Guest Review - Doc Frankenstein

   This guest review is by David Wright, who kindly offered to join the team covering while Chuck takes a brief vacation.

Doc Frankenstein by the Wachowskis, art by Steve Skroce.

   At comic book conventions I usually like to thumb through the cheapo boxes just to see what I can find. That is the best way to experiment with something that looks interesting without having to spend too much money.

   At a recent visit to the Dallas Comic Con I found this issue of Doc Frankenstein, which had an interesting cover, and I thought it might be part of the Franken-Castle comic, however, it turns out that it was not.  The Franken-Castle comic was sort of an odd mishmash of the Frankenstein monster and the Punisher (Frank Castle).  

   Doc Frankenstein, as it turns out, is a comic scripted by the Wachowski siblings who wrote the Matrix movies, among other films, with pretty nice art by Steve Skroce on the Burlyman imprint. 

   It is actually a pretty interesting take on the Frankenstein mythos brought into the modern world. The comic opens with a small introduction by the Wachowskis discussing how they still enjoy comics and grew up reading Jack Kirby who drew and wrote about the impossible while also name-dropping the Hard Boiled comic by Frank Miller and Geof Darrow from a few years back. They enjoy comics that take us places we've never been to before, and show us action we've never seen. 

   I can appreciate that, and that's a good beginning for their Doc Frankenstein title, which opens up with Frankenstein defeating a large alien-looking monster similar to something found in a Godzilla movie not far from the White House lawn with the President and staff looking on the scene by way of a security camera. 

   The scene shifts by way of a flashback, and we get a brief look at what the Frankenstein monster's life has been like over the years after his Arctic years of exile. He turns up in the Wild West as a lawman ridding the world of bad men, only to run into more trouble with life and humans along the way. He is still an alien and outsider to life stating, his father didn't give him tear ducts to cry at some of the failings of humanity and his sadness over trying to fit into our world. How does an eight-foot-tall, blue-skinned being resurrected by a lightning bolt do that? He realizes that he never will fit in, but rather he'll have to carve out a place of his own, and figures he'll have to defend himself from humanity for the rest of life.

   One of his oppressors is the church. I guess that's a pretty natural enemy for the blasphemous undead. As time has passed from the Wild West to the present, Frankenstein has built up a fortress of solitude so to speak, and found a girlfriend in the interim who accepts him. Peace is fleeting though, and the first issue ends as the church launches a full scale attack on his compound and the outsiders that live there.

   Doc Frankenstein is a fast and fun read if you like unusual comics. One of the things about the bargain boxes, however, is that you might find something that piques your interest and you'll be motivated to find the rest of the series. Which is the way I feel about this series. 

   It was nominated for the 2005 "Best New Series" Eisner Award, and to my knowledge has yet to be concluded. 

Grade: A

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Guest Review - Kult #1

   This guest review is by Lyle Tucker, who kindly offered to join the team covering while Chuck takes a brief vacation.

   Kult #1, Dark Horse Comics, 2011. Written by Jeremy Barlow, art by Iwan Nazif, colors by Michael Atiyeh.

   The cover depicts a guy in regular pants and a t-shirt fighting a multi-jawed demon coming out of the guy's floor with its ten-foot-long tongue wrapped around the fist about to be futility thrust at this Hell-spawn. The cover asks the age-old question: WILL HE SAVE THE WORLD... OR DESTROY IT? Even before starting this four-part mini-series I have a hunch as to the answer, but, hey, it's a coin toss, isn't it? Probably a two-headed coin, but still...

   We start off at a wedding. After the ceremony a man approaches the bride and grabs her by the wrist, asking her with a demonic smile, “Do you know what's at the bottom of the Abyss?” Apparently she doesn't, because he transforms in to a huge lizardy demon with a large Venom-like writhing tongue (ya gotta figure these monstrously long-tongued creatures have to always be chomping down on it by mistake – eating's gotta be a bitch), and he shoves his forearm through her head, grabbing onto and crushing the head of the person standing behind her for good measure.

   Yes, it's that kind of comic book. * sigh *

   We then meet the main character, Tomas Zenks, who's divorced and fights with his ex-wife over changing the dates of visitation by his two young daughters, and the dialogue is every bit as hackneyed as you would imagine it to be. Being a parole office, Tomas checks in on one of his charges, who is acting weird, and then decides to also turn into a long-tongued many-toothed demon, which sets off a string of events dragging Tomas deeper into finding out who he actually is and how he's gonna be the one to save the earth.

   Ho-hum.

   The writing, art and coloring are nothing to write home about. There's nothing terribly bad with this comic except for its mediocrity (it didn't help that on the second page we find this grammatical error, “...moving toward an truth too terrifying to comprehend...”).

Grade: C-

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Guest Review - The End League #1

 Our first guest review is by Lyle Tucker, who kindly offered to join the team to cover while Chuck takes a brief vacation.

The End League #1, Dark Horse Comics, 2007. Written by Rick Remender, art by Mat Broome.

   What to think of a comic book with the lead character of Astonishman? Who is patently based on Superman. And with a Lex Luthor-type villain named Dead Lexington. And with other characters that are obvious nods to both Marvel and DC heroes. Well, the first thing one thinks is, they better have a damn good story to pull off such a conceit. And if not, at least the art had better be top-notch.

   Sorry, wrong on both accounts.

   The book reads like it's written by someone who wants to be a writer but isn't, and drawn by someone who wants to be an artist but isn't.

   The story is all over the place, but begins with Astonishman screwing up mighty badly and killing off millions of people because of his arrogance. And then the world population starts to mutate, and Astonishman tries to mitigate the damage he's done the best he can by setting up a team of heroes by choosing the best mutated people in the world. Or something like that. 

   The story and dialogue are clunky, and I found myself embarrassed by how poorly most of it was put together. The reader is suddenly and jarringly thrown into action with a bunch of characters spouting inane banter with a sense of backstory that isn't there but which you're somehow supposed to know.

   And then there's the art. Broome's sense of anatomy and proportion are terrible. There's something drastically wrong with just about every figure and it usually involves the head. Wendy Broome, whom I assume is Mat's wife, does a wonderful job as color artist, almost hiding the deficiencies of her husband's work, but not quite.

   I tried, but I honestly could not bring myself to finish this comic. It was that bad.

Grade: D

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Be Right Back...

   As I mentioned recently, your pal Chuck is taking a short break. After almost six years of regular posts here at the "Comic of the Day," it's time to give the ol' keyboard a rest - but don't worry, you'll still get your daily review here.

   Several of my friends have generously offered to step in and keep things rolling while I take a couple of weeks off.

   So stay tuned for those classic comic posts - you'll love 'em!

   And I'll be back soon!  As always, thanks for reading!

Jirni #1

   Back again for the second volume, Jirni continues her quest to rescue her mother from a powerful sorcerer.

    In the first volume, she learned more about the mystery behind her heritage (and the reason she turns into a powerful purple fighting machine) - now she must face some overwhelming obstacles.

   So what writer J.T. Krul and artist Paolo Pantalena have created is a real delight - a rough-and-tumble battle for survival that hearkens back to classic stories by Edgar Rice Burroughs and Robert E. Howard.

    It's not deep, but it's very entertaining, with strong visuals - a battle for survival, fighting against the environment (and a huge wild animal) - and it's a lot of old-school fun.

Grade: B+

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Iron Fist: The Living Weapon #3

   Danny Rand is one of those characters who struggles for lasting success.

    Born to capitalize on the Kung Fu craze, Iron Fist managed to cleverly smash together several classic concepts - the quest for revenge, the immortal city that only appears once every 10 years,  and the child of wealth who is pushed to the limit.

   That hasn't always translated into success, but it does translate into many second chances, so the hero is back again under the guidance of writer / artist Kaare Kyle Andrews - who seems intent on tearing it all down.

   That's not necessarily a bad thing - it's one of Alan Moore's favorite tricks, after all.

   The story combines flashbacks with a brutal battle (on several fronts) and manages a shocking final page, to boot.

   It remains to be seen if Andrews can "stick the landing" and bring ongoing success to this title - but here's hoping!

Grade: B+

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Cyclops #2

   So here's what I like about this series: it has transformed Cyclops from a humorless thug into a likable young man.

   It managed this by using the teen version of Scott Summers, who time-traveled to the present day and is now stuck here.

   I've always liked the character - he was a bit dour, but as the leader of the X-Men, he had to be serious.

   But without those hindrances, and now exploring the galaxy with his Dad, Corsair (who Scott thought was dead, much less a Space Pirate), the young mutant gets to lighten up.

   This issue offers some good father-and-son moments, as they visit an alien world (natch), Scott makes a new friend and (of course) they end up in a fight for their lives.

   I like Greg Rucka's writing here - it's still a bit on the laid-back side (action sequences aside), but it's building nicely.

   The art by Russell Dauterman with colors by Chris Sotomayor is very good, with a clean, expressive and original look to these alien worlds.

   So it continues to be a good start to this new series. Now if they could just fix the modern-day version of Cyclops.

Grade: B+

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Avengers World #7

    Fresh off his star turn in the Captain America: Winter Soldier movie, it's good to see The Falcon getting the spotlight in Avengers World.

   It's a strange story he finds himself in. The Gorgon has defeated Shang-Chi and awakened the giant dragon that lives under the city of Madripoor - and is using the creature to threaten China.

   The Falcon is there, along with the Black Widow and Wolverine, but they're far outnumbered. The Falcon investigates an unusual sighting and finds a possible source of salvation, in the guise of a brand-new super-team.

   The question is, are they allies or future opponents?

   The story is by Nick Spencer (and we assume he's working closely with Jonathan Hickman, since it all ties in with some of that writer's creations), and he has an excellent grip on the voice for each character.

   The art by Stefano Caselli is quite good, with a powerful, raw feeling to it, and the color work by Andres Mossa is outstanding.

   The story is walking the edge (mostly because of the gigantic dragon angle), but so far it's a compelling story, and I like the focus on the individual members of the team. So far, so good.

Grade: B+

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Batman '66 Meets the Green Hornet #1 (of 6)

   I readily admit that I have a love / hate relationship with the original Batman TV show.

   I hated it because it was so campy, and for the almost 50 years since it became a hit, that's been the image many people have of comic books - Smack! Pow! Blammo! - you know the drill.

   But I also love it because, darn it, the show is a heck of a lot of fun. The stories were entertaining, the jokes were funny (mostly), the actors were wonderful, the visual style was unique - and it was about as close as we were likely to get to a "real" superhero series.

   I watched it without fail and bought my ticket when the theatrical version was released.

   The show was such a big hit that it spawned a spin-off (of sorts), The Green Hornet, now best known for featuring Bruce Lee as the hero's sidekick, Kato.

   Somewhat surprisingly, DC has a "Batman 66" series based on the original TV show, and they've created this crossover with Dynamite Comics to team-up the TV versions of the heroes for what I assume is a comics first.

   They've assembled a great creative team - Kevin Smith on the script and Ty Templeton on the art - and it's a heck of a lot of fun (you know, just like the original series).

   And due credit must go to that amazing cover by Alex Ross, which captures the look of the original series perfectly.

   Look, this series isn't for everyone - I know fans who still carry a grudge. But if you're looking for a fun comic, and you have a sense of humor, then you should be buying this series.

Grade: A-

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Original Sin #3 (of 8)

   I have to say, Original Sin is one of the oddest event comics in recent memory.

   On the face of it, this is a murder mystery. Someone has killed Uatu The Watcher - he or she shot him with a gun that fires mysterious green bullets.

   The search has uncovered other victims, including some towering creatures - but we seem no closer to the solution, and the forces behind the killings remain cloaked in mystery.

   The story by Jason Aaron has some gaps in logic. It features different teams of heroes who are sent in search of clues - but we have no idea why they're teamed together. Dr. Strange and the Punisher are exploring alternate dimensions; Moon Knight, Winter Soldier and Gamora are in a distant galaxy; and the Black Panther, Emma Frost and Ant Man are far below the Earth's surface - but why? No idea.

   Ah, and then there's that ending, designed to shock and surprise - though it's hard to imagine either succeeding with the typical reader, who are surely inured to such shenanigans by now. It seems like a stunning event, but it's one that could (and should and darn well better) be easily overturned.

   As always , the art by Mike Deodato is stunning - but so far, the story is pretty hollow, and the horde of spin-offs (wherein heroes must face the painful truth of some aspect of their past that the Watcher's eye has revealed) seem equally thin and dropped into continuity out of nowhere.

   There's still time to turn it around, but so far, this series is not making much of an impact.

Grade: B-

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The Classics - Blackhawk #172

   I've always been a fan of the original Blackhawk comic book, which I enjoyed so much as a kid.

   This issue is cover dated May 1962, so it was right at the beginning of my comics-reading career - but I have to admit, this is not a series that has aged well.

   One of the reasons is because it adheres so rigidly to its format. Each issue contained three stories, each one 8 or 9 pages long.

   Each story features some kind of bad guy / menace / opponent - none of them particularly memorable and, with only a couple of exceptions over the run of the series, each villain was never seen again. In this issue, we have the Gas Master (which is pretty funny to my older-but-still-juvenile sense of humor), the Jackal and the pirate Black Patch.

   In each story the team confronts the bad guy, faces an unexpected setback, then another, and then they manage to overcome adversity and defeat their opponent.

   The reason the comic enjoyed long-term success (and made me a fan) is because the formula works - it allows for a vast variety of challenges and gives the heroes plenty of opportunities to show off their skills.

   It also works because the team itself is a good-hearted, dedicated bunch of friends, each with different abilities and personalities, and it's fun to see them outwit their opponents.

   It doesn't hurt that the art is excellent, provided by an uncredited Dick Dillin.  Despite the fact that the members of the team all dress identically in black leather flight suits (aside from Blackhawk's logo), they're all easily identified, separate characters - not many artists in the business today could manage that.

   I'll return to this series for a future "classic" review, because it occurs to me that this comic could not be made today - and even in the '60s it was undergoing a change (if very slowly). It's loaded with stereotypical representations of men from different countries, so they each had their own particular way of talking - something that's almost extinct in our modern, politically correct era of character depictions.

   More on that next time. As for this issue, for all its faults and its lack of compelling villains, it's still fun to see the team launch into action. (Say, how do they recover those jets after they all bail out?)

Grade: B+

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New Comics Day

   Here's what I picked up at the comics shop today:

- Aquaman and the Others #3 - An ancient menace.

- Avengers World #7 - The Falcon flies alone!

- Batman & the Green Hornet #1 - Groovy cover!

- Cyclops #2 - On vacation.

- Doc Savage #6 - A nasty virus.

- Iron Fist #3 - In training.

- Iron Man #27 - The Mandarin's deadliest ring?

- Loki #5 - Facing his personal demon.

- Miracleman #7 - Father issues.

- Original Sin #3 - More twists and turns.

   And that's it! 

King Conan #3

   If you've ever wondered why Robert E. Howard has such an avid fan following, the story being adapted in King Conan should clear things up.

   It's Howard's only novel-length story featuring everyone's favorite barbarian. Conan the Conqueror includes powerful magicians, brutal battles, a quest, incredibly sexy women (both good and evil), deadly dungeons, monsters and the fate of the world at stake.

   It's all here in this striking adaptation by writer Tim Truman and artist Tomas Giorello. It's the perfect combination of powerful prose married to amazingly lush, vivid artwork - perhaps the best to ever grace a Conan story (and that's really saying something)!

   Do yourself a favor and pick up these issues (or gather the collections when they arrive) - it's terrific work by some of the best in the business.

   It's rare to see prose brought so perfectly to life in a comic. If you miss this, you're missing something special.

Grade: A

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Fantastic Four #5

   It's tough to be a fan of the Fantastic Four these days.

   There's a lot of rumbling from fans about the upcoming (rebooted) movie, and rumors are flying that Marvel may actually cancel the comic to keep its distance from the movie. (Admittedly, this is just a wild rumor at this point.)

   A fan of Marvel's First Family (like me) would ordinarily take comfort in the regular comic series, which led Marvel into the Silver Age and has been, despite some ups and downs, one of the company's most reliable titles.

   But at the moment, the series is going through one of those "break down" stories, where things just keep getting worse for the members of the team.

   It's an odd, "extra-sized," all-courtroom isue as the team faces legal prosecution for... well, virtually everything they've done.

   It's nice to see the flashbacks to the history of the team, and the art is excellent, as a small army of guest artists join regular artist Leonard Kirk - including Chris Samnee, Phil Jiminez, Mike Allred, Jim Starlin, Jerry Ordway and June Brigman - but so far we've had five months of tearing down, and apparently more to go.

   I suspect FF fans are ready to get to the part where the good guys get to win one.

   Of course, it would also be nice to see a top-notch Fantastic Four movie. We'll have to wait and see on that one.

   As longtime fans know, this is a series that has limitless potential - in the right hands.

Grade: B-

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Thanos Annual #1

   There are certain characters who only seem "right" when they're handled by their creator.

   It's not that no one else can do them properly, it's just that no one else has done them as well as the original. At Marvel, has anyone provided better dialogue for Spider-Man or the Thing than Stan Lee? Has anyone written Darkseid better than Jack Kirby?

   The same is true for Thanos. The Mad Titan was created by writer / artist Jim Starlin to be one of the premiere villains in the Marvel universe, and he's lived up to that promise (nice to see him getting more attention in the wake of The Avengers film).

   Starlin kept Thanos to himself for a long time, pitting him against Captain Mar-Vell, Adam Warlock and the Silver Surfer.

   The character has been handled by other writers, but (in my opinion, natch) no one has captured the unique, alien menace of Thanos like Starlin.

   Since Thanos is featured in the upcoming film Guardians of the Galaxy, he's back in the spotlight, and happily they've brought Starlin back, too. He writes this adventure, with the artist of many of those Silver Surfer adventures, Ron Lim, back to provide the pencils - and Andy Smith inking.

   The Annual is mostly an overview of the career of Thanos, with some original insights and a shocking tease for a near-future event that promises to change the Marvel universe.

   But a lot of it is retread, so I can't give it the highest recommendation - but I'm happy to see this character back in true form - smart, powerful and bristling with mystery. Now if they'll just allow Starlin to bring back Warlock, the fun can commence.

Grade: B+

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Avengers #30

   I admit that I'm a big fan of writer Jonathan Hickman, but I do think he made a bit of a stumble over in the New Avengers.

   When the Illuminati (a secret organization of Marvel's greatest minds, dedicated to saving the world by any means necessary) realized Captain America was going to oppose their plans to stop the incursions of alternate Earths, they had Dr. Strange erase Cap's memory.

   It was a bit of a direct swipe from a similar story some years ago in Justice League, where Batman's memory was wiped.

   Now, that thread is being examined in The Avengers, where Cap's memory has returned and he's gathered some powerful allies to confront Tony Stark, in a face-off that seems awfully similar to Marvel's Civil War.

   Of course, recurring story threads are pretty common in the history of comics - and to Hickman's credit, he's taking this story into uncharted territory. Namely, the future.

   In the middle of the confrontation, the Time Gem mysteriously appears, whisking the team in the (somewhat) near future, where they get some crucial information - and make some staggering decisions.

   It's a meaty, far-reaching story that promises to influence the next big event book.

   The art by Leinil Francis Yu and Gerry Alanguilan is quite good - unique, sweeping and intense.

   As with past issue by Hickman, this is challenging stuff, as he lays out elements and revelations that will keep readers guessing for some time.

   And while some elements are familiar, most of it is shockingly new and different - and well worth following. Heck, this issue is worth it for the Hawkeye moments.

Grade: A 

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Batman #31

   As the Zero Hour story rolls on, we finally get a story where Batman acts like Batman!

   He's facing overwhelming odds in a Gotham City that is completely under the control of The Riddler - and the only way to stop him is to come up with a riddle that can't be answered!

   Batman is forced to fight without his usual gadgets, so he's forced to improvise - to find a way to keep The Riddler occupied while his allies try to bring an end to the reign of terror.

   Here writer Scott Snyder gives us an intelligent, capable Dark Knight - and also one who can also solve problems with his physical prowess.

   So, lots of tension, lots of action - and an interesting battle of wits between intelligent opponents. What's not to like?

   The art by Greg Capullo and Danny Miki is excellent, creating tension in the quiet moments, and crafting cracking good action sequences as well.

   Good to see this series getting back to its strengths!

Grade: A-

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Movie Review: X-Men Days of Future Past

   I finally got a chance to see X-Men: Days of Future Past, and I thought it was very, very good.

   The X-Men film continuity has been a bit of a muddle, especially if you try to make it all fit together (and especially when you throw the Wolverine movies into the mix) - but despite including lots of time-travel, duplicate characters and much of the movie being set in the '70s, this film actually manages to smooth out the glitches and bring it all together into a solid, cohesive story.

   The show follows the basic structure of the original comic story by John Byrne and Chris Claremont (hey, did they get proper credit for that? If so, I missed it). In the future, mutants are being hunted and killed by invincible robots known as Sentinels, so one of the X-Men is sent into the past to try to change the future.

    In the original story, Kitty Pride made the trip - but since Hugh Jackman is the star of the show, he does the temporal jump this time around.

   He must convince the younger and testier Professor X and Magneto to work together to stop Mystique from (inadvertently) dooming the mutants of the future. 

   Time travel stories can get a bit weedy, but this one manages to stay clear and understandable depute including a small army of heroes - and what fun to see those teams (both past and future) come to life!   

   The movie isn't perfect, of course - it's surprisingly adult, thanks to some strong language, one bare backside and lots of graphic deaths onscreen. It's really a bit too much for the young children who might otherwise flock to this film. 

  Still, a strong story, great visuals (I do wish the original Sentinels had been more along the lines of the Kirby design), good character moments, lots of X-Men on display, and some good surprises and a few good gags along the way. 

   This is definitely the best of the X-Men movies to date (edging past X-Men: First Class, which held the title up to now, just edging out X2).

   Future films face a challenge, because they now have two great X-teams to draw on: the team from the present / future and the one set in the past. Perhaps they could start running two separate film continuities?

   At any rate, no self-respecting comics fan will want to miss this film. 

   Highly recommended!

Grade: A

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The Classics - Legends #6 (of 6)

   Event comics are a monthly occurrence these days, but that hasn't always been the case.

   But by the mid-'80s, strong sales on special series such as DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths led to the crafting of yet another series.

   At DC, they followed Crisis with Legends, which served to  bring together the heroes who would become the newest version of the Justice League (if just for a while).

   The story features a confrontation (of sorts) between Darkseid (working behind the scenes) and the heroes he hoped to discredit.

   It's actually a bit confusing to read this series now, because it's easy to forget that this series was also an attempt to sort out DC's then-new and (still) sometimes confusing continuity. (Yep, the more things change the more they stay the same.)

   For example, this issue features the first post-Crisis appearance of Wonder Woman, it brings Captain Marvel into the fold, brings Guy (Green Lantern) Gardner to the front and sets up the Flash for his new(est) series.

   The issue features a terrific creative team, including writers John Ostrander and Len Wein and superstar artist John Byrne (having recently made the move to DC to take on his famous reboot of The Man of Steel).

    It's a solid series - well-crafted and entertaining, and self-contained. Well worth tracking down, even if the continuity didn't stick for long.

Grade: A-

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A Bit of Business, and Then New Comics

   Before I drop the list of this week's comics, a bit of business. After six years of doing the "Review a Day" gig (including some much-appreciated guest reviews and a few missed days), your pal Chuck has decided to take a couple of weeks off in June. 

   But I want to keep the reviews coming, so here's an open invitation: if you've ever wanted to try your hand at writing one, here's your chance. There's no money involved, but think of the fame and adulation!

   Just pick any recent or "Classic" comic and send a review to us at Chuckscomicoftheday@gmail.com. The deadline in June 5.     

  OK, back to work! It's another week of way too many comics. Here's what I picked up:

- Aquaman #31 - Meet Swamp Thing! 

- Avengers #30 - Back to the future!

- Batman #31 - Still at Year Zero.

- Conan the Avenger #2 - Shadows over Kush.

- Doc Savage Annual #1 - Back to the beginning!

- Elfquest #3 - Elves in chains!

- Fantastic Four #5 - The case against the FF!

- Flash #31 - Will there be enough time?

- Guardians of the Galaxy #15 - Enter Captain Marvel!

- Inhumans #2 - Meet the Queen.

- Invaders #5 - Fighting the Kree.

- Iron Man #26 - Taking on the Dark Elves (not a crossover with Elfquest).

- King Conan #4 - That girl on the cover is going to catch a cold.

- Serenity #5 - Showdown!

- Thanos Annual #1 - Back in the spotlight, and by Starlin, too.

- Tomb Raider #4 - Retracing her steps.

   Whew! That's it.

Magnue Robot Fighter #3

   I think I'd really like this series, if not for the fact that I'm such a big fan of the original version of Magnus Robot Fighter.

   The new version only bears the slightest resemblance to the '60s version created by artist Russ Manning. That series was set in a (mostly) utopian future, where Magnus fought against the occasional evil robot and warned against the danger of humans becoming too dependent on robots. He also canoodled with the beautiful Leeja Clane, the daughter of a Senator.

   The new version features a hero named Russell Magnus who teaches martial arts to young people in a remote village. But he awakens in the world of North Am, a world overrun by robots of all shapes and sizes.

   He is almost immediately a fugitive and arrested. He is cross-examined at police headquarters by Leeja, who is some kind of reality TV star as a Human Hunter. When Magnus escapes, she goes in pursuit - and is absolutely ruthless in her attempts to capture him.

   It's a clever, action-packed sequence by writer Fred Van Lente and artist Cory Smith. The story is dark but brings along some interesting, challenging notions about the future and where humans fit in.

   The only reason it doesn't work for me is because it's not "my" Magnus. Leeja is brutal, her father is  a dark force, and there's not much optimism in sight (and this certainly isn't a future you'd want to live in).

   But if you're not a fan of the original, then you'd probably like this series - it's s high-octane experience, with terrific art and a smart script.

 Grade: B+

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Lola xoxo #2

   The newest title from Aspen Comics centers around a classic concept: a dystopian future.

   The first issue introduced us to Lola, a young girl who is separated from her parents when something terrible happens (we see an atomic blast on a newscast, but we don't really know what's behind the devastation).

   The story then skips ahead a few years. Lola has become a beautiful young woman, and the men who have raised and protected her also taught her to protect herself.

   Which is good, because the world is filled with frightening, "Mad Max"-like assortments of thieves, opportunists, jerks and a few decent individuals.

   Lola has spent her life vowing to track down her parents, and she finally decides to take a horse and start searching - but is she ready for the dangers that she'll face?

   The story and art are by Siya Oum, and so far we're still getting the lay of the land - the different factions that make up what's left of society, what people have to do to survive - that sort of thing. Lola is still largely a mystery, but we're learning more about her with each issue.

   The art is very good - and quite unique. I don't know that I've seen another style like Oum's. It has some impressive illustrative flourishes throughout, though a few pages are a bit too dark. Still, it's impressive work, and Oum bears watching.

   So it's a solid second issue, but still a lot of ground to cover to sort out why civilization crashed - and just how Lola is going to survive.

Grade: B

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Saga #19

   As the first page in this issue clearly indicates, Saga is not a comic for children.

   But it is a wonderful, intelligent science fiction story that manages to be fresh and inventive issue after issue.

   I think the creative team has perhaps become too fascinated with creating shocking images (a few issues back it was full frontal nudity by a giant male - this issue it's... well, that splash page).

   That's their prerogative, of course - it's their comic - but it's so good it doesn't really need to lean on such things.

   The real secret of its success is the heart at the center of the story - more specifically, the love the mismatched couple - Marko and Alana - have for each other and their child, Hazel.

   The series is actually Hazel's story - she narrates it - and by this point she's a toddler, though her parents are still on the run - and it's a story filled with love, sacrifice and occasional heartbreak,

   From year to year, there's usually one comic that stands out as the one that would interest any reader - it's the comic you recommend to your friends who don't read comics. In the past, that has included Sandman and Swamp Thing, for example - and now you can add Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples' Saga to the list.

Grade: A

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Justice League #30

   Part of the problem with the "New 52" is that we're not always sure where we stand with the history of some characters - even those who have been around for decades.

   Lex Luthor is a good example. We know he's a villain, of course, but the residents of the DC Universe seem to be unsure. There are comments made about him breaking the law in the past, and that he's worked for the military - but is he considered a super-villain, an inventor or just a ruthless businessman?

   And I should admit that I may be the only one feeling this confusion - I haven't been following the "new" Superman comic at all, and dropped Action Comics when Grant Morrison left.

   Following the events in Forever Evil, Luthor apparently is trying to re-invent himself as a hero - and thanks to a sharp script by Geoff Johns, he's doing a pretty good job of convincing both the public and some heroes that he's sincere.

   His first goal seems to be joining the Justice League - though we can certainly understand why the heroes would be hesitant to allow that (heck, they wouldn't even let Green Arrow join).

   The art is strong, which makes sense, since it's by two of DC's best: Ivan Reis and Doug Mahnke, with Scott Hanna inking.

   This is a building issue, cleaning up the mess left behind from the recently-concluded event and moving forward from there. I have to admit, I'm intrigued.

   The Justice League continues to be one of the best of the "New 52" (and one of only a few that I continue to follow), so it's good to see it continuing to showcase strong story and excellent art. That's how it's supposed to be.

Grade: A-

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Original Sin #2 (of 8)

   I have a confession to make.

   When I first decided to tackle this blog back in 2008, my original concept was very different.

   My first thought was to make it much more snarky and negative, playing the reviews for laughs. But I quickly realized I couldn't maintain it - I'm not a negative person by nature, and I can't bring myself to be spiteful - after all, comics creators have feelings, too.

   Given the usual variation in publishing, most weeks I post agreeable reviews (after all, I mostly buy what I like) - but from time to time, we run into a week where I don't seem to like much of anything.

   This is shaping up to be one of those weeks.

   Case in point: Original Sin #2. It's a comic with terrific artwork by Mike Deodato, who manages amazingly detailed art that has a wonderful realistic edge to it.  

   But the story so far continues to be... well, pretty weak.

   We check in with the teams of heroes who are investigating the murder of The Watcher (but don't expect much in the way of clues here). We get a gathering of an army of Marvel heroes, fighting against the rampage of The Mindless Ones. We get some fight sequences that mostly happen off-camera. We get a sliver of information about the mystery behind the Watcher's eye (which strikes me as the silliest McGuffin in recent memory).

   And then there's that last page. Intended as a shock, a surprising twist, an unexpected moment, it instead managed to make me... laugh. Somehow, I don't think that was the reaction they wanted.

    If not for a brief action sequence with (the original) Nick Fury, this issue would have been almost completely forgettable. Not a good sign in a big event comic.

Grade: B-

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Forever Evil #7 (of 7)

   I haven't been a fan of this series, despite the excellent art by David Finch and Richard Friend.

   That's because Forever Evil has been a dark, gloomy, grim and gritty look at a DC Universe where the heroes are virtually all put out of commission, and the villains have run free.

   That ultimately led to a battle between villains, as a Lex Luthor-led team of villains takes on the Crime Syndicate (the Earth-3 version of the Justice League).

   So, expect death, destruction and a few plot twists along the way in the Geoff Johns story.

   It comes off as a desperate attempt to gin up attention. Like all too many events, it seems built only to set up the next event series - that last page puts us on familiar ground for the next cataclysmic battle.

   This issue's big sin (other than the casual brutality and murder) is that it changes the rules as it goes along. The first issues set up the Crime Syndicate as invincible, but here they seem awfully easy to defeat.

   This would have been a fine story as a couple of issue of Justice League - but seven issues, spread over about nine months, just leaves it all stretched too thin to work.

   Hopefully the next event will be more successful.

Grade: B-

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The Classics - The Legend of Zelda #5

    Give the comics industry credit - no matter how many times an idea fails, they run right back to that well and try, try again.

   My favorite example would be adaptations. You would think that it would be a natural to adapt something from one visual medium - TV, movies, video games - and present them in comic book form.

   But with the exception of Star Wars, which has been a hit (off and on) for Marvel and Dark Horse since the original film debuted, I can't think of many examples of successful comics versions of popular properties.

   I can understand why it doesn't quite work with most live action properties, since comics eliminate the motion and must struggle to capture the look of the actors.

   But you'd think video games would be a natural partnership, combining a popular character and expanding on his, her or its adventures with added characterization, plot details and expanded stories (games tend to be long on action and short on story).

   One of the earliest efforts was this Valiant adaptation of The Legend of Zelda, which starred the hero Link (Zelda, in the games, is usually a passive Princess, not an action hero).

   But reading it, you have to wonder if the creative team ever actually played any of the games.

   But that's not fair - it's easy to forget that this was printed in 1991, when Link's design - and the concept of the game itself - was only starting to take shape. (The early games, after all, used low resolution images.)  The video game industry was still finding its way, so it's no surprise that the comic book adaptations struggled as well.

   The story ends up being a hodgepodge of concepts, as Zelda runs around shooting bad guys with magic arrows, and Link only appears in a gag feature and a backup story. Are you surprised it didn't last long?

   The lineup of artists is impressive, including Dan Barry and Mike Manley (though it's difficult to sort out who did what, since the credits are just a list of names).

   It's surprising that no one has taken another run at this concept - in the right creative hands, it could be a compelling action story (but I admit, I'm a big fan of the game series).

Grade: C+

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New Comic Book Day

Lots o' comics today! Here's what I picked up:

- Avengers World #6 - Facing the unbeatable.

- Brain Boy: The Men from G.E.S.T.A.L.T. #1 - Spy vs. spy!

- Daredevil #3 - Blind vs. the blind.

- Forever Evil #7 - The end at last.

- Hulk #3 - Against the Abomination!

- Justice League #30 - The old order changeth.

- Magnus #3 - Leeja, Human Hunter.

- Miracleman #6 - Meet the new boss.

- Original Sin #2 - Keeping an eye on things.

- Powers Bureau #10 - Twists and turns.

- Saga #19 - At the movies.

- Thor #22 - The end of the world.

- Wonder Woman #31 - The gods work in mysterious ways.

- Uncanny X-Men #21 - Fighting SHIELD.

   And that's it! 

Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #1

   I'm a sucker for this kind of comic - a "throwback" to the Kung Fu era, starring Shang-Chi, a character I've always been a fan of - so it's a shame that I ended up disgusted by this comic.

   I get that they're making an effort to riff on Kung Fu film tropes. The opening is directly stolen from the movie "Enter the Dragon," all to give revenge as to motive for Shang-Chi's return, and to set up his fight with seemingly unbeatable foes.

   So what's not to like? Everything.

   The issue kills off a character beloved to long-time fans in a brutal and senseless fashion. Dear writer (in this case, Mike Benson): if you feel the need to kill off a character to tell your story, please invent one of your own, rather than taking out one that another gifted writer and artist created.

   Hiding behind that excellent Dave Johnson cover is some rough art by Tan Eng Huat and Craig Yeung that doesn't really fit this story at all. The characters are barely recognizable, the fight sequences are flat, the layouts are bland. It just feels rushed and uninspired.

   I'm being a bit harsh here, and part of that probably springs from the fact that I was delighted to see this series, this character, this concept, back in print again. With all that potential, and the actual comic is just a terrible disappointment.

   My apologies to the creative team, who will hopefully go on to bigger and better things - but this one is a miss.

Grade: D

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Astro City #12

   I don't review Astro City very often, for one simple reason: it gets tiring, always writing rave reviews.

   And it's rare that this series earns anything less than that, because it offers a fresh, unique take on the world of super-heroes, and there's no limit to the kind of story writer Kurt Busiek can tackle.

   This issue, for example, is told entirely from the villain's point a view. It's a character who has appeared before (in different guises), and we learn how The Gentleman Bandit came to assume different identities.

   Like all the best villains, we can sympathize - a bit - with his motivations, although they do take a bit of an odd turn along the way.

   Still, it's a compelling story, with heart and tragedy at its center.

   Hey, I haven't mentioned the most shocking thing about this issue - it isn't drawn by Brent Anderson, who has drawn every issue of the series up to this point. Happily, the fill-in duties are managed by Graham Nolan, a gifted pro who turns it a terrific tale (one splash panel would make a heck of a poster).

   As always, Alex Ross provides an amazing cover. Even with the temporary shake-up of the creative team, this series maintains its high standards and delivers the goods.

   Highly recommended!

Grade: A-

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