Legen.....wait for it....dary Comic Book Highlights of the Week for 12/3/09

300th post!!! After a year and a half I finally reached the number 300. Nice!! And what better way then presenting highlights of this past week's comics.

Cover of the Week: Blackest Night: The Flash #1

This was a pretty weak comic book cover week with no one true stand out. But this one for Blackest Night: The Flash #1 was interesting in that it is the first time I can remember we have a homage cover to a cover we just got a few months ago. Still this is a nice cover with the Reverse Flash.

Nova #32 Highlights

Nova isn't the lightweight he was in the past.

Was not expecting this whatsoever. Should be interesting to see were DnA go with Namorita return.

Siege: The Cabal One-Shot Highlights

Norman is losing it which means we may get Green Goblin back. Sweet!!!

BUUURRRRRNNNNN!!!!!

Doctor Doom continues to burn Norman as he tells him how things work now.

The Marvels Project #4

Up until this point Dr. Erskine's murder has always been seen as a pure bad guy but this was a great letter that humanizes the guy and you can sympathize with him somewhat.

How many times have we seen the creation of Captain America now?

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #5 Highlights

This is just a great sequence by Lafuente. The transition from panel to panel is just phenomenal.

Ultimate Barry Allen really let himself go.

Weekly Comic Book Reviews for 12/3/09

The Marvels Project #4

Creative Team
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Steve Epting
Colorist: Dave Stewart

Story – Chapter 4

Review
Brubaker and Epting yet again do a fantastic job showing the beginning of the Marvel Universe with The Marvels Project #4. Though I am not familiar with much of Marvel's history before the appearance of the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, and the X-Men this team of Brubaker and Epting are doing a great job catching me up.

The best thing about what this creative team is doing is that outside of the brief origin of Steve Rogers before he became Captain America that we get in this issue this series has been dominated by characters like the original Angel and Human Torch. These are character I have very little knowledge but after reading about them in these four issues I am fascinated to learn more about them.

The slow and methodical approach Brubaker is taking with this series is very appropriate in the WWII context that he is telling this story in. Other than seeing a guy in a costume and another one igniting on fire most of this story is being told through the eyes of the people involved in the war. And with the approach Brubaker is taking he has allowed us as readers to learn much more about all of these figures in the Marvel Universe that were important in shaping the current era. A great example of this is learning much more about the person responsible for Dr. Erkskine's murder the moment after Captain America was born. It is a great character study that adds more depth to Steve's origin story.

Speaking of Steve's origin story it was interesting to learn that before he was chosen to be part of the Super Soldier experiment that he was originally going an artist. I don't ever remember this part of Steve's past ever being mentioned and I am actually surprised someone like Steve was ever any sort of artist, but was a cool thing to learn.

To go along with the wonderful story that Brubaker is writing a lot of credit for this mini-series to be such a wonderful read is because of Steve Eptings phenomenal artwork. Epting is the only artist I can think of that is able to make this story feel like it is taking place in the real world during WWII. He captures the mood perfectly of the era. His artwork makes this story into a much more powerful read especially when this series focus more on the people of the streets of New York City. I especially liked the short scene with the firefighters in this issue as he showed us who the true heroes of this world are.

Issue Rating
Story: 8.7/10 – Brubaker continues to do a great job in both writing the start of the hero age of the Marvel Universe while also making it feel like the story is taking place in WWII.
Art: 10/10 – Epting artwork was just phenomenal. His artwork is a perfect fit for the tone of the story and I could not think of another artist who would be able to provide us with such a great looking comic that also looks like it can take place in our world.
Overall: 9.35/10 – The Marvels Project #4 was a great read. This mini-series is making a case for being the mini-series of the year. Brubaker and Epting are knocking it out of the park with this series and I can't wait to see what happens next even if I know how the story ends.

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #5

Creative Team
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: David Lafuente
Colorist: Justin Ponsor

Story – the New World According to Peter Parker

Review
With the event that will not be named long behind us it is great to be able to have Ultimate Comics Spider-Man return to the quality it once was at before that event. Even after writing over 140 issues of this series, counting annuals, Brian Michael Bendis continues to not miss a beat and provide one fun issue after another. And Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #5 is probably the strongest issue of the new relaunched series so far.

More so than the previous four issues Bendis was able to balance the Spider-Man action and Peter's personal life very well with each being given half the issue. This is the first time Bendis has been able to split the issue in half like this since the relaunch. By doing this he does a great job showing the reader why Peter's personal life and Spider-Man life are equally interesting to read about.

The battle between Spider-Man and Mysterio did a good job building up the threat that Mysterio is as the new Kingpin of crime. And I like that Spider-Man was unable to take Mysterio on by himself and needed the help of the mysterious Shroud to defeat him. Bendis has done a great job building up Ultimate Mysterio as the Ultimate version of the character has become much more interesting than his 616 counterpart ever was.

Also I like that Bendis continues to play up the mystery of who Shroud actually is. This issue eliminated Kitty from being Shroud as some were expecting it to be. Personally I still think that Shroud is Tandy Bowen as Bendis has always said back during the first volume he wanted to introduce the Ultimate version of the character and even made her the president of Peter's school. And it would be cool to see Bendis give the character a new identity especially after teasing her appearance on the series for so long.

But again, what stole the show, story wise, in this issue was what is going on in Peter's personal life. Bendis has a wonderful handle of Peter and his supporting cast that even the addition of Bobby (Iceman) to the cast feels like a natural fit. He gave a very good and believable reason for Bobby to be a part of this series. And as a fan of Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends cartoon I love that vibe Bendis is giving this series as now we have Kitty, Johnny, and Bobby as Peter's super powered friends. Also having the rest of the Fantastic Four on call Peter really has his own Avengers team under his roof. And I like that Bendis has made Aunt May the mother hen for all of these characters as the Ultimate version of the character is being shown to be a much more stronger character than the weak fragile 616 version of the character.

David Lafuente's artwork continues to be just plain awesome. His anime/manga art style gives this series such a unique look that it stands out from all other titles on the stands right now. Also the transition from panel to panel is very well handled. And throughout the issue he gives a wonderful energy that everything feels like it is one constant motion which works well with this series. Also the facial reactions he gives the characters are great.

Issue Rating
Story: 9.5/10 – Bendis continues to do a wonderful job with the relaunch of this series. He just understands how to write all of these characters that even additions to the cast feel like a natural fit to the series.
Art: 9.5/10 – Lafuente's artwork continues to look awesome. His artwork makes this series even more fun to read especially with how he draws the action and character facial reactions.
Overall: 9.5/10 – Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #5 was another phenomenal read. This is just a fun comic to read and if you have picked this series up I highly recommend picking it up if you like superhero comics. This is just one of the best pure superhero comic book on the stands right now and one of the best overall comics you will currently find.

Weekly Comic Book Reviews for 10/14/09

Batgirl #3

Creative Team
Writer: Bryan Q. Miller
Artist: Lee Garbett
Inkers: Trevor Scott and Sandra Hope
Colorist: Guy Major

Story – Batgirl Rising: Point of New Origin Part 3

Review
Batgirl #3 is more or less the same as the previous two issues. Bryan Q. Miller is doing a solid job on the writing but it is just not impressive. And most of that falls on Stephanie as a character and not the writing of this series. After three issues it just does not feel that Stephanie as the new Batgirl is enough to carry an ongoing title.

Even inserting Barbara into the title in the mentor role hasn't helped. In many ways this series feels like a Birds of Prey re-launch but with just Batgirl in the group. But it just feels that Stephanie is not enough to keep this title from lasting more than a year since she feels like more of a supporting character than a star of her own book.

As a fan of these characters I think what this series needs is more of a supporting cast to make it more interesting as the Stephanie and Barbara dynamic isn't enough to carry this book. I think this title needs characters like Huntress and Misfit to play recurring roles on this series to give it something extra and keep it from going stale.

Now I will say that Miller does do a solid job with creating a nice master and student dynamic with Barbara and Stephanie. In many ways Stephanie is like how Barbara was in her early days of Batgirl. Miller does a good job paralleling the two characters in this issue, while showing how Barbara has changed.

With her battle with Scarecrow in this issue it is clear Stephanie has a long ways to go before being capable as a solo hero and Barbara should help her become her own character than just being known as Tim's girl. Though I think the whole candle ceremony thing was a bit much and should have just been Bruce and Dick's thing as it was special to the dynamic between Batman and the first Robin.

Issue Rating
Story: 6.6/10 – Miller provides some solid dialogue as he shows he understands both Stephanie and Barbara as characters. But supporting character feel of the star, Stephanie, makes the story feel very average.
Art: 6.7/10 – Lee Garnett again provides some solid artwork but nothing to impressive.
Overall: 6.65/10 – Batgirl #3 was an average read. While I would like to continue to read this series to see if Miller can make this a better read but with things like Realm or Kings and Siege coming up I am dropping this title. Still if you are a fan of Stephanie and Barbara this is the title for you as Miller has done a solid job setting up this title to improve with later storylines.

Blackest Night: Batman #3

Creative Team
Writer: Peter J. Tomasi
Artist: Adrian Syaf
Inker: Vicente Cifuentes
Colorist: Nei Ruffino

Story – Who Burns Who: Conclusion

Review
In what has so far been the best story of Blackest Night, Peter Tomasi does an excellent job finishing up Blackest Night: Batman with this final issue. The thing that has been killing Blackest Night is that the story has been very thin with every ones reaction to the Black Lanterns has been "Oh no it's my dead friend. What do I do? They are about to kill us if we don't do something." That has been Blackest Night as a whole, save for Green Lantern #46, which has made the story a thin and boring read.

And while that theme is in this issue what really separates this issue and mini-series from Blackest Night is that we are actually seeing the emotional toll it takes on the characters, in this case Dick Grayson and Tim Drake. Tomasi perfectly nails how these characters would react to seeing their parents back alive. It is something that hasn't been shown in Blackest Night as all the characters reactions so far to the Black Lanterns has been the statement I said before.

I like how in the beginning Tim thought seeing his father again was his second shot at saving them and Dick tried to be the voice of reason telling Tim that they weren't his parents. Then when Dick looked into his father's eyes he let himself go in the moment just like Tim and was the twelve year old kid who performed in the circus with his parents again. This paralleling of Dick and Tim is a good reminder how similar these two brothers are and how their history is similar to Bruce's tragic history with his parents.

Then the scene were Dick and Tim come face to face to the ones responsible for the deaths of their parents was great as it is a very different way of having characters reach an emotional breaking point as Dick and Tim were filled with rage. It is much different to how other Blackest Night titles have used to make the characters reach their emotional breaking point.

Adrian Syaf helped make these scenes especially more powerful with his artwork. He showed a great range to illustrate emotion in the scenes with Dick and Tim seeing their parents. This is the first time I am exposed to his Syaf's artwork and he impressed me very much. I hope I see his artwork on something like Batman again as he has a good style to fit with Batman.

It was cool seeing Etrigan involved in this issue as Dick had Deadman go get him for back-up. It was an effective plan and shows that Dick knew that the situation he and Tim were in was not something they could get out of alone. Also we got to learn that there are certain magical creatures that don't register on the Black Lantern radars. Hopefully this means Etrigan plays an integral role in taking down Black Lanterns but he probably won't from how Geoff Johns has been telling the Blackest Night story and the characters he is using.

Also it was good to see Dick take up more of an aggressive approach with Damian as he made Damian listen to him and not try to act on his own. It is a good way to show the master/student relationship the two are having with Dick finally taking the role of the master while trying to make the cocky student, Damian, listen to his instructions.

It was also interesting to see that the Black Lanterns can't see people unless they have some emotion as they could not see Dick and Tim in front of them since they froze themselves. It adds another wrinkle to the Black Lanterns concept as works similarly to how infrared vision works as they need people to show some sort of feelings in order to see them or else they don't see those people, even if they are in front of them. I hope that this means that Batman will play a bigger role in Blackest Night as it would be good to see how Dick as Batman handles the first big Crisis as Batman and stands side-by-side with Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and Flash.

Issue Rating
Story: 9/10 – Tomasi again shows why he should be helming a Batman title as he writes the best version of Dick Grayson and the entire Batfamily. I am hopeful DC wakes up and sees how great a story he wrote here, and with his Nightwing work, and actually gives him a one of the Batman titles starring Dick Grayson as Batman to write.
Art: 8.5/10 – Adrian Syaf provided some great artwork in this mini-series. He did a great job with all the action and the wide range of emotion that the characters in this issue showed.
Overall: 8.75/10 – Blackest Night: Batman #3 was a great issue and ending to this mini-series. This mini-series has so far been the best story from Blackest Night and I hope that with what was learned of the Black Lanterns is used soon in the main series and it is not pushed to the side. If you are looking for a fun action packed story with some emotional depth than I recommend picking up Blackest Night: Batman as it is a solid three issue mini-series by Tomasi and Syaf.

Green Lantern Corps #41

Creative Team
Writer: Peter J. Tomasi
Artist: Patrick Gleason
Inkers: Rebecca Buchman, Keith Champagne and Tom Nguyen
Colorists: Randy Mayor and Gabe Eltaeb

Story – Hungry Heart

Review
In another Tomasi written Blackest Night tie-in Green Lantern Corps #41 continues the current battle between the Green Lanterns and the Black Lanterns on Oa. For the most part Tomasi presents a very well told story. Still there seemed something off about this issue.

Before I get into that I will admit the thing that Tomasi effectively presents here is the chaos that the Black Lanterns appearance has on the War of Lights. In many ways Tomasi shows why the stars of Blackest Night should not be the heroes on Earth but the various Lantern Corps especially the characters we have gotten to know through GL and GLC titles like Kyle, Guy, Killowog, Arisa, and Soranik. Even if we have seen a lot of battles with the Black Lanterns already happen in Blackest Night it feels like the Black Lanterns pose much more of a threat when battling one of the members from one the Lantern Corps.

And similar to what he did in this week's Blackest Night: Batman issue the thing he nailed in this issue is the emotional toll the dead rising from the grave as Black Lanterns. It was great how we were shown Guy, Killowag, and Arisa each overcoming their own battles with the Black Lanterns. It drives home why they are part of the Green Lantern Corps as they push through anything that is thrown at them and have the willpower to overcome even their dead loved ones.

What helped these battles out was Patrick Gleason's great artwork. He continues to do a great job on this title and making each battle feel epic and bounce of the page. And the scene with the Black Lantern children was effectively creepy.

Also I am interested to see were Tomasi takes Kyle and Soranik's relationship after their battle with Black Lantern Jade. It looks like Kyle may be in the dog house after Blackest Night is over.

Now the thing that keeps this issue from being great is that it suffers from the pitfall that has made Blackest Night into a boring read which is that the Black Lanterns are dull and uninteresting villains. This isn't really the fault of Tomasi but more the execution in which the Black Lanterns are presented. Other than being different dead characters all the Black Lanterns are the same. There isn't much of a difference from the dead heroes, villains, and characters loved ones coming back as Black Lanterns. They all have the same personality.

And this is very bad for Blackest Night as we haven't even reached the midway point of the event and the main villains of the series are already becoming stale. It makes me question the choice of making the event eight issues long even more. With how Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps are proving to be important tie-ins to Blackest Night I think the main series should only have been issue long as there isn't enough material to justify eight issues.

Issue Rating
Story: 7.4/10 – Tomasi continues to do a superior job in telling the Blackest Night story than what Johns has been doing over in the main Blackest Night book. With that said the story suffers from the main villains of the story, the Black Lanterns, being dull and uninteresting characters.
Art: 8.2/10 – Gleason along with his inking crew, Rebecca Buchman, Keith Champagne and Tom Nguyen, and colorists, Randy Mayor and Gabe Eltaeb, do a great job presenting the chaotic feel of the Black Lanterns presence in the War of Lights, which had already thrown the universe into chaos.
Overall: 7.8/10 – Green Lantern Corps #41 was a very good read though it suffers from the main villains of the event being very boring. It would have been better if we could have seen other Lantern Corps members involved in this issue other than just the Green and Black Lanterns.

The Marvels Project #3

Creative Team
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Steve Epting
Colorist: Dave Stewart

Story – Chapter 3

Review
In what has been the surprise of the year, Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting continue to tell a very enjoyable and intricate story of the origins of the Marvel Universe. The reason I choose to pick up this mini-series was only because of me being a big fan of Brubaker and Epting's work, specifically Captain America. But I did not expect to enjoy reading the beginning of the hero age in the Marvel Universe as much as I have been.

The big factor that is making The Marvels Project such a wonderful read is that Brubaker and Epting aren't telling a parody story of the early age of the universe that is now filled with super powered individuals. Most of the time that is where most writers do, they try too hard to imitate the way people spoke during that time period making it hard to take the story seriously making it feel like a parody of that time period.

But Brubaker and Epting aren't necessarily trying to imitate the time period. Instead they are taking a serious look at the 1940s and how people acted in a time of uncertainty and fear due to the war and the first super powered individuals appearing out of nowhere. It is really an amazing look as Brubaker nails the tone of that era in our history making this story feel like an extension of the story that he was telling in Captain America.

Brubaker is able to show both the wonder and fear in the people's eyes as they witness the first battle between super powered individuals in Namor and the first Human Torch. That is where Eptings fantastic artwork comes into play as his artwork perfectly captures the mood of the time period and also making the battle between Namor and Human Torch feel like an epic showdown. Even though we have seen similar and even bigger fights happen in both the Marvel and DC Universe this battle feels like it has more of an importance as it is the first recorded battle between two super powered individuals.

And the tone of the time period is not the only thing that Brubaker nails but also all the dialogue in the various scenes we get. Whether it be Human Torch, Namor, Angel, Nick and his crew or the people on the streets all of the dialogue has a natural flow to it. Nothing feels like it being forced in for dramatic effect. It is just great character with the development of the early stages of what shaped what we know now as the Marvel Universe.

Issue Rating
Story: 9.3/10 – Brubaker continues to do a great job building the origins of the Marvel Universe and making me care for characters I had very little knowledge of before this mini-series.
Art: 9/10 – Eptings artwork is continues to be incredible. His artwork for the Namor vs Human Torch scene was especially well done as the inking and coloring for the scene make it stand out from every other scene in the issue.
Overall: 9.15/10 – The Marvels Project #3 was another great read. This mini-series continues to be one of the best written comic book on the market. Brubaker and Epting continue to build a wonderful tale of the beginning of the Marvel Universe. I highly recommend picking up this mini-series when it comes out in trade paperback format as it will read even better in TPB form than in individual issues.

Previewing the Week’s Releases: 10/12/09 – 10/18/09

Comics
Batgirl #3 – This new title starring Stephanie Brown as the titular character hasn't been bad but it hasn't been good either, it has just been average. Still with Batman and Robin supposedly appearing in this issue maybe Miller can save this series from being cut from my pull list.

Batman #691 – I have actually been enjoying the latest Judd Winnick run on Batman. While it hasn't blown me away this is still a solid story with Dick Grayson growing into the role of Batman. And with a Batman vs. Two-Face to wrap things up for this storyline I'm interested to see conclusion of this story.

Blackest Night: Batman #3 – Tomasi has done a great job so far on this Batman tie-in to Blackest Night. Even though I have not been a big fan of Blackest Night this Tomasi has done such a great job that I look forward to reading this issue as he writes the best version of Dick Grayson and the current Batfamily.

Green Lantern Corps #41 – So far the tie-ins have been doing a much better job with the Blackest Night story than the main series has. And Tomasi delivered a great issue in GLC #40. So I fully expect this issue to be another solid issue.

Red Robin #5 – The only thing that is keeping me from dropping this series is that I am a big fan of Tim Drake's character. Chris Yost just has not impressed me so far in this title. I am still hopeful that Yost can turn things around on this title.

The Marvels Project #3 – Brubaker is really taking a slow and methodical approach to this mini-series which I has made this a very enjoyable read so far. This is really the first time I am reading a comic that actually takes place in this time period of Marvel's history and not just some flashback from an ongoing series. So I look forward to seeing what Brubaker and Epting do with this story, even if we know how it ends.

Video Games
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves – I just started playing the first Uncharted video game and suffice to say I've love the game so far. And from the trailers for Uncharted 2 and early reviews this looks like not only a great game but also visually one of the best looking games that have come out. Will probably have to wait for Christmas to get this game but it looks forward to the day I get my hands on it. Highly recommend this series for anyone that has not played the first game yet.

Weekly Comic Book Reviews for 9/10/09

Sorry for my lack of updates the past few weeks. I have been getting back into school mode as my summer ended three weeks ago. But now that I am back to getting my school work load in order I should be updating my blog more often. Though my reviews will probably start coming out on Fridays or Saturdays with the Legen—wait for it—dary Comic Book Highlights going back to being posted on the Wednesday after the comics are released. I will try to post them sooner but don't hold me to that. Also be sure to catch my reviews over on Rokk's Comic Book Revolution like my Batman #690 and Invincible Iron #17 reviews from this past week. Now time to get on to this week's comic book reviews.

Amazing Spider-Man #604

Creative Team
Writer: Fred Van Lente
Artist: Barry Kitson
Inkers: Rick Ketcham and Barry Kitson
Colorist: Jeromy Cox and Antovio Fabela

Story – Red-Headed Stranger: The Ancient Gallery

Review
While this storyline isn't as good as the previous two stories we have gotten on Amazing Spider-Man with American Son and Amazing Spider-Man #600 this was still a very entertaining Spider-Man stories. It is stories like Red-Headed Stranger why even though how much I hate how Marvel executed the "reboot" to Spider-Man with One More Day/Brand New Day I have accepted the new status quo. This is just a fun Spider-Man story that we probably wouldn't have gotten if Marvel didn't have the balls to change things up with their biggest character.

What I like about this issue is all of the character work Van Lente did in this issue. And it is really a credit to Van Lente's writing in this arc that I was looking forward more to Peter's reaction to what Chameleon did to his personal life last issue than the big superhero vs. supervillain fight. Even though I did want to see Spider-Man take Chameleon I am glad we didn't get it as Van Lente has made Chameleon, a very underrated villain, cool again and the truth is the conclusion of Chameleon's plan wasn't the greatest.

And it is great that Spider-Man did not catch Chameleon and that the character will be appearing in the near future as part of The Gauntlet. It helps build interest for the next big Spider-Man story following American Son. As we saw in the preview of things to come for the next half year to year in Amazing Spider-Man one of the things we know is that some of Spider-Man's villains will be hunting down Spider-Man and/or themselves. This small build up helps to show that even though there is a rotating team of writers that the Spider-Man Brain Trust does have long term plans for the character and his supporting cast.

I loved how Peter discovered all the things Chameleon did to his life while Chameleon took his identity. I thought it was hilarious seeing Peter think how he should hire Chameleon to be him more often only to learn he is now in a relationship with Michelle. Peter's reaction, along with what he said to Michelle when entering his apartment and what she was wearing, was very funny.

Also I like that we finally got the "big" conversation between Peter and MJ. Van Lente did a very good job with the execution of the first conversation between the two. I like that Van Lente didn't go all melodramatic on us with the two finally meeting and showed us that these two are in much better terms than we originally thought and that MJ does in fact know Peter is Spider-Man. Though I did get the feeling the reason they aren't together is because of Peter spending too much time as Spider-Man. Just a feeling.

The only thing I didn't dig to much was Harry moving in to Aunt May's house. After everything that has happened to Harry the past year I would have liked to see Van Lente use the opportunity of Harry being at such a low point to take him off the table to give more attention to the rest of the supporting cast. I am just kind of bored of the character and I really don't want to see more of Harry's problem with alcohol and drugs which has been hinted at because of what happened in American Son.

As for Barry Kitson's artwork, I did enjoy most of his artwork for this issue. Kitson style is a very good fit for a character like Spider-Man. The only thing about his artwork for this issue was that there were some inconsistencies in a few panels, but that is the only negative to his artwork.

Issue Rating
Story: 8.6/10 – With some solid character work and nice action Fred Van Lente did a very good job in his first arc on this title.
Art: 8/10 – Minor inconsistencies aside Barry Kitson did a fine job with the artwork in this issue.
Overall: 8.3/10 – The Red Headed Stranger ends with a very solid issue. This is a fun Spider-Man story that takes the character and his supporting cast back to basics with the story having an old school Spider-Man story feel to it. I recommend picking this up for any Spider-Man looking for a fun Spider-Man story.

Blackest Night: Batman #2

Creative Team
Writer: Peter Tomasi
Artist: Ardian Syaf
Inker: Vicente Cifuentes
Colorist: Nei Ruffino

Story – Who Burns Who

Review
I really enjoyed the first issue of this three issue mini-series. Peter Tomasi just knocked it out of the park with the first issue of Blackest Night: Batman. Which would be surprising in the hands of any other writer trying to tie-in all of the street level characters that encompasses the Batman universe but this is Tomasi and he just understands this universe especially Dick Grayson.

This issue continued were Tomasi left of in the last issue and it was just a blast to read. Tomasi has a great understanding of these characters. I love how he shows that Dick, along with the rest of the Batcharacters, is still adjusting to his new role and just how much Dick has to juggle in the beginning of his career as Batman. With having to deal with Hush impersonating Bruce, a new Black Mask trying a mass takeover the gangs in Gotham, Two-Face, and Red Hood the addition of him having to deal with the Black Lanterns only adds to the pressures of the mountain of problems he has had to deal with.

And what I liked about it is that even with the knowledge of all the dead rising from the dead and knowing his parents would be members of the Black Lanterns, Dick was able to push through it and only think of what his, Damian, and Tim's next move should be. This helps to show that Dick is even in the face of all the problems he has to deal with is showing us that he is not crumbling under all of the problems he has to face and is the right person to take the mantle of the Batman. A good example of this is the difference in reaction between Dick and Tim when they each saw their parents. For Tim he became completely stunned at seeing his parents while Dick was only worried about what they should do next and decided to crash the Batplane in order to escape being killed by the Black Lantern Drakes and Graysons.

I also liked how Tomasi wrote Dick's relationship with Damian and how he is still learning things about his new protégé. Damian has shown to be a handful as Robin for Dick. And I like that slowly Damian is slowly showing respect to Dick since before he only showed respect to his father and would careless about anyone else's opinions.

The only thing I hope that we get in the final issue is to get Deadman involved more in it. As he showed in this issue and the first Deadman is a nice source of comedy for what is a very dark story involving the Black Lanterns. Hopefully we see more of him and more information of why his body did rise from the grave even though his soul is not a part of his Black Lantern counterpart.

Issue Rating
Story: 9.4/10 – Tomasi knocks it out of the park again. He does a very good job integrating Batman's world into Blackest Night.
Art: 8.7/10 – Adrian Syaf does a solid job with the artwork as he gives this issue the creepy vibe that Blackest Night has had with all the dead rising from the grave. The dark look of his artwork, much credit to his inker and colorist, to go along with what is going on in the story.
Overall: 9.05/10 – Blackest Night: Batman #2 was another great read. So far I have been enjoying all of the tie-in work much more than the actual series so far. And this issue is just a fun read as we see Batman go up against zombie versions of dead characters from all of Batman's history.

Red Robin #4

Creative Team
Writer: Chris Yost
Artist: Ramon Bachs
Colorist: Guy Major

Story – The Grail: Conclusion

Review
The most frustrating thing about reading Red Robin is that series really does have a lot of potential to be a very good comic book. I really do want to like this series as I grew up with Tim being Robin and really like the character, though Dick Grayson is my favorite Robin. But sadly the execution of the story from both a writing and artistic perspective is just horrible. And this fourth issue of the series is the same as the previous three.

While I have been asking for an answer to why Tim thinks Bruce is alive the way Yost chooses to make Tim's feelings right is just sloppy storytelling that you can read from a fanfiction. Instead of showing us different clues and/or hints to why Tim feels that Bruce is alive we go straight to the caves we saw Bruce drawing the Batsymbol on. Even though as a reader we know that Bruce is the one that drew them we are never told why Tim believes it is Bruce and not just some random drawing. And if we are suppose to believe that Tim is the great detective he has shown himself to be than just one drawing should be the only thing he discovers to confirm his feeling for Bruce being alive.

Also it does not help that Tim went through a similar thing when Connor and Bart died. All of this having Tim dealing with his grief in the wrong way is just getting old. It has been such a long time since we have seen more of the character that was supposed to be the next Batman that the Tim we are getting now is a shell of himself. And how he continues to push people away, as shown by his confrontation with Dick in this issue, is very boring and Tim almost becomes unlikable with how paranoid he is with thinking that Dick, Stephanie, Cassie, the JLA, and everyone he knew are against him. I really hope all of this leads to something that will be positive development with the character other than Tim going to everyone and basically saying "You all thought I was crazy? Who is the crazy one now?"

And all the flashbacks just kill any momentum we may get in the issue. I will say that I did like moments like Dick and Tim's confrontation and the final few pages with a new villain but they did not carry much impact as the flashbacks kill all of these moments. The constant shifts in the past and present is done horribly and very amateurish.

Issue Rating
Story: 4.1/10 – Yost does a very sloppy job with the storytelling in this issue. Yost isn't moving the plot much and the revelation in this issue felt very forced
Art: 5/10 – Ramon Bachs artwork continues to be very inconsistent and rushed. His artwork only makes this issue story even more dull than the writing was already making this to series to be.
Overall: 4.55/10 – Red Robin #4was another disappointing read. All of the constant flashbacks give the story a very uneven read. Even the revelation of Tim finding a clue to Bruce being alive is horribly done. Hopefully this improves in the next issue as I do want to like this series.

The Marvels Project #2

Creative Team
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Steve Epting
Colorist: Dave Stewart

Story – Chapter Two

Review
As I said in my previews for this issue the first issue was not a great read but it did a nice job capturing my interest in this mini-series. The main problem with the last issue was a very slow and methodical approach Brubaker took with the issue was a bit boring. And even though this second issue does carry the same slow and methodical approach Brubaker usually takes with his books this was a very enjoyable issue with a lot of depth.

I think one of the greatest things about this mini-series is that it feels like an organic story that has grown from Brubaker and Epting's run on Captain America. Even though I know how this story will turn out in the end it is funny learning more about the history of the Marvel Universe in comic book form. It was one of the fun things about Captain America as Brubaker and Eptings as they showed us some of the past history of Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes. And here we are learning much more about those flashback scenes and learning more about the characters that shaped the current Marvel Universe with the original Angel and Human Torch, Nick Fury, and Dr. Ersktine.

What makes this story a much more layered read is that it has a real world feel with the setting being in WWII. The use of historical figures along with the Marvel characters is very well done and does not feel forced like it sometimes does when Marvel tries to use real world examples in their books.

Steve Eptings artwork adds much more to this story. No one draws dark and gritty stories like Epting as he perfectly captures the mood of the time with his artwork. Epting's artwork also makes him a perfect fit for this series and makes this story much more importance as it connects to the story being told in Captain America and Captain America: Reborn.

Issue Rating
Story: 8/10 – Brubaker methodical approach to this series makes this a very textured read as he develops characters that I never knew much about like the original Angel and Human Torch into very interesting characters along with long time characters like Nick Fury.
Art: 9/10 – Eptings artwork continues to be phenomenal as his style is a perfect fit for this mini-series.
Overall: 8.5/10 – The Marvels Project was a very good issue that has me hooked to see what Brubaker and Eptings have in store for this story, while predictable in the ending. Though if you have not picked up these first two issues I recommend getting this mini-series when it comes out in trade paperback as it will read even better in TPB form.

Ultimate Comics Avengers #2

Creative Team
Writer: Mark Millar
Artist: Carlos Pacheco
Inkers: Danny Miki, Dexter Vines, Crime Lab Studios, Martinez and Olazaba, and Chism
Colorist: Justin Ponsor

Story – The Next Generation Part 2 of 6

Review
Just like the first issue Ultimate Comics Avengers #2 was just a blast to read. Even though I can question if the price jump to $3.99 as being the right thing to do especially since Marvel does not increase the page count Millar just knows how to make the reader feel they got their money's worth. Just like his Ultimates 1 and 2 this series is just some high-octane action/adventure blockbuster movie that gives you characters to love.

Millar does an awesome job balancing quality character work with some great action. The best of his character work is with Captain America. He does a fantastic job showing that this is not the 616 version of the character as he has a much more take no shit attitude than his 616-counterpart. This Cap is much more of an badass as he does what he thinks is right and does not allow anyone get in his way. And I like how Millar shows that Cap is constantly learning and that he truly is one of the most dangerous person in the world.

Also Millar does a great job with his characterization of Nick Fury and Hawkeye. Both these characters are very well written and remind me why these characters were so awesome during his run on Ultimates. And I love the addition of Tony's older brother, who isn't as nice as his younger brother, and a new Black Widow. It will be interesting to learn more about these new characters and how Nick will use them in his Project: Avengers.

Maybe the best character work by Millar in this issue is Ultimate Red Skull. He just does a fantastic job wasting no time showing us the origin of the character and makes him into a badass villain and a viable threat for Cap and the rest of the Avengers to face. And I am glad that Ultimate Red Skull is Steve's son who is a mercenary for hire than just a Nazi villain. It is a nice change to the character to breathe new life into the character. I look forward to seeing more of the character and seeing how the father vs. son angle goes down between Cap and Red Skull.

Carlos Pachico artwork is fantastic in this issue though his artwork suffers from having an inker by committee that gives the issue a bit of an inconsistent look. But just as a fan of Pachico I am glad to see Marvel properly use Pacheco and not just let him do a bunch of covers like he was in DC. When given the opportunity Pacheco is one of the best out there and it is great to see him get some high profile work to show why he is so great.

Issue Rating
Story: 8.8/10 – Millar does a fantastic job with all of the character work in this issue and I am glad that Miller wasted no time in telling us the origin of the Ultimate Red Skull.
Art: 7.6/10 – Carlos Pachico does a fine job with the artwork for this issue though his artwork does suffer from having an inker by committee set-up in this issue.
Overall: 8.2/10 – Ultimate Comics Avengers #2 was just a blast to read. Millar and Pacheco combine to deliver a comic that has a big blockbuster movie type feel that will not disappoint in how much you should enjoy it. If you can spare the $3.99 price tag this series has I definitely recommend picking this issue and series up.

Previewing this Week’s Releases: 9/7/09 – 9/13/09

Comics
Adventure Comics #2 – Geoff Johns impressed me with the first issue of this new series starring Superboy. Even though I not a big Superboy fan Johns does seem to have a good handle of the character as he finally takes the character and makes him much more likable than he was back as a Teen Titan. Though, Johns will need to do a better job with the back-up as the Legion story was a weak. As someone new to the Legion I did not get anything out of story or who the characters are other than their names and powers.

Amazing Spider-Man #604 – So far the Red Headed Stranger has been a solid story though it has not blown me away especially after the great "American Son" arc and Amazing Spider-Man #600 issue. Hopefully Fred Van Lente can provide a good showdown between Spider-Man and Chameleon as well as some aftermath from Chameleon ruining some of Peter's personal relationships.

Blackest Night: Batman #2 – I really liked the first issue of this mini-series as Peter Tomasi proved yet again to be one of the best Batman writers, especially when it comes to writing Dick Grayson. The first issue made a strong case for Tomasi to actually write one of the Batman series with Dick as Batman once this mini-series is over. He just understands the character and the Batman universe. I actually would like it if he got to take over Batman to give him a main stream title to take him out of Geoff Johns shadow.

Green Lantern Corps #40 – Just like Blackest Night: Batman the first issue that tied into this Blackest Night for this series did a very good job giving a grander scope to the event than the main book. Tomasi has done a spectacular job on GLC that this title has actually eclipse Green Lantern by Geoff Johns as the best Green Lantern title. And I am definitely looking forward to seeing how the rest of the Green Lantern Corps does against the Black Lanterns especially Kyle vs. Black Lantern Jade.

Red Robin #4 – Red Robin has been the weak link out of all the Batman titles. Chris Yost has not done a very good job convincing me that Tim's mission to find Bruce is actually worth reading. The whole characterization of Tim post-Battle for the Cowl has been horrible and just seems to have come out of knowhere. I am hopeful that with this fourth issue that Yost can convince me to keep reading this title past this arc.

The Marvel Projects #2 – While the first issue did not blow me away Brubaker and Epting did the job of getting me into this mini-series about the Golden Age of the Marvel Universe's history. I am interested to learn more about the Marvel Universe's past as before this series I only have some working knowledge of.

Ultimate Comics Avengers #2 – The first issue of Ultimate Comics Avengers was just a fun comic to read. It was like Miller never left the Ultimate Universe. I look forward to learning more about the Ultimate Red Skull and see what he has planned after the revelation of being the son of Steve Rogers. But honestly I just want to see more kick butt action from Ultimate Captain America who is just a badass in this universe along with some of the other Avengers.

War of Kings: Who Will Rule? One-Shot – This is the issue I am most looking forward to reading this week. War of Kings was a spectacular mini-series event and one of the best comic book events I have read. Though we have seen some of the aftermath of War of Kings in Guardians of the Galaxy and Nova I am interested in seeing how DnA set up the various characters in the Marvel Universe cosmic corner. DnA definitely have a lot of toys to play with in this one-shot to set up Realm of Kings.

DVD/Blu-ray
Bleach: Diamond Dust Rebellion – I am a big fan of the Bleach anime and I really enjoyed the first movie of this series. The first movie was a solid story that mixed every element that makes this series so fun. Though the second movie looks to have a much darker story that will involve the whole Soul Society, and not just Ichigo, as Captain of the 10^th Squad Toshiro Hitsugaya will be hunted down by the Soul Society. This movie definitely speaks to the popularity of Toshiro, a secondary character in the manga and anime, as he has a whole movie centered around him. Look forward to seeing some great action this series has been known for.

The Office Season 5 – One of my favorite TV series is no doubt The Office. Though the show has lost some steam in these past two seasons this is still an excellent comedy with plenty of laughs. Season 5 had a lot of funny moments that this series has been known for. I am really looking forward to the six season of this series and this box set should tie me over until the new season begins.

Movies
9 – What a coincidence that this movie is being released on 09/09/09, or 9/9/9? Sarcasm aside, I will admit that like many people I loved The Nightmare Before Christmas. It's one of my favorite movies of all time. Sadly I have not liked any of Tim Burton's movies since The Nightmare Before Christmas. Though I was hesistent at first if "9" was going to be any good, as I did not know much about it, after seeing a few trailers and TV spots this actually looks like it may capture the magic of The Nightmare Before Christmas. I can hope can't I?

Legen-wait-for it-dary Comic Book Highlights of the Week 8/12/09

This weeks highlights took a bit longer than expected as it was a huge week with getting 10 titles this week alone. But I finally found time to get all the images together and here are this weeks comic book highlights:

Cover of the Week: Incredible Hercules #132 (Djurdjevic 70th Anniversary Variant)

While I would have liked to have seen Djurdjevic draw an epic image of Hercules in the Thor costume there is still no doubt that as always Djurdjevic alternate cover here gives Thor an epic larger than life look the character should have.

Adventure Comics #1 Highlights

Being dead helps you realize that living in a farm in Kansas is so bad. Better than the alternative.

I'm guessing this final image picks up from the Legion of Three Worlds mini. Though interesting the back-up story itself was dull.

Amazing Spider-Man #602 Highlights

Welcome to Chameleon's museum of human faces. Enjoy your visit.

Chameleon has never looked more badass than he did in this issue. It was both awesome and creepy what he did with the people after he took their faces.

No issue of Amazing Spider-Man is complete without JJJ screaming at someone.

Bump, Bump, Bump! Let's see how Van Lente explains Peter surviving after being dipped in acid.

Batman #689 Highlights

Even though I have been enjoying Dick Grayson as the new Batman could the writers and artists team on the Batbooks stop making him smile everytime he puts on the cowl, please.

Check out the bottom left corner. Looks like the Daily Bugle published their first edition in the DCU. Nice little easter egg inserted by Mark Bagley who has largely been known for his Amazing and Ultimate Spider-Man work.

Wow, will you look at that Bruce actually being a kid. Who would have thought we would see that.

Let's see how Dick does in his first real challange against one of Bruce's old Rogues in the next issue.

Blackest Night #2 Highlights

Like with Martian Manhunter Aquaman really benefits from being a Black Lantern as he has never look like more of a badass than he does in his new Black Lantern look. I say he keeps the look when he is eventual revived, as a non-zombie that is.

This was the only interesting thing, on the story side of things, that was actually of any interest in this whole issue.

Having been watching all of Shark Week last week I totally dug this image of Aquaman summoning sharks, and other sea creatures, to kill all the Atlantian soldiers.

Flash Fact: Hal and Barry have dull personalities. Let the hate mail commence.

This should have honestly happened in the first issue not in one small panel towards the end of the second issue.

Oh no! The zombie Justice League. Just means we are going to get more senseless gore and death in the next issue and very little plot progression. YEEEEEEEAAHH! Not!

Blackest Night: Batman #1 Highlights

Definitely not the way you want to meet your grandparents for the first time.

This is actually more plot progression than we got in the main book of Blackest Night. And it is only a tie-in mini-series. It brings up the question if your soul must pass on to be brought back as Deadman soul is certainly not part of the Black Lantern version of the character.

Just love the fact that the Ventriloquist created Scarface using his ring.

Great way to summarize everything that has happened in Dick's life and what lead him to become Batman.

Just love the shadows of the dead covering the Batsignal.

Green Lantern Corps #39 Highlights

Does this just make it official that Saranik will be a casualty of Blackest Night.

Hopefully this means Guy will join the Red Lanterns as we have way to many Green Lanterns from Earth.

See if we would have gotten an image like this in Blackest Night #2 than I would have liked it more as we see how big the event is with this image alone. Just another case for Tomasi doing a better job than Johns over the past few months with the Green Lantern stories.

Its never good to see your ex again. Especially when they are a half dead zombie being controlled by a Black Lantern ring.

Red Robin #3 Highlights

Oh my god! I still don't believe that you have not gone crazy Tim. Could you actually show us some evidence of Bruce being alive and not just thinking you found it.

The Marvels Project #1 Highlights

A fantastic splash image of the "future" Marvel superheroes.

You do not mess with Namor.

And also do not mess with the first Human Torch because just by touching him you will be set on fire.

Ultimate Comics Avengers #1 Highlights

You really want to know what happened in the ten minutes you've been gone: Jeph Loeb happened.

The image speaks for itself.

Just doing what ever needs to be done to get the mission over with.

I betting a lot of guys, me included, would like to get the number of Tony's therapist as he/she gives Tony a great recommendation to get over his depression.

Ultimate Red Skull is hardcore with how easily he kicked the crap out of Captain America.

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1 Highlights

Six months does wonders for a city that was under water not to long ago.

Will you look at that the cops actually being nice to Spider-Man. Never thought I see that happen.

Again, this is just wrong.

Love Ultimate Mysterio's redesign. So much cooler than the fishbowl costume of his 616-counterpart.