"BOCEPHEUS" |
"These reviews are based on the Sneak Peek
titles sent out by Marvel, DC & Image. It's not everything that's shipping for
the week, but it is a real good cross-section of this weeks releases. Check the
bottom of the page (after you read my reviews) for a link to some SNEAKY PEEKIES
of future titles" |
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 BOOK
OF THE WEEK:
JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED #25
Comic Review by:
Jim "Good Old JR" Rutkowski
Writer: Adam Beechen,
Artist:
Rick Burchett
This issue is written by Adam
Beechen and centers on the usually underutilized Blue Devil.
While the other members of the JLU are getting all the
adulation and adoration for their heroics, it seems that old
BD kinda’ frightens the kids a little. After all, long horns
on your forehead, pointy teeth and a tail don’t exactly
conjure images of Santa Claus in the tykes. So Blue Devil
decides to seek the help of fellow member Dr. Fate. Maybe
Fate can work some mumbo jumbo and transform BD into
something a bit more aesthetically pleasing. Of course, we
all know that by just being himself, he will gain the
admiration of the people he has sworn to protect. This may
not be the most original concept to hit comics, but
Beechen’s writing allows the story to move along at a nice
pace without ever seeming too clichéd. Rick Burchett’s
artwork apes the look of the animated series to a tee.
Decent storytelling, more than serviceable artwork and a
message that the kids will need during the growing up
process, makes this book a keeper for the kiddies.
MSRP: $2.25,
Alternate Reality Price: $1.91 (That's 15% OFF, All
This Week!) |
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MARVEL ROUND UP…
Annihilation #2 (of 6) is most battles mixed with discussions about the people
that Nova has allied himself with. Drax learns something bad about his daughter
in the opening pages that may cause him to do something he isn’t used to-caring
about someone. We also see what the ultimate plan is for the fallen Galactus and
the Silver Surfer before all hell breaks loose…Thunderbolts #106 keeps the fight
between the team and the Grandmaster’s going before we get our usual shock
ending…New Excalibur #11 drops the team into the past (after some serious
questioning by Pete Wisdom of the intelligence of doing so) to save Camelot. The
Black Knight gets to go old school here and I had a lot of fun reading this
because the dialogue is very funny when it needs to be…New X-Men #30 sets us up
for the conclusion of the Nimrod arc and makes things very complicated for the
team in doing so. For a brief time Craig Kyle and Chris Yost give them some hope
but at the end of the issue man, it looks damn bleak for the team…Incredible
Hulk #98 begins with the fight that was brewing at the end of last issue but
soon develops into something else. Greg Pak gives us the history of Caiera (the
gray lady) and with that reinforces the threat that Hulk and his band are up
against. In the end we see that next issue will have more carnage than most
books can stand…Captain America #21 finishes off ‘21st Century Blitz’ and sets
up the Union Jack limited series that starts this month. Brubaker includes
echoes of the last time Cap and Bucky took a rocket ride while further
developing the Red Skull/Lukin plan. At the end everyone is going where they
need to be and the Winter Soldier is going to get tossed in the middle of Civil
War…Wolverine: Origins#6 starts Logan on the path to save his son. He is on his
way to find his old friend, Maverick and we learn what has happened to him as
well as Jubilee after losing their powers.
DC ROUND UP…
Martian Manhunter #2 (of 8) continues the cranky path of what was assumed to be
the last survivor of Mars but according to this limited series he isn’t at all.
The issue begins with the Manhunter closing in on the bad guys and moves back
and forth thru time to show what has happened before this title even started. We
will be getting an explanation as to why the Manhunter is acting this way in an
upcoming issue of 52 but by then we may not care…Batman: Legends of the Dark
Knight #210 continues the Bruce Jones/Ariel Olivetti arc that has even more
dramatic poses of Batman than any other issue. The story is moving along quickly
and has more Bruce Wayne action than Batman here…Firestorm #29 is the second
part of the ‘In My Father’s House’ arc and here the relationship between Jason
and his father don’t get much better. We learn more about the mysterious man
behind the attacks on Firestorm and get the return of the Pionic Man, one of the
worst named villains ever…A Man Called Kev #3 (of 5) shows us what happened on a
mission involving Kev, a video tape that involves Saddam Hussein and Margaret
Thatcher in an unusual situation and a question that will have to be answered
next issue…Fables #53 continues the arc that has Mark Buckingham showing the
carnage of war as the main tale continues. We see here the plan of the Council
right before Bigby goes native on us. We also get a short tale drawn by Joshua
Middleton involving a sneaky porcupine…JLA Classified #27 shows the undercover
mission of the team going on as everyone else thinks the team is staying out of
it. The arc is more political than most but it shows that Howard Chaykin could
handle the regular book if he was picked to do so.
IMAGE ROUND UP…
Truth, Justin and the American Way #4 (of 5) hits the stands and I just couldn’t
get into it at all…Phonogram #2 (of 6) is smart, hip and well done. The
characters are well developed and the art is pretty good but the cover price is
a major turn off. You have to applaud Image for creating a place for a title
that is mostly talk and in black and white though…Girls #17 begins with the guys
confronting the naked Kenny as the women get even more violent and strange. Here
we see that the folks in the town are starting to realize that there is no way
out before a bear attack shows us how dangerous the ‘girls’ can be. The last
page is quietly scary…Casanova #4 continues the run of a very cool, yet
affordable title. I realize the book has way too much dialogue (in the 70’s this
is what a Don MacGregor comic was like) but the tone inflicted by Matt Fraction
combined with the Gabriel Ba art makes it very sweet…Samurai Detective #1 is
black and white (yet cheaper than Phonogram) and atmospheric as hell. The new
title is a mix between noir and the samurai genre so we get terse narration as
well as swordplay. Creators Manny Trembley and Eric Anderson obviously have a
love for both kinds of material and it shows here in the look and feel of the
book. We meet the title character here and set up his mission for revenge.
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"See, I told you I'd be
down here. We've got a bunch of SNEAKY PEEKIES of future
MARVEL, DC and IMAGE titles right
HERE" |
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All
Books/Characters pictured herein are © Copyright 2006
by their respective owners. No rights given or implied
by Alternate Reality, Incorporated.
Reviews © 2006 Alternate Reality, Inc. |
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