Rapid Reviews - 15 June 2005

GI Joe #0: "The Newest War": I bought this because it was only 25 cents. I don't usually follow the characters, although I watched the cartoon when I was a little kid, so some of them are familiar. It's not the best story I've ever read, but it's not bad for a GI Joe story.

Battle Hymn #3: This book continues to intrigue. I was a little sickened by the method used to execute one of the team members as I had a person nearly kill me by the same method once (I was injured, but luckily not seriously). The rest of the plot is moving along, and I'm impatient to see what happens next. This is a nice solid WWII superhero book.

Usagi Yojimbo #84: "The Treasure of The Mother of Mountains": Two plot threads being worked in this one, the first being the betrayal of Tomoe by Lord Horikawa, the second being the real adventure starring Usagi. As usual, the quality of this book is consistently high.
Unrelated to this issue in particular, but of possible interest, is the Usagi Yojimbo Dojo has sent out a call for letters for the letter column. Says Stan: "I guess one of the drawbacks of frequenting the various message boards is a drop off of letters to the comic. Asst Editor Katie said we only had two letters from the last issue, hardly enough to fill a letters page. If you feel up to it, write a letter of comment, or send in a b/w drawing (we still run those when we can). Thank you."

Powers #11: Yow. Deena has crossed the line. Admittedly, she was pushed, but she definitely crossed the line. Yow. There's nothing else to say. This book is amazing.

Conan and the Jewels of Gwahlur #3: Conan shows his strengths in this one. I love the artwork, but then it's P Craig Russell, so how could it not be good? And the twists are all classic Conan. I think this one is a keeper. If you like Conan, get the mini.

Birds of Prey #83: "A Fighter By His Trade": The whole OMAC thing is boring the heck out of me. I just want this part of the crossover to be over and done with. As it is, I'm just not enjoying this title at all right now, and it's on the "possible drop" list despite the fact that I like both Oracle and Canary.

Day of Vengeance #3: "A Hot Night In Budapest": The Big Red Cheese is on the rampage. So how does this tie in with JSA? I find myself less and less interested in this story as it goes on. I just find the thought of the Spectre being fooled by Eclipso increasingly unlikely.

Wonder Woman #216: "The Bronze Doors Part Two": Ok, Wonder Woman is apparently still blind, and Ares looks different depending on who he talks to. I think. And we learn more about Cassie. Sort of. And this one just reeks of mythology, twisted to fit the DC Universe. Not bad, but I'm a little underwhelmed by it.

Detective Comics #807: "City of Crime": Jumping into the story, it looks like Bruce has gone undercover to find out ... something. The issue works as a story to an extent, but a new reader doesn't get any answers at all to what's going on in the book. The backup story features Alfred in his pre-butler days. I kind of wish I could read the first part, as well.

JLA Classified #8: "The Super Buddies In... That Moron Looks Just Like Me!": Ok... so they are in an alternate universe. All I want to know is, will we see other "heroes" or just the alternates of the characters in the book?

Seven Soldiers: Klarion #2: "Badde": Why am I getting this book? I don't really like Klarion as a character, and this issue just reinforces that opinion. I guess I'm getting it so I'll understand the whole Seven Soldiers storyline... and I notice that this one references Guardian and possibly Zatanna. Eh, whatever.

Hero Camp #2: "All By Myself": You would think that the other kids would all have figured out that Eric has no powers. But then, the folks that figure it out tend to want to let him suffer.

Oz: The Manga #1: "The Cyclone": I find myself wishing for color, but it's still good. Very good. Nice character designs, and a very Manga-ish look. I'm not going into any detail about the story itself, as it's just more Oz, and I've read a lot of interpretations of Oz since I got married.