Best & Worst of Last Week

I really feel the need to do a political rant, but lately nothing has struck a major nerve with me or perhaps I'm becoming immune to the inept leadership that both the State of Maryland and the USA have at the present time. Still I can say if you want to be taxed to the max by a state please come to Maryland as I'm sure we will be able to accommodate your wishes.

From last week I have three books that I feel were the best Justice Society of America #4, Brave and Bold #2, Hellblazer #230 and the worst of last week was 30 Days of Night Spreading the Disease #4 (of 5).

Justice Society of America #4 was an almost perfect book for me. It completed the story, continued the moving forward the characterization of the players, brought in a new character to carry on the Wildcat legacy and had great art. Geoff Johns has been involved on the JSA for about nine years now. He is the perfect writer to handle a book that respects what came before, but recognizes that it is important to bring in new blood. Except for Wildcat, Flash and Green Lantern, every other character is a new incarnation of the hero or a blood line descendant of the Golden Age JSA. The artwork by Dale Eaglesham is fantastic, he has some gorgeous two page spreads that are absolutely fantastic. At the same time all of this is going on Johns builds on the characters and lays the seeds for future stories.

Brave & Bold #2 - Another really well done book. Brave & Bold is a team-up book, but it appears that it will be a limited cast that rotates as to who is working with who and probably all ties together in a six issue arc. This issue the focus was on Green (Hal Jordan) Lantern and Supergirl. The interplay between the two was funny and well done. The artwork is by George Perez who maybe the best pure super hero artist every.

Hellblazer #230 - Andy Diggle comes in as the new writer and Leonard Manco remains as the artist. Diggle immediately reminds us of how much of a hardass bastard Constantine can be and how he is always one step ahead of whomever he is dealing with. The bad guy in this issue is trying to drown Constantine and John turns the table where the bad guy actually completes a spell that is against the bad guy himself.

30 Days of Night Spreading the Disease #4 (of 5) - The story is still interesting, but the artwork is so amateurish as to look like the work of a group of grade school kids. The dark pallet for coloring tries to hide it, but fails. Really disappointing.