Birds of Prey 114: I only just got caught up on the post-Simone run of BoP this week and I have to say after adventures that involved Huntress driving a school bus off a bridge and using a trio of punks for character references, Lady Blackhawk wrecking a cab, a buggy, a train, and a stealth copter on her way to the bar where Hal Jordan hangs out in order to honor Big Barda (what is it with this title being the only place where minor heroes get a little love after they've died?), and Misfit saving Oracle's butt in the field using the power of....text messaging--after such fun comics that proved how well the team was working together, I'm not loving the step back that's been present in McKeever's story so far. Obviously, I'm talking about the Oracle-Misfit relationship. And for me it wasn't even about Babs breaking Charlie's ankle, though I thought that was very out of character. It was Babs then ignoring her and leaving the room that struck me as an odd storytelling choice. Perhaps McKeever is going to answer for their interaction throughout this arc but something should have been done directly in that moment to redeem Babs and her caretaking of Misfit. Babs' inner monologue at the end of 108 is the characterization I'm judging her by! So, McKeever, make my eyes misty rather than twitchy.
Even with all that, this is still one of my favorite corners of the DC universe and also in this issue Manhunter makes a man make a mess of his pants, Huntress and Zinda bring out the most irreverent in each other, and then Zinda fights an old Blackhawk villain on a roof, in her PJs, with only a gun for backup. Needless to say, I'm sticking around until Babs locks Misfit in the basement and tells her to kill rats for sustenance.
Booster Gold 6: One of the first trades I read to break myself into the DC universe was "Formerly Known as the Justice League" and it left me with an undying love for Booster Gold and Blue Beetle. So I don't care if it's cheating, but I've wanted him to be brought back almost as long as I've known the character. But I never thought it'd actually happen, even with Booster being so determined from issue 1 of this series and Ted appearing on solicited covers.
When I actually stopped freaking out and made it to the end of this issue, Booster and I had the EXACT same look on our faces:
I don't care if it's not perfectly wrapped up or too good to be true because as of January 16 and through the rest of the month and some of February it is the truth. And for as long as it lasts, I'll be emitting yelps only audible to bats and porpoises whenever I think of "Next Month: Blue and Gold Chapter One!"
Flash 236: For my part, I prefer to think of Mark Waid's run as setting the tone for Flash's new course rather than his own preference that the upcoming writers are going to undo/ignore. I am really enjoying Wally and Linda as parents and their children are already believable and vibrant characters. So I'll be standing in front of the family waving a big, flaming stick at the group of people who are silly and think that it would make any sense at all to dump the kids from the book. But, then, Wonder Woman says it better than I can:
--and that's fun!
Before leaving the title forever--again--Waid reminds us that no one writes Wally like he can.
When is Wally going to be in the JLA title? Soon? *sigh*
The final chapter of the back-up story is even better, with Braithwaite providing a painted art style that's beautiful and energetic and Waid and John Rogers packing four pages with great interaction and a sentimentality than any Flash fan has to love. Flashes are awesome! But Flash-wives are even cooler:
Now that's the kind of fridge action I, as a fan of superhero romances, want to see more of in comics!
As a sidenote: I was going to complain about the artist making Iris' head giant for her body but on Friday a young girl around that age came into the library where I work and her head was equally as towering upon her small frame as Wally's illustrated daughter. So there you have it. Sometimes kids do have freakishly disproportionate heads and comics are representing that quota!
Immortal Iron Fist 12: I don't know what's wrong with me but I'm not grooving on this comic as much as everyone else. The last issue that got me really excited was the the story of the pirate queen iron fist. Since then, rather than actually getting pumped over the qualities of this comic, I feel like I'm intellectually recognizing the stuff that other bloggers will mention with praise.
Maybe the problem is that I've been in such a DC comics mood lately that all the Marvel comics I read have to work that much harder in order to be appreciated. By me. Hmmm.
The Incredible Hercules 113: Following the above theory, Greg Pak and Fred Ven Lente must have been super training all day long because I loved this issue. I am so glad that Pak's spectacular take on Hercules--one of my absolute favorite things to come out of World War Hulk--continues here, alongside the genius punk Amadeus Cho and his adorable doggy sidekick, paving their own way through the Marvel universe. The writing is top notch, with great character voices and dialogue that fits so well because it's hilariously contradictory to what you're expecting the characters to say. Like Wonder Man nitpicking his relationship with Ares while Herc pummels him:
And we also get Ares, the bureaucrat:
Here we have an antagonist that I want Hercules to smash and smash but he makes me laugh and enjoy his presence in the story at the same time. That's good comics!
I also bought Showcase Presents: Superman Family this week so soon I'll be well versed in the adventures of silver age Jimmy Olsen and that's something I've dreamed of accomplishing for months now.
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