Sunday, June 13, 2010

Comics Roundup for 6/9/10

Batman #700 - Grant Morrison's back, and once again I feel somewhat intrigued along with a sense of confusion. I'm not entirely sure what happened, and I don't quite get how the "time hypnosis machine" works, but it almost doesn't matter. With this issue, we get a three-part story, one with Bruce Wayne as Batman, the next with Dick Grayson as Batman, and then the third with Damien Wayne as Batman. Beyond that, we're given views of other, various Batmen of the future, including Terry McGinnis. I'm wondering if this means that the Batman Beyond continuity is somehow going to become more a part of the mainstream DC continuity. I wouldn't have a problem with that, and it makes me want to re-watch the shows on DVD.

Captain America #606 - While I enjoyed the last storyline well enough, this issue is more like it. It features the return of Baron Zemo, who pretty much disappeared after Norman Osborn took over The Thunderbolts. There's not much else to say other than this was a thoroughly enjoyable installment of a rather lengthy run by Ed Brubaker. I think I also prefer it now that Butch Guice is the main artist.

Daredevil #507 - Daredevil concludes his business in Japan, and it looks like this whole storyline is going to be continuing for some time. Personally, I'm not necessarily looking forward to that, and I'm always looking for an excuse to drop a title. It's all just getting too far away from the basic essence of the character. Maybe I'll check out the next issue, but we're going to need this to get a bit closer to DD being a street-level hero again.

Echo #22 - Not as much happened with this issue as the last few, but it continues to be an enjoyable ride. I don't have a lot of comments that won't repeat what I've already said a million times about this series, so let's just say that I'll be around for the next issue.

The Invincible Iron Man #27 - As impressed as I was with the first issue of this current arc, I find myself a little bored with the last two issues. Maybe I'm just reading too much stuff, and maybe the problem is that this series reads better in trade paperback form. With a baby on the way, I need to cut stuff, so I'll pass on the next issue.

Nemesis #2 - Speaking of bored, I never get that feeling when reading a comic written by Mark Millar. Sometimes I feel at the end that it wasn't really very good, but I'm always entertained. This one actually happens to be pretty good. Just like any good issue of a comic series, the stakes get raised, and then they get raised again. We find out the origin of Nemesis, and we discover that him targeting police chief Blake Morrow isn't just the latest in his series of humiliations of famous police officers.

Tom Strong and the Robots of Doom #1 (of 6) - I really should have passed on this. After all, what's the point of the America's Best Comics line if Alan Moore isn't writing it? Sure, Chris Sprouse is drawing the character he co-created, but how can anybody capture the same mood that Moore did. Plus, four bucks an issue? I should at the very least wait for the trade. There's also a chance that the issues will be ridiculously delayed. Maybe I'll just stop with this issue and wait for the trade. Ugh - who am I kidding? Peter Hogan does a great job with this first issue, and it's too damned fun to resist. Yeah, I'll probably stick around.

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