Oh man, so much stuff going on and happening in the world of comics, its a great time to be a fan. First and foremost, I hope everyone has been keeping up with Disney XD's new series The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. It's an awesome adaption/retelling of The Avengers and their adventures. Being a huge Avengers fan, I'm like a kid in a candy store every Wednesday night @ 8:30. In my honest opinion this show is really giving Justice League Unlimited a real run for the money. The animation and voice actors are amazing and the storyline thus far is fantastic. The mix of new and old is just right. Any fan, new or old will love this show and if you don't come talk to me and I'll set you straight.
Another new series courtesy of AMC is none other than Robert Kirkman's ongoing zombie drama THE WALKING DEAD. This show is amazing. Another series that I'm a die hard fan of, that i was worried wasn't going to live up to the comic, completely surpasses all expectations. Just about everything about the show is outstanding. The actors are spot on as well as the zombies and gore. It's not a direct adaptation of the comic, which is expected considering that for a television series they need to broaden the story and make it more accessible to a bigger audience. The added characters and conflicts thus far do nothing but add a whole new level to an already awesome story. Sunday nights were boring since TRUE BLOOD wrapped for the season but now THE WALKING DEAD fills the void and then some. The thing I like most about this show is the amount of conversation it's sparked amongst long time fans and newcomers. People are curious if what happened on last night's episode was in the book and if so did they change it. That's what really makes good television in my mind, the fact that people who normally may have nothing in common can come together and share something that neither one thought the other would like.
Now, with that said, I've got some comic books I'd like to talk about..so here we go.. I've got something to say!!
OSBORN #1 (OF 5)
Since the end of SIEGE, Norman Osborn has been under lock and key at the maximum security prison, The Raft. Norman has been bidding his time as the authorities decide what exactly to do with him. The country as well as his fellow prisoners are split down the middle. Half siding with Norman, stating that what he did and what he was doing was the right thing and that he's a real American hero as the other half think he's a raving madman who talked his way into a position of power and deserves to rot in a jail cell for the rest of his days. While this is going on, his "believers" in prison have begun an almost cult like gang and made Norman their messiah, sporting Green Goblin tattoos.
Norah Winters, the journalist from Front Line who broke the story of Norman Osborn not being "cured" and still being a raving madman in a place of power (back in the "American Son" story arc in ASM) is tasked with doing a follow up story. She's very torn about writing about Norman Osborn in general because the last time she barely escaped being killed while investigating the original story.
The Senate subcommittee of human rights and law meet and their topic of discussion is the one and only Norman Osborn. The committee talk about what exactly they plan on doing with Osborn because he still hasn't been charged with anything officially because his military status and the status of H.A.M.M.E.R still haven't been decided. If Norman is held any longer he can petition for Habbeas Corpus and actually get set free on a technicality. While all this is going on, Norman sets a plan of his own into motion and gets himself transferred to a secret prison that is currently holding four individuals whom the military have no idea what to do with and they all have something to do with The Spider.
I've been waiting for this series since it was announced. I couldn't wait to see what exactly was going to happen with Norman since his capture and incarceration. I really hope this mini-series sheds some light on what exactly Norman's being doing with his time in prison, a more in depth look into this new "Goblin Cult" and it's members and just who the hell these four new characters are and what they have to do with Norman Osborn.
5 out of 5!!
SPIDER-GIRL #1
Spinning out of the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man story arc "The Grim Hunt", comes this new series staring Anya Corazon formerly known as Arana, now known as Spider-Girl. After the events of "The Grim Hunt" story arc, Anya, now wears Julia Carpenter's old Spider-Woman costume, She's been de-powered since her spider amulet was destroyed but being trained by some of the greatest heroes in the world helps make up for it. Anya and her father move into a new apartment. He has stuff to do over at City College and just so Anya's not alone in the new apartment by herself, he made plans for her..a night out with Sue Storm. The two girls walk around and talk about how The Fantastic Four know her father and just talk about nothing special, when there's a big emergency and Sue gets called into action. Anya doesn't just go home and watch her new friend battle whatever on t.v., she puts on her costume and goes into action. She eventually makes her way to City College where her father is supposed to be but she isn't sure because he isn't answering her text messages. She arrives on the scene and finds her father amidst the rubble of the library. Just as she's about to get him out of there, there's a problem..a big red problem. The Red Hulk battling The Fantastic Four.
I was really looking forward to this book because after re-reading Amazing Fantasy volume two and Arana:Heart of the spider, I really think they've grown Anya into a really great character. She's the female equivalent of Peter Parker. I can't help but be a sucker for a pretty girl and teenage super-hero drama. This series has a lot of potential and considering that Anya doesn't have powers anymore, I'm curious to see her attempt to go toe to toe with any sort of Super-Villains without the help of any other heroes like in the now canceled "Young Allies". Spider-Girl has so many possibilities and a real deal twitter account, so who knows what's going to happen.
4 out of 5!
Batman: The Return
&
Batman Incorporated #1
I've kept my mouth shut as far as this whole Bruce Wayne returning goes but now that he's back, I finally have all my thoughts on the topic and I can really say what's on my mind. This whole SCAM was B******T! Grant Morrison killed off Bruce Wayne to have him come back and "out himself" not as Batman but as Batman's sugar daddy??!!! Why?! Does he want someone to crash Wayne Manor and kill him and Alfred? To top it off not only does he do that but he also creates "Batman Incorporated", a new form of fighting crime globally. Isn't that what the Justice League is? Isn't that what Checkmate is?? I mean come on, Bruce is going to travel the world now and seek out potential candidates to become Batmen in different countries? I find this idea just silly and recycled! Morrison is taking the idea of The League of Batmen and expanding it globally when in fact their are already Dynamic Duo's in different countries fighting the good fight. It's bad enough Bruce said he was funding Batman but now he's going to walk into another country and out himself to someone he doesn't even know and include them into the family. I really don't like this idea at all and I think that it's a turn for the worse as far as Batman and company are concerned. I'm a huge Batman fan and I've been reading it ever since I was a kid. I've been humble with my words when people ask me what I thought about what was going on in the book but now that everything's come to a head and it's all out in the open, I really don't like it and I wish there was some reset button to push so that Bruce Wayne could either stay dead or just go back to being the brooding, miserable super-hero we've all loved.
I love the idea of Dick and Damien being Batman and Robin. The two work so well with one another. Dick has been trained his whole life to fill the shoes of Batman, whether he likes it or not and Damien is a mirror reflection of Dick with the roles reversed. Bruce's death just set this into motion sooner than expected. Bruce being back and also running around as Batman is almost silly. What are they going to do have a "Brave And The Bold Team-up" featuring Batman and Batman?? In my opinion, Bruce should have come back and acted more like Steve Rogers, give up the mantle to Dick and act more like the General rather than be the leader and one of the grunts. I almost wish Bruce had kept the "Outsider" costume and identity and just left Batman alone. What's next "The Batmen Army"? Batman controlled police states? I mean really, what's to say one of these candidates that Bruce chooses as a member of Batman Inc turns into another Jason Todd and uses all of Bruce's tech and knowledge to become a bigger and badder villain than say The Joker. I, as a fan understand the progression of a story and it's characters. Batman is one of the big Three in the DCU and the need for change in the twenty-first century is crucial to expand the ever growing reader populace but to do something so drastic and over the top, there is no coming back after what's been done. Jean Paul Valley isn't going to give Bruce back the mantle of Batman and go away, Bruce isn't going to traverse time and basically write his home lineage again. What's done is done and that's it.
Again, I really don't like what Grant Morrison has done but I, like so many other people out there who I'm sure share the same feelings, just have to sit back and continue reading and hope for the best.
In all honesty, I would recommend you check out these books and everything else involved in this "Batman Inc" era and make a valid decision on it for yourself.
3 out of 5.
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