Friday, October 12, 2007

This Week's Haul: So Late It's Pretty Much Irrelevant

As I said, the comics were late this week after the long weekend. And I've been really busy. But now, without further ado...This Week's Haul!

Booster Gold #3

Thanksgiving can go to hell if it means I have to wait even one extra day for the new issue of Booster Gold. This comic is my favourite...thing. It's like...what if Quantum Leap was AWESOME?!

And in this issue he runs into Jonah Hex!!! This issue was basically a parade of things I love. It's like this comic reads my mind. Before we even get to the cowboy fun there's a Back to the Future reference (you know that both Booster Gold and Rip Hunter have seen that movie, like, so many times) and this Smallville reference:

If Booster Gold doesn't save the day, the world turns into Smallville! (Only...better Smallville...with Clark and Lex raised together as brothers. That rules). It's so weird and rad to see my boy Lionel in a comic. Nice.

Now let's get to the good stuff. Like Booster dressing like a cowboy:

Oh man, Skeets is totally welcome to follow me around blasting The Ecstasy of Gold if he wants. That would add a touch of majesty to everything I do (like, when I'm frantically running around cemeteries...).

I'm getting off track. What I meant to talk about was Booster stripping down there (yowza!) and also that Rip Hunter keeps a cheap cowboy Halloween costume in the Time Sphere.

So our boy runs into Jonah Hex, as I said, and is challenged to a drinking competition. So Booster gets PLOWED. And it's great.

But not as great as SKEETS RIDING A HORSE!

Let's see another shot of that:

Adorable!

And then there was this:

Booster is gonna drive the Time Sphere...drunk.

This is as good as comics...nay...entertainment...gets.

Black Adam #3

This series is really, really good. I am calling this the surprise of the year. I really wasn't even planning on reading this, but every issue is great.

In this one, Black Adam runs into Hawkman and totally throws down. It's AWESOME.

Also, Doug Mahnke draws a great looking Hawkman. The helmet is perfect.

Adam totally lays waste to him. He crushes his mace with one hand, rips one of his wings off and smashes him mask up.

This next page is great:

Soooo rad.

Captain Carrot and the Final Ark #1

This is pretty much as geeky as something can possibly be. And I love it.

"Justa Lotta Animals"!!! Quail Simone! Giraffe Johns! Panda Dio!

If you're confused about Captain Carrot, don't be. It's just fun. It's an Earth that mirrors our own but its inhabitants are anthropomorphic animals. Funny ones.

I laughed out loud quite a bit. Particularly at these two panels:

And this one, which reveals that the past few pages of monologue-style narration have actually been a very long one-sided conversation Rodney Rabbit is having with the worm in his tequila bottle:

It's extra funny because the worm is wearing an iPod for no apparent reason.

Countdown Week 29

I really only have one comment on this week's issue, and that is this:

I know that they are hand-cuffed together and it would therefore be tricky and everything, but...wouldn't Piper and Trickster maybe want to think about changing their clothes? Since they are on the run and stuff? I mean, I would at least try. If I were them.

Green Arrow/Black Canary #1

I actually did expect to see this team-up...because this cover was revealed months ago. Which is weird because there is a perfectly good variant cover with Canary and Oliver that DC could have released in Previews instead.

Let's talk about Cliff Chiang and how frigging awesome his art is. It's so beautiful. I could not be happier with the choice of artist on this.

And look at classic Oliver, looking all sexy:

I really enjoyed this. I'm a big Connor fan, so it's nice to see him getting some attention. And Black Canary's insistence that the man she killed wasn't really her husband is very touching. And of course the only one who believes her is my boy Batman:

Awwwwww.

When you hug Batman, he gets so freaked out that little red triangles appear above his head.

Yeah, so Batman believes that Oliver isn't really dead. Hal on the other hand is totally keen to bury the body and move on. Because Hal's an idiot. Or Hal wants Oliver's XBox or something.

This autopsy scene was pretty amusing:

It actually isn't almost exactly what they do. What they do is a pretty standard, and tidy, autopsy that leaves the body in tact. So I don't know what Midnight is going on about. I guess he gets his giggles where he can. Or Judd Winick does. Either way, I like Batman in that apron.

Y'know what else I really liked in this comic? Dinah's eye make-up. That mauve shadow really looks pretty!

So of course Ollie isn't dead. But I guess Everyman is.

Green Lantern #24

Super awesome as always.

Particular highlights this time around include the continued use of lethal force by the GL Corps (I could watch those guys waste bad guys all day), and Parallax calling Kyle "the pretty boy."

This page is awesome:

Superboy Prime is kind of awesome. "I'm baaaaack. Jerks."

I really like that aside with Superman and Hank too.

I also really like later in this issue when Kyle emerges from Parallax, all naked, and Guy uses his ring to make clothes for him...but he only makes tight-fitting boxer shorts...

Justice League Unlimited #38

Giganta loves Wally!

Did anyone else find this comic to be kinda hard to read? I hate to say that about a kids comic, because it makes me feel dumb, but the pacing of the story just seemed sorta bizarre. It was like every other page was missing or something.

But I'll tell you what I loved about it: Giganta using a skyscraper as a make-up mirror:

And this:

Another Smallville reference! What a week!

Runaways #28

First of all, I just want to say that the zombie variant cover for this was horrible. All of the zombie covers are horrible, but this one especially. The main cover, on the other hand, was beautiful. As you can see.

This was a good issue. I just don't really have anything to say about it. Except I hope they return to the present soon because I am getting bored of the past.

Superman #668

And we're off on another zany Busiek adventure. This time Superman is searching for the supposed Third Kryptonian on Earth (besides Power Girl, Krypto, and his new son Christopher...who seems to be the most neglected son in the whole world, because he has not really made much of an impact on Superman's life. I keep forgetting about the little tyke).

To find the Kryptonian, Supes gets some help from his old pal Batman. Because that guy loves to find stuff. Superman also brings Christopher to the cave, and it's pretty cute:

It's been awhile since I've read a good Superman/Batman sexual tension comic, so I enjoyed this. Maybe this will be the arc where they finally kiss.

Why?

Awww, Batman can't say 'no' to those eyes.

Also, I don't know who this guy is, but I like his enthusiasm:

Suicide Squad #2

This series is also awesome.

For one thing: Dinosaurs!

Getting shot in the face!!!

I would like to know where I can get one of these fire swords:

Man, that's sweet. I could just slice and BBQ a cow right there on the spot. No more pesky waiting for grilled meat.

Wonder Woman #13


J. Torres does double Wonder Duty this week with Wonder Woman and Wonder Girl. And he does a good job of both.

The art on this kinda jumped around between pretty good and really bad. Like, why did Wonder Girl look like a 40-year-old trophy wife?

And Wonder Woman's shorts were certainly awful in this issue:

And Black Canary's were possibly worse:

Wow.

Wonder Girl #2

Well, this is a much better Wonder Girl than the one we saw above.

Wonder Girl is a very charming mini-series. The fun art really suits Torres' writing, I think.

In this issue Cassie is getting stalked by a very persistent Hercules. He gives her a new outfit, which looks pretty cool:

Man, I am so sleepy. I can't think of anything else to say about anything. Comics were good this week. Yay!

15 comments:

Brad B said...

Still loving the Hauls! Keep it up(please,) and thank you!

John Patten said...

The trophy wife comment was spot on. I don't really see anything in Wonder Girl to like and the art isn't helping me away from that.

I didn't notice the Wonder and Canary shorts vanishing into their butts when I read the book, but after having it pointed out - damn. The art isn't bad, it's just painfully stupid.

JohnF said...

How does the fight between Hawkman and Black Adam last longer than 2 seconds? It should have been like:
Hawkman hits Black Adam with mace, mace shatters into a thousand pieces, BA punches Hawkman across town. I mean, jeez. I like the way they've upped Carter's power level a little bit, what with the Nth metal healing factor and all. But he's still basically just a strong human with a mace. Black Adam isas strong as Superman. He took on the entire DCU all by himself. He should not be staggered and bloodied by a mace.
Nice art though.

Steve Flanagan said...

"...the worm is wearing an iPod for no apparent reason."

I think it's a visual play on that loudspeaker Mr Mind wears around his neck.

Caleb said...

Hey, nice new banner!

Mahnke did do a nice Hawkman...now I'm kinda sorry I skipped that book. I probably would have fainted if Battle-damaged Hawkman leaned into my car window and asked for a cell phone. Yeesh.


And yes, Skeets riding a horse was probably the greatest thing I've ever seen in a comic book.

SallyP said...

I am SO with you on Booster Gold. This book just keeps getting better and better, if that is even possible. Because really, who DOESN'T want to see Skeets riding a horse?

Black Adam was pretty good, the art is amazing, and I'm rather warming to Peter Tomasi as the writer.

The art in Green Arrow and Black Canary was excellent. I czn honestly say that I didn't even think of Everyman...because I'm occasionally painfully naive. Is he REALLY dead this time? Oh, and LOVED Batman with the saw.

I completely missed Suicide Squad, and must pick it up next week. I don't know what came over me.

Wonder Woman was...eh. Still looking forward to Gail Simone.

Green Lantern was sensational...as usual. Between half-naked Booster and all-naked Kyle, I had a GREAT week. But Guy's Michigan sticker on the side of his lantern was the best.

SallyP said...

Oh, and nice new banner at the top of the page!

Anonymous said...

In Green Lantern, the 'Lean on Me' reference to Morgan Freeman's iconic line was awesome. "I don't have to do anything but stay black and die!"

John tweaked it a little for the situation, but it was still badass.

What is with all the variant zombie covers popping up recently? I understand the craze, but wasn't it regulated to just zombie things? And Wolverine?

Jon Hex said...

Nice banner.

Ralph Mathieu said...

The zombie covers are being done on some other Marvel comics this month for Halloween (yes, it's a marketing ploy).

Having said that and having read the preview copy of next week's Marvel Zombies v2 #1, it's a lot of fun!

Anonymous said...

I love the fact that according to Booster Gold #3, a good quarter of the Smallville fanfic written will be in canon if the Kents aren't there to find baby Kal-El.

rachelle said...

Sallyp - I didn't even notice that Michigan sticker! Brilliant! It's the little things like that that make Guy so awesome.

Heather - Ha! It's so true.

BradyDale said...

I'm doing Booster in the trade already, but I'm going to do the same with Black Adam on the strength of your recommendation. So if there's a missile attack on Canada in a few months it will be because I didn't like it.

In other news... you're missing out by skipping New Avengers this week. Kind of a standalone of all villain badness (which, since it's villains, makes it goodness)

rachelle said...

I actually did read Avengers this week, but I got kinda sleepy while reading it. Not as sleepy as when I was reading Spider-Man (HOLY CRAP...could that have been any more boring and dumb?!), but still sleepy. I know that bigger Marvel fans than I seemed to really like Avengers this week. I don't know if I like Lenil Francis Yu's art on Avengers anymore. I really like his art in general, but it's a little too bleak for the Avengers title, I think.

Person of Consequence said...

I know this is ages ago now, and will probably never be seen by anyone, but what I really, really loved about this issue of Booster Gold was Booster's drunken confession about his cape. I mean, what could possibly be more humiliating than Superman telling you you can't handle a cape? And yet it's such a... Booster thing to happen.