Comics

The Shadow #22

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The Shadow #22The Shadow‘s whirlwind world tour makes a stop in the jungles of Guatamala where the vigilante’s search for answers concerning the ring will have to be put on hold as The Shadow teaches some cooperate workers that deforesting the land of the Xinca tribe and kidnapping their chief will not be tolerated.

Most of the first-half of the issue is relatively uneventful as the youthful enthusiasm of two of the younger members of the tribe get their elder taken captive. Luckily for them, the legendary protector shows up to dispense a little justice.

By the end of the issue The Shadow is prepared to return to New York which brings up an interesting point. Although it has showed off the character in various locales, while providing bread crumbs to the mysterious vigilante’s past, the trip is actually a complete failure as The Shadow learns nothing of interest in any of these stops. The final stop on his journey is the least interesting of the bunch, so its probably a good time to get him back to New York City. For fans.

[Dynamite Entertainment, $3.99]

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Ms. Marvel #1

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Ms. Marvel #1Ms. Marvel #1 introduces the character who will taking over the name for Marvel’s new Marvel NOW! campaign (not to be confused with Marvel’s old Marvel NOW! campaign also currently still happening). The first issue from writer G. Willow Wilson and artist Adrian Alphona does a good job at introducing us to Muslim teenager Kamala Khan and her close circle of dysfunctional friends and family.

The comic also gives us the origins of Kamala’s new powers with the magic fog and hallucinatory visions which leave her with super-powers and Carol Danvers‘ old costume. Neither the fog nor her vision is remotely explained leaving the reasoning behind the gift a mystery. Since we don’t see the character in costume until the final panel it’s also unclear what power set the new Ms. Marvel has at her disposal.

As an introduction to Kamala Ms. Marvel #1 works but as an introction to the new Ms. Marvel it feels incomplete. Although we do Kamala in Danvers’ old costume (which she rightly prefers) given the promotional materials (and comic’s variant cover) we know it’s not the costume she keeps. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $2.99]

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Batman: Black and White #6

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Batman: Black and White #6The final issue of the latest volume of Batman: Black and White is neither the strongest nor weakest of the six-issue mini-series. Although it lacks a stand-out story, three of the tales present Batman adventures from perspectives other than those of the Dark Knight Detective himself.

Cliff Chiang’s Clayface tale is presented from Dick Grayson‘s perspective in his early days as Robin before he had won over the GCPD. Olly Moss and Becky Cloonan take a look at Bruce Wayne out of the Batsuit from the perspective of former and current flings, and Dave Johnson offers a tale of a four-time loser’s various run-ins with the law and Batman.

The final two stories also have something in common as they present rather mean-spirited versions of beloved characters. Dave Taylor’s tale of robots and conspiracies isn’t half as fun as it sounds and features an extremely unlikable Alfred. Adam Hughes offers us a Catwoman tale that while somewhat plausable makes Catwoman to be one hell of a manipulative bitch whose actions definitely cross a line. Worth a look.

[DC, $4.99]

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Dead Boy Detectives #2

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Dead Boy Detectives #2The second issue of the new series picks up with Crystal already beginning to regret her decision to attend St. Hilarions while being tortured by some of her classmates and continuing to investigate the two ghosts which led her here. And, despite her personal experiences that have taught her to remain isolated, Crystal manages to make a new friend.

Along with following Crystal’s early days in the twisted boarding school with the regular issues of trying to fit in, the second issue begins to fill in her backstory by revealing that the Dead Boy Detectives weren’t the first ghosts the young woman has seen and how a traumatic event from her past, as much as the mystery of the two boys, is driving her for answers.

Charles Rowland and Edwin Paine also are surprised to see how good Crystal is at snooping already uncovering more about their deaths in a few days than they two have found in years. Does this mean a proper team-up is in order? And just what hell will be unleashed once others discover their snooping? Worth a look.

[Vertigo, $2.99]

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Larfleeze #7

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Larfleeze #7Finally freed from his imprisonment at the hands of the resurrected Orange Lantern Corps, Larfleeze sets out to find his missing butler while causing more chaos and trouble and pissing off yet another member of the Laord of the Hunt‘s family.

It’s good to see Larfleeze free an back causing mischief again (even accidentally saving an entire planet from the influence of Dyrge of All Sorrows). We also learn that Larfleeze’s ring, like those of the Green Lantern Corps, can speak. But it turns it out doesn’t think much more of its master than anyone else in the universe.

Already at seven issues, the opening arc is beginning to drag a bit, but by the end of the issue Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis finally bring the various threads of the storyline together by uniting the Laord, the Wanderer, Errata, and Dyrge all against a greedy ring-slinger and hopefully laying the ground work for a new arc and the eventual appearance of G’nort in a couple of months. Worth a look.

[DC, $2.99]

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