Comics

Batman and Red Robin #19

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Batman and Red Robin #19Damian may be dead, but he won’t stay that way if Batman can help it. Batman and Robin begins anew with Batman getting a different member of the Bat-Family filling-in for the recently departed Robin. That doesn’t mean you can classify Batman and Red Robin #19 as a team-up by even the loosest definition of the term.

Overcome with grief Batman has sought out Frankenstein Agent of S.H.A.D.E. in an attempt to learn what keeps the undead creature alive and find a way to resurrect his son. It’s certainly an unexpected cameo, and the first time we’ve seen the New 52 version of the Dark Knight driven to such extremes. That said, the story worked for me (especially as the New 52 has been vague about both the existence and Batman’s knowledge of Lazarus Pits leaving that option, at least for now, off the table).

Carrie Kelley, the young woman who would become Robin in Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns is given new life as a Gotham City College student who had been tutoring Damian before his death. Bruce is unlikely to forget his first face-to-face meeting with the spunky young woman as she opens her door dressed in a Robin costume.

…

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Winter Soldier #17

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Winter Soldier #17After uncovering the identity of the “Electric Ghost” a pissed off Winter Soldier realizes why Nick Fury wanted him on this assignment as the last time Bucky saw the woman responsible for terrorist attacks around the world he was still brainwashed and working for the Russians and she was a young girl whose parents he had just murdered in front of her.

Once Fury fills him in on how bad things have gotten thanks to this Russian-bred madwoman enhanced by the same Cosmic Rays which gave the Fantastic Four their powers, Bucky and S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Joe Robards have no choice but to risk their lives by heading into space, sneaking aboard the woman’s cloaked satellite and eliminating the threat once and for all.

After the heavy set-up, questionable plot choices, and goofy island of assassins, writer Jason LaTour finally seems to be settling down with the character. Winter Soldier #17 has a Bond-like quality (even if that Bond is Moonraker), that fans of the character may enjoy. For fans.

[Marvel, $2.99]

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Super Dinosaur #18

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Super Dinosaur #18The latest issue of Super Dinosaur gives us the destruction of Castle Maximus, the rescue of Julianna Dynamo, the capture of Max Maximus, and the birth of the series’ new villain Tyrannosaurus X (who is ever bit as awesome as his name would suggest).

The comic begins with the destruction of Maximus’ home base just as Super Dinosaur and his team were preparing their assault, putting all the heroes a bit on edge throughout the rest of the comic, particularly Derek who still can’t remember his mother even after the team finds her comatose body (possibly foreshadowing more twists to this story?).

The best part of Super Dinosaur #18 is the evolution of Minimus into the far more deadly threat of Tyrannosaurus X. Aside from looking pretty cool, the character’s unique match of brains and brawn gives the series a legitimate super-villain whose far more interesting, and threatening, than Maximus. His addition also pumps some new life into a comic that at times (despite it’s absurdly awesome premise) has felt a little stale. Worth a look.

[Image, $2.99]

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Ame-Comi Girls #2

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Ame-Comi Girls #2The latest issue of Ame-Comi Girls concludes the Brainiac arc as Wonder Woman, Power Girl, the Flash, Steel, Catwoman, Batgirl, and Robin work with Duela, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, and Catwoman to stop Brainiac’s attempt to drain all the intelligence from the planet Earth.

There’s plenty of action in the first-half of the latest issue as the second-half of the comic deals with the fallout of the women defeating Braniac and the logistical problems of trying to form some kind of Justice League.

There are some interesting ideas in the later-half of the comic dealing with vigilantes working with the government (especially when two of them are minors), but (like the final few pages of the Braniac story involving Power Girl nearly coming to blows with Wonder Woman while trying to help a poisoned Supergirl) the writing seems rushed with panels, or even whole pages, missing. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that two-issues worth of story were crammed into this one book. Hit-and-Miss.

[DC, 3.99]

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G.I. JOE: Special Missions #2

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G.I. JOE: Special Missions #2Realizing they aren’t the only ones looking for Cobra’s sunken treasure Scarlett and Mainframe are forced to hide from other divers sent from the Baroness‘ ship who are, at least so far, clueless to the JOEs presence.

However, the Baroness is about to have problems of her own as Serpentor approaches the owner of the vessel the Baroness is using under threat of harm to the man’s grandchildren and offers his services to retrieve the children in exchange for the magnate to have his sailors turn on the Baroness and her team.

Although there aren’t any big moments here, issue #2 moves the story forward by laying the foundation of trouble for our heroes, and villains, in the form of mutiny, sharks, and Scarlett’s own nightmares being so close to her final encounter with Snake Eyes. That said, there’s certainly enough here for me to keep reading to see how the storyline plays out (and keep hoping that sooner or later Snake Eyes will make an appearance outside of Scarlett’s dreams). Worth a look.

[IDW, $3.99]

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