Superman: Secret Origins #2 (of 6)

So how many additional origin stories does Superman need? Didn't Man of Steel and Birthright cover this ground already?

We can be thankful that this Secret Origin is in the hands of DC's current master of adjusting continuity, Geoff Johns.

Even though Clark Kent's backstory is well-trod ground, a good writer can always find a new angle or a previously undiscovered corner to explore, and that's pretty much what we're seeing here.

In fact, in this issue Clark seems to be stealing from Peter Parker - he's shy, an outcast, desperate for friends, clumsy with girls, and only comfortable when he puts on his costume and becomes another person.

Still, the story is touching as Clark tries to learn more about his own origins, and meets a team of super-heroes from the future who show up to say "Thank you."

Penciler Gary Frank seems to be having a blast here, mixing in dynamic splash pages with small, personal moments. His work is lean and powerful, and the young heroes look like kids - something many artist struggle with. Here Frank demonstrates an artist in total control.

I'm enjoying this series, and that's good, because right now it's the only Superman comic that's generating any interest from me. And considering it's yet another trip to the "origin" well, that's impressive.

Grade: A-

The New Avengers #58

Marvel seems to have a problem with its covers.

See that one on the right? That scene doesn't happen in this issue of the New Avengers. It might happen next issue, and it might not.

Some would call this false advertising, and it seems to be happening a lot to Marvel's books lately. I have no idea if it's a scheduling problem or just miscommunication with the artists. Or maybe they just don't care.

And it's not that there aren't dramatic scenes inside the comic to draw on - there just isn't a dramatic scene that includes The Hood. He does take part in a peppy one-page conversation, though.

So what does happen in this comic? Well, we have a story about Luke Cage, who's near death after being hit by a power drainer last issue. To get the medical treatment he needs, he surrenders to the Dark Avengers, which indicates just how dire his situation is.

At the same time there's a short but sweet battle between the New and the Dark teams, and a fun confrontation between the evil Ms. Marvel and the Night Nurse. (Yes, you read that correctly.)

A tight script by Brian Bendis, and excellent art by Stuart Immonen, although I'm not sure Dave McCaig's colors are the right match - some of the dark color designs don't seem to be matching up well.

I'm still holding out hope that we're getting near the end of the Dark Reign story - it's been a good run, but it's overstayed its welcome.

Oh, and Marvel - try to get that cover problem worked out, willya?

Grade: B+

Blackest Night #4 (of 8)

As we reach the halfway point in the Blackest Night, we finally meet the force behind the Black Lanterns (which I won't spoil here for the few who haven't heard the news online), as Earth's remaining heroes find themselves badly outnumbered by a murderous and powerful foe.

It's interested that the first three issues focused on Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) and the Flash (Barry Allen), while here the focus is on the Flash, the Atom (Ray Palmer) and Mera (Aquaman's wife).

It seems an odd trio to bear the burden of fighting the army of the undead, but I have to admit I'm really enjoying the return of the Flash, both as a hero and as one of DC's most prominent characters.

That said, this issue doesn't really do much to advance the story, but it certainly shows the kind of overwhelming odds our heroes are up against. You really have to wonder if anyone is going to survive to see the final act here.

Oh, and we see what happens when the Black Lanterns reach the 100% power level. Needless to say, it's not a good thing.

Another outstanding issue by Geoff Johns, with more fantastic art by Ivan Reis.

Like any good continued story, I can't wait for the next chapter!

Grade: A-

A Dozen Comics for Wednesday

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

- Ambush Bug #7 (of 6) - Heh.

- Astro City: Astra #2 (of 2) - Good to see this series back on track.

- The New Avengers #58 - Worth it for the Night Nurse / Ms. Marvel confrontation. (You heard me.)

- Blackest Night #4 (of 8) - The heroes are outnumbered and in trouble, and the big bad finally shows up.

- Fantastic Four #572 - A good start for the new creative team.

- Green Lantern #47 - More Blackest Night fun.

- Groo: The Hogs of Horder #1 (of 4) - Hey, Groo's back!

- The Incredible Hercules #137 - Amadeus Cho, back in the spotlight.

- Justice Society of America #32 - Death and destruction.

- Secret Warriors #9 - Love those countdowns to self-destruct!

- Superman: Secret Origin #2 (of 6) - Hey, it's the (real) Legion of Super-Heroes!

- Ultimate Avengers #3 - Tony Stark has a brother?

And that's it!

The Classics - The Amazing Spider-Man #41

In looking at the history of The Amazing Spider-Man, it's easy to focus only on the incredible work done by Steve Ditko on the title, but this time around I want to focus on the guy who had the thankless task of following Ditko on Marvel's top book.

It wasn't the first time that John Romita would be called on to tackle an impossible job. When Wally Wood left Daredevil, it was Romita who picked up the assignment. Years later, when Jack Kirby left the Fantastic Four, it was Romita who followed him.

But it's easy to understand why Stan Lee would ask Romita to do the impossible. Romita is, simply, one of the best artists in the history of the medium.

As he tells the story, Romita initially tried to imitate Ditko's style on Spider-Man, but by this issue he had given up on that effort and started remaking the book in his own style.

Romita didn't have the unique vision of Ditko or the dynamic approach of Kirby, but he had a powerful, clean, professional style, and all the characters almost immediately became more attractive and heroic. Pete is more handsome, Spidey is more muscular, Gwen Stacy is a knockout - heck, even Aunt May is cuter!

Lots of writers actually hold this against Romita, claiming he changed the look of the characters too much, but since Ditko wasn't around to continue his vision of the book, Romita had to make it his own - and it's difficult to argue with success. Under Romita, Spider-Man became Marvel's top-seller, and it was because of issues like this one.

This issue almost reads like a primer on Spider-Man. We're introduced to the main characters, Pete's college life and friends are spelled out for us, and in addition we get a fun, knock-down, drag-out fight between Spidey and the Rhino, making his first appearance.

It was rare for Spider-Man to face an opponent who was a powerhouse like the Rhino, and the fight gave Stan lots of room to have fun with Spidey's dialogue. It's a fun, "done in one" issue that really set the tone for the "new" Spider-Man.

Romita was hitting his stride, just in time - the next issue marked the first appearance of none other than Mary Jane Watson, in a panel that certified John Romita as "the" Spider-Man artist for the foreseeable future.

It was sad to lose Ditko on the comic he co-created, but thank goodness we had Romita there to carry the torch!

Grade: A-

Power Girl #6

Six issues in, and for the first time Power Girl stumbles a bit.

Let's just get this out of the way up front: the art is wonderful. Amanda Conner's characters are so expressive, her scenes so energetic that even a silent shopping spree is fun.

This time around, though, the story just doesn't hold up its end. It's not bad, it's just kind of pointless. And that's a shame, because the potential was there.

Picking up from last issue, Power Girl is on the trail of a trio of beautiful young women whose spaceship crashes to Earth and then explodes. They're being pursued by a guy who appears to be a lawman, and mayhem ensues.

Or at least it should ensue - but instead, the girls run off with a mobster and find themselves in the middle of a violent altercation. It's all played light and loose, but it's just not funny or wild enough to really live up to its potential.

I do like the tone of this book - it's fast and funny with a dash of sexy thrown in there - it just feels like the writing team (Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti) needs to amp up their game.

Bigger menaces, wilder action - go for it!

Grade: C+

Beasts of Burden #2

I should admit that I'm not a big fan of horror - unless it's done well.

And in this, the most unlikely horror comic around, you can see just that. Beasts of Burden is a great twist on the "Spook Squad" idea, as an unlikely team of animals works together to guard a rural community (Burden Hill) from the terrors that lurk on the edge of the real world.

Having animals talking to each other seems like a silly concept, but here it's played straight, in a Richard Adams manner, and it works.

Here writer Evan Dorkin serves up a disturbing tale that shows the team out of its league against a terrible foe - and it all begins with the heartfelt story of a dog who has lost her two babies.

From there the story goes to places you might never suspect, and it's as unsettling and horrific a story as any fan of the genre would want to read.

The art by Jill Thompson is fantastic as she infuses an amazing amount of emotion into the faces of the characters. She's doing terrific work here!

I can't recommend this for everyone. It's genuinely disturbing in places, and tough to read sometimes. But if you're a horror fan, this book is must reading.

Grade: A-

The Invincible Iron Man #19

Here we reach the finish of a darn good series called "World's Most Wanted," as Tony finally reaches the end of the line.

He's been on the run since the beginning of the Dark Reign, trying to stay out of the reach of Norman Osborn and H.A.M.M.E.R. (hilariously, they still haven't told us what those letters stand for).

With this issue, the Invincible Iron Man faces his final confrontation with Osborn (the Iron Patriot), and it's a fight he may not walk away from.

The series has worked on many different levels. At its most basic, it's been fun to watch Iron Man face off against an assortment of opponents, using most of his former armored incarnations in the process.

It's been tragic to watch as Tony Stark's mind has slipped away, since it's his genius that's his only real superpower. It's also taken away his personality, and it's been tough to watch him break apart piece by piece.

So the question that remains is, how can the pieces be brought back together? We'll have to wait 'til next month for the answer to that (though we have some delicious hints this time around).

As always, fantastic writing by Matt Fraction, and equally amazing art from Salvador Larroca. We can only hope this team stays on this book for a good long time - Iron Man has rarely been better.

Grade: A-

Archie #602

So here we have the third issue (of six) of the story of what might happen to Archie in the future.

By taking the path to the left on Memory Lane, we've seen what would happen if Archie and Veronica got married.

I have to admit that I was surprised at the amount of ground covered so far. Since it's a six-issue story, I assumed most of the series would be taken up with the wedding - but instead they've moved past that and into married life and all the stuff that follows the wedding (or at least all the stuff they can show in the pages of an Archie comic).

I prefer not to give away too much info, but news stories have shown how they're going to fill out the next three issues, as we find out what happens when Archie takes the right path (so to speak).

So far, I have to say I'm surprised how much I've enjoyed this story. For an "imaginary" story, it's been a more-or-less straight look at what the future might hold for Archie, if it were ever allowed to happen.

With this issue the whole thing leans a little too much on sitcom-style humor, but it's all in good fun. And I must admit, I'm anxious to see how the alternate storyline plays out.

It's been a long time since this comic was on my must-buy list, and I've been enjoying my own visit to Memory Lane.

Grade: A-

Justice League of America #38

The big complaint with the Justice League of America in recent months (and years) is that the comic that was a leader for the DC Universe has been relegated to being a follower and reacting to all the mega-crossovers that have dominated of late.

As a result, the cast of the JLA has been made up of second-tier characters, as the big five (among others) have been caught up in bigger events.

There seems to be some effort to turn that around, as the creative reins are handed over to two big names in DC's arsenal: writer James Robinson (who's still working on the JLA spin-off, Cry for Justice) and Mark Bagley, who recently wrapped the year-long Trinity series.

Unfortunately, the characters available still haven't caught up to events. So no Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern or Flash.

In their place we have characters like Vixen, Red Tornado, Plastic Man and Dr. Light. Fine characters, but not the kind of high octane heroes you need for a great team book.

Right out of the box they're pitted against an incredibly powerful foe, just to emphasize their problems (as if it needed to be spelled out for us).

The art, of course, is outstanding. I'm a big fan of Bagley's, who turns in strong, clean storytelling with sexy women and powerful battles. His work is like a cross between Gil Kane and John Byrne (with a dash of Wally Wood) - strong layouts, great physicality - at its heart, fun comic art.

The story just seems to be continuing the title's tradition of marking time. Hopefully things will pick up in a few months with the end of Cry for Justice - but surely fans ran out of patience for things to get back to normal by now.

Here's hoping the future brings brighter things.

Grade: B-

Dark Avengers #10

In reading this comic I'm not sure if I've just missed some story points along the way (I don't read all the Dark Reign-based comics, so it's possible) or perhaps writer Brian Bendis is just working extra hard at making the life of the Dark Avengers a strange one.

For example, in this issue we see the team speed off to tackle a new, mysterious menace. Leading the way is the Sentry, who I'd swear got "killed" last issue (of course, it's happened to him more than once so far in this series, and he's still around).

The new Captain Marvel disappeared several issues ago and hasn't been seen since (though we have seen his alien pistol in action - see the "death" of the Sentry).

Norman Osborn was having some kind of problem while trapped in his lab last issue - but this issue, he "seems" to be back to normal (whatever that is).

Meanwhile, Ms. Marvel is making sultry eyes at one of her teammates, and Ares gets to dismember a well-known Marvel character from the '70s.

The art, as always is fantastic. Mike Deodato is in his element here, whether drawing the interior of a country diner or a close-up of those previously-mentioned sultry looks.

This issue feels like the moment in a video game where you face off against a big boss, and that seems to be what the team is up against. The group seems to be breaking apart from the inside out - and by the time this story is over, they may be broken on the outside, too.

And strangely, that's what I'm looking forward to - seeing this team crash and burn. Or at least make a bit more sense.

Grade: B+

It's Wednesday - That Means New Comics!

Here's what your pal Chuck picked up at the comics shop today:

- Archie #602 - Apparently Archie has solved the "who to marry" problem - he's going to be a bigamist!

- Dark Avengers #10 - The team faces one of those boss levels.

- Beasts of Burden #2 - Enjoyed the first one, so I'm back for more.

- Brave and the Bold #28 - The Flash (Barry Allen) and the Blackhawks? Silver Age Nirvana!

- The Incredible Hulk #603 - The kids are fighting again.

- The Invincible Iron Man #19 - The end for Tony Stark (sorta).

- Justice League of America #38 - A new beginning (sorta).

- Power Girl #6 - Girls just want to have fun.

- Spider-Woman #2 - Well, most girls...

And that's it!

The Classics - The Phantom #1209

When it comes to The Phantom, I've been lucky in a couple of ways - first, when I was growing up my local newspaper carried the daily comic strip starring The Ghost Who Walks.

Second, I have a friend in Australia. (Hi, Mark!) The reason that's lucky is because The Phantom is hugely popular there, and has starred in his own comic book for more than 60 years.

Mark and I have done some long-distance book trading, and as a result I've received quite a few copies of these outstanding publications from Frew Publications.

How wonderful they are! This issue was published in September 1998, and is the 50th Anniversary issue for Frew. It includes six black-and-white stories of the Phantom, including a new story created just for the issue, a complete daily story from 1950 and four Sunday stories from 1950, '51, '73 and '74.

The original story is written by Tony De Paul, with art by Joan Boix. The reprints were written by Falk, with art by Wilson McCoy and Sy Barry (my personal favorite - his stories were the ones I read growing up).

For those who came in late, The Phantom is considered the first comics hero to wear the traditional skin-tight costume and a mask with no pupils showing. His first daily comic strip appearance was on February 17, 1936.

Created by Lee Falk (who also created Mandrake the Magician), the "modern-day" Phantom is the latest in a 400-year-long line of heroes who have worn the mask and the purple tights, devoting their lives to fighting evil.

Operating out of a hidden jungle base, the character has a rich mythology built up around him, a vast number of supporting characters and an amazing history to draw on.

The character was always one of my favorites. Like Batman, he has no super-powers to draw on - but he's smart, saavy and tough as nails. Oh, and he carries two pistols.

I was sad when I moved to a town that didn't carry the strip. It's wonderful to know that the legend lives on around the world, and I'm grateful to my pal Mark for sending these my way.

Hopefully someday, we'll see a local reprint along the lines of the Peanuts volumes dedicated to the Ghost Who Walks.

It's the least we can do for one of the Founding Fathers of comics heroes.

Grade: A

LATE NEWS: Talk about wishes coming true! As reader -> Ray points out in the comments, the collection The Phantom: The Complete Newspaper Dailies Volume 1: 1936-1938 is coming in December from Hermes Press! Is this a Golden Age of newspaper reprints or what? Thanks for setting me straight, Ray!

Hellboy: The Wild Hunt #7 (of 8)

One of the many real delights in stories about Hellboy is how he reacts when faced with his dark destiny.

Can he change his future? Do the whispers in the shadows truly reveal the end of the world? Can a creature like Hellboy fight fate, or is he doomed to follow the path laid out before him?

That's the powerful story Mike Mignola is unfolding before us, and it's one not to be missed.

And if Mignola only has time to draw the covers, we can be thankful that the interiors are in the skilled hands of Duncan Fegredo, whose style complements Mignola's while offering his own dark, detailed and powerful visions.

And that splash panel on page 12? Just amazing.

Here Mignola draws Hellboy into one of England's most potent mythologies (and my personal favorite), and there's no telling where the story goes from here.

Isn't that great?

Highly, highly recommended!

Grade: A

The Incredible Hercules #136

I continue to be amazed that a comic book starring Marvel's character Hercules can be so darned entertaining - but it is!

That's a credit to the talent of the writers - Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente - and to the way they've turned the book (temporarily, I assume) into a split story, rotating between the adventures of Hercules and his newest ward, his father Zeus (who has been changed into a young boy and had his memory wiped clean), and the cerebral adventures of Herc's friend Amadeus Cho, as he seeks to solve a mystery involving his sister.

The stories have been fast-paced, fun and clever. In this chapter, for example, we find Hercules disguised as Thor, inadvertently finding himself leading an invading army of Elven warriors - only to find himself in battle with Thor, who's disguised as Hercules. (Thus the title: "Thorcules Versus Hercuthor!"

Those two powerhouses have faced off before, but never in a battle this funny.

The art team is penciler Reilly Brown and inker Nelson DeCastro who do an excellent job with both the battle sequences and the (sometimes priceless) expressions on the characters.

This comic just proves that the right creative team can make any concept work. This is a consistently outstanding comic, and well worth checking out - as long as you don't mind some humor mixed in with the slugfests.

Grade: A-

Adventure Comics #3

I suppose it should be reassuring that writer Geoff Johns doesn't hit a home run every time he comes to bat.

Three issues in, and I have to say that I'm finding Adventure Comics to be very forgettable. It's not really bad, it's just that not a whole lot happens.

In this issue, for example, Superboy catches up with Robin (now Red Robin) in a minor escapade in Paris.

It looks like things are going to pick up next issue with the return of a particularly hateful villain (or two or more), but so far, this is coming off as an average effort by a team that's capable of much more.

The art by Francis Manapul is good, with a strong sense of fun and energy - but since everyone mostly sits around and talks, he doesn't have much room here to swing for the wall. (Sorry for all the baseball comments - it's the playoffs, you know.)

The Legion of Super-Heroes backup is, quality-wise, similar to the Superboy section - lots of standing around, a little bit of action, with the only point being to make fun of Polar Boy's status as a former leader of the Legion of Substitute Heroes.

The promise of greater things is evident, but so far, we're just seeing bunts and singles. (OK, I'll stop now.)

Grade: C

The Marvels Project #3 (of 8)

I have to admit that I'm severely under the weather here, friends - not sure if it's just a cold, the flu or the dreaded swine flu (the first two are making their way through the building I work in - not sure about H1N1).

The point being, I dragged myself to the computer to write a review, but it's going to have to be a short one.

The Marvels Project tells the story of the earliest days of Marvel's super-powered heroes, and continues to find interesting corners we haven't really looked at before.

The writing by Ed Brubaker is strong, the art by Steve Epting is powerful and captures the time period well.

A darn good series that continues to entertain.

Sorry to be terse - I'll hopefully be back to my old gabby self tomorrow.

Grade: A-

Green Lantern Corps #41

That has to be one of the most disgusting covers I've seen on a mainstream comic book. A baby holding a living, dripping heart - it's like something out of EC Comics.

Granted, the story within is pretty grisly, as the Blackest Night continues and things are looking bad for the members of the Green Lantern Corps.

On every front they're being attacked by the deceased, including former lovers, family members, friends and former members of the Corps.

Sounds exciting, doesn't it? Unfortunately, it's mostly a big mess. There are so many things happening, so many characters involved, and so much grisly business to cover that artist Patrick Gleason seems overwhelmed in places (although I should add that most of the issue is drawn very well).

For example, the splash panel on page two seems to have a disembodied hand plucking the heart out of a character, but I have no idea why or who or how all that happened. The rest of the issue plunges from one scene to the next, and without a scorecard it's not easy to keep up.

The story by Peter Tomasi just feels like it's marking time until the next step in the storyline, and we can only see so many near-deaths and characters being taunted by Black Lanterns before it gets old.

Love the main storyline of Blackest Night, but this sidebar leaves me as cold as that gory cover.

Grade: C

Uncanny X-Men #516

Several different writers have maade attempts to "clean up" the convoluted continuity at the heart of the Uncanny X-Men - but so far, no one has managed it.

Perhaps it's just too messy to sort out.

We now have all the mutants who still have their powers hanging out on the island created from Magneto's Asteroid M, which was raised from the bottom of the ocean and I'm not sure if it's floating or what, and I'm not sure how so many mutants have powers when the Scarlet Witch wished them away at the end of the House of M mini-series, but here's the formerly depowered Magneto showing up in this issue with his powers back but Professor X, who seems to have misplaced his eyes and become something of a jerk, doesn't trust his old enemy, but here we get the explanation for how Magneto managed to get his mojo back (no, not that Mojo) - basically by jumping through some improbable plot hoops - and hey, the team is about to be attacked by a mysterious group of non-mutants and... well, you get the idea.

I'm not sure what the answer is to all this - though I'd suggest getting the team back to its roots in New York, and possibly splitting off the swarm of young mutants into a new incarnation of the "X (Xavier) Academy" so the cast can be pared down to something more manageable. Then you can have relationships, character advancement, conflict, that sort of thing - and lose a lot of the confusion that hangs over the book now.

With all that said, this isn't a bad issue - it has the usual solid Matt Fraction story and dependable art from Greg Land - but it's mostly set-up for what promises to be a fun time next month.

A solid ending, but most of the issue was just meh. Sorry.

Grade: B-

A Slim Day for Comics

The pickin' at the comics shop today were mighty slim. Here's what I got:

- Adventure Comics #3 - A team-up with Red Robin, sorta.

- Green Lantern Corps #41 - One of the nastiest covers in recent memory.

- Hellboy: The Wild Hunt #7 (of 8) - What a good comic this is.

- The Incredible Hercules #136 - Thor vs. Hercules - but which is which?

- The Marvels Project #3 (of 8) - Namor vs. the Human Torch - always fun!

- Uncanny X-Men #516 - Magneto - with a twist!

And that's it!