Have things spiraled out of control for the Lost Tribe on Kesh? GONK reviews this week’s Star Wars comic offering, the last issue of Lost Tribe of the Sith: Spiral. (more…)

This week was (relatively) light for me, comic wise, but it was made up of quality to make up for lack of quantity. We had so many great issues this week, that’s I’m not going to give any one book Pick of the Week status, because I couldn’t choose! Here’s what I thought about comics, this week. Feel free to agree, disagree, or send me money, I’m easy.

Kevin Keller #6: I really wish this book was monthly. While it’s a little far-fetched that George Takei would visit Riverdale due to Kevin’s essay, the actual message of this issue, one of  tolerance, diversity and equality brought a tear to my eye. This book is great.

Action Comics #15: If you define Grant Morrison by his boundless imagination and high concepts, this is the issue for you. The New 52 version of Mr. Mxyzptlk is awesome. I don’t know if his status quo is going to let me be a recurring nuisance for Superman, but I really hope so.

Doctor Who #3: An adventure with Rory and the Doctor while Amy is on holiday!  Will they be buddies, are kill each other? The jury’s still out on that, but the voices of the characters in this book is pitch-perfect, and I’ll continue to pick it up.

Thunderbolts #1: I wasn’t sure if I’d like this book, as I’m not a big fan of anti-heroes, but this was compelling enough to get me to continue reading. We also learn the only way to get Frank Castle to be a team player. Hint: It ain’t pretty.

Detective Comics #15: Pretty interesting that the New 52 Clayface is the original Basil Karlo version. It’s kind of funny that going back to the original after so long is actually a fresh take at this point. Also, Emperor Penguin is a bit on the nose, but Ozzie will clip that bird’s wings for sure soon.

Human Bomb #1: Oh, he’s a human bomb so obviously we have to tie it into terrorism in our post 9-11 world. Despite me hating that aspect of the story, the rest was actually pretty interesting. I want to know why there are human bombs. I’ll pick up the next issue.

All New X-Men #3: I like this series better when it focuses more on the original team, and not Cyclops’ Wackos or whatever they call themselves. You can’t have one without the other though, and it looks like they’ll actually confront each other next issue, so it had that going for it.

Avenging Spider-Man #15: 8 year-old me loves this book. Devil Dinosaur versus Demon Dinosaur with Spidey mixed in? Yes please. I did enjoy this issue more than the last, but it probably could have been a done in one.

Dial H #7: I love the off-kilter superheroes that show up in these pages. Daffodil Host? That gets a bwah-ha-ha from me. The new conflict is set up this issue and it takes place in Littleville, setting of the original DIal H stories. I still hope it means Robbie Reed shows up, but if not, the book is good enough on its own.

TMNT Color Classics Micro Series #2  Michaelangelo: A Christmas-themed reprint of one of the earliest TMNT stories. I know Mikey has the reputation for being the “party dude”, but this issue proves he’s also the heart and soul of the TMNT. Also, Klunk is awesome.

Earth 2 #7: Aside from the team building between Hawkwoman and Green Lantern, this issue was a near insurmountable wall of text peppered with “Hey, here’s our interpretation of Insert Golden Age Superhero Here. In other words, bleah. We do learn the fate of Mr. Terrific though, if you used to follow that series.

Amazing Spider-Man #699: So last issue, we get Ock in Pete’s body and this issue is the opposite. It raises some very interesting questions as to whether or not their whole Freaky Friday situation is making them rub off on each other. At any rate, I can’t wait for #700.

World’s Finest #7: I would definitely buy a Robin/Huntress title if it was anything like this issue. It’s a weird brother/sister dynamic, but it works. The Power Girl stuff was OK too, and it looks like Apokalips rising!

Avengers #1: I’m not sure whether I liked this book or not. It’s an admirable premise, taking the Avengers most people know from the movie and building a larger team around them, but it’s getting into the realm of Marvel’s cosmic stuff, and that’s never really done it for me. Time will tell.

Iron Man #3: We continue Tony hunting down rogue Extremis in this issue with an interesting, humanizing twist. You still get a cool battle scene, and some seriously kickass newtype Iron Man armor as well. Also, it may have been a one off joke, but I seriously want to see a superstar Doombot DJing in Latveria.

Invincible #98: The blurb on the cover calls this story The Death of Everyone. Reading it, it looks like not only is that not hyperbole, but it’s being done in a way that makes sense in the context of Invincible as a whole. Also, Mark (Invincible) Grayson makes terrible, terrible decisions.

This arc is clearly the comic relief before we get into the meat and bones of what this season is really about and the overarching arc. But I don’t care that this is a distraction. Gascon and D-Squad are still escaping with the stolen cryptography chip and making their way back to the Republic.

Everything about this arc is working for me and the humour of these episodes are firing on all cylinders. Gascon is such a likable character and the way he plays off of WAC is simply perfect.

But the humour isn’t all that’s well done in these episodes. The lighting in this episode must have been exceedingly difficult to pull off, but all of the hard work certainly paid off. The first bit of lighting effects that took my breath away was BZ’s surgery. The bits of electricity and puffs of smoke were extremely pretty. But then they were outdone by the beauty of the comets. With the droid pilot and running into the comet field, it felt very much like an homage to the original Star Tours, and the only thing that would have made it better was if Paul Ruebens was voicing WAC and he actually said, “Comets?… COMETS!”

The next homage I loved was something from Phantom Menace. One of my favorite tense but comedic moments in that film was when Artoo and the droids are sent out in the middle of the blockade to fix the shield generator. Seeing Artoo learn from those mistakes at set up the other droids as spotters was genius and played to the themes of the episode about altering programming and perspective. Perhaps that was me reading too much into things, but that’s how I saw it, any way.

As soon as they landed on the salt flats of the planet, I was instantly reminded of a more colorful THX-1138. Half of that movie plays out in a white void and it’s unsettling, working to great effect here on Gascon. This is the challenging part of the lighting, but the model painters and the lighters did a fantastic job making this entire landscape plausible.

The other thing it conjured (especially knowing the new love of Doctor Who the cast and crew has found) was the David Tennant Doctor Who special called Planet of the Dead.

And the comedy… I mentioned the comedy, right? But the heights of maudlin humour this episode reaches when WAC is almost hoping that Gascon will kill himself had me howling in laughter. Might some people find it inappropriate for the kids? Maybe. I thought it was funny. Especially since Gascon was forced to pull himself together and endure.

The only thing funnier than that were the arguments about who would lead D-Squad once Gascon offed himself.

Then, when they decide to split up and WAC remains loyal to Gascon (of course the other faction is led by Artoo), they find themselves running out of options. Then, a Jurassic Park happens. A flock of flightless birds run through the desert, scaled appropriately to Gascon as WAC as the Galimimus were to Dr. Grant and the kids. Gascon decides to trust their instincts and hop a ride to water, knowing the birds will be attracted to it.

The shots, animation, and lighting in the sequence screamed Jurassic Park and it put a smile on my face.

The episode ended mid-story and I’m quite disappointed that we’ll have to wait until next year to reach the conclusion of the arc. I’d have almost liked for them to wait on the whole arc until they came back from break. Either way, I suppose, there’s something to look forward to.

Congrats to the cast and crew for another great episode of The Clone Wars.

With the holiday feasts coming up, Darth Vader needs to purge a few Jedi from his system. GONK comes back from the dead to review this week’s Star Wars comic offering (with spoilers). (more…)

Secret Weapons is the first part of the D-Squad arc and I have to admit, it’s a wonderful setup and a great side-story to the heart of The Clone Wars. It follows a very James Bond-like storyline with a Dirty Dozen style of mission. Colonel Gascon (played quite wonderfully by Stephen Stanton) is assigned a team of droids of varying abilities and told to infiltrate the Separatist fleet to steal an encryption module so they can crack enemy cryptography. It’s the same sort of set up you saw repeatedly in James Bond films, starting with Sean Connery’s hunt for a Lektor in From Russia With Love.

Then, the team is taken to a Peter Lorre-like Doctor (played by Dee Bradley Baker) who gives them gadgets specific to their mission. Then, they’re left to carry out the assignment.

This episode is quite wisely played for laughs and charm, but it also has action and suspense elements to it that can’t help but be compelling.

Artoo, WAC (a wise-cracking screw up of a Pit Droid), and a few other astromechs (including an adorable and indispensable pink QT-KT droid) infiltrate the Seperatist fleet and go on their covert mission to steal the codes that will aid the Republic. It’s straightforward, fun, and incredibly well-lit and animated. It’s amazing how much personality can be infused into a group of faceless astromech droids and a Plankton-like colonel with a Napoleon complex when they’re arrayed against an entire army of Seperatist droids.

The lighting through the ships, on the display panels, and coming from the droids themselves is second-to-none. Even in what some might consider to be a series of throwaway episodes, the artistry on display is nothing short of jaw-dropping.

And more than anything? This episode just made me laugh. The whole way through. I’ve really enjoyed when the series gets silly now and again. Star Wars is fun. Bombad Jedi is still one of my favorite episodes. This is very much in that vain and it’s a good thing.

This episode put a smile on my face the whole way through, and that’s all you can ask for. It was good Star Wars and I’m excited to see the rest of this arc play out.

This. THIS is what I want “American Horror Story: Asylum” to be!

A cold open that involves Ian McShane shooting a Santa in cold blood? Satire that aims to do more than shock the easily shocked? Well, props to you, American Horror Story!

This episode was full of quiet horror and characters doing things that made sense, yet still offered twists that even I, the hardened grumpy viewer, did not see coming. The loose strands of hair in cheery red ribbons and half sets of dentures on the Christmas tree were brilliant and left me feeling uneasy. I applaud the restraint it must have taken to use only one large blood spatter on a greasy Santa playing with a train set instead of drenching him and throwing in a crown of thorns for good measure. The story that accompanied Arden’s gift to Demon!Eunice was nothing short of depraved and appalling, and be it from Cromwell’s matter of fact performance or the taboo nature of the subjects (genocide and poo) it does not matter. It worked.

Mm. Speaking of the crown of thorns. I have to say; yea tho’ I have missed several parallels and metaphors, I still prefer that they don’t smack me upside the face. Did Leigh (McShane) really need to make the live or die/naughty or nice comparison out loud? Did Jude really need to be literally leaning on a saint while talking to Dr. Arden? Yes, I am complaining, but it’s all in the spirit of fairness. McShane’s performance was slightly less bat-turd crazy that I would have preferred, and the presentation of a large pointy glass ornament to the patients was nothing less than laughable (“oh, that’s gonna escalate quickly”), but there was far more awesome than awful this week. Sister Jude did not return in the beast mode for which I had hoped, but each week a new event occurs that brings her closer to a full on snap of martyrdom.

The twists! I am a bit under the weather tonight and was completely blindsided by a couple of surprises. I am wont to credit the writing and performances rather than my malfunctioning brain parts, as my jaw actually dropped twice this evening. I want it to continue. Most of my fellow viewers had Monsignor Howard pegged as the uber-villain from episode two, but quickly changed our minds. The writing tonight has again made me question my side because it could honestly go anywhere from here. Last season rewarded us with a wonderful twist, and I hope the show can pull it off again. But I have to make a minor complaint of the show’s accidental telling instead of showing: If Lana isn’t pregnant I will eat not one but both of my black high-top Chuck Taylors (also, ugh, next week’s episode is called “Coat Hanger”). And I am still calling “shark jump” on this alien business.

The show is not taking a winter hiatus, which leaves me something to fill my Walking Dead/Supernatural void, and I will try to return to the show next week with a brand new attitude. This was such a fun and well done episode. Fair warning, though: The preview did not leave me doing cartwheels for the return of Dylan McDermott.

This week in comics, we have a few new number 1 issues, including the 4-color debut of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. The DCNu keeps maarching on. We also get a bunch of Marvel NOW #2’s. Can they keep up the hype from last month? Well, we’ll see. It’s time for gut reactions!

Masks #1: Even though a pulp crossover sounds like a book tailor-made for my tastes, it could easily fall flat. This thankfully does not. The fascist police thing is a bit on the nose, but the rest of the book is so spectacular, I’ll give it a pass. Also, the way they’re going to integrate Zorro, who isn’t of the same time period, is going to be genius, if they do it the way I think they are. PICK OF THE WEEK!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #16: The turtles vs. slash makes for a good fight issue. I wasn’t expecting the fallout from the battle though. Slash is much more sympathetic than I would have thought, kind of like a tragic King Kong. Also, Leo’s characterization is very well done in the aftermath.

Superman #14: I don’t know. This H’el on Earth storyline is really hit-or-miss. I did kind of like the Lois/Clark interaction, but in the new 52, I can’t buy Lois and Clark being best friends, because they’ve had maybe 20 panels together. This book is on the chopping block.

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #1: I’m not a brony, although I occasionally watch the show with my niece. This was pretty continuity-heavy for the first issue of a new book, in my opinion. I also thought the art was pretty off-model as well. I’m not the target audience for sure.

Superman Family Adventures #7: Hey, what do you know? This issue had ponies as well! These were controlled by the villainous Toyman, however! Also: The super-pets meet the bat-pets! That Bat-Cow is amazing! I still really enjoy this title.

All New X-Men #2: This issue continues with the original X-Men is the present, and it’s still pretty great. Most of the introductions finish in this issue, so I expect there to be a lot of action next time. My favorite Marvel Now book so far.

FF #1: This ties directly into Fantastic Four #1, which I wasn’t overly fond of. This issue is much more enjoyable. A lot of that is due to Allred’s fantastic (get it) art. Assembling a team to cover for four minutes sounds silly, but this is the FF, you know something is going to happen to expand that timeframe. This issue kind of fails to introduce Thing-Girl, or whoever that is.

Thor – God of Thunder #2: While I didn’t enjoy this as much as the first issue, but it’s still a good read. The god killer has a weird visual though. He kind of looks like naked V9ldemort with a cloak. The split timeline approach to storytelling is great, but I’m not sure if it can be sustained long.

A+X #2: The solicited cover had a Beat/Spider-Man team-up. We got a Rouge/Black Widow one instead. It was cute and fun, however. I preferred the Iron Man and Kitty Pryde story, though. If the book stays as fun as it is, I’ll happily continue to pick it up.

Uncanny Avengers #2: You’d think the Red Skull couldn’t be any more evil, but gives him Professor X’s psychic abilities, and there you go. While I’m kind of annoyed about reading humans vs. mutants (again), the Red Skull is a great villain that may make this whole shindig worthwhile.

Fury of Firestorm #14: This book is still full of old-school fun. The stuff that ties into the cancelled Captain Atom book (which I didn’t read) isn’t obtrusive and is pretty interesting. The fact that this went from one of my least favorite New 52 books to one of my most favorite gives me hope for other books in the line.

The Flash #14: Hehehe. Solovar is the Monkey Messiah! I know technically he’s a gorilla, but that’s not alliterative! Also, we learn the answer to the age old question “Where does an 800-lb gorilla with super speed go?” Answer:; anywhere it wants at Mach 5. The art on this book continues to be amazing.

Chew #30: This book man. You wouldn’t think that a book where people have freaky food-based powers could be this great, but it really is. I’m still reeling over the *spoiler* that happens this issue. I totally wasn’t expecting it, and it knocks you for a loop.

Batman Incorporated #5: Is Damien Wayne a bad Batman, or the worst Batman ever? Looks like it’s both. Also, if you thought Doctor Hurt was gone from Morrison’s bat books, well, you’re wrong. A book that really pays off if you’ve followed it for a while.

Godzilla #7: While Godzilla is normally the main draw of a Godzilla story, I really think I would enjoy a book revolving around Boxer and his rag-tag bunch of roughnecks. I’m curious as to what the new status quo for them is going to be after this issue though. They did technically save a major city, after all.

Witch Doctor: Mal Practice #1: I am so happy to see Witch Doctor on the shelves again. It’s such a crazy, over the top book, what with its magical maladies and equipment (diablosuction, anyone?), but the characters are charming too. If you like weird, otherworldly stuff, that is hidden from most of the world, this is a good book to pick up.

Teen Titans #14: It seems like this book is really trying to be as much like the old 52 version as possible. That’s probably going to be derailed with the inevitable tie-in with the Joker storyline. I don’t mean to sound jaded, but this book is on the chopping block, too.

Aquaman #14: Is it possible the New 52’s Ocean Master is a good guy? Probably not, but he sure talks a good game. It’d be an interesting change of pace, as well. There’s also a few lines telling us how awesome Aquaman is. Dude can swim underwater without going up for air, and can ride a giant seahorse. I don’t need to be told that’s awesome, show me.

Venom #27.1: Marvel’s .1 books are meant to be jumping on points for new readers. However, this issue for me did the exact opposite for me. It tied things up in a nice bow, reminded of why I used to like it, and packed up and is leaving for fresh waters. Well, I am too. Dropped. PICK OF THE WEAK!

Tim Minear, of “Angel,” “Firefly,” and “Wonderfalls” fame, wrote this episode. He also wrote the pilot, which didn’t charm my pants off (and in fact fed me every line I expected), but I certainly didn’t hate it. Did I hate this episode? Hate is not a word I take lightly. I went in to this episode, based on last week’s previews and the writing credit, with wildly high expectations. They were not met.

Be forewarned – sometimes I skirt around spoilery issues in these reviews, but tonight I will not.

Every scenario played out exactly as I would have guessed; Lana defeated Thredsen Slave Leia style, but of course she ended up back in Briarcliff, which is now run by Demon!Mary Eunice. Grace’s alien visitation resulted in blood poisoning, but since Dr. Arden (AKA Hans Gruber, snicker snicker snicker) wanted to prove he did not butcher the surgery, he saved her life. She lived to corroborate Kit’s alien story, so of course Kit accidentally shot her while he aimed at one of Arden’s monsters and we are left to believe she is dead. The episode largely felt like a Ben Stiller comedy if it were directed by Tobe Hooper and also not funny.

Some plusses were to be had! Frances Conroy, who we last saw as one aspect of a wicked hot succubus, is now playing an (the?) Angel of Death. She is gorgeous porcelain skin and ink black hair and giant wings that go “FWIP” when she unfurls them. It made for some gorgeous imagery, especially when she bestows her kisses. The show could have taken a lot of swings at questionable reality, but Demon!Eunice most definitely saw the angel and does not care for her presence. Her arrival came with a name written in blood (and Aramaic) on the bakery wall, and the show never clarified a translation. But I would wager a toe that it means “devil.” Or “death.” Or “Henry.” Whatever, that’s in writing so maybe I won’t bet one of my toes (a quick Google search has led me to believe that no Aramaic scholars watch this show, which is also not surprising).

What keeps me watching? Other than writing the review up every week? Well, I will admit to always having a little bit of fun. This episode was a little too much “out of the frying pan and into the fire and then oh oops right into one more fire” for me, but still fun. But what always gets me is the cliffhanger.

Sister Jude met the angel. She confessed she was ready for her kiss, but only after she accomplished one last task. She then traveled to the parent’s of the child she murdered all those years ago. Those scenes were tense and unyielding and were a great example of everything this show could be. But then came the one twist I never expected – the child lived. Jude had no, or a least a much lesser, confession to make. With the burden removed from her soul, I also assume she lacks reason for that kiss, and my hopes are that Jude returns to Briarcliff in full on beast mode to clean that mess up.

I’m just going to go ahead and put this out there: This might be my favorite episode of the entire series.

When Supernatural does comedy, it’s usually done well. The actors assume the perfect straight man/quip man roles, the writing is solid with lots of cute little “in” jokes, and the addition of Castiel only increased the comedic chemistry. “Hunteri Heroici” had all of these qualities in spades. Not to mention special guest star Mike Farrell, who played B.J. Hunnicutt in one of my very favorite sitcoms – M.A.S.H.

Aside from all the obvious winks at cartoons past (holes in the wall, you don’t fall until you look down, and the ever so classic external heartbeat) there were great references to two of the most renowned Looney Tunes directors – Friz Freleng and Chuck Jones. The dialogue was hilarious and Misha Collins’s performance was a perfect foil. I stand by my earlier statement that the show is at its goriest this season, but to wildly, darkly humorous effect in this particular episode. Let’s just say a one ton anvil fell from a ceiling to subdue a bank guard and a cake exploded, taking at least one elderly birthday girl with it. Well, OK, reading back that might not sound so funny but you’ve just got to trust me on this one.

More importantly, however, the communication is continuing. Gone are the days of manly pissiness when one character doesn’t understand another’s action. Last night Dean – Dean Winchester – actually said the phrase “talk to me, Cas.” I’m still mildly annoyed at Sam’s flashbacks, even with a somewhat shocking development this episode. Those flashbacks have already established that Sam’s departure was a move that could potentially destroy Amelia, but the twist only served to amplify that, not develop it. But that’s really my only issue, and it’s not even really a complaint. I remain optimistic that it will play to further the themes of the season.

As is typical with the show’s more humorous episodes, this one ended on an inversely dark note. We are left wondering if Castiel will become a hunter with the brothers after all as well as how many appearances he might make this season. It’s all set up for next week’s mid-season finale, which promises to be a nail biter.

I’m all full of turkey and regret, after the most hectic weekend of the year, it’s always good to just sit back with a comic in your hand, and this week had no shortage of titles on the shelves. We’ve got even more Marvel NOW debuts, some big happening for Spider-Men, both Amazing and Ultimate, and DC’s New 52 keeps trudging along. To that end, let’s take a sampling of what this week had to offer!

Captain America #1: I really liked this issue. You can jump into it without knowing anything about Captain America, and still have a great ride. Also, props for using Arnim Zola instead of the Red Skull, Zola has a much cooler visual anyway.

Iron Man #2: Hey! Tony got his groove goatee back! Also, there’s a lot of borderline pretentious Arthurian/Holy Grail stuff. Also, I have no idea who the last panel reveal is supposed to be. You kind of lost me on this issue, Marvel.

Indestructible Hulk #1: I think after this issue, people can stop with the old cliche that nothing new can be done with Hulk stories. That being said, I do prefer my Hulk to at least have some dialog, even if it’s just “Hulk Smash!” I’ll be keeping my eye on this book.

Justice League #14: Amazingly, this issue not only convinced me that this incarnation of Superman/Wonder Woman could work beyond a publicity stunt, but the Shazam story also bordered on well, not “good”, but also not mind numbingly awful. Sadly, that’s glowing praise from me.

Shadow #8: This is a Shadow I don’t mind plopping down four dollars a month for! Gripping action, mystery and pulp-y goodness. It helps that the Shadow is portrayed as a total badass. I seriously doubt anyone used the phrase “my bad” in 1937, though, just saying.

Spider #6: The art and layouts in this book are simply amazing. I’d go as far to say they’re near Batwoman levels of composition. That being said, this story while good, is to be continued on an odd note. In fact, this books seems like it’d read better in trade, but I like it so much I can’t wait for that!

Amazing Spider-Man #698: I won’t spoil the spoiler even though it’s been out nearly a week. I will say that the idea that has legs even though even the movie the trope is based on is as tired as Rip Van Winkle on a Melatonin overdose. I hope it has actual ramifications though.

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #17:  Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a spider can. Too bad doesn’t seem to include trekking across the wilds of Wyoming with no food or water. Also, is Miles’ dad going to work for Hydra? The plot thickens.

Star Trek #15: Hoooo-lee crap! This book never ceases to amaze me. Here I was thinking it was just going to be a laame episode adaptation of Mirror, Mirror.Instead, we get an entirely new story that uses that same concept, but through the lens of what occurs in the new movie-verse. Color me impressed! No spoilers, but if you liked the Trek movie, read this damn book.

Wonder Woman #14: Well what do you know? Jack Kirby’s New Gods do exist in some form in the new 52! Here I was thinking it was just Darkseid. Also, Wonder Womaan does stuff in this issue and the gods are a bunch of dicks. Good read.

Legion of Super-Heroes #14: I’ll be honest and say I don’t remember what was going on in this book in previous months. I don’t like when future books all have to have portents of doom in them. Even so, I like the bits with Element Lad and Chemical Kid. They play off of each other well.

Green Lantern: New Guardians #14: Kyle Rayner is my Green Lantern. It looks like they’re setting him up to be the savior of this whole Third Army nonsense. I am perfectly OK with this.

Blue Beetle #14: This series is finally getting to be as enjoyable as the pre-New 52 book did. It isn’t quite there yet, and the book’s getting cancelled, so it probably never will. It’s a shame really.

Batwoman #14: I’m not sure of the timeline of this issue, but I think if it runs concurrently with other bat-titles, the Joker is going to be awfully pissed that Medusa decided to turn Killer Croc into the mythical Hydra to destroy everything we know.

Captain Marvel #7: A fun issue with Captains Marvel of past and present. Thankfully, the cover is misleading, and the only blows being traded are verbal. Also, Carol is going to have to fight a giant monster made of waterlogged husks of airplanes from WWII. Have I mentioned how much I like this book?

 DC Universe Presents #14: Using bad movies as a way to make people mock the occult and therefore tarnish their mystical and potentially evil value is really interesting. Other stuff happens in this issue, including how freaky the new 52 Blue Devil suit is, but that plot point is what hooked me.

Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom #4: This book didn’t fail to deliver on the Rocketeer vs. Dinosaur action! Also, even though things wrap up nicely, seeds are sown for a continuation of the story, so I hope that pans out. I’ve enjoyed the Rocketeer minis, but an ongoing would be aces.

Savage Dragon #183: I’m glad to see Dragon back on earth. I hope the book can kind of return to the family dynamic that I’ve always enjoyed about. We also find out who’s in the Overlord armor, if that’s something you wanted to know.

It Girl & The Atomics #4: This book isn’t bad, but it’s not great either. It lacks a lot of the charm Allred gives to the Atomics. Also, the little sibling rivalry chibi cutaways didn’t add anything to the story and were really jarring.

Nightwing #14: I picked this up for the promise of a fight between Nightwing and Lady Shiva. I wasn’t disappointed. This story also has a tenuous link with the ongoing Joker shenanigans if that’s to your liking.

Red Hood & The Outlaws #14: This is my guilty pleasure DC book. I know it’s not “good”, but some unexplained quality brings me back month after month. Also, Leatherface Joker still looks incredibly stupid.

Sword & Sorcery #2: I am really enjoying the world-building in Amethyst half of this book. The Beowulf stuff isn’t doing much for me though. I wonder how people who read the original Amethyst book in the 80’s feel about this one.

Supergirl #14: This is the first book that has even remotely care about what the deal with this H’el character is. I’m sorry to say that it’s probably not enough to keep me reading this book. Luckily, the way Kara is being characterized is interesting enough for me to stay on for a while.

Young Justice #22: I really enjoy how this book enhances the show it’s based on, with everything happening in it being totally canonical within the show. In this issue, we witness Blue Beetle’s first day on the team, Brainiac trying to shrink Metropolis, and an abduction on the moon! Since the show is on unfortunate hiatus, this is a good way to be tided over. A shame it’s ending soon.