Comics

I’ll admit I had mixed feelings about the announcement of yet another Crisis tale, but all the rumors flying around have piqued my interest.  This one-shot breaks down the past and sets up readers for DC’s big summer event Final Crisis.  Thought mostly a tease, at only 50 cents it’s a must have.  Plus it contains, well, I won’t spoil it for you here.  Check out the Full Diagnosis.

DC Universe #0
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“I am a shaft of light split through a prism…  There is a sound.  A sound like the crack of doom.  Like a starter’s pistol, and this is me.  And now I remember.”

Setting the stage for Final Crisis this one-shot gives us a look back at the DCU as it was, as it is, and what is to come.

We begin with a small spark of light which guides us through the Multiverse and the heroes of Earth.  We peek in at all our heroes and are given short glimpses of the struggles which they will face in DC’s huge summer event.

For those unfamiliar with Crisis on Infinite Earths and Infinite Crisis this simple guide should get you quickly up to speed, but that’s not why you will buy it.

This one-shot sets up all the Final Crisis crossover events including Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds, Batman R.I.P., Green Lantern: Blackest Night, and more.  But that’s not why you should pick up this issue.

Included here is a short and ominous confrontation between Batman and the Joker, a short sequence involving Libra and the Secret Society, and the rise of a new threat on Themyscira.  But that’s not why you should purchase this issue.

Written by Grant Morrison and Geoff Johns with art by George Perez, Tony Daniel, J.G. Jones, Aaron Lopresti, Ivan Reis, Phillip Tan, and Carlos Pacheco it’s a montage of the DCU all for the incredibly low price of 50 cents.  But that’s not why you must have this issue.

The reason this single comic is a must have is for the title (which isn’t revealed until the final page), and the return of a classic DC hero who acts as narrator throughout the piece.  Yes folks, the rumors are true.  He’s back!

At 50 cents this issue is packed with enough to tease and tempt you to seriously look forward to DC’s big summer event.  It does everything you want a preview issue of this type to do.  Simply put, it’s a must-have.

King Arthur as a cowboy?  One of the first releases of the new Radical Publishing takes the Arthurian legend and plops it in the middle of the Old West in this five-issue mini-series retelling of the classic tale.  So how does it work?  Check out the Full Diagnosis to find out!

Caliber: First Canon of Justice #1 (of 5)
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“It belongs to the lawbringer.  Only the lawbringer can use it.”

Caliber: First Canon of Justice is one of the first releases from the new Radical Comics.  The five-issue mini-series by Sam Sarkar retells the Arthurian legend of the Knights of the Round Table, Merlin, Camelot, and Excalibur, in the Old West.

Here Merlin is a Native American shaman named Whitefeather, Arthur is the son of an Army Captain, and Gwen is a frontier woman and friend of the family.  Even Morgan le Fay has a small cameo in the first issue.

As a longtime fan of the Arthur legend I was curious, and for the price of only $1.00 it was too tempting to pass up.  The issue has style and a beautiful painted look done digitally by Garrie Gastonny and the Imaginary Friends Studios.  The stylish look of this first issue is one of its strengths.

As for the story, well…  The first time I read the issue I was confused and disappointed.  However Caliber is one of those comics that gets better on re-reading the issue.  Although I still think there’s a little too much going on here: we get a introduction to several characters, a massacre, the visions of Whitefeather, the history of the gun, a look at the Army officers various feelings toward the Indians, evil plots, and more.  All mixed together the first issue comes off a bit unfocused and unsure of the exact tale it wants to tell.

 

Issue #1 is a bit of a mixed-bag, but for patient readers, and fans of King Arthur, for only $1 you are getting your money’s worth.  Although I’m not sold yet, the art and the promise of a cowboy version of Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table will most likely bring me back for issue #2.

Geoff Johns, the man who brought Hal Jordan back from both insanity and death, now takes a turn at his origin?  I should be as giddy as a schoolgirl.  So why am I not?  Although the new storyline promises new insights into the origin of the greatest Green Lantern, this first issue is little more than rehashing of storylines already told.

Updated to include issue #30

Green Lantern #29-30
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“When your worst fear happens in front of your eyes – I thought there was nothing left to be afraid of.”

Issue #29 starts “Secret Origin,” a look back on who Hal Jordan is and how he became Green Lantern.  I’m a huge Jordan fan, but I was a bit disappointed here.

For new readers this is a nice primer about a pretty complex man who could do anything when he put on the ring, and royally screw-up his life when he wasn’t flying through the air.

This issue deals with Jordan’s childhood and adolescence, the loss of his father, his stormy relationship with the rest of his family, and his washout of the Air Force.  If you think you’ve seen all this before, well, you have.  Many times.

There’s nothing new here to entice long time readers to pick this issue up, and although the story arc promises to reveal more about Abin Sur, and the circumstances of his death, and how those tie-in to “Blackest Night.” the first issue barely touches on this issue.  Only on the last page do we finally get Abin Sur, and then it’s more of tease to next issue than any larger revelation.

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“Part Two” finds Hal Jordan working as a mechanic for Arden-Air – the only company willing to hire the troubled pilot.  It also marks the return of Carol Ferris who has bought out Arden and reluctantly agrees to keep Hal on as a favor to the previous owner.

Inter-cut with these scenes are Abin Sur’s space travel to Earth in a small rocket ship.  He is searching for answers to the prophecy of “Blackest Night,” and transporting the captured alien Atrocitus along for the ride.

Unlike the Jordan story here Johns gives us something new with Sur’s conversation with his friend Sinestro, a legitimate reason for Sur to be flying a ship instead of traveling under the power of his ring, and a glimpse at the creature responsible for his death.

The issue wraps up with Jordan’s encounter with Abin Sur, his first flight as Green Lantern, and a last minute appearance by a future villain who will bother Green Lantern for years to come.  Although not outstanding, issue #30 is definitely a step up from the previous issue.

Although there’s something nostalgic the series, there’s simply not much to it for longtime readers.  If this had been the first issue of a relaunch I might better understand, but this is issue #29.  I don’t mind going back to revisit the origin of our hero, but give me something new (and which wasn’t already covered in Emerald Dawn and it’s sequel), especially if it’s going to be drawn out over several issues.  Issue #30 is a step-up as Geoff Johns shows he has something more up his sleeve, and I’m interested to see where the fall-out of the Abin Sur story will go in the next few issues.

Looking forward to Iron Man but wanting a little more info on the character before you plop down two hours wages on a movie ticket?  Don’t fret folks, your RF pals give you the skinny on a select group of Iron Man graphic novels.

From his first days in print, his first encounter with the Mandarin, Tony Stark’s troubles with alcohol, the famous Armor Wars, the adventures of War Machine, Iron Man’s role as a member of the Illuminati, to his current post as head of S.H.I.E.L.D., we get you up to speed and ready for Friday.

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The Invincible Iron Man Omnibus Vol. 1 – Let’s start at the beginning with the mammoth collection of early Iron Man adventures captured in this oversized hardcover.  Not willing to dish-out the $99.99 for this?  For $16.99 a pop you can pick up the b&w Essential Iron Man volumes 1-3.

Iron Man: Armor Wars – This trade paperback collects the “Armor Wars” storyline featuring Iron Man tracking down both heroes and villains who have stolen Stark technology.  Includes loads of villains, new armor, and a confrontation with Steve Rogers. [$24.99]

Iron Man: Enter the Mandarin – This trade paperback collects the recent mini-series featuring the origins of the Mandarin, one of Iron Man’s oldest foes, and a retelling of their first meeting. [$14.99]

Iron Man: Demon in a Bottle – One of the most discussed storylines of the hero’s career centers around Tony Stark’s loosing his battle with alcohol. [$24.99]

Iron Man: War Machine – I was never much a fan of the War Machine armor, but if you are then this trade paperback was made just for you! [$29.99]

Iron Man: Hypervelocity – A slightly different take on the hero and his world in this collection of the mini-series featuring a war between “the bleeding -edge technology of an insurgent mecha subculture and the massed hardware of an elite ‘cape-killing’ paramilitary force.” [$14.99]

Iron Man Vol. 1: Extremis – The current run on Iron Man began with this reboot by Warren Ellis taking ol’ Shellhead into the 21st Century. [$14.99]

New Avengers: Illuminati – Iron Man and the other leaders of the super-secret guardians protect the planet from harm, no matter the cost.  This trade paperback collection leads into the current Secret Invasion storyline. [$14.99]

Iron Man: Civil War – Marvel’s Civil War from the perspective of Tony Stark. [$11.99]

Iron Man: Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. – Collects the first few issue of Tony Stark as the new director of S.H.I.E.L.D. [$14.99]