JSA #14 DC COMICS
Writer Jeff Lemire’s JSA Year One story continues and is amazing spot on for what it is. As individual stories begin to merge together, each adding to the other. Lemire handles this like an old school 1970’s DC writer. While the Sandman and Hourman investigate Starco, the Flash finds his investigation of some Fifth Columnists plot to blow up tunnels under Gotham overlapping with the Green Lantern trying to find out why his old friend was killed. Along with a certain Detective Jim Corrigan! And we get to check in with Wonder Woman as she decides to allow the Atom to join her as she tracks more Fifth Columnists waiting for a plane to arrive. And it just so happens that Hawkman and Hawkgirl are getting ready to follow the plane from it origin point. This is a complex, well handled, and fast moving pace. Throw in some great cameos and you’ve got the full package! 9 out of 10 Grahams.
DETECTIVE COMICS #66 FACSIMILE EDITION DC COMICS
Call me a rebel but it was always the secondary characters in Detective Comics that made it worth reading. Especially by issue #66. And while the Batman story does introduce us to the first incarnation of Two-Face, one Harvey ‘Apollo’ Kent. But once you get past that, you are in for a treasure trove of Golden Age goodness! Simon and Kirby’s Boy Commandos, the Crimson Avenger and Wing, Bart Regan – Spy, Air Wave and Static, and Slam Bradley! These characters were the true backbone of this comic. And lets not forget the one-page characters such as Jerry the Jitterbug and Don and Nancy Magicians. And check out the ads! This one has it all. 9 out of 10 Grahams.
GODZILLA #5 IDW PUBLISHING
Well, after five issues, we are getting more Godzilla but I still can’t get on board with this title. The King of the Monsters newest opponent Yacumama isn’t much to speak of. And the story continues to get more and more confusing with Godzilla taking power from humanity and there being an Anti-Kai-sei? Plus having Jet Jaguar being like a Kajui version of Bumblebee from the Transformers movie speaking only in song is downright annoying. With Marvel turning Godzilla into Venom, or trying to escape the Deadzone or popping into a history lesson told by pirates, it seems like the King of the Monsters just can’t get any respect. 4 out of 10 Grahams.
LIMITED COLLECTORS’ EDITION #43 FACSIMILE EDITION
DC Comics brings us some holiday flashbacks and since we are in December, I guess it’s ok. From 1972 until 1978, Marvel and DC were fascinated with variations on comics. Oversized cersions were just one such experiment. A few of them were offered during holiday seasons, the biggest being Christmas. And they could be filled with just about anything as this volume shows. Starting out with a Golden Age Superman story with the Man of Steel helping Santa deliver presents. A heart warming sing-along featuring Batman and the artwork of Neal Adams and Dick Giordano. Cain deliving a holiday tale from the House of Mystery. The Golden Age Wonder Woman saves Little Teddy for the holiday and finishes off with a tale of Santa with the Golden Age Sandman and Sandy. Plus, you get things you normally didn’t get in a regular comic. Puzzles, sing-alongs, special season greetings from not only the DC Super-Heroes but the Editors of the DC Comics including Julie “Ah! Bean Soup!” Schwartz, Denny O’Neil, E Nelson Bridwell, among others. And while I definitely can appreciate the nostalgia value, I can’t help but notice a few flaws in the Facsimile Edition. This new version is a bit smaller than it’s original and the coloring on the cover is off. The original cover had a darker pine green backround and the inking was darker making the characters and the scene of the house much more pronounced. 9 out of 10 Grahams.
You be the judge.