THE FLASH #2

Even DC comics probably figured it out: nobody is going to buy a book about The Flash unless it has the greatest artist/writer team in comics history. Writer Geoff Johns is DC's premiere go-to-guy and artist Francis Manupal is one of the best out there, but I have to give kudos to the colorist, Brian Buccellato. The book is colorful and vibrant. Even though the plot is about the death of an old villain, the colors add a sense of fun and freshness to the mood. It's one of the best looking books out there these days. The story is average stuff: Barry, The Flash by night and detective by day, is accused of murder by his own police computer and some superheroes from the future. Meanwhile, Mirror Master helps Captain Boomerang break out of prison for purposes yet to be revealed. This is a terrific book. It's standard stuff, sure, but it's a hell of a lot of fun. ***

BATMAN: THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #1

They got stuck in time on Lost two years ago and Captain America went through the same thing last year. It's Bruce Wayne's turn. This reminds me of when Antz and A Bug's Life both came out around the same time. I think Armageddon and Deep Impact came out close to each other, too. I guess it's not really being ripped off here, because the idea of someone being lost in the time stream has been done before (H.G. Wells' The Time Machine was probably the first piece to tackle the idea). Writer Grant Morrison is known for writing comics as if they're pieces of a puzzle. His stuff is often more confusing and obtuse than entertaining. I think Batman: R.I.P. would have been unreadable if not for Tony Daniel's awesome visuals. And Morrison's new book, Batman & Robin, faltered once Frank Quitely quit drawing the interiors. This book apparently is six parts and has six different artists. It doesn't help that this is the caveman issue. From what I've heard, Batman also ends up a pirate and stuck in the puritan/witch hunt era. Those issues are probably going to be a lot more fun, as this issue is a disaster. I didn't read Final Crisis, but he wasn't killed off at the end of it (nor was he killed in the storyline titled Batman: R.I.P.), he was sent into the time stream so that DC can sell a new Batman comic (there are now four monthly Batman books out there that I know of). Bruce Wayne amongst cavemen is just silly. It doesn't work at all. Even the spectacular art by Karl Story can't save it (and the art is incredible in the first three pages then slowly gets worse). Superman showing up and “missing” Batman is just the icing on the stupidity cake. Seriously, how long do we have to wait until they put Geoff Johns on one of the Bat books? * (out of ****)

SAVAGE DRAGON #160

This is part 6 of 6 in “Dragon War.” What happens: Emperor Kurr, aka Dragon, kills everyone except for Malcolm, Angel, and Flash Mercury then he disappears and says that if anyone follows him he'll “tear you limb from limb.” I guess the newest villain is Dragon himself. And I guess this means that Malcolm and Angel will be the stars of the book from now on. That's cool and a shocking change. I kind of don't see the point of the shape-shifter showing up and being killed off so fast. What was the point of her character? Otherwise, this is a good issue. Terrific, in-your-face art by Larsen and wildly brilliant colors from Koutsis and Toris. Things are settling from the fallout, and it feels pretty monumental. Larsen has shaken up things big time. This is epic stuff. ***

GREEK STREET #11

Eddie loses an eye and then kills Lord Menon. Eye for an eye? Can the symbolism get any more heavy-handed? We also learn a lot. Lord Menon is Eddie's father. The monster turns out to be a dead whore from Menon's adulterous past. I'm really not sure where this book can go from here. Is it wrapping up? Or does writer Peter Milligan have more ancient Greek myths to tackle? This book has been sort of like The Sopranos meets Clash of the Titans. It's definitely intriguing, but has never yet been super-compelling or revelatory. It's bloody, bloody stuff. Perhaps its time to lighten itself up a bit. **

BATMAN & ROBIN #12

It took three guys to draw this issue, so I'm guessing that it was important for this to come out before The Return of Bruce Wayne. DC probably didn't want another Captain America: Reborn disaster on their hands. I'm guessing that it's the last page. That masked guy, The Gravedigger, that's been helping Robin and Batman for no apparent reason? It turns out he's The Joker. Yes, that last page when he takes off his mask to reveal himself as The Joker is awesome, chilling stuff. Writer Grant Morrison has made The Joker pretty sadistic in the past. He was more akin to a serial killer in Batman: R.I.P. than a crazy dude spitting one-liners. It will be interesting to see what he's up to. As for the rest of this issue: it's actually pretty boring stuff. Robin confronts his mother, Talia Al Ghul. She basically disowns him. There's also Robin, Alfred, and Batman down in the depths of the bat cave attempting to figure out what happened to Bruce Wayne and what all the clues mean (let me guess: he's not dead. Characters don't really die in comic books for some weird reason). The art is done by Scott Hana, Dustin Nguyen, and Andy Clarke. The art is standard stuff and the cover by Frank Quitely is borderline terrible (why does Batman's leg look like it's broken?). The Joker is back, though, and all is right in the world. **

I ZOMBIE #1

Did Frankenstein come up with this title or is there supposed to be a comma there? Either way, this is yet another zombie book. Madman artist Mike Allred is drawing it, so right there it gets a boost. Writer Chris Roberson is mostly a novelist, but he's also doing that Cinderella book that's a spin-off from Fables. The concept behind this book is a good one. Sadly, most comics need a hook for an editor to sign off it. What's more important is the actual execution, and so far this book hasn't yet fleshed itself out enough. The concept is that a girl is a zombie. If she eats a brain once a month she remains normal. The problem? When she eats the brain she gets all of that person's memories. In this issue she has to solve the murder of the guy whose brain she ate. That seems like a good plot, but there's more stuffed into this that just ends up seeming too much. There's a vampire. There's a boy that turns into a dog when there's a full moon. Isn't the zombie crime solver enough? The art is fantastic. It's crisp, old-school, and fits the bizarre, psuedo-comedic world. Hopefully it'll all fit together nicely once it starts chugging along. **

SWEET TOOTH #9

God, this book is depressing. It's also mostly a mix of everything from Lone Wolf and Cub to The Road to Mad Max to Hostel. It's certainly not original (did he get the idea from that Fall Out Boy video?), but it is engrossing, heart-wrenching, sad, and entertaining. Last issue we learned that Gus was created in a lab. In this issue the scientists attempt to figure out if Gus was the reason for the virus starting. We also get some more back story of Tommy, the grizzled old dude who still misses his wife. This issue is more of a bridge than anything, and for that it feels like a throwaway, been-there-done-that issue. There are still big questions that unfold. Who's the woman that Tommy goes to at the end of the issue? Why did they kill Tommy's wife? What's the deal with the virus and Gus? Hopefully it won't take years to find out the answers. As great as this series is, it's already starting to feel a little stale. **1/2 (out of ****)

ASTONISHING SPIDER-MAN & WOLVERINE #1

At first I thought that this was a new on-going series. DC does have a Superman/Batman book that's been around for over five years, so it's not a far fetched idea. This is only a six-issue mini-series. It's so good I wish it was on-going. Writer Jason Aaron has officially taken over the mantle as the best writer Marvel has. This book is so obscure, thrilling, and fresh, that no other writer at Marvel would be able to produce something like this. It certainly helps that artist Adam Kubert is drawing it and that it features the two most appealing Marvel superheroes. The book goes in different directions than one would think, though. Instead of a typical team-up book we get a strange tale that starts in a weird, prehistoric land with talking apes and gigantic insects. We soon learn that a bank robbery went awry and something happened that sent Spider-Man and Wolverine spiraling into a different dimension. This is the kind of book that has ideas that a little kid would think is awesome. It doesn't necessarily break any rules of what a comic book is, but it feels like a fresh discovery of sorts. It confirms why we all started to love comics in the first place. It's wild, fun, and hugely entertaining. ***1/2

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY: WAR OF THE SUPERMEN #0

First off, what's up with all these #0 issues? What's next, a negative one issue that explains the past further? Just name it #1 you fucking idiots. Jesus. I was reading the “New Krypton” storyline when it first started two years ago. Geoff Johns left and the story got a little boring and I left. It wasn't that the idea wasn't a good one. You wouldn't really think that a story with this magnitude would get so little buzz, but it has. All of the people from Krypton are alive and right next to earth. That's monumental, right? DC has pushed the hell of it. There's been the story in Action Comics and Superman plus the 12 part World of New Krypton, the 3 part Last Stand of New Krypton, and now this 4 part War of the Supermen. Nobody cares, though. The books aren't selling. Nobody is talking about them. It's probably because the execution hasn't been great. The idea is terrific. A thousand or so Supermen flying around earth. That should add drama, right? I haven't read most of it, but it sounded like nothing too engaging or exciting has occurred. I liked this issue, though, and it sets up a war between the puny earthlings and the Kryptonians. Yes, the war should lest five seconds realistically (they're super, we're not). Leading the charge against Earth is General Zod. Luther is missing and Braniac isn't in this issue, but General Lane is whispered about and Jimmy Olsen shows up soaking wet and ready to reveal some sort of conspiracy. The art is by Eddie Barrows. It's efficient but a little too heavily inked by J.P. Mayer. It's written by James Robinson and Sterling Gates. It's actually very engrossing. Who cares if nobody else is buying it. ***

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY: IRON MAN/THOR #1

At 23 pages long and with John Romita Jr. drawing it and Matt Fraction writing it, this was definitely the best “real” free comic book. Marvel made this and last year's free comic a slightly smaller size (cheaper to print, perhaps?) than the standard comic book size. That was the only fault...until I read this. J.R.Jr. is my favorite artist. He's so clutch and his stuff is so bold and crisp and he makes superheroes look like superheroes. Writer Matt Fraction, though, has never been a favorite of mine. His Uncanny X-Men is mediocre and his Iron Man is silly. If this book is any indication then his run on Thor will be thoroughly terrible. The plot involves rich dudes in space controlling the weather. It's camp and amusing but it's throwaway stuff. The free book should be something that makes you want to read more or get you interested in something. This book just feels pointless. **

THE GREEN HORNET #3

Dynamite Comics is going to town with their newly acquired Green Hornet rights. I think they already have four of five monthly books dealing with the Green Hornet. The problem with this is that once the movie comes out and Seth Rogen is playing the lead and the uber-weird director Michele Gondry is at the helm...will Dynamite be fucked? Will Dynamite's Green Hornet look totally different than the Rogen/Gondry Hornet? The movie won't hit until this Fall, and since it might show up being totally bizarre, the studio heads could very well push it back until February 2011. Anyway, this comic is written by Kevin Smith and based on his Green Hornet movie script. It's good so far and would have made a decent, by-the-numbers film. I feel like it works better as a comic, as by-the-numbers super hero movies are a dime a dozen these days. This is the best issue yet. Britt Reid, Sr. gets murdered. His son finds out that his dead father used to be the Green Hornet. He learns this by bumping into Kato at a bar and getting into a brawl. The art and colors in this book are first-rate. They're glorious. Phil Hester does the breakdowns and Jonathan Lau does the finishes. Ivan Nunes does the colors. It just looks like a super hero book should. The action looks frenzied and intense. The colors make it bold and beautiful. It's also Kevin Smith's best work since Batman: Cacophony. Sure, there's death but it's a fun book. ***

LOCKE & KEY: CROWN OF SHADOWS #5

I wasn't looking forward to this issue when I saw the cover. “Giant Sized Action!” it proclaims. Ugh. Are we going to get an all splash-page issue? Thankfully, no. The first ten pages are all one-panel pages that depict Tyler (he's giant) fighting the big, black demon thing. I will say that the first page is one of the best pages I've seen in comics in some time. It has Bode and Kinsey cowering on the ground and looking up. Gabriel Rodriguez is knocking it out of the park with his art on this series. We also get some typical teen stuff when Kinsey shows up at school wearing her life preserver and ready to hang with the losers and not Dodge (he's pissed). This is genuinely the best book out there. It started a little too violent and dark but eventually the kids all got stories and emotions that fleshed them out. It's gorgeous and entertaining and has successfully maintained its excellence. ***1/2

THE WALKING DEAD #71

Let the shit hit the fan already. This book needs some action and quickly. It's been dull for awhile. Even the cannibal arc was boring and went nowhere. This issue is more of the same: the gang settles into their new life in town. The kids have a trick or treat deal. The gang gets houses, jobs, and meet the locals. This a zombie book. There are no zombies in this issue. I'm guessing eventually that something big will happen. It better. I'm falling fast asleep. **

STUMPTOWN #3

Artist Matthew Southwark writes about the book in his letters page (it features no letters so I guess it's more of a column). He says that he spent two hours drawing a bag of frozen peas just right. It really helps getting into an artist's head. Most mainstream books don't even have a letters page anymore, so it's a special treat to hear about the trials and tribulations of an artist working on a monthly book in this day and age. This is a simple book: there's a female private investigator trying to find a missing girl. Writer Greg Rucka makes it both realistic and awesome. Dex, the female P.I., pulls a gun on a perp and says, “You put a hand on her...I let weather into your skull.” Cute. The reason that this book works are the little things. The amusing dialogue. The little problems in a realistic life. The frozen peas. There's action and suspense, sure, but it's not over-the-top. It's all very true to life. This is a very interesting world these guys have cooked up. Now stop taking two hours to draw a bag of frozen peas so this can come out on time. ***

SCALPED #37

This is part two of a two-parter that deals with Shunka, the closeted gay right hand man of Red Crowe. Shunka heads to another state to deal with another Indian casino's mess. He ends up getting screwed and the wrong guy ends up being the new boss. The art, by Davide Furno, is not very good at all. It's sketchy and not truly defined. It looks like he needed more time to flesh it out. The story is also fairly dull. Do we really need to know that Shunka is a homosexual? Does that add anything to the basic story? Writer Jason Aaron has stretched this book out too thin. He should take a page out of the TV show Lost's playbook and get a game plan for an ending. Sure, the stories behind the assorted characters might be somewhat interesting, but we don't need stories about the whole reservation. The main story is just too good to let it sit on the sidelines. *1/2 (out of ****)

X-FACTOR #204

They all die! No, really. Will there even be a #205? Either Peter David knew this or he got handed a memo mid-storyline, but last issue's jungle rescue is moved to the side while an evil dude from the future shows up targeting mutants and literally kills off most of the members of X-Factor. The only ones still alive are the two in Ireland and Monet and Strong Guy, but Strong Guy is busy getting his ass handed to him and Monet is still sort of held captive. I'm taking a wild guess that most of these characters are not dead. They were all shot in the head. Can mutants survive that? It'd be funny if this book only has four members in it when it returns. But alas, this is Marvel we're talking about. Didn't Norman Osbourn die forty years ago? Surprisingly, though, this issue is the best in a long time. It's shocking. It's fast-paced. It's a change of pace, completely throwing away the current storyline for the new, mega-event, “Second Coming: Revelations.” I don't read the other X-books, but so far I like this storyline. ***

HELLBLAZER #266

Superstar artist Simon Bisley is back for the final part of this two part story involving England's Conservative Party and Sid Vicious. I suppose this storyline had potential. It's way too short, though, and everything easily gets wrapped up a little too fast. The Sid Vicious doll comes alive and somehow destroys the undead Conservative Party dudes. And Constantine gets a haircut. And Epiphany is a slut. Perhaps making it longer would have added some much-needed suspense and mystery, but as is it's a pretty little story and nothing more. **1/2

AMERICAN VAMPIRE #2

The first issue was hit-or-miss and I wasn't sure I would bother to get this. I'm a sucker. I caved. And half of this is good. Not really good, but a good vampire romp. The second half, which is written by Stephen King, just doesn't have any flow to it. It's King having fun but not entirely caring what the audience thinks (that, or King still thinks ten year olds read comic books and thus probably thought it was awesome). The American vampire of the title is Skinner Sweet. He was an old West outlaw in King's section and in the 1920's Hollywood scene in the other section. In King's section he gets buried alive and a dam is built and his coffin, cemetery, and the town are soon at the bottom of a lake. Some smugglers looking to steal and sell Skinner's belongings go to the bottom of the lake and open the coffin. In the first section, a wannabe actress gets turned into a vamp and Skinner helps her out. The catch? She can walk around in sunlight thanks to Skinner's evolution. And she's a real monster when she morphs. And...it's nothing really new. The book is bloody and camp and the art by Rafael Albuquerque is nice and vibrant, but so far it all doesn't connect to make anything cohesive. It's just shards of stories mixed together and it doesn't entirely work. **

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #9

This is part one of six in “Tainted Love.” Artist David Lafuente is back and all is right with the world. Kitty Pryde gets nabbed by the cops at school for being a mutant. That, and The Human Torch hooks up with Peter's clone, Spidergirl. This book is just a lot of fun. There's serious stuff going on, sure, but it's all entertaining and colorful and a terrific read. The only thing I wish would be added is a villain. They used Mysterio in the first arc. Where's Venom? Dr. Octopus? Sandman? Green Goblin? One of the luxuries of Spiderman is his villains gallery. Use 'em. ***

BRIGHTEST DAY #0

If DC was smart they would put out twenty Superman comics and twenty Batman comics out every month and nothing else. I suppose it says something that their Green Lantern franchise as finally started becoming “big,” but even after the movie hits, will it ever be as big as The X-Men or Spider-Man or The Hulk? Probably not. I did read the first few issues during last year's “Blackest Night” epic. I liked it so much that I stopped. The premise was good (zombies meet superheroes...in space!), but it was too silly and too much to handle for someone that has no idea what's going on. Post- “Blackest Night” is their newest bi-monthly epic, Brightest Day. It focuses on twelve heroes that were brought back from the dead by a mysterious white light. Aquaman is probably the only one you've heard of. The Flash is well known but he has his own new book so won't be a main star of this. At 48 pages of art, this is a behemoth. The cover is by David Finch, who DC recently stole from Marvel. Finch is sadly only drawing the covers, but the interior here is nicely drawn by Fernando Pasarin. The writing is done by Geoff Johns and Peter J. Tomasi. It's a set-up issue and an introductory one. The problem is that none of these newly resurrected heroes have interesting stories. The plots that will fuel this series haven't entirely been presented, but so far it's fairly dull stuff. Sometimes it really seems like I'm somehow missing something. Green Lantern is the stupidest superhero ever created. Add that to the extremely over-the-top galaxy that he flies around in and everything just makes my eyes glaze over. This series, though, will hopefully not focus on all of that and keep the intergalactic alien drudgery to a minimum. It has potential. Now hit it out of the park. **

SAVAGE DRAGON #159

Brian Bendis joked in his letters column in Powers #4 last week that Savage Dragon was a book that was canceled in the late 90's. Then he wrote, “Wait. What? It is. Wow.” Or something along those lines. Yes, this book keeps chugging along. The latest storyline has Dragon remembering his old self and embracing the evil, bloodthirsty Emperor Kurr identity. This particular issue has everyone meeting Kurr in an alley in Chicago. When I say everyone I mean everyone: Malcolm, Angel, the Vicious Circle, that Dragon superhero dork, and that shape-shifting Dragon chick. It's a mess, a clusterfuck, and I assume next issue a battle will ensue. The art is as good as it can be and the colors are a little overwrought, but it's a good issue amidst a storyline that's starting to get exciting. ***

WE WILL BURY YOU #2

Yep, another zombie book. This is hard to find, though. A few comic book stores don't order this but I tracked it down. It's co-written by a chick that used to be in the NBC series Heroes. She was the rip-off of The Flash and kind of looked like Veronica Mars. I'm guessing that's how this got published; her being somewhat famous and all. The story takes place in New York City in the 1920's. The main characters are two lesbian lovers, one of them killed her husband in the last issue and the other is a prostitute. They end up shacking up with a zombified fortune teller/mystic type of a lady that's chained to her furnace. After that they flee to Coney Island where zombies are riding The Cyclone. The story isn't anything fresh, but the zany, psychedelic art by Kyle Strahm is awesome, grotesque stuff. It's similar to R. Crumb, with wavy lines and heavy ink. It's so bizarre that the zombie world feels as sick and as filthy as it should. I'm not sure where this is going or if it will get better or worse, but the first two issues are very interesting and a nice addition to the zombie canon. ***

THE FLASH #1

It really sucked when writer Geoff Johns and artist Francis Manapul quit Adventure Comics after a very short tun. That book was terrific. I'm not a particular fan of The Flash, but with this superstar team on board I had to at least check it out. I guess The Flash was dead for awhile. He's back now and back as a police detective. The new case has an old superhero appearing in the city and dropping dead. And the last page has a group from the future showing up to arrest The Flash for a future murder (yes, a Minority Report rip-off). The book looks great. The story is a murder mystery but it's still fun and it's entertaining and it feels like an old-fashioned Superman story. I wish these guys were still working on Adventure Comics, but I can't complain. This is a good start. ***