The good news: my local comic source got in their issues of Adventure Comics #0. The bad news: Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man sold out, so I didn’t get it. I’m still debating adding it to my pull list, but maybe I should expect every MA story to be like Avengers. Still, I got 3 comics for under $10.00, which didn’t used to be something to celebrate. So while I start feeling old, you can check out my reviews for the week. (Spoiler censored version as always at ComiXology.)
The Phantom: Ghost Who Walks #0 {Moonstone}
WRITER: Mike Bullock
PENCILER: Silvestre Szilagyi
INKER: Sergio Mulko
COLORIST: Bob Pedroza
LETTERER: Josh Aitken
EDITOR: Joe Gentile
CONSULTANT: Ed Rhodes
The first adventure of the first Phantom. I think this was in that illustrated novella from last year, but now you get to see the event.
What they got right:I do enjoy the period pieces of the previous Phantoms, and getting a whole series based on that premise (which is not GWW, but the upcoming Generations maxi-series) is happy news for me. The story is a bit short by comic standards, but they make up the space with “handbook” entries for the current Phantom, Diana, Guran, the animal companions, and a couple other characters.
What they got wrong:Those other characters are spoilers for upcoming stories in the GWW series. Profiles of young Kit and Heloise would have been preferable. Also, the story is still rather short, even with the entries, but that feels like nitpicking for the price, considering how much I usuallly pay for a Phantom comic.
Recommendation: I wouldn’t call it a must unless your a die-hard fan of Mr. Walker*. However, it does set up the new direction for the series. I do like the Handbook, and if this replaces the “Behind the Mask” articles, I’ll accept them.
(*for the Ghost Who Walks)
Adventure Comics #0 {DC}
The Legion of Super-Heroes
WRITER: Otto Binder
ARTIST: Al Plastino
A reprint of Adventure Comics#247 (April 1958), which is part of DC’s new back-sliding timeline. Three teens from the future decide to build a time machine to pop back in time and bring their inspiration, namely the Boy of Steel, back to the 30th century to recruit him into their “Legion of Super-Heroes. Apparently, the recruitment is more of a hazing ritual, but he not only gets in, but gets a bit of payback as well.
What they got right: When it comes to the 1950’s, your sort of grading on a curve. As much as I love the Marvel Adventures and Johnny DC titles for their ability to get away with stuff, even I’m a bit too jaded to take some of this seriously, like how the teacher they visit just takes it in stride that a superhero from the 20th Century happens to be here just when he’s teaching a class about him (rather than Superman). Still, it’s fun because it’s old.
What they got wrong:Like I said, you have to grade on a curve, but there are so many ways this could have gone wrong, but you didn’t think about the dangers of time travel that often. Batman and Robin would project themselves into the past, and both Lois and Luthor have been to Krypton’s past and interferred with Jor-El and Lara’s future marriage (without meeting each other), and even Superman ended up there once and had to bring them together. It was the 50’s.
However, while only reprinting the LOS debut story kept the price down to a dollar, there were maybe four other stories in the same issue that weren’t reprinted here. Instead we get one of the back-ups leading into the next whyGodwhy “event”, Blackest Night.
Origins and Omens
WRITER: Geoff Johns
ARTIST: Francis Manapul
LETTERER: Swands
COLORIST: Brian Buccellato
ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Sean Ryan
EDITOR: Elisabeth V. Gehrlein
Yeah, I’m not sure what’s going on here. We have some baldheaded Guardian (I’ve seen elsewhere it’s a “her” named Scar) bleeding either black blood or ink from her eye into a big book. Then we see Luthor try to escape with Braniac, but it’s questionable who’s in charge in that teamup. Then we get allusion that Connor, the Superman clone who used to be the only Superboy in the post-Crisis DCU, may be coming back as one of the Black Lanterns, those zombie Lanterns I mentioned in the NYCC DC report.
What they got right: I’ve got nothing. The art’s pretty?
What they got wrong: More like what they’re about to get wrong. Can’t we get a nice, normal story for a while? Give the characters, readers, and writers something of a breather and “clean-up” after Final Crisis? I guess not, which is why this will probably the last DCU Proper comic I’ll be picking up until Free Comic Book Day at the earliest.
Recommendation:Get it for the $1.00 reprint of an important Superboy story if you don’t already have one. That’s why I got it. Otherwise, this is easily skippable.
Marvel Adventures: Super Heroes #8 {Marvel}
featuring: Captain America
The Legend Reborn
WRITER: Scott Gray
ARTIST: Craig Rousseau
COLORIST: Chris Sotomayor
LETTERER: Dave Sharpe
COVER: Henry Et Guru
PRODUCTION: Paul Acerios
CONSULTING: Ralph Macchio
EDITOR: Nathan Cosby
After losing his partner to an exploding drone, and himself to the icy depths of 1945, Captain America wakes up to 2008. (2009? Maybe sooner to keep in line with MA: Avengers) Rescued by SHIELD, he actually believes he’s a prisoner of the Nazis and escapes into New York, where he meets Rick Jones and is attacked by Hydra. Defeating the terrorist group and exposing a Hydra spy among SHIELD’s ranks, Cap decides to continue his fight against evil, with Rick agreeing to help Cap “find his way in a new world”.
What they got right: A modern retelling of Captain America’s transition to the modern world, with SHIELD standing in for the Avengers. Rick did indeed work with Cap after he stopped working with the Hulk, but no sign of the “Teen Brigade”, and I don’t miss them because I never knew them. The whole story wraps up well, without feeling forced.
What they got wrong: I’m not sure if Rick’s appearance here, as a street performer, is another continuity mix-up or not. Rick here seems nothing like the one in Marvel Adventures: Hulk #1, which I reviewed a few weeks ago. And the art isn’t bad, but it’s not what I expect from a Marvel, so it feels off. Otherwise, not bad.
Spy For the Cameras
WRITER: Roger Langridge
[all other credits the same]
Steve Rogers goes undercover to catch a Nazi spy hiding out at a movie set. He comes across reporter Rosalind Hepburn, and she and Cap don’t exactly hit it off. While Cap gets his man, Rosalind gets in his way when he tries to nab the spy’s comrade.
What they got right: It was nice of them to include a tale from WW2. The story’s a bit short to really get a read on anyone, but it’s a fun story, even including an in-joke for older readers who know something of Captain America’s war days. They also remember a little about money and the treatment of women of the era. Anywhere else, Cap’s comments to Rosalind would be considered sexist, but back then it’s how people thought.
What they got wrong: As it is I kind of forced myself to come up with anything for the “right”. If it wasn’t 1942, some things would have seemed out of place in a kid-targeted book, but I would have to explain things to a kid I gave this story to read. Come to think of it, that could be a good thing, depending on the kid and who he/she is asking.
Recommendation: I think this officially the new direction for the title: revolving heroes and writers. That’s going to make this a hit-or-miss title in the long run, but this issue is worth picking up.
Best Scene of the Week
Marvel Adventures: Super Heroes #8
(click for spoiler)Think of how many women he'd get WITHOUT the mask!
And that’s it for this week. You can check my profile at ComiXology. Just look for “BW Media” or “ShadowWing Tronix”. I’m not sure which one works, or even how to browse for profiles. However, my weekly pull list and links to all my reviews should be up there. Now back to cake hunting.
BW Media Spotlight 