Comics

The Shadow: Midnight in Moscow #2

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The Shadow: Midnight in Moscow #2While teasing us with the wanderings around London of the two enemy spies who will eventually come into conflict with The Shadow, The Shadow: Midnight in Moscow #2 is mainly concerned with Lamont Cranston finishing affairs in New York and preparing for his impending departure to England.

The second issue sees The Shadow start a gang war to weed out the ranks of two opposing families making it easier for the police to deal with the remnants of both organizations after he’s gone. Stoically the vigilante never considers the increased casualties caused by such extreme actions. We also see the dismantlement of The Shadow’s network of spies before he and Margo Lane board a ship and leave New York behind.

The first two issues represent one-third of Howard Chaykin’s tale, the point of which (other than Cranston leaving New York) is still murky at best. The idea of an older Shadow’s adventure in London is interesting, but two issues in Chaykin hasn’t sold me on that story that’s already cost me $8. That’s a problem. Hit-and-Miss.

[Dynamite Entertainment, $3.99]

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The 7th Sword #3

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The 7th Sword #3Feeling very much like an issue in the middle of an arc which needs to lay the foundation for things to come, The 7th Sword #3 dedicates most of its pages to Daniel Cray, despite his objections to the path Kathleen has chosen, training the recruits of ZenZion and weeding out the group to come up with a handful he feels worthy enough to hold the Malanthe and defend their city.

As you’d expect to find in an action movie, The 7th Sword #3 makes good use of montages to showcase the time spent in training and the number of dwindling volunteers. The issue doesn’t deliver much in the way of action, but it does the work to set-up the climactic battle yet to come.

The issue ends with Cray satisfied in his warriors but news of the size of the army Kavanaugh can bring to bear forces Kathleen to ignore the samurai’s wisdom yet again and set her technicians to reading the unreliable Hamerhead killing machine to fight alongside the group in hopes of improving their slim odds. Worth a look.

[IDW,$3.99]

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Rocket Raccoon #1

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Rocket Raccoon #1This is more like it! Although I thought the first issue of Star-Lord’s new series was only okay, with Rocket Racoon #1 writer/artist Skootie Young brings the awesome. Centered around the Guardians’ furriest (and arguably deadliest) member, the series opens with a brief look back at Rocket‘s former princess-saving days. Jumping ahead to the present, Rocket takes his newest lady friend to a wrestling match between Groot and and a tentacled-blob creature which is where things start to go wrong for our furry friend.

Where Star-Lord really needs another character to work off of to be put to maximum use, Rocket can carry a book all on his own as is evidenced in Young’s wacky adventure which includes an appearance by the other raccoon out there, a warrant out for Rocket’s arrest for (gasp!) murder, and a plot to take down the hero by all the lovely ladies he’s rescued and promptly dumped soon afterward. Yeah, it’s pretty damn awesome. I can’t wait to see where things go from here. Best of the Week.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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Batman ’66 Meets The Green Hornet #2

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Batman '66 Meets The Green Hornet #2The six-issue mini-series continues here as the two duos of crime fighters are both able to extract themselves from the death trap laid by General Gumm who all were in danger of losing their heads after being glued to the top of a speeding train. In the ensuing confrontation the Green Hornet decides to play dirty and knock out the Dynamic Duo rather than reveal the truth that he and Kato are actually heroes only pretending to be criminals.

As General Gumm isn’t strong enough to carry the series on his own, Batman ’66 Meets The Green Hornet #2 brings in the Joker to help even out the battle between good and evil, although how long the pair can put up with each other is yet to be seen.

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Fairest #27

/ / Comics

Fairest #27For the first time in the comic’s two-year run an issue of the Fables spin-off series centers around a non-female character. Reynard takes center stage here with his tall-tales to the fellow animals of The Farm of his exploits as a knight of Rose Red‘s new Round Table. Although almost completely fictitious (Reynard is hardly proving himself worthy of his selection in a human form that lacks any of the cunning or charm of his natural state), the fox’s near incessant bragging pushes the occupants of The Farm into action demanding that they too be given glamours to assume a human shape and be able to move freely in the outside world (as Charming promised them in the recent elections).

Fairest #27 plays very much into the winding down of the series. Although he’s an odd choice for a series which until this issue has focused solely on female protagonists, as a fan of Reynard I’m curious to see what mischief the fox can get himself into before the series comes to an end. The revolution of The Farm should play into the struggle between Snow White and Rose Red and the coming confrontation which has been teased in Fables over the last several months. Worth a look.

[Vertigo, $2.99]

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