A four-day weekend, and I see it as the perfect opportunity to get through my immense stack of comics. Even putting aside series that could suffer their own liveblog because I'm so late with them, graphic novels, sundry trades and books I've given up on with a couple issues lying fallow, I still make it out to be well over 100 comics. Gah! That got away from me fast!
But Siskoid, wouldn't it be faster if you didn't Liveblog them? Why yes, pesky voice inside my computer, but Liveblogging gives me a MOTIVATION.
Added difficulty: It's Easter weekend, and I also have to do Easterly things, like clean up the appartment, eat copiously, have friends over for mucho Guitar Hero, craft some Doctor Who cards, cripes! WATCH THE NEW DOCTOR WHO SPECIAL and take care of the usual blogging. So consider the post live and open until I actually go to bed, but there may be large gaps as my so-called real life intrudes.
Let's start with the least anticipated book of the post-Final Crisis season...
Flash: Rebirth #1: It may be fitting to start Easter Weekend with a resurrection story, and you know, once you get past the politics of it (i.e. that you considered Barry Allen's death "permanent"), it's not a bad one. I liked Flash's reflections on his fellow heroes and on how the world has changed, I liked the Rogues' reactions, I liked the Black Flash stuff, I liked the nods and winks at continuity, and I'm a total sucker for a Flash of Two Worlds homage:
So while not mind-blowing, I'm ready to add the word "yet" to that phrase. On the Power Girl preview... Fun art, but nothing to really make me care.
Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade #4: I just now noticed this was a 6-issue mini-series. Boooo. And this one has it all too. Supergirl blowing her secret identity in front of Lena Luthor, evil Streaky the Supercat, a Doctor Who reference... This one deserves to be ongoing!
Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade #5: Graduation Day Part I has a nice mirror/Bizarro cover to match Supergirl #1, Streaky the Super-Saber-Toothed Tiger, Comet the Super-Horse, a Legionnaire Supragirl, Supergirl's classmates being turned into Bizarros, and the evil principal is WHO?!? Can I already start hoping for Cosmic Adventures in the 9th Grade?
Supergirl #39: In actual continuity, Supergirl's after Superwoman who's working with Reactron. It's the continuation of the New Krypton storyline, which I'm enjoying. Bit of a slow chapter.
Superman #686: So like Action Comics, Superman ALSO doesn't feature Superman. So much for what it says on the tin. Well, he's there, but in a series of flashbacks where he sets up Mon-El's new life as Metropolis' protector. James Robinson has always been good at creating a life for the environment, and that's what he does for Superman's hometown here. Seeing Bibbo again fills me with delight, as does the idea that Steel is the city's anti-Luthor now.
Superman: World of New Krypton #2: And Robinson does the same thing with New Krypton. There's a Labour Guild revolution brewing and while Superman - sorry, Commander El - runs his military unit as he sees fit against thought beasts, how is he going to fare against revolutionaries he agrees with? WNK takes Superman into uncharted territory, and yet he's still himself. Maybe those 15 Superman-less months aren't going to be that painful.
Tiny Titans #14: Features a product for The Aquaman Shrine.
Charming as always. Especially the chocolate cake recipes.
Green Lantern #39: The Orange Lanterns make their arrival known. I love the "War of Light" arc, and Johns does a good job of giving the emotional spectrum an allegorical bent (Hope is nothing without Will, so of course the Blue Lanterns can't do a blasted thing with out a Green Lantern around). I do think the art's a little confusing at times, especially when alien anatomy is so radically different. Not always sure who or what I'm looking at sometimes. Pretty though.
Invincible Iron Man #12: Iron Man vs. Namor. The Controller. Oh my, Madame Masque! Despite the Dark Reign connection, I'm loving this series. Pepper's Iron Maiden helmet does take some getting use to though.
GUITAR HERO BREAK!
Secret Warriors #3: May I just preface by saying the Wolverine Art Appreciation variant covers are totally gratuitous, irrelevant and STUPID, no matter how many Wolverine movies come out this year? Anyway, Secret Warriors? Pretty cool. The Contessa and Dum Dum spare an appearance, and while the Warriors aren't quite up to snuff yet, Nick Fury...
...is frickin' cool.
Frank Castle the Punisher #69: In an effort to pad the trade, I think this thing's just a chapter too long. And this chapter is the padding.
Black Lightning Year One #6: A nice finale, especially BL's narration. Plus, Tobias Whale becomes Tobias Whale (I was worried there for a minute). This is another of those Year One minis that I wish were an ongoing reboot. This is a Jefferson Pierce I could read every month. I really don't care for him in team books, or for his contemporary set-up, for that matter.
Batman: Gotham After Midnight #11: The penultimate chapter takes the battle with Midnight to Gotham historical village. Still great art, though I do think Jones' Catwoman is a little wonky.
Batman Confidential #28: Speaking of great Batman art... The Garcia-Lopez/Nowlan team is one that really should be on a regular Batman book (if they still existed). I still say the King Tut introduction was only okay, but what a great Riddler DeFilippis & Weir have given us!
VERVOID BREAK!
Ok, that was scary... In all the wrong ways...
And now...
Amazing Spider-Man #588: John Romita Jr. draws the HELL out of Spidey's jail break and the ensuing climactic fight with Menace. Pete's last thought: A highlight. So much stuff gets wrapped up, I have to wonder where the series will go next. Thankfully, I'm late enough to have a few more issues to read.
Amazing Spider-Man Extra #3: I still don't know why we need an Extra when the series is already thrice-monthly. So why is the epilogue to the latest story arc NOT in the series proper, for example? That first story by Guggenheim is pretty depressing, to tell you the truth. Joe Kelly's makes me realize that the trademark Osborn hair doesn't work in every art style. Dale Eaglesham's, for example.
Doesn't look normal, does it? As for the Phil Jimenez Kraven Girl story, it's not bad, but largely irrelevant. Sigh.
Amazing Spider-Man #589: Whooo the Spot! I used to have his original appearances in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man, but traded them away for my missing issue of Son of Ambush Bug. I'm not sorry, but I am, y'know? I don't remember him being so violent though. Anyway, cool story by Fred van Lente, with a great nod to the Batman movies. Oh! It's Friday, isn't it? Let's call this the Friday Night Fights portion of our liveblogging.
Amazing Spider-Man #590: So did this adventure in the Macroverse really happen on paper? Or is Slott making it all up? Uatu Protocols, heh. While I don't care much about the Macroverse stuff (except how much Ben Grimm wants to clobber giant lizards with cannons), Slott is actually addressing the fact no one remembers Spider-Man's identity. Looks like Mephisto's spell is wearing thin!
R.E.B.E.L.S. #2: Vril Dox betrays just about every ally he has, and that's just the way I like him. And hey! Is this the first appearance of the 21st-century version of Dawnstar's people? Bedard's surprisingly badass in this thing, and I'm actually excited about Vril freeing all the planets under L.E.G.I.O.N. domination. Unfortunately, his ship looks like a toilet seat. It's not just me, is it?
G.I. Joe #3: The Pit is under siege by Destro's robots, and quite cleverly, they're after G.I. Joe's servers. Meanwhile, Destro and the Baroness are fighting, making me believe we're seeing the origin of their relationship (and Destro's mask?). Never though I'd be excited about a G.I. Joe comic.
G.I. Joe #4: Still a ton of fun.
G.I. Joe Cobra #1: So I thought this one would finally feature Cobra Commander, but no dice. Unless he's Chuckles' meet. And for a while there, I thought our main character would turn out to be IDW's version of Zartan, which would have been really cool. But no, this is Joe story first and foremost, and I have a new favorite G.I. Joe.
G.I. Joe Origins #1: Larry Hama returns to G.I. Joe! Nice stuff too. I loved the initiation episodes of The Unit, and this is basically Duke's and Scarlett's, with Snake Eyes thrown into the mix. And a really creepy former Green Beret who wears part of a Goya painting as a mask.
Brrr.
G.I. Joe Origins #2: Roadblock makes an appearance on his own "try-out". A lot of cool bits, including Snake Eyes' funeral.
G.I. Joe Movie Prequel #1: Duke: So another "origin" story, this time for the movie continuity. I don't know if the movie will be any good, but this adventure starring a pre-Joe Duke is a good special ops comic. I'd read stuff like this on a regular basis, no Cobra needed.
G.I. Joe Movie Prequel #2: Destro: Now if the movie has something to offer, it's Christopher Eccleston as Destro. I AM going to have trouble not thinking of him as Doctor Who if this is how he dresses though:
Destro has some cool tricks and weapons, but the issue's quality drops dramatically if you know how to read French. Wow is there a lot of bad French in this thing! Here's a small sample:
I'm not sure what the first guy is going on about, but the second is saying "Send in the units" in Babel Fish. At best, it's word for word literal translation thanks to the magic of the Internet. At worst, the dialogue is completely incomprehensible. And there's a LOT of it. Entire pages where Destro is the only English speaker. EPIC FAIL!
OK TO BED!!! See ya tomorrow!
But Siskoid, wouldn't it be faster if you didn't Liveblog them? Why yes, pesky voice inside my computer, but Liveblogging gives me a MOTIVATION.
Added difficulty: It's Easter weekend, and I also have to do Easterly things, like clean up the appartment, eat copiously, have friends over for mucho Guitar Hero, craft some Doctor Who cards, cripes! WATCH THE NEW DOCTOR WHO SPECIAL and take care of the usual blogging. So consider the post live and open until I actually go to bed, but there may be large gaps as my so-called real life intrudes.
Let's start with the least anticipated book of the post-Final Crisis season...
Flash: Rebirth #1: It may be fitting to start Easter Weekend with a resurrection story, and you know, once you get past the politics of it (i.e. that you considered Barry Allen's death "permanent"), it's not a bad one. I liked Flash's reflections on his fellow heroes and on how the world has changed, I liked the Rogues' reactions, I liked the Black Flash stuff, I liked the nods and winks at continuity, and I'm a total sucker for a Flash of Two Worlds homage:
So while not mind-blowing, I'm ready to add the word "yet" to that phrase. On the Power Girl preview... Fun art, but nothing to really make me care.Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade #4: I just now noticed this was a 6-issue mini-series. Boooo. And this one has it all too. Supergirl blowing her secret identity in front of Lena Luthor, evil Streaky the Supercat, a Doctor Who reference... This one deserves to be ongoing!
Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade #5: Graduation Day Part I has a nice mirror/Bizarro cover to match Supergirl #1, Streaky the Super-Saber-Toothed Tiger, Comet the Super-Horse, a Legionnaire Supragirl, Supergirl's classmates being turned into Bizarros, and the evil principal is WHO?!? Can I already start hoping for Cosmic Adventures in the 9th Grade?
Supergirl #39: In actual continuity, Supergirl's after Superwoman who's working with Reactron. It's the continuation of the New Krypton storyline, which I'm enjoying. Bit of a slow chapter.
Superman #686: So like Action Comics, Superman ALSO doesn't feature Superman. So much for what it says on the tin. Well, he's there, but in a series of flashbacks where he sets up Mon-El's new life as Metropolis' protector. James Robinson has always been good at creating a life for the environment, and that's what he does for Superman's hometown here. Seeing Bibbo again fills me with delight, as does the idea that Steel is the city's anti-Luthor now.
Superman: World of New Krypton #2: And Robinson does the same thing with New Krypton. There's a Labour Guild revolution brewing and while Superman - sorry, Commander El - runs his military unit as he sees fit against thought beasts, how is he going to fare against revolutionaries he agrees with? WNK takes Superman into uncharted territory, and yet he's still himself. Maybe those 15 Superman-less months aren't going to be that painful.Tiny Titans #14: Features a product for The Aquaman Shrine.
Charming as always. Especially the chocolate cake recipes.Green Lantern #39: The Orange Lanterns make their arrival known. I love the "War of Light" arc, and Johns does a good job of giving the emotional spectrum an allegorical bent (Hope is nothing without Will, so of course the Blue Lanterns can't do a blasted thing with out a Green Lantern around). I do think the art's a little confusing at times, especially when alien anatomy is so radically different. Not always sure who or what I'm looking at sometimes. Pretty though.
Invincible Iron Man #12: Iron Man vs. Namor. The Controller. Oh my, Madame Masque! Despite the Dark Reign connection, I'm loving this series. Pepper's Iron Maiden helmet does take some getting use to though.
GUITAR HERO BREAK!
Secret Warriors #3: May I just preface by saying the Wolverine Art Appreciation variant covers are totally gratuitous, irrelevant and STUPID, no matter how many Wolverine movies come out this year? Anyway, Secret Warriors? Pretty cool. The Contessa and Dum Dum spare an appearance, and while the Warriors aren't quite up to snuff yet, Nick Fury...
...is frickin' cool.Frank Castle the Punisher #69: In an effort to pad the trade, I think this thing's just a chapter too long. And this chapter is the padding.
Black Lightning Year One #6: A nice finale, especially BL's narration. Plus, Tobias Whale becomes Tobias Whale (I was worried there for a minute). This is another of those Year One minis that I wish were an ongoing reboot. This is a Jefferson Pierce I could read every month. I really don't care for him in team books, or for his contemporary set-up, for that matter.
Batman: Gotham After Midnight #11: The penultimate chapter takes the battle with Midnight to Gotham historical village. Still great art, though I do think Jones' Catwoman is a little wonky.
Batman Confidential #28: Speaking of great Batman art... The Garcia-Lopez/Nowlan team is one that really should be on a regular Batman book (if they still existed). I still say the King Tut introduction was only okay, but what a great Riddler DeFilippis & Weir have given us!VERVOID BREAK!
Ok, that was scary... In all the wrong ways...
And now...Amazing Spider-Man #588: John Romita Jr. draws the HELL out of Spidey's jail break and the ensuing climactic fight with Menace. Pete's last thought: A highlight. So much stuff gets wrapped up, I have to wonder where the series will go next. Thankfully, I'm late enough to have a few more issues to read.
Amazing Spider-Man Extra #3: I still don't know why we need an Extra when the series is already thrice-monthly. So why is the epilogue to the latest story arc NOT in the series proper, for example? That first story by Guggenheim is pretty depressing, to tell you the truth. Joe Kelly's makes me realize that the trademark Osborn hair doesn't work in every art style. Dale Eaglesham's, for example.
Doesn't look normal, does it? As for the Phil Jimenez Kraven Girl story, it's not bad, but largely irrelevant. Sigh.Amazing Spider-Man #589: Whooo the Spot! I used to have his original appearances in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man, but traded them away for my missing issue of Son of Ambush Bug. I'm not sorry, but I am, y'know? I don't remember him being so violent though. Anyway, cool story by Fred van Lente, with a great nod to the Batman movies. Oh! It's Friday, isn't it? Let's call this the Friday Night Fights portion of our liveblogging.
Amazing Spider-Man #590: So did this adventure in the Macroverse really happen on paper? Or is Slott making it all up? Uatu Protocols, heh. While I don't care much about the Macroverse stuff (except how much Ben Grimm wants to clobber giant lizards with cannons), Slott is actually addressing the fact no one remembers Spider-Man's identity. Looks like Mephisto's spell is wearing thin!
R.E.B.E.L.S. #2: Vril Dox betrays just about every ally he has, and that's just the way I like him. And hey! Is this the first appearance of the 21st-century version of Dawnstar's people? Bedard's surprisingly badass in this thing, and I'm actually excited about Vril freeing all the planets under L.E.G.I.O.N. domination. Unfortunately, his ship looks like a toilet seat. It's not just me, is it?G.I. Joe #3: The Pit is under siege by Destro's robots, and quite cleverly, they're after G.I. Joe's servers. Meanwhile, Destro and the Baroness are fighting, making me believe we're seeing the origin of their relationship (and Destro's mask?). Never though I'd be excited about a G.I. Joe comic.
G.I. Joe #4: Still a ton of fun.
G.I. Joe Cobra #1: So I thought this one would finally feature Cobra Commander, but no dice. Unless he's Chuckles' meet. And for a while there, I thought our main character would turn out to be IDW's version of Zartan, which would have been really cool. But no, this is Joe story first and foremost, and I have a new favorite G.I. Joe.
G.I. Joe Origins #1: Larry Hama returns to G.I. Joe! Nice stuff too. I loved the initiation episodes of The Unit, and this is basically Duke's and Scarlett's, with Snake Eyes thrown into the mix. And a really creepy former Green Beret who wears part of a Goya painting as a mask.
Brrr.G.I. Joe Origins #2: Roadblock makes an appearance on his own "try-out". A lot of cool bits, including Snake Eyes' funeral.
G.I. Joe Movie Prequel #1: Duke: So another "origin" story, this time for the movie continuity. I don't know if the movie will be any good, but this adventure starring a pre-Joe Duke is a good special ops comic. I'd read stuff like this on a regular basis, no Cobra needed.
G.I. Joe Movie Prequel #2: Destro: Now if the movie has something to offer, it's Christopher Eccleston as Destro. I AM going to have trouble not thinking of him as Doctor Who if this is how he dresses though:
Destro has some cool tricks and weapons, but the issue's quality drops dramatically if you know how to read French. Wow is there a lot of bad French in this thing! Here's a small sample:I'm not sure what the first guy is going on about, but the second is saying "Send in the units" in Babel Fish. At best, it's word for word literal translation thanks to the magic of the Internet. At worst, the dialogue is completely incomprehensible. And there's a LOT of it. Entire pages where Destro is the only English speaker. EPIC FAIL!OK TO BED!!! See ya tomorrow!
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