Released this week and available at all quality comic stores in the metro Atlanta area. Galaxyman, hero of Galactic Quest comic shop, where I get all of my comic needs taken care of, chose the following as this week’s hottest books for the week of September 1, 2010:
Wolverine #1: Jason Aaron and Renato Guedes reboot the Wolverine series, why I don’t know, Marvel will turn around at some point and say “Hey this would be the 2000th issue if it weren’t for all the damn start over and revamps!” and return to the original numbering. Getting past the arbitrary revamp crap, the issue starts with Logan talking about life with John Wraith who is now a pastor. Later, one of his ministry is attacked and Wraith goes to confront the killer. As he is struck down he is assaulted by serpents and vermin and his attacker then assaults his church setting it aflame. The attacker reveals himself to be Logan. Logan’s reporter friend is attacked by a group of what looks like Rednecks from Hell only to be rescued by Mystique who starts to tell her Logan’s state when we cut to Hell and find Logan confronted by a demon prince.
The Last Stand of the Silver Samurai by Jason Aaron and Jason Latour tells of the Anti-hero’s final battle defending Clan Yashida’s Ancestral Compound by Soldiers of the Red Right Hand saving his home only to seemingly die at his sister’s grave. This tale closes the first issue and also has character sketches by Renato Guedes. I don’t see why and still think it is a waste to have ended the previous Wolverine series to start this story arc over. I know first issues sell better than others but just because a writer/artist changes in no warrant for a new book, get over yourselves and give us our continuity. If you want a number one issue CREATE something NEW!!! Other than that I like the book, it should allow us to see Wolverine, shaken by Nightcrawler’s death deal with some personal introspection and inner demons while his possessed body reeks havoc in the real world.
Freedom Fighters #1: Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray return us to the new Freedom Fighters that debuted in the limited series Crisis Aftermath: The Battle for Blüdhaven. Only Uncle Sam and the second Ray survived the slaughter of the original team. The current team is not the same group that came from Earth X in Justice League of America #107 in 1973 made up of resistance fighters against the Nazis that won World War II, but government sponsored heroes that begin with Firebrand and Black Condor taking out a team of Neo-Nazis attacking Latinos in an Arizona mall (shockingly that’s how The Justice Society’s current series started too!). I guess some symbolism can’t be helped but I was intrigued by the Confederate Nazi referred to as Reb. The Human Bomb is on an asteroid closing on Earth only to find it inhabited by primitives while Doll Man rescues the Vice-President. Ray and Phantom Lady find a town possessed by an alien intelligence in West Virginia until Uncle Sam gathers them together at Devil’s Tower Wyoming (yes the same from Close Encounters of the Third Kind) to track down a Civil War Doomsday device (just like in the Jonah Hex movie). Entering the supposedly solid butte they find a quartet of Native American adversaries.
I had high hopes for this book but if the writer is going to stick with hackneyed plots that are recycled from other recent comics it is going to flop bad. This group has such potential with a rich historic legacy that could be better explored.
Avengers: The Children’s Crusade #4: Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung pick up with Magneto confronting the Young Avengers. Trying to take Wiccan and Speed off with him leading to battle with both the Young Avengers and the main Avengers team. Wiccan transports the Young Avengers and Magneto to Transia at the foot of Wundagore Mountain where he tells them of the history of Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch as they encounter Magneto’s wife’s grave. Wiccan disguises them as the Von Trapps (Sound of Music) as they enter the village Speed finds Quicksilver also searching for the Witch and another quasi battle ensues with Pietro throwing boards at hurricane speed. Patriot knocks Magneto out of harm’s way as one of the board skewers Wanda only to find that she is a Doombot and the most powerful mutant, the one who de-powered over 90% of the mutant population on M-Day, is in the hands of Dr. Doom.
Nice art, a great tie-in to a LOT of Marvel history that was recapped quickly even though it took years to tell the convoluted history to tell the same stories. This 9 issue mini-series is on a bi-monthly schedule and it is painstakingly slow to have to wait for such a great story.
Brightest Day #9: Told by Geoff Johns and Peter Tomasi and illustrated by Patrick Gleason, Ivan Reis and Joe Prado move the mystery of the 12 revived heroes and villains as the new Aqualad appears. Deadman confronts Aquaman and Mera as the White Lantern becomes more communicative. Mera knows the location of the new Aqualad the Aquaman must find. J’onn J’onzz tears into the Star City forest where the White Light overwhelms his telepathy and his power go wild. He is saved by Green Arrow and J’onzz must return to Mars to restore it to life. The mysterious serial killing green Martian also gains this insight. Meanwhile Black Manta is attacked by some undersea dweller led by Mera’s sister and it is revealed that Aqualad II is the son of the Black Manta!
Shock follows shock as this juggernaut rolls on. The Blackest Night/Brightest Day has had more effect on the DCU than the Crisis did!! Only great things can come from this as the bi-weekly year-long series moves on.
Our Army At War #1: From time to time a company has to use a cancelled title to preserve their copyright. This month DC is doing one shots of their Army titles and leading off the pack is Sgt Rock. As a kid I wasn’t a war fan and missed out on the great Joe Kubert art that usually accompanied the book. I knew Rock from his Brave & Bold team ups with Batman and some reprints. Mike Marts and Victor Ibanez tell a tale of intertwined battle stories set in the time of Sgt Rock and a modern Afganistan showing that though the faces and names change, the face of war is the same. Weird War Tales (3 horror stories), Our Fighting Forces (the original Losers), G.I. Combat (the Haunted Tank) and Star-Spangled War Stories (Mademoiselle Marie) will be featured over the course of the month. Support our troops and check them out!!
Galaxyman can be found patrolling the streets of Lawrenceville and Buford and yet oddly always near one of the Galactic Quest store locations. Stop in and tell Kyle “Bruce sent you!” Watch for Galaxyman’s Top Five Picks of the Week!!
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