Shazam! #1:
Summary: Blaze wants to steal the powers of Captain Marvel(Freddy Freeman)and has elected Mary Batson to assist her. Mary pretends to poison Freddy to draw out Blaze, at which time Freddy attacks the villain. The battle is pretty evenly matched, but Freddy has friends in Mary and the former Captain Marvel, Billy Batson, and that helps turn the tide of the battle, leaving Blaze defeated. With Blaze done for, Freddy sends her back to Hell, or Limbo, or wherever Blaze was residing this week, and she turns her attention to her other pet project, Osiris.
Thoughts: I really only have one complaint here... This hardly tied in to the Titans series at all... I mean I brought this expecting it to carry on from the last issue of Titans, where Freddy confronted Osiris, but instead this issue seemed more like a flashback issue. So while that was a bit disappointing, this issue itself was a perfectly acceptable one-shot. You get a good battle, the hero looks to be defeated, he's helped by his friends, and the villain loses. That's pretty much the perfect formula for a super-hero comic book. I was a bit annoyed that Freddy seemed more obsessed with finding a way to get Billy and Mary their powers back than anything else, but in this bastardized version of the DCU, it's really only a matter of time before Billy regains the Captain Marvel moniker because that's how it was 25 years ago, and in the DCU that's really all that matters.
Score: 7 out of 10.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's DC, we all KNOW it's only a matter of time before Billy and Mary get their powers back...Teen Titans #91:
Summary: The Teen Titans manage to defeat Headcase, Jock and Doll Face(THANK YOU for finally giving these villains names, JT Krul!)after a pitched battle, but the mastermind behind the trio's transformation remains at large. While the majority of the team handled that, Robin and Ravager were able to defeat a school lunchroom full of drugged students. After watching Ravager in action, it seems Robin has actually found some respect for her. We end things here with Robin sitting in the Titans security room thinking about how much he detested his teammates(except for Ravager)when he is contacted by a beaten up Red Robin, who was requesting the assistance of the Teen Titans.
Thoughts: Wow, can you believe this series has almost reached issue #100? But that's really neither here nor there. I liked this issue. The scenes with the majority of the team against the trio of villains were pretty good(although I'm STILL annoyed by how super-smart Bart Allen has become... I miss Impulse...), and I loved the interactions between Ravager and Robin. This series might just be the perfect vehicle to give Damian a voice outside of Gotham and the Bat-family. Plus considering their parentage, Ravager and Damian are really the perfect fit. This comic leads into the Teen Titans/Red Robin crossover, which I have some high hopes for. I will say that I think it would have been hilarious for Damian to have simply hung up on Red Robin at the end of this issue, but that's just me.
Score: 8 1/2 out of 10.
What can I say, I like Damian and Ravager together... Sue me!Thanos Imperative: Devastation #1:
Summary: So the Thanos Imperative is over, and Star-Lord and Nova are, for all intents and purposes, dead. With the Guardians of the Galaxy disbanded, Cosmo decides to go around the universe to gather the biggest cosmic powerhouses he could, as per Star-Lord's last words to him. Cosmo manages to recruit Beta Ray Bill, Silver Surfer, Gladiator, Ronan the Accuser and Quasar, and this group manages to EASILY put down Blastaar's attempted take over of the Kree/Inhuman empire. Cosmo christens them the Annihilators, and begins to discuss the recent troubles Star Lord had been documenting concerning the Dire Wraiths. This issue ends with a random Space Knight(Ikon)teleporting to the group and telling them he was supposed to lead them.
Thoughts: Well, I do love Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning's Marvel space tales, but this comic fell just a bit flat for me... My biggest gripe would have to be the Annihilators themselves... They're just TOO powerful! I mean Gladiator and the Surfer alone are two of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe, but when you add Beta Ray Bill(who is pretty much Thor-like in power), Ronan(probably the most powerful Kree NOT named Mar-Vell)and Quasar(who has faced down NUMEROUS cosmic level threats), you're looking at a murderer's row of characters! I mean seriously, what threat could POSSIBLY take down this group?! The Dire Wraiths? Bah! Speaking of the Dire Wraiths and their longtime enemies, the Space Knights, I'm not at all pleased to see any of those characters return. I didn't enjoy the Dire Wraiths back in the day, and I doubt I'll enjoy them now. So yeah, this wasn't exactly a ringing success for me. With all that said though, you can be SURE I'll be picking up the Annihilators mini-series... Yes, I am a very complex individual.
Score: 6 1/2 out of 10.
That team could wipe the floor with ANY other grouping of characters!Birds of Prey #8:
Summary: As per Oracle's orders, the Birds are trying to trick Calculator's goon squad(Mortis, Mammoth and Current)into believing Dove was Oracle(for some reason...). Calculator manages to deduce Dove's civilian identity and figures that she's smart enough to possibly be the Oracle he's been hunting for. Figuring he has what he was looking for, he tells his goons to capture all of the Birds. The Hive joins the battle on Calculator's behalf as well, as does Batman for the Birds, although he is under orders from Oracle to throw the fight(once again, for some reason...). The heroes basically get overpowered, and this issue ends with Mortis touching Black Canary, forcing her to face every bad moment of her life, all at the same time. Oh, plus Hawk visits Penguin, thus bringing the final score for this comic down by 1/2.
Thoughts: Um, what? I'm sure Gail Simone has a great plan and endgame for this storyline, I just can't see it for the life of me yet... I have to admit, since DC restarted Birds of Prey 8 issues ago, I've found myself just not enjoying this series as much as I enjoyed the previous one. Maybe it's because of the wholly unneeded addition of Hawk and Dove to make this series a VERY loose Brightest Day tie-in book, but something just isn't clicking for me. I don't know what else to say...
Score: 6 out of 10.
When the HELL did Dove become the "conscience of the superhero community”?!
Robin hanging up on Red Robin would've been SO in character. And of course Connor would've overheard after hearing his "Best Buddy's" voice! I also reall enjoy the Ravager/Robin pairing, as both also learned a lot from Grayson, showing how important he actually is to the DCU. Really looking forward to the Red Robin/Teen Titans crossover.
ReplyDeleteI would have laughed SO hard if Damian would have seen Tim's face pop up on the screen and was like, "*click*" Exactly, and then Conner could have gone running in begging to see his GOOD friend.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I always overlook the fact that Dick had so much to do with Rose's training... I guess that makes sense since I try to overlook EVERYTHING Devin Grayson did on the Nightwing series though...
Wow, the team they've assembled for the Annihilators is ridiculous! Why not just throw in Galactus and Ego the Living Planet while they're at it?
ReplyDeleteHeck, why not Ego? They've got all-powerful down, but they could use someone in the omniscient department!
I'm REALLY interested to see what kind of threats these Annihilators come up against, Marc... Because they should be able to... well, annihilate anything that crosses their path! I mean that is one hell of a team. Hmm, Ego was the base of the Nova Corps last I knew, so who knows, maybe that Living Planet WILL show up.
ReplyDeleteHe was?? Wow, that's actually pretty cool. Was that Nova Corps stuff in Thanos Imperative, Realm of Kings, or something else? All these cosmic events get mingled together in your mind when you haven't read them!
ReplyDeleteHey X,
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to drop you a note about Flashpoint. I know you HATE Saint Barry Allen, and how everything has to revolve around him. Just wondering, what would you say if I told you that he dies in Flashpoint. Would you read it then?
For the record, I'm REALLY curious of X's reply Anonmyous guy that I'm assuming is Geoff Johns, just because that would make me happy even though I'm positive he's not.
ReplyDeleteIt actually took place in the Nova series itself, Marc... Man do I miss that series...
ReplyDeleteHA! No, I doubt that was Chairman Johns posting that, JT. I've already explained that since Johns only cares about things from 1965 or before, he'd have NO idea what a blog even is! Anyway Cole(that is you, right?!), I probably wouldn't, because there's no way I could be positive Saint Barry WOULD die during Flashpoint. Now if I learned AFTER Flashpoint was over that Saint Barry did indeed die, then yes, I would run out and collect the ENTIRE mini-series and EVERY tie-in(because I have no impulse control). I'd also throw a party, redesign the blog so that Saint Barry's death scene was prominently displayed at all times and worship at the alter of Chairman Johns once more!
Hey X & JT,
ReplyDeleteI'm sooooo sorry for forgetting to login on my last post! Rereading it now, it looks kinda creepy! lol. Props to you X on recognizing my commenting style!
And your right, there is no promise of his death, but there is a high chance that Wally West AND Bart Allen will be featured and possible starring in the mini. I'm personally hopeing there to be at least a fight between Wally and Barry where Wally totally kicks Barry's ass....just saying.
It's funny you mention Barry Allen dying in Flashpoint, because it actually seems like Johns's golden opportunity to kill off the other Flashes. I could easily see himself making some Highlander-esque declaration that "there can be only one" and using that as an excuse to erase Wally and Bart from DC history.
ReplyDeleteI thought that was you, Cole! :D It does pain me that Wally and Bart are almost definitely going to be a(major?)part of Flashpoint, but I've sworn that I won't put any of my money into DC's coffers with regard to Flashpoint, and I seriously intend on sticking with that promise. I can't see anything changing that for me.
ReplyDeleteI agree with that SO much, Marc! I think Bart will survive, but I could see guys like Max Mercury, and DEFINITELY Wally ending up dead to conclude Flashpoint... If that were to happen... I don't even know how I would react or what I'd do, but it would be ugly!!!
...And the firts place for the Flashpoint prediction goes to Marc!!!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations!! You won a New and Boring DC Universe!!
hahaha