By Jeph Loeb (writer), Ian Churchill (artist)

The Story: Red Hulk gets betrayed by his Code Red team, including Thundra.  Thundra betrays the Code Red team for Red Hulk.  Red Hulk tries to kill Red She-Hulk.  Red Hulk decides to not kill Red She-Hulk.  Red Hulk is blind.  Red Hulk is not blind.  Red Hulk is a bad guy.  Red Hulk is now not so much a bad guy.  Oh, and Red Hulk and Thundra go to a barbershop for a haircut, possibly.

What’s Good: Hmm…  Well….  Let’s see…  What’s good, what’s good…  You know, this issue had a very nice variant cover by Ed Mcguinness that makes this look a lot like an issue of X-Force and I’m a big fan of X-Force.  Although, they only show up for three pages toward the end, so it’s actually pretty misleading.  Still, nice cover…

…Okay, yeah, that’s all I’ve got.

What’s Not So Good: A lot of people criticize Jeph Loeb’s Hulk for being the comic book equivalent of a Jerry Bruckheimer or Michael Bay film: light on the plot, heavy on the action.  While it’s a fairly apt assessment, I actually don’t mind that fact.  I’m a believer that you need to have different types of stories out there to service different types of fans.  Often enough, you even must have different types of stories to service the same fan, who might just be in a different mood than the day before.  There are plenty of times when I just want to turn off the ol’ brain and put a stop to the constant solving of mathematical equations and medical breakthroughs that threaten to overwhelm me.  (Okay, what I really want to put a stop to is my constant cataloging of every superhero who’s ever been an Avenger and my inner debate over whether or not Magneto was Xorn or Xorn was Magneto or whatever.  But I digress.)  A good “popcorn comic” like Hulk is just what I need when I want to decompress.  However, this issue ends up really maxing out the dumb on the dumb fun scale.

Loeb’s script seems to be an exercise in stream of consciousness.  Allegiances switch during the course of story for no other discernible reason except that it’s been three pages and we need a twist.  The logic behind the Punisher and Deadpool betraying the Red Hulk are just lazy, and so is the sudden decision behind Rulk’s letting Red She-Hulk live.  I understand that we need to have her stick around because, well, I don’t really know why we need to have her stick around but she has big boobs and she’s red and a hulk so there are reasons.  However, Loeb just, seemingly, arbitrarily changes Rulk’s mind mid-battle.  It’s a clumsy development and, like much of the issue, seems forced and false.

Clumsy is also a great description of Loeb’s ham-handed meta-reference to the rationale behind the Red Hulk’s choice of Code Red team-members.  Just because the writer points out a glaring hole in his plot does not make the plot hole okay.  It’s almost insulting when he then follows this by trying to explain away said plot hole with the sloppiest possible justification I’ve read in a long time.  Basically, the Punisher, Deadpool and Crimson Dynamo were picked to be on the team because they’re a bunch of Yentas.  I wish I was joking.  Speaking of Yentas, when the heck did Elektra become so talkative?  Has Loeb ever read an issue of Daredevil?  I was left with the impression that he simply needed someone to speak certain dialogue and was left with Elektra.  Then again, maybe she was a Skrull.

There’s not much to say about Ian Churchill’s artwork here.  It’s certainly not bad by any stretch, but it never seems to fit the subject matter.  Where artists like Arthur Adams and Ed Mcguinness have managed to channel Loeb’s bigger-than-life characters and events into mouth-watering visuals, Churchill’s cartoony style comes off at odds with the plot. Red Hulk specifically loses much of the weight that made him appear so imposing in previous issues.  Under Churchill’s pencil, the figure almost looks silly.

Conclusion: Look, I know that no writer, no matter what we might think, ever aims to write a bad story.  I do think that a writer has a sense of responsibility to make his plots make sense and work within its established parameters.  Sadly, Hulk #17 does almost none of these things.  Nice variant cover, though…

Grade: F

-Joe Lopez

Image via Wikipedia

A oltre 18 anni dal varo della prima legge organica sul risparmio energetico (10/91), oggi finalmente si hanno le idee un po’ più chiare a proposito delle maggioranze “speciali” previste per gli interventi di efficienza energetica in condominio (commi 2 e 5 dell’articolo 26 della legge).

L’ultima parola in proposito l’ha detta la legge 99 del 23 luglio scorso (al comma 22 dell’articolo 27) integrando il comma 2 (dopo il restyling portato dal Dlgs 311/2006) che ora così recita: «Per gli interventi sugli edifici e sugli impianti volti al contenimento del consumo energetico e all’utilizzazione delle fonti di energia di cui all’articolo 1, individuati attraverso un attestato di certificazione energetica o una diagnosi energetica realizzata da un tecnico abilitato, le pertinenti decisioni condominiali sono valide se adottate con la maggioranza semplice delle quote millesimali rappresentate dagli intervenuti in assemblea».

La decisione
L’aggiunta portata dalla legge 99/2009 è quella delle ultime parole («rappresentate dagli intervenuti in assemblea»). La nuova norma ha fatto piazza pulita di tutte le interpretazioni precedenti, di dottrina e giurisprudenza, inventando una nuova maggioranza condominiale, non contenuta nel Codice civile: quella “semplice” dei millesimi degli intervenuti in assemblea. In altre parole non contano i condomini favorevoli all’intervento, bensì solo i loro millesimi

Da Sole24ore.it la notizia qui…

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• Le fonti rinnovabili di energia, di Marzio Galeotti (slideshare.net)
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By Jeph Loeb (writer), Ian Churchill (pencils), Mark Farmer (inks) Peter Steigerwald and Aspen (colors)

The Story: Rulk and his team Code Red, which consists of Punisher, Deadpool, Tundra, Crimson Dynamo, and Electra, Face off against X-Force. Somehow, this battle leads to the creation and introduction of She-Rulk.

What’s Good: This series has greatly improved since Loeb started to do some actual character development with Rulk by putting his inner-monologue at the forefront. This issue continues that thrust and we get some emotional resonance with Rulk besides his giant ego and confident exuberance (all terrible by the way). Maybe there is some hope for Rulk after all. Maybe.

The basic premise here of X-Force vs. Code Red is pretty good, especially the realistic battle between Rulk and Wolverine. Granted, Wolverine is pretty one-dimensional but at the same time he is pretty entertaining. The rest of the battles are dealt with adequately and the Punisher vs. X -23 battle is interesting.

Also of note is Electra’s role in all of this. She is a very strong and interesting character here and Loeb does a good job of capturing the enigmatic and powerful aspects of her. You can tell that she is the difference maker in this arc.

Overall, Loeb has a certain child-like wonderment for characters that is enthralling when it works, though putrid when it doesn’t. Here it points more to the former rather than the later.

As far as the art, Ian Churchill shows a mix of McGuiness/Cooke style here. Overall, it is pretty successful, especially during the battle scenes.

What’s Not So Good: Um, I think Rulk is the Silver Surfer. Either that or Loeb completely flubs some text. I find it hard to believe that Marvel would give away its “big” “reveal” like this, so I’m sure the Rulk isn’t the Silver Surfer. Yet, Loeb clearly has Rulk say that, so I am lost to what is going on. Maybe Loeb is editing his own books and no one caught his mistake? Here is the line, you decide:

“The abuse of power is so seductive. I’ve even succumbed to it. Careening across the galaxy on a surfboard. Acting like a child.”

Uh, come again.

But here is the main complaint of this issue: She-Rulk has arrived on the scene. This is the worst character ever. Seriously, can it get more predictable and lame? I shutter when I think that this is a character that will most likely stay on the scene for years to come. Terrible. The worst part is that her existence probably precludes the existence of two other fun characters in the Marvel U. I’ll leave it at that.

Loeb should leave Deadpool alone. He’s just not funny in Loeb’s hands and a lot of real estate was lost listening to Deadpool and Warpath fall flat. Generally, all the dialogue here is forced and crude. No one says anything unexpected or interesting.

Lastly, Churchill’s depiction of Rulk’s face is really annoying and distracting. He looks like a fat, red Popeye with his bottom lip resting on the upper makes Rulk look stupid when Loeb is trying to write him as being intelligent. The whole presentation just sends mixed messages and detracts from taking this book seriously.

Conclusion: I think this series keeps getting better and better. That being said, we are still far from great here. But, I think Hulk is just a glorified Marvel Adventures and not to be taken seriously. This all well and good now, but once Marvel starts trying to make World War Hulks a major event, serious problems will arise.

Grade: C

-Rob G.

Title: Hulk #14
Writer: Jeph Loeb
Art: Ian Churchill and Mark Farmer
Publisher: Marvel
Price: $3.99

The fact that Marvel expects people to pay $3.99 for the Hulk title now that there is no Bruce Banner/Green Hulk or Ed McGuinness art in the book blows my fucking mind. At least while McGuinness was drawing the book I could understand why someone would pick up this God awful comic. But Marvel replaces Mcguinness with Ian Churchill (with Jeph Loeb still “writing” it) and expects people to still buy it? That’s like DC replacing Greg Rucka AND J. H. Williams III with Tony Daniel and thinking that people won’t notice and still pick up Detective Comics.

This book has become completely useless. Now that the main character of the title is the Red Hulk, who is one of the worst characters ever created, why the Hell bother reading it? Well, unless you are reading it to see how much more of a train wreck it can become that is.

This entire issue is narrated by the Red Hulk and it is trying so fucking hard to clever and crime noir-ish that it’s just brutal. Loeb is not Ed Brubaker so he should just stick to writing his silly, terrible dialogue and childish jokes like he’s used to. Another great Loebism that pops up in this issue is his relying on the fact that if he throws as many characters into the story as possible nobody will notice how truly terrible it is.

So here’s the gist of it. Domino, from X-Force, see’s the Red Hulk’s secret identity so now Rulk (how vomit inducing is that name?) thinks she must die. He chases her for a bit and then loses her. So the logical thing to do is to gather a group of random Marvel characters to help him track her down. But how will he get these random Marvel characters to help him? Well, he’ll bribe them of course. Now this is where things start becoming quite unbearable.

We all know the Loeb doesn’t give two shits about continuity so this all should come as no surprise. Here is the list of people who Rulk wants to gather up as a tram and the things he is bribing them with:

Character: Deadpool.
Bribe: One Million Dollars
The problem with that logic: In the Deadpool comic he is now independently wealthy. He actually has more money than he knows what to do with. Why would DP help Rulk for even more unnecessary money? To add insult in injury not one god damn thing that comes out of Deadpool’s mouth is at all witty or funny. Shocking , I know.

Character: The Punisher
Bribe: Access to “the whereabouts of every dirt bag in the witness protection program“
The problem with that logic: I really don’t think the Punisher would give a rat’s ass. He already knows everything he needs to know about the people he is going after. And why trust Rulk? Punisher has never been a team player so why would he agree to join a team?

Character: Crimson Dynamo
Bribe: “Just got off the boat and needs political asylum”
The problem with that logic: Where the fuck did Loeb pull this shit from? Dynamo is currently appearing in Invincible Iron Man and is quite happy helping Tony Stark from Russia. He even gave Stark the Dynamo armor to use. Why is he all of a sudden “off the boat” and “seeking political asylum” in his armor no less?

Character: Thundra
Bribe: Rulk “worked out a side deal that’s nobody’s business but his own”
The problem with that logic: Thundra was part of She Hulk’s Lady Liberator’s team who hunted down and beat the shit out of Rulk. What reason would she have to now all of a sudden become chummy and help him? Knowing Loeb’s genius writing I am sure that this “side deal” that they worked out has something to do with Rulk fucking her brain’s out. Oh, you don’t think that Loeb would write something so completely juvenile? You must have missed that Ultimate Hulk Annual that he wrote.

Character: Elektra
Bribe: Unknown
The problem with that logic: Do I really need to go into it?

And if that wasn’t enough characters for you he throws in the entire X-Force team including Wolverine. Fucking brilliant.

So while great comics like Agents of Atlas and Runaways are being put on hiatus Marvel is still publishing the piece of shit known as Hulk because people are buying the hell out of it. If you are one of the people who are buying this book and enjoying it while critically acclaimed books are being canceled by Marvel then I sincerely hope that you are not reproducing. Then again I shouldn’t really worry about that. It‘s not like you will probably ever get the chance to, right, fanboy?

Oh, to answer the question of “Why do I put myself through this torture?” Well, I do it for you guys. You’re welcome.

J.

BLACKEST NIGHT #1

Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis raise the dead in the most anticipated comics story of the year! Throughout the decades, death has plagued the DC Universe and taken the lives of heroes and villains alike. But to what end? As the War of Light rages on, the prophecy of the Blackest Night descends upon us, with Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps at the center of it all.

I recently posted a semi-serious rant about Blackest Night, so I won’t bother repeating myself.  You can read all the snarkiness here.  Look, I’m sure Blackest Night will be the greatest thing since Starfire hit puberty.  Maybe it’s just because we’re still getting Final Crisis tie-ins, but I am already suffering Blackest Night fatigue.

GREEN LANTERN #43 & 44

The official prologue to BLACKEST NIGHT starts here as the first Black Lantern is born! Black Hand has been an enemy of Hal Jordan since Hal’s early days as a Green Lantern. But even Black Hand is unaware of the true power he holds that will connect him to the Blackest Night! Discover this villain’s connection to death and the Black Lantern Corps!

If this is the start of the officialprologue, what have I been reading about in Green Lantern for the last year or so?  The unofficial pre-amble to the prologue?  I can’t wait for the Blackest Nigtht Aftermath mini-series.  Hopefully Aquazombie gets one.

GREEN LANTERN CORPS #38

“Emerald Eclipse” hits its shocking conclusion leading directly into BLACKEST NIGHT. The sciencell riot causes a new law to be doctored into the Book of Oa as Kyle and Guy fight against it. What fate awaits the honor guards, and who will be left standing from the riot that shook Oa to its core?

I really hope that by the end of Blackest Night, someone has overthrown the Guardians.  Seriously?  Another new law?  Is that because the Alpha Lanterns worked out so well?  Maybe you guys should take a recess before you scribble any more half-baked laws in the Book of Oa.  Before this is all said and done, I see the Guardians passing a ban on gay marriages, legalizing water boarding and passing the cosmic equivalent of the Patriot Act.  The little blue guys are never right these days.  And the Sciencecells are getting to be easier to break out of than Arkham Asylum.

BLACKEST NIGHT: TALES OF THE CORPS #1-3

In this 3-issue miniseries, writers Geoff Johns and Peter J. Tomasi(GREEN LANTERN CORPS) reveal the secrets behind the Lanterns of BLACKEST NIGHT! Bear witness to Blue Lantern Saint Walker’s pilgrimage of hope, Star Sapphire Carol Ferris’ sacrifice for love, Green Lantern Kilowog’s courageous beginnings, Red Lantern Vice’s source of rage, Orange Lantern Blume’s bizarre creation, and the first appearance of the mysterious Indigo, leader of the Indigo Tribe!

My favorite part of this cover is the Carol Ferris “camel toe” in the lower right hand corner.  Barely covered crotches are classy!

With Blackest Night 1, two issues of Green Lantern and GL Corp and now this, we’ve got 8 issues of Blackest Night to read in July.  At $4 a pop, this just screams out “Skip me – I’m supplemental material!”

WEDNESDAY COMICS #1-4

I like to give DC a hard time.  Because,well, they do a lot of stupid things.  But Wednesday Comics looks like the best idea since putting Starfire in a thong.  (More on that later, Starfire fans.)

FINAL CRISIS AFTERMATH

You really have to wonder what DC was thinking here.  I mean, I liked Final Crisis for what it was.  But it really didn’t hold up to fans’ expectations of what a big, event comic should be.  It dragged on way past it’s original schedule and it had a bunch of tie-ins that were pretty much unrelated to the main story.  So what’s DC do?  They try to sell us on four 6-issue mini-series focusing on bit players from Final Crisis.  Brilliant!

(By the way, these minis might be great.  I’ll probably sample each one.  I featured the picture from Dance because it looks like the most fun.)

BATMAN AND ROBIN #2

“Batman Reborn” continues with the reteaming of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, WE3, New X-Men)! In a blazing Gotham City police department, the new Batman and Robin face the bizarre, fighting freakshow that is the Circus of Strange and find that they don’t make as good a team as Batman had hoped! Meanwhile, the mysterious Sasha escapes from Professor Pyg and vows vengeance on the people who killed her father.

This is about as close to a sure-thing as you can get.  The only team-up with more star power would have to be Frank Miller and Jim Lee on Batman.  And everyone loves that, right?  Uh-oh!  Well, hopefully this one will live up to everyone’s sky-high expectations.  It can’t be worse than All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder, right?  I mean, at least the title is like 1/3 as long.  That’s got to count for something.

BATMAN #688

There may be a new Batman in Gotham City, but that doesn’t mean the city wants him. As Two-Face and Penguin take measures to keep the new Dark Knight at bay, one of the archvillains makes a startling discovery about the new Caped Crusader. Plus, Batman trains the new Robin, and Mark Bagley starts a 4-issue stint as guest artist!

The only thing that fans have been clamoring for more than Morrison and Quietly on Batman is the return of Judd Winick.  Yeah, I couldn’t even type that with a straight face.  The truth is, I kind of liked “Under the Hood” until we got to the part with all the Superboy punches.  But since that time, it seems like Winick has been doing his best to prove his critics right.  As far as I’m concerned, he’s a full blown hack these days.  I really hope he proves me wrong on Batman.  But I’m not expecting much after reading his Titans (or Green Arrow and Black Canary).

BATMAN: STREETS OF GOTHAM #2

In this second issue by the dynamic duo of Paul Dini (DETECTIVE COMICS) and Dustin Nguyen (BATMAN), Commissioner Gordon teams with the new Batman to combat the fiery threat that Firefly has spread across Gotham City. And to make matters worse, the mysterious adversary known only as Abuse makes his presence felt!

DC’s trying to sell me a lot of Bat-books these days.  And while I like this creative team, there’s just not a lot about this book that’s grabbing my attention.  Commissioner Gordon and Firefly?  Look, DC, I’m going to buy Blackest Night and Batman and Robin.  I’m reading a lot of the Superman books and for some reason I keep punishing myself by reading JLA.  So if you want to try to make a sale here, you’ve really got to do better than Commissioner Gordon and Firefly.  I don’t care if the book is written by Shakespeare and drawn by Picaso… well, okay, that I would read.  But you get the point.  This just feels ho-hum.

DETECTIVE COMICS #855

“Elegy” part 2 of 4 by Greg Rucka and JH Williams III! Batwoman captures her enemy, a madwoman known only as Alice who sees her life as a fairy tale and everyone around her as expendable extras – including Kate! But when the tables are turned, Batwoman finds herself in a hallucination slamming the present into a collision with the past, and the hints of a threat that will claim the lives of every man, woman and child in Gotham City.
    And in the all-new co-feature starring the Question, Montoya’s quest to find a missing young girl turns deadly.

This is it, DC.  This is officially your last chance to convince me that I should give a damn about Batwoman.  Fortunately, the preview art is amazing.  And I’m a sucka for Rucka (You like that, Seventh Soldier?  I’m having T-shirts made).  So the odds are in your favor. 

GOTHAM CITY SIRENS #2

Tommy Elliott, a.k.a. the villainous mastermind known as Hush, has escaped the confines of Batman’s headquarters and is wreaking havoc throughout Gotham City all under the guise of Bruce Wayne. Will the loose assemblage of Catwoman, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn be enough to stop the madman’s rampage? Or are Gotham’s femmes fatales doomed to fail before they even begin?
Look, I appreciate a top-down shot of Catwoman’s cleavage as much as the next guy, but Gotham City Sirens?  It just feels like Harley and Ivy all over again.  Or worse, Harley and Catwoman Jr. from Countdown (which was also written by Dini).  This has all the makings of a train wreck.  But, it also looks like it’s the follow-up to Dini’s “Heart of Hush” storyline.  And that story won me over in spite of my hatred of Hush.  So, I’ll give it a shot.  Just try not to turn this book into a “fun romp”, okay?

RED ROBIN #2

Red Robin continues scouring the world, searching for clues to Bruce Wayne’s final fate in this new series from writer Chris Yost (New X-Men, X-Force) and artist Ramon Bachs (Civil War: Front Line)! But now he’s been targeted by the League of Assassins. What does Ra’s al Ghul want with Red Robin? Why are members of the League of Assassins being targeted for death? And what happened to the life Red Robin left behind? Spoiler guest-stars as “Batman Reborn” continues here in “The Grail” part 2 of 4.

Wow, that does not look good.  How about we all agree to leave the League of Assassins alone for a while, mmmkay?  First there was the one-year-later Robin with Cassandra Cain leading the League.  And it was all downhill from there until we got to the Resurrection of Ra’s al Ghul.  (Which is a storyline I think more people would be complaining about if it didn’t come out around the same time as Amazons Attack! and Countdown.)  Speaking of Countdown, hey look, it’s Red Robin!  Craptastic!

THE OUTSIDERS #20

“The Deep” part 6! Against their will, the Outsiders help the Insiders find the last pieces of the meteorite which will restore the immortality of the Insiders once and for all. But a fateful choice has to be made by Geo-Force that will lead to a life-changing moment for him and Katana. Plus, more on the mysterious origins of Metamorpho and his connection to the Insiders.

Huh.  That doesn’t sound half bad.  Here’s the thing, those Batman RIP issues were horrible.  I’m talking Judd Winick on Titans bad.  That combined with a line-up that doesn’t interest me at all pretty much chased me off this book.  Should I give it another chance?  I’ll make you a deal.  If one person posts a comment saying that they like this book, I’ll read the next issue.

Bueller?   Bueller?

ACTION COMICS #879

So far, Nightwing and Flamebird’s mission of apprehending Zod’s sleeper agents has gone fairly smoothly. But then they met Az-Rel and Nadira Va-Dim. Now the “Bonnie and Clyde of Krypton” have turned the tables on Earth’s newest protectors. The race to prevent war with New Krypton may be over before it’s even begun! And it’s all in preparation for next month’s crossover event in the SUPERMAN books!
    Plus: The debut of the Captain Atom co-feature written by Greg Rucka (DETECTIVE COMICS) and James Robinson (STARMAN), the writers of SUPERMAN: WORLD OF NEW KRYPTON! Where has Captain Atom been all this time? And is he back on the side of good – or still on the side of evil? Find out here in an adventure featuring art by Cafu (VIXEN: RETURN OF THE LION).

Remember me?  The Sucka for Rucka?  Well, the first two issues of Rucka’s run on Action haven’t exactly won me over yet.  Not that they were bad, just that they are clearly setting a lot of things up.  So, we’ll see.  The big thing that has me sort of excited about this issue is the Captain Atom back-up.  Is it wrong of me to get my hopes up that DC will finally do something right with this character?  Yeah, probably.

SUPERMAN #690

As media mogul Morgan Edge fans the flames of Earth’s distrust of all things alien, Mon-El wrestles with his looming demise and what to do with his remaining life. At the same time, forces from the future must prevent Mon-El from meeting Sodam Yat – the Green Lantern from Daxamknown as Ion – for the sake of tomorrow. And General Lane rolls out his plan to ensnare our hero by lining up a vicious crew of villains – but to do this, Steel must fall. It’s a wild ride setting up next month’s crossover event in the SUPERMAN books!

To tell the truth, I haven’t been reading Superman since Mon-El took over.  I tried to make myself read it, but it’s like trying to eat brussel sprouts.  I just can’t.  But, I may just plunk down a few bucks to see Steel vs. Atlas.  Even if things don’t look so hot for Steel.  (Hey DC, how about a Steel back-up?)

SUPERGIRL #43

Things are going well for Supergirl – she’s back on New Krypton, and she’s even managing to patch things up with her mother, Alura. But when she goes to visit her older cousin, Superman warns her that not all is as it seems in the House of El…

It does my heart good to see so many people climbing aboard the Supergirl bandwagon.  Surely you’re reading it, aren’t you?  Well why the hell not?  I know Supergirl was an unreadable pile of crap for years.  But those days are done, my friend.  Buy this book.  I guarantee, it’s better than some other book you’re holding on to in hopes it will someday stop sucking.

SUPERMAN: WORLD OF NEW KRYPTON #5

Superman is on trial for his life. The crime: Treason! The punishment: Death! But is this a challenge Kal-El can even hope to triumph over when the man pulling all the strings is General Zod? A tale of heroism, evil and base betrayal – on the strange world of New Krypton.

First of all, how much does that cover kick ass?  A whole dam lot, I say.

As the only Super-book starring Superman, Worlds of New Krypton kind of feels like the only one that really matters.  Thank goodness it’s been a great read.  If you only read one Superman book, read Worlds of New Krypton.  And Supergirl.  (Technically, it’s not a Superman book.)

BOOSTER GOLD #22

“Day of Death” part 2! Booster Gold travels back in time to prevent the Black Beetle from killing the New Titans, but who will save Booster Gold from the Black Beetle — and what role will Deathstroke play?
    And in the all-new Blue Beetle co-feature, Jaime must battle a flying robot army from destroying all of the people in El Paso!

This one just makes me feel guilty.  I was a big supporter of Booster Gold during Geoff Johns’ run and I promised myself I’d read a few issues after he left.  But I lied to myself.  As much fun as Booster Gold is, it’s also disconnected from the rest of the DCU.  Which makes it fairly skippable.  Honestly, I kind of forgot about it.

To make matter worse, I’ve got a reminder here that I failed to support the Bkue Beetle series.  I read the first few issues, but somehow it just never grabbed me.  I guess I’ll try to atone by picking up this issue and seeing if either story grabs me.

THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #25

There’s nothing Blue Beetle loves more than a good team-up. And there’s nothing Hardware hates more than a meddler! Can the two of them network long enough to stop dangerous Alva technology from hitting the streets?

Wake me when JMS gets here.  Until then, this book doesn’t matter.

THE FLASH: REBIRTH #4

Barry Allen left a legacy that thrived after his death. Now his return threatens it all. What secrets does Barry hold inside him about the fate of the Flash Family? What destiny awaits Wally and his twins? What murderous force targets Bart Allen? And what does it truly mean to be a speedster?

Look Geoff Johns, you convinced me to read about Hal Jordan.  Can’t you just be satisfied with that?  Stop trying to push Barry Allen on me!  The first issue of Rebirth was okay.  But I’m a long way from sold. 

DEAD ROMEO #4

They say you always hurt the ones you love. But in Romeo’s case, he may have taken that a little too far and accidentally killed Whisper! That could mean a one-way ticket back to hell for Romeo and possibly the end of the world for everybody else. But Romeo might still have a chance to set things right…if he doesn’t die from a broken heart first!

What the hell is a dead Romeo anyway?  Seriously, is this a DCU book?  Did I miss out on the Dead Romeo bandwagon?  If you’re going to put out books like these, could you at least try to promote them?  Come on.  This thing could be good, but it’s so far off the radar.  If it goes more than 12 issues, I’ll be amazed.

GREEN ARROW & BLACK CANARY #22

The rift between Black Canary and Green Arrow widens as Discord and Cupid attack! And joining the creative team is finisher Bill Sienkiewicz (REIGN IN HELL) on the Green Arrow section…with Josef Rubinstein staying on the Black Canary sections of the new GREEN ARROW & BLACK CANARY!
Don’t miss the start of the action-packed co-features in this very issue!

I like Green Arrow.  But I’ve always been more of a Black Canary fan.  And you know what really pisses me off?  When writers treat Black Canary like she’s a rank amateur.  And Andrew Kreisberg has done exactly that since his first issue.  In my book, Cupid was stupid.  (You know it’s true because it rhymes.)  And Discord is just one more smack in the face to all of us Black Canary fans.  It’s almost enough to make you wish Winick was still writing this book.  New writer, please!

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #35

I just read some quotesfrom Dwayne McDuffie about wring Justice League and they go a long way to explaining why this book sucks.  Knock it off DC!  I love the JLA.  Let your writer write the damn book!

JSA VS. KOBRA: ENGINES OF FAITH #2

A reinvigorated Kobra has attacked the Justice Society in their home, thrusting the heroes into a maelstrom of deception and violence, and the evidence points to an even bigger target on the horizon: S.T.A.R. Labs. As the Justice Society tracks Kobra sleeper cells through the streets of Metropolis, the mystery of Jason Burr’s master plan deepens. Can the team defuse the threat in time – or will the growing tensions between them spell victory for Kobra?

My money’s on the JSA this time…

Look, I love the JSA.  I do.  See.  But do we really need this?  I mean, if it’s a great story, why not just put it in the on-going series.  Making it a mini-series makes it seem pretty irrelevant.

JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE #1

What brings a team together? Justice! Batman and Martian Manhunter have been slaughtered. But he’s not the only hero to fall at the hands of villains. The murder has to stop, and it’s time to take the fight to the bad guys! Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Supergirl, Atom, Shazam, Congorilla and Starman unite in a cry for justice!
    This 6-part miniseries from James Robinson (STARMAN, SUPERMAN) and rising star artist Mauro Cascioli (TRIALS OF SHAZAM) pushes our heroes to the brink and beyond as evil can no longer be tolerated to win. But when Prometheus plans his revenge on not only the heroes, but on the very places they call home, will this new team be ready to pay the cost for the justice they seek? This time it’s personal – and it’ll only get more bloody before it’s over!

This had better be the best damn JLA story since Morrison’s Magnificent Seven.  Because this book has been responsible for derailing a whole bunch of stories across the DCU for about a year now.  Yes, the art looks amazing.  The line-up is… interesting.  The premis is… well, it’s not exactly new, is it?  In James Robinson we trust.  Don’t let us down.

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #29

A new era begins for the Justice Society of America as writers Bill Willingham (FABLES) and Matthew Sturges (BLUE BEETLE) take over the series with new artist Jesus Merino (SUPERMAN ANNUAL) just as two new recruits make their debut with the team! Strange happenings at the JSA Mansion are weird precursors to an all-out attack on all members of the team — all but one! And what is the strange connection that new members King Chimera and All-American Kid might have with the turmoil?

Of course, I’m going to be checking this out.  I love the JSA, remember?

THE LAST DAYS OF ANIMAL MAN #3

Enter the League of Titans! Buddy Baker is cracking up, but can he rely on a little help from his friends? Or should a wounded animal just slink away to die? Starfire has an opinion on the subject, and she’s never been one to keep her feelings to herself…

I never read Grant Morrison’s Animal Man.  So most of what I know of him comes from 52.  I tried reading the 52 follow-up but I couldn’t really get into it.  This could be good.  I don’t know.  Maybe I’ll give it a look.

POWER GIRL #3

It’s the striking conclusion of the first arc from the fan-favorite writing team of Jimmy  Palmiotti and Justin Gray (JONAH HEX, TERRA) and artist Amanda Conner (JSA CLASSIFIED, TERRA)! Power Girl battles Ultra-Humanite! And things get ugly as the two powerful beings come to blows!

I’m going to do my best to write this entry without making any boob jokes.  Honestly, I’ve never been the biggest fan of Jimmy  Palmiotti and Justin Gray.  They are okay, but I can’t say I’eve evr loved anything they’ve ever written.  I am a fan of Power Girl.  I feel she has enormous… potential.  (Dammit!)  And I love Amanda Conner.  So, I’m pretty much sold through this first story arc.

SECRET SIX #11

A former Wonder Woman is now a slave? That’s just the first shock as the Secret Six face a new enemy with a heart of ice and an entire country at his command! All this plus the return of Mockingbird! It’s all heading towards a confrontation against one of DC’s biggest powerhouses, and the Six don’t stand a chance…

If I could read only one comic book, it would be Secret Six.  This book delivers the goods each and every month.  I’m also a closet Artemis fan (yes, I read Artimis: Requiem – I admit it).  So, this is a no-brainer for me.

TEEN TITANS #73

In the first feature, the team attempts to rescue Wonder Girl from the new Fearsome Five, as Calculator enacts his revenge on the team for not protecting his children. In the 10-page co-feature, Ravager faces the drug problem that could kill her!

I want to like the Teen Titans.  I really do.  But this book went off the rails for me back when they killed Marvin.  I guess I’m glad to see them finally follow-up on that senseless and brutal death.  I mean, it’s been 11 issues.  I just don’t think DC will allow this book to be good.

TITANS #15

Prelude to BLACKEST NIGHT: TITANS! Tempest returns! And how will his arrival affect the Titans? The last page not only answers this question, but will have fans buzzing.

At long last, the Return of Starfire’s ass!  I know that fans have been buzzing about this.  I know because WordPress provides a list of the top searches that brough people to your blog.  And almost everyday, someone comes to read/RANT because they googled “Starfire naked.”  And if I know this, you bet your ass (or Starfire’s) that DC knows it too.  This issue is drawn by Ed Benes, so you know it will feature tons of gratuitous shots of Starfire’s ass while also managing to show her ample bosom.  You know we will be treated to Donna Troy’s porn star tits barely being contained in her unitard.  And once Raven get’s her double-D implants, we can look forward to plenty of shots her bending over in such a way that her tits and ass will both be in our faces at the same time.

Oh, and Tempest is back.

WONDER WOMAN #34

“Birds of Paradise” part 1 of 2! After the status-shattering events of WONDER WOMAN #33, the world’s most sensational team reunites, as Wonder Woman and Black Canary go undercover among some of the worst villains of the DC universe! It’s gonna be a bad day for some bad men when the two toughest women in comics join forces!

I’m a Gail Simone fan.  I am.  Loved her on Birds of Prey.  Love her more on Secret Six.  But I’m not in love with her Wonder Woman.  It’s been okay.  But, it’s not living up to my expectations.

However, I will absolutely be on board for this two-parter!  Hell yeah!  Simone writing Black Canary again!  Thank you!  Thankyouthankyouthankyou!  This just might rinse the bad taste from GA/BC out of my mouth.

Well, that’s it for this month.  Keep coming back for more updates.  read/RANT posts new content almost daily.

Esto… ¿no hubiese sido mejor llamarles “Los Indomables West”? No, digo por esto de que es lo que se estila en España y tal…

Flash TPB Núm. 01: Los West Indomables

Guión: Mark Waid
Dibujo: Daniel Acuña, Freddie Williams II, Ian Churchill, Joe Bennett, Karl Kerschl, Manuel García

Formato: Libro rústica, 192 págs., a color.

Edición original: All Flash y Flash Nº 231-233 USA

¡Llegan las flamantes aventuras de la Familia Más Rápida del Mundo! Después de un año de ausencia en el que han sucedido cosas horribles, Wally West regresa a Keystone City con su esposa Linda… y con sus dos hijos. Iris y Jai son dos muchachos muy especiales que se convertirán en los compañeros
inseparables de Flash en esta aventura que supone el regreso de Mark Waid a la colección del Velocista Escarlata.
¡Y lo secundan dibujantes de la talla de Daniel Acuña, Karl Kerschl, Freddie E. Williams II y Doug Braithwaite!

Precio: 13,95 €

Flash – Los West Indomables: Wally, Linda, Iris y Jay han conseguido regresar a la Tierra después de desaparecer en la Crisis Infinita… Ahora tienen que adaptarse a su nueva vida, los bebés han crecido debido a la Fuerza de la Velocidad y ese crecimiento puede provocar su muerte si no logran controlar sus poderes. Durante su desaparición Linda se ha convertido en una especialista en velocibiología (la ciencia que estudia cómo afecta la supervelocidad a los seres humanos). Así que… sus hijos enfermos, su mujer convertida en especialista… ¿y Wally? Igual que siempre, su vida heroica va perfectamente (e incluso le da órdenes a sus compañeros de la JLA – y estos… ¡responden! – ) y le han salido dos sidekicks – Iris y Jai – a los que tienen que enseñar a utilizar sus poderes – ella vibra a través de los objetos sólidos y él puede hacer crecer su tejido muscular -; su vida privada no va del todo mal, al menos no con Linda, pero claro sus hijos pueden morir afectados por sus poderes y la JLA no ve demasiado bien que le acompañen a sus batallas
Además de todo esto, descubrimos dónde han estado Wally y los demás durante su desaparición – en Savoth, el paraíso de los velocistas donde los veneran como dioses – y se tienen que enfrentar a una invasión extraterrestre… Vamos, un día completito.
Mark Waid no está a su mejor nivel en la serie (ya se sabe el dicho sobre terceras partes) – y no sé si la colocación de las historias en el tomo es del todo correcto -, pero bueno… la historia es entretenida y se deja leer (aunque está lejos de los mejores momentos del personaje). El dibujo… variable, me gustan mucho Daniel Acuña y Doug Braithwaite, algo más Freddie Williams II y nada Koi Turnball.
Un aprobado justo, sobre todo comparado con sus etapas anteriores.

Michael Green, Mike Johnson, (writers) Ed Benes, Matthew Clark, Allan Goldman, Ian Churchill, (pencils) Matt “Batt” Banning, Norm Rapmund, Marlo Alquiza, Rob Hunter,(inkers) John Rauch, (colors) Andrew Robinson, Greg DiGenti, (Krypton sequence), Rob Leigh, (letters) Ethan Van Sciver, Ed McGuinness, Dexter Vines,  Dave McCaig (covers)

This issue has The League rebuilding Smallville and fighting it out with more rogue Kryptonian tech. As great as Superman is he just can’t seem to save us from his planet’s technology. After Brianiac, The Phantom Zone, and a Kryptonian probe, what’s next? But throw in a chance meeting between Thomas Wayne and Jor El and you’ve got a great start to this new arc.

Michael Green and Mike Johnson have done an excellent job with their run on this title. It’s unclear to me if the connection between Thomas and Jor El will carry through, or if it’s just a standalone scene – I’m thinking it’ll probably be the latter – in either case it’s very effective. Personally, I found it a little annoying that Batman and Superman are barely in the issue. Still, learning the details of their fathers meeting is great. It makes me wonder what things would’ve been like if Superman had crashed in Gotham.

A highlight of the book is definitely the pencils. The team is pretty massive, but everyone does a great job. The battle scenes are chaotic, but very detailed and easy to follow. My favorite of which is the fight between Batman, Superman and the crystal projections in The Fortress of Solitude. Not only does it feature their best villains, but awesome action as well. The backgrounds on Krypton during the flashback have a lot less detail, but it still fits really well. I’ve always thought Krypton would have a very streamlined architecture. I’m a big fan of the coloring during this sequence and the use of cool blues is a great choice, definitely better than your standard black and white.

Batman and Superman are like brothers in many ways, and this story reinforces that. Having Thomas Wayne reverse engineer much of Wayne Tech from his time on Krypton is a great touch. That said, I feel my biggest complaint is that it doesn’t seem like much happened; since most of the issue is a flashback it’s hard to really feel that progression. While it remains unclear if we’ll continue to see Thomas Wayne and Jor El in this book it’s still a good read with lots of good stuff for any fan. (Grade: B-)

-Ben Berger

This book is just shameful. Everyone that took a paycheck for this dreck should be ashamed of themselves. Dear Judd Winick, I hate you. You are a bad, bad writer. You used to be decent, I used to like you! Now, you just litter your books with stupid things. Stupid things like:

• Nightwing breaks his fall with a batarang. Lameness ensues.
• Nightwing protects his anus from silly S&M villains.
• Gratuitous nudity. Why. Does the plot. Call for. This?
• Note to Ian Chruchill: Learn to draw new faces.
• Not every superhero’s bike needs side mounted missiles.
• Beast Boy can turn into pretty much any animal and this is the best you can come up with?
• This page is just WRONG. The Number one reason not to “wack it” in the shower.
• Wally gets weird orange goo but Donna gets tentacle porn?
• Is this really what Robin thinks about? His team’s mission statement?
• Note to Batman: Trim your cape. It’s embarrassing.
• Powerboy is dead? Wait, this one should go in the “pro” column. Sorry.

Can it get worse? Yeah, I’m already pre-ordered on the first three issues, I think. The one downside to ordering two months in advance, you usually have nothing to go by but the writer or artist’s reputation and the purposefully vague advanced solicits. To be honest, I did know about the silly Starfire nude scenes before I ordered, but I was hoping it was just one of those lame first issue stunts that writers pull to get people on board. I was hoping the rest of the issue would make up for it. I was hoping Winick’s writing had improved. I should have been hoping for a re-solicit due to lateness so I could cancel my orders. BLARGH.

By Judd Winick (writer), Ian Churchill (pencils), Norm Rapmund (inks), Edgar Delgado (colors)

I’m not the most well-versed person when it comes to DC lore, so it’s always been intimidating for me to jump on a book. Thankfully, Judd Winick has made Titans #1 an accessible book for just about anyone who’s never picked up a Teen Titans book (like me). Not only is the book easy to follow, its roster and supporting cast are the kind you’ll find yourself soon acquainted with. It also helps that there are staples like Batman, Nightwing, and Starfire around to bring some familiarity to those completely in the dark (like me).

With this first issue, we’re treated to the roster (including past members), one at a time. We get narratives from each character as they carry on with their daily lives. They’re all scattered throughout the country, but instead of someone going door to door to bring the team together, each one of them suffers a series of assaults by (some incredibly drawn) monstrous creatures. This chain of events forces the Titans to band together and solve the mystery of who is behind the attacks. My only question is why is this Part 2 of “The Fickle Hand” storyline? Am I missing something? Where’s Part 1? And why would anyway make a first issue the second part of a storyline?!

As simple as the story sounds, it’s really the way it’s put together that makes it so polished. Winick has done a sound job of keeping me entertained throughout, and Ian Churchill’s art is excellent. Now, I’m not Churchill’s biggest fan, but the way he conveys action – more notably a scene in the beginning with Robin escaping from an exploding building and sliding down an adjacent skyscraper – is just brilliant. And did I mention that this guy can draw monsters! Holy cow, someone bring back the pre-hero Tales of Suspense and put Churchill on the book! Colorist Edgar Delgado also deserves a lot of credit for making this book pop. The colors he lays down on the fish creature that attacks Starfire are utterly amazing.

Anyway, if I haven’t convinced you to pick up this book on the art alone, give it a shot regardless. This is a good debut book that keeps the estranging of new readers to a minimum, and it’s a lot of fun to boot. This is how Marvel should have done Young X-Men #1… but anyway…(Grade: B+)

- J. Montes

Just like many other British readers of around my age, my first real exposure to American comics came in the shape of UK-based reprints in the late ‘80s. First out of the blocks on this front were the early John Byrne issues of Superman – but not far behind were some stories featuring the Marv Wolfman and George Perez New Teen Titans. And while I never subsequently became a huge fan of Dick Grayson, Donna Troy, Gar Logan and the rest, I enjoyed those stories enough that I’ll give any book that attempts to reunite them a passing glance.

This one doesn’t exactly get off to the best of starts, though, with the revelation on the credits page that it’s “Part Two” of a story. Er, what? I’m buying an issue #1, you cretins. I’m probably not alone. There are a lot of us who’ll have seen that big massive number on the cover – you know, the one where you helpfully even put the words “FIRST ISSUE” underneath – and thought “Great! Here’s a brand new book to try out!” So where the hell was part one of this sodding story? Turns out it was in a one-shot special called Titans East. Released, er, six months ago. Slow clap.

Still, if it hadn’t been for that caption, I’d never have guessed that the issue was following on from anything. It consists solely of a series of disconnected scenes in which various people who are, or used to be, Teen Titans get attacked by a variety of ludicrous B-movie-esque monsters, before each escaping and finally banding together in an attempt to work out who’s behind it all. Winick attempts to make us engage with each of the characters by falling back on the device – currently de rigeur for a DC team book – of having each character “narrate” the pages they appear in. Where this fails spectacularly, though, is in the complete lack of any distinctive character voices. Once again, the utterly lazy assumption seems to be that simply giving each caption a differently-coloured background will somehow mask this – but when you’ve got half-demon mystical sorceress Raven coming out with favoured Winick insult “brain donor”, it really doesn’t manage that in the slightest.

For anyone who remembers his nippletacular run on Supergirl, meanwhile, the prospect of Ian Churchill on art duties must surely be a cause for trepidation. What’s surprising, though, is how much Winick panders shamelessly to his, uh, “speciality”: treating us to three pages of Starfire flying and lounging around Animal Man’s garden completely starkers. Worse, he attempts to justify it by having Kori comment to herself (with as much subtlety as a neon sledgehammer) on American society’s apparent aversion to nudity. In a way, this actually managed to offend me more than the scene itself (which really is otherwise just embarrassing, in an “Oh God, sometimes they’re right about comics” kind of way) – if you’re going to objectify your characters for the sake of a bit of titillation, at least be honest about it. Don’t attempt to justify it by shoehorning in a genuine issue whose basis is in fact completely at odds with what you’re doing. Really, you have to wonder why he even felt it necessary – it’s not as if Churchill needs any prompting to go nuts with the cheesecake, and elsewhere in the issue we see Donna, Starfire (again) and some random gang members positively bursting out of their costumes, while the (high school age. HIGH SCHOOL!) Raven is given that ol’ Michael Turner standard: visible thong straps.

You suspect that Winick is just hoping this will get by on some hazy sense of nostalgia for the characters featured. But beyond their names, there’s very little to connect these cardboard cutouts with the people that grew and developed over Wolfman’s original run. As such, it’s very difficult to care about anything that happens to them. Furthermore, in the closing pages of the issue we learn that a bunch of other (apparently less important) characters actually did get badly hurt – and, in one case, killed – only, er, we didn’t actually see that scene. I’m guessing it happened in the ethereal “part one”, but the fact that I’ve had to guess should tell you everything about the paucity of storytelling ability on show here. It feels like an attempt to ape the style of the current Justice League of America series – and it succeeds, but that’s not exactly a good thing. All it means is that it’s a hollow, gaping void of a comic, with absolutely nothing to engage any reader. Unless they’re a brain donor, of course.

“Ooh superman where are you now
When everything’s gone wrong somehow
The men of steel, the men of power
Are losing control by the hour.This is the time
This is the place
So we look for the future
But there’s not much love to go round
Tell me why, this is a land of confusion.“

O lo que es lo mismo, las historias de Rucka en Adventures of Superman…
Concretamente, del Adventures 627 al Adventures 643 (con un número de relleno, el 639 escrito por Judd Winnick y que estaba dedicado a una saga que unió las tres colecciones de Superman).

He leído críticas que, ehmm, criticaban (valga la redundancia) la etapa de Rucka en Adventures… lo primero que tengo que decir es que no estoy de acuerdo con las mismas, personalmente me han gustado las ideas que ha ido desarrollando en la serie y el trato a los secundarios… oye, DC debe estar de acuerdo conmigo porque ha sido el único guionista que ha seguido en la serie después de la última “revolución” en los títulos…

Las tramas de la serie se desarrollan (básicamente) a través de tres personajes: Superman/Clark Kent, Ruin (un nuevo villano creado por Rucka) y Mr. Mxyzptlk (en serio). Además del acompañamiento de los secundarios, claro, sobre todo Lois y la lugarteniente Lupe Leocadio (una barcelonesa cuyos padres murieron en un atentado en Madrid y viene a ocupar el lugar de Maggie Sawyer en la policía de Metrópolis…).

Situémonos un poco, en los números anteriores a la etapa Rucka, Superman había dejado Metrópolis durante una temporada (Clark Kent había sido despedido del Planet para poder dedicarse a investigar a Luthor durante su presidencia y sacarlo de la Casa Blanca…) debido a un viaje temporal, a la pelea con Luthor (en Superman/Batman) y los hechos sucedidos en Godfall (cuando había sido sustituido por Mr. Majestic). En el inicio de la etapa Rucka nos encontramos con el regreso de Clark/Superman a Metrópolis y su intento por recuperar su antigua vida…
Pero no será fácil, una nueva policía, Lupe Leocadio, ha ocupado el lugar que tenía Maggie Sawyer en la policía de Metrópolis y le trata como a otro policía más, su puesto de trabajo ha sido entregado a Jack Ryder y debe empezar de nuevo a subir todo el escalafón y no se lleva nada bien con su nuevo editor. Al poco de volver, debe enfrentarse con Replikon, un extraterrestre con los poderes de toda la JLA y que parece estar manejado por un enemigo desconocido que le ha entregado un arma que puede anular sus poderes durante cortos periodos de tiempo, la pelea acaba con la muerte de Replikon… Durante su vida como Clark Kent conocemos a otros dos nuevos secundarios, Jerry Frank (una periodista recién llegada a la profesión y futuro interés amoroso de Jimmy Olsen…) y Bernie Carver (un periodista apunto de jubilarse) que cubrirán junto a Clark las acciones de la policía. Lois, por su parte, recibirá un soplo de un contacto en el ejército que la llevará a Umec (sea donde sea ese sitio), país que, supuestamente, van a invadir los USA. Mientras Lois viaja, Clark debe continuar en Metrópolis, donde Jerry Frank le echará en cara lo bajo que ha caido como periodista y el desengaño que se ha llevado al conocerle ya que era uno de sus héroes… como Superman deberá enfrentarse a el hijo de Replikón, que también está controlado por el villano misterioso que responderá al nombre de Ruin. Durante su primer enfrentamiento con Ruin, Superman se verá interrumpido por la aparición sorpresa de Mr. Mxyzptlk que le hará una advertencia sobre el oscuro futuro que se acerca y la crisis que está a punto de producirse… Mientras Superman pelea con Ruin, que consigue escapar llevándose a dos hermanos gemelos consigo, Lois recibe un disparo en Umec, aprovechando los “contactos” de su marido logra salvar su vida. El problema de Clark es que descubre que no fueron los habitantes de Umec quienes dispararon a su mujer (a fin de cuentas, es reportera y estaba cubriendo una “guerra”) si no alguien que conoce todos sus secretos (Ruin) y sabe como anular sus poderes y que ataques pueden dañarle (es decir, a su familia y amigos)… Este descubrimiento hará que Superman pida ayuda a dos de sus más íntimos amigos, Batman y Wonder Woman y les pida consejo, durante su conversación, Bruce y Diana descubren que Clark sabía lo que había hecho la antigua Liga con el Dr. Luz (quién todavía no sepa lo que habían hecho con él, ya estás tardando en leer Identity Crisis), circunstancia que les enfada (y mucho) y Diana le recomienda que mate a Ruin…
Los siguientes números se centrarán en la investigación de Lois para saber quién le disparo (Ruin posiblemente), la búsqueda de Ruin por Superman (y su alter ego) mientras intenta sobrevivir a los continuos ataques que recibe por parte de los enviados de Ruin, quien justifica sus acciones diciendo que el uso que hace Superman de la luz solar (fuente de sus poderes para los muy despistados) destruirá la Tierra en 4 billones de años (más o menos)… Otra de las tramas que cogen importancia es el divorcio de Lana Lang y Pete Ross, creyendo este último que ella siempre ha estado enamorada de Clark y que le ha abandonado por él.
La trama de Ruin llegará a su punto culminante cuando Superman le desenmascaré (después de una pelea) delante de toda la prensa, revelando la cara de…
Jejejeje, no esperaríais que os lo contase, ¿no?
Trás este desenmascaramiento, vemos como la relación entre la lugarteniente Leocadio y Superman se vuelve cada vez más tensa, después de que esta última le de una paliza al detenido Ruin como venganza por haber asesinado a varios de sus compañeros, cosa que no le gusta nada a Superman porque… ehmm, Ruin tiene cierta relación con él.
Durante la búsqueda de Ruin, Mr. Mxyzptlk reaparece concediendole (más o menos) a Lois un deseo, concretamente, un hijo. Bueno, una hija, me refería a que les mostraba como podría ser su futuro con ese bebé en sus vidas, y vuelve a advertir a Superman sobre la crisis que se cierne sobre ellos y que, sobre todo, deben tener fé el uno en el otro para poder superar todos sus problemas…
Trás esto, la serie se introduce “a saco” en las Crisis, aunque, a pesar de ser Rucka uno de los guionistas que la impulsan, no olvida en ningún momento las tramas que quiere contar y las Crisis, aunque importantes, no pasan de ser un argumento secundario…

Galería de portadas:

Resumiendo, personalmente creo que Rucka está cumpliendo más que sobradamente en su estancia en Adventures, el baile de dibujantes es un poco molesto (y la mayor parte de los mismos tienen un nivel bastante bajo) pero la trama no deja de ser interesante y la desesperación de Superman se puede notar en muchas ocasiones…
Aprobado alto, y por cierto, la prefiero como cien veces más a la etapa de Lee… la de Austen aún no he podido leerla.

Nada más.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaadios

Dos recopilatorios que enlazan con los últimos números publicados por Norma en España, justo cuando la serie se dirigía a uno de sus mejores momentos…

Superman: President Lex

Escrito por J.M. DeMatteis, Joe Kelly, Jeph Loeb, Greg Rucka, Mark Schultz, and Karl Kesel; Dibujos de Ed McGuinness, Duncan Rouleau, Paco Medina, Doug Mahnke, Dale Eaglesham, Carlo Barberi, Tony Harris, Matthew Clark, Dwayne Turner, Mike Miller, Todd Nauck, Mike Wieringo, Paul Pelletier, Humberto Ramos, Rob Liefeld, Art Adams, Ian Churchill, Joe Madureira y más; portada de Harris

¡Un enorme recopilatorio que recoge historias del hombre más poderoso de Metrópolis que relatan su camino hacia la Casa Blanca! Las historias, reimpresas de ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #581, PRESIDENT LUTHOR SECRET FILES, SUPERMAN: LEX 2000, SUPERMAN #162-165, SUPERMAN: MAN OF STEEL #108-110, y ACTION COMICS #773, también incluyen apariciones especiales de Aquaman, Tempest, Batman y la JLA!

Superman: Return to Krypton

Escrito por Jeph Loeb, Joe Casey, Mark Schultz, Joe Kelly y Geoff Johns; Dibujos de Ed McGuninness, Duncan Rouleau, Doug Mahnke, Kano, Pascual Ferry, Karl Kerschl, Cam Smith, Jamie Mendoza, Tom Nguyen y Marlo Alquiza; portada de Paul Rivoche.

Un nuevo recopilatorio que contiene los siguientes números: SUPERMAN #166, 167 y 184, ACTION COMICS #776 and 793, ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #589 y 606, y SUPERMAN: MAN OF STEEL #111 y 128. Este recopilatorio está protagonizado por Superman y Lois Lane que viajan hacia a través del tiempo y del espacio hasta Krypton. Lo que descubre el Hombre de Acero, sin embargo, son dos diferentes visiones de su planeta natal – ¡¡sólo que no está seguro de cuál es la real!!

Evidentemente, las traducciones de las sinopsis están retocadas de las realizadas automáticamente por el traductor de Google… Si se me ha pasado algo, pido disculpas…

Pues…, irregulares es la mejor forma de definir estos recopilatorios.

El primero de ellos, President Luthor, nos cuenta como Lex Luthor llega a la Casa Blanca y por qué lo hace, eso sí, dejando todo ordenado antes de hacerlo (por ejemplo, deja a Talia Head (la hija de Ra’s Al Ghul) como nueva presidenta de las empresas Luthor; sus dos guardaespaldas se van con él a la Casa Blanca; elimina a su mujer; sufre un atentado que le favorece en las encuestas; y el golpe más duro para Superman, Pete Ross (senador por Kansas y casado con Lana Lang) acepta ir como vicepresidente de Luthor en las elecciones.
Durante todo el recopilatorio, se vé como Superman (y su entorno) se ven incapaces para frenar la continuada subida de Lex Luthor en las encuestas y sus reacciones después de que Luthor consiga llegar a presidente.
Por cierto, el gabinete de Luthor prometía dar mucho juego: Amanda Waller, el General Lane (el padre de Lois), Pete Ross, Lana Lang (al estar Luthor soltero/divorciado/viudo hace, la mayor parte del tiempo, funciones de primera dama) e incluso Cat Grant como portavoz…

El segundo de ellos, Return to Krypton, son dos historias diferentes, la primera y segunda parte de esa saga (con una diferencia de año y medio entre una y otra). Si la primera tiene la cosa de que es original y que modifica el origen de Superman tal y como lo presentó Byrne, la segunda es una historia aburrida que no aporta nada al asunto…
Cuando Byrne recreó a Superman en 1986 presentó Krypton como una sociedad muy avanzada tecnológicamente pero con una total ausencia de sentimientos. Jeph Loeb decide que esa presentación era falsa, una fachada para evitar que Kal-El viese la sociedad tan maravillosa que tenían y se pasase su vida buscando Krypton (sip, es tan estúpido como suena), cuando Jor-El considerase que era lo suficiente maduro le revelaría la verdad… Bueno, tiene la cosa de que la historia (a pesar de esto) es bastante entretenida, y al final logran salvar a… ¡¡Krypto, el super-perro!!
La segunda parte…, ni comentarla. Jor-El aparece en la Tierra para que su hijo le ayude en el pasado y ya de paso conoce a Jonathan Kent, no hay mucho que decir sobre esta.

Tanto guión como dibujo son bastante irregulares, debido, sobre todo a la numerosísima cantidad de guionistas y dibujantes que pasan por las diferentes series de Superman… ¡¡Si hasta hay una historia corta de Liefeld!!. De todas formas, tienen cierto interés, y si hubiesen sido publicados por Norma (en lugar de Our Worlds at War) y publicitados debidamente hubiesen tenido bastantes ventas…

¿Cómo que no?
¿No creeís que una campaña publicitaria, con imágenes de Gene Hackman y un texto que dijese algo así como “¿Os imaginaís si este hombre llegase a la Casa Blanca?”, podría arrasar en toda España? ¿No lo creeís? Puff…, ¡qué sabreís vosotros!

Nada más.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaadios