The Good , the Bad , and the Ugly [8-28-09]

[SUPERECWFAN1]

It was quite a big week for me Comics wise. The delayed Batman & Robin finally arrived this week. Plus we got a new Detective Comics and Gotham City Sirens. So it was a big Batmanesque week for me. I also thanks to my buddy Eddie , scored Fables #1 in a great trade. So ...great week for me people !


SPOILERS AHEAD.



LAST WARNING.........



THE GOOD


Flash Rebirth : #4 of (6): When we last left Barry he had raced to removed the Black Flash powers of death. His race basically forced him back into the speed force as he encounters....Prof. Zoom ! The 1st one ....Eobard Thawne ! He reveals he was behind the entire deal with Barry's return. The moment Barry opened a portal and managed to help his grand son Bart pull Superboy-Prime in (back in Infinite Crisis), it allowed Thawne to manage his return its revealed. He managed to make it seem that Barry was brought back to stop some big problem (Final Crisis) and by this point when he helped Barry return at that point , he injected some of the deadly powers he had managed to aquire. Thawne reveals he gained these new powers by traveling back and giving himself them at his accident that made him. The plan was to make Barry pay and change his martry image into one of death.

Max Mercury is there , wore out . The 2 men (Barry and Max) try and face Zoom in his speed force but its sapping them and Zoom is kicking their ass pretty well. Max reveals the reason Barry and Wally managed to exit the speed force was due to the fact they had an anchor ..someone who loved them back home and it was Iris and Linda. Poor Max and Johnny Quick lost their anchors a long time before.

Wally is worried about Barry and tells Linda he has to go into the speed force and bring him back. Jay warns him , but Wally tells him... "Linda is my anchor , I'll be back for her." This allows Thawne to attack the house and take his 2 kids. Wanting to kill them to make Wally West pay. Bart and Jay hold him off from that. But the 2 aren't a match for Zoom either.

Barry back at the speed force says he's gonna have to turn the engine over and start it. To break free and beat Zoom. Max will try but at the halfway point seems wore out and tells Barry to go on. That he has no one . Barry looks and tells him.."You are family Max. Bart thinks of you as another grandfather." and takes his hand. Pulling him along the way.

Thawne seems prepared to kill Bart again as we hear a voice....as Barry , Wally and Max have now joined the party. Looks like a Flash family ass whupping next issue !

Ohhh yeah pretty damn good issue. One we waited on a month since it was delayed. But it was worth the wait and hopefully Johns can keep us happy while we wait again for this in October/November when the next issue comes out.


Justice League of America #36: The game between Roulette and Amos Fortune continues. We get a character origin for us new readers on Fortune who haven't seen him in a long while. We see him grow from a poor kid who gets his dads lucky playing cards , to becoming a card master and soon running his own crime team.... the Royal Flush Gang. Of course the RFG no matter how well they arm themselves can never beat the JLA. So soon , Fortune devises a new plan. One where he claims ... "There are 52 cards in a deck..." so he starts RFG chapters in every major city . Its revealed Fortune's group is so successful Intergang is scared now.

Wonder Woman shows up to help guest starring in this issue thanks to Vixen's call. Vixen is less than pleased with how the league has went , with members dead , quitting and even Starfire turns her down. She knows the League has to stand for now. Anyhow , Doctor Light is less than happy with Firestorm and Plastic Man and as the game between Roulette and Fortune continues , an alert goes off. The RFG's are hitting 3 different areas as Vixen divides the team and gets on Light's ass for hating her team mate , Plas.

Is it good ? So far it has been . Wein is really doing a good job and he;s revamped the Royal Flush Gang into a Hellfire Club type organization now. That are a massive criminal empire that stretches across cities and has muscle. Just a good revamp plan here. Shame Wein won't get the book long term though. I even believe he likely could dust more old rogues off and revamp them like he has here.


Daredevil #500: Its the final chapter of Brubaker's great run on Daredevil. His run ends as The Owl holds Matt Murdock's girlfriend Dakota North hostage. Daredevil fights his way early to confront the Owl , suprising him. He then decides that the Owl will never hurt anyone ever again. So he takes the use of his arms and legs from him. Leaving him in a bloody heap.

Matt realizes Wilson Fisk is wanting to assume the leadership of the HAND. The old man who used to lead the Hand tells Matt this and reveals what he must do now. Wilson Fisk aka the Kingpin can not get the leadership of The Hand. The consquences would be disastorous. Matt knows what he must do. And he shows up and quickly beats Lady Bullseye. Before she can get started.

Black Tarantula ends up swerving the Hand and saves Foggy Nelson at the last second. Beating everyone and he tries to save his sister at the end . Seems the old man came to him months ago with the plan. To get him on the inside.

The Hand accept Matt Murdock's offer to join and tell him if he changes his mind grave consquences if he does. Fisk is pissed but the Hand basically tell him to get the fuck outta there. We see that the next day Foggy and Dakota go look for Matt at his apartment. But its now empty. Deserted as down in the depths of some pits/caves we see Murdock with The Hand. He now will lead them....after he fights and proves himself worthy !

The next story is an un-even Ann Nocenti story. Skip that one people....

Theres a preview of Daredevil :The List as we see Murdock in a meeting where he is seen leading the Hand. Norman Osborn reveals to Bullseye his old nemesis is in fact leading the Hand. Which Bullseye laughs off. But Norman wants to send Bullseye after him anyhow....he's on THE LIST. BRRRRRR.....

And go to a reprint of Frank Miller's DD #191. Its here the famous issue where Daredevil and Bullseye played Russian Roulette with a handgun. As Matt tells a crippled vegetable Bullseye a tale that haunts him about a young child and hero worship of him. And how it ends in horror. The final page will make you go...holy fuck. Quite a good story. The book has the same cover galary the other Marvel Anniversy issues had.

Is it worth it.,......damn straight it is ! Damn...straight. The page seeing Matt leading the Hand was great. And it makes you wanna pick up Andy Diggle's run at #501.


Jack of Fables #37: Our hero Jack....the greatest fucking fable ever....isn't having a good day. As him and Gary hitchhike across the USA , Jack suddenly realizes he's gaining wieght. Lots of wieght. His face is also getting pimples and all ....and he's losing his hair ! How can he possibly get laid like this he tells Gary ! Gary breaks the 4th wall and wonders if Jack admitting he liked the new artist has somehow pissed off the regular artist of his book.

Elsewhere his son Jack Jr has a talk with Priscilla Page and she tells him he can make his own destiny now. He doesn't need his father. Anyhow he follows it and flies off to the Kingdom where the Fables have locked the Ice Queen in slumber. He releases his winter powers , telling his mom he's gonna be his own man now and travel his own road.

He soon gets jumped by some bad guys and fights them off like a warrior. Killing them . The wooden owl who hung around Gepato's home joins Jack Jr. And the 2 set forth for some adventuring !

Its awesome and its now seeming to build to the next big chapter in this series. As Jack and his son will soon have a meeting and we all wonder ....how will Jack Horner get his youth back ? And who will he screw over to get that ? LOL.


end of part #1 ....part #2 coming people...so hold replies...

[SUPERECWFAN1]

Batman & Robin #3: Its the final showdown with Prof. Pyg and the Circus of Strange. Robin is held prisioner by Pyg who wants to make him one of his doll creatures. Pyg is sick and disturbed and wants to make art disco baby. Damian isn't at all happy and slowly undoes his binds letting Pyg be all disturbed and ranting. While the helpless girl needs help.

Dick meanwhile is interrogating the suspect the hardcore Damian way ....driving him thru the street , torturing him by nearly driving his face into the pavement at fast speeds. Gordan wonders if this is right as the guy breaks and reveals where Pyg is at.

Finally Damian breaks loose and starts ass whupping as usual. Trying to help the girl get free. But the numbers ends up throwing him out the burning building. Pyg looks ready to kill him as Dick shows up and ends up hitting him. Stopping him finally. Damian wonders if the girl got out as they leave ...and Dick tells them where one of the men who tried to take his body over with Ras is. The funny scene is Damian admitting Dick saved him and claims : "We should be Robin...and Batman." Dick jokes... "Yeah that will fly."

The final scenes have the poor girl trying to get the doll face off as its surgically on. The police believe she's one of Pyg's murderous doll creatures but the new Red Hood shows up and saves her by killing them. The Red Hood believes they should join up now !

This is just a fun , fun book. Pyg showcases why he's yet another worthy strange addition to the Batman rogues gallery. Morrison is just full of win here. He may have been up and down on Batman. But on Batman & Robin...he wins baby ! Morrison is back.


Deadpool #14: Pirate Deadpool concludes as him , Bob of Hydra and the blind tour guide band togethor to save the island. Plus get back Pool's ship those fools took from Wade. Deadpool isn't a nice guy as he basically cuts all their hands off after using a manquin with his suit to distract em on a raft. They all abandon ship in quick order and go back to their old vessel .

But they don't learn their lesson and after Bob wastes all the ammo as Pool lays passed out (he lost his leg...passed out due to blood loss) , chase them on the water. Wanting Wade's money he has in a chest. Deadpool has to think quick and then remembers where his last ship sunk (it was a sub). It was also a nuclear sub and he fires the one missle he has left and blows the sub up...with everyone.

Back at the island the blind tour guide wants Bob. Who admits he sadly is married and should leave. But Pool won't let him and tosses his chest full of money at them. That its theirs now. He reveals he just isn't happy as a merc anymore. And he thought lots of money would fill that hole and it didn't. The only time he felt happy was helping people. And thats what he plans to do.

It seems Way is now setting up where Deadpool will join the X-Men baby ! The X-Men arc starts next and should be awesome fun. Hop aboard people...Deadpool rolls on.


Conan the Cimmerian #13: Conan leads his men into fierce bloody battle against the evil sorcerer Natohk's forces. With a fierce will Conan doesn't stop. His men fight bravely as the odds are against them. But he will save the beautiful princess Yasmela . Natohk decides he will have her and during the battle abducts her ....but Conan sees this and chases after them. Slaying a demon on his way. He goes in as a naked Yasmela is laid for a sexual sacrifice with a knife that the sourcerer plans to use. He tosses his weapon killing him. Ending the evil Natohk and his taking of Yasmela.

In the end Conan revives her and she is pleased. She embraces her man and kisses him deep. Saying she is his now. Ohhh yeahhh Conan is that fucking manly.

Its pretty awesome. Conan is hardcore. He doesn't take shit from no one and battles to save a beautiful naked princess. What more could ya want from a Conan book ?

The Bad

Gotham City Sirens #3: Ok lets be honest...this book isn't bad for the fact of normal reasons. It seems like Paul Dini got super busy and DC decided...hey instead of a hole on the shipping schedule , lets take a book about the Riddler that would normally fit in Streets of Gotham or Detective Comics months back...and ship it as Gotham City Sirens.

Which is the case weirdly here. Its written by fill in writer Scott Lobdell. Remember him kids.....wrote the X-Men a lotta years of the 1990's ? Anyhow Lobdell doesn't do a bad comic. Its pretty awesome actually. We get a good character look at how Edward Nigma has seemingly decided to kill off his Riddler persona . Instead wanting to use his vast knowlodge to make his Private Detective business work.

Soon enough as he's working on a supposed sucide he realizes its a murder. He quickly realizes both cases fit on what he used to do as the Riddler and send Riddles to puzzle Batman. He annouces it publically that its the work of a serial killer and puts him in Batman's sight. He pretty much guesses (and keeps to himself) that Batman is in fact someone else. But pretty damn good to reach the same conclusions with evidence. Riddler meets this new female rogue and her henchmen who take him as a role model. She would love to look at his brain as he keeps the girl she wants to kill safe. Batman shows up and finishes it.

Now heres where it gets weird. The scenes with Catwoman and Posion Ivy worried about Harley Quinn don't even fit the damn story well. Like someone ran to Lobdell and said... give us 2-3 new pages to bookend this tale. To make it a Gotham City Sirens issue. Even though it doesn't fit the new arc at all . Which is why it sadly falls to BAD.

Its a good story. Don't get me wrong. Good Riddler story basically. It just seems like a story DC had kept back in case a book ran late and needed it somewhere. Not really fitting this arc at all currently.

THE UGLY

Batgirl #1: Ok now this one was a fierce debate with me. It wasn't good ....but not horrible as shit bad. Not a real ugly book by any means. But it struggled a lot and Miller sadly was handed a marching order from above....and had to eat it sadly.

The story is this.... a new Batgirl is around as we see her take on illegal street racers and seems to be a bit off. Damian guesses pretty much that this girl was never leading the League of Assassins at one time and Dick agrees. They keep watch away.

Then we see its our favorite plucky female who beat death after reader anger....Stephanie Brown . We see she is trying to lie to her mom and lead a normal life again. Going to college and all that. And she can't resist wearing the Batgirl uniform that hangs in her closet.

Then thats where it goes to pure ludacris territory. During a fight , Steph as the Spoiler teams with Batgirl ...Cassandra Cain. The 2 manage to help each other to win finally. Then Cassie starts to strip herself naked there. For no reason.....and tosses the unifrom down as no reason still....and says she would fight for him. But he's gone and she leaves.

She just leaves the costume with Stephanie Brown. No build ...no reason behind it. Just dumb as a box of crackers irrational breakdown there. Steph stuck with the costume gets the role. No grand mantle passing at all. Just...pathetic.

Then we see Barbara Gordan with her father and we see the Calculater's daughter as Leslie Thompkins is trying to help her get past her anger with losing the loss of her legs . Barbara gets a call from Dick while she's with her dad. So anyhow one morning as Steph gets up ...there is Barbara showing up to talk.

Its just a pathetic book to be honest. Like Red Robin , the books DC really shouldn't creatively fail on , they did. They did it in grand fashion. Tim Drake becoming Red Robin should have been a big step up mantle wise. But Chris Yost wrote such a piss fucking poor read , you really don't give a shit.

And for years people mused about Steph becoming Batgirl at some point. But the final product was wrote so piss poor , to really make the Cassandra Cain character look dumb as shit , you don't care. Just sad really. Where DC could have spent a fucking story-arc building to Cassie handing the mantle to Stephanie Brown , putting her thru tests and challenges to be Batgirl perhaps , we get this.

I have nothing against Bryan Q Miller. But this is pretty dumb. 3-4 panels people. No build up or anything. Just a pathetic excuse for a read. Whats sad is it seems like again a message to those who loved the Cassandra Cain character...
"Your not welcome at DC now..." Which is silly since without Cassandra Cain , Batgirl would be deader than a doornail. But hey its DC...and this made it past an editor. Wild....