new arc "The Gnawing" offers more surprises and plenty more bloodshed.”

The rest of the list:

Blackest Night Titans #1 (of 3) - Written by J.T. Krul; Art and cover by Ed Benes and Rob Hunter. Black Lantern Titans are descending together onto Titans Island! Will the Titans be prepared to fight off their deceased allies? And how can Beast Boy not lose his heart to Black Lantern Terra?

Dark Avengers #8 - Norman's X-Men, as led by Emma and Namor, are the face of mutant law and order! The X-Men look played out of position as Osborn's dark reign falls over California-- but Scott Summers isn't done yet. The X-Men strike at Norman, at H.A.M.M.E.R., at his fraud X-Men and his sham Avengers all at once! This is the book where, at long last, the Marvel Universe starts to fight back-- and it sets the stage for next month’s unbelievable conclusion in UNCANNY X-MEN/DARK AVENGERS -EXODUS!

Dark Reign Elektra #5 (of 5) - Elektra finds her answers! As her quest for survival races toward its conclusion, the world’s most dangerous assassin discovers why every other killer in the world is gunning for her. Who put the 82-million-dollar price tag on her head? What was her impostor responsible for while Elektra was held captive? What will Elektra do about it?! By Zeb Wells (AMAZING SPIDER-MAN) and Clay Mann (DAREDEVIL)!

Detective Comics #856 - Written by Greg Rucka; Art by JH Williams III; co-feature art by Cully Hamner; Cover by JH Williams III. "Elegy" part 3 of 4! Batwoman unites with an unlikely ally to momentarily defeat the fairytale villain known as Alice. But when Kate is forced to attend a high society event, she soon learns that her worlds are colliding as Alice's plans for Gotham's elite put Kate's father directly in harm's way.Plus, in the next part of The Question co-feature, writer Greg Rucka and artist Cully Hamner bring Renee's search for a missing girl to new depths when The Question is trapped inside a sinking car. Will her life and her leads end up at the bottom of the river?

Dynamo 5 #24 - Why does Father Gideon hate Dynamo 5, and what is his shocking connection to the team? Find out this issue, as he and Synergy launch their attack. This is the story that changes everything!

Final Crisis Aftermath Ink #4 (of 6) - Written by Eric Wallace; Art by Fabrizio Fiorentino; Cover by Brian Stelfreeze. In the past few days the Tattooed Man has lost control of his powers, made enemies out of a group of corrupt cops and been attacked by Super-Villains. Now he's going to get even – but how far can he go while still remaining true to his vow to remain Liberty Hill's protector?

Gotham City Sirens #3 - Written by Paul Dini; Art and cover by Guillem March. With their uneasy alliance in place, the sirens encounter trouble in the form of the mysteriously returned Bruce Wayne. He's dazzling, he's dangerous and he's got his sights set on Harley Quinn! Has romance sparked between these two long-time enemies – or is Wayne playing a more sinister game?

Guardians of the Galaxy #17 - A WAR OF KINGS TIE-IN! In order to save the universe, Adam Warlock takes desperate action and seeks the help of allies you won't believe! This must-read issue will have profound effects not only for the Guardians of Galaxy, but for the very Marvel cosmos itself!

Incredible Hercules #133 - Beginning a storyarc so earth-shattering, so momentous, so, well, incredible, we just had to give it to you TWICE A MONTH! (Well, for the three months, anyway). When terrible threats rise in Svartalfheim, the land of the Dark Elves, only Mighty Thor, Son of Asgard, can hope to triumph! But what happens if the Odinson is temporarily...unavailable? It's Hammer Time for Hercules as the Lion of Olympus gets his thunder on! Meanwhile, in Incredible Hercules 133, the Secret Origin of AMADEUS CHO begins! Who really killed Amadeus' family? What is his true relation to Hercules? And, most importantly, what is the connection between him and The Twelve's MASTER MIND EXCELLO? Everyone's favorite irascible boy genius is after the answers himself -- but to get them he's going to have to go through his arch-nemesis, PYTHAGORAS DUPREE, the sixth-smartest man on Earth!

Ms Marvel #44 - Hope is crushed and the battle is nearly lost as the Dark Reign event continues in WAR OF THE MARVELS Part 3! As Karla Sofen faces an unbeatable threat, the legacy of Ms. Marvel hangs in the balance.

New Avengers #56 - Oh man, it is not a good day for the New Avengers. Someone has invented a power disrupter and unleashed it in New York City. The heroes have fallen. Some are hurt bad, others near death. Who will rise to the challenge and save the day? A very important DARK REIGN issue. Something big happens. Not going to tell you what it is but it happens on page 17, panel 4.

Nova #28 - A WAR OF KINGS TIE-IN! It’s the final showdown between Nova with the surviving members of the Nova Corps against the most ruthless members of the Shi'Ar Imperial Guard! Can Rich survive and can he save the life of his brother, Robbie, who finds himself caught between the ruthless Ravenous and murderous Strontian?

Secret Warriors #7 - Baron Strucker and Norman Osborn team up to drive out the Marvel Universe's ultimate covert superteam. It's wall-to-wall insanity as the Dark Avengers and the Thunderbolts go after the Secret Warriors. It's time for Ares to get his son back! GOD OF FEAR. GOD OF WAR. Part one of four!

Sherlock Holmes #4 (of 5) - The penultimate issue in Dynamite's acclaimed Sherlock Holmes comic book event! After Watson appeals to Mycroft Holmes and Sherlock himself arrives at the scene end of last issue, can the world's greatest detective unravel his greatest mystery?

Showcase Presents Eclipso TP - Written by Bob Haney; Art by Lee Elias, Alex Toth, Jack Sparling and Bernard Baily; Cover by Bernard Baily. One of the strangest comics villains ever stars in this volume collecting HOUSE OF SECRETS #61-80! On an expedition in the South Pacific, scientist Bruce Gordon's dark side is unleashed after being exposed to a black diamond. Transformed into the powerful Eclipso, he embarked on an evil rampage as his good side attempted to reassert control.

Superman #691 - Written by James Robinson; Art by Renato Guedes and José Wilson Magalhães; Cover by Fernando Dagnino and Raúl Fernandez. It's a slam-bang, knockdown epic fight in the sewers of Metropolis in this fourth and final chapter of "Codename: Patriot"! What are the stakes, and who are the players? Everything and everyone, Superfans! Except one key player is missing – Superman! He has to stop the shooter from taking yet another course of action that would cause the situation between Earth and New Krypton to grow exponentially worse. Which, of course, is just what General Lane wants…

Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen Special #2 - Written by James Robinson; Art by Bernard Chang; Cover by Pere Pérez. Jimmy Olsen has put all the pieces together regarding the mysterious Project 7734, and it's worse than he imagined. With The Man of Steel temporarily out of the picture, though, it's all up to Superman's Pal to take action. Thankfully he has the help of Mon-El and Steel's niece Natasha Irons – but will they be enough to defeat Codename: Assassin?

Teen Titans #74 – Written by Bryan Q. Miller; co-feature written by Sean McKeever; Art by Joe Bennett and Jack Jadson; co-feature art by Yildiray Cinar and Júlio Ferreira; Cover by Joe Bennett and Jack Jadson. The assault against the Teen Titans continues this issue as the team struggles to even the odds. Will they be defeated by a foe with superior leadership?And in the co-feature, Ravager is attacked in her arctic hideaway. Who wants her dead? That's what she wants to know…

The Unknown #4 (of 4) - She has solved every mystery known to man. But there is one mystery that remains unknown! Find out the answer in the epic conclusion to the critically acclaimed mini-series from Mark Waid and Excalibur's Minck Oosterveer.

Wednesday Comics #8 (of 12) - Words and Art by Various. WEDNESDAY COMICS, DC's spectacular 12-issue weekly series, continues to offer a comics experience unlike any other this August. In its second month, don't miss the action in these continuing features.

Wildcats #14 - Written by Christos Gage; Art by Shawn Moll and Drew Geraci; Cover by Ryan Sook. The team-up event of World's End continues as Team Seven and the Wildcats hunt Tao! But will they be ready for the fight when they find him? He's been preparing for this moment for quite some time...and when the gloves come off, it'll be a battle to the death!

Wonder Woman #35 - Written by Gail Simone; Art by Aaron Lopresti and Matt Ryan; Cover by Aaron Lopresti. "Birds of Paradise" part 2 of 2! A gaggle of super-powered cage fighters find themselves in the worst possible place to be – on the bad side of Wonder Woman and Black Canary! Also, find out the final resolution between Diana and Nemesis along with much, much more!

Whew, after the hard cover catch-up from the last few weeks it’s nice to be getting mainly comics and just two trades. I love my hard cover books, but when they keep hitting week after week after week it gets a tad more expensive then I like my addiction to be. As it is a last week of the month, it is a fairly decent size week with lots of good looking books hitting the stands. This week should be a winner.