Fun Comics

Flash 5
Maybe, at the end of this arc (next issue, apparently), things will make sense and what has been a disjointed story will gain import, but right now, this is a disappointment. I'd been expecting much more, a fresh take on Flash and speedsters in general, but this is just another tale of a misguided hero causing trouble for the hero, with some real villains thrown in for good measure. The "new" stuff is a reworking of the current state of the speed force, but nothing much really seems to be happening. I'm not sure how much longer I'll stick with this.

Wolverine 47
These Civil War crossovers can't end soon enough for me. I don't like the art. I prefer Logan with a neck. I did like the use of a power nullifier not working on him because his claws aren't a super power, and therefore, gave him his means of escape. I really need to get to the Origin series. I hope it's better than this has been.

Birds of Prey 99
We knew Dinah was leaving, if we were paying attention, but the emotion all rang true here. I like the new "Batgirl," but questions really weren't answered. I hope she'll be back so we can maybe find out how she got into Babs' sanctuary. And along with the usual wonderful characterization and nice art, I liked the references to past events. Consistency can be a force for good if it were only used more often. ;)

Catwoman 60
Gawd, Slam has hit bottom, not that I can blame him given that nasty message on his torso and what he clearly now knows about his son and Selina. Nice, snappy dialogue and Holly gets the Adam Hughes treatment on the cover. I love this comic. Brubaker, and now Pfeifer, have made Selina relevant in the DCU, a force to be noticed, reckoned with, and never ignored.

52 24
Things really start moving toward OYL in this issue, but before I get to the actual story, I must point out my favorite moment, a not-so-inside joke/nod/homage to a Green Arrow of years ago. The story was "What Can One Man Do?" and it was published in Green Lantern 86 and Elliot S! Maggin wrote it, his first comics story, done for a college assignment. Seeing Ollie on the first page of 52 #24, talking with the media about his bid to be mayor and introducing his campaign manager, Elliot, was just the coolest way to start a story, because that first story Elliot wrote flashed through my mind and there I was on the subway, on my way home, smiling knowingly to myself.

Okay, the story. Except for a reference to Ralph and some scenes with the Black Marvel family, this issue took a whole new direction. Sure, we had more of Luther's little meta army, but we also got important info about the missing year. Checkmate was disbanded, then restarted as an organ of the UN. The past was referenced, mainly Ted Kord's death. We saw metas in battle, feeding the fears of metas out of control, and we got some details about the political situation with China that, as I recall, since it's been so damn long since I last saw an issue of GL, affects the Green Lantern book as well as Checkmate. And we got a Justice League that was very short-lived, but gave us a look at Firestorm, Ambush Bug, Bulleteer, and a whole lot of other costumed heroes.

The pieces are mostly on the table and they're starting to connect or move toward each other. I'm expecting the pace to pick up and complications to arise in rapid succession. I'm looking for this title to really deliver on its promise as I've seen no reason so far that it won't.
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BTW, I've seen a lot of comics bloggers doing beefcake/cheesecake posts. I already did mine, a while ago, so I direct you to the Roy Harper Galleries in the Roy Harper category.