Comics

Astro City #7

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Astro City #7Although the comic begins with the perspective of a young boy badly beaten looking for help, Astro City #7 is the first issue of new series to focus primarily on heroes rather than that normal people whose lives are affected by them. The new four-issue arc finds Winged Victory under attack by super-villains who are claiming that the heroine and protector of women is actually the brains behind their entire operation.

While offering both an origin story for the hero as well as a glimpse of her romantic relationship with the Samaritan, the comic explains how public perception of the heroine, and lack of trust in her, could very well spell the end of her career.

The focus may be different than the adventures we’ve gotten so far, but the storytelling is still just as good. Given what we’ve already seen over six issues I’d expect the role of the battered young boy to play a larger role in the story than we’ve seen so far, as will The Confessor who makes an appearance in the comic’s final panel. Worth a look.

[Vertigo, $3.99]

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Noir #2

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Noir #2Although I enjoyed the first issue of this mini-series which centered as much around the unresolved relationship between the Black Sparrow and The Shadow I was a bit fearful in what the second issue’s absence of Lamont Cranston might bring. I was right to be concerned.

Only appearing at the very end of last month’s issue, Noir #2 focuses primarily on Miss Fury and the series of events that caused her to take on this quest for the missing Templar treasure.

Although the issue offers plenty of action with the two women kicking ass to get a hold of the one person who can answer their questions, the Black Sparrow is really playing second fiddle to the far less interesting Miss Fury (a poor man’s Catwoman) this time around.

The mystery of the treasure doesn’t get any clearer here and the focus so heavily on Miss Fury didn’t help matters any. The second issue’s rough art by Andrea Mutti also works against the sex appeal of the comic’s pair of female leads. Hit-and-Miss.

[Dynamite Entertainment, $3.99]

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Legends of Red Sonja #2

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Legends of Red Sonja #2The second issue of the latest Red Sonja mini-series isn’t as strong as the first, offering only two tales of Red Sonja’s exploits for the Grey Riders with not much in the way of pushing their hunt for Sonja forward in he segments in-between by Gail Simone and artist Jack Jadson.

Although it ends with a nice twist, the tale of Red Sonja’s cowardice and ineptitude from a fellow adventurer didn’t do much for me. The second tale of Sonja taking on the protection of a young girl and her mother is a bit hit-and-miss as well, although once again the tale does find a way to offer a nice wink to the reader at the expense of the villains. I also didn’t think the various styles of the three artist meshed as well this time around.

Undeterred from the tales of the She-Devil with a Sword’s heroics in the first issue, which weren’t having the desired effect, Sonja sets out to pull back on the legend a bit in hopes that the group may overconfidence when their paths finally do meet on the battlefield. For fans.

[Dynamite Entertainment, $3.99]

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Smallville Season Eleven: Alien #1

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Smallville Season Eleven: Alien #1Okay, I have a love/hate relationship with Smallville. The decade-long television show was high on promise (and I’ll admit I liked Tom Welling as a youngish Clark Kent) but often short on delivery which may have something to do with stretching its premise of Clark’s pre-Superman adventures far longer than anyone involved with the show originally thought possible.

Despite writer Bryan Q. Miller’s involvement in the new series I found it hard to give the title a fair shake (although I was sorely tempted when it looked like Stephanie Brown might get new life in its pages). With my dissatisfaction with much of current New 52 Superman (I’ve already decided to scratch Superman/Wonder Woman #2 from my pull list after only two issues), I decided to try the first issue of this new mini-series.

On the plus side the Smallville version of Superman’s costume is actually less ridiculous than the New 52 version and the character has more than a bit of the old Clark Kent who I’ve been missing (along with several pre-New 52 versions of the DCU).

…

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Velvet #2

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Velvet #2Picking up a few hours after the first issue‘s cliffhanger ending with Velvet Templeton on the run from the governmental spy organization she spent her entire life serving, Fitzroy heads to the Director of Arc-7 to relay the night’s events (and his team’s failed attempt to grab a secretary no one realized was once one of the agency’s top field officers) while demanding answers to just who the hell Velvet Templeton really is.

While showing us that Velvet may have lost a step or two in the years since she retired from field work, the second issue also shows us she still has the skills (and risk-taking maneuvers) to stay one-step ahead of those persuing her. On the run, the old spy decides if her own government is content to pin the recent murders on her rather than doing a proper investigation she’ll take the lead on her own.

A really strong second issue fills in a bit of Velvet’s past (at least to the man given the job of chasing her) as well as reveals a skeleton in her closet that might come back to haunt both her and the Director. Worth a look.

[Image, $2.99]

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