Sunday, January 27, 2008

Belated Reviews

I'm caught up for the week again, and might get to some of the backlog stacks before Wednesday. And yeah, I heard on the news that pigs are flying now.

Oh, and the usual disclaimer about spoilers.

Crime Bible 4: Murder
Can't beat murder when it comes to bad guys and nastiness and this issue highlighted that combo perfectly. I liked the references to Charlie/Vic and I was excited by the ending cliffhanger. So Flay knows Renee is the Question. Next (and the last) issue should be good.

Countdown to Mystery 5
Eclipso and Bruce Gordon: It's hard to tell which one is crazier. The tension is ratcheted up and I'm still loving it. Meanwhile, the new Doctor Fate continues to impress. Another angsty character who rings true and who just might be redeemed by Fate, if he can survive.

Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters 5
I love this book and it makes me so uncomfortable. With its political and moral and ethical bent, it really hits close to home. This story isn't quite as realistic as the first mini-series, but it still is hitting a lot of right notes. This book really explores the nature of power and authority and the enticements and dangers of them both.

Blue Beetle 23
This just keeps getting better and better. Jaime is still a teen, but a clever, intelligent one who, along with his alien scarab, reasons things out. With an excellent supporting cast and now a pissed-off scarab, Jaime should be able to take down the Reach. Except, the evil Reach manage to take him down and gouge out the scarab, leaving Jaime defenseless, while back on Earth, his family's home is blown up. Holy Cliffhanger, Batman! But I trust Jaime to save the day. This remains an excellent comic for kids and adults.

Countdown to Final Crisis 14
Oooo, we're nearing the end. Donna shows what she's made of and the Jason-Earth 51 Batman interaction had some poignant moments. Red Robin, indeed. But perhaps the best panel in the book was the backup Origin of Gorilla Grodd, first panel with bespectacled gorilla lounging in an easy chair, reading.

Wonder Woman 16
A bit late, but worth it. Gail Simone's reimagining of Wonder Woman's birth continues to intrigue and we get a hint of trouble to come from Etta Candy. However, I'm still unclear how the timeframe here fits in with the Paradise Island activities in Green Arrow - Black Canary and Countdown to Final Crisis.

2 comments:

  1. To my mind, Countdown to Mystery with Dr. Fate has been one of the best spin-offs from Countdown. The new Dr. Fate is interesting and it's well written.

    Oh, it's true, Blue Beetle just keeps getting better and better. Heck of a cliff-hanger, eh? Actually, I think that Jaime and the scarab have a plan...yes, that's it, a plan.

    Countdown is finally getting interesting. Who knew that throwing Superbrat Prime into the mix would liven things up so?

    I'm loving Wonder Woman, something I hadn't been able to say for such a long time. I too, don't quite understand the time-frame, with Green Arrow or Black Canary, or anything else...all I know is that there are a HECK of a lot of people trampling all over Themyscira!

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  2. I'm enjoying Freedom Fighters too.

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