Convergence: Batman and the Outsiders #1

Convergence: Batman and the Outsiders #1By throwing together various past and present versions of DC charaters together Convergence continues to be a bizarre mix of intriguing to truly awful. Convergence: Batman and the Outsiders #1, which gives us Batman‘s team of heroes from the 80s, is the first issue of Convergence to show us all the heroes still in costume. Despite most of the team being without their powers that hasn’t stopped the Outsiders from following Batman’s example and continuing to suit-up to do what they can for a city trapped under a dome for a full year. It’s also the first issue to really deal with the reality of diminishing resources of a city completely cut-off from the rest of the world for month.

Given how many characters the comic has to introduce it does a pretty good job (although once the dome falls, like most every Convergence title, things get less interesting very fast as Mortal Kombat begins). One odd note: Although the cover of the issue gets Batman’s look right the art inside makes a major mistake not arming the classically-clad Caped Crusader in his classic utility belt of the time. Considering the look of the old characters is the major selling point for the series it’s distracting. Worth a look.

[DC, $3.99]

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Scandal – First Lady Sings the Blues

  • Title: Scandal – First Lady Sings the Blues
  • wiki: link

Scandal - First Lady Sings the Blues

The war between Olivia (Kerry Washington) and Rowan (Joe Morton) begins with the discovery of Jake‘s (Scott Foley) in the offices of Olivia Pope & Associates. Walking back one of the biggest moments of the series, and undercutting last week’s cliffhanger, Jake still lives as half of the episode is spent with Olivia trying to keep him alive. To do so Olivia will have to do a favor for a former KGB assassin, compromise her ethics, and even go so far as to trade Jake’s life for that of her father. She won’t completely succeed.

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Elementary – Under My Skin

  • Title: Elementary – Under My Skin
  • wiki: link

Elementary - Under My Skin

While helping Watson (Lucy Liu) and the NYPD investigate the murder of a woman who, without her knowledge, was turned into a drug mule during her surgery south of the border, Sherlock Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller) also discovers that his sponsor Alfredo (Ato Essandoh) has been taking out some aggression against a former client in a way that could land him in hot water with the NYPD.

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Velvet #10

Velvet #10For only the second time since the series’ opening issue Velvet Tempelton gets played, and it almost costs the secret agent turned secretary turned fugitive on on the run her life. Betrayed by Damian Lake who, as he admitted to her, is playing his own far more dangerous game, Velvet is forced to jump from a moving train and try and avoid an entire unit of Arc-7 agents in the French countryside who were tipped-off to take her down (although not for the reasons she initially suspects).

Wrapping up “The Secret Lives of Dead Men,” Velvet #10 offers plenty of action and some nice twists as Velvet finds herself on the defensive, Damian Lake proves to have a darker agenda than even she guessed, the vast conspiracy the traitor hinted at last issue is, at least in part, corroborated, and major supporting characters meet their untimely ends.

I don’t know what writer Ed Brubaker and artist Steve Epting have in store for the comic’s third arc, or where the conspiracy will lead Velvet from here, but sign me up! Must-read.

[Image, $3.50]

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