GET ‘EM BEFORE THEY’RE GONE…

HAUNT #1 – First issue of the Todd McFarlane/Tyler Kirkman/ Ryan Ottely/ Greg Capullo superjam comic series from Image. Co-created by McFarlane and Kirkman, Kirkman is handling the main story and dialogue while Capullo does layouts for Ryan Ottley’s pencils and Todd wraps the whole things up by inking it. Haunt is surprisingly a lot like Dr./Brother Voodoo where a dead sibling jumps into the body of their living brother – imbuing them with power. Daniel is a disenchanted Catholic priest who is estranged from his family and Kurt is his mercenary/secret agent brother who dies after botching a mission. I almost felt like I missed an issue in the middle where it jumped from Kurt dying to Kurt talking to Daniel as a ghost. Daniel goes to make sure his brother’s wife is safe at Kurt’s behest. When agents break in to search the apartment, Kurt tries to push Daniel out of the way of a bullet and winds up jumping into him; turning him into a cross between Spider-Man and Spawn (imagine that…). The dialogue has me hooked but the way that the story jumps around a bit worries me. I’ll definitely be picking up issue two as I hope that Kirkman is able to keep McFarlane’s ‘90’s style storytelling at bay…

DARK REIGN – THE LIST: SECRET WARRIORS – Osborn’s on Fury’s list and Fury is on Osborn’s list. The kicker in this story is that Fury has to get Osborn to help with a matter of national security. Fury and Osborn ferret out a mole in the Capitol and Osborn begins torturing him for information. When Fury hears the word “Leviathan,” he cues his backup to kill the mole grabs the only evidence they were able to find in the guy’s office and jumps out of “Avengers” Tower. Turns out, high ranking members of Hydra, S.H.I.E.L.D. and other various clandestine organizations are linked to another group called “Leviathan,” including Nick Fury, Strucker, Dugan etc. Ummmm… WTF?!? They all have Zodiac codenames?!? If you haven’t been reading Secret Warriors – you’ve been missing Johnathan Hickman exposing the “spy world” of the Marvel U as he writes the best Nick Fury since Jim Steranko. Period.

BATMAN & ROBIN #5 – Looks like we are leading up to the return of Bruce Wayne since this series and Blackest Night take a one month break in December for a “special event within a special event” for DC. This issue, once again drawn by the soon to be great Philip Tan (please just keep Frank Quitely on covers!), has Dick and Damian trying to keep the Red Hood (Jason Todd) and his sidekick Scarlet, from killing The Penguin in cold blood. The confrontation is a wash as the two extreme vigilantes flee as “Batwing/Nightman” and Robin hand Penguin over to Gordon. The Red Hood thought that if he started killing crooks, they would leave Gotham; unfortunately, it’s only brought in more attention in the form of the worst/best killer in the underworld. Batman and Robin manage to track down Jason as he’s trying to kill a survivor of their last spree, but are trapped and taken to the Red Hood’s hideout. When Jason walks out, he receives a “double-tap” in his red hood for his troubles. I like the direction that Grant Morrison is taking with this title – the debate of crime-fighting philosophies has been one that fans have wanted to see in a Batman comic for a long time (I know they did it in Batman: Year Two & Full Circle, but this seems a little more plausible…). Check it out as the DC editors are really starting to drop a lot of hints in the Batman books as the return of Bruce…

ASTONISHING X-MEN #31 – I really wanted to hate this book after what Phil Jimenez was a party to in creating Beak, Beasting-out Beast even more and giving certain mutants “secondary mutations.” And Beak. And the f-ing Fly Girl crap. Maybe I’m giving Jimenez too much crap/credit for that dark point in the X-Men universe. He’s joined writer Warren Ellis to bring us a more action oriented/smash ‘em up X-Men title. The issue starts with S.W.O.R.D. director Brand and a team investigating an unwelcomed starship and encounter the Brood. Her team maages to get clear, but Brand’s ship is damaged and re-entry is in the direction of San Francisco. Cue the X-Men. After a seat-of-the-pants rescue, Emma sees one of her dead students from Genosha alive and well. When Emma confronts her, the student turns into what can only be called a Bio-Sentinel. Not a human sized thing. Something that started human looking, turned inside-out and grew into a full sized Sentinel. And they don’t even know about the Brood yet…

PLANETARY #27 – Geez… and I thought the Old Man Logan story was late. Warren Ellis and artist John Cassaday finally get around to putting out the final issue of an outstanding series. Featuring an amazing tri-fold cover from Cassaday, issue 27 manages to show what Elijah Snow, Drums and Jakita have been doing now that the Four have been taken care of. Planetary, along with The Authority, are my two favorite Wildstorm titles of all time. If you’ve never read an issue, shame on you. There are four trades available reprinting the entire series. If you liked The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Planetary is like the continuation of that series in modern times. If you only take one of my recommendations in this review – make it Planetary…

DOCTOR VOODOO: AVENGER OF THE SUPERNATURAL #1 – When we last saw Stephen Strange and Brother Voodoo in New Avengers, they had just cut The Hood off from the power of Dormammu and then vanished for parts unknown to train Voodoo as the new Sorcerer Supreme. This issue picks up with DOCTOR (?!?) Voodoo sealing Dormammu within the Dark Dimension using dark magic. Stephen protests and then realizes that he has taught all he can and leaves. Dr. Doom shows up to fight Voodoo for possession of the Eye of Agamotto and wins, but then sees what the future holds and gives it back to Voodoo. I really don’t know what to think about this series yet. Rick Remender usually writes a good story and his normal artist in crime Jefte Palo’s stuff looks better here in a supernatural book than on his older titles like Punisher. It’s a first issue and it’s pretty interesting so far. Give it a try and let me know what you think….

IRREDEEMABLE #7 – What would happen if Superman decided he wanted to rule instead of help? What if he were tired of hearing cries for help constantly? That’s pretty much what Mark Waid’s Irredeemable is about. The Plutonian has snapped and has gone from being the world’s most beloved hero to its greatest superhero. His former teammates and villains have united to find a way to stop him before it’s too late. Great story. Great dialogue. Great art by Peter Krause. If you haven’t been reading this series from BOOM Studios, grab the first four issues in the Vol.1 trade paperback and then find the next three at your local shop. This title is steadily gaining in fans – jump on know and find out why.

DEADPOOL #16 – Deadpool joins the X-Men. No, really. Probationary status only. After being initially rebuffed by Cyclops, Deadpool decides the best way to convince the X-Men to let him join is to show them his “moves.” In the meantime, Cyclops is convinced that Deadpool is too much of a loose cannon to leave unchaperoned and sends Domino to offer him a spot on the team. Hilarity ensues and pancakes are involved. Daniel Way must live with voices in his head because the dialogue is too good and too funny. This title will never win any awards, but it makes me laugh out loud every month…

THE BOYS #35 – Along with Deadpool, I look forward to the laughs or HOLY $H!Ts that this comic brings me every month. This issue is the origin of Boys member, Mother’s Milk or MM. F-ed up. Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson are absolutely crazy in this book. It’s been optioned by Hollywood to be turned into something live-action; either on HBO as a series like the Soprano’s – which is my preference by the way. It’d allow them to tell the stories the way they were meant to be told without cutting important stuff out to fit into a two hour movie. Or they will butcher it to fit a two hour movie. Check it out, but this series is not for the squeamish, faint-of-heart, minors or milksops…

X-BABIES #1 – Screw you, I liked the X-Babies and I especially liked them when Art Adams created them back in the ’80’s. Featuring a cover by Wizard of OZ artist Skottie Young, X-Babies starts with Mojo being dethroned by someone nastier and the X-Babies are captured and put into a VR/Danger Room to keep them out of trouble. They soon see through the deception and discover they’ve been replaced by even younger versions of themselves on a mindless kids show. Spiral is dispatched to recapture them and then sends our little heroes into the world of Planet Terry. Remember from Marvel’s Star Comics imprint in the ‘80’s. I sure more Rated A hijinks will ensue in the next ish (man, I’m a sucker for most things X. I’m so ashamed…).

WARLORD #7 – Finally! The return of Mike Grell as both writer and artist on this title. That’s why it got approved. Not for your writing and hiring some shmoe to pencil. We want your stuff. Mike Grell was responsible for e making Green Arrow cool in the ‘80’s & ‘90’s, working on his creator-owned project Jon Sable: Freelance and for creating Warlord for DC. Grell’s style is reminiscent of Neal Adams and if I need to explain who Neal Adams is, just punch yourself in the face. This is a great jumping on point for new readers and will hopefully push Warlord back into the spotlight at DC.

STAR WARS INVASION #4 – While I would like to see someone else doing the art on this book, I still pick it up every week. Focusing on the early days of the Vuuzhan Vong invasion of the galaxy, we get to see reactions by the Vong as they adjust to dealing with Jedi, the Jedi and citizens of various worlds fighting to stop the Vong’s relentless assault and see how Han and the rest of the main Star Wars characters we know deal with the recent death of Chewbacca. Must buy for any Star Wars fans.

DAREDEVIL #501 – Wooo… Matt Murdock has officially gone to the dark side with this issue as he kills his current sensi, Master Izo to officially become leader of The Hand. Ed Brubaker left a great set up with issue #500 and Thunderbolt’s writer, Andy Diggle has hit the ground running. I only seem to pick up a Daredevil issue every 100 issues, but now I want to grab the trades leading up to issue #500. I mean, Kingpin is back and Lady Bullseye is working for him, Foggy fired Matt from the law firm. Matt cheated on his wife with Dakota North. I gotta get up to speed on this title…

KILL AUDIO #1 – Wow. This is a messed up comic. Kill Audio is written by the lead singer of Coheed & Cambria, Claudio Sanchez and the main character – Kill Audio looks like a midget version of Claudio. Kill Audio cannot die (even though his friend tries every few days…) and lives in a world without music. His friends include Death and a “chicken-man drug dealing pimp.” He also meets “God” of this world. The art style is a great mix of “street comics” and something like Johnny the Homicidal Maniac and it’s all done in grayscales and red for the blood. Originally, I picked this up because it was a first issue and it was by another musician (Gerard Way & Pete Wentz anyone…?), but I think I’ll get the next ish just to watch the weirdness continue…

CAPTAIN AMERICA – THEATRE OF WAR: GHOSTS OF MY COUNTRY – I don’t care what your political views are. I don’t care who you have or would have voted for in the last election. If you call yourself ANY kind of proud United States of America citizen, go to your local comic shop, buy this comic, read it and reflect. That is all. Breathtaking. Thank you Paul Jenkins (tear…).

TRY NOT TO LOOK AT THESE TOO LONG – YOU MIGHT BE BLINDED BY THE SHINY PILES OF CRAP…

CABLE #19 – The only thing that has gotten better with Cable this issue is the art (it’s more bearable than Paul Gulacy’s art…). Let’s see – Cable and Hope have been running into the future to get away from Bishop. They hitched a ride aboard a spaceship and have now run into the Brood. No really. My kid didn’t write this – heck, even he thought this was a dumb story and he likes Cable. Cancel this quick and have Cable rejoin an X-Team in some capacity and have Hope be adopted by Cyclops to keep him from going over the edge he’s headed towards. Blargh…

BATMAN: THE UNSEEN #1 – Former Bat-writer Doug Moench and artist Kelly Jones haven’t done a lot of mainstream work in the last 5 years – which makes me wonder if this isn’t something that either they or DC had hidden away. Jones’ art doesn’t look good on Batman (it fits a book like Dark Horse’s Creepy reboot…) and Moench’s story feels like something that was written a decade ago. For those who don’t remember, Doug Moench was one of the writers that were responsible for the “KnightFall” storyline in the early ‘90’s that almost got Batman cancelled. Kelly Jones’ claim to fame was the Batman: Red Rain graphic novel. Much like Rob Liefeld, Sam Keith and others with a very abstract art style – Jones was only popular because his stuff looked different; then fans realized that it didn’t fit the mainstream characters that he was given. C’mon DC – what is it with you and Marvel copying each other? They trot out the Clone Saga crap and you give us this…

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #608 – Hey! Speaking of the Clone Saga! I guess the “House of Ideas” has run out of ideas. Much like Hollywood, Marvel and DC have begun to hire writers with little or no creativity. Marc Guggenheim, former writer on Young X-Men (he ran that one into the ground…) and The Flash (he was hired to run the title into the ground to pave the way for Mark Waid’s return…) has officially brought back a storyline that was worse than “One More Day” – The Clone Saga. Oooooh, look – there’s “bad-ass” Parker clone Kaine – back from the dead. Ben Reilly must be just on the horizon. I was hopeful with the return of MJ to New York, the return of the Black Cat and an angst-ridden Peter Paker. But now, Marvel – you’ve taken a wrong turn. Please get back on track. Amazing Spider-Man is your flagship title. I know you may think its Iron Man now with the success of the movie, but it’s not. It’s Spider-Man. Hire a decent writer. Get an editor with a little creativity themselves and some balls to tell writers “no.” Don’t try to hire writers with TV or movie experience; it hasn’t worked with Guggenheim so far…

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