DC Universe #0 — Writers: Grant Morrison and Geoff Johns; Artists: George Perez, Doug Mahnke, Tony Daniel, Ivan Reis, Aaron Lopresti, Philip Tan, Ed Benes, Carlos Pacheco, JG Jones Well this is encouraging: a perfect little promo book, only 50 cents, setting up small tastes of Final Crisis and all its spinoffs (Legion of Three Worlds by Johns and Perez; Batman: RIP by Morrison and Daniel; Wonder Woman: Whom the Gods Forsake by Simone and Lopresti; Green Lantern: The Dead Shall Rise by Johns and Reis; Revelations, by Rucka and Tan; and, of course, Final Crisis by Morrison and Jones) … Continue reading →

Ultimate Human #4 (of 4) — Writer: Warren Ellis; Penciler: Cary Nord; Colorist: Dave Stewart This has probably been the least of the Ellis Ultimate mini-series, since it just doesn’t amount to much: having Pete Wisdom as the bad guy, a sort of Ultimate Leader, came off as self-indulgent and too inbred to make much sense, and there was never a feeling of anything being at stake. The best Ellis offers a prickly back-of-the-neck-hairs weirdness, a glimpse of a world that’s simultaneously harder, stranger, and more fun than the one we’re used to, and this title never achieved that: blah … Continue reading →

Death of the New Gods #8 ( of 8 ) — Writer/Penciller: Jim Starlin; Inks: Art Thibert Starlin manages a suitable conclusion, although the cosmic flash and thunder is tempered by (a) the nagging feeling that the Apokolips/New Genesis planet bit has been done before, and (b) the way that the Darkseid-Orion climax isn’t even in this issue, having already taken place in Countdown a week ago. It’s a tribute to Starlin’s skills that this still works at all, but the Countdown thing is just ham-fisted editorial idiocy, and leaves a bad aftertaste after what otherwise was a surprisingly good … Continue reading →

Hulk #3 — Writer: Jeph Loeb; Penciler: Ed McGuinness;  Inker: Dexter Vines Well, it’s a big, sloppy, loud mess, although I suppose if I was 10 years old all the big red and green and blue people punching one another would seem cool. Not being ten, though, and having read a large number of previous Hulk stories, I’d have to argue this is one of the most aggressively stupid comics currently punishing a gullible public (the giant robot Harpies were a particularly surreal, pointless touch). There’s no reason to buy this;  you can flip through it and absorb the little … Continue reading →

Brave and the Bold #12 — Writer: Mark Waid; Penciller: Jerry Ordway; Inks: Bob Wiacek There’s been Internet debate over the last few weeks about why this book doesn’t sell better; that mostly involved the Waid/Perez issues, although these Waid/Ordway ones have similar characteristics — “classic” panel layout and character design, clear storytelling, and stories that draw on extensive knowledge of the DC Universe. So, what’s wrong? That “extensive” may be the problem; with 8 major superhero characters, plus the Challengers of the Unknown, plus Destiny, plus a new villain, it’s an intimidating, complicated story. It’s not badly told — … Continue reading →