Comics

Star Wars #10

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Star Wars #10The latest issue of Star Wars touches on all the ongoing stories and Leia comes face-to-face with the man who handed the Empire the weapons which destroyed her homeworld, Han and Chewbacca narrowly escape the clutches of Boba Fett while finally getting out of Coruscant, and Luke and Wedge buy time while preparing their escape from the Devastator after successfully finishing their mission.

In the bowels of the Star Destroyer, Luke and Wedge share a nice moment discussing the still painful losses at the Battle of Yavin and Luke’s not-so-secret relationship with Prithi. The sequence works in reinforcing the time of the current series as well as the emphasizing the losses the Rebellion suffered during their greatest victory.

Prithi may not be able to wait long enough to help her friends escape, but her quick thinking alerts the Rebel Fleet to the impending Imperial attack led by the overconfident Bircher which just may be the key to reuniting the two pilots with their friends. Worth a look.

[Dark Horse, $2.99]

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Astro City #5

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Astro City #5The latest standalone issue of Astro City gives us the return of the Broken Man and his crazy conspiracy-theory wall of clippings, yarn, and thumbtacks. Our host offers us glimpses into three separate stories from the past, but quickly pulls the reader out when he fears we may learn too much too soon.

The Broken Man is one of few pieces of the new Astro City comic that I haven’t been completely sold on. Consistently stepping in to pull the reader out of the story is a little annoying, but writer Kurt Busiek and artist Brent Anderson use that template to lay the groundwork for different stories they aren’t quite ready to fully explore.

The stories break down into a secret government agency in the 1930s dealing with the alien and bizarre, a Kobra-style cult leader in India during the 1940s, and a steam-punk heroine named Dame Progress chasing down a crafty villain whose motives aren’t as black-and-white as she believes. Each story, although truncated, is worth reading.

[Vertigo, $3.99]

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G.I. JOE: Special Missions #8

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G.I. JOE: Special Missions #8This single issue tale has a little less action than you’re regular issue of G.I. JOE: Special Missions, but plenty of equipment and high-tech gadgetry, as the team’s nerdier members set out to stop a Cobra hacker from starting a war between two former Soviet Republics.

This is an issue where characters like Hard Drive, Spreadsheet, and Dial-Tone all get to strut their stuff and Mainframe (rather than someone like Duke or Scarlett) gets to perform the big heroic mission by destroying a Cobra drone at 60,000 feet before it can kill the one man capable of negotiating a settlement and stopping a full-out war.

I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t want to see the series continue without some of the JOEs bigger names getting into the action as well, but for a one-off tale G.I. JOE: Special Missions #8 works pretty well and reminds readers about the diversity of the ranks and skill sets of the organization. Worth a look.

[IDW, $3.99]

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Superman/Wonder Woman #1

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Superman/Wonder Woman #1I wasn’t expecting much from the New 52‘s latest addition, but the first issue of Superman/Wonder Woman #1 from writer Charles Soule and artist Tony Daniel turns out to be better than expected. Focused more on the differences of the two characters and the unique challenges of their relationship, Superman/Wonder Woman #1 may not sell me on the idea of Superman and Wonder Woman as a couple, but it does find an interesting way to explore that relationship.

Of course if you’re going to put two of DC Comics’ biggest guns in a single book you’re going to need some big bads for them to fight. The cover teases the kinds of villains the pair may face as the series continues, but the first issue gives them a storm, a plane in need of rescue, and a monster-sized threat that certainly fits the bill with the appearance of Doomsday.

DC hasn’t been able to get me to stick with Wonder Woman or Superman’s various solo titles, but I’m at least a little interested to see where this will lead. Worth a look.

[DC, $3.99]

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Morning Glories #32

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Morning Glories #32The fallout from Irina’s failed coup continues as the series loops back around to focus on the imprisoned Vanessa who is paid a visit by Hodge and offered a moment of closure with the boy she loved and lost.

Morning Glories #32 is an interesting issue because of what Hodge shows the young woman to try and repair their damaged relationship and what the comic hides from the character but shows us giving the audience a much clearer understanding of both Hodge’s motivations and Vanessa’s troubled future. Despite helping both Casey and now Vanessa, the latest issue implies Hodge may actually be the worst of the faculty in terms of manipulation.

We discover the Morning Glories Academy campus has another holy or mystical site which can be used to travel through time such as the cave and the tower. Hodge’s use of Zhuang Zhou‘s famous quote about about the loss of perception and understanding is a reminder that everything both the characters and audience experience in this world has far more facets than may be initially realized. Worth a look.

[Image, $3.50]

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