September 2011

Captain Atom #1

captain-atom-1-coverI’ve been a fan of Captain Atom since the late 80’s reboot of the character and his subsequant runs on Justice League Europe and recently Justice League: Generation Lost. He’s had more than a few ups-and-downs in his career including his unfortunate role as Monarch, that awful golden and red look, and that time he got lost in the WildStorm Universe.

The latest reinterpretation of the Charlton Comics character by writer J.T. Krul is a new version of the character far more like the Watchmen‘s Dr. Manhattan (who was coincidentally created from the Charlton version of Captain Atom) than we’ve seen before.

In the comic Captain Atom’s powers are expanding as he discovers the ability to manipulate molecules outside of himself. Our hero is informed by Dr. Heinrich Megala, the scientist in charge of the project that transformed Nathaniel Adam into a nuclear-powered super-hero, that this ability, which in turn effects his own molecules, could end up killing him.

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Green Lantern Corps #1

green-lantern-corps-1-coverGreen Lantern Corps is the third Green Lantern title to be launched as part of the New 52. The first dealt with Sinestro and Hal Jordan, the second with the Red Lanterns, and the fourth will follow the adventures of Kyle Rayner and… well, I really don’t care about that one. Corps looks to team up Guy Gardner and John Stewart for some cosmic ring slinging.

The issue begins with both Guy and John’s troubles leading normal lives given the fact that they’re publicly known to be super-heroes. Guy is denied a teaching position given that his presence could put students at risk and John’s high standards for safety are scoffed at those willing to build his designs only if they will allow him to cut costs.

In need of some fresh air (so to speak) the pair take a trip to Oa and learn that two Green Lanterns have recently been killed in Sector 3599. Grabbing a team that includes Brik, Isamot Kol, Vandor, Hannu, and Sheriff Mardin set out to find the cause but are unprepared for what they find. A solid opener. Worth a look.

[DC, $2.99]

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Castle – Heroes and Villains

  • Title: Castle – Heroes and Villains
  • tv.com: link

castle-heroes-and-villains

When a samurai sword wielding vigilante hits the streets of New York and halves an attacker (James Ferris) in an alley Beckett (Stana Katic) and Castle (Nathan Fillion) draw the case. Despite getting off-track for a non-too-subtle sequence which was little more than a commercial for Marvel Comics, the show delivers its fair share of Castle moments.

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Batman #1

batman-v2-1-coverIn the final issues of the old DC writer Scott Snyder was working on an impressive storyline in Detective Comics. Now after the reboot the writer continues to tell stories of Gotham’s Dark Knight Detective in the new volume of Batman.

The issue begins with Batman stopping a break-out in Arkham Asylum with the apparent assistance of the Joker (don’t worry, it will be explained). From there we are reintroduced to Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, and Damian Wayne at a party where Bruce unveils his new plan for Gotham City.

The issue also includes an appearance by Commissioner Gordon and a nice on-the-job conversation between Harvey Bullock and Batman. Not only am I glad to see Bullock has survived the reboot, I rather like seeing that he’s the one who notices Batman has gone back to his old method of hiding in the shadows.

This one’s an easy recommendation, and a solid read (even if the final panel is an obvious red herring). Worth a look.

[DC, $2.99]

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Castle – Season Three

  • Title: Castle: The Complete Third Season
  • tv.com: link

castle-season-3-dvd

Castle‘s Third Season finds Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) and her plucky sidekick mystery writer Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) solving murders, refusing to admit their true feelings for each other, and delving back into the unsolved mystery of Beckett’s mother. Sounds good to me.

This year’s cases involve counterfeiters, secret underground clubs, a dead psychic (Patricia Tallman) who predicted her own murder, a treasure map, a serial killer, a dead juror, a child kidnapping, aliens (okay, not really) and a shadowy government agency (yes, really!), a secret stash of Prohibition whiskey worth killing for, a dead matchmaker, a magician (Jeff Hephner) hired to plan the perfect murder, a dead lottery winner, the search for a dirty bomb hidden somewhere in the five burroughs, a death on the set of a soap opera, a murderous feud between rival pizza owners, a trip to Los Angeles, a murdered swimmer, and a death at a beauty pageant.

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