Comics

Guardians of the Galaxy #9

/ / Comics

Guardians of the Galaxy #9With Thanos‘ soldiers about to make Peter Quill, Rocket Raccoon, and Abigail Brand very dead the cavalry arrives, first in the forn of Angela followed by Groot and Drax giving their friends aboard S.W.O.R.D.‘s orbiting installation known as The Peak time to help the Avengers return to Earth (even if it does mean Star-Lord putting Carol Danvers on hold).

The issue also returns Gamora who decides abandoning her entire team to their likely deaths after she learned Peter Quill kept Thanos‘ survival from her may have been a bit of a miscalculation. Although that entire subplot felt hollow to me, it does allow Gamora to make one hell of an entrance.

Guardians of the Galaxy #9 leads directly into the the final issue of Infinity (which despite not reading I’ve still enjoyed these tie-in issues). It also reunites the whole team (well, I’m still waiting for Cosmo‘s return) and Angela moving forward with the post-Infinity clean-up you now will be coming. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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Damian: Son of Batman #2

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Damian: Son of Batman #2Damian: Son of Batman #2 begins with explaining the confusing ending of the first issue as a criminal-killing Damian is confronted by his father (a man the comic had told us was dead). Long story short, the Batman that died was Dick Grayson and not the long-retired Bruce Wayne who shows up to give his son (who he apparently abandoned for weeks after Dick’s death) a beating that leaves the old man hospitalized.

The rest of the issue deals with Damian’s guilt over almost causing his father’s death, his vow to be the kind of hero both Bruce and Dick would be proud of, and donning his own version of the Bat-suit (as seen in Batman #666) to become the new Batman.

The confusion aside, the comic does give us Damian donning the costume for the “first” time, but the moment lacks any real gravitas (although I liked the “nice coat” comment the new Batman gets while jumping into action chasing a sighting of the Joker later in the issue). Andy Kubert delivers some moments, but the entire issue feels like a train wreck. Hit-and-Miss.

[DC, $3.99]

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Beware the Batman #2

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Beware of the Batman #2Expecting an eminent threat from Professor Pyg, Batman, Alfred, and Katana split up to protect likely targets. Capturing the super-villains minions, the heroes are unaware that his true target is a vacationing CEO and his family.

I’ve never been a big fan of Professor Pyg, but the various misdirection employed by writer Matthew K. Manning works well here and the villain’s motives certainly fit his profile. I was also very impressed with the art by Dario Brizuela (who also did the awesome Scooby-Doo! Team-Up #1) who takes some liberties with the cartoon’s all-black costume by adding some much needed grey, and gives us some cool sepia-colored origins panels for each of our three heroes.

Brizuela’s panels make this one worth grabbing (even if it is a story about the ridiculous environmental terrorist Professor Pyg). I hope to see more of his work both here and on Scooby-Doo! Team-Up. Worth a look.

[DC, $2.99]

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G.I. JOE: Special Missions #9

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G.I. JOE: Special Missions #9The latest issue of G.I. JOE: Special Missions centers around one of the least heroic members of the team, Bildocker, whose uncanny ability to scavenge, locate, and trade for necessary ordinance and intel is matched by the overweight desk jock’s lack use in the field that certainly separates him from his more heroic teammates.

With Dial Tone along for the ride, Bildocker soon finds himself in way over his head in the bayou’s as a trip to an old friend to get what Roadblock and Mainframe need for their latest mission gets the pair attacked by Cobra troops and in a fight for their lives far from any back-up.

G.I. JOE: Special Missions #9 is an interesting issue because it reminds us that there are many jobs various JOEs are called on to do and not all of them are as heroic as those on the front lines. He may not fit the mold, but Bildocker is a vial member of the team. Although we only get a single issue for his story, I wouldn’t mind seeing Bildocker pop-up again sometime down the line. Worth a look.

[IDW, $3.99]

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Nova #10

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Nova #10Nova #10, which also marks the 100th issue of various Nova single titles over the years, features on the troubles of being a modern day teen super-hero. The main story deals with Sam Alexander coming to terms and joining the New Warriors, while also taking time to insult his new friends and head up to the moon to complain to the Watcher.

The issue’s back-up story features a conversation between Sam’s mother and his principal over the increasing number of unexplained absences. The conversation is set against Nova’s latest space adventure far from home. At $5 the comic feels a bit overpriced (and while the gallery of every previous Nova covers is nice, it’s also filler to boost the issue’s page count making it appear you’re getting five more pages of story than you actually are).

Even with these complaints, the issue works as both an introduction to the character for new readers as well as continuing Sam’s various struggles with being a hero and finding his place in the larger Marvel Universe. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $4.99]

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