Anyway, ready? Good here we go!
THE AVENGERS 5.1
This was a neat little series. It fills in the time frame from when the original roster of Avengers quit to be replaced by Cap and his Kooky Quartet. It also introduces us to a villain who can absorb the life force of anyone. If the person she is absorbing has super powers then she gets those as well. In her final blow she takes out the Avengers only to be attacked by the original roster back to save their friends or avenge the dead if need be. This was a cool idea. It feels like an old school Marvel book and gives us some background into historical events within the Marvel Universe. I think this would work well on a lot of the other books that Marvel puts out. And with this issue it is done and it leads right into The Avengers #17. The actual, original Avengers book. Good stuff.
JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS #24
Here we are with the final story arc. We knew for a while that the book was going to end with #27, but this sort of sucks. I haven't missed an issue of the book. Even when the artwork was less than stellar I stuck with it. Now, in the final story arc Jerrica realizes that she must find a way to make Jem and Jerrica the same person. It is time to stop hiding behind the fabrications of Synergy and become the new and improved Jem. Of course this is taking place in Hawaii and The Stingers are already there and pretty mad that Jem has taken their drummer from them. With Stormer from the Misfits in the group can her reality show be that far behind? This is a fun book and the new artist, Gisele Lagace is fabulous.
DOCTOR WHO #11
The Doctor is captured by the Hesguard Institute in the 53rd century. He is locked up for his violent tendencies. They have a way to drain a person of their bad stuff and funnel it into these blank humanoids that contain all of the bad leaving the person as good. Rose tries to get The Doctor free, but they have already completed the process and now, because The Doctor is something they have never dealt with before, his repository for hate and anger has broken loose and is on a rampage. This would have made a great episode in the original series. I realize that Eccelston didn't want to do a second season, but he would have done great.
HOOKJAW #4
The pirates have captured the environmentalists and are feeding them to the sharks. Hookjaw knows who needs to die, but isn't above eating any other human that crosses her path. This is probably the most gruesome of the series so far, but it will be interesting to se what happens when the military nut gets to play with a bunch of explosives next issue. In the land of comic books, Hookjaw is the most intense and bizarre book out there. Who knew a shark could carry a book? Hookjaw knew.
INFAMOUS IRON MAN #6
Doom is after The Wizard while his mother and Reed Richards plot behind the scenes to destroy Doom once and for all. Throw in SHIELD with Sharon Carter now in charge and the new Ironheart getting ready to barge into the fray and next issue should be pretty explosive. There was a nice scene from Doom's college days with Reed and Ben that started the book and, as always, the art work is simply breathtaking. I think if they can get this book to last and go the distance they shoudl consider giving Doom Bot from Avengers A.I. his own book in the future. I'd buy it.
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #3
While Lord Havok presents a unified front to neighboring countries, The JLA is working with the local resistance fighters to take down The Extremists. I did find it interesting that some of the Extremists were taken down with nothing more than words when they realized that they work for a megalomaniac. Havok thinks he has won, but he, like so many people, underestimate Batman. Never do that. It will be bad.
ADAM STRANGE/FUTURE QUEST
The Hanna Barbera books were hit or miss when they came out. I liked them all except for The Flintstones. Future Quest is going to continue with smaller story arcs in the future and Scooby Apocalypse is still going. I miss Wacky Racers...a little.
Now we have some annuals that team up DC with Hanna Barbera so it was a natural fit to put Adam Strange with Future Quest. His Zeta Beam has accidentally deposited him into The Lost Valley. The Quest team goes to see what is happening and they find an amnesiac Adam Strange who is being chased by FEAR they wish to leave the valley for good and he can help them with his Zeta Beam. Sometimes, you should just be happy with what you have, but tell that to Agents of FEAR. There is a back up story with Top Cat coming face to face with Batman. Seems he got caught in a time and space transporter and now all he wants to do is find his friend, Benny. The Adam Strange story was great. Being a huge fan of Future Quest it felt like that only with the added goodness of DC Comics along for the ride. The Top Cat story was a good introduction to what appears to be a series. Yeah, I'm buying that. These crossovers remind me that comic books should be, for the most part, fun. This was fun.
But it wasn't nearly as fun as...
THE BOOK OF THE WEEK!
BANANA SPLITS/SUICIDE SQUAD
I have known about this book since they announced it a while back. I have been waiting since then and to be honest, I read it first. I have also read it twice. This is what I can the perfect comic book. It could be for my love of the super pop group The Banana Splits. They were on Saturday mornings when I was a little kid and I always watched them. The Suicide Squad? Meh, I know who they are, but I haven't regularly read a book of theirs in years. So, the Splits are arrested for being late to their gig at The Whiskey A Go Go and sent to Belle Reve because people think they are meta humans. Meanwhile, Waller's team is down for the count and she can't use any of her traditional back up people without warning the higher ups who would just order to execute. So, The Banana Splits, Fleegle, Bingo, Drooper and Snork are sent in to save the day! And they do, with a vengeance. They also reinvent themselves at the end with a new sound and it is magnificent. For the entire story I could not stop grinning it is awesome. The writing is funny and the art work is magnificent. And, if that couldn't make it any better, the back up story is Snagglepuss who gets drawn into court during the McCarthy era and is expected to answer for his crimes of being a Southern Gothic Playwright. It's just an excuse for some magnificent Snagglepuss dialogue. I read the whole thing in his voice. Peter Potomas and Augie Doggie are along for the ride and, what's that? There's going to be a series? And they are calling it Exit Stage Left; The Snagglepuss Chronicles? I guess they just want all my money. If you buy no other book this years this is the book you need to read.
Well, there you go. You have your orders to go pick up the Banana Splits/ Suicide Squad crossover and anything else you think looks good. Be sure to patronize your local comic book store. The weekly books help them pay the rent. Well, that and the metric ton of MAgic cards that probably go through there on a weekly basis.
Seeya next week!
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