Rapid Reviews - 17 December 2003 - Part II

Green Arrow #33: Very cool cover. The insides don't bear that much resemblance to the happy moment captured on the cover, but it's still a cool cover. There are a number of fun bits in this. Ollie's spite, the alien spore taking on Superman, and the appearance of a villian who isn't an Aquaman villain, despite him stealing the name. And I like the auction name of the on-line auction sniper who eventually wins. Odd in parts, but a pretty good tale.

Batman Adventures #9 What happened here? This is bottom-of-the-drawer filler stuff. It's not that bad a concept... Batman telling Robin of all the tight scrapes he got out of to distract the kid while he gets them out of a tight scrape, but there wasn't really any plot beyond that. And then there is Robin's language. Did he get caught in a timewarp to the 60s or something? The backup story isn't a lot better. A disappointment.

Cinnamon: El Ciclo #5: The final issue, and I must say I'm actually a little sad to see it go. It was a very solid story set in a world that I hope to never have any direct experience with, dealing with two desperate women both doing what they think is best. It's a classic team-up story, with a solid ending that drives the point home. The only weakness was the artwork, and that wasn't bad, it just took some getting used to. Yeah, I liked it a lot.

Superman: The Kansas Sighting #2: Trying to be deep. That's what this book is. Another attempt to be deep in a superhero universe. It just doesn't work. Think about it: Clark is an alien. This is a world where the unreal is quite real and touchable. If you are going to bring in a mystery, it's gotta be done better than this. A lot better.

Still to Review: December 24th's books, Shrek #3, Phantom #1, Birds of Prey #62, JLA #91, Amazing Spider-Man #61/502, El Cazador #4, and Flipping Through Previews.