Sam Wilson
02-15-2006, 10:36 PM
Wktf is out on business, but he left us a great review/recap of the Marvel’s entire “House of M” event, but, OH NO! BIZZARO SAM WILSON! ARGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!
Me Bizzaro Sammy am I not. Me not write reviews. Me not buy Ultimate Fantastic Four. Me think Greg Land sucky artist. Me also happy for last issues of Batgirl and The Losers. Them books sucky too. Me hate pie. Pick of week is not Ultimate Fantastic Four, you stop reading reviews now. Azog also not write some reviews, Azog bad guy, hates comics. Don’t read Azog’s reviews. Azog not special guest reviewer today. Hello!
Sam Wilson's Reviews
The Losers #32 (final issue)
DC/Vertigo
Written by: Andy Diggle
Drawn by: Jock
For those of you who have been reading my reviews for while now, you know The Losers is one of my favorite books. Damn if in my opinion this isn’t the most unsung book out there right now. I mean damn, certain zombie books even get more love than The Losers, but I will never give up on them. This issue is the penultimate chapter to Clay, Cougar, Jensen, Pooch and Aisha’s story (issue #32 is the final issue) so, to catch everyone up: the Losers were a US Special Forces team that was operating out of Afghanistan in 1998. The team’s members include the Colonel (Clay), Jensen (computers), Roque (who is pretty much just a big a$#hole), Pooch (pilot/driver) and Cougar (sniper). There is also the Afghan woman Aisha, former member of the Afghani resistance to the Russian invasion and a CIA informant who now is more or less a member of the team, (they all share the same purpose, more or less) but her joining up takes place after the incident which “killed” the team and gave them their current self-directed mission, to bring down the mysterious man named Max and to declare war on the CIA.
In response to the US Embassy bombings in Tanzia, the President ordered a retaliatory strike against suspected terrorist Ahmed Khalfan Fadhil. The Losers were to go in and laser designate the target so the big boys could drop a 1,000 lb smart bomb on Fadhil’s head and be done with him. Given the close-lipped nature of this mission, the team was to be given orders and Fadhil’s location by a CIA handler who went by the codename “Max”. Anyway, the Losers make it to the target, designate it and order the airstrike when the unthinkable happens. They see a shipment of children being delivered to the terrorist camp, most likely to be auctioned off as slaves. The team tries to call off the airstrike, but “Max” jams their radios, and says some choice words to Col. Jensen. Max knew all along the children were going to be sent there, but he wanted the airstrike to happen anyway, and he thought “the Losers” were the kind of men (given past missions) who would follow orders without questions. It just so happens the team is sick of the absence of conscious that usually comes with blind allegiance, and they say fu$# it. They go in to save the kids. During the course of doing this though, Cougar stumbles on to something he shouldn’t have. A man buried deep within the compound, someone who has been hideously tortured who concludes he was never to be found, and Cougar finding him is was a big accident. The man tells Cougar a terrible tale, one that will change the entire team forever. He tells him the Soviets were tricked into invading Afghanistan by the US, and that the CIA (specifically this man and Max) ran Heroin into Europe and the states the fund the Afghan resistance. After the war Max kept the supply lines open to fund his own project, he wanted to remake the world in a new image, the image of a new American Century. Of course congress didn’t back this insanity and when Fadhil found out what the heroin was really funding he pulled the plug on Max and started to sell to the Russian Mob. Fadhil also put the word out he was going to sell Max’s and his partners dirty little secret to the open market, and well, that couldn’t happen. So to make a long story short, Max set up the Losers to take out Fadhil and his former partner to keep his secret safe and so he could keep on selling heroin to fund his private war and world changing aspirations. Anyway, the team escapes but Fadhil and Max’s former partner are still taken out in an airstrike. Cougar shares what he learns with the rest of his teammates and they decide to set things straight by declaring war against Max and taking him out themselves. Since the rest of the world thinks they died in the Fadhil mission, they have nothing to loose and everything to gain, and so it begins.
The final story arc of the book is entitled “Endgame”. It goes a little something like this: Max has exposed his plan to the rest of the world, he has stolen some nuclear weapons and set one off in the Gulf, causing an earthquake creating a new island, which Max declares to be the nation of “New Jerusalem”, a budding nuclear power. To show that Max indeed has nuclear capability he sets off another nuke in an unpopulated city in the Ukraine. What does he want? For the US to usurp all power in the Middle East and force them into democracy the hard way, pretty much starting a third world war (preemptively). Yeah, things are pretty well fu$#ed. The rest of the team (minus Pooch who decided to sit this one out) cooks up a suicide mission to go after Max in his new self-proclaimed nation of “New Jerusalem”, done with the aid of the Quatrain government, who clearly have their own agenda for taking Max out. The US gov’t is held at bay by Max’s arsenal of nuclear weapons, with warheads strategically placed in major American cities waiting to be detonated if things don’t go Max’s way. So the team infiltrates Max’s oil rig, but soon are betrayed by one of their own, and another one of their own sacrifices himself to kill Max, or so we’re led to believe, until another Max shows up. Of course we learn the origin of Max, yes, he’s a prick born and raised. Literally a CIA child. He’s a prick whom a lot of people want dead. The final issue is full of standoffs, tragedy, sacrifice and a somewhat happy ending.
Seeing that there are four tpbs collecting the series thus far (all are in print), it is safe to assume the entire series will be collected in tpb form, which ultimately may be the best way to read it. From the beginning Diggle designed this series with a definitive beginning, middle and end and damn if it hasn’t been more than I ever could have expected. The Losers has been optioned for film treatment, which is no surprise to me since every arc thus far has played out like a well-written action movie with plenty of violence, mayhem and strong dialogue to fuel it. So check this book out. Pick up the current issues, pick up the tpb’s, whatever you decide, I can’t recommend this series enough, and even though I’m sad that it’s over, I’m sure I’ll reread it again in a few years and it will be just as fresh and exciting.
Punisher vs. Bullseye #4 (of 5)
Marvel Comics
Written by: Daniel Way
Drawn by: Steve Dillon
What do the Punisher, Bullseye, and a cross-dressing mobster have in common? More than you would think if you picked up the first issue of Punisher vs. Bullseye #1. Our story starts in 1981 with a mobster named Fonzie Patrillo. An up and coming Mafioso, he was out and about disco dancing with some “associates” when the Punisher came and killed all of them. Fonzie fled the scene, (donning a dress to aid his escape) and now here he is, 2005, still wearing a dress hiding from the Punisher. Besides wearing a dress, Fonzie has other problems including the Rossi Family mob; a rival organization the Patrillo mob has been steadily loosing ground to over the years. Fonzie’s solution: put a hit out on the Punisher. Why? Fonzie figures once the word is out they got a hit out on good ol’ Frank the other mobs will back off and see how it plays out, buying the Patrillo mob some time to deal with the Rossi family. Also, if the Punisher gets whacked, well, happy days for all mobsters. Worse case, Punisher kills everyone (which he was probably going to get around to doing anyway). Yeah, flawed logic, but nonetheless it’s a plan, and I bet you guys will never guess who picks up that hit…
In issue two Bullseye takes over the Patrillo mob to insure he gets paid, and he also finds one of the Punishers many safehouses, and hopes to blow it up (with the Punisher inside) and collect his bounty. Of course things don’t go as planned, and the Punisher gets really ticked off which brings us to issue three, the Punishers payback (and it is a *****). Bullseye and Nico Patrillo await the Punisher in a diner, and once spotted Bullseye starts whacking civilians to draw him out. Since Patrillo soldiers surround Bullseye, there is plenty to distract Frank while Bullseye formulates a plan. Yes, more people get killed, Bullseye hijacks a bus and the Punisher is caught by a cop (gasp)! Which brings us to issue four, a nock down, drag out brawl between Bulls and the Punisher. This ain’t no fancy ninja dance either, this is an old school, playground a$# whuppin, and neither party walks away completely intact. Oh yeah, and I should mention, adults shouldn’t allow kids to play with RPG’s (rocket propelled grenades). Yup, you’re going to have to read the book for an explanation of that one…
I swear the whole time I was reading this book I felt that Daniel Way was channeling Garth Ennis. The violence, the brutal, brutal violence (sigh, I love it), the sharp dialogue, it is classic Ennis for sure, but all Ennis elements aside Daniel Way is coming into his own with this series. Yeah, there are definite similarities with this book and Ennis’s take on the Punisher, but Way is still his own person and it’s not like your reading a cheap Ennis facsimile or anything like that. In all the books that came out this week, Punisher vs. Bullseye is a definite change of pace: violent, twisted, funny, and of course featuring one of comics most underrated artists of all time, Steve Dillon (which is probably another reason this book has me thinking so much about Garth Ennis). So if you’re a Bullseye or Punisher fan, you need to pick up this book. Fans of either character will enjoy it.
Ultimate Fantastic Four #27
Marvel Comics
Written by: Mark Millar
Drawn by: Greg “Holy Crap every chica I draw is smoking hot” Land
To give everyone the quick skinny on the Ultimate Fantastic Four: Reed Richards is the world’s smartest teenager and is chosen to work for a government think tank located in Midtown Manhattan at the Baxter building. He is joined by the also genius Sue Richards, and a smart yet cranky Victor Van Damme. One day, when Reed’s childhood buddy/protector Ben Grimm dropped by for a visit, there is a experimental transporter accident and Reed, Sue, her brother Johnnie and Ben are all transformed into beings with immense power, and shortly become known as the “Fantastic Four”. Thus far they have been on many adventures including trips to the negative zone, dealings with zombies, a confrontation with Victor Van Damme (now known as Dr. Doom) and even a show down with the Sub Mariner. Yes, the kiddies have been busy, and are now currently enjoying a somewhat celebrity status, but that doesn’t mean they are without tragedy…
Issue 27 of Ultimate Fantastic Four finally gives some much-deserved attention to Ben Grimm, who, regardless of the incarnation, has always been the heart and soul of the Fantastic Four, if not the entire Marvel Universe. Reed is guilt wracked over Ben’s current mental state. The outside Ben, who jokes w/Johnny, kicks butt and saves the planet, always smilin’, Reed comes to find out that isn’t really Ben at all. He finds out Ben cries himself to sleep at night; he’s become despondent over his rocky exterior. In fact, Ben is in a deep clinical depression. Yeah, I’m being a little new age and touchy feely here, but when you read this issue you will feel exactly what I’m talking about, and damn if I didn’t become a little bit despondent myself over it all. So to fix things, Reed and the team decide to go back in time and make it so the accident that made them never happened. Of course time travel is a bad idea, things happen, and suddenly Thor is president and everyone has superpowers.
Damn if this book didn’t hit me in a lot of ways this week. The Things emotional state, combined with Greg Land’s art, damn. A one-two punch, Millar and Land are on fire with Ultimate FF, and if you haven’t checked it out yet, this issue is a great jumping on point.
Special Guest Reviewer Azog’s Reviews
Batgirl #73
DC Comics
Written by: Andersen Gabrych
Drawn by: Pop Mahn
Cassandra Cain is the daughter of Cain, former sensei to the League of Assassins. Cassandra is the current Batgirl and has been since the Batman “No Man’s Land” crossover. However, summing up her history may be for naught, as you will soon see. Since Batgirl issue 64, Cassandra Cain has been on a quest to find out who her mother truly is confronting Cain, Bronze Tiger, and Ras Al Ghul’s League of Assassins and their sensei Lady Shiva, the leading candidate for Cassandra’s mother. It also helps to mention that Cassandra has bested Lady Shiva in hand to hand combat, no easy task since Shiva has long been considered the best martial artist in the DC U.
Since Sam Wilson’s review of issue 67 a lot has happened. So let’s recap 68 to 72: leaving Black Canary and the Birds of Prey, Batgirl sets out to find the League of Assassins in hopes to confront Lady Shiva. Surprising the League, Batgirl quickly learns that she is highly respected for beating Lady Shiva once upon a time. She is introduced to the League, and even her brother Mad Dog, Cain’s first attempt at training a perfect assassin. So its goes; Shiva and Batgirl exchange some kicks and punches until Mr. Freeze appears and cocoon’s Cassandra in ice. We soon learn this was a trap set by Nyssa (Ras Al Ghuls’ daughter, “Batman: Death and the Maiden” for more info on her) and Shiva to capture Batgirl in order to get money from the top villains of Bludhaven, and also that Mr. Freeze is researching the Al Ghul’s Lazarus Pits in hopes to bring back to life his beloved wife Nora. Batgirl has to listen to Nyssa preach how Batman uses her, and that he is not a true hero because he does not kill the ones who cause so much grief. Eventually Batgirl gets some one on one time with Mr. Freeze and negotiates her freedom by agreeing to help get Nora Freeze exposed to the Lazarus Pits. So zip through the nightmare of bringing Nora back, which ends with Freeze blowing up the League’s hideout. The League of Assassins, now split with those loyal to Cassandra and those to Lady Shiva, are now pitted against one another in the wilderness. The two sides fight, knocking one another off until Batgirl has to fight her brother, who eventually stabs her and leaves her dead in the snow with the remaining members of the League. Lady Shiva then takes Batgirl’s dead body and leaves.
So now we are in issue 73, titled “The End of Batgirl.” Cassandra meets Stephanie Brown a.k.a. Spoiler who died during the “War Games” Batman crossover story arc. Stephanie tries to convince Cassandra she has passed on to the netherworld and takes her very briefly on what has been going on in the rest of DC Universe, mainly Bludhaven and the effects on it from Infinite Crisis. Cassandra is quickly ripped away from this reality as Lady Shiva has put her corpse in the Lazarus Pits and brought her back to life. Lady Shiva challenges Cassandra to the finish their original fight to the death. Keep in mind that this fight is a test of Batgirl to see if she can uphold what Batman has taught her (heroes don’t kill). It’s a quick fight and well, I will not spoil it, but know that even though this is the last issue of Batgirl, this tale will have more to it in the future.
73 issues is nothing to sneeze at, we have seen the growth of character with so much depth and personal revelation. Cassandra Cain has taken the role of Batgirl to heights that Barbara Gordon could never achieve, in fighting ability, personality, and simple, quiet sexuality. I will miss this title a lot as it has been a mainstay for me for well over two years now. Pick it up for it holds the key to some future stories in the Batman world.
Conan #25
Dark Horse Comics
Written by: Kurt Busiek
Drawn by: Cary Nord
Kurt Busiek has two more issues to go before he leaves the title he started almost two years ago. Busiek will be headed to DC to kick off a new Aquaman series. Not that I really need to mention it, but Conan is the creation of Robert E. Howard. Born in the world of Hyborian, Conan the Cimmerian, is a barbarian, thief, pirate, raider, mercenary, general, and king of the greatest empire of his time.
Issue #25 continues Conan’s adventure in Zamora and the City of Thieves. He is lying in bed with the beauty, Jiara, who in issue #24 was wooed away from the thief Gunderman. Gunderman has been caught on a botched theft where he and Conan stumbled upon one another. Gunderman makes a deal with the Surna, magistrate of Zamora, that if he brings him the head of Conan he is free to go. During this negotiation the magistrates head sorcerer casts a spell of Gunderman that insures he will not back out of the deal or double cross Surna. During an attempted theft Conan is ambushed by Gunderman and the magistrate’s soldiers, but the Cimmerian gets the best of them and heads back to the room where he left Jiara. Conan instructs her where to meet him if he does not return. Conan then steals a horse and runs from the Gunderman and Saran’s army. Conan hastily attempts to jump a canyon, but he and his horse are shot with arrows while in flight. The issue ends with Conan successfully making it to the other site, but questioning his ability to fend off the army that pursues him.
Conan is one of the most legendary heroes in fictional history. He is one of the strongest characters ever created and is a one man army. Kurt Busiek and Cary Nord have done a masterful job of recreating Howard’s stories so far in the 25 issue span of Dark Horse’s top title. I can not recommend picking this title up enough to anyone; and FYI when Busiek leaves Eisner Award winner Eric Powell’s takes on writing for issue #28, and then scribe Mike Mignola starts the “Hall of the Dead,” three issue story arc.
Me Bizzaro Sammy am I not. Me not write reviews. Me not buy Ultimate Fantastic Four. Me think Greg Land sucky artist. Me also happy for last issues of Batgirl and The Losers. Them books sucky too. Me hate pie. Pick of week is not Ultimate Fantastic Four, you stop reading reviews now. Azog also not write some reviews, Azog bad guy, hates comics. Don’t read Azog’s reviews. Azog not special guest reviewer today. Hello!
Sam Wilson's Reviews
The Losers #32 (final issue)
DC/Vertigo
Written by: Andy Diggle
Drawn by: Jock
For those of you who have been reading my reviews for while now, you know The Losers is one of my favorite books. Damn if in my opinion this isn’t the most unsung book out there right now. I mean damn, certain zombie books even get more love than The Losers, but I will never give up on them. This issue is the penultimate chapter to Clay, Cougar, Jensen, Pooch and Aisha’s story (issue #32 is the final issue) so, to catch everyone up: the Losers were a US Special Forces team that was operating out of Afghanistan in 1998. The team’s members include the Colonel (Clay), Jensen (computers), Roque (who is pretty much just a big a$#hole), Pooch (pilot/driver) and Cougar (sniper). There is also the Afghan woman Aisha, former member of the Afghani resistance to the Russian invasion and a CIA informant who now is more or less a member of the team, (they all share the same purpose, more or less) but her joining up takes place after the incident which “killed” the team and gave them their current self-directed mission, to bring down the mysterious man named Max and to declare war on the CIA.
In response to the US Embassy bombings in Tanzia, the President ordered a retaliatory strike against suspected terrorist Ahmed Khalfan Fadhil. The Losers were to go in and laser designate the target so the big boys could drop a 1,000 lb smart bomb on Fadhil’s head and be done with him. Given the close-lipped nature of this mission, the team was to be given orders and Fadhil’s location by a CIA handler who went by the codename “Max”. Anyway, the Losers make it to the target, designate it and order the airstrike when the unthinkable happens. They see a shipment of children being delivered to the terrorist camp, most likely to be auctioned off as slaves. The team tries to call off the airstrike, but “Max” jams their radios, and says some choice words to Col. Jensen. Max knew all along the children were going to be sent there, but he wanted the airstrike to happen anyway, and he thought “the Losers” were the kind of men (given past missions) who would follow orders without questions. It just so happens the team is sick of the absence of conscious that usually comes with blind allegiance, and they say fu$# it. They go in to save the kids. During the course of doing this though, Cougar stumbles on to something he shouldn’t have. A man buried deep within the compound, someone who has been hideously tortured who concludes he was never to be found, and Cougar finding him is was a big accident. The man tells Cougar a terrible tale, one that will change the entire team forever. He tells him the Soviets were tricked into invading Afghanistan by the US, and that the CIA (specifically this man and Max) ran Heroin into Europe and the states the fund the Afghan resistance. After the war Max kept the supply lines open to fund his own project, he wanted to remake the world in a new image, the image of a new American Century. Of course congress didn’t back this insanity and when Fadhil found out what the heroin was really funding he pulled the plug on Max and started to sell to the Russian Mob. Fadhil also put the word out he was going to sell Max’s and his partners dirty little secret to the open market, and well, that couldn’t happen. So to make a long story short, Max set up the Losers to take out Fadhil and his former partner to keep his secret safe and so he could keep on selling heroin to fund his private war and world changing aspirations. Anyway, the team escapes but Fadhil and Max’s former partner are still taken out in an airstrike. Cougar shares what he learns with the rest of his teammates and they decide to set things straight by declaring war against Max and taking him out themselves. Since the rest of the world thinks they died in the Fadhil mission, they have nothing to loose and everything to gain, and so it begins.
The final story arc of the book is entitled “Endgame”. It goes a little something like this: Max has exposed his plan to the rest of the world, he has stolen some nuclear weapons and set one off in the Gulf, causing an earthquake creating a new island, which Max declares to be the nation of “New Jerusalem”, a budding nuclear power. To show that Max indeed has nuclear capability he sets off another nuke in an unpopulated city in the Ukraine. What does he want? For the US to usurp all power in the Middle East and force them into democracy the hard way, pretty much starting a third world war (preemptively). Yeah, things are pretty well fu$#ed. The rest of the team (minus Pooch who decided to sit this one out) cooks up a suicide mission to go after Max in his new self-proclaimed nation of “New Jerusalem”, done with the aid of the Quatrain government, who clearly have their own agenda for taking Max out. The US gov’t is held at bay by Max’s arsenal of nuclear weapons, with warheads strategically placed in major American cities waiting to be detonated if things don’t go Max’s way. So the team infiltrates Max’s oil rig, but soon are betrayed by one of their own, and another one of their own sacrifices himself to kill Max, or so we’re led to believe, until another Max shows up. Of course we learn the origin of Max, yes, he’s a prick born and raised. Literally a CIA child. He’s a prick whom a lot of people want dead. The final issue is full of standoffs, tragedy, sacrifice and a somewhat happy ending.
Seeing that there are four tpbs collecting the series thus far (all are in print), it is safe to assume the entire series will be collected in tpb form, which ultimately may be the best way to read it. From the beginning Diggle designed this series with a definitive beginning, middle and end and damn if it hasn’t been more than I ever could have expected. The Losers has been optioned for film treatment, which is no surprise to me since every arc thus far has played out like a well-written action movie with plenty of violence, mayhem and strong dialogue to fuel it. So check this book out. Pick up the current issues, pick up the tpb’s, whatever you decide, I can’t recommend this series enough, and even though I’m sad that it’s over, I’m sure I’ll reread it again in a few years and it will be just as fresh and exciting.
Punisher vs. Bullseye #4 (of 5)
Marvel Comics
Written by: Daniel Way
Drawn by: Steve Dillon
What do the Punisher, Bullseye, and a cross-dressing mobster have in common? More than you would think if you picked up the first issue of Punisher vs. Bullseye #1. Our story starts in 1981 with a mobster named Fonzie Patrillo. An up and coming Mafioso, he was out and about disco dancing with some “associates” when the Punisher came and killed all of them. Fonzie fled the scene, (donning a dress to aid his escape) and now here he is, 2005, still wearing a dress hiding from the Punisher. Besides wearing a dress, Fonzie has other problems including the Rossi Family mob; a rival organization the Patrillo mob has been steadily loosing ground to over the years. Fonzie’s solution: put a hit out on the Punisher. Why? Fonzie figures once the word is out they got a hit out on good ol’ Frank the other mobs will back off and see how it plays out, buying the Patrillo mob some time to deal with the Rossi family. Also, if the Punisher gets whacked, well, happy days for all mobsters. Worse case, Punisher kills everyone (which he was probably going to get around to doing anyway). Yeah, flawed logic, but nonetheless it’s a plan, and I bet you guys will never guess who picks up that hit…
In issue two Bullseye takes over the Patrillo mob to insure he gets paid, and he also finds one of the Punishers many safehouses, and hopes to blow it up (with the Punisher inside) and collect his bounty. Of course things don’t go as planned, and the Punisher gets really ticked off which brings us to issue three, the Punishers payback (and it is a *****). Bullseye and Nico Patrillo await the Punisher in a diner, and once spotted Bullseye starts whacking civilians to draw him out. Since Patrillo soldiers surround Bullseye, there is plenty to distract Frank while Bullseye formulates a plan. Yes, more people get killed, Bullseye hijacks a bus and the Punisher is caught by a cop (gasp)! Which brings us to issue four, a nock down, drag out brawl between Bulls and the Punisher. This ain’t no fancy ninja dance either, this is an old school, playground a$# whuppin, and neither party walks away completely intact. Oh yeah, and I should mention, adults shouldn’t allow kids to play with RPG’s (rocket propelled grenades). Yup, you’re going to have to read the book for an explanation of that one…
I swear the whole time I was reading this book I felt that Daniel Way was channeling Garth Ennis. The violence, the brutal, brutal violence (sigh, I love it), the sharp dialogue, it is classic Ennis for sure, but all Ennis elements aside Daniel Way is coming into his own with this series. Yeah, there are definite similarities with this book and Ennis’s take on the Punisher, but Way is still his own person and it’s not like your reading a cheap Ennis facsimile or anything like that. In all the books that came out this week, Punisher vs. Bullseye is a definite change of pace: violent, twisted, funny, and of course featuring one of comics most underrated artists of all time, Steve Dillon (which is probably another reason this book has me thinking so much about Garth Ennis). So if you’re a Bullseye or Punisher fan, you need to pick up this book. Fans of either character will enjoy it.
Ultimate Fantastic Four #27
Marvel Comics
Written by: Mark Millar
Drawn by: Greg “Holy Crap every chica I draw is smoking hot” Land
To give everyone the quick skinny on the Ultimate Fantastic Four: Reed Richards is the world’s smartest teenager and is chosen to work for a government think tank located in Midtown Manhattan at the Baxter building. He is joined by the also genius Sue Richards, and a smart yet cranky Victor Van Damme. One day, when Reed’s childhood buddy/protector Ben Grimm dropped by for a visit, there is a experimental transporter accident and Reed, Sue, her brother Johnnie and Ben are all transformed into beings with immense power, and shortly become known as the “Fantastic Four”. Thus far they have been on many adventures including trips to the negative zone, dealings with zombies, a confrontation with Victor Van Damme (now known as Dr. Doom) and even a show down with the Sub Mariner. Yes, the kiddies have been busy, and are now currently enjoying a somewhat celebrity status, but that doesn’t mean they are without tragedy…
Issue 27 of Ultimate Fantastic Four finally gives some much-deserved attention to Ben Grimm, who, regardless of the incarnation, has always been the heart and soul of the Fantastic Four, if not the entire Marvel Universe. Reed is guilt wracked over Ben’s current mental state. The outside Ben, who jokes w/Johnny, kicks butt and saves the planet, always smilin’, Reed comes to find out that isn’t really Ben at all. He finds out Ben cries himself to sleep at night; he’s become despondent over his rocky exterior. In fact, Ben is in a deep clinical depression. Yeah, I’m being a little new age and touchy feely here, but when you read this issue you will feel exactly what I’m talking about, and damn if I didn’t become a little bit despondent myself over it all. So to fix things, Reed and the team decide to go back in time and make it so the accident that made them never happened. Of course time travel is a bad idea, things happen, and suddenly Thor is president and everyone has superpowers.
Damn if this book didn’t hit me in a lot of ways this week. The Things emotional state, combined with Greg Land’s art, damn. A one-two punch, Millar and Land are on fire with Ultimate FF, and if you haven’t checked it out yet, this issue is a great jumping on point.
Special Guest Reviewer Azog’s Reviews
Batgirl #73
DC Comics
Written by: Andersen Gabrych
Drawn by: Pop Mahn
Cassandra Cain is the daughter of Cain, former sensei to the League of Assassins. Cassandra is the current Batgirl and has been since the Batman “No Man’s Land” crossover. However, summing up her history may be for naught, as you will soon see. Since Batgirl issue 64, Cassandra Cain has been on a quest to find out who her mother truly is confronting Cain, Bronze Tiger, and Ras Al Ghul’s League of Assassins and their sensei Lady Shiva, the leading candidate for Cassandra’s mother. It also helps to mention that Cassandra has bested Lady Shiva in hand to hand combat, no easy task since Shiva has long been considered the best martial artist in the DC U.
Since Sam Wilson’s review of issue 67 a lot has happened. So let’s recap 68 to 72: leaving Black Canary and the Birds of Prey, Batgirl sets out to find the League of Assassins in hopes to confront Lady Shiva. Surprising the League, Batgirl quickly learns that she is highly respected for beating Lady Shiva once upon a time. She is introduced to the League, and even her brother Mad Dog, Cain’s first attempt at training a perfect assassin. So its goes; Shiva and Batgirl exchange some kicks and punches until Mr. Freeze appears and cocoon’s Cassandra in ice. We soon learn this was a trap set by Nyssa (Ras Al Ghuls’ daughter, “Batman: Death and the Maiden” for more info on her) and Shiva to capture Batgirl in order to get money from the top villains of Bludhaven, and also that Mr. Freeze is researching the Al Ghul’s Lazarus Pits in hopes to bring back to life his beloved wife Nora. Batgirl has to listen to Nyssa preach how Batman uses her, and that he is not a true hero because he does not kill the ones who cause so much grief. Eventually Batgirl gets some one on one time with Mr. Freeze and negotiates her freedom by agreeing to help get Nora Freeze exposed to the Lazarus Pits. So zip through the nightmare of bringing Nora back, which ends with Freeze blowing up the League’s hideout. The League of Assassins, now split with those loyal to Cassandra and those to Lady Shiva, are now pitted against one another in the wilderness. The two sides fight, knocking one another off until Batgirl has to fight her brother, who eventually stabs her and leaves her dead in the snow with the remaining members of the League. Lady Shiva then takes Batgirl’s dead body and leaves.
So now we are in issue 73, titled “The End of Batgirl.” Cassandra meets Stephanie Brown a.k.a. Spoiler who died during the “War Games” Batman crossover story arc. Stephanie tries to convince Cassandra she has passed on to the netherworld and takes her very briefly on what has been going on in the rest of DC Universe, mainly Bludhaven and the effects on it from Infinite Crisis. Cassandra is quickly ripped away from this reality as Lady Shiva has put her corpse in the Lazarus Pits and brought her back to life. Lady Shiva challenges Cassandra to the finish their original fight to the death. Keep in mind that this fight is a test of Batgirl to see if she can uphold what Batman has taught her (heroes don’t kill). It’s a quick fight and well, I will not spoil it, but know that even though this is the last issue of Batgirl, this tale will have more to it in the future.
73 issues is nothing to sneeze at, we have seen the growth of character with so much depth and personal revelation. Cassandra Cain has taken the role of Batgirl to heights that Barbara Gordon could never achieve, in fighting ability, personality, and simple, quiet sexuality. I will miss this title a lot as it has been a mainstay for me for well over two years now. Pick it up for it holds the key to some future stories in the Batman world.
Conan #25
Dark Horse Comics
Written by: Kurt Busiek
Drawn by: Cary Nord
Kurt Busiek has two more issues to go before he leaves the title he started almost two years ago. Busiek will be headed to DC to kick off a new Aquaman series. Not that I really need to mention it, but Conan is the creation of Robert E. Howard. Born in the world of Hyborian, Conan the Cimmerian, is a barbarian, thief, pirate, raider, mercenary, general, and king of the greatest empire of his time.
Issue #25 continues Conan’s adventure in Zamora and the City of Thieves. He is lying in bed with the beauty, Jiara, who in issue #24 was wooed away from the thief Gunderman. Gunderman has been caught on a botched theft where he and Conan stumbled upon one another. Gunderman makes a deal with the Surna, magistrate of Zamora, that if he brings him the head of Conan he is free to go. During this negotiation the magistrates head sorcerer casts a spell of Gunderman that insures he will not back out of the deal or double cross Surna. During an attempted theft Conan is ambushed by Gunderman and the magistrate’s soldiers, but the Cimmerian gets the best of them and heads back to the room where he left Jiara. Conan instructs her where to meet him if he does not return. Conan then steals a horse and runs from the Gunderman and Saran’s army. Conan hastily attempts to jump a canyon, but he and his horse are shot with arrows while in flight. The issue ends with Conan successfully making it to the other site, but questioning his ability to fend off the army that pursues him.
Conan is one of the most legendary heroes in fictional history. He is one of the strongest characters ever created and is a one man army. Kurt Busiek and Cary Nord have done a masterful job of recreating Howard’s stories so far in the 25 issue span of Dark Horse’s top title. I can not recommend picking this title up enough to anyone; and FYI when Busiek leaves Eisner Award winner Eric Powell’s takes on writing for issue #28, and then scribe Mike Mignola starts the “Hall of the Dead,” three issue story arc.