Comics

The 7th Sword #2

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The 7th Sword #2The recent attack on ZenZion and the death of the city’s leader forces Kathleen to make some hard decisions. First she decides to make a stand against the warlord Kavanaugh. To do that she’ll have to use up the secret cache of weapons her father has been collecting for years including a Hammerhead robot, but more importantly she’ll have to convince the city’s new samurai prisoner to stay and fight by promising to send Daniel Cray back to Earth if he trains the townspeople to stand-up to the warlord.

Building on the first issue, The 7th Sword #2 explains a little more about the Malanthe (the futuristic katana Daniel Cray is an expert in using) and a bit more of Cray’s past and the stigma a samurai has on this outpost world while also foreshadowing the betrayal of ZenZion.

The 7th Sword #2 sets up the arc for the remaining issues of the mini-series with the warrior agreeing to train and fight for ZenZion while teasing the possible romantic entanglement of Cray and Kathleen which might entice the samurai to stay far longer. Worth a look.

[IDW, $3.99]

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Batman ’66 Meets The Green Hornet #1

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Batman '66 Meets The Green Hornet #1Set in the Batman ’66 continuity, the new six-issue mini-series (12-issue digital series) offers a crossover between Batman and Robin and the Green Hornet and Kato from writers Kevin Smith and Ralph Garman and artist Ty Templeton. Offering Dick time off to keep a date with a cute girl, Bruce Wayne boards the Gotham Express to keep an eye on a priceless fossil collection from the Gotham Museum. Also on-board the train are Sentinel publisher Britt Reid and his manservant under the guise of covering the story.

Arguing over their cities’ most famous figures, both men disappear to change when the train comes under attack by General Gumm and his unstoppable glue solvent. Although Robin arrives in time for back-up, neither duo proves a match for the madman leaving all four costumed heroes glued to the top of the train in the cliffhanger ending.

…

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The Shadow: Midnight in Moscow #1

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The Shadow: Midnight in Moscow #1New Year’s Eve 1950 brings a new mystery for The Shadow in the first issue of Dynamite’s new six-issue mini-series from writer/artist Howard Chaykin. Returning to the character for the first time since DC’s ill-advised 80s mini-series, Chaykin delivers a story of Lamont Cranston in the later days of The Shadow’s career.

I’m a bigger fan of Chaykin’s writing than art and had some issues with the style of the female characters depicted, especially Margo Lane. On story, The Shadow: Midnight in Moscow #1 offers a beleaguered and weary Lamont Cranston a mystery involving an old enemy who impossibly survived The Shadow’s trap and the shrinking of gold ingots through some as-of-yet undisclosed technology.

Presenting a future where The Shadow’s work in New York has done little to stop the flow of crime, and even force Cranston to consider retirement, the first issue is a bit depressing while weaving into the blackmail of a London scientist who I’d expect we’ll see tied to the shrink-ray in the next issue. For fans.

[Dynamite Entertainment, $3.99]

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Teen Titans Go! #3

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Teen Titans Go! #3Parties and business are the themes for the latest issue of Teen Titans Go! In the first story the team attempts to throw a party without a theme, a party-party, if you will. Leaving Starfire to handle the guest list leads to as many super-villains at the party as heroes.

The second story features Cyborg becoming a Bill Gates-style inventor and putting the rest of the Titans to work for his Silicon Valley start-up ChirpFolio. Although he shows no initial interest, eventually even Robin joins the team to cash-in on the profits. However the group’s overspending on blimps, diamond-encrusted bo-staffs, and ponies for Raven eventually brings the house of cards tumbling down.

The party story works a little better than Cyborg’s start-up (with references most young readers aren’t going to get), but Teen Titans Go! #3 delivers another fun issue based on the current cartoon. Worth a look.

[DC, $3.99]

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Serenity: Leaves on the Wind #5

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“I start fightin’ a war, I guarantee, you’ll see somethin’ new.”

Serenity: Leaves on the Wind #5As with many of Mal‘s plans, sneaking into a secret Alliance facility to rescue others like River Tam who were taken to be programmed into unstoppable killing machines gets the captain, Jayne, and their new friends in quite a bit of trouble when the scientist unleashes his prize possession against the intruders.

Featuring quite a bit of action and death as Browncoats go down to both the Alliance soldiers and the assassin, while the Operative finishes off another member of his ilk, Serenity: Leaves on the Wind #5 also offers a short flashback to “Out of Gas” as Mal dusts off the big red button to save the lives of himself and his crew one more time (and offers a nice cameo of Wash).

With only one issue remaining, and Zoe still locked in an Alliance prison somewhere, the Alliance has finally made Mal Reynolds angry enough to join the fight as both he and Bea discover just how many of the Browncoats the Alliance has killed. Worth a look.

[Dark Horse, $3.50]

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