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 Previews #255 (December 2009) ~ New (or notable) comics that may be of interest to heroine-fanciers:
p80: Justice Society of America Annual #1 ~ tied to the 'All Stars' split, evidently.
p83: Justice League of America #42 ~ the first post-Cry for Justice issue.
p169: Pilot Season: Stellar ~ Might be interesting, but given Image's failure to deliver any Pilot Season winner yet, don't hold your breath.
Marvel p18: Tales of the Dragon Guard #1 (of 3) ~ fantasy about virgin women warriors, or something like that. Might be worth a look.
Marvel p54: Ms. Marvel #50 ~ the finale for this title.
p184: Girl Genius vol. 1 colour ~ in hardcover or softcover.
p211: Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose #54 "double deluxe" and #57 signed studio editions.
p241: Mercy Thompson: Moon Called #1 ~ werewolves and vampires and goblins, oh my.
p261: Atomic Robo: Revenge of the Vampire Dimension ~ first in a series of one-issue stories from this most excellent of comics.
And merchandise:
p124: Ame-Comi: Supergirl v2 & Steel PVC statues
p125: Batman: Reborn: Batgirl (the new one) action figure
p128: Batman: Black & White: Catwoman statue
p130: True Blood: Sookie Stackhouse mini bust
p132: Heavenly Sword Nariko action figure
p133: World of Warcraft series 6 (resolicited, old orders cancelled): Forsaken Queen Sylvanar Windrunner action figure
p320: DC Heroes (actually DC Universe Classics, again) series 7: Big Barda helmetless variant action figure.
p327: Twilight: New Moon: Bella & Alice action figures (I've already got these, they're pretty good for display, no poseability though).
p329: Resident Evil Archives series 2: Jill Valentine action figure (two versions, evidently - they don't say what they are).
p332: Avatar: Neytiri mini bust
p332: Galaxy Quest: Ion Nebulisor (phaser) & Vox Communicator toy/props
p333: Galaxy Quest: NSEA Protector model kit (cool)
p348: Final Fantasy XIII Play Arts -Kai- (that means deluxe figure, apparently): Fang action figure
Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose #59 ~ In a 'guest-star issue' (like the Fione Horne one a little while back), Tarot shares the spotlight in an adventure with Tonya Kay, who had a cameo a couple of issues ago in the Witch Market while Tarot was chasing after Raven. This time they're both drawn into a limbo-like realm presided over by a Medusa-like creature who's got a grudge against the mortal realm, and Tarot and Tonya specifically for their influence over it. Okay, it's a bit crazy, but it's just an excuse for some fun: Tonya, being the special guest, provides most of the narration and action as she battles the Medusa, drawing parallels with her own life as the two of them duke it out with whips bared. If you're a Tarot reader, you know what to expect: vivacious fight scene, sexy heroines and villainess, metaphysical commentary throughout, not exactly subtle but still with that endearing charm that Tarot always manages, by being sincere but not overly serious - and let's face it, it may come in an over-the-top package (and proud of it), but it's a good message being preached. Understandably (given that she'll certainly see this issue) Tonya gets excellent treatment from Balent as an artist - and no, I don't just mean her naked whip-dancing, her facial expressions are some of the best I've seen in photo-referenced comic art.
Queen Sonja #2 ~ This title continues to be the accessible and engrossing fresh start that Brian Reed's reboot a while ago failed to be - Sonja's ambushed the thieves she's agreed to catch, but learns that there's much more going on than simple greed, and is quickly involved in a crisis of epic proportions, as we learn of a voracious empire crushing all in its path, and get introduced to its unashamedly malevolent Emperor. It has all the makings of a classic fantasy tale, with plenty of nice attention-to-detail touches along the way that make the difference between a coherent story and one that really gets you into its world. The price tag drops back to the regular US$2.99 this issue, with the 'bonus' reprint from issue #1 omitted - just 22 pages of new comic, I much prefer it this way to be honest.
Wonder Woman #38 ~ Wow. Okay, that thing on the last page, that I did not see coming. This issue has a certain quality to it that makes me think it'll read better in a collected volume than on its own - it's the big climax, so it really deserves to come charging along at the heels of the build-up to it - but it's still a mighty story, and one that draws heavily on the Circle story that Gail Simone did as her very first Wonder Woman arc. It has that mythological quality that Simone has always imbued this comic with, the larger-than-life sense of gods and more-than-mortals taking part in epic events - something far from common in today's mainstream comics, which often seem too stuck in their status quo to seem as if anything is really happening. Lopresti's art continues to be very impressive as well - the combination of these two creators has been a godsend for this title, and I fully expect it to continue to be one of the best so long as they're around. (By the way, the Secret Six arc involving Wonder Woman and Artemis is referenced here - not to the point that it'd be difficult to follow this story if you didn't read it, but it does make it more satisfying that I did.)
Justice Society of America #33 ~ The meat of the split-up into two teams happens here, as well as the conclusion - at least so far as the opening act is concerned - of the current crisis, and it's actually a lot more satisfying than I'd been expecting. Something about the last few issues has felt a bit off to me, but looking back, perhaps it was meant to - I'll admit, I was suckered, and I'm not too proud to admit it, or look forward to what a writer who can do that will do next. Given the events here I'm also looking forward to JSA All Stars a lot more than I was, since its inception here is a lot less predictable and two-dimensional than I'd anticipated; I do hope, though, that Magog doesn't wind up in a leadership position, since he still ticks me off a bit. Cyclone's (inevitable) art error hid well, but I spotted it eventually - parts of her shoes in her first appearance (the big splash page 2-3) are accidentally coloured as her stockings. It's good to know some things never change.
Invincible Iron Man #20 ~ The storyline that concluded last issue was incredibly strong, and following something like that is always tricky. Wisely, this issue does as most successful post-blockbuster issues, or TV episodes or whatever, so: don't try to resume the action momentum that just concluded, but change pace completely, for a slower, more personal perspective on what's just happened. Here we get Tony Stark's recorded message, which goes on for several pages: just panel after panel of Tony's face as he talks and talks and talks, about what he hoped for, what he feared, why he did what he did, and what he wanted done next. It harks right back to Fraction's work on The Order, with its interview segments, and it works just as powerfully here, especially with a really good story fresh in our minds to mine for material. My only problem with this issue is that it doesn't commit as fully as I'd like to this shift in perspective - the scene following the recorded message, with Maria and Pepper and so on, is good, and works, but the look on what Norman and the various villains are up to feels a bit out of place, and likewise the interesting but distracting peeks into Tony's subconscious, wherever it is at the moment. They're not bad storytelling, but they're eating up time that I'd rather have seen devoted to a fuller exploration of what the message was saying. Still, it's a very good issue at the end of the day. There's some bonus material in the back, a brief version of those 'Saga' promotional specials Marvel do, outlining Tony's background, specifically with regard to the current storyline - probably a good move, since (hopefully) this title's got some well-earned new readers recently, and bringing them up to speed should help keep them.
Justice League: Cry for Justice #5 ~ This seems to be DC's Surprise Week, with Wonder Woman and JSA and now this one turning up a twist I really didn't see coming. This time there's some foreshadowing, so it's not a total surprise - I just had no idea until the truth was starting to be nudged into the open. And there was one big "Whoa!" moment along the way, so all in all, a very enjoyable experience - I like it when a comic can draw me into the story enough to have that kind of effect on me. The cast of characters grows even more here, with the old League brought back into the story, and some new faces too, and the writing and art continue to be as interesting and intelligent as they've been in previous issues.
Detective Comics #859 ~ More backstory to Batwoman this issue, as we see Kate - now grown to a young woman, after last issue's childhood episodes - going through more of the experiences which turned her into a caped crusader. The interplay between Rucka as writer and Williams III as artist is very strong, to the point that it's obvious how much Rucka trusts Williams to tell key story points with no backup from text, and it's very much to the comic's benefit; the final sequence this issue, where a distraught and directionless Kate gets a glimpse of what she could become, has an immensely powerful cinematic quality. Other highlights are the treatment of Kate's military training (and the circumstances of her leaving), and her first meeting with Renee Montoya, plus a present-day scene following up further on the previous storyline, which helps keep it all in mind despite this extended flashback. On the down side, the Question backup story still doesn't fire on all cylinders the way the main story is - it's more enjoyable this time than last issue, but coming right on the heels of the excellent Batwoman, it just can't help but look second-best.
Ms. Marvel #47 ~ Carol and Peter Parker go on a date - actually a pretty enjoyable issue, albeit not very substantive, since the date has to lead nowhere, otherwise there may be character development (and mainstream comics don't like that; which, I admit, I'm starting to get a bit irritated by). Three different artists worked on this issue, and the changes aren't very fluid, especially the final artist, whose work looks nothing like the rest of the issue.
Roger Corman's Black Scorpion #1 ~ A well-told introduction to the character who will become the fetishy lass on the cover, and the situation that drives her to it, but while there's nothing wrong with this issue, it seems to lack polish - the writing is good but unambitious, and while the art shows what it needs to, it lacks depth and complexity that'd make it more engrossing.
Domino Lady #3 ~ Two more tales of the Domino Lady - the writing is decent throughout (although the climax to the first story seemed a bit muddled), but in both cases the art wasn't what I was hoping for, with good linework but uninspiring framing in the first story, and the second just too cartoony for my tastes to suit the subject matter.
Gotham City Sirens #6 ~ Mostly an extended flashback showing Gaggy's rise and fall as the Joker's sidekick - it's a well-told story, but like the earlier Calculator issue, it's not really about the 'Sirens', although they don't fare as poorly as they did in that earlier case. Still, heroines take a back seat to male heroes often enough in comics, so it's a bit disappointing to see the heroines here sidelined again.
Well, that was a pretty decent week: eleven comics, and seven of them involving enough that I wanted to talk about them at more length than just a quick line or two - for that matter, none of the 'And The Rest' titles are at risk of disappearing from my standing order either, so that's got to count as a firmly passing grade for the comics industry this week (I'm sure they'll be delighted to hear it).
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