What I’m Getting Wednesday October 21

Between football and some more than usual busy weekends, comics have taken a little bit of a back seat and yet I have tons of ideas for things I would like to have the time to do on the blog. I miss getting more detailed reviews up, interviews, commentary and the like, but real life intrudes. One quick thing I did want to get out there is that the Superman franchise needs to be given a shot in the arm or something. Not that the books are bad, it is just they are a little unexciting and feel like they are treading water. Maybe it is just that Batman and Blackest Night are so good, that these books seem a little tame by comparison, but picking up the pace would be a good start.

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

Battlefields HC Volume 1 – Garth Ennis doing war stories is an easy sell and this contains all three mini-series he did for Dynamite. Dear Billy being one of the three and one of my all time favorite stories. This volume contains “This massive 200+ Page Hardcover Edition also features bonus materials such as sketches and commentary from Ennis along with a complete cover gallery by series cover artists John Cassaday and Garry Leach! Recommended for Mature Readers.”

Cowboy Ninja Viking #1 – Multiple personality disordered people turned into covert hitman, sign me up. The hype “It started with Dr. Sebastian Ghislain: rogue psychotherapist/covert op/DJ. Tasked with creating a counter-intelligence unit, he turned to those long thought useless to society...patients with Multiple Personality Disorder.These agents became known simply as Triplets. Misguided? Yeah. Impractical? Sure. But did it work? Absolutely not. Now someone has located each Triplet and created a band of ridiculously disturbed, but highly effective assassins. Our only hope? A Triplet known as Cowboy Ninja Viking!”

Final Crisis Legion of Three Worlds HC – Geoff Johns, Legion of Super Heroes and George Perez artwork, hoping for a higher end volume down the road, but this was another one I had to have. This volume contains “Written by Geoff Johns; Art by George Pérez and Scott Koblish; Cover by George Pérez. Superstar writer Geoff Johns and legendary artist George Pérez deliver the Crisis of the 31st century as the Legion of Super-Heroes reaches out for help against a powerful foe they can't beat alone. From the moment Superman landed on Earth until the end of time, the Time Trapper has sought to erase Superman's impact on the universe. But the Legion of Super-Heroes have always been there to stop the relentless villain. Now, one Legion isn't enough as the Time Trapper taps a twisted mirror image of The Boy of Steel from a parallel Earth long dead: Superboy-Prime! Who will answer the Legion's call for help? With ties to INFINITE CRISIS, FINAL CRISIS and the history of the DCU, this tremendous hardcover collects the entire 5-issue miniseries and is not to be missed!"

Justice League of America #38 – James Robinson and Mark Bagley take over and start it off with a wild cast for a JLA book. I hope this book finally takes off. The word “A new era begins for the World's Greatest Heroes as superstars James Robinson (STARMAN, SUPERMAN) and Mark Bagley (TRINITY, Ultimate Spider-Man) take over! It all begins as a one-time member of the JLA falls before he can warn the team of looming peril while what's left of the JLA journeys to the heart of their past to decide if the team has any future at all. Of course, that means this is the best time for a savage villain from the team's past to attack the demoralized heroes! The team will have to muster enough will to win not only today, but in the harrowing months to come. It's the start of a spanking new odyssey for the JLA that will lead in the coming months to a fresh line-up for DC's flagship team. Get onboard now for the next epic chapter of the Justice League's legacy!

Marvel Masterworks Inhumans Volume 125 – I remember this material fondly and hope it holds up today. This volume contains “Written by JACK KIRBY, STAN LEE, ROY THOMAS, GERRY CONWAY & ARCHIE GOODWIN Penciled by JACK KIRBY, NEAL ADAMS, MIKE SEKOWSKY & GENE COLAN Cover by NEAL ADAMS The uncanny Inhumans come to the MARVEL MASTERWORKS at last! In 1965, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby gave a strange family of outcasts their debut in the pages of Fantastic Four. Responding to their Shakespearean pathos and Kirby's out of this world character designs, the fans loved them-and wanted more! The mysterious origins of Black Bolt, Medusa, Gorgon, Triton, Karnak and the rest of their wondrous, secret world was initially revealed in a series of Thor features. But that only whetted reader's appetites-and so came their first headlining series in AMAZING ADVENTURES! Launched by writer/artist Jack Kirby, the new series took the Inhumans to their roots, defending their kingdom against the aggressions of mankind-especially against the ultimate threat of the Mandarin. Then a team with uncanny credentials, Roy Thomas and Neal Adams, took up the crown and sent the Inhumans on a mythical exodus into the world of man. It was a saga exploring the social issues of the era and, of course, topped of with a heavy dose of Inhuman action! Also featuring a rare Medusa and Black Bolt tale from MARVEL SUPER-HEROES and a trio of satirical tales from NOT BRAND ECHH by Stan, Jack and their blushing Bullpen! Collecting THOR #146-152, AMAZING ADVENTURES #1-10, THE AVENGERS #95 & MARVEL SUPER-HEROES #15 with bonus selections from NOT BRAND ECCH #6 & 12. 240 PGS/All Ages”

Power Girl #6 – Flat (?) out a fun book. Too many books are not fun and this is a great book with great art and story telling with the right tone to it, light hearted, not light weight. DC says “Written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray; Art and cover by Amanda Conner. "Space Girls Gone Wild!" part 3 of 3! The trio of sexy alien marauders continues their rampage across Earth, and Power Girl makes her last stand against these seemingly unstoppable foes. But even Power Girl has her limits…”

The Question TP Volume 5 – Denny O’Neil and Denys Cowan’s run on this book still stands up today, glad to see DC appears to be trading it all the way through. This volume contains “Written by Dennis O'Neil; Art by Denys Cowan, Bill Wray and Malcolm Jones III; Cover by Denys Cowan. Secrets of the Question's past are revealed in this new, fifth volume collecting issues #25-30, as The Question faces The Riddler and battles martial arts expert Lady Shiva."

Robotika for a Few Rubles More Doubled-Sized #3 & #4 – Robotika is such a terrific series, great artwork, robots, ninjas all done as a spaghetti western. The word “(W/A) Alex Sheikman. Special double-size issue, combining the all-new issues 3 and 4! The longest fight in comic book history finally comes to an end after almost 48 pages of throwing punches. In a surprising conclusion to a confrontation between Niko and Mr. Saint Just, the town is half-destroyed and only one man walks away to the tournament at Novo Edo.”

Spider-Woman #2 - The first issue clicked for me and I’m looking forward to seeing how this series progresses. Marvel says “The Eisner award winning team of Bendis and Maleev (Daredevil, HALO) unveil a big new chapter in the life of Jessica Drew as she heads to Madripoor to do SWORD's dirty work. Based on the ground-breaking motion comic and featuring all new material. And guest starring Spider-Man!!”

Stuff of Legend #2 (of 2) – I have had the chance to read this book already and it is as good as the first issue. My one complaint, it leads into the next mini-series. Aarghh, but with this creative team continuing I’m actually pretty happy. Th3rd World says “Writer(s): Mike Raicht, Brian Smith, Penciler(s): Charles Paul Wilson III, Colorist(s): Michael DeVito, Jon Conkling , Editor(s): Michael DeVito, Jon Conkling. As World War II rages in the real world, an unseen battle for a young boy's soul takes place in a shadowy realm known as The Dark. Kidnapped by The Boogeyman, a group of loyal toys continues their quest to rescue their master. But uncertain of where to turn to next, and hunted by The Boogeyman's forces, the group seeks shelter in the township of Hopscotch. Will the kind people of Hopscotch provide clues to the location of the boy or is there a much more sinister game afoot?”

The rest of the list:

Azrael #1 - Written by Fabian Nicieza ; Art by Ramon Bachs ; Cover by Jock. Following the events of "The Eighth Deadly Sin" in BATMAN ANNUAL #27 and DETECTIVE COMICS ANNUAL #11, the new monthly series starring Death's Dark Knight begins! Michael Lane is a man in search of redemption, but does serving the Order of Purity as God's Angel of Justice bring him closer to achieving his goal – or simply send him further down a road paved with good intentions? When a hired killer comes to Gotham City seeking revenge for crimes committed decades in the past, Azrael faces an impossible conflict: What if God's justice forces the hero to claim one of God's servants? From writer Fabian Nicieza (SUPERMAN, TRINITY) and artist Ramon Bachs (RED ROBIN)!

Batman Confidential #35 - Written by Peter Milligan; Art by Andy Clarke; Covers by Francisco Mattina. Batman's adventures in Moscow have all been leading to this as BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL double-ships in October! With The Tsar ready to detonate a hydrogen bomb in Moscow, Batman must work with General Lukzov to stop the massacre. In order to save the day, Batman will have to gain a hand from an unlikely ally!

Batman Streets of Gotham #5 - Written by Chris Yost; co-feature written by Marc Andreyko; Art by Dustin Nguyen and Derek Fridolfs; co-feature art by Jeremy Haun; Cover by Dustin Nguyen. The 2-part "Leviathan" story begins from guest writer Chris Yost (RED ROBIN) as the Huntress finds herself in an unusual position – the responsible one! Because when Huntress hunts down a violent new criminal, she finds herself stuck with a violent, loose cannon of a partner on the case – the Man-Bat. Meanwhile, in the Manhunter co-feature, Jane Doe is in custody and claiming that Two-Face asked her to kill the former D.A. Since Kate Spencer can't find the bipolar baddie, it's up to Manhunter to hunt him down!

Batman The Unseen #2 (of 5) - Written by Doug Moench; Art and cover by Kelley Jones. The fan-favorite Bat-team of Doug Moench and Kelley Jones reunite to introduce the newest member of Batman's rogues gallery in this twice-monthly, 5-issue miniseries! Horrible and unexplained murders have Gotham City held captive. Bizarre deaths have been occurring throughout the city, but the perpetrator is unknown. Even when the crimes have been committed in view of witnesses, all that is seen is a glimpse of a weird, skinless "meat-man" who seems to fade away after the crimes. Gotham's only hope is their Dark Knight Detective, but how can Batman find and fight an Invisible Man?

Blackest Night Superman #3 (of 3) - Written by James Robinson; Art and cover by Eddy Barrows and Ruy José. Black Lantern Psycho-Pirate shares his pain with the citizens of Smallville! And having your face shoved through the back of your skull can create quite a bit of pain. Will any Kryptonians come to the rescue? And could the key to taking down this menace lie within the Medusa Mask? Find out in the finale of this terrifying 3-issue epic.

Brave and Bold #28 - J. Michael Straczynski (Amazing Spider-Man) and Jesus Saiz (OMAC PROJECT) continue their series of unlikely pairings with a match that spans the decades! When an experiment meant to alter the speed of light goes awry, Barry Allen finds himself face-to-face with some surprising allies – World War II's legendary Blackhawks! But Barry isn't the Flash they know, and he's not even the kind of hero they need to help fight history's most grueling war! What must Barry sacrifice to serve his country – and his world?

Chew #5 - 'TASTER'S CHOICE,' Concludes! FDA Agent Tony Chu just landed the biggest bust of his career, but while the bullets were flying and the bodies were falling, Tony's partner Mason Savoy took a slug. Now, Tony's on his own, and he just ate something that's revealed the identity of a dangerous enemy-- the absolute last person Tony should be facing without backup. The stunningly violent conclusion to first story arc of the surprise hit of the season-- and just maybe the very best comic you will read all month about cops, crooks, cooks, cannibals & clairvoyants!

Dark Avengers #10 - Oh hey, you know how Norman Osborn was once the Green Goblin but he got it under control and now he’s one of the most powerful people in the free world? Oh, and you know that whole thing about him being a ticking time bomb who could snap at any minute? Yeah... you might want to check this issue out. The smash hit of the year continues!!

Dark Reign The List : Hulk – Norman Osborn thought he had a plan for keeping the Green Goliath from mussing his wavy coif -- but he forgot about the Hulk’s most dangerous incarnation. Now the H.A.M.M.E.R. comes down as Banner and Skaar face Osborn's deadliest femme fatales in a monumental battle of brawn and brains. Plus a reprinting of Amazing Spider-Man #14, the first appearance of the Green Goblin & guest-starring The Hulk.

Escape From Wonderland #2 (of 6) - As Calie treks through the ever-changing Wonderland terrain she comes face to face with a monstrous creature that may have deeper ties to her past than she realizes. Calie must find a way to reach out to the once human being in order for her to find her infant daughter. Meanwhile, Johnny finds he does not see eye to eye with the one calling the shots as a rift begins to develop between the two.

Farscape Gone & Back #4 (of 4) – John Crichton and Aeryn Sun, together again for the first time! Crichton, Zhaan, D'Argo, and the tracker Roiin have infiltrated the Peacekeeper ship, where they have found Lieutenant Sun! What does she do when she comes face-to-face with a complete stranger, one who says he's loved her for years and is the mother of their child?

Hellblazer #260 - Written by Peter Milligan ; Art and cover by Simon Bisley. Because once is never enough, superstar cover painter Simon Bisley takes over another issue of interiors! Trouble with the law is nothing next to the wrath of a London crime boss bent on revenge – leaving John with two options: Get out of town by any means necessary or die trying.

Invincible #67 – 'PREPARATIONS FOR WAR,' Conclusion Artist CORY WALKER returns to the series he co-created! After escaping from a Viltrumite Prison, Nolan Grayson and Allen the Alien must use what they've learned to gather the powers of the universe and unite them against the Viltumites. It all starts here, folks! The Viltrumite War looms large on the horizon!

Invincible Iron Man #19 - WORLD’S MOST WANTED: THE CONCLUSION! Everything ends.

The Mighty Avengers #30 – AVENGERS ASSEMBLE! As the epic battle with The Unspoken threatens all of Earth, the team-up you've been waiting for finally happens as members of the Mighty Avengers, New Avengers, Young Avengers, and the Avengers Initiative unite to fight a foe that no single hero could withstand! How can we fit so many Avengers in one issue? Against the most powerful Inhuman of all, with the greatest weapon in history, do they have a choice? All that plus a special appearance by the Dark Avengers.

The Outsiders #23 - Written by Peter J. Tomasi ; Art by Fernando Pasarin and Jay Leisten; Cover by Tom Mandrake. "The Hunting" continues as Halo, Katana and The Creeper attempt to capture Killer Croc and return him to Gotham City before more dead bodies surface in the Louisiana swamps. But when Man-Bat joins the fight, will he side with the monster or the monster-hunters?

Supergirl #46 - Written by Sterling Gates and Greg Rucka; Art by Jamal Igle and Jon Sibal; Cover by Joshua Middleton. Continuing from ACTION COMICS #882, "The Hunt for Reactron" concludes! It's the final showdown between Flamebird, Supergirl and the man who killed their father. And for the Daughters of Zor-El, that means it's payback time. Will Reactron make it out alive? Or is Nightwing the only one who can save them all?

Superman Batman #65 - Written by Peter Johnson and Matt Cherniss; Art by Brian Stelfreeze, Brian Haberlin, Kelley Jones, Joe Quinones and Federico Dallocchio; Cover by Dustin Nguyen. What scares Batman and Superman? Even worse, what scares their greatest foes, The Joker and Lex Luthor? Horror comes alive in this very special Halloween tale from Peter Johnson (SUPERNATURAL) and Matt Cherniss (Sub-Mariner)!

Thunderbolts #137 – Meet the newest Thunderbolts…Power Man and Iron Fist?! Norman Osborn, in need of a powerful duo to send on a top secret mission, makes the former Heroes for Hire a deal they can't refuse! Luke Cage and Danny Rand have no choice but to become Osborn's personal assassins! What could have caused all this? Fan favorite writer Rick Remender (PUNISHER) and rising-star artist Mahmud A. Asrar (NOVA ANNUAL #1) spill all the secrets—and some blood--in this 100 proof blow-out!

Uncle Sam Deluxe HC - Written by Steve Darnall and Alex Ross; Art and Cover by Alex Ross. "The most eloquent use of a super-human archetype for a great many years,Darnall and Ross have with UNCLE SAM produced a luminous and moving study of America's iconographic landscape." — Alan Moore. Alex Ross illustrates a vibrant, hallucinatory tour of modern America as seen through the eyes of a homeless man who may be the living spirit of America in this new hardcover edition of a Vertigo classic. With dynamic painted art by Alex Ross, UNCLE SAM is the story of a star-spangled vagrant clad in red, white and blue, guided by the voices in his head and his own fractured memories. Absorbed by history-traveling visions of America's dark past, Uncle Sam struggles to piece together the scattered clues of his own experiences in this deep and thoughtful look at America's checkered past.

Underground #2 (of 5) - Wes finds Seth inside Stillwater Cave when Harden and his men return, and the rangers find themselves outnumbered- with nowhere to go but deeper in. There's still time to deal with this reasonably, if someone doesn't do something stupid...


What a killer week with a few hard covers coming in and I really want to get the Blackest Night Action figures but all four at once is a little steep with all that I’m already getting. I did get a little gift card from my job for a five year anniversary and could use that to buy them as a present for myself, right? Rationalization is a wondrous thing.