It was a really good week in comics, lots of fun stuff happened. Let’s review.

Birds of Prey #118

And the Fifth World is officially here. That took, what, six minutes?

And that’s cool. I remember liking this look when it appeared in the Seven Soldiers: Mister Miracle series. But I continue to be a little sad the old guard passed.

I mean, are all these other worlds for nothing? I know traditionally, the Fourth World are their own dimension and thus never were as infinite as some Earths. Letalone 52 varieties.

Oh well, they’re kind of cool. And so is this issue.

I wasn’t overly pleased with Bedard’s last couple of forays with the Birds, but this is a nice start and even bothers to have an interesting couple of twists.

Next issue looks good too. I guess I won’t be dropping it afterall.

Brave and the Bold #13

Did you know this series apparently doesn’t sell all that well?

That’s incredible. It’s awesome! What’s wrong with you people? What are you reading if not Catwoman, Brave and the Bold and/or Blue Beetle. Or all the rest of my favorite comics that do mediocre numbers?

This issue was another great outing with a terrific pair. It looks less like it’s setting up another story arc and more like Waid throwing a couple good jaunts out before he moves on to his EiC position at BOOM! Studios.

But it’s all just so charmingly old school with new school sensibility.


“Dick Cheney is not amused. Send the robo-samurai!”

That’s adorable. And that isn’t even the tip of the adorable iceberg. Oh no.

Watching Batman and Jay Garrick work together is a pretty little ditty from start to finish. It’s filled with “awww” and a little bit of “rock’n’roll”.

Here’s an example of the former.


“My daddy was ‘sir’, and he’s been dead for 80 years.”

All together now: Awwww. Batman called someone “sir”.

I’m almost sorry for wishing Jay would just die already. I guess he has a point afterall….


“Also you get to be largely rude to civil servants. It’s an okay life.”

The hand is yours old man.

Catwoman #79

(SIGH!!!)

Yeah, awesome. Thanks again for not reading.

I mean, what’s the point in even telling you this issue kicked the crap out of most of its peers this week? You apparently don’t believe me.

It was awesome, though. I’m personally interested to see if Slam lets it go as much as he lets Selina think.

Countdown to Mystery #8

I stopped reading the Eclipso parts of this series. Stone stopped reading it.

It’s simply that bad from art to bottom. Not so much bad, as boring as hell and completely ignorable.

The Dr. Fate stuff, however, was really good. Better than it had any business being. Especially considering I was intending to hate it going in.

And I’m not just saying that b/c the man who wrote it has since passed on. This series is only a footnote in Steve Gerber’s storied career. Saying this was great doesn’t mean all that much in the grand scheme of his portfolio. But it was and had remarkable personality.

As an homage, four different authors finished the story four different ways. It’s a little bit of a mindfuck, but it’s still a cool idea and a nice way to say goodbye to a friend.

Once again, I’m with Jon. I think Beechen’s was the best ending, but they were all good in their own way. If you took a pass on this series, I’d suggest picking it up collected.

Justice League of America #21

I think I’d like to see what McDuffie could/would do with a company wide crossover. This issue plays well with others and still gets some general bookkeeping done. It’s delicious.

I think it’s funny that a good third of this issue is the “Big 3” sitting around talking, but nobody is pissing and moaning about it. Granted I can see how this isn’t Meltzer. But it’s still a large tract of three superheroes talking instead of punching things and no one minded.

B/c it’s not superheroes talking that bothers people. It’s Brad Meltzer. And that’s a shame.

This was good, poignant, involved the above-referenced bookkeeping and was funny.


“Alright, Bruce you already kicked all my puppies. You happy now?”

It’s filled with all sorts of wonderful characterization from heroes and villains alike. If you don’t know who the Human Flame is, you’re missing out.

What’s more amazing, he comes off with any amount of legitimacy in this issue and even gets one over on his so-called contemporaries. Watch him give Luthor some chin-music and survive.


“Fuck you, that’s my name ya bald prick.

I love Grodd and Savage here. And Luthor is forced to take it. That’s awesome.

I can’t help but look at the Human Flame, dreamcast and smile.

Good stuff in this issue, and it helped get me even more excited for Final Crisis. Which is absolutely the point, no?

Justice Society of America #15

Hey! Another Geoff Johns superhero pile-on! Wow! This really has gotten old!


The last two issues of JSA summarized in two panels.

Once again you’ve got jerks like Mr. America jumping in as if he’s anything more than a liability. Holy crap, seriously? No wonder people die in every other issue Johns writes, this is the best tactic they can think of for every threat. If you just don’t know how to write a fight scene Geoff, I offer my services. The C-List characters of the DCU beseech you.

Goddamnit this book has equal parts suck for everything good in it. I keep telling myself I’ll hang on until the end of the arc, but the arc apparently goes into 2009. Fuck.

Side note: And here I though that was Kingdom Come Green Lantern and Obsidian—well, technically they are—but it’s just Alan and Todd inexplicably looking exactly like they do in the world next door?

That’s really stupid.

And getting stupider.

Superfriends #3

Based on the toys by Mattel!

What is left to say about this month’s issue of Superfriends other than: Felix Faust teaches you to make your own JLA Fingerpuppets?



Awesome.

Mighty Avengers #14

In summation: “If you find yourselves faced with the most powerful hero on Earth. Just tell him it’s all his fault. That should make him cry himself to sleep on the other side of Saturn. Don’t worry about it. What could possibly go wrong?”

What goes wrong is a little bit awesome, and worth every penny I spent on this issue.

X Factor #31

I figured there would be more issues to this story arc.

That One-Shot totally threw me off. Oh well.

I mean, it ended okay. It just felt sudden. There were a few good gags, a nice bit of emotion but ultimately I think this was just Peter David’s way of getting around all this X-Men Disassembled nonsense with most of his team intact. Bravo to that.

Val Cooper should feature moving forward and I’m into that. And I like how they used her to allude to the Skrull Invasion and that Tony doesn’t give a crap about Mutants.

Top notch.

Dreamwar #2

Okay, so hza called how this series was gonna end after, like, one panel.

But, hey, just b/c you know where it’s going doesn’t mean it’s not awesome. It reminds me that I need to go back and reread Invasion!

Giffen pulls together a pretty good crossover (without the crossover), and seamlessly flows between characterization. Even when everyone is acting out of character—everyone but Chuck Tayne of course. B/c Chuck Tayne bangs triplets on his days off from banging emotionally scarred twins, that's why.

It’s pretty awesome. Especially if you’re like me and enjoy the Wildstorm Universe just enough to love watching it get kicked in the junk.

Marty’s Runner Up of the Week
Robin #174

Runner up?

Listen, I’m overjoyed that Stephanie is back; in ways I find difficult to articulate. This issue delivers in every way possible: Spoiler returns with the least suspension of disbelief arguably possible. And for that I thank everyone who had a hand in this, especially you Mr. Dixon.

As fantastic as that is, that’s really all this issue is. One big “yay, Spoilers back!” block party. So it only nets runner up.


“I mean, you can’t be Robin and all. But I guess you can stay.”

I love that Batman’s all, like, “I totally already knew that.”.


“Occam’s Razor: That story was too stupid to have happened; ergo, Stephanie was alive…. Well, and those cases are expensive.”

Really, they could’ve fed me any old crap and I would’ve been just as happy to have Miss Brown back. But it certainly helps that it was Dixon and it was good.

Meanwhile the fangrrrls over at Girl-Wonder seem to either be congratulating themselves unduly for being pests or waiting to be told what their opinion should be. (sigh). Props to Doctor Benhatton, who already said it better.

Marty's Pick of the Week
Batman and the Outsiders #7

Man it's really good to have Dixon back. Maybe I should’ve been reading Rush City, b/c he’s killing the books he’s on at the moment.

The only reason this wins over Robin is b/c this is a better single issue of comics, despite Robin's longer time coming.

I don’t know that I’ve ever read Dixon doing a team book before, I was worried about that coming in. Sure, Birds of Prey probably counts nowadays, but not the way Dixon wrote it.

He switches between personalities, dialogue and multiple conflicts beautifully. Including characters that until recently were creator’s pets, like Grace and Thunder. And I get to read Batgirl as she’s intended and TGI Nightwing! You have to know I jumped up and down cheering when he showed up.

There’s a lot that goes on in any given issue even if the arc itself has been fairly protracted. This might be the first time I’ve seen someone put Rex in a danger that I can believe is actually dangerous for a man made of his own elements.

Really cool stuff and highly recommended.

And there’s room for a few chuckles too.


“Is this… is this a Bat-Sandwich?”

Classic.

It’s was one of those weeks. The kind that are kind of hard to review.

Nothing particularly controversial. Nothing drop-dead amazing. Nothing really sucked.

I can’t even find anything exceptional to scan and say something pithy about.

(shrug)

Oh well, read on if you want.

If I was really smart I’d have some Mother’s Day fight lined up to finish off Yo’ Mama Week…. Well, I don’t know how smart I am, but I can bring you Addie Wilson’s boy fighting a fleet-footed orphan.

Yeah, let’s do that.

Tonight’s card:

Joseph “Jericho” Wilson

versus

Richard Jonathan “Nightwing” Grayson

First appearance of Nightwing (as Nightwing) and Joe (as Jericho) brought to you by Marv Wolfman and George Perez. Two bad mothers in their own right.

I know some blogs out there manage to have whole weeks dedicated to theme. While I don't know if I want to commit to anything so specific, I still have a little love to spread for Mother's Day.

Let’s keep it going for the momma’s in the house with a visual ode using one of the great mother/daughter teams of the past year:

Helena and Selina Kyle

Countdown #6

Why should I care? Seriously? Give me one reason --as-written-- that this issue means one whit to me? You’ve picked some 11th Hour nonsensical shift in narration and scope, then you’ve destroyed the world and beyond that the universe, and…. You’ve done that already.

Lots of times in the last year or three, in fact. It really does get old, you know. The uniqueness has worn off. The shine is off the universal-genocide apple. If you hadn’t propped up the multiverse –rich and pregnant with storytelling possibility- just to knock it over; or started every team book of this generation with a murder, I might -might- give half a crap.

I’ve made a lot of public overtures about being on board here DC. DiDio? You hearing me? Please don’t make me regret it. You’ve said it’s going somewhere. Good, let’s get to that.

Batman and the Outsiders #5


”Hey, welcome back guys! … guys? Ahem, guys?”

Huzzah, it’s about time you two showed up. Although I’m a little glad this was spoiled for me. The actual reveal was a little disappointing. Maybe Dixon took for granted we’d figure it out by now and didn’t bother with the auspice of mystery? I dunno, maybe it would read better if I didn’t know what was coming? It just seemed to end with a whiffling: “Merry Christmas from the Dibny’s”.


Do they have to possess a man and woman respectively? That’s niche.

This series really is a lot of fun. I was worried about Dixon on a pure team book, but it’s fun and more or less in his wheelhouse. I certainly recommend it over JLA.


I don’t even have anything smartass to say, it’s nice to have her back on our side.

It does beg the question what’s going to happen once Robinson’s Justice League hits the scene, though, doesn’t it? There’s always room for more, but it’s a curious choice nonetheless to have multiple proactive, below the radar, off the rez teams running around.

It’s clear from the comments at Newsarama, a lot of people are confusing proactive with preemptive, however.

Birds of Prey #116

I’m confused. Gail came back for this? Is she just finishing McKeever’s story so he can go and concentrate on the book he’s kind of sucking on?

I mean, crap, the issue was fine. Great even. Good to have her back and all that, but like, is this the story McKeever had in mind? Is Gail “fixing” it. Just to be clear I didn’t think it was broke. I thought McKeever was doing a fine job --at least on this book, but a few scenes seemed to switch focus mid-stream in this issue and it leaves questions.

It’s all a little bit bittersweet is all I’m saying. Let’s just hope the refocus does McKeever some good.

Meanwhile, it’s great to have you back Gail.


”Mama said knock you out! And by Mama, I mean, Gail.”

Brave and the Bold #11

Yeah, still awesome. It’s like watching Mark Waid get to second base with the DCU.

For all of the whacky goings-on in this series, there is a plan. MF’er lives in the sun! That’s awesome, and gave me a good case of the “oh shits” when it reminded me that’s where Wonder Woman threw the very object she wanted to keep away from dude. That’s where everybody throws everything they want to keep away from villains. Very clever, Waid. Very clever. The hand is yours.

Plus, this:


Let us bow our heads and remember the simple joy behind Earth 3.

Who do you get if you’re going to lose Jorge Perez on art? Jerry Ordway? Yeah, shit, might as well. I approve.

Catwoman #77

It’s just weird is all. Like, it’s almost a waste of issues, but I’m guessing Pfeifer is more cleverer than that. At this rate his next issue should line up toward the end of Salvation Run and thusly he’s spent all the time allotted for Catwoman to be off-world, while not interfering with the overarching plot.

I—I think I’m in love.

Plus it gave Will a fun opportunity to have Selina beat hell out of the Justice League and probably involves her getting her cat-burglaring, supervillainy groove back. That’s not something you can just fly to Jamaica and bang Taye Diggs for. That’s something you dream up an alternate universe, drop Hal Jordan and steal his ring for.


”Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar; and sometimes a kicked-ass is just a kicked-ass. Freud said that.”

Blue Beetle, huh? See you there, Will.

Checkmate #24

Action packed, and all sorts of cool on multiple levels. Maybe a little too rushed… maybe overpacked? This won’t be the last time you hear this complaint from me this week.

This story would’ve made a great line-wide crossover, I think, instead of crammed into these scant few pages. Or at least spread over a few books, y’know? I know that's not a popular opinion, but if you're going to threaten the entire world it only seems right that everyone gets a share. Lots of cool stuff is going wrong, every hero on Earth is under Checkmate’s direction, and one metric ass-load of Kali Yuga is busting loose.

I gotta’ enjoy it while it lasts b/c Bruce fucking Jones is coming to take over the book soon, and that will be the first issue I don’t buy. As far as I’m concerned this series ends the minute Rucka puts down his pen.

Bruce Jones? What possible evidence do you have that he won't ruin this like he ruins everything else he's ever touched? He's, like, #4 on my top ten list of people who should never find work again. Seriously.

Death of the New Gods #7

I could’ve totally skipped all of Countdown and just read this. Man that burns my nuts.


”Die for Disco Darkseid.”

Justice League of America #19

I guess this was good? I don’t know. Better than some issues, worse than others.

This is the other book I think had too much going on:

Salvation Run! J’onn’s a spy! Superman didn’t know! And he’s sad about it! Waller! Time to go to space! Flag is on the team! Kendra thinks she has an opinion on Roy’s relationship with his daughter’s mother! Travel through space! Prison planet! J’onn! Villains! Cheshire! This way! Energy hands! Flag reports something weird! Kendra needs to shut her damn mouth! Kanjar Ro! Nth Metal! Roy! Day saved! Superman is over it! Where are the villains? Dum dum dummmm!

…and scene.

I know there’s some to-do about needing less decompression in comics these days, but I would’ve let this have two issues. I really would’ve.

Kanjar Ro? And now, Queen Bee? Are we rolling out the old JL733t for a reason? A good reason? Weird. And where’s McDuffie?

If I’m being honest, I need to stop reading this book. You might should too. You’re missing a whole lot of nothing much. Robinson will be along soon to roll and smoke this book.

Marty’s Pick of the Week
Robin #172

Alphabetically last but significantly not least.

Man, it’s really good to have Dixon back. Sometimes a favorite creator’s return just isn’t what it’s cracked up to be. Waid on the Flash comes to mind (not bad but not great); or Wolfman on Nightwing (fell into old ruts too quickly). But Dixon is already hitting balls out of the park. Nightwing could use this kind of shot in the arm (instead of the other kind… in the ass).

For instance, yeah Tim uses a handglider in the course of this issue. He uses it once, in addition to traditional swinglines, while pointing out how difficult and impractical it is to use in a city. And if you note, he specifically uses it to go from high altitudes to a single-story district that would be impossible to swing around the old fashioned way. That’s actually smart.

I don’t want to weigh Chuck down too soon, but can we please get him over on Dick’s book sooner than later? Please? He needs you. More than Tim did, although probably less than Stephanie did... oh, right, speak of which:


”Is it safe yet, Mr. Dixon?”

I may not be so keen on the individuals who comprise the Girl Wonder crowd, but I still support the overarching cause. So obviously this last page made me smile. I admit to a bit of hesitation, though. Afterall, Ted Kord is back but we don’t think that’s going to come up roses now do we? Does this portend greater doom, or are we willing to accept this as a backpedalling peace offering?

I mean, I am.

Good to have you back, sir. Any chance you can put in a good word for Ms. Grayson?