Batman: The City of Owls

Batman, Vol. 2: The City of Owls by Scott Snyder
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Court of Owls is striking all over Gotham and their first target is Wayne Manor! Can an injured Bruce Wayne and Alfred fight them off and mobilize the rest of the Bat-Family? And what is Bruce Wayne's connection to the Court?

The Court of Owls storyline comes to a conclusion in this volume. Batman dons a suit of armor and kicks some undead ass as he figures out who is leading the Court of Owls in it's assault on Gotham.

I liked that Lincoln Marsh was revealed as the head of the Court and he may or may not be Batman's long lost brother, Thomas Wayne Jr, who appeared in one tale pre-Crisis, only he was an older bad seed brother in that depiction. Owlman's ambiguous end leaves the door open for more Court of Owls intrigue down the line.

That's about all there is to it. Snyder crafts a pretty creepy Batman tale and Capullo's art is up to the task. The only gripe I have is that it felt like a ton of stuff was missing, probably because I've only read the Scott Snyder Bat-title in the New 52 and not all the ancillary bat-stuff.

Four stars. Snyder is shaping up to be the best bat-writer in decades.

View all my reviews

Future Foundation - Volume 1: Tomorrow

Future Foundation - Volume 1: Tomorrow by Jonathan Hickman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In the wake of the Human Torch's death, the remainder of the Fantastic Four, plus Spider-Man and some others, form the Future Foundation. Their first goals: restore Doctor Doom's mind and defeat the Council of Reeds...

Here we are again, Jonathan Hickman throwing around some big ideas and whetting my appetite. As I said before, I love the idea of the Council of Reeds. In this volume, the FF join forces with The Wizard, The Mad Thinker, Diablo, and others to try to outwit the Reeds and their plan to combat the Celestials.

It's a good story so far but this volume has no sense of being complete or self-contained. I have a feeling I'll need to read the next two volumes to achieve any sort of payoff or literary orgasm. Still, Hickman keeps me interesting and Steve Epting and Barry Kitson do a great job on the art. Hickman has all of the character's personalities down pretty well. I just wish he would have given me some kind of payoff to hold me over until the next volume.

View all my reviews

Spider-Man: Big Time Ultimate Collection

Spider-Man: Big Time Ultimate Collection by Dan Slott
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Spider-man leads the Avengers into battle against Dr. Octopus and gets a job. A new Hobgoblin rears his ugly head. The Spider-Slayers and the Scorpion return. There's a new Venom in town. Spider-Man's wardrobe expands to include three or four new costumes. Spider-Man joins the Future Foundation in the wake of the Human Torch's death. Spider-Man teaches a class at the Avengers Academy. A lot other stuff happens too...

Confession Time: I haven't read Spider-Man regularly since Mike Wieringo was the artist. In fact, most of my favorite Spider-Man tales are from the original run of Marvel Team-Up. I briefly took an interest in JMS's run on the book but didn't like taste. Plus, Civil War was coming and the revolting amount of hype put me off comics for five years.

However, once I heard Dan Slott was writing Spider-Man, I had to give it a shot. I was not disappointed in the least.

This book contains something like 24 issues of Spider-Man and tells a wide variety of stories featuring the Web-Slinger. The humor and fun level is way up from the last time I read Spider-Man and Slott and the rest of the creative crew did a fantastic job. I particularly liked Marcos Martin's retro-style art, though Humberto Ramos has come a long way since his days on Impulse. Slott really gets what makes Spider-Man work. I caught myself laughing out loud at Spidey's antics quite a few times.

If there's one thing I've learned from Spider-Man: Big Time Ultimate Collection, it's that sometimes making a deal with the devil to save your 150 year old aunt's life at the expense of your marriage sometimes isn't all that bad. This is the best Spider-Man has been in years.

View all my reviews

Shade, the Changing Man, Vol. 3: Scream Time

Shade, the Changing Man, Vol. 3: Scream Time by Peter Milligan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Shade's conflict with the American Scream and Wisor of Meta comes to a brutal conclusion. Also, Shade saves Christmas.

In the third volume of Shade the Changing Man, the American Scream's origin is revealed, Kathy deals with some things, and Shade brings the first arc of his series to a close. This volume was the best of the three so far. Chris Bachalo's art has improved in leaps and bounds since the first issue and all the seeds Peter Milligan planted in the first 18 or so issues bore fruit.

Shade was always overshadowed by other books like The Sandman and The Doom Patrol when it was being published but I'd say it's more original than either series. Milligan's weirdness is more purposeful than that of the Doom Patrol and I think his writing is on par with Gaiman's.

I love that this volume has a Western theme, part of it taking place in a bizarre version of the old west. Another thing that I thought was really cool was that this volume felt more connected to the Steve Ditko Shade the Changing Man series of the 1970's, with mentions of Meta, Shade's fiancee Mellu, and Shade's body floating in the Madness Zone, still wearing the M-Vest. Heck, Milligan even reveals the origin of the M-Vest.

That's about all I have to say. I'm hoping DC reprints the rest of Shade so that I may read it.

View all my reviews

Batman: Heart of Hush

Batman: Heart of Hush by Paul Dini
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hush returns and begins striking at Batman however he can. But when he attacks Catwoman and removes the heart from her chest, has he gone too far?

The Heart of Hush further fleshes out the childhood relationship between Bruce Wayne and Tommy Elliot, aka Hush, as well as that between Batman and Catwoman. It also cements Hush's place in Batman's Rogues Gallery along with legends like The Joker, the Penguin, and the Riddler.

Much like in his initial appearance, the big draw with Hush is that he knows Bruce Wayne well enough to strike him close to home, where it would hurt the most. In this case, it's Catwoman, who is used to show that Batman is still just a man. Hush continues to pal around with Bat-villains like Scarecrow and Mr. Freeze in order to achieve his goals. One thing I really liked in this volume was the Scarecrow juicing up a kidnapped, bat-fearing kid with Venom and unleashing him on Batman.

At the end of the day, however, it's not as remarkable as Hush or The Black Mirror, other recent Batman favorites of mine. Three stars, edging toward four.

View all my reviews

Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman Volume 4

Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman Volume 4 by Jonathan Hickman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Thing becomes human for a week. The Silver Surfer discovers the corpse of the future version of Galactus and comes looking for answers. Valeria makes a deal with Doom. Susan Richards gets caught in a conflict between Namor and the other Atlanteans. The Anti-Priest hatches a scheme that will see one of the Fantastic Four dead...

Over the course of the past three volumes, I've mentioned that while I like Jonathan Hickman's ideas, everything seems like set up. Not so with this one. The foreplay is over and the penetration has begun!

All the seeds Hickman has sown thus far come to fruition. Annihilus, Galactus, the Council of Reeds, Nu-World, the Future Foundation, all of it. It feels like a summer blockbuster. Everything that can go wrong does, and while it all works out eventually, nothing is the same.

Super hero deaths are so frequent that they barely register with me any more. The Human Torch's death was different. The issue was largely silent, showing the reactions of Johnny Storm's death through the super hero world. Franklin Richards' chat with Spiderman and The Thing brawling with Hulk and Thor were by far the most touching parts. How often do you see Thor shed a tear and the Hulk trying to comfort the Thing?[Super hero deaths are so frequent that they barely register with me any more. The Human Torch's death was different. The issue was largely silent, showing the reactions of Johnny Storm's death through the super hero world. Franklin Richards' chat with Spiderman and The Thing brawling with Hulk and Thor were by far the most touching parts. How often do you see Thor shed a tear and the Hulk trying to comfort the Thing? (hide spoiler)]
I had my doubts about Hickman's run all the way up until this point but he has completely redeemed himself.

View all my reviews

Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman - Volume 3

Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman - Volume 3 by Jonathan Hickman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Reed Richards assembles promising young minds and forms the Future Foundation. The Human Torch takes Franklin and Leech shopping. The various versions of Nathaniel Richards, Reed's father, are hunting one another through the time stream until only one remains...

Hickman's guiding of Marvel's First Family continues. This time, he plays with B-list Fantastic Four foils like Arcade and Impossible Man. The formation of the Future Foundation sows the seeds for the Future Foundation's own title down the road, as well as giving The Thing something to look forward to every year.

By far, my favorite storyline in the collection was Nathaniel Richards snatching college-agedReed, Ben Grimm, and Victor Von Doom for a jaunt through time to combat another version of himself. Maybe it's because I've been watching a lot of Doctor Who lately but I really dug this story.

Still, it wasn't all peaches and gravy. Dale Eaglesham is gone, replaced by the not-quite-as-good Neil Edwards. Just as with the previous two volumes, it feels a lot more like setup than standalone tales. While I know Hickman's got something huge brewing, I don't know if I have the patience to stick around long enough to see it.

All that being said, I love the sheer amount of ideas Hickman is throwing at me. Even if the pace isn't as fast as I prefer, the man knows the Fantastic Four. 3 stars.

View all my reviews

Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman - Volume 2

Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman - Volume 2 by Jonathan Hickman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The High Evolutionary's abandoned subterranean city will soon rise and the Mole Man comes to the Fantastic Four for help. A lake beneath the Antarctic ice cap is threatened by AIM, who wishes to exploit its secrets. And what are the Inhumans up to on the Blue Area of the moon? All of this and more will be addressed in Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman - Volume 2!

I wasn't completely sold on Hickman in the first volume but I thought I'd give him another chance. The Fantastic Four have been my favorite super hero team for decades and Dale Eaglesham's art is the alligator's Adam's apple. I'm happy to report that this volume is more like what I was expecting from Hickman.

The four issues contained within are all throwbacks to early Fantastic Four tales, tales of exploration and not a lot of super heroics. The FF visit exotic locals such as Subterranea, the Blue Area of the Moon, the Negative Zone, and an undersea realm beneath Lake Vostock.

The interplay between the characters was well done. I liked that The Mole Man has moved beyond his one-dimensional hated toward the surface world. I felt slightly lost during the story of the Inhumans but I was up to speed by the end.

Any gripes? It still felt like a lot of setup is about the only black mark against this one. I'm hoping some of the seeds Hickman has been planting bear fruit in the next volume. Regardless, it was a fun read and hearkened back to the days of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in some respects. 3+ is the final verdict.

View all my reviews

Fantastic Four by John Byrne Omnibus - Volume 1

Fantastic Four by John Byrne Omnibus - Volume 1 by John Byrne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

John Byrne was largely responsible for making the Fantastic Four a must read title during the 1980's. This huge omnibus is the beginning of his run.

The first story in the omnibus is a two parter from Marvel Team-Up featuring Spiderman, the Human Torch, and Ms. Marvel taking on the Super Skrull, Byrne's first stab at drawing members of the Fantastic Four. From there, we get a tale from Marvel Two-In-One where the Thing takes a potential cure back in time to give to his past self, Byrne's first stab at writing and drawing the Fantastic Four.

Once the preliminaries are out of the way, we start with Byrne's run as the artist on Fantastic Four with Bill Mantlo and Marv Wolfman doing the writing. It's a cosmic epic co-starring Nova, the Champions of Xandar, and others battling the Sphinx and the Skrulls. You know the manure is hitting the windmill when the FF go to Galactus for help. The storyline with the Xandarians isn't bad I'm chomping at the bit to get to the run with Byrne as the artist AND writer.

It's not until the %25 mark that Byrne's epic run begins. Before that happens, Terrax was introduced, Blastaar made an appearance, and HERBIE betrayed the Fantastic Four. One interesting sidebar from this time period, at one point John Byrne was penciling both the Fantastic Four and the X-Men every month, then left the Fantastic Four to do Captain America for a few issues because two team books a month was too much.

Once Byrne takes the writing reigns, the book picks up a notch. I'm not going to say it's still not an 80's comic but it's noticeably better. Byrne makes Diablo a credible threat to the Fantastic Four in his first outing pulling double duty.

From there, the series takes a cosmic turn. Byrne introduces the Frankie Raye version of Nova, who will later become Galactus' herald, puts the gang up against Ego, the Living Planet, and sees them helping Galactus against Terrax. Old standbys Dr. Doom and the Inhumans are used but their stories are fairly fresh. The FF go up against The Gladiator of The Shi'ar and return to the Negative Zone.

A lot of other things happen as well. This is a big damn book at over 1000 pages and it's not even Byrne's full run. By the end, the Thing is still a member and hasn't yet been replaced by She-Hulk.

The way I look it, John Byrne brought his A game to the Fantastic Four and his run was as epic as Lee and Kirby's in scope. If you're a fan of the Fantastic Four or John Byrne, this is a must read.

How long do I have to wait until the next volume is released?



View all my reviews

Fantastic Four By Jonathan Hickman Volume 1 Fantastic Four By Jonathan Hickman Volume 1

Fantastic Four By Jonathan Hickman Volume 1 by Jonathan Hickman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Fantastic Four deal with the Wizard, the Council of Reeds, Nu-Earth, and Franklin Richards' birthday...

There was a time in my life when the Fantastic Four was undisputedly my favorite comic. I must have been a subscriber for six or seven years. Aside from reading Fantastic Four by John Byrne Omnibus - Volume 1 and Fantastic Four: 1234, this is my first foray into the FF's adventures in a decade or more.

The book starts off a little slow. The Wizard-centric story at the beginning didn't knock my unstable molecule-made socks off, but it did introduce the young Wizard clone, Bentley. The second story, however, kicks things into high gear. I love the concept of the Council of Reeds, Reed Richards from various space-time continuums that team up and solve all the world's problems. It's a great story, too. The third story takes place in parallel with the second, a vacation for Johnny and The Thing to Nu-World that goes bad. The fourth story, Franklin's birthday, has its share of poignant moments. The art was pretty good. When did the Fantastic Four start wearing short sleeves?

My only gripes with this book have to do with pacing. Not a hell of a lot actually happened. It was the complete opposite of the last omnibus I read, Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E., Vol. 1: War of the Monsters. While I don't expect a slugfest per page, I felt like this volume was all setup for future tales.

View all my reviews

Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E., Vol. 1: War of the MonstersFrankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E., Vol. 1: War of the Monsters

Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E., Vol. 1: War of the Monsters by Jeff Lemire
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Armed with the sword of the Archangel Gabriel, Frankenstein protects mankind from dark menaces as an agent of SHADE!

Whenever I talk about comics, I normally latch on to the ones that are more than just guys in spandex punching each other. Frankenstein, Agent of SHADE, is two guys punching each other with the volume turned up to eleven.

Frankenstein, Agent of SHADE, combines the best parts of Hellboy and Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD with a helping of the Fantastic Four. Cool ideas are spilling off the page, as are the nearly mindless slugfests when Frankenstein and the Creature Commandos go into action, battling entire planets full of monsters, thinly disguised analogs of Dr. Manhattan, and various menaces contained within Shade City.

Frankenstein reminds me of Hellboy quite a bit. He's a hundred years old and fairly pissed off. The rest of the Creature Commandos are takeoffs of established monster characters like the wolfman and the creature from the black lagoon. It's a whole lot of fun.

Like I said earlier, the background concepts are what make the book, like the Ant Farm, a one inch diameter globe that floats above the earth's surface and serves as SHADE headquarters. Ray Palmer as the head scientist of SHADE, complete with his Atom powers, was one of my favorite parts.

Any gripes? Not really. Frankenstein, Agent of SHADE, is a hell of a lot of fun. It's not going to make you forget about Watchmen or Starman but it's not meant to.

View all my reviews

Swamp Thing, Vol. 1: Raise Them Bones

Swamp Thing, Vol. 1: Raise Them Bones by Scott Snyder
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Alec Holland is reborn with memories not his own, memories of the adventures of Swamp Thing. Forces of the Rot are marshaling and only the Swamp Thing can stop them. But what does all that have to do with an immune-deficient child named William?

I've made it no secret that I think Scott Snyder can do no wrong when it comes to comics. Swamp Thing really drove that point home. Stepping into Alan Moore's shoes on one of the projects that took him to stardom wasn't an enviable task. Good thing Scott Snyder eats unenviable tasks for breakfast.

Snyder's Swamp Thing isn't Moore's Swamp Thing and would have failed miserably if it tried to be. This Swamp Thing is the story of The Red and The Green going up against a force that threatens both of them, The Rot. Another Swamp Thing reveals Holland's destiny to him and that the past may not be exactly as he remembered it. Throw in one Abigail Arcane and Snyder weaves one heck of a tale.

The writing is top notch. I love how Snyder has recast Swamp Thing as a warrior for nature rather than just a protector. The art is pretty damn good as well. I loved the Easter eggs in the background, like Bissette Motors and the Tottleben Hotel, homages to Moore's collaborators on Swamp Thing in the 1980's.

Now I'm ready for volume 2 to come out.


View all my reviews

Marvel Boy

Marvel Boy by Grant Morrison
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A Kree ship is shot down and Noh-Varr is the only surivor... and is quite pissed! Midas, the man who shot Noh-Varr down, pursues him for the Kree technology in his possession with all of his resources, including his daughter...

Back in the day, I read Wizard magazine (RIP) religiously, even when I wasn't reading comics anymore. Marvel Boy briefly dragged me out of one of my comic hiatuses. Was it worth it? Meh.

The Noh-Varr character was created as a throwback to the days when Namor the Sub-Mariner was wreaking havoc one minute and saving lives the next. Morrison was clearly having fun with his Marvel Boy, gouging swear words into New York by knocking down buildings, etc. Noh-Varr was a fairly original character for a mainstream super-hero comic. He could eat garbage to help hasten his healing process, run up walls, enhanced physical attributes, and had access to cool Kree weaponry.

But didn't you say "Meh?" Yes, I did. While I liked the Noh-Varr character, most of the other characters were pretty bland. Midas had an old set of Iron Man armor but was pretty much your stereotypical villain. Oubliette was okay but not very original. I did like the Bannermen but I don't think they made another appearance.

The ending was okay but I wish Morrison would have done another Marvel Boy miniseries. From what I understand, the character has been nerfed a bit in his subsequent appearances. Like most Morrison comics, he throws a lot of big ideas at you but doesnt' develope most of them. It's a 3 but that's all I could justify giving it.

View all my reviews

Justice League International, Vol. 1

Justice League International, Vol. 1 by Keith Giffen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The first comic I ever subscribed to was the Justice League of America. Unfortunately for me, it was when the League had a fairly crappy roster including Vibe, Gypsy, Vixen, and Steel. Fortunately, it was cancelled a few issues later and replaced with Justice League International.

JLI made comics fun again. Blue Beetle and Guy Gardner provided the laughs with Batman playing the ultimate straightman for their jokes. And we can't forget about poor hen-pecked Mister Miracle either.

This book collects the formation of the JLI at the hands of Maxwell Lord and goes up until they get the International status and Martian Manhunter becomes the leader. Fun stuff. For a lot of people, the Justice League is the Big Seven. For me, it's the roster the League had at the end of this book.

View all my reviews

My Inner Bimbo

My Inner Bimbo by Sam Kieth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My Inner Bimbo is the story of Lo. Lo is married to a woman 17 years older than him and has a very odd relationship with his overly-developed feminie side, his inner bimbo, a pink clad blonde named Bunny. As you can tell, this is another of Sam Kieth's psychological comics.

The Mysterious Trout, a minor background charactr in Ojo, plays a more prominent role in this story. Lo has a weird friendship with a lesbian named Dana online, both of whom have seen the Mysterious Trout. Dana looks a look like Sara from the Maxx, complete with weird helmet.

While The Maxx was about coping with childhood abuse and Ojo was about coping with loss, this one's about coping with getting older and not being in love with whom you've married and/or who you've become. Also, Lo has a strange attitude toward women, probably having to do with being married to someone the same age as his mother. It's a bizarre ride, that's for sure. Just ask the Female Disapproval Sea Monster.

On a side note, Betsy, Lo's wife, is the grandmother of Annie from Ojo.

View all my reviews

Ojo

Ojo (En Espanol): Ojo by Sam Kieth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Annie was living with her grandpa and sister after the death of her mom when she found Ojo, a strange little tentacled creature and made it her pet. Since Ojo only drew nourishment from its mother, Annie begins feeding the mother roadkill and things. Or is Ojo just a way of coping with her mother's death...

Ojo has a lot of similarities with the Maxx. While there are monsters, it's really a story about coping with loss. Annie and her sister both refuse to talk about their mother's death. Ojo, while a tentacled eyeball thing, is Annie's coping mechanism. It's a really good story. Weird but also pretty emotional. About halfway through The Maxx, you could see that Sam wasn't writing about super heroes, he was writing about people and their baggage. This is a lot like what the Maxx would have been like if The Maxx wasn't in it.


View all my reviews

Animal Man, Vol. 1 by Grant Morrison

Animal Man, Vol. 1 by Grant Morrison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Buddy Baker, aka Animal, is a semi-retired super hero and movie stuntman. One day, he decides to return to super hero-ing full time. How will his wife and kids deal with that?

Animal Man isn't one of Grant Morrison's weirder or well-known runs on a title but it's probably the most enjoyable to read. It's a fun book. Buddy struggles with people mistaking him for other super heroes and laments the quality of the super villains he fights. His son thinks his powers are lame. While Buddy is a super hero, his wife is clearly in charge. She asks him why he didn't ask Superman home for dinner. Funny stuff. I think my favorite part of the book is when The Mirror Master invades the Baker home and Ellen kicks him in the balls.

I recommend Animal Man to fans of fun super hero comics, like Madman and early Spider-Man.

View all my reviews

Chase

Chase by Dan Curtis Johnson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Former P.I. Cameron Chase joins the Department of Extranormal Operations and investigates metahuman activity. But what dark secret is she harboring...

I picked up Chase because Cameron Chase was a supporting cast member of the Manhunter series by Marc Andreyko. Chase has a flavor that's somewhere in between Manhunter and Gotham Central. It almost feels like an ancestor of sorts of both books.

Chase's cases see her interacting with Batman, Clayface, the Suicide Squad, and many others. It's a slice of 90's comic nostalgia for me. Notable guest stars include the version of the Teen Titans led by The Atom, Connor Hawke as Green Arrow, the electric blue Superman, and the greatest Green Lantern to ever wear a ring, the crab-masked Kyle Rayner. Let's see how long it takes Terry to notice that last one. Other guest stars include Alan Scott as Sentinel and a tale of the past featuring the Hal Jordan Green Lantern and his cousin Air Wave. Chase's interactions with Batman were my favorite part of the story. I'm glad she's currently making appearances in one of the Bat-books.

The stories of the main Chase series are very well done, delving into Chase's background as she goes on cases. The various other stories within are fairly unnecessary. Did I really need to read Chase #1000000 or the various secret files issues? I did not. Chase 1-9 were very well done. The rest of the collection dragged it down.

Three stars. If you liked Cameron Chase's appearances in other books, you'll like her here.

View all my reviews

Marvels

Marvels by Kurt Busiek
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Photographer Phil Sheldon experiences what it's like to live in a world of super heroes, from the rise of the Human Torch in the late thirties all the way to the dawn of the mutants, the first appearance of Galactus, and the death of Gwen Stacy.

When Marvels first hit scene, I was a wee lad of 17. The internet was in its infancy and comic shops were dying by the dozen. As it became easier to come by comics, or "graphic novels" if you're too cool to read comics, I always had a mind to read this but didn't pick it up until recently.

Maybe it was just nearly twenty years of expectations but I wasn't wowed by this. Sure, the premise is cool and Alex Ross is still Alex Ross but not a hell of a lot happens. Busiek's writing has never done much for me and this is no exception. I think Busiek should send Alex Ross a fruit basket or something every week considering this is the book that moved Busiek on to bigger and better things.

Don't get me wrong, I like Phil Sheldon's odyssey through the Marvel universe from an everyman's point of view. It's cool seeing what he thinks about things and how his life unfolds alongside superheroes fighting in the streets and sky of New York for decades.

A brief sidebar, if I may. One thing that always bugged me about the Marvel Universe is how the mutants are continuously feared and/or shat upon but the regular superheroes are idolized for the most part. Really? Is it more likely that the X-Men are going to destroy your house during a battle than the Avengers? Is a mutant more dangerous than someone like the Spider-Man? Anyway, back to the show.

Maybe my less than stellar reaction to this book is due to almost 20 years of speculation on my part. I kept thinking, when is stuff going to happen? I feel like Alex Ross's artwork was wasted and should have been used on a story with more action, more like Kingdom Come, which I rated higher than this but probably won't hold up well under a re-read.

So yeah. Marvels. Fantastic art, kind of a meh story for me. It may have been a case of wrong book, wrong time. Your mileage may vary.




View all my reviews

Batman: Hush

Batman: Hush by Jeph Loeb
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An unknown enemy is trying to destroy Batman at the same time he enters into a relationship with Catwoman. But who knows all of Batman's secrets?

I've been hearing about Hush since it was coming out in monthly format and finally decided to give it a chance. It was totally worth it.

Honestly, I was skeptical at first. While I liked Jeph Loeb's work on Batman: The Long Halloween, I felt a little padded. As for Jim Lee, I was wondering if he still had that old magic. I was not disappointed.

Hush pits Batman against many of his foes, including a new one, Hush. Poison Ivy, Scarecrow, Joker, Harley Quinn, Croc, and others all make appearances. Batman's relationship with Catwoman is explored, as are his relationships with other members of his supporting cast. Jim Lee's art has come along since his days as the flavor of the month artist that made his mark on X-Men before helping form image.

I do have a few gripes, however. It was pretty obvious who would turn out to be Hush. Tommy Elliot was never mentioned before but suddenly Bruce remembers him as his best friend during his childhood. Not much detective work required from the reader. I was pleased that it turned out to be more complicated than that, what with Riddler and the Lazarus Pit and all. It did lead to Jason Todd being resurrected, something I'm still not that thrilled about.

Hush is the best Batman book not written by Scott Snyder that I've read in a long time. It's not earth shattering but is highly recommended.

View all my reviews