Comics

Fatale #24

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Fatale #24The over-sized final issue of the series brings the story of Josephine, Nicholas Lash, and the Bishop and his obsessed cult to an end. Opening with a fairy tale description explaining the reasons behind Josephine’s existence and the sacrifice demanded of her, Fatale #24 picks up with a tortured Lash in control of the Bishop soon to be joined by Josephine who the group finally catches up with.

Still keeping details close to the vest, for the second issue in a row the series explains more about Josephine and her relationship to the cult. Fatale #24 wraps up the storyline of every major character with a bloody end when Josephine’s plan hits a snag or two almost costing her life.

I am surprised of the finality of events shown here as I expected writer Ed Brubaker and artist Sean Phillips to leave Josephine’s story a bit more open-ended. However, given the character’s long life there are likely dozens of untapped stories to be told should the pair choose to return to Josephine’s story somewhere down the line. Worth a look.

[Image, $4.99]

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Smallville Season Eleven Special #5 – Harbinger

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Smallville Season Eleven Special #5 - HarbingerThe latest Smallville Season Eleven Special turns its attention the more magical and mystical aspects of the wider Smallville Universe by offering the first team-up of Zatanna and John Constantine. As a bigger fan of Zatanna than Hellblazer, I’ll admit I enjoyed both versions of the characters who are thrown together while dealing with the cult of Brother Blood who desperately wants a book of magic which once belonged to Zatanna’s father.

With some surly Constantine, some backwards incantations, and he reveal of the true enemy Blood wishes to bring forth, Smallville Season Eleven Special #5 – Harbinger also introduces a new character to the Smallville Universe who can now assume her rightful place with the Teen Titans.

The comic collects all four of the previously-released digital Harbinger issues in single issue. And Daniel HDR’s art, particularly the two leads, fits well with the wider vision of the Smallville Universe writer Bryan Q. Miller continues to carve out. Now if I could just convince him to add some super-hero rabbits to the mix. Worth a look.

[DC, $4.99]

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Guardians of the Galaxy #17

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Guardians of the Galaxy #17After fracturing the team a couple of issues back and imprisoning its members across the galaxy, the series reunites the Guardians of the Galaxy in the latest issue with such relative ease you have to wonder what the point of this arc was. Yes, Peter Quill finally got the better of his father, but surely that small victory (with possible huge ramifications) could have been handled without disrupting the team and removing the core dynamic which makes the series work.

Although Venom hasn’t been found, apparently Carol Danvers is sticking around for the time being. Although I like the character, I have much the same complaints about her addition as I did about Venom where neither really fits on a team that has already been trimmed down of far more interesting characters (Cosmo, the time-displaced Vance Astro and Starhawk just to name three).

Although it still has the feel of a Guardians issue, I think both longtime fans and those inspired by the movie to pick up the issue may feel somewhat disappointed. Hit-and-Miss.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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Samurai Jack #10

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Samurai Jack #10Constantly defeated by Samurai Jack‘s prowess in battle, Aku decides to change tactics and attack the samurai’s mind in the latest issue of the IDW series. Taking various forms and disrupting Jack’s childhood memories, at first Aku wins several small victories, but the master of shape shifting darkness soon finds out just how mentally strong his adversary is as well.

The story from writer Jim Zub focuses on the mental strength of the time-displaced hero offering several moments of levity once Samurai Jack’s unconscious begins fighting back against Aku’s attempts to destroy the samurai’s mind.

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Transformers vs. G.I. JOE #1

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Transformers vs. G.I. JOE #1By any definition Transformers vs. G.I. JOE #1 is a mess – one hell of a god awful mess. Written by Tom Scioli the story (such as it is) is a non-linear attempt to throw in as many characters from both franchises into a single comic without any attempt at all to create plot to tie the various panels together. Jumping wildly from one set of characters to another the comic reads like a giant finger to actual storytelling or some kind of poorly designed logic puzzle the creator actually needs your help to solve. In fact the comic makes so little sense IDW felt the need to include writer’s notes for every single page (taking up far too many pages of a $4 comic book) in an attempt to explain what the hell is going on.

If the story is crap the visuals aren’t that much better. Although I don’t have an issue with John Barber’s nostalgic throwback-style art of some of my favorite characters from both franchisees, I was very much distracted by the attempt to make the comic look like faded newsprint of an 80s comic on glossy current comic stock. The attempt to make the comic feel vintage actually makes it look incredibly cheap and (even more) half-assed. Pass.

[IDW, $3.99]

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