Secret Six #1 Review

This review Submitted by The Dude

Writer: Gail Simone
Art: Brad Walker & Jimmy Palmiotti

Well, it's your bad ass Secret Six again, tearing it up. Gail Simone comes back to write this sequel of sorts to the popular Villians United series. Pretty much the meat of this issue centers around the possibility of Dr. Psycho striking back at the S6 and Chesire being alive. Yes that's right she apparently isn't dead (then again who is in comics). The writing throughout the whole issue flows at a good steady pace. Gail Simone's writing I have always been a fan of. Her run on Birds of Prey has been great, and it just seems like the most logical choice to have the writer of Villians United, write for it's subsequent spin-off. The Deadshot/Catman dialogue alone, in this issue, cracks me up. Walker & Palmiotti's art on Secret Six seemed to be a good match to the feel of the story. The only complaint I have about this spin-off so far, is the lack of a backstory. This seems to be a running thread with IC spin-offs lately, as I noticed it as well in The Shadowpact #1. The lack of backstory however is forgiveable when you consider most that are buying these spin-offs have already read Day of Vegeance, Villians United, etc. The best way I can sum it up is, if you liked Villians United your gonna like Secret Six, so go out and buy it B+

Blue Beetle #3 Review

This Review was Submitted by Knightwingbk

Writer: Keith Giffen
Artists: Cynthia Martin & Phil Moy

I like the new Blue Beetle. I never got into Ted Kord, till Countdown, so I have no fanboy hatred for this new version. The first issue was slow, the second issue, was better, and this issue is the best so far. We're finally seeing what the suit can do, and there is no more time jumping. We are officially One Year Later in this issue. Blue Beetle goes home, and basically tells his folks he's Blue Beetle, they don't believe him, so he suits up, and scares his family. His dad tells him to leave, because his mom is upset. She had the perfect son, then he dissappeared with no clue as to what happened (he was up saving the universe) and now hes back OYL. Where's he been? We don't know and neither does Blue Beetle. The storytelling is solid, the family drama is good too.

Even though this is a fill in artist, You'd never be able to tell looking at it. Either this girl draws a lot like Cully Hammer, or she's imitating the shit out of him. Its good. It still has the same style as the other two books, so if reading them in sucession, you won't be jarred by the art, like we all were in Infinite Crisis #7. A good issue. B

Checkmate #2 Review

This Review Submitted by Knightwingbk

Writer: Greg Rucka
Artist: Jesus Saiz (who inks himself apparently)

Whew. What a whirlwind. While there was absolutely no action this issue, like any good spook drama, you have to have some good political drama to set up the spying. That is what this issue has. GREAT Political drama and manuverings trying to keep Checkmate alive, after it was dissolved last issue, and some dirty happenings inside Checkmate. Mr. Terrific is the P.I.M.P.!!!!!

"Tell me you weren't out here all night?"

"Nah, It'd have made me jealous. So they call him Mr. Terrific for a reason, then?"

Now that Alias is off the air, and Lost is on hiatus till the fall, I can get some good drama from Checkmate. If you liked Greg Rucka on Gotham Central check this book out! Can't wait for the next issue. A+

New Avengers #19 Review

This Review Submitted by Knightwingbk

Writer: Bendis
Artists: Mike Dedato Jr & Joe Pimentel

3 issues in and Mike Dedato's art is still ugly. What the hell happened to him between Amazing Spiderman and this? He break his drawing hand or something? That is what it looks like to me anyway. I thought he was good on Amazing, but I really dislike him here. Is Marvel rushing to get this book or something, these pencils look rushed, there is no detail in anything, instead Dedato fills it with blacks. Sure, that's cool in a Batman book, he's supposed to be black and shadowy, But Sky Blue Captain America, Yellow Wolverine, Red Spiderman, Shiny Metal Red Iron man, Yellow Sentry? BLACK!!! This book does not call for all of the characters to be covered in shadow. They are the Avengers, not the Outsiders, or Checkmate, or even the X-men who can be shadowy. Colorful, Colorful Avengers are cast in Black. Can you see in the dark? Yes? I can't see in the dark in a COMIC BOOK! I hope Dedato is only on this book for this arc, and we get a different artist after all the Civil War stuff. Jeez Louise!

Oh, and stuff actually happened this issue! Hooray Bendis! Spiderman lets slip "House of M" while talking to Iron Man, and the SHIELD agents go, "huh?" because they are in the dark about that. So half the issue is trying to get Spiderman to talk, and the other half is the battle with the Collective. Some references are made to the Registration act, but only as passing threats by director Hill, who is really evil in this issue.

Best Spidey Quip:
Tony: "They took the info"

Spidey: "Yes"

Tony: "Don't worry about it, It was my fault for sending you there. I had no idea it was going to happen this way."

Spidey: "Some futurist."

C+ only for the good writing.

BATMAN #653 REVIEW

This Post Submitted by Knightwingbk

Batman #653

Writer: James Robinson
Artists: Don Kramer & Wayne Faucher

From the cover, it looks like Two-Face is back, but is he? Last issue in the Face-the-Face arc, we saw Harvey Dent, newly healed talking to Two-Face in a mirror. Like that scene? That is this whole issue. Dent, talking to himself, recalling events and feelings, until he snaps... again. But he's way more fucking sick though.

This issue is different from the other parts of the storyline because there is no murder mysteries, no Batman, no Robin, no Commissioner Gordon, anything like that. This issue is a character study of Harvey Dent, newly pronounced sane and face fixed. We see Batman come to Harvey and ask him to protect Gotham while he is away. C'mon Harvey Dent? You kidding me? Here's why:

"Robin & Nightwing are going, you say? What about Batgirl?"

"I'd Rather not discuss her"

"Huntress."

"How effective was she even prior to everything?"

"The Creeper's back in Gotham."

"Yes, and have you ever tries talking to him?"

Right. So no other options. Batman trusts pre-Two Face Dent, but does he really know post-Two Face Dent? Apparently not judging by Batman 652. The art is spot on, as usual for Don Kramer in this series. I think this issue would've worked better with half the issue as the Dent stuff, and the other half as our standard Batman & Robin adventures that we've been loving for the past 5 issues. C+

A month of training with the Batman, can you imagine what kind of shit Batman would put you through for a month? Much less years. Oh how much ass we could kick with a month of training from Batman. I hear a new workout routine coming. Maybe this could be Robin's new job. The host of the Bat-Workout. Batty.

DC Superheroes Series 2 Part 1 (Superman and Doomsday)

This seems like its going to be a summer for the Superman figures. Not only did Mattel recently release the Superman Returns figures, their second wave of DC Superheroes is nothing but Superman characters. At first glance these figures are already a step up from Wave 1 at least in the articulation department. But it wasn't an easy start for Mattel, since they acquired the DC license; they have released one thousand different variations of the same figure AKA the Batman line. Now they are on the ball, they hired The Four Horsemen to sculpt these new figures and have gone the Marvel Legends way of creating these new figures. Well here are the reviews of the second wave:

Superman
The packaging has a very retro look to it, reminds me of the old Super Powers packaging by Kenner. Much like the Marvel Legends line this figure comes packed with a reprint copy of Superman: Man of Tomorrow #9. Which is really just a story about his costume. He seems to be exploding out of the comic book, which at first glance looks really great.

The sculpt is nice and solid; he actually looks like a man of steel! His face looks really strong, and this figure for once doesn't have that young Ronald Reagan look to it. Don't worry the classic curl is there. His body looks cut and the it looks like muscle pushing against cloth, unlike just a painted body. Some very nice attention to detail, particularly the wrinkles on his boots and underwear (does this part of his suit have another name?) Contrary to what you might think, the sculpt does not get in the way of the articulation in any way. He balances really well, thanks to his cape, which is made of a rubber plastic, not cloth (Thank God)!

Somebody got smart and gave this figure a balljointed neck. That of course comes in handy when flying, you would think that it would be an essential part of a figure that has the capabilities of flying, but sometimes sculptors forget. In total he has over 18 points of articulation, not too much, but just right. I've only noticed a couple of the joints that had some paint flaking. And speaking of paint for the most part, the paint application is flawless. I only noticed a bit of bleeding around his S insignia. If you take a good look at the figure you can tell that his colors are much darker than the classic Superman outfit. This is probably due the fact that they are trying to make him look closer to his movie counterpart.

So far this figure has impressed me. It really shines as an action figure and if this is the way Mattel is taking, and then I will be right behind them. Only complaints I have is that there were no accessories included with Superman, Krypto would have made a nice addition and his height, he stands at 6" which is as tall as Batman, but I can let that one slide. A-

Doomsday
Ahh yes the destructor of Superman, the reason Superman died and four Supermen took his place. but Doomsday accomplishing that which so many other super villains had not. What a perfect addition to the Superman set, what other way to remind kids that even Superman is vulnerable. Just like Supes, he comes in a blister card package and includes a reprint copy of Superman 75.

Doomsday actually looks like he does in the comic books he really looks like a destructive living weapon. Doomsday is grey-skinned with bone growth serving as both natural armor and weapons. Everything is in this figure and that is mainly due to the fact that this figure is just a scaled down DC Direct Doomsday! But is that a bad thing? I don't think so, not one bit. The only thing is I wished they would have kept him big. He is now a little taller than Superman thanks to that Steven Segal ponytail.

As far as articulation is concerned, Doomsday is not a very dynamic character. He's not off the walls in your face, so his limited articulation does the character justice. Don't get me wrong, you can still get some nice poses out of this figure. At first I didn't know how to feel about the soft plastic Mattel gave him on his back and arms, but slowly it began to grow on me. You don't have to worry about the plastic bending for one and of course its kid-friendly. I have no complaints on the paint job. The colors that were chosen perfectly suit the character of Doomsday, everything is kept between the lines, and there were no signs of paint bleeding.

Again no accessories, unless you include the comic book, but I'm not. I really like this figure, it has a great sculpt and a fantastic paint job. Again don't let the limited articulation fool you, this is a great figure. He looks menacing, but just don't push on his soft plastic or look right at his eyes, makes that menacing factor go down. That's right, besides the smaller scale, his eyes also gave me trouble, they aren't as deadly as they should be. B+

She Hulk # 8 Review

Author: Dan Slott
Art: Paul Smith
Colors: Dave Kemp
Cover: Greg Horn

This seems to be a Marvel week for me so far, well at least reading more Marvel titles than DC this week. I've been enjoying this new She-Hulk series, since she left the Avengers (well to make room for Luke Cage) she needed a place to go. I believe Dan Slott has found a home with his writing duties on this book.

I realize this is a Civil War tie in, but I didn't read it because it was. I read it because it's She-Hulk and it just happens to tie into Civil War. It actually manages to do this quiet nicely. A hate website is up and blaming the New Warriors for the massacre in Stamford. This website reveals the true identities and information about the remaining New Warriors. Instead of taking the fight straight to the man Justice (Marvel Boy) and Rage decide to go to Jennifer Walters and get the Website shutdown through the court system. There is also a great scene with Captain America talking to John Jameson and Doc Strange and Samson try to help Jennifer stabilize her transformations.

During the cross examination of Iron Man we see the twist that is working here. Of course that twist is that She-Hulk is caught in the middle of all this mess. That cover by Horn actually portrays it perfect. As Jennifer Walters is suing to protect the rights of the New Warriors, but She-Hulk is all for the registration act. Which is understandable since her identity is public now.

I really loved this issue. Slott, unlike the actual Civil War comic, treats the New Warriors with respect. There were so many New Warriors guest starring in this issue, it almost made me shed a tear. Slott even reminds us about the problems with revealing the heroes' identities, by going back and reminding us of Rage's grandmother getting killed and Firestar's dad put in a coma. Captain America inspiring J. Jameson to propose to Jennifer was a great idea. On top of that Paul Smith is the artist on this book. I have always been a fan of Paul Smith, hell he drew the first comic I ever picked up (Uncanny X-men 168). His art has changed a bit throughout the years, but he can still deliver some nice clean panel to panel flow. The only complaint I have, is the fact that Hindsight is revealed to be a traitor. I never liked the kid, well when he was just a fat kid with rear view mirrors on his helmet, but it still didn't seem like something he would do. Slott and Nicieza need to relaunch a New Warriors book (they were New, before it was cool to be New!!!!) A-

By the way the name of the website is www.destroyallwarriors.com

Ultimate X-men # 70 Review

This review was submited by Hero 004
Writer-Robert Kirkmen
Penciler-Ben Oliver
Inker-Jonathan Glapion

Review

Part two of the Phoenix story arc; this issue starts off with Kurt at the end of the unconscious Ali's hospital bed unloading his feelings to her about how alone he is, especially with her hospitalized. Now picking up where the last issue left off, Cyclops is in a hurry to get out of the mansion and help Colossus at the Academy of Tomorrow now that their dance has been attacked by the Brotherhood of Mutants. Despite his constant pleading, Cyclops is still reluctant to take along the newest member, Elliot (later to be called the Magician), a mutant with the ability to alternate reality and unintentionally killed his parents. After meeting up with Storm, Iceman, and Rouge, he finds out that he is shorthanded and has no choice but to take Elliot along with them to the battle.

As they fly off in the new X-Wing (I would prefer X-Jet because of the identical name in Star Wars), back in the mansion Jean Grey is about to go through with the test on weather or not she is the Phoenix. Although she does not want to cooperate, she agrees to do it for the Professor. He takes his leave and they start with a blood sample. Still frustrated with the idea, she asks what will happen if the tests are positive. Lilandra (the one "interviewing" her) replies that before she turns twenty, the phoenix will manifest itself and she will save the world by remaking the universe into a glorious paradise.

Up in the X-Wing they are preparing to land and Elliot decides to conjure up his own uniform after Iceman teases him about wearing Scott's cloths. After they arrive outside of the building, they see colossus thrown through the wall. They are then attacked bye Emma Frost's students attending the dance, who are being manipulated by Mastermind, making them see the X-Men as the Brotherhood. Cyclops orders them to take them out without hurting them.

Meanwhile at the institute, Jean is still very uncomfortable. She stops answering the questions and elaborates on how horrific the visions she is having are. She says that the only thing keeping her sane is telling herself that it is all in her head. She tells her that if the test results show that it is real and that she is the Phoenix, the first thing she will do is jump off a bridge!

Back at the battle scene, the X-men take down the group of fellow mutants with ease and manage not to hurt them. During this short fight, Elliot shows that he is under control of his powers by helping Cyclops. The heroes are then attacked by the Brotherhood of Mutants for real and Elliot demonstrates his powers once more by splitting an atom in front of Blob.

At the mansion Jean Grey has broken down crying and when Lilandra tries to talk to her, Jean starts speaking in a strange fashion. Her eyes light up yellow, fire surrounds her, and she proclaims that she is going to unmake the world!

Thoughts

I enjoyed this issue and how it was put together. I know that the art in Ultimate X-Men is not going to get better than Andy Kubert and Danny Miki's, but I liked the art in the Date Night story line allot better than that of these issues. The lack of facial detail is especially noticeable. I really enjoyed the story. It was cool seeing the Elliot Boggs character flesh out more and I'm looking forward to his own story arc after this one. I'm defiantly exited for the conclusion and seeing what happens with Jean. I give this issue a B.

NYX # 1-7 Review

This review was submitted by powerbomb1411

Author: Joe Quesada
Art: Joshua Middleton and Rob Teranishi

I picked it up on eBay in a set with NYX 1-7 and the X-23 mini with the variants. I simply wanted it to have the first appearance of X-23.

The story I thought I read it being about mutant hookers or something like that. That concept didn't appeal to me.

I was pleasantly surprised. I picked up the first issue and never put it down, and that happened with all 7 issues. I loved it. The only thing I didn't really like was the "word up yo my bizzo's" dialogue (I know why it was their though) and I got a bit confused with this huy that has a lil' bro. Then there was the cop not sure how exactly he was actually their. If you read it you will know what I am talking about, but that stuff I wasn't big on is so small to the rest of the series, I was surprised, I didn't think I would ever get around to reading it, but I did and I loved it.

Fantastic Four: Death in the Family One Shot

Author: Karl Kesel
Penciler: Lee Weeks
Inkers: Rob Campanella and Tom Palmer
Colors: SotoColor's J. Brown

I can save you the money, by telling you that the title is a bit misleading. If you want to be surprised save your money and go and read it. If you are on the fence with this one, save your four bucks and just read the review. This is a rather odd one shot; because you figured with a title like that Marvel would try to tie this into Civil War. This one-shot is supposed to be an in-continuity story, but it doesn't take a genius to realize that this one-shot won't amount to anything in the long run. It is 64 pages for $3.99, but it contains a reprint of Fantastic Four # 245 and a Franklin Richards story at the end. I didn't bother doing a spoil-free review because by the end of the story it didn't really matter anyway.

Just as Joe Quesada stated in a past interview, this is not a hoax or a dream, someone really dies in this issue. And that someone was the Invisible Woman; of course with leaked images all over the internet, you may have guessed that one. The death is supposed to feel very real, but it feels rather inane. Sue and Johnny have a little argument because Johnny didn't clean up his room. They then walk into Reed's lab to see if his lab is cleaned, but Reed stuffed all his prototypes behind a door. One of the prototypes let's out a creature that ends up shooting Sue and killing her while her and Johnny were making chili. Johnny goes back in time and fixes everything so that Sue is alive again. Then we get a lesson from Reed, about how time traveling doesn't change anything because there is still a dead Sue out there somewhere. Everyone hugs at the end Full House style!

This isn't a bad story, it’s actually well written and some points of the story were touching, specifically the ones between Sue and Johnny. If you look beyond the hype this book was given you might actually enjoy it. But does it deserve a one-shot if nothing really happened at the end of the book? I mean she died and came back in the same issue? Would that be a new record? It's good to see that Lee Weeks has cleaned up his sketchy art style. He still looks like a Joe Kubert protégé, but finally got around to developing a style he is comfortable with. I'm not sure how to rate it, because in actuality is not a bad read, it would have been a good issue in the current FF run, but its really pointless, because everything is back to normal by the end of the issue. C+

New Excalibur # 7 Review

Story: Chris Claremont
Dialogue: Christopher Yost
Penciler: Michael Ryan
Inks: Rick Ketcham

While Mr. Claremont takes time to recover do to his recent health issues, Yost (New X-men) handles the dialogue while the basic plot is still under Claremont. When we last left the team Sage was being assaulted by EvilXavier, Black Tom is back (woodless and sporting that pimp ass goatee of his), and Dazzler was killed....again.

Let's get to the main part of the book. Black Tom is back and human looking again. He's got his pimp cane and pimp goatee, but his number one ho is on the side of the angels this time around. He explains that after M day he woke up human and became a different person. Now Cassidy claims to have lost his powers, but he is standing in front of Juggernaut channeling energy through a wooden cane aimed at some defenseless woman's head. He stated being a different person, that the Black Tom that killed Sammy was someone else....but isn't he technically doing the same thing here, threatening this woman's life. Juggernaut gets his old friend to turn himself in, so maybe there is more to Black Tom's story than just this. Sage psychically kills EvilXavier and ohh yeah...Dazzler gets all better....again.

I'm not entirely sure how this team is managing to stay together as team. Have they even announced they are a team yet? Hopefully that will be resolved as soon as Claremont comes back to the book, I wish him a speedy recovery. This book works as a classic superhero team book. All the characters serve a purpose on the team, other than the writer just saying...ohh he's a cool character I'll put him on my team book. It's has a very solid Claremont late eighties feel to it and that is of course a plus in my book. Michael Ryan is a good artist and can deliver some great action sequences, but we need a solid backup artist on this book. Ryan is notorious for being slow and can use a constant backup artist. Perhaps change them out every other arc. B

Wolverine # 42 Review

Author: Marc Guggenheim
Penciler: Humberto Ramos
Inker: Carlos Cuevas
Colors: Edgar Delgado

Well you've might have heard me bitch before about my ideal look for Wolverine. The roughed up look that artist like Darrick Robertson, Marc Silvestri (pre-Hugh Jackman inspiration that has been on the covers of Deadly Genesis), and Mark Texeria made him out to be. So how wrong or right was I, when I bitched about Humberto Ramos taking over artistic chores on Wolverine? Well here is my review:

We get Logan stopping a terrorist group trying to hijack a plane and a small subtle commentary on 9/11, except this time its the Christian terrorist taking the plane. Eventually the plane gets taken down along with the terrorist. Wolverine is on his own solo mission to hunt down Nitro, because of the tragedy in Stamford (Civil War # 1). He's not the only one after Nitro either; there is a group of mysterious men in Latveria that are apparently after Nitro as well. We get some major catch-up in the weeks between Civil War 1 and the current events in this title.

So how was the first issue of the Guggenheim and Ramos arc? Well let's break it down. Here are the things I enjoyed about this issue.

1) Finally! After all the bullshit of blaming the New Warriors in Civil War 1 and no one even mentioning Nitro, Wolverine is finally making it clear that Nitro is the guilty party here.

2) Wolverine and Cage scene! Thank you Mr. Guggenheim for acknowledging how fucking ridiculous it is for the X-men to let Sentinels monitor them and stay in their front yard. Not since God Loves Man Kills, have I seen it put it this plain and simple as to what the Sentinels symbolize to the X-men.

3) We get the Civil War story from Wolverine's point of view, Wolverine's take on the events of Civil War are pretty much were I stand as a comic reader.

Now, things I didn't like. You knew you couldn't finish reading one of my reviews without having to read a little bitch fest first (but its not too bad):

1) During the clean up scene, Wolverine mentions how Marvel Girl (Rachel) couldn't hold her stomach while being around all the dead bodies and destruction. I say Bullshit! Rachel is from a possible future where humanity was hunted down by Sentinels and mutants like Ahab. She was a hound for Christ sake; she's been around death all her life and even hunted down some of her family herself. This was a bit out of character for her, but it wasn't like it was a huge deal in the book to begin with.

2) Wolverine mentions he had friends in the concentration camp. I'm fine with that; I'm assuming he was referring to Millar's last issue on his Wolverine run. He should also remind Cage, that not so long ago, the government tried to issue a Registration act to mutants and look where that ended up.

3) The dialogue is very clichéd, even for a Wolverine book. But then again, it is Wolverine, so I let alot slide, besides Guggenheim is just getting his feet wet. So why did it make the list? Who the fuck knows....maybe I was to lazy to go back and reread it.

4) Here we go! Humberto Ramos Does Not Belong In This Book!!! I have been a fan of his for years, since he was drawing Flash and Impulse. He has a certain style for certain books, but this is not it. He is too cartoony and almost too expressive (if there is such a thing in comics). This story requires someone with a more realistic style a darker tone would help too. You can tell that Ramos tries to darken his style, but it turns out to look more like a Chris Bachalo and Sam Kieth clone. All the characters have ridiculous large hands and feet, and fuck even Wolverine's eyes look anime style in some pages. Put Ramos on a book about kids like New X-men, Teen Titans, or Young Avengers those titles are more to his calling.

Not a bad start for Guggenheim and Ramos. Things are finally starting to look up for the ole Canuckle head. Now what Marvel needs to do is cancel Wolverine Origins and concentrate more on this book. If you can overlook the cartoony art style of Ramos or if you like it than this book is for you! Throw in a couple of bubs and a stogie in the next book and I'm sold for the series. B

Knightwingbk's Review of Watchmen

Writer: Alan Moore
Artist: Dave Gibbons

Okay, I will admit that I have just read Watchmen for the first time. I picked it up last time at the Comic shop b/c that week's haul was not substantial.

Holy Cow was this good! This is the second thing by Moore I have read (Killing Joke being the first), and he is a really good writer. For being brand spanking new characters I really cared about them, and was interested. The inter-weaving storylines, along with the supplamental materials at the end of the chapters, fleshed out a world where we won Vietnam, and Nixon was still President into the 1980's.

We begin with the hook, a murder, the Big Bang to set events in motion. A hero, the Comedian, is pushed out his high rise window and ends up as street pizza. As the story unfolds, it turns out that the rising escalation of fear and nuclear aramament is related to this hero's death, and the conclusion will shock you. The first chapter establishes our characters and the status quo in one fell swoop. First we meet maniacal/crazy/moralized Rorschach, one of the most misterious and complex characters in comics. And I thought Bruce Wayne was messed up! Rorschach is a detective and avenger, in the vain of Batman but different that he will kill to do what is necessary, to punish or to obtain information. His mask is his namesake, an ink blot, ever changing. Going into this I expected to see the same ink blot time and time again, but Gibbons draws it differently consistently. The very definition of a Rorschach is an ink blot that they ask "what do you see in this formless and symmetrical absurdity?" So, depending on the situation, we might see something reflected in Rorschach's mask. When he was supposed to be suprised, I saw a look of suprise, when angry, I interpreted the mask to look somewhat angry. As an artistic choice, this is brilliant, as it allows the audience to make thier own assumptions about the character's thoughts through his mask. His words are cold and stale most of the time, devoid of any hint of what his emotions might be. Brilliant.

Nite Owl is a retired adventurer who like Bruce Wayne has no powers, and lots and lots of money and gadgetry. However, unlike Bruce Wayne he has a heart. He is the sensitive man, that all ladies say they want, he is vulnerable and fragile, but in costume he regains his strength. Gibbons really shows Nite Owl's age. He's the average 40 yr old comic reader, a nerd with a beer belly. Ok, not that much but a slight paunch to show that he is retired and slightly out of shape, making his return to heroism all the more difficult on his psyche and body.

Dr. Manhattan is Superman without the Man. All the power, none of the heart. Essentially he is God. All powerful, he can re-arrange Atoms, and see into the future and the past, simultaneously existing in each plane, aware of himself in all other times as well. Superman is an alien who became human, Dr. Manhattan is a man who became an alien.

With these three players in place, we kick into gear. In 12 issues, Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons create a whole world. They create these characters, with thier flaws, strengths and emotions, as well as giving the world it takes place in a past that could also be 12 issues in itself. After each comic chapter are 3-4 pages of prose that are excerpts from books the characters wrote, newspaper articles, interviews, advertisements, etc, that are essential reading to getting the full scope of the story and characters. The best of these supplamentals were the book excerpts and the psychologists notes on Rorschach.

Watchmen echoes today with the tensions in Iraq, and the coming conflict with Iran, as it did in the 1980s during the Cold War. With these echoes, the book does not feel dated, or old, as all the best ones shouldn't. After finally reading Watchmen, I realize now why it is so revered among the comic community. It's that good. Go get it or read it again. A+

Ultimate Spiderman Volume 11: CARNAGE Review

This Review was Submitted by Knightwingbk

Writer: Bendis
Artists: Mark Bagley & Scott Hanna

I just beat the Ultimate Spiderman Videogame yesterday (I'm slow getting it ok? Go get it, its cool!) and I got reinterested in the Ultimate versions of Venom and Carnage, so here's part 1, Carnage. Though really if you haven't read the Ultimate Venom storyline you might be a little lost reading this one, although there is no direct correlation to one another.

I like this trade, i read it relatively quick though, in about 30 minutes, prolly cuz I've read it before. The story deals with Peter, Dr Curt Conners, and gene splicing. The long short of it is this. Dr. Conners, after stitching up Peter splices his blood with his own and uses Peter's father's gene work to make it stronger, inadvertantly creating an organism that feeds off people. This creates some tragic consequences for Peter. Bendis is in his full swing with this arc, 60 issues into Ultimate Spiderman. He has a feel for the characters, and his "less is less, more is more" dialogue style suits teenagers. Because really, thats how we talk. OK, I'm 19 going on 20 (August 6, send me a card!) so I'm not really a teenager, but I'm pretty damn close. That's how we talked, and for a 35-40 year old man, Bendis is in touch with his inner teenager. Maybe its the fanboy in him. One thing I've really loved about Bendis is his Ultimate Spiderman work, and okay, the Spiderman quips in new Avengers ("oh yeah? I've got clones" or "Have you ever smelled Doctor Doom?"). I think he writes those beautifully. His Ultimate Spiderman is full of them, and with its happy-go-lucky tone, it fits very well. Is Bendis someone to write Batman, Spawn, Moon Knight, or the Punisher regularly? Hell no. Those dark characters would not fit Bendis best (if only I could've used more alliteration there, lol). But Bendis writing young Spiderman? Yes! His decompressed writing is less evident here, probably because the trade omits the obvious issue breaks by putting the covers in the back. This makes the trade seem like a one-shot, and it reads as such. Reading the issues month to month I might not have been impressed, but here I quite liked the outcome.

Back to the plot. After Peter defeats some wayward villians, he fights Carnage (whom is never named such, here its just the storyarc title). Peter fights Carnage (in a flashback sequence for some reason...) and disposes of him fairly quickly, leaving almost no room for a return or more development. Its like Bendis realized that like the "616" version (I hate using that euphamism for "regular Marvel universe" its lame, wtf is 616 anyway?) the Ultimate Carnage can be limited to only so many stories, in this case, one. And perhaps, that is what served this story best, the fact that the "villain" was there to set up some emotional reaction to Peter, and not to be a Batman type villain hijacking the book, or movie in Batman's case. This sets Peter up to become more of the "tragic hero". Like Odysseus, Peter Parker is defined as a hero by the tragic events in his life. Uncle Ben, Captain Stacy, Gwen Stacy, Harry Osborn, etc. What did not service the story was Bendis' two page spreads. He has 4 or 5 of these in the trade, and because of the trade setup, some of the smaller panels and dialougue that lie close to the middle end up getting lost to the reader. You have to pry open the book and ruin the spine to read them. There is a two page spread that contains a touching and pivotal conversation between Gwen and Mary Jane, and 3 panels and 2 balloons are lost due to the spine. I blame this on Bendis b/c i think he thumbnails all of his books. If its Bagley's fault, shame on him too, because I can't see some more of his beautiful artwork.

Which brings me to Bagley. I think he is fantastic. In terms of facial expressions, there might be no one better. In all of the Ultimate Spiderman trades I have, I love reading them because Bagley can do Bendis' "talking heads" thing, as well as the action scenes kinetically. Any shot of anger, sadness, sympathy, or happiness is fully realized in a way i don't think any other comic artist today can do (Honorable Mention to Jim Lee in that last All Star Batman issue for Robin's expressions). As a standalone trade this one may lose some people who haven't been reading Ultimate Spiderman, but as another chapter in the Ultimate Spiderman saga, I rate it a C+, for its set-up, emotional depth, and characterization.

Family Guy: 100 Ways to Kill Lois Review

Family Guy: 100 Ways to Kill Lois
Writer: Stewie Griffin and Matt Fleckenstein
Artists: Ben Phillips and Rich Koslowski

Two words can sum up Family Guy’s transition from animation to comic book format: Freaking Sweet! Being a massive FG fan, I couldn’t pass up the Griffin family’s exploits into the world of comics. This 3 issue, bi-monthly comic book is created in a very fun way. There is a main comic book story, and the rest of the book has one of the main characters (Stewie for the premiere issue) give advice to the audience. In this case, Stewie presents to the readers his list of “100 ways to Kill Lois” and explains how some of his attempts have failed him.

First off, the comic story itself is hilarious! The Griffin family decides to help out at a homeless shelter, leading Peter to “adopt” a mentally unstable homeless man. Of course this doesn’t bode well with Lois. Peter proudly dubs his new homeless friend Gerald, and of course some hilarious antics ensue.
Gerald is so far off his rocker he even gives the notorious evil monkey a run for his money, actually scaring the monkey. In a serious of hilarious moments, Gerald attacks Meg thinking she has his penguin, Gerald fails every job interview Peter arranges for him (“Gerald! We don’t stapler rape in our interview!) and even gets to live inside the house, while Peter sets up a terrible make it yourself tent for the family to live in out in the back yard. When Peter finally realizes he can’t have any beer since his brewing machine has broke down, Peter decides to give Gerald the boot instead of face sobriety. Luckily for Peter, Glen Quagmire knows exactly how to take care of Gerald and his girlfriend.

After an intermission, Stewie returns to his countdown of how to kill his mother. Stewie shows us step by step how to kill her until he reaches #83.
From there on until number one, he writes his plans on notebook paper. Take time to read these, they are hilarious!

Thoughts/Comments:
Giggity Giggity Giggity Goo! This was one of the funniest comic books I have ever read. Having one of the writers from the television show adapt the comic adventures of the Griffin family was a stroke of genius. This read like an actual Family Guy episode! The artwork was top notch; the artists were perfectly faithful to creator Seth MacFarlane’s designs on how the Griffins and their cast of characters should look.
I love the format of having one member of the family give advice, while at the same time the reader gets to explore another day in the life of Peter Griffin and his insane exploits. Just be warned, the price is high. This issue is seven dollars, so that might be a cause for some people not to buy it. But, if you love comedy or Family Guy, I highly recommend buying this and upcoming issues! I give this one an A+ Once again, a very Giggified read!

Green Arrow # 62 Review

Author: Judd Winick
Penciler: Scott McDaniel
Inker: Andy Owens
Color: Guy Major

The rematch of the century? Not really. The rematch of the week is probably more like it and its one hell of a rematch. As most of you know listening to our previous podcasts or just reading my rants, I was not a big fan of Identity Crises. Deathstroke taking down the JLA was always a silly idea to me. But this rematch read so much better than the fight in Identity Crises. I am also glad that someone keeps putting McDaniel on a monthly book, I have been following his work since Daredevil: Fall from Grace. I think he has found a home along with Judd Winick on this title.

Slade Wilson AKA Deathstroke the motherfuckin Terminator has been hired to kill Star City Mayor Oliver Queen AKA Green Put yo' Eye Out Arrow. Deathstroke has been itching for a rematch with Green Arrow because of the injuries he received from Queen during Identity Crises.

The fight starts off in Ollie's office where Slade knocks out Fredrick Tuckman (Queen's chief aide) and paralyses Queen. Now usually Deathstroke would have just done the job and killed Ollie and done it without saying a word. However, Winick gives Slade a monologue that is very cliché even for villains. Spilling his guts out to Ollie about what he is going to do to him and just walking around, just didn't seem like the Deathstroke I knew. I understand what Winick is trying to do, but it just seems a bit out of character. Slade is caught off guard by the bomb that Ollie implanted in the room.

The bomb in this issue is just another gripe I had with this book. Queen states that the bomb came from Kord Industries and blames Slade for the death of Ted Kord (Blue brains splatterd on floor Beetle). Could someone explain this one to me? I may be missing something but when did Checkmate (the group responsible for Ted's death) become affiliated with The Society (the Group that Slade belongs to)? Of course it’s One Year Later and that all could be tied in together. The rest of the issue is pretty much Slade getting owned by Ollie and then the Mayor of Star City decides to place this Terminator under arrest.

I really have been enjoying Winick's run on this title, it really brings out the fanboy in me at times. Other than the gripes I had and the interdimensional bow and arrow just appearing out of thin air, this was a rather enjoyable issue. McDaniel can draw some kick-ass fighting sequences that just blows me away. This book is always a joy to read and every time something in the book always gets me excited, but of course there is always something that aggravates me as well, so it all balances out. B

Robin # 150 Review

This review was submitted by knightwingbk

Writer: Adam Beechen
Artist: Freddie E. Williams II

Omar called it. Omar fucking called it way back in one of the older Podcasts when OYL first started, and that's all I have to say.

Kidding, of course! Omar did call it, but I have more to say. Batgirl has been murdered, and Robin has been blamed for it. Last issue Lady Shiva visited Robin and told him to break David Cain out of jail. Since the first issue we knew that the Batgirl that was murdered was Lynx (who?) and Cassandra Cain is missing. Well, if Cassie is missing and someone wants Robin to break David Cain out of jail, who could that be?

The story is solid. Hooray to Adam Beechen showing that Robin can be his own detective, work on his own, and not need Batman's help at all times. Freddie E. Williams II's art is good. I like it better than Karl Kershl's on the first issue of the storyarc. Who's the guy that did the cover though? Patrick Gleason? HE should be drawing Robin, that cover is awesome, as are the covers for the upcoming issues. B

All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder # 4 Review

This review was submitted by knightwingbk

Writer: Frank Miller
Artists: Jim Lee & Scott Williams

Well, this issue is finally here. Does it merit picking up? Sure. I mean its Frank Miller and Jim Lee. Ok, at least pick it up for Jim Lee's sake, he’s not making movie royalty money.

First off, I'd like to say that the 6 page spread of the Batcave is OFF THE CHAIN! Yes I will delve into urbonics, only because it is so awesome. Every shot of the batcave by Lee is awesome in this book, not just that one spread. If Frank Miller were drawing this book, we might not have an awesome batcave at all. Lee is in rare form, and any excuse to look at his art is a good one.

You can tell this is a Frank Miller book. It’s got the Sin City 2 panel pages, diagonal panel lines, 3 single page splashes, and the ginormous 6 page splash mentioned above. The writing here lacks the Frank Miller flair that number 2 had, but its still Frank. Frank's early Batman is a jerk, or is a jerk to make Dick stronger, he keeps Dick talking and moving so he can't cry about his parents, and leaves him in the cave alone, with no food, no blankets (its cold we're told), and no entertainment (other than looking at Jim Lee's Batcave). Luckily, Alfred is there. Miller's Alfred is the first time I've ever seen Alfred talk back to Batman. It makes him a real person, characterized in a way we've never seen. In fact Miller has been the first writer to ever give Alfred things to do (see issues 1 &2 where he rescues Vicki Vale by himself). If we're to believe that Alfred was an ex-soldier in the UK, and is a father figure to Wayne, then he shouldn't be a pushover like he has been in modern comics. I can see where Miller is going with the series. Batman wants a protégé, someone just like him, and that is how he will train and treat him, but with Alfred's refusal to be unkind to the boy, Dick turns out not to be a mini-Batman or (Batboy) but someone else entirely (duh!). I'll stick with this series, I may be the only one but here's hoping there is not another 5 month wait between issues. B-

This review was submitted by Spider-ben

What’s that saying? “Better late than never.” That’s exactly how I felt when I saw this issue at the store on Wednesday. Despite delays and one hell of a different approach to Batman, I really enjoy this book. Sure, Batman and Dick have been in the Batmobile (submarine and airplane as well) since issue 2 began, but they finally get out of the car this time. I love, love, love the six page splash of the Batcave. That is amazing and really captured the awe and shock that Dick must have been feeling. After leaving Dick to feed on rats or bats for food, our hero decides to use Superman as his errand boy in retreving a specialist in Paris to come to Gotham to save Vicki Vale. As the man of steel leaps over the ocean, Batman goes to beat the crap out of some goon for information. When Bats returns to the cave, he is pissed that Alfred has given Dick some nice pajamas and a cheeseburger and fries. Apparently Batman wants Dick to eat rats, and Alfred proceeds to tell Batman to go to hell. Batman realizes the brat is going to ruin everything, and we are left wondering how long it will be until the next issue comes out.

Thoughts/Comments:
I really wish I could have done a longer review, but this issue reads way fast. I love the artwork and attention to detail Lee has, but I still finished this issue quickly. Nonetheless, I enjoy the book. I just hope that it will pick up the pace and come out on more of a reliable shipping schedule. But I’m not holding my breath; I’m just taking it one issue at a time. I still like the book and realize its not current DC continuity or anything, so I just sit back and enjoy it for what it is. So all in all, I’m giving this one a B. I would grade higher because Jim Lee’s artwork is beautiful, but not much happened and it’s been a long wait since issue 3.

Shadowpact # 1 Review

Author, Art, and Cover: Bill Willingham

Want to know what happened to the cast of Day of Vengeance? Well look no further. Nightmaster, Ragman, Nightshade, Blue Devil, Enchantress, and Detective Chimp are summoned once again by the Phantom Stranger and now star in their own monthly title. All this and guest starring Superman!!!

I was wondering how they were going to work in that last part. The appearance of Superman out of his own books seems kind of silly I thought, but it turns out it takes place a year ago....now since this is a OYL title does that mean that takes place Now Now or then now....fuck! But anyway this first issue introduces group of villains whose members mirror those characters in the Shadowpact. They are lead by a lady named Strega who looks very similar to the Enchantress. She also possesses a level of magic abilities strong enough to keep Superman at bay. There is also a Ragman counterpart called Bagman and the other member names are Sister Shadow, Jack of Fire, Karneval, and the White Rabbit. The Phantom Stranger helps the Shadow Pact get through the barrier and the two mystical teams go at each other's throats.

This is a pretty good start for a story Willingham understands these characters specially Blue Devil, who has had a complex story in the past. There is a nice subtle comparison made to Hellboy that reminded me how much alike the two characters are or were at one time. His art is reminiscent of Tom Raney's early work with a cleaner finish to it. This works on action sequences great, but it takes a toll on the expression of the characters. On the plus side though, it is nice to see someone take full creator control. This is the perfect book for all the C-list magic users in the DC universe, now where is my Black Alice!!!? B

Advanced Review: Moon Knight (#2) Rips Through the Competition

Writer: Charlie Huston
Artist: David Finch
Inker: Danny Miki

This is one BADASS title. Holy shit it’s a crazy ride that I am on board for until the wheels need oiling and my shirt is covered in vomit. This book is insane. I remember reading an interview with writer Charlie Huston and him saying something about the book being crazy gory and almost afraid to turn in the scripts because he didn’t know if he was going to get away with some of the stuff. Then he mentioned how enthusiastic he was to show the difference between Moon Knight and Batman and that Moon Knight is a twisted sick fuck and everyone should see that front and center, sonuvabitch does this motherfucker deliver! I read that interview and I was like, “Pssh sure, we’ll see.” I was put in my place in a millisecond.

I have to mention this one gripe though so that I can get it out of the way, the writing moves really fast, not much dialogue at all. There are maybe three pages with decent conversation going on, but this issue, as well as the last, was action heavy and I gather that Huston was very specific about all the panels because the fluidity of the book moves like a walk in the park on a fine summers day (if a nuke went off and it started to rain body parts, I mean that in a the best possible way too).

So what’s the deal? This issue throws you right in the middle of the whole damn show with Moon Knight fighting his long time nemesis Raoul Bushman. This guy is dressed in rag tag army gear and sports the latest in Death’s Mask face marks (complete with a jewel) and some shinny sharp teeth that would make even Jaws cower in fear! This is one mean mamma jamma as he does the classic blood-lick knife after slashing at old Moon Knight! So you find out that this is the fight that…Small Spoilers (What are you doing reading the review of issue two if you haven’t read issue one, fool?)…caused Moon Knight to become crippled, and caused him to do one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen in mainstream comics (sorry that is reserved for the spoilers).

The artwork is perfect for this comic and you can tell that Finch and crew spent a pain stacking time doing it! Everything is detailed to the point of over-detailing but with Huston’s scripts I don’t see how that could be a bad thing, since all your doing is enhancing the feel of the book. Finch is great at these urban war zone style fights and it really shows in this issue. The blood is insane, at first I glazed over it and then I went back after saying “hold up,” because I had to remind myself that I was reading a mainstream title, not Indy, not MAX just straight up Marvel and I was almost afraid to see what happened next.

So needless to say I really enjoyed the hell out of this book. This team of Huston and Finch is great and I know that if Huston wants to stay on or come back he may not have Finch there too but this is a very promising start. I liked issue one but like I said in the Podcast all those damn previews nearly killed it for me. This was a great roller coaster ride, don’t get me wrong about the dialogue I love the noir inner monologue and would rather see more of that then dialogue anyway, Huston has really BECOME Moon Knight, this baby gets an A. Below are the spoilers, now here you have two choices and only two choices. You can either go get the issue and enjoy it for all its worth, or you can read the spoilers and say, “Holy shit are you fucking serious?” and then you’ll go get the book anyway, but a little magic is lost then, your choice, here you go.

Click here to read the spoilers.

Havok

Based on what I've seen on the shelves, Havok is by far the most shortpacked of the Wal-Mart exclusive Giant Man assortment of Marvel Legends. While Thor and Sabretooth clog the pegs, Alex Summers is nowhere to be found. Poor Havok - the unloved Summers brother gets shafted again.

This figure depicts Havok in his classical outfit, which was originally created by Bolivar Trask to help Alex control his powers. He's got a bullseye on his chest, a jewel on his forehead and a gigantic white headdress (and we wonder why Havok was never taken seriously). As with most Marvel Legends figures, Havok is depicted in a state of rage (or at least, unhappiness). The face is really the only area with any paint details, as the rest of his costume is nearly 100% black, and I'm reasonably sure that the bullseye on his chest is stamped on. As for the face, the paint is crisp and clean, and while the expression might leave a little to be desired, the paint apps certainly don't.

Havok's mid-torso joint ratchets, which seems to be a new feature for Marvel Legends - I'm glad to see it, as I'm tired of all my ML figures standing with a constant slouch.

It's difficult to pose Havok using his powers, since to do so, he just sticks out his hands. Without a visible power blast, it looks a bit silly.

All in all, I'll give it a C. It's not at all bad, but not outstanding, either; it's thoroughly average, just like Alex Summers himself.

Captain Atom: Armageddon # 8 Review

Author: Will Pfeifer
Penciler: Giuseppe Camuncoli
Inker: Sandra Hope
Cover: J. G Jones

I have to admit that I have not been picking up this series on a monthly basis. I picked up issue 1, because I always wondered what happened to Captain Atom after Batman/Superman #6. I'm not really sure why I forgot about this series, because issue 1 was good enough, but for some reason it ended up at the bottom of my pile of comics. Needless to say, I forgot about this title until Infinite Crises # 7 reminded me that Captain Atom was actually in the Wildstorm universe!

This is an all out battle issue, but it works as an action packed issue. The fights go by fairly quick and are brutal, as we see Captain Atom take on Apollo and Midnighter. Cap is able to take down both of the Authority's leading men, by actually using his brain instead of just muscle. We get a nice recap by Majestic, Hawksmoore, and Cap, that was really helpful since I only read issue 1. Majestic makes a nice appearance and Grifter gets killed by Apollo and Midnighter. But to say that Grifter will stay dead by the time Morrison and Lee revamp Wildcats is just plain silly. I did have a bit of a problem with the way that Midnighter and Apollo were acting like dickheads, granted I know what Millar did with the characters after Ellis left the book. On a good note though, it was nice to see that they mentioned that Captain Atom was actually married, so that was nice to see a little continuity showing in the WS universe, oh and let's not forget about the new Void in the horizon.

There are current rumors going around that state after this series is over, the Wildstorm universe will be rebooted. But, that is just speculations and we all know where those usually end up. Pfeifer does a decent job with Captain Atom, but his Wildstorm characters need a little help. Camuncoli's art reminds me of Ed Benes, so it’s your classic Wildstorm artist and it works for this series. He is a little too dynamic for classic superhero books, but it flows really well here at WS. A good solid book with some minor griping, but I find myself wanting to read the finale, so I would give it a B.

Superman Returns - 2 more figure reviews

Omar has already reviewed three figures out of the first assortment from the upcoming Superman Returns figures, so I'm here to do two more.

X-Ray Alert Superman

Thus far, this is the only Superman Returns figure whose gimmick doesn't add something silly to the figure. There's no fin on his back like the Kryptonite Smash figure, nor does he have wheels in his chest, or a bellows sticking out of his back. For that alone, I'm going to declare this figure the best of those available thus far - if you want a Superman Returns figure, this is the one to get. However, if you want one that you can pose, this isn't it. The arms are spring loaded, so that when you pull them back, they fling forward, as if Supes is throwing the safe that he's packaged with (his hands are balled into fists, so he can't actually throw the safe - use your imagination).

Gimmick aside, this is a quality figure. All of the paint applications are crisp and correct, with little to no bleed or overspray. The colors match throughout the figure - all of the burgundy areas are the same shade, including the cape (which is no mean feat). The texture of the suit is interesting, as are the small touches, like the shields on the bottom of his boots. The actor likeness is better than usual for a children's toy tie-in. In fact, the only criticism I have of the sculpt at all is that its neck is either too short, or its head to small - whichever it is, it looks like Kal-El is hunching up his shoulders something fierce.

The figure comes with a safe accessory, with a kryptonite bomb inside. The X-Ray vision gimmick on the safe simply brings a picture of the bomb into focus, and is basically effective as such things go. I honestly doubt, however, that any child would be too upset to lose this piece.

Super-Breath Superman

But, oh, oh, oh, that is not true for Super-Breath Superman. Who doesn't want a cardboard cutout of Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor? If I had one, and it was lifesize, I would hang it in my bedroom. I would ask it if my shirt matches my pants before I leave for work in the morning, and I would tell it about my day when I got home. Unfortunately for me (and fortunately for my marriage), the cutout that comes with this figure is only 5 inches tall.

This figure has the most obtrusive gimmick (short of the wheels on the chest of the flying figure). Super-Breath is achieved by pushing a bellows that sticks out of Superman's back. Not only does the bellows completely get in the way of Supes' cape, but it throws off the balance of the figure, so it's really difficult to stand up. Other than that, the superior paint and sculpt quality from the other Superman Returns figures carry over here. Strangely, this figures legs stand closer together than the others - I can't tell if this is a mold change in the lower body, or if it just happens to be like this on my figure.

The best part of this figure is his sculpted super-breath face. Kal-El could very well be whistling Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah as he's walking down the street, or maybe he's broken something and doesn't want anyone to know. I just know that it's hilarious, and as soon as I can, I'm going to cut the bellows off this figure, take a model car and smash it, and pose this guy walking away. The figure demands it.

All in all, I'm pretty impressed by this assortment in general - the quality control on the figures is top notch, and for the most part, the gimmick features aren't too obtrusive. I give the entire series a B.

Superman Returns Ultimate Powers 12"

At first sight the 12” figure is pretty tight looking. The isn’t a sculpt of Brandon Roath’s head but it does resemble him a little bit and looks like an acceptable version of Superman. There are things about this figure that I like, as there is also a balance of things I don’t like. So with this figure appearance was very important since it is a larger version, and I think that overall the figure looks very nice. The second big thing is the voice activation and interaction. I like the button placement, first on the big shield and then the little shield on his belt very good and expected places. There is another button on the back near the middle of the cape which would be good for flying noises since your hand would be there anyway but instead it activates the heat vision eyes. I like the heat vision eyes, they come with a sound too, and they don’t make the figure look like he is possessed because the light comes through behind the plastic and through the pupils only. Then there is the main switch on the back that turns the figures sounds on to the point of annoyingness, but this is also the only way to activate the belt button and the cape button.

The audio has its good and its bad also, it says things like “I’m the Man of Steel” and “Crime doesn’t pay” but it says “Up, up and away” WAY to often and it also says, “Turn left” and “Turn right.” When I opened the figure and started to play the audio Omar, Dan and I were both like “What?” We really hope he doesn’t say that shit in the movie, but its clear that it is intended to give commands to the child who is holding him. This may have made since to the manufactures but it doesn’t to any of us, why would Superman, while going after Lex Luthor have to tell the child who controls him to turn certain directions, and out of no where I might add so that the child has no warning that he mist “Turn Right” it’s just strange.

So now that the two biggest things are out of the way, I can talk about articulation (the figure to the left will NOT help explain my position as this is a promo piece for the figure and does not represent the actual abilities of the figure as you’ll soon find out) and a little bit more about the detail of the figure. I’ll start with the head and work my way down. The head is a tricky thing with figures these days, this is a Superman figure so of course it would be beneficial if he could look up (foreword in the case of horizontal flying) so that he could see where he is going and not down at all the little people of Metropolis…but he can’t. He can only move his head side to side, and very bobbleheadish I might add, he can keep his head foreword but with a quick flick of the wrist his head is then to the left or right. So this was a failed attempt at getting the head movement right. Now to the arms, the arms have a button that activates a punching motion, I think. I say that without confidence because in all my time trying to play with it I could never get the arms to function normally. This is going to be a bit tricky to explain so just hang in there (again the pic is wrong), the best potion for his arms is pointed up as if he were taking off (Up, up, and away style) if you do this then the mechanics of the arms prevent you from having both arms fully extended, one is extended while the other is at a right angle (bent at the elbow). This mechanical oddity along with the fact that the head can’t move up leaves Superman in a constant state of “Ra, Ra, Ra, lets root for the Home Team.” Now you can bend the figure at the shoulders to point the first to the front or down, I do not recommend pointing them down because it looks like he is skiing or jacking off two guys bigger then him, lets say Doomsday and Amazo. If you point them in front then it looks like he is punching someone and this goes well with the punching audio accept Superman never looked so stupid punching someone. The worst part about the arms is that try as you might they always go back to that one arm extended and one at a right angle look, annoying.

The next joints are the hip/leg joints, which are the best damn joints of the whole figure. Down at the knees there isn’t much to say other then that they don’t move much at all. Then there are the ankle joints; I’ve never seen joints like this on a figure. They naturally stay in a flying arched back look, the figure stands up great but as soon as he leaves the object he’s standing on then he’s got those ankles arched. Now I know why they did this, every time Superman would want to fly the kid would need to stop and fix right ankle and then left ankle, but not really because kids don’t notice things like that adults do, so now we know who the toy is really made for (still have no answer for the turn signals though). While on the subject of the legs still I have to point out the detail on the boots, it’s like they left all the detail for the boots because they knew that people wouldn’t be checking there. The boots look like those track shoes that Nike put out few years ago, with the crazy swirl pattern and S shields galore! There are two S shields on each boot, one on the back where you might find a check or an N and underneath the shoe, so when Superman is about to kick a guy in the face they can say, “hey that’s Superman Brand Shoes” which paints this horrible picture of Ma Kent slaving away making thousands of red boots while Superman says dick things to her like “you owe me money for letting you work for me mom!” What a dick! Although I’m pretty sure Batman figures had bat signals on his shoes and that explains the real reason he recruited Robin.

So back to the figure, I really don’t hat the figure though you might not know it from all the problems I had, I was just being honest. The detail work is really nice and the figure would be fun to play with as a kid. There are the little diamond pieces on the figure which go well with the movie having the actual printed S shields on the fabric. The color looks dead on to the movie costume and the cape is a nice subtle touch. The sounds are cool for a while but it’s not made to replace the TV, and the variety of things he says are good enough, I don’t need ten thousand different phrases because once a new one starts I’ve forgotten the last one. This figure gets a C+ from me, average and decent but a little more thought could have made the articulation a whole lot better.

Nightwing #120 Review

This review was submited by knightwingbk
Writer: Bruce Jones
Artists: Paco Diaz & Bit

This Nightwing arc gets better with this issue. We still don't know why there are two Nightwings, but the story does progress. That thing on the cover is in the story, it’s on the last page tho. The new artist is a better fit for Nightwing than the last one. Its less anime-cartoony, and more of the modern comic book style. That might be why I liked the story better was because of the art.

Other than that, not much else happens, Dick is a model, for a "nightwing" line of clothing, and attacks Jason Todd in his model getup in broad daylight! Wtf! Things better move faster in this book, I still don't see why we need a conflict between Dick and Jason Todd. Written differently, this could be a better story, but we never see why Jason is Nightwing? Boredom? Provocation? Jealousy? Loneliness? We the reader have no clue, and neither does Jones. C-

Action Comics #838 & Superman #652 Review

This Review was submited by knightwingbk!

Writers: Geoff Johns & Kurt Busiek
Artists: Renato Guedes & Pete Woods

This Clark Kent story is now a Superman story! Action Comics 838 is Part 4 of "UP, UP, & AWAY!" and has Clark Kent do some investigative reporting. He busts up and Intergang meeting and in return they send some super powered baddies to kill Clark Kent. A near miss causes Clark to regain his super-powers. Superman 652 sees Clark leap tall buildings in a... well almost. Anyway, Superman returns! I'm waiting for that Daily Planet headline to appear in the comics. I hope they don't go, "HES BACK!" because that is almost cliché.

Storywise, Johns and Busiek are fantastic. The little character moments and interactions with Clark & Lois, Clark & Jimmy are spot on. They serve their purpose to reestablish Clark’s relationships with his supporting cast who sometimes take a back burner to Superman himself. In classic Superman fashion, Clark makes plans with Jimmy and then forgets about them when something big comes up. Also, the look on Jimmy’s face when Superman returns is great. You really get the feeling that he is "Superman's Pal" When Superman does return, the issue is full on action. And even though Clark does not have full control over his powers, his triumph is still as satisfying.

The art is great too. Pete Woods is missing from Action Comics, but the fill in artist they got draws so much like Pete Woods that it’s really hard to tell that it’s not Pete Woods, unless you have them side by side like I do. Pete Woods draws Superman as a he should be. Buff and believable. I guess that DC is no doing a raised S-shield on the suit now to be more in line with the movie. That doesn't bother me much, not at all in fact. A lot of people made a stink about it for the movie, but it looks good in the comics. All in all a solid A for both issues.

X-men: Deadly Genesis 6 Review and Overview

Author: Ed Brubaker
Layouts: Trevor Harisine
Finishes: Scott Hanna
Cover: Marc Silvestri

Chris and I try something new and do a review via AIM. Hope you enjoy reading our bitchfest!

evilomar69: The conclusion of one of the biggest X-men stories of the year! Felt more like something I have read many years ago....Ohh wait that's right I have read this before!
The origin of Vulcan is the exact origin of Adam X AKA the X-treme that Fabian wrote back in 95-96. Sorry couldn’t let that slide by! So this issue wraps up and we get to find out "the real Truth"

Chris: Alright so when we last left off, Xavier revealed that he was depowered, but we already knew that thanks to Wizard before the book even came out

evilomar69: I try not to read wizard or any spoilers, but I was still not shocked.

Chris: yeah, remember you knew that because you posted the de-powered list on the website

evilomar69: LOL I knew that because it was easy to guess.

Chris: even before issue 1 I think, but anyway that’s where this last issue takes up, Vulcan is pissed because that means that the X-Men can't feel Vulcan's pain (he says).
Rachel goes into Vulcan's mind with the help of Xavier and everyone gets to see the party. The X-Men 1.5 as I like to call them, go in and save Cyclops, they get him out and they go back in to try and save the rest, but Krakoa saps their energy

evilomar69: They all die except for Darwin and Vulcan and they get shot off into space and merge into one being. Darwin using his power of course.

Chris: Vulcan, who is a homosexual love toy of Darwin (who I actually thought was cool) bonded with him and Sway slowed time down and Petra had the ground swallow Darwin and Vulcan. Rachel frees Darwin and he comes back to life, which I also think is kinda cool, but not at all unexpected.

evilomar69: So in the end Darwin separates himself from Vulcan and the X-men fight Vulcan for two pages. Then Vulcan flies off into space!

evilomar69: That's it! To be continued in Uncanny X-men

Chris: yep, that about sums it up and then there is the Cyclops reaction. what did you think about that?
evilomar69: ohh yeah and Professor X is a jerk, again. I don't know, I could see Scott doing that, but they have too much history for him to just kick him out of the place that Xavier built. The story was boring, because from issue 1, I knew where they were going with this.
Chris: yeah that was my problem; Xavier shouldn't have to listen to shit

evilomar69: Nothing shocking happened. (Sorry I don't count the death of Banshee as shocking) His death seemed force and the X-men have an out of character reaction to it. No one ever mentions Banshee by his first name throughout this fucking book!

Chris: Yeah I felt the same way, super bore fest, and that Banshee was a complete fuck over, this is THE prime example of "we have to kill a character to make people like it"! We have to boost sells and all that.

evilomar69: The characters were a bit boring to read, I don't think the dialogue was that great. It was a little stiff. Perhaps a script writer was needed.

Chris: yeah I didn't like any of the dialogue the narration was good but there was no voice behind any of the characters. Ya know I wasn’t even going to get this and I got sucked into all the hype, now my butt hurts. I hated the fact that the third Summers brother as Claremont always intended it was going to be Gambit

evilomar69: and what was that whole crap about the island being sentient or was sentient because Xavier made Cyclops hear it? What the hell? How does that add anything to the fucking story? Fuck me running!

Chris: the signs were all there and the X-Men the End DID have him appear as the third summers as a big "fuck you" to Marvel

evilomar69: More like a fuck you to Claremont

Chris: Oh yeah totally, fuck that I was waiting for the Gambit story line and now it'll never happen, fuck that!

evilomar69: So what the hell was the reason Xavier erased Cyclops' memory? Other than to make Xavier look like a dick? And why the fuck did Xavier take Cyclops bullshit speech at the end? This is HIS home!! He should have been: If your last name ain't Xavier! Then get to steppin'!!!!

Chris: for real, questions that can't be answered and reasons why to be disappointed with the book, but what did you like, anything? I'm trying to think but can't come up with a single saving grace

evilomar69: It started off decent, but ended predictable and bad. I liked some of the covers by Silvestri. I want to know who the fuck considers Hairsine an A list artist? Scott Hanna should have had his name in front of Hairsine. Hairsine is horrendous and can't keep a schedule! There are plenty of awesome artist out there dying to be discovered. Overall I give this book a D+! Because NOTHING WILL EVER BE THE FUCKING SAME!!!!

Chris: agreed, I didn't hate the artwork but yeah this is a book reserved for the A list and Harisine needs a few more years under his belt. You rated it that high? Fuck that with a big F-!

evilomar69: The whole series gets a D+ from me.

Chris: first off I love the X-Men and I loved the concept I hated everything after that. But, I give it a D- for the series because, yeah, the covers were nice overall, even if Wolverine doesn't look at all how Silvestri used to draw him and doesn’t give a shit what the new costume ACTUALLY looks like, lol

evilomar69: Alright that's it folks looks like between the both of us this series gets a D!

Justice # 1 - 5 Review

Plot: Jim Kruger and Alex Ross
Script: Jim Kruger
Art: Doug Braithwaite and Alex Ross
Covers: Alex Ross

This one is for all you DC Fans! I admit, even though I didn’t care for Infinite Crisis, I still love some of the stuff DC publishes. Justice is one of those books that I can’t get enough of! Alex Ross re-teams with Kruger (Earth X, Universe X, Paradise X) to tell the ultimate Justice League adventure! (Ultimate, get it? Still have some Marvel blood in my reviews!) The story is very emotionally gripping and intense.

Basically, Lex Luthor and Brainiac gather some of the nastiest villains in the DC universe and plot to destroy the Justice League once and for all. Instead of the clichéd “let’s attack the good guys” routine, our villains calculate a grand plan to take the heroes by surprise and hit them individually.

Aquaman falls first, and he wakes up in Brainiac’s lab. The Riddler runs around Gotham, sending Batman on a quest to figure out what his green clad foe is up to this time. Martian Manhunter is attacked and surrounded by fire, his one true weakness. As the heroes fall, Lex and co. televise messages across the globe of how they are going to save the Earth. Where the Justice League never actually tried to restore the rainforests and such, Lex proclaims that his companions will heal the world and rid it of the glory hounds that call themselves the world’s greatest protectors.

As people listen and ponder the villain’s message, the heroes continue to fall. Clark Kent is attacked by some of his worst foes ever (Bizarro, Metallo, and Parasite) and almost dies. He calls out for help, yet all his comrades continue to fall. Green Lantern and Black Canary decide to have some fun together at home (BC looking incredible in these pages) and it turns out when Dina goes into the other room, Clayface takes her form and tries to kill GL!

Luckily Dina returns and saves her man, but this shows that no hero is safe. The Cheetah attacks Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman tries to talk to her foe, and realizes she is completely bestial and unable to be talked down. Wonder Woman is stunned and tries to figure out what exactly is going on.

Captain Marvel comes to Superman’s aid, and Supes instructs the Cap to take him to the Batcave. In the cave, Batman gets pissed that Clark has brought another person inside his secret lair. As Supes begs for him to help, he notices Bats pull out some Kryptonite. In a beautiful two-page splash, Supes knocks out Batman. Captain M. is confused, and Superman tells him that Batman, and himself, are infected with microscopic mechanical worms. Lex’s message of a better world continues to play, and Superman instructs the Captain to throw him into the sun and destroy the worms. Superman realizes that the other heroes are infected as well, and he has a lot of work to do to save his friends and planet.

Thoughts/Comments:
Can you guys say “hell yeah!” because that’s exactly what I think with this mini-series. We have a very intense and well thought out story. The artwork is beautiful and top notch. As always, Alex Ross does not disappoint. I love how the villains are trying to come off as the Earth’s true protectors, and it’s fun watching them attack the league one by one. I love how Batman is still portrayed as a hardass, and loved the part in issue five when Superman knocks him out when he notices Bruce going for the Kryptonite. I believe DC should have entitled this book “All Star JLA”because that is precisely what this book is.

Everything is perfect, except waiting two moths for the next issue. I love this book and can’t wait to see how the story progresses. The heroes are due for some serious payback on Lex and company. Should be fun to see what happens next. Strong, solid A+

Supeman Returns Figures Review

Superman Returns Action Figures
MATTEL

Kryptonite Smash Superman, Bullet Proof Superman, and Flying Attack Superman:
I decided to review all three figures at once, because they are very similar in sculpt and paint job, and because it might be easier to review them this way. Seriously, they all have small differences on their body that is not enough to set them apart by much. I don't know if these toys reveal any spoilers, but I guess you are taking a chance with reading my reviews.

PACKAGING
The Packaging is very similar to last year's Batman Begins. A blister card packaging in which the figure sits in a solid position. Their accessories can also be seen, when included. The big S symbol can be seen at the top left corner of the packaging card and on the bubble window. There are no pictures from the movie on these cards, just a color drawing of a beefed up Brandon Routh on the right hand side next to the S. Behind the figure is a drawing of the crystals from the movie, I guess this is to make it look like Superman is actually standing in his fortress of Solitude. I still get a kick out of the back of these packages, because it shows you how to use your figure. Reminds me of my days as a child where I damned myself for throwing away the packages of my transformers, because I always had a problem making them look like they were supposed to.

SCULPTS
Can the word sculpt be used for anything else other than to describe the body of a toy? Maybe, I don't know why I threw that at you, but anyway. As stated before the sculpts are very similar specially the faces. For example it’s all a personal choice as to which one looks like Brandon Routh with these three figures. Kryptonite Smash Superman has an older looking face with some strong square jaws. Bullet Proof and Flying Attack Superman share the same long face with softer lines and details. It is very difficult to capture a human face, so if I had to choose one out of the two, I would choose the longer face it looks more like Routh.

With the exception of the exaggerated muscles like the six pack and those biceps, the actual physique looks really close to their movie counterparts. The texture they used for the actual suit is a nice touch; it's a honeycomb like pattern that is all over the suit, with the exception of part of the boots. No utility belt can be found on this toy, but rather a real nice realistic S belt with creases and belt loops. Kryptonite Smash and Bulletproof Superman's cape is made out of real cloth mimicking the cape in the movie. However, the cape for Flying Attack Superman looks the most realistic, because it is actually sculpted to the figure. They went as far as adding a little S in the back of each boot, really nice attention to details there. Actually most of the details are really nice, and it looks like they have actually spent time making these figures instead of rushing them out before the movie was released.

All the figures have 9 to 10 points of articulation with just a slight difference to make way for the action features. The best part about this articulation is that they all have a ball jointed head. Unlike the Batman figure from the DC Superhero line up, this Superman can actually look up and see where he is going when he is flying. The joints are nice and tight and there are no signs of paint chipping at the joints, which is a plus!

PAINT and ACTION FEATURES
Well I don't think there is much to complain about with the paint application on these three figures. It’s really the normal for Mattel, which are usually sharp looking colors. The hairline is very clear on each face and the eyes all line up perfectly. The classic S emblem on his chest looks like it was painted with care, I'm guessing because this is the one symbol that defines Superman and the most crucial part to get perfect. A nice flat paint is used on the body with just a touch of semi-gloss finish on the actual suit. No signs of paint bleeding or flaking at the joints.

I am usually not a fan of the action features from figures, but I guess they couldn't be call action figures could they? To me they usually get in the way of the sculpt and usually serve no purpose. So how do the Superman Returns action features hold up? Not too good, unfortunately. Kryptonite Smash Superman's action is to knock down the big kryptonite crystals that are in his way. This is accomplished by moving him from left to right by a small handle in the back. This is nicely covered by his cape, so it’s not too much of a distraction from the sculpt. Bulletproof Superman has a little light bulb in his torso that lights up when you push his S symbol on his belt. This gives it the appearance that he is being shot by the big Gatling gun, because of all the clear holes in his torso. Flying Attack Superman shares the same ingenuity as pull back cars; you pull him back on his wheels and let him go, this gives the impression that he is flying; across the floor I guess. This isn't that bad because you lift his left arm to expose his wheels and put it back down if you want the chest to flip back to its regular shape.

FINAL THOUGHT
Warner Brothers has a lot to deliver with their new Superman movie and I am sure they are stressing. Well, they aren't the only ones stressing. Mattel also had to live up to its name of making great figures and for the most part they delivered. I believe these figures are intended for children 4 and up, so the fun factor comes into play. These figures are great for kids; because of they have enough to keep them entertained. As far as collectors are concerned? Well, they are really nice additions to anyone's Superman line or just anyone that likes a well made action figure. I just wished they had included Lex Luthor as part of this set of figures. Not a bad start, but there can always be some improvement. B

These figures are out in stores all over the country now. They can be found at Wal-mart, Meijers, K-mart, Target, Toys Rus, and other merchandise stores. If you are having a problem finding these figures just look on ebay or do some shopping around online.

X-men: 198 # 5 Review