No, that's not why I read it. Besides, she's barely in this issue.

You can click the cartoon if your wondering about the art side of this week’s comic  or wondering why I won’t harp on Roger Langridge’s character model for Kermit the Frog ever again. Note that I fit every comic I reviewed this week into the strip–luckily Jake likes to redecorate his apartment whenever he’s bored or working different geek vibes, although Leon doesn’t decorate his place much. So now you have an idea of what comics I’ll be reviewing this week (past the jump if your coming off the homepage).

I deleted the poll. Apparently nobody cares if I do this or not, so Jake & Leon for everyone. It’s better than the openings I’ve been doing, and more fun for me. 😀

Spoiler-blocked versions of my reviews (but no comic strips) will be posted at ComiXology. If my streak keeps up.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold #10

DC Comics: December 2009

WRITER: Landry Walker

ARTIST: Eric Jones

COLORIST: Heroic Age

LETTERER: Travis Lantham

ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Harvey Richards

EDITOR: Michael Siglain

Black Canary and Green Arrow rescue Batman from being mutated by Dr. Strange. (Who I just found out wasn’t always a psychiatrist like in the last two cartoons.) Or did they? A few days later, Batman finds himself growing into a giant “Batzilla”! Green Arrow tries to get Strange to reverse the effects while the Atom risks his life by using his white dwarf-induced size-changing powers to grow to supersize. However, if he stays that way longer than an hour, he will explode. Not wanting to be blown to bits or stomped on by Batzilla as he tries to destroy the prison, Strange comes up with the antidote.

What they got right: Giant Atom will explode in one hour while fighting giant monster Batman. You need more than that? How about Jones getting Black Canary right long before he ever saw her first TV appearance (in the so strange it’s awesome “Music Meister” episode)? How about a guest appearance by the Moon Gang? (Didio! Cosmic Supergirl. Greenlight NOW!) How about everything else?

What they got wrong: Since I just found out that Hugo Strange actually started out as a mad scientist rather than a psycho psychiatrist (wrap your tongue around that three times fast) as in the two previous cartoons, I guess they’re not getting any humility lessons here. Seriously, don’t let it go to your heads, boys.

Also of note: I guess they’re going with the same open each issue, with Batman climbing the walls during the credits (like in the show open) and the story title like in the cartoon. I can deal with it.

Recommendation: The Invincible Super Blog‘s Chris Sims said it best during his review, “The Diamond order code you want is AUG09 0192.” Alternately, someone at Warner Animation must greenlight this comic as an actual episode!

Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam! #9

DC Comics (December 2009)

WRITER: Art Baltazar & Franco

ARTIST: Bryon Vaughns

COLORIST: David Tanguay

LETTERER: Travis Lanham

ASSISTANT EDITOR: Simona Martore

EDITOR: Dan Didio

Captain Marvel has been acting odd lately. Actually, he’s being a big jerk, even to the recovering Tawny and his sister. He also refuses to turn back into Billy. This is bad timing. The statues are still anticipating evil and there’s an arsonist on the loose. Jerk Marvel finally catches up to the “Arson Fiend” and is willing to leave him to die in a burning building. Mary rescues the arsonist (who is horribly scarred), and forces Marvel to revert to Billy, who is horrified at his alter-ego’s actions and decides to never become Captain Marvel again.

What they got right: I couldn’t find an “Arson Fiend” at the DC Database, a Wiki exclusively focused on DC Comics, he seems a rather lame villain for Captain Marvel. However, what gets him in the “right” section is the writers’ attempt to build on the mythos rather than use the same old characters. Unless he turns out to be a previous Fawcett/DC character, which neutralizes the whole thing. At any rate, the mystery of Captain Marvel’s personality, and how Billy is affected, should make for a most interesting arc.

What they got wrong: “Arson Fiend”? Really? That’s the best name you’ve got. Even something like “Burnmaster” would have been better for this day and age. “Beware the Terror Flame!” Come on, guys. Those were off the top of my head. And how important is he really going to be to the Marvel mystery?

Recommendation: It’s got my interest so far. I’m curious to see what they do with it. Worth taking a look at.

Buck Rogers #5

Dynamite Entertainment (2009)

WRITER: Scott Beatty

ARTIST: Carlos Rafael

COLORIST: Carlos Lopez

LETTERER: Simon Bowland

COVER “A”: John Cassaday with Laura Martin

COVER “B” (shown): the regular artists

In what I’m assuming is our last look at the 21st Century (or perhaps not, with the upcoming “done-in-one”), we learn that Ashley is pregnant. (By whom, we’re left to guess.) Back in the 25th Century, the Earth…cops? military?…take on the Pack. Buck and Wilma lead a party into the Slaughter Ship to take it down and rescue the human prisoners. Buck is separated from the others to destroy the worm things that act as a power source for the ship, and ends up rescuing Ardala (while Kane finds his own way off without being spotted). As everyone evacuates, Buck even takes along some of the locked up hunter animals and learns the head of the Pack are a bunch of rats. Seriously, they’re rats.

What they got right: The classic hero isn’t gone yet. I do love this version of Buck. I like the “hot lunch” part. I like his solution to the problem. I like how we don’t see who (or rather what) is in charge of “the Pack” coming. I love the space battle double-page splash. This comic really does make me enjoy it in spite of factors I usually don’t like (see this week’s strip open).

What they got wrong: Unless the father of Ashley’s baby turns out to be Buck (which would make me wonder just how soon she ended up with Colonel Jackass), did we need to know she was pregnant? We know she eventually has kids, unless Wilma’s last name is just a coincidence which makes her looking like Ashley even more confusing beyond the artists being cute.

Recommendation: This still remains how you do an update–mostly. I can easily recommend this comic to anyone.

Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man #58

Marvel Comics (December 2009)

WRITER: Paul Tobin

PENCILER: Matteo Lolli

INKER: Christian Vecchia

COLORS: Sotocolor

LETTERER: Dave Sharpe

COVER ART: Scottie Young

PRODUCTION: Paul Acerios

ASSISTANT EDITOR:  Michael Horowitz

EDITOR: Nathan Cosby

Worried about the vigilante team Cloak and Dagger operating in New York, Captain Stacy calls on Spider-Man (interrupting Peter’s date with Chat) to track them down. Emma can tell Chat has really fallen for Peter and prepares to return to New York. However, Cloak and Dagger are actually in town looking for Chat, who used to visit orphans all over the country before dropping off the radar. Spidey and the duo have a misunderstanding and fight (because it’s still a Marvel comic) before Chat tells them that she was getting burned out and just wanted to have her own life. Then she invites Spidey for pie (unless her boyfriend, Peter, just happens to show up because she doesn’t want him to be jealous–have I mentioned how much I love Chat?).

What they got right: Chat.

What else they got right: I’m not sure what Cloak and Dagger have been doing in the Marvel Universe these days, and I never really followed them, so this would be my first non-cover exposure to the characters. I think they’re used pretty well, and Chat (a Tobin original for this series) actually has a backstory beyond being a mutant who talks to animals. Stacy is a believable character, and I hope he becomes what Spidey has needed for a long time (outside of the marriage-that-no-longer-ever-happened), a confidant. I also hope Chat ends up fulfilling that role. I just love Ch…wait, is that a cameo by Det. Lee, one of my favorite characters from the 90’s Fox cartoon? I hope so.

What they got wrong: Um…not putting Tobin on this title sooner?

Recommendation: Any chance of getting Chat and Tobin’s Tigra in a story together? “Chat Loves Spider-Man”?

Muppet Peter Pan #2

Boom! Kids (September? 2009–note that none of the comics this week has a cover date matching the release date? Dynamite doesn’t even try to add a month.)

WRITER: Grace Randolph

ART/COLORS/COVER “B” (shown): Amy Mebberson

LETTERER: Troy Peteri

EDITOR: Aaron Sparrow

ASSISTANT EDITOR: Christopher Burns

DESIGNER: Erika Terriquez

COVER “A”: David Peterson

Peter, Piggytink, and the kids arrive at the Neverland Swamp, and come across Captain Hook (Gonzo), his first mate Mr. Smee (Rizzo), and his pirates (Bunsen, Beaker, and Sweetums). Hook isn’t happy about loosing his hand to Peter, and won’t accept his apology. His scientists have created a cannonball that can capture people and bring them back. They used it to try and capture Peter, but get Wendy instead, and the recall isn’t working. Piggytink heads off to find Wendy, who has already been found by a strange “animal” (three guesses).

What they got right: Right from the first page, where Sam makes dinner for the narrator he’s taken over for (and regrets what he served), the hilarity flows off the page. It’s the right balance of story and jokes. Randolph really knows how to use the characters in this story, even more than Beedle did in Muppet Robin Hood.  The art is so beautiful that I had to track down Amy Mebberson’s site (because every idiot on Earth has one–case in point). Apparently she has two (and a Deviant Art and Flickr page). She is an awesome artist, and just perfect for this comic.

What they got wrong: Why are Sam’s word balloons done with dashed lines? In normal comic stylings, this means he has laryngitis.

Recommendation: Pick this comic up and prepare to fall in love.

Best Scene of the Week

Muppet Peter Pan #1

In Sam's defense, eagles do eat other animals.

Honorable Mention

Batman: The Brave and the Bold #10

Just another day in Gotham.

Yeah, Sam’s faux pas just barely inched it’s way to #1, but let’s face it. This would make such a killer episode of Batman: The Brave and the Bold on it’s own, but I really want to hear James Arnold Taylor recite this as Green Arrow. If it comes off half as cool as it does in my head, it will be the best Green Arrow line ever! He even complains in the next panel that it’s always about Batman. Let me repeat myself. Someone at Warner Animation must greenlight this comic as an actual episode! (And I’m hoping that sentence makes the pull quote at X-Ray’s summary of reviews this week.)