Batman #23

It's easy to forget that the "New 52" means we're reading about a new world, where even the most familiar events can unfold differently.

That's how it's playing out as Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo tell their "Year Zero" version of Batman's origin, taking us back to Bruce's childhood and his attempts to fight crime after spending many years honing his skills as a fighter and a detective.

He struggles at first, especially when faced with the seemingly unstoppable army known as the Red Mask. As Bruce Wayne faces a terrible beating - and possibly death - he realizes his plan is not sufficient to get the job done.

To say more would spoil a powerful tale - both in words and visuals - so I'll simply say that this is an outstanding story and highly recommended.

I suspect it'll "read" better as a collection, because the story keeps stepping back and forth along Bruce's timeline, and it's not easy to keep track of things on a month-to-month basis.

But the creative team is putting an interesting and original spin on a well-trod story - not an easy task.

Grade: A

-----------------

THUNDER Agents #1

The T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents comic was one of my favorites in its original incarnation in the 1960s, so every subsequent attempt (and there have been many) has to be measured against the original.

And boy, the reboot attempts have been all over the park. Some were quite good, with artist like George Perez and Dave Cockrum. Others have been less inspiring.

The problem is how to handle the team - should they be brought up to date, left in the '60s or used in a timeless sense?

Which brings us to this issue. Happily, writer Phil Hester seems to be moving toward a classic approach, but sets the comic in a modern era. The team is facing an attack by the beautiful but deadly Iron Maiden, but must gather its forces for the fight.

That leads us to an origin story of sorts for Dynamo, the powerhouse who tends to lead the attack. But the origin should probably have been put off for a while - we spend too much time learning about his mixed bag background, and not enough on heroics.

In fact, the entire issue is handed over to the whole "recruit the team" trope, instead of just diving into the story.

The art by Andrea Di Vito is solid superhero fare - strong, with good character designs, But backgrounds are almost nonexistent.

So the latest in a long line of reboots of the original, beloved series is OK, but it doesn't feel like the creative team has really "cut loose" yet. This comic has a long way to go to match the pure fun of the original.

Grade: B-

---------------

Saga #13

We're certainly happy to see Saga return from its self-imposed exile, as we pick back up with the sprawling story of a new family and their flight across the galaxy.

It's actually a rather quiet issue, with the net continuing to close around Marko and Alana and their daughter - the star of the series.

At this point she's not much of a star - her only action is to fill her diapers and be lovable - but we watch anxiously as danger threatens her loved ones.

We also check in with the mercenary know as "The Will" - he seems to be starting a new family.

And that's about it. As always, the writing by Brian K. Vaughn is terrific, and the artwork by Fiona Staples is stunning - lush and vivid with lots of great character deigns.

Throw in lots of unexpected events and you have another strong comic in this series.

Good stuff!


Grade; B+

-----------------

Infinity #1 (of 6)

You have to give it to Thanos - he's had a heck of a year.

Beginning with his guest appearance during the credits of The Avengers movie, he's enjoyed a resurgence. He's appeared in numerous reprints, the initial Avengers Assemble comic, and now he's the star of the latest event comic, Infinity.

This six-issue mini-series crosses over into the regular Avengers title and the New Avengers, so it's safe to say that writer Jonathan Hickman has a real challenge ahead.

But Thanos isn't the only menace in this issue, as an even older (and possibly more powerful) cosmic menace arises to threaten the galaxy.

So we have a huge battle looming, and a story that will weave through the main Avengers titles for months.

This issue gets it off to a powerful start, as it introduces the players, demonstrates why both menaces are to be feared, and shows us that Black Bolt is not to be trifled with.

With terrific art by Jim Cheung (with inks by Mark Morales, John Livesay, Davis Meikis and Cheung), the series is in great hands. Cheung delivers fantastic cosmic landscapes, dynamic hero (and villain) designs and sizzling action sequences.

It's the kind of big cosmic challenge that we'd expect to see from, say, Jim Starlin - the writer / artist who created Thanos. (Hopefully he's enjoying the return of his most famous villain.)

The issue may be a bit much for tiny readers (both in terms of violence and the scope of the tale), but mature readers will love it.

Can't wait to see where it goes from here!

Grade: A

------------------

The Classics - Tarzan of the Apes #174

Among the many comics that I didn't buy when I was young were those featuring Tarzan of the Apes.

That's mostly because, in the 1960s, I was more into superheroes, and was only familiar with the Tarzan as he appeared in the movies and on TV (which was mostly the "Me Tarzan, You Jane" version).

So yeah, I was an idiot.

In the late '60s / early '70s I picked up paperback editions of the original Edgar Rice Burroughs stories and became a big fan - but I didn't buy Tarzan's comics until DC took over the franchise and put Joe Kubert in control.

Which meant I missed years of great stories like the one in this issue. It's the first part of an adaptation of the novel Tarzan and the Ant Men, which pits the jungle hero against brutal cavewomen and a vast army of tiny warriors.

But best of all, the art was by one of my all-time favorites, Russ Manning! He seems an odd fit for Tarzan, since his style is more on the sleek and sophisticated side, but I don't think there's anything he couldn't draw extremely well.

I became a fan of his heroic art when he worked on Magnus, Robot Fighter (also for Gold Key), and if I'd known about his work on this title, I'd have bought it, too.

But in those days, promotion was virtually non-existent, so I was oblivious to all these wonderful stories.

Thankfully, many of these stories are now being collected in reprints (further proof that we're in the Golden Age of comic reprints.

Which is nice, because life doesn't always give you a chance to make up for past stupidity.

Grade: A-

------------------

New Comics Day

I picked up quite a few comics today, including:

- Astro City #3 - They also serve who stand and wait.

- Batman #23 - To all things a beginning.

- Buck Rogers #1 - Everything old is new again.

- Doomsday.1 #4 - Blessed are the meek.

- Fantastic Four #11 - A stitch in time.

- Infinity #1 - Something wicked this way comes.

- Justice League of America #7 - War is hell.

- Red Sonja #2 - You gotts have friends.

- Saga #13 - Back from the dead.

- Star Wars #8 - Fight or flight!

- Thor #11 - There shall be an ending!

- Thunder Agents #1 - Everything old is new again.

- Wolverine and the X/Men #34 - The infant terrible.

- World's Finest #15 - To fight the unbeatable foe.

- Uncanny X-Men #10 - Back to square one.

And that's it! Whew!

Charismagic #4

Just time for a quick review today, so here's the word on Charismagic: the story is slowly spooling out here, as chaos continues to reign on a magically-transformed Earth, while magicians Hank and Sudana (and the talking cat Sparkles) explore another reality looking for answers and allies.

In the meantime, evil forces are gathering, and it may be more than the good guys can manage.

It's a fun, imaginative series with excellent art, beautiful women, towering monsters and lots of fantastic events.

It may be a bit tough to pick up on the series in the middle, but once you get your "sea legs," it's a lot of fun!

Grade: B+

------------------

Earth 2 #15

For more than a year now I've been buying Earth 2 out of a sense of hope.

I've been hoping that the writer named James Robinson would return to his earlier, Starman-worthy heights. Sadly, it hasn't happened.

I've been hoping that the Justice Society of America would reform. Nope.

I've been hoping that the new version of the Golden Age heroes would hold a spark of the original characters. Not even close.

I've been hoping the stories would be interesting. This issue focuses on a war between the forces of Steppenwolf and an assortment of heroes who seem intent on fighting each other, instead of their enemies. So it's difficult to buy into the conflict.

There are side stories with Hawkgirl and Mr. Miracle, but they don't really go anywhere.

The only part of the series that has left me with hope is the artwork by Nicola Scott (with Trevor Scott inking). Her style is dynamic, with great character designs and strong layouts.

But that alone doesn't make this series worth buying. I'm going to try to hold on to the end of the war storyline, but that's going to be it for me.

As a fan of "Earth 2" since it was created in the '60s, I was hoping for a series I could love. With a heavy heart, I can't recommend this comic.

Grade: C+

--------------

All-New X-Men #15

One of the sillier tropes that Marvel fell into when the Silver Age kicked into gear was an overdose of the soap opera angle - so you'd have more than one hero all in love with the same woman.

The strangest version of that had Professor Xavier, in a single, never-to-be-repeated thought balloon admitting that he was in love with Jean (Marvel Girl) Grey - just like Scott (Cyclops) Summers (who spent years wishing he had the nerve to tell her) and Warren (Angel) Worthington III, who chased her unsuccessfully for years.

Thankfully, Stan Lee must have realized that the Prof. X thing was terribly inappropriate and dropped it.

Which brings us to this issue, where we find out that yet another member of the team had a crush on Ms. Grey. The cover kind of gives it away.

It just seems silly and out of left field, and further muddies the whole time-travel tale. We wonder, how long will this last? Will it alter the present, if Jean falls in love with someone other than Scott? What about their kids? Is Cable fading away in a photo somewhere?

I find that the longer the original team is in the present, the less I like them. Instead of being one of Marvel's premiere teams, they've become a bunch of teens who seem out of their league and floundering in the present.

It all leaves me hoping this storyline wraps up soon - but that's probably asking too much.

Grade: B-

-------------------

Avengers A.I. #2

I'm having trouble putting my finger on why this Avengers: A.I. series isn't working for me.

Perhaps it's because the focus is entirely on a new Artificial Intelligence menace so close on the heels of Age of Ultron.

Perhaps it's because we aren't seeing any characters we can root for - Hank Pym is virtually the only hero (who's human) involved, and all the others are either cyphers or comic relief.

Perhaps it's because the menace is a well-worn science fiction trope - an A.I. that turns all machinery against humanity (Terminator, anyone?).

Perhaps it's the widespread destruction in Washington, DC that's hard to watch in these days of terrorist attacks.

Perhaps it's because the art is uneven - some scenes are dynamic, but some of the faces are just a bit too cartoony.

Or maybe it's all of the above. The team is gathered, the menace is revealed, but so far, it's just an ok comic.

Hopefully it'll all come together as this initial story spools out - but that seems to be a thin hope at best.

Grade: C+

-------------------

Lords of Mars #1

It's surprising that Edgar Rice Burroughs never teamed up his two most famous characters - Tarzan and John Carter of Mars.

Dynamite continues its public domain versions of those characters, this time teaming them up in the new series Lords of Mars.

The difficulty with such a team-up, of course, is managing to bring the two heroes together. And it actually doesn't happen in this issue.

We look in on Tarzan as he tries to adapt to a more "civilized" way of life in England (and not exactly succeeding at that task), and we check in on John Carter, who has undertaken a major operation on Mars - but one that seems to be causing concern among certain enemies of the Warlord of Mars.

So it's a slow start to the story by Arvid Nelson (though it promises to pick up quickly). The art by Robert Casto is solid, but he doesn't get much room to show off here - there's a lot of standing around going on.

But the promise is there, and it should be interesting to see how Tarzan adapts to Mars - and how he reacts when he meets the White Apes.

Grade: B

-----------------

The Avengers #17

Since the first issue of this new version of The Avengers, writer Jonathan Hickman has been building.

The mantra for the team has been the need to "get bigger." With that in mind, they're recruited some of the most powerful heroes either on the planet or from near the planet.

But as big as the team is, with this issue, it gets even bigger, adding some surprising characters to the lineup.

But there's good reason for the growth, as the team is outmatched by a mysterious new being - as the world faces a monstrous threat both internally - and from deep space.

It's all leading into the next big event - Infinity - which features Thanos, perhaps the most powerful villain in the Marvel Universe.

The story just seems to get bigger and more important with each issue - it's fresh, original and dynamic. You really should be reading this comic.

The only thing I didn't like about the issue was the mix of artists - three different artists chipped in here, and the results are a bit uneven.

But the story more than makes up for any problems there, and sets up the coming war, which promises to have some deep-felt repercussions.

Grade: A

---------------

New Comic Book Day!

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

- A.I. #2 - Battle of the artificial life forms.

- Avengers #17 - Ready for Infinity?

- Earth 2 #15 - A war with unexpected results.

- Green Lantern #23 - Tracking a killer.

- Iron Man #14 - Against a big opponent.

- Lords of Mars #1 - Tarzan meets John Carter.

- Manhattan Projects #13 - Strange research.

- Emerald City of Oz #2 - The enemies gather.

- Shadow #16 - Margo is trapped by a killer!

- All-New X-Men #15 - Love is in the air!

And that's it!

The Classics - Tales of Suspense #88

This issue of Tales of Suspense absolutely shocked me when it was published in 1966.

It wasn't because of the stories. Both written by Stan Lee, they were pretty standard superhero fare. The opening story has Iron Man fighting to save Pepper Potts from the Mole Man (on loan from the Fantastic Four). The second story has Captain America fighting Power Man, the Swordsman and a mysterious opponent in an action fest.

The artist isn't the issue on the Iron Man story - it features lovely, flowing and dynamic pencils by Gene Colan.

The shock was in the artist on Captain America. The 10-page story was penciled and inked by the living legend, Gil Kane.

But in 1966 - as far as 10-year-old Chuck knew - Gil had only drawn for DC Comics, turning in iconic work on Green Lantern and the Atom, among others. I was shocked that a DC artist would be working at Marvel. (And yes, I know now that Gene Colan did the same thing - hiding for a while under the Adam Austin byline - but I didn't know he had worked at DC before Marvel.)

The idea of writers or artists jumping between companies was alien to me - Marvel had always been Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko and Don Heck, while DC had always been Gil Kane, Carmine Infantino, Mike Sekowsky and Joe Kubert.

But this was just the start of a seemingly never-ending line of writers and artists jumping back and forth between the two companies. It's old hat now, but at the time, it was a shock.

The good news was, it helped prepare fans for the biggest shock - when Kirby left Marvel and moved to DC Comics.

It made the companies seem a bit less stable - but it also kept a flow of new ideas and new energies crackling, too - so despite my initial misgivings, I eventually realized that it was good trend.

But it took some time to adjust to it.

Grade: B

------------------

King Conan #3

I've been a fan of the barbarian Conan since I first discovered the paperback books as a teenager, more than 40 years ago.

That character has been a comic book staple almost as long, and he's had some terrific creators handling his adventures, including Roy Thomas, Barry Windsor-Smith, Gil Kane, John Buscema, Neal Adams, Kurt Busiek, Frank Brunner and many, many more.

Ranked among that list of the best should be the creative team on King Conan: writer Tim Truman and artist Tomas Giorello.

They've created a true version of Howard's rough-hewn hero, and this issue focuses on a key moment in Conan's career - his first encounter with Zenobia, the second true love of his life.

They share a fight for their life, a daring escape, and one of the hottest kisses ever depicted in a comic book.

Giorello's art is tremendous - a classic style loaded with detail, great character designs, sexy women, heroic ideals and amazing environments.

It's an outstanding comic - truly the best version of Conan in a long, long time.

Highly recommended!

Grade: A+

------------------

X-Men #3

There's a lot to like about the new X-Men series.

I like the lineup, which focuses most of the powerful female mutants, including Storm, Rogue, Kitty Pryde, Pixie, Rachel Summers, Psylocke and a few I don't really know.

I love the artwork by Olivier Coipel and Mark Morales, with terrific character designs and wonderful layouts.

I like the characterizations by writer Brian Wood - each character speaks with a distinctive voice, and I like the "new" take on Jubilee as a Mom.

The only thing I don't much care for is the villain of the piece, which is the old "alien organism invades and takes over a bunch of people and seemingly can't be stopped until it is."

It's just a well-worn concept and, to be honest, the wrap-up here doesn't really make much sense.

However, the stage is set and this "new" team is settling into place, so hopefully the creative team will hang in there and keep improving on this promising (if imperfect) start.

Grade: B

-------------

Tom Strong and the Planet of Peril #1

I'm very happy to see Tom Strong return, even if Alan Moore isn't handling the writing chores (happily, co-creator Chris Sprouse is handling the art chores).

The issue kicks off at a dead run, as a medical emergency hits home: Tom's daughter Tesla is pregnant and having severe problems - which one might expect when a mortal woman marries a volcanic prince.

Tesla is tough, but her life - and her baby's - hangs in the balance. It's up to Tom to devise an answer - one that will involve some old friends and a classic (and clever) comic book device.

Writer Peter Hogan devises a story here that will please long-time fans and keeps readers coming back for more. New readers may find it a bit tougher to follow, because none of the characters are introduced, and we only get the briefest glimpse of Tom's origin.

But you don't really need much intro - the characters are such solid pulp / science fiction constructs that it's easy to sort things out as you go.

The issue's biggest surprise is that it's lumped into the Vertigo family of comics. I'm not sure if that's because the series is creator-owned or if it's because it actually features intelligent writing, but it seems an odd choice for a comic that's (as near as I can tell) an all-ages series (would that more were like it).

So, terrific art, a great story, wonderful characters - in a just universe, this comic would be a hit!

Grade: A-

-------------

Guest Review - FF #10

Stepping into the Guest Review batting box is my pal James Cassara, who gives us a look at the companion comic to the Fantastic Four: FF.

A comics reading friend of mine (of course most of my best friends are comic readers!) says he is prepared to give up on the Future Foundation, feeling it is “just too weird.”

On the one hand I see where he’s coming from. Weird is an adjective that is frequently attached to many a Mike Allred project, and while he is providing only the art - with regular Fantastic Four scribe Matt Fraction providing scripts - somehow this title seems to be his baby.

There are so many subplots and back stories going on - even though each issue does an excellent job synopsizing the one before it - that a casual reader would have a tough time making heads of tails of this. Johnny Storm an old and seemingly insane man? Dragon Man a reptile-like version of the Family Affair’s Mr. French? There’s also a cross dressing alien named Tong and a bevy of strange characters populating the Baxter Building: it’s all a bit much and I readily admit to being at times confused as to what is what.

But there’s no denying this title is also a lot of fun, and issue 10 is no exception. Alex Power, whose parents are being held captive by Dr. Doom, is exposed as a mole.

Ant-Man continues to try and hold the group together but, fearing his criminal past might return to haunt him, is clearly losing his grip on things.

At times She-Hulk and Darla Deering (who gave up a successful superstar singing career to join the group) seem the only ones in control. They’re two of the strongest female voices in comics, which only add to the pleasures found herein.

This issue also features “guest stars” series editor Tom Brevoort along with Fraction and Allred. It brings to mind the occasional fourth wall appearances of Stan and Jack. And if you have to ask “Stan and Jack who?” you’re reading the wrong column!

Circling back to my friend’s concern I do wonder where all this is going. There’s an awful lot going on - often to the detriment of the main story line - and I don’t get the sense that things are really moving forward.

In that regards FF may just be the comic book equivalent of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks: it often seems weird for weird sake.

But I stuck with Twin Peaks to the bitter end, so, despite my reservations, as long as Fraction and Allred are on board I feel inclined to do the same here.

Still, a bit of normalcy (as normal as any comic about super powered beings can be) would go a long way.

Grade: B

----------------

Guardians of the Galaxy #5

It's pretty standard for the written word to get all the attention in a comic by Brian Michael Bendis, but in this issue of Guardians of the Galaxy, the nod has to go to the spectacular artwork by Sara Pichelli.

It kicks off with a dynamic double-splash introducing Angela, and rollicks through an adventure that's loaded with wonderful characters (and terrific designs), well-crafted facial expressions (often telling the story with a wry look), over-the-top battles and lots of strong subtle touches.

None of which is to take away from Bendis' story, which is all about moving characters into place.

We meet the mysterious Angela, a character created by Neil Gaiman in Spawn a couple of decades back. After an extended lawsuit, the character was returned to her creator, and now is (apparently) under contract to Marvel.

Here she jumps into the Marvel Universe with both feet (and a big honkin' spear) as she searches for the source of the time rip that happened in Age of Ultron. It's a mystery Star-Lord is also trying to solve, and he tracks down some surprising sources for information.

So, another strong issue, with lots of humor and action - in other words, a typical Marvel comic. We can only hope next year's film will follow suit.

Grade: A-

-----------------

Batman Inc. #13

This is the final issue in writer Grant Morrison's long run on Batman (and Batman Incorporated), and he deserves credit for wrapping the series up neatly while laying the groundwork for future stories.

He manages to squeeze in a final confrontation with Talia, a meaningful discussion between Bruce Wayne and Commissioner Gordon, a quick check in with a major big bad, cameos by all the members of Batman Inc, and nice review of why Batman is awesome.

Not bad for a single comic book.

I continue to be somewhat surprised at how crude and violent this series has been, and this issue is no different, with lots of blood, destruction and rough language on display.

Chris Burnham's art is quite good (if a bit grisly in places), and there are some outstanding layouts and designs on display.

It'll be interesting to see if the concepts from this series (of an international "League of Batmen") are carried over into other Bat-series, or if it ends here.

The whole "Bat Inc" idea has been interesting, but perhaps a bit too unwieldy for any but the best writers - I'm not sure anyone but Morrison could manage it.

Grade: A-

-------------