The Week in One Sitting

Got all of this week's comics read yesterday, so here are the reviews.

Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters 2
This mini isn't as tightly written as the first was, but the political scheming and social commentary are on full display. I especially like the art by Renato Arlem and the use of a tabloid type article about the Phantom Lady to handle the narration.

Madame Mirage 3
Okay, I did not see that coming. And perhaps, in a comic where illusion rules, I should have. We got an origin story, but did we get the whole, truthful version? Is there more to this, or less? I'm very intrigued now and hope the book continues on this path. Do I want to spoil this by discussing the very nature of Madame Mirage as revealed here? That she isn't who she appears to be? That the whole T and A image is simply that, an image projected for a purpose? This book could end up making some useful statements about perceptions of women. Or not. But so far, it's been entertaining.

Green Arrow Year One 6
A solid end to this mini. Ollie finds his true purpose in life and now has a more solid background. This mini outdid any previous attempt to make Ollie's origin more serious than the "playboy washes up on a desert island and learns how to survive using archery." Andy Diggle wrote a great Ollie and Jock's art was solid all through, capturing Ollie the way few have, from bored playboy to a man with a mission. The use of white space, the arrangement of panels, the expressive faces, all contributed to a suitable mood for an origin story.

Countdown 27
Most of this issue was about treading water, except for the hints re: the missing baddies, and of course, the end, whereas Jason either did something incredibly stupid and/or cruel, or he's one clever son of a bitch.

Blue Beetle 20
My least favorite issue so far. I love this comic, but this ish had too little of the wonderful supporting cast, too little of the humor I've come to depend on, and a disjointed feel that made it hard to follow.

Flash 233
A misleading promo that ended up to be a nicer story than I'd expected. The implication that the JLA had come to take Wally's kids from him ("We've come for the kids.") turned out to be wrong and they simply came to make sure all was well and that Wally wasn't putting them in unnecessary danger. *whew* Not much actually happened in the story, though, and there was a backup feature with Jay. So, the title could mean any Flash. Cool.

The Lone Ranger 9
Shit. Talk about a cliffhanger. This comic just continues to impress, especially as a coming of age tale for John Reid, the Lone Ranger. Sparse when it comes to words, this book is carried by the art, a complete marriage of art and text for pure graphic storytelling.