THE WEEK (NOV 21-27, 2012)

FEATURED REVIEW

Captain America #1
(w) Rick Remender
(p) John Romita Jr.
After a long (<8 years) and fruitful run from the amazing Ed Brubaker, Rick Remender is taking over writing duties for Captain America, and he's starting out big. Cap' will forgo a lot of the 'spy intrigue' of the Brubaker era in place of sci-fi 'weird science' stories. Plus, John Romita Jr. is one of Marvel's biggest guns.

DC Universe Presents #14
(w) Marc Andreyko
(p) Robson Rocha
I wholly enjoyed the first part of "Black Lightning and Blue Devil", especially Marc Andreyko's interesting take on the relationship between these two characters. 

Green Lantern: New Guardians #14
(w) Tony Bedard
(p) Aaron Kuder
Kyle Rayner continues his quest, this month, to master all the colors of the emotional spectrum. Last time, Atrocitus managed to push the most peaceful Green Lantern into a rage-filled rampage. How will Arkillo teach Kyle about fear this month?

Hawkeye #4
(w) Matt Fraction
(p) David Aja
Instead of focusing on all the 'Marvel NOW!' stuff, executives should be figuring out any way possible to get Hawkeye on a more regular schedule. As in twice a month. This is by and far my favorite series from Marvel right now. It's amazing. Read it.

Indestructible Hulk #1
(w) Mark Waid
(p) Lenil Yu
Normally, I don't like Hulk that much. I've never really found anything much interesting about a character who's just whiny when he's a human and angry when he's Hulk. Hopefully, Mark Waid can work the same magic he did with Daredevil and turn the Hulk into one of Marvel's most nuanced heroes. Also, Lenil Yu is a fantastic artist.

Justice League #14
(w) Geoff Johns
(p) Tony S. Daniel
Apparently, "the road to 'Trinity War' goes through Justice League #14", as some promos have put it. Either way, "The Secret of the Cheetah" made the villainous Cheetah more interesting and fun than she's been in ages, so I'm down to finish up this little mini-arc.

Supergirl #14
(w) Mike Johnson
(p) Mahmud Asrar
Last week's "H'el on Earth" crossover issue, Superboy #14, was a travesty. Hopefully, Mike Johnson can right the ship and get this Superman Family crossover going the right direction. Though, last month's issue without Michael Green co-writing was the weakest issue of the series to date, so i don't know.

Extra! Extra!
Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre #4 of 4
(w) Darwyn Cooke
(p) Amanda Conner

Iron Man #2
(w) Kieron Gillen
(p) Greg Land

Journey Into Mystery #646
(w) Kathryn Immonen
(p) Valerio Schiti

Wonder Woman #14
(w) Brian Azzarello
(p) Tony Akins

THE WEEK (OCT 24-30, 2012)

FEATURED REVIEW

Teen Titans #13
(w) Scott Lobdell
(p) Ale Garza
Wonder Girl is forced to fight her ex-boyfriend for control of the Silent Armor! It's time to get back to Cassie Sandsmark's origin and her connection to the Greek gods, which has been my most favorite arc of the series thus far. 

The Flash #13
(w/p) Francis Manapul and Buccellato
After a lengthy bout against the various members of the Rogues, Flash must face Gorilla Grodd and his plans to steal the Speed Force from Flash! "Gorilla Warfare" promises to be an awesome arc in Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato's already amazing run with the character.

Justice League Dark #13
(w) Jeff Lemire
(p) Mikel Janin
It's the penultimate chapter in the "War for the Books of Magic" arc that will conclude later this month in Justice League Dark Annual #1. Remember a few months ago when that mystery man took control of the House of Secrets? Well now it's House of Mystery vs. House of Secrets!

Red Lanterns #13
(w) Peter Milligan
(p) Gabriel Sepulveda
"Rise of the Third Army" continues this week as one of the Red Lanterns gets taken by the Army! Atrocitus literally just finished up saving his Corps from the darkened soul of Abysmus, and now he's got to stave off a hive-mind army guided by the Guardians of the Universe? This guy has his work cut out for him.

Extra! Extra!
A-Babies vs. X-Babies
(w/p) Various

Batman Incorporated #4
(w) Grant Morrison
(p) Chris Burnham

Batman: The Dark Knight #13
(w) Gregg Hurwitz
(p) David Finch


Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre #4 of 4
(w) Darwyn Cooke
(p) Amanda Conner

Bravest Warriors #1
(w) Joey Comeau
(p) Mike Holmes

I, Vampire #13
(w) Joshua Hale Fialkov
(p) Andrea Sorrentino

X-Treme X-Men #5
(w) Greg Pak
(p)

UPCOMING REVIEWS (SEP. 5-11)

Action Comics #0
(Morrison, Oliver)
- Grant Morrison takes us back in time! to give us a story about a boy who steals Superman's cape. There's got to be some connection to the overall Morrison story, so it'll be interesting to see how a carefree-sounding story might incorporate more complex elements.

Earth 2 #0
(Robinson, Giorello)
- Since Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman died in the opening pages of Earth 2 #1, this month's 'Issue Zero' will focus on their heroic adventures before the invasion of Apokolips. Plus, more connections will probably be made between E2 and World's Finest.

Green Lantern #0

(Johns, Mahnke)

- It's about damn time we get an introduction to BAZ! the newest member of the soon-to-maybe-be-extinct Green Lantern Corps. He's looking bad-ass, and probably won't get any training, which is a great set-up to the epic "Rise of the Third Army" starting next month. And maybe we'll get some insight into the fates of Hal Jordan and Sinestro.

Hawkeye #2
(Fraction, Aya)
- My review of Hawkeye #1 last month for PopMatters.com examined how Matt Fraction aimed to make Clint Barton more akin to the 1970s embodiment of Green Arrow, a hero who fought for the common man and the underscored in our society. Let's see if Fraction can keep it up.

The Phantom Stranger #0

(Didio, Anderson)

- After a fantastic and tragically cut short run on O.M.A.C., - not to mention a three-part "Challengers of the Unknown" arc on DC Universe Presents - Dan Didio returns to writing with The Phantom Stranger straight out of the pages of The New 52 #1, the 'Free Comic Book Day' issue that introduced us to the Trinity of Sin. If past work is any indication, Didio's take on the Stranger will be campy and awesome.

World's Finest #0
(Levitz, Maguire)
- After a less-than-stellar first arc, Paul Levitz takes us back to Earth 2 to a time when Karen was Supergirl, and Helena was Robin. They were two of the eight 'wonders' of Earth 2 before the Apokolips invasion destroyed everything. Just like Earth 2 #0, it's likely more will be revealed about the nature of the multiverse and how the two Earth's connect.

4-Sentence Reviews
- Animal Man #0
- Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre #3 of 4
- Dial H #0
- The First X-Men #2 of 5

4-SENTENCE REVIEWS (JULY 18-24)

Avengers vs. X-Men #8 of 12
(Bendis, Kubert, Dell)

Avengers vs. X-Men #8 makes the series feel like its stuck in a rut, while simultaneously breathing a whole new life into Marvel's mega event for 2012. King Namor has gone a bit nuts - but who didn't see that coming - and proceeds to decimate Wakanda in the ongoing search for Hope Summers, something the Avengers don't take very kindly to at all. Because a hefty majority of the issue is spent fleshing out the battle in Wakanda - as Earth's Mightiest attack Namor one after another, only to be swiftly brushed aside - there isn't a whole lot of actual plot development, which is why this issue fell a little flat for me. Of course, Bendis packs a big punch at the end when Scarlet Witch basically disarms Namor, causing his fifth of the Phoenix Force to fuse with the remaining four, a twist that is sure to make things a bit harder for the X-Men going forward.

GRADE: B-

Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre #2 of 4

(Cooke, Conner)

While Darwyn Cooke and Amanda Conner's first issue following the young life of Laurie Juspeczyk reminisced about the high school days of the 1960s - their innocence, simplicity, and comfort - Silk Spectre #2 explores the more groovy side of the era of peace, love, and rock 'n roll. Laurie and her high school sweetheart, Greg, ran off with a few hippies at the end of last issue, and a quick letter home to her "Uncle" Hollis Mason gives Cooke the chance to abridge Laurie's new life in San Francisco for the reader, similar to a film montage. Much like Cooke's neo-retro style is perfect for Minutemen, Conner's subtle, yet fully-featured, artwork is incredible for a series about what it was like being young and free in the 60s (and the fact that it resembles Archie doesn't hurt it one bit). Cooke's moving this series at a deliberate pace that's slowly bringing a world of corruption crashing into Laurie's life, forcing her to do what she knows is right and take up the Silk Spectre mantle.

GRADE: A

Captain Marvel #1
(DeConnick, Soy)

I've always been a really, really big fan of Ms. Marvel - Carol Danvers is the kind of female superhero that's far more realistic than, say, Wonder Woman or Supergirl, and is way more interesting because he problems are more grounded. With Captain Marvel, Kelly Sue DeConnick throws away the 'Ms' and brings Captain America in a for a guest spot to give Carol his blessing to take the mantle of Captain that should have been hers years ago. While Steve Rogers' inclusion was touching in it's narrative reason, I feel split on why Marvel felt it had to include one of it's most iconic male characters in the first issue of a new series that's supposed to be focused on an awesome female character. On top of that, it feels like DeConnick doesn't really know who Carol Danvers is yet, which is something the writer will have to move past if she hopes to give Carol any sort of redeeming qualities in future issues.

GRADE: B-

Green Lantern Corps #11

(Tomasi, Pasarin, Hanna)

As much as I love Green Lantern, Peter J. Tomasi is taking Green Lantern Corps down a path that I'm not quite sure I'm all that invested in following."Alpha War" continues this month, but that name can be a bit misleading: the "war" is more of an Alpha Lantern hissy-fit that's gotten a bit too out of control, causing the Alphas to lock up all the Lanterns they can while Guy and John escape to the depths of Oa. What comes next is kind of silly, as John and Guy find the vast storage facility containing all the old decommissioned Manhunters, as well as a host of other biological experiments the Guardians partook in through the eons. While I'm sure having Guy and John reprogram these monstrosities to eliminate the Alpha Lanterns sounded good on paper, but it just comes off as pandering.

GRADE: D+

Nightwing #11
(Higgins, Guinaldo, Irwin)

While some critics have drawn comparisons between the "Court of Owls" storyline and the new arc from Kyle Higgins on Nightwing, stating that giving Dick Grayson his own "who rules the city?" situation is happening too close to the Batman's. This month, Higgins gives readers a bit more insight into Paragon's underworld army - and those in it who start to question their leader's sanity - as well as Detective Nie, one of Nightwing's more adement detractors over the course of the series. While Paragon struggles to retain supporters for his "righteous" cause, Nie reveals to Commissioner Gordon and Deputy Mayor Kavanaugh that one of the patrolmen supposedly murdered by Nightwing (see all the way back to Nightwing #1 for details) was his lover. Higgins uses this element to bring Nie and Paragon together at the end of the issue, but to what devices is still to be seen.

GRADE: B

Supergirl #11

(Green, Johnson, Asrar)

After ten issues of non-stop action, Michael Green and Mike Johnson take a break from throwing every conceivable threat Kara's way this issue and focus on the Supergirl's acclimation to Earth. After some beautifully drawn landscapes from around the world - as Kara learns more and more about her adopted world - Siobhan insists that her brother Tom take Kara out into the city and enjoy being a normal person for a while. Of course, what would a superhero comic be without a villain, so the nanosuited fellow from the end of last issue pops up to deal out some pain before Kara combines her x-ray and heat vision to basically lobotomize the man inside the suit. This fight with the unnamed assailant is less about introducing a new villain or plot, and more just another point in Green and Johnson's story about Kara's alien nature and how she fits into the human world.

GRADE: A

UPCOMING REVIEWS (JULY 18-24)

Avengers vs. X-Men #8 of 12
(Somebody, Somebody Else)
- Apparently, Namor goes apeshit crazy on Wakanda in the X-Men's search for Hope. Andy Kubert steps in for pencils on this issue, which is great because it's Andy Kubert, but also a shame because Olivier Coipel's work has been so magnificent over the past few issues.

Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre #2 of 4

(Cooke, Conner)

- Darwyn Cooke's biggest effort right now is Minutemen, but that doesn't mean he's slacking off with Silk Spectre, a series that started off with a pretty great sense of nostalgia and teenage wanderlust that encompassed the 1960s so well. Now that our young heroine is on the run, it's San Francisco or bust.

Blue Beetle #11
(Bedard, Guara)
- Booster Gold and Blue Beetle team up again...for the first time! In their official 'New 52' team-up, Booster comes to the aid of poor Jaime Reyes, who has been labeled a menace to society by the media at large!

DC Universe Presents #11

(Robinson, Chang)

- It's the exciting conclusion to "Savage"! Kassidy Sage's reinforcements are dead, Vandal Savage is (technically) a fugitive again, and the serial killer is out for blood! James Robinson has done a fantastic job giving Vandal Savage his 'New 52' remake.

Justice League #11
(Johns, Lee)
- Graves has the Justice League at his mercy, and there doesn't seem to be any way out! "The Villain's Journey" continues as the League tries to defeat the man with nothing to lose. Geoff Johns' "Shazam" back-up also promises to get a bit meatier this month with the debut of Black Adam!

Nightwing #11

(Higgins, Barrows)

- "The Republic of Tomorrow, Today" continues as Nightwing faces off against Paragon, yet another whack-job claiming to be Gotham City's true son. When will these silly villains learn?

Saga #5
(Vaughan, Staples)
- Brian K. Vaughan's epic sci-fi opera keeps getting better and after last month's horrifying visit to planet Sextillion, this issue spotlights the robot Prince, which should be a nice change of pace.

Supergirl #11

(Green, Johnson, Asrar)

- Michael Green and Mike Johnson just wont leave poor Kara alone! Supergirl finally starts fitting in a bit and she's attacked by yet another villain. And she gets new powers! This is still one of the better series DC currently offers. So if you're not reading it, you definitely should be.

4-Sentence Reviews
- Captain Marvel #1
- Green Lantern Corps #11
- Wonder Woman #11

(COMIC) 4-SENTENCE REVIEWS #4!

Resurrection Man #10
(Abnett, Lanning, Saiz)

I've been a extremely avid fan of Resurrection Man since last September, mostly based on the fact that Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning were less concerned with creating some amazingly big story arc and more focused on just writing interesting stories. I was pretty upset when DC announced that the series would end after it's 'Issue Zero' this coming September, but after reading Resurrection Man #10, I'm wondering if maybe it wasn't all that bad of a call. This month, Mitch Shelley and Kim Rebecki are still on the hunt to uncover Mitch's mysterious past, but instead of advancing the story at all, Abnett and Lanning bring back the 'avenging angels' that came after Mitch way back in issue four or five, a move that shows that maybe these writers really don't have a solid future in plan for the man who can't die. It's far more likely that Mitch Shelley's story will have a super-satisfying conclusion come next month, but we'll just have to wait and see.

GRADE: B

Before Watchmen: Minutemen #1 of 6

(Darwyn Cooke)

Minutemen is supposed to be a look back at the original superhero team that set the (arguably) 'golden standard' for what the Watchmen eventually aspire to attain: the original idea of truth, justice, and the American way. And while we know the Minutemen had their own set of problems, they also operated in a simpler time when origin stories didn't involve intergalactic sentries or mystical interventions, but instead came from ordinary people looking to make their world a little bit better. In this first of six issues, Darwyn Cooke spends a lot of time going over the origins of each member of the Minutemen, and while this could come off as cheesy and overbearing, Cooke masterfully makes each introduction feel like you're meeting these characters for the first time. It's a phenomenal first issue and even better beginning to the Before Watchmen event.

GRADE: A

Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre #1 of 4
(Cooke, Conner)

In the first title dedicated to a member of the Watchmen (the first in the Before Watchmen series focused on the Minutemen, which features the Comedian, but none of the other Watchmen proper), and it's pretty damn good. Laurie Juspeczyk has grown up in the shadow of her mother, both in terms of training and studying to carry on the Silk Spectre name, as well as her infamous streak of compromising work after her days as a superhero ended. Laurie's tale starts as a romantic story with chisel-jawed Greg, a boy who knows about her mother's racy past and doesn't care - all he wants is to be with Laurie, and the two of them decide to run away from home and hitchhike to wherever. Darwyn Cooke has set up a very mid-60s story, complete with adolescent angst, social hierarchy, and a pinch of hippies to keep us interested for the next issue.

GRADE: B

Summer Blockbuster: Before Watchmen

Summer means different things to everyone. For kids and teenagers, it's a time of relaxation and pure bliss because there's no school. For college students, it's a time to work and maybe take more classes. For hippies it means festival season is in full swing, for water parks it means business, and for the comic book industry, it means big crossover events, and this summer DC Comics has the coolest one.

***

Issue #1 covers for all seven mini-series and back-up.

As reported by many news outlets, the biggest - and most controversial - of these  is Before Watchmen, a look into the world of the Watchmen before the events of the original series by Alan Moore over 20 years ago. With some of the industry's biggest names in writing and artwork signed on, DC is going all-out and releasing seven mini-series complete with an ongoing back-up story and a bookend epilogue at the end of the summer.

Watchmen co-creator and author Alan Moore has publicly stated his distaste with the new series, likening DC's actions to writing a "Bible II" without consulting God. Moore's stance reflects his feelings toward the live-action feature film version of Watchmen released in 2009 to critical and popular praise. Many of the writers and artists attached to the project have come to their own defense stating their intent to enrich the world of the Watchmen, not to sully it as Moore believes.

Each of the main characters from the original Watchmen has their own title - Rorschach, Nite Owl, Comedian, Silk Spectre, Ozymandias, and Dr. Manhattan - as well as Before Watchmen: Minutemen which will focus on the first superhero team, the Minutemen, who operated decades before the Watchmen. The seven mini-series will be released intermittently, one issue per week, throughout the summer months until they finish up with Before Watchmen: Epilogue. At the end of each issue, a two-page back-up story featuring the Crimson Corsair will run the entirety of the event and finish up in the pages of Epilogue.

Stay tuned to "The Endless Reel" for weekly coverage of Before Watchmen as it unfolds this summer.