Rapid Reviews

I know these are way long overdue. I haven't even done my usual Previews Review for last month's previews mag. I'm trying to catch up. The con reports helped bust open the reviewer's block a little, so maybe I'll write a few more before the flood dries up again...

Rapid Reviews - 8 February 2006

Justice #4: I need more Aquaman in my Justice League stories. The story is building... and the art is just gorgeous. But I need more Aquaman.

Green Arrow #59: "Until The End of the World Part Two": The finale... it's over. As with all the DC books, there's a crazy cliffhanger that will no doubt be explained over the next few months in flashbacks. And Ollie... well, he's pretty much dead at the end. I wasn't going to keep buying this book, but I do want to see what happens next.

JLA #125: "Mind Field": Huh. Ollie's fate in his own book, versus what's happening to him here... the guy doesn't catch a break, does he? Surprisingly, the Key seems really happen with his fate in this book. That's not the normal response, you'd think. Anyway... loved the last page. I really wish Aquaman had had an "infinite earths" page like everyone else got. But seeing the Hall of Justice was fun.

JSA #82: "Ghost In The House": I LOVE Ma Hunkel's role in this story. "Secret Code" indeed. I actually like the Gentleman Ghost in this one, although I've had issues with his appearances in the past. It read like a Silver Age tale ought to have read. I liked it. And heck, any story that features Ma in a bigger role is great by me. I wish Ma and Vulko could have met. I think they would have gotten along. Anyway, this one made me happy, even while the questions and topics were a bit sad.

Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere #6: "Chapter Six": This is one freaky story. I particularly like the way Richard is made into the third in this one. I also have to admit I kind of like the way Croup and Vandemar honored their promise to De Carabas without really honoring it. I'm still very curious to see how this story ends, and looking forward to reading the actual book once the adaptation is finished.

Action Philosophers #4: "World Domination Handbook": Featuring Karl Marx, Niccolo Machiavelli, and Isaac Luria (Kabbalah). Again, this book takes concepts that aren't exactly simple to understand, and puts them in a format that's not only easy to read, it makes the nonsense make sense. I don't know if it's possible to praise this book enough for its educational value. As stories, your mileage may vary, but I really like it.

Star Wars: Empire #39: "The Wrong Side of the War part 4": I'm still liking this story. It fleshes out Luke's past with the appearance of Tank, and puts the choices people have to make into stark contrast. It's hard to see how anyone can justify being part of the Empire, but Tank gives some idea of how he manages. All-in-all, a surprisingly good story. I kind of wish I'd picked this series up from the beginning.

Superman #226: "This Is Your Life" part 1: A very very strange way to go out for this book. And if I understand it right, then this one jumps right on to Superman #650? I might have enjoyed this more if it wasn't a crossover with another book.

Rapid Reviews - 15 February 2006

Noble Causes #17: A very provocative cover, and no less a provocative interior. Just when you thought it couldn't get any more soap opera-y. I really do love this book. It pushes all the boundaries of super-hero comics in a way the big guns can't.

Conan #25: "The Hand of the Mighty": I loved this issue. Another great tale of Conan being a thief, with a massive mystery as to what is going to happen to Nestor if he fails to catch Conan. I want very badly to see the next part.

Birds of Prey #91: "Donor": Not the result I was expecting in this one. I liked everything, from the situation to the complications to the ending. The fact that in the end they all listened to what the kid wanted was important and good. And Huntress continues to develop as a character as well, almost to the point where I'm not irritated to have her in the book. Almost. A solid issue.

JSA: Classified #9: "The Spear and the Dragon" Part Two: I like Wildcat and the Golden Age Flash... I found it very interesting how Flash freed Wildcat from the influence of the Spear of Destiny. It seems odd sometimes to think that Wildcat was super-powered. But it was a good story. Interesting that it had the "infinite" ending, as well.

Alice in Wonderland #1: Seems like a pretty straightforward adaptation of the Alice story. I may have to compare it to the original to make certain, but it looks good to me. Definitely looking forward to the second issue.

True Story, Swear to God #16: "Vertigo": Have I mentioned lately that I love this book? Well, I love it. I love it, and it's definitely the best thing I've read in a long time. I love Tom Beland's drawing of Kurt Busiek. You can recognize the creators just from his drawings of them. As an aside: I need to start gathering images of Kurt as done by various artists. He also just showed up in Superman. Back to this book... HIGHLY Recommended. Go get a copy now.