Comics

Star Wars #19

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Star Wars #19The first-half of the series finale brings Han, Luke, Leia, and Chewbacca together for one final adventure before Dark Horse looses the rights to the Star Wars universe to Marvel. Introducing a character from Leia’s childhood as a deep-cover agent with whom she hasn’t spoken in years, Star Wars #19 puts the core characters on board the Millennium Falcon for an unusual rescue mission of an operative who may haven intelligence vital to the continued survival of the Rebellion.

Offering a cameo from everyone’s favorite robotic bounty hunter IG-88 while teasing us as to Leia’s relationship with the young woman, writer Brian Wood sells a story which, like the series, will be truncated despite the quality of the work.

Much like Boom Studio’s terrific Darkwing Duck series, another Disney property doing well is forced to end to be gobbled up by Marvel. No doubt Marvel will be more interested in putting out a Star Wars comic, but will they find a creative team as invested in these characters? I have my doubts. Worth a look.

[Dark Horse, $3.50]

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Velvet #6

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Velvet #6After a short hiatus, the second arc of Velvet begins here with Velvet Tempelton still on the run after being branded as a traitor. However, the spy has more on her mind than simply clearing her name. With the knowledge that the man she loved, and killed under orders (shattering both her life and career as a top ranking field officer), was likewise framed, Velvet has more than enough incentive to return home and begin her own counter-offensive.

Continuing the Cold War spy-story feel of the first arc, Velvet #6 features our heroine return to England, recruit an asset to help her investigation, and begin creating a list of suspects, one of whom is likely ultimately responsible for the deaths of a pair of men she cared and destroying her career within Arc-7 twice.

The brash actions taken by Velvet over the course of the issue, particularly in the final few pages, won’t earn her any new friends in the spy organization still chasing her, but as long as she remains one-step ahead of her pursuers Velvet at least has a chance. Worth a look.

[Image, $3.50]

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Superman #33

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Superman #33Continuing the “Men of Tomorrow” storyline, Superman #33 sees both Superman and Clark investigate Ulysses‘ origins (which leads to a tearful reunion) while Ulysses, learning about secret identities for the first time, attempts to become acquainted with his new home.

The comic keeps the two heroes apart for much of the story while Clark pumps Perry White for information about the Ulysses Research Laboratory and follows up the leads as Superman, but writer Geoff Johns keeps the pair connected through the shared common themes of heroes raised on worlds far from home. The choice to reunite Neil with his parents is an intriguing one. Along with underlining the threat of Klerik, the comic further sells me on the idea of Ulysses as a genuine hero (while not completely removing my fear of an eventually heel turn for the character).

Clark’s renewed interaction with The Daily Planet staff also brings back more classic elements of the character. Now if they could just get him out of that ridiculous armor. Worth a look.

[DC, $3.99]

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Atomic Robo: The Knights of the Golden Circle #3

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Atomic Robo: The Knights of the Golden Circle #3The latest issue of Atomic Robo: The Knights of the Golden Circle could easily be titled “Atomic Robo and The Great Train Robbery” (which only kinda, sorta goes according to plan). With the help of his new friends, Atomic Robo sets out to rescue a trainload of prisoners and stop the transported weapons and ammunition from reaching it’s destination (which turns out to be easier said than done).

After rescuing the prisoners, but unable to move or destroy the vast weaponary, Robo comes up with a dangerous plan to smuggle himself and the group of cowboys into the enemy camp setting up the final two issues of the series.

Another fun action-packed issue clues us on to the limited time our time-displaced robotic-science adventurer has before he runs out of power while also letting our hero learn just who is behind the abductions leaving a series of empty old west ghost towns while creating weapons for conquest and (one would assume) other nefarious purposes. Must-Read.

[Atomic Robo, $3.50]

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Magneto #7

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Magneto #7Magneto‘s vagabond mission across the globe to unearth who is behind the rise of attacks on mutants leads him to Hong Kong based on the intel provided by his new friend Briar Raleigh. Allowing himself to be taken prisoner, Magneto wakes in a prison where he is put into combat against a Predator X for the enjoyment of paid spectators whose thrill of the fight swiftly evaporates when they discover just who they’ve let in the building.

Although the mutant-hunting creature is harder to deal with than at the peak of his powers, Magneto uses the Predator X’s strengths against it before turning his fury on those in charge of the operation. Despite the fact that the reasons for Cyclops and Emma Frost‘s power loss was explained a month ago (a finale which involved our lead character), Magneto’s power loss hasn’t been fixed (or apparently even yet explained) in this issue. In the overall scope of things Magneto seems to be lagging behind the other X-books. Of course that may be why Marvel has put two issues of the series out in less than a month. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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