Comic Reviews 2/1/13

My View                                    
David LeBlanc
ComicBkNet@aol.com

David LeBlanc was the Editor of the Comic Book Network Electronic Magazine for
over ten years. He is a life-long fan of comics and moderated online comic book
forums long before the Internet became the place to be. David works part-time at
THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT, the Eisner-winning comic store in Worcester, MA.


REVIEWS

The comics reviewed are chosen by David not by THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT management
or staff. The opinions expressed are his alone. If you have an opposing view you
are welcome to respond to David directly by Email at the address above.


Title: YOUNG AVENGERS
Issue Number: 1
Title Story: Style > Substance
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artists: Jamie McKelvie with Mike Norton
Colors: Matthew Wilson
Letters: Clayton Cowles
Price (USD): $2.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero

I believe this is the second volume of this title. The last time we saw some of
these characters was in CHILDREN'S CRUSADE in which the Scarlett Witch returned
to mainstream continuity. With that adventure out of the way we open a new
episode in the lives of Wiccan and Hulking - the former the son of Wanda and the
latter a Skrull. These older teenage boys are a couple and Teddy has moved in
with Billy and his foster parents. They have supposedly given up on the hero
life but Teddy has been sneaking out to do some heroics - easy enough when you
can shape shift into anybody like Spider-Man for example. This cause tension
among the two but also opens up an honest dialogue between them wherein Teddy
reveals how deeply he feels for Billy, he is the only thing Teddy has left. So
Billy decides on his own to fix things with his magic powers and as they say in
a popular TV these days magic always comes with a price.  This new version will
feature different characters with no other home in Marvel comics. Noh-Varr,
Marvel Boy, has been ordered to stay away from Earth and the Kree Empire and so
we find him in his bachelor pad, a space cruiser, hooking up with Kate Bishop
aka Hawkeye. She is the non-powered human of the group, which is not yet a
group. Noh-Varr is the cool guy that everyone wants to be like or be with. They
make a nice couple and seem to be having a great time until the Skrulls attack!
Finally we find a younger version of Loki, Kid Loki, who is made aware of
Wiccan's use of magic and appears on the roof of the tenement to try and stop
him. From what we see later this may have been a wise idea but he is interrupted
by Miss America, the Marvel Version of Wonder Girl, a super powered teen that
thinks Loki is up to evil. While Marvel Boy and Hawkeye have their hands full in
space the others will be dealing with the consequences of Wiccan's good
intentions. This is a good introduction to new readers to these characters. The
relationships are dealt with realistically and honestly. Each character has
individuality that comes out through the dialogue and action. At some point the
plots will merge and the teens will be working as a team, that is if Miss
America doesn't kill Loki first. The art is superb enough to be on any major
comic, which this one could become. It is a fresh start for some of the group
and a refreshing chance for us to follow a teen group once again in the Marvel
Universe. This one is bound to be a hit. Get it while you can.

Title: UNCANNY X-FORCE
Issue Number: 1
Title Story: Let It Bleed
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Sam Humphries
Artist: Ron Garney
Inker: Danny Miki
Colors: Marte Gracia with Israel Gonzalez
Letters: Cory Petit
Cover Artists: Olivier Coipel with Laura Martin
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero

I have not been following the previous incarnation of this group. This title is
not to be confused with CABLE AND THE X-FORCE, which is the fugitive squad of
the two. This squad includes Storm, Puck, Psylocke, Cluster - the female clone
of Fantomex and evidently Spiral though in this issue it appears that Betsy and
Spiral would rather fight each other to the death. Through the opening sequences
we learn that Wolverine has asked Psylocke to leave the school but giving her
something else to do. Along the way Storm joins her. Both of their lives have
been turned upside down lately and this unofficial mission will be a diversion
for them. They are off to Los Angeles to look into the sources of a new drug
cult that has the markings of mass mind control. It is called Tao, which is an
acronym for Together As One. The drug makes you susceptible to a hive mind
mentality. The request for help to look into this is revealed to be none other
than Puck, the Canadian former hero with Alpha Flight. The action in this issue
starts when Puck leads the two to an abandoned bank building where apparently
Spiral has been dancing and selling the drug to the locals. Not one for subtlety
when it comes to Spiral Betsy attacks immediately. Using the distraction Puck
and Storm head for the vault and learn the possible secret behind the crowd also
suddenly attacking Psylocke. Not to be forgotten we get a brief look at what
Fantomex and Cluster are up to. This is one of those titles that has to approach
a new beginning carefully. Some of the characters have a history that has to be
touched on but can't be explored in too much detail. Thus Betsy seems to be the
main focus in flashbacks including Spiral, Fantomex and her previous life in X-
Force. It also has to establish its own reason for existence and bring in the
new members. Puck serves up the logical plot devise while Spiral is mixed in but
it is a mystery whether she can join a team such as this. Fantomex is given
panel time almost as an afterthought with nothing connecting to the others right
now. And just to cause some future plot twists or momentum the last page
introduces someone else on the cover, the warrior from the future, Bishop. His
story has not begun either, he just shows up elsewhere suddenly declaring he is
back. Long time readers of the X-books will probably get a kick out of yet
another team of mutants and the like, especially if some of them are not the
best of friends. New readers can get by without much knowledge of the past and
follow the story easily enough. I am not sure there is enough here to grab my
interest for long but I am willing to give it a chance.

Title: EMPOWERED SPECIAL
Issue Number: 3
Title Story: Hell Bent or Heaven Sent
Publisher: Dark Horse
Creator: Adam Warren
Writer: Adam Warren
Artists: Ryan Kinnaird (color pages) with Adam Warren (black and white pages)
Letters: Nate Piekos with Adam Warren
Cover Artist: Ryan Kinnaird with Adam Warren
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero Parody

I have been curious about EMPOWERED for some time now, mainly due to the appeal
of Adam Warren's art. When I saw this Special on the rack I decided to take a
look. What I found was a very enjoyable comic. It doesn't take long to figure
out that this is a send up of the stereotypical female super hero with sex
appeal to pander to the fan boys. The good thing is Warren makes no bones about
it. He admits it in the recap page on the inside cover. Empowered is super
heroine with a very fragile super suit that gives her her powers but seems to
get torn up an awful lot. She has a boyfriend and best friend and belongs to a
group called the Superhomeys though she is at the bottom of the totem pole with
them. For purposes of the plot she is given monitor duty in the disposal portal,
the place where all the trash they create in their fights with bad guys ends up.
Teammate Capitan Rivet is her escort to this dumping ground of leftover
vilainware and surplus supercrap. She is relieving Mechanismo a former human
that now has a nanoware mecha body. He was transformed by a lady robot's
sexually transmitted nanodisease and still craves his former human life. That is
the hook that drives the plot. It seems that his desires have caused him to
create a virtual reality wherein he can enjoy the pleasures of the flesh but
unwittingly the nanotech virus has used this as a portal to infect the junkyard
and turn everything in it into female angels that can only say, "sexy time" over
and over. Even Capitan Rivet is infected and transformed into a female version.
There are also devil girls that attack everything in sight. Fortunately for
Empowered her super suit protects her from being infected though the laser beams
from the devil girls are having the expected shredding effect on her suit.
Unfortunately for everyone the storage vault has a built-in failsafe that will
transport the entire vault into the heart of the sun if any bad stuff, like a
nanovirus, threatens to breach the walls. It will be up to Empowered to figure
out a way to stop the virus before they are all thrown into the sun. The book
flashes back and forth in time with flashbacks in black and white. The art is
appealing though maybe a tad too suggestive for younger readers. There are a few
humorous surprises along the way making the whole thing fun from start to end. I
found this comic to be a real hoot and easily accessible for everyone. If you
are curious, as I was a recommend you pick up this Special and see what it is
all about. 

Title: BORDERLANDS
Issue Number: 1
Title Story: Roland
Title Arc: Origins
Publisher: IDW
Writer: Mikey Neuman
Artist: Augustin Padilla
Colors: Esther Sanz
Letters: Shawn Lee
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Science Fiction/Software Adaptation

This comic is based on the role-playing shooter game from Gearbox Software,
although you wouldn't know that from the comic. I guess IDW counts on gamers
knowing the game and wanting the comic or comic readers just looking for another
sci-fi comic. There is a back-story, which you can find easily enough on
Wikipedia. But since this is a comic book some folks won't even though about the
connection. So how does it measure up on its own? Visually the art is fairly
decent though the style takes some getting used to. This series is apparently
character studies of the main characters - this one centering on Roland, the
soldier. He is a sergeant on a far away planet. His squad of four is relaxing as
the boss, a civilian named Higgins, takes Roland off to the side and confronts
him about reading a classified file. They are on a mission here for the Atlas
Corporation. Higgins clearly is keeping secrets from Roland and his team and
Roland does not trust him. His suspicions are proved out when the mission they
are sent on turns out to be a trap. I did not find this comic to be all that
interesting. The plot is thin and obvious. The rest is just banter among the
squad. There is an action sequence fighting alien creatures is not very well
choreographed and leads into the climax in a surprising way, the only really
dramatic part of the story. Even the ending is too subtle to understand unless
you are looking for something. I finally got it the third time around. Roland
does stand out as a tough guy who perseveres in the end, but there is not enough
meat to the story to be worth the money, in my opinion.

Title: THE ANSWER
Issue Number: 1 (of 4)
Publisher: Dark Horse
Writers: Dennis Hopeless & Mike Norton
Artist: Mike Norton
Colors: Mark Englert
Letters: Crank!
Cover Artist: Mike Norton
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Mystery - Super Hero

The central character in this story is a librarian. She is actually a genius who
apparently is content doing what she does despite her mother's objections that
she is wasting her talent. For example it is her thirtieth birthday and she is
at the library doing crosswords while answering every question on Jeopardy
flawlessly. In a surprise moment she opens a present from her mother to find in
it is a puzzle ball. It appears to be like a 9-sided die the size of softball
with dozens of characters - hieroglyphs, numbers, letters and colors on each
side. Think of it as a Rubik's Cube on steroids. Devin loves puzzles and this
one is a major challenge - which she solves in minutes. Then it opens up and
finds a small scroll with a web site URL written on it. Thus begins her
adventure that will lead to a narrow escape from five armed gunman and a bus
ride she hadn't planned on. Of course she is not the title character. That is a
super hero known as the Answer. As you can tell from the cover he wears a
skintight suit from head to toe with an exclamation point covering his face. And
no, he is not a rip off of the Question. But he, or should I say they as it soon
becomes apparent, know a lot about that web site and what follows when someone
breaks the code. We get an idea about the Answer's methods when in a separate
scene he breaks up a gas station robbery. He has no apparent super powers but
can handle himself well in almost any situation. Just how he knows Devin will be
in danger is not completely apparent, nor are the motives of the organization
behind the Apeiron web site. But once she accesses the site he is made aware and
races to extract her before the bad guys show up. It is a fast paced action
sequence from that point forward though it is told with breaks to other scenes
of what happened before. It is still tightly scripted and has a number of
surprises, right up to the last panel. The bigger secret about the Answer is
revealed there, if you did not catch wind of it earlier. The art by Mr. Norton
is terrific as well. I found this to be intriguing. The dialogue is realistic
from all the characters. If you are looking for a mini-series that has all that
with a new kind of hero you can get into then this is the book for you.

Title: GREEN LANTERN CORPS
Issue Number: 16
Title Story: Bad Guys
Title Arc: Rise of the Third Army
Publisher: DC
Writer: Peter J. Tomasi
Artist: Fernando Pasarin
Inker: Scott Hanna
Colors: Gabe Eltaeb
Letters: Dave Sharpe
Cover Artists: Cafu & Eltaeb
Price (USD): $2.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero

I mentioned I do not follow the Green Lantern titles so I am not up on the whole
Rise of the Third Army situation. But I decided to sample this issue because it
features the latest Green Lantern of Earth, Simon Baz. DC does not recap the
story 'til now so we jump right in to find Guy Gardner stripped of his ring and
in jail. Evidently he did some bad stuff and got kicked from the Corp and then
after his exile back to Earth did enough to get in the can. Meanwhile the
Guardians have been behind a lot of bad stuff and created their new Corp called
the Third Army. They are kind of cute with bluish-white bodies, no mouth, and
transparent skulls showing off their green brains. They have been creating havoc
around Atlanta and just got their next mission - to assimilate Guy Gardner as
their latest member. The Guardians have also sent John Stewart and Star Sapphire
of to find Mogo to keep them occupied. It is on this mission John learns of some
of the machinations that have been going on and why Ganthet has changed lately.
But basically this issue is an all out shoot out on Earth with Guy and his
siblings along with all the prison cops trying to hold off the Third Army. As
you might guess from the cover Baz show up at the appropriate moment with a
fellow Lantern to even the odds. The story serves to bring Guy and Simon
together before the final chapter of Rise of the Third Army in GREEN LANTERN
CORP ANNUAL #1 out this week. Despite this being far into the entire arc I found
it easy enough to follow. Guy is utilized well in the plot. The only area really
lacking is knowledge of why the Guardians went bad and what their end game is. I
can see a strong effort by everyone on the creative team to put out the best
product they can. It is still typical super hero fare but the production values
are better than most.

                                    *****
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What title from Malibu was purposely solicited for issues that would never be
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What was the first acapella song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100
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Comic Reviews 1/26/13

REVIEWS

The comics reviewed are chosen by David not by THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT management
or staff. The opinions expressed are his alone. If you have an opposing view you
are welcome to respond to David directly by Email at the address above.


Title: THE HIGHWAYS
Issue Number: 1
Title Story: The Big Up
Publisher: IDW
Creator: John Byrne
Colors: Leonard O'Grady
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Science Fiction

This is the story of Eddie Wallace, Marilyn Jones and Jack Cagney, the crew of
the space freighter Carol Ann. It is later in the 21st Century and space travel
among the planets has become more common and commercial. Eddie is new to deep
space travel and Marilyn affectionately refers to him as a sprout. His first
trip as a navigator is supposed to take them to Mars but Captain Cagney has a
surprise as they buckle in to leave the space station. They have been tasked
instead to Europa, the moon of Jupiter, and that will be an eight-month trip.
They are supposed to pick up biologic and geologic samples from the base there.
The only trouble is they are not expected when they get there. They have no
record of any such request sent from their base and so the mystery begins. By
space law the base is required to provide fuel and provisions anyway for their
return trip. Captain Cagney and Doctor Munoz, the boss at this station have
problems with who will owe whom what when the snafu is figured out. For now the
crew of the Carol Ann are guests of the station until the fuel can be
synthesized in a few days. Eddie is getting a quick education on the unique
circumstances of traveling and living in space. I like this story for the way
Byrne presents a lot of the detail of what deep space travel will entail. As in
the movie 2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY much of the transit time is spent in sleep. He
even gets into minor things about walking along the rim of the orbiting space
station, living in a hard space suit while on ship and the realities of life on
a station so far from any possible rescue if anything goes wrong. He explores a
casual sexual encounter, another reality of the loneliness of isolation. To
spice the plot there is also a strange occurrence at the end that may or may not
be tied to the bogus assignment they are on. In all it is an enjoyable story so
far. Byrne's art is always recognizable to me. He often uses the same faces for
characters from his other works. In this case Captain Cagney looks very
familiar. I think this is a worthwhile space opera so far and could develop into
something very interesting.

Title: SAVAGE WOLVERINE
Issue Number: 1
Title Arc: Savage
Publisher: Marvel
Writer/Artist: Frank Cho
Colors: Jason Keith
Letters: Cory Petit
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero

The "Savage" in this title evidently refers to the Savage Land and not
necessarily Logan's sometimes berserker personality. Yea, the story is set in
the Savage land and involves Shanna. In the opening she is accompanying a
S.H.I.E.L.D. geological survey to map out the far western parts of the Savage
Land. When they get to an island referred to the Forbidden Island some kind of
dampening field disabled their craft and forced it down. Eight months later
Wolverine shows up by literally falling out of the sky. We are given no
explanation for his sudden appearance and even he is surprised he is there. So
we have another mystery to solve. Naturally he eventually catches up with Shanna
after the obligatory run in and run through of a dinosaur. But it is no accident
he found her because he found one of the crew who had been captured by the
natives earlier. It will be up to the two of them to find whatever is protecting
this island from technology so they can call for a rescue team before the
natives and the animals overcome them. This is not a real deep comic. It is a
romp that lets Wolverine let loose against deadly threats as only he can. It is
an excuse to mix Logan with vicious savages, rampaging beasts and a scantily
clad female as only Frank Cho can draw. The art is probably more outstanding
than the plot in this one. Still, I can appreciate it for what it is on that
basis.

Title: CRAWLING SKY
Issue Number: 1
Publisher: Antarctic Press
Creator: Joe R. Lansdale
Writers: Joe R. Lansdale & Keith Lansdale
Artist: Brian Denham
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Horror
Mature - Comics on the Edge

The secret to plotting a good horror story is not to give away too much too
soon. The Lansdales understand this and so they serve up their story with the
proper pacing. The opening scene hints at something terrorizing a young couple
in a secluded cabin somewhere in the Wild West. But then the scene shifts to the
other key player in the drama. A preacher rides into a small town called Wood
Tick and finds a young man in stocks being tormented by some kids. The local
lawman explains that the man, Norville, is a halfwit who has been running on
about his wife running of with a "haint." The preacher befriends the man and
rescues him from his plight. Later when they are alone he begins his tale of how
he came to the area. He found the abandoned cabin and made it his home. Close by
was an abandoned well that had been filled with rocks. After tiring of walking
to the creek daily for water he started removing a few rocks each day. As time
went by he met a girl in Wood Tick and soon they were living together in the
cabin and living off the land. But after Norville got all of the rocks out of
the well strange things started happening. As of yet we have not seen what might
have come out of that well that so scared Norville and Sissy or even if it is
true that it took Sissy away as Norville claimed. The tension is properly slow
in building. The black and white art of Mr. Denham is a perfect match for this
type of story. He sets the mood while only revealing shadows and fear in faces.
The story itself has a good narrative and adding the visuals compliments it
without taking away. It is this kind of comic that demonstrates the proper way
to immerse the reader in the experience without resorting to gratuitous violence
for shock value. It is above average and worth your time.

Title: THRESHOLD
Issue Number: 1
Title Story: The Hunted
Publisher: DC
Writer: Keith Giffen
Artist: Tom Raney
Colors: Andrew Dalhouse
Letters: Dezi Sienty
Cover Artist: Howard Porter
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero

This book is a spin of from the Green Lantern books as it deals with characters
introduced there. Not being a regular reader of any of those titles I approached
this comic as I would any first issue to see if it can stand alone without
needing a lot of information on what has gone before. The main story is set in
the Tenebrian Dominion, wherever that is. The mass media there is something
called the Glimmernet, sort of an interplanetary audio-visual platform. The main
attraction on the Glimmernet is called The Hunted. In this audience
participation reality programming individuals are denoted as the Hunted if they
pose a threat to the Dominion - traitors, criminals and the like. Some are even
released from prison with a one-day head start before being exposed as targets.
After the grace period anything goes. Anyone can go on the hunt to find the prey
and kill them or be killed. If they succeed each Hunted has a bounty. The more
dangerous the Hunted the bigger the bounty. As the story begins the latest named
Hunted is Jediah Caul, former Green Lantern. The thing you need to know about
him is that his ring is now embedded in the front of his chest. How it got there
is one of those things that must have happened in another title's continuity but
it is not explained here. We start at the moment on Tolerance, a planet on the
outer fringe of the Dominion, when he is first recognized and has to run for his
life from the mob hoping to collect the bounty. And they would have captured him
if not for the sudden intervention of a girl named Ember. Evidently Caul
recognizes her from the Glimmernet but her background remains a mystery to us.
There is a hint that she is connected to some kind of underground organization. 
The scene shifts to two runners who happen across each other. She is Pamiera, a
former commander in the 47th Overkill Battalion who is presumed MIA. He is Ric
Starr formerly of the Space Rangers and has just stumbled into her hiding place.
They are both on the run from some heavily armed military types. We also get a
look behind the scenes at the people involved in running the show The Hunted and
what they may have planned next. So this opening chapter has three plots most of
which just touch the surface of what is to come. I think this is not a good
approach in a first issue, as it does not provide a solid hook for the next
issue, though one plot ends in a cliffhanger. The dialogue is Giffen's strong
point and it carries the story with clever humor and essential information going
forward. Raney and Dalhouse do a great job on the art. I would say this is a
better than average issue. Having the Hunted game as a plot devise is not
original so what Giffen does with the characters will make or break this series.

Back up story: "Nine Tenths of the Law" by Keith Giffen, Scott Kolins, John
Kalisz and Dave Sharpe

Most of the $3.99 New 52 titles have a back up feature to justify the price. In
this case the feature is about Larfleeze, the Orange Lantern of Avarice. Most of
this story is purposely comical. Larfleeze has decided that he needs to write a
book as a testament to his greatness. He has a scribe, Stargrave whom he
kidnapped from his former employer, doing the writing chores and the main part
of the dialogue is the scribe making snide remarks, some of which go right over
Larfleeze's head. We get into the beginning of the narration giving us a handy
recap of his origins, his greed driving him to own all things, how he came to
own the Orange Lantern and his dealings with the Guardians. This is handy for
new readers going forward. The lead in to the next chapter has the news
broadcast about a supposed Orange Lantern in a border skirmish on the outskirts
of the Vega system. But Larfleeze is the only Orange Lantern so he sets out in
rage to depose this imposter. Before the chapter is over we find out why this is
happening though not who is responsible. I actually like the structure of this
plot better than the opening piece. Because it is shorter we need to get right
to the driving force behind the story, and we do. We also have essential
information about the main character for unfamiliar readers. Like the first
feature the art supports the story and Giffen provides the two main characters
with personality and humorous conflict.  Based on the first issue I would
continue for a while to see how things develop.

Title: INSURGENT
Issue Number: 1 (of 6)
Publisher: DC
Creators/Writers: F.J. DeSanto & Todd Farmer
Artist: Frederico Dallocchio
Letters: Travis Lanham
Price (USD): $2.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Science Fiction

In this possible future the US developed a covert Homeland Security organization
comprised of military personnel that have been surgically altered to serve as
super soldiers to protect against domestic threats. They had grafted with robot
parts, they are cyborgs. They were also undercover as normal citizens in
ordinary lives. This was called the Insurgence Program. But the dramatic
physical and mental side effects lead to some of the Insurgents becoming enemies
of the US and fomenting acts of terror themselves. To counter this the program
outsourced teams of hunters to track and kill these defective soldiers while
manipulating the publicity in an effort to keep it all clandestine, however the
public had already gotten wind of the program and a strong anti-insurgence
protest organization sprang up. In 2018, when the last insurgent was killed by a
Hunter named John Ravane, the president announced hours later that the program
had been shut down. This however did not stop the anti-insurgent leader from
assassinating the president even as he spoke. Now twenty years later his
eventual successor has made the US the dominant global power through scientific
initiatives leading to major advances in nano-technology. The US in 2028 is in
an era of industrial revolution, peace, prosperity and safety. That is all about
to change. The main protagonist of the story is John Ravane. He had retired
after his last mission and disappeared to run a bar and raise his daughter. When
a woman in New York single-handedly disarms and kills five would be bank robbers
she is met by police as she leaves the bank holding the robbers weapons. They
open fire and she not only survives to escape but also kills several policemen
in the process. It is clear she is an Insurgent - a sleeper agent like the first
group had been. It seems the new president had not only revived the program
using state of the art nano-technology but also the same problem of rogue
Insurgents has recurred. Will he make the same choice as his predecessor and
have the sleeper agents hunted down and killed?  Will John Ravane return to be
their go-to guy for the job? Is there something more behind the Insurgents going
rogue that is yet to be revealed? The implications laid down in this issue, and
perhaps by the cover itself, is that there is an organized movement of
Insurgents involved. Since this is a mini-series the plot is more
straightforward. The first issue takes a fair amount of time filling us in on
what has happened in the time before the setting of the current story. Now we
are fully prepared to see what comes next and what other secrets are to be
revealed. The art is good enough though I found the coloring a little off on the
flesh tones. It is an interesting story that so far has held my interest.

Title: LEGION LOST
Issue Number: 16 (final issue)
Title Story: Last Stand
Publisher: DC
Writer: Tom Defalco
Artist: Andres Guinaldo
Inker: Mark Irwin
Colors: Brad Anderson
Letters: Travis Lanham
Cover Artists: Tyler Kirkham, Batt & Wes Hartman
Price (USD): $2.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero

I started reading this title when it first started because I am a long time
Legion fan but after a few issues I lost interest. Now that the title is ending
I decided to see how it ends, or if it actually does. One of the problems with
doing this, particularly with DC titles, is that there is no recap to get new
readers up to speed. It opens in the present with a man named Captain Adym, a
member of the 31st century Science Police's covert branch called Echo, is being
aided by a bad guy named Harvest. Evidently he was pulled out of a bad situation
and now is given a time bubble to go back to where the Legion and their allies
are fighting a pitched battle with space barbarians in the dessert of Arizona.
Adym now has the means to set off a singularity bomb destroying all life within
a hundred thousand miles. Among the combatants are Superboy who was under
Harvest's mind control and is fighting on the wrong side, Fairchild is with him
and there are various bad guys from the old Wildstorm Universe brought into DC
continuity in the pages of TEEN TITANS, RAVAGERS, SUPERBOY and this title. The
plot in this title has crossed into some of those others so it adds to the
confusion of knowing everything that came before this battle. In one sense the
story wraps with an end of this battle without the bomb going off. It also deals
with the fates of Gates and Wildfire who up until now had been missing in
action. But the issue does not end with the Lost Legionnaires returning to their
time. This leaves an opening for more of the story intended to be told in this
title to appear elsewhere in a special or annual or other title like DC UNIVERSE
PRESENTS. They even sign off with, "Long live the Legion" and the editorial
"Never the end!"  I prefer to see these characters back with the rest of the
Legion sooner rather than later. I can't fault the art team for the work here.
It is very nice work on an issue featuring multiple characters and lots of
action. I wouldn't recommend you pick it up out of curiosity and perhaps regular
readers will be satisfied with it, knowing more than I did when I read it. I am
sure these particular Legionnaires with surface soon enough for those fans.

                                    *****
TRIVIA CONTEST!!!!     WIN REAL PRIZES!!!!!

If you think you know the answer to the trivia question send your guess via
Email to me at ComicBkNet@aol.com and you could win the prize. The first six
correct answers will be assigned a number and a roll of the dice will determine
the winner. You should put your real name in your message so we know who you
are. Prizes must be claimed at our store within 30 days of winning. The prize
will be a $10 credit slip, which will be redeemable for merchandise at regular
retail or in-store ongoing specials only.  Only one prize per person will be
allowed per every 4 weeks. I will be the sole judge of the correct answer even
if more than one answer could be correct. Submit only one answer per Email
please but guess as often as you like.

Last week's trivia question:
What is Mike Maxwell's other identity?
Mike is also B'wana Beast. The winner by the dice roll is Michael Tiu.

THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION:
Here is softball - What were the names of Peter Parker's (Spider-Man) parents?

Here is a no prize question:
What do the letters AOL stand for?

Folks, you never know who among the readers is knowledgeable about the question
so don't hesitate to send in an answer - even days after it appears.

Comic Reviews 1/18/13

REVIEWS

The comics reviewed are chosen by David not by THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT management
or staff. The opinions expressed are his alone. If you have an opposing view you
are welcome to respond to David directly by Email at the address above.


Title: SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN
Issue Number: 1
Title Story: Hero or Menace?
Publisher: Marvel
Creator: Lee & Ditko
Writer: Dan Slott
Artist: Ryan Stegman
Colors: Edgar Delgado
Letters: Chris Eliopoulos
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero

Those of you who decided to see what the fuss is about regarding the new Spider-
Man or otherwise figured to pick up a copy of this comic off the rack at your
leisure after the release day are out of luck. Once again the main Spider-man
title has sold out in a day. You can wait for a second printing if you like to
read the comic before the review. Be advised this review will necessarily SPOIL
the ending of THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN comic book if you are still waiting for the
second printing of issue #700 coming out at the end of January. You have been
warned!

With that out of the way I can tell you that the mind of Otto Octavius is now in
the body of Peter Parker. He has all of Peter's memories and abilities and has
become Spider-Man. In AVENGINF SPIDER-MAN we saw how he took to the task of
becoming the Superior Spider-Man by first making enhancements to the costume and
equipment. In this debut issue he takes on his first challenge going up against
a new Sinister Six composed of Overdrive, Boomerang, Shocker, the Living Brain,
Beetle and Speed Demon. Otto (sorry I can't bring myself to call him Peter) also
now wears an ear piece to monitor police radios so the first encounter is his
response to the Six robbing Empire State University. This conflict shows off
some of Otto's ability at being a hero though initially he does not have the
dedication to prevail as Peter did. He decides he has had enough at one point
and just starts to leave. However he has a change of heart when a downed officer
is in mortal danger. Not giving up altogether after the Six split, minus the
Living Brain, he begins to work on a plan to finish off the Six at their next
job. In this sense he is becoming a bit more proactive than Peter was. He will
devise specific devises and traps that will ensure complete defeat of the
Sinister Six. Otto is a thinker. Rather than rush to capture the villains once
he knows where they are he plans to trap them when they strike again.
This is what the Superior Spider-Man does. But Spider-Man is only half of this
new gig. Otto has to function in Peter's civilian life and his social skills,
despite having Peter's memories, are somewhat lacking. He is frequently
condescending and rude to his colleagues. Though he wants to kindle a closer
relationship with Mary Jane he is often dismissive of her, even distracted by
his thoughts while on a date. This attitude is consistent with the way he acted
in ASM. You would think people would begin to wonder what has happened to Peter. 
I am thinking if he is too far out of character with other heroes Peter has
worked with in the past that some of the more astute ones will begin to suspect
something. It makes for interesting speculation and the dialogue is exactly what
Slott wants it to be for now. There is a huge reveal at the end of the issue as
Otto confronts the Sinister Six for the second time. Something happens to him at
a crucial moment when he is acting more like a villain than a true hero. He
can't figure it out but the readers is clued in very nicely. I won't tell you
what this is. It is worth getting this comic to find out. I mentioned in earlier
reviews that Dan Slott was warning people to read the whole story that ended in
ASM #700 before judging him about this new direction. There is something in #700
that is a clue to what happens in this first issue. So I would tell those who
swore off Spider-Man to get a copy of this comic to finally see what Slott had
in mind all along. I like it. I have already talked to someone who liked ASM
#700 a lot but once he read this he decided to drop the title. I am just the
opposite. I have not been a regular reader of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN but I will be
one of SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN. As always I welcome your thoughts on all this if you
care to correspond to me.


Title: STAR WARS
Issue Number: 1
Title Story: Part 1 of 3
Title Arc: In the Shadow of Yavin
Publisher: Dark Horse
Creator: George Lucas
Writer: Brian Wood
Artist: Carlos D'anda
Colors: Gabe Eltaeb
Letters: Michael Heisler
Cover Artist: Alex Ross
Price (USD): $2.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Science Fiction - Movie Sequel

OOPS! Here is another comic many people have been asking for but sold out the
day it came out. Copies on eBay have been selling for $40+ already. With
patience you may be able to wait out the frenzy and pick one up for a more
reasonable price or just wait for the second printing. The Alex Ross cover is
spectacular as he catches the likeness of the movie actors in a nice collage.
Dark Horse has been handling the STAR WARS comic book license for years. That
may not last now that Disney bought out Lucasfilm and all the rights. They own
Marvel now too. Dark Horse has several titles on the rack that explore various
aspects of the franchise at many points before, during and after the motion
pictures. This one is particularly appealing to all Star Wars fans because it is
set shortly after the end of Episode IV - A NEW HOPE, the original Star Wars
movie. Brian Wood is a very capable writer and a fan favorite. He is not just
telling a story about what happened before THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. He is
exploring the characters and how they have changed and evolved since the
destruction of the Death Star. The rebel alliance is looking for a new base and
the story begins with Luke, Leia and Wedge scouting out a planet in the outer
rim territories. Luke is struggling with all he has lost, family and friends.
Wedge has lost all his friends on Yavin and Leia lost her home planet. She is
less of a princess now but more a member of the rebels commanding her own X-Wing
Fighter. She has found new purpose - a way to turn the pain into a positive by
fighting for what is right. Meanwhile Vader has been disgraced. He has lost his
command and is on the Emperor's bad side. His characterization is spot on as he
shows contempt for his replacement and a new resolve to put things right. And
lest we forget about Han, his business as a smuggler has been severely affected
by his association with the rebels. Wood deals with all of these issues while
forwarding the plot. In particular we get to see Leia in a new light as their
mission is interrupted and she has to fend for herself. Moving forward the three
will not only have to find a place the rebels can call home but also determine
who in their midst is a spy. The artwork is very good as it always is in these
Dark Horse comics. This is a story that is well crafted. As I said any Star Wars
fan can get into it easily and will enjoy the premise and execution. Smart
readers are already signing up this title on their pull list so they won't miss
another issue. You should too!

Title: AVENGERS EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES
Issue Number: 10
Main Story: The Leader's Legions!
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Todd DeZago
Artist: Christopher Jones
Inker: Victor Olazaba
Colors: Sotocolor
Letters: Clayton Cowles
Price (USD): $2.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero
All Ages - TV Animation Adaptation

If you haven't been watching the cartoon version of the Avengers on Disney XD
you are missing out on one of the best super hero cartoons being made. This
comic ties into that show with additional stories in a briefer format. In fact
this issue has two of them. In the first story Hulk, Wasp Vision, Captain Marvel
and Iron Man are dealing with monsters on one of New York's bridges. These
monsters are normally associated with Mole Man. They are Grogg, Groot Rommbu
Vandoom and Gigantus. Wasp calls in for back up from Ant Man and Captain America
but they are alerted to a security breach at Stark Industries out on Long Island
and so head out that way. As it turns out the Leader is attempting to steal
Tony's latest invention, the Cyber-Synaptic Resonator. With it he hopes to exert
complete mind control over everyone on the planet. He already has limited
capability to do this with his Hypno-halo and in fact is controlling those
monsters as a distraction away from his main goal. He wasn't counting on any
Avengers showing up to ruin his plans. Naturally there is a major battle with
the Leader and his human thugs but Cap and Ant Man are very capable. Once they
defeat the Leader and remove the halo the monsters will be easy to control by
the others. This is a fun action tale with good pacing and a predictable
resolution. The art is along the lines of the TV show. But it is the dialogue
which is not toned down too much for the younger readers that makes it good
reading for all ages.

Back up story: "Baby Steps" by Clay McLeod Chapman & Luciano Vecchio

In this story Tony Stark is working on fixing a glitch in the Vision's android
body. To do this he has temporarily downloaded Vision's consciousness into a
suitable robot. Though he does not have any of his powers Vision decides to go
out in the world to experience things as a normal human might. Unknown to all
Ultron had secretly uploaded a virus to the lab computers hoping to take control
of one of Iron Man's suits of armor. Instead he seized the opportunity to
control the Vision's body and now he controls it with all its powers. Just Tony
and the Wasp are no match for an evil Vision. Fortunately the Vision spies the
noise and smoke coming from the mansion and hurries back to lend a hand. But can
a robot with no super powers turn the tide?  This is the story highlighted on
the cover of this issue. Through the course of the story we get to know this
version of Vision (say that five times fast!) a little better. Though he is not
human he does have human qualities that make a difference. Like the first story
it is a delightful tale done with professional polish.

Filling out the issue is a feature seen on the Marvel Universe TV bloc called
The Fury Files. In it Fury narrates origins and capabilities of one member of
the Marvel hero pantheon. This time it is the young hero Nova, who is a regular
on the ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN portion of the show. Finally there is a one-page
comedy story by Audrey Loeb and Dario Brizuela. In it three mini-Hulks are
taking a pottery class. They are kid versions and each has its own color - red,
green and blue. This one is all for fun and is very cute. I recommend this comic
to anyone looking for age-appropriate comics whether or not they or their kids
watch the TV show. It is well done and enjoyable for kids of all ages.

Title: REPOSSESSED
Issue Number: 1 (of 4)
Title Story: Inner Demons
Publisher: Image
Creator: Jim Ringuet
Price (USD): $2.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Horror
Mature - Comics on the Edge

This mini-series features a group of demon hunters. Joe is the mystic spell-
caster, Clay is the muscle and Martha seems to be the brains of the trio. The
opening sequence serves to demonstrate their capabilities as they confront a
preacher at his pulpit. They know he is possessed and the demon makes his
presence known when they confront him. After wrapping up this case their boss
has another one for them that involves a missing college drop out. Her father is
convinced she is possessed and is willing to pay handsomely to get her back.
What the team finds is a much larger problem than they anticipated. They track
her to Vegas and a connection to the leader of a biker gang. When they are
attacked on the open road by a major demon they realize they are on the right
trail. But are they ready for what they will find at the biker hangout? This is
a mostly predictable story with stereotypical characters. Ringuet does it all in
this book and I am not that impressed with his art. It is good enough to carry
he story but unimpressive, especially the coloring. There is a bit of suspense
at the end but the rest is either typical fight scenes or banter among the trio
often putting each other down. Even at three bucks I don't think I would bother
to see the rest of it through.


Title: THE END TIMES OF BRAM AND BEN
Issue Number: 1 (of 4)
Publisher: Image
Creators: James Asmus, Jim Festante & Rem Broo
Writers: James Asmus, Jim Festante
Artist: Rem Broo
Colors: Overdrive Studio
Letters: crank!
Cover Artist: Jim Mahfood
Price (USD): $2.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Apocalyptic Fiction
Mature - Comics on the Edge

In contrast to that last review this comic has a lot more going for it and it
too deals with things involving religious and supernatural themes. In this case
the title refers to it. This is a story based on the End Times as referred to in
the bible and the phenomenon inferred by many who interpret the bible called the
Rapture. As the story of the Rapture goes just prior to the seven-year period of
tribulation on Earth that will herald in the final war known as Armageddon in
which Jesus will return in glory to fight the forces of the devil all the
righteous people will be taken up so they can forego that period. They will
simply vanish. A more serious work of fiction on this premise has become very
popular over the years. It is called LEFT BEHIND and the first few volumes of
the series have been adapted to films starring Kirk Cameron and for a time there
was a prestige comic series some of which were drawn by our friend Paul Ryan.
This comic uses the Rapture as its driving force but it is much less serious. It
is about the people left behind as well and focuses on two guys in particular,
the lead characters Bram and Ben. At the time of the Rapture Bram is the one
that disappears, but only for a minute. It seems he was taken by mistake and so
was sent back. He has had a taste of heaven and did not like it. For one thing,
even though everyone was naked most of them were old, fat, or old and fat. They
only reason they never sinned is that no one would ever want to sin with them!
Ben is temporarily in a funk because he figures he should have been taken, he is
a good guy. But then the realization hits that he is not perfect and so the two
have to deal with the world as it now is. Bram looks on the bright side, from
his perspective. All the hot babes left behind can't be virgins so it is party
time. And so we see how he plans to spend his time. Ben has a love interest, or
at least a girl he is interested in and even at that he figures she has always
been a nice girl. Why wasn't she taken? Added into the mix is a survivalist
called Tipul who broke into their apartment to loot it. They all become uneasy
friends when Bram explains his Rapture experience. But Tipul is more practical
about the whole thing. He has been waiting for some kind of apocalyptic event;
he just wasn't counting on the real things. Now he is going to prepare for the
coming of the zombies - his interpretation of the dead rising as told in the
bible. His influence on Bram grows until at the end of the first chapter Bram
makes a startling pronouncement on what his role will be from now on. This is a
fun story in both story and art. The art is somewhat like a cartoon but is very
professional. The style and layouts are a perfect match for this kind of story.
The dialogue seems realistic and is filled with humor that is often accented by
the art. I found it enjoyable right from the start on both counts. For a nice
diversion from typical comics Image is the place to go. This comic fits in well
there.

Title: JINNRISE
Issue Number: 1
Title Story: Manifest Destiny
Publisher: IDW
Writer/Creator: Sohaib Awan
Artist: Tony Vassallo
Colors: Timothy Yates
Letters: Ed Brisson
Journal Art: Mark Torres
Journal Text: Gordon Holmes
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy

There are three points of views shown in this first chapter. The first
perspective is from an alien invasion force from another planet, the Kibrani.
They are arrogant conquerors that are confident in their superior strength.
Earth will be an easy place to decimate. The second is that of a twenty-
something traveling with his buddy somewhere near Marrakech doing research for
his dissertation. When the aliens suddenly attack his friend who manages to
escape on a truck leaves behind Andrew. Only through the kindness of a local
merchant will he find the means of escape - atop a camel. The third view is that
of a local boy caught in the middle of it all and worried for the life of his
aunt and others. Only he has the means to do something. You see he has one of
those magic bottles with a genie in it!  Fleeing from the attack Andrew and his
benefactor are no match for an alien fighter craft and eventually their ride is
hit and they are sprawled out on the dessert, easy pray for the next pass of the
fighters. That is when the genie enters the fight.  I suppose this comic could
be subtitled "Genies vs. Aliens" as that will be the main conflict. Andrew is a
likable character who is caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. The boy
who commands the genie is only present for two pages while the genie himself is
the star of the show so far. This mix of two different genres seems like a good
mix. How Andrew will interact with the boy and his genie is likely a central
plot going forward. The story is pretty straightforward and moves well once the
action begins. The art is stunning in my opinion. Vassallo and Yates have a nice
style that captures your eye, especially the cover page. Make no mistake; this
is more an adventure comic than any deep comment on the human condition. That is
fine with me.

                                    *****
TRIVIA CONTEST!!!!     WIN REAL PRIZES!!!!!

If you think you know the answer to the trivia question send your guess via
Email to me at ComicBkNet@aol.com and you could win the prize. The first six
correct answers will be assigned a number and a roll of the dice will determine
the winner. You should put your real name in your message so we know who you
are. Prizes must be claimed at our store within 30 days of winning. The prize
will be a $10 credit slip, which will be redeemable for merchandise at regular
retail or in-store ongoing specials only.  Only one prize per person will be
allowed per every 4 weeks. I will be the sole judge of the correct answer even
if more than one answer could be correct. Submit only one answer per Email
please but guess as often as you like.

Last week's trivia question:
What did Xombi, and Bloodshot have in common?
Nanobots in the bloodstream is the answer. The winner is Gary Katzoff.

THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION:
What is Mike Maxwell's other identity?

Folks, you never know who among the readers is knowledgeable about the question
so don't hesitate to send in an answer - even days after it appears.

Comic Reviews 1/11/13

REVIEWS

The comics reviewed are chosen by David not by THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT management
or staff. The opinions expressed are his alone. If you have an opposing view you
are welcome to respond to David directly by Email at the address above.


Title: MARS ATTACKS POPEYE
Issue Number: One-Shot
Title Story: Panic From the Sky
Publisher: IDW
Writer: Martin Powell
Artist: Terry Beatty
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Comedy/Science Fiction

Sometimes I pick up a comic just because I can't resist the title so when I saw
MARS ATTACKS POPEYE I just had to read it. And you know what? It wasn't bad. It
basically is a "what if the Martian invasion happened in the Popeye universe."
This skips the whole pretending to come in peace part. The twist is that as the
Martians leave their ships the first person they meet is the Sea Hag. Using her
powers she gains control of their minds and that will play into the story. By
the time Popeye returns from a trip with Olive's brother, Castor Oyl, the town
has already been attacked and destroyed. Fortunately Olive, Wimpy and the gang
found safety in the storm cellar. Realizing they have to do something the whole
gang pitches in to formulate a counterattack plan. What I like about this story
is that all the main characters, except Bluto are involved. Eugene the Jeep
becomes their clandestine operative. Professor Wotasnozzle works his genius on
the Martian ray guns. Alice the Goon brings a Goon army to help the cause and
even Pappy reluctantly joins in by the end. Of course the Sea Hag and the
Martians have some forces of their own to bring into play - but then Popeye has
spinach! It's all a fun romp, though there are some minor annoyances. There are
several scene shifts that are very abrupt. The other problem I have with the
characterization is Popeye himself or rather his dialogue. Powell tries too hard
to have the written words "sound" like the cartoon character but in my opinion
he overdoes it. Aside from that I found it to be a fun story. The Martians may
have gotten top billing but Popeye is the star of this comic.

Title: MARVEL'S IRON MAN 3 PRELUDE
Issue Number: 1 (of 2)
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Christos Gage with Will Corona Pilgrim
Artist: Steve Kurth
Inker: Drew Geraci
Colors: Sotocolor
Letters: Joe Sabino
Price (USD): $2.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero - Movie Prelude




Yes, IRON MAN 3 is coming just in time for Free Comic Book Day this May. This
comic is called a prelude so it is set in the movie universe. Assume everything
that happened in the first two movies preceded this story. While Pepper is
overseeing the construction of Stark Tower in New York Tony is in Malibu with
James Rhodes rebuilding the War Machine armor. The plan is while Tony is busy
elsewhere Rhodey will use the armor to track down an international operation
selling military grade weapons. It seems the organization involved is the Ten
Rings, the same group that held Tony when he invented the armor the first time.
As he gets closer and closer to the truth things heat up with each encounter. As
this first half closes War Machine is in Hong Kong where the Ring has upped the
ante by taking hostages in what appears to be a suicide mission to spread a
killer virus. All these events happen over months and Iron Man barely appears in
the issue at all. I mentioned the building of Stark Tower, which Tony is helping
with as Rhodes begins his mission and by the time War Machine engages the enemy
in Hong Kong Iron Man has his hands full with the invasion of New York as seen
in THE AVENGERS movie. So not only is what Rhodey is up to a prelude to the next
Iron Man movie but they are tying in continuity with THE AVENGERS. While there
is not much plot there is lots of action. Don't look for this to be a major
story. Think of it as more of bits of information that is good to know before
the next movie. At least that is the way it seems so far. The second half may
have more to it.

Title: PUNISHER: NIGHTMARE
Issue Number: 1 (of 5)
Title Story: Enemy Close
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Scott M. Gimple
Artist: Mark Texeira
Colors: Frank D'Armata
Letters: Clayton Cowles
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Anti-Hero
Parental Advisory - Violence



This limited series explores the origin of the Punisher while telling a parallel
story of a young vet who lost his family under similar circumstances in the
present. As it opens Frank Castle is narrating his latest take down of a street
thug who recently killed members of a rival gang. He recalls a promise he made
to his daughter. He warned of the dangers in the city, even referred to the
boogeyman being out at night but that he would always protect her from it. Of
course in reality on one fatal day he could not protect her and now he has
become the boogeyman, a monster. The parallel story is about Jake Niman who was
with his wife and daughter in Central Park one day when they got caught in the
crossfire of a gangland shooting. Only Jake survived with six gunshot wounds and
severe burns. Frank finds the story buried in the paper and decides to look
deeper into Jake's history. What kind of man was he? What kind of soldier? He
manages to find Jake's account of his military service and that plot is
unraveled in detail with a proper shift in art and coloring to distinguish it
from the main story. Jakes journal talks about the duality of being a soldier.
He refers to his military persona as Johnny telling things about what he does
and his attitudes as a weapon of the army. He repeats the phrase "Johnny kills
so good" several times. The other half he calls J. That part of him helps the
victims of the war, paints schools, helps remote villagers register to vote and
the like. J is the decorated veteran, the good guy. Johnny is the killer. In the
main plot Frank has taken up Jake's case and proceeds in his usual fashion of
intimidation to track down those responsible for the shooting that left Jake
alone and hospitalized. He vows to track down and kill those killers. But Jake's
journal has had an effect on Frank. In the end Jake may have his own opinion
about Frank's intentions. This is a well thought out plot that has the two
stories woven together seamlessly. There is plenty of action as is normal for
the Punisher. The art is exceptional bringing it all together nicely. The
unasked question is what will happen to Jake? Will he survive his wounds? If so
will he become like Frank Castle, and avenging vigilante? There is a lot of
story left to go and it will no doubt explore that possibility.

Title: MORBIUS: THE LIVING VAMPIRE
Issue Number: 1
Title Story: Midnight Son
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Joe Keatinge
Artist: Richard Elson
Colors: Antonio Fabela
Letters: Clayton Cowles
Cover Artist: Gabriele Dell'Otto
Price (USD): $2.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Horror



This new series really had its launch in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 699.1 in which
Morbius escaped from the Raft as Otto Octavius was being broken out by the
villains he hired. That story could very well have been the first issue or the
zero issue of this series but probably wouldn't have gotten as many readers as
read ASM. This issue begins five days after that breakout showing a wounded
Morbius being chased by a street gang. This sequence not only sets up the
shocking ending of the first issue but also allows new readers to find out more
about the main character through his narration while on the run and fighting the
others. He defines himself as being vampire-sh. He is stronger than most men,
heals from most wounds, can glide not really fly through the air briefly and has
the typical bloodlust. Unlike vampires of myth, or perhaps actual vampires, he
cannot change into a bat, he is not undead and is not affected by crosses or
garlic but can indeed be killed by a stake in the heart or other catastrophic
injuries. To sum it all up he is not a vampire, he is not a hero, he is not a
villain. He has been striving to cure himself of this curse but is now homeless
on the streets of a small suburban area and has run afoul of the street gang
that controls the turf. Half of the book takes up the narrative with a brief
recap of his early days. The other half gets into how while hiding in Brownville
he tried to get involved with a single mom trying to keep her son from getting
involved with the gang only to have the leader St. Germain warn him off. The
story is told to get us sympathetic with Morbius. He does not want to kill for
blood but eventually he will because his disease demands it. He tries to stay
apart from others but his ethic will not always let him turn a blind eye. That
aspect of his being may make the Living Vampire a dead vampire. I like the art
in every aspect. There are varied panel layouts and the coloring and lettering
emphasize key points and sequences perfectly. With the launch in ASM this series
will probably get a better start in readership than it otherwise would have.
Whether that is sustainable remains to be seen.

Title: TO HELL YOU RIDE
Issue Number: 1 (of 5)
Title Story: White Man's Guilt
Publisher: Dark Horse
Writers: Lance Henriksen & Joseph Maddrey
Artist: Tom Mandrake
Colors: Chris Peter with Matt Lopes
Letters: Nate Piekos
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Supernatural




This story is set in the Colorado Mountains and involves Native Americans
traditions and folklore. It tells of one particular era and the consequences of
the arrival of white settlers affect on the natives and their culture. The
events in the late 1800's are then brought forward to the present to become a
major factor in the life of one Native American descendant in particular. The
set up begins in 1881 as miners searching for gold desecrate a sacred burial
ground. Because the dead have been disturbed the tribe know a sacrifice has to
be made to appease the dead. But they deem the greedy settlers unworthy to fight
brave warriors in battle. Instead they conduct a ritual of atonement. It
involves four warriors each with a colored arrow. One by one they shoot off an
arrow toward the mining camp and then race down to be struck by their own arrow
in sacrifice to the spirits. But after the second warrior succeeds in this
ritual suicide the miners are ready and shoot the last two before they can
receive their arrows. According to the legend the black arrow and the red arrow
never fell to earth. The dead warriors gave up their spirits and became
Watchers. When the living come in contact with a Watcher their flesh rots away
from their bones. Thus a curse is upon this land and in their own time the other
two arrows will reach ground and the Watchers will return. That is background
for the story to be told in the present day. Seven George is perhaps typical of
the descendants of those days. They have been relegated to menial roles; earning
a living the best they can by farming or doing work for white men. Seven George
is referred to by the whites as Two-Dogs, a name he hates. He smokes and drinks
too much like many of his kind with no hope for a great future. Lately he has
been cutting down trees at an abandoned ski resort to cut them up for firewood
to sell. It is one such night he witnesses the destruction of one tree by the
black arrow. This along with other strange occurrences involving birds convince
him that the legend is true and it makes him fear what will come. The set up is
an interesting story and Mandrake's art is superb in the telling. While we are
not yet all that sympathetic with Seven's lot in life we may get there. This is
more about the things to come with a little bit of why it must be. At the same
time we learn about how Seven and his ancestors have been put down, and in one
case made the scapegoat for white man's sins. You get the feeling there will
eventually be a reckoning for the decades of injustice. That is the essence and
it is off to a good start.

Title: NEW AVENGERS
Issue Number: 1
Title Story: Memento Mori
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: Steve Epting
Inker: Rick Maygar with Steve Epting
Colors: Frank D'Armata
Letters: Joe Caramagna
Cover Artist: Jock
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero


The restart of NEW AVENGERS under the MARVEL NOW banner involves the Marvel
Illuminati. Years ago several key people got together to form an organization
that could deal with earth-changing moments in secret, even from their loved
ones. They were Professor Charles Xavier, Reed Richards, Black Bolt, Prince
Namor, Doctor Strange and Tony Stark. T'Challa, the Black Panther, rejected the
idea and urged the others to abandon the idea. The story in the present reveals
whom T'Challa will turn to when such an earth-changing event occurs. The events
leading up to this meeting of the minds began the day before in Wakanda. It
involves traditional games - task set out before the youth of Wakanda to see
whom among them are the best of the generation. They will be the Makers of the
future. In this latest contest Kimo, T'Dori and N'Kono have found the object of
their search and properly activated it. T'Challa is there to congratulate them
on their success and reveals that it is only the beginning for they will be
reaching for the stars. Whether they activated it or it happened by coincidence
a dimensional gate opens. On the other side they meet a woman and man dressed as
if they are super beings attended to by several men in military garb. More
startling is the planet filling the sky. When the female reveals why they are
there everything goes from bad to worse. There is a lot of mystery about this
other place and these people. They speak of their own purposes as if T'Challa
and the others mean nothing to their task. Could this be a foreboding of what is
planned for Earth? As things unfold T'Challa prays to the goddess for guidance
in what he knows he must do. This first issue is merely the opening scene in
what will be a much larger play. As with his run on FANTASTIC FOUR Hickman is
laying the groundwork for an intricate story involving some of the most powerful
people in the Marvel Universe. Epting and Maygar are terrific artists making the
team on this book a perfect match for an epic tale. This reboot is a worthy
successor to the previous run by Brian Bendis. Anyone who stopped reading the
title when he left should give it a chance.

                                    *****
TRIVIA CONTEST!!!!     WIN REAL PRIZES!!!!!

If you think you know the answer to the trivia question send your guess via
Email to me at ComicBkNet@aol.com and you could win the prize. The first six
correct answers will be assigned a number and a roll of the dice will determine
the winner. You should put your real name in your message so we know who you
are. Prizes must be claimed at our store within 30 days of winning. The prize
will be a $10 credit slip, which will be redeemable for merchandise at regular
retail or in-store ongoing specials only.  Only one prize per person will be
allowed per every 4 weeks. I will be the sole judge of the correct answer even
if more than one answer could be correct. Submit only one answer per Email
please but guess as often as you like.

Last week's trivia question:
Writer/artist Jerry Ordway's first name is a diminutive of...?
The long version of Jerry is Jeremiah. The winner by the dice is Keith Martin.

THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION:
What did Xombi, and Bloodshot have in common?

Folks, you never know who among the readers is knowledgeable about the question
so don't hesitate to send in an answer - even days after it appears.

Comic Reviews 1/4/13

REVIEWS

The comics reviewed are chosen by David not by THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT management
or staff. The opinions expressed are his alone. If you have an opposing view you
are welcome to respond to David directly by Email at the address above.


Title: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
Issue Number: 700 (Final Issue)
Title Story: Dying Wish: Suicide Run
Publisher: Marvel
Creators: Lee & Ditko
Writer: Dan Slott
Artist: Humberto Ramos
Inker: Victor Olazaba
Colors: Edgar Delgado
Letters: Chris Eliopoulos
Cover Artists: Various
Price (USD): $7.99 (104 pages)
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero

SPOILER ALERT!
If you have not read AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #698 and #699 yet and/or don't want to
know details of the three-issue arc until you have read them all then skip this
AND the next review. It is impossible to comment on some of the themes without
revealing details of what happens here and in AVENGING SPIDER-MAN #15.1 so
consider this your SPOILER ALERT!

Special note: This issue and REVENGING SPIDER-MAN #15.1 have already sold out in
two days after hitting the stands. If you haven't got one or had it reserved you
will have to wait for the end of January for the second printing. That may help
you decide whether or not to read on.

The rest of you already know the main plot twist driving the final issues of
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN as it leads into the new series beginning in January, THE
SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN. In ASM #698 we found out, as did Peter Parker, that Doctor
Octopus had pulled the ultimate switcheroo and transferred Peter's mind into the
soon-to-be-dead body of Doc Ock. Now the mind of Otto Octavius is in the body of
Peter Parker, which of course has all the powers that go along with being
Spider-Man. Not only that but Otto also has all of Peter's memories so he can
effectively take over his life as well as his alter ego. In ASM #699 Peter
realizes he has only a very short time to rectify the situation and can't do it
from an ICU bed in a maximum-security prison. Fortunately for him as part of the
mind swap he has Otto's memories. He knows where all the secret bases are along
with all the high tech equipment he will need for one last desperate ploy. He
knows how to control one of the many spider-bots with his mind to set his plan
in motion. He contracts Scorpion, Hydro-Man and the Trapster to break him out
with the promise of a large payoff once the master plan is complete. And so as
this issue begins we find Peter in the body of Doc Ock with a portable life
support system as the Trapster is attaching the Doctor Octopus arms. Once he has
the mobility he can carry out the rest of his plan and hopefully swap back to
his own body before Otto's body gives out. Meanwhile, Otto as Peter is getting
cozy with MJ, as word comes that Doc Ock has broken out of prison. Otto will put
his own plan in motion to try and manipulate the situation to his favor. It
involves most of the friends and family of Peter Parker. Without revealing what
the full plans of either are suffice it to say it will lead to a final
confrontation and only one will be left alive. The heart of the story is the
power of the heart of Peter Parker. Through a near death experience at one point
we see just how strong the desire to do the right thing is in him. He will not
give up no matter what. Even when the end is inevitable he finds a way to ensure
that the Spider-Man going forward will still be one who knows the responsibility
that comes with great power. Another theme that is touched on in this issue is
the relationship between Peter (Otto) and Mary Jane. He is overwhelmed at how
Peter has botched it with her but now that he is in charge he wants to renew
that relationship in a big way.  The question for the reader becomes this - if
things go well and they end up getting intimate does that constitute rape? 
After all it is really Octavius in Peter's body but MJ thinks it is Peter.
Something to ponder. Overall the scripting is pretty good. The earlier part of
the story has Otto speaking his mind. At times he is even rude, letting his "act
like Peter would act" ruse slip. As we reach the climax, of the story that is,
we need to believe that he will really become a hero - a better Spider-Man than
Peter ever was - a Superior Spider-Man. It is up to you to decide if this issue
convinces you he will be. Probably most fans believe like the death of so many
heroes this one too will eventually be undone. Only time will tell.

Back up features:

"Spider-Dreams" by J.M. DeMatteis, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Sal Bucema & Antonio
Fabela

This is an excellent story that deals with a man and his great grandson. It
begins "Once upon a time. in the future." It is a story that takes place years
from now. The man is perhaps late middle-aged or older and his great grandson is
almost thirteen. Like many boys his age he is consumed with video games and his
great grandfather sees their relationship changing. To capture Stephen's
attention the old man decides to reveal his biggest secret, that back in the day
he was really the Amazing Spider-Man. I guess we can either believe this is
really the future of Spider-Man or choose to think it is a possible future.
Through the course of the story he explains to Stephen what it was like being a
super hero, working alongside the Avengers and others, facing off against major
villains and of course suffering great tragedies along the way. This could
actually be Peter in his later years having raised a family after giving up the
web suit and living to see his great grandchild in awe over his tales of glory.
The art is very good as well. This is a very appropriate tale to include in this
landmark issue.

"Date Night" by Jen Van Meter and Stephanie Bucema

This is a more whimsical story with a very cartoon-like appearance. Hats off to
Marvel for including female creators in the last issue. Those being the pluses I
will say I did not care for this story though I appreciate the inclusion of
humor in a mostly serious triple-sized issue. In this story Peter is dating
Black Cat and just as their evening begins he is distracted by a giant robot
attacking the city. While he swings off promising a prompt return she decides to
occupy her time on the town as well. The whole idea is that the cops have been
hounding Spidey so she plans to distract them while he is fighting the real
menace. She manages to lead them around town chasing her and through the course
of the night she bumps into other famous couples like Reed and Sue, Ant Man and
Wasp and even Jonah Jameson and a bag of money. It is all whimsical and ends
well as you would expect. Not my cup of tea but still nicely executed.

As a bonus there are some filler pages including a look at some art from the
upcoming SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN series and a gallery of all 700 covers from the
run. Each one is no bigger than a postage stamp but they are all there. And what
better way to end the run of the title than to have Stan "The Man" Lee, who just
turned ninety by the way, answer the inquiries in the letter pages one last
time. You get all this, a triple-sized issue, for the price of a double-sized
special. It is well worth the money. For those of you who have already sworn off
Spider-Man after hearing about the main story I think you should give it a try
anyway. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Title: AVENGING SPIDER-MAN
Issue Number: 15.1
Title Story: Avenging Spider-Man
Publisher: Marvel
Creator: Lee & Ditko
Writer: Chris Yost
Artist: Paco Medina
Inker: Juan Vlasco
Colors: Dave Curiel
Letters: Joe Caramagna
Cover Artist: Paolo Rivera
Price (USD): $2.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero

This title is normally a team-up book but with the change that occurred in
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #700 it is time for one of those POINT ONE issues to bring
this series up to date with the main book.  The events of this issue follow
immediately after AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #700 so beware of SPOILERS! It is the next
day and Otto revels in the fact that he finally beat Spider-Man. In fact, most
of the issue is about Otto's introspection into his entire career. After a two-
page recap of the events in ASM he at first gloats over how his genius was far
superior to Parker's. Part of it involves him getting more used to the powers he
now has. Thinking Peter could have been so much more as Spider-Man he begins to
redesign the costume, the shooters and even the mask with improved lenses. In
another scene it becomes obvious to the readers, but not to Otto that he needs
to work on his relationships to Peter's friends if he does not want to arouse
any suspicions. But then he decides the resources he has been using, those
accessible to Peter, are inadequate and so he goes to one of his secret lairs to
finish his work. It is what happens there that makes him realize that despite
Otto's high opinion of himself Peter Parker beat him time after time. And so, as
at the end of ASM #700, he resolves to be better not only than Spider-Man but
also his former self, better than that old fool Otto Octavius. This is a fitting
transition into the new era about to begin. While this title will remain a
Spider-Man team-up book this interlude adds to the story already told and is a
better introduction to THE SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #1 arriving this month. Even if
you have to wait for a second printing it will be worth reading.

Title: DEATHMATCH
Issue Number: 1
Publisher: BOOM!
Creator: Concept by Bryce Carlson
Writer: Paul Jenkins
Artist: Carlos Magno
Colors: Michael Garland
Letters: Ed "The Duke" Dukeshire
Cover Artists: Various
Price (USD): $1.00
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero

BOOM! Studios has once again issued a first issue of a new series at a price of
only one dollar. I like the idea and usually avail myself of the opportunity to
try out their new books. Of course I would not buy a comic just because it is
cheap, the concept should be one I am interested in. This one is, though it is
not a new idea. In fact Marvel has just begun their AVENGERS ARENA comic that is
based on the same idea.  In this reality thirty-two heroes and villains of
various powers and abilities have been brought together somewhere as prisoners.
They are under guard by beings apparently made of light and so far are in
control of their every move. The group will be made to fight each other in one
on one match-ups, like a seeded tournament. As the issue begins the first such
match has already taken place. The victor is a young man, Benny Boatright, who
goes by the name of Dragonfly. He is impervious to blunt force trauma and can
fly for exactly one minute when he has to touch something attached to the
ground, even a tall building, or fall helplessly from the sky. Now he has killed
another, something he has never done or wanted to do. This tells us that those
in charge have great power. They remove memories from the combatants prior to
their fight and restore them afterwards as well. Meanwhile all of the others not
only watch the competition but afterwards when the victor is being transported
back and given his memories they see that as well. This serves to give us the
back-story of Firefly in two pages and presumably we will be seeing the history
of other characters in this way as the story progresses. Additionally Benny does
not remember how they made him kill his opponent. There are a lot of characters
to deal with and we meet several in the first issue. Some interact in small
groups and all ponder their fate and what they can do. There is bickering among
some but if it comes to blows the Light Guards can drop the mightiest in an
instant. One individual call The Rat seems to be the most proactive as an
individual and is worth paying attention to. So far it seems The Rat and Firefly
are very important to the story. But with so many characters you never know
which way this will go. The art is very detailed and the layouts are varied from
page to page. This comic is definitely worth a dollar if you are into super
heroes and don't care that they are not Marvel or DC. Based on the first issue I
will be coming back for more.
Title: MARA
Issue Number: 1
Publisher: Image
Writer: Brian Wood
Artist: Ming Doyle
Colors: Jordie Bellaire
Price (USD): $2.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Science Fiction

This is one of those stories set in the future, a possible not too distant
future. It appears the world still has wars and still has large populations that
live in big cities removed from it all. The focus of the story is what occupies
the attention of millions of people across the planet - sports. One sport in
particular that is, ladies volleyball. This is the big sport of the day. The
opening contest in this comic is the much-anticipated match up of the Pan-
Continental Sports League with the winning team getting one billion dollars. But
even bigger than the popularity of the game is the popularity of the star of all
the teams, Mara. At seventeen she is the most popular athlete on the planet. She
is the epitome of the sport as were Pele or Tiger Woods in their day. The world
has compensated for the constant wars, failing economies, and racial divides
with hyper-exaggeration on sports and physical prowess. It has become a national
focus and a multi-trillion dollar sector of the economy. The sport as portrayed
is basically the same though the players all have headsets. We are privy to some
input Mara gets through hers as she proves her worth in the first match. This
story will indeed be about her and some of the downside of celebrity. There are
intimate personal moments with lovers and family all leading up to another match
- this time an exhibition match for charity against a Pacific Rim team. What
happens in the final few pages has led me to classify this as science fiction. I
have mixed feelings about this one. The art is a unique style that appeals to my
taste. The lines and colors give it something I can't describe but I like it. I
get the set up and am curious about what is going on with Mara in those last few
pages. There are also a few panels of an unseen man at the beginning that seems
to have importance although it only shows him prepping himself for a night out
perhaps. I think the next issue will be more interesting and give better focus
on where this is all going. For now it is a decent start.

Title: THE SHADOW SPECIAL
Issue Number: 1
Title Story: Veterans of a Foreign War
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Creator: Walter B. Gibson
Writer: Scott Beatty
Artist: Ronan Cliquet
Colors: Mat Lopes
Letters: Rob Steen
Cover Artist: Alex Ross
Price (USD): $4.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Crime Mystery

I occasionally like to read stories in the classic man of mystery style and The
Shadow is certainly classic. For me a self-contained one shot special is the
perfect way to get into the character. The Shadow is Lamont Cranston in his
civilian identity keeping the company of Margo Lane. But at night he seeks out
evildoers as The Shadow. The stories are generally set in the late 1930's as the
world is leading up to a global conflict. One day the two are out shopping in
New York when they bump into a comrade of Lamont's from WWI, Howard Griffin. But
Howard knows Lamont by another name, Kent Allard. Some of the details may have
been explained in other comics but we learn enough here to realize that Kent was
changed by something in his past. He has turned from sin and from his past
identity to take up a new life that includes being a force of justice when all
else fails. He meets evil with twin pistols as the Shadow. The plot in this book
explores the relationship these two men had while in the service. Kent was the
sergeant that taught Howard how to survive, how to kill or be killed in the
trenches of France. Before you know it Howard convinces the couple to join him
for dinner and later to visit his island to ostensibly catch up on what they did
after the war. The man that Kent has become, that is Lamont Cranston, knows what
evil lurks in men's hearts. But he can tell that Howard has no heart. His
suspicions will prove out later on the island when he meets two other former
veterans that have formed a club of sorts and want Lamont to join them. It is a
classic tale of the genre that involves a hint of the supernatural, though never
admitting to it overtly. The art is splendid in its simplicity with fine finish
work. The story has the usual elements of mystery, danger and action. Boom is
doing a fine job bringing this character to life for another generation of comic
fans.

Title: JUSTICE LEAGUE
Issue Number: 15
Title Story: Chapter One
Title Arc: Throne of Atlantis
Publisher: DC
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Ivan Reis
Inker: Joe Prado
Colors: Rod Reis
Letters: Dave Sharpe
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero

This issue begins the story arc that will be crossing over with AQUAMAN. After
reading this first chapter I felt that this is what the Justice League should be
about. We have a threat of major proportions striking several places in the US
and even the League may not be enough to stop it. It begins with a routine
mission for an aircraft carrier in the Atlantic. Before they get to carry out
their test something takes control of several missiles, launches them and
directs their flight to the bottom of the ocean where they detonate, right over
Atlantis. The thing that arouses the Justice League is that the navy soon loses
all contact with the ship. Simultaneously Aquaman and Mera are alerted by all
the animals in the sea swimming away from shore. You can guess where this is
going. The kingdom of Atlantis believes it is under attack and is striking back.
Whatever they are doing it has a major effect on the entire coast and soon
Superman and Wonder Woman will be fighting giant tidal waves striking
Metropolis. It is the first strike of a contingency plan written up when Arthur
was King of Atlantis. This is just the beginning of the war with everyone acting
frantically to minimize the damage and loss of life. The action scenes are on a
large scale with Superman and Wonder Woman performing most of the heroics. There
are also side scenes that add to the set up - Cyborg is the initial contact in
the Watchtower. In a subplot Clark and Diana are getting to know each other
better with dinner out in Smallville. They have an interesting conversation
about the whole secret identity thing that is fun. Elsewhere Aquaman fills in
Batman on what they can expect next.  If you read the Zero issue of AQUAMAN you
know it was a flashback to his origin and ended with him finding Atlantis as the
issue ended. This story will fill us in on what happened after that. The next
chapter will be in his own title so it will center on Aquaman and his
relationship with the people of Atlantis. One of them is mentioned near the end
of this chapter of the story. There is just enough drama to get the ball rolling
here. The most important question is who took control of those missiles and why?
Who stands to gain from Atlantis invading the land dwellers? This is a great set
up and if you like it so far then pick up AQUAMAN #15 already on sale.

Back Up Feature:
"SHAZAM" Chapter 8 by Geoff Johns, Gary Frank, Brad Anderson & Nick Napolitano

The re-introduction of Captain Marvel, who will forever be referred to as SHAZAM
in DC comics, into the New 52 has been running in the back of Justice league for
several months. Billy Batson has been living in a foster home and become friends
with the crippled Freddy. Billy has already gotten the powers of SHAZAM and
likes being an adult, at least in appearance. Freddy knows the man he sees now
is really his friend Billy but neither know the extent of the power he
possesses. They are teenagers though and are scheming of a way to get some of
that beer to try. Their first attempt is interrupted by a bank robbery, which
Shazam ends quickly. Then when they get to a liquor store they find another
holdup in progress. Even after that as they walk along they interrupt a would-be
car thief. It is as if Billy is being drawn to places where he is needed. At
each scene he learns a little more about what he can do. Although he says the
magic word several times he does not change back to a boy, as the readers would
expect. In fact he may not want to change back. He has power, he just learned he
can fly, he has freedom. But where does that leave Freddy? The episode gives us
some things to ponder but not for too long as it ends with a big bang on the
last panel. Billy is going to have his hands full. This is the kind of story
that I would much rather see in larger doses in its own title. I am guessing DC
is not ready to take that plunge. Gary Frank is a perfect artist for this story
and Johns paces it all very deliberately. For the extra dollar on the cover
price this makes it worth it.


                                    *****
TRIVIA CONTEST!!!!     WIN REAL PRIZES!!!!!

If you think you know the answer to the trivia question send your guess via
Email to me at ComicBkNet@aol.com and you could win the prize. The first six
correct answers will be assigned a number and a roll of the dice will determine
the winner. You should put your real name in your message so we know who you
are. Prizes must be claimed at our store within 30 days of winning. The prize
will be a $10 credit slip, which will be redeemable for merchandise at regular
retail or in-store ongoing specials only.  Only one prize per person will be
allowed per every 4 weeks. I will be the sole judge of the correct answer even
if more than one answer could be correct. Submit only one answer per Email
please but guess as often as you like.

Last week's trivia question:
Eclipse published a prestige series, which adapted a novel that has been made
into at least 3 movies - one starring Vincent Price and another Charlton Heston. 
Name the Eclipse series.

I AM LEGEND by Richard Matheson (1954) inspired both THE LAST MAN ON EARTH and
THE OMEGA MAN about a plague of vampires caused by a virus. The third movie
featured Will Smith in the title role. The winner this week is Paul Clark.

THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION:
Writer/artist Jerry Ordway's first name is a diminutive of...?

Folks, you never know who among the readers is knowledgeable about the question
so don't hesitate to send in an answer - even days after it appears.