Rapid Reviews - 13 April 2005

Conan and the Jewels of Gwahlur #1: It's your standard Conan story, with some not so standard artwork by the talented P Craig Russell. If you like Conan and you like strong fantasy artwork, this one is good to grab.

Lions Tigers & Bears #3: Ah, finally a character I can identify with... Courtney's a bit smarter and bolder than Joey, but unfortunately, she's not the one who is free. Lots of history in this one, including the battle between the stuffed animals and the beasties. And a sad ending, too. Still a little overcute, but good nonetheless.

Noble Causes #9: Ok, so that's not Liz... what is it? And what will happen to Rusty? And what about the body-switching? and... and... Ok, so I like this book a lot. I just don't like waiting for it. Oh yeah, and the back-up story has taken a turn for the gruesome.

Chickasaw Adventures #2: "The Battle of Akia": Still could use a bit of polish, but it's really an excellent book. There are things in here that I never knew about, particularly the way the French and British manipulated the tribes into fighting for them. This is a solid educational book.

Bloodhound #10: "Ashes To Ashes": The final issue of the bloody and gore-filled book that really should have gotten more issues. The ending, while it ties the storyline up, isn't really very satisfying. Oh well. Can't win 'em all.

Green Arrow #49: "Road Trip": Is it just me, or is Roy getting "killed" an awful lot lately? Anyway, decent story. I'm more than a little disturbed by the actions of the villain in this one. And although I think I'm supposed to know who that guy is on the last page, I'm just not sure.

JSA #72: "JSA/JSA": And just like that, the story ends. Huh. I'm not sure if I should be relieved or annoyed. It was quite a long set-up for such a quick resolution. Still, there were a lot of clever bits in this one, and it was such a good way to finish it off. Not bad. Just average.

The Batman Strikes #8: "Firefall": I really don't have much to say about this title. For what it's trying to do and be, I suppose it's just fine. I'm not really enjoying it a lot, but it's ok. I don't really like this version of Batman much. I think maybe I ought to stop buying it.

Powers #10: Ouch. Lots of typical Powers stuff, and the ending of the storyarc. And the beginning of something new. If you like Powers, you'll probably like this one. If not, go find another book.

JLA: Classified #6: "Hell... Hell... The Gang's All Here!": So Booster sends half the team into hell, including Mary Marvel, and what exactly does Guy do to help? This is as funny as any of the other Giffen stuff. If you don't like the Giffen League, avoid.