THE CAT'S MEOW: What's Good on the Shelf This Week-Year 2 - Week 17 ___________________________________________________________________________
Reviews by John Norris, January 01, 2008

THE FLASH #235: “The Wild Wests, part 5: Headlong/The Fast Life, part 3: Bart” (Teen/Young Adult)

Mark Waid & John Rogers (w); Freddie E. Williams II & Doug Braithwaite (artists); Tanya & Richard Horie (c); Jared K. Fletcher (l); cover by Daniel Acuna

Publisher: DC

Format: monthly series

Concept: Wally West returns as the Scarlet Speedster.

In this issue : Even getting a WMD built in five minutes won't stop an alien invasion, so what's the Flash's next trick? Plus, the backup feature "Fast Life" reveals Wally West's first visit to the world known as Planet Flash! (from dccomics.com)

Review: Ah, the joys of being a superhero and a new father. You get to fight evil aliens AND worry about your super-powered kids at the same time! But in the middle of all the action, Jai finally opens up and shares what he knows, and you can just see Flash breathing a sigh of relief…before going into battle again. In the “Fast Life” backup story, it's double the kickstands—er, sidekicks—as Impulse enters the scene along with S'Kidd Flash! Once again, Braithwaite's art is simply beautiful.

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INVINCIBLE PRESENTS ATOM EVE #1 (Teen/Young Adult)

Benito Cereno (w); Nate Bellegarde (p/i); Bill Crabtree (c); Rus Wooton (l); cover by Cory Walker & Crabtree

Publisher: Image

Format: two-issue miniseries

In this issue: From the pages of INVINCIBLE! You know her, you love her, it's the girl after Invincible's heart: ATOM EVE! Find out how she got her powers, and what shaped her into the woman she is today. Robert Kirkman presents a tale of tragedy and triumph that will have lasting effects on the INVINCIBLE series. (from imagecomics.com)

Review: Atom Eve takes the spotlight here, and the story traces her life from birth to present day. We learn who her parents are and the circumstances surrounding her birth. At every stage in life, she is clearly different and smarter than everyone else, which leads to an argument with her father and putting her science knowledge to good use when stopping her first robbery. And then there's the mysterious Doctor Brandyworth, who has been a part of her life since the day she was born, and who can't bear the thought of losing her. It's a fascinating look at the origin of one of the main characters in the Invincible universe.

Look out for: lab test subjects and minor swearing

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MARVEL ADVENTURES IRON MAN #8: “The Simple Life” (All Ages)

Fred Van Lente (w); Rafa Sandoual (p); Roger Bonet (i); Ulises Arreola (c); Dave Sharpe (l); cover by Skottie Young

Publisher: Marvel

Format: monthly series

Concept: Billionaire inventor Tony Stark built a suit of armor that saved his life. He now fights against the forces of evil as the invincible Iron Man!

In this issue: Ambushed by the villainess Jolt, his armor ruined, Tony Stark finds himself trapped in an isolated village run by folks who have chosen to live a peaceful, agrarian 19th century existence...without any technology. With Jolt hot on his trail, what's a tech-dependent hero to do? That's right: hole up in the blacksmith shed and hammer out an all-new suit of STEAM-POWERED ARMOR! Aw, yeah. (from marvel.com)

Review: Tony's really out of his element in this issue, his armor completely ruined and having landed in a farming town where people have chosen to live without technology. While that may sound unrealistic, you can't exactly blame the townspeople for wanting to live without commercialism and violence; heck, even Tony starts to find it appealing. But there's a time for peace and a time for standing up for what's right, as one woman (who knows stark) learns when Jolt comes back to finish the job. Dreams are important, even if the people behind them make mistakes. The steam-powered armor looks awesome, though I don't see how Tony can stand it in there!
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TEEN TITANS GO! #50: “Graduation Day” (All Ages)

J. Torres (w); Todd Nauck (p); Lary Stucker (i); Heroic Age (c); John J. Hill (l); cover by Nauck & Kanila Tripp

Publisher: DC

Format: monthly series

Concept: Follow the adventures of the Teen Titans, based on the hit cartoon.

In this issue : The Titans hit the big 5-0! When Robin's out of commission, it's up to the rest of the team to gather everyone and anyone who's ever been a Titan to help save the day! (from dccomics.com)

Review: In this issue, Torres looks at good and bad leadership, and their effects on a person. The issue opens with a quick recap of Private Hive's adventures in various groups. Readers may remember that Robin told him to stop following the wrong kinds of leaders and take the lead himself, which he's done. But in so doing, he's become exactly the type of leader that he had in those groups, offering his new recruits a way to fight back and take what they want instead of teaching them how to do good. Robin, on the other hand, not only effectively communicates with the other Titans, but is quick to realize the need for the Titans to branch out.

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ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #117: “Death of a Goblin, part 6” (Teen/Young Adult)

Brian Michael Bendis (w); Stuart Immonen (p); Wade von Grawbadger (i); Justin Ponsor (c); Cory Petit (l); cover by Immonen & Ponsor

Publisher: Marvel

Format: monthly series

Concept: The bite of a genetically-altered spider grants high school student Peter Parker incredible, arachnid-like powers.

In this issue : The fatal finale to “Death of a Goblin!” This is it, the gut-wrenching conclusion to Spider-Man's battle against both the Green Goblin – and his son, the Hobgoblin! It's been building for years – now the tragic tale of Peter Parker, Norman Osborn and Harry Osborn comes to a shattering conclusion! Be there for the shocker in the series that IGN.com calls a “Must Read!” (from marvel.com)

Review: I'm not quite sure how to take death scenes in comics these days. The problem is that too many characters have died and then miraculously been brought back to life. It's gotten to the point where death doesn't seem to mean very much in comics anymore. That said, this is an outstanding issue. Harry Osborn reveals his dad's true nature on TV…and the lid comes off. The most thrilling thing about this issue is the emotional aspect of it. There's the anger between a father and son, the feeling of loss…and when we least expect it, a rare glimpse of the man beneath the monster in Norman Osborn. Immonen captures this emotion beautifully, from the power of the fight between Harry and Norman to the sadness in Peter Parker's eyes in the great final panel. This is an unforgettable finale, and it's my hope that those characters who die (you'll have to read to find out who) will stay dead, or else there had better be a DARN good reason for bringing them back.

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X-MEN FIRST CLASS #7: “The Catalyst, part 2” (Teen/Young Adult)

Jeff Parker (w); Roger Cruz (p/i); Val Staples (c); Nate Piekos (l); cover by Eric Nguyen

Publisher: Marvel

Format: monthly series

Concept: The next step in human evolution has arrived—Homo Superior. Mankind isn't sure whether this represents hope for the future…or the end of the human race. In a private school in upstate New York, one brilliant mutant is teaching a group of five such gifted students what they'll need to survive in this new world. These are the untold stories of Professor Xavier's first class of X-Men!

In this issue : “Huh. We done got our powers back.”
“Ayep.”
“But they're outta control.”
“Ayep.”
“Guess we're gonna be breakin' a buncha stuff.”
“Dag.” (from marvel.com)
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Review: It starts with Henry P. McCoy's hilarious “X-Men vs. Sentinels: A Comparative Analysis,” and then we're dropped in the middle of the action, as the powerless X-Men are surrounded by 99 Sentinels! I won't tell you how they manage to get out of that one, but their powers reappear as suddenly and as mysteriously as they had vanished…and then some! But too much power is never good for anyone, and as much as they enjoy it, they must accept that fact and get rid of the excess power before it's too late.

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COLLECTIONS

THE FLASH: THE FASTEST MAN ALIVE—FULL THROTTLE collects FLASH: FMA #7-13.

To be reviewed in next week's column:

JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED #41

By thy side,

John “Figaro” Norris

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