Suicide Squad #2 of 8

Writer John Ostrander continues to flesh out Rick Flag's back story as he advances the plot. General Eiling is being set up as the bad guy here with Rick Flag and Rustam stuck in Skartaris - a place of dinosaurs and endless sunlight. I really like Jaui Pina's art as it captures the intensity of Rick Flag. While last issue was all action, this issue Ostrander serves up character development. I enjoyed getting Flag's history and the explanation of how he and Rustam survived when Jotunheim blew up. We get a brief glimpse of Amanda Waller with the rest of the squad absent for this issue. It is good to see Ostrander back on this title and having fun with his characters.

The Flash #233

New artist Freddie Williams II replaces the outgoing Dave Acuna and I'm not sure what to think about it. Williams can draw some good stuff. He did so in "Blue Beetle" and "Batman and the Outsiders" one shot. I know he can draw, but this issue looked rushed. Dave Acuna was in the solicitations for both this issue and the next and I wonder if Williams wasn't handed this issue very late and told to get it in on time. Doug Braithwaite's cover is very nice and captures the speed of The Flash. However, William's interiors almost look like something out of Johnny DC and not the DCU. The alien creatures come of as cartoonish. Some of the art looks tight - meaning a character in a panel - but all in all it wasn't very appealing. I hope Williams brings more to the table as he becomes the series regular artist.

The story also left me wanting. Billed by DC marketing as the JLA comes to take Wally's kids, it all really panned out to nothing. Lame aliens, lame characterization, all really builds up to a lot of nothing. I did, however, enjoy the Waid and John Rogers back up story "The Fast Life" much more than the primary story. This four part back up looks very interesting with great art by Doug Braithwaite. To me "The Flash" should be a premiere DC title and currently it is coming of as a second rate D-level hero title.

Teen Titans #52

"Teen Titans" #52 continues the "Titans of Tomorrow" story line with each Titan getting to work with their older selves. The interaction between Tim Drake Batman and Tim Drake Robin was done quite well. McKeever also captured Blue Beetle's characterization very well. I really liked the touch of having Kid Devil's older self get new memories as things changed. However, I was disappointed in the art. Jamal Igle and a gaggle of inkers do a passable job filling in for the absent Ale Garza, but I would have preferred seeing Garza's take on all of this. I like to have artistic continuity in specific stories. This book was solicited as Garza pencilled as is next month's. I hope Garza can finish out this story next month. I give DC credit for making the call and getting the book out on time, but today's artist need to learn to keep to a schedule. McKeever's story is action packed with moments for good character development. I'm looking forward to the conclusion of this with Luthor's Titan Army next month.

Blue Beetle #20

"Blue Beetle" #20 is a "The Sinestro Corps Wars" tie in. If you are keeping up with this cross over event you don't need to read "Blue Beetle" #20. You really won't miss anything. However, if you are a Blue Beetle fan you need to read this as the events that unfold here impact both the Reach and Peacemaker story lines. The story suffers some because the lack of Jaime's supporting cast, but writer John Rogers brings the action as this book is one big slugfest. Rafael Albuquerque's art really fits this book well. Even in Blue Beetle's mask Albuquerque allows us to see Jaime's emotions. While this issue isn't the usual fun and funny Jaime, we get to see Blue Beetle in action and both Jaime and the Scarab working as a team. Rogers even gives a shout out to the Ted Kord fans. If you are a fan of old school Spider-man and I mean old school young kid gets new powers and has fun with them, then get this book.

Tales of the Sinestro Corps: Superman-Prime

I have been a big fan of "The Sinestro Corps War" crossover event in "Green Lantern" and "Green Lantern Corps". This crossover really caught DC flat footed as they didn't advertise it well, didn't have a marketing plan to speak of, and didn't understand the quality of the story at all. Playing catchup, DC put out a series of one-shots that have had some range of success in story telling. In this one shot focusing on the Superboy (yes I said Superboy) of the now gone Earth-Prime, Geoff Johns tackles all his inner demons as a geek fanboy using this comic to poke fun at all of the DC editorial decisions of the last few years. Johns lets Superman-Prime be the fanboy's voice on such matters as Firestorm, Aquaman, Bart Allen, Hal Jordan, etc. Many of the one liners regarding these characters could have come from any of the comic chat rooms on the net. The art by Pete Woods and Jerry Ordway is excellent bringing energy to the action sequences and emotion to the flashbacks. A highly recommended read!

Brave and the Bold #7

"Brave and the Bold" is one of the comics that I read right after leaving my local comic store. I have been a long time fan of George Perez's art and he still has the good stuff. Perez can flat out draw. From the cover to the last page, the art presented here is amazing. Writer Mark Waid has fun taking the reader from Wonder Woman and Power Girl battling mummies and the undead to Superman's Fortress of Solitude all the while keeping it fun and interesting. Wonder Woman even whips out the old invisible plane for a cameo appearance. The weaving in of the Book of Destiny and the Challengers of the Unknown really makes this a fun book to read. I recommend this to any reader looking for the best DC has to offer.

Superman #668 & #669

Superman #668 kicks off "The Third Kryptonian" story line and writer Kurt Busiek is going very SciFi. Superman is on a search for the third Kryptonian on Earth that he found out about when the Auctioneer came calling. He has ruled out Power Girl and, with the help of Batman, is going X-Files searching for the truth. Busiek provides a brief interlude to futher flesh out the Chris Kent character. Chris' interactions with both Batman and Robin are nicely done. Along the way we get to meet the protagonist of the story, Amalak, who has an interest in all things Kryptonian. The art by penciller Rick Leaonardi and inker Dan Green good with capturing both the youth of Chris and Robin and the maturity of Superman and Batman.

Issue # 669 introduces Kristen Wells as the third Kryptonian and she packs quite a wallop. Busiek takes the reader on a tour of post-Infinite Crisis Kryptonian history and I think he does a fine job of melding the John Bryne Utopian version with the Geoff Johns/Richard Donner military versus science of the Zod era. Busiek really cuts loose with the SciFi in this issue and weaves a very interesting tale of how Kristen Wells ended up on Earth. She does not have the morale center of Superman or the innocence of Supergirl and provides a stark contrast to Superman's ethical code. The issue ends with Amalak finding both Superman and Kristen and threatening the end of all Kryptonians. I'm looking forward to the next issue and seeing where this all goes.

Action Comics #857

Writers Geoff Johns and Richard Donner conclude the "Escape from Bizzarro World" three parter in Action Comics #857. Johns and Donner really capture the whimsy and humor of Bizarro. Eric Powell's art is pitch perfect as well. The three parter has been a fun read and the final chapter had some good twists and turns in it. You can feel that Johns and Donner had a good time with all of the characters. If you can get parts 1 and 2 I highly recommend this issue.

Witch Creek Fire Part II

Well, we made it back to Ramona yesterday. Lots of politically rambling to get access back to our homes up in Ramona. The water is off and my pool looks like the black lagoon, but other than that everyone is fine. Ramona lost 196 homes and I count myself as one again lucky to survive a wildfire unscathed.

Witch Creek Fire

Sunday night at 9PM I go the reverse 911 call to evacuate my home due to the Witch Creek Fire. Four hours, lots of traffic, and quite a few detours later my family and I are back at the same place that we stayed four years ago during the Cedar Fires, my old boss' house. My house is fine and my family is safe, but I'm stuck down the hill from my home with all roads closed getting back.

I've read a few volumes of "Invincible", "Ultimate Fantastic Four" and "Walking Dead". Good reads. I also got to catch up on the last few weeks of DC comics. I'll post reviews when I get back home.

Booster Gold #2

"Booster Gold" has rapidly shot up my first read list. Writers Geoff Johns & Jeff Katz have taken a joke character and really instilled a sense of purpose. Booster's supporting cast of Rip Hunter and Skeets also really shine in this book. The layouts by Booster Gold creator Dan Jurgens and finishes by Norm Rapmund are exceptional. While the main story of intercepting Sinestro so that Guy Gardner never becomes the Greatest Green Latern was executed quite well, the one page cut away to the original Blue Beetle intrigues me the most. I know at some point in the near future Booster will attempt to save Ted Kord (Blue Beetle II) from being killed. I am not a die hard Ted Kord fan, but there are a lot out on the internet ranting about his death. I'm looking forward to see Booster's story move forward as he meets other DC Universe characters and, just maybe, figuring out how to save Ted's life.

This book is fun. It brings a lot of what is missing from DC's bigger names and harkens back to a time when comics could be about adventure and being a hero, not grim, gritty, and reality.

Wonder Girl #1 of 6

Spinning out of the absolutely horrible "Amazons Attack", Wonder Girl gets a six issue miniseries and bring a lot of baggage along the way. Writer J. Torres uses the first few pages to catch us up on Wonder Girl's origins and jumps right into her life following the events of "Amazons Attack". Torres is really saddled with a load of bad editorial and writing decisions with this character. Her role in "Amazons Attack" being the biggest issue and driving force her. Another his her relationship with Robin from the pages of "Teen Titans". Both of these turn what could have been a fun book into a mess. The real problem is I just don't care and Torres didn't make me want to either.

Sanford Greene's art is not my favorite style and looks rushed. The lack of any sense of background highlights the rushed look. I will be telling my local comics shop to remove this miniseries from my pull list.

Titans, Titans, & more Titans

2008 is shaping up to be the year of the Titans. DC has put "Teen Titans" back on track bringing on writer Sean McKeever and he looks to be taking that book in a very good direction. It has jumped to the top of my first reads when it comes out. Writer Judd Winick is on board the forthcoming "Titans" with the classic Wofman/Perez lineup from the 80s. "Titans" can be a premiere book for DC if it is handled well. There are a lot of Winick haters out there but I'm willing to give the book a try because of my love for the characters. Writer Amy Wolfram and artist Karl Kerschl are bringing "Teen Titans: Year One" exploring the beginnings of the classic Teen Titans lineup. Finally, the "Teen Titans Lost Annual, featuring the original Teen Titans: Robin, Kid Flash, Wonder Girl, Speedy and Aqualad, is coming from writer Bob Haney, Jay Stephens, and Mike Allred. Let's not forgot "Tiny Titans" coming from Johnny DC as well.

All in all, the Comic Adventures' household is looking forward to all of the Titans books coming in 2008!

Justice League of America #13

The new team on "Justice League of America", writer Dwayne McDuffie and artist Joe Benitez, start their run after the "JLA Wedding Special" in a big way. Changes are happening in the JLA with John Stewart stepping in for the absent Hal Jordan and the newly reformed InJustice League making their presence known. While some don't care for Benitez's art, I found he did a great job here. He captures the various players emotions really well and his action sequences were very good. I was really impresssed with his Gorilla Grodd.

I like what McDuffie has done with Vixen given here situation from the Meltzer run. Her convesation with Superman regarding her powers was a nice touch. I appreciate that McDuffie is willing to take on the issues left by Meltzer and not just ignore them. All in all this is a very good start to the new team's run and I'm looking forward to McDuffie's action packed style.

Action Comics #856

Writers Geoff Johns and Richard Donner continue the "Escape from Bizarro World" in "Action Comics" #856. The "three months ago" beginning is a very nice homage to "Frankenstein" and I found colorist Dave Stewart's use of muted greys a good capture of Bizarro's view of our world. Bizarro's loneliness is captured in just a few pages with Bizarro building his own world. The Blue Sun affecting Bizarrow allowing him to populate his world is also a nice touch. I thought the characterizations of all of the Bizarro versions of DC mainstays - Luthor, Lois, Perry White - were all done very well. However, as my son pointed out, the Bizarro-Doomsday was a little off. Wouldn't he be nice and intelligent on this backwards world?

Eric Powell's art is the center piece here and while I don't think that his style would lend well to a traditional "Action Comics" tale, it fits quite nicely here. I laughed out loud at the arrival of the Justice League satellite and the final page reveal of the Justice League. I look forward to how Johns and Donner are going to tie this up in the next issue.

Teen Titans #51

I loved Teen Titans #51. Writer Sean McKeever brings a breath of fresh air to the series with his character centric writing. The "Titans of Tomorrow" storyline kicks into high gear in this issue and leaves you wanting more. The last page is worth the read. I really liked meeting the future Titans and seeing them interact with their younger selves. McKeever's handling of the issues involved with time travel stories is done quite well, showing that these events are affecting the timeline. Ale Garza's art really pops and brings depth to each character. While I'm sure everything is not as it seems, the story is progressing quite nicely and is an outstanding start for the Teen Titans new creative team.

The Flash #232

I was excited to see writer Mark Waid coming back to "The Flash". Two issues into his run and I'm not really sure where it is all headed. Wally's kids are taking center stage and while the book does have a "The Incredibles" feel to it, I'm not exactly on board yet with this direction. The Flash is my son's favorite character and I have always been a fan. I've been reading "The Flash" since the late 70s and love the simple power of speed. I was a big Barry Allen fan but wasn't one of those who was pissed about his demise during "Crisis on Infinite Earths". I thought DC did an excellent job of utilizing Barry's end to illustrate the hero's sacrifice.

Following Barry's demise, Mark Waid and Geoff John's did an excellent job of establishing the Flash's legacy role in the DCU. I thoroughly enjoyed both Waid and John's runs on the character. Waid brought a sense of family to the Flash's universe with John's fleshing out the Rogues and Wally and Linda's relationship. Wally was thought lost during the "Infinte Crisis" series but was brought back during the JLA/JSA crossover event "The Lightening Saga". Whether Wally and family were supposed to return or it was a purely editorial decision is still up for debate.

With the death of Bart Allen in "The Flash: FMA" series, Mark Waid came back as writer for "The Flash" with the numbering starting with the old "The Flash" series at #231. Waid has some great stuff going on in his current run, but I am not feeling the love for Wally's kids. I'm willing to give Waid time to work things out but this alien invasion story line is out in left field for a Flash comic.

The Flash has had some excellent artist through the years with Mark Wieringo and Howard Porter - just to name a couple - providing dynamic art for the scarlett speedster. Once again, I run into another issue with the current presentation of the Flash. Dave Acuna's art just doesn't grab me. I'm willing to give it more time to grow on me, but the art doesn't really convey the speed of the Flash. Acuna's art is not crisp like Porter's or action packed like Wieringo's. The over saturized reds and yellows just seem to lay on the page. There's no pop.

For a new reader to the Flash, I would recommend catching up on some of the TBPs that are out there before jumping onto Waid's new run. At this point, I can't recommend this series until I see Wally taking center stage and the art comes along more.

Tiny Titans Coming Soon

As seen on TV in "Teen Titans" #50, the "Tiny Titans" is the number one kids show in the DCU. "Tiny Titans" is coming out in comic form and is written and drawn by the amazing Art Baltazar and Franco. Every time I look at the character designs for this Johnny DC title I get a good chuckle. My 8 year old daugher is really looking forward to this title.

Countdown to Mystery #1 of 8

While the first 20 or so issues of the weekly "Countdown" have not moved me to write a review, the spin off series have shown sparks of creativity. The most recent one that I have read is "Countdown to Mystery" which stars Dr. Fate in the primary story and Eclipso in the backup story. I have always been a Dr. Fate fan back to the 70s when I enjoyed the character as part of Earth-2's Justice Society of America. I have read many of his different incarnations but always preferred the Kent Nelson Dr. Fate the most. The premiere issue of "Countdown to Mystery" has the helmet of Dr. Fate finding a bum in a dumpster who happens to be failed psychiatrist, Dr. Kent Nelson. Writer Steve Gerber weaves an interesting tale giving Kent Nelson a suitably tortued background and catching all of us up on the happenings with the helmet of Dr. Fate over the past few years. I liked Justiniano's art and his interpreation of the new Dr. Fate. This is quite the setup issue for Dr. Fate and I'm looking forward to seeing where Gerber and company will take him.

The backup story by writer Matthew Sturges and art by Stephen Jorge Segovia involves Eclipso's return. I'm not sure I really care for the Jean Loring Eclipso. I do like her fight and attempted seduciton of Plastic Man. With the Spectre and Darkseid both making appearances, I drawn into Sturges' interpreation of Eclipso. Segovia's art was suitably dark and his versions of Plastic Man, Darkseid, and the Spectre showed a range of emotion and depth. Eclipso looks to play a large part in the final chapters of Coundown due to "The Seduction of the Innoncent" tagline and I'm ready to get the action moving.

Comic Mix Online Comics

Stepping outside the DC Comics box again, I wanted to point you towards ComicMix.com's online comics. I really have not ventured into the world of online comics except for the "Heroes" comics over at NBC.com. I found out about Comic Mix's coming online comics through reading The Occasional Superheroine's blog. Starting this week Comic Mix has started publishing some very interesting comics from some great writers and artists. Each comic comes in 5-6 page installments viewable through Comic Mix's online reader. So far, I have been impressed with the quality of the books. John Ostrander's "GrimJack: The Manx Cat" is the standout at this point with Mike Baron's "Black Ice" really grabbing me as well. I really enjoyed the art in "Black Ice". Robert Tinnel and Mark Wheatley's "EZ Street" is a different kind of comic and I'm interested to see where they are going with it. The art in all of the books is top notch and well above what I've seen out there on other online comics.

The 5-6 page comics really provide a taste of where each series is going and I'm going to jump on and enjoy the ride. If you are looking for quality online comics, head over to ComicMix.com and try them out.

Green Latern #23

Geoff Johns has done an outstanding job on "The Sinestro Coprs War". I have to say this one really snuck up on me. After an extended absence from buying comics monthly, this last year I decided to start vising my local comic shop and put together a pull list. My son is a big Flash, JSA, & JLA fan and those made my list. I was always a big Teen Titans and Superman fan and those and some other related books made the list. Green Latern kind of fell through the cracks. I picked up "The Sinestro Corps War" one shot thinking it might be a good read and was blown away. I immediately put both "Green Latern" and "Green Latern Corps" on my pull list. I also lucked out and my LCS had a back issue sale at $1/issue. My son and I quickly caught up on both titles.

The story in "Green Latern" #23 is action packed and fast paced. Johns' characterization of the various Green Laterns is excellent and you really feel the impending doom. Ivan Reis' pencils with Oclair Albert's inks really show off the differing Green Latern Corp and Sinestro Corp members. The art really adds scope and depth to Johns' star spanning story. The last frame alone is worth coming back for more.

I have to step back a moment to critcize DC's editorial/marketing team. Issue number one is that "The Sinestro Corps War" was not properly advertised. If it had been pushed as much as the lack luster "Amazons Attack" was, I believe DC would have more people reading this excellent saga. Secondly, the reveal of what happens to Parallax/Kyle Rayner is blown by the "Countdown" series and the "Search for Ray Palmer" series. Timing is everything and Johns' excellent galactic adventure has been lessened by having major plot points revealed in another series.

If you haven't jumped on "The Sinestro Corp War" then head down to your LCS and find some back issues. It is a great read.