BATMAN THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #4 DC COMICS
Well, it was bound to happen. Batman the Brave and the Bold has finally tipped the scales with more Batman than Brave or Bold. Oh, we still have some Stormwatch and an Amanda Waller/Emilia Harcourt story but that’s much of a team up book. And while I know I have been complaining about this for a few issues, Issue #4 really jumps the shark for me by including a Batman story that turns out to be a lead in to yet another Batman title, Batman Beyond: Neo-Gothic. And the Stormwatch story seems to be a tie-in to the Dark Terrors story line. This really is the final straw. C’mon DC! Two-thirds of your monthly output is Batman titles. Heck, you’ve even managed to work Batman into the new JSA series as a big player. Which is a shame because the stories being told here are rather well done. When you guys can come up with a real team-up book, call me. Until then its a 6 out of 10 Grahams here.
ROCKETEER IN THE DEN OF THIEVES #2 IDW COMICS
It’s always a joy when someone really gets a character. And it is apparent that Stephen Mooney knows his Rocketeer. Cliff is annoyed and apparently helpless. Peevy’s been kidnapped and sent to Berlin. Betty’s on the prowl and the US Government isn’t all that helpful. All in the perfect blend and it doesn’t hurt that David Messina’s art is a great version of the characters. If you like the Rocketeer, either the comic or the movie version, this is right up your alley. 9 out of 10 Grahams.
KAMEN AMERICA VOLUME 5 ANTARCTIC PRESS
This wonderful not so little independant doesn’t get the credit is is due. A sort of mash up of superheroes and Anime, Timothy Lim and Mark Pellegrini put forward some interesting concepts under a cover of various anime art styles. As the ranks of the Kamen Corps grows, featuring Kamen Victory, Kamen Ramen, Kamen Comet, and Kamen America, so do their troubles. In the world of the Kamen Corps, there is always someone behind the scenes. And while the girls are fighting the good fight, sometimes things go sideways. And much like the modern world, the public that was cheering you on in the beginning of the story can be giving you grief by the end. With a rather uneven release schedule, this one is worth seeking out. I give it an 8 out of 10 Grahams.
IMMORTAL THOR #1 MARVEL COMICS
Not sure what Marvel was thinking here but the first few pages of this new Thor title are confusing as heck. Multiple mini box logos on the cover? (Although the John Romita tribute was nice.) 2 pages of tribute, followed by a house ad, followed by a one page quote, followed by another house ad, and then the story starts. I honestly thought when I flipped this open that I had scooped up a Marvel Previews ad by mistake. All of which prove very distracting to Al Ewing’s tale of a varient Loki and a varient Thor who are out to shatter the world. And with Martin Coccolo’s grim artwork and Matthew Wilson’s brightest brights and darkest darks, this really is something to look at. And while this is nothing new in a Thor book, the fact that Ewing seems to have dealt out a few of the false starts that have occurred. While still King, this is the Thor we all know and love. And with the Warriors Three (oops sorry!) Warriors Four and the Lady Sif by his side this one may have some traction. Being hopefully optimistic, I give it an 8 out of 10 Grahams.
