BATMAN #44 DC COMICS
The road to the wedding begins! While Bruce sleeps, Selina goes out for an early morning stroll to try on wedding dresses and remember the good and bad times between her and her husband to be. Tom King’s script reminds us why this couple has managed to stay together over the decades as we start at their very first encounter in Batman #1 (1940) and does a fine job of picking key moments in their relationship and that is the reason this works. King ignores big earth shattering events that the two have been through and focus on more heart-filled moments. Mikel Janin and Joelle Jones’s art also merges with the times and the costumes of the past to highlight those moments. I only hope that Bruce and Selina are given a chance to enjoy some life together. Weddings in the DC Universe don’t have the best track record, so I am hoping the powers that be will give us a little of that married couple comradery with Clark and Lois that has been touched upon in the recent past. I give it 9 out of 10 Grahams.
CURSE OF BRIMSTONE #1 DC COMICS
The New Age of Heroes continues to be less than impressive. With the possibility of a link to the old Legends mini-series character Brimstone, this new title brings very little to the table. In a story that reads like a version of the Devil came down to Georgia, a mysterious stranger shows up in an old forgotten town and grants a desperate young man the power to change his circumstances and help his friends and family. Obviously this kid has never seen an episode of the Twilight Zone or read any number of cautionary tales. He just shakes on the deal without asking any questions. None of the characters are especially likeable and at the end of part one, all we have is a human embodiment of fire questioning why he signed on the dotted line. This is a character that would have fit right in with the old DC multi-crossover Bloodlines event years ago. Unfortunately, that isn’t saying much. I give it a 4 out of 10 Grahams.
INCOGNEGRO RENAISSANCE #3 BERGER BOOKS
Mat Johnson’s Harlem Mystery continues to build as it entertains. Zane Pinchback, reporter at large is finally breaking through and making some friends to lead him to the story. Zane remains a likable character on a par with Kolchak. He’s trying to find the truth for his story even though the rest of the world (the police, his bosses, and the people involved don’t want to know the truth.) And tied up with Warren Pleece’s beautiful black and white art, the book is also good to look at. This is one of those books that nobody reads until it is recommended by someone. So this is me recommending this little gem to you. I give it 8 out of 10 Grahams.
DISNEY PRINCESS #17 JOE BOOKS LTD.
The collaboration between Joe Books and Disney continues to present a unique comic. The comic strip style. All your favorites appear along with their secondary casts. This is a wonderful title for both adult and children readers. What more needs to be said. What we have here is some good clean fun for the family. I give it a 7 out of 10 Grahams.
DOCTOR STAR AND THE KINGDOM OF LOST TOMORROWS #2 DARK HORSE
Like a textbook example of the different stages of loss, Doctor Star issue 2 takes us out of the sad mourning phase and plops us into the anger. Doctor Star’s son is dying and his family wants nothing to do with him. With his family against him, he turns to his old friends but too much time has passed and while sympathetic don’t do much to calm him down. Meanwhile, he is given the chance to recall his pride and arrogance which lead him to this disastrous fate. His anger leads him to realize that he must save his son. Again, this is a fascinating read and something to recommend. I give it an 8 out of 10 Grahams.
Just a reminder to everyone that C2E2 is this weekend. Swing by the Graham Crackers Booth for some excellent deals and say hi as I’ll be there from like 11 to 1pm Friday-Sunday. I’ll be handing out pearls of wisdom, making some recommendations, and generally causing chaos so please drop by. See you all there!
