Comics

The Flash #25

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The Flash #25The Flash #25, a one-shot Zero Year adventure giving us Barry Allen‘s first meeting with Iris West in Gotham City, marks the end of Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato’s run on what for me has been one of the rare highlights of the New 52. In his final issue Manapaul shares the art duties with Chris Sprouse for a Flash adventure that happens well before Barry’s accident or his first run in scarlet-colored spandex.

Although it takes place in Gotham rather than Central City, the comic is a nice wrap-up in terms of finally offering us not only Barry and Iris’ first meeting but the couple’s first kiss as well. The storyline of a highly inflammatory street drug name Icarus, and the corruption of the Gotham Police Department, takes a back seat to Barry’s heroic actions well-before receiving the gift of super-speed and his first encounter with Iris.

I’m going to miss Manapual’s beautiful kinetic style that fit the character perfectly. And given the continuing disappointment of much of the rest of the New 52 I’m a little scared to see where The Flash goes from here. Worth a look.

[DC, $3.99]

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Fables #135

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Fables #135After last month’s look in at the afterlife of Bigby Wolf, Fables jumps right back into the Camelot storyline with Rose Red meeting those wishing to join her new Round Table as Knights of Hope. Despite the heavy turnout, there are still quite a few obstacles standing in Rose Red’s way including Snow White who has not forgiven her sister for recruiting Prince Brandish as part of her undertaking.

Other than her sister, Rose Red still has to come up with a method of choosing her knights and deal with the wide assortment of volunteers ranging from all sizes of both a wide variety of creatures and humans. There’s also the matter of the quiet man of the hills whose true name and purpose for journeying to the new Round Table has yet to be revealed.

With the near completion of Bigby’s shattered crystal form we find one crucial piece still missing (in the hands of a mysterious woman) which must be recovered if the witches’ magic has any chance at returning him from the dead. What dark forces are working against Bigby and his return? Worth a look.

[Vertigo, $2.99]

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Atomic Robo Presents Real Science Adventures #12

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Atomic Robo Presents Real Science Adventures #12Wrapping up the six-issue arc, Nikola Tesla leads Charles Fort, Winfield-Scott Lovecraft, Ehrie “Harry Houdini Weiss, Master Wong Ke-Ying, and Annie Oakley out of the tunnels beneath the city to stop the Triumvirate of Franklin Reade, Robert Trydan, and Jack Wright and their mad plan of mass destruction and revolution.

Atomic Robo Presents Real Science Adventures #12 presents plenty of action and quick thinking from the heroes of science as they manage to stop the villains from detonating their explosives all over the city and hold out long enough for help to arrive.

The issue includes two short back-up stories involving Atomic Robo taking down a pair of spies in Nevada (by jumping out of an airplane and landing on their car) and Dr. Dinosaur laying what he considers an ingenious trap for members of Tesladyne that doesn’t produce the results the insane dinosaur hoped for. Worth a look.

[Red 5, $2.75]

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: New Animated Adventures #5

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: New Animated Adventures #5When Fishface attacks a cruise ship looking to get his hands on his former partner-in-crime Victor Sousa, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello show up to save the day. For the first time the Turtles find themselves fighting the fish-mutant in water, and Fishface turns out to be far more trouble in his natural habitat.

Raphael questions putting their own lives on the line to save a gangster (which turns out to be prophetic as Victor eventually turns on his would-be rescuers). Although the ship is sunk, the Turtles eventually are able to stop Fishface and turn Victor over to the police allowing Leo to show his brother that saving a criminal doesn’t mean letting him go free.

Of the characters created for the new animated show, Fishface is one of the oddest. I haven’t been the biggest fan of his, but Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: New Animated Adventures #5 uses the setting to the character’s advantage, making him a credible threat given the circumstances the Turtles find themselves in. Worth a look.

[IDW, $3.99]

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Batman ’66 #5

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Batman '66 #5The latest adventure set in the world of the 60’s Batman television show pits Batman and Robin against The Sandman who puts all of Gotham City into a highly suggestive sleep to complete the largest robbery the city has ever seen. After catching the Dynamic Duo in his trap as well the villain attempts to pry the location out the Batcave out of them by controlling Batman’s dreams (which include a couple of really cool panels by artist Ruben Procopio).

Despite nearly giving away the secret location of the Batcave (and with it his secret identity), Batman eventually realizes and takes control of the dream allow the heroes to wake-up and put the villain to sleep (so to speak). The Sandman falls very much into the D-list category of Bat-villains, but the tale is fun and certainly fits the style of the comic.

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