Alright, I’ve been a bad little boy lately… well, to tell you the truth, due mostly to circumstances out of my immediate control, I did not go to the comic book shop for three weeks!  And yet, I’m one of those weekly people… Damn.  So, these are fairly recent comics.

They’re ordered from best to worse, once again.

Donatello: The Brain Thief #4 of 4

Wow, that’s all I can really say to sum up this miniseries.  Jim Lawson really fulfilled on his promise in the interview that I did with him (that you can read here: http://mechanisticmoth.wordpress.com/2009/11/21/an-interview-with-jim-lawson/ ) that this miniseries would show a much darker side to Donatello than ever seen before.  Frankly, I haven’t been this surprised with the character since he fell, broke his leg, and then used a gun to save Karai in City at War way back when.

The pacing on this issue is phenomenal with so many quiet, introspective moments that really emphasize the horrible lengths Donatello will go to for some sort of better good.  I read it so quick that I read it again… and then again… then I read all 4 issues again.  Expect to see this miniseries on a list at the end of the year!

I really have to refrain from going into too much detail about this book because it’s just one that you have to read on your own.  And, don’t fear readers, this miniseries is pretty easy to pick up without ever reading any TMNT stories before.

Batgirl #5:

You know what really makes me happy?  The best titles coming out of the Bat-Family right now are ones that feature Strong Female characters.  Batgirl and Detective Comics.  The characters are truly dynamic.  You get Barbara Gordon who is disabled and in a wheelchair but still empowered, sexy, intelligent, and playing the very important role of being Oracle.  Couple that with her working with Stephanie Brown who’s only been vigilante-ing it for a couple years (comic book time) who is sassy yet smart and fierce.  Not only that, out of any of the characters in the Bat-verse, Stephanie actually brings some much needed light to the dark of Gotham.

Plus, what’s this!? The women aren’t drawn with giant T & A in this book!  There’s even a stab by the writer at other books that do this (which was pretty darn good).

Any issue of Batgirl is great for first time readers because the stories are pretty issue inclusive, and they’re very attractive for first time readers because of the stories being fun, thrilling, and fresh.

Plus, there’s an Omen joke in here (connection between the boy in the movie and the son of Bruce Wayne-aka the new Robin) that I’ve been waiting for for quite awhile.

Read this, you won’t be disappointed… unless you get a copy like I did… which is when the colors bleed on a couple pages because the printer was off from the registration marks… which is really frustrating (especially when it happens multiple times a week) because it detracts from the art.

Invincible Iron Man #21:

This is the best comic coming out of Marvel.

Despite the somewhat contrived way of getting Tony’s knowledge back, this comic works really well.  Fraction does a great job of leaving some mystery as to what the hell is happening inside Tony’s subconscious as he tries to make it back too.

The art’s really neat.

There’s some pretty strong female characters in the book despite the occasional large boobs that they’re graced with.

There’s no reason not to read this book, really.

Red Robin #7:

You know, I have to say that I think it’s pretty darn funny that the only good books coming out of the Bat-verse post-(the atrocious)-Battle for the Cowl are pretty unrelated from Batman.

Here we have Tim Drake traveling around the world in search for the missing Bruce Wayne.  ‘Cept, he’s had to hit it up with the League of Assassins to go toe to toe with the Council of Spiders… sure, that sounds a bit confusing, but it makes sense when you read it.

I really love the new artist on the series Marcus To, he’s really showing his talent with this book.

I also enjoy how we experience the weirdness alongside Tam Fox since this is her Introduction to Super Hero-ing and Assassins/Ninjas… it gets pretty funny to read her reactions, but you still feel vested in the interests of the characters.

I have to admit, I was a little surprised by the climax of Ra’s Al Ghul being there the whole time to only be taken out by a touch by poison lady… Ra’s Al Ghul is the most dangerous man on earth, so… how could someone just walk up and put their hand on him?  Oh well.  It was  a good sport.

The Walking Dead #68:

Alright, it’s pretty easy for me to say that The Walking Dead is one of the best comics out on the market.  Hell, it’s really easy.  However, this issue is totally a transitional one, and it shows.  Nevertheless, Robert Kirkman pulls it off and makes it not entirely boring and hints at some other stuff in it.

After the (awesome!) Fear the Hunters storyline the gang has done some pretty terrible things and find out that Eugene who seemed like he had contacts with the government and was leading them to Washington D.C., was actually lying in order for him to survive.  Disgruntled and starving, a man just walks up to the group out of the woods and offers them a spot in the special community he lives in.

Very intriguing.  But, this issue is working in between the short run of Fear the Hunters and the story line once they end up in the community.  So, it’s meet and greet/ Rick’s kind of mean again.

I really enjoyed how in the couple of panels, Kirkman (heavily) suggested that the partners from the town doing the scoping for people to join the community Aaron and Eric are homosexuals.  They both seem very empowered characters and I hope to see more of them in the future of the series.

Green Lantern Corps #43:

You know, it would probably be helpful for me to go and read the reviews I did for the previous issue of a comic that I did before rating the newest one just to make sure there’s some consistency.  Oh well.

Kyle Rayner isn’t dead!  Big surprise since I already knew it with the Origins and Omens from last year.  However, it wasn’t a completely useless tool used by Tomasi because Kyle’s “death” basically gave the impetus for Guy Gardner to become a Red Lantern/aka complete badass.  Since he’s got two rings on his fingers, Guy can just go around “killing” the undead Black Lanterns in droves.  Other than that, though, the issue is kind of sad, in a way.  It had some cool ideas but there was this overall sadness to it that was strange.

Other than that, the issue was neat, but it didn’t completely flow.  This comic just seems to go by way too fast when not much is actually shown but you know there’s a lot going on.  I don’t know, maybe they could pull an Amazing Spider-Man on us and release three issues a month!

Tales of the TMNT #65:

Okay, I had a really hard time with this issue.  The overall premise of delivering a somewhat Holiday-time Tale along with everything else going on in this issue was really good.  I just don’t believe that it was carried out to the best possible degree.  This issue’s all Berger, and I believe that at times his writing can sway between okay and great which is the same for his art.  The Turtles sway between Archie style and Eric Talbot style which are pretty distinct differences.

The best part of this story, however, is the Rat King.  The Rat King is by far one of the best ever characters in the Mirage-Universe who is fairly underutilized (he died during or before City at War depending) because he’s the only person to have ever successfully messed with Splinter.  This issue gives us about 10 frames worth of Rat King, and all of them are classic.  I really wish more of the issue focused on the Rat King than the mystical guy and the snow oni.

I mean, how did the guy even find out about the Turtles?  It seems so arbitrary.

The thing that did it for me to bring this one down from a 3 to a 2.5 was because of the binding issues which have absolutely no connection to Mirage or the story.  It just really pissed me off when the pages of my comic were still perforated and attached together so I had to tear the tops of them apart which, in the process, bent all of my pages.  It was frustrating and a first.

How I view it, is that 3 stars is average, and 2.5 stars is squeeking just below the surface of that.

Serena Therapy Mask

Almost every day, it seems, another perfect product arrives at Snorestore HQ. Today’s highlight is a lovely, soft spa mask made from chenille and sateen and stuffed with flax seeds. The beauty of the Serena mask is that you can warm it up in the microwave* or cold it down in the freezer for those occasions when simply lying back and relaxing isn’t enough to help your sore head or stressed out brain. The Serena mask is available in limited quantities only. So if you want one, best get it now.  Here.

* make sure to read the instructions first … as setting fire to the mask or to yourself is not recommended.

Hello everyone!

I’ve got a new lil’ kitten back in Singapore. This little fella found its way into my garden on a rainy day. He was sickly underweight, covered in fleas, extremely dirty, couldn’t open an eye and was very much frightened indeed. He tried to run away from my 3 crazy sisters, but had no energy to do so. Poor bugger. My sisters took this little fella to the vet, and the vet suspected it had cat flu, and had to be isolated from B (isolation is necessary anyway since B isn’t exactly motherly). The vet gave some medication and eye drops for his dysfunctional eye. Haven’t gone for the second check up, but if he still is diagnosed with cat flu, we might have to euthanize him just to help shorten his misery. So pray that he is healthy so he can live a good 20 years with me.

Anyway, this little fella has been named, Friday. My sisters were intending to find a good home for him, because, B, being the feisty bitch, will take a very long time or never accept Friday (because she is Queen). But a couple of days with us, and we decided to keep him! Can’t wait to go back so that I can slowly introduce Friday to B. The Matriarch will probably slap his face, but a little hissy fit is unavoidable.

Enough said. Here is the little boy! Flea free, back in good shape and with a much better eye!

And of course not forgetting my B…

Hahaha… look at her face.

–

.Bucky & Friday.

Dear J,

Hello! I thought I’d might as well share this with you, since it’s the first painting I’ve done in the past few years. I did over my visit in California. They’re Krystal’s doggies, Bucky and Jack, and they’re very lovable! I like it okay but it’s lacking serious technique, so I want to take a painting class to learn the stuff. I used acrylic paint for this one, but I want to learn oil painting. I found out my aunt and uncle also do oil paintings, so maybe I’d be good at it if I practiced more. Too bad all the community college art classes here got cancelled though. Anyway, let me know what you think!

Yours very truly,

C

This is a review of the (beginning of) the much-beloved Ed Brubaker/Steve Epting run on the Captain America revival. I bought the whole “Winter Soldier” storyline in two trade paperbacks (compiling issues 1-14) on the advice of a friend, and wow, was I not disappointed. In the comic-movie world, Robert Downey’s Tony Stark/Iron Man will probably always be my favorite character, while in (my admittedly short exposure to) comics, Kate Kane’s Batwoman will probably never be unseated. She has some stiff competition in Brubaker’s Captain America now though. God almighty can this man write! But more on that later. For now, lets begin with…

First Impressions: I love the artwork. The dialogue seems a bit thin just flipping through the pages, but we’ll see what happens once we actually start reading. The layout is nice–easy to follow and understand. Also, nothing makes me want to shout “hooah!” like the sight of Steve Rogers in the same Army physical training shirt I wear to PT every day. I love Cap.

Artwork: This is one hell of a beautifully drawn book. Both from my (quite extensive) experience with cartoon animation and (not so extensive) experience with comic book art, I’ve determined that I much, much prefer art that is realistic. That’s not to say I can’t get into or understand stylized books or panels, but generally speaking the less ‘cartoony’ and more photo-real-ish the artwork of a book is, the more I’m going to like it. And wow, is that ever the case here. Just in flipping through the book I can see gorgeous panels that look realistic, are highly evocative, and tell a great deal of the story even without reading the words. That is some damn good art.

The panel layout is pretty classic, it seems; pretty much like a newspaper comics layout. Very serviceable, easy to understand and follow, but certainly nothing like the style that J.H. Williams is experimenting with in the current Detective Comics run (which is also, to be fair, a lot more recent).

I really, really enjoy Epting’s use of color too. Despite this being a rather (make that ‘very’) dark story, it isn’t all just drab grays and blues (although it does have its share of those.) There are plenty of bright colors here used to balance out the dark, in everything from the muzzle flash of a rifle, to the bright colors of Cap’s uniform, to the fires burning in a Russian village during a series of flashbacks. I like artists who know how to mix things up and balance out color use, and Epting handles both issues beautifully here.

Story: As I’ve mentioned before, this is the meat and potatoes of a comic book for me–its what I come to the table for. Give me all the pretty pictures you want, but if you don’t know how to write or tell a story effectively, I’m not buying. Well, no worries here. I can tell right from the start I’m in the hands of a true storytelling master. This is the first Brubaker comic I’ve ever read (although I have of course heard of him by reputation), and even this little taste is enough to make we want to seek out more. (Daredevil Omnibus, anyone?)

This story, literally, has it all: there’s mystery ( a murder-mystery no less!), political intrigue, character history, friendship, betrayal, and plenty of Cap kicking ass, both of the Nazi and non-Nazi variety. There’s even a cameo from two of my other favorite Marvel heroes, Iron Man and Falcon.

On top of just being a rollicking (and at times undeniably heartbreaking) read, the comic is even further elevated (!) by Brubaker’s mastery of prose. He doesn’t just know what to tell, he knows how to tell it.  His language is gritty, realistic and completely believable, while also being quite poetic, and even meditative in places. A brilliant piece of work.

Final thoughts: A masterpiece. Not much more can be said. Epting’s beautiful and evocative images perfectly complement Brubaker’s story and prose, and achieve the kind of gestalt that I imagine is very, very rare in the comic world. An amazing and emotional story, and one I can’t wait to get the next installment of.

by Ed Brubaker (writer), Bryan Hitch & Butch Guice (art), Paul Mounts (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Welcome back Steve Rogers….maybe?  Sort of?

What’s Good: Over the course of my reviews of Reborn, I’ve repeatedly stated that the comic is better the more it focuses on Rogers, as I’ve thus far found most of the present day portions to be relatively dry.  This month bucks that trend, as while much of the comic is in the present, I nonetheless found myself interested.  This is largely thanks to Brubaker bringing in the villains.

With Doom, Red Skull, and their henchman stomping about, getting their way, and generally acting like the cackling, arrogant villains that they are, these present day portions have a vitality that they’ve lacked through much of Reborn.  It’s always fun to see some of the Marvel Universe’s bad guy power players in the same room at once and Skull and Doom have long been two of the most bombastic of the lot.  Better still, their direct involvement in Reborn provides the miniseries with the specific, pointed adversaries needed to add fuel to the narrative’s conflict; they’re more tightly linked and unique to this struggle over Rogers, as opposed to Osborn, who is everybody’s bad guy these days.

Meanwhile, Rogers’ portions continue to be strong, channeling that sense of torment and entrapment that’s worked so well thus far.  Though it’s still scaled back from, say, issue 2, that doesn’t mean that what’s here isn’t enjoyable.

Overall, this feels just as a blockbuster, widescreen mainstream comic should.  It’s got action, it’s big, it’s loud, and it has those diabolical villains, all of it leading to a great ending that’s sure to leave you hankering for issue five.

Hitch and Guice’s work on art once again works fairly well, magically channeling much of the style and spirit of the late 80s, early 90s while nonetheless retaining that layer of modern gloss and polish.  The Cap flashback scenes are especially fantastic, with one rainy WWII-era scene being an absolutely gorgeous reflection of the misery it’s meant to reflect.

What’s Not So Good: Despite this being and generally good-looking book, I couldn’t help but feel the artwork to be a little inconsistent in style and execution.  Several panels look to be drawn by different hands, and it can be a little weird.  With the art already meant to shift to accommodate the flashbacks, these inconsistencies only help the make the book feel a little chaotic at times in terms of style.

I also felt that while the villains were great, the scenes with Richards, Pym, and Vision felt a bit weaker.  They’re just not as interesting as they could’ve been and barring one hypothesis by Richards, it just perpetually feels like they’re one step behind the comic and the reader.

Conclusion: Despite its underwhelming start, Brubaker has really turned Reborn around.

Grade: B+

-Alex Evans

Guess who got a Halloween present as well?

Happy Halloween B! (even though you will never read this)

by Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Stuart Immonen (pencils), Wade von Grawbadger (inks), Dave McCaig (colors), and Albert Deschesne (letters)

The Story: It’s New Avengers vs. Dark Avengers as Luke Cage goes under the knife.

What’s Good: Well, there’s a bunch of action in the comic, and that’s never a bad thing.  However, what’s best about that action is that for once, it’s not the New Avengers desperately trying to survive.   It’s great to see the team actually get the upper hand and kick some ass for once.  As a New Avengers reader, it’s almost a cathartic experience seeing them fight the Dark Avengers on equal terms.

Best of all though is that the comic has more or less moved past groaning and stumbling Avengers and the awfully ambiguous “power drainer” plot device.  As a result, the comic feels like it’s back in working order.  Everything feels fairly sensible and logical again, and the comic has gone back to clicking along at a brisk pace.

While the comic is mostly about the action, we do get some solid character moments.  The chase sequence between Ms. Marvel and Iron Patriot is a lot of fun and very beautifully illustrated by Immonen.  Danvers comes across great, but through her, Bendis also legitimizes the New Avengers in Dark Reign: they’re an actual team, whereas the Dark Avengers lack that cooperative, organized dynamic.  Indeed, the good guys still have something over the bad guys.  Meanwhile, Night Nurse and Jessica also receive solid treatment, with Jessica’s scenes in particular carrying the necessary emotional weight, while also addressing a logical difficulty regarding her current status.

On art, Immonen’s art certainly is a lot of fun in a “comfort food” sort of way.  It’s accessible and very “Saturday-morning,” but his heavier inks also get across the Dark Reign vibe.

What’s Not So Good: Despite my enjoyment of Immonen’s art, I still am not sold on his being the artist on New Avengers.  His work just doesn’t have that blockbuster, modern Marvel feel, and thus in some ways, it almost reduces the book’s importance.  The fact that the Night Nurse looks a bit more like a “Lady of the Night” doesn’t help either.

Probably the biggest problem with this comic is how little characterization there is of the actual team.  Other than those admittedly cool moments with Ms. Marvel and Jessica, it almost feels like the New Avengers are still too large a team, even with Cage unconscious and Wolverine gone.  Outside of being present in group shots, every character is reduced to getting one punch in during the battle and perhaps one line of action-banter.  Spider-Woman doesn’t even get the latter.  In other words, other than Ms. Marvel, has a significant presence or any room to shine.

If it were an issue of page count, it’d be forgivable, but keep in mind that the Night Nurse gets two pages of characterization and dialogue.  Why such a tertiary character that we may never see again should get such preferential treatment to the actual team members who share the comic’s name-sake, I have no idea.  Pile in a bunch of Hood and Osborn, and most of the characters we should be hearing from lose their voices.

Conclusion: A fun action comic that turns the tables on what we normally get from New Avengers.

Grade: B -

-Alex Evans

Kirin Hobby is now accepting preorders for Marvel’s Scarlet Witch from Kotobukiya, designed by Shunya Yamashita. Also coming up from Koto is the Asuka You Can Not Advance figure from the new Eva movies, plus new figures of Clalaclan and Celestia from the Shining series and the re-release of the Inu Yasha statues — Inu Yasha, Kagome & Shippo, Sesshomaru. Last but definitely not least are the exciting new releases from the Figma line of action figures from Max Factory featuring the Requiem for the Phantom Ein and Canaan!

New in stock is the World of Warcraft (WoW) Illidan Demon form and the Ame Comi Batgirl and Catwoman statues from DC Direct. More Marvel Minimates goodness with restock of series 14, 23, and 26.

Enjoy!
Edward

Shining Wind: Clalaclan (Waitress ver) [Figure] by Kotobukiya
Shining Wind: Celestia [Figure] by Kotobukiya
Neon Genesis Evangelion: Asuka Plug Suit You Can (Not) Advance [Figure] by Kotobukiya
Marvel Bishojo Collection: Scarlet Witch (Shunya Yamashita) [Figure] by Kotobukiya
Inu Yasha: Sesshomaru Ani-Statue [Figure] by Kotobukiya
Inu Yasha: Kagome & Shippo Ani-Statue [Figure] by Kotobukiya
Inu Yasha: Inu Yasha Ani-Statue [Figure] by Kotobukiya
Lucky Star OVA EX: Kagami (Miku) & Konata (Yuki) Cosplay ver. Set of 2 [Figure] by Sega
Nendoroid Requiem for the Phantom: Ein [Action Figure] by Good Smile Company
Figma # 054 Requiem for the Phantom: Ein [Action Figure] by Max Factory
Figma # 053 Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS: Nanoha Takamachi The Movie 1st ver. [Action Figure] by Max Factory
Figma # 052 Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS: Vita (Knight clothes ver.) [Action Figure[ by Max Factory
Figma # 048 Canaan: Canaan [Action Figure] by Max Factory
Figma # 003 Fate/Stay Night: Saber (Armor version) [Action Figure] by Max Factory
Figma # 002 Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi: Suzumiya Haruhi (School Uniform ver) [Action Figure] by Max Factory
Figma # 001 Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi: Yuki Nagato (School Uniform ver) [Action Figure] by Max Factory
World of Warcraft WoW Series 5: Illidan (Demon Form) [Figure] by DC Unlimited
Ame-Comi Catwoman v.2 [Figure] by DC Direct
Ame-Comi Batgirl v.2 [Figure] by DC Direct
Minimates Marvel Villains: Dr. Doom, Magneto, Green Goblin, Red Skull Box Set [Action Figure] by Diamond Select
Minimates Marvel Series 26: X-Men Origins Wolverine Set of 4 [Action Figure] by Diamond Select
Minimates Marvel Series 23: Set of 4 [Action Figure] by Diamond Select
Minimates Marvel Series 14: X3 Set of 4 [Action Figure] by Diamond Select
Minimates Marvel Secret Invasion: Phoenix, Beast, Wolverine, Jewel Box Set [Action Figure] by Diamond Select
Minimates Marvel Punisher War Zone: Civilian Frank Castle, Jigsaw, Thug, Assault Punisher Box Set [Action Figure] by Diamond Select
Minimates Marvel Invaders: Captain America, Bucky, Sub Mariner, Human Torch Box Set [Action Figure] by Diamond Select
Minimates Marvel Heroes: Spider-Man, Captain America. The Hulk, Wolverine Box Set [Action Figure] by Diamond Select

Legoman is on Safety Patrol at school, a job that he relishes!  He wants to be there and early too!  Great way to motivate and take responsibility.  They rotate every 2 weeks.  Below is the busiest one…

Post 4 - Main Post for crossing

Ever since we went to Great Aunt Mary’s house in Washington state in 2007, SnowyKitty has loved making and eating crescent rolls.  Here’s our take on crescent rolls….mmmm, dinner! (Legoman helped too) Oh and the dogs are all-beef, nitrate and nitrite free, so a little healthy??

Mmmmmm....crescent rolls

Easy Dinner

Teamwork!

Walking down the street the other day, I felt inspired.  We have a beautiful street with lots of lovely trees and interesting things that make our neighborhood unique.  You can’t tell, but this is a downhill slope.  I always get nervous riding bikes down this intersection because it comes to an odd intersection – the cross-street is slanted and a blind corner.  The kids zoom down and then jam on the brakes.  They are always fine.

When they were little, they used to walk the length of the wood fencing.  It gets taller than Stretch down at the bottom.  They thought it was so great to be taller than Dad! 

Dr. Suess Tree

flower in Jade's front yard

The Happy Guy - still happy after all these years

Our neighbors commissioned this sculpture maybe 5 or 6 years ago.  We drive by it many times a day.  We call him The Happy Guy or Happy Man.  They dress him up for birthdays, holidays and seasons.  It’s always fun to see what Halloween or Christmas costume they have each year – always in jumbo size.  It’s just a fun thing to see everyday to remind you to have a little fun, though I don’t think I would want him in MY yard.  What do you think he’s saying?

And that’s a little bit of my view of our street.  More to come…..

MRZ took this photo of Buck Lasek at his bowl. I agree with what other people have been saying: “That photo better get a cover shot!”

Balls are fun. So, imagine if there were magnetic. The new sensation is sweeping. It’s called BuckyBalls and you can shape them and have fun with them as much as possible. Funballs!

by Ed Brubaker (writer), Bryan Hitch & Butch Guice (art), Paul Mounts (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Bucky and Falcon battle the Thunderbolts, Cap’s glass coffin is exhumed, an old “friend” returns, and Cap battles skrulls in space… again.

What’s Good: From the haunting first page, to the contents of Cap’s coffin, the time traveling plot of this miniseries is once again handled surprisingly well, maintaining a surreal feel throughout.  I especially liked Cap’s method of getting a message to his friends in the present day, which was a definite “why didn’t I think of that” moment.  Once again, it’s great when Cap “breaks character” and discusses his time traveling dilemma with a person from his past, as there’s always this intangible sense of excitement when he does.

Seeing Cap having to re-experience his battles in the Kree-Skrull War was also rather neat, and had a totally different effect from last month’s tragic reiteration of Cap’s origins.  This really did feel like a 70s-era space-based Avengers comic repackaged under a modern lens, and it felt utterly bizarre.  The clash of a past comic under modern artwork was jarring, which I suppose was appropriate, given that this miniseries is about a wrongful collision of past and present.

Though I suppose it was inevitable, the ending of this month’s issue still had a definite impact.  Seeing the return of an old character, one that I’m sure I’m not the only fan of, is never a bad thing.  I’m also all in favour of the character’s new appearance.  It’s very 60s sci-fi, as though it lept off the pages of Brubaker’s Incognito.

Art-wise, you get more of the high-standard you’d expect from Hitch and Guice: an incredible level of detail, excellent shading, and an impossible work-ethic.  I especially enjoyed the team’s depictions of high-altitude flight, which were bright, rosy, and gorgeous.  Hitch and Guise also let loose with the splashes and double-page spreads this month, making some truly iconic work, here.  One particular spread of Namor will certainly elicit its fair share of reader profanities.

What’s Not So Good: Unfortunately, this month’s issue takes a step back from much of what made last month’s such a step up in quality.  The present day portions are still less engaging than Steve’s scenes, but while last month chose to focus more on Rogers, this month spends more time with his present-day friends.  As a result, the issue just feels a bit more bland.

And when we do get Steve, there just isn’t the same level of introspection.  The sense of loss, tragedy, and helplessness just isn’t as poignant.  Instead of the monologues regarding his torment that made #2 so great, we instead just get a barrage of admittedly impressive spreads and splashes.  Brubaker seems to have decided to go heavier on the action side with Steve this month, and the result is a lot lighter.  There just isn’t the same level of gravitas and emotional weight, making the entire comic suffer.

Also, readers of that monthly comic will be quick to notice that Brubaker’s Thunderbolts sound nothing like Diggle’s.  For instance, Ghost sounds like the leader of the team, which is just downright wrong.

Finally, while Hitch and Guice’s artwork is unbelievable, their panel layouts are not.  For some reason, they’ve gone totally wild with the wide panels (widescreen shots) this month.  It’s an almost non-stop barrage that’s repetitive, uninspired, and just annoying.

Conclusion: Fairly good and still better than issue #1, but a step down from last month.

Grade: B -

-Alex Evans

Walking into St. Mark’s Comics in East Village yesterday, there was only one thing on my mind: The monumental Captain America #600. In the front desk of the store, where the new issues from Wednesday usually go, 12 copies of Cap hung triumphantly. It was only 11:30 a.m. on a warm Manhattan Monday, and the copies of this issue on the shelf had already run out.

Marvel Comics had made the unique move of releasing #600 two days early, instead of the traditional New Comic Wednesday, and I patiently waited with a few other fans for an employee to grab more issues.

Marvel had been hyping this issue for months. Something big was going to happen to Captain America and no one should miss it.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity (probably less than a minute), the employee brought two stacks of Cap. I had the choice between the Alex Ross or the Steve Epting cover. I immediately choose the magnificent Ross painted cover. Then, I thought about it for a while.

It was Epting, and writer Ed Brubaker, who had redefined the character for me and a whole generation of fans. I changed my mind and got the Epting cover; If something really big was going to happen, Epting deserved it.

Only two years ago, deep into Brubaker’s run – which saw the return of Cap’s partner Bucky and actually made Steve Rogers cool again – Cap was unexpectedly killed in issue 25. I was shocked, fans all over the world were shocked, and even the media had a field day with it.

As time went on, Bucky (also known as The Winter Soldier) would track down several of the people responsible for Roger’s death, eventually become Captain America himself, and join the Avengers.

I didn’t think it was possible, but Captain America without Rogers, the man who had been wearing the costume for half a century, was actually just as good. Brubaker gave Bucky a girlfriend, continued to grow the character (who for most purposes, he reinvented), and continued to weave the same type of spy-heavy stories that made the first 25 issues of the comic such a success.

Then, Marvel announced last month that #600 would change everything. It would be followed by a series called “Reborn” (see the trailer on TMR’s homepage) and #600 would have “the most wicked plot twist since issue 25.”

After buying the issue, I went to a coffee shop and read the much-hyped issue.

It was fantastic. Comics don’t get much better than this.

The issue was $4.99, a bit high, but had 104 pages! This issue felt more than a trade paperback than a single issue. It had seven parts, which I will break down:

{Spoiler Warning}

Part One: Origin
Alex Ross and a few others give us a two page origin of Steve Rogers. It’s beautifully drawn but doesn’t offer much for long-time readers. Although, it would be good for new readers who are starting with this issue.

Part Two: One Year After
This is the real meat and bones of #600. Ed Brubaker starts with a recap about Cap’s life and death. The rest focuses on individual characters in six parts:

In “Sharon Carter’s Lament” Cap’s former girlfriend does her usual I-regret-that-I-was-brainwashed-and-killed-Steve thing, but then comes the first big reveal: She starts to remember new things about shooting Rogers and she finds out that she shot him with some sort of special gun. She tracks down the SHIELD agent that she gave the gun to (while brainwashed) and finds out it is “not a normal gun.” This part ends with Carter saying, “Oh, Thank God. Thank God…”

Next, in “The Other Steve Rogers”, we catch up with Bad Cap – the guy that took over for Rogers while he was in ice. It basically is a narrative of his life and path to redemption. Pretty good stuff.

In “The Youth of Today” a long standing plot thread is finally touched on: Rikki Barnes, a female Bucky from a different dimension, meets the Young Avengers’ Patriot. Now, this will get a bit complicated. About 10 years ago, Marvel decided to hire a bunch of Image Comics writers and artists to redo some of their biggest characters. The result, “Heroes Reborn” was horrible. It was so bad that I even took a five-year break from reading comics after it. Probably one of my least favorite comic writers, Jeph Loeb, brought this awful concept back last year for “Onslaught Reborn.” It was, as expected, complete garbage. But, at the end of the series the Bucky from that universe was stuck in the normal Marvel Universe.

I wanted to vomit when I heard Rikki Barnes would be joining the characters of Cap, but I actually like this short story. She has a cool costume, is kind of fun, and is an all right addition to the cast. We also get to see Patriot (the nephew of the black Captain America) again, which is cool. I’m a huge Young Avengers fan, so I hope she joins that team.

The next part, “Crossbones and Sin”, follows the two characters that were in charge of killing Rogers a year ago. It is kind of boring, but you start to get more hints that Rogers isn’t really dead. Sin says, “You know what day is is? It’s the anniversary…Ha…The don’t even know…the fools.”

In “The Avengers Dilemma”, Bucky works out with the Avengers. Pretty fun stuff. They discuss whether or not to go to a memorial for Cap in Central Park. The next part, “The Red Skull’s Delirium”, is Red Skull talking about how great he is.

The final part, “The Vigilant”, is about the Avengers, and a large crowd, at the Park. Norman Osborn and his Dark Avengers make an appearance. The end of this part has the biggest reveal of the whole issue. Sharon Carter runs up to the Avengers and says, “It’s Steve…I think we can still save him.”

Part Three: In Memorium
This is about a few of Steve’s old friends mourning his death.

Part Four: The Persistence of Memorabilia
Probably the one of the best Cap writers of all time, Mark Waid (second only to Brubaker), has a story about people buying Cap memorabilia at an auction. It is a really solid piece that ends with Tony Stark buying Cap’s Avengers membership card for two million dollars.

Part Five: My Bulletin Board
Joe Simon, the first editor of Timely Comics in the ’40s, tells us the story of Cap’s shield. I think, at this point, Marvel is just filling space.

Part Six: Red Skull’s Deadly Revenge
Like most comic fans, I’ll sit around talking about how great Stan Lee is but when it comes time to read one of his comics I can hardly stand it. This reprinted comic from 1942 is just hard to read – It is really stupid. A different time, a different way of story telling…I guess.

Part Seven: Cover Gallery
600 Cap covers are reprinted. It is really cool to see how the character has changed over the years.

* * *

Overall, it was an amazing issue. I wished Bucky would stay Cap for a little longer, but I understand where Marvel is coming from. The movie The First Avenger: Captain America is supposed to be coming out in 2011 so I guess you don’t want people running into a comic store after the movie and not have Steve Rogers in the suit.

It’s the end of the road-trip in the Capital One RV.  The videos and suspense was a fun campaign and now it’s time to get into the mascot match-ups for the challenge and the prize.

In a past posting, I talked of fitting four people in a Mazda 626 and driving 1500 miles.  Nothing seems to top the family travel stories that have collected over the years.  One involved my il-prepared father having us hit the road in a vehicle with a slow leak in the back tire.  At a rest stop where he decided to check it once again, the timing and fates aligned.  My little brother hopped into his back  seat position and slammed the open door shut.  Unfortunately my father decided to bend down with the air pressure gauge at the same time as the door slammed.  Some may wonder how a man can have goose eggs or marks on both sides of his head…my dad got’em by not getting a tired fixed and get getting his head hammered in a car door!  I’ve never heard moans like that ever before or ever since and my mother not wanting to tell a gas station attendant what REALLY happened, went in for ice and told the man her kid had gotten a hand slammed in a car door.  Give all involved a hand on this story!

Unfortunately the other ultimate road story involves my little brother again.  This time different car, different destination and different parent.  My brother was a persistent young man that would try and try until he solved the problem or mastered the task at hand.  The task in question was blowing a bubble gum bubble.  He would chew and chomp and blow and try again.  Positive side, he’s quiet and occupied for a few miles, negative-it’s before seat belt laws are enforced and he’s practicing right behind my mother’s head o’ hair.

We heard him blow, chomp, blow, chomp, spit the gum into my mom’s hair, and then a little voice say “ooops!”  Emotions ran high and I have never seen my mother cry, laugh, and yell at my dad to find fingernail scissors to cut bubble gum out of her hair.  Pretty exciting while pulled over on the side of an interstate freeway!  To complete the story, my brother then asked for another piece of gum as soon as we got back on the road.

Back to the Challenge, this year, the RV picked up  BearCat, Bill, Big Red, Boomer, Bucky, Butch, Hairy Dawg, Mike, Jack Rabbit, Sebastian, Super Frog and Testudo.

This week’s match-ups have Super Frog with more votes than Bucky, Big Red beating Butch, Jack Rabbit and Testudo neck and neck to the finish, Bearcat making a meal of Sebastian, Bill over Hairy and Boomer and Mike at a draw.  First round results will be posted on Monday…Check out the Capital One Bowl site today and write in or vote!

Tuesday, September 1st – Midwest Independent Film Festival

The Midwest Independent Film Festival is the nation’s only film festival solely dedicated to the Midwest filmmaker. On Tuesday it will be showing the award-winning documentary, “Being Bucky,” which shows what life is like for the Wisconsin Badgers’ well-known mascot. The screening will be held at Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema, 2828 North Clark, and it will begin at 6 pm. For more information, visit the festival’s website.

Wednesday, September 2nd – America: All Better!

The Second City (1616 N Wells) has long been home to some of the best comedy in Chicago, and “America: All Better!” continues that tradition. The show begins at 8 pm, and as usual, it is not recommended for children (those under 10 years of age will not be allowed inside). It’s a great date idea if you’re looking for a dinner-and-movie alternative, so visit their website and grab some tickets!

Thursday, September 3rd – TimeSpace at Adler Planetarium

Take a journey into the universe’s past (a full 13.7 billion years!) and experience the Big Bang, the extinction of the dinosaur and man walking on the moon. Click here to visit Adler’s website and get further information.

If you’re looking for a new condominium in the heart of Chicago, Eastgate Village is your perfect fit! Click here to request more information and to schedule an appointment, and take the next step toward owning a brand new home!

By Grant Morrison (writer), Frank Quitely (artist), Alex Sinclair (colorist)

The Story: Dick Grayson, the new Batman, is still trying to cement his positionas the Dark Knight, as Gotham doesn’t buy him. Meanwhile, Robin has taken off on his own. As the dynamic duo go their separate ways, Professor Pyg and his band of sadistic circus psychopaths, continue their savagery and brutality across Gotham.

What’s Good: Everything. From the brilliant opening splash page to the brilliant closing splash page. The art and story are vivid as events spill over, panel after panel, page after page. It’s a great ride. Since I really want to talk about the story, I won’t take any time at all to talk about Quitely’s art (with Sinclair’s brilliant colors), other than to say it is absolutely stunning. I found myself stuck on most pages, trying to figure what those two had done to create such dramatic, evocative images.

On the story side, Dick is obviously the core of this coming-of-age drama. The struggle of the son assuming the mantle of the father is as old as the hills, but Morrison makes it feel new here. He disguises it. The old tropes are hidden by the capes and nighttime chases and the surging, chaotic action, but at its core, this is still the story of a boy replacing his father and becoming a father himself. He doesn’t complete the journey here. No one would. Morrison trusts us to be patient with him. But Dick travels along his arc, and comes closer to discovering who he really has to be to feel right in the long cape and behind the dour mask.

There are obviously a lot of of parallels between Bucky Barnes and Dick Grayson, but as much as I loved Bucky as Captain America, there is something more emotional in Batman and Robin. I think it has to do with precisely Damian and Dick’s new role as guardian. Dick would be a great dad for any child. He’s mature and ready for it, but to take on his own father’s role, while taking on the upbringing of his father’s true-blood son…. There’s something very poignant and conflict-ridden in that triangle that makes Batman and Robin more visceral than Bucky’s socialization in Captain America. And Damian and Dick are on parallel arcs themselves. Damian has everything to prove to Dick, and vice-versa. Both travel along their respective roads and even cross for a while.

What’s Not So Good: There is little to complain about with this book. The villains are so horrific, psychotic, sociopathic, creepy, they are at the edge of suspension of disbelief. Their sheer disfunctionality had me wondering at times how such behavior could hold together a criminal group. Morrison takes some risks here, and for me, there’s a bit of creaking in the story around the sociopathy. An inch further and Morrison’s villains would have come off as caricatures, but he uses his artistic licence for the sake of drama.

Conclusion: What a stellar book! Absolutely brilliant. $2.99 is cheap for what Morrison and Quitely deliver. Buy this book now.

Grade: A

-DS Arsenault

by Ed Brubaker (writer), Bryan Hitch (art), Butch Guice (art), Paul Mounts (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Looking for answers, Cap is forced to relive his most painful moment as he stumbles through time.  Meanwhile, Bucky Cap and Black Widow meet Norman.

What’s Good: It was hard not to groan at “Steve Rogers: Lost in Time” last month; the concept is cringe-inducing.  Yet this month, Brubaker actually making the most of the concept, manages to pull attention away from the lameness of the concept by focusing on the torturous nature of Steve’s current time-hopping existence, as he is forced to relive a particularly awful moment of his life.  Brubaker successfully puts across Steve as imprisoned and tormented by his past, managing to turn a cheesy concept into effective emotional drama.  Those who found last month a little slow will also be happy to know that this month also brings the action, Dark Reign-style and WWII-style.

Brubaker also gives the initially hair-brained “lost in time” concept some much needed nuance and some even bigger questions.  Steve goes through the old “I can’t change anything without risking the future” time travel dilemma. However, it’s effective in that this difficulty grows to be the lock on Steve’s jailcell, forcing him to not only endure a horrid event from his life again, but allow it. The divide between Steve’s narration and Steve’s physical presence only augments this effect.  Also, the question of Steve being unconsciously in control of his time jumps is also intriguing to say the least.

As is probably expected, Hitch’s art is a thing of beauty, hyper-detailed as we’ve come to expect from him. What’s most impressive is how the art shifts in style between depictions of Steve’s WWII past and the current day Dark Reign.  Of course, this is thanks in no small part to Paul Mounts’ work on colors.  Where the WWII bits are brighter and colored in earth tones, the present day is all shadows, blues, and blacks.  Hitch and his team do a better job of depicting the mood of Dark Reign than a hundred tie-ins could ever hope to.  The art alone creates Dark Reign as a very distinctive, and very malevolent, time.

What’s Not So Good: Perhaps it’s only fitting that a book about Steve Rogers’ return leads to the “lost in time” portions featuring Steve Rogers being head and shoulders above the rest of the book.  Whether it’s Rogers’ narration or the emotional impact of his entrapment and suffering, it’s just far more enjoyable than the present day segments.  While the Dark Reign segments aren’t at all bad, the Steve Rogers bits are simply so good that I found myself often just turning pages waiting for another Rogers scene.

Conclusion: Cap fans can rest easy; this might just end up being pretty good.  An action-packed, emotional ride and hopefully a sign of things to come.

Grade: B+

-Alex Evans