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:

• Jun 21st
• Aquaman #25 - I've been lukewarm on this series so far, but this issue... it seemed to click. I like the idea of Arthur following Bruce's lead and becoming a vigilante in his own city. I love the idea of him working to become a legend. And I have always wanted Vulko to be the hero he really ought to be, instead of a traitor. So this one hit all the right notes for me. Particularly Tula and Mera at the lighthouse. Mera trying to work through her grief while Tula fights to keep her in the world - yeah, I can feel that. The introduction of Dolphin was nicely sudden, and different from previous versions (I'm assuming that's Dolphin). Good stuff, I think. More motive for me to work on catching up with my reading and reviews... I'm only seven months behind...
• Justice League #23 - The alternate cover of this issue has nothing to do with the story - and features Aquaman prominently. The story itself? Not a sign of Aquaman. This is a Jessica Cruz story featuring Batman and Wonder Woman with an appearance by Cyborg. It's not a bad story, but I'm not sure it really ought to be a Justice League story.
• Green Lanterns #25 - I admit I'm a little confused by the middle section there, and how Rami and Volthoom got to where they were. Otherwise it was an ok issue. I do like linking Jessica and Volthoom again - that works.
• DC Comics Bombshells #29 - And suddenly there's a Superman in the Bombshells' universe - and better yet, he's a clone. I love it. This one is mostly interesting because it examines how Supergirl is still dealing with the loss of her sister, but turning that grief into action. Good stuff, even if there's no Mera.
• Teen Titans Go #22 - More of the usual, starting with an ode to the various singing competition shows and followed up by an artificial prom put on by Starfire. It was ok, but then, I'm not in the target audience.
• Doctor Strange #22 - More crossover. More boring.
• Spider-Man 2099 #24 - Time travel is so dangerous, and Miguel is trying so hard to fix the future that he's kind of ignoring the future he ought to have. This is going to end soon, I know, but I'm really enjoying this book.
• Doctor Who 10th #3.6 - Tying up old storylines and getting set up for new ones. That's ok for an issue of a comic, but then you throw in a completely unexpected cameo of someone who ought not to be there, and suddenly it becomes a lot more interesting. Mild sort of cliffhanger, but that's fine. Gonna have to think about this one.
• Doctor Who 12th #3.4 - A happy story with a happy ending, as Hattie's music helps an alien ship get free and Hattie's bravery rescues the Doctor when he's knocked senseless. I almost wish Hattie would stay on as a regular, since she's one of the more level-headed companions of all time.
• Forever War #5 - This issue does an interesting job emphasizing the changes in society that have happened during Mandella's time in the war. Alone, a relic from the past, doing a job he doesn't feel qualified for and doesn't want. Yeah, this is not a happy story by any means, though it has moments of amusement.
• Spongebob Comics Annual #5 - This one is jam-packed with oddness, including a D&D type adventure, a riff on Alice in Wonderland, a Mermaid Man story that will make anyone cringe, and a choose-your-own-adventure story. Amusing, and at the level of the cartoon. As always, if you enjoy the cartoon, you'll probably enjoy the comic. I buy the comic for the Mermaid Man appearances, personally.
• Jun 28th
• Teen Titans #9 - If someone had set out to write an issue of this comic for me, the result wouldn't have been half as good as this actually was. I criticized Justice League last week for being too focused on one character, and this issue is definitely Jackson's story - but it's also a solid book about the entire group and how he fits in. This just works, from top to bottom. And there was an actual revelation I didn't have spoiled for me about Jackson's mother, so that was even better. A nicely strong issue that moves the plot along and has a lovely cliffhanger, too. More like this, DC!
• Batman Beyond #9 - Damian. I don't like him in Teen Titans, and I don't like him here. But then, he's not meant to be a sympathetic character for most people. This issue feels more traditional than recent issues of this book, and I'm not sure if that's a good thing. I'll just have to wait and see how it plays out in the end.
• Batman '66 Meets Wonder Woman '77 #6 - That ending is quite the tease. I liked how this series moved through Batman's life, with Wonder Woman being herself the entire time while first Bruce and then Dick grew up. A fun book, and a fun story. And maybe someday that tease will result in something else? One can always hope.
• Wonder Woman '77 and Bionic Woman #5 - The inclusion of too many villains made this book tedious for awhile, but this issue gets us back to form with plenty of action and a clear plotline to follow. I never thought that endless scenes of battle would be better than character development, but this book seems to be intent on turning everything on its head.
• Astro City #45 - Wow. This storyline has been a long time in developing and moving, but it certainly feels like it's finally coming to a climax soon. I love the concept of a superhero who is the personification of counter-culture, and I'm a little sad at the apparent memory loss associated with it. This is going to be one incredible read once the whole thing is out and done. I'm going to have to gather my issues for a reread.
• Scooby-Doo Team-Up #27 - Plastic Man joins the gang for a bit of fun. Woozy is a nice character for comic relief, which meant he fit right in with Scooby and Shaggy. Plas himself is often amusing, but with all the comic relief, he mostly played it straight - and that worked for the story. Fun as always!
• Saucer State #2 - Lots of choices for the president now, and lots of ways this could possibly go. I still feel like we're going to have the rug pulled out from under us at some point, since that's what the last series did. I'm just not sure where I'm standing or where the rug is.
• Rough Riders: On The Storm #4 - Well, I didn't see two of those plot threads coming at all. I mean, Annie is tough, but nobody is that tough. And as for the leader of the Anarchists (isn't that a contradiction in terms?), that was a shocker too. This book is still gobs of fun with its historical veneer.
• Jul 5th
• Justice League #24 - Ok, yeah, I'm delighted to see an issue devoted to Mera, of all people... but should this really have been a Justice League issue? I felt like Teen Titans managed to balance the concept of a team book with a focus on one character, but the last two issues of Justice League haven't. Am I just being overly picky? As for the story itself, I really liked it. Mera geniunely doesn't know how powerful she is, and taking down the entire league after trying for days to get into Atlantis and being exhausted? Yeah, that's Mera. Rath is gonna regret making her angry.
• Green Lanterns #26 - The first ring, the first ringbearer, and the results of having a ring that powerful - a good story to tell, and probably the appropriate spot in the ongoing story to put it. Most of the general flow of the story was already hinted at in earlier issues, it was just the details the the dumb story about the guitar that were missing. Now we know. So, what happens next?
• DC Comics Bombshells #30 - It seems that several storylines converged in Leningrad, and now that Supergirl's is mostly done, it's time for Raven to step up and find her father. In the meantime, her friends are also on their way and we get another hero - Swamp Thing! As much as I want to see Mera and Arthur again, this is pretty fun.
• Doctor Who 12th #3.5 - OooOOoh, are we finally going to get an explanation for the Waters of Mars in relation to the Ice Warriors? I'm intrigued. And I like Vikings, too, so this is a good start for me.
• Doctor Who Ghost Stories #4 - Ah, a nice conclusion to a story that was based on a television story that was only just ok. I'm glad it's done, and I think Grant works much better in this context than on TV. Good stuff.
• Doctor Who: Free Comic Book Day 2017 - A nicely done story that concerns a single race of beings on a single planet - through four incarnations of the Doctor. In each incarnation, the Doctor helps a little and perhaps harms a little - but only at the request of the people. A fun story in which we get to see lots of different characters.
• Jul 12th
• Titans #13 - Wait, Omen? Ok, I'm still trying to get used to the idea that she and Garth are an item, but for this to happen... my head is spinning a little. I enjoyed this issue, although it was mostly a fight. I wonder about Wally and whatever is happening to him. Clearly the book has got me to care about the characters, so that's a good thing.
• Scooby Apocalypse #15 - I'm still surprised at how much I'm enjoying this comic, considering how completely off the rocker it is for Scooby-Doo. But I'm even liking how Scrappy is portrayed in this issue, which probably means I'm feverish again.
• Planet of the Apes/Green Lanterns #6 - Oh, that ending wasn't ominous at all... and the rest was a bit scary. The DC Universe that this book takes place in definitely has been changed by these events. This was a fun series, but will there be a follow-up?
• Dirk Gently: Salmon of Doubt #9 - The Kitten-Shark was my favorite bit of that first tv series (we haven't watched the second one yet), so I was amused at the implications of one Dirk's cat being the inspiration for the other Dirk's kitten. And that final shot of Bernice swimming away from Dirk and Sally was cute as well. I also liked the bear and the kitten-shark face-off.
• Spongebob Comics #70 - It's the last issue of an epic that features the writer/artist of the SpongeBob Comic being hunted down by two pirates, and it's got a bit of a Silver Age feel to it with the goofy monster. I do like that the garbage patch is explained both in the comic and in another page. Maybe it will teach someone somewhere to use less plastic and recycle? We can hope. No Mermaid Man, but an ok issue.

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:

• May 31st
• Teen Titans Lazarus Contract Special #1 - I've never liked Damian Robin, and now I like him even less than I did before, if that's possible. Seriously, that guy needs to be put away like a super villain, because that's basically what he is. Degrading and permanently damaging his teammates, ignoring people who need help, acting like a self-important twit. Can we have another vote to kill off Robin?
• Doctor Strange #20 - So the doc gets a new apprentice while Wong just gives up and leaves? It's not a bad story, mind you, just feels a little off.
• Back To The Future: Biff to the Future #5 - And now we have some time travel, as the doc and his band of rebels attempt to stop Biff from becoming ... well, Biff. It would have been a little better if they'd known the change point, I guess. Fighting him in ignorance didn't do much.
• Doctor Who 9th #13 - A Captain Jack story that delves into Jack's missing time, looking at his rebellion against the time agents. It's a little disjointed, but it seems any story involving Jack is disjointed. Nice cliffhanger at the end, though!
• Jun 7th
• Aquaman #24 - Atlantis is a thorny issue for Aquaman, no pun intended. To be its king, Arthur has to spend time in the city - which cuts into his time for adventures as Aquaman. So every writer has to decide if he's going to be king or not and how to deal with him not being king if that's the road that's picked. Which tends to lead to the same story of rebellion being told in different ways each time. Oh, I'll see how this plays out, but it's a familiar tune and even the shock ending isn't quite enough to endear the story to me.
• Justice League #22 - Green Lanterns trying to prove themselves, and apparently messing up a bit. I was amused by the cameos by Aquaman and the Flash.
• Green Lanterns #24 - Green Lanterns trying to prove themselves, unaware of the bigger threat hiding in their midst. I really wish I hadn't read this and Justice League back-to-back. I'm kind of Green Lantern'ed out, now.
• DC Comics Bombshells #28 - I don't really know what's going on in this book any more, except it's focusing on Leningrad and there's only a passing reference to Atlantis. I'm enjoying it, I think, I'm just not real certain what I'm reading.
• Doctor Strange #21 - Ug. A crossover. Pass.
• Doctor Who Ghost Stories #3 - Wow, feels like a long time since I've read this. The Doctor is on a quest to get the brother crystals to the one that gave Grant his powers, and it turns out the crystals can nullify each other's effects... who knew? But we get more familiar bad guys as the story progresses and it's actually decent. A nice fun, light-hearted tale.
• Jun 14th
• Titans #12 - I'm not really sure what I think about this one. I mean... Omen and Garth? It seems so out-of-nowhere to me. I didn't much like the art in this one, lots of overly sketchy bits that seemed to obscure the faces and actions. Overall, a good step forward in the story with a lot of loose ends mentioned, if not tied up.
• Dark Days: The Forge #1 - I'm not sure why I ordered this, but with Doomsday Clock on my mind, I thought the voice in the dark was a completely different person. I won't be reviewing most of this crossover, but this was an intriging hint. And hey, Aquaman appearance (which is probably why I ordered it?).
• Scooby Apocalypse #14 - Ug, Scrappy is in the main storyline now. Still enjoying this, and I like the Fallout vibe I'm getting from the survivors. I didn't expect the new girl to last a full issue, so that was a nice surprise. Definitely not my childhood Scooby, but I like it anyway.
• Planet of the Apes/Green Lanterns #5 - That was brutal. I'm not sure what's going to happen with this ring, but it ought not to exist, I think.
• Back To The Future #20 - When Marty attempts to learn more about his uncle's crime - which sent him to prison for a long time - things go wrong. They really should have waited for Doc, since he clearly knew something about it.
• Dirk Gently: Salmon of Doubt #8 - Finally, the title of this series is explained. I'm not sure much else is, though. Dirk Gently is always confusing.
• Doctor Who 11th #3.6 - Ok, the Doctor might have figured everything out, but I'm still in the dark on what caused this. Still, the story gripped me enough that I want to know, so that's good.
• Spongebob Comics #69 - A nice Mermaid Man story that shows just how shallow (pun intended) that superhero actually is, and more of an ongoing epic that is apparently going to end up in a real and very sad place in the ocean. I'd call this a good issue, yeah.

Hey! I'm only six months behind! At this rate by next December 31st, I'll be a year back!

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:

• Apr 19th
• Aquaman #21 - I have to wonder if Aquaman couldn't have nicely asked the alien to turn off its scary defense mechanism, thus protecting the people left at base. But that was my only nit with the issue. The reasoning behind Dead Water makes a bit of sense and the results of it are nicely terrifying. There's even a page of Atlantis with its usual problem - what to do when the monarch is off adventuring. I'm actually anxious to read the next issue. Lovely stuff.
• Justice League #19 - I know this book should be about earth-shattering disasters and such, but if I'm yawning and skimming ahead trying to find more interesting bits, isn't that a bad sign? I mean, I didn't hate it, but it could barely hold my interest. And I'm really annoyed that I didn't get to see how Aquaman used the mystical powers, nor was there any explanation for why the Justice League suddenly appears after they've been told they might be trapped in the past. I felt like the book was several pages too long but missing some plot.
• Green Lanterns #21 - I really expected that to work, and for the Green Lanterns to take him back into custody a little happier. So the story was enough of a shock. Add in the ending, which was part of the ongoing plot, and this worked out pretty good.
• Astro City #43 - That purple guy is back, trying to tell us something important, but is pulled off-track by a young Judy Garland lookalike who presents the origin of The Gentleman. And it's an excellent origin, I thought. Tragic and yet wonderful. And more than a little frightening - what if she hadn't had such a good dad? This book is consistently good, and I admit I'm getting more and more curious about the tale the purple guy is trying to get across.
• Star Trek/Green Lantern V2 #5 - Off to the center of the universe to fuel up the green rings and stop Sinestro - only... aren't there always complications? I was amused at the trust put into the Manhunters by the crew and the Green Lanterns. I was also amused that the threat to Starfleet basically followed the crew to Oa, making the fraught decision moot. Overall, a fun development - especially who got the ring. I mean, who else could it have been, really?
• Back To The Future #18 - Doc tells a ridiculous story about getting a wedding anniversary present in order to convince his newest friend not to keep a woman waiting. I'm not sure whether I'm finding this funny or frustrating. I do feel a bit tired of this particular storyline. Irving doesn't interest me.
• Doctor Strange #19 - And they all lived spookily ever after? Well, of course not. The refrigerator is deceased, for one thing. And I'm not sure exactly what Strange did, but it clearly didn't work completely. I do want to know, though, what is Wong's favorite food?
• Doctor Who 10th #3.4 - That's an ok ending to the story. The Doctor doing what he does best - talking the bad guys to death. I like that he anticipated the bad guy's moves and found a way to deal with it. As for the clones - the ending is a bit sad and happy all at once. It makes me wonder where this really is set.
• Forever War #3 - I remember more and more of the book as I read the comic. The past is a foreign country, but so is the future, and the veterans are tossed into one horrible future with only one escape route. It's a chilling story, really. Difficult to read with everything that's going on in the world right now.
• Apr 26th
• Teen Titans #7 - Jackson arrives just as the Titans are having issues with King Shark, and Robin is as obnoxious as it's possible to be. I am really enjoying the interplay between the characters. I've never really liked any of the Robins all that much, and seeing Jackson prove himself and basically humbling Robin was a nice touch. I hope Robin is intelligent enough to see his own flaws (giving his team a playbook and expecting them, a bunch of teenagers, to read it and understand it without practice and help? Sheesh) as well as those of his team.
• Batman Beyond #7 - Ug. He doesn't want to be Batman, but he wants to be Batman and the people who desperately need him can't get to him because he's busy not wanting to be Batman. Yeah, I'm not enjoying it.
• Teen Titans Go #21 - Two stories: The Teen Titans ruin their Tower and have to find another place to stay and a game suspiciously like Pokemon Go becomes a craze. Mostly fun stuff all around, keeping in mind that this book is aimed at a younger audience than me. I did enjoy the Titans being kicked out of Atlantis, even though it was only one panel.
• Batman '66 Meets Wonder Woman '77 #4 - Oooh, so that's the end of a second era of this team-up. I wonder if the next issue will be set in 11 years, and how that will play out? I was a bit surprised that Batman was willing to unmask in front of Catwoman, but I wasn't surprised she wanted to stay for a bit. Overall, it was a nice solid story.
• Scooby-Doo Team-Up #25 - Um. Yeah. This was silly from point A to point Z, but funny as well. The whole "You have failed this city" made me laugh aloud. The hippies - oh man... is there anything more disturbing than aging hippies? And the Scooby Snacks replacement was also an excellent moment. If anyone can eat that stuff, it would be Shaggy and Scooby. All told, a fun issue.
• Dirk Gently: Salmon of Doubt #7 - This is a very confusing book, but I'm beginning to understand Dirk Gently stories: If you truly think you understand what's going on, you probably aren't reading it correctly. So I'm just going to say, "poor kitties!" and wait to read the next issue.
• Doctor Who 12th #3.2 - A break from the main storyline to see the Doctor help a little town that's experiencing a very odd situation. The smile in the sky was freaky in a 1970s sort of way, but in the end it made a bit of sense. I'm curious if we'll see these particular characters again, and if this plotline has anything at all to do with the sea monster tale involving Hattie.
• Doctor Who 9th #12 - Never mess with the Doctor's demons. As it turns out, this was one of those instances where the Doctor knew horrible things were going to happen and sacrificed not innocent lives to save innocents in the future. It's a really disturbing story, on par with "would you shoot Hitler" in some ways, although the story makes it clear that the Doctor arrived the way he did in order to find out more, not to end it outright. Still, chilling.

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 15th
• Aquaman #19 - Working with people who tried to assassinate you has got to be tough, and I don't blame Mera for insisting on tagging along. As for the rest - nice use of previous storylines to set up lots of plot quickly. The pacing of the issue was great, and the creepiness and mystery are also nice. The only thing that rang a little false was Mortimer's sheer panic - he's a hardened criminal who screwed over a lot of people, and despite what happened to him, I didn't buy the panic. Fear, yes, but the panic seemed excessive. I hope Mera remembers how she defeated Dead Water before, because if she doesn't at least try it, I'll be disappointed.
• Justice League #17 - Superman talks with a giant baby while everyone else is fighting for their lives. Ok. Nifty. Aquaman gets two pages, and that's good. I would have liked to see more of him, of course, but this isn't his own title, so I'll live with two. Especially when those two pages show him very much in command. It's ok, but I'm feeling the decompressed storyline blues at this point.
• Green Lanterns #19 - Doctor Polaris, along with a possible set up for more healing that Simon can do. However, if it turns out he's able to cure cancer and not just bring someone he loves deeply out of a coma, that sets up a massive moral dilemma in the form of "why are you punching people when you ought to be saving lives?" I hope that is avoided somehow. In the meantime, the pair of heroes got themselves into a bit of a jam on that final, literal, splash page.
• DC Comics Bombshells #24 - Well, I'm not a big fan of this storyline mostly because it involves a lot of characters I don't really care much for, but at least it wrapped up in a way that was mostly understandable. All the various plots were explained, and there was even a nice betrayal in the middle of the mess. Fun stuff, but I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next.
• Star Trek Deviations - In an alternate universe, the crew of the Enterprise gathers under rather different leadership. I guess my main complaint with this is that I cannot tell exactly when and how this timeline deviated from the "real" one. If there were just a few more clues, maybe. It was clearly after the Federation was formed, and possibly just before, during, or just after Kirk's voyages. Beyond that, can't tell. My biggest problem with the book is that Riker is bleeding out and Crusher doesn't seem to notice - even though Riker told her the bad news and comforted her. I mean, what?
• Doctor Who 10th #3.3 - I love when the Doctor appears in a fairy tale setting, and thanks to Father Wu Wei. The whole story is pretty neat, and I love the artwork in the bits that are being told as a fairy tale. I'm a little concerned about Gabby, however, since this issue put her behind enemy lines with no apparent back-up. Looking forward ot the next issue.
• Forever War #2 - Wow. Psychic aliens that are curious to see what happens next. And the first contact with the enemy. This all seems oddly familiar, so I'm beginning to think I may have read the book sometime in the long distant past and just forgotten I've read it. That said, a fairly powerful bit of the story.
• Wonder Woman '77 and Bionic Woman #3 - It took me two tries to get through the exposition part of this book. Yes, the character had to be introduced, and yes, there was even a joke about how long they took doing it, but bleh. I really didn't enjoy wading through it. However, once past that, the book was great. I guess it was just another effort to make me hate the bad guys more.
• Mar 22nd
• Teen Titans #6 - Yay, the return of Jackson! As he was originally introduced, Jackson lives in the middle of the desert but knows he has water powers. And in this reality he seeks out the Titans because he feels the need to be free of parental guidance and to have the ability to explore his powers. In the meantime, the Titans have their own issues. I loved that final splash page... almost giggled, to be honest. Beast Boy isn't my favorite character ever, but he's mildly charming in this. Going to enjoy this storyarc, I think.
• Batman Beyond #6 - Ah, the age-old question of whether Batman or the civilian identity is the mask. Is Terry Batman, or does he take on the role of Batman? And how will that affect his life and desires? And more importantly, how will it affect the people who rely on him? It's a good thing to explore with a new character carrying the mantle - and it's a question that has dogged this particular character from the moment he put the suit on, so it works.
• Batman '66 Meets Wonder Woman '77 #3 - Catwoman works great for her role in this issue, and I like the interaction between the heroes and the Amazons, as well. This really is a fun book on many different levels.
• Future Quest #11 - Well, they put together a great plan and it looked like everything was going well, so I'm really curious now as to what may have gotten messed up along the way. It looked to me, based on what the book has given us so far, that it ought to have worked or been working... so I'm drawn in again, wondering what the secret is and waiting for the next issue.
• Scooby-Doo Team-Up #24 - You know, the Martian Manhunter really is incredibly creepy when you think about his abilities. Invisibility, shape-shifting... it's a wonder he isn't considered more scary than he is in the DC universe. Though having him shift into Scooby's form was hilarious.
• Dirk Gently: Salmon of Doubt #6 - I don't think there is any way I could even start to attempt to sum this book up - or even any parts of it - so I'll just say this one raised my eyebrows and amused me greatly and leave it at that.
• Star Trek/Green Lantern V2 #4 - So, while Kirk is dinking about with Khan, Sinestro is ready to take on the universe? Well, it could technically be unwinnable, but Kirk has always cheated and I don't expect Hal to play it straight either.
• Doctor Who 12th #2.15 - Sort of a predictable ending in some ways - of course the couple would be getting together and of course it would be an alien threat that really pushed them together - but there were a lot of nice elements of silliness and fantasy in there as well.
• Mar 29th
• Titans Annual #1 - Wow, Aquaman is more than a little obnoxious in this one. On the other hand, he does have the right to take charge - just glad he gave it up for Batman. I didn't know that about Donna, but then Donna's origin has altered so much I have no idea who or what Donna is in this universe anymore. I mean, heck, Aqualad isn't exactly the same guy that I love in the Silver Age comics either. As for the mystery villain, I have my guesses, and I'm sure I'm wrong, but it'll be fun to find out.
• Green Lantern/Space Ghost Special #1 - This was a nice fun one-shot, with a good character introduced. The back-up was... painful. But, hey, the main story was great!
• Back To The Future: Biff to the Future #3 - Biff does more stuff, gets more famous and buys the town. It's not bad, but it's about how I figured it went down while watching the movie, so there isn't a whole lot of new in this particular issue. I suspect the next issue will be slightly more interesting on that front.
• Doctor Who 9th #11 - Typical Doctor, getting himself caught to investigate something suspicious. Not so typical? His reaction to the treatment. Good thing Rose is there to help, even if she hasn't got much of a clue of what to do. This is a very nice set-up, and slightly unexpected - I was thinking we would see the events leading up to his arrest. This isn't the story I anticipated, and that's a good thing.
• Rough Riders: On The Storm #2 - The readers knew Annie was alive, but it's clear that no one else did. In any case, this sets up some kind of cult going after the president, and has a nice cliffhanger, even. I have enjoyed this series, and I'm certainly curious to see what comes next.

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 15th
• Aquaman #17 - Yay, another panel of people celebrating Aquaman with unbridled joy. I am terribly amused at such scenes, as I always imagine myself in them somewhere. That said, the rest of the story is fairly straightforward - Aquaman searching for the problem, getting past the obstacles without hurting innocents and then... well, I'm not really sure what that last panel represents. I guess I'll find out next week.
• Justice League #15 - Oh joy, more time travel shenanigans. With people's history being wiped or about to be wiped depending on the view. And some other bits from previous issues brought back to confuse us more. And a new character - a timeless watcher - who immediately made me think "the ultimate Mary Sue" before I clamped down on that. The next few issues are going to have to work hard to get me to like this story, I think.
• Green Lanterns #17 - Ah, the development I was hoping/waiting for happened. I mean, it was kind of telegraphed from the start, but Simon could have gone a different way with it. Overcoming great fear was interesting - both Jessica and Simon have had to deal with it, in entirely contrasting situations. Eh, this was a decent issue.
• Teen Titans Go #20 - Two stories, as usual - one about bad love poetry and the other about spring break. I liked the Aqualad appearance in the spring break story. I also like the appearance of Aquaman and Mera on the cover, although they are obscured by the title on the finished book.
• Doctor Strange #17 - Not a big fan of the artwork here, although it works well enough for this type of story. The underlying concept of Mr. Misery using Wong to find how to hurt Stephen the most is brutal. A good issue, with a very *ahem* strange guest-star at the end. Next issue is going to be odd.
• Doctor Who 10th #3.2 - Ah, more mental control fighting. At least we didn't spend another entire issue inside the illusion - just most of it. And I'm amused by what it looks like from the outside when they break free. It's another ok issue, but nothing to write home about. Barely enough to blog about.
• Forever War #1 - Confession time. I've never read the book. It's in my to-read pile, and has been for some time, but I've not actually gotten to it yet. So this comic book is going to be my first experience with this story. So far, so-so. It's a standard "training" story, in which everything is brutal and people die in horrible ways. Just as we get to where the action apparently is, the book ends. But hey, it's a comic book - that's sadly normal.
• Feb 22nd
• Batman Beyond #5 - Lots of revelations in this one, including the fact that Terminal attracted entirely the wrong kind of attention by claiming he was going to bring the Joker back. It's a pretty intense issue, with lots of action to back up the revelations. But it's enough to make me wonder about all the timelines and the odd changing and crossing of them.
• Batman '66 Meets Wonder Woman '77 #2 - With Bruce successfully fighting both Nazis and assassins as a child, no wonder (pun not intended) he becomes a hero in the future. I loved the classic Wonder Woman story, but I'm curious to see how Batman can bring in the modern, or at least the 1966 version, of Wonder Woman into the tail. The timing of everything is more than a little confusing.
• Future Quest #10 - Now that they've got all the pieces of the puzzle together, the only thing that remains is to figure out how they fit and then - boom, battle the evil and save the world. I'm really enjoying how each character gets enough time for us to learn what their strengths and powers are, and how they relate to the current crisis. It's a pretty good series for something based on old children's cartoons that weren't really meant to stand the test of time.
• Scooby-Doo Team-Up #23 - I'll admit to being not very familiar with Quick Draw McGraw and El-Kabong, but it's not hard to pick it up from context. In fact, it would be terribly difficult to not pick it up. This was pure silliness all the way through, and it worked. I admit to rolling my eyes and giggling at the same time.
• Astro City #41 - A beautiful story. There's a touch of the ongoing thread in there, just enough to make the reader say, "wha-?" but not so much that the story is ruined or strained by it. The explanation of why the city was renamed is very nice in context. It's clear that heroes are never as well treated as they could be, but that's because the public is fickle and sometimes cannot understand the reasons for certain things that happen. I like the way this book forces me to think.
• Star Trek/Green Lantern V2 #3 - Manhunters who haven't betrayed their programming yet? And Sinestro leaving Larfleeze as a Lord of Klingons? I'm just not sure how this is likely to turn out, but in combination with the newest Red Lantern, things are not looking good for the side of the light.
• Back To The Future #17 - Marty and Doc have to find a way to short-circuit the past, and so they go to the start of their problems to make things right again. And, as is often the case, leave their enemy better off than before. A nice conclusion to this story. If it is the conclusion.
• Dirk Gently: Salmon of Doubt #5 - Well, this issue explains quite a bit about Bart, actually. If her powers are disrupted, she can be "aimed" in the wrong direction - which is what happened in the tv series. And it was all due to a friend of Dirk saying the wrong words at the right moment. Or the right words at the wrong moment. Hard to tell. This is getting really strange, which is saying a lot when referring to Dirk Gently. I do believe Douglas Adams would approve.
• Doctor Who 3rd #5 - A typically quick finish to the story, as technology overrides everything. I love seeing Jo successfully explain the Doctor and friends to a lady in the past. All throughout, fun stuff. I could hear Jon Pertwee and the others saying their lines. The ending was a neat little way of keeping the universe insane. All-in-all, a good book and a good storyline.
• Rough Riders: On The Storm #1 - It's a pull-the-team-back-together issue, and as such has only a little action worth talking about. Edison's train car and method of bringing people on board being the main one of note, along with the recruitment of Monk.

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 7th
• Aquaman #12 - Things going from bad to worse... this is the kind of comic that just works because it's hard to imagine any good solution. And yet, we know because of the nature of the comic book business that it's going to work out somehow. It may not be perfect, because the comic book companies aren't resetting every storyline to status quo any more, but it's going to be ok somehow. Still... hard to see how with all the horrible things that fall on our hero in this issue.
• Green Lanterns #12 - This issue didn't really move the plot along much. The Phantom Lantern tries to control himself while Jessica makes some points that Simon didn't think of... otherwise, not much going on in here.
• Justice League #10 - It's even worse than I thought. Super-duper magic code wasn't even being used by sad husband, it was a mistake. I just about threw the book across the room in disgust. Sorry, no, this just doesn't work at all for me. I almost didn't bother finishing the book, the plot annoys me so much.
• DC Comics Bombshells #20 - I really like this version of Vixen. That said, the ending of this issue with the robotic animals confused me. I'm not sure how they fit into the story. I may need to reread - too bad there's no Mera to make me want to reread.
• Batman '66 Meets Steed and Mrs Peel #6 - Surprise twist ending! Well, it should have been a bit of a surprise. In any case, it was a good little ending and reading it so soon after the death of Adam West, I felt a lot of sad nostalgia at that very last page when he gets a reward. This was a fun book.
• Wonder Woman '77 and Bionic Woman #1 - I watched both shows as a little girl, and yes, they were my heroes. That said, I remember very little about the Bionic Woman except the intro and the bionic sound effect. I was very amused to see the sound effect in the comic. I was also amused that Jamie recognized Diana so quickly. There's an implication there that the men just aren't looking closely. Ha. Fun start.
• Spider-Man 2099 #18 - Oooh, a bad situation getting worse. But at least Tempest woke up. Miguel is already pretty messed up, now he's gotta fight tech geeks turned into zombies? I enjoyed this issue, looking forward to seeing how this all plays out.
• Dirk Gently: Salmon of Doubt #3 - If I hadn't seen the TV show, I'd be mystified by this issue. There are a ton of callbacks to the show and its characters - before the show started. I think I mentioned before that this book seems to be pulling the different versions of the character together in a holistic way... which is only natural. I'm just worried about Bernice now. I wouldn't want my cat to be in that situation.
• Dec 14th
• DC Rebirth Holiday Special #1 - Ah, reading a Christmas special on a hot and muggy day in June. Gotta love it. This is an anthology, and like all anthologies it was slightly uneven. The framing story was Harley Quinn throwing a big party - and that was fairly amusing. I liked the Titans story the most, since it involved Garth, with maybe the Wonder Woman/Constantine story coming in second. None of the tales were bad, but some were certainly weaker than others. Overall, a decent package for the holiday. Hrm... now I'm feeling a bit chilly. Strange.
• Earth 2 Society #19 - I really don't know if I like that a sacrifice was apparently made in vain. Yes, a great world - with an underground freedom force trying to break the control of a central power. I feel like Fury's efforts were for nothing, which kind of defeats the purpose of the last few issues. Maybe. I'll wait and see, but I don't like the direction this is going.
• Scooby Apocalypse #8 - So this adds more to the mystery - what did happen in the hospital? Obviously, something was going on that made no sense from Velma's point of view, but Daphne, Shaggy and Scooby clearly saw it. So does that mean the nanites did something even more strange than Velma believed possible? What, exactly, did the Four accomplish? And did the group grab enough supplies before they went looking for the victim that they are ok for the moment? The book kind of cut to the action, there, but I hope they packed up some supplies in the Mystery Machine while they had the chance (thinking too hard about a silly book).
• Spongebob Comics #63 - Oh yeah! A Mermaid Man tale featuring Mermaid Girl! And a mystery! And a one-armed shark! And a back cover by Ramona Fradon! I love when they pay tribute to classic comics with these stories, even though Mermaid Man is really a bad joke in all of them. He's still fun enough to enjoy. Anyway, this is part one of two, and Sandy, of all characters, is trying to find out who Mermaid Girl really was. I'm actually looking forward to the next issue. The rest of the stories in the book were amusing - nothing special. The back cover is fantastic.

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 2nd
• Aquaman #10 - So Mera is the focus of a nasty prophecy, huh? Why am I not surprised. I love that she's questioning herself and her relationship with Arthur while at the same time determined to make it work. I also love the return of Joanna, who is sharing intel with Mera on multiple levels. This issue fit together nicely, with Mera's thoughts on each problem she's facing and the whole monitoring by N.E.M.O., which is a stupid name but Aquaman comics have a history of secret organizations with stupid names. Again, I want to read ahead to see what happens next.
• Batman '66 Meets Steed and Mrs Peel #5 - I loved both Robin's bluff and Batman getting Mrs. Peel to use his utility belt. Fortunate that the stronger member of each team was able to hold on to both the trap door and their partner. I don't really have much more to say about this except that it was a fun read.
• DC Comics Bombshells #19 - A big ol' story about the Bat girls, along with the origin of Two-Face. It's not bad, but it's not the part of the DC Bombshells Universe I'm interested in, so for me it was just average. Let's see more Mera.
• Green Lanterns #10 - So the ring is taken and now what? Is this going to be a good villain, or someone annoying? Will the Phantom Ring get destroyed by the end of the storyarc, or will this be a new status quo of the DCU? There were a couple of good moments in this issue, including Jessica connecting with the girl she saved. But mostly it was just an average issue.
• Justice League #8 - I'm not finding this book terribly inspiring. First of all, there's the sadness over a single person being killed. It's unrealistic that only one person died in all that - during the event hundreds of people around the world would have had heart attacks or whatever and died of natural causes... we saw that with the Seattle earthquake. There was a single death during the earthquake, but it could never be determined if it was due to stress from the quake or would have happened anyway. This kind of thing would be the same. It would literally be a miracle if only one person died. Then there's the hack. I'm not sure what could hack a green lantern ring, but if it turns out to be the dad/husband taking revenge from his garage I'll just be rolling my eyes for the next few issues. This isn't a *bad* book, despite my nits, but I'm not finding it to be terribly great.
• Spider-Man 2099 #17 - This feels like it's getting back to a storyline I can understand and enjoy, instead of a storyline that makes my head really hurt. Miguel is definitely being stupid, as there are people he can call in, and he even knows it. If he hadn't acknowledged it... well, it would have weakened the story. So I'm happy with this book again, for the moment. Let's see how long that lasts.
• Rough Riders #7 - I love Roosevelt taking his revenge on the other gentlemen at the end of the story, but I'm not sure about the Annie and Edison twist. This has been a fun book, and I *think* we ordered all the upcoming issues, so I hope to be reading more about these characters in the future.
• Nov 9th
• Earth 2 Society #18 - While it wasn't hard to figure out that the world was reforming, I wasn't sure why the wonders were being attacked while in it. I'm still not sure why they were being attacked, except that maybe they didn't fit into the world that Fury imagined? I'll just have to keep reading to find out.
• Scooby Apocalypse #7 - Finally out of the Mall-Mart, but the crew has lost Scooby. At least there wasn't an annoying Scrappy back-up in this issue. Scooby again shows that he's made of sterner stuff than is apparent on the surface and Velma shows a little bit of humanity, then quickly loses it again. I really am enjoying this book despite the very strange take on old favorite characters.
• Back To The Future #14 - Of course someone would prey on Marty's confusion about multiple timelines. And of course he'd use the time machine. And ... wait, are those multiple Martys? How did they get convinced to do the bad guy's dirty work?
• Dirk Gently: Salmon of Doubt #2 - That got really bizarre really fast. I'm not sure, but I think this issue is explaining why there are multiple versions of Dirk. I really don't know what to make of it, but hopefully it'll pull together more once we get further into it. I love Sally's talk with young Dirk.
• Spongebob Comics #62 - A Mermaid Man movie called "Clash of the Sandals"? Oh dear. Other than that, not much Mermaid Man action in this one. The first story, with Squidward, Patrick and SpongeBob trapped in a museum, was amusing, though I kept expecting it to turn into Night at the Museum. Other stories were fun, in the usual SpongeBob way. A good little book for fans.

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:

• Oct 5th
• Aquaman #8 - That opening splash page made me laugh out loud. Of course the trials Mera is going to be put through would involve snarky old widows. And when the Seneschal mentions that it takes months... I felt an unjust mirth. I wonder how Mera and Arthur are going to get out of this nonsense? Oh, and the rest of the issue... unstoppable foe, blah blah, fought the Justice League to a standstill, yeah... Interesting and obnoxious of Manta to pick that particular place as the target. Looking forward to the next issue.
• Justice League #6 - I like that Jessica is the one who recovers first from a fear wave - it makes a lot of sense considering what she has to deal with just to get out the door every morning. The rest of the issue was set-up for whatever's coming next. I'm a little sad to see Barry and Jessica's date going so horribly wrong, but combined with Superman's comment, it's clear that there's a lot more to this than their default personalities. I wonder how Aquaman is being affected? Hopefully it's not something ridiculously stupid.
• Green Lanterns #8 - Halloween events, just to remind me again how far behind I am in reviewing. Jessica and Simon really do make a good team. Two people learning about each other and dealing with a hostile world. I'm not sure what I think about this new Guardian or this Phantom Ring, but I guess we'll figure that out as more people and things come to try to get it. The Dominators were remarkably non-sinister for Dominators. The kids watching the fight were cute, but part of me was sure one of them was going to get a life-scarring injury.
• DC Comics Bombshells #18 - I was really not expecting that solution, although I absolutely love it. Why can't Hila and Mera reconcile? And the concept - that it was Nereus who drove her around the bend, was perfect. I didn't get at first that the ancient armor was going to explode, but it worked as a motive to move Atlantis and thus be ready for the refugees. I loved seeing Mera at her full power, reigning with her sister's approval. I would like to see more of Hila/Siren in the future as well (and have I mentioned how much I like that someone actually went to the Silver Age books and found the true name of Mera's sister and put it in a modern book? THANK YOU!). I adore this comic book, and I adore these version of the great DC characters.
• Batman '66 Meets Steed and Mrs Peel #4 - Off to jolly ol' England after first failing to stop the bad guys in the air... I like Robin's ability to improvise and come up with an EMP literally on the fly. I also thought Emma's figuring out Batman's secret identity is very much a Mrs. Peel kind of thing to do. She's just brilliant in every other way, so of course she'd figure that out. As soon as someone mentioned security upgrades at the tower I figured out what had happened, so the ending wasn't much of a surprise - although the whole anti-oil twist was funny.
• Future Quest #5 - I'm not even sure where to start with this one. There are two stories in the book, and both of them are good. The first is a continuation of the regular book, with the introduction of Mi-Tor. The second... are these new characters or did they exist and I just missed them? (quick Google later - wow, I just really missed them). Ok, I'm learning more about old Hanna-Barbera cartoons than I even expected to know.
• Doctor Strange #12 - Ok, the first villain I know, since I was reading the book when it was introduced in its current form, but I admit I know very little about Mordo except that he's a big bad. This issue is a little hard to follow - I'm beginning to realize the artwork isn't all that great at storytelling and needs a little more support from the writer. It's not a bad book, it's just not as good as it ought to be.
• Spider-Man 2099 #16 - I like that Miguel sort of figures everything out... it didn't make a lot of sense until the Skrull revelation, and at that point - well, fun to get everything out in the open. I also liked the appearance of Deadpool 2099 at the end. Ha.
• Doctor Who 9th #6 - Captain Jack and Sergeant Benton. I love it. The continuing joke about the timeline (aka "when did the UNIT stories take place?") is hilarious to me, although it should already be getting old. I like that this story takes place after the previous one with the Doctor and crew chasing down a gargoyle. The introduction of a new monster that interacts for a moment with the "old" monster is also nicely done. I'm enjoying this one.
• Rough Riders #6 - Of all the things that I expected to happen in this book, that was not one of them. I suspect it's a mental fakeout of some kind, but beyond that I cannot tell what is going on. I'm curious to read more. Incidentally, just after reading this issue I read something else that referred to Roosevelt losing his wife and mother on the same day in the same house - synchronicity.
• Oct 12th
• Earth 2 Society #17 - So the world has been remade, perhaps? But the wonders are showing up in a phantom version of their old earth, and Lois the robot is hearing a strange countdown. I suspect they are in-between realities, but that's just my guess, because I'm not sure where the Sandmen are coming from if that's the case.
• Teen Titans Go #18 - I'm not a huge fan of this book, finding it mildly amusing most of the time - but then, I'm not the target audience most of the time. This time, I feel like the book aimed itself right at me. The original Teen Titans animated series shout out had me giggling, especially at the too true language. The other versions of television Titans were also really fun, but obviously the appearance of classic Aqualad was a delight for me. Definitely an issue any fan of any version of the Titans ought to pick up.
• Scooby Apocalypse #6 - And now we know. The life history of Velma is laid out for us, including why she's so anti-social. A ton of emotional abuse combined with a brilliant mind. It's a little cliche, but interesting that her brothers are the ones who end up taking advantage of her. And interesting that she realizes what she's done too late to fix it. I just feel sorry for Scooby, who clearly wanted to provide some support to her but doesn't know how to reach her. Meanwhile, in the backup tale, I just want that thing to go away. I think it shows in how much every single person in my generation hates Scrappy-Doo that he's become the main villain whenever he shows up anymore. At least in this version he makes a sort of annoying sense.
• Dirk Gently: Salmon of Doubt #1 - So Dirk's having memories of things that didn't happen, which is definitely a problem, especially when his girl is apparently crossing dimensions and his cat has been captured by a troll. The cover to my copy shows the tv version alongside the comic book adult version and the comic book child version. Fascinating. Is this series going to somehow meld them all together?
• Spongebob Comics #61 - Halloween in Bikini Bottom, and Patrick shows innate kindness that rewards him handsomely when our main characters cross a witch. A fun little issue with several fun stories, but needs some Mermaid Man.
• Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #6 - Although Van Sciver is not drawing every issue, I've decided to completely drop this book from my reading list due to his involvement in it. I apologize to the other creators on the book, but I cannot support a man who tells a fan to kill himself.

A Sunday Review

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

• Jun 29th
• Doctor Who 9th #3 - A nice wrap up to an ok story, as Rose's kindness makes an unexpected impact on someone that normally wouldn't have been inclined to be "good". Overall, I am enjoying this series - it catches the feel of the Ninth Doctor's era. But man, I wish we'd had more of the Ninth Doctor on the TV screen.
• Doctor Who 12th #2.7 - If you see George Mann's name on the cover, the story is likely to be good. Certainly this issue lives up to the hope, with the Doctor meeting a new race of beings and discovering a horrible secret behind a colony that has no clue about its past. I can't help but think that, with the Doctor involved, everyone will know the truth before this arc ends.
• Dirk Gently: A Spoon Too Short #5 - And that's the conclusion to this storyline, with a bit of romp and circumstance left as Dirk solves the mystery by setting people up with each other. I'm slowly, slowly warming to Dirk and his universe. It helps that Eric sat me down to watch the new TV series, which is set in Seattle. I noticed some tie-ins between this and the tv show, which is interesting. I may have to go back and read the original book again. It's been a couple of decades since I read it last.
• Jul 6th
• Aquaman #2 - A cycle of hate caused by Manta, but perpetuated by Aquaman, and now - ended? I doubt it. There's too much history there for this to be it, but Manta's life has been laid out as one devoid of anything but revenge many times. Interestingly, he's also been an orphan who didn't know his parents, so this take on his history - where his revenge is due to Aquaman killing his father - is newish. Manta's original motive was apparently to create a homeland for rejected people by taking over Atlantis, which is a strange way to go about it. I feel a "many faces of Manta" essay coming on. I should probably get researching.
• Justice League Rebirth #1 - The Justice League faces off against an invasion, with each member of the team bringing their special abilities to bear on the problem. Knowing there is some messes in this universe, including the death of Superman and the existence of another Superman from another universe, this issue attempts to clear up the mess and make everything fit while also telling a bit of a tale of an alien invasion. I enjoyed Aquaman's role, which included getting information from the alien about the goal of the invasion and sending the Justice League's answer.
• Green Lanterns #2 - I initially didn't like Jessica much, but she's growing on me. Especially since I've experienced crippling anxiety myself and realize just how real and horrible it is. Simon was always a cool character, but I found him to be a bit annoying and snooty in this issue. The interaction between the two that's being set up is going to be a fascinating study in writing - with lots of potential pitfalls all through. I'm curious to see if this book can live up to its potential. That said, I dislike the Red Lanterns quite a bit, so I'm not exactly a fan of this first threat. I guess I'll wait and see.
• Batman Beyond #14 - A neat way to reset Terry's existence in this universe. I don't know what I'm hoping will happen, but there's so many different ways this tale could go in this post-apocalyptic world. I do love the fact that Matt and Tim are hitting it off and becoming allies, if not friends. I also like the way Matt was eyeing the Robin costume in that one panel - hmmmm. I know most people have already read far ahead and know what will happen, but I'm just getting this done and I'm liking it so far.
• Adventures of Supergirl #5 - More of Kara's past comes a-haunting her. I like the show, and the relationship between the characters is faithfully portrayed in this book. I'm finding it a good read, and Facet is an exciting new baddie. The glimpses into Krypton's history are a bit distracting, though, since I find it hard to believe a civilization that advanced didn't have a lot of people in other star systems at the time of destruction, if not colonies. It makes the whole Superman story a little more odd if a civilization that was starfaring and had good relations with its neighbors wasn't more spread out.
• Batman '66 Meets the Steed and Mrs Peel #1 - While I've seen a lot of the Avengers, I've seen little of the cybernauts - but even I knew the significance of United Automation. It's also not difficult to figure out who is controlling them, based on that knowledge. But that's not the fun of the book - the fun is seeing these classic characters interact. Seeing their reactions to one another was great, and this promises to be a fun book regardless of how the plot goes.
• Spider-Man 2099 #12 - Time travel paradoxes make my head hurt, and this entire book is just a whole bunch of paradoxes wrapped up in a revenge plot. With Miguel making trips to different potential futures, and the future promising to visit the past, this story is mildly difficult to follow - and only promises to get more difficult in the future. Or the past. Or something.