Comics

Daredevil #9

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Daredevil #9While mulling over the pros and cons to selling his life story for a boatload of cash, Daredevil has his first run-in with the progeny of the Purple Man (who despite throwing himself in front of a trolley car is feeling much better now). The format of the issue involving Foggy warning Matt against dredging up painful memories which might destroy the happy life he’s carved out for himself only to have the Purple Man’s children do exactly that is a little too convenient. One of the strengths of Mark Waid’s take on Matt Murdock is he hasn’t been haunted and overburdened with his dark past (except when he was gaslight by the Coyote during the low point of Waid’s run). Returning Daredevil to a more grim title may not necessarily be the best thing for his character or Waid’s work on the series.

The only real surprise of this issue is the survival of the Purple Man. Will he and Daredevil form an unlikely team-up to stop the out-of-control children or will the villain be to busy savoring the fresh hell his kids are putting Matt Murdock through? Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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Rocket Raccoon #4

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Rocket Raccoon #4Rocket Raccoon #4 wraps up the two ongoing stories of the series as Rocket comes face-to-face with both the other raccoon who has been framing him for murder (who turns out to not be a raccoon at all) and the army of pissed-off princesses who he each saved, dated, and unceremoniously dumped.

The reveal that Blackjack O’Hare is actually the one who has been masquerading as a Rocket lookalike feels a bit like a cheat, but Skootie Young’s final page means there’s still quite a bit left of this story to explore and Rocket, whether he knows it or not, is not alone. The use of O’Hare also ties back into Rocket’s bizarre comic past and the planet of Halfworld where both crazy creatures came from.

Rocket beating down his angry exes provides quite a bit of fun as well as the comic’s second ongoing story arc comes to a close with a battle royal which Rocket stumbles out of victoriously. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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Earth 2 #27

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Earth 2 #27With Power Girl and the Huntress returned to their own Earth, and the latest issue of Worlds’ Finest turning its attention away from the heroines, I decided I’d give Earth-2 a shot. Despite the fact it concerns a dystopian world still fighting armies of Apokolips, I was pleasantly surprised in this character-driven story centered on the relationships of Kara, Helena, Thomas Wayne, Red Tornado, and Val-Zod. Whether intentional or not, the current feel of Earth 2 (with a black Superman, elderly Batman, and robotic Lois Lane) feels more like the early days of Marvel’s Ultimate line than the New 52.

Carrying on the tradition of Worlds’ Finest, Earth 2 #27 has multiple artists splitting the work. Thankfully, the art meshes reasonably well in telling to story of the foursome’s battle against an army of demons while focusing on reunions none of them ever expected. Once returned to their own Earth I had planned to turn my attentions elsewhere, but despite being stuck in a world I care little about this issue tempts me to continue sticking with Helena and Kara’s adventures… at least for a little while longer. Worth a look.

[DC, $2.99]

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Uncanny X-Men #27

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Uncanny X-Men #27In an issue that teases possible serious repercussions for both teams of X-Men going forward, Cyclops reluctantly agrees to help Wolverine‘s team and S.H.I.E.L.D. stop Matthew Malloy before the mutant is overcome by his restored powers no longer kept in check by the recently deceased Charles Xavier.

I’m always a bit squeamish when comics rely on the introduction of a new super-duper-awesome hero/villain as a plot device to effect change. Someone as powerful as Malloy simply inserted into the existing universe creates all kinds of problems that Marvel Comics may not be prepared to deal with. Don’t believe me? Look up the Sentry‘s Wikipedia entry.

Cyclops’ decision-making at the end of this issue (after the heroes where routed easily by Malloy) offers Scott Summers the opportunity to further his own mutant agenda (even if it may very likely push him down a super-villain path which he has teetered on ever since the fracture of the team). Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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Astro City #16

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Astro City #16Born out of an unpublished Superman script that was never published, Kurt Busiek’s “Wish I May…” examines the tragic super-hero/super-villain relationship between teen hero Starbright and his high school nemesis Simon Sez. With a pair of different narrators, both looking back from the future, the structure of Astro City #16 is more complicated than your average comic book put the pay-off is certainly worth it.

Dealing with themes of heroism, bullying, sexual identity, revenge, rebirth, redemption, and the tempestuous crucible that his high school, Astro City #16 delivers by looking back on a single day with the hero and villain declared a truce in order for both of them to get what they wanted (if only for 24-hours).

The result is another great addition to the current Astro City series, a heartfelt message to those still struggling to find themselves during adolescence, and a hero in Starbright who I hope to see much more of in the future. Must-read.

[Vertigo, $3.99]

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