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 7th
• Justice League #11 - The art is good, but the story continues to disappoint me. Oh, there are some good twists and turns in this one, but I'm actually really tired of stories that go on too long with repeated failures on the part of the heroes that seem fabricated to extend the story instead of tell a rollicking good tale. And this one just doesn't have enough rollick for me. The art is lovely, but I wish the crossover had ended in this issue.
• Green Lantern #1 - Another good art, story weak, book for me. I love the art. But I've never been a fan of cosmic stories in DC or Marvel, and this just isn't my thing. At least it's better than the last GL book.
• Doctor Strange #7 - I'm not really sure if I enjoyed it or not. I mean, it moved the story along and the ghost dog is keeping me from being completely bored, but it wasn't really fantastic. I guess I'll just keep reading and see if it gets more interesting.
• The Wrong Earth #3 - I wonder if Dragonflyman is worried about what his counterpart is up to, or if the culture shock has kept him from that particular horror yet. As usual, an extremely good issue with lots of stuff, including a back-up story featuring Stinger and three text pieces that were all decent.


• Nov 14th
• Plastic Man #6 - That's just such a Plastic Man way of solving the problem that I can hardly believe no one had already written it in exactly the same way. I mean, it just works for him. And he even managed to get his head out of his... um... posterior by the end of the book as well. Good stuff.
• Scooby Apocalypse #31 - Ouch. This whole book has been insane from the start, but now that Fred is sort of back, it's just kicked up a notch. Add in that we know who is talking to Scrappy now, and it's almost too much. I'm really eager to see how this whole story ends. At least Scooby is able to still be Scooby despite his improvement to his implants.
• Fantastic Four #3 - Well, that was interesting. If the enemy cannot be defeated, delay it? I was amused by all the cameos in this one, particularly the "non-canon" ones. Overall, an excellent little issue with lots of fun stuff happening.
• Captain Ginger #2 - This one ended too soon for me. I wanted to keep reading. The structure of the ship and the feline societies on it are fascinating. I want to see how they are going to solve these problems. The Hashtag: Danger backup was ok, but even goofier than I like. The text pieces, two stories and an interview, were also great. Another solid package.
• Ripley's Believe It or Not! # - Of the five main stories this issue presents, I was familiar with four of them. So, again, this wasn't all new to me. On the other hand, the presentation is SO good, and the stories so compelling, that I didn't mind reading again about some of those odd tales. This is a great book for anyone interested in the strange, and would be a lovely introduction to the world of Fortean phenomena. I recommend giving it to every child in your life.
• Dr Horrible: Best Friends Forever one-shot - Wow, whew. Ok, that was not entirely what I was expecting. On the other hand, it was funny and touching and worked well for what it was worth. You don't even have to be particularly familiar with the original Dr. Horrible to understand it, although it helps.

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 10th
• Plastic Man #5 - Greatest cover ever. And the first page summary confirms what I thought I knew about the previous issues. Of course, that's all turned upside-over on the next page, but what do you expect from Plastic Man. This is a fun issue that sort of pushes a reset button. Now how can this all get wrapped up in one final issue?
• Scooby Apocalypse #30 - Of all the changes in characters, the one that I can't abide is Scooby becoming eloquent? Ok, right, that's just strange beyond any normal level of strangeness. As for Daphne, this doesn't look good for her. And what is going on with Scrappy? Who has he been obeying all this time?
• The Wrong Earth #2 - Wow. This is way better than I was expecting for a second issue. I honestly expected the hero to wonder what happened, not to figure it out immediately and then work out how to deal with it - but it makes perfect sense. This is a very smart hero in both universes. The pathos of Dragonfly while talking to Stinger was great. And Dragonflyman showed he's more sinister than he lets on. Three good single-page text tales, a fun little back-up comic... almost too much to handle. Well worth checking out.
• SpongeBob Comics #85 - A typical issue. I liked the opening story, in which Sandy solves a problem she couldn't have known existed. Otherwise, just the usual fun.


• Oct 17th
• Justice League #10 - Ah. An Aquaman-heavy issue. I'm still not in the least bit interested in the overall arc, but there's a handful of interesting bits in this, including the history of Arion. The art is very nice. Of course, it's the start of another crossover, which is annoying, but that's what you get if you read comic books.
• Aquaman #41 - Following on directly from the Justice League story, this is all about Mera handling her second big crisis as Queen (if you count the Suicide Squad and their nuke as the first). There's a lot of set-up in here, but it's done as the story progresses, which makes it nicely readable. Mera comes across as determined, smart, and strong. Right up until the final pages, at which point I'm questioning her judgement. I'm not sure about this crossover, but I'm interested in what happens to Mera.
• Green Lanterns #57 - Oh thank goodness. It ended.
• Shuri #1 - I literally know NOTHING about Black Panther beyond the movie. It's not a character I ever found interesting. But after seeing the movie, Shuri was someone I wanted to know better. And so we ordered this series. Bonus was the author, whose other work I like. So, it's a solid little first issue with enough context given in the usual Marvel ways that I understood what was happening. I do wonder about the situation with T'Challa and his buddy, though. This ought to be a fun ride.
• Archie 1941 #2 - I want to like this, but it's moving WAY too slow for my tastes. I mean, it's only five issues and Archie finally bothers to enlist at the END of the second issue? I'm just not sure what to think.
• Captain Ginger #1 - I didn't know what to expect with this, except cats. In space. And that's what I got. Lots of cats in space, dealing with the death of their feeders and in a war with a mysterious species. It's a strange story and definitely caught my imagination. Like all Ahoy comics, it's a bulging package, with text tales and interviews and extras. Definitely worth checking out if you like cats and/or space adventure.

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:

• Sep 12th
• Plastic Man #4 - I'm pretty confused by this book, but I'm still enjoying it. How is that possible? The Aquaman hot dogs made me laugh out loud... I suppose it's the quality of the jokes despite the story being a bit opaque.
• Suicide Squad #46 - Yay, villains with morals taking on nasty bad guys! Mera asserting her authority! King Shark making jokes about eating crocodile! And I haven't even mentioned Harley Quinn's nonsense! Another solid issue in a goofy crossover.
• Scooby Apocalypse #29 - Did we just see Fred Jones become a big bad? This has set up quite a serious moral dilemma for Daphne. Still not my childhood Scooby, but still an interesting Elseworlds version of it.
• The Wrong Earth #1 - I rarely complain that a comic book has too much content, but this comic book has too much content! A main story, a back-up, a letter column, two creator Q&As, a short story by Grant Morrison, and even a one-pager comic. And all of it good. The main story's high concept - of a superhero from an Adam West Batman type world changing places with his counterpart from a much darker world - is fantastic, and nicely realized. I'm looking forward to reading more.
• Archie 1941 #1 - Huh. Pretty much all set-up, and really depressing set-up at that. Good art, but man, this was a bummer to read.
• SpongeBob Comics #84 - Not much to say on this one. Typical issue, overall. I really liked the Ocean Facts piece on barnacles, because, while I knew what barnacles are intellectually, seeing the imagery with the simple description helped me actually understand what they are. It's always good to learn new stuff.
• Mystery Science Theater 3000 #1 - I'm not a huge MST3K fan, and so I was somewhat unfamiliar with the cast of this issue - but at least I know who Tom Servo is and found his role in this to be hilarious. Moving the snark from movies to comics is a fun idea, but I'm not sure they'll be able to sustain the momentum for a full six issues. I guess I'll have to read and see.


• Sep 19th
• Aquaman #40 - Harley is just so good in this. Ridiculous and yet compassionate when she has to be. Cruel but silly. No wonder she's become so popular. As for the rest... poor Carl. And Waller is just the woman she's supposed to be. I like the conversation at the end between the two "queens". Ha. Good stuff.
• Justice League #8 - Still completely crap, but there's some nice Black Manta characterization, so it wasn't a complete waste.
• Green Lanterns #55 - Nope. I just... no. I don't buy it on any level. Not impressed.
• Teen Titans Go #30 - Note to self: never play word games with Raven. This was a fun issue with two amusing stories, including one about going to great lengths to make a vegan burrito. A good issue.
• Doctor Strange #5 - Huh. So now we know who the narrator is, and everything about the stupid use of language makes more sense. Still not feeling it, much, but it's an interesting twist I honestly didn't see coming.
• Usagi Yojimbo: The Hidden #6 - This is just excellent. So tightly plotted, such an interesting plot, bits of history woven into the tale. It's fantastic. I finished this issue and nearly dove into my stack to read the next (and final) issue right away. Usagi Yojimbo is consistently the best comic book available. This storyline is no exception.

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:

• Aug 1st
• Justice League #5 - I don't have anything nice to say about this tale, so I'll just move on to the next book.
• Green Lanterns #52 - Can't they give Baz a break? I mean, seriously. All this mind-game stuff is getting old.
• Prisoner #4 - Well. Huh. I'm not really sure what to make of it. But then, that's the trick with any Prisoner story - it can't be obvious and it must have multiple ways of interpreting it. So the fact that it ended, if not neatly, at least with a solution of sorts... well, is that what I want or expect? Fun idea of what "Number One" is, though. I think I liked it. Or did I? Maybe I just didn't understand it.


• Aug 8th
• Plastic Man #3 - I'm not sure I'd be willing to trust Plastic Man's witness protection program. Still. This is fun, but a little scattered. Huh. Kind of like Plastic Man himself.
• Suicide Squad #45 - I swear that Harley is really all about breaking the fourth-wall. She's the saving grace of this book, with her snark and sensitivity. As for the story, yeah, it seemed like an obvious slant to the plot at the end there. I hope I picked up everything in this crossover.
• Scooby Apocalypse #28 - So, the story has been telegraphing that final panel since the events that Daphne is so sensitive about, but we're still no closer to figuring out exactly what it means. This isn't the Scooby I grew up with, but I still enjoy it for what it is.
• SpongeBob Comics #83 - Fairly standard issue, with an emphasis on Plankton, who is not a favorite of mine.

A Sunday Comic Books Review

I'm almost a year behind!!!

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

• Jul 4th
• Justice League #3 - I want to say it's a bad sign when I like the Snickers ad on the inside back cover more than the story in the book.
• Green Lanterns #50 - All the lanterns, all the events, all the stuff... not much of a plot yet. I'm left a bit cold. I guess I want my stories to have more meat on them.
• Doctor Strange #3 - Hm. Ok, that was pretty good, I'll admit. A decent goal, necessary deceit, and a bit of pathos. Not bad. I'm still not in favor of cosmic stuff, but the appearance of the dog at the end was nice.


• Jul 11th
• Plastic Man #2 - It may be that I read the first issue several months ago, but I'm a wee bit confused by this one. Ok, it's funny, but confusing.
• Scooby Apocalypse #27 - Scrappy is reintroduced, and he's as annoying as always. But since he's not being all "puppy power!" I'll let it pass and just ignore him. Overall, a strange issue.
• SpongeBob Comics #82 - Nothing of note in this one, beyond the usual fun. As always, if you like SpongeBob, you'll enjoy this book. Otherwise you'd best avoid it.