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  COMIC REVIEWS FOR THE MONTH OF: SEPTEMBER 2009
  DARK REIGN LIST X-MEN ONE SHOT
Writer: Matt Fraction   Artist: Alan Davis
Review By: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: Marvel Comics   Shipped On: 092309
MSRP: $3.99 each (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
The fallout of UTOPIA begins here. What else could Norman Osborn possibly do to the X-Men?
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
So Marvel is pushing this ‘List’ thing pretty hard, and as a result they’ve given Matt Fraction a chance to crap all over the X-characters and their mythos in the latest installment of the eight-part saga tag-lined ‘The Iron Patriot Acts’. Even though he’s brought veteran X-artist Alan Davis along for the ride, Fraction is incapable of building any momentum, and as a result the story comes off not only as forced (extremely forced), but also self-serving and rather contrived. After the anti-climactic ending of Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men “Utopia” I thought that Fraction would have an Ace up his sleeve for certain, but unlike a particular Cajun mutant who’s been inexplicably absent from Fraction’s clusterf***, there was no shock or awe, but rather a quick spark which quickly fizzled out.

So Norman Osborn, leader of “The Avengers”, mastermind behind H.A.M.M.E.R., and savior of the entire world (technically) has a plan to get back at the Prince of Atlantis for double dealing behind his back with Emma Frost; his master plan? Get this - he’s going to send a sea monster after Namor. Dumb, right? I know, but don’t tell anyone or else they may stop making pointless crap like this. So the X-Men, who’ve a track record of letting anyone join their ranks, have accepted Namor into their family, and as a result stand with him as he fights this calamity head on (fin on?). This is more or less a chance for Fraction to come up with “witty” descriptions of each of the mutants as well as EVERYONE ELSE in the damn book; I can’t stand this personally because it just seems so…trivial. Whatever happened to telling a story, and letting the readers figure a few things out for themselves? Letting everyone know that Iceman turns “water to ice. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.” may be your idea of cute, and ironic, but it’s not.

Alan Davis’s pencils look the same as they do every other time I’ve ever seen them. Now, I’m not a fan of his or anything, but I think he’s a very capable storyteller. His artwork isn’t really my cup of tea, but that’s not that big of a deal. I’ve read many books that he’s penciled and never had a problem with his art, and this is no different. The only problem I have is that the book is barely readable, and that has very little to do with Mr. Davis or his skills, but rather the hack that was hired to pen the book. The sooner Fraction finds his way out of the X-office the sooner that book can go back to being mediocre as opposed to horrible.
  WOLVERINE GIANT-SIZE OLD MAN LOGAN #1
Writer: Mark Millar    Artist: Steve McNiven
Review By: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: Marvel Comics   Shipped On: 092309
MSRP: $4.99 each (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
This is it! The moment you've been waiting for! Prepare yourselves for the most brutal battle in the history of comics as Wolverine returns- and unleashes a tidal wave of bloody revenge! It's Wolverine versus the Hulk Gang to the death! Don't miss the flesh-rending final chapter to the greatest Wolverine story ever told by the peerless Mark Millar and Steve McNiven! Plus-you won't be able to tear yourself away from the gallery of covers, background material, behind-the-scenes extras, and all-new pinups that fill out this GIANT-SIZE SPECTACULAR!
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
The last and very-long awaited issue of Mark Millar’s triumphant return to Wolverine has finally arrived, and the question on everyone’s mind is: Did it live up to the hype?! Now I may be a sucker for an epic storyline, but I’m not one to be easily finagled into purchasing any old drek that claims its story to be the most world-shaking, senses-shattering, mind-blowing event driven book on the shelves. The beautiful thing Millar did with “Wolverine” is that he packed every issue so full of suspense, drama, and intrigue that when he finally brings you back to the logical conclusion (the starting point) you’ve all but forgot about the Hulk and his gang of inbred sons and daughters. Personally, I’m sad to see this story end, but as with anything in comics, the creators were sure to leave a little wiggle room, just in case they want to revisit this particular stomping ground again.

Wolverine’s wife and family have been murdered by the Hulk Gang, so Logan does what he does best: soak up the pain, and use it to fuel his berserker rage that drives him to hunt down EVERY last member of the Hulk’s family and savagely slaughter them into teeny, tiny, little, itty-bitty pieces. Even though the issue comes with a #1 stamped on the front of it, it is most certainly not a good jumping on point. In order to truly understand why Logan has snapped, as he’s done so many times before, one would have to go back and read the previous seven chapters (each available in numerous different prints). This has been a story about loss, and redemption; mostly it’s a story about a man, pushed too far one too many times, who has for so long contained the monster inside himself, and just what happens to those who dare unleash the feral creature through the most sinister of circumstances.

For a 36 page fight scene the book reads pretty well. Steve McNiven is a master of his craft, and really should be given as much time as he needs to make his pages as spectacular as they usually are. I personally don’t see an overwhelming need to push guys to hit a monthly schedule when fans would gladly pay $3.99 on a bi-monthly schedule if we were sure to get a writer and artist’s best effort every outing. It’s great to see that despite the success of “Civil War” the pair of creators immediately jumped back into the creative pool and picked a series that would challenge them to maintain a tighter schedule (which they failed to do); to me it shows that they respect the medium, and the fans, despite not always being able to follow through with what people expect (meaning timing, not lack of quality). Overall, I think that “Old Man Logan” is going to go down as the BEST tale to come out of the characters ongoing series
  SUPERMAN SECRET ORIGIN #1 (OF 6)
Writer: Geoff Johns  Artist: Gary Frank
Review By: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: DC Comics   Shipped On: 092309
MSRP: $3.99 each (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
DC'S SYNOPSIS:
Hot on the heels of their acclaimed run on ACTION COMICS, superstars Geoff Johns and Gary Frank reunite to present a 6-issue event that spells out the definitive origin of Superman for the 21st century - and it all starts with a gigantic 48-page issue! Chronicling Clark Kent's journey from the cornfields of Smallville to the skyscrapers of Metropolis, you'll witness a whole new look at the beginnings of Lex Luthor, the Legion of Super-Heroes, Lois Lane, Metallo, Jimmy Olsen, the Parasite and more! It's a look at the mythic past of the Man of Steel with an eye toward the future!
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
Is it possible for a character as widely recognized as Superman to keep any secrets after 70+ years in publishing? Considering how many different takes on this tale there have been through the years it begs the question: Is there anything left for Geoff Johns to squeeze the life out of, in hopes of refilling it with his stale dialogue and unimaginative re-imagining? I’m not sure what editors at DC had in mind when they came up with this idea at the last Writer’s Retreat, but if it was an amalgamation of EVERY version of this story that’s come before it (heavy on the “Smallville”-style angst), and absolutely nothing new to offer readers, with the possible exception of the incredible artistic styling of Gary Frank.

Ok, so Clark Kent is actually a boy sent to Earth in a rocket, the soul survivor of the Planet Krypton. Johns doesn’t do anything new with the basic premise and that’s probably a good thing, considering just how tried and true of a concept it really is (it’s last 70-plus years, didn’t I mention this already). What he DOES do is toy with the supporting cast in such a way that everyone is still very much in character, while at the same time opening several doors for new plot-threads to develop (considering the guy is taking six issues to tell the story I figure there’s got to be more than one thread to follow), such as the blossoming relationship between young Clark and Miss Lana Lang. Readers get a little bit of young Lex Luthor, and see a glimpse into what may have caused his crusade of cruelty; some Ma and Pa Kent as they reveal a great many secrets to their adopted son, including the debut of a hand-stitched pair of red and blue knickers.

I guess I’m still wondering why this book exists in the first place? There’s nothing here that offers something readers can’t get from any number of other sources. Check out the Christopher Reeve movies. Get some back issues out of the quarter-bin. Rent a copy of the Bruce Timm-animated series. Watch “Smallville.” I mean, why did they have to get two top-tier creators to recreate something that’s been done to death? All I know is that Gary Frank is a phenomenal talent, and his skills are (somewhat) under utilized over at DC. Even though his having a first name as his last name makes it impossible for me to trust him entirely, I’m more than happy to promote his work when I get the chance. Maybe next time they’ll team him up with a writer interested in making comic history, not simply repeating it for the umpteen-millionth time.
  UNDERGROUND #1 (OF 4)
Writer: Jeff Parker  Artist: Steve Lieber
Review By: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: Image Comics   Shipped On: 092309
MSRP: $3.50 each (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
IMAGE'S SYNOPSIS:
Park Ranger and avid caver Wesley Fischer is on a one-woman mission to stop Stillwater Cave from being turned into a tourist trap, but public opinion is not on her side. When locals begin blasting in the cave, Wes and a fellow ranger investigate - and a confrontation spirals into a deadly chase deep under the Kentucky mountains!
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
So my affinity for “Agents of Atlas” notwithstanding, I found Jeff Parker’s foray into the indie scene to be a riveting piece of fiction; a great character driven plotline with an underlying message blaring warnings of social ecological responsibility, that is until $#!t starts blowing up! To be fair, judging the first issue of a mini-series in no way does the creators justice; I’d just as soon tell you what I think of the end of a story instead of the beginning, but I thought this book offered a great hook (Setting as a Main Character), and Parker and Lieber were able to sell the rest quite well.

Set in a small town on the brink of capitalizing on the outside world’s interest in their only landmark, an unusually large and mostly unexplored cave, that if opened to the public could bring the town a great deal of money. There’s a few expected roles that are filled out rather stereotypically; the fat cat business man who hopes to finance the venture all the while fencing himself a healthy profit; the young idealistic park ranger who upon hearing of the plans goes off on a rant about preservation and tradition; and the good-natured sheriff who hopes to stay out of the situation, as he understands both sides of the argument. Then there’s some foul play, as a pair of hopeless yokels attempting to carry out the bidding of some ne’er-do-well all of a sudden find themselves with a body to deal with.

I like stories of this sort because this is all very plausible in the world we live in. There’s very little unexplored territory left, not only in our country but the whole world, so when one of nature’s wonders comes under attack by the capitalist, money-hungry machine that is Corporate America it’s hard to not feel violated in some way. Parker is able to nail the juxtaposition that many small town Americans deal with when big business comes knocking on their towns’ doors; the influx of new jobs as well as lower prices on everyday items, along with the increase in sales tax revenue can turn dying communities around; but at what cost? Living on the south side of Chicago there aren’t any natural landmarks left for the local government to exploit, but if there were I wonder on what side off the argument many of you would stand?

Steve Lieber is a traditionalist in a lot of ways when it comes to his storytelling; I love the classic feel to his lines, characters and backgrounds. His style is a glass slipper to this story’s dainty foot, and his work is made even more beautiful with the Fairy Godmother-like assistance of colorist Ron Chan. In a book where setting is key and in this case a cave, choice of colors is of very prominent importance; I’m glad they made the right one. For only $3.50 this is about half a buck less than any #1 you’re going to find at Marvel, and it’s something that we haven’t seen beat into the ground before; I say give it a chance.
  SPIDER-WOMAN #1
Writers: Brian Bendis Artist: Alex Maleev
Review By: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: Marvel Comics   Shipped On: 092309
MSRP: $3.99 each (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
THE WAIT IS OVER! The explosive Eisner award-winning team of Bendis and Maleev reunite for their first ongoing series since Daredevil! Ripped from the pages of New Avengers and Secret Invasion, watch as the gorgeous and mysterious Jessica Drew reenters a society she did not make...as an AGENT OF S.W.O.R.D. This brand new series is a perfect companion to the dazzling Spider-Woman motion comic. Containing new story and artwork not available in any other format. This is the start of a major chapter in one of the most high profile characters in all of Marvel Comics.
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
Now here was a crapshoot. Take a character many fans of comics in general could give or take; then find a writer who’s not only willing to dust the character off but inject him/her directly into a universe spanning plotline in a central role only to allow him/her to come out of the event even more conflicted and f***ed up than ever before; then add an artist who could illustrate the menu at the Olive Garden and I’d probably be willing to spend $3.99 each month for it; mix the three together and bake for about…oh, a year, year and a half or so…and wah-lah! ”Spiderwoman”. Did I mention the nudity? (I will).

So what started as a vanity project (Spiderwoman being Bendis’ favorite character) turned into an experiment in motion comics offered exclusively on Marvel’s website, and finally finds its way to store shelves in the traditional medium. I didn’t quite know what to make of Marvel’s attempt at resurrecting Jessica Drew’s dwindling star power after making her the face of the enemy forces in “Secret Invasion”, but what I found within the book’s pages was a pair of creators, long comfortable with each other’s respective styles, at the absolute top of their game. Bendis is great at crafting emotionally conflicting stories featuring strong female leads, and Maleev is incapable of illustrating even one boring panel; the combination plays off as one of the better new books Marvel has offered since the Dark Reign began.

It’s nice to see Marvel take chances with the books they’ve been releasing. Considering the fact that they’re currently attempting to flood the shelves on release day, essentially pushing smaller publishers out of the way, it’s refreshing that there are so many options to go along with the throngs of X-books, and Avengers side projects. Anything Maleev illustrates is well worth picking up, and this is no different. I’d seen numerous previews touting his prowess but none of them did the actual work in the book any justice. I don’t know if this is a mini-series or an actual ongoing, but at $3.99 a pop it’s going to be difficult to get a huge following on a title like this, especially with great books like “Iron Fist” and “Agents of Atlas” getting the axe left and right; but anything with Bendis’ name sells like hot cakes, so we’ll see.
  WEDNESDAY COMICS #12 (OF 12)
Writers: Various 
Artists: Various
Review By: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: DC Comics   Shipped On: 092309
MSRP: $3.99 each (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
DC'S SYNOPSIS:
WEDNESDAY COMICS, DC's new, 12-issue weekly series, reaches its incredible conclusion in September.
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
Stop the presses! No, not because “Wednesday Comics” has drawn to a close, but rather the surprising fact that DC was able to bounce back from their last weekly travesty of a comic book with an out-of-the-park home run experiment combining two concepts from yesteryear: the weekly newspaper strip, and the comic anthology. I thought that overall the book was a tremendous success; there was very little I’d change/edit had I been given a chance. I thought the creative teams chosen to guide this series and it’s seemingly randomly selected cavalcade of stars and guest-stars were spot on (for the most part) with almost every title conveying a sense of familiarity that many monthly books going on 500-600 issues can’t muster.

Depending on who your particular favorite characters are, there are sure to be some strips that’ll be more enjoyable than others, but none of them are to be missed. Some standouts in my own mind are “Superman” by Arcudi and Bermejo, “Kamandi, The Last Boy on Earth” by Gibbons and Sook, “Supergirl” by Palmiotti, Gray, and Connor, and “Green Lantern” by Busiek and Quinones. Each team chose a style that was dramatically different in its approach than the books currently on shelves whose pages these characters populate. I mean, c’mon, there’s not even a ‘Kamandi’ title being offered, and that was my personal favorite of the whole bunch.

With names like Gaiman, Azzarello, Kubert (2 generations of Kuberts at that!), Allred, and Baker taking on characters like Deadman, Metamorpho, Catwoman, Hawkman, and Wonder Woman there’s no doubt that a book of this kind offers a little something for everyone. DC saw fit to role the dice with an experiment in weekly comics 4 years ago with “52”, with each progressing series they only managed to alienate more and more people. With this series I feel as though the doorway to the DC Universe is once again open and inviting, which is especially important with something that’s really attempting to push the medium beyond its current limits. Sure, some people complained about the switch to newsprint citing issues with fingerprints, aging, and other various random things that are likely to render any book ruined; I’m of the opinion that if the artwork isn’t going to suffer from the switch (which it didn’t) the point is moot.

Overall, I’d like to applaud DC’s effort to keep the comic book medium and their competition on their collective toes. I’d like to see a return to this type of storytelling once a year, whether in this same exact format, or one that’s slightly different. I sat through two of the year-long weeklies (“52” and “Countdown”) and opted to save myself the money and the aggravation and skip the third offering (the cringe-inducing “Trinity”). I’m really glad that I rode this one out, because while it’s not a game-changer in the sense of overall continuity in the DCU, it is definitely a turning point in the industry, when so many companies have gone the Digital E-Comics way, DC took a step forward by taking a step back, and exploring where comics can go by celebrating where they’ve been.
  ASTRO CITY SPECIAL: ASTRA #1
Writer: Kurt Busiek  Artist: Brent E. Anderson
Review By: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: DC/Wildstorm Comics   Shipped On: 093009
MSRP: $3.99 each (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
DC/WILDSTORM'S SYNOPSIS:
It's a big turning point for Astra Furst, the third-generation Super Hero of Astro City! Last we saw her, she was a 10-year-old girl playing hopscotch. Today she's graduating from college. It's a time of friends and family, new opportunities, new dangers, and changing relationships. Featuring the First Family, the creatures of Monstro City, a new hero team and more in a graduation night nobody's ever going to forget!
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
This is a story about Franklin Richards, of “Fantastic Four” fame, only with a vagina; intrigued? Read on. While Kurt Busiek’s “Astro City” has existed in numerous incarnations since its inception all those years ago, I’ve more or less been able to dodge the responsibilities that are often associated with diving head first into a new universe. As far as I can tell Astro City resides within the greater Wildstorm Universe as a whole, but it exists as its own pocket reality, never really coming into contact with the other heroes and villains that populate books like “WildC.A.T.S”, “The Authority”, and so on.

In Astro City many analogues are represented by faces that seem both familiar and strange at the same time; in the case of the First Family it’s pretty obvious to whom the writer was paying tribute. Let’s face it, to a lot of comic book fans the Fantastic Four is THE representation of the importance of the family-archetype that makes superhero teams so interesting; the very same dynamic, in one form or another, has been copied time and time again since its creation. Astra is to the First Family as Franklin Richards is to the Fantastic Four: first child, born with powers, infinite in potential, etc. The major difference between the two characters is that Astra has been allowed to grow up, where as Franklin Richards will, almost undoubtedly, remain a child until the end of time (disregarding the old “Fantastic Force” series where he was all grown up).

Set immediately after her graduation from University, Astra is out on the town partying it up with friends at a local dance club. Obviously being a publicly-known super heroine comes with some perks, but it also comes with some disadvantages. In addition to the constant threat of super villain attacks, one must also be on the constant look-out for paparazzi. Other than that there isn’t much in the way of conflict to be found in the first issue (of two, so don’t go getting your hopes up either), but there are a LOT of cameos. In fact, if you aren’t familiar with the world of Astro City you’ll probably be as lost as I was. In the end readers are treated to the same surprise Astra’s boyfriend is; a look inside some sort of flim-flam universal cross-roads in a two-page spread straight out of a Jack Kirby handbook.

As far as aesthetics are concerned I could have done with out the art. Brent E. Anderson’s pencils are better suited for a book starring dinosaurs and the elderly as opposed to book featuring young people doing the things that young people do. Also from the lack of any other name in the credits under “inker” I’m going to assume he took care of that task as well, which is an endeavor I’m all for, but only if it enhances the original pencils which isn’t the case here. I think that one of the biggest problems I’ve had with “Astro City”, shallow as it may be, is the quality of the artwork. This is a rich universe created by Kurt Busiek, one of the more acclaimed writers in comic books, but due to poor decision making in terms of art selection comes off more like Rodney Dangerfield; no respect.
  SHANG-CHI MASTER OF KUNG-FU B&W ONE-SHOT
Writers: Various Artist: Various
Review By: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: Marvel Comics   Shipped On: 093009
MSRP: $3.99 each (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
It's DEADPOOL versus SHANG-CHI, the peerless Master of Kung-Fu, in a KUNG-FU MOTORCYCLE RACE! You won't believe your eyes when you read this all-new, all-action, all-black-and-white one shot in the spirit of the Mighty Marvel Magazines of yore, but ALL-NOW in style! The kung-fu fighting never lets up for a moment over these four stories by some of Marvel's hottest writers, including a prose tale by DARK TOWER's Robin Furth! If you like your comics bold-this is for you!
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
With the resurgence in popularity of Marvel’s pulpy, street-level characters I’m amazed this book didn’t hit shelves at the beginning of the ‘Dark Reign’, or even as far back as “Civil War”. I’m a big fan of chop-socky action films, which tend to follow the ‘light on substance, heavy on pizzazz’ formula so I half-expected this to be one of my favorite reads of the week; it wasn’t. I didn’t dislike the three short stories so much as I just wasn’t moved to care about them.

The first short, written by Jonathan Hickman, was easily my favorite of them all. The Master of Kung Fu was less the main character and more of a supporting role, which was completely unexpected. I found the juxtaposition of relegating a rather obscure character to the sidelines in his/her book while allowing the supporting cast to shine rather brilliant. I mean, who can argue with the abundant creativity oozing from the pages with characters as interesting as The Black Santas of the Damnation Army, The Hitler Twins from Pittsburgh, the Luchadores, and everyone’s favorite slapstick throw away, Deadpool. Next up, Mike Benson takes readers to Hong Kong as Shang-Chi takes on a challenger for his title of Kung Fu Master. This story was interesting because it was the only one written in Chinese, with subtitles in English at the bottom of each panel. I found this story to be the most beautifully illustrated, with art by Tomm Coker.

The next two stories are rather forgettable. Charlie Huston embraces the classic retro feel of Shang-Chi’s original title with artist Enrique Romero. There wasn’t enough substance to draw new readers into the title, and the title was too wishy-washy to regain the fans of yesteryear. I didn’t really understand why some of the panels looked inked while others were simply pencils, but whatever. The last story was a prose piece revolving around the Master of Kung Fu’s reflection on life, his fighting styles, and day to day training. I can’t tell you how absolutely uninteresting it was to read the memoirs of an imaginary comic book character.

In the end, while I find the character of Shang-Chi to be inherently cool, I don’t get what Marvel was trying to accomplish by giving readers so many different interpretations of the same character within the same book. If one sought to seriously resurrect the concept for a new generation of readership there wouldn’t be such a scatterbrained approach to its execution.
  SPIDERMAN THE CLONE SAGA #1
Writers: Tom DeFalco & Howard Mackie Artist: Tom Nauck
Review By: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: Marvel Comics   Shipped On: 093009
MSRP: $3.99 each (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
You've been asking for it...and now it's here: THE CLONE SAGA!!! Marvel's most controversial event of all time returns with a vengeance, presenting the Clone Saga as it was originally intended to be told! From the minds behind the crossover that changed comics forever and the artist that introduced Spider-Man to President Obama, it's six issues of twists and turns that will shock fans old and new alike! Be here as Peter Parker's worst nightmare begins again...now with an ending you have to see to believe!
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
Once upon a time there was group of nasty ne’er-do-wells who came closer to ending the life of Peter Parker than any super villain in the entire history of the Marvel Universe. Who was it you ask? Why, the editorial team at the House of Ideas, of course. Yep, that’s right, and from the looks of things they may be making another attempt on his existence as I write this very column. Somebody once postulated going back in time to kill Hitler, perchance to re-write history, thus saving the lives of 6 million people; I’m going to take that even further, so get ready to have your mind blown: IF you could go back in time and wipe from existence the biggest $#!t-stain Marvel Editorial has ever left in their underpants, could you do it without stepping in any of the excess run-off?

I’ll be honest, I don’t have any real issue with the original “Clone Saga” which very quickly transformed into an epic, and finally a burden that writer’s were forced to carry much, much longer than originally anticipated. Despite the bitching, whining, and assorted rabble that was roused on both sides of the fiasco, those who were pro-Parker vs. those who liked the idea of introducing Ben Reilly as the new-old Web-Head, none of the actual story stuck with continuity very heavily, and as such (until recently) faded into obscurity. It’s interesting though to see Marvel willing to gamble by releasing a title based on a story that was very heavily panned by critics and fans alike, and while I’m a fan of comic book companies taking chances to keep their products fresh and exciting I’m more than a little curious to know whether the juice is worth the squeeze. But, how’s the book you ask, well I was just getting to that…

If you take the time to read the “recap” page at the book’s start you’ll see more of an explanation as to ‘why’ THIS book exists more so than a synopsis of what transpired in the work that preceded it. With that in mind I went into this with more than a little trepidation, but bearing in mind that this is being written by two of the guys with whom the concept originated I figured it was worth a shot. The first two pages are full of exposition designed to remind readers that while this is based entirely on established continuity it’s NOT set in the current time frame as ‘Amazing’ is. The ball gets rolling when Aunt May, ever the pain in the ass, is suddenly rushed to the hospital, sparking a reaction in more than just her nephew Peter, as readers get a glimpse of a black-clad biker racing toward Manhattan. There are a lot of clichéd devices and contrived twists that lead to Peter and Ben coming face to face, which in turn leads to fisticuffs, and finally, in the grand tradition of comics, teamwork.

I thought Tom Nauck’s artwork was very well done. It felt like I was reading a story that was drawn years ago, which isn’t to say that it felt dated, but rather that he understood the concept, and illustrated a story that’s set during the 1990’s like it was the 90’s; I thought that was cool. Especially noteworthy was a couple of pages where Peter and Ben are attacked with a biological weapon, leaving covered them in a quick-growing green fungus; it looked like a page out of a Steve Skroce or Geoff Darrow comic, and I loved it. Overall I don’t think this turned out as bad as I was expecting, in fact, I think it shows a heck of a lot of promise. I hope that the creative team gets a chance to get this out of their system, effectively undoing the rotten taste they left in everyone’s mouth all those years ago.
  BOMB QUEEN #6.1
Writer/Artist: Jim Robinson
Review By: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: Image Comics   Shipped On: 093009
MSRP: $3.50 each (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
IMAGE'S SYNOPSIS:
Image superheroes are lining up to congratulate President Obama, But NOT the villain dictator of New Port City. Bomb Queen is seething with bloodlust when the new administration targets her criminal city for closure along with Guantanamo Bay. Bomb Queen vs. Barack Obama? Only Image would dare! Don't miss it!
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
Okay, so anyone who is familiar with my column knows that I’m more than a fan of the bad guys. What, with their colorful personalities, evil ear-to-ear grins, and loveable, wrong-doing ways how could I NOT be sold by a comic who proclaims itself to be the “#1 Villain Comic in America”? I’ll get to that in a minute. There was a lot that I did like about the book, namely its willingness to push the boundaries of decency and acceptable material; or the fact that it openly mocked the comic book industry in a self-deprecating way as it enforced many of the very same stereo-types that it poked fun of other books for; maybe it was the laughable interpretation of our President, Barack Obama, and his admitted child-hood fascination with funny-books.

I’ve read a crap-load of comics lately that thought they’d see a quick sales boost as a result of plastering the new Prez on the cover of their book despite his lack of involvement in the story; that’s NOT the case with “Bomb Queen” as it were, as Mr. Obama plays a key-role in the plot as ‘bad guy’ to BQ’s evil protagonist. When B.O. announces the planned closing of New Port City, the city where crime is legal and the Bomb Queen was elected Mayor, he sparks a country-wide debate as to whether reintegrating the rest of the country with the scum that populated the streets of NPC is a good idea. The Queen looks for dirt on Obama but doesn’t have any luck, so she sends a pedophile dominatrix and her child-henchmen out to beat some dirt out of the “king of information” in a scene reminiscent of Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction”. There’s more than a little objectionable material before the televised debate between the leader of the free world and the bad-girl BQ which doesn’t turn out (immediately) the way everyone was expecting.

I’m on the fence about this one. I’m all for pushing the boundaries of decency and that good stuff, but I think it should hold some greater purpose in the story as opposed to being some kind of dirty window-dressing. Garth Ennis is able to cram more curse words and deviant sexual behavior into one issue of “The Boys” and it never feels like it’s meant to impress teenage boys into spending more money looking for nip slips, and thong shots. I appreciate the concept; I like the art; I even think the satirical approach to comic writing (when done well) is needed now more than ever, but this book left me feeling little interest in what was going to happen next. Jim Robinson has to be doing something right, because his book wouldn’t have lasted this long if he wasn’t; maybe I’m not in the target demographic, but I just can’t find the appeal.
  SKY PIRATES OF NEO TERRA #1
Writer: Josh Wagner    Artist: Camilla D’errico
Review By: "Sweet" Dan Sweet     Based On: Nintendo DS game
Publisher: Image Comics    Shipped On: 093009
MSRP: $3.50 each (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
IMAGE'S SYNOPSIS:
In Neo Terra, a world of forgotten technology and natural magic, reckless young glide-wing pilot, Billy Boom Boom, must outwit the Pirate King to stop him from ushering in a new Dark Age. CAMILLA D'ERRICO, (Burn, Nightmares and Fairy Tales) pencils this high adventure mini-series about loyalty, friendship, and what it means to be a true hero. Based on the Nintendo DS game "The Sky Pirates of Neo Terra".
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
Comic books based on movies, T.V. shows, books, and video games are traditionally crappy, and can be counted on to lend nothing to the mythos that is of any real importance or value. What about a concept that was planned as a comic, but through some twist of fate wound up optioned for a video game before the story ever saw publication? That’s what happened with ‘Sky Pirates’, and therein lies the rub, as the video game has already been released on one platform, soon to land on another, and is being developed for a potential animated series; so how should one look at the comic?

Apparently set on the fictional world of Neo-Terra, where adults and children alike take part in a series of ‘Great Races’ to see who’s the most skilled Sky-Glider pilot. Billy Boom-Boom, yes that’s his Christian name, is the young upstart who’s most likely to dethrone the Pirate King as winner of this year’s contest. Along with his friend Ricket, a mechanic who is constantly kept busy fixing Billy’s Sky-Glider, and his special lady friend Suma, a magician’s apprentice who has the hots for her friend, even though he’s too blind to see it. The majority of the first issue is spent racing around giant rock formations at extremely high speeds, giving readers an idea of the excitement and fun the characters have on a regular basis. There are some teasers in there to let potential fans know that there is an overall plot brewing, maybe even to pay off one day (but in the grand tradition of most Anime, it probably won’t).

I’m not big on Anime, Manga, Japanimation or whatever moniker it’s going by these days, but I grew up watching a lot of it and can appreciate the stuff that’s done well. This book is ok, and while it offers a lot of style, there’s very little substance to back it up. It’s a cute concept that’s probably aimed at selling kids a bunch of crap they really don’t need; only time will tell if it will catch on or not. I thought the biggest highlight of the book was the art of Camilla D’errico; I thought that her sketchy line-work played well against the sleek design of the planet and its technology. The characters look like most anime-inspired creations, which is to say that there’s an overall lack of originality that is greatly apparent, but it doesn’t take away too much from what I imagine a child’s enjoyment of the book would be like.
  ATHENA #1
Writer: Doug Murray   Artist: Fabiano Neves & Paul Renaud
Review By: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: Dynamite Comics     Shipped On: 091609
MSRP: $3.50 each (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
DYNAMITE'S SYNOPSIS:
Dynamite presents the debut of Athena! Featuring a story from veteran writer Doug (Savage Tales, Red Sonja) Murray and illustrated by both Paul Renaud and Fabiano Neves, the goddess Athena is reborn into our world! Each issue will feature a special flashback sequence from Paul (Red Sonja) Renaud, with modernday sequences illustrated by Fabiano (Army of Darkness vs. Marvel Zombies) Neves! The series also kicks off with a special flip sequence featuring the meeting of the Obama Family and the Goddess Athena!
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
Never under-estimate a small-publisher’s willingness to whore themselves and their properties out to current fads and trends, thinking it will get more people (not just readers) to pick up a copy of some rag, of which they’ve got no idea how to market. Did you know that if you Google’d “Obama-rama” a picture of the DYNAMITE logo pops up? Did you also know that if you Google’d “good comic books” you wouldn’t be able to find the company’s name within a trillion hits (maybe even a googleplex?)

Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, war, the arts, industry, justice, and skill is a lady who is found lying naked in the park; when she awakens in a hospital bed she can’t remember anything about who she is, or who she’s supposed to be. Several years later she’s living and loving life, working as a police investigator in the Big Apple. Apparently ZueSs has decreed all the Gods and Titans are able to live out their lives as mortals; this, of course, leads to zany and wacky mix-ups and misunderstandings (ala ‘Three’s Company’?). On the flip side (for real, I’m not just saying that to sound down) there’s a four-page story featuring the adventures of Athena (editor’s note: this wacky tale has a place in “Athena” continuity, after issue #4…if it makes it that far).

The art by the team of Fabiano Neves and Paul Renaud is really great stuff. I liked it a lot, even though there is more than its fair share of gratuitous cheesecake. I’m not sure what it is about comic companies trying to ride the fence between respectable, strong, female leads and the use of blatant T & A that offers NOTHING to the plot whatsoever? Pick one and stick with it; I don’t mix morals with masturbation, and you shouldn’t either.
  BRAVE AND BOLD #27
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski  Artist: Jesus Saiz
Review By: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: DC Comics   Shipped On: 091609
MSRP: $2.99 each (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
DC'S SYNOPSIS:
The wait is over as J. Michael Straczynski arrives on THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD! First up, the best-selling scribe pairs Batman and...Dial H For Hero? Robby Reed and his grandfather thought their brief visit to Gotham City would go smoothly until one of Gotham's petty thieves made the score of the century in the form of Robby's H-Dial! Batman's on the case, but The Joker's crime wave has the city in a panic, and the power of the H-Dial has had a very unexpected effect on the hood who stole it. The choices he makes could change his life - and Robby's - forever! Features the stunning art of Jesus Saiz (OMAC PROJECT)!
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
I wasn’t overly excited to get my hands on this considering the rather sub-par offerings JMS has been releasing as of late; let me cut right to the chase, this was not only a great example of a one-and-done comic book, but a rather poignant take on the “Dial H for Hero” concept, which for so long has been left to twist in the wind. It was weird to read a book that’s centered on crime-fighters working together where no one actually teamed up, but it didn’t hinder me from enjoying the story in the slightest. It’s a story about redemption, and like any good story about redemption the ending both is, and isn’t, a happy one.

Gotham City is still the reviled stain on the DC landscape, and as to why anyone would make THAT their vacation destination is simply beyond me, but without such a plot device there would be no story; I’ll concede that point in favor of getting on with ‘the show’. Robby Reed is in possession of an analog dial that he can use to transform into any number of super-powered crime fighters; when this dial is stolen from him, the culprit, a down-on-his-luck bum by the name of Travers Milton finds himself transformed into The Star. Along with this startling, new development comes the overwhelming desire to redeem himself for the crummy choices he’s made through out his life, and he goes to work saving as many people as possible. His shenanigans draw the attention of a certain Caped-Crusader who’s willing to share the responsibilities with the new comer, but issues a fair warning: “…I don’t have time for amateurs or part-timers. Don’t get in my way.” Sounds like classic Bruce to me, which leads me to believe that DC has offered JMS the book on the grounds that the stories reside outside the realm of continuity.

Jesus Saiz can illustrate the crap out of Batman, but just for the record he pretty much illustrates the crap out of everything else in this issue also. I look forward to seeing what he can do with a great deal of the second string characters that seem to populate this book’s pages, and as long as JMS is telling stories that seem to be more insightful that his usual fare, well, then I won’t count him out either.
  EX MACHINA #45
Writer: Brian K. Vaughn  Artist: Tony Harris
Review By: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: DC/Vertigo Comics   Shipped On: 091609
MSRP: $2.99 each (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
DC/VERTIGO'S SYNOPSIS:
Beginning the shocking last storyline leading up to the issue #50 series finale! Mayor Hundred must navigate the most challenging hot-button issue of his career, while a powerful new archenemy reveals a terrifying plan that's been in the works since the very first issue of EX MACHINA!
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
Since he’s more or less left Marvel Comics, and the curtain fell on Vertigo’s “Y: The Last Man” I haven’t read anything by Brian K. Vaughn in quite a while; I forgot how refreshing his voice can be. In a world where everything isn’t the way it seems BKV (as he’s affectionately referred to on the ‘net) doesn’t pull his punches; combine that with the world of Politics and the blow-hards that freckle that particular landscape and I’m surprised that this guy wasn’t ran out of the country by the prior administration (Thank You, U. S. Constitution!).

Mayor Hundred is reaching the self-imposed end of his final term as the mayor of the city of New York. I’ve heard rumblings that this is the final story arc in the series, and if so it feels oddly at peace with that fact. There is a fair amount of suspense surrounding a returned journalist who, at one point, had threatened ‘Hizzoner’ by outing his extra-curricular activities as a masked vigilante. Sure it’s common knowledge that Mayor Hundred used to be the superhero known as The Great Machine, but he made a promise to the citizens of New York that he was past that phase of his life; we all know better than that don’t we?

There are some great bits in here, especially surrounding the Mayor’s stance on The Morning-After Pill. I think that this may serve as a pretty good soap box for BKV’s outlook on life, but whether you agree with him (or his characters) or not, you can’t argue the fact that the guy has a classy way of laying down life-lessons, with out all the preachy diatribe that usually goes hand in hand with this kind of subject matter. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from reading Vaughn’s work over the years (yes, even “Mystique”) it’s that people overcome humongous challenges in life, and he’s constantly representing that in his stories.
  ULTIMATE COMICS ARMOR WARS #1
Writer: Warren Ellis  Artist: Steve Kurth
Review By: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: Marvel Comics   Shipped On: 091609
MSRP: $3.99 each (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
Exploding from the ruins of ULTIMATUM, Tony Stark races against time to save his crippled corporation and stop the theft of his armored arsenal! Superstar writer WARREN ELLIS (ULTIMATE HUMAN) teams up with rising talent STEVE KURTH (IRON MAN) to bring you a globe-spanning, high-octane thriller with a blast from Tony's past that you've gotta see to believe!
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
Maybe during some other life Warren Ellis was a multi-billionaire, philanthropist, playboy/armored super hero, or maybe he’s just drunk all the time; either way there’s something about his take on Ultimate Tony Stark that’s relentlessly believable. Maybe it’s the way he so jovially wanders through Manhattan (which was just recently crushed by a tidal wave) taking in the magnitude of the wreckage while at the same time attempting to retrieve an item he left in one of his offices (all the while recording his journey for his iTunes podcast). That’s the beginnings of this latest take on the (Ultimate) Armored Avenger (Ultimate?) which quickly spirals into a neat little mystery that’s likely to up the ante for the tech based super hero in all of his appearances to come.

Ellis is able to take readers for a stroll through the death and devastation that used to be Downtown, New York, and he does so with the tact and poise of a man who could buy and sell the whole damn city ten times over; which shows his understanding of the character. Tony cracks wise as he tours the remains of a city that used to be home to millions of people, and is surprised when he discovers that he’s not the only visitor scouring the area for anything salvageable. This provides us with the introduction of Justine Hammer, daughter of Justin, whose synthetic abilities are killing her, and she’s in dire need of stark nano-tech in order to stabilize her biomechanics. Also introduced for the first time in the Ultimate (Comics) U is loooooooooooong time Iron Man villain The Ghost” (a personal favorite of mine, currently co-starring in “Thunderbolts”) who just so happens to procure the item Mr. Stark is looking for moments before he’s capable of grabbing it himself. With the inclusion of Tony’s older brother in Mark Millar’s “Ultimate Avengers” storyline, the Armor Wars are just heating up.

I thought Steve Kurth’s penciling was great; it definitely helped set the tone for the series. The Ultimate-ized Ghost looked a lot like a 616 version of War Machine, but I won’t complain, it is after all a giant throw-down for the Stark Tech. I’ll admit that it took Loeb more than a few issues to completely sell me on the “Ultimatum” idea, but in the end I think that it helped differentiate the Ultimate Marvel U and the traditional 616 Universe; a decision that is both lauded and criticized, depending on which site you log onto. I think that letting Millar, and Ellis, and Loeb free to roam around a universe where traditional rules don’t apply is probably better suited for their brand of story-telling. Millar and Ellis are masters of the wide-screen comic, and Loeb is, well, Loeb. Bottom line is: they can do what they want and it will have little to no bearing on ‘regular’ continuity.
  DARK REIGN LIST DAREDEVIL ONE SHOT
Writer: Andy Diggle Artist: Billy Tan
Review By: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: Marvel Comics   Shipped On: 091609
MSRP: $3.99 each (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
After the shocking events of DAREDEVIL 500, Norman Osborn's eyes turn to Hell's Kitchen - and he doesn't like what he sees. Now Osborn dispatches the only assassin he can rely on to kill Daredevil - Bullseye - but all is not as it seems. It's a fight that's been brewing for years...featuring the DAREDEVIL debut of writer Andy Diggle, and the superstar talents of artist Billy Tan! Plus, a preview of Daredevil #501, Andy Diggle's first issue of DD, and character designs!
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
If you look at this book LESS like a stand alone story with a beginning, middle, and ending, and MORE like a bridge between issues 500 and 501 then you’re likely to enjoy it a bit more. Maybe that’s the overall problem from the two issues I’ve seen of this non-event so far: they aren’t exactly new-reader friendly. In order to enjoy “DR: TL: Avengers” you had to be hip to what had been going on in Bendis’ story for the last six months or so; in order for readers to REALLY get the hang of what Andy Diggle is dealing with in this latest installment (and the writer’s first full issue) one should really go back and sift through the last half of Ed Brubaker’s seemingly unassuming, yet strangely over-achieving run on the title.

Daredevil is the new leader of The Hand; his willingness to assume the role coming only after discovering the clan’s second choice, Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin of Crime. It’s this decision that puts the blind lawyer from Hell’s Kitchen (Midtown West?) on the radar of one Norman Osborn a.k.a. the Green Goblin a.k.a. Iron Patriot; the director of H.A.M.M.E.R.’s making a list, and checking it twice, and anyone in the naughty column is getting a s#!t-load of H.A.M.M.E.R.-employed Cape Killers knocking down their door (and they ain’t caroling!)! It just so happens that the latest person to don the identity of Hawkeye is none other than the psychopathic killing machine also known as Bullseye; DD and BE go waaaaaaaaaay back (like peas and carrots) and there’s very little convincing that needs doing to get Hawkeye to revert to his earlier persona. The result isn’t so much a climactic battle that results in the death of a loved one that these two are so well known for, but rather a declaration on Murdock’s part; the game is different; the rules have changed, and he’s going to change with it.

I have to say that I wasn’t that enthusiastic with the choice of Billy Tan for the art chores on this one. With Michael Lark taking leave from the book, and his following up an act like Alex Maleeve, a certain tone has been set for quite a few years now. This isn’t what people expect Daredevil to look like anymore. It doesn’t convey they sense of drama, pulp, and noir that oozes from a Bendis- or a Brubaker-penned script. The preview at the end of the issue did reassure me a great deal that they weren’t planning on sticking with this choice for very long; Roberto DeLa Torre’s stuff really looks incredible. I tried not to actually read any of the text, but rather soak in the lines and the colors; I didn’t want anything spoiled for me, and most of the previews give away the best parts.
  AMAZING SPIDER-MAN PRESENTS ANTI VENOM #1
Writer: Zeb Wells  Artist: Paulo Siqueira
Review By: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: Marvel Comics   Shipped On: 091609
MSRP: $3.99 each (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
What's Black, White and Dead all over?!?! From the pages of last year's best-selling NEW WAYS TO DIE, Zeb Wells (AMAZING SPIDER-MAN; NEW MUTANTS) and Paulo Siqueira (AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, MS. MARVEL) bring you the story of Eddie Brock, the sallow symbiote known as Anti-Venom! With his life saved by Spider-Man, Eddie is cautiously walking the line between the darkness and light while trying to find his place in a world marked only by gray. The absolute last person he needs to run into is the Punisher. Unfortunately, the Punisher remembers Eddie as a cold-blooded killer, and that is just gonna hurt.
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
Okay, great writer with ties to the Web-Heads (the designation given to the team of guys responsible for getting “The Amazing Spider-Man” onto store shelves three times a month)? Check. Fantastic artist whose style invokes that of legendary Spider-penciler Todd McFarlane? Check. Character with a tongue-in-cheek (no pun intended) name who got his start as a villain (arguably one of Spidey’s worst) and now runs around as some sort of anti-hero? Check. Alright, we’re a go for ‘Mediocre Comic Book Mini-Series of the Week’. It’s not that I didn’t like this book, it just shouldn’t exist, and I’m going to tell you ‘why’.

SO Eddie Brock was the villain known through out comic books as Venom, and one day Marvel editorial had the genius idea to convert their savage symbiote into a somewhat adorable anti-hero. It didn’t stick then, and it probably won’t stick now, but for the sake of the Spider-office (who’s really doing a kick-ass job over there on ‘Amazing’) we’ll give it a shot, after all they did get Paulo Siqueira on pencils and that’s worth the price of admission alone. Somewhere along the line the villain known as Mr. Negative was able to transform a symbiote-less Eddie into the force for good called (gag) Anti-Venom, and somewhere along the line someone thought it was a strong enough idea to support it’s own book. It’s A LOT like every other Venom story from “Lethal Protector” (minus the underground city) to “Funeral Pyre” (minus the flaming kid); Venom, er, ANTI-Venom stalks the streets scaring the living piss out of dopers and bangers until he gets a name that takes him a little higher up the scumbag food-chain; lather, rinse, repeat.

There are some truly gag-worthy moments and dialogue that’s straight out of an episode of Saturday morning cartoons. Even with the inclusion of Marvel’s original bad boy, The Punisher, the cheese factor is pretty high. The Saving grace of this title is the art, but you’d almost wish they’d have gone ahead and slotted it into the new “Web of Spider-Man” book that collects the stories surrounding Spidey’s supporting cast. This is the type of thinking that gets characters s#!t-canned before they even gain an audience. Anti-Venom, with some other, any other name, is a viable character, and a valuable creation in the Marvel Universe, but shoving him down readers throats in the form of a (sure to be poorly performing) mini-series at $3.99-a-pop instead of working him into the regular monthly title until demand is greater is the equivalent of cutting off your own hands before you get to shoot yourself in the foot.
  NOMAD GIRL WITHOUT A WORLD
Writer: Sean McKeever  Artist: David Baldeon
Review By: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: Marvel Comics   Shipped On: 091009
MSRP: $3.99 each (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
In her world, RIKKI BARNES was the modern-day BUCKY, teen sidekick to CAPTAIN AMERICA. In this world, the Cap she knew is dead, she never existed, and very little else is as she remembers. With no home, no income and no legal identity, what's a girl to do? How about tracking down the new Cap, reconnecting with her brother, and running afoul of the SECRET EMPIRE? Sounds like a plan to us!
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
Alright, if ever the crapfest that was “Heroes Reborn” produced a single likable character, idea, or concept I’m pretty sure most people wouldn’t shout ‘Rikki Barnes’ at the top of their lungs. In fact, I’m willing to bet nobody would even recall the young female sidekick known as Bucky, that is until Jeph Loeb and Rob Liefield brought the girl from her reality and dropped her in the collective lap of the 616 in the crapfest that was “Onslaught Reborn.” How convoluted do we like our characters’ origins? Well in the eyes of the Mighty Marvel Bullpen, we like ‘em as convoluted as possible, complete with alternate realities, and time travel, and all sorts of other complications that make the hard science almost impossible to explain.

Unlike a lot of stories where readers are baited on the first page with a fight scene to remind them how much ass this new (old) character is capable of kicking without breaking a sweat, Mckeever takes readers in a different direction. Instead we see Rikki working a job that no one could possibly be happy to do day in and day out; we see her struggling to pay for her groceries, and lugging them back to some s***-hole, fleabag, roach motel where she’s been staying; we see the obligatory working-out-by-herself scene (ala any martial arts film); then we find out that she’s been biding her time in hopes of meeting the new Captain America. There’s a lot of cool stuff in this ish that plays directly off of current threads set up in “Captain America” #600, as well as dangling threads from the Loeb/Liefield disaster of a year or two ago. I found both the story and the art to be quite enjoyable, with the kids in Rikki’s high school drawn like kids instead of over-grown male and female models passing for children like they do on the WB.

David Baldeon’s art is a major selling point for me in regards to this story. I think that this guy has a huge career ahead of him if he can make his way from these mini-series, onto a book like “Young Avengers” or “Runaways”, where his style would fit in flawlessly. I’m not the world’s biggest Mckeever fan or anything like that, but I can recognize talent when I read it, and a lot of what he’s been doing lately shows a great deal of growth. I don’t think editorial is going to hand him the next big summer event or anything of that sort, but I wouldn’t balk at any title he lands on shelves, because chances are it’s a pretty good read.
  VAMPIRELLA SECOND COMING #1
Writer: Phil Hester  Artist: Daniel Sampere
Review By: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: Harris Comics   Shipped On: 091009
MSRP: $1.99 each (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
HARRIS' SYNOPSIS:
Like Marilyn Monroe and Betty Page, Vampirella is a cultural phenomenon now woven into society's DNA, a symbol of sensuality and power. So thinks a group of women who become increasingly and inexplicably fascinated with her, getting Vampi tattoos, researching her story and seeking each other out to celebrate her. But as a virus ravages Washington, possessing any man it comes across and liberating their darkest desires, these women feel a call from something - or someone - to battle this new threat. Is Vampirella real after all?
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
Vampirella: an outdated throwback to the sexploitation-style of decades past, or a strong heroine just waiting for the right re-vamp (no pun intended) to remind audiences of why she rules? I’m going to go with the first one, and the second, kinda. Alien, vampire, disco, crime-fighter? Way to not pick a genre guys! In this latest iteration the legend of Vampirella grows larger than it ever has before, even going so far as to invade the internet with viral video!

Like any good vampire tale there’s a beautiful young lady who’s plagued by incredibly life-like dreams where other beautiful young ladies suck the blood of even MORE beautiful young ladies; combine this “creative” imagery with the almost perverse amount of vampire silliness popping up on an almost daily basis and it’s a complete mystery to me why this crap doesn’t sell. SO after the results of the last arc (“Return of the Blood Red Queen”) a small unit of demons became trapped in our dimension, choosing to disguise themselves as humans and live amongst the sheep until they can reopen a doorway to their world. By using human vessels to carry out their plan the demons are free to gorge, copulate, and revel in our world’s many vices instead of really getting their hands dirty.

The previews for the following issues seem to indicate that the brunette vixen whose body has been the focal point of the entire mythology may not be in the spotlight, but rather her spirit, her energy, as it travels from host to host to host. Again, it’s nothing new, but whatever, this isn’t the type of book that draws in new readership, it purely capitalizes on the small following it already has and plays to its strong points. The only TRULY remarkable thing about this issue is that it’s a full 22-pager, with NO ADS, for only $1.99; almost unheard of in this day and age. Kudos to Harris Comics for their willingness to sacrifice profits to get their story in the hands of (potential) readers, now they just have to bring some substance to the table.
  DMZ #45
Writer: Brian Wood  Artist: Riccardo Burchielli
Review By: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: DC/Vertigo Comics   Shipped On: 091009
MSRP: $2.99 each (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
ASPEN'S SYNOPSIS:
"Hearts and Minds" part 1 of 5. Following the tumultuous events of the past year, Matty Roth is redefining his role in the DMZ. No longer content to be merely a citizen journalist or a mouthpiece for Parco Delgado's struggling city government, he now rolls with his own private security force and self-defined mandate to heal the city. Is this the start of a brand-new day via the barrel of an gun - or will this "Rise of Matty" end with the fall of just another petty warlord?
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
Coming off of the explosive (in more ways than one) three-part “No Future” arc featuring guest artist Ryan Kelly, series creator Brian Wood is ready to start the long journey to #50 with the five-part “Hearts and Minds” story, bringing back the regular artist Riccardo Burchielli. I really can’t put into words how much I love this title; I’ve been reading it since issue #1 and, to be completely honest, haven’t been dissatisfied with a single issue in the 4+ year run. In a lot of ways this is a perfect comic: a genre twist on a civil war torn America told through the eyes of fledgling journalist Matty Roth (as well as others) with every issue written by Wood and nearly every issue illustrated by co-creator Burchielli; it doesn’t leave its fans wanting for anything.

The last time we checked in on Matty he was Secretary of the Press for the democratically-elected President of the Nation of Manhattan. That’s right, the citizens of the DMZ (de-militarized zone) have gone and elected themselves a gang banger for a leader and Matty is more than happy to let the rest of the world that the new administration means serious business (by warning the world that they’ve acquired nuclear weapons) in a thirty-second press conference. Then readers are treated to a clever twist; in a move that no one thought was even with in his capabilities Matty goes on to lead a strike team to take down some of the scum that populates, and profits from the misery in the DMZ.

Brian Wood created a rift in America so deep that no one will ever be able to bounce back. His story is so rich with character and imagination that when you read a complete story arc, all the way through, without waiting the months in between issues, it’s very easy to find yourself immersed fully in the war-torn streets, and in the lives of the people who have to navigate them. Riccardo is one of the BEST ARTISTS IN ALL OF COMICS. That’s NO exaggeration.
  SOULFIRE VOLUME TWO #0
Writer: JT Krul  Artist: Marcus To
Review By: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: Aspen Comics   Shipped On: 091009
MSRP: $2.50 each (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
ASPEN'S SYNOPSIS:
In this first in a series of spectacular one-shots, the finest writers working at Marvel are teamed up with the most sensational artists to unveil the darkest chapters in the Dark Reign! Norman Osborn, fresh from the shocking finale of Utopia, sets his sights on the rest of the Marvel Universe. He sits down and makes a list. A list of things that are wrong with the world. Things that he needs to take care of. And the list includes almost every major player in the Marvel Universe.
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
The late Michael Turner was a fantastic creator, and many of his ideas are going to be celebrated for a long, long time. “Soul Fire” was a result of the combined efforts of Turner and current DC superstar Geoff Johns; plagued by delays and a series of restarts after the untimely death of Turner the book has always had a hard time finding an audience. With its current relaunch Aspen Comics is hoping to draw a new crowd into its sci-fi/fantasy world where wizards commune with dragons, major corporations employ mercenaries, and everyone, EVERYONE has multi-colored, glitter-infused hair.

In a 15-page preview Krul lays out the extreme basics of his story, hoping that the killer visuals of Marcus To are enough to draw everyone back for the first issue. There are some dragons, some people with robotic limbs, girls with wings, weird wizards that look fresh out of Middle-Earth, but there’s no real resemblance of an actual story. I didn’t even get the inkling that the writer new what was going to happen in the first issue, considering there was very little to latch onto, pique my curiosity, or whet my appetite for more.

The real star of this title is Marcus To. His clean line-work invokes the spirit of Turner, but without resorting to mimicry. I’m convinced that this will be a break-out title for the little known artist, but once the big-heavies see what he’s capable of I’m sure he’ll get drafted to either DC or Marvel. JT Krul, on the other hand, has pretty big shoes to fill, and I’ll be interested to see if he can salvage any real story out of these characters. There isn’t much to critique him for in this issue; I understand he was just trying to get everyone acclimated to the world of “Soul Fire”, but other than that he didn’t accomplish much.
  SHIELD #1 (ongoing)
Writer: Eric Trautmann  Artist: Marco Rudy
Review By: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: DC Comics   Shipped On: 091009
MSRP: $3.99 each (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
DC'S SYNOPSIS:
I Spinning out of August's "Red Circle" event from superstar writer J. Michael Straczynski comes the new ongoing adventures of the patriotic Shield and the mysterious man on the run, Inferno! Eric Trautmann (CHECKMATE) and Marco Rudy (FINAL CRISIS) take Lt. Joe Higgins, a.k.a. The Shield, into the hotspots civilians dare not go. His first mission takes The Shield to the razed country of Bialya, destroyed by the rage of Black Adam in 52. Something lurks in the mountains beyond militia activity, and The Shield must investigate! Plus, Inferno stars in a fast-paced co-feature from writer Brandon Jerwa (G.I. Joe) and artist Greg Scott (GOTHAM CENTRAL)! Who is Inferno, and why is he being pursued by the Dark Men? He'd better find out fast because Green Arrow and Black Canary have questions of their own for the new hero!
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
Didn’t I just write a review on “The Shield #1” last month? Oh yeah, that was just the one-shot written by hot-shot writer J. Michael Straczynski, which sets the stage for this current take on the classic Red Circle hero. Eric Trautmann has the incredulous job of making up for the crap pile that JMS walked everyone into last month, hopefully redeeming both the character, and audience’s opinion of him before the first issue has even shipped. I’m both surprised and pleased to say that Trautmann was more than capable of rising to the challenge, bringing ‘The Shield’ to the attention of new readers without getting bogged down with all the typical short-comings new comics featuring older characters face.

Diving right into a plot involving a military black-ops team that’s gone missing in the field, followed by four other search and rescue teams that have met a similar fate; our hero “The Shield” is dropped into the Middle East under the guise of a typical soldier. See the setting of the story is just as important as the involvement of the Red Circle icon himself; he’s not just in the regular, good-old, war-torn Middle East, he’s in Bialya, a country which Black Adam wrought asunder during World War Three (all the way back during the CLASSIC “52”)…so, not only is the first issue of a new comic featuring a golden-ager actually good, but it’s been injected directly into the continuity stream. Other than the “4 Horsemen” mini-series Bialya, and the chaos they’ve dealt with since Black Adam’s temper tantrum haven’t really been touched on – and a character with a big American Flag on his chest may not be the most welcomed candidate.

Marco Rudy’s pencils in this book are incredible. The second and third pages, a two-page spread immediately brings to mind Bryan Hitch’s work on “The Ultimates” – and that’s no jive. I really thought that this was some of the best art I’ve seen in a NEW DC book in a LOOOOOOOOONG time; I hope that he isn’t rotated off after a few issues in favor of some lesser-known. Then again, that all depends on how many people actually get on the band wagon with this book in the first place. With a whopping $3.99 price tag it’s one of the few books that offer readers a ‘double-feature’, with a back-up story featuring “Inferno” (which wasn’t interesting the first go-round, and again fails to capture my attention). Trautmann (and friends) have an uphill battle on their hands, but it seems they may have a hero on their side that’s more than up for the challenge.
  MYSTIC COMICS 70TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL
Writer/Artist: David Lapham
Review By: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: Marvel Comics   Shipped On: 090209
MSRP: $3.99 each (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
"I am the destroyer of evil," the haunting stranger intoned; "I've crossed the great cold into your world!" So speaks the original Vision! From a dimension beyond, comes an otherworldly force of retribution. His steely touch turns killers to ice, shattering them. His staggering gaze drives the guilty mad with terror. His unstoppable power never fails to punish the wicked! It is said only those approaching death can see him in his true form as...the Vision!
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
In what could probably be considered the least interesting Timely Anniversary issue of the whole bunch, ‘Young Liars’ creator David Lapham takes a stab at the golden-age ‘Vision’. If you’re one of the select few still reading comics that even KNEW about a golden-age Vision then this may be your cup of tea; if you’re like me, and aren’t familiar with this iteration of the Vision namesake then you probably won’t give a s#!t. I didn’t.

Some of the golden-age concepts are vague enough to carry creators through the years with little-to-no problems, i.e. Captain America, Superman, Batman; others are so abstract, and rooted in the mind-set of the 1940’s they really don’t translate well almost 70 years down the line. “Mystic Comics” reads like a lot of old comics; through a series of coincidences, contrived story-telling, and happenstance a story develops. Like any comic of its era (yes, I’m aware that this is a modern take on classic storytelling) the impossibly powerful ‘hero’ takes on a gang of two-bit hoods and while he is incredibly strong, an odd twist of fate turns the tables adding a bit more of the “mystic” element that the title is named for.

Aside from the Juan Doe cover there wasn’t really anything worth remembering about this book. In fact, I read it more than once and had an incredibly hard time paying attention. There was always something I’d rather be doing than reading this book: taking out the garbage, playing with my dogs, getting over a case of explosive diarrhea. I said with my last review of one of these Timely Anniversary Specials that I hoped they were reaching the end of the line. I understand that they want to familiarize audiences with the characters that are populating Ed Brubaker’s “The Marvels Project”, but this is getting more than a little tedious.
  DARK REIGN THE LIST-AVENGERS
Writer: Brian Bendis  Artist: Marko Djurdjevik
Review By: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: Marvel Comics   Shipped On: 091009
MSRP: $3.99 each (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
In this first in a series of spectacular one-shots, the finest writers working at Marvel are teamed up with the most sensational artists to unveil the darkest chapters in the Dark Reign! Norman Osborn, fresh from the shocking finale of Utopia, sets his sights on the rest of the Marvel Universe. He sits down and makes a list. A list of things that are wrong with the world. Things that he needs to take care of. And the list includes almost every major player in the Marvel Universe.
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
In the first of eight one-shots Marvel Editorial has dubbed the ‘Iron Patriot Acts’ Brian Bendis, the architect of the Marvel U, gets the ball rolling by throwing Clint Barton, a.k.a. Hawkeye, a.k.a. Ronin, up against the Norman Osborn and his Dark Avengers (a confrontation which has long been the carrot dangled in front of fans of ‘New Avengers’) and the end couldn’t be further from what I was expecting. I’ve been following Bendis’ ‘Avengers’ from the very beginning, and I’ve liked the way that each new story is built on the foundation of stories that preceded it.

There’s an air about this latest grouping of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes making them easily relatable; Bendis doesn’t write super-beings but rather human beings with extraordinary abilities, and that’s what sets this apart from the iterations that came before. Clint Barton is a headstrong, impatient, loose-cannon, and Norman Osborn is a power drunk, vengeful, maniac in the ultimate position of authority; it’s inevitable that the two will be on opposing sides of any situation. Considering Osborn is essentially ‘the man’ and Clint has traditionally been portrayed as ‘the rebel’, Barton’s reaction to Osborn’s declaration that his team are officially Avengers and that the New Avengers are outlaws effective immediately isn’t surprising. What is surprising is how long it’s taken to get from that declaration to this confrontation. The New Avengers fight amongst themselves in response to Clint’s demand that Osborn be killed immediately; all the indecision inspires Barton to once more don the guise of Ronin and fight his way through the Dark Avengers’ defenses to prove his point, which doesn’t get him very far in the long run.

I was prepared for the $3.99 price tag, as Marvel has seen fit to offer more Mini’s and One-shots to up their monthly earnings statement; when I finally got my hands on the book I was impressed by how heavy it was. Could it be that Marvel was offering readers a 36-, or dare I say 48-page story for less than 4 bucks? Well, the short answer is ‘no.’ Instead we get the same preview of ‘Dark Reign: The List: Daredevil’ that we saw in Daredevil #600, and a art preview of Matt Fraction and Alan Davis’ ‘Dark Reign: The List: X-Men’. Boo. I mean, the story was satisfying and the artwork by Marko Djurdjevic makes readers dream of a monthly title featuring his incredible penciling abilities, but how about cutting us a break - considering there’re seven more chapters in this saga for us to worry about keeping up with.
  MODELS INC #1
Writer: Paul Tobin  Artist: Vicenc Villagrasa
Review By: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: Marvel Comics   Shipped On: 091009
MSRP: $3.99 each (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
Fashion Week is always a hectic time for models, and this year is no exception. Between escaped wolves, robbery attempts, and overly friendly police officers, Mary Jane Watson, Patsy Walker, Jill Jerold, Chili Storm and Millicent (Millie the Model) Collins are testing the limits of their endurance. But when a brilliant young set designer is found murdered with three bullet holes in his back, and Millie proves to be the prime suspect, the models are forced to play detective in order to save one of their own!
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
This is the type of book where writers go to die. Now, I know I’m not the target demographic, or even close to the audience they’re hoping to draw into comic stores with this type of a book, and that’s not why I didn’t like it. Compared to the last female-friendly offering “Marvel Divas”, this latest attempt at bridging the gender gap in readership offers a bit more than a blatant rip off of “Sex and the City”, not much more, but a bit.

So Millicent Collins was created way, way, waaaaaaaaaay back in the day as an alternative to the superhero-heavy cape and cowl comic book set, giving young ladies something to read that combined adventure and, wait for it, fashion. Yowza. So now, sixty-some odd years later and Millie “the Model” Collins is back in New York and she’s brought a few friends along for the festivities. Joining her are her best friends, Patsy Walker (a superhero herself), Jill Jerold (who’s dating a superhero), Toni Turner, Chili Storm (no relation to the FF) and Hedy Walker. There’re all sorts of (kind of) funny banter, but you better be somewhat knowledgeable of the world of runway models and designer labels, or you may not be in on all the humor. The story kicks off with a photo shoot, and pretty soon Patsy ‘Hellcat’ Walker is displaying her talents by beating the living crap out of some guys hoping to steal camera equipment. This segues into a bit featuring Johnny Storm wooing his latest lady friend Jill Jerold, and then a bit of intrigue when they’re friend and pho-tog (short for photographer; I know, I’m so trendy) is found dead in the woods. Oh, and there’s a back-up story featuring the guy from “Project Runway” rocking the Iron Man armor; very groan inducing if you ask me.

Here’s the thing, I’m not into this, but I’m not supposed to be. This is a book that’s designed to get young ladies into comic books stores, and hopefully spin them off into other titles. Seeing as how I’m NOT a young lady (surprising, I know) and I’m already a fan of comics, this offers me nothing. The art is great in both segments; I’m not sure how girls are going to react to this kind of a book. If they’re old enough to appreciate fashion the way the book encourages then I’m pretty sure they’re too told to find comic books in any way, shape, or form amusing; if they’re young enough to want to get into comics they’re probably too young to get all the humor that the book counts on to separate it from the other female-friendly titles out there, of which there aren’t that many. I wish there was a comfortable middle ground that combined kid-friendly humor, and exciting stories that challenged readers (if only the slightest bit) as opposed to this kind of kitschy fad-book.
  BARACK THE BARBARIAN #2
Writer: Larry Hama Artist: Christopher Schons
Review By: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: DDP Comics   Shipped On: 090209
MSRP: $3.50 each (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
DDP'S SYNOPSIS:
According to THE MADDOWIAN CHRONICLES he was the one destined to save the great republic of America and dethrone the overpaid despots of the time. Join Barack, Sorceress Hilaria, her demi-god trickster husband Biil, Overlord Boosh and Chainknee of the Elephant Kingdom. Who can the lone barbarian trust, if anyone?
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
Alright, I’m sure I know what you’re thinking: I must be a glutton for punishment. After the scathing review (and childish name calling) I delivered after fighting my way through the first issue, why in the hell would I come back for more? Well, if I had my choice in the matter not only would this book have been canceled after a lackluster first issue, but DDP as a publisher would remain at the top of my s***-list for the foreseeable future. Bottom line is folks: I don’t pick the books I review, so while it may seem that I’m picking on old Larry Hama for no good reason I can honestly say that I read this issue as objectively as humanly possible, and I still think that this is not only the worst comic book EVER published, but a testament to the fact that DDP as a company is good at nothing more than jumping on an Obama-Bandwagon that ended months ago, producing some of the most generic and BORING concepts, lacking in both creative style and imagination.

Barack the Barbarian, his pal Manny the Fixer, and Hilaria continue their quest through the Labyrinth of Pundits on their search for the Treasure of the Stimuli. While making their way through the Labyrinth’s twists and turns they encounter great dangers such as the Serpent Queen (a jab at Ann Choler), Red Sarah and the Old Warrior, and of course the Pundits themselves. There’s some fighting, and Barack the Barbarian shows everyone just how tough he can be when obstacles are thrown in his path. None of this advances the story or the characters in any way, shape, or form, but it’s a satire after all, so no growth should really be expected.

I just don’t like anything about this book whatsoever. The art is sub-par; the story is lacking any real creativity; in fact, I’m sure the only way this book could be worse is if it included a giant zombie battle between Barack and the ghosts of President’s past. Even the framing sequences are all rather dull, featuring an Eskimo elder explaining the story to his grand children and their friends. Nothing about this book stands out as exceptional or remarkable; you’d be doing yourself a grand disservice by picking this title up and expecting to be entertained.
  TORCH #1
Writers: Alex Ross and Mike Carey  Artist: Patrick Berkenkotter
Review By: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: Marvel Comics   Shipped On: 090209
MSRP: $3.99 each (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
The Soul of an Old Machine, part 1. The Torch is dead - buried with full military honors. But what does death mean for an artificial man? The Mad Thinker is determined to find out, with the reluctant help of the Torch's best and oldest friend - Tom (Toro) Raymond.
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
So it’s not enough that Marvel has been pumping out the Timely Comics Anniversary specials, or that Ed Brubaker is busy with the classic, golden-age characters over in the sleeper-hit “The Marvels Project”, apparently there is even more demand for the classic heroes of yester-year, as is evident by the recently released Marvel/Dynamite collaboration starring The Human Torch (not the FF guy). That’s actually where the first twist in this story lies, in the main character; if you said Jim Hammond, you’re wrong! That’s right boys and girls; the Torch referred to in the title is actually none other than Tom Raymond, Toro.

Apparently there’s been a lot of build up to this series, with seeds planted in the pages of Brubaker’s “Captain America” as well as other books over the years. Tom Raymond is supposed to be dead, killed by The Thinker many, many years ago, but while in possession of the Cosmic Cube, Bucky Barnes, as Captain America, managed to bring him back from the great hereafter. This is a rough transition for the little flamer (ha!) and he decides to track down the man responsible for his death. There are some cameos by the Vision (not the Avengers guy) who assists Toro in his task, but not enough to really understand the characters purpose. Never fear though, because Marvel also released a Timely Anniversary Special to coincide with this characters appearance and I’ll be tearing it to shreds in a future column.

I think the inclusion of Alex Ross and his Dynamite family isn’t a bad idea. I differ from Ross in almost every area of Comics in terms what I find to be an enjoyable read as opposed to useless crap, but I know that his passion for the golden age and the characters that are representatives of such an era are very near to his heart, so there’s very little chance he’s going to half-ass it. The artwork in this issue, by Partrick Berkenkotter, is easily some of the nicer stuff to find itself attached to this kind of a book. In some ways it reminds me of Cassaday, which in my opinion is one of the highest compliments I can attribute to an artist, that and I’d like to see him draw “Daredevil.” There, two of my highest compliments an artist can achieve.
  TORCH #1
Writers: Alex Ross and Mike Carey  Artist: Patrick Berkenkotter
Review By: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: Marvel Comics   Shipped On: 090209
MSRP: $3.99 each (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
The Soul of an Old Machine, part 1. The Torch is dead - buried with full military honors. But what does death mean for an artificial man? The Mad Thinker is determined to find out, with the reluctant help of the Torch's best and oldest friend - Tom (Toro) Raymond.
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
So it’s not enough that Marvel has been pumping out the Timely Comics Anniversary specials, or that Ed Brubaker is busy with the classic, golden-age characters over in the sleeper-hit “The Marvels Project”, apparently there is even more demand for the classic heroes of yester-year, as is evident by the recently released Marvel/Dynamite collaboration starring The Human Torch (not the FF guy). That’s actually where the first twist in this story lies, in the main character; if you said Jim Hammond, you’re wrong! That’s right boys and girls; the Torch referred to in the title is actually none other than Tom Raymond, Toro.

Apparently there’s been a lot of build up to this series, with seeds planted in the pages of Brubaker’s “Captain America” as well as other books over the years. Tom Raymond is supposed to be dead, killed by The Thinker many, many years ago, but while in possession of the Cosmic Cube, Bucky Barnes, as Captain America, managed to bring him back from the great hereafter. This is a rough transition for the little flamer (ha!) and he decides to track down the man responsible for his death. There are some cameos by the Vision (not the Avengers guy) who assists Toro in his task, but not enough to really understand the characters purpose. Never fear though, because Marvel also released a Timely Anniversary Special to coincide with this characters appearance and I’ll be tearing it to shreds in a future column.

I think the inclusion of Alex Ross and his Dynamite family isn’t a bad idea. I differ from Ross in almost every area of Comics in terms what I find to be an enjoyable read as opposed to useless crap, but I know that his passion for the golden age and the characters that are representatives of such an era are very near to his heart, so there’s very little chance he’s going to half-ass it. The artwork in this issue, by Partrick Berkenkotter, is easily some of the nicer stuff to find itself attached to this kind of a book. In some ways it reminds me of Cassaday, which in my opinion is one of the highest compliments I can attribute to an artist, that and I’d like to see him draw “Daredevil.” There, two of my highest compliments an artist can achieve.
  SWEET TOOTH #1
Writer/Artist: Jeff Lemire
Review By: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: DC/Vertigo Comics   Shipped On: 090209
MSRP: $1.00 each (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
DC/VERTIGO'S SYNOPSIS:
From out of the deep woods and the mind of acclaimed indie cartoonist Jeff Lemire (THE NOBODY, The Essex County Trilogy) comes a new Vertigo monthly ongoing series like no other! After being raised in total isolation, Gus - a boy born with deer-like antlers - is left to survive in an American landscape devastated a decade earlier by an inexplicable pandemic. Even more remarkable is that Gus is part of a rare new breed of human/animal hybrid children who have emerged in its wake, all apparently immune to the infection. Enter Jepperd, a violent, hulking drifter who soon takes in Gus and promises to lead him to "The Preserve," a fabled safe-haven for hybrid children. Along the way they'll have to contend with science militias, deadly scavengers, rival bounty hunters, and hybrid worshipping cultists as they fight to make it to safety and solve the mysteries of this deadly new frontier.
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
To call this book genre-defying would be to simply lump this is with every other sci-fi, fantasy, and drama flavor-of-the-week. “Sweet Tooth” is one of the more perplexing books I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading, and by the time I was through I realized Jeff Lemire had made a fan out of me in only 22 pages. There’s a lot to this book, and it’s not all laid out on the first page. I’m getting the feeling that this is a book with many, many layers; Lemire chose substance over style and it shows. The emotion drips off the pages, and as if through osmosis plants itself firmly in the reader’s subconscious. This isn’t just a story that lingers in your mind once you’ve finished reading it, it haunts it.

Part sci-fi coming of age story about a boy with antlers, part dystopian future run amok; there’s actually any number of ways to classify this book and each one is probably correct. That’s the beauty of this story, not that it’s able to flawlessly transcend genre-stereotypes that permeate the comic industry, but that it may be creating its own genre all together. Gus is a boy unlike any other. He lives in a Nebraska State Wildlife Refuge with his father, and he’s never seen another person. There are rumors of danger beyond the tree line; Gus’s father has warned him repeatedly never to travel outside the safety of the compound. But, kids aren’t so easily swayed from doing things they think may be fun and exciting, and just because Gus ain’t exactly like other kids, doesn’t mean he’s not like them, at least a little bit. While disobeying his father’s wishes Gus is bombarded with shots from anxious hunters, hoping to bag their selves a ‘hybrid’, but when a man steps out of his dreams to save his life Gus, and readers, don’t know what’s up and what’s down anymore. The mystery is afoot!

Jeff’s pencils tell as much of a story as his words do. The young boy’s relationship with his father is strained, so much so that it’s almost as uncomfortable to read as it must be to share a seat at the dinner table with these two. The silence is unbearable, and the discomfort shines through the pencils, inks, and colors (by Jose Villarrubia). This is THE most unique concept I’ve ever seen in a comic book, and I wait anxiously for it to continue to play out each month. I can’t believe that Vertigo is letting books like this go for only a $1.00 for the first issue. I’d hope that more people, who never seem to stop complaining about Marvel’s price increase, begin to look at books like this as an alternative to the cape and cowl set.
  MAGOG #1
Writer: Keith Giffen  Artist: Howard Porter
Review By: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: DC Comics   Shipped On: 090209
MSRP: $2.99 each (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
DC'S SYNOPSIS:
Introducing the latest member of the Justice Society of America to break out into his own monthly series! Tired of chafing at the restraints that being a member of the JSA put upon him, Magog decides to take justice into his own hands and track down who's behind the dealing of high-tech arms to lowlife scum around the DC Universe! Be here as the hunt starts Magog on the path to discovering his own unavoidable destiny thanks to writer Keith Giffen (JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL, DOOM PATROL) and artists Howard Porter and John Dell, the acclaimed team behind JLA!
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
Here’s an example of a series that I wasn’t at all looking forward to getting into. I saw that previews at the end of DC books for months leading up to this and none of it impressed me. I’m not a fan of the character per say; however I’ve been following the Justice Society as of late, so I’m a bit more abreast of his situation and the like. I’m not a fan of Howard Porter and how everyone he illustrates looks as though they are stricken with down-syndrome. But this is a perfect example of how a book will come from out of left field and surprise the heck out of you, whether you were looking forward to it or not.

Soldiers routinely make for really poor superhero stories. They’re all written with the same stick up their ass that forces them to place duty before good judgment, so I wasn’t expecting much knowing something of the character’s back story. I must say Giffen is able to take the stereotypes one would expect and throw them out of the window. Magog was given his powers by a tyrant God known as Gog, after destroying the evil deity responsible for his powers Magog set out to destroy others who would abuse power, and inflict pain and tyranny upon the innocent. Instead of moving to some big city, he lives in the boondocks, in a small town where he’s bound to stand out like a sore thumb.

Magog is a recent addition to the JSA, and because of their strict charter surrounding the use of extreme violence to quell threats he constantly finds himself at odds with current team leaders. Alan Scott is one such leader who feels as though he must keep an extra eye on the God-powered hero who may just usher in an end of days for the super human community if Mark Waid’s “Kingdom Come” is still considered canon. The interaction between the characters is cool, because I’m really not sure who could take who in a fight, and this leads to real tension, not the forced ‘jobbing’ guest stars are forced to take to get a new character over (*coughRedHULKcough*). I found a great deal of intrigue in the mystery surrounding the sales of meta-technology to underworld bottom-feeders, it offers the right amount of sci-fi superheroing and Punisher-esque violence to keep my mouth salivating for more.

Have I explained my discontent with Howard Porter’s art? Well, suffice it to say that I’ve never been moved by his lack of mastery over the human emotional spectrum, but I found his work strangely tolerable here, to say the very least. Combine that with perfect ink and coloring and I must admit that this may be the sleeper DC hit of the year so far. With the planned division of the Society into two books (one by Bill Willingham and another by his “Fables” writing partner Matt Sturges) I find it interesting that they’re willing to take a chance with such an underdeveloped character like Magog, but I’m glad they did.
  MARVEL ZOMBIES RETURN #1
Writer: Fred Van Lente  Artist: Nick Dragotta
Review By: "Sweet" Dan Sweet
Publisher: Marvel Comics   Shipped On: 090209
MSRP: $3.99 each (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
They're back! What happened to Spider-Man, Colonel America, Power Man, Giant-Man and Wolverine at the end of MARVEL ZOMBIES 2? Where were they transported to...and, more importantly, when? A frightening five-part weekly event shambles to life here, penned by resident (evil) MARVEL ZOMBIES 3 and 4 scribe Fred Van Lente and three of today's hottest novelists of zombie fiction! In this first chapter, your friendly neighborhood undead arachnid arrives in the swingin' college days of his distant past, and when the Sinister Six threaten his loved ones, he seizes the opportunity to undo all the horror he's caused as a flesh-eating freak. But can a monster truly become a hero, no matter how guilt-ridden he is? Or will he learn the hard way that with great hunger also comes...great hunger?
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
Once again Marvel has dragged its collective readership through the wringer by finding a hot-button theme, then persisting in beating said theme so far into the ground that not only does it lose it’s original appeal, but becomes a mockery of itself, thus losing any and all reason for any one to pick it up and give it a serious look, ever. At this point the Marvel Zombies (originally created by Mark Millar to serve as the ultimate version of the Frightful Four) took down Galactus and inherited the power cosmic, took on a team of superhuman robots, an alternate reality’s Midnight Son’s consisting of the worst Marvel’s horror genre titles could come up with. We’ve seen Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness, Marvel Zombies vs. Marvel Apes, and Marvel Zombies Vs. the world’s longest daisy-chain…wait, that one’s coming up after this. Now we’re thrust into another alternate reality, where there are no zombies, and things are a lot closer to the good old days of Stan and Jack…how bad can this get?!

Zombie Spiderman has a heart; it’s not his, he ripped it out of Doc Ock, but still…he ate it…so it’s his now; this change of heart leads to a bit of do-gooding before falling back on his cannibalistic urges. Then things just get gross. Nick Dragotta is a fantastic illustrator whose talents are wasted on this crapfest of a book, but he may be the only artist I’ll ever witness blowing Spider-Man’s guts apart from the inside! There’s a bit with the Watcher (not Uatu, some other douchey chrome dome) getting eaten by a zombie-Giant Man, and that’s alright with me; the more people they kill the quicker the story ends. I just hope that these kinds of books have run their course.

All Books/Characters pictured herein are © Copyright 2009 by their respective owners. No rights given or implied by Alternate Reality, Incorporated.

Reviews © 2009 Alternate Reality, Inc.

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