Comic Related - If It's Comic Related, You'll Find It Here!

New line ups debut, big otherworldly battles and characters return!

Why I Love Comics rundown for books coming out January 21st, 2008

Wow, what a week for comics! We had everything from the start of two very high profile Avengers runs, one being a new number 1 and the other being the start of a fan favorite writer on a title that's been around for a little while now. We had new line ups debuting, big otherworldly battles, the return of a character not seen since the first arc of Warren Ellis Thunderbolts and a very interesting turn of events in Angel: After the Fall. It's all here in this week's Why I Love Comics. So let's jump right into things starting with DC.

Robin #182 had our hero going face to face with Anarky as the city leaders had to make some decisions for themselves. It was great to see Tim fully embracing his new role in Gotham and stepping up to the plate with Bruce gone. Sadly, there is a shocking choice made at the very end of the issue that I'm hoping resonates with Tim for a while to come. It was great to see the Red Robin costume used by someone who earned it and Cassie being confronted by Tim made for a very powerful scene. It will be interesting to see how she ignores him and continues as the Spoiler.

Verdict: I'm much more comfortable with Dick being Batman then I am with Tim becoming Batman. Tim's a teenager still and has some growing up to do with his decision making process. Here's hoping Battle for the Cowl won't rush any of our heroes into improper directions.

The Brave and the Bold #21 continues to grow into one of my favorite Green Lantern story arcs in a while. David Hine really can't do anything wrong in my eyes and is a great story teller. This is the first of three Hine books this week. The easiest way to win me over is to write a story starring Hal Jordan and Ollie and in the third part of the arc, guess who comes to the rescue in the last few pages, Hine shows that he knows Oliver Queen and it's a really beautiful thing to read. Basically Phantom Stranger and Hal try their best to fight off a possessed Lantern who kills his wife in a truly heartbreaking moment. I'd say this is definitely a great arc for anyone that enjoys odd team ups or anything involving Hal and Ollie.

Verdict: Definitely a buy and a blast to read, David Hine has a great grasp on all the characters he's playing with and has built up what I'm sure will be an epic final issue.

Faces of Evil: Deathstroke. This one shot gives us a view into the disturbing mind of Slade as he plays possum to come face to face with his daughter. Our second Hine book of the week was an interesting look into a very big name villain who knows how to use his mind as his deadliest weapon. I really love how, in just one issue, David Hine is able to come in and make Slade not only deadly again but also a powerful force that you actually find the darkest part of your mind routing for. When Rose comes face to face with her father and he tries to assassinate her, it's truly one of the more powerful moments of the book. Especially when she realizes how much he's been faking the whole time and he manages to subdue her quickly. Slade is cold, calculating and flat out dangerous. The helicopter chase scene at the very end is a definite nail biter and it was really cool to see that Slade may have just found a new apprentice.

Verdict: This is a buy and is just as solid as the Grundy one shot. I can't wait to see where the character heads next.

Final Crisis Superman Beyond 3D # 2 brings Superman face to face with Mandrak who is billed as probably the biggest super villain the man has ever faced. I loved Doug Mahkne's artwork here and I usually love everything by Grant, but even rereading it...I have absolutely no idea what the hell is going on. There is some stuff with Billy that made me smile a lot and I really grew to like the German Superman. It's always great to show that even if he's a communist or a Nazi, the very basics of Superman are still there. Captain Marvel/Billy definitely had some of the great moments of the book and the Captain Atom character was great as well. Superman's big fight at the end of the issue was confusing. It appears Mandrak came off looking like some sort of weird bat creature and kills the Monitor who seemed to love him. Superman needed to stop Mandrak or the Multiverse would die. When Superman is drawn as if he was a cyborg, it's a bit disturbing but definitely fits the story. What I don't get is why Lois needed the vial and actual medicine couldn't cure her. But there is a great scene towards the very end of the book that really makes it worth the price between the happy couple.

Verdict: It's out there but when Grant goes all out in a story, it makes it fun and unpredictable and when he brings along one of DC's best artists; it's really a treat in the long run. I'm going to have to say this is a buy and it will be interesting to see if Mandrak and his new disciple are added into the big finale of Final Crisis.

Green Lantern #37 has Hal and our new Blue Lantern friends finding Sinestro and Laira on the planet of the Red Lanterns and shows that this title really isn't predictable in the least. Ivan Reis' artwork is incredibly strong when drawing the Red, Blue Green and Yellow Lanterns throughout the book and we get some great moments over all. Hal seems to get through to Laira who asks him to help her as Sinestro does something completely villainous that you do not see coming l. Of course, Hal lets his anger completely overwhelm him and Saint Walker can't seem to calm him down as a Red Lantern ring finds its new home as Arkillo seems to claim his newest Red Lantern in a truly shocking moment that you know won't last but it still leaves your jaw on the floor. I love the way Ivan draws Saint Walker and our new Blue Lantern who seems heavily inspired by Hindu religious themes. It amps up the coming war by so much and shows just how unpredictable the book has become.

Verdict: I love Green Lantern! You all know that but right here proves how unpredictable and crazy the upcoming war is becoming. It's going to be interesting to see where things head next as this has been a fun ride so far. Definitely a buy.

We move on to Marvel starting with: X-Men: Manifest Destiny #5 which ends the beautiful anthology series. Bobbie Drake aka Iceman has had enough of Mystique, Dazzler boards a plane on her way to her new home and Avalanche, who is now running a bar, gets a visit from the X-men. I've truly enjoyed this series as much as the last anthology. I wish they would make it monthly as I think people would be willing to get a series like this again. The Iceman story is handled in a satisfying way as it seems Iceman got through to Mystique, though her cryptic threat at the end leaves you scratching your head as to exactly what she meant. The "Nick" story about Avalanche was a blast as it looks like the man is doing his best to just get by in life. Frank Tieri shows how well he gets the X-men as Peter and Logan have a nice little chat. Tieri needs back on the X-books in my opinion, maybe teaming up with Fraction or Guggenheim. Concerning the Dazzler story, I'm sure Jim McCann is kicking himself for not being able to write it. It's interesting to see her solving the problem through song and establishing a new status quo for herself that makes you want to read a solo book starring the character.

Verdict: At the end of the day, this was a blast to read with some great stories in it. It's a great present for any X-men fan and I couldn't recommend it any higher. Definitely a buy.

Spider-Man Noir #2 (of 4) is the last David Hine book on our list this week and definitely as strong as the latest two. Peter decides it's time to go after Norman's crew and spies on them as they move some objects which leads to spiders attacking them and a spider biting Pete. This leads to Peter coming face to face with a spider who says that she's only there for the bad guys and she will curse him with power. Also, Peter realizes just how attached Urich was to everything and never wants to see him again. At the end of the issue, Urich is killed by a very shocking person that you won't see coming at all. This book just gets better and better in my mind and it was great seeing Peter being more proactive and having a bit of mystical luck with whatever that spider creature was. Osborn is a bigger mystery in the series so far and it will be great to see just why he's connected to all things Goblin. Definitely interesting to see where Hine takes this.

Verdict: It's Peter Parker in a noir world and he successfully fits right in. Definitely worth the buy.

X-Men Legacy #220 has Professor Xavier and Gambit heading to the Australian desert to catch up with Rogue who just wants to be left alone. But someone is already there tracking our young heroine. The reveal of that someone was one of my favorite moments of the week as I honestly didn't see it coming. It's great to see Rogue struggling with her past and all those that she's absorbed and her conversations with the woman following her were also pretty fun. Xavier and Gambit worked well together as they debated if she really wanted to be contacted right now and the mystery of exactly who this crew of familiar looking star pirates are will definitely add a lot of fun to this arc.

Verdict: If you love Joss Whedon's "Astonishing";, Rogue or the Star Jammers...this has all of those elements thrown at you at once. Check it out, you may find yourself liking it a lot.

Uncanny X-men Annual #2 was one of the strongest books of the week as we find out exactly how long Emma Frost and Namor have known each other. Matt Fraction writes a fun tale of Emma keeping secrets from Scott and having a very interesting meeting with the king of Atlantis through several different time periods. Their relationship is a blast to read and highly unpredictable. It also involves Sebastian Shaw who Emma manages to successfully capture by the end of the issue. I love how calculating and intelligent Emma comes off in the future as if she's learned completely after being burned by Sebastian in her early days. The relationship with Namor is handled spot on and adds a new level to both characters that wasn't there before that Matt Fraction should be commended for.

Verdict: So much happens here that it would be horrible to spoil. Let's just say it will be interesting to see what happens in the X-books for what Emma's just done. Great job Matt!

Dark Avengers #1 our first Avengers Book for the Week which is technically a Thunderbolts book. Yes, that's right, ladies and gentleman, Warren Ellis set it up and now Bendis gets to take the ball and run with it in a really fun and creative way adding a few new characters into the mix. Norman is out to destroy the Avengers in a way by making the public side with his Avengers who are very much not part of the good guys. For those playing catch up at home the team is filled with Daken also know as Wolverines son, Sentry, Ares, Marvel Boy (well Noh-Varr who is now known as Captain Marvel), Hawkeye who is Bullseye, convinced to wear the mask in a really really fun scene, I loved Deodato's art there and the really sick smile on the man's face. Moonstone is our Ms. Marvel as the real one ran off as she wanted nothing to do with the team. Oh and Venom is still very much there as he had dinner with a Skrully friend.

I absolutely loved this as a first issue and thought Brian set things up really well, even tipping his hat to Andy Diggle by introducing us to one of the new members of the Thunderbolts here. Osborn is morphing into the brilliant villain he needed to be for years now and it's great to see that evolution. At the end of the day this isn't technically an Avengers book in my mind it's more of Marvel's answer to the Secret Six and I can live with that.

Verdict: You want a book starring the villains and barely any heroes? Well here it is and you'll enjoy every second of it. The Dark Avengers are a blast.

Our Book of the Week this week comes from the brilliant scripts of Peter David and it's none other then X-Factor #39 which seems to warp our status quo in a way no one was expecting. Sure, my column comes out the week after books hit but I will respect the man's wishes to keep this as spoiler free as possible. The baby is born and the team seems to be set but not everything is as it seems and no one will see the twist in the book coming. Honestly no other comic could pull this off and that's why this is getting book of the week as it's truly unpredictable. PAD's characters are always a blast to read and the humanity shown in what happens is disturbing in a way. I wish I could talk about it but honestly something like this? It just needs to be read. Darwin always manages to confront his comatose father who he obviously now wants nothing to do with.

Verdict: Seriously the strongest issue of any comic in a long time that you have to read to believe. It will be interesting to see where things go from here. Definitely a buy.

Thunderbolts #128 sets up the new status quo of the team and introduces us to a few of our members. Ant-man finally shows up it's exactly the Robert Kirkman version of the character and you can tell Andy did his homework before even asking to have the character on his team. Basically Obama asks Norman to fly with him on Air Force One when a very familiar Doc Samson shows up claiming to have some very interesting footage for the new president. Everything is handled well from the throwaway line about a certain Black Widow being dead to the new Thunderbolts getting on to Air Force One and Eric staying in a very interesting place on Yelena. The most interesting thing is seeing Norman's alter ego showing up while he's very much still in the room with the President was the best twist you could ask for.

Verdict: This is how the book should be and Andy Diggle has really pulled out all the stops. Definitely a buy.

Guardians of the Galaxy #9 made me love Abnett and Lanning even more as Jack Flagg makes a return in an unexpected way. I forgot that he was sent to the 42 prison so it's great to see such a low level guy being used on a grand stage. He's become the head honcho of the 42 prison and makes sure his fellow inmates have been protected while Blastar's forces try to come in and attack. When Peter Quill shows up to strike a deal for Blastar it's obvious he's not trying very hard and does his best to work with Flagg to get his team there as fast as possible. The way he gets his message to the guardians is fun and creative and I couldn't help but laughing, especially when poor mantis is relaying the message to the others. Oh and that last two page spread, Cosmo may want to run from a very angry Raccoon next time he sees him. It will be interesting to see exactly how this ties into the war of kings and I'm really interesting to see if Flagg sticks around.

Verdict: Obscure characters that last showed up in Thunderbolts, a naked Starlord, the Guardians landing in a very bad place and several plot threads being juggled at once? How can you not be reading this title?

Our second Book of the Week, yeah, that's right, there are two for this strong week. It's none other then The Mighty Avengers #21 in which Dan Slott channels his inner Kurt Busiek and shows just how much he loves the Avengers as his title feels very classic. The team is formed in a fun way and Dan brings back Wanda in a way that makes her feel like she should be there again. There are a few fun nods in the issue including characters like Clint Barton and Amadeus Cho being thrown in to the new team is a pretty cool addition. The new roster feels very classic and it makes me smile a lot. From Wanda to Hank, everyone is really here. The best parts of the issue for me really came from Hercules and Hank, finding out that Hank learned Tony's identity years before anyone else was a great moment. The whole cross dressing joke was handled pretty tastefully. I really can't say enough positive things about this. Dan Slott not only came out of the gate running but he never looked back. You can tell when a writer loves a certain set of characters and this definitely shines through here.

Verdict: It's classic Avengers that brings back some of your favorites from the stuff they've been going through. It's definitely a great addition with a very classic villain. Definitely a buy and I am so happy that I was right with this.

IDW's Angel: After the Fall is coming to the end of it's first arc and issue #16 was a blast that showed that Brian Lynch knows exactly what he's doing with Joss's ideas. The end of the world is really happening and the team has gathered for the final battle and it takes Gunn and Angel to really set things right. Angel always loses those closest to him and here it was no different but it's great for the first time to see the reset button hit especially when the whole crew remembers everything they've been through in the last year. At the end of the day, even the slightest little nod to Buffy was a great addition. I liked seeing certain characters alive and well after everything the last few issues have thrown at us and Angel being able to save Gunn was a great moment.

Verdict: Angel and the crew are celebrities; this may not bode well for our heroes. Definitely a buy.

The Darkness #10 from Top cow was one of the strongest issues of the series yet. When the sovereign sends Jackie after an Immortal meth dealer, things really hit the fan. Jackie is out of his element with no darkness to protect him and he has to use all his cunning in order to survive the encounter. That was definitely the moment of the book when Jackie finally gets to use a little bit of the power he has left to take down the meth dealer in a very disturbing way. Phil's strength as a writer comes from being able to throw the characters he writes into crazier situations than what they are used to. Even by completely taking out his power base, the core of Jackie is still there. He becomes yet another errand boy for yet another higher power and you can tell it gets to him more and more every time it happens.

Verdict: The Darkness is a great and original series that surprises me with each new issue. Definitely a buy.

Hack/Slash #19 continues the latest story of Cassie heavily considering retirement and our little hellhound and the background characters steal a lot of the show for the issue. It was great to see the battle with whatever weird creature that was and Chris having to make a decision that I'm certain will haunt him for some time to come. Cassie forgetting about Vlad for a few pages was kind of heartbreaking, though you know for a fact she's not really going to retire. Especially when whoever that was in that mask at the end comes to find them. All in all, this was a solid issue that set a few things in motion as well as giving us a little more story. It will be interesting to see where things head next as you can tell it's building up to something huge. Cassie gaining a solid romantic relationship is great as well as Vlad really putting some thought into his over all life.

Verdict: This is the best horror comic on the stands and it's great to read it every month. Tim includes a love bunny strip that breaks the fourth wall right down.

Well that's it for this week guys. Next week we have Proof #16, the ending of Final Crisis, and Wolverine First Class. See you then!

Eric Ratcliffe is a young writer/pop culture journalist/interviewer currently working on pitching a project named the Hunter chronicles. When not reading his weekly stack Eric can be found watching dvd's, playing on his 360 (gamertag: Zack Hunter) or just surfing online trying to find a scoop or two. Brand new to the Comic Related family, Eric is a fun new voice. Eric shops at TJ's Collectibles. Visit them on the web at www.tjcollect.com!