Superpowers That Be

Nole Sends Ratface Back To Glasgow

2012-01-27T09:00:00.000-05:00

Well, as of just a few minutes ago, Novak Djokovic advanced to the Championship round of the Australian Open, defeating Murray as expected.

However, the fashion in which he triumphed was less expected. The semi-final match between the world no. 1 and the world no. 4 went 5 sets and lasted a few minutes shy of 5 hours. (It also screwed up my commute. How can you get up at 330am and still end up late for work?)

And even I, with my strong dislike for Andy Murray, a deep antipathy that was at first instinctive but over the years grew firmer the more I watched his odious behavior, must admit that for about 60-70% of the match he played some impressive tennis. For an hour and a half there in the third set, and even the 30 minutes in the fifth where he mounted a brief comeback, he actually resembled a professional athlete who wanted to win, to be a champion, rather than the bitchy, victimized, vulgar, mopey, passive player I've come to dread watching.

So credit where credit's due. He fought back. And he took that third set on his own merit. Of course then Novak, the world-class athlete that he's become, found a higher level and a greater focus, and thrashed him in the fourth. After an even start to the fifth, Nole jumped to a 5-2 lead, and Murray gave us his final gasp of maturity and endurance, evening things at 5-5.

But Nole won 3 Grand Slams last year and is #1 for a reason. He finds a way to win, despite pain and physical fatigue, despite a skilled opponent, despite the incredible pressure of the moment. He played a couple strong points on Murray's service game and broke him pretty quickly to win the match and earn his spot against Rafa Nadal in Sunday's final.

In the end, it was a surprisingly entertaining match, with a respectable quality level and some fun momentum shifts. Doubtless the British media will hail it as a success, despite the loss, of Ivan Lendl's effect as Murray's coach. They'll say he's finally changing, growing up, that Lendl is the right voice to guide him to a major victory.

But I'm not convinced that Andy wouldn't rather be playing with his PlayStation at his London mansion while his ridiculously-more-attractive-than-him girlfriend blow dries her hair.

Shave before a Slam you lazy, impertinent bastard.

To sum up:

1.) I'm kind of a dick when I haven't slept for two days, and I can't seem to stop hating Murray.

2.) Novak Djokovic will face Rafael Nadal in the Finals on Sunday. They have been the finalists now for three consecutive Grand Slams, all won by Nadal. In fact, Nadal has lost to Novak in their last 6 meetings. Should be very interesting.

Watch it Sunday, 330am ET on ESPN2. And Happy Friday.

Alas, Poor Roger

2012-01-26T09:02:00.000-05:00

As of 7:30am, we have at least one of the finalists for Sunday's Australian Open championship round, and his name is Rafael Nadal. (And in my opinion, his opponent is guaranteed to be Djokovic.)

Extending his career record over Federer to stunning 18-9, this modern legend of a rivalry has become painfully one-sided. As several commentators pointed out this morning, playing Roger brings out the best in Nadal, but for some unknown reason has the opposite effect on Federer.

Roger came out strong and sharp, looking every bit the man we've known to be the best in the sport for a decade, slipping a bit to lose the lead, but performing brilliantly in the tiebreak to take the first set. The second set was a different story, with unforced errors piling up all over the place and Nadal breaking easily and often for a big lead. Throw in the delay in game for Melbourne's traditional Australian Day fireworks (yes, they interrupted semis to celebrate when the convicts showed up) and you have a distracted, out of rhythm, sub-par Federer.

The third and fourth sets showed him putting up more of a fight, but whenever he earned any openings to break or increase his level, he instead stayed passive or made the entirely wrong strategic decision. Specifically in the fourth and final set, with a break point at 4-3 and multiple break points again at 4-5, he never managed to elevate his game in a consistent enough manner to really hurt Nadal.

All credit to Rafa, naturally, for being the consummate competitor. Neither of these two great athletes were at the top of their form today, and Rafa had his share of errors and sporadic tightness and timidity. But he managed the match far better, executing a couple brilliant shots to swing the momentum in his favor, and simply keeping the point alive when Roger was self-destructing.

In the end, it was rather a frustrating match to watch. Knowing what Roger Federer is capable of, remembering all the times we've seen him step-up and find that higher gear, that belief in himself, it's a dispiriting sensation to watch him fail again after a couple years of the same results.

However, I am absolutely certain of one thing. That player we all remember and wish had shown up today; he's still in there. I am positive that Roger is capable of Nadal, and even Djokovic. There are just a few intangibles he needs to dig deep for, and it is entirely essential that he doesn't let another defeat to Nadal make him doubt himself. He has the entire year ahead of him, and 2012 could be real good to Roger.

As for Nadal, it will be very interesting to see him try to break his equally-stunning losing streak to Djokovic in the finals on Sunday. (No, I do not even consider the possibility that whiny-rat-Murray may beat Novak, with or without his new Ivan Lendl coach. Mark my words, Lendl will be gone by the French and Murray will still be #4 without a Slam.) If he plays the way he did today, I don't think he has a chance.

But if he does that Champion thing, where he finds a way to play better tennis than he ever has before in moments of great pressure? Well, then we've got ourselves a beautiful Final round.

Djokovic v. Murray Semifinal is on ESPN2, Friday at 330am ET.
Djokovic v. Nadal Semifinal is on ESPN2, Sunday at 330am ET.

(And yes, even though Murray has no chance, I'm probably gonna stay up all night again just to watch Nole beat him black & blue.)

Lastly, a couple notes to the people who organize and run the Australian Open:

      1.) Don't sanction fighter jet formation flyovers that last 20minutes during semifinal matches, even if it's the women's draw.
     2.) Stop airing every big match of the tournament at primetime.
     3.) For God's sake, do not give a microphone to Jim Courier.

This Week's Comics - 1/24/12

2012-01-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

Reading habits always suffer during the second week of a Grand Slam, and while the Australian Open may take a bit more out of a fan (marquis matches airing at 330am start wearing you down by the Semifinals) the Live feed of Melbourne time gives one several opens for catching up on comics.

Fortunately it's a pretty thin week, with even those reliable titles that seem to ship three times a month (X-Factor, Amazing Spider-Man, etc.) taking a little break, and the general status quo of both universes falling somewhere in the calm spot between major events. With all the talk of Avengers vs. X-Men, and even the Batman line crossover, this will surely not last for long.

Hit jump, peruse listage. And don't miss Nadal v. Federer at 330 ET tonight/tomorrow morning.

DARK HORSE

Angel and Faith #6: "A mysterious illness is plaguing the streets of London and turning everyday humans into emotionless killers. The Watcher's Files, which may be the key to unraveling this mystery, have led Angel and Faith to seek out a demon from Giles's past for answers. Meanwhile a peculiar friend and foe returns to London and to Angel's inner circle." I was trying to figure out who the 'peculiar friend and foe' would be, and then it hit me: Christos Gage has already shown us. Whistler! He's been hanging with AngelTwilights psycho vamp siblings. Funnily enough, I'm pretty sure my DVR is taping a rerun of his finest hour, Becoming, on Chiller at this very moment. If he's leaning towards evil these days, let's hope his ribcage becomes a hat and soon.

DC

The Unwritten #33.5: If I had money, I would probably be buying a bunch of DC superhero comics (like Aquaman or Justice League) but I don't and I don't love them enough to budget around them. Unwritten, however, is one of my new favorite comics ever, and I'm gonna start collecting the individual issues with moderation and perspicacity. The trades would be good too. This .5 issue delves into the mysterious origins of the dastardly and wise Mrs. Rausch, the powerful puppeteer with a personally perplexing purpose. On another note, dear God Mr. Carey, it's time for you to write some real Tommy Taylor novels. You've got so many plots broken down for them anyway, turn your fiction into more real literature and make the Unwritten themes come to life. Please.

IMAGE

Walking Dead #93: I might not buy this. Probably won't. It's hard to stay with these, they're slow and short and not much happens. They're much better in trades. Or just read all at once. Then again #100 is coming up. And for once there's a real sense of hope. Rick might make things work this time. Community. Family. Safety. Love. Oh man who am I kidding, I'm gonna buy it because Andrea's gonna probably fall down a well with some cannibals and Rick has to throw his son down to kill them all while eating rat poison and cutting off a foot. Whenever there's hope, crushing violent gory despair soon follows.

MARVEL

Astonishing X-Men #46: Alternature future story continues or hopefully concludes yada yada yada. I don't remember much, except Logan's got some new facial hair, alternate Storm never let go of her punk phase and somehow is into Scott, and there was possibly a betrayal of some kind, perhaps by the weird Angel, messianic figure in this reality. Let's have some canon stories soon, ok? After Age of X, no one's gonna come up with anything good enough for awhile.

Fantastic Four #602: The epic, world-breaking, universe-shaking, highly-anticipated, Fantastic Four Annihilus Galactus Johnny Storm Inhumans monster event still, apparently, is going on. The big 600 issue was a long time ago, assembling earth's mightiest for help, and I've completely lost track of Hickman's sprawling, pace-challenged opus. Still pretty though.

FF #14: The Doom-saves-everything bit is getting kinda tired as well, but at least this title focuses on Valeria and Franklin and the other brilliant strange kids of the Foundation. Less pretty, but equally relevant, or so I'm told. To be honest, I could use some more Black Bolt in these stories.

Secret Avengers #21.1: New writer, new direction. Hawkeye joins the team (or possibly takes over? co-leader?) and him and Steve Rogers hit Vegas up. I'm curious how they end up getting Captain Britain on the team who, though established in Age of Heroes as on call for Avenger-ing, is now in Uncanny X-Force and busy with his omniverse or whatever. Also, much as I like him and have fondness for oldschool Excalibur, he's pretty stiff and boring. And considering your team has War Machine, Moon Knight, Black Widow, and the, like, 5th Ant-Man, it's a strange addition.

X-Men Legacy #261: Christos Gage's tenure on Legacy begins in earnest here as normal numbering resumes, and Rogue and her team face the oncoming threat of Exodus, always a fun mostly-pyschotic X-villain that leads to dangerous extremism and great battles. I also expect it to be a great storyline for Joanna/Frenxy, once a disciple of Exodus', last seen in his employ during Carey's early days of the run. That plus sucking face with Gambit should lead to some enjoyable tension.

Artsy Avengers Variants

2012-01-24T07:44:00.000-05:00

Just in time for the movie's premiere, May 4th 2012, Marvel is releasing a slew of variants in April to honor the Avengers team in a slightly more artistic way. Over a dozen various titles will be released with a variant featuring the movie-cast of the team in unusual, rarely seen ways. And it's really rather lovely.

Despite not loving the line-up (Black Widow? Really?) I love when they do stuff like this. And thanks to Bleeding Cool, I've got all the covers up here. Check 'em out.

Iron Phoenix Fist Force

2012-01-19T08:47:00.002-05:00

UPDATED: Two new AvX covers, released today, are posted at the bottom.

Despite being months away, it seems that every new day of 2012 brings us new images from the Avengers vs. X-Men event. Three more covers stand revealed, and while two are standard, aesthetically pleasing, expected and fun, the other is just...yeahbuhwha??!

Iron Phoenix? Phoenix Fist? Iron Maiden Phoenix? White Hot Fist? Dragon of the Phoenix? Chi Force?

It's a little perplexing. Sure, Danny Rand is super spiritually charged, with Chi flowing every which way and whatnot, and he survived that little trip to some other dimension with the Eye of Agomotto and the dude who taught Stephen Strange whose name I forget. He's defied prophesies, wielded great power, and took a stand against crime and racism back when the city was a complete shithole (pre-Guiliani.) None of which qualifies him to carry the Phoenix Force. Or even to be able to channel a tiny microbe of its power.

Whereas Hope was ostensibly bred for this express purpose (not that we're entirely clear on her biological origins.) I even by Wanda Maximoff becoming the Phoenix, though I don't see that working out well (last Life Force to inhabit her could have used some EffexorTM.)

Also Danny's not a red-head. He's a handsome blond, obscenely rich, entirely crushable fictional character, and if the Phoenix burns him to bits, I'll be pissed. If, however, it's just a fun share-my-power interlude, and then Jean Grey pops back into existence, I'll enjoy myself.

Update - New Covers:

Looks like Wolvie's goin' after Hope. Interesting.

Presumably this new "secret" line-up is heading to space to stop the Phoenix. Good luck with that.

This Week's Comics - 1/18/12

2012-01-18T09:02:00.000-05:00

It's a mercifully light week, with only 5 Marvels and 2 DCs making the cut. The problem with light weeks is that once you're done selecting new comics, your stack neatly assembled, waiting on a small line for the cashier, that's when you notice the bargain bins.

Vintage Uncanny X-Men issues for 50% off sticker price. Alternate universe hardcovers marked down 70% from retail price. That semi-new indie comic everyone's been talking about, collected and released at a manageable price. Hell, even the Thor and Captain America keychains suddenly look like the most beautiful man-made creations in the history of human artistry.

In moments such as this, moments of savage trial and epic temptation, I encourage you to breathe, to return your gaze to your eagerly assembled original comics stack, and attempt to put on blinders. You must block out the strangely illuminated treasure that fills up the counter space of a comic store. You must be strong, and brave, and pay for your comics as quickly as possible. Once cash or credit has changed hands, you can reopen your peripheral vision and even safely converse with employees, as the chances of 2nd round chotchky/back issue buying are far less.

Good luck to you, bold traveller. Hit the jump for my list.

DC
Batman #5: Snyder's Owl epic continues, and much as I enjoyed his Detective run, I haven't gotten into this story so much. At least not yet. I DO feel as if it comes out very slowly, and whenever I look for a new Snyder on the rack there's a Daniel. Regardless, this month could be fun. Very classic set-up; Batman stuck underground in a perilous maze-like death trap. Or something along those lines. Plus, more Owl info. Not looking forward to any crossovers (unless it's all written by Snyder) but his individual adventures should satisfy everyone.

Fables #113: Seemingly a break from the ongoing action, and a look at some of the favorite Fables characters and their lives back in the good ol' not-hunted-and-forced-from-their-homes days. Sounds enjoyable as hell, and, as always, one of the prettiest comic books ever.

MARVEL

Avengers #21: Storm gets the cover, and hopefully some legit action in the interior as well. In fact, with the track record both Avengers teams have been having for the past 6 months or so, the addition of Storm should help them kick some ass. There's a reason Cyke put her on the X-tinction Team. You don't screw with Ororo.

Daredevil #8: The crossover with Spider-Man continues (and concludes I believe) and I don't think you needed to read the first half in Amazing Spidey. The team on this book is more than capable of telling the whole story. Black Cat is acting suspiciously villainous, but she's not dealing with just-rejected, looking-for-a-date Peter Parker anymore. She's got Matt Murdock on her little cat butt, and I'm pretty sure 'bad luck' powers aren't gonna cut it. Wow, turns out I really don't like the Black Cat.

Generation Hope #15: The inevitable conflict (which will be inevitably diffused but lead to great tension) over Sebastian Shaw, albeit a mind-wiped one, joining Utopia. Expect Emma/Scott conflict, hopefully some truth digging by Hope, and an "unlikely romance" which makes me think Kenji and Martha Johansson are gonna get it on somehow. Gross.

New Mutants #36: The arc with Blink and the entropy/natural disaster causing death metal band Diskord continues. I love DnA, I do, but pick it up a notch or 4 please. If Blink's joining the team, there must be a cooler way to do it. At the very least let's give Dani another cool fight scene. And settle the whole Amara/Bobby tension once and for all.

Uncanny X-Force #20: The trial of Fantomex. The Omniverse. The Captain Britain Corps. Brian Braddock. Rick Remender brings us the beginning of a new X-Force adventure, one that borrows its setting from some great classic X-comics, like Claremont and Davis' Excalibur, only way more modern and palatable. Going off how he handled the Age of Apocalypse world, count me super frakkin' excited.

Uncanny X-Men #5: Gillen's premiere Sinister arc is completed, and it was in fact rather satisfying and smart. The brief phalanx interlude was enjoyable and emotional as well. Now, I guess a new arc begins. Or maybe it's another one-off, showcasing his premiere team's ability to save the world and be super heroes who "make the Avengers obsolete." Their new fight involves some bat-like creatures, a hardcore Psylocke (always welcome) and an alternate universe.

Comics, everybody! (I stole that.)

SMG & Piper Perabo at Globes

2012-01-17T08:48:00.000-05:00

In an otherwise frightfully long, dull, pointless, awkward awards show, this recent Golden Globes had one moment of excitement for me; when Sarah Michelle Gellar and Piper Perabo walked out together to present an award.

Granted, SMG has meant more to me in the past than Piper, but seeing them together was a bit of a thrill; the more underrated but personally esteemed actresses in the room.

Yes, unfortunately, their dresses were both pretty awful, and I can't get behind that bouffant hair bump that women are doing lately, but who cares? It's SMG and Piper. I just like to think that they're best friends now. (Step aside, Lena Headey.) And besides, Sarah let her daughter pick the dress. That's both an excuse, kind parenting, and a small fuck-you to the fame obsessed hordes that put together such a painfully irrelevant schlockfest as the Globes.

Now, if only they'd given her a globe for Buffy back in the day, I might actually begin to think about respecting them.

Avengers vs. X-Men #1 Cover

2012-01-16T08:51:00.000-05:00

via CBR

It's pretty much what you would expect, save for two small things. A) They're referring to it as Round One as opposed to Issue One, which is rather fun, and B) Beast and Wolverine both appear to start off the series on the Avengers side. That's obviously not confirmed, but whatever confusion or final decisions they have to face, I believe they'll end up firmly on the X-Men side, aka the "Let's not kill that little girl named Hope" side, which I assume is their team name.

As I've said, I'm excited either way. Wish I had more for you rabid comic news junkies this morning, but it seems everyone else got the day off for MLK Jr. day and decided to stay in bed, avoiding both work of any kind and the 14 degree weather. Lucky bastards.

Also the Australian Open has begun. There are four grand slams a year, four fortnights in which I can expect a lot of late nights given up in dedication to watching a great tennis tournament. The fact that it's in Melbourne makes it a bit tricky, but espn2 and a fresh pot of coffee help.

I haven't seen much yet, but I'm betting Novak is still the best bet. He loves winning down under. But I want to see Roger in action as well, see how he's looking. It could be the year he gets back on top, I think. Tomic, the young Australian, had a fantastic match last night, bringing down Verdasco in 5-sets. Played with maturity and grace and mental fortitude and he's only 19 or something insane like that. Gotta love this sport.

Marvel Previews for Next Week's Comics

2012-01-13T12:43:00.000-05:00

I'm too happy it's Friday to think of anything very good to blog about. Hopefully I'll get around to discussing some recent sci/fi/fantasy reads, or my progress through Mike Carey's Unwritten series. But until then, let's just look at some pretty pictures.

Hit the jump for some previews of next week's new Marvel comics. Or go see 'em all at CBR.

Avengers #20: The new team's all split up and getting their butts kicked. Let's hope for some stellar Storm action.

Daredevil #8: Team-up with Spidey continues.

Generation Hope #15: Shaw shows up on Utopia. Hilarity ensues.

New Mutants #36: The team and Blink fight demon possessed nat'l disaster causing death rockers.

Uncanny X-Force #20: Brian Braddock shows up with some Omniverse problems.

Uncanny X-Men #5: Storm does what she does; be awesome.

Have a fantastic weekend everybody!

Avengers vs. X-Men: One-on-One Battles Revealed

2012-01-12T09:01:00.000-05:00

While many things remain uncertain (elections, olympics, apocalypse) some things are very clear; 2012 is the year of Avengers vs. X-Men. And with that comes, as promised, the tie-in title Versus, the grudge-match showdowns, the stage for the one-on-one battles that we have all imagined and argued over throughout our adolescence.

As the publishers and marketers begin to tease us, and reveal, little by little, news and information for this epic upcoming event, we start to get a look at the line-up. It's a fun thing to behold.
Luke Cage vs. The Beast: Both are Avengers, which is obviously a bit awkward, but I guess Hank decided to stand by his new position at the School. Or else the Avengers are looking to kill Hope before the Phoenix kills everyone else and Hank doesn't cotton to infanticide.

Ms. Marvel vs. Rogue: Obviously a lot of history here and bad blood. I think they tangled a bit in Ms. Marvel's semi-short solo title a couple years back, but that was mostly Mystique, and Rogue had a fun fight with Ms. Marvel impersonator Moonstone during that Utopia business. Point is, there's a lot of emotional scarring here, but the thing that's changed? Rogue has complete control of her powers now.

The Hulk vs. Emma Frost: Yeahbuhwha?? She's tried shutting his brain down when he attacked the mansion in World War Hulk and that didn't work. And I don't expect diamond-form's gonna stop the Hulk. Why is the Hulk even involved? The Red one is an Avenger, not the newly non-Bruce-Banner green guy. Strange pairing.

Spidey vs. Iceman: Bobby's all "amazing" these days, so hopefully he can step it up. But the point is these two are friends...superfriends, really. And I have a feeling Spidey's gonna be one of the most vocal about his misgivings.

Iron Man vs. Magneto: I actually remember seeing this before, and I imagine it won't have the predictable ending you're expecting. But I would be disappointed if Magneto lost this one. Always kinda fun to see Stark lose face to an X-Man, despite his brilliance. Besides, he loses fights so often he should join the New Avengers. Also this cover artist? The guy who did the Second Coming covers? He's fantastic. Blows the other artists in this marketing campaign out of the water.

Black Widow vs. Psylocke: This is one I hadn't thought of or heard of and I love it. It's fairly perfect, except that Natasha is completely outpowered. Betsy's Omega-level these days and she's got lots of ninja moves to boot. I get that Widow's amazing and super-long-lived, but she's still kind of annoying, and used to be a red commie pinko murderin' spy. My votes for the British chick, no question.

Thor vs. Storm: This is obviously my favorite bout, and the best match-up. Clearly I want Storm to win, but as long as it's a good fight I'll probably be satisfied (I'm still happy she beat Wonder Woman back in Marvel vs. DC, even though she just fried her with lightning a lot.) God vs. Goddess. God of Thunder vs. The Wind Rider. I'm not sure how Thor is back alive and not that other dude Thanagar but whatever, I don't care that much. Just don't do a lightning-off. Storm has so much power and control and there are so many kinds of weather, I'm hoping for a truly original, inventive, surprising, long fight here.

Assembled from various links throughout the interwebs.

This Week's Comics

2012-01-11T09:01:00.001-05:00

This week brings me my mostly standard Marvel fare, with the notable plot excitement coming in X-Factor #230; this title seems to ship far more often than any other, and I truly appreciate that. After several months of teases and solicits and speculation, Havok and Polaris make their X-Factor return/debut today. Even without Jamie dying slash stuck on a roller coaster of dimensional Dupe-Death hopping, or seeing Layla grieve, or Monet dealing with Guido's missing soul, or Rictor and Shatterstar doing...just about anything, Lorna and Alex coming back makes it my Pick of the Week.

X-Factor #230: POTW

Other points of interest include the first X-Men Legacy written by Christos Gage and taking place in the Jean Grey School, as well as a slow but heartfelt search for Unwritten back issues. I need my Mike Carey fix and it turns out all the critics were right; this comic is amazing.

DARK HORSE

Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Season 9 #5: It's called "Slayer, Interrupted" and it seems to be a dream-time issue, perhaps, or dreams-coming-to-life, one of those age-old conceits that Buffy used to take and twist on a weekly basis as a show. Its impact as a comic is considerably less (I can't even remember how the first arc concluded) but it's still a fun read.

~~Batgirl #5:~~ I don't know why I keep putting this on my list, when I know I just use it as an example of my new frugality and will power. I guess I just assumed Gail Simone was a better writer than this. If you're gonna keep doing original villains, can't you make them better? Mirror just didn't cut it, especially for the opening story. And Gretel sounds like some feminist allegory that is only tolerable in a one-shot.

Unwritten #33: I'm obviously not up to this point in Unwritten yet, or even close, so I'm not buying this but I want it on my list. The covers to this book are...unsettling, generally, but always interesting, and so far quite different from the internal art. This book is amazing though. I need to find more of it.

MARVEL

Amazing Spidey #677 (?): As usual, I only put Spidey on the list if there's a crossover. I'm not decided on this one yet, but the crossover is short and it's Spidey and Daredevil. Considering how fantastic the DD comic is, I don't want to miss the first part of the story. I'll make up my mind in the store.

New Avengers #20: New vs. Dark. Jessica Jones/Jewel/Power Woman makes some kind of decision for once. And the team possibly doesn't get their asses kicked for the first time in 6 months.

Secret Avengers #21: Warren Ellis continues to write decent, if rather tame, Planetary stories with a cast of offbeat Avengers and Steve Rogers. It's actually become rather fun, now that I know he won't be the writer much longer. Still, I just don't get the allure of Black Widow, War Machine or Moon Knight. Or Sharon Carter for that matter. And where's Ant-Man been all this time?

Wolverine #300 (?): I don't know if this is really on my list either. I never buy the Wolverine solo title, or I haven't since the '90s. Try and limit myself in that respect at least. BUT Jason Aaron's is, reportedly, terrific with Logan on his own. AND it's a #300, which is always fun and extra sized and hopefully has x-guest stars. TBD.

X-Factor #230: Already discussed. Don't miss it.

X-Men Legacy #260.1: The comic with the most pressure on it this week. Gage has filled in big shoes before, but I'm feeling touchy about Rogue and Mike Carey these days. You have been warned.

HELP: Great Sci/Fi & Fantasy Titles Needed

2012-01-10T08:51:00.000-05:00

On a bit of a kick these days, and I need your help to keep it going. I've been reading a lot of sci fi/fantasy novels lately and I want to find some more this afternoon.

I recently devoured the Hunger Games trilogy, and naturally anything that gripping and fast-paced, the kind to inspire all-night reading, would be ideal. I also did the City of Ember books, which were torn through at a similar pace though with less fervor. And Michael Chabon's fantastic (as if his writing needed complimentary descriptive terms anymore) Summerland novel.

Granted most of these are pretty firmly placed in the Young Adult category, but I have no problem with that. Some of the best stories are, and I am in fact trying to learn some fundamentals about how to write these stories.

A couple wider attempts have failed; I stalled pretty early on in Robert Jordan's Eye of the World. I was also more of CS Lewis guy than a Tolkien one (Ballet over Opera, Crunchy over Creamy) and Jordan's dense mythology and languages and worlds whittled away at my interest about a third of the way (much like Lord of the Rings.)

So with all that information, and with the revelation of other all-time favorites--Narnia, Lewis' Space Trilogy, LeGuin (Earthsea), Orson Scott Card (Ender AND Maker,) Roald Dahl, etc.---does anyone have any choice suggestions?

Any recommendations would be hugely appreciated. Thanks.

Avengers vs. X-Men: The Tie-In

2012-01-10T08:38:00.000-05:00

So after a lot of talk about next year's big Avengers vs X-Men event being entirely self-contained and staying within the confines of its own major, relevant titles, it seems we will have a tie-in after all. But you won't find any complaints here.

And why is that? Because the tie-in comic is called, quite simply, "Versus." Every battle in AvX, every one-on-one grudge match that they can't spare pages on in the main story, goes down in "Versus."

Magneto vs. Iron Man. Namor vs. The Thing. Brawlers and Earth-shakers. And less potent fighters as well, such as Pixie vs. Squirrel Girl, or ancient grudge/new mutiny personal fights, such as Ms. Marvel vs. Rogue.

'Awesome' is the watch-word. Final enticing tidbits include the hope for Jessica Jones to slip in somewhere, a background Ben Urich/Trish Tilby reporter fight, the divided loyalties of certain characters with ties to both teams, and last, but certainly not least, a Storm fight of her very own.

Coverage of the announcement here and here.

Marvel Previews for Next Week's Comics

2012-01-06T12:32:00.000-05:00

Friday's are wonderful already, but as an added bonus to break-up the final work day of the week, Comic Book Resources always posts previews of new Marvel comics being released next week.

And I shamelessly repost them. 'Cause they're pretty to look at and 7 days is surprisingly long to wait for my new comic fix. What can I say, I'm a superhero junkie.

Hit the jump for previews of: Wolverine & the X-Men #4, X-Men Legacy #260.1, X-Factor #230 and New Avengers #20.

Wolverine and the X-Men #4: Wolverine adjusts to life as a Professor and the staff meet to assess damage and welcome some new blood (expect Deathlok to show up soon.)

Not clear on who that chick in the middle is.

X-Men Legacy #260.1: Christos Gage takes over writing duties from the already-missed Mike Carey with this point one. Rogue's team settles into the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning, and Rogue continues her raison d'etre by connecting to and tutoring the next generation.

Who knew Rogue had time to watch a fantastic HBO mini-series?

Finally, someone forcing Rockslide to be better with his powers.

X-Factor #230: Wolverine shows up at X-Factor Investigations (this time, in our present reality) to possible console Layla after Jamie's apparent death, and ostensibly introduce the team to Havok and Polaris, who may be their new leaders. Expect some fireworks (I'm looking at you, Monet.)

New Avengers #20: New vs. Dark. 'Nuff said. Well, except that I'm not totally clear on who all the Dark Avengers are. Also, it's possible Jessica Jones-Cage/Jewel/Power Woman finally makes some kind of life decision that sticks. But I'm not betting on it.

Have a great weekend everybody!

Sci Fi / Fantasy Poll

2012-01-05T09:36:00.000-05:00

I'm not looking for what you consider the best writing, or the best characters, but which premise, spawned in the writer's head before a word had been written, is most attractive, interesting and hard to put down.

Which sci fi/fantasy novel has the most engrossing premise?
	The Chronicles of Narnia
	Dune
	The Hunger Games
	Wizard of Earthsea
	Stranger in a Strange Land
	Ender's Game

= see results =

Peter David on X-Factor's Changes

2012-01-05T09:00:00.000-05:00

Comic Book Resources has another fun X-Position installment with Peter David, writer of X-Factor, answering fan questions about various topics and specifically the upcoming return of Havok and Polaris to the team.

Hit the jump for some choice tidbits, insights, and pictures. Or just go read it yourself.

-Despite the use of the word "brother", Shatterstar & Longshot's true relationship has not been revealed. PAD, turns out, is still unsure about adding the whole Benjamin Russell complication to the mix (though apparently he's got a good idea worked out if he does.)

-Layla's not done getting piled on re: her soulless resurrection power.

-Rahne's demony wolf son will return in 2012, and so will Darwin.

-PAD vows not to have an issue where leadership of the team is decided by "Madrox vs. Havok!!!" though he admits it would sell a lot of copies.

-PAD is uncertain about the depths he'll go into Polaris background, namely her long unwritten origin, as well as even her relationship with Poppa Magneto.

-X-Factor will not be turning into a straight up superhero book, as PAD is excited about how this cast gives him a versatility to tell any kind of story he wants.

-Wanda Maximoff might make a guest shot (after all she's Lorna's sister, and there's that whole Layla-connection.)

-PAD plans his stories about 6 months ahead, but with an eye for more long-term stuff (like Layla and Jamie's wedding leading to his dimension hopping trip.)

-If 2012 Apocalypse is proven and impending, PAD promises to reveal the truth of Shatterstar and Longshot.

-PAD talks a bunch about another project he has with a bunch of writers called Crazy 8 Press that has something to do with publishing directly through amazon/kindle/barnes&noble/nook and using social media to promote fiction. I'd check out the website to learn what he's talking about, but what is of more interest is him plugging his fantasy trilogy "The Hidden Earth." I'm always very interested in the fantasies my favorite comic writers write, and have had a bunch of Mike Carey's dark detective magic-y novels on my library queue for awhile. Time for Mr. David to join the list.

And that's about it. Characters coming back, characters facing tough times, and a unique comic book determined to stay unique.

This Week's Comics - 1/4/12

2012-01-04T09:00:00.000-05:00

It's the first Pull List of the New Year, and it seems my selection matches the new sales charts that are out; Marvel takes the cake.

Yes, folks, not a single DC title gets on my list this week, nor any indies or semi-mainstream companies or the one created by the guy who owns the comic store. This week is entirely Marvel.

Avengers Annual #1

Bright colors. Skin tight costumes. Loud, destructive powers. It's like they read all my New Year's Resolutions.

MARVEL (obviously)

Avengers Academy #24: This title hasn't held my interest so much with the move to the West Coast, so hopefully having X-23 more involved will bring some of the old earnest semi-dark storytelling back to the forefront. Mr. Gage is stretched a bit thin these days, and this isn't my favorite of what he's putting out there.

Avengers Annual #1: Finally capitalizing on a story teased and introduced many months ago, Brian Michael Bendis is giving us the Avengers vs. Wonder Man & his Revengers fight. The outcome is pretty much obvious, but some good Avengers history stuff should come up, plus emotional confrontations like Ms. Marvel, and maybe even some Scarlet Witch conversation.

Avengers X-Sanction #2: This miniseries is, quite frankly, pretty terrible. Even if the writing wasn't somehow boring (a feat, considering it's Cable taking down the Avengers) the art is just juvenile and off-putting. Still, it's all about Hope and A vs X at this point, so I'll stick around I guess.

Uncanny X-Force #19.1: X-Force's AofA allies return to their home dimension and take on Weapon X. Also more info on that X-terminated team. This Point One is setting the stage for a new on-going Age of Apocalypse book. While I'm not sure I'm buying that, I AM sure that anything Rick Remender does these days, esp with this alternate universe characters, is pure gold.

Uncanny X-Men #4: A fast turn-around and we get another Uncanny comic, but a one-off story about the Phalanx. Looking forward to it.

~~Wolverine and the X-Men:~~ Alpha and Omega #1: I like Aaron's Wolverine and the X-Men, but I don't know much about this writer despite his reputation and I've never ever liked Quentin Quire. Might read this in trades, or back issues, but hopefully it doesn't affect much of the main X-Men storylines (read: stop using Quentin so much.)

~~X-Club #2:~~ I like this writer, and his other work giving us X-Club stories has been fun, but not spectacular. The first issue was boring, except for the humor, and Danger turning on her allies is old hat. This is more of a downloadable type of comic, not essential if you're following Utopia X-Men.

X-Men #23: Honestly this eastern european sentinel war story arc should have been done 2 or 3 issues ago. It's boring, War Machine is uninteresting, and the team hasn't really accomplished much of anything at all. Storm is awesome, and a reckless super vampire Jubilee is cooler than expected, but this conclusion would have to be insanely terrific to wash out the taste of the last few issues.

Hope everyone had a lovely New Year's Eve.

The Baker Street Irregulars Come to Comics

2012-01-03T08:40:00.000-05:00

Tony Lee and Dan Boultwood have written/drawn (respectively) a series of graphic novels about the Baker Street Irregulars, Sherlock Holmes' amateur crime fighting force of enterprising orphans and bold yet obedient street kids. This seems like a rather obviously brilliant publishing move and I'm surprised no one has announced a TV show with the same premise yet. Considering the success of recent Sherlock adaptations, and I am a big fan of both the movie and the BBC show (though I have yet to see their newest incarnations) Lee's new stories seems destined to be a big hit.

The comic will take place after Sherlock's apparent death at Reichenbach Falls, and will see the Baker Street Irregulars stepping in to assume the mystery-solving/crime-fighting workload that Holmes once carried singlehandedly. They are not alone, however, as both Mr. Watson and Irene Adler act as support.

Here's an original little New Year's promotional strip that was published in The Times (the London one) just yesterday. And then hit the jump if you want to see some pages from the upcoming series as well as a few details on some of these new Irregulars.

via Bleeding Cool

Uncanny X-Men #4 Preview, Plus A Guide to Recent Phalanx History

2011-12-30T09:03:00.000-05:00

Looks like 2012 is certain to be a good year, as we're getting two new issues of Uncanny X-Men in two consecutive weeks. I'll be completely honest, and admit I'm leaning the Logan/Westchester way these days, but Kieron Gillen is still a pretty fun X-writer and honestly, two straight weeks with a new premiere X-book on the stands? It's starting to become a blissfully common occurrence.

Uncanny #4 brings us what is apparently just a one-shot, featuring the return of the dread Phalanx. The Phalanx, obviously, are the accidental byproduct of the feeding process of alien race the Technarchy, who are giant, living techno-organic organisms who possess a unique transmode virus. Their Marvel history is predominantly with the X-Men, used as a weapon by mutant haters as well as the direct connections to Warlock of the New Mutants, who is a mutant among the Technarchy, bearing a non-aggressive strain of the transmode virus.

What some people don't know, however, is what the Phalanx have been up to lately. Hit the jump for the Uncanny preview as well as some fun pictures from the Phalanx' latest adventures.

While the Phalanx operate by means of an elaborate hive mind (hence the name, many units operating as one, as opposed to a literal interconnecting of Greek shields in battle) they have historically been known to be led or directed by certain individuals. In the case of fighting the X-Men, such examples include Steven Lang and Cameron Hodge, and in fact the transmode virus played a big role in Bastion's attempts to kill Hope upon her return to our timestream.

However, in recent years, while doing their thing out in space (doing their thing = infecting all organic life with the virus until it becomes one of the Phalanx, and then reaching critical mass upon which they build a Babel Spire, summoning a fully-grown Siredam from the Technarchy, who invariably destroy them, seeing them as abominations rather than a new generation...it's a pretty sad cycle, really) when instead of a Siredam, they find something else; the disembodied consciousness of Ultron, recently defeated by the Mighty Avengers and sent into space (that time he turned into a woman using Tony Stark's extremis armor and beat up that annoying talkative team with Ares and Ms. Marvel and Sentry and skully-Hank Pym.)

After an attempt to infect Ultron and bring him into the Phalanx form, ol' bucket-head decided he wanted their amazing technology and modified the virus, not only taking control of the entire Phalanx, but increasing their strength by both uniting them in a holy purpose, as well as granting a modicum of freedom and initiative to certain individuals he dubbed the "select", thus allowing for unforeseen events and improved reactions.

Under Ultron's leadership, the Phalanx successfully conquered the ancient and martial Kree Empire in a matter of minutes, eradicating their defense system, subduing the populace, and sealing Kree space in an unbreakable barrier through use of their Babel Spires. It was intense, and scary, and pretty damn impressive. And that was before Ultron was even revealed, and before he decided organic life was not so horrible if you could find a perfect genetic specimen, which he did, transferring his consciousness into a newly reborn Adam Warlock, thanks to the High Evolutionary.

In the end, Ultron and the Phalanx were brought down, 'natch. But it wasn't easy. Peter Quill aka Star-Lord and his group of rebels (which turned out to be the foundation of his Guardians of the Galaxy team) destroyed one of the Babel Spires (thanks to Groot) and created a weakness in the barrier. This allowed Nova to come through, bearing Drax and Gamora (recently purged of the virus) and Warlock of New Mutants fame and his adopted son Tyro, both members (if outcasts) of the Technarchy.

Warlock gave Adam Warlock/Ultron his mutant strain of the virus, forcing him to flee the soulless body. Drax, Gamora and Nova, along with Peter and his warriors, fought off the Phalanx. Phyla-Vell Quasar, after a few months of whining, used her Quantam Bands to re-ensoul Adam. Ultron then used the attacking Kree Sentries to build himself a giant robot body. Really. And then Phyla-Vell got to deliver the killing blow, which was probably the finest moment in her tragically short and shakily heroic life.

Naturally, Ultron didn't really die (he's made it back to Earth since) and the Phalanx weren't frozen and incapacitated forever. It seems as long as the Technarcy survive, so will they. Still, it was a pretty awesome story. Bet you wish you read more cosmic stuff now, huh?

Now let's check out Uncanny X-Men #4, wherein the Phalanx find yet another strong-willed Terran to act as guiding influence. This time it's Sinister (one day they'll attract a benevolent leader who will use their creepy and visually stunning forces for good.) I can hardly imagine what Gillen has planned, but fortunately I don't have to wait long to find out.

Preview via CBR. Happy Friday!

This Week's Comics - 12/28/11

2011-12-28T09:08:00.000-05:00

So it's the last Pull List of the year, and despite last week's impressive haul, there are some gems in the stack that should end 2011 in style.

Considering that the fantastic and difficult-to-wait-for penultimate issue of Avengers: Children's Crusade is out, it seems it would be a shoe-in for any "Pick of the Week" spotlights. But in truth it didn't even affect the easy decision of honoring Mike Carey's final issue of X-Men Legacy after 5 years.

X-Men Legacy #260

This reader will miss you, Mr. Carey. Thanks for the great comics.

Read on for the list.

DC

None this week. Slightly tempted by Aquaman and/or The Flash because they're so gosh-darned pretty, but haven't picked up the last couple and I have to believe there was a reason for that. If it's not a well-written Batman comic, or a hero I have affection for, there's not much DC can do at this point to get my money back. Except maybe some kind of Anti-New-52 initiative.

DARK HORSE

Angel & Faith #5: I've been very impressed by this comic and Gage's versatility and ease with the characters. The storylines are also surprisingly good, and while I want to delve more into Angel assuming characteristics of Giles, I'm not really eager for Harmony to visit. She was fantastic in real life, especially in Angel Season 5 where she developed a pretty fun rapport with Angel, but her stint as celebrity vamp in Buffy Season 8 by Jane Espenson was practically unreadable for me and certainly not memorable. Let's hope her screen time is minimal.

MARVEL

~~Alpha Flight #7:~~ It's tempting because Wolverine is in it, but I have only picked up a few of this (mini)series, and the whole political unrest, extreme-right-wing villains turns my stomach so I stopped. Here's a warning to comic writers: when you get too righteous and political and personal, even a guest-starring Wolverine can't sway readers back.

Annihilators: Earthfall #4 of 4: Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning are in my top five favorite comic writers ever, especially when they're doing cosmic stuff, but for some reason this series has been seriously underwhelming. Combining Quasar and his massive powerhouse team with the Avengers seems like a no-fail scenario, yet there's been nothing spectacular or moving or even exciting about it. And then the return of the Magus, whom DnA used to such great effect in Guardians of the Galaxy and Thanos Imperative, hasn't been epic either, just mildly creepy and clearly inevitable that he will lose. Maybe the final issue will make up for it, or, more likely, set up a new cosmic story/direction that DnA can really sink their teeth into.

Astonishing X-Men #45: Certainly not the most fascinating of X-books out there, and I'm not a huge fan of random alternate reality story arcs (especially since Mike Carey's Age of X put 'em all to shame) but it's a fun read and plus, the whole Storm kissing Cyclops thing is rare enough to string me along for a few months.

Avengers: Children's Crusade #8 of 9: The penultimate issue. Victor von Doom restored to health and imbued with the Life Force, that mysterious and reality-altering power that drove Wanda mad, built a new reality, killed Avengers, and destroyed a species. The Young Avengers trying to stop him and trying to fight their heroes. Previews for pre-AvX comics have shown that Wanda survives and is operational (beating up MODOKs outside the White House with her magic touch) so we at least know she makes it, but solicits prepare us for the "Death of an Avenger". Don't expect all the kids to come back from this adventure.

FF #13: Couldn't tell you exactly what's going on. Val and the Future Foundation kids are in Latveria with Doom, his son, and some evil Reeds, along with part of the Baxter Building, and they're opening up the Bridge. I know their family is off fighting Annihilus or the Negative Zone or whatever, but aren't they curious about their kids? Regardless, things look scary but hey, don't stress: Valeria's got a plan.

Secret Avengers #20: Kind of the Astonshing X-Men title of the Avengers line. Great concept, but in the year or more since it's debuted, hugely disappointing. Having Warren Ellis on it is more exciting, but he's mostly doing one-shots with the least interesting members of a not-super-interesting team. I never could warm up to Black Widow. But it's Ellis and Cassaday on a comic, and that just makes me think of Planetary, which means I'll buy it for the memories.

Uncanny X-Men #3: Kieron Gillen's big Sinister arc continues, and Hope is front and center fighting the fight. But then he has to go and bring up the Phoenix. Jerk. I'm guessing that doesn't work out for him. In other news, I have no idea what's going on in this cover, but it has made me super uncomfortable and kinda grossed out for the 2 months I've been seeing it. If variants weren't so expensive, I'd definitely go for one here.

X-Men: Legacy #260: The pick of the week and Mike Carey's final issue. *Sob* Rogue's heart and mind are divided, as evah, and she must come to a decision re: staying with Cyclops on Utopia or going with Wolvie to the school. We all know what she chooses, so this isn't the big conflict of the issue. Carey wouldn't be satisfied with that. Instead he has Korvus acting out and, I expect, reconciling his life and love with Rachel. And he has Rogue rescuing Ariel, saving a lost soul and doing what she does best; improvising in the face of giant status quo alterations. Whatever happens, it'll be good, and Carey will be missed.

Preview: Avengers Children's Crusade #8

2011-12-23T10:14:00.000-05:00

Today CBR brings us a preview of the penultimate chapter of this year's best comic series, Avengers: Children's Crusade. In light of next year's Avengers vs. X-Men epic, all the prophesies of this series having major ramifications for the entire Marvel Universe seem to be true.

The return of the Scarlet Witch continues, with a healed and all-powerful Victor von Doom taking center stage. Merry Christmas folks.

Quicksilver Reviews This Week's Comics

2011-12-22T12:46:00.000-05:00

I, Pietro Maximoff, have returned. Once again I find myself owing the odious Captain Elias a favor. The details of our debt are not to be divulged to his plebeian readers, save for the method of my repayment. That is, the reviewing of the silly "comic books", chronicling the adventures of my fellow super compatriots, which the Captain purchased yesterday with his limited funds. I believe he has a job of some kind to pay for such banal frivolities, but it's hardly worth mentioning.

The point is, I am here and he is not. I shall now take approximately 20 seconds to read his entire "Pull List" and write down my reactions. Whether you agree with my opinions, or are tempted to buy certain issues after hearing them, is no concern of mine. So long as you do not actively pursue the destruction of the mutant race, I could not care less.

MARVEL

Avengers #20: I found this comic rather slow and boring, though with some pleasing art and interestingly brief exchanges between certain characters. As a card-carrying member of the Avengers, I applaud Steve Rogers' inclusion of Storm on the team, but I am displeased with the ease in which she was defeated in battle. For that matter the entire team comes off as amateurish and reactionary. Which is quite possibly true, since I am not "in the mix" as it were. This belongs in a trade paperback as a small chapter, not a comic in its own right.

Daredevil #7: Despite my disgust with sentimentality in all its forms, particularly those around Christmas, this comic was touching. Matt Murdock is a respectable hero and lawyer, and to see him struggle against adversity is always fun, though unexpectedly there are no supervillains or crime bosses here. Instead, it is Daredevil and a group of troubled young children who must survive in the snowy wilds of upstate NY after a bus crash. With beautiful pencils, suspenseful drama, and plot developments that reveal the fortitude and courage of the young, this comic becomes a spectacular piece of art.

X-Factor #229: I was surprised to find myself in this issue, until it became clear that the bumbling Jamie Madrox had ended up in an alternate world. Aside from my and Banshee's presence, and the ludicrous idea that I would ever take orders from Wolverine, this was actually a very interesting chapter in the ongoing mysteries of X-Factor. It seems Jamie, who was recently murdered, is in fact connected to the timestream somehow, and upon death he is instantly transmitted to a point in time and reality (not always our own) when/where a duplicate of himself has died. The possibilities of this story are truly epic, and I look forward to hearing what happens, despite a change in focus starting with the next issue (when my former X-Factor teammates Havok and Polaris join in. They are insufferable.)

Wolverine & the X-Men #4: Quentin Quire saves the day, without telling anyone. This may show hope for the troubled young man, especially since he is not living on Utopia near my manipulative father. In the end, the new school survived its first day, and hopefully many more. I particularly like that Krakoa Jr. is now the front lawn of the grounds.

Uncanny X-Force #19: After the emotional brilliance that was the end of the Dark Angel Saga, this coda is methodical and unique. Most notably, Wolverine reveals the existence of X-Force to Kitty Pryde and Beast, his fellow academic architects, who take the young Genesis (Apocalypse Jr.) in their charge. This is far preferable to the long secret-keeping and eventual schism, pardon the term, that would occur upon revelation. Betsy's heartache is sad and hopefully short term, and the set-up for the next arc proved enticing. To see Mr. Remender write a story concerning the Omniverse and the Captain Britain Corps would be a dream come true to any fan of his. Which does not necessarily include me.

Generation Hope #14: I am not yet enamored of this "Hope", this messiah-child, and reading her bumbling escapades in Pakistan did not increase my opinion of her. Sebastian Shaw is a repugnant creature, even with his mind-wiped clean. The fact that he joins the X-Men on Utopia makes me even more worried about Utopia. It is fast becoming an island of villains.

Fantastic Four #601: After all the FF have gone through in recent months, it is heartwarming to see the return of their beloved Johnny Storm to the land of the living. Most rewarding is his new attitude; decisive, aggressive, confident and in charge, this is not the silly superficial Johnny Storm that once dated my ex-wife. I expect great things from him.

New Mutants #35: While the idea of a death metal rock band acting as some sort of mystical energy focal point for natural disasters is both ridiculous and an apt commentary on pop/culture, it is an adequate situation in which to watch Dani Moonstar's team work and interact with the returning Blink. In the end it felt like merely set-up for further issues, but a decent comic nonetheless.

DC

Nightwing #4: The exploits of Dick Grayson in Miami were incidental and unoriginal. The issue's main focus is his interaction with women, which I find to be juvenile and unsatisfactory, though they both seem very beautiful. I much prefer Barbara Gordon in a wheelchair, horrid as that is to say.

Batman #4: Captain Elias tells me this Mr. Snyder is increasingly respected as a writer of comics, yet I could not find proof in this particular issue. It seemed juvenile and with an over-abundance of back story. This Court of Owls is less disturbing than they initially appeared. I am however interested in the potential for a feud forming between Batman and his trusted ally Commissioner Gordon. Some personal drama would help ground this far-reaching story of myths and legends coming to malevolent light.

Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes!: I am not usually a fan of Grant Morrison but I found this over-priced finale to be both lucid and gripping. The first chapter with Stephanie Brown, in what I am told was her final appearance as Batgirl, was particularly great. Her voice and character were completely accurate, when compared to her own series, and her infiltration and defeat of the evil girls school was exciting. She needed little help from Batman in the end. As for the big reveal at the end, it seems Leviathan is Talia al'Gul. Ruthless, beautiful, connected and with a major grudge, it seems Batman Inc. in 2012 may prove more readable than expected.

VERTIGO

Fables #112: This story borrowed a theme from A Christmas Carol, which I hate, but it managed to be original. Rose Red is one of the better characters in the Fables cast, having been a point of interest since the first issue, and her new upcoming role as a paladin for Hope or some such nonsense is actually a rather good idea, setting up her future role in the story. The art is lovely and consistent, and the upcoming conflict with the formerly fat nurse in Castle Dark should be enjoyable to read...

...were I to continue reading these comics of my own volition. Which I will not. this was merely an honorable man repaying his debt to a less honorable man.

I am now done. If you see Captain Elias, tell him never to contact me again. And if you want to have a Merry Christmas, well, I suppose that is your right, though I have no interest to witness it. Goodbye.

This Week's Comics - 12/21/11

2011-12-21T09:04:00.000-05:00

I guess the Big Two decided to release most of their best titles the week before Christmas, because my Pull List is seriously enlarged this week. But if there's one thing the birth of Jesus Christ has taught me, it's that the balance in my checking account does not matter as much as giving and receiving items of value.

And what's more valuable than the brand new adventures of my favorite superheroes? Absolutely nothing that's what.

Daredevil #7 is one of this week's top picks.

Hit the jump for a week of franchise heroes, fairy tale holidays, dark knights with grudge matches, and dead mutants resurrecting all over the place.

DC

Batman #4: The best title put out by DC, Scott Snyder's whole 12-part "Court of Owls" (I keep thinking it's Council of Owls for some reason...cause they're wise?) continues, and with any hope, the intensity level increases. Even if it doesn't though, Scotty boy writes good Batman comics.

Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes! (One Shot): The conclusion, I guess, to Grant Morrison's whole Batman, Inc. project, which caused quite the stir then fizzled out. Not a fan personally, but this here is Stephanie Brown's last appearance as Batgirl, and a new memory of the pre-New-52 world we have been forced to live in.

Fables #112: I expect a good Christmas issue out of Fables. Apparently we're focusing on Rose Red this month and the twists that await her in the future.

Nightwing #4: Kyle Higgins is also writing great Batman-esque comics, and treating Dick Grayson with the respect and affection he deserves. Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) stars in this issue, and while I didn't love their interacting in the Batgirl book, I expect Higgins will pull it off better than Simone.

MARVEL

Avengers #20: The new marquis team, featuring Ororo Iqadi Munroe T'Challa AKA Storm Queen of Wakanda, and also Daisy Johnson, hunts down the new HAMMER, tries to figure out Osborn's plans, and hopefully fights the Dark Avengers. Hey Bendis, give 'Ro a lot of screen time, k? Thanks.

Daredevil #7: The absolute best superhero comic out there that you aren't reading, unless you are reading it, and it's very possibly the best superhero comic you're reading. Waid is a master writer, and the things Paolo Rivera does with a comic book page frankly astonishes me. And I've encountered a lot of comic pages in my life. Brilliant and beautiful.

Fantastic Four #601: So I recall that Johnny's back, right? With a green arm? It seems wrong I don't remember all that happened in that giant size issue, but I'm sure I'll catch up. I think i'll stick with the FF until this "Forever" storyline ends. Mostly I want to see them all reunite, and I like Valeria.

Generation Hope #14: The team's in Pakistan, fighting with a brain-wiped Sebastian Shaw. Nothing in that sentence is good. And it's all leading to the inevitable Laurie/Kenji mutiny which, honestly, I completely understand. Before the whole X-Men vs. Avengers and Phoenix thing starts, they better make Hope a bit more sympathetic. She's coming off ice cold these days.

New Mutants #35: Not the best arc so far, but as ever I have faith in DnA (though they made need to stick to cosmic stuff in future.) The team is still tracking down Blink, and for some reason they are now fighting some death metal rockers at a concert. Mmmkay.

Uncanny X-Force #19: The speed of this book's release is mind-blowing, especially considering the detail of the art and the foresight of the plotting. I can't wait to see the fallout from the Dark Angel Saga, the new Warren/Angel blank slate, Betsy as Omega-Level, and how Brian Braddock ends up on the team/involved in the mission.

Wolverine & The X-Men #3: The Hellfire Club kids are still attacking, most of the faculty is down, and I guess it's up to Quentin Quire. 'Nuff said.

X-Factor #229: All our questions are finally going to be...further explored. Madrox is dead, but he's not, you see? Instead he's woken up on his wedding night to Layla, to find his and Layla's corpses. Hopefully we find out for sure it's not Rahne who killed them. And also that they're not really dead. Again.

Ooof. Big week. Gonna have a lot of fun tonight reading. Might have to stretch it out, make it last longer, defer the pleasure....nah, I'm gonna eat them up as fast as possible. Merry Christmas!

Stephanie Brown as Batgirl, One Last Time

2011-12-20T12:34:00.000-05:00

My biggest problem with DC's New 52, followed closely by the misuse of Tim Drake in the abominable Teen Titans, was the disappearance of Stephanie Brown as Batgirl.

The new Batgirl title, featuring an ambulatory Barbara Gordon, has been decent but not nearly as fantastic as Bryan Q. Miller's pre-52 Batgirl. There were conflicting reports about Stephanie's role in the new universe--did she exist? was she another Batgirl working for Batman, Inc.? was she back to being the Spoiler? how much of her history was still canon? etc. etc.

Well it turns out that tomorrow we will be getting our last look at Stephanie Brown in her trademark purple-y Batgirl costume. The comic is Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes! by Grant Morrison, the long awaited (though not by me) finale to his hugely delayed Batman, Inc.

When we last saw Steph she was working for Batman, Inc., fighting a girl's prep school with Batman himself. Morrison's title was not one I enjoyed, but the inclusion of Steph in Batman, Inc. was a considerate addition to her fans. While Bryan Q. Miller brought her solo title to a beautiful, hopeful close, the strong desire to read him writing Batgirl again will probably never lessen.

Until then, we'll have to settle for tomorrow's Batman Incorporated finale to see Steph's first comic appearance in many months, and her final mission as Batgirl. May she live long and prosper and return as soon as frakkin' possible. Oh and Tim Drake's in it too, so that's something.

via ComicsAlliance

Superpowers That Be

Nole Sends Ratface Back To Glasgow

Alas, Poor Roger

This Week's Comics - 1/24/12

Artsy Avengers Variants

Recommended Reading

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SMG & Piper Perabo at Globes

Avengers vs. X-Men #1 Cover

Marvel Previews for Next Week's Comics

Avengers vs. X-Men: One-on-One Battles Revealed

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HELP: Great Sci/Fi & Fantasy Titles Needed

Avengers vs. X-Men: The Tie-In

Marvel Previews for Next Week's Comics

Sci Fi / Fantasy Poll

Peter David on X-Factor's Changes

This Week's Comics - 1/4/12

The Baker Street Irregulars Come to Comics

Uncanny X-Men #4 Preview, Plus A Guide to Recent Phalanx History

This Week's Comics - 12/28/11

Preview: Avengers Children's Crusade #8

Quicksilver Reviews This Week's Comics

This Week's Comics - 12/21/11

Stephanie Brown as Batgirl, One Last Time