SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN #1 DC COMICS
I have always been a fan of Jimmy Olsen having his own title. But newer visions of Superman’s Pal have not always stayed true to his nature. Back in the day, several of the Supeman Family had their own titles (although I was alway annoyed that DC never gave Superman’s Boss, Perry White his own title!) The good news is that this little spin off generated due to the Event Leviathan storyline doesn’t immediately bury us in that storyline. A little history lesson, some body transformations, and a lot of behind the scenes fun at the Daily Planet made this a good read. It was good to see Jimmy Olsen being the Jimmy we all remember and love. The Man of Action who can’t help but look like a little boy in a tuxedo. Old and new fans alike will enjoy this one. I give it an 8 out of 10 Grahams.
INVADERS #7 MARVEL COMICS
Holy Flashbacks of the Marvel Civil War movie, just replace Bucky with Namor. This series is not so much an Invaders book but more of a Marvel Universe book featuring the heroes who used to be the Invaders. And while an arguement could be made here that the inclusion of Iron Man here could be a throwback to the Iron Man/Sub-Mariner one shot that took place when Marvel decided to split up their anthology books back in the sixies, I’m not believing it. However, I will admit that some of the dialog between Cap, Tony, and Bucky is kind of funny. I give it a 6 out of 10 Grahams.
VAMPIRELLA #1 DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
Dang it! I keep hoping for a Vampirella reboot that I can really enjoy. And while the multiple covers are AMAZING by such artists as FranK Cho, Alex Ross, and Nathan Szerdy, I find the story to be nothing new. With the help of an undead guy, a crotchity psychiatrist, and Vampirella’s Mom (?), writer Christopher Priest appears to be trying to sort though the multiple origins of Vampirella and truthfully I think he’s bitten (pun totally intended!) off more than he can chew. Since the ending of her black and white adventures in the pages of her Warren magaine, so many people have tried to work with this toothy vixen and failed. The problem is that with each new update, the changes might seem clever at the time but quickly become a confussing mess. This is one of those rare cases where a full blown return to basics reboot might be the only way to go. I give it a 6 out of 10 Grahams.
VAMPIRELLA MAGAZINE #1 FACSIMILE EDITION DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
This is the real Vampirella! I don’t care if the is a replica edition or not. Ackerman & Sutton must have known they had a winner here. The funny part is that as this book shows, Vampirella was more story hostess than full blown action/horror strip. Sutton’s art highlights the cute sexy nature of the character more than anything. And the initial story, the crashed human manned spaceship is little more than a reason for funny one-liners. I don’t think anyone realized how Vampirella was going to turn into a cultural icon after just a few issues. But the real fun here is the various short stories here illustrated by such names as Neal Adams, Ernie Colon, Reed Crandall. A wonderful example of a magazine my mother refused to let me read. (Did it anyway!) I give it a 10 out of 10 Grahams!
SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS #2 DARK HORSE COMICS
Cecil Castellucci’s story still stays true to the original movie and Gabriele Bagnoli’s art is a total joy to see. The art falls somewhere between Disney animation and a mild form of anime which proves to be absolutely charming. This is definately a great way to introduce children into reading. I give it a 9 out of 10 Grahams.
MOON MAID #2 AMERICAN MYTHOLOGY
Writer Christopher Mills continues to channel his Burroughs with this title. The best part of this story is it’s simplicity. This does come off like a flashback to the days of paperback adventures and Saturday morning serials. Attractive woman follows a path to danger and adventure making friends and enemies as she goes. Simple, entertaining, and just plain fun. And with Gabriel Rearte’s art bringing the Moon Maid to life, you really can’t go wrong. I give it an 8 out of 10 Grahams.
