Comics

Li’l Sonja

/ / Comics

Li'l SonjaWhen Dynamite started putting out all of these cute one-shots inspired by the company’s current catalog, Li’l Sonja was the one that caught my eye. It took me a while to get to the issue, partially due to having to special order the terrific variant cover by Agnes Garbowska, and partly out of my own forgetfulness, but once I picked it up I was in heaven.

Written by Jim Zub, whose work in IDW’s new Samurai Jack comic I have been enjoying, with art by Joel Carroll, Li’l Sonja is the type of comic I want to see Dynamite start putting out monthly. The story centers around the heroine’s travels leading her to investigate disappearance of red objects and red-headed children caused by greedy red dragon.

Fighting off the dragon with her sword, wits, and a full page of wonderful puns, Sonja eventually outsmarts the dragon and saves the day. A hell of a lot of fun, my only disappointment comes from how long it took me to pick it up and the fact that there’s no issue #2 to look forward to. Must-read.

[Dynamite Entertainment, $3.99]

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Smallville Season Eleven: Alien #3

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Smallville Season Eleven: Alien #3The third issue of Smallville Season Eleven: Alien features unexpected team-ups. As Chloe spends time in the Batcave trying to pitch Batman on the idea of joining the Justice League, Lois and Nightwing hit the streets and get into a little action while taking down a local gang, and in Russia Clark Kent and Lex Luthor work together to discover more about the identity of the Monitor and his true purpose in this reality.

I enjoyed the scenes of Barbara and Lois together and getting the chance to see Lois kick some butt. However, I question Bryan Q. Miller’s choice to make Lois so capable that she comes off as pretty much equal to Batman’s trained partner in a fight.

Clark and Lex finally catch up with the Monitor (for all the good it does them) leaving that thread on a cliffhanger suggesting Lex Luthor might re-discover Superman’s secret (but I wouldn’t bet on it just yet). The Batman story also gets an unusual ending with the reveal of a Bat-Joker from another world who will no doubt cause trouble for Smallville’s version of the Dynamic Duo in the next issue. Worth a look.

[DC, $3.99]

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Fatale #20

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Fatale #20Picking up the thread of the ongoing B-story of Nicholas Lash’s rescue and torture by Lance, Fatale begins its final arc as Josephine comes after Lash and the demented former rocker who became obsessed with her years ago during her amnesia period.

With Fatale #20 the waiting, along with Josephine’s hiding, is over. Quickly dispatching disciples of the cult still hunting for her, Josephine draws on her gifts to find Lash aware it opens herself up for detection. Although Lash is grateful for her intervention, he can’t help but notice how easily Josephine deals with a former lover (much like his uncle) who is no longer of any use to her.

Although I’m happy to hear of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’ new deal with Image allowing them freedom to tell a variety of stories in the coming months, I’m sad to see Fatale coming to an end. The glimpses we get of Josephine’s suicide attempts remind us of quite bit of backstory yet to be developed, so I’m hoping the pair might return to the characters sometime down the line. Worth a look.

[Image, $3.50]

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All-New X-Men #23

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All-New X-Men #23Continuing the story from Guardians of the Galaxy #11.NOW, the time-displaced original X-Men along with Kitty Pryde, X-23, and the Guardians of the Galaxy head into space after Jean Grey who has been taken by the Shi’ar to be publicly tried for crimes she hasn’t committed yet. The odd circumstances the X-Men find themselves in leads to quite a bit of offbeat humor highlighted by Iceman‘s glee over interacting with a talking raccoon.

Of course, as often happens with the Guardians’ plans, things don’t go as smoothly as possible when they ship comes under attack from a Shi’ar warship. Unexpectedly, the heroes are saved by the arrival of the Starjammers led by Cosair whose relationship with this version of Cyclops is less cordial than his present day counterpart.

Filled with action, suspense, and an awful lot of humor and inside references (such as Kitty Pryde’s mention of her uncomfortable past with space travel), the pairing of the two teams is a lot of fun while the pre-trial moments between Jean Grey and a Shi’ar telepath continue to set the stage for the trial yet to come. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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Astro City #9

/ / Comics

Astro City #9As the conspiracy behind framing Winged Victory as a super-villain continues, the heroine is forced to abandon her schools. Continuing to investigate the elaborate frame, the Samaritan and The Confessor urge the heroine to go into hiding until they can uncover the proof to clear her name.

Winged Victory’s only respite comes from answering the call of the voice which has slowly grown in strength over recent days. On an inaupsicious rooftop garden she will come face-to-face with one the Council of Nike (those whose power flows through her veins) who offers the hero the story of her only life, a brief moment of rest, and the support to continue to fight for her cause.

Although the overall story isn’t advanced much (the investigation hits dead ends and the evidence against Winged Victory mounts), in terms of exploring the effect of the attack on the hero Astro City #9 works well. And before it’s over we get the tease of how the young man who came to her door just before her world started crashing down might have a big role to play in the arc’s final issue next month. Worth a look.

[Vertigo, $3.99]

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