Quick Takes

I still have three new titles to read, but I have such a stack of comics I did read that I figured I'd just whip through them. A couple are from last week.

Astro City 38
A charming look into the past with Jazzbaby.

Astro City 39
The start of a new story taking us back to Shadow Hill, and a promise made long ago by the Hanged Man, who enlists the aid of lawyer Marta Dobrescu, a character we met back in the first volume, Life in the Big City. She has white in her hair now, a sign of aging that I love about Astro City. It isn't stagnant; it isn't stuck in time the way most comics are. The story is intriguing, too, with wonderful art.

Blue Beetle 1
Better than the Rebirth issue, but I still have no idea where this is going. Ted's more of a jerk than I'd like and the nasty sniping between Brenda and Paco is getting annoying. Plus, we don't see any of Jaime's family this issue. I had high hopes for this book, so I hope it gets on track soon.

Captain America Steve Rogers 5
This fills in a bit of backstory for what happened to Bruce Banner, plus some tie-in with Ulysses, the Inhuman who's predicting the future. Plus, we get more of Hydra's reworking of Steve's past. I'm still enjoying this.

Captain Marvel 9
I'm not liking this Civil War II tie-in. Carol is acting like a jerk. I want to smack her upside the head, turn her upside down, and shake some sense into her.

Descender 15
I loved this. This issue is devoted to filling in what happened to Andy after he was evacuated from the mining colony Dirishu when he was a young boy.

Doom Patrol 1
The first of the new Young Animal imprint from DC that I've read. And it's weird. We meet EMT Casey Brinke. Strange things happen. I have no idea what's going on. I'll give it a few more issues and see if anything becomes clearer.

Dream Police 12
The end of the story. And an editorial by author J. Michael Straczynski explaining, finally, the delays were due to his deteriorating vision. But his vision is better now. And he's leaving comics. But at least this is finished and the conclusion is satisfying, if a bit convoluted.

Flash 7
This fun story arc got dark and now it's getting darker. I really loved August from the moment he was introduced, but I worried, once he got speed powers, that he'd use them unwisely. I hate being right. One of the better Rebirth titles.

Lady Mechanika: La Dama de la Muerte 1
A story set in Lady Mechanika's past, involving the Mexican festival for the Lady of the Dead. It's interesting seeing Lady Mechanika without her usual confidence. An interesting setting for this steampunk character.

Leaving Megalopolis: Surviving Megalopolis 6
I think this is the end, though it doesn't say so. This has been one helluva messy ride with superheroes turned evil and the brave non-powered folks fighting them. Simone and Calafiore at the top of their game.

Ms. Marvel 11
Another Civil War II tie-in book. Kamala's world is falling apart. Bruno is recovering but no longer wants Kamala in his life. Kamala's doubts about predictive justice lead to a rift with her idol Captain Marvel that might never be repaired. All of which leads Kamala to question who and what she is. This comic continues to hit it out of the park.

Saga 38
The cover is gorgeous, but this issue is heart-wrenching. I can't and won't say more, other than to say this is the best comic being published right now.

Thunderbolts 5
This comic really sucks. I'm still getting it for Bucky, but that might not be enough, anymore. From the juvenile dialogue to the awful art, to the poor characterization.... I could go on and on about how bad it is, but there's no point. Suffice it to say, Bucky does something stupid when he thinks Steve is in danger.

Titans 3
I wish there was more for the Titans not named Wally to do, but everyone is in character, so I'm happy. This clearly, for the first story arc, at least, is focusing on Wally. Kadabra is determined to get revenge on Wally for all the times in the past that Wally/Flash defeated him. He apparently is behind removing Wally from reality but he's not behind the warping of history. He does seem to think he knows who is behind that, though. Not in the top tier of Rebirth titles, but decent enough. Any book that restores the classic version of the Titans is, for me, worth reading. As long as the creative team doesn't screw it up.

Wonder Woman 7
A conclusion to the main threat in the first story arc set in the present. The last page was most satisfying.