Comic Gazing for: 6/23/10

Although I'm supposedly still on vacation, I have a pretty full Comic Gazing post to put up tonight... It figures my pull list for the past three weeks or so has been on the low side, and this week(my blog vacation week!)DC puts out a whole slew of books I'll be picking up. Oh well, the longer I make this intro, the longer this post is gonna take, so less yakking, more Gazing!

Batman: Return of Bruce Wayne #3: Great googly-moogly, is it ALREADY time for the third issue of this atrocity?! I was hoping this comic wouldn't come out... well, ever... Interest Level: 1 out of 10.

Batman: Streets of Gotham #13: All I know is that Hush is in this issue, which is good enough for me! Interest Level: 8 1/2 out of 10.

Detective Comics #866: Interest Level: 7 out of 10.

Green Arrow #1: Well, all I can do here is cross my fingers, hold my breath and hope for the best... Interest Level: 8 out of 10.

Green Lantern Corps #49: Interest Level: 6 1/2 out of 10.

Justice League Generation Lost #4: The fact that Super Fake Beetle is in this mini makes my head actually hurt! Interest Level: 1 out of 10.

Justice League: Rise of Arsenal #4: Thank god this garbage is almost over... Interest Level: 0 out of 10.

Supergirl #53: Interest Level: 7 out of 10.

Superman/Batman #73: Interest Level: 6 out of 10.

Superman #700: Well, at least Grant Morrison isn't writing this... Interest Level: 8 1/2 out of 10.

Zatanna #2: After an impressive debut issue, I'm going into this issue with pretty high hopes. Don't let me down DC! Interest Level: 8 out of 10.

Avengers #2: Can BENDIS continue his shocking resurgence of late?!? I'll probably know for sure after I read this one. Interest Level: 9 out of 10.

Thunderbolts #145: Interest Level: 7 1/2 out of 10.

Wolverine Origins #49: Interest Level: 9 out of 10.

Wolverine Weapon X #14: Interest Level: 6 out of 10.

X-Factor #206: Wake me when the Second Coming story is over... Interest Level: 0 out of 10.

Well, this week was sure a lopsided win for DC! The final tally was DC: 11(!) and Marvel 5. So that's a healthy 16 books this week, although I'm not planning on reading one of them anytime soon(X-Factor)and I'm positively dreading 3 other books... All in all, this week's comics should be interesting and should lead to some spirited conversation around here, and I'd call that a good thing. Until tomorrow, Avengers Assemble!

Comic Gazing for: 6/16/10

Tomorrow is Wednesday, which means it's time to go Comic Gazing! You know, this is probably my favorite weekly post, because it includes minimal work for me(always a plus!), and it usually garners pretty good comments from the old X-Maniacs. If I could I'd do a Comic Gazing post every day of the week, but let's face it, that really doesn't make any sense... Anyway, onto the world of comics! While Marvel's comic books have become quite interesting lately, DC's have been going in the opposite direction... Will DC turn things around week? Will Marvel continue to roll? Let's see how much money I'll be spending this week, and which company will be gaining the most of that money!

Birds of Prey #2: Do I even need to say anything here? Interest Level: 10 out of 10.

Brightest Day #4: Interest Level: 4 out of 10.

REBELS #17: Yay, a new issue of REBELS! This is one of the few DC books I'm still looking forward to nowadays... Interest Level: 10 out of 10.

Age of Heroes #2: The first issue didn't impress, but I'm willing to give this mini another shot. Interest Level: 5 1/2 out of 10.

Black Widow #3: I just finished reading the first two issues of this series(reviews tomorrow!), and I have to say I'm looking forward to this one. Interest Level: 8 out of 10.

Dark Wolverine #87: After how things turned out for Daken in the last issue of Wolverine Origins, this comic should show us where Marvel intends on taking the Daken character. Interest Level: 9 1/2 out of 10.

Deadpool #24: Interest Level: 7 1/2 out of 10.

New Avengers #1: This one should be brutal... Really, really brutal... Interest Level: 1 out of 10.

Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Update #2: I do loves me Marvel Handbooks! Interest Level: 7 out of 10.

Ultimate X Comics #3: This series has been one hell of a surprise... In a good way! Interest Level: 8 out of 10.

Only 10 comics this week, but the numbers are heavily tilted towards Marvel, with seven of those ten comics coming from the House of Ideas. Granted two of the three DC books should be really good, but Marvel is the runaway winner for the battle for my bucks this week(for the second week running). All in all, this should be a good week of reading for me. Avengers Assemble!

Comic Gazing for: 6/09/10

So instead of putting up my Comic Gazing post on Wednesday night as I usually do, I figured I'd put it up a day early... And to be perfectly honest with you, I think I'll be permanently moving Comic Gazing to Tuesdays from now on. Why not look at the upcoming books a day in advance as opposed to the day they're coming out? As for tomorrow, I am HOPING to put up 4(yes FOUR!)new reviews, although we'll see how that works out... What will I be reviewing? My current favorite for mini-series of the year, War of the Supermen #1-4. I read all four issues last night before going to bed, and I've got to say I was EXTREMELY impressed. If you want to know just how impressed I was, you'll have to check back tomorrow! But that's later, let's get back to the here and now and check out which books will be on my pull list.

Batgirl #11: Yes please!!! Interest Level: 10 out of 10.

Batman #700: Ugh, it's written by Grant Morrison, and he's going to be spotlighting his boy Damian Wayne in it... I'll say it again, UGH! Interest Level: 5 out of 10.

Booster Gold #33: Interest Level: 7 out of 10.

Justice League Generation Lost #3: Last issue was awesome, but with the unfortunate arrival of the fake Blue Beetle I get the feeling this mini is about to take a nosedive... Interest Level: 8 out of 10.

Outsiders #30: This is a book that's BARELY still on my pull list... Interest Level: 5 out of 10.

Secret Six #22: This is another comic that's barely staying on the old pull list. Interest Level: 5 out of 10.

Titans #24: I'm cautiously optimistic about this comic... Interest Level: 8 1/2 out of 10.

Avengers Academy #1: Hank Pym leading a bunch of Avengers newbies?!? Written by Christos Gage? Hell yeah! Interest Level: 9 1/2 out of 10.

Captain America #606: Well, I can't say I like the premise of this story(Baron Zemo back to his evil roots), but Ed Brubaker has yet to let me down, so we'll see what happens... Interest Level: 9 out of 10.

Daredevil #507: Interest Level: 7 1/2 out of 10.

Invincible Iron Man #27: That's right, I'm going to give the Iron Man series a shot! Trust me, nobody is more surprised then me! Interest Level: 6 1/2 out of 10.

SHEILD #2: *shrugs* Interest Level: 5 out of 10.

Ultimate Comics Avengers 2 #3: Interest Level: 2 out of 10.

Uncanny X-Men #525: Nope, won't be reading this... Interest Level: 0 out of 10.

Young Allies #1: What the hell, I'll give this first issue a shot. Interest Level: 6 out of 10.

And it finally seems to be happening... Marvel edges out DC this week by a count of 8 to 7! Although to be honest, I'm only getting Uncanny X-Men because it's one of my subscription titles, and I have NO intention of reading it, but still, number-wise Marvel comes out on top this week. With the way both companies have been going lately, I'm not really THAT surprised, although I did think it was going to take Marvel a bit longer before they took the crown from DC. Oh well, Long Live Marvel and Avengers Assemble!!!

Comic Gazing for: 6/03/10

It's Wednesday, so it's time to go Comic Gazing... Well, kind of... With Memorial Day taking place this past Monday, the comic book release day was pushed back from Wednesday to Thursday, so no new comics until tomorrow. But Memorial Day or not, I have a schedule to keep, so here's the comics I'll be getting, you know, once they're actually released!

Adventure Comics #12: Well, this is the final Adventure Comic of my current subscription, and with how lousy the DCU has been lately, this is one of a few DC books I'll be dropping as I slowly begin to switch my allegiances back to Marvel. Interest Level: 1 out of 10.

Brightest Day #3: Probably one of the biggest comic related disappointments I've seen since the end of the House of M... Interest Level: 4 out of 10.

JSA All-Stars #7: I haven't read the past two issues, so yeah, I'd better get to that!Interest Level: 6 out of 10.

Justice Society of America #39: Interest Level: 7 out of 10.

Red Hood: Lost Days #1: Jason Todd + writer Judd Winick = HIGH expectations! Hopefully Judd can fix the character Crazy Grant Morrison wrecked in Batman and Robin... Interest Level: 10 out of 10.

Red Robin #13: Woo-hoo, now that Fabian Nicieza is taking over the writing duties in this series, I can FINALLY begin to read about one of my favorite DC characters again! Interest Level: 10 out of 10.

Superman/Batman Annual #4: Why not? Interest Level: 6 out of 10.

Avengers Prime #1: Yeah, I know BENDIS is writing this, but it stars Steve Rogers, Iron Man and Thor... Not even HE can mess THAT up... Can he? Interest Level: 7 1/2 out of 10.

Hawkeye and Mockingbird #1: My FAVORITE comic book archer, Hawkeye, and his insanely awesome (ex-)wife Mockingbird... TOGETHER in a series?!? THANK YOU Marvel!!!Interest Level: 10+ out of 10!

Thanos Imperative #1: Interest Level: 7 1/2 out of 10.

Not a huge week for me with only ten books, but there are a couple here that I'm REALLY looking forward to. Before I get to that though, DC easily takes the battle for my buck this week by a 7 to 3 edge. However, the comic I'm most looking forward to is Hawkeye and Mockingbird #1, a Marvel book... That's actually been somewhat of a reoccurring trend lately... I may end up buying more DC books, but I'm more interested in the Marvel titles I collect as of late. And with my recent EXTREME displeasure with the current direction of the DCU, coupled with my elation over Marvel's current direction, I can easily see myself picking up fewer and fewer DC books, and more Marvels as the summer progresses. For example, I'm dropping Adventure Comics and Flash from DC, while I'll be picking up Thunderbolts, Thor, and possibly Iron Man from Marvel. I guess I should consider changing my sign-off from Long Live The Legion, to Avengers Assemble!!!

Comic Gazing for: 5/26/10.

Hey, it's time for the final Comic Gazing post for the month of May! There's really no significance to that statement actually... Regardless, I just placed my order for this week and last, so by early next week I should have a bunch of good(and some bad)comics to dig into. And um yeah, that's about as much of an introduction as I'm willing to do tonight! On to the comics!!!

Batman: Return of Bruce Wayne #2: After the horrible first issue, I'm mildly intrigued to see where Grant Morrison goes from there... Interest Level: 3 out of 10.

Gotham City Sirens #12: Interest Level: 6 1/2 out of 10.

Green Lantern Corp #48: Interest Level: 7 out of 10.

Green Lantern #54: I'm SO over Geoff Johns and his writing right now it's not even funny... Interest Level: 6 1/2 out of 10.

Justice League: Generation Lost #2: The first issue was damn good, so here's hoping this issue picks right up from there. Interest Level: 9 out of 10.

Justice League: The Rise of Arsenal #3: I'll be interested to see how Roy survives his run-in with a very angry Cheshire. Interest Level: 8 out of 10.

Superman: War of the Supermen #4: Interest Level: 7 1/2 out of 10.

Teen Titans #83: You know, I've been collecting this series, but not reading it... I REALLY have to find my Teen Titans comics and try to get up to date. Interest Level: 6 out of 10.

Wonder Woman #44: Interest Level: 6 1/2 out of 10.

Dark Wolverine #86: Daken vs Wolverine vs Romulus!!! THIS is the comic of the week for me! Interest Level: 10 out of 10.

Secret Avengers #1: It's an all-new Avengers team and it's written by Ed Brubaker... I can hardly contain my excitement at the prospect of reading this one! Interest Level: 10 out of 10.

Thanos: Imperative Ignition #1: Interest Level: 8 out of 10.

Thor #610: Thor vs Ragnarok??? Hell yeah! Interest Level: 9 out of 10.

Thunderbolts #144: I'm not the biggest Luke Cage fan around, but I'm willing to give this comic a shot. Interest Level: 6 1/2 out of 10.

Wolverine Origins #48: This comic is crossing over with Dark Wolverine, so yeah, to say that I'm interested in it is an understatement! Interest Level: 9 1/2 out of 10.

Wolverine Weapon X #13: Interest Level: 7 out of 10.

A very solid 16 books this week, with 9 DC comics and 7 Marvels. So by looking at those numbers this seems to be a pretty clear win for DC, right? Yes and no... Marvel has three comics coming out this week that I absolutely CAN NOT wait to get my hands on, while DC has... well, only one comic that I'm really excited to read. I can definitely see the pendulum slowly beginning to swing back towards Marvel for me. Geoff Johns, and to a lesser extent Grant Morrison, has savaged DC to such a degree that I'm honestly beginning to lose most of my interest in that fair company, and that's really too bad. But, DC's loss is Marvel's gain. I'd say by August unless things drastically change(which I'm sure they won't)the majority of my money will be heading to Marvel once again...

Comic Gazing for: 5/19/10.

It's Wednesday, which means it's once again time to go Comic Gazing! I'm enjoying my summer vacation so far, thanks for asking. I have about five weeks before I head back to school to take some summer courses, but for these next five weeks I fully intend to enjoy myself! And how better to enjoy the summer then to talk about comic books? I figure I'll have at least two new reviews up tomorrow night(including Siege #4), and then it's my new weekend block of Flashback Friday, The Best of the Rest and THE Random Scan of the Week. How about that, a few months ago this blog was nothing but barely coherent reviews, now to go along with those barely coherent reviews, a few non-coherent regular features! Yes, good times... Anyhow, this is still Comic Gazing, which means that I should do just that, gaze at comics or something...

Batman: Streets of Gotham #12: Interest Level: 7 1/2 out of 10.

Brightest Day #2: I've pretty much given up all hope for the DCU to be perfectly honest with you. To me, this mini-series perfectly encapsulates everything that is wrong in the DCU right now. I've gone on and on about my problems with DC ad nauseam, so I won't go on another extended tear(even though I easily could!), but in a nutshell, DC needs to realize that it is 2010, and not 1965... Embrace the future DC, NOT the past!!! Interest Level: 6 out of 10.

Justice League of America #45: Interest Level: 7 1/2 out of 10.

Legion of Super-Heroes #1: I doubt this series will make my monthly pull list, but I figured I should at least give it a courtesy read before I trash it. Interest Level: 4 1/2 out of 10.

Superman/Batman #72: Interest Level: 5 1/2 out of 10.

Superman: War of the Supermen #3: Interest Level: 8 out of 10.

Zatanna #1: Why not? Interest Level: 6 1/2 out of 10.

Age of Heroes #1: Let's see what Marvel has in store as they enter the Heroic Age. It's got to be better then the whole Dark Reign storyline, right??? Interest Level: 7 1/2 out of 10.

Avengers Assemble #1: I do loves me some Marvel Handbooks! Interest Level: 7 out of 10.

Avengers #1: Even with BENDIS as the writer, I have HIGH hopes for this series... Interest Level: 9 out of 10.

Deadpool #23: Interest Level: 6 1/2 out of 10.

X-Factor #204: Interest Level: 4 out of 10.

And that's it for this week. The final tally is DC: 7, Marvel: 5. So it seems that DC wins the battle for my money this week, although I have to say that I'm a lot more interested in the Marvel books then the DC ones. I was pretty close to grabbing a few other Marvel comics, and if I had, the final tally could have been much different...

Comic Gazing for: 5/12/10.

It's Wednesday, so it's time to go Comic Gazing! Well kind of... I'm hard at work studying for my last final this semester(YEAH!), so I really don't have much time to do all that much with this post... Since I'd rather spend what little free time I've allotted for myself tonight answering any comments you guys have graciously left for me, this is going to be the quickest Comic Gazing post I've ever done! No commentary from me, just the title of the books I'll be picking up and how interested I am in said books. So hold on tight, it's time to fly through this week's new books!

Adventure Comics #11: Interest Level: 8 out of 10.

Batgirl #10: Interest Level: 9 out of 10.

Batman #699: Interest Level: 7 out of 10.

Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #1: Interest Level: 8 out of 10.

Birds of Prey #1: Interest Level: 9 1/2 out of 10.

Booster Gold #32: Interest Level: 6 1/2 out of 10.

Flash #2: Interest Level: 2 out of 10.

Justice League: Generation Lost #1: Interest Level: 8 out of 10.

REBELS #16: Interest Level: 9 out of 10.

Superman: War of the Supermen #2: Interest Level: 8 1/2 out of 10.

Titans: Villains for Hire Special #1: Interest Level: 8 1/2 out of 10.

Avengers: The Initiative #35: Interest Level: 9 1/2 out of 10.

Black Widow #2: Interest Level: 7 out of 10.

Dark Avengers #16: Interest Level: 7 1/2 out of 10.

New Avengers Finale #1: Interest Level: 5 out of 10.

Siege #4: Interest Level: 9 out of 10.

Wooo, that's a lot of comics I'll be picking up this week, and only one that I really don't care about! This week's tally is; Marvel 5, DC 11, with both companies putting out some MAJOR comics(The Return of Bruce Wayne #1 vs Siege #4!)! It's been a few weeks time since my pull list was up around the 20 book mark, but with books like many of the ones coming out this week, I'm sure not complaining! I mean, I have 5 of these comics listed as a 9 or higher, so yeah, this looks to be a really good comic week for me. That's it, I've still got some work to do tonight before I can rest easy, so adios and Long Live The Legion!

Comic Gazing for: 5/5/10.

Tis Wednesday, which means it's time for yet another installment of Comic Gazing... You know, I need a snazzy opening line like JT has... Hmm, I'll have to think on that... Normally I'd just steal his idea, but saying welcome to X's Red Hood doesn't exactly have the same impact(or make a lick of sense for that matter...). Oh well, something will come to mind... Probably. Anyway, this post is supposed to be about what comics I'll be picking up this week, or something along those lines, so I'd best get to that, right?

Batman & Robin #12: I think I enjoyed the last issue... Yep, after a quick check I did indeed like the last issue! See, those reviews I put up here DO come in handy! Anyway, while I'm hoping I'll like this issue of B&R, I'm not going to hold my breath... Interest Level: 6 out of 10.

Brightest Day #1: Eh, I'm just not all that in to this storyline. Yes, I know, that's practically sacrilege, but I'm dealing with a major case of DC x-over burn out... I mean, at least give me a few months to let Blackest Night set in before we jump head long into our next major x-over... Interest Level: 8 out of 10.

JSA All-Stars #6: I've yet to read issue #5, so I don't have too much to say here. Interest Level: 7 out of 10.

Secret Six #21: I haven't read like the past 3 issues of this series, so yeah, I should probably get to that pretty soon! Interest Level: 5 out of 10.

Superman: War of the Supermen #1: Umm, remember what I said about Brightest Day following too closely on the heels of Blackest Night? The same holds true here... The last part of the Last Stand of New Krypton x-over came out literally last week, and this week we're ALREADY heading into the next major Superman x-over... Damn DC, learn to pace yourself a little!!! Interest Level: 8 out of 10.

Uncanny X-Men #524: I'm not in the least interested in this comic, and as a matter of fact, I probably won't even bother to read it. It's one of my subscription titles, so I can't not get it, but I could care LESS about this whole Second Coming storyline. Interest Level: 0 out of 10.

Umm, that's it?!? Wow, this was probably the most depressing looking pull list I've ever put together! Not only am I hardly picking up any books(usually I get more then twice this number of new books in a week!)I'm not excited for any of these comics. Man, I hope things pick up next week...

Comic Gazing for: 4/28/10

Hey everybody, it's time for me to talk about how much money I'll be spending on comic books this week! That's right, it's Comic Gazing time!!! Before I get started though, there's something that has been eating at me for a while now, and if I don't get it off my chest, I think I might possibly explode... Be warned, I'm about to veer off into Rantsville, so if you're easily offended, you should definitely skip the next paragraph... Still here? OK, don't say you weren't warned... I don't know how many of my fellow comic book fans actually read that DC Nation thing in the back of most(if not all)DC comics, but on occasion, I'll read through them to see what the people behind DC feel like pimping/talking about. Well, in the recent DC comic books, Dan Didio, the co-publisher and top dog at DC, wrote a little piece about his love for the DCU, blah, blah, blah. Basically, a real fluff piece. However, there was one line in there that had me seeing red(yeah, I get angry easily!), here's what Dan said, "DC Comics has always been about growth and change, and its characters have a long, rich history going back to the Golden Age of Comics." I'm fine with the second part of that line, because DC DOES have a long, rich history, but how the flaming HELL can he have the unmitigated gall to say that DC Comics has always been about "growth and change"?!? Umm, are you kidding me!?! Maybe that statement was true back in the 90's, when DC actually did seem interested in trying out new ideas and new characters, but today??? Give me a break! Yeah, Hal Jordan taking over as Green Lantern sure provided some growth and change... Or Oliver Queen coming back as Green Arrow, or of course my favorite, Barry Allen returning as the Flash... WOW, what growth and change!!! How SHOCKINGLY different! Puh-lease! These are OLD characters who have taken spots away from characters who actually DID represent growth and change, Barry Allen returning doesn't represent growth! All he represents is a return to the 1970's! That would be like Ford deciding they were going to stop making cars and instead begin producing horse-drawn buggies... Sure, I guess that would be considered change, but it sure as HELL couldn't be considered growth! I wish I was on whatever Dan is on, because then maybe I could see "growth and change" from characters who represent the 1960's...

Whew... I sure needed that... OK, rant over, let's check out what comics I'll be picking up this week.

Action Comics #889: Since I haven't gotten around to reading issue #888 yet, there's not much I can say about this one... Interest Level: 4 1/2 out of 10.

Gotham City Sirens #11: This comic is almost always good, if unspectacular. I'm sure I'll enjoy it, but I doubt I'll be doing back flips after reading it. Interest Level: 7 1/2 out of 10.

Green Lantern Corps #47: Meh, wake me when this whole Brightest Day thing is over... Interest Level: 7 1/2 out of 10.

Justice League: The Rise of Arsenal #2: Ugh... Just thinking about this mini-series gives me a slight headache... If I wasn't a HUGE fan of poor Roy Harper, you can be sure I wouldn't be reading this, but alas, I have to see this through to the bitter end, no matter how much it pains me. Interest Level: 6 out of 10.

Justice Society of America #38: I've been enjoying the past couple of issues, and I'll be looking forward to seeing how the JSA turns the tables on the Forth Reich, who have managed to make themselves the undisputed rulers of America. Damn Nazis! Interest Level: 8 out of 10.

Outsiders #29: I had actually stopped reading this comic with issue #27, but since Looker is going to appear here, it looks like I'll be giving this series another shot after a one month hiatus! Interest Level: 7 out of 10.

Superman: Last Stand of New Krypton #3: Wow, already? I think this is the last part of the Last Stand mini, and if it is, it sure flew by! I have been extremely happy with the way this x-over has gone, and although there have been a few bumps in the road, for the most part, this storyline has been great. Interest Level: 9 1/2 out of 10.

Superman #699: This is a Last Stand x-over issue, and it's also the issue before what I'd expect to be a gala issue #700! This should be good. Interest Level: 9 out of 10.

Teen Titans #82: Umm, I haven't read the past two issues of this series... Whoops... I guess I'd better get to that! Interest Level: 5 1/2 out of 10.

Wonder Woman #43: This should be a very good issue of WW so long as we get a few answers as to what the hell was going on last issue! Interest Level: 7 1/2 out of 10.

Captain America #605: This is the last part of the Two Americas storyline which has been pretty good. But, pretty good for Ed Brubaker is the same as great for most other writers! Interest Level: 9 out of 10.

Deadpool #22: So long as there are no monkeys in this issue, I'll be happy. Interest Level: 7 out of 10.

Mighty Avengers #36: It's Ultron vs Pym! If you're an Avengers fan like I am, that's all you need to know! Interest Level: 9 out of 10.

New Avengers #64: Next... Interest Level: 0 out of 10.

Thor #609: This is a part of the Siege storyline, and to be perfectly honest, it has been a VERY good part of the Siege x-over! I'm definitely looking forward to reading this one. Interest Level: 8 out of 10.

Thunderbolts #143: Pretty much everything I said about Thor also pertains to this comic as well. Interest Level: 8 out of 10.

Wolverine Origins #47: And last but most certainly NOT least, Wolverine Origins! This is presumably crossing over with Dark Wolverine as Wolvie and his bad seed of a son team-up to take down Wolvie and Daken's longtime puppet master, Romulus. This is probably the book I'm most looking forward to this week. Interest Level: 9 1/2 out of 10.

And that'll do it. 17 books? That's a pretty good sized pull for me this week. The final score is DC 10 books and Marvel 7. However, to be honest, with the glaring exception of New Avengers, I'm probably more excited by the Marvel comics this week then the DC ones. Well, this was an eventful post... Until next time, Long Live The Legion!

Comic Gazing for: 4/21/10

Yes, I know I'm a day late, but what can ya do? This week turned out to be exceptionally busy, but the week is almost over, so I'll be back to my normal review posting ways again. I have a truckload of new comics to catch up on since I haven't been reading much of anything these past few days, so expect lots of reviews over the next couple of days. All right, without further ado, let's go comic gazing!

Batman: Streets of Gotham #11: This might just be the best Bat-book on the market today... What am I saying, this IS the best Bat-book on the market today! I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how the thus far awesome Zsasz storyline finishes up. Interest Level: 9 1/2 out of 10.

Green Lantern #53: Eh, this is a Brightest Day x-over issue. I miss the days when this comic actually told great stories and every issue wasn't either a part of, or building up to an x-over... Interest Level: 7 out of 10.

Justice League of America #44: I've enjoyed this comic since the abomination known as Cry for Justice has ended, and I'm hopeful that things continue to move onward and upward here. Interest Level: 7 1/2 out of 10.

REBELS #15: This is probably my favorite DC comic... How weird is that?!? Unfortunately, Starfire joins cast this issue, which really hurts, because I HATE Starfire! Meh, so long as the great Vril Dox is in this comic I'll suffer through Starfire I guess... Interest Level: 9 1/2 out of 10.(Without Starfire, it's an easy 10 out of 10)

Supergirl #52: This continues the thus far better then expected Last Stand of New Krypton storyline. That's reason enough to buy it. Interest Level: 7 1/2 out of 10.

Superman/Batman #71: Meh, I don't know why I'm buying this one... Interest Level: 3 1/2 out of 10.

Captain America: Who Won't Wield The Shield #1: This is one of those gag type comics that Marvel occasionally puts out(think Marvel Riot), and is a total spur of the moment pick for me. Interest Level: 5 out of 10.

Dark Wolverine #85: Woo baby, I can't wait to read this one!!! This crosses over with the Wolverine Origins series, as Daken and Wolvie join forces to try to dethrone Romulus once and for all. I'm telling you now, if you have even a passing interest in Wolverine, you should probably buy this crossover, because it should be blisteringly hot! Interest Level: 10 out of 10.

Firestar #1: This is another total spur of the moment pick-up. I loved the old New Warriors series, so I'm always willing to give a shot to one of the Warriors characters. Interest Level: 6 out of 10.

Guardians of the Galaxy #25: Thanos is back!!! 'Nuff said! Interest Level: 8 1/2 out of 10.

Nova #36: Last issue brought Namorita back into Nova's life, so I am extremely interested to see how this effects the life of old Bucket Head. Interest Level: 8 1/2 out of 10.

Siege: Spider-Man #1: Although I'm currently on an anti-Spider-Man kick, I've purchased all of the other Siege books, so I figured I might as well buy this one as well. Interest Level: 4 out of 10.

X-Factor #204: Ugh, one of my favorite Marvel titles is being sullied by that whole idiotic Second Coming storyline... Well, if anybody can shine this turd into something decent, it's Peter David... Interest Level: 2 out of 10.

I was going to pick up the Blackest Night Director's Cut, but thanks to my buddy JT, I'll be skipping that overpriced comic. Thanks JT!

So the final tally this week is DC: 6, Marvel: 7! Wow, once again, Marvel has dethroned DC after DC's two week run at the top. Not only that, but the comic I'm most looking forward to reading this week is a Marvel. So for now, the House of Ideas is the king of my comic mountain. How long will that last? I guess we'll find out next week!... As always, see ya and Long Live The Legion!!!

Comic Gazing for: 4/14/10

Tis Wednesday, which means the comic gods doth smile upon us and shower us with new issues! Rejoice! OK, enough of that... Obviously, I'm not getting the proper amount of sleep, and what little sanity I had left has finally left me. Oh well, it will be missed... A few quick notes before I get into the main event, which is me describing what comics I'll be picking up this week and why. First off, I've read the last three issues of the Justice League earlier today, and I'm hoping to have at least one or two of them up tomorrow night, with the rest of them up for Friday... However, that all hinges on when I get my school work taken care of... One more month to go before summer vacation, so needless to say, my professors are throwing EVERYTHING at me. For example, I have a 7 -10 page history paper due next week, so there's a real good chance I'll be pretty lax when it comes to posting stuff next week. So instead of reviews, expect a lot of Random Scans, and other things I can post quickly and effortlessly. I'm getting ahead of myself though. Before I start yammering on about next week, I should talk about this week, and the books that have come out today. So, without further ado, let's see what's out now!

Action Comics #888: Eh, this series has been very hit or miss since Supes went to New Krypton, and I think I liked the last issue, so that means this issue should be pretty bad. Oh well, maybe I'll luck out and get two good issues in a row. Or maybe not. Interest Level: 6 1/2 out of 10.

Adventure Comics #10: This is somehow connected to the Last Stand of New Krypton storyline, which I have been enjoying more then I thought I would. With that said though, this series has been the weak link in that storyline, and I kind of expect that to continue. Interest Level: 6 out of 10.

Batgirl #9: I haven't read that last issue due to my rabid hatred of Chris Yost's work, and I doubt I'll feel like reading this issue anytime soon. Oh well, at least I know a few good blogs to see what I've been missing... Interest Level: 4 out of 10.

Batman #698: UGH! The less said about this series the better!!! Now it seems the Riddler is going to be getting ruined here next. Gah! Interest Level: 3 out of 10.

Booster Gold #31: I personally thought the last storyline was superb, so I'm hoping this issue continues the good work. Interest Level: 9 out of 10.

Brightest Day #0: In for a penny, in for a pound... I was... underwhelmed, I guess is the right word, with Blackest Night, but ever the eternal optimist, I'm hoping this series provides me with the answers to many of the questions Blackest Night left unanswered. Interest Level: 10 out of 10.

Flash #1: I hate SAINT Barry Allen. There, I said it. Ahh, I feel good getting that off my chest too... Anyway, I'm only picking this comic up because I stupidly subscribed to it when Flash Rebirth began, so I'm locked in for a few months. Maybe Geoff Johns can preform a miracle and make me like the Sainted One, but I sincerely doubt that. Interest Level: 4 out of 10.

Green Arrow #32: Umm, I don't even know what to say about the direction Green Arrow has gone in. On one hand, I really do like seeing Ollie return to his roots as a hunter of men, but on the other hand it all just feels kind of wrong... Meh, at least the last few issues have been Cupid free... Interest Level: 9 out of 10.

Secret Six #20: I haven't read the last issue yet, so I really don't have anything to say about this issue. Interest Level: 5 out of 10.

Daredevil #506: I've enjoyed this series for the past year and a half now. Umm, that's all I've got... Interest Level: 9 out of 10.

Siege: Captain America #1: I don't know what this is about, but since I see Captain America and Christos Gage, I know it'll be worth my money. Interest Level: 8 1/2 out of 10.

Siege: Loki #1: This comic should be interesting if for nothing else then to show us where the hell Loki's been during the whole fall of Asgard. Interest Level: 8 out of 10.

Siege: Young Avengers #1: Umm, it's the Young Avengers! What more do I need to say? I was a HUGE fan of this series before it was bizarrely canned, so whenever they pop up somewhere, I'm more then happy to read about it! Interest Level: 9 1/2 out of 10.

And that gives me 4 Marvels and 9 DCs. Well I'd say that makes DC the winner here hands down! I will say that even though I have way more DC comics listed here, I'm really looking forward to the Marvels more then almost any of my DC books. Well, that's going to have to do it for tonight, I still have miles to go before I sleep... And with that I say good-bye and Long Live The Legion!!!

Comic Gazing for: 4/7/10

It's Wednesday, which means it's once again time to go comic gazing! And here's your host, the honorable, X-Man75! Before I jot down which books I'll be buying, and why, a quick Blackest Night update... I should FINALLY have my hands on BN #8 tomorrow, and that'll be the very first thing I read/review once I open my package of comics. So expect a GALA(yes GALA!)post on the conclusion of Blackest Night tomorrow night. Yeah, I know the review will be off by a week, but think of it this way, you'll have a weeks worth of extra info to talk about after checking out my review! Eh, at least I tried to drum up some interest... Anywho, I'm still enjoying spring break, which means I've got a lot of time to lay around, play video games and read back issues. On the video game front, I've been playing Dragon Age: Origins, and on the back issue front, I've been reading through the LEGION series from the early-mid 90's, and both the game, and the comics are REALLY, REALLY good! OK, enough about me, let's get to which comics came out this week.

Batman & Robin #11: Meh. Sorry Grant Morrison fans, this series just hasn't done it for me... I hate the way Grant writes Damian, and since Dick is now officially a lame duck, I just can't get myself to care about his run as Batman anymore. Maybe things will turn around when Bruce returns, but I doubt it... Interest Level: 4 out of 10.

Flash: Secret Files and Origins 2010 #1: Well, I said it before and I'll say it again, meh. The only reason I'm picking this one up is because I'm a Flash completionist, plain and simple. I think I've made my thoughts on the current direction of the Flash character very well known by now(I hate it!), but hopefully, Geoff Johns will take pity on me and the fans of Wally West and allow us a glimpse of him in this comic... I doubt it, but hey, who knows. I mean, Wally should at least get a profile page, right?!? Interest Level: 3 out of 10.

JSA All-Stars #5: This comic has been pretty solid since its inception, and I fully expect that trend to continue. I've been enjoying the past few issues with the All-Stars battling the Injustice Society, and this issue should further the weirdness with Johnny Sorrow and Star Girl. Interest Level: 7 out of 10.

Superman: Last Stand of New Krypton #2: So far so good with this x-over, as I've enjoyed each issue. The story has been good, and Lex Luthor has been great as Brainiac's assistant. So long as the high quality keeps up, I won't have anything to complain about, which is a good thing, because I complain enough already as it is! Interest Level: 8 out of 10.

Superman: Secret Origins #5: Or as I like to call it, "Geoff Johns recreates Superman! #5" I haven't read the last 4 issues, and I won't be reading this one until this mini has concluded, whenever that is... Interest Level: 6 1/2 out of 10.

Deadpool and Cable #25: What the hell is this?!? Weird... Anyway, the solicit didn't exactly wow me, but I do loves me some Cable/Deadpool action, so I'll give this comic a shot. Against my better judgement! Interest Level: 6 1/2 out of 10.

SHIELD #1: And I thought the solicit for DP/Cable #25 was bad, this one sounds even worse! But, since I'm not really buying a lot of comics this week, I figure I can at least give this comic a courtesy read. I seriously doubt I'll stick around to read issue #2, but who knows, stranger things have happened. Interest Level: 3 out of 10.

Ultimate Comics X #2(or is it Ultimate X Comics #2?): I was supremely impressed with Jeph Loeb's first issue of this series, so much so that I'm actually eagerly looking forward to reading this one! Hopefully Jeph can keep up the good work and stay away from the many, MANY mysteries he loves to dot most of his comics with... Sometimes a straightforward story isn't a bad thing! Interest Level: 8 1/2 out of 10.

Uncanny X-Men #523: I have ABSOLUTELY NO interest in this comic, or of the Second Coming storyline AT ALL. The only reason I'll even be getting this comic is because it's one of my subscription books, which means no matter how much I wish it wouldn't, it will eventually finds its way to my house. Unfortunately. However, even though I'll be getting this comic, I sure as hell won't be reading it! Once I get it, I'll be tossing it into comic book limbo(AKA the big box of hated books in my closet)and forgetting it ever existed. Interest Level: 0 out of 10.

And that's it. Before I give my final thoughts on this week's comics, I was wondering if any of you guys have read the Wolverine: Weapon X series, and if you had, if you'd recommend it. I'm kind of curious about it, but I'm not sure if I should bother laying out the money to pick up the back issues/trades. Oh, and I had to laugh as my suspicions were confirmed... Deadpool is to the early 2010's what Wolverine was to the 90's. How can I be sure? Deadpool makes a guest starring appearance in World War Hulks #1 AND Moon Knight #7 this week! So yeah, Deadpool has officially reached the Wolverine level of saturation for Marvel, may god have mercy on us all!

The final count this week is DC: 5, Marvel: 4. So although it was close, DC wins out this week once again. Only 9 total comics for me this week, and I have to admit, none of them look all that exciting to me. The interest level is way down almost across the board. Hell, only one comic broke the 8 1/2 interest level mark... That's definitely not a good sign. It's going to be REALLY easy to wait a week of two before placing my order for these stinkers. If you guys have a few recommendations, I'll gladly hear them, because I'm obviously not too keen on the books I'm choosing! That's it for this week, thanks for reading and Long Live The Legion!!!

Comic Gazing for: 3/31/10

Instead of posting this later on tonight like I usually do, I figure I'll post it now so I can concentrate on finishing up my last paper due before Spring break tonight. Once I'm done with that paper, it's clear sailing all through next week! I'll probably post a few Siege related reviews tomorrow, since I have a lot of Marvel books to start reviewing. As for the books I'll be listing here, I probably won't get my hands on them until around the middle of next week, and considering how good some of these books could be, that is going to be an agonizing wait...

Adventure Comics #9: This is definitely NOT one of the books I'll be eagerly anticipating! I truly, honestly and seriously don't care about the OLD Legion. If this was the Threeboot Legion(or even the Reboot Legion)I'd be OK, but I just don't care about this variation of the Legion. Interest Level: 5 out of 10.

Blackest Night #8: THIS is one of the books I'm really looking forward to reading. Sure, Blackest Night has been lingering for about 4 months too long now, and the quality of the books has definitely begun to falter, but I'm still pretty excited to see how this one ends. We all know that Nekron is going to fail, but everything else is still up in the air. What happens with the White Light after Nekron's fall? Which characters will be getting a second chance at life? How will this issue set up the upcoming Brightest Day storyline? Man, it's going to be tough avoiding all of the spoilers all over the Net while I await my copy... Interest Level: 10 out of 10.

Gotham City Sirens #10: I like this comic, I like the three female stars, and I like the Riddler, so this should be a good issue. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that Riddler doesn't become a villain again, but that seems more and more unlikely with each passing issue. Interest Level: 8 out of 10.

Justice League of America #43: Hey, now that I've finally read the abysmal Cry for Justice #7, I can read the two issues of the JLA that came out before this issue! Until I read those comics though, I can't really comment on this one. Interest Level: 7 out of 10.

Justice Society of America #37: I'm pretty interested in seeing where this storyline is going after all of the twists and turns that were in the last issue. Interest Level: 8 1/2 out of 10.

Teen Titans #81: I still haven't read issue #80, so there's not all that much I can say about this one... Interest Level: 6 out of 10.

Wonder Woman #42: I was somewhat let down by the anti-climatic conclusion to the last storyline, so hopefully this issue will be as good as I know this series can be. Interest Level: 7 1/2 out of 10.

Dark Wolverine #84: This is definitely one of Marvel's better series, so I'm always excited when a new issue arrives. This is a Siege x-over, and since I can't recall seeing Daken at all in Siege #3, I'll be interested to see what he was up to during the events of that comic. Interest Level: 10 out of 10.

Realm of Kings: Inhumans #5: Since this is the last issue of this mini(I think), I can finally get around to reading the entire mini... I think! Interest Level: 6 out of 10.

Wolverine Origins #46: Much like Dark Wolverine, this is another surprisingly good series. And they're both written by Daniel Way... Coincidence? I think not! Interest Level: 9 out of 10.

10 comics this week, and for the first time in two weeks, DC has surpassed Marvel in the battle for my money! Only 3 Marvel's this week, to 7 DC's. I was a little bit tempted to pick up the X-Men Second Coming comic, but since it's written by the so called creative team of Yost and Kyle, I'm going to pass on it. One day Marvel will smarten up and realize that those two can't write an exciting story without killing off half the characters in the comic, but I guess that day has yet to arrive... Oh well. If it was any other writers doing that event, I'd be happily buying every single issue and crossover, but as such, I won't be picking up a single part of that story. Hey, on the bright side, that leaves me with more money to spend on Marvel's rivals. Well, that's it for this week, let me know what you guys are picking up, and what(if anything)I should be picking up. Until next time, Long Live The Legion!

Comic Gazing for: 3/24/10

Hooray, my comic book order finally arrived today! After school, I happily tore into it, and was... surprised by the lack of new comics in it... That order contained those two real light weeks of books on the 3rd and the 10th. I had a few back issues in there which should be pretty good though, and I'm REALLY looking forward to reading a few of the new books I did get(REBELS #14 & Dark X-Men #5 would be at the very top of my list), so life is good for me. See, it doesn't take much to make me happy!

Other then that, I ordered a new PS3 game today, since Gamestop was having a 20% off any new PS3 games sale. While I've been THOROUGHLY enjoying NHL 2010(maybe the best hockey game EVER, and I've played 'em all!), I figured I might as well take advantage of the sale while it was in effect(Spring Break is rapidly approaching you know!). So what did I buy? Well I was going to pick up God of War 3(even though I'm one of the few PS2 owners who never played GoW 1 or 2), but my amigo JT(of the awesome Jason Todd's Comic Spot)managed to convince me to pick up Dragon Age Origins instead. I'm a sucker for two types of games because of their long replay value, sports titles and RPG's, which is what Dragon Age is. So if the game sucks, I'll be coming after you JT!

Before I get into this week's picks, I'm adding a NEW feature to my Comic Gazing post! Yeah I know, AWESOME! After I do my write up for each comic, I'll give a number on a scale of 1 to 10 denoting just how much I'm looking forward to reading each comic. Alright, enough small talk, it's time to go Comic Gazing!

Batman: Streets of Gotham #10: FINALLY we get Paul Dini and his Zsasz storyline back, which I've been looking forward to for the past two or three months now! Interest Level: 8 1/2 out of 10.

Green Lantern #53: Well, I know this comic will have something to do with Blackest Night, I just don't know what... All I do know is that I'm going to be pretty happy when Blackest Night ends, although I will admit to being just a bit pissed that Blackest Night is going to immediately lead into Brightest Day, ANOTHER multi-part x-over event... Come on already DC, how about a little bit of a break between "EPIC" crossovers! Interest Level: 8 out of 10.

Justice League: Rise of Arsenal #1: Now this one has me a bit torn... I am and have always been a huge Roy Harper fan, and when he lost his arm in Cry for Justice #5(?)I was seething... How the hell do you maim one of your deepest characters?!? BUT, if nothing else, the maiming of Roy Harper(which is in the early running for worst comic book moment of the year!)seems to be shining some attention on the character... I don't know what DC is going to do with a one armed archer(that's kind of like the one legged man in an ass-kicking contest, isn't it?), but here's hoping Roy actually gets something mainstream from this... Interest Level: 9 out of 10.

Superman/Batman #70: The last issue of this series was OK, and I'm kind of/sort of interested in seeing where the story goes, which is the only reason I'm buying this comic... If things don't pick up dramatically here though, I may drop this book in favor of Supergirl, which impressed me when I read the past two issues. Interest Level: 6 out of 10.

Superman #698: All I know is that if Superman doesn't return to this series with issue #700, I riot! I think the great Mon-El/Flamebird and Nightwing experiment of 2009 should definitely end, and Supes should take his spot back in Action Comics as well as this title. Why not have Mon and Nightwing/Flamebird move over to the Adventure Comics title and split time with Superboy there? Interest Level: 5 1/2 out of 10.

Avengers The Initiative #34: I love this series... I really do. I've enjoyed it from the beginning, and as it rapidly approaches it's end, I have to admit that I am getting a bit sad. Christos Gage has been pumping out very strong stories here, and in my humble opinion, he is currently doing the best Avengers related comic book. When the Avengers titles are relaunched after Siege, I'm all for Christos taking over the main Avengers book. Interest Level: 8 1/2 out of 10.

Captain America #604: It's Captain America and it's written by Ed Brubaker... Do I really need to say anything more? If you have even a passing interest in Marvel Comics or Captain America, you should be buying this series. 'Nuff said! Interest Level: 9 out of 10.

Deadpool #21: This is THANKFULLY the final part of the Hit-Monkey storyline... I've already gone over my hatred of all things monkey in several prior posts, so I'll spare you guys from more of my monkey venom, but yeah, I hate monkeys... Interest Level: 7 out of 10.

Mighty Avengers #35: One word: ULTRON!!! Ultron is my all-time favorite Avengers foe, and whenever he(it)pops up in an Avengers comic, I'm always excited... Well, except for when BENDIS turned Ultron into a female robot, but let's all disregard that for the sake of my sanity... Interest Level: 9 out of 10.

New Avengers #63: Oh god no, it's another installment of New Avengers... WHY?!? *sigh* Well, as an Avengers fan I'm obligated to read this garbage, even though I know it's going to be painful... Interest Level: 1 out of 10.

Thor #608: This is a Siege x-over issue, and it should feature Ragnarok(the evil Thor clone from Civil War), so although I don't normally pick up Thor comics, I'm really excited about this one! Interest Level: 8 1/2 out of 10.

Thunderbolts #142: This is also a Siege x-over comic, which is why I'm picking it up. The last issue was pretty good, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this one will follow suit. Interest Level: 7 1/2 out of 10.

Uncanny X-Men #522: Yay, Shadowcat looks to be returning with this issue...... And just so you know, that last line is LITERALLY dripping with sarcasm. I HATE Shadowcat so much it hurts, and the fact that she is ALREADY being brought back, while Jean Grey continues to rot in her grave just proves that the writers of Marvel's mutant titles hate me. Interest Level: 1 out of 10.

X-Factor #203: I have to admit that I'm glad the last storyline with the Fantastic Four is over, because X-Factor works better(to me at least)somewhat disconnected from the rest of Marvel's heroes. So long as Peter David is at the helm here, I have little doubt that this should be a good to great comic though. Interest Level: 7 1/2 out of 10.

And that's it. 14 new books this week, which is pretty much perfectly normal for me. Shockingly, this is the second straight week Marvel is taking more of my money then DC, this time by a count of 9 to 5! After months of DC domination, Marvel seems to be making quite the comeback in the battle for my attention/cash. Granted, two of the Marvel books should be absolutely atrocious, but still, even if I was to eliminate those two comics, Marvel would still be winning. Now the question becomes, when will DC break Marvel's grip and retake the top spot? Only time will tell... That's it everyone, until next time, Long Live The Legion!

Comic Gazing for: 3/17/10

Happy St. Paddy's Day X-Maniacs! To be honest with you, I didn't even know it was St. Patrick's Day until I was in school, and everybody was wearing green... I on the other hand was wearing my Black Lantern t-shirt... Anyway, before I get to what comics I'll be picking up this week(and it better be A LOT!)good news! My LEGION comics came in the mail, and I am DYING to start reading them! The only problem is that I just started reading the Hawkman series from the 2000's... I may just read both series at the same time, because like I said, I am really looking forward to those LEGION books. Seeing as that REBELS is probably among my top 3 favorite monthly books, and that the LEGION series was the precursor to REBELS, it's going to be really tough to stay away from it. Believe it or not, Vril Dox is probably my second or third favorite comic character, which is pretty amazing considering I hadn't even heard of the character a few months ago. All right, I think my obligatory, "Gush about the REBELS series" part of this post is over, let's see what's coming out this week.

Batman #697: If you've been reading this blog of mine with any regularity, you probably know that Tony Daniel's run on Batman has been a big disappointment to me, especially on the heels of his really good Battle for the Cowl mini. However, instead of dreading this comic as I usually do, I'm actually looking forward to it. Why? Because we're supposedly going to find out the identity of Black Mask. I have a few guesses as to who it is(it seems REALLY obvious...), but I guess I'll find out for sure whenever this comic makes it to me.

Booster Gold #30: If this issue is as strong as the last issue was, this comic should be awesome! One big gripe though, I REALLY don't want to read about the fake Blue Beetle in the back-up story... When is DC going to drop this Second Feature idea?

Green Arrow #31: Now this is something I'm definitely looking forward to. Whenever GA gets a major storyline in the DCU, I'm happy!

Green Lantern Corps #46: This is the very last Blackest Night x-over issue for this series, AND it's double-sized! I have to say, I'm looking forward to the end of Blackest Night, so this series can disconnect from BN and start pumping out the awesome stories it had been before the BN x-over took over.

Supergirl #51: Being unable to stay away from Superman x-over stories, I'm picking this one up since it follows the whole Brainiac invading New Krypton stuff.

Titans #23: Strangely, the solicit for this one seems to insinuate that Roy Harper(Red Arrow/Arsenal)is being spotlighted... That should be interesting, seeing as that DC decided to maim him in Cry for Justice!!! Grrr...

Dark Avengers #15: Since I plan on reading Dark Avengers #14 tonight, I really don't have anything to say about this issue yet.

Guardians of the Galaxy #24: Whoops, here's another series I've fallen a month back on... I'll have to dig out GotG #23 and give it a read...

Nova #35: The last issue did the near impossible, make the Sphinx somewhat interesting to me, so I'm intrigued to see what he does next to Nova and the time lost heroes... Oh yeah, and I'm also keeping my fingers crossed that this leads to Namorita returning to the mainstream Marvel U, even though I know that's doubtful at best.

Realm of Kings: Imperial Guard #5: I'm not reading this mini until I've collected all of the parts, so I really don't have anything to say about it...

Siege #3: Well well well, it's the penultimate part to the SHOCKINGLY good Siege storyline! BENDIS is putting together his best story since the beginning of the House of M event(imo), so here's hoping he continues the good work, and doesn't revert back to the Dread Lord of comics...

Wolverine Origins #45: Now this is a comic I'm definitely looking forward to! Daniel Way has been building towards a final showdown between Logan and Romulus, and with each passing issue we're getting closer and closer to Wolvie's endgame against his long-time(kind of...)nemesis. I can't wait to see what happens in this one.

X-Men Legacy #234: Well this one is a little bittersweet for me... The very first comic I ever brought was X-Men #1, and over the years I've managed to pick up all 233 X-Men comics that came before this one... That long streak comes to an end with this issue. My subscription to this series is up after this comic, and with how AWFUL Mike Carey's entire X-Men run has been, it is with a heavy heart I say good-bye to this series. I can't believe Carey's run has lasted as long as it has(some 40 issues!), and instead of waiting for a new writer to take over, I'm finally cutting the cord. Once there is finally a writer change I'll be back, but until then, I'll stick with Uncanny and Astonishing.

7 Marvel's to 6 DC's! How about that, Marvel has FINALLY taken the top spot back from DC in the battle for my money! So, is this a one week glitch, or is this a sign of things to come? I guess I'll find out next week... How's that for a cliffhanger! Yeah I agree, not very good...

The top three comics I'll be looking forward to reading this week would be: Siege #3, Green Arrow #31 & Green Lantern Corps #46. Well, that's it for this week, as always, Long Live The Legion!

Comic Gazing for: 3/10/10

It's another Wednesday, so you know what that means! Oh, you don't? Well then, allow me to fill you in, it's time for my longest running regularly scheduled weekly post, Comic Gazing! What comics will I be picking up this week? Will it be more then the abysmal 4 new books that I picked up last week? Will I be happy with the books I wind up buying? Does anybody care? All of these questions and more will be answered during the following post! Oh, and before I forget, there's a STRONG possibility(and you know it's strong because I put it in all caps!)that I won't have the time to post any new reviews tomorrow. I've got a History midterm tomorrow, and two papers due on Friday, so to be honest, I probably shouldn't even be spending time blogging right now! Anyway, if I don't post a review tomorrow, I'll just throw out the newest craze in the blogging community, that's right X-Maniacs, I'll post a BONUS Random Scan of the Week!!! Wow, it's like Christmas in March! Alrighty, enough idiocy, let's get to the funny books I'll be purchasing this week.

Action Comics #887: Ugh, I've been pretty down on this series for a couple of months now, and I'll be honest with you, I don't really expect that to change with this issue... Hopefully I'll be proven wrong, but I'm not holding my breath.

Batgirl #8: The good news is that I LOVES me some Batgirl! This is definitely one of the best comics coming out of DC, so I'm oh so pleased to see a new issue is out. The bad news is that this issue is involved with a crossover with Red Robin, which is a comic I refuse to read until Chris Yost is no longer writing it... So although I'm psyched that a new Batgirl is coming out, I'm bummed that I'll only be reading half the story.

Batman & Robin #10: As utterly bizarre as it may sound, I actually liked the last two issues of this series! Well, maybe "liked" is overstating things a bit... Let's just say it was better then any other issue of this series to date and leave it at that. With that said, I'm sure this issue will go back to being a major disappointment to me, but hey, maybe Grant Morrison will shock me for three issues in a row!

Justice League: Rise and Fall Special #1: I haven't read Cry for Justice #7 yet, and this is the aftermath to that mini, so I really don't have too much to say about this issue until I get my hands on Cry #7...

REBELS #14: Woooo-Hooooo!!!! This series is my FAVORITE current DC comic right now, so I CAN NOT wait to read this! This issue wraps up the storyline that has been running through this series since issue #1, so to say I'm excited about this comic is a true understatement! Without a doubt, I'll be reading this comic before I read any other book I order.

Secret Six #19: Although I've always been a really big fan of Gail Simone's work, this series has been middling at best to me... With Cheshire coming back this issue, I'm hoping this series reverts back to its awesome early days, but sadly I've just about given up on this comic.

Superman: Last Stand of New Krypton #1: Since I did enjoy the World of New Krypton maxi-series, I'm kind of looking forward to this one. For those of you who don't know what this is all about, Brainiac has come to New Krypton looking to put the Kryptonians back in the bottle they escaped from. I for one am very interested to see where DC is going to go with the whole New Krypton concept after this storyline.

Dark X-Men #5: This is sadly the conclusion to the mini-series that returned my all-time favorite comic book character to life. I'm hoping that X-Man gets to remain alive at the conclusion of this mini, although realistically, I don't really see a place for Nate in the current Marvel Universe... Whatever happens though, I have thoroughly enjoyed this mini, and will be eagerly anticipating getting my hands on this issue.

And that's it for this week... So the final tally is 7 DC comics to 1 Marvel. Using some fancy mathematics I have figured out that I'm only buying 8 new comics this week... What gives these last two weeks??? Usually I'm ordering 14-18 new books a week, the past two weeks I've ordered a grand total of 12 books... Very, very strange... For the record, the three books I'm most looking forward to this week would be, REBELS #14, Dark X-Men #5 & Batgirl #8. That's my thoughts on this week's new releases, what will you guys be picking up? Let me know, and Long Live the Legion!

Comic Gazing for: 3/3/10

It's Wednesday, which means it's time for another sterling edition of Comic Gazing! As of 3 hours ago, I have completely finished off my History paper(7 pages about a letter written to King George III by Ch'ien-lung), and have just begun to scratch the surface of my next paper, which is for Musical Theatre. After that, I've got to tackle my Accounting homework, although I have a few days before that's due... Whew... So yeah, it's been a wee bit busy for me school-wise as of late. However, come tomorrow I should have at least 4 new reviews up, with an additional 3 or 4 the next day. Since I doubt most of you want to hear me talk about what I've been learning in my Accounting class, I'll instead get into the comics I'll be ordering this week. Now, last week was a rather large haul for me, so hopefully things will be a little bit quieter this week...

Adventure Comics #8: I'm subscribed to this series until issue #12, so I have no choice but to deal with whatever is thrown my way. Looking at the solicits, I have to say I'm less then excited(where's my Three-boot Legion dammit!!!), but I'll at least give this issue a read, mainly because I have to...

JSA All-Stars #4: I don't think I've read issue #3 yet, so I really can't say too much about this issue.

Justice League: Cry for Justice #7: Well, hot damn, I think this is the final issue of this mini!!! Once I read this one, I can finally read the two most recent issues of the JLA comic, which deals with the aftermath of this mini. For me, this series has had a lot of ups and downs, but I'm hoping that things end on a high note...

Mighty Avengers #34: Speaking of ups and downs... This series has been kind of hit or miss with me(although it's WAY better then either of the BENDIS Avengers titles!), but this issue promises to have the Mighty Avengers battling Thor with the long running Loki storyline finally beginning to reach it's conclusion. I have to say, being somewhat of a fan of Loki, I'm looking forward to this one.

Annnnd that's it... Huh, only 4(!?!)comics this week??? What the hell is THAT? Maybe I'll buy a copy of the New Ultimates #1 just for the heck of it... For the record, that's 3 DC's and 1 Marvel this week. You know, with this week being so light, I shudder to think of how many comics will be dropping next week... I'd better start saving up for it now. That's going to do it for me tonight, Long Live The Legion!!!

Comic Gazing for: 2/24/10

Since I just placed my order for the past three weeks comics(including the ones coming out this Wednesday), I figured I might as well get this post out of the way while my recent purchases are still fresh on my mind. Before I get to that though, I have a few other things running around in my brain that need to get out. After reading World's Finest #4 last night, I'm starting to get the itch to do another Let's Talk About... post. If you read that review, you probably have a pretty good idea as to what that post is going to be about... Besides that, I've been having some trouble getting to sleep the past few nights, which sucks for sanity(as well as the coherence of my posts), but is really helping me catch up on some of my back issue comic book reading. Over the past three nights, I've read a couple of back issues of Batman(during the Jason Todd years), and I have to say, I have NO idea what all of the fuss about Jason was... Why did the Bat-fans resent him so badly? Was it simply because he wasn't Dick Grayson? I ask these questions because to me, Jason seemed to be a very good compliment to Bruce... Sure he was a bit rough around the edges, but he wasn't ANYWHERE near as obnoixious as the current Robin, Damian Wayne. Weird. Besides that, I finished up the Final Night mini-series that came out of DC in the mid 90's, and I've read through the first 45 issues of the Green Arrow series from the 1980's. All I can say about those issues is, DAMN did Dinah and Ollie run around killing a whole mess of people! The Punisher ain't got nothing on them! Well, that's what I've been doing instead of sleeping, but that's not what this post is supposed to be about. This post is supposed to be about what comics I plan on purchasing this week, so how's about I get to that.

Batman and Robin #9: Wow, we're all ready up to issue #9? I still haven't read issue #7 yet! Hmm, I think I know what I'll be reading tonight!

Blackest Night Green Arrow#30: On the plus side, I doubt Cupid is going to be in this issue. On the negative side, this is yet another Blackest Night x-over issue that isn't going to add anything to the main Blackest Night storyline.

Blackest Night #7: FINALLY!!! I can't WAIT to dig into this comic, especially since most of the BN x-over stuff has been trying my patientce as of late. This issue HAS to be good, right?!?

Blackest Night JSA #3: Huh, I still haven't read BN: JSA #2 yet, so guess what I'll be reading after I finish up Batman and Robin #7 later tonight...

Flash Rebirth #6: Well I'll be damned, it's the final issue of this mini-series... Sadly, I really don't even care what happens here, since we all know Barry Allen survives his final encounter with the Reverse Flash. Maybe if this comic would have come out 6 months ago, I'd be excited for it, but as it is now, the only reason I'm even buying it is to complete the mini-series. Oh, and just so everybody knows, Captain America Reborn>>>>>>Flash Rebirth.

Gotham City Sirens #9: The important thing here is the fact that the Riddler seems to be the focal part of this issue(at least according to the solicits), and that means I should enjoy this issue.

Justice Society of America #36: I'm hoping this series picks up a little bit after the last two issues, which I didn't exactly care for.

Superman #697: Eh, This series has had it's highs and lows, but I still like Mon-El, so I'm still willing to pick it up.

Teen Titans #80: Um, I still haven't read issue #79... Yeah, I'm sure you know the drill by now.

Wonder Woman #41: Wonder Woman vs. Power Girl... 'Nuff said!

Avengers The Initiative #33: Jeez, what the hell?!? I haven't read issue #32 yet... What have I been reading lately???

Dark Wolverine #83: This series might just be the best comic book coming out of Marvel(or DC for that matter!)today. I've given the past two issues consecutive perfect scores, which is almost unheard of, especially in light of how fickle I can be! In my honest opinion, Daken is one of the most complex and intriguing characters in not just the Marvel Universe, but the DCU as well. Once I'm done reading Blackest Night #7, this will definitely be the very next comic I read.

Deadpool #20: Deadpool #19 should be coming along with this order, so I really don't have all that much to say about this series yet.

New Avengers #62: Oh no... It's a new issue of New Avengers... Oh well, much like going to the dentist, reading this series is painful, but something I have to occasionally suffer through.

Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Update #1: I LOVE these Marvel Handbooks, I've collected every single one that's been released, and I'm overjoyed that a new one has been published. The Marvel Comics history buff in me can't get enough of these things!

Realm of Kings Inhumans #4: I'll read this mini once I have all the issues.

Thor #607: I normally don't pick up Thor comics, but since this is a Siege tie-in, I figured I'd give it a shot.

Thunderbolts #141: Read what I said about Thor #607. The same exact thing applies here.

X-Factor #202: I'm really not digging the current storyline, but hopefully things pick up with this issue.

19 books for me this week... That's a bit more then usual. More surprising to me though is the fact that I'll be picking up nearly as many Marvel comics(9)as DC ones(10). That's the first time in well over a year Marvel is nearly getting as much of my money as DC is... That definitely surprised me. Will next week be the week Marvel finally dethrones DC in the battle for my bucks? I guess only time will tell... Well, that's it for me. I see I have a lot of comics to read, so all I have left to say is, Long Live The Legion!!!

Comic Gazing for: 2/17/10

It's another Wednesday, which means it's time for another installment of Comic Gazing! Today was the first day of my Mid-Semester break(which used to be called Mid-Winter Break), and I spent it doing exactly what I thought I would, laying around watching the Winter Olympics and reading comic books. After watching a few events, I came to the simple conclusion that I have NO idea what was going on in half of the sports I was watching... Anyway, enough about that, let's get on to the comic books! A few new comics came in the mail today, including Green Arrow/Black Canary, Titans and Adventure Comics. With the exception of Adventure, I can't say I'm really looking forward to reading any of those books... I still have a slew of other books to read as well, so expect a lot of reviews to be up on this blog come tomorrow night. Well, with the pleasantries out of the way, here's what I'll be ordering with my next comic book order.

Batman #696: I really don't even know what to say about this book... This issue promises to have both the Penguin and the Mad Hatter in it, two villains I have repeatedly called useless, and who I'm embarrassed to even have to read about... Right now, all I want is for this storyline to be over, because I don't know what the hell Tony Daniel is doing with this series. How the same guy can be responsible for the very good Battle for the Cowl and this junk is totally beyond me.

Batman Streets of Gotham #9: I'm hoping this issue goes back to the stuff with Zsasz and the fight club he was running, although I think there may still be one issue to go before we get back to that particular storyline.

Blackest Night Flash #3: Blackest Night x-over means I buy it no matter what.

Green Lantern Corps #45: Red Lantern Guy Gardner vs. the Green Lantern Corps... What more do I need to say?!?

Green Lantern #51: I guess Hal is Parallax in this issue, since the only way Hal can think of defeating Nekron is by becoming an even bigger menace then Nekron is... That's definitely some strange strategy...

Justice League of America #42: I haven't read issue #41 yet, and to be honest, I don't think I'm going to until the Cry for Justice mini-series wraps up. I really don't understand why neither Marvel nor DC can seem to put their comics out in the proper order anymore...

Outsiders #27: I just decided to drop the Magog series this week, and this is another series that is perilously close to the chopping block... Although I actually enjoyed the last issue, I'm still only collecting this series on a month to month basis.

Supergirl #50: I'm picking this issue up on a whim. Since it's the fiftieth issue, I figured I'd give it a shot.

Superman Batman #69: This is another series I'm currently picking up on a month to month basis. I wasn't thrilled with the Blackest Night x-over issues, and as a matter of fact, I was tempted to just drop the title last month, but instead I've decided to give this series one last chance to impress me before I decide to finally drop it.

Captain America #603: It's Captain America and it's written by Ed Brubaker... To be perfectly honest with you, if I could only pick up one comic this week, this would probably be it.

Daredevil #505: I'm actually going to be reading DD #504 tonight, so I'm not going to say anything here.

Dark Avengers #14: I'm going to stick with this series until the bitter end(which is coming up rather quickly). BENDIS continues his bizarre dissection of the Sentry here, and morbid curiosity forces me to buy this...

Deadpool #19: Considering how much I like Danial Way's work, I have no idea why I dropped this title several months back... I guess now is as good a time as any to start collecting this series again.

Doomwar #1: I'm going to give this first issue a shot, but unless it really blows me away, I doubt I'll be sticking around for the rest of this mini.

Guardians of the Galaxy #23: The last few issues have been a little weak, but I'm confident that things will pick up with this issue.

Uncanny X-Men #521: *Sigh*... What more can I say about the terrible condition of my one-time favorite series, Uncanny X-Men? This is one of those titles I really don't want to read anymore, but since I've been collecting this series since the very beginning of my comic book reading career, I feel duty-bound to continue reading this series as it continues its agonizing downward spiral...

16 comics this week, which is just about normal for me. Sure there are a few I'm on the fence about, and at least one I don't even want to read, but for the most part, this looks like a solid week with a few very interesting reads. That's it. Until next time, Long Live The Legion!

Comic Gazing for: 2/10/10

Since I've been studying for my first big Accounting exam(which is tomorrow)for the better part of the night, I figured I'd do a quick post, just to clear my head for a bit. I wasn't going to post anything today, but since I also have a Musical Theatre paper due later on this week(yeah, that's right, a Musical Theatre paper...)I might wind up skipping tomorrow's post depending on how long it takes me to bang out that paper. Since tomorrow is Wednesday, and Wednesday means it's a new comic day, I figured I should post what I'll be purchasing this week, just in case I can't get to it tomorrow. Oh, and my area is under a Winter Storm Warning, and it is currently SNOWING! With any luck, that means they'll close my college tomorrow, and I'll have an extra week to prepare for this Accounting test since I get a few days off for Mid-Semester break, or President's Day, or whatever the hell my school is calling the mini vacation I get next week. OK, I think that's enough about me, how about I actually talk about comics! I read JL: Cry for Justice #6 last night, and you know what? I really enjoyed it... I didn't want to, but I did. Hopefully when I've got more time and less school related duties to attend to, I'll put up a quick review for it. For now though, here are the books I'll be purchasing come tomorrow.

Action Comics #886: I think this is still a part of the x-over with the Superman title, but I'm not exactly sure... Meh, I was buying this comic anyway, so I guess it's a moot point.

Adventure Comics #7: This is the first post-Geoff Johns issue of this series, so I'll be interested to see who's taking it over, and what they have planned.

Batgirl #7: Jeez, another Batgirl already? I haven't even read Batgirl #6 yet! Maybe after I'm done studying tonight, I'll give Batgirl #6 a read...

Batman and Robin #8: Like with Batgirl, I still haven't read the previous issue of this series, and with some of the things I've heard about it, I'm not sure I want to!

Booster Gold #29: Gah, once again, I still haven't read the issue before this one yet! I really need a few more hours in the day...

Green Arrow Black Canary #29: This is the final issue of this series written by Andrew Kreisberg, which means this should be the last time I have to suffer through another Cupid story! Jeez, once Cupid's gone, what am I going to have to complain about?

JSA All-Stars #3: I like the JSA, and so far this series has been OK. I'm not exactly sold on the Stargirl/Johnny Sorrow love-thing, but maybe this issue will win me over.

REBELS #13: Yeah, a new issue of REBELS! Seriously, this is one of the best non-Geoff Johns written comics coming out of DC today.

Secret Six #18: I still haven't read Secret Six #17... Starting to sense a trend here?

Titans #22: This issue is the end of the current line-up in this comic, so I'll be very interested to see what happens starting in issue #23.

Dark X-Men #4: Umm, as long as Nate Grey is prominently featured in this comic, it'll be one of the first things I read once this order arrives.

Realm of Kings Imperial Guard #4: This is one of those mini-series I collect but don't read until it's completed, so I really can't say much about this one.

And that's it. Damn, only 2 Marvel books this week, as opposed to 10 DC comics. Huh... I REALLY need to find some good Marvel comics to read... Alright, I think I've spent enough time avoiding my studies... Until next time, Long Live The Legion!