Hellblazer #288

Huh, check out how high in my comic pile this series has climbed... That just goes to show you what a good job Peter Milligan has been doing with the story here, especially the current story.

Hellblazer #288:

Summary: This issue opens up with Constantine's drunken father-in-law(and notorious mobster) trying to convince Constantine's niece to go to a restaurant with him. Gemma turns Terry down, which leads to him tossing an empty bottle of vodka through Gemma's window. Meanwhile in Hell, Constantine meets up with the First of the Fallen, an uber-powerful demon, and asks the First to allow his sister to leave Hell. The First demands a trade, so Constantine offers up his own soul, which the First scoffs at, since it was Constantine's soul, and it was already tarnished. Instead, the First asks Constantine to agree to the Devil's Wager, which Constantine reluctantly agrees to... What is the Devil's Wager you ask? If Constantine can't convince his sister to leave Hell, then the First gets the soul of Constantine's wife, Epiphany. Back on Earth, Epiphany warns her drunken father to leave Gemma alone, which just serves to piss Terry off even more. After leaving her father, Epiphany is met by the First, who tells her that Constantine had wagered her soul in Hell. The First tells Epiphany that he really didn't want her soul, but wanted the soul of her father instead. That scene ends with the First telling Epiphany that if she promised the soul of her own father to him, her soul would be safe regardless of how Constantine faired in Hell... Back in Hell, Constantine manages to reach his sister and convince her to leave Hell(since she was only there voluntarily)... But with a catch... It turns out Constantine's sister had a child when she was a teenager, and left the baby boy in front of a hospital. Constantine's sister forces Constantine to swear that he would search for this mystery child and see that he was okay. Constantine makes that pledge to his sister, and she agrees to leave Hell, thereby allowing Constantine to defeat the First and win the Devil's Wager. The First congratulates Constantine on his victory, and tells Constantine that he knew Constantine's fingers were crossed when he made the promise to his sister... HA!! Regardless of how he did it, Constantine tells the First that his sister agreed to leave Hell, and as such Epiphany's soul was safe. The First leaves, but not before telling Constantine that there were consequences to making false promises in Hell... This issue ends with the drunken Terry breaking into Gemma's home and brutalizing her.

Thoughts: This was a really, really good comic! Seriously, the story, the art, the pacing of the story, the way Milligan switched scenes, it all made for a great read. Plus, we now know that Constantine has a nephew out there somewhere. And with how messed up the rest of his family is, who knows how screwed up this nephew is! There were a few things I didn't touch on in the review because they really didn't add anything to the story, such as Constantine meeting up with his evil double again, and seeing the bedroom where he was born, but those little touches REALLY helped set the scene of just how fucked up Hell was. Needless to say, I am REALLY looking forward to seeing what happens next between Constantine and Epiphany, Terry and Gemma(and eventually Constantine), as well as Constantine and this nephew of his.

Score: 8 1/2 out of 10.

Good old Constantine...

X-Factor #232

The first comic I'll be reading this week with the letter “X” in the title is X-Factor. Which is probably the best series I read monthly with an “X” in it. After that pointless little aside, let's see what went on in this comic.

X-Factor #232:

Summary: This issue begins with Madrox running away from Dormammu, who has apparently succeeded in killing Dr. Strange and the Madrox from the dimension Madrox was currently trapped in. Upon getting outside, Madrox is confronted by a hellish looking version of Manhattan, overrun by demons and the like. Before Madrox can get over the shock of what he was seeing, Dormammu attacks him and goes through Madrox's mind, learning that this Madrox wasn't the same as the Madrox from his dimension. Before Dormammu can kill poor Madrox off(again!), Madrox is possessed by the spirit of that dimension's Dr. Strange, who manages to defeat Dormammu. With Dormammu's threat taken care of, dead Dr. Strange offers to return Madrox to his rightful dimension. Unfortunately, being dead and all, Strange's magic is kind of unpredictable, and while creating the portal, Madrox is stabbed in the head and dies... Again! HA!! Fortunately for Madrox, he falls INTO the portal, and returns to his proper body in the 616 Marvel Universe, where he is met by a overjoyed Layla Miller, who proceeds to have sex with Madrox(!?). This issue ends by showing us the results of alternate Strange's botched spell, as we find Wolfbane's evil daughter, evil Deathlok-Cap and... well, evil Dormammu appearing where Madrox died, thoroughly confused as to why they weren't in their proper dimensions.

Thoughts: This was a good, quick, fun read. It ended with Madrox returning to his proper universe(finally!) and also brought a few of the characters he encountered on his trek through the multiverse along with him. There's not all that much more I can add here. As usual, this was a very solid read.

Score: 7 1/2 out of 10.

So long, Dread Lord!

Red Hood and the Outlaws #6

One more comic on tap for tonight, and, to be 100% honest, I'm not sure why it's this high up in my comic pile... I mean I'm a huge fan of the Red Hood and all, but going by the past 5 issues, I can't imagine this issue will score over a 7... Oh well, let's cross our fingers and hope for the best.

Red Hood and the Outlaws #6:

Summary: This issue is exactly what it says on the cover, the first meeting between Jason Todd and Starfire... I bet you can guess how it ends! Anyway, Jason destroys a submarine that was trying to smuggle a nuke into Miami. He's knocked out by the explosion and is found by Starfire, who nurses him back to health. Jason rapidly realizes that Starfire knew Nightwing(really well!) after she offers him some of Dick's old clothes. Jason declines Nightwing's duds, and instead decides to wear pants that look strangely like Lex Luthor's. From there, Jason reveals his connection to Dick and Batman to Starfire, who doesn't care. The two presumably sleep together(a lot I'd imagine), before Jason sees a news report that stated that Arsenal was going to be killed by terrorists in Qurac. With that, Jason and Starfire head off to save Roy.

Thoughts: Eh. This was what it was, a filler issue... BUT, it was one of those rare cases where, while it was a filler issue(as evidenced by the fact that it wasn't scripted by series writer, Scott Lobdell), it was a filler issue that helped fill us in on some of the past of the new DCU... Which is something ALL of the DC books should consider doing! We get to see Jason as Robin interacting with Nightwing, we get to see Starfire, Nightwing and Arsenal working together, we get to see Nightwing and Starfire together, we get to see the meeting between Jason and Batman after Jason's return to life, and more! And all of this is shown in little flashback sequences. Yeah, the Jason/Starfire stuff on the island offered nothing in the grand scheme of things since we knew a) they'd become intimate at some point, and b) they'd end up heading off to rescue Arsenal in the end. But those little flashback scenes made this issue well worth a read since it actually shined some light on the murky darkness that most of the DCU's past contains.

Score: 7 out of 10.

I'd REALLY like to read the storyline where Jason returns and attacks Bats in the post-reboot DCU...

Invincible Iron Man #513

First up today is Iron Man. This issue should continue advancing the Mandarin's plans, while making Tony Stark's life a living hell... In other words, good stuff!

Invincible Iron Man #513:

Summary: Iron Man attacks the Dreadnoughts that were attacking the Three Gorges Dam in China, hoping to prevent the Dreadnoughts from destroying the dam and flooding the surrounding countryside. IM is soon joined by the Dynasty, which is the Chinese equivalent of the Avengers. IM and the Dynasty do what they can, but the Dreadnoughts change their strategy up and begin simply slamming into the dam, blowing themselves up while inflicting massive damage to the dam. War Machine arrives on the scene to assist and joins in the fight against the Dreadnoughts, at least until the Dynasty get word from the Chinese government that the heroes were all to vacate the area so the Chinese military could attack. IM naturally doesn't want to leave, since that would allow the Dreadnoughts to destroy the dam before the Chinese military arrived, but War Machine reminds IM that they were in China, and as such, had to obey the way the Chinese wanted to handle the attack. With that, IM grabs the head of a Dreadnought and heads towards a US military airplane to head back to the States. Before boarding, IM decides he wanted to fly back to the US alone to help clear his head, but is told by War Machine that the US government was requesting(actually demanding) that IM return to the US to be questioned regarding his recent actions. With nothing else to do on the flight home, IM dissects the Dreadnought head and upon studying it, realizes that it had been created using a combination of Stane and Mandarin technology, meaning two of IM's worst enemies had banded together against him. Speaking of Stane and the Mandarin, they prepare the second phase of their plan against Iron Man, and this issue ends with the Mandarin addressing 11(!!) of Iron Man's foes.

Thoughts: Wooo, poor old Tony is getting it from all sides, isn't he?! This was a really enjoyable comic that moved along at a very brisk pace. Once again, Tony basically failed against a threat, which, again, left him looking poorly in the eyes of the world. Add what should be a tongue-lashing(if not something more severe) upcoming from General Babbage, as well as the Mandarin preparing to launch the second phase of his operation to destroy Tony, and the next issue should be chock full of awesomeness.

Score: 8 out of 10.

War Machine is so awesome! He really needs a series of his own! Oh wait......

JT's Take: Catwoman #6

Hey everyone, JT here again with another review that you won't get from my blogging counterpart. :P This time I'm gonna review Judd Winick's Catwoman series, which I've enjoyed since the beginning, let's see if this issue kept up the trend.

Catwoman #6

Summary: We kick things off with Catwoman in a holding cell with some crooked GCPD officers, asking where's the dirty money she stole from the electric powered super-villain known as Reach. The officers leave as Reach beats the hell out of a handcuffed Catwoman, before asking her where the money is, and when she gets too close, Selina pulls a Mike Tyson and bites off Reach's ear. This of course leads to a pissed off Reach about to skin our favorite Cat until a clean police officer saves Catwoman and lets her go free, before the crooked cops return. During her escape with the cash, Catwoman is stopped by Batman who tells her to return the stolen money, but she refuses. This leads to a knock-down, drag-out fight between The Bat and The Cat until Batman finally yells at her and asks how long she thinks he can keep letting her get away with this, and if she wants to die from all of her stupid risks. Surprisingly Catwoman replies with "Maybe I do!" which stuns and surprises Batman. He backs away and lets Catwoman continue her escape, as she finds her friend Gwen, a woman that fences stolen goods, and reveals to her that she's Catwoman and she needs her help as this issue comes to a close.


Thoughts: I think Judd Winick did a great job on this issue, we've seen that the GCPD is crooked but Catwoman has at least one officer willing to help her, we saw more of Reach who I really enjoy as Catwoman's main villain, as it looks to be heating up even more since Reach got her ear bit off. I loved that scene because it showed how ruthless Catwoman can become when backed into a corner, which is a great thing to have in a character. I also really enjoyed the scene with Batman, as you can see he does care about Catwoman more than just a sex-partner and he wants to help someone that just doesn't want help, and you really got a feel for that during their argument. I also want to point out how great Guillem March's artwork was, he drew the fights great and the action really translated, and I really like how he draws Reach, she comes off as a big, thick, hoss of a woman who looks a bit like an Amazon, so she definitely looks like an intimidating factor, I really hope we see more of her. He also did an amazing job on the expressions of Catwoman and the rest of the cast. If there was anything I didn't enjoy is that the end seemed a bit anti-climactic with Selina running to Gwen and telling her who she was, especially after losing her last friend so soon, but I guess it makes sense considering she has dirty money she's going to need laundered now.

Score: 8.5 out of 10.
Batman: Put the money down. It's caused you enough trouble.
Catwoman: This? This is just laundry.

Batman #6

The final review for tonight? Hows about the comic that was ALMOST my Pick of the Litter this week, Scott Snyder's Batman. After the last issue, I'm extremely intrigued to see what Snyder has up his sleeve for this issue...

Batman #6:

Summary: Having stabbed Batman last issue, Talon asks the Court of Owls what should be done with Bats, and the Court declares that Bats should be beaten some more. With that, Talon beats the ever-loving hell out of Bats, at which time the Court members come over to the fallen Batman to... um, take his bones? Bats says hell no to that noise and attacks Talon, pummeling him and leaving him beaten and broken. With that taken care of, Bats warns the Owls that they were now on his radar before blowing a hole in the ground and falling into the river below. The Court of Owls arrive at the site of Batman's escape and decide to dispose of Talon since he had failed them so spectacularly. They also decide to activate the other Talons, as we learn that they had a small army of Talons. As for Batman, he's too weak to get out of the river, and presumably drowns.

Thoughts: Um, what the hell just happened here? Seriously, I wasn't sure what was real and what wasn't in this issue... The first Court of Owls had to be fake since they, you know, literally looked like owls. I have no idea why Batman suddenly looked like a demon, especially since it was Batman who had been drugged... I guess he saw himself as a giant demonic bat? For some reason? I don't know... For as much as I liked the originality of the last issue, I disliked the insanity of this one.

Score: 6 out of 10.

So Batman is some kind of demonic animal now? Huh.

Winter Soldier #2

First review of the new week is my Pick of the Litter, Winter Soldier #2. The first issue was quite good, and I'm expecting Ed Brubaker to continue building this story towards greatness.

Winter Soldier #2:

Summary: Picking up from last issue, Bucky and the Black Widow are unable to capture the Red Ghost's super-ape, as it has a jetpack and manages to fly to safety... Yes, really. Widow and Bucky head back to SHIELD to reveal what they discovered(that the Red Ghost was obviously involved with the Soviet Sleepers), and learn that one of the Sleepers made an attempt on Dr. Doom's life in front of the Latverian Embassy in Manhattan. Needless to say, Doom is not pleased, and after some discussion, Bucky and the Widow realize that the attempt on Doom's life was so crude that it was meant to fail, which means whoever was behind the hit wanted Doom good and angry first. Meanwhile, Nick Fury learns the location of the auction where the three Soviet Sleepers were sold, which is where Bucky and Widow head to(in disguise naturally). The two sit through the auction for a while to see who was around and what was being sold, before springing into action and capturing the auctioneer. Bucky demands to know who brought the activation codes for the Sleepers, and is told an older Russian(presumably the Red Ghost). The auctioneer also reveals that the person who brought the activation codes also brought a Doombot... This issue ends with Lucia Von Bardas(the woman responsible for the hit on Doom) and one of the Sleepers looking over the Doombot.

Thoughts: This comic wasn't bad or anything... But it's obvious we're still in the building stages of this story. Bucky learned a few little crumbs of information this issue(such as the Red Ghost's involvement, the Doombot being purchased, etc), but is still ways away from being able to put the entire puzzle together. Thus far nobody has any idea Von Bardas is involved here in any way shape or form. And I doubt anybody will know of Von Bardas's plot against Doom until Bucky and the Widow are able to get their hands on the Red Ghost. So while this wasn't the most exciting comic I've ever read, it did do a good job laying the groundwork for the future.

Score: 7 out of 10.

Yup, once the monkey's start flying away, I think it's safe to say this is the worst mission ever.

New Comic Day! February 15th edition

Hey there X-Maniacs, it's Wednesday, and as such, it's time for me to bust out another New Comic Day post! This is the third Wednesday of the month, meaning I'm probably going to be getting more than my preferred 13 comics... Let's see just how much I go over that number by... Batman #6, Hellblazer #288, Nightwing #6, Red Hood and the Outlaws #6, Supergirl #6, Amazing Spider-Man #679.1, Avengers #22, Daredevil #9, Fear Itself: The Fearless #9, Invincible Iron Man #513, Thunderbolts #170, Ultimate X-Men #7, Venom #13.2, Winter Solider #2, Wolverine #301, X-Factor #232... So 16 books this week... And you know what? I'm sad to say there are a lot of comics sitting in front of me that I'm not all that keen on reading. This week's Runt of the Litter is going to be a tough one to choose... Before we get to the Runt though, let's see which book is my Pick of the Litter, and will be the first comic I read this week... Hmm, that honor goes to Winter Soldier #2... It's either that or Batman, as the rest of the books I have are either books I'm not that excited for or am downright dreading. Now, the Runt of the Litter is WAY harder to choose this week... After some thought though, this week's Runt is, and it HURTS me to type this out, Nightwing #6. After the debacle that was the past two issues, I have ZERO confidence in this series. There were a lot of other books that were Runt-worthy, including Avengers, Venom, Wolverine, and Red Hood and the Outlaws. Since I have 16 books to review this week, I'll probably have 5 days of 2 reviews, and 2 days with 3 reviews... I have no idea which two days will get those extra reviews, it will basically depend on when I have myself some spare time. As for tonight, I'll definitely have reviews for Winter Soldier #2 and Batman #6 up, probably very late. And that's that. Until later on tonight, X out.