Huh, who knew Lois could turn her fantasies into reality!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Green Lantern Corps #36
The newest issue of the surprisingly good Green Lantern Corps arrived in the mail today, and needless to say it immediately catapulted to the top of my "new comics" pile. Let's see what Peter Tomasi has in store for the Corps this month.
-This issue opens with Sinestro telling Soranik the story of the early years of her life. Last issue ended with Sinestro dropping the bombshell that he is Soranik's father, and in this issue he explains why she never knew. The short version is that Sinestro's wife gave Soranik away when she was still an infant in order to get her away from her crazy dad.
-Sinestro tells her that he has been in her life at certain times, such as when she graduated from Med school, as well as revealing that he was responsible for the marking she has under her eye(it's actually a secret coat of arms that doubles as a transmitter that tells Sinestro where she is at all times... Creepy.).
-Sinestro warns her that the Red Lanterns will wind up attacking Korugar to find Soranik, since the RL's know Sinestro has a daughter, even though they don't know who she is. Sinestro leaves Soranik, telling her he looks forward to the day they can work together as father and daughter. Soranik contemplates taking a shot at Sinestro as he flies off, but she can't bring herself to blast him.
-Next we have the riot on Oa in the Sciencells. Basically it's a donnybrook between the escaped Sinestro Corps members, the Red Lantern who started the riot, and the Green Lanterns who were on Oa at the time. The scenes detailing the riot were without dialogue, which fit the chaotic nature of the riot very well.
-The last story in this issue revolved around Green Lanterns Sodam Yat and Arisia on Sodam's home planet of Daxam trying to figure out how to defeat Mongul and his horde of Sinestro Corps members. Sodam realizes that with no backup likely due to the riots on Oa, him and Arisia were going to have to make a bold move to free the planet.
-Sodam figures that taking out Mongul will send his henchmen into a state of disarray, so he attacks Mongul while Arisia stays back with the Daxamites the two Lanterns managed to rescue. While fighting Mongul, Sodam tries to access the Ion power, but he is prevented due to the actions of rogue Guardian, Scar.
-Upon learning from his ring that a large burst of energy may cause the manifestation of the Ion powers, Sodam lowers his shields and allows Mongul to hit him full on with a blast from his yellow rings. After the smoke clears, Sodam emerges with the Ion powers, but those powers are very rapidly fading, no doubt thanks to Scar. Sodam leaves Daxam and heads into Daxam's red sun, where he apparently sacrifices his life in an effort to turn the red sun yellow. For the record, Daxamites gain powers akin to Superman when they are bathed in the light from a yellow sun.
Once again, this was a very, very good issue of this series. The only minor complaint I would have is that I would have liked to have seen a bit more from the battle on Oa, but with how good the rest of this comic was, I can't really complain too much. The Sinestro/Soranik stuff was well done, even though it is a little far-fetched that nobody on Korugar realized that Sinestro and Soranik were related. Sinestro was the ruler of Korugar at one point, didn't anyone on the planet wonder what happened to his daughter? I guess not.
The fight on Daxam was also interesting, especially as this issue ended. If Sodam was indeed successful with turning Daxam's sun yellow, Mongul will be dealing with a planet full of individuals with the powers and abilities of Superman... That is one battle Mongul and his Sinestro Corps members can't win. I will admit that I was beginning to warm up to Sodam, so if he is indeed dead, that's too bad.
Besides that, as Blackest Night gets closer and closer, Scar seems to be taking a more proactive role in manipulating events. Scar was responsible for the riot on Oa, as well as depriving Sodam of the Ion power. I know I've said it before, but I CAN'T wait for Blackest Night to begin! For a score, I'll give this comic a 9 out of 10. Once again, Peter Tomasi is proving that he is more than capable of matching Geoff Johns work over in the Green Lantern title. That in and of itself is a very impressive feat!
-This issue opens with Sinestro telling Soranik the story of the early years of her life. Last issue ended with Sinestro dropping the bombshell that he is Soranik's father, and in this issue he explains why she never knew. The short version is that Sinestro's wife gave Soranik away when she was still an infant in order to get her away from her crazy dad.
-Sinestro tells her that he has been in her life at certain times, such as when she graduated from Med school, as well as revealing that he was responsible for the marking she has under her eye(it's actually a secret coat of arms that doubles as a transmitter that tells Sinestro where she is at all times... Creepy.).
-Sinestro warns her that the Red Lanterns will wind up attacking Korugar to find Soranik, since the RL's know Sinestro has a daughter, even though they don't know who she is. Sinestro leaves Soranik, telling her he looks forward to the day they can work together as father and daughter. Soranik contemplates taking a shot at Sinestro as he flies off, but she can't bring herself to blast him.
-Next we have the riot on Oa in the Sciencells. Basically it's a donnybrook between the escaped Sinestro Corps members, the Red Lantern who started the riot, and the Green Lanterns who were on Oa at the time. The scenes detailing the riot were without dialogue, which fit the chaotic nature of the riot very well.
-The last story in this issue revolved around Green Lanterns Sodam Yat and Arisia on Sodam's home planet of Daxam trying to figure out how to defeat Mongul and his horde of Sinestro Corps members. Sodam realizes that with no backup likely due to the riots on Oa, him and Arisia were going to have to make a bold move to free the planet.
-Sodam figures that taking out Mongul will send his henchmen into a state of disarray, so he attacks Mongul while Arisia stays back with the Daxamites the two Lanterns managed to rescue. While fighting Mongul, Sodam tries to access the Ion power, but he is prevented due to the actions of rogue Guardian, Scar.
-Upon learning from his ring that a large burst of energy may cause the manifestation of the Ion powers, Sodam lowers his shields and allows Mongul to hit him full on with a blast from his yellow rings. After the smoke clears, Sodam emerges with the Ion powers, but those powers are very rapidly fading, no doubt thanks to Scar. Sodam leaves Daxam and heads into Daxam's red sun, where he apparently sacrifices his life in an effort to turn the red sun yellow. For the record, Daxamites gain powers akin to Superman when they are bathed in the light from a yellow sun.
Once again, this was a very, very good issue of this series. The only minor complaint I would have is that I would have liked to have seen a bit more from the battle on Oa, but with how good the rest of this comic was, I can't really complain too much. The Sinestro/Soranik stuff was well done, even though it is a little far-fetched that nobody on Korugar realized that Sinestro and Soranik were related. Sinestro was the ruler of Korugar at one point, didn't anyone on the planet wonder what happened to his daughter? I guess not.
The fight on Daxam was also interesting, especially as this issue ended. If Sodam was indeed successful with turning Daxam's sun yellow, Mongul will be dealing with a planet full of individuals with the powers and abilities of Superman... That is one battle Mongul and his Sinestro Corps members can't win. I will admit that I was beginning to warm up to Sodam, so if he is indeed dead, that's too bad.
Besides that, as Blackest Night gets closer and closer, Scar seems to be taking a more proactive role in manipulating events. Scar was responsible for the riot on Oa, as well as depriving Sodam of the Ion power. I know I've said it before, but I CAN'T wait for Blackest Night to begin! For a score, I'll give this comic a 9 out of 10. Once again, Peter Tomasi is proving that he is more than capable of matching Geoff Johns work over in the Green Lantern title. That in and of itself is a very impressive feat!
A little help please.
After tomorrow, I'm done with school until the end of August. With that said, I'm thinking about starting up another blog, one dedicated solely to scans from the various comics I have. The biggest stumbling block for creating a new blog(for me anyway)is choosing a blog title... As evident by the VERY uncreative name of this blog, I suck at choosing names for things. So, I'm hoping that anybody who reads this post can give me some ideas for a blog title. If no ideas come in, I'll probably name the new blog something totally uncreative like "X-Man's Picture Blog" or "X-Man's Comic Book Scans". Well, I'll probably be a little bit more creative than that, but you get the picture!
Monday, May 18, 2009
Superman vs. Lex Luthor.
Well, I hate to say it, but Lex kind of had that coming for a while! On a side note, I love Lex's reaction to the whole situation. Flash: Rebirth #2
Alright, here's my review for the second issue of Flash Rebirth. Hopefully this issue will shed some light into the events of last issue.
-This issue begins with one of the worshippers of Savitar discovering that Barry accidentally killed Savitar. Needless to say, she wants revenge.
-Barry continues to blow Hal off as he tries to figure out why Savitar died. Barry decides to check up with Iris, and he discovers that Wonder Woman managed to use her government contacts to make it look like Barry spent the last couple of years in the witness protection program. The captain at Barry's old station basically begs Barry to return to his old job, but Barry is hesitant.
-After the captain leaves, Barry explains to Iris that he isn't the saint everybody painted him to be after his "death", and that he doesn't want to be back. While Barry and Iris are talking, Wally calls them and tells Barry about the strange feedback that struck the other speedsters. Barry realizes the other speedsters felt these symptoms when Savitar died, but for some reason, he did not.
-Barry and Wally travel to Barry's hometown, where a strange lightning storm has suddenly erupted. Upon arriving, they discover the remains of the Black Flash, who basically served as the Grim Reaper of speedsters. Before Barry and Wally can figure out what the death of the Black Flash means, they are attacked by the follower of Savitar from earlier. She beats on Wally for a while, but is grabbed by Barry, who was trying to stop her. Once Barry touches her, she begins to decay until she dies. Barry is stunned, but Wally is even more surprised, as he looks at Barry and realizes that he is now the new Black Flash!
I'm starting to get into this story now. I kind of like the revelation that Barry is the Black Flash, although I would like it even more if he stayed as the Black Flash and allowed Wally to continue on as the Flash, however that scenario seems VERY unlikely. Barry was still whining about being back which is still getting on my nerves. Dammit Barry, you're back to life! Why look a gift horse in the mouth???
Besides Barry's annoying behavior, I have to say that I liked the way Geoff Johns solved the problem of how to explain Barry's return to his former colleagues on the police force. The witness protection angle was not only a stroke of genius, but I can honestly say that I can't remember that particular excuse being used before. Nice job there Geoff!
I also like that Max Mercury keeps getting brought up in this series. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that eventually Max will get a chance to come back from the dead like Barry and Savitar. Before I forget, is it just me or did Iris look WAY younger in this comic than she has in a while! Jeez, I get why Barry didn't age, but what was Iris' excuse! For a score, I'll give this issue an 8 out of 10. This issue was definitely better than last issue was, and hopefully the next installment of this series will be better still.
-This issue begins with one of the worshippers of Savitar discovering that Barry accidentally killed Savitar. Needless to say, she wants revenge.
-Barry continues to blow Hal off as he tries to figure out why Savitar died. Barry decides to check up with Iris, and he discovers that Wonder Woman managed to use her government contacts to make it look like Barry spent the last couple of years in the witness protection program. The captain at Barry's old station basically begs Barry to return to his old job, but Barry is hesitant.
-After the captain leaves, Barry explains to Iris that he isn't the saint everybody painted him to be after his "death", and that he doesn't want to be back. While Barry and Iris are talking, Wally calls them and tells Barry about the strange feedback that struck the other speedsters. Barry realizes the other speedsters felt these symptoms when Savitar died, but for some reason, he did not.
-Barry and Wally travel to Barry's hometown, where a strange lightning storm has suddenly erupted. Upon arriving, they discover the remains of the Black Flash, who basically served as the Grim Reaper of speedsters. Before Barry and Wally can figure out what the death of the Black Flash means, they are attacked by the follower of Savitar from earlier. She beats on Wally for a while, but is grabbed by Barry, who was trying to stop her. Once Barry touches her, she begins to decay until she dies. Barry is stunned, but Wally is even more surprised, as he looks at Barry and realizes that he is now the new Black Flash!
I'm starting to get into this story now. I kind of like the revelation that Barry is the Black Flash, although I would like it even more if he stayed as the Black Flash and allowed Wally to continue on as the Flash, however that scenario seems VERY unlikely. Barry was still whining about being back which is still getting on my nerves. Dammit Barry, you're back to life! Why look a gift horse in the mouth???
Besides Barry's annoying behavior, I have to say that I liked the way Geoff Johns solved the problem of how to explain Barry's return to his former colleagues on the police force. The witness protection angle was not only a stroke of genius, but I can honestly say that I can't remember that particular excuse being used before. Nice job there Geoff!
I also like that Max Mercury keeps getting brought up in this series. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that eventually Max will get a chance to come back from the dead like Barry and Savitar. Before I forget, is it just me or did Iris look WAY younger in this comic than she has in a while! Jeez, I get why Barry didn't age, but what was Iris' excuse! For a score, I'll give this issue an 8 out of 10. This issue was definitely better than last issue was, and hopefully the next installment of this series will be better still.
Flash: Rebirth #1
I think it's about time I finally get around to reading this comic. Alright Barry Allen, this better be good!
-We open with some unidentified character returning to the spot where Barry Allen gained his speed powers way back when. This mystery person kills a couple of cops, splashes himself with chemicals and gets himself struck by lightning, identically how it happened to Barry(well, without the cop killing!).
-We find out that Bart(Kid Flash)Allen returned to the present after the events of Legion of 3 Worlds, and that he isn't exactly pleased that Barry has returned from the Speed Force. He feels(as do I)that Wally West is the Flash and that Wally has more than proven himself.
-Barry meets Hal Jordan at the Flash museum and Barry reveals that he himself isn't exactly overly pleased that he is back from the Speed Force. Barry can't understand why the Speed Force released him and not the other speedsters trapped there. Hal tries to reason with Barry, but Barry is pretty fatalistic and tells Hal that he won't be attending any of the events being thrown in honor of his return. With that he leaves Hal in the dust.
-This issue ends with Barry literally running into Savitar, who has apparently escaped from the Speed Force just like Barry did. Barry grabs Savitar's arm to stop him and Savitar disintegrates into dust. As Savitar dies(?), all of the other speedsters get struck by some kind of strange feedback which fells them. Barry is left trying to figure out what the hell just happened.
OK, before I say anything about this comic, I have to state for the record I am NOT happy that Barry Allen has returned. Wally West is my Flash, and I was quite pleased that Bart hit upon that in this issue. Barry died in a very noble fashion, and even said that he had no unfinished business. He really didn't! He helped save the world and he left a very skilled protege behind to carry on his legacy. Mission accomplished, right? I guess not...
The story here was a bit all over the place, which with the circumstances kind of makes sense. Not only is Barry back from the "dead", but so is Bart, and Barry has no excuse for his return except for "I don't know". I found Barry to be kind of unlikable here as well. He was pretty standoffish, and a bit annoying. You'd think getting a second chance at life would at least make the guy crack a smile...
I did enjoy Bart's part in this comic, which should come as no real surprise, since I am an unabashed fan of Bart, and I have been since his Impulse days. I liked the fact that Bart was pissed that Barry came back and not the other speedsters trapped in the Speed Force. It seemed to me that Bart was specifically upset that Max Mercury didn't get a second chance. For those not in the know, Max basically raised Bart after Bart arrived from the future, so I'm glad Geoff Johns touched on that potential bone of contention between Barry and Bart.
For a score, I'll give this comic a 7 1/2 out of 10. This series is obviously still in the early stages, so I can forgive the fact that much of the story didn't make sense yet. I'm sure in a few issues Geoff will have things running smoothly... Heh heh, I said "running smoothly" in a Flash review!
-We open with some unidentified character returning to the spot where Barry Allen gained his speed powers way back when. This mystery person kills a couple of cops, splashes himself with chemicals and gets himself struck by lightning, identically how it happened to Barry(well, without the cop killing!).
-We find out that Bart(Kid Flash)Allen returned to the present after the events of Legion of 3 Worlds, and that he isn't exactly pleased that Barry has returned from the Speed Force. He feels(as do I)that Wally West is the Flash and that Wally has more than proven himself.
-Barry meets Hal Jordan at the Flash museum and Barry reveals that he himself isn't exactly overly pleased that he is back from the Speed Force. Barry can't understand why the Speed Force released him and not the other speedsters trapped there. Hal tries to reason with Barry, but Barry is pretty fatalistic and tells Hal that he won't be attending any of the events being thrown in honor of his return. With that he leaves Hal in the dust.
-This issue ends with Barry literally running into Savitar, who has apparently escaped from the Speed Force just like Barry did. Barry grabs Savitar's arm to stop him and Savitar disintegrates into dust. As Savitar dies(?), all of the other speedsters get struck by some kind of strange feedback which fells them. Barry is left trying to figure out what the hell just happened.
OK, before I say anything about this comic, I have to state for the record I am NOT happy that Barry Allen has returned. Wally West is my Flash, and I was quite pleased that Bart hit upon that in this issue. Barry died in a very noble fashion, and even said that he had no unfinished business. He really didn't! He helped save the world and he left a very skilled protege behind to carry on his legacy. Mission accomplished, right? I guess not...
The story here was a bit all over the place, which with the circumstances kind of makes sense. Not only is Barry back from the "dead", but so is Bart, and Barry has no excuse for his return except for "I don't know". I found Barry to be kind of unlikable here as well. He was pretty standoffish, and a bit annoying. You'd think getting a second chance at life would at least make the guy crack a smile...
I did enjoy Bart's part in this comic, which should come as no real surprise, since I am an unabashed fan of Bart, and I have been since his Impulse days. I liked the fact that Bart was pissed that Barry came back and not the other speedsters trapped in the Speed Force. It seemed to me that Bart was specifically upset that Max Mercury didn't get a second chance. For those not in the know, Max basically raised Bart after Bart arrived from the future, so I'm glad Geoff Johns touched on that potential bone of contention between Barry and Bart.
For a score, I'll give this comic a 7 1/2 out of 10. This series is obviously still in the early stages, so I can forgive the fact that much of the story didn't make sense yet. I'm sure in a few issues Geoff will have things running smoothly... Heh heh, I said "running smoothly" in a Flash review!
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Superman: World of New Krypton #3
-We open with Supes and the New Kryptonian military guild surrounding the building where members of the labor guild(think slaves)have taken the leader of New Krypton(Alura)hostage. General Zod wants to execute a bunch of innocent labor guild members to show the labor guild members holding Alura hostage that he means business. Supes convinces Zod to allow him to speak with the leaders of the hostage taking, where he can hopefully end the standoff without any casualties.
-Supes goes inside and speaks to the leader of the uprising. The head hostage taker explains to Supes that all he wants is equal rights for his guild. After Alura hears what the hostage taker has to say she tells him she will think about what he said, which is at least a start. From there, the hostage taker surrender to Supes.
-As Supes is leading the leader of the hostage taking out, one of Zod's soldiers tries to shoot the guy, but Supergirl manages to intercept the bullet before it could do any harm.
-Zod disciplines Commander Gor, the soldier who took the shot, which causes Gor to blame Supes for his misfortune. The next day, Gor challenges Supes to a fight, but Supes blows him off. Gor attacks Supes from behind, but Supes still doesn't fight back. Zod arrives on the scene and orders the two to fight in order to settle their issues. Gor gets a few early shots in on Supes, but ultimately Supes humiliates Gor. Upon finishing with Gor, Supes looks skyward and finds Hal Jordan, John Stewart and Ion from the Green Lantern Corps looking to ask him some questions about New Krypton.
Damn do I love this series! I have to say, Greg Rucka and James Robinson are doing an excellent job on the story in this series. Besides a great story, the characters are all very well done as well. Supes is just awesome here, and all of the secondary characters, from Zod to Alura are interesting in their own ways. The arrival of the Green Lanterns should make this series even better, which is really saying something. For a score, I'll give this issue a 9 1/2 out of 10. This really was a wonderful comic with a great story and a hook at the end that leaves me eagerly anticipating more!
-Supes goes inside and speaks to the leader of the uprising. The head hostage taker explains to Supes that all he wants is equal rights for his guild. After Alura hears what the hostage taker has to say she tells him she will think about what he said, which is at least a start. From there, the hostage taker surrender to Supes.
-As Supes is leading the leader of the hostage taking out, one of Zod's soldiers tries to shoot the guy, but Supergirl manages to intercept the bullet before it could do any harm.
-Zod disciplines Commander Gor, the soldier who took the shot, which causes Gor to blame Supes for his misfortune. The next day, Gor challenges Supes to a fight, but Supes blows him off. Gor attacks Supes from behind, but Supes still doesn't fight back. Zod arrives on the scene and orders the two to fight in order to settle their issues. Gor gets a few early shots in on Supes, but ultimately Supes humiliates Gor. Upon finishing with Gor, Supes looks skyward and finds Hal Jordan, John Stewart and Ion from the Green Lantern Corps looking to ask him some questions about New Krypton.
Damn do I love this series! I have to say, Greg Rucka and James Robinson are doing an excellent job on the story in this series. Besides a great story, the characters are all very well done as well. Supes is just awesome here, and all of the secondary characters, from Zod to Alura are interesting in their own ways. The arrival of the Green Lanterns should make this series even better, which is really saying something. For a score, I'll give this issue a 9 1/2 out of 10. This really was a wonderful comic with a great story and a hook at the end that leaves me eagerly anticipating more!
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