Comics

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #31

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #31The Turtles’ Northampton retreat continues as April gets a spunky new hairdo, a still-confused Leonardo takes an important first-step into returning to his role as the Turtles’ leader, and Raphael finally accepts Alopex into the family, at least until Shredder’s new warriors led by Koya find them.

I’m hoping the bridge built between Raphael and Alopex, who I very much enjoy together, isn’t so quickly burned down as the Turtle is quick to blame Shredder‘s former soldier for leading the Foot Clan’s assassins to the group.

Other than the first appearance of Koya, who we should be seeing much more of next issue, and April’s haircut, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #31 is most notable for Leonardo accepting the blue mask from Splinter and taking his place alongside his brothers yet again. Now we see if Shredder’s training, with the abscence of the brainwashing, has made Leonardo a more fierce warrior or if this too will take time. Worth a look.

[IDW, $3.99]

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The Flash #28

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The Flash #28After unintentionally releasing a spirit of vengeance and murder from his prison, the Flash teams up with Deadman to fight the Keystone Killer who plans on returning to his murderous ways by hunting down the surviving descendants of his original victims.

Offering no closure for Barry as the Fastest Man Alive learns the vengeful spirit had no hand in his mother’s death, the odd ghost story does allow for an unique team-up of heroes we normally wouldn’t see together. And although I like my Boston Brand a little more whimsical, the character is put to good use here (even if it feels like the storyline is being unnecessarily drawn out for one more month).

The issue’s backstory (without an ounce of subtlety) continues to suggest that the man Barry knows as his father isn’t who he thinks he is (in more ways than one). Patrick Zircher’s art is okay but doesn’t do much to add any flair to the storyline. For fans.

[DC, $2.99]

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Guardians of the Galaxy #12

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Guardians of the Galaxy #12“The Trial of Jean Grey” continues as the Guardians of the Galaxy, Starjammers, and band of time-displaced X-Men make their way to the Shi’ar homeworld as Jean Grey‘s trial for the crimes an older version of herself committed while under the control of the Phoneix Force begins.

No big movement is made in the overall storyline as the heroes only arrive planetside (and the trial begins) as the issue comes to a close. However, Guardians of the Galaxy #12 does have some nice character moments between Cyclops and his father, as well as X-23 comforting the leader of the X-Men after a very long day. We also get Jean Grey finally seeing the evidence of the Phoneix’s destruction for the first time.

With two more issues to the arc it will be interesting to see how the writers resolve the conflict. Will the heroes simply rescue Ms. Grey, will Gladiator be forced to admit the woman he’s judging isn’t the same one who committed the atrocities, or will the intervention of an outside force (Jason? The Phoenix?) tip the scales? Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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Super Dinosaur #22

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Super Dinosaur #22The battle for the fate of the Dynamo Dome begins as Tyrannosaurus X and his dyno-soldiers invade just as Derek and Super Dinosaur make it back with the cure to bring Derek’s mother out her long coma and into a world that she may not be quite ready to face.

There’s plenty of action to be found here, along with a new suit of armor for Super Dinosaur, as all the residents take up arms (including Erika and Erin, and their parents) to kick the dinosaurs out of their homes. Fans waiting for an action-packed issue between Super Dinosaur and all of his various enemies will certainly get their money’s worth here.

Ending on a cliffhanger with Mega Raptor defeated, but the fate of Dynamo Dome still in doubt, Derek’s mother makes a dangerous choice that her son may never be able to forgive her for. It will be interesting to see how her actions, both immediate genocidal tendencies and future actions, will effect the dynamic of the book going forward. Worth a look.

[Image, $2.99]

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Tomb Raider #1

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Tomb Raider #1As someone who hasn’t played the new Tomb Raider game, focused on exploring the origins of Lara Croft, I found Tomb Raider #1 a bit of a tease as it takes place after the events of the recent game which we only see glimpses of in dialogue or dream flashbacks from our heroine’s time on the Japanese island of Yamatai which forged Lara Croft into the adventurous English archaeologist fans have enjoyed ever since the first game was released in 1996.

Picking up sometime after Croft’s life-changing experiences, we see her interactions with two other survivors including a fellow shipwrecked passenger of the Endurance who seems literally haunted by some mystical force surrounding the artifacts which were removed from the island during their tumultuous stay there.

Those who have played the game are obviously going to have a heads-up on the rest of us as it appears we’re only going to learn pieces of Lara’s first adventure through flashbacks and the search for these artifacts (and return to the island?) rather than a straight comic adaptation of the game. For fans

[Dark Horse, $3.50]

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