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: HIT GIRLIssue Number: 1
Publisher: Marvel/Icon
Creators: Mark Millar & John Romita Jr.
Writer: Mark Millar
Artist: John Romita Jr.
Inker: Tom Palmer
Colors: Dean White with Michael Kelleher
Letters: Chris Eliopoulos
Price (USD): $2.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero
Mature Readers - language & violence
This series spins off from the hit series KICK-ASS. It takes place between the
first and second mini-series. It serves to bridge the gap between the two. With
her father, Big Daddy, dead and her cover blown Mindy is now living with her
mother and step father supposedly having given up on the super hero stuff. Hit
Girl and Kick-Ass took down mobster John Genovese and his son Red Mist is
currently in hiding. But all is not quiet in the city. John's brother Ralphie
has taken control of the family and is running his crew from inside prison. The
guys on the outside are currently on a vendetta to find both Hit Girl and Kick-
Ass. Their plan is to grab other amateur heroes they find on the street and
torture them until they give up our heroes' whereabouts. Since at this point no
one knows this information it is not going well. This mini-series has three
themes. First is the in depth look at Mindy as a person. She is not only a
ruthless vigilante but also a very young girl. We see that while she appreciates
all her father has done for her with the first part she really has no idea how
to act like the girl her age. This becomes abundantly clear as she begins a
normal school day. Unknown to her parents she is planning to get back into the
family business and she meets with David Lizewski aka Kick-Ass to explain her
plan to start taking apart the infrastructure of the five families. This series
will reveal how they became partners in that effort. Finally it will also show
her reaching out to David, her only real friend, about that whole how to act
like a kid thing. As an added attraction the Red Mist is making his moves to not
only avenge his father's death but also take back his role as leader of the
family from his uncle. There is a lot here for one issue but it is all organized
nicely and moves fluidly. I prefer Palmer's inks on Romita's work as it softens
the facial work. The coloring is a good fit as well. Fans of the prior series
will not be disappointed with this comic. It is sure to be a hit.
Title: BEFORE WATCHMEN: NITE OWLIssue Number: 1 (of 4)
Title Story: No Such Thing as a Free Lunch
Publisher: DC
Creator: Moore & Gibbons
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Artist: Andy Kubert
Inker: Joe Kubert
Colors: Brad Anderson
Letters: Nick Napolitano
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero
This prequel to WATCHMEN begins as Daniel Dreiberg sets into motion his plan to
work with the first Nite Owl, Hollis Mason. Mason was a member of the Minutemen
and the focus of the first BEFORE WATCHMEN title as he is about to publish his
biography. This story begins in 1962 while Mason is still active on his own as
Nite Owl. Daniel has his own reasons, the intelligence and before too long the
financing to help Nite Owl become an even better crime fighter. How he
approaches Mason is a key plot element. Daniel's home life is not ideal but a
life-changing event is pivotal in Holland agreeing to take Daniel under his
wing, so to speak. This is not about Daniel being groomed as a sidekick but as
the next Nite Owl when he is ready. By the end of the issue we see how he fairs
initially, even teaming with Rorschach for a couple years. JMS also incorporates
a scene from WATCHMEN - the meeting wherein Captain Metropolis proposes that the
current heroes form a team, The Crimebusters. Since that scene was in the
sixties we have a ways to go until Daniel also retires, a fact we saw at the
beginning of the original series. The art is clean and the plotting makes it
read nicely. We have pretty much seen how this hero came to be and going forward
we will see the rest of his initial career. I look forward to it.
Back up story: The Curse of the Crimson Corsair - "The Devil in the Deep" part 4
by Len Wein, John Higgins & Sal Cipriano
This feature is getting more interesting and begins to touch on the horror
aspect as our defiant British officer is saved from the lash by the appearance
of a Spanish frigate that attacks the ship, sending him to what could be a
watery grave. How he fares and what he encounters in the deep is the crux of
this chapter.
Title: IDOLIZEDIssue Number: 0
Title Story: Every Little Thing She Does Is Tragic
Publisher: Aspen
Creator: David Schwartz
Writer: David Schwartz
Artist: Micah Gunnell
Colors: David Curiel
Letters: Josh Reed
Price (USD): $2.50
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero
I was surprised to see this title on the rack given the recent debut of a
similar title, AMERICA HAS POWERS. I suppose it is mostly coincidence that
creators would come up with similar concepts at the same time. You can almost
guess this will be a story about a super hero competition ala American Idol. It
takes place in a world full of powered people. Unlike AMERICA HAS POWERS the
people here are not controlled by the government with only certain chosen people
allowed to compete. This story is more closely patterned after the reality TV
format. All are invited to audition for a chance to win SUPERHERO IDOL. The
grand prize is not a recording contract though. In this case it is membership in
the greatest super-group in the world, The Powered Protectors. This being the
so-called "zero" issue (hrrmm...) it serves to outline the basic premise and give
us a first introduction to the main character in the plot. Her name is Leslie
Linnell. She will be dubbed Joule by one of the judges. In her segment of this
issue, which she narrates from a future perspective, we find out what motivates
her to join the contest and how that did not work out as planned. The second
half of the book is a mock magazine called SUPERPEOPLE that serves to give us
more background info on the people behind the story. There are three main
sections. First is an interview with host of the TV show. The second is
revealing internal memos among the judges indicating their apprehension with
Joule's psychology. Most telling is an Email thread between the leader of the
Powered Protectors and the government agency that funds the group. It is all
good background for what is to come. Based on the story pages and the backup
material I would give this title a chance. Though the premise is a gimmick it
seems there are interesting twists that could be developed into a good story.
The actual first issue should be worth getting.
Title: THE HYPERNATURALSIssue Number: 1
Publisher: Boom!
Creators: Abnett, Lanning & Walker
Writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Artists: Brad Walker & Andres Guinaldo
Inkers: Mark Irwin & Mariano Taibo
Colors: Stephen Downer
Letters: Ed "Duke" Dukeshire
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero
This series has been getting some prerelease publicity. With Abnett and Lanning
writing the story I decided to take a look. The story is set far in the future
in a human galactic culture known as the Quantinuum. It is a time 100 years
after the Quantinuum AI was created and achieved Singularity. In this time the
Hypernaturals are the foremost champions of the Quantinuum. Each team serves for
five years and is specifically chosen for their powers and strength of
character. The main plot at this point in time is the sudden disappearance of
the current entire Hypernatural Team on their first mission to a place called 28
Kosov. The actual issue opens seven years earlier as we witness a mission of the
team at that time in a dream by its leader, Clone 45. This serves to introduce a
major villain and a couple of team members key to the plot in the present. One
such member was Bewilder who has the power of hyper-metabolic acceleration. It
is not so much super speed but burst of rapid acceleration. She used to be
married to Clone 45 and since his dream is featured in the first several pages,
though he is no longer a member of the team, it leads me to believe he will
become a bigger part of the story. In the present Bewilder is simply Creena
Hersh the head of Media Relations for the Hypernaturals. She is dealing with the
breaking news and will help formulate a plan to investigate the disappearance
with her former teammate the genius Thinkwell. That plan will also involve some
probationary that may be put on temporary active status. What they might find is
anyone's guess. A quick read of this issue seems like another super hero
procedural. One particular full-page panel is very imaginative in conveying the
seriousness of the threat. And of course we are purposely introduced to an older
mission as background for what is coming. Still I like super hero stories with
new characters and mysteries to solve. So far the art is very good and the cliff
hanger stops the story at just the right point. There is even a two-page
interview with Bewildered that gives more in depth perspective. I'll stick with
this one for a while.
Title: FATIMA: THE BLOOD SPINNERSIssue Number: 1 (of 4)
Publisher: Dark Horse
Creator: Gilbert Hernandez
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Science Fiction/Horror
Mature Readers - Comics on the Edge
This appears to be an original story as there is no reference to past
continuity. The story is set in the future when a lot of the population
succumbed to the most addictive drug ever conceived, Spin. It is highly sought
after promising everything you would ever want from a drug, except that in a
matter of hours you become a zombie - a walking dead. It is a slow process and
it is easy to recognize a person who is on the path to become undead. For that
reason clean citizens often attack such a user before they fully turn and can
infect others. Fatima is a member of law enforcement in this strange future. We
see how she typically handles "Spinners" and then go into a flash back from a
year ago when she went on her first mission. It is clearly the set up for the
story to come. It is an operation where operatives have infiltrated a drug
lord's operation and a sting buy is being set up. Fatima is on the assault team
that will crash in at the appropriate time. There is some useful information
learned in this segment and hints of a possible cure for Spin is one. Fatima's
narrative about the operation and her beginning relations with the rest of the
team is another. Hernandez as always brings the mastery of black and white art
to this tale. Visually it is right on. While it is very readable it is nothing
very special. It is a mash of zombies and cops and robbers that may or may not
appeal to a lot of readers. I give it a positive for execution and a neutral on
content.
Title: CAPTAIN AMERICA & IRON MANIssue Number: 633
Title Story: One Night in Madripoor
Writer: Cullen Bunn
Artist: Barry Kitson
Colors: Javier Tartaglia
Letters: Joe Caramagna
Cover Artist: Kalman Androsofszky
Price (USD): $2.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero
This Captain America title recently became a team up book and so the title
changes with the guest hero. This issue begins a story arc with Tony Stark as
the celebrity guest. In fact he is front and center discussing the concept of
miniature drones the size of hornets at a weapons expo in Madripoor. Before long
we learn that Steve Rogers is also there but not so visible as a voice in Tony's
ear. Before long Tony's appearance changes by way of an image inducer and he
makes his way into an invitation only meeting with some very dangerous people.
With a couple of those tiny drones buzzing around Cap will be able to see and
hear what Tony does. This is the real reason they are here - an off the record
auction of the latest technology known as the Harvester Protocol. Not only does
it render other technology it touches useless but it also gathers detailed
information and schematics from the systems it corrupts. It is beyond an EMP
weapon and Tony recognizes its danger. It will be up to the two to stop the sale
and secure this devise but there are others who have the same idea though not
the high morals of our heroes. Imagine what this technology could do to Iron
Man's armor or Captain America's hard light shield. The two will have their
hands full when it all hits the fan. I found this to be a very entertaining
issue and a good first chapter of the arc including a nifty cliff hanger. Barry
Kitson does a great job as always and has solid backup from the colorist. The
dialogue is fresh and believable. Bunn shows the two have a good relationship
and brings touches of humor into play here and there. I would recommend this to
all as a fun super hero comic.
*****
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:
Teresa, Gianna, and Maria are also known as . . .?
The sisters in question were the stars of Acclaim's TRINITY ANGELS. The winner
by the dice is Gregory Goding.
Here was your no prize question:
What is Pope Benedict's favorite soft drink?
The answer is Fanta Orange.
THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION:
Noel Neil played Lois Lane's mother in the Christopher Reeve SUPERMAN movie.
What two other live-action Superman projects was she a part of the cast prior to
that?
Here is your no prize question:
In which city was the first Dunkin Donuts established.
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.
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