Archie #3

   The third time may be the charm, but with the third issue of the "new" Archie, the charm is all wrapped up in the teenage body of new-girl-in-town Veronica Lodge, who makes her first appearance at Riverdale High School.

   It's interesting that writer Mark Waid and artist Fiona Staples are stepping back from the classic love triangle that's been the norm in Archie's life since the '60s, and instead has Archie and Betty broken up, and now Archie only has eyes for the new girl.

   It's a situation not at all to the liking of Jughead, who's much more of a mystery here - and much more capable than you might expect (but still pretty darn funny).

   To be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about all the antagonism going on in the series. One of the things I liked about the past version was that everyone, down deep, liked each other (despite occasional squabbles) - there was a nice "family of friends" atmosphere that was reminiscent of life in high school.

   The drama is amped up, but the comedy is still running strong throughout, and the "new" take on the characters is interesting. I love the art, I like the characters, and I'm intrigued to see where the story is taking us, so I'll continue to hang with the series.

   So far, the fresh start is working... for me.

Grade: B+

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Superman #44

   I'm amazed at how much I dislike the "secret identity no more" story in Superman, and how similar it is to the same story years ago in Spider-Man's title.

   For many heroes, revealing their secret identity isn't that important - they have limited supporting casts or no real secret identity (Captain America) - or their secret identity is already famous (Iron Man).

   But for an iconic hero like Superman, revealing his Clark Kent side makes his life a permanent nightmare - and this issue is dedicated to showing how bad it can be.

   And as we've seen in recent issues, Superman keeps responding by behaving less and less like a hero. It's painful to watch, frankly.

   The whole story feels like nothing more than an imaginary story. How will the writers resolve this issue?

   The bigger question is, will anyone hang around long enough to read the resolution? I'm beginning to doubt that I'll be there.

Grade: C

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Captain America: White #2

   The "color" mini-series by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale have been all mighty entertaining - and so far, this (oddly delayed) chapter, Captain America: White, is another terrific addition to the line.

   It's set (mostly) in World War II, as Cap and Bucky first team up and become brothers.

   Just to make it even more fun, the duo are working with Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos, all at their grouchy, comedic best.

   If I had to make a complaint about this issue, it's the one plot point that mirrors one from an earlier story by Mark Waid - but that's a minor quibble in a series loaded with great character moments, terrific visuals, lots of humor and action.

   Highly recommended!

Grade: A-

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The Sandman Overture #6 (of 6)

   Finally, just shy of two years from its beginning, we arrive at the end (and, happily enough, the beginning) for The Sandman.

   This Overture mini-series by Neil Gaiman, J. H. Williams III and Dave Stewart has been a delightful (if twisty) return visit to Gaiman's legendary character.

    The story is appropriately big, visiting Dream's siblings - and his parents(!) - and placing the existence of... well, everything... at stake, and the survival of all rests in Dream's hands.

   It's all a prequel to the original series created by Gaiman, as the finale gives us the answer to how Dream ended up a prisoner of a mortal way back in Sandman #1.

   The art is amazing - each page (and that stunning cover) should be hanging in a museum somewhere.

   If you've missed this one, I suspect it'll read much better as a collection, but (perversely) if you haven't read the Sandman stories yet, you should read those first, then tackle this prequel.

   Trust me, it makes more sense that way (this series refers to characters that work better if you know more about them).

   What more do you need? Highly, highly recommended!

Grade: A

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Justice League #44

   I've been impressed that this series feels like a big event book - but one that's entirely contained in the Justice League title.

   But word must have leaked out, because there are ads running about several tie-in books coming up (though oddly, the ad isn't included in this issue).

   This issue is loaded with all kinds of cosmic, larger-than-life battles, some surprising revelations, a heck of a climactic battle and more characters than you can shake a Mother Box at.

   The battle comes down to Darkseid battling the Anti-Monitor with their armies and flunkies fighting it out on the edges - and the Justice League is almost secondary to the story, as members of the team are off trying to solve the mystery of the Anti-Monitor's origin - while others are fighting for their lives on Apokolips.

   It's a crazy, all-out battle royal, that certainly gives you your money's worth - but it's almost too much to keep up with.

   Still, it's great to see a story on this scale in the book that should be - and is - the best that DC has to offer.

Grade: A-

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The Classics - West Coast Avengers #46

   Writer / artist John Byrne left his mark on virtually every title published by Marvel at one point or another - but one of his most offbeat additions to the Marvel Universe can be found in this issue of The West Coast Avengers.

   Byrne turned in a strong (and somewhat controversial) series of stories during his year-and-a-half on the series in the late '80s, but it wasn't all serious and grim.

   This issue introduced the Great Lakes Avengers, an odd group of heroes who had no real affiliation with the original Avengers - they were just some wannabe heroes who fought crime in - of all places - Milwaukee.

   The team included: Mr. I, their carefree leader (with a truly odd power); Big Bertha, a massive powerhouse; Flat-Man, an elastic hero; Dyna Soar, a flying female dinosaur; and Doorman, who becomes a living door - somehow.

   Add estranged couple Hawkeye and Mockingbird into the mix (both having just left the West Coast team), and you have an entertaining sidebar into the usual Marvel antics.

   The art is terrific, with Byrne and inker Mike Machlan loading up on (mostly) lighthearted action, including a classic "heroes meet and fight each other" sequence.

    One of the things that made Byrne such a strong storyteller was his combination of action, great characters and humor - and this issue had all that in spades.

Grade: A

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Now Comics Day

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

- Archie #3 - The new girl in town!

- Captain America White #2 - Losing an old friend!

- Cavalry SHIELD #1 - Training mission.

- Justice League #44 - Who will die?

- SHIELD #10 - Howard, Duck of SHIELD?

- Sandman Overture #6 - The finale at last!

- Superman #44 - Secret ID no more!

   And that's it! 

Fathom Blue #4

   I may be wrong about this series.

   I've been assuming that Fathom Blue is a comic about a team, with the opening storyline giving us the origin of the group of heroes.

   It's been a bit difficult to follow, as the team is being assembled by shady forces in the military (of course) to tackle special missions - but this may not be a team of heroes.

   Circumstances - which have the team fighting for their freedom from the control of the leader of this military force - may force them into a fight against the nation, which will leave them branded as traitors.

   I think. It's all a bit muddled, and I admit I'm still trying to sort out the characters.

   Here the team works together to escape, only to turn themselves back over to the same forces. So why did they escape? Or did they do it to meet with a sympathetic agent? No idea.

   The series has a lot of potential, but it's going to have to work harder at giving us a reason to root for the team. Just having them manipulated by a sleazy military guy feels like lazy storytelling.

   Flesh out their personalities, give them some motivation, let them act like heroes. Or villains. Give us something to hold onto!

Grade: C

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Doctor Who: Four Doctors #5 (of 5)

   It's always a special event when more than one version of The Doctor teams up - and Titan Comics has put together a special event of its own with this weekly comic, the five-issue-long Doctor Who: Four Doctors.

   The Doctor (he never calls himself "Doctor Who") is a Time Lord, a race that is very advanced and long-lived (he's almost 1000 years old). He travels through time and space in the Tardis,  a complex machine that looks small from the outside - but it's huge on the inside.

   He's usually accompanied by one or more "companions" - friends and fellow adventurers. They help those in need, seek out adventure and new discoveries.

   The character has been portrayed on TV over the years by 13 actors - after each actor finished his run, The Doctor is "killed" and regenerates in a new body - a different actor.

   On the original series, different doctors would occasionally meet - an easy stunt for a time traveler - and those stories were always entertaining, watching different personalities meeting, working together or jousting verbally.

   And that's what this comic mini-series is all about, as the 10th, 11th and 12th Doctors (the most recent three) team up with their companions to face what may be certain death, as they face the most unbeatable foe of them all.

   (Who's the fourth doctor in the title? That would be telling!)

   It's a fast, funny adventure with terrific art. The plot's a bit twisty, and probably doesn't bear close examination - but it's all in good fun.

    If you're a fan of The Doctor, you'll definitely want to catch this series.

Grade: A-

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Batgirl #44

   The "new" Batgirl series has been pretty strong up to this point, but it was about due for a stumble - and here it is.

   This issue finds Barbara Gordon running up against a tigerish female villain who, frankly, doesn't feel very menacing at all.

   Also, I'm not sure the creative team understands how tranquilizer darts work. I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that once a dart is fired and delivers its load of sedative, it can't be plucked out and reused without reloading. And if it could, the amount of sedative used to knock out a tiger would probably kill a human.

   So yeah, it's that kind of issue - a little action, a little romance, but not a lot of actual story there. I have to admit that I'm also losing track of the ever-expanding supporting cast - who are these people again?

   Of course, this series is aimed at a younger audience. Maybe they have an easier time keeping up with such things.

   Like I said, for me, this issue was a bit of a misstep (it happens to every series - no reason to panic). Here's hoping it's back on the usual dance floor for the next issue.

Grade: B-

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Weirdworld #4

   It's only appropriate that the series titled Weirdworld is the strangest of the Secret Wars spin-offs.

   (Though to be fair, I should admit I haven't read all of them. Or even most of them. But I think it's a safe call.)

   The mini-series has followed Arkon (the barbarian) as he searches for his idyllic home world, Polemachus. He knows it is hidden somewhere on Weirdworld - but he can't find it.

   He's battled an assortment of enemies - both monster and human - but may have met his match in Morgan Le Fey's enforcer, Skull the Slayer.

   But as the cover indicates, they'll both have to survive an encounter with a certain mindless much-monster in the Land of the Man-Things.

   Despite being on the grim side (Arkon isn't the easiest guy to like), this has been an entertaining series as it touches on some of the most bizarre corners of the Marvel Universe.

   Somehow, the whole thing will wrap up next issue - I can't wait to see how (or if) the creative team manages to make it happen!

Grade: A-

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Fury #1

   As past of Marvel's ongoing 50th Anniversary celebration of all things SHIELD, it's good to see them break off an issue for the character who started the whole thing off in the pages of Strange Tales - after all, that first adventure was titled Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD!

   (Funny that I can remember that - in those days - SHIELD stood for Supreme Headquarters International Espionage and Law Enforcement Division. I have no idea what it stands for now, and I'm too lazy to look it up. Google away, dear readers!)

   Of course, now there are two guys named Nick Fury - the real one and the Samuel Jackson one who, in the comics, is the son of the original.

   The real one has been (more or less) written out of continuity, sadly enough, but this issue manages to work out a team-up of the two super-spies.

   It's clever enough, although we could see the ending from a mile away - and the resolution is perhaps a bit too easy.

    Still, I'm happy just for the chance to see the original model back in action. Nothing against the new version - I like him in the Marvel movies a lot - but for this old fan, there's only one Nick Fury - Juniors need not apply.

Grade: B

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Astro City #27

   I'm a big fan of Kurt Busiek's Astro City, as it explores the mythology of super-heroes - but I have to admit, it occasionally hits on an area I'm not familiar with.

   This issue is a perfect example, as it centers around the character known as American Chibi (she's a childlike, Anime-style girl with great power) and a series of mysterious and destructive attacks by strange creatures.

   Even as the story explained the origin of that character, I thought to myself, "What the heck is a chibi?" 

   So I looked it up. 

   It turns out that I've seen them before, I just didn't know the term.

   Apparently "chibi" is a Japanese slang word meaning "short person" or "small child." In anime and manga fandom the term chibi refers to the "super deformed" style of drawing characters with oversized heads - or it can be used to describe child versions of characters. 

   That's the cover all over, as provided by the talented Alex Ross. 

   The interior art is by Joe Infurnari, filling in for Brent Anderson. The story and the art are just serviceable this time around - not bad, but not quite up to the usual standards - but as I've said before, an "average" Astro City story is better than some of the best you'll find in any other title.

Grade: B+

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The Classics - Usagi Yojimbo #93

   In the past year I've finally started tracking down past issues of the long-running Usagi Yojimbo series, and thanks to comics conventions and eBay, I've almost completed my collection!

   With more than 200 issues in this series, every issue featuring amazing stories and art. To be honest, I feel ashamed that I didn't pick up on it sooner.

   The stories range from emotional confrontations to intense battles to political dramas to murder mysteries to supernatural conflicts - writer / artist / creator Stan Sakai demonstrates an amazing level of maturity and depth with each story.

   The series follows a ronin - a masterless samurai - who roams through Japan seeking for a purpose in life. Usagi isn't perfect, but he's smart, caring and a terrific fighter.

   Over the years he's built up a terrific cast of supporting characters who weave in and out of his life. You never know who will live, who will die, and the stories can take you in dramatic and unexpected directions.

   But perhaps no issue demonstrates the creative potential of this series better than #93 from 2006, in which Usaki and a friend share tea. And that's it.

   Really! The entire issue is a farewell between Usagi and his friend and sometimes fighting companion, the lovely Tomoe. It depicts, in great and loving detail, the formal tea ceremony known as chanoyu.

   It's a sweet and lovely tale, brilliant in its detail and in the emotions bubbling beneath the surface - is romance involved, and can it be expressed in this setting?

   If, like me, you somehow missed this series, you're really missing some terrific tales - some will have you on the edge of your seat, panting for the next chapter - and some, like this issue, will (as the kids say these days) punch you right in the feels.

   Highly, highly recommended!

Grade: A+

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New Comics Day

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

- Astro City #27 - Am I the only one who doesn't know what a Chibi is? (Yes, I'm old.)

- Batgirl #44 - Eye of the Tiger!

- Elfquest Final Quest #11 - Everybody's doing it!

- Flash #44 - He's in deep trouble!

- Hellboy in Hell #8 - Family matters.

- Nick Fury SHIELD #1 - A meeting of two Furys.

- Weirdworld #4 - A meeting of Man-Things!

   Also, a couple of freebies:

- Batman Day - Happy Batman Day, everyone!

- Vertigo 2015 Preview - As my comics dealer said, "I'm giving you this because I know you're a big fan of Vertigo." Then he laughed.

   And that's it! 

Rai #10

   Like the Magnus: Robot Fighter title, Rai is set 2000 years into the future - and it's not a happy place.

   Instead, it's a grim existence where our protagonist and his allies must fight constantly to survive.

   It's been especially difficult for Rai, who fights for the people of New Japan (that nation now can be found in orbit) - but the intellect that rules that land has cast him out - literally - and he must fight to survive.

   In order to prepare for his return to New Japan, Rai goes in search of a possible ally - but it's a quest that may prove deadly - or impossible.

   It's pretty grim going in this story by Matt Kindt, but he keeps things fresh, original - and moving briskly along.

   The art by Clayton Crain is dark and moody, a perfect match for the story rolling out - but it does perhaps get a bit too murky in places.

    It's a powerful story, so if you don't mind (or are a fan of) the grim and gritty storytelling, you should be reading Rai.

Grade: B+

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Jirni: 2 #2

   I really enjoyed the first issue in this Jirni: 2 mini-series - but the second issue didn't live up to the first.

   The comic follows the sword-and-sorcery adventures of a woman who transforms into a massive, purple-hued warrior woman (think She-Hulk meets Red Sonja).

   It's one of those "get acquainted" issues, giving us the life story of Boro, the captain of the (pirate?) ship she's hitched a ride on.

   It's possible that this story will pay off in future chapters, but as a stand-alone issue it really drags. Things pick up by the end of the issue, as the ship fights for its life against a deadly attack - but despite that and some striking art by V Ken Marion and Mark Roslan, it's not enough to bring this one up to the creative standards of the first issue.

Grade: C+

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Hawkeye #5

   It's amazing how quick a comic can gain your interest - or lose it.

   I was late picking up on the Hawkeye comic written by Matt Fraction (thank you, collections) -  but once I started buying it, I was hooked.

   The follow-up series by writer Jeff Lemire and artist Ramon Perez has been pretty solid - until this issue.

   Each issue has been split between a story of Clint Barton's childhood, as he and his brother Barney seek refuge from an abusive foster father by running away with the circus - but is their new mentor, the Swordsman, a better role model?

   In the present, the two Hawkeyes - Clint and Kate Bishop - are faced with a big problem, as they try to protect some strangely-mutated children from the hordes of Hydra.

   And that's where this series jumped the shark, as Clint and Kate make a horrific decision - one that's completely out of character, one they would never make - except in the pages of a comic book that didn't understand the stars of the book.

   So, just as fast as I was pulled into the series, I find myself booted out - these are not characters I want to read about.

Grade: D

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Agent Carter #1

   When Marvel tries to deal with the real-world timeline, the whole continuity thing gets all mushy.

   So you might expect this Agent Carter one-shot (celebrating the 50th Anniversary of SHIELD) to follow the lead of the (excellent) TV show and set this adventure right after the end of World War II.

   Instead, the issue is set in 1966. In the our world, that would be right after Nick Fury first joined the organization, so that works - but then the issue introduces the Asgardian warrior Sif - and we feel continuity wobble.

   In order to keep its characters from being terribly aged, Marvel has (rather unofficially) set its continuity so that the modern-day heroes became active about seven years ago (that being the point when the Fantastic Four first gained their powers). So Captain America was on ice until about seven years ago, Spider-Man was bitten by a radioactive spider at the same time... you get the idea.

   And while we can accept that SHIELD and Peggy and Dum Dum Dugan and Nick Fury have been around since World War II (two of them are ageless), but how can Sif be introduced before Thor first appears?

   Even in the real world, the timeline is wobbly - Sif didn't show up until a bit later.

   Ah well - other than that it's a fun issue, with Sif and Peggy dealing with a mysterious attack - and both showing how capable they are.

   So if you can get past the continuity, it's entertaining - but despite the bigger action scenes, it's not really up to the level of the TV show.

Grade: B+

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Star Wars #9

   I've read lots of Star Wars-based comic books, and I'm surprised to realize that the current stories filling the pages of the new Marvel Comics version may be the best ever.

   Writer Jason Aaron continues to take the cast of the original trilogy in surprising directions, and keeps the action fast and frenetic - and fun!

   So we follow Luke Skywalker as he continues to look for information about how to be a better Jedi knight - and finds himself facing a powerful gangster - and a deadly trap!

   Meanwhile, Princess Leia and Han Solo are nearly captured by the Empire, and their only hope for escape is a woman who hates - and loves - Han!

   And oh, that last page!

   Stuart Immonen and Wade Von Grawbadger's art is stunning - amazing alien vistas, strange (and familiar) creatures, and excellent likenesses.

   The key word here is "fun" - this series captures the sense of adventure, the spirit of wonder, the pure entertainment that any good Star Wars-based story should include.

   Highly recommended!

Grade: A

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