Jono's Books:

Fantastic Four #555

Let's see, what can I say about this issue? Johnny is a rock star. Reed is a sexy braniac. Sue is an insecure passive member of the FF. And Ben is the compassionate, insightful guy under a thick layer of stone. Got that? Because I'll come back to it in a second. Mark Millar continues his run on FF with the help of Bryan Hitch in part two of the story, The World's Greatest. I see what Millar is trying (key word here) to do here in re-establishing the eponymous team, but the result is a slow-paced story arc with some high concept ideas and horribly derivative execution. The idea that the Earth is being replicated in a parallel dimension with a full scale replica is interesting, yet the team of top scientists that created it fails in keeping one of their own mechanical creations in check (a robotic sentinel named CAP, put in charge of keeping the citizens safe of this Earth 2). The issue climaxes with the escape of said machine (ho-hum) and I am left wondering if Millar will truly bring something new to this stale series.

Skip It (come on, Millar!)

The Last Defenders #1

"Defenders, Defenestrate!"

Heh. I wasn't expecting much going into this issue, which in retrospect was a good thing because not much happened that convinced me that this book is a Buy It, or even a Read It book. It's a standard set-up book: you have team leader Nighthawk, strangely stoic Colossus, reluctant (for good reason) She-Hulk, and oddball Flaming Skull. The book is full of jokes (such as the quoted line at the beginning of this review that the Defenders shout as they crash through the baddies' window) but the majority of the fall flat. The team assembles then goes to beat up some generic storm troopers goons called the Sons of the Serpent. A fight ensues, a big boss enters the fray and the issue ends, but not before showing us a last page of exposition that taps into the potential of the series.

Browse It (hopefully issue 2 will be a marked improvement)

Screamland #1

Surprisingly refreshing, Screamland tells the story of those old Hollywood monsters (Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, the Mummy, etc) as they struggle for work in the present. They're presented as normal, everyday beings that depend on acting gigs to get buy. Because of the lack of interest nowadays in these icons, they find themselves struggling for work. This issue finds Frankenstein's Monster's agent finding him work in a generic, Manga inspired movie that would reunite all of the old monsters. Writer Harold Sipe infuses the comic with just the right amount of self-deprecating humor to keep me interested to see what happens with the next issue.

Read It

Cemetary Blues #2 New Release Pick of the Week

If you've been reading our reviews at all, you know how difficult it is to elicit a Buy It rating from me. I mean, the comic has to engage me enough to have me recommend others to buy it. Well, I haven't been this excited reading a comic book since Generation X #25. Writer Ryan Rubio (channeling Joss Whedon) deftly combines humor, mystery, horror, and action in this brilliant little (and probably overlooked) gem. The story involves a supernatural baddie and the attempts of our (anti)heroes Mortimer Ridley and his slightly-off companion, Falstaff to destroy said baddie in a rural English town. The brilliance of it all lies in the off-beat humor produced by the duo. Thomas Boatwright's art style is stylish, refined and a cross between Ben Templesmith and Humberto Ramos (which is a great mix). Together, the two creators have developed the right kind of ambiance worthy enough of being this week's pick of the week, If you are a fan of Whedon at all, I would highly recommend checking out this sleeper hit.

Buy It! (Buy 2!)

Goblin's Books:

Goblin will be back next week with his take!

Oraclechele's Books:

Serenity: Better Days #1

Oh the good old days, when Kaylee still had unrequited type feelings for the Doc, Inara was still a member of the crew, and Wash and Shepherd were still among the living. So goes Joss Whedon's latest shiny adventure in the 'verse. Issue #1 of Serenity: Better Days, published by Dark Horse comics, is everything that made the series great.

As with every book Whedon oversees, this one is well worth the price and not just for the story, which for Firefly fans is impossible to go through without hearing the cast in your head. The cover art by Adam Hughes is unbelievably spot on and the book art, by Will Conrad, evokes the look and movement of the series very well.

The plot centers on a series of heists that lead the crew from one bit of good fortune to another. Or so it seems. It wouldn't be the crew of Serenity if all went off without a hitch. Something tells me things are going to soon get much worse for Mal Reynolds and his band of troublemakers. Can't wait for issue number two.

Buy It

Wonder Woman #18

I finally got on the Wonder Woman bandwagon thanks to the events of Infinite Crisis. Up to that point I had found some of the elements of the Wonder Woman mythos a tad overwhelming. Whereas I could easily jump into a Superman or Batman book, Wonder Woman always seemed too rich in history to dive in. But once I did take the leap I was hooked. Gail Simone has certainly kept me on that hook, but then again, I think I would read just about anything Gail put on paper.

This second arc in her run sets up Wonder Woman's growing relationship with Tom Tresser, a witty blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment featuring a gay fan of the Amazon Princess, and a little matter of an invasion that turns into a request. For Wonder Woman fans this is a buy it. For those without a lot of knowledge of the Wonder Woman universe, I would advise checking out some recent back issues and brushing up on some history and then attempt to read it.

Buy It (if you're a fan)
Read It (if you're a casual reader...with some wikipedia-ing)

Gotham Underground #6

Set around a series of curious goings-on with the Batman villains, this book is for those who can't get enough of the Batverse. As a fan of what was done with the Secret Six, I have enjoyed watching the villains try and juggle their way around and through what seems to be a raging turf war. Or is it? There is a pretty big reveal in issue #6 that ties into some of the more recent weirdness going on in some of the other DC books.

What about Batman and friends? They have taken a big back seat thus far and issue #6 is no exception. Bruce is still undercover and despite a few cameos here and there, this title is all about the baddies. Well, all but the last few panels, which I will keep to myself.

As a Batfan, I find Gotham Underground a "Buy it" title. For those who aren't so inclined I would have to say, "Skip it".

Buy It (if you're a fan)
Skip It (if you aren't)

Sgt. Sausagepant's Books

Nova #11

Richard Rider heads to the Technarchy Homeworld and discovers the shocking origin behind the Transmode Virus! We learn a little about this new weapon of the Phalanx, and it guest stars someone you never expected to see. I won't spoil it for you, but definitely check it out if you've been following the story at all. Also features some fantastic art, top notch.

Buy It

X-Factor #29

The stress on X-Factor Detective Agency comes to a head in this issue, with arguments, people leaving, and a final dose of weird to cap it all off. The writing is as witty as ever, grabbing stereotypical plot lines and politely beating them to a pulp. Also, adorably gruff Rictor is in some painful looking trouble.

Buy It

Amazing Spider-Man #553

The fact that Marvel keeps branding issues with the Brand New Day slogan gives me hope that it's all a convoluted arc and Peter and Mary Jane's love will find a way to reunite them. As for this actual issue, Spidey is busy being blamed and Freak is still running amok in standard villain fashion. The problem, of course, being that Spider-Man was much more engrossing before Brand New Day. Personally, I hope they are going somewhere with all this.

Browse It

Mighty Avengers #10

Dr. Doom, The Sentry, and Iron Man remain hurtled back in time and have to find a way back to the present without altering their past. This issue is great in that while they are in the past, the art style of the comic is drawn in the same style it would have been published in, a great sort of '4th wall' joke for the readers. Add in plenty of great banter between Doom and Tony, and this issue is a keeper.

Buy It

Salvation Run #5

Salvation Run just keeps getting more and more like Lost with every issue, except that, well, instead of airline passengers stranded on a deserted island, we have super-villains stranded on a deserted planet. And there are no polar bears...yet. Nonetheless, in this week's issue, much like the good guys on a certain prime-time ABC television show, Lex Luthor & Co. discover an imposter within their ranks and find that the best way to unite is through a common enemy: Martian Manhunter. A surprise reveal at the end leaves the reader wondering just how Salvation Run is going to tie in with a certain crisis looming over the horizon.

Read It

Countdown to Final Crisis #7

This week's Countdown is sadly no more than just an average example of the series' typical sluggish progression and sloppy writing. It's hard to guess as to why the issue begins so inexplicably slow even in the midst of a crisis, only to end pretty much where the last one left off, and again with an unsurprisingly un-suspenseful "cliffhanger". Thankfully, the series is reaching its end, and in its place Grant Morrison and Geoff Johns take the reins for the DCU's next major event. One can only hope that the Final Crisis, after following an entire year of bad dialogue and zero character development, is worth counting down to.

Skip It

Booster Gold #7

This is the first full issue of the series pairing up the classic Blue & Gold team, with Blue Beetle Ted Kord joining the time-jumping hero after Booster successfully saves Beetle from the bullet that ended his life. But as any superhero in the DCU knows, such manipulation of history usually has more than a few consequences. Beetle and Booster arrive back in the present only to face a world within which Maxwell Lord's OMAC Project has been a success, complete with a mounting death toll of major superheroes, an OMAC-led destruction of the Secret Society, and an unlikely bipartisan resistance led by Green Arrow and Hawkman. And the ending, like the series as a whole, will keep any DC time travel enthusiast quite happy indeed.

Read It