A list of comic books I have recently enjoyed.

I feel like I've already documented my love of anything written by Warren Ellis, Adam Warren or Gail Simone. So, to shake it up a bit, I'd like to mention a few other comics I've been really digging as of late.

1. Agents of ATLAS.

Finally started reading it thanks to everyone's recommendations and man, is it ever crazy comic book fun. I haven't seen a team this gleefully eclectic, original and well-written since Runaways first came out.

2. Incognito

Noir meets supervillainy with a well-written back-up feature about a pulp icon in each action-packed book. Woof. I feel like I need a cigarette after every issue.

3. Captain Britain and MI-13

Paul Cornell made me like Meggan, for crissakes. MEGGAN. Or as I should now call her, Gloriana. I haven't been this surprised since Warren Ellis made me enjoy reading about Kitty Pryde. Damn shame this book's getting the axe, even if some folks weren't entirely surprised by the news. Find the trades if you can, you won't be disappointed.

4. Incredible Hercules

The Marvel superhero afterlife as a casino. A diner where the gods meet to have discussions. Really, it's the little touches like this and consistent humor that make this book a must-read month after month. As soon as I have the cash, I am so picking up the trades.

5. Thor

Pretty much what I said for Incredible Hercules, only more low-key. A solid read. I'm gonna be a bit bummed to see JMS' run end.

5. JSA Vs. Kobra: Engines of Faith

I don't usually read the JSA (I'm not enough of a DCU fanatic to even know who half of this superpowered Brady Bunch are) but I'm reading this with glee. On the face of it, a story about an atheist versus a group of religious fanatics might sound a little too on-the-nose. It's not. This well-plotted, interesting and suspenseful mini-series is yet another reason why Eric Trautmann deserves his own ongoing series (and why they should never have kicked him and Greg Rucka off of Checkmate). Plus, it finally gives us an update on the fate of Sasha Boudreaux after Final Crisis: Resist. *sniff*

6. Power Girl

Amanda Conner's art, you guys. She could illustrate the phone book and I'd buy it and be amused. The story's okay so far, I suppose. There's a money/ape villain, which always charms me. Needs more of Karen's Cat hurting people, tho'. I've loved that filthy, angry cat since the Giffen era of the JLA/JLE - which is another great series coincidentally out in trade. Severely worth your time, folks. Take Greg Rucka's word for it if you don't believe me.

Limerick Reviews for 03/17/09

Erin Go Bragh! I'm actually updating, in honor of St. Patty's Day!

Limerick Reviews for 03/17/09

Some spoilers for books can be found
If you keep looking down and around
Of course, some are not new
So it's all up to you
All these reviews just cover old ground.



Incognito #2 - Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips - A+

There's a young supervillain named Zack
Who really should be watching his back
It's really quite noir
With violence galore
This book goes to the top of my stack.

Angel #18 - Kelley Armstrong & Dave Ross - B

There once was a vampire named Liam
Whose feats made all LA folks screa-um.
This Angel book is good
And it does what it should
But I'm surprised Kate charges per diem.

Thor #600 - J. Michael Straczynski, Olivier Copiel, Marko Djurdjevic, Mark Morales, Stan Lee, David Aja, Chris Giarrusso - A

So, there's this Thunder God who's named Thor
And his sister-slash-brother's pretty sore
The main story's fine,
Mini Marvels divine,
And this "Stan Lee" fellow should write more.

Action Comics #875 - Greg Rucka, Eddy Barrows, Ruy Jose & Julio Ferreria - B

I gather there's Kryptonian spies
Who are getting knocked out of the skies
Lieutenant Commander
Ursa takes a gander
I, too, don't know any of these guys.

Daredevil 116 - Ed Brubaker, David Aja, Stefano Gaudiano - A

There once was a mob Kingpin named Fisk
Who put people at terrible risk
Just by hanging around
He got some folks struck down
Sophocles would say "Tsk, tsk, tsk."


Captain Britain & MI13 - Paul Cornell, Leonard Kirk & Mike Collins, Jay Leisten & Robin Riggs - A+

Vampire missiles fall from the moon
Wisdom will attack Dracula soon
I have no more to say
'Cause Vampire Missiles? Yay!
Go buy this book, for it is a boon.

Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk #3 - Damon Lindelof, Lenil Francis Yu, Dave McCaig - C+

This book's been on hiatus for years
So just printing it deserves some cheers
A decent enough read
Flashback Wolvie sure bleeds
Only Ultimate She-Hulk stops jeers.

Secret Six #7 - Gail Simone, Nicola Scott, Doug Hazelwood - B

There once was a killer, first name Floyd
Whom folks usually try to avoid
A Tarantula dies
And, wow, Junior? Surprise!
Leaving all folks but Scandal annoyed.

Echo #10 - Terry Moore - B

There once was a lass named J. Martin
Whose chest and shoulders were now smartin'
Evil drifter comes near
Phone call ending in fear
A cliffhanger like that? Nice partin'.


She-Hulk #38 - Peter David, Steve Scott, Vicente Cifuentes - C+

All of the "meta humor" aside
I tried taking this ending in stride
But the book's fall from grace
Leaves me with a sad face
Emo Shulkie? I just can't abide.

Haiku Reviews for 02/07/09

Two out of the four books I got this week had men bleeding on their covers. I am clearly into GRIM and GRITTY. On a side note, I remain disappointed that I cannot find the first issues of Incognito and Farscape anywhere. I may have to go back to having a freakin' pull list. Sheesh.

ARRRR! SPOILERS, AHOY!
LIKE PIRATES ON THE HIGH SEAS!
I PREFER NINJAS.

Wonder Woman #28 - A
Gail Simone, Aaron Lopresti, Matt Ryan

Not fond of Tresser
But that Winged Armor spread
Was KICK-ASS. Plus, apes!

Astonishing X-Men 28 - B-
Warren Ellis, Simone Bianchi, Andrea Silvestri

Story delights but
Art is like Heavy Metal
With contrast broken.

Secret Six #6 - A+
Gail Simone, Nicola Scott, Doug Hazelwood

Shocks abound in this
But Deadshot's actions astound.
Say it ain't so, Floyd!

Daredevil #115 - B
Ed Brubaker, Michael Lark, Tonci Zonjic & Stefano Gaudiano, Matt Hollingsworth

Matt and Iron Fist!
Ninjas! Drunk Master Izo!
Still, pretty grim tale.

Haiku Reviews for 1/21/09

Some of these are rather belated but alas, I don't make it to the comic shop as often as I'd like.

SPOILERS ABOUND HERE
LIKE A BOUNDING THING THAT BOUNDS
NOT JUST SINGLE BOUNDS





Final Crisis: Resist - A
Greg Rucka & Eric Trautmann (Hey! They misspelled his name on the cover! Not cool, DC!), Ryan Sook, Marco Rudy

Rucka and Trautmann
Write amazing Checkmate, not
Bruce Jones' Godzilla.

BONUS HAIKU

Tragic, noble end
For a character I loved
I hope she reboots


Uncanny X-Men Annual #2 - B+
Matt Fraction, Mitch Breitweiser, Daniel Acuna

Sub-Mariner, Shaw
Both think Emma is their Queen
Silly, silly men.

Thunderbolts #128 - B
Andy Diggle, Roberto De La Torre, Frank Martin

Barack Obama
Takes Osborn on Air Force One
Eat it, Spider-Man!*

*Seriously, Obama's totally in this comic too. I'm as surprised as you are. And that Irredeemable version of Ant-Man but, well, I really don't think that's nearly as news-worthy.

BONUS HAIKU

Bad day for Samson
Outfoxed by the Green Goblin
Still beats that Rulk crap

Return of Haiku Reviews!

So, yes, I've been pretty remiss in a lot of bloggy things, I know. Sorry. My "14 Comic Book Couples I Love" remains only 98% complete for nearly a year now, I have a part two of Excalibur Cocktails to complete (because The Red Monk called me out. Blogless tomato-growin' punk.) and Haiku Reviews haven't existed in a dog's age. Well, guess what? I'm gonna finish up my nerdy ode to Scott Summers and Emma Frost just in time for the next VD and, just like The Gargoyles, it's time for my abuse of Japanese poetry to LIVE AGAIN!*
*Dear Lord, I am a nerd.

There are SPOILERS here
Seventeen syllables worth
. . . so not that many.


Secret Invasion: Dark Reign #1 - F
by Brian Michael Bendis, Alex Maleev, Dean White

Define "ludicrous" -
Osborn bossing around Doom?
My eyes, how they roll.

BONUS HAIKU:

Whedon and Ellis?
They can write Emma Frost well
Bendis? "Yeah, okay."

Ultimates Vol. 3 - F
by Jeph Loeb, Joe Madureira & Christian Lichtner

Around issue three
I realized this wasn't
Meant to be funny.

Incredible Hercules #124 - A
by Fred Van Lente & Greg Pak, Clayton Henry

Move aside, Ayn Rand -
"Atlas Got Rochambeaued"
Is way more awesome.

Secret Six #5 - A
by Gail Simone, Nicola Scott & Doug Hazlewood

Bane takes licks from bricks
While Tarantula high kicks
Last page reveal? Squicks.

Thoughts on Empowered, Vol. 4

So, I've been a trifle remiss in my reviews (I know, nary a Haiku in sight for months now), but I can't let Empowered, Vol. 4 come out without giving it a glowing, mildly in-depth review. While others have stated the obvious - that Empowered is, as ever, a solidly wonderful series - I feel like I must add a bit to what others (okay, just Chris Sims so far) have said, given my previous opus on the series.

Empowered, Vol. 4 is decidedly the least titillating of all the volumes and this is not a bad thing. Adam Warren forgoes a great deal of playful sex jokes (but not all of them, don't worry) in order to expand Emp's universe into a uniquely Warren-esque world of giant alien organ transplants, Make-A-Wish supervillains and most undeniably, the Goddamn Maid Man. The Gleeful Mad Scientist Adam Warren of The Dirty Pair, Iron Man: Hypervelocity and the tragically unappreciated Livewires is back and in full effect here. The man who brought us the Proust Bomb, Schroedinger's Wankerboy and Hyperintelligent Killer Whales throws out several new bits of Sci-Fi crazy that, while not as immediately geektastic as the volumes listed above, fit as comfortably and organically into Emp's universe as the Caged Demonwulf lays upon her coffee table. He even leavens the fun and games with a few downright gruesome moments but to describe them would take away from the shock of seeing them for yourself. We'll just say that the oft-foreshadowed Willy Pete finally appears in the context of a particularly nasty "Supervillain Team-Up" and leave it at that.

Along with those darker moments mentioned above, there's several surprising character developments that pave the way to a verrrrry interesting Vol. 5 but I'll save that for a later date (or if anyone asks for spoilers in the comments section). I will say that this entire book was beautifully done and the ending made me genuinely grin. Adam Warren gives Empowered and a plethora of her supporting cast character beats that more than make up for any flaws or missteps that he may have made in Vol. 3, adding even greater depth and humanity to the most interesting cast of characters I've read in a superhero comic in years (which reminds me - pre-order the end of Hero Squared). Additionally, never has the reappearance of customized booty shorts been made into a moment deserving of a heroic rock montage.

In short, Volume 4 of Empowered made want to do this:



Thank you and good night!

(Additional videos from Mr. Galifianakis can be found here and here, if you're so inclined.)

BONUS BONUS VIDEO CONTENT:

From Mr. Warren's Deviant Art Page, I must present an amusingly apropos Rock Band video of Empowered and friends responding to their critics:

(Mildly Spoilery) Quick Notes on Recent Comics

- The new Serenity mini was fun but might have worked a little better as five issues instead of three. Oh, well. I got to see Preacher Book behead a robot and River hallucinate Delirium-style, so I consider my money well-spent. Your mileage may vary.

- Peter Parker, Paparazzi = CLASSY. Clearly, Brand New Day lets the writers tell all the Spider-Man stories that they couldn't tell back when Peter had a wife, scruples and intrinsic value as a human being.

- Avengers: The Initiative needs to stop being so surprisingly good all the time. It's making the other Marvel team books look bad. Seriously, New Warriors has locked itself in a bathroom stall and won't stop crying.

- If you're not reading The Twelve, you make The LookOut a Sad Panda.

- As far as taut, well-written superhero espionage stories go, that last issue of Checkmate was a pretty great half-an-Annual of The Incredible Hulk. I'm really looking forward to the Chimera/Abomination/Godzilla throwdown -
Oh.
Wait.

- Terry Moore's Echo is keeping my interest but I'm starting to get more of a "wait for the trade" feel from it with each passing issue. Still, cash-strapped as I am, I'll make sure to throw money at it and the other more indie comics on my list to make sure they keep going. Remember, if Helen Killer stops being published before they even hit their third issue, God will kill a bunch of adorable baby sloths. Specifically these Baby Sloths:

See more funny videos at CollegeHumor

Don't make God kill these Baby Sloths. Buy Helen Killer and Terry Moore's Echo. Drop one of your three Spider-Man titles if you have to but seriously - God doesn't make idle threats. Just ask the Egyptians, man. Dude's freakin' HARDCORE.

- And last but not least, while I have almost no idea what's going in Final Crisis (other than them killing off a favorite Leaguer of mine), I still continue to like it better than Secret Invasion.

Haiku Reviews for 04/09/08

Since the people have spoken*, it's time for more Haiku Reviews!

Booster Gold #8 - Geoff Johns & Jeff Katz and Dan Jurgens - A

Wild Dog and Pantha
Help Booster fight Maxwell Lord
Poor cannon fodder!

Echo #2 - Terry Moore - B+

Chrome bra that shocks docs
Can impede one's dating life
Also, divorce sucks.

Batman: Death Mask - Yoshinori Matsume - B-

Pretty straightforward
Good 'Legends of Dark Knight' feel
I'll keep on reading.

Wonder Woman #19 - Gail Simone & Bernard Chang - A

"Swamp Thing Say Relax"!
Kooky teen girl Green Lantern!
Simone? Never change.

Gen 13 #19 - Simon Oliver & Carlo Barberi - B-

Car chases, clubbing,
Caitlin catches a bullet!
But strangely subdued

Serenity - Better Days #2 - Joss Whedon & Brett Mathews and Will Conrad - A

River's fish-groom dream
Book's great Scarface impression
All good fun and games

Doktor Sleepless #6 - Warren Ellis & Ivan Rodriguez - B+

Stopped comparing this
To Transmetropolitan
As of this issue.

George R. R. Martin's Wild Cards: The Hard Call - #1 - Daniel Abraham & Eric Battle - B

A strong start, I think,
Unlikely jacket aside
Let's see where this goes


*and by people, I mean crickets. Hi crickets!

Your feedback, please

So, ladies and gentlemen, it is officially April - which means my month of March Limerick Reviews is over.

. . . Or is it?

Which form of Reviews do you, my kind and discriminating readers, prefer?
Haikus?
Limericks?
Sestinas?
Some other form of poem?
Or long, rambling discourses ala traditional reviews?
I really could go either way.
(Okay, maybe not so much with the sestinas. Those are total brain-melters to write.)

I hereby open up The LookOut for requests!* Even if one of those requests is "Finish that damn Emma Frost/Scott Summers Post you said you'd finish back in FEBRUARY, you filthy slacker!"
(P.S. I'm still working on it, I swear.)


*Requests must be comic book, comic book review or humor related. We here at The LookOut will not post naked pictures of ourselves, no matter how much money you throw at us. Nor will we ever stop speaking in "The Royal We" when there is ever only the one of us. So there.

Haiku Reviews for 4/2/08

The Boys #17 - Garth Ennis & Darick Robertson - B-

Cunnilingus jokes?
Hamster stalked by a zombie?
Standard stuff, really.

The Twelve #4 - J. Michael Straczynski & Chris Weston - B+

Black Widow finds Goths
RockMan remains sad, alone
Dynamic Man? Tool.

Logan #2 - Brian K. Vaughan & Eduardo Risso - B-

Beautiful art, yes,
But the story? Bit old-hat.
Logan needs a hug.

Anna Mercury #1 - Warren Ellis & Facundo Percio - A

A retro-style pulp?
Quite grand - but it's the last page
That makes this book sing.

Detective Comics #843 - Paul Dini & Dustin Nguyen - A-

Zatanna and Bruce?
Ventriloquist a demon?
I'm intrigued, Dini.

Young Avengers Presents: Wiccan & Speed #3 - C+

Not much happens here,
But the characters? Charming.
Yes, even Tommy.

Angel: After the Fall #6 - Joss Whedon & Brian Lynch & Tim Kane & David Messina & Stephen Mooney & John Byrne - B+

Short story time now -
Spike, Connor and Lorne shine but
A bit disjointed.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer #13 - Drew Goddard & Georges Jeanty - A

Dracula's racist
But hilariously so
Plus, funny Willow!

Limerick Reviews for 03/26/08

Feeling a bit more up to snuff, so here goes nothing . . .

SPOILERS, SPOILERS, SPOILERS! GET YER RED-HOT SPOILERS!

Daredevil #106 - Ed Brubaker & Paul Azaceta - B-

There once was a blind guy named Matt
Whose love life was never all-that
His wife's now a nut
Life's kicking his butt
But all of this? Frankly, old-hat.

Freddy Vs. Jason Vs. Ash #6 - James Kuhoric & Jason Craig - C-

There once was a guy named Freddy
Whose wit was always quite ready
Not so in this book
The good lines Ash took
Feel disappointed, not heady.

She-Hulk #27 - Peter David & Val Semeiks - D+

There once was an jackass named Stark
Whom Jen slept with quite on a lark
He lied to her face
Put her cousin in space
One "I'm sorry."? Not in the ballpark.

All-Star Superman #10 - Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely - A+ - Chris Sims agrees - YOU MUST BUY THIS COMIC

There once was a man named Clark Kent
Who thought his life would soon be spent
In his final days
He prepares some ways
To give the world things heaven-sent.

Ultimate Spider-Man #120 - Brian Michael Bendis & Stuart Immonen - B+

There once was a girl named Liz
Brand-new to the whole mutant biz
Over her front yard
Magneto tries hard
But fails the X-Men/Spidey Quiz.

BONUS HAIKU

"Visual Imaginations Lead to Suffering"

First, post-coital Doom
Now, implied Blob sex, Bendis?
My bile tastes like tears.

Star Trek - New Frontier: Second Stage #1 - Peter David & Stephen Thompson - C+

There once was a Captain Calhoun
Who made Kirk look like a poltroon
While the story's fun -
Timeship on the run -
It's lost in a geeky cocoon.

Ultimate Human #3 - Warren Ellis & Cary Nord - A

There once was a chap named Peter
Who wanted to be a world-beater
Queen and Country's loss
His huge brain is cross
Since they won't play Follow The Leader.

Army of Darkness/Xena: Warrior Princess - Why Not? #1 - John Layman & Miguel Montenegro - A-

There once was a fella named Ash
Trouble stuck to him like a rash
Into Xena's land
Minus one hand
Dynamite? You just earned my cash.

World War Hulk: Aftersmash! Damage Control #3 - Dwayne McDuffie & Salva Espin - B+

The Chrysler Building comes to life
And thinks about stirring up strife
After some debate
He decides to wait
While superfolk play Barney Fife

Blue Beetle #25 - John Rogers & Rafael Albuquerque - A+ - SallyP Agrees - YOU MUST BUY THIS COMIC

There was a young man from El Paso
Who kicked much alien ass-o
With JLI guests
He passed all the tests
It's tighter than Wondy's lasso.

Limerick Reviews for 3/19/08

SPOILERS ABOUND, LADDIES AND LASSIES!

The Order #9 - Matt Fraction & Barry Kitson and Javier Saltares - A+

There once was a group called The Order
Who fought crime north of the Border
There's fun Die Hard quotes
A villain who gloats
I can't work in a rhyme for "Mordor"

BONUS HAIKU:

"The Second Stage of Grief"

Why didn't you buy
This incredibly good book
You damn fanboy twits

Angel: After The Fall #5 - Joss Whedon & Brian Lynch & Franco Urru - B+

There once was a girl named Fred
Whom we all thought eaten and dead
But in this murky fight
An astonishing sight
These plot twists are hurting my head

BONUS HAIKU:

"Bad Impressionism"

These vague renderings
Murky faces, dark action
Send Monet away.

The Immortal Iron Fist #13 - Matt Fraction & Ed Brubaker & Tonci Zonjic & David Aja & Kano - B+

There once was a fighter named Rand
Who could make one Iron-like hand
With fighters galore
He'll settle the score
I see now why folks say it's grand.

Thor #7 - J. Michael Straczynski & Marko Djurdjevic - B

There once was an Aesir named Odin
More august than Sir Charles Grodin
As comatose Thor
Learns Dad's pretty sore
Don Blake is free of forebodin'

Checkmate #24 - Greg Rucka & Eric Trautmann & Joe Bennett - A+

There once was a cult who loved snakes
Who transformed folks and raised the stakes
Supes, the JLA
And all JSA
Plus spies?! So good it gives me the shakes.

BONUS HAIKU

"Waffling in the Face of Loss"

Rucka, Trautmann gone
Bruce Jones is just not the same
Should I still buy this?

Limerick Reviews for 03/12/08

Gah! Where does the time go? I'm almost to St. Patty's and these are the only stereotypically Irish-type posts I've put up? SHAME ON ME! Clearly, I've got to get cracking. Or at least get liquored up on Jameson before I post.

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOOOOOOIIIIIIILERS! /Beetlejuice

Booster Gold #7 - Geoff Johns & Jeff Katz - A+

There once was a Beetle named Ted
Who got shot point blank in the head
Booster Gold saved his life
And now there is strife
But man! It's great to see him not dead!

Gen13 #18 - Simon Oliver & Carlo Barberi and Drew Geraci - B-

The Black Ops TV? Whoo-wee.
A plot both twisted and screwy
A Hot Dog Man helps
Caitlin's Mr. Phelps
I swear this is good and not hooey.

Wonder Woman #18 - Gail Simone & Bernard Chang - B+

There once were some alien Khund
Whom most of the universe shunned
They show up for aide
Wondy's unafraid
. . . this boyfriend thing still has me stunned

BONUS LIMERICK!

"Regarding Nemesis:"

There once was a writer named Jodi
Who left a steaming pile most grody
Simone's cleaned the mess
Most things she'll redress
So please don't freak out like Brodie

Avengers: The Initiative #10 - Dan Slott & Stefano Caselli - C+

A superpowered murder spree
Disarms Constrictor easily
New Warriors - back?
The others? Quite slack.
But Taskmaster and Ant-Man? Pure glee

Marvel Comics Presents #7 - MARC GUGGENHEIM, CHRISTOS GAGE, ROBERT VENDITTI, RICH KOSLOWSKI & DAVE WILKINS, JOYCE CHIN, JEREMY HAUN, ANDREA DIVITO - C+

Emo Prince Namor is emo
Ka-Zar and friends almost primo
But this comic shines
With Vanguard's design
"Retcon"? The name alone - dreamo!

(shut up. rhyming things is HARD)

Mighty Avengers #10 - Brian Michael Bendis & Mark Bagley - B+

Into the 70's they stray
Sentry, Stark and Doom seek a way
To find their way home
With Sentry's dumb dome
. . . Doctor Doom does not say "OK".

Thunderbolts 119 - Warren Ellis & Mike Deodato - A-

All the reformed villains and loons
Get turned back into pure goons
The psychics make hay
Doc Samson don't play
Some character deaths are like boons

Serenity: Better Days #1 - Joss Whedon and Brett Matthews & Will Conrad - A-

There once was a Captain named Mal
Who led many a cool guy and gal
Some art they all steal
Leads to a big deal
Read a book with Wash? Yes, I shall!

X-Factor #29 - Peter David & Valentine De Landro - A

A villain attacks named Arcade
So X-Men hijinks, not Sam Spade
A scythe now hangs low
Over Julio's - WHOA!
It's like he's the Marquis De Sade!

Empowered Vol. 3 - Adam Warren - B+

This book that I've loved comes out thrice
And while this new volume is nice
Too much tie-up bores
Same for ninja chores
Get back to the heart and the vice

HaikuLimerick Reviews for 03/05/08

Erin Go Bragh! In honor of my Irish Heritage, I will be rockin' the reviews Limerick-style all March long. So, if you're jonesing for Haikus, you'll have to wait a while.

You also have my solemn vow that I will finish my "14 Comic Book Couples I Love" post BEFORE SAINT PATRICK'S DAY! (a sadder promise perhaps has never been made)

Now then - let us begin!

GIANT SPOILERS AHOY!


Logan #1 - Brian K. Vaughan & Eduardo Risso - A

There once was a mutant named Logan
Known for overusing a slogan
But under Vaughan's care
With Risso's art flair
He rocks out more than Hulk Hogan

Buffy The Vampire Slayer S8 #12 - Drew Goddard & Georges Jeanty - B+

A Slayer named Buffy goes gay
In a rather surprising way
She's used sex before
As a personal moor
But I give it less than a day

BONUS HAIKU (because the Vampires are Japanese!):

Dracula is back!
Japanese Goths with his style!
And yes - gay Buffy.


Echo #1 - Terry Moore - B+

There once was a photog named Echo
Drawn so well she was almost Art Deco
With a nuclear flash
Her life turns to ash
And metal that sticks like a gecko.

Uncanny X-Men #496 - Ed Brubaker & Mike Choi - C+

Three mutants walked into a bar
While Emma and Scott flew quite far
If spoilers offend
This issue you'll rend
To ruin Joss' work? Quite sub-par.

Powers #28 - Brian Michael Bendis & Mike Avon Oeming - A

There once was a comic named Powers
Whose letters I'd read for hours
The story's a gas
And Pilgrim kicks ass
But if Calista is dead . . . *glowers*

The Twelve #3 - J. Michael Straczynski & Chris Weston - A-

While reading this book called The Twelve,
Into Golden Age Crack you shall delve,
Zombie Master's great
As is Blue Blade's fate
Please buy all the singles, don't shelve.

The Boys #16 - Garth Ennis & Darick Robertson - A

Hughie and Annie flirt sweetly
Frenchie tracks Female discreetly
A character study
Before things get bloody
Let's hope Garth won't wreck them completely.

Haiku Reviews for 2/27/08

SPOILERS? Afraid so.
Still, they are haiku reviews
So they're short and sweet.

World War Hulk: Aftersmash!Damage Control #2 - Dwayne McDuffie & Salva Espin - B

One good She-Hulk joke?
Chrysler Building gaining life?
Not bad - needs more laughs.

52 Aftermath - Crime Bible: Five Lessons of Blood #5 - Greg Rucka & Manuel Garcia - B+

Abrupt ending, sure
But doesn't it make sense to
End on a Question?

Ultimate Spider-Man #119 - Brian Michael Bendis & Stuart Immonen - B

I'm a sucker for
Super teen snark and cuteness
This had it in spades

She-Hulk 26 - Peter David & Shawn Moll with Val Semeiks - B+

High marks for Bear Toss
Rocket Depilatory
Minus ten for Skrull

New Warriors #9 - Kevin Grevioux & Paco Medina - C-

Talk, talk, talk, more talk
After Bendis, you'd think that
I wouldn't mind it.

Marvel Zombies 2 #5 - Robert Kirkman & Sean Phillips - D

Please Kirkman, no more!
Just write The Walking Dead where
You're always awesome.

Blue Beetle #24 - John Rogers & Rafael Albuquerque - A+

I am ashamed now
That I'm new to this series
So much win it hurts!

Kick-Ass - Mark Millar & John Romita, Jr. - D+

Ending? Not a shock.
One issue, bored already
"Movie rights?" Really?

BONUS HAIKU:

Shame

Dudes, I could have tried
Iron Fist or Criminal
For the price of this

Young Avengers Presents: Hulkling #2 - Brian Reed & Harvey Tolibao - A-

Teddy gets to say
"I love my Straight Dead Dad!" to
Captain Marvell. Awwwww!

Freddy Vs. Jason Vs. Ash #5 - James Kuhoric & Jason Craig - C

Strangely lacking in
Gore and funny, what with the
Presence of Ash, Fred.

Thor #6 - J. Michael Straczynski & Olivier Coipel - A

Damn it!Thor's not cool
But when in Oklahoma
He becomes nifty.

RASL - #1 - Jeff Smitth - A-

AU Tech Art Theft?
Great concept, Sliders noir
Murky but still good

Daredevil #105 - Ed Brubaker & Michael Lark - A+

I must admit that
I love sadistic villains
Mr. Fear? Ten points!

Haiku Reviews for 2/20/08

SPOILERS o' SPOILERS
Why do you always ruin these
Delightful reviews?

Angel: After the Fall #4 - Joss Whedon & Brian Lynch and Franco Urru - B+

I have to admit
Self-loathing Vampiric Gunn
Is kinda awesome.

The Mighty Avengers #9 - Brian Michael Bendis & Mark Bagley & Marko Djurdjevic - B+

All Doom Sex aside -
Double page spreads? Time travel?
I approve of this.

BONUS HAIKU:

So, when Doom makes love
Do you think he screams "RICHARDS!"
After . . . or During?

The Order #8 - Matt Fraction & Barry Kitson - A

Lesbian Hawksmoor,
Cyborg Shapeshifter Sex plus
Blonde Agent Smith? Fun!

Ultimate Human #2 - Warren Ellis & Cary Nord - B

Hulk want smash, eat Stark
Too bad puny Stark stop Hulk
But wait! Leader smash!

Madame Mirage #5 - Paul Dini & Kenneth Rocafort - B

I'm quite impressed that
Strange film noir sci-fi cheesecake
Plays out this smoothly.

Checkmate #23 - Greg Rucka & Eric Trautmann and Joe Bennett - A+

Rucka and Trautmann
Write grand spies and Superman
Yet it ends soon. Damn!


Cable & Deadpool #50 - Fabian Nicieza & Reilly Brown - A+

Bad week made better
By double-sized Deadpool with
Dino Symbiotes.

Runaways #29 - Joss Whedon & Michael Ryan - C+

Momentum is gone
Still, Molly's always awesome
Split the difference?

Comic Book Haiku Reviews for 2/13/08

These quick and dirty
Comic book reviews contain
A LOT OF SPOILERS

Booster Gold #0 - Geoff Johns and Jeff Katz & Dan Jurgens - A

Booster's origin!
About time for new readers
Zero? Apropos.

Gen 13 #17 - Simon Oliver & Carlo Barberi & Drew Geraci - A-

Look in Caitlin's mind
Intriguing but all too brief
Next issue? RUMBLE!

Wonder Woman #17 - Gail Simone & Terry Dodson & Rachel Dodson - A

Wow. Have to say this -
Bloody "W" war paint
Gave me the good chills

Fantastic Four: The Lost Adventure #1- Stan Lee & Jack Kirby & Joe Sinnott - A+

This is surprising!
Millar's writing fun, retro-
. . . Oh. Sorry. My bad.

New Avengers #38 - Brian Michael Bendis & Michael Gaydos - D+

Look, here's the problem
If one of them is a Skrull . . .
This story still sucks.

X-Factor #28 - Peter David & Pablo Raimondi - B

Dark She-Hulk? Not cool.
Miserable X-Factor?
Totally noir!

Marvel Comics Presents #6 - MARC GUGGENHEIM & CHRISTOS GAGE & ROBERT VENDITTI & RICH KOSLOWSKI and DAVE WILKINS & JOYCE CHIN & JEREMY HAUN & ANDREA DIVITO - incomplete

Comic shop ran short
So no Rucka Widow, Blade
Ka-Zar or Cap . . . YET.

Haiku Reviews for 1/6/08

Yes, I know they're a little late. Sorry. My indie comics shop remains charmingly unreliable.

Look, all these reviews
Are Chockfulla SPOILERS
Read your books first, friend.


The Twelve #2 - J. Michael Straczynski & Chris Weston - B+

While I'm shocked by the
whole "Racist Superman" bit -
Poor Captain Wonder!

Doktor Sleepless #5 - Warren Ellis & Ivan Rodriguez - B+

Mad science plus snark
Divided by a murder
Times cool Back Matter

Detective Comics #841 - Paul Dini & Dustin Nguyen - C+

When Dini writes Bats
Most of the time, it's "Mad Love"
But sometimes? "Clock King".

The Boys #15 - Garth Ennis & Darick Robertson - A

Ennis? I'm sorry
I forgot you wrote Preacher.
This is just as grand.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer #11 - Joss Whedon & Georges Jeanty - B

Cute Gay Slayer? Meh.
Bad-Ass Punk Rock Guns Slayer?
Please, sir, I want more.

BONUS HAIKU:

Intriguing villain,
This new big bad - not Caleb,
'Cause he chucked a church.

Uncanny X-Men #495 - Ed Brubaker & Mike Choi - A+

All you need to know
Is that Cyclops and Emma
RIDE A DINOSAUR

BONUS HAIKU:

For fun bonus Crack,
Angelina Jolie's face
On Kurt Wagner's bod.

Haiku Reviews for 1/30/08

Like worms in apples
SPOILERS exist inside my
Pretentious reviews

The Mighty Avengers #8 - Brian Michael Bendis & Mark Bagley - B

I've got a FEVER
And the only prescription
Is MORE VENOM SUITS!

Daredevil #104 - Ed Brubaker & Michael Lark - A-

This tweaked Mister Fear?
Delightfully twisted, plus
Smarter than Scarecrow.

Ultimate Spider-Man 118 - Brian Michael Bendis & Stuart Immonen - A

Kitty Pryde again
With a dude named KONG! Not Pete!
Plus, Firestar! FUN!

Avengers: The Initiative #9 - Dan Slott & Chris Gage & Stefano Caselli - C

Pym's chickens roosting
Feels less satisfying with
A dead Diamondback.

Black Summer #5 - Warren Ellis & Juan Jose Ryp - B-

Much speechifying
With a scene of violence
Good sizzle, more steak.

New Avengers Annual #2 - Brian Michael Bendis & Carlo Pagulayan - B+

DAMN, Jessica Jones!
This whole issue was worth it
Just for that surprise.

BONUS POETRY in Honor of Tigra:

Tigra! Tigra! kicking ass
In the face of The Hood's sass,
Examined with a hopeful fanboy eye -
A rebuttal to previous misogyny?


Y: The Last Man #60 - Brian K. Vaughan & Pia Guerra - A+

"Alas, poor Yorick"?
This ending was so poignant
You made me cry, Vaughan.

*sniff* I have something in my eye. G'way.

Haiku Reviews for 1/23/08

Since they seemed quite popular last time 'round, please enjoy another set of my patented Haiku Reviews!*
*patent pending


Look, there are SPOILERS -
So if you haven't read these
You should do that now.

She-Hulk #25 - Peter David & Shawn Moll plus backup story artists - C+

Jen whines, sulks and snarks
Living in a trailer park
"My Name Is She-Hulk?"

BONUS HAIKU for the Back-Up Stories:

Juggy sex? 4th wall?
Taunting the fandom's tacky
Funny! But tacky.

Crime Bible: The Five Lessons of Blood #4 - Greg Rucka & Diego Olmos - B

If I ever hit
On a woman with no face
Send me to Arkham

Young Avengers Presents - Patriot #1 - Ed Brubaker & Paco Medina - B+

Patriot and Kate?
Warlock and some Bucky too?
Past due, but good start.

Freddy Vs. Jason Vs. Ash #4 - James Kuhoric & Jason Craig - C


. . . I never once thought
I'd see Freddy Krueger steal
A line from Watchmen.

Marvel Zombies 2 #4 - Robert Kirkman & Sean Phillips - C-

I'm also quite shocked
That zombie superheroes
Could become boring.

The Order #7 - Matt Fraction & Barry Kitson - B

Hellrung and Namor
Face off David Mamet-style.
. . . No, it's good! Really!

Astonishing X-Men #24 - Joss Whedon & John Cassady - A-

Some of this felt off
But a planet-sized bullet?
TOO AWESOME FOR WORDS

The Ultimates 3 #2 - Jeph Loeb & Joe Madureira - C+

Jeph Loeb's Ultimates,
Bob Saget's Aristocrats
"Whoa . . . THAT GUY did THIS?"

(note: above Haiku link INCREDIBLY NSFW due to language)

Wonder Woman #16 - Gail Simone & Terry Dodson & Rachel Dodson - A

Pegasus! Nazis!
Talking Albino Teen Apes!
Miss Simone? You WIN.

World War Hulk: Aftersmash! Damage Control #1 - Dwayne McDuffie & Salva Espin - A+

I can't believe it!
Funny Damage Control's back!
Just three issues? Nertz.