Comics

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Karai

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - KaraiThrough Karai‘s visit to her old sensei in an attempt to work through her reduced role in the Foot Clan now that the Shredder has taken on the brainwashed Leonardo as his second-in-command we learn he history of Shredder’s descendant, returning her family to the old ways of the Foot Clan, and studying to become the kind of ninja who could kill her father to take command of his empire.

The second-half of the latest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Micro-Series one-shot focuses on a battle between Karai and Leonardo where the young ninja allows herself to be defeated only after coming to the understanding that the brainwashed Leo fights with neither the skill nor heart of the original (which makes sense, but seems to contradict the ass whoopin’ he put on his brothers in the last issue of TMNT).

Although this isn’t a series I plan to pick up every month, the last two issues have been strong focusing on Alopex and now Karai, two of the more intriguing characters of the Foot Clan. Worth a look.

[IDW, $3.99]

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Daredevil #30

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Daredevil #30Matt Murdock‘s life gets even more complicated when former Assistant District Attorney Kristen McDuffie takes Foggy‘s place as his new law partner and Daredevil is approached by an alien seeking sanctuary while fleeing the wrath of the Silver Surfer.

Although the Surfer is a tad too emotional here, which can be explained by the Achian’s powers of persuasion and distorting perception, I enjoyed writer Mark Waid’s take on the character even if the issue falls back on the most basic of comic tropes: a misunderstanding to pit two heroes against each other.

Daredevil gets his chance to fly the Surfer’s board and take down a cosmic bad guy, but in true Murdock fashion the comic ends on a downbeat as Murdock takes the lying alien’s “truth” to heart.

In an age when nearly everything being written is planned in advance to put out in a single arc trade paperback one-shots like this are a dying breed. And that’s too bad, because Waid and artist Chris Samnee prove how good such issues can be. Must-read.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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Red Sonja #2

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Red Sonja #2Red Sonja has returned to the lands where she was kept prisoner for months fighting to the death in gladiatorial combat to fight for the King who freed her and battle an old friend only to suffer the greatest defeat of the She-Devil with a Sword’s life.

Although Sonja manages to fight Annisia, the only other survivor of their captivity, to a standstill, the kind is dead and her friend’s broken mind (haunted by the ghosts of those they slaughtered) demands justice from Sonja, and surrender.

The comic’s opening arc takes a dark turn as we learn Sonja has contracted plague from the very people she was trying to protect. As a bargain to keep the citizens quarantined, but living, Sonja surrenders her sword and agrees to banishment in the mountains of the north.

As I doubt Dynamite is willing to kill off the character, Sonja should survive her current situation but it will be interesting to see how long it keeps her in seclusion (the end of this arc or beyond?). Worth a look.

[Dynamite, $3.99]

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Tom Strong and the Planet of Peril #1

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Tom Strong and the Planet of Peril #1In order to save the life of his daughter and unborn grandchild (who has inherited the super-powers of its father), Tom Strong will enlist the help Val Var Gram and travel to the alternate Earth known as Terra Obscura, the home of the magic elixir Aluson which can bestow temporary invulnerability and may be the only option to get his daughter safely through childbirth.

I was happily surprised to see a character like Tom Strong earn a new series from DC (as he certainly doesn’t fit either the tone of the New 52 or Vertigo’s usual fare). Originally created by Alan Moore and Chris Sprouse, the character has been in limbo since even before DC ended their Wildstorm line.

The science hero raised in high-gravity chamber certainly embraces Silver Age comics (which are even directly referenced) in a style antithetical to DC’s current gritty 90s reboot. I’m not sure how many issues we’ll get out of this series (Vertigo currently lists solicitations for five issues), but I’ll gladly take what I can get. Worth a look.

[DC, $3.99]

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Star Wars #8

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Star Wars #8As Luke and Wedge put themselves in danger by allowing themselves to be taken prisoner aboard the Star Destroyer Devastator (before escaping to go in search of the Empire’s spy inside the Rebel Alliance), Han and Chewie try to get themselves out of danger on Coruscant by separating and dealing with the pair of bounty hunters on their trail.

Aboard the Falcon, Chewie must deal with Bossk, while Han and the friendly local smuggler try to get the most out of their junk freighter and stay one step ahead of the deadliest bounty hunter in the galaxy – Boba Fett. Meanwhile Leia has snuck away from the fleet to fulfill her other objective and find a new home base for the Rebellion which takes her closest enough to stop at the ruins of Alderaan and make a surprising discovery of an old Clone War battleship hiding inside the asteroid field.

Star Wars #8 gives us separate stories involving all three of the big name characters as well offering readers appearances by Bossk, Boba Fett, and Darth Vader. Fans should feel right at home. Worth a look.

[Dark Horse, $2.99]

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