Quote of the week:

"Not bad! You definitely need a better code name, though. Invisible Hood isn't cool at all... Sounds like an ultra-thin condom"
- Sage like advice from the Ray, Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters #6


Best of the week:

52 Week 34
DC Comics
Written by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, and Mark Waid
Art breakdowns by Keith Giffen
Art by Joe Bennet and Ruy Jose
Back-up written by Mark Waid
Back-up art by Brian Bolland
Cover by JG Jones

I'm not going to go into much detail about the issue, at the risk of spoiling it. However, I'll list some great moments:

• The Suicide Squad vs Black Adam and his family
• The scenes between Montoya and the Question
• An interrogation of Clark Kent
• Luthor's final fuck you to Metropolis at the turn of the new year
• Oh, and Brian Bolland's art on the Zatanna origin

Put simply, another awesome issue.


Blue Beetle #10
DC Comics
Written by Keith Giffen and John Rogers
Art by Cully Hamner
Cover by Cully Hamner

Keith Giffen is a talented man. Not only does he supply the art breakdowns for 52 each week - and incidentally another of the week's best comics - he also co-writes Blue Beetle. Admittedly, the series has been incredibly slow, and I've thought about cancelling it, however in this issue, Giffen - along with co-writer John Rogers - has given a fun adventure displaying his gift for characterisation mixed with a deft touch of humour that made his old issues of Justice League Internatonal such classics.

This issue follows the disappearance of his close friend - and future love interest, no doubt - Brenda. A little research later, and he discovers that she was teleported to New Genesis, home of the New Gods. And wackiness ensues. No doubt about it, this issue is just plain fun.

Astonishing X-Men #19
Marvel Comics
Written by Joss Whedon
Art by John Cassaday
Cover by John Cassaday

The t-shirts which read "Joss Whedon is my master now" say it all, really. The creator of Buffy, Angel and Firefly has told some great stories in TV, film, and more recently comics. And the first issue of his final arc in Astonishing X-Men is no different.

While the second and third arcs didn't quite live up to his initial arc, it's apparent that it's all been building to his finale, Unstoppable. And what an amazing ride it is. Following the events of #18, the team has been taken into outerspace heading towards the Breakworld, a planet, it is prophesised, that will be destroyed by one of the team.

The issue is full of great characterisation. While there's minimal action, what is presented works. And John Cassaday's art just seems to keep getting better.


I didn't read the original:

Huntress: Darknight Daughter
DC Comics
Written by Paul Levits
Art by Joe Staton, Steve Mitchell, Bob Layton, Bruce Patterson, Jerry Ordway, and Mike DeCarlo
Cover by Brian Bolland

Darknight Daughter is an interesting beast. Reprinting stories from the 70's, originally published in issues of DC Super Stars, Batman Family, and Wonder Woman, it features the earliest appearances of the Huntress. Published before Crisis on Infinite Earths rewrote DC's history, the Huntress here is from Earth-2, and is the daughter of Batman and Catwoman.

The stories are quite simplistic, given the combination of the period they were written, their short length, and Paul Levitz's limited skills as a writer, but it's interesting to see how different both versions of the Huntress are.

And while modern comics cop a lot of crap for the "cheesecake" factor, the stories here really play this up to the level of virtual exploitation.

An interesting read, but not necessarily good.


I read the originals:

• Blue Beetle: Shellshocked collects the first six issues of the ongoing series. Fun, but slow. A nice build to the latter issues where it picks up.
  
  
• Angel Spotlight collects a hit (mostly) and miss (occasionally) collection of tales based on Angel's supporting cast.
  

Other bits and pieces:

• Connor Hawke: Dragon's Blood picks up the pace after the slow first issue
• Detective Comics is an atmospheric issue focusing on the return of Scarface
• Justice is lucky that Alex Ross's art is beautiful
• Usagi Yojimbo is a fun read, with a nasty twist
• Daredevil deftly wraps up some loose threads

Everything I got this week:

• 52 Week 34
• Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter in Guilty Pleasures #3
• Astonishing X-Men #19
  
• Batman and the Mad Monk #5
• Blue Beetle #10
• Connor Hawke: Dragon's Blood #2
• The Creeper #5
• Daredevil #92
  
• Detective Comics #827
• Huntress: Darknight Daughter trade paperback
  
• Justice #9
• Nextwave: Agents of HATE #11
  
• Supergirl #13
• Ultimate Power #3
  
• Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters #6
  
• Usagi Yojimbo #99