Comics

She-Hulk #4

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She-Hulk #4The final issue of the new series’ opening arc only reaffirms my position that She-Hulk and Daredevil need to be working, and practicing law, in the same city as She-Hulk makes a stop in San Fransisco to pick Matt Murdock’s brain about her recent case involving the son of Victor von Doom before setting out to Latveria on her own to do something about it.

She-Hulk #4 not only gives us Marvel’s two law-practicing crime-fighters together but also plenty of Doombots as She-Hulk sneaks into Latveria and then makes a destructive appearance at Castle Doom to draw the attention of a giant Doombot and make her case for her client.

With everything else more or less wrapped up, the comic turns its attention to the mysterious Blue File teased in the first issue as She-Hulk returns home and asks for the help of both Angie Huang and Hellcat to get to the truth of a forgotten lawsuit involving herself and several heroes and super-villains. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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Fairest #26

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Fairest #26“Of Men and Mice” comes to a close and Cinderella and her friends fight off a mouse invasion of the Fabletown castle which Snow White is certain was planned (it was) and executed (it wasn’t) by Prince Brandish.

The final issue of the arc certainly sees plenty of action as Cindy and her group punch, stab, kick, and skewer an ungodly number of crazed mice warriors before the arrival of Cinderella’s fairy godmother whose original spell laid the work for the current chaos and shows up just in time to help end it.

I’ve enjoyed this arc and I’m sad to see it coming to an end realizing with the end of both this title and Fables it’s likely the last major Cinderella story we’re going to get. As the character who hooked me on this world, I’ll miss her most of all. Hopefully we’ll see Cindy step in to help fight off Leigh’s intended chicanery, but if not I’m happy to see the character go out kicking some serious butt in style one more time. Worth a look.

[Vertigo, $2.99]

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The Shadow #25

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The Shadow #25The end of the Chinatown zombie storyline, and the current run of The Shadow, comes to a close with The Shadow #25. After witnessing more and more of New York City being overrun by an unstoppable zombie horde, The Shadow puts sets his mind to finding a plausible scientific reason behind recent bizarre events which will lead him to call on the assistance of his entire network of spies at once and face down the Zombie Queen of Chinatown.

After discovering the dastardly truth behind the mad woman’s plot, our hero puts his soldiers to work administering antidote to the mind-controlled horde only appearing to have died before rising and beginning their assault on the city. Dispensing swift justice, The Shadow closes his latest case making way for Dynamite’s new ten-issue series set more than a decade later in Lamont Cranston’s crime-fighting career taking The Shadow and Margo Lane to Russia at the beginning of the Cold War. Although short, this bizarre final arc ends the series on a strong note. I’m sorry to see it end. Worth a look.

[Dynamite Entertainment, $3.99]

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Justice League United #1

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Justice League United #1Not as strong as the new series’ opening zero issue, Justice League United #1 features the newly constituted Justice League Canadian team taking on a giant monster who is more than a match for Green Arrow, Animal Man, Stargirl, and the Martian Manhunter. While offering the same humor of last month’s issue, and wasting no time to get Adam Strange into a New 52 version of his trademark costume, things get a little bloodier this time around (particularly in the B-story involving Hawkman‘s battle with pseudo-Lobo in space).

While I still think this group of heroes can work, I’m having some doubts about the initial set-up here as it looks like it’s going to take at least a couple more issues to bring the full team together and make sense of things. A more straightforward first story, more centered on establishing the dynamics of the group and how the team works together would probably have worked better rather than throwing us into a pair of separate stories light years apart which are likely only to get more complicated as the Canadian group is transported to Rann. For fans.

[DC, $3.99]

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Fables #140

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Fables #140After burying what they believe is all that’s left of Puss in Boots, Briar Rose leads the rest of the group onward defeating one enemy by less than chivalrous means and to a final battle against the evil witch Baoban Sith and her demon dogs. Wrapping up the two-issue arc, one member of the group will indeed give his life for their cause, however it turns out not to be Puss who keeps finding ways to survive (and even convince unlikely allies to join their cause).

Along with both action and witty dialogue, writer Bill Willingham also reveals the unexpected cause for the end of Fabletown (and for Fables itself as the comic is now down to its final ten issues). Neither old enemy nor new it seems will be the refuge’s undoing, but the mere fact of its populace realizing it’s now same, and time, to return home as Seamus does here.

I’m happy to see Puss and Boots return, and even survive his second death scene, but there’s certainly a tinge of melancholy hear and Willingham begins revealing the end of a comic I may have come late to but have grown to love. Worth a look.

[Vertigo, $2.99]

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