3.5 Razors

Justice League #1

/ / Comics

justice-league-new1-coverWhat if Geoff Johns and Jim Lee created the DC Universe begins here. Okay, all joking aside, this first issue of Justice League (the first issue of the new DC Reboot) is actually better than I was expecting. Taking place in the early days of the DCU the comic gives us the first meeting of Batman and Green Lantern.

There are some fun moments here, especially Batman’s reaction to Green Lantern, his ring, and his act-before-thinking approach. GL’s reaction to Batman is also pretty good. The pair stop a creature from Apokolips (which they’ve never heard of before) and travel to Metropolis to ask the world’s most recognizable alien if he knows anything about the technology.

The end of the issue gives us the first appearance of Superman, who aside from looking far too young, is saddled with one of the more questionable costume alterations of the new DCU. Story wise this first issue, set in a world where people are afraid and uncertain of super-heroes, works well. I’m still not sold on the character designs, but it’s good enough to bring me back for another issue. Worth a look.

[DC, $3.99]

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Flashpoint #5

/ / Comics

flashpoint-5-coverDC’s summer event comes to a conclusion much as I expected it would when it, and the DC Reboot, were first announced. The events in the final issue of Flashpoint lead to the recreation of the DCU, but not without providing a reason (and possible backdoor to return to the current DCU should the rebooted universe be unsuccessful).

Like all the issues of the main Flashpoint mini-series this one focuses primarily on the Flash and Thomas Wayne who helps Barry stop Thayne and allows him to return to our world with a message for his son. The Flash learns it is he, not the Reverse-Flash, who is responsible for Flashpoint, and to return things to normal he will have to sacrifice one of his closest loved ones.

As wrap-ups go this final issue does what it needs to, and does it better than I expected. Is the final moment between Barry and Batman a little too schmaltzy? Sure. Does the look of the rebooted DCU still make me a little queasy? Oh yeah, but this issue works (and gives us a glimmer of hope we haven’t seen the last of the classic DCU). Worth a look.

[DC, $3.99]

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The Intrepids #6

/ / Comics

the-intrepids-6-coverI really enjoyed the first couple of issues of this mini-series about a team of children raised to take down mad scientists. The last couple of issues have lost a little steam, but this finale brings back pieces of what made those first few issues so strong (including killer cyber-bears, a trained battalion of baboons, and cyborgs) as The Intrepids turn their attention on the real villain in their midst, the man who trained and “improved” them: Dante.

I happy the Dante storyline was wrapped up with the final issue of the mini-series. If the team does earn a second mini-series, or an on-going title, I’ll be glad to see them start fresh without the spectre of Dante still hanging over them.

Issue #6 is a good conclusion to a series that’s given us some great moments (and memorable panels). It might not be as strong from beginning to end as I’d like, but where else do you see a grizzly bear with a mini-gun strapped to his back? There’s enough here that I’d be willing to give a second mini-series a chance as well. Worth a look.

[Image, $2.99]

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Doctor Who – Let’s Kill Hitler

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Doctor Who – Let’s Kill Hitler
  • tv.com: link

doctor-who-lets-kill-hitler

After a mid-season break Doctor Who returns with an episode centered around River Song’s (Alex Kingston) first encounter with the Doctor (Matt Smith). The episode, involving a friend of Amy (Karen Gillan) and Rory’s (Arthur Darvill) named Mels (Nina Toussaint-White), a trip to Nazi Germany, and tiny time police in a human-sized robot, has all the markings of a classic Doctor Who serial. And on that level it works well. However, there can be only one episode where River meets the Doctor for the first time, and that means there’s an entirely different scale on which to judge “Let’s Kill Hitler.”

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1

/ / Comics

teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-1-coverIn 1984 Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird released the first issue of a comic book which centered around four teenagers who just happened to tbe turtles… and ninjas. Over the years the franchise would span several publishers, inspire four television series, a Japanese anime, three live-action theatrical films, an animated feature film (which is pretty damn good, by the way).

Things have come full circle yet again as Eastman teams with IDW to return his creations back to comics. Along with writer Tom Waltz and artist Dan Duncan, Eastman re-imagines the Teenange Mutant Ninja Turtles for a new generation.

As the story opens we learn the Turtles have only been in action for less than 18 months, and have already lost one of their number. The comic opens with a battle between Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Splinter against Old Hob and his gang. Through flashbacks we’re also shown the early days of the turtles and rat as lab animals at Stock Gen Research who are given their names by young lab tech April O’Neil.

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