Rapid Reviews - 26 May 2004 - Part V

Common Grounds #5: Have I mentioned before that this book is really good? This is a must-read, on par with Astro City, for superhero fans. The first story in this issue was just a wonderful tribute to terrible monsters with funny names. And a guy getting love advice from a flaming dude is quite the fun tale, too. Recommended.

Ant #1: I gave in and ordered this on the reoffering. My shop tells me its a bit of a sleeper hit. The artwork is odd and takes a lot of getting used to, but I think it's worth a try. The main character, Hanna, is an imaginative fourth grader who is able to articulate her fantasies well enough to stun her new principal and amaze a classmate. Unfortunately, her dad is in trouble with the police, and she doesn't relate well to her classmates because of her fantasies. It's a strange little book, but until I read the next issue, I'm not sure I can recommend it anymore than mildly.

Firestorm #1: I read this at the house of a friend (Hi Carol) and although I enjoyed it, I didn't enjoy it enough to go out and get my own copy or to plan on buying any future issues. The issue was all set-up, and the situation was interesting, just not super-compelling. I'm sure a lot of folks are going to find it much more exciting than I did, but from me it's just mildly recommended.

Comics due out tomorrow, Thursday June 3rd: Justice League Adventures, Girl Genius, Swamp Thing, Thor, and Superman: Birthright.