This Week's Haul: Cowboys and Indians

I didn't get to read all my comics last night because of Grindhouse, so I'm a little late with this. I have some new additions to the weekly reviews. Most importantly, Jonah Hex, which I am now caught up on and have decided to buy monthly rather than wait for the trades because, frankly, it's pretty much my favourite comic.

This is also the week that Living Between Wednesdays reader and super-fan Mark Sable started writing Supergirl, so I checked that out.

I was hoping to be caught up on The Atom by now, but next month for sure! Same with Runaways. I'm also planning to add Blue Beetle, Birds of Prey, Green Lantern, Manhunter and Daredevil within the next month.

And there's some new Marvel junk this week. Let's get started!!

Justice League of America #7

You know, I was smiling throughout the entire three hours of Grindhouse. Then I got home and read this before bed, and damn if my face didn't get a chance to relax. This was delightful.

First of all, there's this:

Adorable! (Even cuter that he gets it framed and hangs it in the cave later).

And then there's Roy being totally great-looking in his new costume, and being all flustered and happy with being invited to join the league. And making Canary and Hal cry. And the new headquarters! With the slideways door that leads to the watchtower in space!! So rad! And the pull-out of the whole league?! That was an exciting surprise.

I really love this series. It's the little details. There are so many fun little moments like this one:

He looks at his boots!

I seriously love this line-up. It's going to be a good time.

I like Meltzer's banter. I like the things he imagines the heroes do together when they are hanging out. Like Arrow and Lantern:

All this plus a Starro story-line? Beautiful!

Midnighter #6

My boyfriend's back! And he's totally...weird. This one-shot story was set in feudal Japan. While not as fun as the rest of the Ennis run, it was certainly sexy. I actually don't have much to say about it. It was fine. Next month...Brian K Vaughan!

Superman #661

Ladies, ladies, ladies!

First of all, I just want to say that Wonder Woman's shorts looked fantastic in this comic, so nice work Eduardo Barreto! In general, I really liked the art in this book. It was cartoony and fun. This comic was mostly about women, and Superman just played a supporting role.
I really liked that Clark was magically changed into Superman in the middle of a room full of people and yet his identity remained protected because no one could remember what he looked like before he became Superman. ("Was he wearing glasses?" "No, a false mustache.")

Good-looking and fun. I liked it. Especially Lois breaking the fourth wall in the final panel.

52: Week 48

So that answers that question about where Batwoman is, one year later. Batwoman: we hardly knew ye. But you looked damn good. This issue was a lot more focussed than last week, but I have to say, the last page, being the only page not part of the Montoya/Batwoman storyline, was totally my favourite part. I guess my theory about Black Adam turning the tables on Sivana that I made last week was incorrect. He's in pretty rough shape. And Sivana saying "I finally found a way to dissolve the enamel on the Black Marvel's teeth" gets my vote for comic quote of the week. Or the year. (Think about it...he used the word "finally". That's hilarious).

Detective Comics #831

Not bad. Not bad at all. I really don't like Don Kramer's art, largely because his facial expressions are weird, but I didn't think it was too bad in this book. One thing I can say that's positive about his art is that he doesn't do cheescake. And there were a few panels in this book that were actually really nice. Like this one:

Harley is an undeniably endearing character, and Dini obviously loves writing her. It was a good little story. I really liked Harley telling Batman about meeting the Ventriloquist in Arkham and how he reached out to her. I'm a sucker for stories that humanize Bat-villains.

Superman/Batman #33

Ok, they should just change this to Superman Loves Batman and get it over with.

This ends the not-so-hot Enemies Among Us storyline. I liked this issue ok, but mainly because this really felt like it might be the one where they finally kiss. I mean...Superman taught Batman that the most powerful weapon against mind-controlling aliens is...love. Or, at least, trust. Anyway, it ends with this bit of fluffy goodness:

I am a sucker for Batman holding a cup of coffee.

And then we get a Bruce Wayne who is a changed man, Christmas Carol-style:

WHAT?! It better not! Oh Verheiden, go back to Smallville, where your sugar-coating cannot possibly make things sweeter. (I like Mark Verheiden. I'm just sayin'...)

And the last page? Well:

God that's romantic.

Do you know what would have been amazing? If Superman/Batman had, first of all, been called World's Finest, and had just been a series of one-shot stories, each time told by a different writer and artist pairing. A different set of storytellers for each issue, so everyone would have a chance to tell one story about the two biggest guns in the DC rack. Then the title would have referred to the characters and the authors/artists. Wouldn't that have been awesome?! Is it too late for that?

Supergirl #16

I said I'd read it, and I did. And...I liked it. It satisfied my nerdy love of Krypton-based stories, and it gave a really interesting and compelling backstory for Kara. It also showed us where she got her good looks, because her dad is a stone fox. See? I'm not totally against objectification.
The art is really nice, and that's refreshing. I mean, that costume is always going to suck, but the cartoon-style art makes her look a lot less gross. And the new studded belt is kinda fun and teenager-ish (it is new, isn't it?). I'll keep hoping for an issue where she matures a little and realizes that her costume is ridiculous and changes it.

The issue started with the line "You are a failure, Kara. An utter and complete failure." So right away I was enjoying myself. The book was delightfully self-aware. The theme of the whole issue was basically "Nobody likes you, let's figure out why and then do something about that." It had a great cliff-hanger ending that makes me want to read the next issue. So far so good. A definite improvement. And you know I really wanted to hate this, so this praise has weight to it.

Fallen $on: The Death of Captain America #1 featuring Wolverine

What a frigging cash-grab.

This actually featured everyone but Spider-Man, pretty much. It's written by Jeph Loeb, so it's full of totally natural dialogue like this:

Wolverine: That's how everybody and their grandmother remembers you. Bucky, Captain America's teenage sidekick back in World War Two. Kids all around the world dreamed of just meeting Cap -- and there you were in your dandy red-and-blues, fighting along-side the living legend. And we remember how you died.

Winter Soldier: I wasn't the only one people thought died that day. The world also lost Cap back then.

Wolverine: Exactly...And here you are. All alive and stuff. And after digging him out of a block of ice, Cap survived as well.

Clunk, clunk, clunk.

And Iron Man is still hanging out next to Steve Rogers' body. Boyfriend, much?

This was pretty lame. See the movies, kids! Buy the toys! I'm surprised Silver Surfer didn't glide on in for a page or two.

I was hoping I wouldn't have to bust this out again, but:

Avengers: The Initiative #1

This is me trying to care about Marvel, post-Civil War.

I actually enjoyed this comic. It was fun. Superhero bootcamp. It had some fun characters and nice art. I have nothing else really to say about it. I'll read the next issue, though.

Jonah Hex #18

Jonah has a bad day in this one. Makes some mistakes. He also kills a bear and says some really awesome things. There have been a lot of artists on this series with a lot of different styles, and they have all been excellent. This week it's provided by Val Semeiks, and he's of the school that likes to make Hex's face extra gross. I respect that.

This series is so good. It's the first thing I recommend to anyone who asks me what comics are good. You could pick up any random issue and completely enjoy it. Plus, he's such a perfect fictional character. And everyone likes cowboys.

Scalped #4

And we've come to the Indians half of this post's title.

This series is good. It's one of those comics where you kind of forget that you're reading a comic. It feels more like I'm watching a television show or a movie. Dash is just a really compelling character, and beneath all the violence and profanity and bleak imagery there is a dark, but touching, love story. It's a really well-constructed series, and I recommend checking it out while it's still young.

This Week's Haul: Batman + Me Forever

Nothing cures a hangover like a big pile of shiny new comic books.

This week's post is inspired by some background graffiti in Wonder Woman. Someone awesome clearly wrote it:

We'll get to more Batman later, but first...

Superman Confidential #4

I can't help it. Everytime I think of this comic that High School Confidential song runs through my head.

I really like this series. There is no question that it is being overshadowed by All-Star Superman, and that's too bad. The line-up here is pretty damn all-star as well. And the comic is a delightful throw-back to funner times, while also giving us a story we haven't heard before. And I don't know about all y'all, but I am more than happy to have two quality year-one-ish Superman books on the go. It's not redundant. It's just awesome. It's the Scottie Pippin of comics. The Mark Messier. Totally great, but sadly standing next to someone just a little bit greater.

This was my favourite issue of the series so far. Jimmy is well-used, Superman continues to be adorable, and this is the greatest panel ever:

I love it.

Wonder Woman #6

Lookin' good this week, WW! Also...this comic was fun! Like, actually about what I wanted this series to be about: Wonder Woman trying to fit in with humanity. That's good stuff! There were lots of little jokes that made me smile, in particular Diana trying to figure out how the subway ticket machine worked. And having no idea how much gas costs. Also, finding that her action figures were selling at 75% off because no one cares about her. The layers, people!

Two comics down, both were fun. Let's check the next one:

Catwoman #65

Another awesome cover.

And the comic inside? Fun! I've been loving Catwoman's recent Metropolis-based storyline. That doesn't mean I haven't been reading each issue and crying, Milhouse-style, "When is she gonna run into Superman?!" Well, she finally does in this issue. And he's a jackass. And it's funny. Also, there is a Lex-bot, a time machine that can only send you four minutes into the past, some petty theft, and a rocket launcher.

I love Catwoman so much. Someday I'll make a coherent post about how much I love this character. But I got more comics to review right now:

Batman #664

It was so hard not to read this first, but I wanted to save it.

Morrison! Kubert! Reunited and it feels so good! Like, seriously, THIS is a proper Batman comic. Bruce Wayne is sexy as all hell, and we get to see him do all sorts of rad Bruce Wayne things. Heli-skiing, dating a famous lady, fancy dining, and taking down a helicopter full of paparazzi by hurling a ski pole at it. (Plus, you know he totally got some after the fancy dining).

Back in Gotham, he's lookin' Kubert-fresh in his Batsuit, and helping prostitutes. And also...THROWING BATARANGS THAT ACTUALLY COME BACK TO HIM! I don't know why that excited me so much, but it really, really did. Obviously it excited Morrison and Kubert too because they devoted a whole (awesome) page to it.

And this is just about the greatest first page of a comic ever:

HA! Just leaving the office! Fantastic! I can't wait for the next issue.

Action Comics #847

Well, this was weird. It wasn't bad. It was pretty to look at, and kinda heartwarming. But certainly weird. It was so very Smallville (or, I suppose, Birthright). Jonathan Kent looked so much like a slightly older John Schneider.
This book is all about father/son bonding, which means very little to me. Jonathan tells Martha about a time that their son treated him to an exciting trip into space. They had lied to Martha and told her they were going ice fishing. If I were Martha, I would be mad as hell that no one thought that I might be interested in seeing outer space. But, y'know, the muffins would burn.

Looked nice. A little too sweet for my tastes. Possibly a little too sweet for Count Chocula's tastes. And that's coming from a devoted Smallville fan.

Connon Hawke: Dragon's Blood #5

Oh, Connor. You are a dreamboat, and you may even be straight (that certainly seems to be the point of your series, which I have been saying should be called Connor Hawke: Straight as an Arrow!), but I gotta say...getting a little bored with this story. And it's only six issues long. In this issue he kills a dragon with a magic arrow. Phew!

52 Week 47

Ow. My head. So many storylines. And even the Origin of the Teen Titans backup was confusing.

Ok, the Nanda Parbat Tim Drake stuff was good. Bruce Wayne locking himself in a cave for a week while Tim sits outside and drinks soup while thinking about a goose in a bottle? Sure. That qualifies as fun. Tim talking to Wonder Woman? I liked it. Then we got to the Batwoman stuff and I got confused and sleepy. But then...Doc Magnus! And he's totally nuts! Little pocket-sized metal men talking to him! All with Black Adam screaming in the background from Sivana's chambers (Do you think it might actually be Sivana that's screaming? That's what my money is on).
Animal Man! Awesome! I can't wait to see what he's been up to, I really...Oh. It's over. And now we have stupid boring Steel(s). And they are starting a stupid boring club for stupid boring people. NEXT!
Montoya! Still looking like Michael Jackson! Checking in on Batwoman and...Nightwing! I am familiar with you! Thank God!
And we're back to Wonder Woman and Tim and...Bruce Wayne! Bustin' out of the cave and lookin' really happy:

Maybe someone in the cave told him that Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert were going to be teaming up to do his comic. Or maybe he was thinking about me. The important thing is that he's looking real foxy. And I like to think the next words out of his mouth are "Tim, son. I had an epiphany. I'm a billionaire. Let's go buy some women and some fast cars! From now on things are going to be ok!"

This Week's Haul: New and Improved Aquaman, Super Hero Crushes and Mad Scientists

I've decided not to change the title of my weekly new comic reviews from "This Week's Haul" because I can't think of a better one. Also, I've already been tagging the old posts using that. But I have added a subtitle, which I think jazzes it up nicely.

The theme of this week's new comics is Getting My Money's Worth, because I certainly did.

Spider-Man Loves Mary-Jane #16

New artist on this one, and we were all a little scared of that, but...

...he did good. David Hahn totally won me over with his drawings of Firestar:

Realism! That's how a tight costume would look on a young girl! You rule, David!

I love this comic sooooo much. Mary-Jane is with Harry, and Spider-Man is hanging out with Firestar, and Peter Parker is getting the cold shoulder from Gwen and Mary-Jane...oh the teen drama!

The Spirit #4

I have been waiting a long time to see this awesome cover somewhere other than the internet. Soooo nice.

I can't even think coherently about this series because I love it so much. It just keeps getting better and better, which is insane because the first issue was perfect.

One coherent thought: I love that the narration was Satin's, and that she repeatedly noted the dreaminess of The Spirit. But her narration was so tough that it lead you believe it was actually The Spirit talking for the whole first page.

Man this comic is fun. And Dave Stewart really works his magic on this one, with awesome washed-out colouring in the desert.

If you're not reading this series, you're just crazy.

The Brave and the Bold #2

Everybody earns their money with this issue. George Perez crams an unbelievable amount of art on every page. It's not just the cover. I believe that man could draw the entire DCU onto a grain of rice if he needed to. Bob Wacek had a whole lotta inking to do on this. Mark Waid has to put words in the mouths of two of DC's most famous self-involved chatterboxes, and he succeeds with witty banter and fun quips throughout. There is a hell of a lot of colour in this book , so kudos to Tom Smith, and my wrist hurt just looking at all the lettering that needed to be done. Well done, Rob Leigh!

Green Lantern and Supergirl. As it turns out, not a bad combo at all. Kara keeps flirting with Hal, Hal keeps reminding himself that Kara is 17. And that's gross, but also funny because it's Hal. Please go for it, Hal, just so I can watch Superman clean the floor with you.

Supergirl looked better than usual in this book. That's what you get when Perez is drawing, I guess. I will always hate that costume, but this was the best I'd seen it look.

Next on deck: Batman and Blue Beetle. We got a taste in this issue, but I really can't wait for more.

Detective Comics #830

Last we left our heroes, Batman was wearing an ill-fitting suit, Robin was sticky, and a terrorist was going to blow up Wayne Tower. Stuart Moore has been filling-in for Paul Dini for these two issues, and he did a decent job. This issue had some exciting moments. Bruce talking Tim through the removal of the blasting cap that was stuck in the plastic explosives covering Tim's body. The cap could be detonated at any moment, but they were both totally cool under the pressure. I like how the story has them only able to communicate though radio even though they are in the same building. It' s a tense little story. Good stuff.

I think I do like Andy Clarke's art. I was trying to decide on the last issue. It's very clean, but there's nice detail where detail needs to be. And this page is really nice:

Justice Society of America #4

What's this? A cover with a sense of humour from Alex Ross? Delicious!

I'll be interested to know why exactly Wildcat has a son who can actually turn into a wildcat. I am sure that he is interested himself. Until then, I'm just going to assume there's a good explanation and enjoy Ted bonding with his son.

This was another good issue. Another giant fight against Nazis. This series has been great at balancing the old characters and the new in a way that makes me care about all of them.

I'd like to give special attention to Dale Eaglesham's version of Powergirl. For Powergirl, she is downright presentable.

I mean, I've accepted that Powergirl is never going to be sensibly dressed, but that is a relatively small boob window she's sporting in this series. I also really like her very cute haircut and her loose-fitting, diagonal belt. I'd like to see her in some pants. I think pants suit her more, and kind of balance out the boob window, but I guess she's not supposed to be toned down.

Anyway, she certainly looks better when drawn by Eaglesham than by, oh, say...Michael Turner:
Oy.

52: Week 46

Revenge of the nerds!!! Black Adam heads to Oolong Island to hunt down the team of mad scientists who are responsible for killing his family. The result? Black Adam gets served!
First of all, let's acknowldge, because it's easy to forget, how awesome it is that, in 52, we got to see DC's mad scientist all-stars piled together on an island building doomsday devices.

And then we get to see them beat up on a superhero/villain/misunderstood strong guy:

Grand! Well done, Morrison!

Then we get some sort of closure (I assume...I hope...) to the whole Luthor/Steel fiasco, with help from Clark "I wish I could fly" Kent. And, in other news, Atom Smasher wants to help.

Also, there is an origin story for this fellow named Batman, who sounds like quite the hero indeed! I must look into this brave young man and his essential story lines.

Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #50

So, I didn't read much of the Busiek run on Aquaman, but I am familiar with what was going on. This was a nice big comic. It cost over a dollar more than usual, but I definitely felt I got my money's worth. It's a really fun read, and I would say a good place to start reading Aquaman if you're at all interested. I don't know much about Tad Williams , the new writer, because I don't read many fantasy comics, but the writing was great and I think Aquaman, being set under the sea and all, lends itself well to fantasy-style storytelling. There is no end to the creatures you can invent, or the landscapes.

I like the introduction of Topo:

He's not your grandmother's octopus friend! He's a whole new breed of octo-pal!

Alright, Aquaman. You've got my attention. I'm looking forward to the next issue.

This Week's Haul

This week I ended up buying more than I thought I would. It's a decent amount, considering the lack of a Batman title.

Civil War: The Confession #1

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

This was just adorable. And...text-heavy in the classic Bendis style. I actually enjoyed it. I kinda like Bendis, even though his Spider-Man is gratingly annoying. Certainly better than Millar. Basically the whole point of this comic is to show that Iron Man isn't the total ass that Civil War led us to believe.

Am I crazy? I thought this was better than any of the other Civil War books. I know I'm a Marvel newbie, but...

One question: Captain America is shown with his blood-spattered shield resting on his dead body. Very powerful imagery and all that, but...how did his shield get all bloody? He didn't have it on him when he was shot.

So...is this an ongoing thing? It's #1. Are more confessions going to happen. Is Iron Man just going to sit next to Captain America's rotting corpse confessing every little thing that's been bothering him. ("Steve, you remember when you put that sandwich in the fridge at the Avenger mansion, and it disappeared? And you said you clearly labeled it "Captain America's Lunch," and you asked me if I'd seen it? Well, I totally ate it. I'm sorry. I know I said I didn't know what you were talking about, but I did. And...it wasn't worth it. That sandwich wasn't very good.").

Robin #160

I'm trying to make a decision about whether or not to start buying Robin regularly. I always enjoy it when I read it, and I really like Tim Drake as a character. It's a funner comic than Nightwing, but it's still not...quite...interesting enough. I dunno. Maybe because I don't regularly read Teen Titans. Should I be reading Teen Titans? Anyone?

This was pretty good. Sometimes I have to ask myself if I only read Robin because there's a chance that Batman will show up. Does that make me shallow? Anyway, he didn't show in this issue, and maybe that made me like it a little less than if he had. Also, this was one of two comics, Superman being the other one, that I read this week featuring a clumsily-written gangsta dude.

I do like Robin solving complex mysteries on his own. I have a soft spot for teenage detectives. And this one features a good amount of detective work. That was kinda cool.

Green Arrow #72

First of all, I am very sad that this is being canceled. I know it's fashionable to dislike Judd Winick, but I'm cool with him, and I think his writing suited the Green Arrow title nicely. This issue wraps up the Green Arrow/Batman team-up series. Like all Green Arrow comics, it was a fun read with cool art snappy hero/villain banter. Also, Green Arrow and Batman arguing, which is always a good time. The rumour is that this title is being replaced with a Green Arrow/Black Canary title. I guess I'm ok with that. It means a good female character more or less gets her own title, so I can't complain. I just hope we don't stray from the Green Arrow family of sidekicks, because I enjoy each and every one of them.

Superman #660

Full marks for this cover. Speech bubbles? Yay!

The Busiek run on Superman has been kinda...odd. It's been sort of Astro City-esque in the way that it stars Metropolis more than Superman, focusing on various minor characters and random Metropolis citizens. I liked last month's story about the religious old woman who believed Superman to be one of God's angels, and herself to hold the God-given power of summoning Superman to smite evil. What she doesn't get is that Superman is simply showing up whenever she prays for him because he can hear her with his super-hearing. God's not really a factor.

Anyway, that was last month. This month's issue focuses on the Prankster. It's his POV, and involves him instructing the reader on the art of the perfect prank. It's...pretty good, but I dunno. Does anyone else feel that All-Star Superman has ruined them for all other Superman stories? It's getting harder to impress me. Good effort, though, Kurt!

Wonder Woman #5

Already!

Ok, so we have a guest writer and artist. I like Will Pfeifer. I enjoy his work on Catwoman. I'm looking forward to his Amazons Attack mini-series. I had no problem with the writing of this comic (A little heavy-handed maybe...).

This issue is part five of Diana Prince's It's a Wonderful Life-style journey to learn whether or not the existence of Wonder Woman is any good for anybody. As it turns out, it is. In this issue we learn that a number of shelters for battered women were started up across America in Wonder Woman's name. The very idea of Wonder Woman has given countless women hope and the power to believe in themselves. Nice. Too bad when WW finally shows up in all her splendor...she's showing a little too much...splendor:

Aw, lady. Look at yourself. Boobs all falling out. Eagle head buried in cleavage. Not really enough material in the shorts to cover your whole crotch (nice Brazilian, by the way). You look so much better on the cover. I do approve of your flat boots, though.

But seriously, just bring the shorts out an inch or so to completely cover her crotch and you'll get far less eye-rolling from me. Check out the difference:

Slight, but important. And maybe her breasts should be a little more secure. IT'S WONDER WOMAN! A little respect, please. You wouldn't draw Superman with his balls all hanging out.

52 Week 45

Nice cover, once again. J.G. Jones has been rocking these things. Every single one is a winner.

So this is the big lead-in to World War III, it seems. And it looks like it's going to go down thusly: Black Adam versus...everyone else in the whole world. If I didn't have any advance knowledge of how things are going to turn out, I would be leaning toward betting on Black Adam. Dude is pissed. Other than learning that Black Adam is going to kill us all, and that Sivana is totally ready for a smack-down, not too much was learned in this issue. Oh, other than that Montoya is dressing like The Question...without really dressing like The Question. Just do it, Rene. Just do it and get it over with. You are boring me. If somebody asked me to be The Question, you better believe I'd do it. I'd be buying a royal blue suit so fast...

Grifter/Midnighter #1

Oh, Wildstorm. You have figured out the secret formula for getting my money. Midnighter + Anyone = $$. This is similar to the DC formula, which is Batman + Anyone = $$. Just imagine what you could charge me for Midnighter + Batman. (Please, please make that comic. It would be so...weird).

I don't know much about Grifter because I don't read WildC.A.Ts. Maybe I should, what with the Grant Morrison and all. Not much has happened in this series as of yet, but Midnighter is being his usual badass self. And that's good enough for me. Sigh. Call me, Midnighter!

This Week's Haul

Alright, I'm gonna try something new here. I'm going to do what the blog title implies and start writing about my new comic book purchases each week. Unfortunately for me, this week happens to be a rather large haul.

Anyway, here they are in the order that I read them:

Captain America #25

Would you believe I made it through eight hours of a ten hour shift at a comic shop on a Wednesday before I learned the big spoiler for this issue? Then someone came in, grabbed the issue, and said "Is this the one where he dies?" I was like "What?" And he turns to the last page and says "Yep. It is." Noooooooooooo!!! I just started to like Captain America! We were going to be together forever, Steve! This was going to be the week where I start buying your book on a regular basis! And you go and die on me?! Bad manners, Steve.
I guess I'll have to focus on that dreamy Winter Soldier. Mmmm...younger, darker...more bionic.
I give this comic a thumbs up. It was definitely a good read and had more than one big surprise in it.

Detective Comics #829

Ok, first of all: ewwwwwww!!! That cover is so wrong for so many reasons! I love how Batman is skipping into the room.
Beyond the cover, I couldn't decide if I liked Andy Clarke's art or not. I still don't know. I do know that I like it more than Don Kramer's art in the previous Detective run, but that's not saying much. Little things can really bother me, like...I refuse to believe that Bruce Wayne wouldn't be wearing a more fitted suit:

And since the whole story is about how he can't change into his Batman costume, we can assume that he's not wearing it underneath, and thus there is no reason for him to be wearing that ill-fitting off-the-rack affair.
The story is alright. Batman and Robin (in a red-breasted tuxedo...cute) have to save everyone inside the Wayne Tower from a terrorist without being too obvious about their secret identity. Oh, and the terrorist shoots plastic explosives out of a gun, so THAT'S what Robin is covered in on the cover. Still, though, did it have to be dripping off his chin?!

52: Week 44

No word on poor Ralph Dibny's status in this issue. Please don't be dead, Ralph. This issue is Black Adam family-centric, and that's cool. The end seems to be in sight for his character's storyline. Ditto with Montoya.
Probably the most exciting thing for me in this issue was the inside back cover ad for Countdown promising a search for Ray Palmer. Yay!

Superman/Batman #32

Oh dear. Can't these two just get along?
Again, I don't know what I think of the art in this book, this time by Matthew Clark and Ron Randall. Sometimes it looked kinda good. Sometimes it looked all messy. I don't know how I feel about this storyline, either. I was kinda into the idea in general, of all the aliens being turned against Earth, but I think the fact that Superman was "cured" by remembering that he's in love with Lois was pretty damn lame. I actually threw up a little. And why the hell was Lobo in the book? Seriously, it was the most pointless and random cameo ever. Was it just to add an action figure to the next Superman/Batman toy series?
I don't know if you've picked up on this now from reading this blog, but my love for both Batman and Superman is infinite. So this should be my favourite book, right? It really isn't, and that bothers me. From the beginning it's been letting me down on a weekly basis. It's not terrible, it's just not great. Why can't it be great?!

Justice League of America #6

I chose the Adam Hughes cover over the Michael Turner cover because it's the lesser of two evils. Plus I like to support any decision to put a speech bubble on a cover. And, I'll say this for Hughes, this cover really isn't as gross as it could have been. And I've certainly seen worse Black Canary covers:

Like all previous issues of JLA, I liked this comic a lot. It had two big ass battles in it and both were awesome. Plus I always enjoy how Meltzer peppers his narration with fun facts about science and nature. You can really learn a lot from Brad Meltzer. This week I learned about tornadoes, falcons, organ failure, and how to defeat a robot who has the combined powers of the entire Justice League.
My only real complaint is Wonder Woman's shorts, which, once again, are lacking:

Sigh.

Midnighter #5

Ah, Midnighter. I saved you because I love you so much. Midnighter has consistently been my favourite series since it started. It's a lot of fun, and it's totally possible to enjoy it even if you never read a single page of Authority comics. Midnighter is oft called a Batman rip-off, but it's really more of a tribute. Plus, he's Batman + Wolverine + Punisher multiplied by awesome plus gay. This book looks great, is completely entertaining, and has lead me to say "holy crap!" outloud while reading more often than most books. (This week I said it at least three times). I also laugh out loud pretty frequently while reading it. Midnighter, I know you don't like girls, but if you ever change your mind about that...or about being fictional...I am totally waiting for you.

The Authority #2

And onto Authority, for this week I get a double shot of my baby's love (my baby being Midnighter. Keep up).
Yes, it's been, what, two years since the last issue of this came out? I don't even remember what happened last time. But who cares? Grant Morrison + Gene Ha = quality. I can tell this is going to get awesome. It's already pretty damn fun.
Can someone answer me this because I'm too lazy to check: have they always bleeped out the swearing in the Authority comics? I was sure that they were leaving it in. But it's all bleeped in this one. Boooo. But yay for putting all the ads in the back so Ha's amazing art isn't interrupted by that damn Final Fantasy quiz ad (although, I also noticed that there are only two ads in the whole book that aren't for DC. Aw. No one wants to advertise in Authority? Sounds like Wildstorm needs a plucky young advertising sales rep. I just so happen to have my resume handy...).

Shazam! The Monster Society of Evil #2

Aw, man. Is this really only going to last 4 issues? I am so in love with this book. It should be at least as long as, say, Omac. Oh well.
Yep, I don't even know what to say. Looks great. Seriously fun. Seriously funny. And totally adorable. And the aligator monsters yelling "We've lost! Quick! Eat the children!" is definitely one of my favourite comic book quotes in recent memory. This comic is doing everything right. Well done, Mr Smith.

Scalped #3

And we go from totally adorable to totally...not.

I figured it was about time that I get on on the ground floor with a Vertigo title, so I've been picking up Scalped since the first issue. Despite an over-reliance on creative profanity, this is a really good read. I don't really have much to say about it, other than I feel that it's going to keep getting better as it goes on. And, seriously, the apparent need of writer Jason Aaron to come up with cool new R-rated insults only distracts from the high quality of the story. Like, yeah. I had a Scarface poster in my dorm room too, Aaron.

So that about does it for this week. I didn't pick up Jonah Hex because I buy that in trade format. I'm sure it's great, though.

The Secret of 52 Is That The Multiverse Still Exists

Just when I was finally confident in my knowledge and understanding of the current DC universe, they decide they gotta go and multiply it by 52. I can just see all of the DC big shots sitting around the table.

"What about fifteen universes?"
"Fifteen, Dan!"
"Not fifteen? Then what about...fifty-two?!"

(I'm sorry, but you have to be Canadian to get that reference).

After cracking Dan Didio's cryptic message (and awesome, by the way, putting a coded message in a comic that I actually had to break out a pen and notepad for. Old timey fun!), I decided it was time to re-read Crisis on Infinite Earths. I have two things to say about this book:

1. The artwork is totally awesome, and
2. I am really glad that all of the characters were just as confused as I was.

And also, I love this cover:

Because I love this:

Everyone in that panel is wearing an expression of sheer terror except Batman. He's all "Did I remember to rewind Teen Wolf before returning it?"

I just want to announce that I'm ready for the multiverse. Bring it on, I say! Just 52? How about 5,200?! What are you, scared, DC? I think the world is ready for no less than 75,000 new characters. And at least one Earth where Superman, Batman, Predator and Alien all just get along.