Comics

Secret Six #23

secret-six-23-coverWhat can you say about a comic where Bane rips off a man’s arms and beats him to death with them, Catman goes back on the hunt, Rag Doll eats off a man’s face, and Deadshot shoots down a chopper with a single bullet?

Fun? Yeah, fun.

Guest writer John Ostrander’s tale of the Six being hunted on an island is an intriguing one, but it lacks some of nuance and twisted glee Gail Simone usually provides. And personally I wasn’t a fan of the (almost pretty) art by RB Silva & Alexandre Palamaro which didn’t seem to fit the scruffy and gruff nature of the story.

Even if it’s not quite as good as usual there’s plenty of mayhem and madcap action that makes this issue worth a look.

[DC $2.99]

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Shadowland #1

  • Title: Shadowland #1 (of 5)
  • Comic Vine: link

The descent of Matt Murdock contiues in this new mini-series from Andy Diggle. Daredevil has built a monument, a fortress, in the middle of Hell’s Kitchen from which the Hand my strike swift vengeance on those would dare cause trouble within its borders. And he’s got himself a spiffy new costume. Pretty good stuff all around including a necessary scene among the Avengers discussing concern over Murdock’s new role.

As to the final scenes between Bullseye and Daredevil all I can say is I’ll believe the outcome is real when I see it. Diggle has played the sleight-of-hand once too often in recent months for me to take Daredevil’s apparent use of lethal force seriously (especially when of of the tie-ins coming out next month is titled Shadowland: Bullseye).

Odds are we’ll be seeing Bullesye again. Even if it’s another bait-and-switch the storyline of pushing Murdock down the dark path seems to be in full swing. And if it’s real…well, that’s a hell of a hard first step down a path of no redemption for the hero of Hell Kitchen to take in the first issue of this five month long event. Either way it should be an interesting few months for Daredevil readers.

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The Lone Ranger Definitive Edition (Volume One)

  • The Lone Ranger Definitive Edition (Volume One)

It’s all here: the lone survivor of a massacre, a white horse, the faithful Native American companion, a silver mine to forge bullets, and a mask. Writer Brett Matthews‘ take on the western icon The Lone Ranger may not be for everyone, but it suits me just fine.

At the heart of the tale is John Reid, a man deeply conflicted with the death of his brother Dan, weighing his need for justice and revenge, and still searching for his place in the world. Our hero is still the man we know, he just doesn’t know it quite yet. The comic is harsher (mirroring the landscape and time period) than most depictions, and the stories often involve tough choices and a fair bit of violence with each issue.

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Batman Beyond #1

batman-beyond-1-coverWhile I’m not as big a fan of Batman Beyond as I am of Batman: The Animated Series and Justice League, there are many aspects to the show that I enjoyed. The new mini-series from writer Adam Beechen and artist Ryan Benjamin keeps the history of the show while crafting a new series that should work for those who never saw the cartoon.

Terry McGuiness and Bruce Wayne’s relationship remains intact (though the series takes place before McGuiness discovered the truth about his paternity). There are also short glimpses which will mean more for those longtime fans of the show including Amanda Waller, Cadimus, and the appearance of Spellbender.

The choice to the tease from the very first panel to the last of who the main villain of the series might be (which I won’t spoil it here) works very well. For fans of the show it’s definitely worth picking up, but even if you never saw an episode it’s still worth a look.

[DC $2.99]

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Power Girl #13

  • Title: Power Girl #13
  • Comic Vine: link
  • Writer:Judd Winick
  • Artist:Sam Basri

power-girl-13-coverPower Girl is a character that takes a bit of love to do right. She’s far from the most interesting DC character, often being pigeonholed as the “other” Supergirl, the lost girl, or the spunky sexpot, but there is a character in there worth exploring. I’ve stayed away from this series since the first issue which I found largely forgettable. But this new direction has me intrigued.

Issue #13 brings in the new team of Judd Winick and artist Sam Basri. Both are good choices. First, Basri’s art shows off the character without making you feel like a perv. And Winick immediately ties in the series to the current Maxwell Lord storyline from Justice League: Generation Lost to add to the daily confusion and craziness that Power Girl must handle.

Wait, am I talking about the plot of a Power Girl comic? Holey Moley! Aside from the Lord arc we also get some genuinely funny moments of Power Girl out of costume like the one above (there are so many good panels in this issue it was hard for me to choose which one to use).

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