Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #6 Writers: Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz Artist: Dan Duncan

So within this whole DC 52 reboot, there’s been another reboot over at IDW. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot has been nothing short of fantastic. When I was a kid, I didn’t really read the comics, but I had the toys (there’s still a party bus with rockin’ Ninja Turtles up in my attic!)  This Turtles comic is treating everything as if it’s brand new, and actually rebooting the entire saga. All the characters are coming along and it’s taking it’s time. It’s been wonderful work, and I can’t wait ’til they pull in Shredder. But that’s another thing! They’re taking their time to introduce everyone and not jumping the gun. So great!

The Bulletproof Coffin: Disinterred #1 Writer: David Hine Artist: Shaky Kane:

Raise your hand if you actually expected this to get another mini-series. Raise your hand if you actually read the first volume of this. OK. You’re lying if you raised your hands for both. This is quite possibly the oddest story that’s being published in all of comics, and in a world of Grant Morrison stories, that’s saying something. The story picks up slightly similar with the same retro characters, but turns this into more of a murder-mystery plot. As was the case with the first series, you find yourself thinking “hold on, What?” a lot throughout the series. We’ll see if this is as much of a parody as the first series was.

Justice League #5 Writer: Geoff Johns Artist: Jim Lee

The Savage Hawkman #5 Writer: James Bonny Artist: Philip Tan

Holy deadlines Batman! After being bumped a week, you can clearly see why there was a delay with this issue of Justice League. The story is still solid, but my God it looks like the inker threw up all over the page to cover for the fact that Lee wasn’t ready. Are you surprised? On the other hand, Hawkman hasn’t missed a deadline yet, but it’s starting to look really weird. I’ve never seen what rushed Tan art looks like, but here it is. I feel like the more rushed your art is, the more real it is. And in this case, I actually like this art better. The story is crap, but that’s not the point. I’m not dying when I look at Philip Tan art, so that’s progress!

The Ultimates #6 Writer: Jonathan Hickman Artists: Brandon Peterson and Esad Ribic

OK, you’ve re-suckered me in Ultimate line! Hickman is always going to go for a grander scale, and it works in most cases. But half of the battle is finding the right art style to accompany it. It’s a lot like Grant Morrison stuff, where it relies on the quality of the art, so ya don’t want Marc Silvestri drawing it (New X-Men burn). This book has been fairly solid and had a lot of action, but this issue has shown Hickman to slow it down and try to work out different pieces. I don’t mind that the Reed Richards of this world is all screwed up, it’s actually interesting, and I look forward to seeing what Hickman does with it.

I, Vampire #5 Writer: Joshua Hale Fialkov Artist: Andrea Sorrentino

I’m still not exactly sure how this all fits into continuity, but hey! here’s Batman! He shows up this issue and joins the now 4-person team out to stop the vampires from taking over the world. Why didn’t they bring in Superman to just vaporize everyone except the one that the main character loves? Or why not call the Justice League? Or hey! It’s vampires, so Justice League Dark? Yeah, I’m nerd-ranting, but there’s practical solutions here to a problem that I’m not quite figuring out. I like looking at it though, so I’ll keep reading.

Secret Avengers 21.1 Writer: Rick Remender Artist: Patrick Zircher

So Brubaker put together the basic ideas of what they were fighting against, Nick Spencer tried to kill it in three issues, and Warren Ellis took it to absolute bat-$#!} crazy. Now Remender takes this .1 issue to rearrange the team and dial it back to what Brubaker was trying to do. And it’s interesting. If you like generic, normal spy stuff, this is the kind of story that will work for you. It hits all the points it needs to, and sets everything in motion for future issues. I’m intrigued to see how this all goes, so Remender has effectively done his job. Don’t expect it to be a continuation of Ellis’ style, but it’s going to be its own thing.

Aquaman #5 Writer: Geoff Johns Artist: Ivan Reis

Justice League Dark #5 Writer: Peter Milligan Artist: Mikel Janin

Flash #5 Writer/Artist: Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato

So the new 52 is at a strange transition point, stories are coming to an end, books are being cancelled, and everyone is trying to keep up their momentum. These are three books that are hitting their marks. Aquaman is a one-shot with him facing the long joke of being stuck in the desert. Johns has been playing this completely straight, and it leads into whatever the next story is. Flash and JLDark both bring their first stories to an end. Flash planted some seeds for later stories, but hit main points and wrapped everything up. Dark ends its story but sets everything in motion for all the future issues. They are all very good stories and different attempts, so it’s worth checking out.

And that’s it! Have a good week, and I’ll be back in two!

“The” Dan Jacka

Sgt. Fury #51 from 1968

Evil Nazis! Now that I have your attention, this is another “Nazis try to kill all the leaders of the Allied forces” that you get from a comic in the 60s… Hey wait-a-minute… didn’t the war end like 20 years before this comic came out? Whatever, anyway! One of the Commandos (the movie star) gets captured by a Nazi (with a conscience) who is trying to save his family by doing Hitler’s bidding. It’s a pretty standard war tale, and exactly what you’d expect. Then it ends with a double suicide. That’s the kinda stuff that even I’m not smart enough to make a joke about. More info can be found HERE

Sgt. Fury came back as Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. which then led to Secret Warriors. I’m not even sure where he stands anymore because Secret Warriors came to an end. I think it’s safe to assume he’ll pop up in any of the Avengers titles sometime soon.

Monsters on the Prowl #9 from 1971

While this comic book is from 1971, it appears to be reprints of 1950′s material, so let’s see what the 50′s has to offer! Mainly it has “Gorgilla! The monster of Midnight Mountain!” After attacking some stupid travelers, that monster then fights a dinosaur. That’s it. That’s all there is to that first story. The second story involves a dumb American who won’t let anyone in the desert tell him what to do.  He gets trapped in a Pyramid (obviously). The third story is about a cloud monster catching a spaceman. I think you might be noticing the pattern here. The real draw is the piece of Ditko art, but without proper credits, I’m not sure which story it is. More info can be found HERE

I cannot think of a story that has monsters like this in it anymore. If you’re looking for vampires and Man-Thing and stuff like that, go with “Legion of Monsters,” but otherwise, you’re out of luck. Big monster creatures just ain’t what they used to be.

Metamorpho #5 from 1966

Oh man, Metamorpho is seriously so weird! It starts with Metamorpho eating a timebomb planted on a train. Do I need to repeat myself? Well, Professor Stagg, who of course hates Metamorpho because he’s in love with Stagg’s daughter, creates a new Metamorpho, and no one can tell the difference! What a horrible coincidence! Obviously, this other Metamorpho has evil intentions. Stagg was planning to work with him to build a new type of building, but this guy wants to destroy all other buildings. Can he possibly be stopped? Well, the obvious answer is yes, and he does, but c’mon. This thing is just the right amount of bizarre to be awesome. More info can be found HERE

Metamorpho hasn’t made his debut in the new DC 52… yet. His last appearance was in the Outsiders, but I’m sure we’ll see him either in Justice League Dark, DC Universe Presents or some random cameo. Just wait and see.

And that’s it! I have football to watch, so there I go!

“The” Dan Jacka

PunisherMax #21 Writer: Jason Aaron Artist: Steve Dillon

Holy Moses. This is the penultimate issue of this title and everything starts to go bang bang bang! Phil and I had a discussion determining how this fit into any kind of continuity and I think I finally put it together. This is acting as the end of everything from the Garth Ennis MAX run. That’s why there’s a random appearance by Barracuda, and that’s why Aaron can get away with killing the S$^% out of mainstream Marvel characters. Hot damn, it is a seriously good book, and all that’s left is an epilogue, so I’m assuming that Vanessa Fisk is about to get what’s coming to her. I’m legit excited. This is freaking fantastic.

The Shade #4 Writer: James Robinson Artist: Darwyn Cooke

You don’t need to know that Darwyn Cooke is a good artist (just look at the freaking variant. Wow!) What you should know is how this is exactly up to form with Robinson’s old Starman mini-series. No more of the Justice League crap he was putting out. Robinson has stepped back into the Shade’s voice so easily. This is one of those “Times Past” where Robinson digs into the history of the DCU and mixes the Starman mythology in beautifully. This is seriously such a nice book to just look at. You get yourself some sweet Cooke-draws-Vigilante action. So, so good.

Frankenstein Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #5 Writer: Jeff Lemire Artist: Alberto Ponticelli

Oh Frankenstein… I can never quite tell what the hell is going on with you, but I do just enjoy you so very much. Lemire has a perfect grip on the Morrison-originated character, giving him a perfect voice. Ponticelli steps out of his traditional framing and creates some bizarre fight scenes. This is apparently tied-in with the OMAC story that came out last week. I didn’t have a chance to actually read that, but this story definitely works. I can pretty much guarantee it’s Lemire making this story work, and not his collaboration with Dan Didio, but the OMAC book might be worth checking out.

Demon Knights #5 Writer: Paul Cornell Artist: Diogenes Neves

All the pieces are slowly moving in to place with Demon Knights, but that makes me wonder how long this can go on for. It’s fun to point out that I didn’t normally get any Cornell books before the relaunch, but now I’m getting Stormwatch and Demon Knights, so that’s progress! This is the kind of book that works on two levels. If you know the characters it’s a treat to see them in a new setting, and if you don’t, Cornell is a professional at giving each of them their own voice. Not to forget about Neves who is just drawing the hell out of this book! It’s good stuff for people who like…well, good stuff.

Whispers #1 Writer/Artist: Joshua Luna

Well this is weird, isn’t it? One of the Luna brothers begins a project on his own, and the difference between this and things like Girls and Sword is evident. The other brother must be what makes the traditional crisp Luna brothers. But that’s not bad. This looks more natural, as if it’s actually drawn as opposed to computer-generated. It’s a weird story where a germophobe can’t handle the world, but when he dreams he can be anywhere. It usually takes a couple issues for Lunas to get started, so we’ll just have to wait and see. I trust them, but only so far. Because seriously, Girls was F$^&ing nuts! So ya just never know.

Scarlet Spider #1 Writer: Chris Yost Artist: Ryan Stegman

So, the 90s are back. That’s not exactly a good thing. This takes Kaine, who I think was part of The Clone Saga, and brings him back to kinda- sorta not be a real superhero. You can kinda see where this is going. It’s a pretty traditional story that’s not really anything to write home about. It had a good set-up with a solid opening, but I can’t really say it’s worth checking out unless you really like the character or want to try something new. How’s that for a ringing endorsement?

New Avengers #20 Writer: Brian Bendis Artist: Mike Deodato:

Oh my God, I am so done with Bendis on the Avengers. It would help if he wasn’t completely recycling the ideas. Hey! Remember that Dark Avengers story from a couple years ago? This is it all over again, just with new people. Remember the Luke Cage baby stuff from New Avengers? Guess what? All over again. It’s just repeating the same blatant mediocrity and it seems like he’s not even trying. It also doesn’t help that we know Deodato can draw, so he seems completely wasted in this book. It’s frustrating and a little bit infuriating. I want anyone else to be writing this just to make it better.

And now some quick hits!

Luther Strode #4 Writer: Justin Jordan Artist: Tradd Moore: Image’s latest weird mini keeps moving right along. It’s fun stuff, and a bit super-violent. Good stuff.

Green Lantern #5 Writer: Geoff Johns Artist: Doug Mahnke: The first storyline wraps up and puts it all back when it belongs. Not bad, but the same as it ever is.

Batwoman #5 Writer: W. Haden Blackman Artist: JH Williams III: Another book that doesn’t ever dip in quality, so I can’t say anything else about it. Great.

Wolverine #300 Writer: Jason Aaron Artists: Adam Kubert, Ron Garney and Steve Sanders: A really good set-up heavy issue. I’m actually intrigued by what they’re doing with Sabretooth. It’s very good stuff.

X-Factor #230 Writer: Peter David Artist: Emanuela Lupacchino: Still the best X-book. Very good stuff, even with the random Wolverine cameo.

Wolverine & the X-men #4 Writer: Jason Aaron Artist: Nick Bradshaw: This has been a good book, and Bradshaw’s Art-Adams style makes it even better.

Amazing Spider-Man #677 Writer: Mark Waid Artist: Emma Rios: Fun stuff, being a tie-in with Daredevil doesn’t hurt. Waid has a completely understanding of the character.

Lobster Johnson #1 Writer: Mike Mignola & John Arcudi Artist: Tonci Zonjic: The latest Mignola-verse book is as solid as ever. Zonjic draws like Chris Samnee, so it’s very nice to look at.

And that’s the week! I’ll be back for more later, as always.

“The” Dan Jacka

Strange Adventures #120 from 1960

No joke, the first story of this issue of Strange Adventures involves living oil trying to take over the world. Somehow, these creatures can start fires and not burn out, and it doesn’t make any sense.  It all ends up being a giant ad for someday getting to Mars. No, I’m not kidding. The next story is kinda like Groundhog Day, but the real draw is the Atomic Knights appearance. I don’t know what exactly the big deal is, but they are a bunch of dudes who fight after the Atomic War of 1986 to provide law and order to a desolate wasteland. It’s Mad Max in knight’s armor. Now I understand the appeal of it.  They fight a giant salt creature. I don’t need to tell you any more than that, do I? More info can be found HERE

The closest you’re going to get to a modern version of Strange Adventures is the My Greatest Adventure mini-series, and even that is still mostly superheroes. It does have a Robot Man story that works like a sci-fi story, so maybe that will quench your appetite.

Tales of Suspense #84 from 1966

I believe I’ve said this before, but Stan Lee writes best when he only does it in 8-page stories at a time. The first story is the usual Iron Man, except that it doesn’t actually have Tony Stark in the suit at all. Stark has a heart attack and is basically incapacitated for most of the story. Long story short? It’s Mandarin’s fault and it’s to be continued. The Captain America story is actually much more interesting. It’s less whining, more straight-up fighting the Super-Adaptoid. Super-Adaptoid uses all the other Avengers to steal some powers and basically pummels on Cap for the whole story. Cap is left to drown in a river, but c’mon, we all know he’s not dead. Or is he? No seriously, they don’t have the guts to kill him that early. That comes later… More info can be found HERE

Iron Man is obviously most prominent in his self-titled series. He’s also a member of the Avengers. Captain America has two different books, the modern-day Cap title and the flashback Bucky and Captain America. He’s also tied into Avengers. So check those out!

Superboy #43 from 1955

Somebody stole Superboy’s Super Wrench! That is not a joke, that’s how the story really starts, and it just gets crazier from there. Everybody starts stealing items from Superboy to keep as collectibles. Yes, everybody in Smallville is a comic book guy. In the second story, Superboy is a farmer. He helps a cranky old farmer bond with boys and the whole thing has a very “Sandusky” feel to it, if you know what I mean… In the final story, Superboy is basically acting as the Make-a-Wish foundation, but that leads him to some trouble with his secret identity. It’s all very traditional Silver Age superhero stuff, and everything wraps up in a nice little bow every eight pages. This is the kinda stuff that our Supreme Owner absolutely loves, but for me, I’ll just say meh. More info can be found HERE

Superboy is still around, with a self-titled series and joining with the Teen Titans. Now is the time to get up on his story, as we’re only four issues deep on each, and they tie together. Just do it!

And that’s the week! Go! Be merry! Enjoy your New Year!

“The” Dan Jacka

TMNT Micro-Series #2 Michelangelo Writer: Brian Lynch Artist: Andy Kuhn:

All right you guys, I don’t’ know why I feel like some kind of huge sell-out, but I am absolutely Loving this new TMNT series. This micro-series is not even remotely a step down in quality from the current series, and it’s just pure fun. I know the name Andy Kuhn, but I can’t place where he’s from. His art is just the right amount of cartoon-y to keep you interested. The story is just what it says, a solo story of Michelangelo. He goes out for a night on the town of some fun, and “hilarity ensues.” I don’t have any other word to describe it aside from fun, so I’ll go with that. It’s fun!

Captain America #5 Writer: Ed Brubaker Artist: Steve McNiven and Giuseppe Camuncoli

Captain America #6 Writer: Ed Brubaker Artist: Alan Davis

Captain America & Bucky #625 Writer: Ed Brubaker and James Ausmus Artist: Francesco Francavilla:

This three-pack of Brubaker goodness is extremely Captain America heavy, and it actually improves as you go down the list. McNiven apparently couldn’t finish his end of this story, so Camuncoli makes a jarring fill-in. Since Alan Davis is a real artist, he’s already knocked out probably all of his storyline and more. The stories do carry over, so don’t read one without reading the other. They’re both good, but McNiven’s speed is just a pain. The Bucky title gets the award as the best of the lot just because Francavilla is around. That’s basically all you want from a comic is super pretty art like this. They’re all quality stories, but the Bucky stories have been my favorite for a few months now.

Secret Avengers #20 Writer: Warren Ellis Artist: Alex Maleev

I’m still not 100 percent sure what I actually read here, but I know I liked it. A completely bizarre time-travel story based around the Black Widow sees he encountering characters I’m not familiar with, exhibiting powers and things I don’t know about and blowing my mind completely. Ellis’ run on Secret Avengers has been straight up to par with his Thunderbolts work. It’s really too bad he hates superhero work so much because he is just so damn good at it. He brings different ideas and stories every time he writes. It’s some of the most fun you can possibly have with a comic.

Haunt #20 Writer: Joe Casey Artist: Nathan Fox

Vengeance #6 Writer: Joe Casey Artist: Nick Dragotta

Joe Casey is without a doubt the most underrated mainstream comic writer in the world. Vengeance was completely off my radar, and I’m a little disappointed in myself. It’s been an entire story based on the second generation of villains, and actually embraces the changes that have actually happened in the Marvel Universe. It’s also all tied together with the character of Zodiac, which Casey already used in the way-rad self-titled series a couple years ago. His artist on that story was Fox, who he works with on Haunt to great effect. I can’t praise this Haunt stuff enough, it’s leaps and bounds better than the original material they had to work with, and two issues in is already better than the other 18.

Black Panther #527 Writer: David Liss Artist: Michael Avon Oeming

The best series you couldn’t be bothered enough to read. And it’s coming to an end. You all have no one to blame but yourselves. Like Thor: The Mighty Avenger before it, this comic is just too good to last. This is the point in the story where everything is coming to a head. Black Panther is working to defeat Lady Bullseye and Typhoid Mary in a quest to bring down Kingpin. Here’s what confuses me. This is clearly a Daredevil comic, and it’s a good one. So why didn’t you buy it? Comic reading public… you have disappointed me. That is all.

All-Star Western #4 Writers: Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray Artist: Moritat and Phil Winslade

I’ve preached about the carry-over from the main Jonah Hex series before, and I’ll admit a sense of trepidation about Palmiotti and Gray doing ongoing stories instead of their traditional one-shots, and each time around I have been proven wrong. Month in and month out, All-Star Western has been one of the most consistent and fun books to read on the stands. It’s even earning its $3.99 price tag with a solid back-up strip. This month begins a new character named the Barbary Ghost (cheap pun realized as soon as I typed it out). It’s great stuff and well worth reading.

Now it’s time for the quick hits!

Spaceman #3 Writer: Brian Azzarello Artist: Eduardo Risso: Spaceman continues to be a bizarre sci-fi adventure. Risso’s characters usually look the same, and since they are all monster creatures, that actually works for once.

Kick-Ass 2 #6 Writer: Mark Millar Artist: John Romita Jr.: Kick-Ass is finally losing me. It was fun when it was an average comic with extreme moments, but now it feels like Millar is just pushing it because he can. It’s starting to not be worth it anymore.

Justice League Dark #4 Writer: Peter Milligan Artist: Mikel Janin: The first storyline is about to come to an end, and I’m still not exactly sure what the team is supposed to be. It’s a fun creepy comic and we all knew Milligan knew how to do dark, so it’s exactly the form you’d expect.

The Flash #4 Writer/Artist: Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato: You can see how J.H. Williams III has worked to make Manapul better. His layouts are clearly rubbing off on his style, and the choices are just fantastic. Each page is fun to look at, and the story is holding up well.

Aquaman #4 Writer: Geoff Johns Artist: Ivan Reis: Aquaman is a bad ass and don’t you forget it! He kills a bunch of people, and murders an entire species. Then he gets a dog. This book is… odd. To say the least.

Batman: The Dark Knight #4 Writer: Paul Jenkins Artist: David Finch: It’s like Batman the Dark Knight and Voodoo have a competition each week for the worst comic. This book wins the week because of the horrible interior monologue that leads to the villain revelation. It was just terrible.

FF #13 Writer: Jonathan Hickman Artist: Juan Bobillo: I was ready to go off on how Bobillo is not nearly as good as Epting on Fantastic Four, but then he hit the end of the book. There was something about the Hickman twist that made this absolutely perfect. I could get over Bobillo’s squishy faces to make it work. Good stuff.

And that’s the week! Just because I’m cutting back on hours doesn’t mean I’m cutting back on reviews. I’ll be here for more on Sunday, and here again in two weeks!

“The” Dan Jacka

Iron Man #23 from 1970

All right, I’ll admit it, I laughed at how this issue ended up. A random lady that I’m completely unfamiliar with tries to get Tony Stark to help her. She’s part of some seedy organization and they’re out to kill her, so they hired a mercenary named… wait for it… The Mercenary to take care of her. Tony Stark and Iron Man both set up The Mercenary to engage in a fight, Iron Man loses, so the Mercenary disguises himself as Stark to trick the poor woman into trusting him. The punch line is great cause it’s so out of left field. And there’s a shocking amount of death. The art comes from George Tuska who is one of those consistent Marvel artists that put out appropriate art for the time frame. More info can be found HERE

Iron Man is obviously still around and is back off the alcohol bandwagon. After living it up drunk style in Fear Itself, you can now find him in Avengers and his self-titled series with an Invincible adjective at the beginning.

Justice League of America #26 from 1964

Despero is an odd little bad guy. His big plan involves turning Snapper Carr, Wonder Woman, Atom and Green Arrow old, trapping Batman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman and Martian Manhunter in an hourglass, then sending them all to different worlds where they have to fight dinosaurs and insects and more. Each one has to defeat Despero in their own way. It’s… odd, to say the least. It all wraps up in a nice little bow and has everybody bonding and smiling at the end. Except for little Snapper Carr who has ruined his chance on his date with Midge. My feelings are if you’re dating a Midge, it’s probably safer to just let it go Snap. Let it go… More info can be found HERE

The Geoff Johns-Jim Lee new Justice League is about to hit it’s fourth issue. It’s not bad, and it has pretty much every character in this issue, except Martian Manhunter in Stormwatch, and Atom, who hasn’t shown up yet. Thank God we haven’t run into Snapper Carr either…

House of Mystery #134 from 1963

As always, this is a three story anthology, with the cover story showing up at the end. The first story is all about compromising with aliens and working together and blah blah blah (you can tell how I feel about it). The second story involves a couple of people being shrunk down to one inch tall and defeating the evil professor who shrunk them down. It’s just odd enough to work. It’s basically Honey I Shrunk the Kids (is that an old reference?). The last story is pretty much defeated by how ridiculous the cover is. We all know the payoff isn’t going to match up to the quality. They defeat the alien by throwing grapes at it. Pause for a second and think about that. They. Threw. Grapes. At. It. More info can be found HERE

There isn’t really a House of Mystery that works like these ones used to. There is a House of Mystery series, and it’s fun, but it’s more based off of the series with Cain and Abel that came later. Check out the one-shot The Unexpected from about a month ago for something more like this.

And that’s it! I’m gunna go sleep for like 80 hours. Goodnight!

“The” Dan Jacka

Batwoman #4 Writers: J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman Artist: Williams

Don’t get me wrong, I love this book. It is without a doubt the best looking book of the new DC 52. It’s a delight to just look at every single page and analyze what exactly is happening. Williams varies his style by the page, and every one seems like a new invention. However, I really miss Greg Rucka. The story itself is just falling flat with me. It’s not that it’s bad, it’s just not very important. I believe that this chick used to be Flamebird, and that’s supposed to make me care in some way, but I just don’t get it. I love the use of Chase and her shadow organization, but the main plot revolving around the new girl just isn’t quite clicking with me, and I hope that changes soon.

S.H.I.E.L.D. Vol 2 #4 Writer: Jonathan Hickman Artist: Dustin Weaver

Wow! Talk about high concept! It’s not every day you have the exact same script page repeat itself three times to show the way that, regardless of the type of society, the outcome is the same, but here you go. Hickman is at his best when he’s doing high-concept oddities (check his old Image work like Transhuman or The Nightly News for more of that), and this is right up the alley of exactly what you should be looking for. It’s the only comic that has Isaac Newton as a betrayer of all time and space, so how can you possibly go wrong with that? It leaves me wondering what’s going to happen next with every issue, and that’s a damn good thing.

Demon Knights #4 Writer: Paul Cornell Artists: Mike Choi and Diogenes Neves

This issue contains an origin of sorts of the chick Shining Knight from Grant Morrison’s 7 soldiers run, and it’s… interesting. There’s a lot of rebirth, Holy Grail and Merlin stuff in it, and I’m worried about this book getting bogged down with exposition. This was a welcome reprieve after three issues of dinosaurs, violence and everything to the extreme, but I hope this kind of issue doesn’t come around that often. I’m still completely digging this book, it’s absurd for absurdities sake, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Cornell has created a team that came together for a logical reason, and puts them on their big quest. Also a pretty solid cliffhanger makes you want to come back next issue.

Black Panther 526 Writer: David Liss Artist: Shawn Martinbrough

I love this book, so obviously it’s being cancelled. Liss has had a consistently fantastic run, with a logically thought out plot for how Black Panther would survive in Hell’s Kitchen. One main problem I’ve had is the art. Francesco Francavilla provides the cover, which is freaking beautiful, but hasn’t done the inner art for several issues. The art now is OK, but when compared to what we’ve seen before from Francavilla, there’s nothing you can do. I’m a little bummed that, especially with this ending so soon, Francesco couldn’t at least do some of the interior pages. It’s still a fun read, but hampered by what could have been…

Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #4 Writer: Jeff Lemire Artist: Alberto Ponticelli

This book has the exact opposite problem from Demon Knights. It’s been three issues of exposition-heavy madness and just now is getting into the big fight stuff. And oh what Big Fight Stuff it is!  The team is off on separate sides of “Monster Planet”, beating the living crap out of different types of creatures, and then basically opening up a boss level where they kill the big creature that runs the land. This includes ramming out its knees while stabbing out its eye with a gun people, so what’s not to love? This book has been high octane fun that just keeps ramping up every issue. It reminds me of Butcher Baker Righteous Maker in its absurdity, and I look forward to every issue.

Avengers: X-Sanction #1 Writer: Jeph Loeb Artist: Ed McGuiness

Every time a Loeb-McGuiness joint hits the stands it feels like Christmas for me. If Christmas involved giggling at… godawful comics! Because this comic is just a mess. Attempts to kill The Falcon mixed with trigger-happy Captain America and unclear motives by Cable make this crap pile so hilariously terrible. Solicits for the next issue make this look like it’s just going to be Cable shooting Avengers in the head piled up in the puffy art that we call Ed McGuiness. I love everything about it just because I hate it so much. It’s quite the dichotomy, and it’s exactly how I expect to feel when reading a Jeph Loeb book.

Now some quick hits!

The Ray #1 Writers: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti Artist: Jamal Igle: A funny comic with a technically naked main character. It’s an interesting first issue of four, so it’s worth checking out.

The Strain #1 Writer: David Lapham Artist: Mike Huddleston: It’s got Huddleston art, so I had to check it out, and it’s as crazy a script as Lapham can provide. It’s very meh, but seems like it has potential and only has a $1 price tag.

The Shade #3 Writer: James Robinson Artist: Cully Hamner: God this is so much better than Robinson’s JLA mess. It’s such a good book, and a good representation of Robinson when he was in his prime with Starman. So, so good.

Green Lantern #4 Writer: Geoff Johns Artist: Doug Mahnke: I have nothing else to say about this title. If you like it you like it, and you’re right. So there ya go.

Action #278 from 1961

Alan’s eyes lit up yesterday when he saw I was reading this comic, and he basically went on to spoil the entire story for me. Perry White gains super powers (and loses a pot belly) by eating some mysterious plant found in his backyard (as we all have done at some point). It turns out that the plant is an alien bent on taking over the world. Add in some post-hypnotic suggestion to avoid being hurt by Kryptonite, an extra Supergirl story and the traditional “lost powers” cliffhanger, and you get yourself the genuine example of what a Silver Age comic can be. It’s fun, doofy and definitely worth reading. (I resent a segment of that last sentence!….editor Alan) More info can be found HERE

Superman has been rebooted. If you’re looking for stories about his early years, head towards the Grant Morrison penned Action Comics. If you’re looking for the current, read the George Perez-Nicola Scott Superman.

Amazing Spider-Man #128 from 1974

So if this story is any inclination, during the Bronze Age, Spider-Man became Batman. This is a straight one-and-done detective story, where Peter Parker actually deduces who the villain is, who they killed and how it all happened. In the meantime, he does the traditional “Oh no! I ran out of webbing! I could have died routine,” but otherwise it’s a fairly traditional detective story, and it’s weird. You don’t really see much of the Peter Parker-solves-a-mystery type story, but here it is. I wonder if sales were lacking and Stan Lee put some kinda mandate in here to make it how he wanted. It’s not bad, it’s just an odd story for Spider-Man. More info can be found HERE

Spider-Man is still everywhere. You’re most likely to find him in the twice monthly Amazing Spider-Man book, but also check out New Avengers, and probably any title that’s running low in the sales numbers.

Adventure Comics #237 from 1957

So, the Spider-Man comic didn’t really do anything for Alan, but all he had to say about this was “How can you not love this cover?,” and he’s totally right. Hoo-Boy is this a weird story! Robots, aliens and atomic bombs all combine to screw with Superboy, but of course things end up happily ever after. Aquaman provides the back-up story, saving whales and having his private life exposed. The second back-up comes from the Green Arrow, but it’s not the hippie we’re used to. This is the much more clean cut boring one that basically just uses forked branches to solve all his lack of arrows problems. Wait, what? More info can be found HERE.

Superboy is visible as his clone self in the self-titled series and Teen Titans. Aquaman just showed up in Justice League #3 and his self-titled series (which is awesome). Green Arrow has his title, and it might get better with Ann Nocenti geared up to take over the writing duties. Check it out in the coming months.

And that’s it! You’re welcome. Now go leave some comments!

“The” Dan Jacka

Haunt #19 Writer: Joe Casey Artist: Nathan Fox

What a different two weeks makes! You change the team and drop all the crap and suddenly this is just a bizarre fun comic. Nathan Fox’s art is completely manic, with just so damn much to look at. Joe Casey suddenly makes this a really readable comic with a whole lot of excessive swearing. In addition to Butcher Baker Righteous Maker, Image has Joe Casey writing two of the best comics on the market. You can pick up this issue and not have to worry about the other 18 bogus issues that came before it. How odd that the Kirkman/MacFarlane/Ottley team-up could suck so bad, and yet Casey and Fox knock it out of the park in one issue! This is freaking fantastic.

Spaceman #2 Writer: Brian Azzarello Artist: Eduardo Risso

I always run into the problem that Risso’s characters always look a lot alike. But when you make them creatures that ARE supposed to look the same, you don’t have nearly the same problem. This sci-fi tale is pretty bizarre. It comes off like Commando in that you can’t understand what the main character says, and he’s trying to save a kid. That’s about where the similarities end. This is a comic that has to be re-read, because Azzarello writes it in an entirely different language sometimes, but it’s fun. I find myself wondering what the heck is going on and what’s going to happen next, and that’s exactly how you want a Vertigo comic to go.

Daredevil #6 Writer: Mark Waid Artist: Marcos Martin

This issue sees the end of Marcos Martin. He’s moving on to greener pastures (creator-owned work with Brian K. Vaughan), but he goes out in his usual oh-so-pretty style. The story by Waid is going back to more traditional “we-should-not-kill-my-girlfriends” Daredevil stories, and it’s impossible not to love. Daredevil battles the Bruiser, who is a villain in Booster Gold, and DD has to use different strategies to take him down, all introduced by Waid and expanded on beautifully by Martin. There’s nothing about this comic to hate, everything wrapped up in a pretty $2.99 box. That’s a Christmas gift that comes highly recommended.

Uncanny X-Men #2 Writer: Kieron Gillen Artist: Carlos Pacheco

This is a strange little comic. It’s the first time I can honestly remember enjoying the character of Sinister, so it’s obviously doing something right. However, the art is an issue. Pacheco isn’t much of a machine (Get it? Pacheco Machine? Pachinko Machine? Oh man that was an old cheap joke…) and he needs some fill-in people to help him even get this issue under wraps, and the appearance definitely suffers for it. And with Greg Land waiting in the wings, it’s about to get worse. That’s unfortunate for Gillen, who is working up a fun story that I enjoy reading. It’s just the art is absolutely killing me, and doesn’t seem like it’s going to get better any time soon.

Wolverine #19 Writer: Jason Aaron Artist: Ron Garney

This is the final issue wrapping up Wolverine’s time in San Francisco, even though he’s already two issues deep back in New York (don’t get me started…). This is Aaron at his most fun, definitely not like the Hulk… Wolverine and Gorilla Man join an old “sensei” to fight dragons and bring down an opium ring in underground San Francisco. I mean underground in the literal sense here, selling opium under the ground. It’s pretty fascinating, crazy stuff with Aaron just going to town, creating characters and killing them in the span of three issues, and I very much enjoyed it. It sounds like he’s going to tie this in with Wolverine and the X-men, so watch out for that. Aaron’s strongest work is PunisherMax (coming to an end at issue #22) and this X series, so be sure to check it out.

That’s really the main books of the week, so let’s do some quick hits on others:

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #1 Writer: Nick Spencer Artist: Wes Craig: This series didn’t really interest me pre-new 52, and this series doesn’t change that. But it is worth noting because it’s going to wrap up the previous story, so enjoy if you want!

Hellblazer #285 Writer: Peter Milligan Artist: Giuseppe Camuncoli: As long as Milligan keeps writing this series, it’s going to be worth reading. And guess what? He’s still writing it. It’s a journey for Hellblazer’s cursed coat, and it’s stupidly fun stuff.

Flash Gordon: Zeitgeist Writer: Eric Trautmann Artist: Daniel Indro: This $1 comic does not suck. And for Dynamite properties, that’s actually a ringing endorsement. If you like the character, I think you’ll like this, but it also acts as an origin, so don’t be surprised by that.

FF #12 Writer: Jonathan Hickman Artist: Juan Bobilo: This wrap-up of some pieces of Fantastic Four 600 from last week is not as good, but it’s fine. And if you want pieces to the overall puzzle, check this out.

Batman Odyssey V.2 #2 Writer/Artist: Neal Adams: I still have no idea what the hell is going on in this comic. That is all.

And that’s it! More reviews of the old stuff this weekend, and I guarantee longer posts than this when it’s not a fifth week!

“The” Dan Jacka

Ghost Rider #10 from 1974

Ghost Rider is just really, really weird. The nice thing about old school Marvel was that they were honest. This issue is completely a fill-in guest starring the Hulk, and they blatantly announce it for everyone to see.  ANYway… There’s a ton of Ghost Rider angst with Johnny Blaze desperately not wanting to be the title of this comic, and it’s kinda understandable. Best part about this comic? The Hulk ISN’T IN IT AT ALL. That’s right folks, this is above and beyond the traditional false advertising brought to you by comics. The special guest star on the cover doesn’t show up at all. To me, that’s hilarious, but I have a feeling 1970′s fans of this comic were none too happy…

There’s a new Ghost Rider series featuring a lady as the Rider. However, it’s about to be canceled, so you can get the complete series pretty easily… There’s a ton of trades of old Ghost Rider series, written by everyone from Garth Ennis to Jason Aaron and more.

Doctor Strange #175 from 1968

For some reason, I’m really surprised by the fact that this book is drawn by Gene Colan. It seems like he’s trying stuff much different from his Daredevil stuff. He’s got this off-panel layering that actually shows a direct influence on modern comics. The story itself is very ‘meh,’ being a traditional Dr. Strange story. That means you’ve got the supernatural stuff interfering in the normal world, and a strange cult worshiping Satannish (who looks like a blatant rip-off of Dormammu, but we’ll let that slide). It’s a to- be- continued story, but it’s just kinda boring and doesn’t keep me wanting to read it. Fun to look at though… More info can be found HERE

Doctor Strange probably hasn’t had a series for himself in several years, but he’s making a come back with the new Defenders series. That’s written by Matt Fraction and drawn by Terry Dodson, with a sample in the big ol Marvel Point One issue that came out a couple weeks ago. It sounds interesting….

Green Arrow #101 from 1995

Did you guys realize that they killed Oliver Queen over 15 years ago? I was seven at the time… just putting that out there. This issue shows Ollie’s actual death, and Connor moving his way into the role. It’s not especially well-drawn, but Chuck Dixon hits all the right points. He uses this issue to show how everyone reacts to the news, and how everyone is going to move on. He also uses it to set up more of the ninja theme that Connor is going to pick up as Green Arrow. This death was one of the more ignored of this time period, so it is a hard issue to find. It’s pretty interesting stuff, but if it happened nowadays no one would really care. More info can be found HERE

Oliver Queen was brought back to life by Kevin Smith, and had his own 75 issue series before marrying Black Canary, that lasted another 20 or so issues. He’s been part of the reboot with a Dan Jurgens/George Perez art team. It’s pretty to look at.

And that’s it! I’ll be back in a couple weeks as always. Later!

“The” Dan Jacka