Comics

Rocky and Bullwinkle #2

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Rocky and Bullwinkle #2Rocky and Bullwinkle‘s attempts to help a washed-up magician get back on his feet only make Boris and Natasha aware of the man who just happens to have the necessary skills to help the Pottsylvanian spies steal a secret new bomb.

The two-part story, complete with a cliffhanger of the moose being sent to his death in a tank filled with man-eating (but not moose-eating) piranha, is fun (even if it does rely on an unnecessary deus ex machina with the intervention of the Moon Men).

The intermission delivers another adventure of Dudley Do-Right who struggles with Inspector Fenwick’s orders to get his man. Snidley Whiplash‘s maneuvering to cause the mountie’s arrest of an insurance salesman (whose personality and salemanship drives both prisoners and mounties crazy) gives the villain temporary free run of the town but also comes back to bite the villain when he’s later forced to share a cell with the salesman. Worth a look.

[IDW, $3.99]

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Daredevil #1.50

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Daredevil #1.50Feeling more than a little unnecessary and out of place for a comic that just relaunched with a brand new issue last month, and feeling more like an annual or special than part of the ongoing continuity, the over-sized Daredevil #1.50 is 50th Anniversary celebration of the character which takes a look forward rather than back with what Mark Waid has in mind for the character going forward.

Split into three separate tales, each of which take place years in Matt Murdock’s future introduces us to Matt Murdock‘s son Jack and the villain Jubula Pride who turns most of the city of San Francisco in order to push Daredevil out of retirement to confront a villain who he, but not the reader, knows all too well.

Featuring back-up stories of Murdock’s wife by Brian Michael Bendis by and artist Alex Maleev and wacky fake twin storyline in homage to the character’s goofier period by writer/artist Karl Kesel, Daredevil #1.50 is a curiosity more than anything else offering a glimpse of what Waid might do with the character given no constraints and several decades. Hit-and-Miss.

[Marvel, $4.99]

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Powerpuff Girls #8

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Powerpuff Girls #8The second-half of the “Monster Day” begins with the Powerpuff Girls defeated and dejected in their room and Steve‘s monster swarm destroying the city of Townsville and preparing for the night’s final festivities: eating the Mayor! Getting the kick in the butt they need from Professor Utonium, Bubbles comes up with a plan to even the odds by taking control of the remaining Mojobots and leading them into battle against the monster horde.

Although the Girls suffered momentary defeat at the end of last issue, Powerpuff Girls #8 allows the threesome to return with a force thanks to a little fatherly push and a brainstorm by my favorite member of the group. Once again the day is saved by the Powerpuff Girls, but despite the monsters eventual defeat Steve’s reign continues as his subjects admit that this has been the best day ever (meaning, if the comic stays around long enough, we may get another Monster Day somewhere down the line). The lastest issue delivers on action, wackiness, and a nice message about never giving up no matter the odds. Worth a look.

[IDW, $3.99]

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Samurai Jack #7

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Samurai Jack #7With Samurai Jack and the Scotsman both turned into females by the Leprechauns the pair’s two-issue gender-bending adventures continue as Samurai Jacqueline and the Scotswoman seek to complete their bargain with the devious imps and confront the giant Cuhullin the Cruel.

Only after confronting the massive creature in battle do Jack and the Scotsman uncover just how much they’ve been played by the evil imps and decide to do what they can to set things right. With the spell broken due to the giant’s wailing breaking the music of the curse (which is only slightly less awkward than it sounds), the restored Jack and Scotsman come up with a plan to help Cuhullin and teach the Leprechauns a much-deserved lesson.

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All-New X-Men #25

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All-New X-Men #25The “monumental” 25th issue of All-New X-Men feels much more like a forgettable annual rather than an important issue of an ongoing comic. Centered around the Beast‘s conversations with an over-talkative Watcher, the framework is a relatively weak excuse to bring in a variety of artists to give takes on their version of various X-Men characters in the present and possible futures (including Magik as Sorceress Supreme) all put in jeopardy by McCoy’s decision to bring the younger versions of his friends into the present.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s some very nice artwork here (highlighted for me by Bruce Timm’s showcasing Jean Grey in her various forms), some of it quite funny, but as a fan of the original idea of The Watcher as a silent observer I’m less than satisfied with this verbose version that even goes so far as to insult the X-Man after speaking his mind. For such a momentous issue All New X-Men #25 can easily be skipped by those not willing to pay $5 for a story that doesn’t do much of anything to further ongoing stories and whose absence won’t be felt going forward if you choose not to read it. Hit-and-Miss.

[Marvel, $4.99]

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