Comics

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Ten #12

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Ten #12Romance is in the air as relationships are at the center of the latest issue of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Ten as Super-Andrew‘s new found powers allows him to help Buffy, Spike, and the Scoobies fight a sorcerer known as the Sculptor who creates armies out of dead flesh. As promised the magic potion Andrew took allows him to finally become his best self, which actually doesn’t have anything to do with his new powers which leave him as quickly as they appeared once the young man admits a not-so-well-kept secret to himself and his friends.

Spike has much soul searching to do as he rebuffs Buffy’s attempts to rekindle their romance in earnest for the first time since his soul was returned. Although he thinks he’s doing what’s best he quickly regrets his decision attempting to rectify the mistake. As expected the pair finally do find their way back to each other but not without some foreshadowing about about a murderous cost that could come into play in the coming months.

Romance doesn’t flow for Giles who continues to be stymied in his adolescent form or for Xander and Dawn who seem to finally be more at ease with themselves after months of awkwardness. Worth a look.

[Dark Horse, $3.50]

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Batgirl #39

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Batgirl #39The “who is Batgirl” storyline seemingly wrapped up a couple months ago continues in Batgirl #39. The quick revamp of the character with spiffy new costume and younger feel got me interesting in Barbara Gordon once again but my interest is already beginning to wane. Although they finally make-up at the end of the issue, Batgirl #39 continues Black Canary‘s role as pretty much the worst friend ever as she completely abandons Babs once again in her time of need as my opinion of the New 52 version of Dinah Lance continues to sour with little relief in sight.

The latest issue does introduce an unexpected villain behind the town of Burnside turning on Batgirl as Barbara finally makes a connection between her computer code and recent memory lapses. I’m not sure I buy the final panel’s tease of who is responsible, but at least it feels like the comic is leading somewhere new.

Once again the art of Babs Tarr is the highlight of the issue, but the style and look of the series in and of themselves can’t hide the fact that better storytelling is needed. For fans.

[DC, $2.99]

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The 7th Sword #7

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The 7th Sword #7The seven-issue mini-series from writer John Raffo and artist Nur “Popia” Iman comes to a close in The 7th Sword #7 as the reluctant samurai Daniel Cray, after recovering his lost Malathane sword in the desert, chooses to return and fight alongside the small army of ZenZion against the vast array of mutants and mechs under the command of the vicious warlord Kavanaugh.

The final issue of the series doesn’t skimp on action as Cray leads the small force against overwhelming odds leaving broken bots and bodies in their wake. The 7th Sword #7 also delivers on the long-teased fight between Cray and Kavanaugh’s cyborg assassin Superfecta 5 (which takes place over eleven pages with other action mixed in).

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Darth Vader #1

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Darth Vader #1The first of Marvel’s new single-character driven titles, Darth Vader #1 opens with Darth Vader returning to Tatooine for an audience with Jabba the Hutt in which the Dark Lord of the Sith brutally teaches the gangster the difference between a Jedi and a Sith in a way that leaves several dead and the Hutt agreeing to whatever Vader wants. The setting is meant to conjure images from Luke‘s appearance in the same throne room from Return of the Jedi but given this scene takes place decades later in real time and years before in Star Wars chronology it feels a bit odd.

After seeing our protagonist kick butt for several panels we’re stuck seeing Vader bow to his master for forgiveness given the failures the Emperor chooses to lay at Vader’s feet. Given this encounter, and Vader and the Emperor both keeping secrets from each other, the comic’s remaining pages deal with his attempts to find the Millennium Falcon and the young warrior who he does not yet realize is his son as well as figure out just what plans Palpatine is hiding from him. Although it seems like two-steps back from the character’s journey in the recent Dark Horse title, Darth Vader #1 is a strong issue fans should enjoy. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $4.99]

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Secret Six #2

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Secret Six #2The second issue of the new Secret Six continues with the entrapment of six strangers while also offering us flashbacks to Catman‘s previous incarceration to help explain the super-villain’s dislike of confined spaces such as a coffin-shaped tomb in the bottom of the ocean.

Although I think the team is still missing the right chemistry creating a void (which someone like Deadshot or Ragdoll could help fill), Secret Six #2 is a step-up from the first issue as Catman, even in his tortured flashbacks, gets to be more of the bad ass mother fucker fans of the previous series came to know and love and less of the emo douche that we saw in the new volume’s opening issue. I’m still not sold on Ken Lashley’s art which works better when the team leaps into action than when they are standing still (something they’ve done much of in the first two issues).

The issue ends with the escape of the villains who it seems are going to stick together long enough to get some answers and take some vengeance on the hidden voice responsible for their capture and torture. Worth a look.

[DC, $2.99]

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