Comics

Nova #16

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Nova #16Wrapping up Sam‘s adventure in space and his team-up with Beta Ray Bill, Nova #16 pits the young hero against Skaarn who is now in control of a former Herald’s weapon imbued with the Power Cosmic.

I was actually surprised to see David Baldeon credited as the issue’s only artist as I thought stylistically the final chapter of the arc’s look varied quite a bit. Not that the art is bad, but on a first read through I would have guessed more than one artist was responsible. The final battle may have been a little anti-climactic given last issue’s push to super-size the threat of the villain who took advantage of Sam several issues ago, but Sam proves up to the challenge and earns the respect of both Bill and Cosmo (who I hope we haven’t seen the last of).

Emotionally the comic makes a big shift its final pages as Sam’s victory is space means nothing to the troubles awaiting him at home and a new problems for the young hero and his family to deal with beginning next month. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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Morning Glories #38

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Morning Glories #38While Abraham awakens halfway around the world in a snake-filled room, safe but still pursued by agents of the Morning Glories Academy, his son faces his own troubles when Gribbs awakes from his coma caused by Ike shooting the teacher in the head.

Still obsessed with finding Abraham, and carving a pound of flesh out of his son, Gribbs wastes no time in drugging Ike with mysterious cocktail in the dungeon cell from where his father disappeared and beating the shit out of the boy forcing a connection between the pair and information about where Abraham has gone and what he is currently up to.

Artist Joe Eisma doesn’t skimp on the violence of Gribbs’ brutal attack on the campus’ smart ass (which is more than a little difficult to watch), but he and writer Nick Spencer do offer a surprise with the unexpected return of one of Abraham’s new companions. How exactly she survived the events of Wood Run (or is this a version of Zoe before those events?) has yet to be established, but obviously she still has a role to play. Worth a look.

[IDW, $3.50]

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Smallville Season Eleven: Lantern #1

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Smallville Season Eleven: Lantern #1The return of Kryptonians to their sector in space on the new Argo colony (as seen in the Ninth Season finale) has awoken the Green Lantern ring of Space Sector 2813, to seek out a new host. Unable to find anyone acceptable on the colony made up of Kryptonian clones, the ring continues its search until it reaches Earth and finds Superman.

Although Kal-El has no intention of leaving Earth to defend a space sector half way around the universe, he finds it impossible to turn down his new calling as even chucking the ring into deep space only eventually returns it to his finger.

Along with offering a cameo from John Stewart, who as the Earths’ current GL appears to have been tapped to showing Superman the ropes, and a brief history of Green Lanterns in the Smallville Universe, the opening issue to the latest Smallville mini-series also foreshadows looming problems with the Manhunters who are awoken as well on discovering a new Lantern has been chosen. Worth a look.

[DC, $3.99]

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Uncanny X-Men #20

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Uncanny X-Men #20After the latest Sentinel attack on his team, Cyclops pays Maria Hill and S.H.I.E.L.D. a visit to find out if they are directly responsible. With the help of the Cuckoos and Magik, the X-Men perform a telepathic attack on Hill aboard the Hellicarrier with no one else the wiser.

Although Cyclops doesn’t get the answers he seeks, he does have another avenue to explore as whoever planted the last fake new mutant sighting obviously not only knows about the existence of Cerebro but how to effect it. As the issue comes to a close Cyclops heads to the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning to confront one of the few on the planet capable of turning Charles Xavier‘s invention against his former students – Hank McCoy.

With Cyclops basically declaring war on S.H.I.E.L.D. and antaganozing the other branch of X-Men he makes no friends here. Keeping the true identity of those causing the attacks under wraps, it’s unclear whether Mystique is directly involved or just using the situation to her own advantage. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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G.I. JOE: Special Missions #14

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G.I. JOE: Special Missions #14The Special Missions series comes to close with this finale one-issue story involving Scarlett and her Special Missions team ambushed by Cobra while transporting a prisoner near the borders of Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay. With both Roadblock and Mainframe injured, and a squad of Vipers descending on the position of their destroyed transport, the small squad splits up as Scarlett leads most of the team away from the action.

Staying with the injured Mainframe, the JOE’s sniper Low-Light takes center stage here providing the cover for his teammates to reach safety and take out a Cobra sniper whose skills nearly match his own.

Following the cancellation of G.I. JOE: Cobra Files and the nearing end of IDW’s main title as well it appears the company is set once again for a soft reboot of their various JOE titles. Special Missions may not have always been great, but it was consistently solid and goes out on a high note here. Worth a look.

[IDW, $3.99]

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