Book of Death - The Fall of Ninjak #1

   Valiant's Book of Death series takes us into unusual territory - the final days of each hero.

   Thankfully, the events are set in the (somewhat) distant future, so there are no worries about how to resurrect each hero in the here and now.

   Thus it's no surprise that the Fall of Ninjak takes place a century in the future, as a surprisingly spry (and even more surprisingly alive) Ninjak faces a final threat - one that may endanger the entire world.

   But how can an elderly hero stand against a small army - much less stop an attempt to displace an entire country?

   That's all part of the fun, of course - and to say any more would be to give away too much.

   The art by Trevor Hairsine and Ryan Winn is strong - dark and menacing, it fits the moody story by Matt Kindt very well.

   Death is all the rage in comics, of course, and I'm not sure if the Book of Death series is just clever in capitalizing on the trend - or if they're just trying to tell some interesting stories.

   I'll go with "both," but the story makes the trendsetting worthwhile.

Grade: A-

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Where Monsters Dwell #4 (of 5)

   You know, I've read loads of comics in the half-century-plus that I've been reading, but I believe this is the first issue to feature the hero facing the dreaded fate of having his... well, manhood chopped off.

   That's the fate the Phantom Eagle faces in the latest issue of Where Monsters Dwell - which is one of the most odd of the Secret Wars / Battleworld titles.

  Sadly, he almost deserves his fate. Karl Kauffman (the Eagle) is, in this series, a complete jerk. A womanizer, utterly amoral, a coward and a thorough creep, he finds himself in trouble as he (and the passenger he was transporting, Clemmie Franklin-Cox), crash in a prehistoric corner of Battleworld.

   They're attacked by dinosaurs and take refuge among a race of Amazons - but those women have little use (or tolerance for) Karl's schemes, so they decide to, uh, cut him down to size.

   Before the issue is over, all-out war has been declared, lives are lost and there's more destruction being planned.

   If you're looking for a hero to follow, you won't find one here. But you will find a funny, weasely anti-hero to follow (in the Flashman tradition) in a wild and wooly adventure.

   The art by Russ Braun is terrific, crafting a world of beautiful women, gruesome dinosaurs and lush environments. Add Garth Ennis' compelling story and you have a terrific adventure - but no heroes.

Grade: A-

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Last Days of Ant-Man #1

   So the new standard for super-hero comics is to make the hero a lovable loser.

   While that works for Charlie Brown, it's not a good model for someone like Ant-Man.

   I hear you - you're saying, "Wait a minute, Chuck - Spider-Man has always been presented as a loser and he's the most popular hero in the world!"

   Ah, but there's a difference between having "real world" problems - as Spidey often does - and being a loser.

   Spider-Man actually was a winner who faced difficulties (no money, illness, a frail Aunt, girlfriends that didn't understand him) but he always overcame those things and emerged victorious, if sometimes misunderstood.

   It's a formula that has also worked in Hawkeye, so why not try it again with Ant-Man?

   The problem is, Scott Lang is presented as too much of a loser. His super-hero career is apparently a bust, so he sets out on his own to start a Security Firm - one without customers. His lone backer calls him in to steal back an item she lost - and he agrees to do it! Some hero.

   The sad part is, there's a germ of a great idea in this issue, one involving some Golden Age characters making a comeback. It's sweet and funny and clever and they do almost nothing with it.

   Instead, the whole series comes to a crashing halt as it runs up against the Secret Wars juggernaut, so the whole series will start up fresh (though not rebooted) in a couple of months.

   My suggestion: let him have problems, but let him win now and then. That's what heroes do.

Grade: B

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Superman #43

   When the new Superman title started in the "New 52," I read the first issue - and dropped the title. It just didn't work for me.

   When John Romita, Jr. took over the art, teamed with writer Geoff Johns, I started picking it up again, and I enjoyed it - so it was back on my "buy" list.

   Now Johns is gone, and he seems to have taken the magic with him. The Superman in this title looks the same - but he doesn't act much like the Man of Steel.

   Part of the problem is his "new power," which is to expend all his energy in a single blast, leaving Clark temporarily powerless -  a normal human. It sounds like the kind of thing he'd only do in the most dire emergency, right?

   Instead, he unleashes it in every single issue, leaving him (and his allies) vulnerable.

   Add to that the latest menace, a mysterious tech-based villain named Hodor - Root (I think), who is blackmailing Superman, threatening to reveal his true identity. Clark goes along with this as he tries to learn more about the menace. (That just doesn't seem like something Superman would do.)

   The good part about the story is that it actually brings Superman and Lois Lane together, working as a team to deal with Hodor - Root.

   The culmination of the story apparently takes Superman into new territory - and it feels for all the world like a terrible mistake by the creative team.

   I like Superman when he's portrayed as smart and capable - but the version we're getting now is just a bull in a china shop, plowing ahead without a plan or concern for others. I just don't get it.

   And after this story finishes, I probably won't be getting it at all.

Grade: C+

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Justice League of America #3

   There's a lot to love about this new series (and a few things to not be so crazy about).

   Under writer / artist Bryan Hitch, we're seeing the "real" Justice League of America - which is to say, a team that, like the original version of the team, is absolutely unencumbered by continuity concerns.

   The original "New 52" cast is in place - who cares if Batman is now someone else in an exoskeleton? Or if Green Lantern is off world? Or Superman is back to wearing jeans and a T-shirt?

   None of that impacts this series, which apparently operates away from day-to-day continuity. Good for them!

   The art is very impressive, as Hitch (with inker Daniel Henriques) manages to create amazing panoramas, loaded with a cast of (literal) hundreds. The character designs are spot on, and the environments are incredible. Dramatic layouts, stunning actions sequences - there's a lot going on here.

   The only stumbling block is the story, and the only real problem there is the decompressed storytelling. We have the Earth being visited by a godlike being who seems to be curing the world's ills - but there's an undercurrent that leads the reader to believe that all is not well.

   This issue kicks off with the Flash and Green Lantern being hurled through a wormhole / Boom Tube / whatever into another world - and I have to admit I don't remember why that's happening. (Though I love seeing those two team up again, if just briefly - it's like old times!)

   But then Flash disappears, and Batman is doing... something, and Wonder Woman is stranded... and it's difficult to see how it all fits together.

   It's all playing out on a big stage, and it's pretty compelling - but we're going to have to be patient to see how it all fits together.

   Still, I'm enjoying this stand-alone series. I just hope the story catches up to the level of the art.

Grade: A-

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The Classics - Starman #0

   Among the many difficult things to manage in comics, let's include rebooting a classic Golden Age character while staying true to his origins, bringing a hero's child into the spotlight, and reforming a once-evil villain.

   Yet writer James Robinson and artist Tony Harris (with Wade Von Grawbadger on inks) manage exactly that - crafting a new series around the now-elderly Starman and his two sons.

   One son, David, is heroic, taking up his father's mantel - so we're shocked when he is killed, and the original hero may be dead as well.

   That just leaves son Jack, who is no hero. He's more of a slacker who has no interest in fighting the bad guys - until one of Starman's classic villains threatens his life, his family - and his city.

   So he becomes a different Starman - one who eschews the traditional superhero costume and the standard story arc.

   One of his great allies is The Shade, a former criminal who may - or may not - have reformed (in fact, the series could almost have been titled "The Shade" - he's a key figure who's reinvented for this series and - sometimes - is the most interesting person in the issue).

   With a great supporting cast, terrific villains and a really interesting take on a classic hero, this series became a "must-read" - one of DC's best. And it's a finite series, as DC allowed Robinson to craft a beginning, middle and end to the long-running story.

   The creative team crafted a terrific, offbeat but mighty entertaining series that just kept getting better and better as it went along. I think it's one of the best things Robinson ever created.

Grade: A

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New Comics Day

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

- Ant-Man Last Days #1 - The Golden Age returns! Briefly.

- Flash #43 - Fighting the Folded Man.

- Hellboy in Hell #7 - Not a nice place.

- Justice League of America #3 - Trapped in time and space.

- Ragnarok #6 - Facing Surter!

- SHIELD #9 - Who is the man called D.E.A.T.H.?

- Superman #43 - His secret is out!

- Where Monsters Dwell #4 - The unkindest cut of all.

   And that's it!

Fathom Blue #3

   Every self-respecting comic book company needs a super-team (or two or three), and that's the goal with Apsen's Fathom Blue.

   It's a team gathered by the U.S. Government (I think) to fight back against any deep-sea menaces, such as those posed by the powerhouse members of the race known as The Blue.

   The team bristles when a threat appears - but their leader, Elia Fawn (a sympathetic but tough member of The Blue), goes to face the threat alone.

   The art by Claudio Avella, Chaz Riggs, Gabe Carrasco and Mark Roslan is very good - attractive, with solid character designs and strong layouts.

   But the story by Vince Hernandez doesn't give the art team much room to shine. Half the book is given over to lots of standing around and talking, and the action sequence is just ok.

   For a team to work, there needs to be strong interaction - characters the reader can root for (or against), and they need to be distinctive. There's not much effort made to bring new readers up to speed or to explain who the characters are.

   I hate the old "group splash page with each character labeled" trick, but it would come in handy with a team filled with (mostly) new characters.

Grade: B-

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Man vs. Rock #1

   If you're looking for something different, look no further than Man vs. Rock.

   It's an odd mix of offbeat humor, B-movies and... I dunno, the weirdest conspiracy theory ever?

   Written by Victor DeTroy and Kevin Bieber, the story tells about the historic battle between humans - and rocks.  (Yep, this is definitely the strangest concept in recent memory.)

   It starts with two cavemen fighting over a buxom cavewoman, and marches forward (goofy jokes littering the historic landscape) into the present day, when one man announces his (incredibly improbable and dangerous) plan to protect humanity - and it looks like his timing is perfect, as the long-awaited attack begins.

   The art is by Jared Lamp, and it's pretty raw, evoking the classic underground comics.

   I'm not crazy about this title - it's just a bit too silly for me - but if you're looking for something that walks a different path in graphic entertainment, you might want to check this out.

Grade: C+

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Young Terrorists #1

   This a comic that aims to outrage - and succeeds.

   The title alone is a giveaway, but Young Terrorists goes much further to generate shock and surprise.

   It kicks off with a series of shocking events - a baby is kidnapped, a mob boss is murdered, his spoiled daughter is imprisoned and tortured brutally - and that's just the beginning!

   The story by Matt Pizzolo follows the lives of two young people - Sera, the spoiled daughter who transforms into a force to reckon with, and Cesar, whose life is even worse, as he fights to survive - and it's a fight he's losing, as he is repeatedly beaten and robbed.

   In seeking to survive their terrible lives, the two find a new focus and a new goal.

   The art by Amancay Nahuelpan is a great match for the story - brutal, unforgiving, harsh, intense and real.

   This isn't a comic for everyone. It's harsh and unrelenting, designed to generate anger and dismay.

   It makes for a compelling story - one with plenty of mysteries to uncover. It's definitely not for the faint of heart - but it is a wild ride.

Grade: B+

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Archie #2

   I have to admit, I wasn't sure I'd like the "new" Archie.

   The company has tried to reinvent the character before, usually with limited results - eventually, the company returns to the status quo - the timeless Dan DeCarlo version (and that may well happen with this version, too).

   But so far, I'm really enjoying this new series.

   Writer Mark Waid has retained the humor but jogged the series over into the real world (well, mostly) - Archie still gets into laughable fixes, but (aside from one hilarious, over-the-top moment) they're believable mishaps.

   There's the continuing mystery of what happened to cause Archie and Betty to break up - and the introduction of another well-known member of the cast.

   The wonderful, expressive art of Fiona Staples is a perfect fit for the mix of humor and reality - each character is unique and likable.

   Will the series last, or is it a flash in the pan? As long as the quality continues, I hope this series lasts a long, long time!

Grade: A

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Astro City #26

   Has it really been 20 years since Astro City began?

   The series celebrates the milestone (which I still find hard to believe) by revisiting the first story in the series, which focused on the dreams of the hero Samaritan, who spends his day so filled with heroics that he has no time for recreation.

   Now, 20 years later, things have changed a bit - and his dreams have changed, too. He still dreams of flying, but there's a dark edge to his dreams that is starting to affect his daylight hours - and it's a problem his mighty powers seem unable to confront.

   Now he has a relationship with the lovely Winged Victory (she's in his dreams, too, as they fly naked - and give masterful artist Brent Anderson credit for managing to cleverly cover their, uh, naughty bits).

    Kurt Busiek (working with Anderson and cover artist Alex Ross) has built an amazing world of heroes with this series, managing to pay tribute to - and expand on - the mythology of comics, and the best the industry has to offer.

   Over the 20 years there have been terrific stories and, I suppose, a few average tales - but their batting average has been way above any other series out there.

   And when they're great - they're phenomenal!

   Here's to 20 more!

Grade: A

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Justice League #43

   This "event contained in a single series" hits a fever pitch with this issue, as two of the most powerful forces of evil collide - literally!

   It's a war between Darkseid and the Anti-Monitor, and the Justice League may be powerless to stop a fight that threatens the Earth.

   The League has its own problems - Batman has taken control of - or is possessed by - Metron's Mobius Chair. It's providing a lot of information, but what is it doing to Batman?

   And the League's most powerful member (Superman) - and its most evil (Lex Luthor) - have been exiled to, and are fighting for their lives on, Apokolips!

   This is the kind of story Geoff Johns excels at - larger-than-life conflicts, lots of powerhouses involved (including some of Jack Kirby's iconic creations), serious stakes in the story, and a terrific cast!

   He paired with artist Jason Fabok, who turns in some impressive work here. His character designs are terrific! If I had to criticize something, I'd say his page flow is still a bit wobbly in places - but that's stretching it.

   If you're suffering event fatigue, this is definitely the series for you - it packs a lot of story between the pages or a regular comic. It's so retro, it's almost revolutionary!

Grade: A

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The Classics - Amazing Spider-Man #229 & #230

   When you talk about classic stories featuring The Amazing Spider-Man, we usually mention Lee, Ditko and Romita - but there have certainly been other creative teams that made their mark on the character.

   One of my favorites is featured in this two-issue series from 1982 written by Roger Stern (who is certainly one of the best - and most underrated - comics writers of all time).

   Stern was teamed with another Romita - John Jr., who was early in his career, drawing in a style that featured influences from his father to John Buscema. The stories were inked by the legendary Jim Mooney.

   Spider-Man is often at his best when facing the foe he shouldn't be able to beat - and next to the Hulk, there are few bad guys in the Marvel Universe tougher than the Juggernaut.

   Cain Marko gained incredible powers from a mystic gem, leaving him a human tank - immensely powerful, impervious to harm, virtually unstoppable - in other words, much more powerful than Spider-Man.

   Here he steps away from his usual home in the X-Men comic and journeys to New York City, where he plans to capture the mysterious psychic known as Madame Web. She calls on Spidey to defend her, and he spends two issues trying to find a way to stop the unstoppable.

   In the hands of most creative teams, it would be a one-sided fight - but Stern and Romita, Jr. come up with some ingenious attacks from Spidey - and his final solution is stunning.

   And with all that going on, Stern manages to work in the usual supporting characters and some drama at the Daily Bugle.

   Some of my favorite Spider-Man stories pit that hero against an impossible challenge, from Doctor Octopus to the Rhino or the Kingpin - and watching our hero make creative use of his powers, and his mind, and his determination, to find a way to win, makes for a mighty satisfying story.

   A real classic!

Grade: A

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New Comic Book Day!

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

- Archie #2 - The new Archie is still just as destructive.

- Astro City #26 - Has it really been 20 years since the first issue?

- Groo: Friends and Foes #8 - Guest-starring Mark Evanier and Stan Sakai!

- Justice League #43 - What happens when Darkseid meets the Anti-Monitor?

- Star Wars #8 - He has a wife?

- Weirdworld #3 - Run for your life!

   And that's it!

Eternal Soulfire #2

   The Soulfire series from Aspen has been a bit difficult to jump into (for those who haven't been reading it from the start). It's an eccentric mix of magic and adventure.

   For those who have avoided it up to now, the new Eternal Soulfire series provides a good starting point, as it moves the main character into a new life and a new start.

   The focus is on an attractive young woman named Cassidy who lives a normal life until she suddenly sprouts colorful wings and finds herself under attack, hunted by a paramilitary organization.

   It seems any manifestation of magic is against the law, so Cassidy has to find a way to survive despite overwhelming odds.

   It's a fast-paced adventure written by J. T. Krul with wonderful, expressive art by Alex Konat and Julie Salvateirra, Mark Rosland and Gabe Carrasco.

   The issue feels for all the world like a classic X-Men story, as a teen suddenly develops powers but is persecuted for it. Oh, and replace mutants with magic.

   It's a fun start to a "new" series.

Grade: B+

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Unity #21

   Over at Valiant, they're crafting a real gem of a story in Unity - that company's super-team comic that stars all their top heroes.

   We've been following along as the individual team members have been attacked by an immortal, invincible woman known as War-Monger.

   Like any good villain, she loves to talk, so she's been telling the story of her battles with past incarnations of Unity. (Did we know that there were past incarnations? It was news to me, but I just started picking up the title.)

   So how does the team stop an opponent who can't be hurt or killed? Good question!

   With strong art by Jose Luis, Alisson Rodrigues and Jefte Palo, and a terrific story being built by Matt Kindt, this is a series you should be picking up (although it's probably a bit too brutal for young readers).

   Recommended!

Grade: A-

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Doctor Who: Four Doctors #1

   I love it when The Doctors gather together!

   One of the real advantages to a time-travelling adventurer like Doctor Who is that he can team up with himself!

   To make it a little easier on the viewer (or the reader), this generally takes the form of meetings between the different actors who have stepped into the ever-changing role (when it's time for an actor to leave the series, the character "dies / is killed" and regenerates into a new form).

   Typically the Who's are gathered together to battle a huge menace, but this time around, the menace seems to be - The Doctors themselves!

   There's also a delightful meeting of the minds of the Companions in this story by Paul Cornell, which manages to capture the different characters and meld them together ingeniously.

   The art by Neil Edwards is solid, especially considering the difficulty in caricaturing so many famous faces in one story. The occasional falter is easy to forgive, especially considering how much fun he squeezes into this issue.

   If you're a fan of Doctor Who, this is a must-have. You'll smile from start to finish.

Grade: A

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A-Force #3

   I really want to like this series - but it won't let me.

   A-Force is set on the Battleworld (Secret Wars) land known as Arcadia. It was a happy place - until this series started.

   Since then, the city / land / whatever it is has been attacked by giant sharks and Sentinels - nothing the powerful women who live there can't handle, but in fighting back they're breaking "Doom's Law" - which results in instant banishment.

   At the end of the last issue, She-Hulk jumped through a mysterious portal to find the source of the problems - and instead found more Sentinels and not much else.

   The story just makes no sense. She-Hulk uncovers a clue, but we don't know how she arrives at her conclusion. Why do the heroes do things that bring down the wrath of the Thors (who enforce Doom's Law)? Why do they bother running when the Thors arrive looking to hand out justice? And what the heck is happening on the last page? No idea.

   The art by Jorge Molina and Craig Yeung is quite good, but the disjointed story doesn't support it.

   Perhaps it's just the weird Battleworld rules that make this series so disjointed. It has a great cast, it just needs to figure out what to do with them.

Grade: C+

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Batman #43

   In order to enjoy comics one generally must be able to suspend one's sense of disbelief.

   I have to admit, the current storyline about the Batman who really isn't Batman is putting a strain on that ability.

   We're following the adventures of a new Batman, put into service to replace the (presumably dead) original version.

   The new Batman is - well, a well-known supporting character, and just about the last person (aside from Alfred) who you might expect to see wearing the high-tech suit that allows him to duplicate some of Batman's abilities.

   Ah, but who else do we find in this story, but Bruce Wayne, who has lost his memory and thus isn't able to go back to his old line of work.

   And then there's the introduction of a new villain, Mr. Bloom - who certainly holds much promise.

   The story by Scott Snyder features the usual action sequences and death traps we might expect in a Batman story - but it just isn't Batman. And the Bruce Wayne storyline teeters a bit too close to the old amnesia storylines, though it at least offers no apparent path back to the status quo for Bruce.

   As for Mr. Bloom -- well, he (or she) holds lots of surprises.

   The art by Greg Capullo and Danny Miki is excellent as always, but so far the story is just galumphing along,

   It seems to be a pattern with the new series, with great characters and strong visuals, but the stories are often improbable. My disbelief, I'm sorry to say, is sinking fast.                                                                            

Grade: B+

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