It came and its gone and now it's time to recover. I'm not eating til next week. I hope everyone got what they wanted for Christmas. This was a christmasy week in comics. I think every good book came out this week. So much good stuff to sit back and read after stuffing my face. A bunch of sweet first issues came out and books from every major event going on. Let's jump into it.
First off I want to talk about some One-Shots that came out from Marvel this week, both books are parts of Marvel's 2010 major stories.
Captain America: Who will wield the shield.
I've really not been happy with the way things are going on right now with Captain America. I'm really not opposed to bringing back Steve Rogers but the way they've been going about it really doesn't tickle my fancy and the fact that they've completely jumped the gun by making Steve appear in other books without officially bringing him back in Cap Reborn #6 is pretty stupid if you ask me.
In this issue the question is posed "Who will wield the shield"? Bucky is with The Black Widow and he's talking to her about how he feels now that with Steve being back, he should give up the mantle of Captain America. Over at the New Avengers secret base, Steve is contemplating telling Bucky to keep the costume and shield because he saw the future and if Bucky gives up being Captain America he will die. The end result leads you to believe that Marvel has some bigger plans for Steve Rogers than having him run around when Bucky has been doing a fine job of filling his shoes. I thought this was the best way of keeping Bucky as Cap and having Steve still be open for new opportunities, I mean they did make Norman Osborn head of a government office. All in all it was a pretty descent issue and a fair way to save a good idea poorly done.
4 out of 5
Fall Of The Hulks Gamma
The second half to the beginning of the "Fall Of The Hulks" storyline. In this issue a major death happens to catapult events into motion. General Ross is killed in battle with the Red Hulk. This issue is a funeral for Ross and the start of the fall. I've been looking forward to see what Jeph Loeb had in store for us since the beginning of the Hulk relaunch. Finally after so long we as fans who stood by and waited are finally being paid back. The answer of the identity of the Red Hulk and The Red She Hulk will finally be answered and what the hell has been going on since day one will FINALLY be answered. Things have been rocky for a while but it's nice to finally see the Hulk making sense and everything going on finally heading into a modern day "who done it?".
3 out of 5
Avengers Initiative #31
Another book to come out this week dealing with a major storyline just jumping off. This issue is the back story to Taskmasters introduction to the Cabal in "Siege: The Cabal One-Shot". In this issue Taskmaster is told that Norman Osborn is coming to Camp HAMMER for an inspection and if all goes well that Taskmaster may be looking at a promotion. After a staged inspection, Norman gives Taskmaster a position in a bigger organization he's involved in. After the Dr. Doom bot blasts Taskmaster in the face and explodes, He's in the hospital where he asks to rescind Osborn's offer. After Norman threatens him he's told where his first mission will be. ASGARD!
It wasn't necessary but it was cool to see how Taskmaster came into the position as a member of The Cabal and to see the seeds of "SIEGE" being sown.
4 out of 5
New Mutants #8
This being the seventh part of the X-Men's current crossover "Necrosha", the story is finally picking up the pace. In the New Mutants issues thus far, Douglas Ramsey aka Cypher returned, tried to kill Magma and beheaded also returned member Warlock. Now after an attempted reboot by the Hellions, Cypher is fighting the techno organic virus' coding. The team battles with The Hellions while Sunspot and Karma rush to save Magma's life. Dr. Nemesis injects her with a serum to activate her dormant X-genes and save her life. Magik stabs the virus infected Warlock with her Soul Sword, which gives light to the possibility of undoing the programming and saving the recently returned infected. In the end, Cypher is saved and returned back to being alive. I've been bashing this storyline thus far because as far as X-Men crossovers is has been of the weakest stories. At this point things are starting to pick up and begin to note worthy.
3 out of 5
X-Men Legacy #231
Part eight of the "Necrosha" storyline, This issue follows Blindfold as she tries to deliver information she learned from Destiny to Cyclops. She explains in the heat of battle non the less, that Destiny told her the fight would be on two fronts, Muir Island and Genosha. Cyclops sends Blindfold along with a team to Muir Island where after an almost failed precognition, Blindfold is possessed by Proteus. Again, another part to a bigger puzzle finally making this story worth while.
3 out of 5
As much as I don't like that Marvel is bringing back Steve Rogers and now in "Necrosha" they're bringing back almost all of the dead mutants with the possibility of returning them to normal, these stories are forming some really interesting ideas and hopefully will play a bigger role in the Marvel Universe as a whole.
Now over in the DCU, "Blackest Night" is in full affect with three books this week.
Green Lantern #49
We haven't seen John Stewart in a while. He's been heading toward the planet Xanshi. Xanshi is the planet that John feels responsible for the death of everyone on the planet. He arrives and finds a power battery belonging to Green Lantern Driq of Space Sector 667. Oddly enough, Driq is the first Green and Black Lantern. He died but his green ring never left him to be reassigned. After a strenuous battle, John can't win and decides to head off back towards earth. He leaves the planet to warn Earth of Xanshi, when he sees just how close he and Xanshi are to Earth. In a backup Tales Of The Black Lantern Corps, Jean Loring with The Atom and Mera are inside of a Black Ring. Inside the ring, Jean explains how the Guardians of the Universe were never tasked with saving the universe and were never given responsibility to battle back the darkness. It's revealed that Nekron is the avatar of the darkness and he's been put into place to save the hero's from ever really dying and to one day return the universe to the Darkness. Truthfully, the issue was great but I really enjoyed the backup story so much more. I wish the issue was just the backup story.
5 out of 5
Teen Titans #78
In this issue, Deathstroke, Rose and Jericho fight for their lives against the Black Lanterns. You find out that Jericho's eyes grew back after Vigilante cut them out. When Black Lantern Ravager came to get him, he made "contact" and jumped into it's body. Walking around in the darkness, he finally was able to escape after Rose tried to burn Ravager last issue. After a lengthy battle, Jericho realizes that they have no chance to defeat the Black Lanterns and tries to jump from each one in an attempt to make them destroy themselves. His plan works and he, Rose and Deathstroke survive. Deathstroke poses the idea of the three of them sticking together saying "Together, we could be more than a team, we could be a family." Rose declines the offer and tells Deathstroke that if she ever see's him again, she'll kill him. She then states that her long thought mother isn't dead because she didn't come back like Jericho's mother and she's going to find her. Not a half bad story dealing with the Slades. The idea was pretty much family based and a way to give Deathstroke a true sense of family and heroism.
4 out of 5
Blackest Night JSA #1
Picking up right from "Blackest Night #5", Wildcat, Powergirl and Mr. Terrific are back at the Brownstone examining the dead bodies of Black Lantern Earth 2 Superman and Psycho Pirate. The rest of the team are in the middle of fighting off the other Black Lanterns and trying to save people from getting killed. Stargirl is upset and wants to go after Damage after Jean Loring tore out his heart and turned him. Jay Garrick is running back and forth between the battle and the brownstone relaying messages. He gets told by Mr. Terrific that he needs Green Lantern, Stargirl and Lightning "to create a light energy of their own" to defeat the Black Lanterns. Mr. Terrific realizes that his Black Lantern counter part will realize the same thing and that they'll head to the brownstone. A really good issue. I have a feeling that we'll see more potential members for a possible "White Lantern Corps" by the end of this mini series.
5 out of 5
Now, three new number one's came out this week that I think you should check out and get on your pull list ASAP!
Chimichanga #1
New this week from Eric Powell creator of "The Goon" comes, Chimichanga. The book is about a bearded girl from a traveling circus who trades a couple of locks of her beard for a rock. The rock is actually an egg which hatches some creature she names Chimichanga. This comic is laugh out loud funny. Any fan of The Goon will love this book. Eric Powell is a master of his craft and this book is the perfect example of how he can make complete nonsense absolutely entertaining. If you passed this book up because you don't know anything about it, Eric Powell or The Goon then you need to get yourself familiar now.
5 out of 5
Angelus #1
Those of you who read "Witchblade" are familiar with The Angelus. For those of you who don't know, The Angelus is the heavenly light side of "The Balance". For centuries, The Angelus entity has picked a host and been in complete control in it's attempts to overcome and kill the Darkness. Dani Baptiste, the former bearer of The Witchblade is now the host of The Angelus. Recently relocated to New Orleans with her would-be girl friend and roommate Finch, Dani is dealing with her new powers and wonders what's going to happen. While the two girls are out site seeing, they are attacked by a three headed blue creature. Dani turns into The Angelus and is saved by one of her followers and servants Sabine. Sabine and the other angelic Angelus followers explain to Dani that they served the former host's of The Angelus and wish to do the same for her. Dani is confused as to what The Angelus truly is and wishes to find out more. Another book that you should be reading. If you don't know anything about The Witchblade, The Darkness or The Angelus, Top Cow has been putting out trades to bring people such as yourself up to date. Go out and check them all out and get this isse because you will not be disappointed.
5 out of 5
The Last Days of American Crime #1
The first of this three issue mini series from Radical Comics, comes Rick Remender of Punisher and Fear Agent fame's book "The Last Days Of American Crime". In a not to distant future, as a response to an increase in domestic terrorism and crime the US government decides that they are going to broadcast a signal that will neurologically pacify any person in unlawful behavior. A news paper breaks the story and also explains that the government will also be getting rid of paper money and creating refillable credit cards, effectively recording every transaction made and preventing drug deals and crimes in general. Graham Bricks the main character is a security guard at a bank who enlists the help of Kevin Cash and Shelby Dupree, two criminals with the ability to help him steal a machine and set it up so that they can refill an unlimited card, basically pulling the last possible bank job. This idea isn't too far off because talk of getting rid of paper monies and going with some form of electronic banking has been floating around the United States for quite some time. Fans of Remender's or of Crime books in general will love this comic.
5 out of 5
and that's all for me folks. As you can see, there will not be any new comics this week except "Blackest Night #6", so I don't have anything to "Jones" for. I am however going to be doing a special edition of Previews and Reviews. I'm going to be renaming the column along with doing a special edition of it. Stay tuned and see what I come up with.
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