The week in comics: Nick Fury, Batman and Green Lantern

There's a flood of comic titles hitting local comic book stores every Wednesday.  With the rising price of comics, fans are becoming more and more discriminating with their purchases and have become less willing to try new titles and storylines.  Here I give you the heads up on five of this week's comic book releases and add in my two cents about whether you should buy it, wait for the trade paperback or leave it on the shelves.

Secret Warriors #7 sees Nick Fury and his Secret Warriors rob a HYDRA-backed bank to the tune of 1.2 billion dollars.  The robbery gets the attention of HYDRA leader, Baron Von Strucker, and he enlists the assistance of Norman Osborn in bring Fury down.  Osborn sends his black-ops Thunderbolts team to eliminate Fury.  What is significant about this issue is that it catapults Nick Fury onto the Dark Reign main stage.  Thunderbolts #135 will feature a battle with Fury and the Secret Warriors meet Osborn's Avengers head on in Dark Reign #9.  This issue is just the beginning of Nick Fury as a major foil to Norman Osborn in the Dark Reign storyline.  Fans of Dark Reign will definitely want to pick this issue up.

In Batman and Robin #3, Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne finally meet the sick and sadistic Professor Pyg and his Dollotron minions.  After a violent and disturbing confrontation, the new Batman and Robin defeat the mentally unstable Pyg and send him to the slammer.  Dick and Damian have really found their stride as Batman and Robin in this issue.  They are becoming increasingly comfortable in their new roles and are beginning to trust each other as partners in crime fighting.  The issue ends with a violent cameo by the much anticipated and mysterious Red Hood.  With Morrison and Quitely at the helm, comics don't get much better than this.  I highly recommend picking this up and buying the trade when it comes out.

Blackest Night rolls on in Green Lantern #45.  Sinestro and his corps of fear-powered ring bearers attack Zamaron, home world of the Star Sapphires, in a effort to free captured Sinestro Corps members.  Just as the battle heats to boil between Sinestro and Star Sapphire Carol Ferris, the Black Lanterns arrive to conquer the planet.  Dead lanterns from six of the various color corps have returned as Black Lanterns and have taken control of their respective home planets.  Only the mysterious Indigo Tribe Lanterns remain untainted by the hungry, death-powered black rings, but for how long?  Although very interesting, there are no big revelations to the Blackest Night storyline in this issue.  I think if you skipped this one, you would still know whats going on down the line.  Unless you need an immediate Blackest Night fix or are trying to collect a complete run, you might want to wait for the trade on this one.

Fantastic Four #570 kicks off a brand new storyline with brand new creators.  The Fantastic Four easily foils old nemesis and former Frightful Four leader, the Wizard.  However, the focus of the issue is on Reed Richards.  In his secret lab, Richards is approached by Reed Richards, Reed Richards and Reed Richards.  It seems that Reed Richards of Marvel's 616 universe has been recruited by a multi-dimensional council of Reed Richards' counterparts.  The three leaders of the Richards' council want 616 Reed to realize his full potential as one of the most intelligent minds in the universe.  And did I mention that each of the three leaders are wearing an Infinity Gauntlet?  Jonathan Hickman has proven himself as an up and coming creative force in the Marvel universe with Secret Warriors.  I think it may be a bit too early to give Hickman's FF run a shining endorsement, but I will say that I will definitely be buying the next issue.

Beware comic fans, Dark Avengers #8 is not an Avengers story!  The issue has little or nothing to do with the Dark Avengers.  They are only being used as background scenery in an X-Men storyline crossover.  Chapter five in the Utopia storyline, Dark Avengers #8 should have been kept in the Dark X-Men title.  Sure there is the shocking revelation that Emma Frost and Prince Namor have double crossed Norman Osborn, but this crossover into the Dark Avengers title is mainly confusing and unnecessary.  Don't get me wrong, I like what Matt Fraction is doing with Marvel's mutants, but this crossover just seems like a ploy to trick readers into buying more books.  Unless you are following Dark X-Men, my advice is to let this issue sit on the shelf and start back up with Dark Avengers #9.
 

DC's Blackest Night
Nick Fury and Secret Warriors
Batman and Robin
Marvel's Dark Reign