THE CAT'S MEOW: What's Good on the Shelf This Week
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ALL FLASH #1 (Teen/Young Adult)
Mark Waid (w); Karl Kerschl, Ian Churchill, Norm Rapmund, Manuel Garcia, Joe Bennett, Ruy Juse & Daniel Acuna (p/i); Stephane Peru, Tanya & Richard Horie & Acuna (c); Pat Brousseau (l); covers by Josh Middleton & Bill Sienkiewicz
Publisher: DC
Format: one-shot
In this issue: The aftermath of THE FLASH: THE FASTEST MAN ALIVE #13. The Fastest Man Alive's world changes forever! (from dccomics.com)
Review: Bart Allen is dead. I have mixed feelings about that, as I felt he was really beginning to come into his own as the Scarlet Speedster. But what's done is done, I suppose. Both Wally West and Mark Waid are back, connecting the dots between THE FASTEST MAN ALIVE #13 and the upcoming FLASH #231. We find out what Wally had to do with Bart's losing his speed, what happens with Inertia and the Rogues, and what will become of Wally and his family. As Aunt Iris puts it, “it's going to be one hell of a ride.” I can't wait.
Look out for: minor use of language
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GARGOYLES #5: “Clan-Building, Chapter 5: Bash” (Teen/Young Adult)
Greg Weisman (w); Karine Charlebois (p/i); Stephanie Lostimolo (c); cover by Greg Guler & Lostimolo
Publisher: SLG Publishing
Format: bi-monthly series
Concept: Stone by day, warriors by night, the Gargoyles were betrayed by those they had sworn to protect. In modern Manhattan , the spell that held them frozen for a thousand years is broken, and the Gargoyles live again!
In this issue: Thailog and crew crash the party!
Review: Thailog is a guy I love to hate. I love him because he's deliciously evil, and I hate him because…well, he's deliciously evil. Weisman writes the character in such a way that while you know you aren't supposed to like him, there's something about his composure and choice of words that makes him compelling. The clan's all here—both of them, in fact—and Thailog is merciless. But just when it seems that he has the upper hand…well, I'll let you find that out for yourselves, faithful readers. As for the artwork, it is a MAJOR improvement over the last issue, thanks to Charlebois and Lostimolo.
Look out for: blood
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LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES IN THE 31 st CENTURY #4: “Higher Education” (All Ages)
Christine Boylan (w); Steve Uy (p/i/c); Phil Balsman (l); cover by Uy
Publisher: DC
Format: monthly series
Concept: Follow the adventures of the Legion, based on their hit cartoon.
In this issue: It's just another day in the life of a half-living computer, half-teenaged super-hero: fighting crime, saving the galaxy, acing your final exams. Will brains win out over brawn when the Fatal Five come to Brainy's home planet? Or will failure be the first thing on Brainy's permanent record? (from dccomics.com)
Review: Phantom Girl says it best: all isolated kids have one thing that they can rely on, one thing that never lets them down. For Brainy, that would be his brain. So when he makes a mistake (or THINKS he's made a mistake—whether or not he actually does is for you to find out), he is naturally worried. But there IS something to be learned here: everyone, regardless of intelligence level, can learn from other people, especially their teammates.
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MARVEL ADVENTURES GIANT-SIZE AVENGERS #1 (All Ages)
Jeff Parker (w); Leonard Kirk (p/i); Val Staples (c); Dave Sharpe (l); cover by Kirk, Pallot & Sotomayor
Publisher: Marvel
Format: one-shot
Concept: Super-Soldier from World War II, weather goddess, brilliant armored inventor, spider-powered web-slinger, giant-sized crimefighter, feral mutant brawler…they are THE AVENGERS. A spy, a goddess, a gorilla, a spaceman, a mermaid and a robot…during the 1950's, they were THE AGENTS OF ATLAS.
In this issue: Remember your history–The Avengers didn't thaw out Captain America , and Kang the Conqueror became Master of the World throughout all time. To make a brighter future, our heroes have to go to the 1950's and enlist the help of The Agents of ATLAS! Plus extras! (from marvel.com)
Review: Believe me when I say that Parker and Kirk have delivered one doozy of a time-travel story! Kang, the Avengers, the Agents of ATLAS, dinosaurs in New York …this issue has it all! What if Kang altered history so that the Agents unthawed Captain America in 1958? We see the effects of that event, and what the Avengers and Agents must to do set things right again. It's a very entertaining story with some hilarious interplay between Wolverine and Gorilla Man. Also included are Namora's first appearance in MARVEL MYSTERY COMICS #82 (May 1947) and the first appearance of Venus in VENUS #1 (August 1948).
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MARVEL ADVENTURES FANTASTIC FOUR #26: “Countdown to Oblivion” (All Ages)
Fred Van Lente (w); Cory Hamscher (p/i); Lee Loughridge (c); Dvae Sharpe (l); cover by Smith & Strain
Publisher: Marvel
Format: monthly series
Concept: Irradiated by cosmic rays and transformed to possess superhuman powers, they joined together to fight evil. Mister Fantastic, the Invisible Girl, the Human Torch and the Thing. Together they call themselves the Fantastic Four!
In this issue: A massive alien refugee fleet streams through our solar system, bearing the warning: "Galactus is coming! Galactus is coming!" And right behind them is the World-Devourer's herald, the SILVER SURFER -- headed straight for Earth! Reed Richards has only a few days to evacuate the planet before it's destroyed ... or, failing that, figure out a way to somehow stop the unstoppable! (from marvel.com)
Review: If you saw FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER and want more, this is the issue for you. Like the movie, the Four have to defend the Earth from Galactus. What's different is how Reed Richards confronts Galactus and the Surfer's subsequent actions. In the end, Van Lente brings a touch of sadness to the story, and Hamscher & Loughridge make the Surfer look great.
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MARVEL ADVENTURES HULK #1: “Is He Man or Monster or…Is He BOTH?” (All Ages)
Paul Benjamin (w); David Nakayama (p); Gary Martin (i); Wil Quintana (c); Dave Sharpe & Chris Eliopoulos (l); cover by Pagulayan, Huet & Sotomayer
Publisher: Marvel
Format: monthly series
Concept: Caught in a blast of gamma-radiation, brilliant scientist Bruce Banner now finds himself living as a fugitive, cursed to transform in times of stress into the living engine of destruction known as the HULK.
In this issue: The debut of the newest member of the critically-acclaimed MARVEL ADVENTURES line! Caught in a blast of gamma radiation, brilliant scientist Bruce Banner now finds himself in times of stress turning into the living engine of destruction know as THE INCREDIBLE HULK! (from marvel.com)
Review: The Hulk finally gets his own MA title, and his origin is retold for a new generation. All the major players are here: Banner, Rick Jones, Betty and General Ross. While there are some changes (Rick Jones being an intern, for one thing), the basic plot is the same: Banner tests the gamma bomb, Rick Jones gets caught at ground zero, Banner rescues Jones and gets caught in the blast. Benjamin and the art team do a nice job of staying true to the essence of the Hulk while tweaking the story just enough to make it feel fresh, probably best exemplified by the first page, in which they re-imagine a classic Hulk cover image. Speaking of art, Hulk books have had fantastic artists in the past, and Nakayama is no exception. He helps gives the humans real personalities and makes the Hulk look as powerful as he's supposed to be. Most worthwhile.
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SONIC X #22: “Decoe and Bocoe's Not-So-Excellent Misadventure” (All Ages)
Joe Edkin (w); James Fry (p); Terry Austin (i); Josh Ray (c); John Workman (l); cover by Patrick “Spaz” Spaziante
Publisher: Archie
Format: monthly series
Concept: During a battle between Sonic the Hedgehog and Dr. Eggman, an explosion hurled Sonic, his friends, and Dr. Eggman across dimensions until they found themselves on planet Earth. Dr. Eggman is determined to establish his Eggman Empire, beginning with Earth…and Sonic is determined to stop him.
In this issue: After years of service, the evil Eggman fires his loyal henchbots Decoe and Bocoe and replaces them with the deadliest 'bots ever, Dukow and Bukow! These new bots won't take 'lose' for an answer, and hand Sonic the fight of his life! If he hopes for even a small shot at victory, Sonic must team up with the last person anyone would expect! (from tfaw.com)
Review: Even though Mike Bullock didn't write this issue, I decided to give it a shot anyway. Dr. Eggman has finally had enough of Decoe and Bocoe's constant bumbling, so he lets them go! Poor little guys…you just have to feel for them. Since they have no money to pay for their motor oil, they decide to get jobs! The sight of two bumbling robots working as ice-cream parlor employees (and what they do to the shop) will put a smile on your face. Meanwhile, what is Eggman building to replace them? Can Sonic foil his plans? Will Decoe and Bocoe ever get their old jobs back? You will have to find out for yourselves, faithful readers! It's good fun.
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TEXAS STRANGERS #2: “Training Day, part 2” (All Ages)
Antony Johnston & Dan Evans III (w); Mario Boon (p/i/l); Traci Hui (c); cover by Boon & Hui
Publisher: Image
Format: quarterly series
Concept: Six Shooters and Sorcery! Gunslingers and Goblins! Old Magic meets the New World as teenage twins Wyatt and Madara begin a perilous quest to reclaim their heritage and dispose of a deadly artifact in a weird Wild West - a world full of monsters, mayhem and the mysterious lawmen called Texas Strangers!
In this issue: A dead Stranger, gun-totin' villains, and a runaway wagon train adds up to big trouble for teenage twins Wyatt and Madara! Help is at hand in the form of an Elf and an Ogre, Tula and Zog—Texas Strangers who will stop at nothing to prevent Black Bart's plan to blow up a commune full of mages. But can they all work together and deal with the outlaws in time? Or will it all go BOOM? Don't miss the explosive end of the first story in this new Western fantasy adventure for all ages! (from imagecomics.com)
Review: When we last left our young heroes, the Lobo Blancos had kidnapped Wyatt and were heading toward an Indian commune with carts full of dynamite. Picking up where the first issue left off, the action hits the ground running and does not let up. Nothing gets in the way of the story; it moves along at a nicely brisk pace and just seems to gain momentum with each panel. Credit must go to the creative team for turning the action up to 11 without doing the same thing with the violence. They know, for example, that all you need in order to depict someone getting shot is a bad guy with a gun, a bullet sound effect, and the victim's reaction, and the reader will get it. It's a tasteful yet action-packed story that is ENORMOUSLY entertaining.
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ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #111: “The Talk” (Teen/Young Adult)
Brian Michael Bendis (w); Mark Bagley & Stuart Immonen (p); Drew Hennessy (i); Justin Ponsor (c); Cory Petit (l); covers by Bagley, Immonen & Richard Isanove
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 artistic baton is passed from longtime penciler Mark Bagley to stunning new ongoing artist Stuart Immonen, of Ultimate X-Men and Ultimate Fantastic Four fame! Peter and his Aunt May have perhaps the most important conversation of Peter's life. It's a gut-wrenching, emotional roller coaster you'll never forget. And on the lighter side, we introduce the latest addition to the Spidey villains gallery—say hello to Ultimate Spot! We kid thee not. (from marvel.com)
Review: This is it. This is the issue in which Peter and Aunt May finally have THE TALK—hence the story's title—and Peter unloads a LOT of stuff, beginning with that fateful spider bite and ending with Spidey's fight with Ultimate Spot. Bendis writes the whole issue beautifully. This is also the issue in which Bagley says farewell, and he goes out in the best possible way: by once again displaying his knack for facial expressions and by leaving us with one final splash page of a swinging Spidey. Immonen's pages look nice as well, and I'm looking forward to seeing his work here, but he has a tough act to follow. Bagley will certainly be missed; he deserves as much credit as Bendis for making ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN what it is today.
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Ladies and gentlemen, in continuing with my look at Transformers trades, I give you:
TRANSFORMERS: WAR WITHIN, vol. 1 (Teen/Young Adult)
Simon Furman (w); Don Figueroa (p); Elaine To (i); Rob Ruffolo (c); Dreamer Design (l)
Publisher: IDW
Review: So you know what happens in the new movie and in the MOVIE PREQUEL. But do you know what happened before G1 (that's Generation One) took place? This story takes place on Cybertron, four million years before the Autobots and Decepticons land on Earth—and things are not well. Civil war has broken out, and the Decepticons have the advantage. The gang's all here, but I really like the way Furman handles Megatron, Starscream, and especially Grimlock. (When he says, “Me, Grimlock—BADASS,” he's not kidding.) But for me, the REAL thrill of this volume is witnessing the birth, if you will, of Optimus Prime. It's a great portrait of someone coming to terms with their destiny and gradually becoming a hero. There's even a brief reference to G1. It's all beautifully written by Furman, with eye-popping art. Also included are Figueroa's “blueprints” and cover gallery. It's available at bookstores everywhere.
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To be reviewed in next week's column:
INVINCIBLE #44
MARVEL ADVENTURES IRON MAN #3
TEEN TITANS GO #46
USAGI YOJIMBO #104
By thy side,
July 22, 07
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