A Sunday Comic Books Review

Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

• Mar 1st
• Aquaman #18 - I love this. I love how Arthur uses both force when needed, and reason for the most part, to get through to the man who was perverted into a killing machine. The back-story of the new character was great. There's enough emotion there for anyone. I also liked how it tied into the signal sent by NEMO. There's just a great deal of good pieces put together nicely in this one. An excellent story, and I hope there will be repercussions along the line at some point - I'd like to see this character again. And speaking of return characters, the final splash was a good one as well. Honestly, this book has just gotten better and better. This is the Aquaman I want to read.
• Justice League #16 - Aquaman in pre-sinking Atlantis is often interesting... I'm curious exactly how that little storyline will play out. He clearly has the support of the folks around him. I also wonder who those twins are... I have my suspicions, but DCU history has changed enough that I'm almost certainly wrong. Oooh, I want to read more! This has been a good Aquaman week!
• Green Lanterns #18 - I'm far more interested in Jessica and Simon than I am in Volthoom, so this being basically the entire Volthoom origin story... I'm not impressed. Like previous issues in this series, the twice-a-month format has allowed further exploration into the backstory of villains, but I'm not really all that interested in those backstories. Oh well. Next issue will be better, I suppose.
• DC Comics Bombshells #23 - Some flashbacks to previous events and the way certain characters had to deal with them. I'm still finding the reading more confusing than I like, and I'm not sure if it's me or the work itself. But at least I get it - Wonder Woman has joined the fight and the bad gal says mechanicals are more reliable than zombies. Well, maybe? I wonder about these mechanicals.
• Super Powers #5 - I love that Mera features so prominently in this book. Just seeing Aquaman and Mera together fighting as part of a team is awesome. And when the rest is so cute and fun - bonus! I have to admit, that's the cutest Darkseid I have ever laid eyes on. I recognized most of the heroes - but who is Golden Pharoah? In any case - fun fun fun!
• Doctor Strange #18 - Not knowing about Thor's civilian identity proved to make this one a little more interesting, as I wondered about the surgeries. The final frantic surgery scene while Strange fought Mr. Misery was pretty good, all told. And I'm curious about the next issue and whether or not Wong can be saved. So a good issue overall.
• Spider-Man 2099 #21 - I couldn't for the life of me remember who Sonny Frisco was. If I'd just read the freaking infodump on the first page, I would have known. Still, despite the lack of certainty, it was a good issue full of action. And Miggy seems to be digging himself a deeper hole, as well. How much of his past can he change before something truly nasty happens?
• Doctor Who 9th #10 - Transitions in this issue were a little rough, making it hard to follow in spots. In the end, the whole thing seemed to turn out alright, but with those shades of gray that have become more common in the show. Rose is disillusioned, the new companion is disillusioned, and the last couple of pages hint at a rockier road to come. Decent.
• Doctor Who 11th #3.3 - I'm not even going to pretend to understand what is happening with earth in this story, because if I do I think my brain might break. All just read along and smile and nod like I know what's going on and maybe the thing will come together as a story before it's all over. *smile* *nod*
• Mar 8th
• Titans #9 - Yeah, sure they reformed. I'm both amused and apalled at Garth's "punch 'em" attitude. It's true he was a hothead in the original version of the Titans, so it's not off-character, but I expect a little more from my Atlantean. This is a nicely plotted issue with the villains knowing exactly what the heroes are likely to do and planning for it. But there is a wildcard in there - so next issue we find out if she tips the balance.
• Earth 2 Society #22 - I guess this is the final issue, and there's not really any plot, just a wrap up showing most of the new world and what's in it. I didn't see any Atlanteans, which makes me sad, but otherwise a nice upbeat ending.
• Astro City #42 - What a delight for an Aquaman fan! An aquatic villain who never reformed, but did spend a very long time alone. I like the Mermaid, and thought it was incredibly funny when Manta almost commented on how old she looked. Her response to seeing him again was hilarious as well. I almost felt sorry for him when he returned to his island and isolation - I thought it would have been nice for him to at least have Mermaid visit and reconcile with him - but his "practice talking" thought at the end made it clear he's fine with who he is. Lovely issue.
• Scooby Apocalypse #11 - With everything out in the open, I think the team can finally start to figure out what and who they are. I liked Fred's calm discussion with Daphne about Velma and why Velma left. Contrasted with Velma's nightmare in the last issue, it worked really well to show how Daphne has worked through her anger. And then there was the back-up story, showing one of Velma's brothers. Apparently the plague affected him in an entirely different way - perhaps because he was already a monster.
• Back To The Future: Biff to the Future #2 - Biff goes to Hollywood and meets Hollywood accounting. Ok, so he's a bit of an idiot. We already knew that. And has a thuggish way of getting back at people. We knew that too. And had a fling with Marilyn Monroe?!?? Um. Ok. On to the next book.
• Spongebob Comics #66 - The best thing about this issue for me is the back cover. It's an ad for the Mermaid Man action figure that appears in one of the stories, and has a number of other action figures. In short, I giggled a lot. The story featuring the creepy little action figure was also very fun for me... even Mermaid Man was scared of it. This is why I continue to buy the book - for the snarky Mermaid Man jokes.
• Planet of the Apes/Green Lanterns #2 - Guy is making too much sense in this issue. And Hal, trapped in a cage, still manages to outsmart folks. I love it.
• Torchwood #2.2 - Nope. Still can't quite tell what's going on. Oh, I get the gist of it, but it's all a bit confusing and strange. It's a very disjointed style of comic book. Perhaps I'll get used to it during one of these mini-series.

A Sunday Comic Books Review

Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

• Feb 1st
• Aquaman #16 - I like seeing Aquaman getting his people involved in the clean-up after the terrorist attacks. If nothing else, it will get his own people used to thinking of the surfacers as people like themselves. This was a transition issue - there's a new villain being introduced while the impact of the previous storyline is explored. Not bad, for what it is.
• Justice League #14 - Wow, this was a talking issue. I means, there's a tiny bit of action, but the giant fight that is being built up is actually skipped entirely! Brave choice, there. A bit surprising. I liked that the elephant in the room was discussed as they waited to recharge - elephants. Enough of them to make a herd or two. The implication is that they've now had it all out and will adjust and be a team. I'm not sure, personally, as team conflict is one of the drivers of modern superhero comic books. Still, a very odd issue.
• Green Lanterns #16 - Ah, the gun. Yes, that would be an issue in that particular place. I found it a little strange all around, considering that it's something that is an essential aspect of the character and his flaws at the moment, that Commissioner Gordon was the one who made a fuss about it. Still, the whole storyline here has the potential to resolve the gun thing, and that's all good in my opinion.
• DC Comics Bombshells #22 - I'm not sure how interested I am in the Zambesi storyline here, but this is where we are, so I'll keep reading. I'm afraid I can't tell some of the characters apart, which annoys me - it's less because of the way they are drawn and more because I just haven't internalized which is which. And, is it just me or does everyone seem to have red hair?
• Super Powers #4 - It's a bit of an Aqua-issue, as Mera and Aquaman arrive to take on the Legion of Doom... with a little help. This story is making more sense as it goes along, but it's still pretty nonsensical. Not a bad thing with this type of book.
• Planet of the Apes/Green Lanterns #1 - I'm not a big Planet of the Apes fan, but hubby is a big enough Green Lantern fan that we got this. The ring in this issue appears to be exactly the same thing as the Phantom Ring from Green Lanterns, only it doesn't look like it. I wonder if that will be addressed at all in this series and if not, who in editorial let this happen? In any case, I'm really happy with who ended up wielding the ring. Heh.
• Spider-Man 2099 #20 - This is pretty much an entire episode about Tempest. I feel like anything I write would be a spoiler (I know, silly for a book that's been out for months). But not much happens here if you write it out: Mig learns that Tempest is awake and pregnant, and Tempest makes an informed choice to trust Tyler Stone. Oh, and a fight happens, but isn't there always a fight?
• Back To The Future #16 - A surprisingly substantial issue. A lot happens to get from point A to point B, but each piece fits with each other piece. I liked the Doc's plan, such as it was, to save them from the past - we already know things can change in this universe. As for the future, well, I'm not sure how the bad guy's plan is going to work. There must be a twist in here somewhere.
• Doctor Who 12th #2.14 - Oh, I just love when stories bend back upon themselves. In this case, two comic book creators whose work is based on legends of The Doctor get an unexpected trip in the TARDIS. All of which goes fine until it doesn't, which is sort of how Doctor Who works, I would think. The knock-off Doctor is amusing, the comic creators are strange, and all told it's an odd adventure. I'm curious to see how the story ends.
• Vampirella #0 - We bought this because of the price (25 cents) and the writer (Paul Cornell), because normally I wouldn't bother with this character. As expected, an interesting prologue to a greater story of some sort. Certainly worth the price for the fun bit of story.
• Feb 8th
• Titans #8 - Oh my, are we getting the introduction of HIVE here? I'm not sure, but there's some fun stuff about to happen as the team bursts in on ... well, whatever it is they are bursting in on. Even more interesting is Mal's choice, though. I wonder if it will be permanent, and what the ramifications will be going forward?
• Earth 2 Society #21 - This definitely seems to be winding up. Batman being as heroic as a Batman must be while everyone else fights the big fight. I just don't see how it's all going to tie up and finish. I think the next issue is the last, though.
• Scooby Apocalypse #10 - Ok, while I knew it had to be a dream, I didn't know who was dreaming until the end. Given the events of the previous issue, it should have been clear. In addition, once one of the characters was introduced as Velma's brother - well, only one person knows the connection between the Four and Velma. This doesn't move the story forward much, but it does provide some insight into Velma's state of mind.
• Doctor Who 11th #3.2 - A Silence so good at what he does that even other Silence cannot remember him (I guess that answers that question about them). An infection spread by a sapling child. And lots of memories being stolen/shared. This is the conclusion of one storyline, yes, and a farewell to Jones - but it's also a set up done well for a new set of adventures with one potentially very sticky (bad pun intended) problem.
• Torchwood #1 - I still don't know what's happening in this book, but I decided to just let it go and try to enjoy the ride. Clearly there's a mental process behind the plotting I don't get - so maybe if I read it long enough it'll pull together. I'm enjoying the individual set pieces, which is good, I just can't figure out how everything fits.
• Spongebob Comics #65 - As a person who has done the camping thing, learning all the lessons required to not die on a real hike, I feel for Sandy. She really should know better than to worry about Patrick and SpongeBob, though. The Plankton story was very strange, as was the switching roles tale. At least Mermaid Man made an appearance on the back cover. Fun as usual (so if you don't like the usual humor in the cartoon, avoid the book).

A Sunday Comic Books Review

Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

• Jan 18th
• Aquaman #15 - A little more pat of an ending than I was hoping for, but at least Aquaman provided both proof and a good reason for the US to stop aggression. There are, of course, a lot of other things going on, but Arthur used the one tool in his toolbox that no one expected him to use. Sometimes it's better to surrender and stop the fight than try to save an ego and cause massive destruction. There's still a couple of great hanging threads, though - Mera's handling of the prophecy and Black Jack, who survived this issue just like her Golden Age namesake so often survived. Have I mentioned that I REALLY love having a Black Jack the Modern Pirate back in the DCU?
• Justice League vs Suicide Squad #5 - Ah, and there's Eclipso himself, finally making his appearance at the end of the issue. Now, did he kill Max Lord as he did it? I kind of wonder. This wasn't a bad issue, and this mini is moving along at a fairly nice clip now. I love that Batman blew up Lobo's head not just to stop him, but to stop Max from controlling him. That's hilarious, and very much like Lobo. Too bad the same method wouldn't work on anyone else.
• Justice League #13 - Yet another JL vs SS tie-in, this one featuring Steve Trevor's response to the Eclipso invasion. Not bad, but really just more of the same. Eclipso plays with people's minds, so I figured the ending wasn't as happy as it appeared to be.
• Green Lanterns #15 - This is a nice standalone story after the long Phantom Ring arc. No mention of that, no other strangeness beyond the normal super antics. Just a tale about Jessica dealing with her anxiety. The final pages are a nice lead-in to maybe another story, but since when does Batman ask for help from rookies?
• Super Powers #3 - There are definitely a couple of pages in the incorrect order in this issue, as Aquaman's finny friends grab the baddie on one page, and on the next page the baddie is getting free from Wonder Woman's lasso. Still, switch the order around, and it's amusing that Aquaman is the one who stops the big bad (with a lot of help). Fun, but bizarre.
• Dirk Gently: Salmon of Doubt #4 - As with anything involving Dirk, I'm completely confused. Ok, no, not completely. I get that there are multiple timelines and multiple Dirks. I get that one thing we're seeing is the lead-up to the television series. And I get that saving the cat is very important. Beyond that, though, I think I'm mostly confused.
• Doctor Who 9th #9 - Oooh, Rose is jealous! But she's got Captain Jack to keep her company. I like Jack's security system and the interplay between him and Rose. I just wonder if Jack is going to run into himself, and if the Blinovitch Limitation Effect will then take effect, erasing the memory of what happened from one of their minds. In the meantime, the Doctor has his hands full with a nice little monster hunt. Whee.
• Jan 25th
• Justice League vs Suicide Squad #6 - Since I don't believe anything Max says, even if the writer puts it in his mouth, I'm not convinced that Amanda Waller actually engineered all the events. On the other hand, if anyone in the DCU is self-righteous enough to do that, it would be Waller. I liked Killer Frost's role in this, and found Batman admitting he was wrong to be a thing of beauty - which is slightly undermined if Waller did, in fact, engineer the whole thing. This book makes my head hurt, but in a good way.
• Batman Beyond #4 - A new suit, which was apparently a prototype Bruce was working on, which of course works perfectly in the heat of battle. Ok. I'll suspend my disbelief. As for the rest, it was a nice action-packed issue and how on earth did Dana not figure out before then? Really?
• Batman '66 Meets Wonder Woman '77 #1 - How do you combine these two characters? Well, you have Bruce meet Wonder Woman while she's still in the past, of course. I'm not going to try to figure out the timing of any of this, I'm just going to enjoy the fact that young Bruce Wayne witnessed Diana turn into Wonder Woman.
• Wonder Woman '77 and Bionic Woman #2 - I like that Jaime and Diana have an understanding. I also thought the "signal watch" thing was hilarious. Nice way to cover for it. And Steve's d'oh moment when Diana points out he never asked for something like that was good, too. I don't recognize the villains, but then, I hardly ever. They are given enough of an intro to understand they are up to no good. And there's even a nice little cliffhanger. Good stuff!
• Future Quest #9 - All the various groups are finally converging on the same place, only there's a nice cliffhanger caused by a fatal misunderstanding. I'm really not sure how this will turn out, but now I get the careful inclusion of the history of certain characters in past issues. This is actually a really solid way to get introduced to all these classic cartoons. Although I can't imagine the cartoons being quite as cool for an adult as these comics are.
• Scooby-Doo Team-Up #22 - Thank goodness for Future Quest, because without that book I wouldn't have recognized the team-ups in this issue. Frankenstein Jr and The Impossibles are characters I had never heard of before Future Quest. That said, this was fun, especially Fred's usual advice to take the mask off. These Team-Up books are a joy, and I'm glad this series has gone as long as it has.
• Doctor Strange #16 - Interesting that Dormammu also faced the Empirikul... I would have thought they wouldn't make a deal with him. But they proved they weren't much for believing even in their own message. Anyway, nice method to get rid of him, even if it required a bit of help. Now, what's going to happen to Wong?
• Star Trek/Green Lantern V2 #2 - Manhunters, Atrocitus, Lafleeze, and then HIM? They're pulling out all the stops for this series, aren't they? But then, it's an alternate universe, so everything is allowed. I'm enjoying this so far, but I'm really curious about how they are going to deal with the ring problem. This is heating up nicely.
• Back To The Future: Biff to the Future #1 - So, how did Biff become a millionaire in the alternate timeline, using the book from the future? This comic details his adventures, starting with the old man giving him the book and moving forward as he tries to cash in right away but runs into some problems. While this was covered in a few scenes in the movie, I like the filling in of details this provides.

A Sunday Comic Books Review

Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

• Dec 21st
• Aquaman #13 - Huh. So the Justice League tries to help but it's politics that kill the chance. I'm still seeing no real solution to this, but it's really nice to see that the league is on Arthur's side and not assuming he's gone rogue. But then, he made that point to Superman earlier in the series, didn't he? I do wonder how bringing Tula along helped at all with the Justice League. As for Mera - who's to say that doing nothing isn't the reason the prophecy comes true? The ancient Greeks had many tales of how futile it is to try to avoid fate. Just go out and do what you were going to do anyway, because otherwise you are falling into a trap.
• Justice League #11 - I just can't get past the ridiculous premise of this book to enjoy the annoying fight scenes. In short, nothing about it impresses me. The solution - a child hacking into Amazo, makes even less sense than the rest. If this is what the Justice League is going to be like, I don't know if I want to read it any more.
• Justice League vs Suicide Squad #1 - I find it hard to believe that Batman wasn't aware of the Suicide Squad a long time ago. I also find it a little surprising that the Justice Leagues' reaction to the team is to confront the team, and not Amanda Waller. Sure, they don't know how the criminals are being controlled, but it's evident they ARE being controlled, so confronting the Suicide Squad directly seems to be bad tactics. Then we've got the third team in this, and the once upon a good guy leading them. I sense conflict and massive fight scenes coming up.
• Green Lanterns #13 - The history of Volthoom and Rami, the new GLs overcoming their fears, and Jessica once again showing compassion that could save the day... followed by a cliffhanger splash page of a phantom ring barf? I feel like 90% of the book is padding.
• Teen Titans Go #19 - Sometimes I'm reminded that I'm not in the target audience for this book. This was an ok issue, but I didn't like it all that much. Ok, Robin getting stuck in a plane seat between two very large men got me cringing - not laughing - along with him, but other than that, I could take or leave it.
• Star Trek/Green Lantern V2 #1 - We start with a new status quo from the last crossover - the lanterns are stuck in the Star Trek universe and are adjusting to new lives. It's not a bad premise, especially when one of their biggest problems is the lack of any way to recharge their rings. So this series immediately goes off to the races, and I'm actually interested in it for the moment.
• Back To The Future #15 - This is turning out to be a complicated plot against Marty, who still hasn't figured out how to deal with memories of a timeline that doesn't exist. He's attacked by several other versions of himself - but where did they come from? There's a bit of introspection on Marty's part as he monologues to the pair, while Doc Brown is busy fighting a third one. This could have been a much shorter issue, but eh... it wasn't horrible.
• Doctor Strange #15 - Another day, another villain, another death threat? Until all the baddies meet up and now we have to figure out who is going to kill and who is going to die. This one was actually kind of fun.
• Doctor Who 9th #8 - Rose is arrested, which allows the Doctor to put his plan into action. Of course, Rose doesn't just sit around once she's imprisoned and with her help the plot by a for-profit defense company is turned around. After thinking about how many pieces the Doctor had to move around to get the situation he desired - well, this is the Doctor, using people sometimes unthinkingly. But hey, bonus at the end with a potential new travelling companion.
• Doctor Who 10th #2.17 - Once again, the Doctor is ready to make a big sacrifice, but someone else has a solution he avoided looking at even as a possibility. This was a long and strange arc, and I hope it's over for good, but it was fun along the way. I wonder if we'll get new companions soon, since the story implies this pair are ready to stop travelling?
• Torchwood #4 - My hopes that the plot of this would become clearer as the story moves along were not quite met. While some parts are becoming a little more understandable, most of the book still makes little to no sense at all.
• Usagi Yojimbo #160 - A lovely done-in-one story with a backup feature, along with some bad news. The main story was a great little murder mystery featuring our favorite new fish-monger (did Usagi ever get his meal?) and Inspector Ishida. I love the fact that both Usagi and Toto-san recognize the knifework on the fish as a big clue. The backup, with a chibi Usagi, was very silly. And the bad news is that we won't get issue #161 until September! However, in the meantime, there will be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Usagi Yojimbo crossover in July.
• Dec 28th
• Titans #6 - Manhattan? Surely that doesn't mean - nah. Ok, this was a pretty straightforward tale of fighting off the baddie and Wally finding his way back home through an anchor of love. It's all fairly neat and squared off. But that word at the end, and that whole final page... interesting stuff.
• Batman Beyond #3 - You know, I sort of doubted that was actually the Joker, but I really didn't expect the actual identity of the person there. As for the rest, nice levels of tension building up.
• Justice League vs Suicide Squad #2 - Yup. Bad tactics on the part of the Justice League. Taking out the pawns, even super-powered pawns, is only going to give you more grief. Now, how does Batman get the league out of this mess he's created? And what kind of idiot is Waller to take the league captive?
• Super Powers #2 - This book is awfully abrupt. I'm so used to padded storytelling that jumps like Wonder Woman suddenly appearing and rescuing Superman seem strange. I'm not sure what to make of that thought. Still, it's cute.
• Future Quest #8 - Wow, the art is really different in this issue. I like Olivetti's art, but it's a big change from what came before. The plot is moving along nicely, with more allies finding each other and figuring out the danger. Those poor cops... shows what happens when you don't listen to superheroes.
• Scooby-Doo Team-Up #21 - Harley Quinn. Harley. Teaming up with Scooby-Doo and friends. And giving them all new nicknames. And solving the mystery easily, because, hey, it's Harley. This was really amusing from start to finish. I particularly like Velma's logic at the end on why the Joker came after Harley. Cute.
• Love Is Love - I'll confess. I haven't finished reading this. It's going to take me a long time to finish. The anthology is filled with one or two page stories, each one a tribute to love and acceptance. The inside front cover lists the names of the 49 people who died at the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando. Many of the stories are raw emotion, which is why it's going to take me a lot longer to finish reading this. The introduction is by Patty Jenkins, who directed Wonder Woman. The writers and artists involved are literally a who's who of the comics industry. The money from the book benefits the survivors. If you haven't got a copy, you should go get one. If you have one, keep it handy and reread it every once in awhile. We all need a reminder of love.

And that's the end of 2016's comic books! I have finally caught up to this year, just as it's halfway through... *sigh*

A Sunday Comic Books Review

Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

• Nov 16th
• Aquaman #11 - I like the way this run has started to develop contacts for Aquaman, including FBI agents and now Joanna. The appearance of the Justice League was nicely done - with Arthur and Mera suspicious while the League is surprised it's gone that far. But the ending to this issue was the best bit, as the Deluge and N.E.M.O. make their move to stop Aquaman from keeping the peace. Lots of fun in this book.
• Justice League #9 - The story is based on a ridiculous premise - that only one person died in a recent disaster fought off by the Justice League - and this issue confirms my worst fears. The attack is coming from a character that shouldn't be able to do what he's doing and just *happens* to be the husband of that one person who died. Look, I read these for escapism and accept magic rings, guys who live underwater and the world's greatest detective happening to like dressing up as a giant bat - but some things are just too unbelievable even for me to accept even in this context. Thumbs down on this one.
• Green Lanterns #11 - Bwah-ha-ha-ha! Oh, that is by far the best possible cliffhanger for a character who can channel all the spectrums through his ring at once. I wonder if he'll be able to undo what he's just done to himself, and if some other lantern of that particular color might want to have words with him about it, seeing as only one lantern of that color ever exists at the same time.
• Doctor Strange #14 - That was one of the grossest issues of a comic book I've endured. This book continually lives up to the second half of its name.
• Doctor Who 12th #2.11 - Ooooh, a historical episode! And featuring a real-life character in a different timeline, even. I like the way this issue set up the mystery and introduced Julie, and I really liked the Doctor's string of insults about her singing. And the duel was fun, if oddly interrupted. She's clearly the perfect companion for the Doctor in many ways.
• Doctor Who Supremacy of the Cybermen #5 - And so the story pulls itself together by explaining that each of the other Doctors we see are the Doctor trying to fight the Cybermen in a different way. It works, mostly. It's still confusing as all get out, but it works. And the solution also works for me. Rassilon has never been a bad guy in my book, that's a recent development in the show, so seeing him work to save the universe isn't a surprise. Not as bad a mini as I'd feared it would be.
• Nov 23rd
• Titans #5 - There's never enough time. Wally is right, bad things happen when a Flash runs too fast. And so he knew exactly what was likely to happen but did it anyway to save his friends. So, how does this resolve? We had the set-up last issue, and the action this issue... but what's going to happen next?
• Batman Beyond #2 - Terry using the past to sneak into the future. Nice. I like seeing Max driving the Batplane and the clever explosion was cute. The story of how the Joker died was also an interesting bit of this issue - but in comics, no body = no death. And even if there IS a body, there's often not a death.
• Super Powers #1 - What on earth was this about? Very cute, as anything by Baltazar and Franco are, but I'm not entirely sure what to make of the plot.
• Future Quest #7 - I am liking how this story is shaping up. Each character gets a proper introduction, and each piece fits with one another. I love the cliffhanger - and I'm hoping to learn a lot more about some of these characters as we go along. Recommended!
• Scooby-Doo Team-Up #20 - Space Ghost! This was fun, and had repeated in-jokes and snide asides about the original episodes that made me giggle and even laugh aloud at one point. The Mystery Machine really made a great appearance. Fred's idea about hostages was wonderfully silly, and it's even funnier that it worked. Overall, an excellent issue. True, I like the grim and gritty Scooby Apocalypse, but I love my old-school Scooby, too.
• Doctor Who 9th #7 - Wow, Harry's living up to the name the Doctor called him that one time. And poor Benton, with yet another head injury. I'm very much enjoying this story, and can hardly wait to see what happens next. The situation with Dean is another strangely unresolved bit, as well. So much good in this.
• Doctor Who 10th #2.16 - Just what we need, more guilt on a companion. This one wasn't quite as good as the ninth Doctor story, in part because I'm not as interested in Sutekh as a baddie. There's nothing wrong with this, and I like the appearances of other baddies from Doctor Who history, both comics and not. But it's also not spectacular. I hope the ending of this tale will redeem it.
• Usagi Yojimbo #159 - Oh, I like Yuki. And Toto-San was great. It's nice to see a non-Samurai willing to fight to protect himself and those around him. I adore most Inspector Ishida stories, and this is a nice start, but there's clearly more to the tale... and I'm going to be impatiently waiting to find out what Usagi has discovered.
• Nov 30th
• Justice League of America #10 - That was sort of an abrupt ending. This whole story arc seemed doomed from the start, but at least it got to a stopping point eventually.
• Doctor Who 3rd #3 - Now THERE'S a villain I wouldn't have thought would show up in any form any where in the Whoniverse again. The Master is quite amusing when he's being helpful, although his tendency to wear masks is definitely getting old. I found Jo's weapon to be a nice touch, as well. But now I really want to see how this one ends up.
• Doctor Who 12th #2.12 - The Doctor's new companion is feisty, which is likely to get her killed rapidly. I wonder at the Doctor going to warn the King instead of going to the past to fix it. I suppose we'll get some resolution to that in time.
• Torchwood #3 - I have no idea what's happening, but it's happening in style.