Comics

Fatale #16

/ / Comics

Fatale #16The latest issue continues the storyline of Josephine still suffering from amnesia in Seattle during the 1990’s. Fatale #16 works well in explaining why Josephine has so many rules with men by foreshadowing dark outcomes for the house mates who she begins effecting, especially after sleeping with two separate members of the band.

Fatale #16 also fills in the past of the serial killer cop obsessed with killing women who look like Josephine since first meeting her more than two decades ago as a child. The realization that she’s still alive, and looks exactly the same as the last time he saw her, is quite enough to drive the already less-than-sane an completely over the edge.

Although this issue is mostly set-up for the death and pain we can see coming, writer Ed Brubaker teases us with an oppressive foreboding that’s contradictory the the sunny nature of “Jane Doe” who doesn’t even realize how effortlessly she’s going to ruin the lives of everyone in the house. Worth a look.

[Image, $3.50]

Fatale #16 Read More »

The Shadow #16

/ / Comics

The Shadow #16The Shadow‘s battle against The Light continues as the city’s new vigilante targets Margo Lane as her next victim. Thanks to her quick thinking and the timely arrival of The Shadow, Margo makes it through the night alive and The Shadow learns that all visually evidence to the contrary The Light is flesh and blood who doesn’t react well do a slew of bullets.

I thought this arc started to stall a bit in the last issue but by putting Margo in danger Chris Roberson picks up the pace with a timely rooftop save by our hero and moves the storyline forward to the final confrontation between The Light and The Shadow next month.

The Shadow #16 also includes more flashbacks to The Light’s childhood and training as well as tying that piece of the storyline together with The Light’s first victim in New York whose past intertwines with her own This also gives The Shadow his first real lead to uncovering to the vigilante’s identity. Worth a look.

[Dynamite Entertainment, $3.99]

The Shadow #16 Read More »

Ame-Comi Girls #6

/ / Comics

Ame-Comi Girls #6With the fate of the entire universe at stake Alanna Strange evacuates all life on the planet Earth and gathers its greatest warriors to stand with Hawkgirl against the oncoming force of Sinestra and her legion of Black Lanterns. Although I’m not the biggest fan of the DC’s original Black Lanern arc, writer Jimmy Palmiotti and artist Justin Gray offer their own version of events featuring lots of action.

To help them survive, Power Girl, Supergirl, Batgirl, Robin, Hawkgirl, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Flash, Steel, and Strange are all gifted white rings by Metra. Even with the power boost the group of heroines still eventually fall to the never-ending onslaught of death causing the New God herself to get involved and create a new stalemate between life and death with the creation of a new crisis.

Things fall apart for me in the final pages where Metra gets directly involved. I would have preferred the ladies to win the day on their own but the (unsubtle) Motherbox metaphor works okay and sets up new possibilities (albeit for a comic whose days appear to be numbered). Worth a look.

[DC, $3.99]

Ame-Comi Girls #6 Read More »

Daredevil #29

/ / Comics

Daredevil #29With his childhood bully shot in front of him in the middle of a courtroom full of witnesses (by the judge no less!) Daredevil leaps into action. However, locked inside the Federal Building unable to tell friend from foe (as the Sons of the Serpent seem to have agents everywhere) the man without fear tries to keep everyone alive and sort out the situation before it escalates even further.

I found last issue’s late twist a little hard to swallow, but writer Mark Waid uses the set-up to put our hero in a situation where he doesn’t know who he can trust as even some of the police, those just trying to do their jobs, become obstacles as well after seeing the vigilante pummeling another cop.

Even if Daredevil gets out of the situation a little too cleanly (you’d think there would be a mountain of red tape to cut through after things died down) Waid delivers a tense issue that also foreshadows Murdock’s new temporary partner. I know I have my guess as to her identity. What’s yours? Worth a look.

[Marvel, $2.99]

Daredevil #29 Read More »

Guardians of the Galaxy #5

/ / Comics

Guardians of the Galaxy #5While the rest of the team relaxes and recuperates from their latest adventures in their own way, including Iron Man trying to get over the awkwardness of his failed night of passion with Gamora, Star-Lord takes the opportunity to seek out a former member of the team in hopes that Mantis can offer some explanation to his recent vision.

It’s good to see Mantis’ return, if only for a few panels, and I would really like to know what happened to Cosmo as well. Mantis isn’t the only familiar face to make an appearance, however, as Quill’s search for answers take lead him to an old enemy.

Guardians of the Galaxy #5 also introduces the Spawn character of Angela into the Marvel Universe (which is bizarre on so many levels) and suggests the cause of her arrival may lay on Earth. We get the beginnings of a throwdown between Gamora and Angela, but as to what the true intentions are for the hunter of Hell Spawns could be in a universe without them we’ll just have to wait and see. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

Guardians of the Galaxy #5 Read More »