The Question: Zen and Violence

The Question, Vol. 1: Zen and Violence by Dennis O'Neil
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Victor Sage, aka The Question, fights crime in Hub City, possibly the most corrupt city on Earth.

Prior to this volume, most of my exposure to The Question was in Modern Comics reprints of Charlton comics stories and the weekly 52 miniseries. The Question has been held in high regard for years so I finally gave it a shot.

Dennis O'Neil's run on The Question stems from DC creating a mature readers line before later creating the Vertigo imprint. It's a tale of a man facing an insurmountable tide of corruption in his home town.

The Question started as a backup feature in Blue Beetle, a Steve Ditko character who shared much of his creator's Randian philosophy. O'Neil and team gave The Question a near death experience and a new Zen lease on life, making him a much more viable character.

Now that the history lesson is over, this was some good shit, especially considering it's 30 years old at this point. While it's wordier than most of today's comics, O'Neil was way ahead of the curve. There aren't a lot of comics that feature the hero floating face down in a river after a gunshot to the head and that's just in the first issue.

The Question's journey sees him learning from Richard Dragon, 70's DC kung fu hero, now confined to a wheelchair. When he returns to Hub City, everyone has hell to pay.

Deny Cowan's art suits the story perfectly. I was skeptical at first since I wasn't a fan of his work on the Superman books in the 1990s but it had an understated, cinematic feel. There were a few wordless fight scenes that I'd put up against anything today. As always, Bill Sienkiewicz was marvelous on the covers.

O'Neil, Cowan, and the others had a good thing going with The Question, a dark crime comic that paved the way for a lot of others down the road. Four out of five stars.


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Catwoman: Selina's Big Score

Catwoman: Selina's Big Score by Darwyn Cooke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Flat broke, Catwoman learns of a train carrying twenty-four million dollars of drug money, her ticket back to the big leagues. But she'll need help to pull off the heist, help of her old mentor, a planner named Stark. Can they trust each other and get the money without being killed?

So this was pretty bad ass. Darwyn Cooke writes a team-up between Catwoman and Richard Stark's Parker, for all intents and purposes. I have to think Darwyn Cooke had no idea he'd later be adapting The Hunter and this was an homage to the Parker books. It even does the cutaway sequences like the Parker books.

The art was Darwyn Cooke's signature style and well-suited to the task at hand, 1950's style but someone gritty as hell. The writing felt just like one of the Parker books.

Cooke did a great job writing about Selina's complicated relationships with the men in the book, namely Stark and Slam Bradley. There were enough twists to keep things interesting. Right up until the end, I wasn't sure who'd walk away with the money.

Selina's Big Score was another winning entry in my post-mortem examination of Darwyn Cooke's body of work. Four out of five stars.

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DC: The New Frontier - The Deluxe Edition

Absolute DC: The New Frontier by Darwyn Cooke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An alien menace threatens the earth in the late 1950's and it'll take every hero humanity has to stop it.

Confession time: While I'd heard of The New Frontier, I didn't pick it up until after Darwyn Cooke's death. Now that I've read it, I wish I'd picked it up sooner.

The New Frontier is the story of the transition of the DC universe from the Justice Society era through the 1950s to the formation of the Justice League. Pretty much every DC character from pre-1960 is in it. Unlike how things originally went down, The New Frontier links characters from DC's war comics, their supernatural comics, and their super hero comics.

I knew this was going to be something different when the first few pages had The Losers fighting dinosaurs. The story is pretty much a love letter to the DC comics of the late 1950s. In addition to old favorites like the Justice League, some without their powers for most of the book, Darwyn Cooke dug up King Faraday, Slam Bradley, the Challengers of the Unknown, Adam Strange, and many others.

Rick Flag and Task Force X, aka The Suicide Squad, played a prominent part in safeguarding America once the Justice League went into retirement. I loved seeing a pre-Green Lantern Hal Jordan paling around with Rick Flagg and Ace Morgan. The early days of J'Onn J'Onnz, aka the Martian Manhunter, were really cool as well.

I thought it was great that Darwyn Cooke didn't focus on the icons like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, instead giving a lot of time to Hal Jordan and the Challengers of the Unknown. The Flash and Green Arrow could have had more to do but Cooke only had so much room to tell his tale.

While the story was great, I loved the art. Cooke's retro style did a good job of evoking the 1950s period it was depicting. It was Silver Age with a modern touch and quite something to behold. I'll definitely be tracking down more of his work.

I could gush about this book all day. Instead of talking about Kingdom Come with reverence, this is the DC book people should be holding on a pedestal. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

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Swamp Thing, Vol. 1: Raise Them Bones

Swamp Thing, Vol. 1: Raise Them Bones by Scott Snyder
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Alec Holland is reborn with memories not his own, memories of the adventures of Swamp Thing. Forces of the Rot are marshaling and only the Swamp Thing can stop them. But what does all that have to do with an immune-deficient child named William?

I've made it no secret that I think Scott Snyder can do no wrong when it comes to comics. Swamp Thing really drove that point home. Stepping into Alan Moore's shoes on one of the projects that took him to stardom wasn't an enviable task. Good thing Scott Snyder eats unenviable tasks for breakfast.

Snyder's Swamp Thing isn't Moore's Swamp Thing and would have failed miserably if it tried to be. This Swamp Thing is the story of The Red and The Green going up against a force that threatens both of them, The Rot. Another Swamp Thing reveals Holland's destiny to him and that the past may not be exactly as he remembered it. Throw in one Abigail Arcane and Snyder weaves one heck of a tale.

The writing is top notch. I love how Snyder has recast Swamp Thing as a warrior for nature rather than just a protector. The art is pretty damn good as well. I loved the Easter eggs in the background, like Bissette Motors and the Tottleben Hotel, homages to Moore's collaborators on Swamp Thing in the 1980's.



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Shade, the Changing Man, Vol. 3: Scream Time

Shade, the Changing Man, Vol. 3: Scream Time by Peter Milligan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Shade's conflict with the American Scream and Wisor of Meta comes to a brutal conclusion. Also, Shade saves Christmas.

In the third volume of Shade the Changing Man, the American Scream's origin is revealed, Kathy deals with some things, and Shade brings the first arc of his series to a close. This volume was the best of the three so far. Chris Bachalo's art has improved in leaps and bounds since the first issue and all the seeds Peter Milligan planted in the first 18 or so issues bore fruit.

Shade was always overshadowed by other books like The Sandman and The Doom Patrol when it was being published but I'd say it's more original than either series. Milligan's weirdness is more purposeful than that of the Doom Patrol and I think his writing is on par with Gaiman's.

I love that this volume has a Western theme, part of it taking place in a bizarre version of the old west. Another thing that I thought was really cool was that this volume felt more connected to the Steve Ditko Shade the Changing Man series of the 1970's, with mentions of Meta, Shade's fiancee Mellu, and Shade's body floating in the Madness Zone, still wearing the M-Vest. Heck, Milligan even reveals the origin of the M-Vest.

That's about all I have to say. I'm hoping DC reprints the rest of Shade so that I may read it.

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Shade, the Changing Man, Vol. 2: Edge of Vision

Shade, the Changing Man, Vol. 2: Edge of Vision by Peter Milligan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Shade and Kathy find themselves drawn to Madness outbreaks, first in San Francisco then in New York. Shade and Kathy are separated and Kathy meets Lenny, a young artist. Shade, on the other hand, meets someone he never thought he'd see again...

Yeah, this is one of those times where I'm not exactly sure what I just finished reading. Peter Milligan's writing was top notch and Christopher Bachalo's art was good though still in its formative stages. I'm just not sure what they were telling me.

I loved that Lenny was finally introduced. I read the series from issue #35 on in the order I found them so I was wondering when some of my old favorites like Shimmy, Pandora, and Lenny would be introduced. I also liked that Troy Grenzer was brought back and that the American Scream still lived.

Still, I loved the art and I loved the characters. It wasn't as good as the first volume but does a good job of setting the stage for the next one.

Also, I want a coat like Shade's.

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Shade, the Changing Man, Vol. 1: The American Scream

Shade, the Changing Man, Vol. 1: The American Scream by Peter Milligan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

An alien named Shade wins up in the body of a killer while he's being executed in the electric chair. Shade and Kathy, daughter of two of the killer's victims, go on a strange odyssey and combat the American Scream...

When people talk about British comic writers, Peter Milligan is usually an afterthought after the big three of Moore, Gaiman, and Morrison. While Shade isn't my favorite of Milligan's work, it gives hints as to what he's capable of.

Alan Moore's run on Swamp Thing lead to a lot of British writers getting work reviving some of DC's forgotten characters. Milligan ended up with Shade, an old Steve Ditko character, and put out a book that consistently competed with the Doom Patrol as one of DC's weirdest books.

My plot summary doesn't do the book justice. The weirdness level is high and Milligan works JFK, Hollywood, and a lot of other distinctly American things into the mix. It's a fun ride even though I'm not quite sure what happened in parts. I'm giving it a 3, partly for nostalgia reasons and partly because I know it only gets better from here.

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The New Teen Titans: The Terror of Trigon

The New Teen Titans: The Terror of Trigon by Marv Wolfman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Continuing my comic history course...

Back in the day, The New Teen Titans was DC's top selling book every month. I had a few issues but I was mainly interested in Starfire's rack back then. I thought I'd give it another try 20-something years later.

The Terror of Trigon focuses on Raven, the cloaked Teen Titan empath that's the daughter of a demon. Trigon, her father, unleashes her powers and New York is attacked by a horde of demons and transformed into something like hell. The other Titans are the only ones left standing and have to save the world.

George Perez's art shows why he's the last of the great comic pencillers. At the time this came out, he was doing two Titans books per month AND extras on the side. And he wasn't skimping. The panels are hyper-detailed and easily stand up to what he's putting out today.

Marv Wolfman's writing is a notch above other 80's comic book fare. It's easy to see why this book was neck in neck with the X-Men every month.



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The New Teen Titans: Terra Incognito

The New Teen Titans: Terra Incognito by Marv Wolfman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

With this volume, it's easy to see why The New Teen Titans was DC's top book back in he day. A lot of things happen in this one. The Terminator makes an appearance, Terra joins the team and is shown to be a double agent behind the scenes. Adrian Chase nearly dies and becomes the Vigilante. The Brotherhood of Evil makes an appearance. Cheshire debuts. Kid Flash and Robin both contemplate quitting. Compared to today's comics, that's a hell of a lot of happenings in eight issues.

George Perez and Marv Wolfman show why their book was #1 in its day. Perez's art is detailed and nearly as good as it is today. Wolfman's writing is also good. You wonder why DC hasn't teamed the two on a book lately.

On a side note, the first issue contained within, New Teen Titans #26, is one of the first comics I remember buying with my hard earned allowance.

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Justice League International, Vol. 1

Justice League International, Vol. 1 by Keith Giffen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The first comic I ever subscribed to was the Justice League of America. Unfortunately for me, it was when the League had a fairly crappy roster including Vibe, Gypsy, Vixen, and Steel. Fortunately, it was cancelled a few issues later and replaced with Justice League International.

JLI made comics fun again. Blue Beetle and Guy Gardner provided the laughs with Batman playing the ultimate straightman for their jokes. And we can't forget about poor hen-pecked Mister Miracle either.

This book collects the formation of the JLI at the hands of Maxwell Lord and goes up until they get the International status and Martian Manhunter becomes the leader. Fun stuff. For a lot of people, the Justice League is the Big Seven. For me, it's the roster the League had at the end of this book.

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Green Lantern: Rebirth

Green Lantern: Rebirth by Geoff Johns
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hal Jordan, possibly the greatest of the Green Lanterns, battles with the two entities bonded with him, The Spectre and Parallax, for a second chance. Will he return to the land of the living and, if so, what will be waiting for him when he gets there...?

First off, the very first super hero action figure I owned other than some Mego ones was the Green Lantern from the Super Powers collection. That being said, I only have a handful of Green Lantern comics in my collection. I picked this one up because I like Geoff Johns and I figure he must be doing something right to have Green Lantern rise in popularity enough to warrant a movie (I still haven't seen). Did it live up to my expectations?

Nah. It wasn't bad, though. It was cool seeing Guy Gardner in a GL outfit again and great to see Kyle Rayner and Green Arrow taking on Sinestro, and Kilowog and John Stewart back in the fold. I may even have gotten a nerd chubby when the assembled Green Lanterns recited their oath at the central power battery.

Still, those parts were partially negated by all the fanboy masturbation Geoff Johns aimed in Hal Jordan's direction. The same thing happened in Flash: Rebirth. I hate to say it but the 1970's weren't the pinnacle of comic book creativity. Just because Hal Jordan and Barry Allen were the versions of the characters people remember from episodes of the Super Friends in the 1970's doesn't mean it always has to be that way. Johns pretty much negated ten years of interesting Green Lantern stories by hitting the reset button and restoring the status quo.

And to top it off, Kyle doesn't have the crab mask anymore! Let's see how long it takes Terry to notice that...

I guess what I'm trying to say is that Green Lantern: Rebirth isn't bad. It was a lot of fun at times. It just didn't feel that necessary to me. They could have stuck to their guns and had Kyle Rayner step up and lead the Green Lantern Corps. and not brought Hal back. Still, it's a 3 star book.




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The Flash, Vol. 1: The Dastardly Death of the Rogues

The Flash, Vol. 1: The Dastardly Death of the Rogues by Geoff Johns
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Mirror Master is found dead and it looks like The Flash is his killer. Only it's not any version of Mirror Master The Flash has ever encountered, and future versions of The Rogues have arrived from the 25th century to bring The Flash to justice...

First, the good stuff. Geoff Johns and Francis Manapul do a good job of finding cool ways to utilize the Flash's super speed, like rebuilding an apartment building, for instance. The future versions of the Rogues, the Renegades, were pretty cool. Commander Cold, Weather Warlock, and the rest were interesting antagonists. I liked how The Flash cracked the mystery of what actually happened to the Mirror Monarch.

So why only a three? I still feel like bringing back Barry Allen was a bit unnecessary. With minor tweaking, this could have easily been a Wally West story. It was a good Flash story but it was still mostly a Flash story, not a Barry Allen story, if that makes any sense.

It had its moments but I was not overwhelmed by awesomeness. I enjoyed it but if I wasn't already committed to reading Flashpoint, I probably wouldn't pick up the next volume.

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American Vampire, Vol. 4

American Vampire, Vol. 4 by Scott Snyder
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In order to fight the US soldiers encroaching on their territory, including Jim Book and Skinner Sweet, the Apaches awaken a legendary monster, the Mimteh. Greaser vampire hunter Travis Kidd is on the trail of a vampire that killed his family. Agent Poole is in the south and encounters both racism and another breed of vampire. All this and more in American Vampire Volume 4!

Here we are again, another entry in Scott Snyder's chronicles of vampires in America. At this point in the series, it's getting repetitive to say but Scott Snyder is my favorite active comic writer.

The three stories within this volume take place in different time periods but all serve the same purpose: to showcase the different species of vampires in America and expand the backstory of Skinner Sweet and the rest of the supporting cast.

I liked the pre-vampiric history of Skinner Sweet and Jim Book, and the Mimteh. She reminded me of the character Julie Newmar played in the Gregory Peck western, Mackenna's Gold, only with fangs. I'm hoping she makes further appearances in the series.

Travis Kidd, greaser vampire hunter, was another interesting addition to Snyder's vampire mythos. I love the idea of a kid being busted out of a nuthouse to be a vampire hunter, and he's one of the best. The wooden fangs he uses to bite vampires back was a nice touch, and he made a good point about Skinner Sweet near the end of his tale. I have a feeling we haven't seen the last of him.

Agent Poole's sojourn into the south met with expected results. The timeline sure jumped ahead quite a bit in this volume, all the way until the 1960's. How far is Snyder planning on taking us in the life of Skinner Sweet?

While Pearl and Henry made the tiniest of appearances, it was the most powerful scene in the book and planted even more seeds for the next volume.
If I had to complain about something in this volume, it would be that we didn't get all that much Skinner Sweet as a vampire. Still, Snyder continues to keep me entertained with one of the most overused monsters, the vampire. Now I have to wait a few months until the next volume comes out.
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American Vampire, Vol. 3

American Vampire, Vol. 3 by Scott Snyder
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In the third American Vampire volume, the vampires enter World War II as Henry goes to Taipan and encounters a Japanese breed of vampire and Cash and Book go to Germany to find a cure for vampirism and instead encounter a brigade of Nazi vampires.

American Vampire 3 is more of the same greatness that I've come to expect from the American Vampire series. In the first story, Henry and company go to a Japanese island and go up against a breed of Japanese vampire with Skinner Sweet in their midst and it's up to Pearl to save her man. It's a great story and Snyder fleshes out his vampire mythology even more. Not only that, it plants the seeds for later stories. Snyder seems to be committed to American Vampire for the long haul, judging by the seeds sown.

The second story brings back the characters of Book and Cash from Volume 2 and sends them off to Germany. The brigade of vampire nazis reminded me of Robert McCammon's Wolf's Hour for some reason, probably the combination of World War II and supernatural creatures. I love that Snyder introduced yet another breed of vampire in this tale, possibly the progenitors of the species. It tied up some loose ends and also planted seeds for future tales, something that Snyder is proving adept at. He never closes a door without first opening a window.

American Vampire has proven itself to be one of the best comics going today and this volume is no exception. If you like your vampires brutal and bloody and not sparkly whiners, this is the series for you!

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American Vampire, Vol. 2

American Vampire, Vol. 2 by Scott Snyder
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Las Vegas police chief Cash McCogan has a murderer to find and all signs point to Jim Smoke, the man who likely was responsible for the death of McCogan's father. Meanwhile, some mystery men approach Pearl with a deal...

After the thrill ride that was the first American Vampire volume, I was jonesing for more. While this one wasn't quite what I expected, it more than delivered the goods. I like that Pearl wasn't swept under the rug after the first volume and that the series isn't all about Skinner Sweet.

Snyder's pacing is perfect for the story and it tempts me to give his Batman run a try. I love the art style in this. When I saw Rafal Aluquerque's name on the first volume, I was skeptical, but his art has improved in leaps and bounds since his run on Blue Beetle.

The main story, that of Cashel McCogan, felt like it was written for me. The hard-boiled Las Vegas police chief teams up with some federal agents and stumbled upon a plot involving secret financiers of the Boulder Dam and vampires galore. I like that Snyder continues to develop his vampire mythology with different varieties of vampire with different weaknesses.

While Pearl is in the background for a part of the book, she takes center stage at the end and delivers an orgy of violence ending for the volume. I wasn't completely sold on Pearl until then. Now, I'm dying to forgo housework in order to read American Vampire 3.



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American Vampire, Vol. 1

American Vampire, Vol. 1 by Scott Snyder
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

American Vampire tells two tales: the origin and early days of American vampire Skinner Sweet in the dying days of the Old West, and the tragedy of aspiring actress Pearl Jones, who runs afoul of old world vampires in 1920's Los Angeles. How will their tales intersect?

Where do I start with this? I've never read Scott Snyder before but I loved his writing in this. Stephen King's was also really good, not surprising since he did write my favorite epic of all time, The Dark Tower. Rafael Albuquerque's artwork has come a long way since his days penciling Blue Beetle.

Scott Snyder is taking back vampires from the people who made them romantic fops. Vampires are murderous predators from beyond the grave and should be depicted as such! The vampires in American Vampire remind me of the vampires in I am Legend, Salem's Lot, and Garth Ennis's Preacher. They aren't pretty, don't fall in love with mortal girls, and love the taste of blood.

The two plots were both very interesting. While Skinner Sweet's story of carnage in the old west was good, I think I'd give the edge to the Snyder-penned tale of a Hollywood infested by vampires in the 1920's. I like the idea of different strains of vampirism based on genetics and such. It'll be interesting to see how this concept is explored in subsequent volumes.

I got American Vampire as a Christmas gift and it's pretty high in the Christmas gift ass-kicking hierarchy this year. It's an easy four stars if you like graphic novels and killer vampires.

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Chase

Chase by Dan Curtis Johnson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Former P.I. Cameron Chase joins the Department of Extranormal Operations and investigates metahuman activity. But what dark secret is she harboring...

I picked up Chase because Cameron Chase was a supporting cast member of the Manhunter series by Marc Andreyko. Chase has a flavor that's somewhere in between Manhunter and Gotham Central. It almost feels like an ancestor of sorts of both books.

Chase's cases see her interacting with Batman, Clayface, the Suicide Squad, and many others. It's a slice of 90's comic nostalgia for me. Notable guest stars include the version of the Teen Titans led by The Atom, Connor Hawke as Green Arrow, the electric blue Superman, and the greatest Green Lantern to ever wear a ring, the crab-masked Kyle Rayner. Let's see how long it takes Terry to notice that last one. Other guest stars include Alan Scott as Sentinel and a tale of the past featuring the Hal Jordan Green Lantern and his cousin Air Wave. Chase's interactions with Batman were my favorite part of the story. I'm glad she's currently making appearances in one of the Bat-books.

The stories of the main Chase series are very well done, delving into Chase's background as she goes on cases. The various other stories within are fairly unnecessary. Did I really need to read Chase #1000000 or the various secret files issues? I did not. Chase 1-9 were very well done. The rest of the collection dragged it down.

Three stars. If you liked Cameron Chase's appearances in other books, you'll like her here.

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The Flash: Rebirth

The Flash: Rebirth by Geoff Johns
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Barry Allen, the Silver Age Flash that sacrificed himself to save the universe from the Anti-Monitor during the Crisis on Infinite Earths, has returned to life. But why? And why do the other wielders of the Speed Force keep having tragedy befall them? And what does The Flash's arch-nemesis, Professor Zoom, have to do with it?

First, a little history lesson. As I've mentioned in a couple reviews in the past, the first comic book I consciously remember picking out for myself was an issue of DC Comics Presents featuring Superman teaming up with Robin. What I've never mentioned before is that when I began getting comics second hand at flea markets and yard sales, they were issues of The Flash, many featuring art by Carmine Infantino. While I was young when Barry Allen sacrificed himself during the Crisis on Infinite Earths, I understood that Wally West picking up the Flash mantle was significant.

So why was I skeptical when I heard Geoff Johns was reviving Barry Allen much in the way he revived Hal Jordan? For one thing, I thought everyone on the planet had accepted Wally West as the new Flash. Barry had been gone for 23 years, rivaling Bucky's death for length of staying dead. Heck, I wasn't too crazy about Johns bringing Hal Jordan back either. Well, for nostalgia reasons, I gave The Flash: Rebirth a shot anyway and I'm glad I did.

The Flash: Rebirth is the story of a man out of time, much like Captain America was portrayed during the 1960's when he was first brought back. Barry knows he was brought back for a reason and thinks it's to solve his mother's murder and clear his father's name. Little does he know...

As I get older, super speed is one of the super powers I'd most like to have, and Johns and the artist, Ethan Van Sciver, know how to use it to it's fullest in a story, both visually and conceptually. I loved the revelation about the origin of the Speed Force and the murderer of Barry Allen's mother. Lots of speedsters past were brought back and used better than they have been in years. I expected Wally and the rest to be swept under the rug when Barry returned but they all got decent screen time.

That's pretty much all I can reveal without spoiling the core of the story. If you've ever been interested in the Barry Allen version of the Flash, this one isn't to be missed. It's an easy four for what it is.

Also, Green Lantern Kyle Rayner is superior to Hal Jordan. Just sayin'.

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Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E., Vol. 1: War of the Monsters

Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E., Vol. 1: War of the Monsters by Jeff Lemire
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Armed with the sword of the Archangel Gabriel, Frankenstein protects mankind from dark menaces as an agent of SHADE!

Whenever I talk about comics, I normally latch on to the ones that are more than just guys in spandex punching each other. Frankenstein, Agent of SHADE, is two guys punching each other with the volume turned up to eleven.

Frankenstein, Agent of SHADE, combines the best parts of Hellboy and Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD with a helping of the Fantastic Four. Cool ideas are spilling off the page, as are the nearly mindless slugfests when Frankenstein and the Creature Commandos go into action, battling entire planets full of monsters, thinly disguised analogs of Dr. Manhattan, and various menaces contained within Shade City.

Frankenstein reminds me of Hellboy quite a bit. He's a hundred years old and fairly pissed off. The rest of the Creature Commandos are takeoffs of established monster characters like the wolfman and the creature from the black lagoon. It's a whole lot of fun.

Like I said earlier, the background concepts are what make the book, like the Ant Farm, a one inch diameter globe that floats above the earth's surface and serves as SHADE headquarters. Ray Palmer as the head scientist of SHADE, complete with his Atom powers, was one of my favorite parts.

Any gripes? Not really. Frankenstein, Agent of SHADE, is a hell of a lot of fun. It's not going to make you forget about Watchmen or Starman but it's not meant to.

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Hawkman: Endless Flight

Hawkman: Endless Flight by Geoff Johns
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have to admit that back in the day, I thought Hawkman (and all winged superheroes, for that matter) was the lamest thing around. It looks like I'll have to re-evaluate my opinion.

The writing is what drew me to this one. Geoff Johns AND James Robinson? How can I lose? Well, I couldn't. Here's what went down.

In the first story, Hawkman and Hawkgirl, constantly reincarnating lovers, are in the middle of a spat. Hawkgirl doesn't remember her previous incarnations the way Hawkman does and finds him creepy. Not to mention that he's a decade older than her. While searching for Hawkgirl's parents's murderer, they get caught up in a plot by an evil museum curator to swipe the Eye of Shiva. Mayhem ensues.

Instead of being lame, Johns and Robinson make Hawkman seem like a flying hybrid of Wolverine and Conan the Barbarian. The best parts of the book, however, are Hawkman's rocky relationship with Hawkgirl and his ever-present bickering with Green Arrow. Classic stuff.

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