Comics

Smallville Season Eleven: Lantern #2

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Smallville Season Eleven: Lantern #2Just as Superman begins to get the hang of being the latest member of the Green Lantern Corps (a position he’s still trying to find a way to decline) thanks to the tutelage of John Stewart, the Earth is attacked by out-of-control Manhunters believing that some treaty between the Guardians’ former protectors and its current, less-robotic, group has been broken.

Along with cameo appearances by Salaak and Aya, Kilowog, and Ch’p (but sadly not G’nort) the comic also features Parallax as writer Bryan Q. Miller and artist Marcio Takara attempt to boil down the convoluted history of the Corps and make it fit inside the Smallville Universe.

The choice to have the Manhunters powered by yellow rings is an interesting one which offers Parallax the opportunity to send out rings for ring bearers of his own which will likely set-up an all-out ring slingin’ war in the latest mini-series remaining two issues. There’s also a B-story involving Prometheus who I’m really hoping this version of Ollie won’t have to kill in the name of “justice.” Worth a look.

[DC, $3.99]

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Star Wars #17

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Star Wars #17After teasing us over the past couple of issues with the looming betrayal of Arrochar and its monarchy, it finally arrives just hours before Leia‘s wedding which was meant to seal the alliance between the Rebels and the planet’s leaders against the Empire.

Although there is an attack in the palace just before the wedding, and an armada of Star Destroyers appears in orbit led by none other than Darth Vader himself, the majority of Star Wars #17 focuses on Luke and how quickly what started out as him tagging along with a group of soldiers to change a fuel cell on a mountain outpost soon turns deadly as the group’s true agenda of leaving Luke dead in the mountains becomes evident.

The return of Obi-Wan‘s guidance helps save Luke’s life and prepare him for the deception to come, but I wonder home much of Ben’s ghostly wisdom the comic should and/or will use going forward as Luke’s own instincts should have likely warned him of the danger (even with his only limited understanding of the Force). Worth a look.

[Dark Horse, $2.99]

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All-New X-Men #27

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All-New X-Men #27Picking up where the last issue left off, All-New X-Men #27 focuses on the attack of Cyclops‘ secret base by the Future Brotherhood of Mutants led by Xavier (the son of Charles Xavier and Mystique from an alternate future).

Offering flashbacks to Xavier’s birth, the first appearance of his powers, and seeking out his half-brother Raze, All-New X-Men #27 fills in some of the blanks for those of us not sure exactly who these characters are. That said, their motives are still a bit hard to understand (or why the older version of Jean Grey is continually masked when everyone knows who she is).

Smartly, the group attacks the team’s psychics taking down the Cuckoos and then turns its attention to Cyclops, Emma Frost, and Jean Grey (who Xavier psychically reaches out to at the end of the issue). Even with a full issue of action, there’s not much here in terms of advancing the story as the Brotherhood is only marginally more in control of their attack on the base than it is at the beginning. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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Astro City #12

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Astro City #12Rather than a hero, casual observer, or someone on the fringes of super-hero activity, the latest issue of Astro City examines the life of a costume criminal known as the Gentleman Bandit. Obsessed from a young age with wealth and a well-tailored suit, Astro City #12 follows the highs and lows of the robber and with various costumed groups such as the Menagerie Gang, the Sweet Adelines, and the Gatsbies. Although I’m glad for the return of a one-shot adventure, I have to admit Astro City #12 makes me hope we see more of this character.

Obsessed with the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood, the glory days for Edward “Ned” James Carroway involved working alone and with other “Dapper Dans” or “Clotheshorses” whose robberies always included a touch of style and grace and providing an ideal life for his wife and daughter. However, after being caught first by Jack-in-the-Box and later the Confessor we also see the lows of Ned’s life which include loosing his family and being lured once again back into a life of crime by old friends and a pair of expensive shoes. Worth a look.

[Vertigo, $3.99]

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Fatale #22

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Fatale #22Winding ever-closer to the comic’s conclusion, writer Ed Brubaker and artist Sean Phillips take a step back with the latest issue of Fatale to examine the life of the Bishop, his rebirth during the 1906 San Fransisco earthquake, the pleasure he once took in death and pain, his obsession with Josephine whose sacrifice would have allowed the world to “turn” but instead left him a hobbled shell of his former self, and how the glory of his gifts turned to ash when she escaped.

It’s certainly a dark issue, presented completely from the mind of the creature who was once a man (and now does thing such as listen for answers from a tree of hanging dead babies) looking back on his life. Balanced against these events are his current actions discovering a bread crumb (inadvertantly?) left by Joespehine and preparing for the next convergence when he might once again be able to complete the sacrifice and… well, whatever would happen certainly wouldn’t be good for Josephine or the rest of the world. Worth a look.

[Image, $3.50]

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