Comics

Convergence: Shazam! #1

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Convergence: Shazam! #1Although not as memorable as Grant Morrison‘s recent The Multiversity: Thunderworld Adventures #1, also focused on giving fans a taste of classic Captain Marvel storytelling, writer Jeff Parker and artist Evan Shaner certainly deliver one of the better Convergence tie-in stories with Convergence: Shazam! #1.

In terms of storytelling, layout, and style the issue feels like a throwback to an old Captain Marvel adventure giving us Billy Batson and his world trapped on the Convergence world with appearances by several supporting characters (including Tawky Tawny) and villains (Dr. Sivana, Ibac, and Mr. Atom).

Although the writing and basic set-up of so many Convergence issues has, more often than not, led to disappointment, Convergence: Shazam! #1 is certainly on of DC’s event’s stronger issues as the return of the magic lighning comes none to soon to save Billy, Mary, and Freddy Freeman from a group of the Marvel Family‘s classic foes. Worth a look.

[DC, $3.99]

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Samurai Jack #18

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Samurai Jack #18The single-issue tale from writer/artist leads Samurai Jack to a marketplace where the temptation and chance to return home to the past puts the warrior in the middle of a trap laid by the evil that is Aku.

“Samurai Jack and the Fallen Four” pits our hero against a resurrected robot army Jack much face and the legendary four fallen warriors who won the battle also temporarily returned to life. After providing art for many of the previous issues of Samurai Jack, Suriano does double-duty giving us an action-packed issue that, while enjoyable, does lacks the humor of some of the best issues of the series. The twist of the Fallen Four joining Jack’s side also leads to an anticlimactic conclusion as Samurai Jack is largely a bystander in the climax of the battle.

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Powerpuff Girls: Super Smash-Up! #4

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Powerpuff Girls: Super Smash-Up! #4The Powerpuff Girls’ search for a mutated dimension-hopping DeeDee leads them to Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends where Bubbles is delighted to meet Mac and his menagerie of odd friends. The search for DeeDee is complicated by Bloo who, along with the rest of the creatures and DeeDee, is currently participating in a game of Hide-and-Seek and doesn’t wish to be found.

The absence of the Powerpuff Girls doesn’t mean the end of danger for the citizens of Townsville. In the issue’s B-story Dexter calls in the Justice Friends to save the city from multiple simultaneous attacks (sadly off-panel) in the Girls’ absence.

Powerpuff Girls: Super Smash-Up! #4 is a fun addition to the series (giving us the most entertaining world the Girls’ have traveled to yet). It also includes a short, if largely forgettable, back-up story demonstrating Mojo Jojo‘s inability to hold down and honest job and why he will never be anything more than a super-villain. Worth a look.

[IDW, $3.99]

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Ten #14

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Ten #14To find Spike‘s connection with the vampire whose recent kills Spike has been witnessing in his dreams Buffy takes a tour of her lover’s subconscious. Although I expected the answer to Spike’s memories of the killings to be a callback to “Somnambulist,” the truth is the exact opposite. In this case Spike isn’t viewing the killings of someone he sired but the vampire who sired his entire line beginning with The Master.

With the introduction of Archaeus the latest season of Buffy begins delving into the subject of siring vampires and introduces the idea of an ancient creature such as Archaeus leaving a piece of himself, connecting him to every vampire of his line.

Along with the introduction of the new big bad, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Ten #14 gives us Buffy snooping through Spike’s mind finding both beauty and horror before confronting Archaeus whose connection to Spike makes him a serious threat to Buffy in more ways than one. Worth a look.

[Dark Horse, $3.50]

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Convergence: Batman and the Outsiders #1

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Convergence: Batman and the Outsiders #1By throwing together various past and present versions of DC charaters together Convergence continues to be a bizarre mix of intriguing to truly awful. Convergence: Batman and the Outsiders #1, which gives us Batman‘s team of heroes from the 80s, is the first issue of Convergence to show us all the heroes still in costume. Despite most of the team being without their powers that hasn’t stopped the Outsiders from following Batman’s example and continuing to suit-up to do what they can for a city trapped under a dome for a full year. It’s also the first issue to really deal with the reality of diminishing resources of a city completely cut-off from the rest of the world for month.

Given how many characters the comic has to introduce it does a pretty good job (although once the dome falls, like most every Convergence title, things get less interesting very fast as Mortal Kombat begins). One odd note: Although the cover of the issue gets Batman’s look right the art inside makes a major mistake not arming the classically-clad Caped Crusader in his classic utility belt of the time. Considering the look of the old characters is the major selling point for the series it’s distracting. Worth a look.

[DC, $3.99]

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