Countdown 27

Sorry, I'm late again.

By the way, here by spoilers.

Blue Beetle 20: This is a surprising issue. First of all--Peacemaker. Dead? Alive? It's already been spoiled by John Rogers, but since that issue hasn't come out, I won't comment. Look it up yourself. As for this issue? It was weird. As I said elsewhere, it was an anomaly where combining Awesome Comic A (Blue Beetle) with Awesome Comic B (Sinestro War) left us with Subpar Reading Experience (Blue Beetle 20). I just don't know what to make of it. There were some good parts, but mostly it was a letdown. However, this could be because it dealt with more of the scarab "mythology" regarding the Reach, which I know nothing about (having skipped issues 6-13 of this series). So maybe it'll read better once I've caught up on trades. But still...it was disappointing, at least compared to other issues of this comic.

Countdown 27: So yeah. Is it bad that, even just a few days later, I can't remember what happened in this issue without looking to something for reference? Anyway, I just found out that Buddy Blank's grandson was Kamandi, which is something that I should have known, but the link in my head didn't click. That pipes my interest. Sadly, the Karate Kid/OMAC plot is mostly ignored in this issue, save for...what, two pages?...mostly in favor of the ever-boring Challengers of the Beyond plot. And it's weird that I call them boring, because when Countdown started, the solicits of the "Search for Ray Palmer" one-shots were the only tie-in issues I was interested in. However, their story has basically gone nowhere since they ditched Atom for Kyle Rayner, and my interest left completely when they reached the Extremist homeworld. I was bored enough with the Extremists the first time I read Giffen's run on JLI, but I worked past it enough to enjoy the stories, because they were well-written. This doesn't seem to have that quality, sadly enough. I tried checking out the preview for the Lord Havok miniseries, and couldn't even get past the first page, it was so boring. I really don't know why DC felt the need to drag these characters up again--I doubt they were in particularly high demand.

Flash 233: I love this series. I really do. A lot of people seem to hate the idea of the "Wally and kids" focus on the title, but I think it's refreshing and fun. I enjoy seeing the kids participate in the adventures. Anyway, I don't agree with the comments that Wally bringing his kids into battle is anywhere on the same line as, say, Batman and his various Robins. Let's be honest: each of those Robins--and most teen sidekicks, for that matter--are highly trained, and are usually old enough to at least make rational decisions. Wally's children are basically ages eight and ten biologically, and they've only been alive for...what, a year and a half? They don't even have any of the limited life experience a normal ten-year-old would have. They have almost no training, and their powers fluctuate wildly, with, as far as I know, no warning. That makes their powers a liability, not an asset. And when you consider that the Flash fights powered rogues, while Batman's villains are often of the gangster variety, there's really a big difference. Getting off that tangent, this issue was a lot of fun, and I think the potential here is enormous. I didn't really enjoy the backup, oddly enough...it was well-done, but just didn't click with me. I don't have much interest in Jay as a solo character, though. In JSA I love him, but I couldn't read a book about him. Maybe that's why I didn't really enjoy this part of the backup.

Legion of Super-Heroes In the 31st Century is one of those fun titles that I can't help but love. The first two issues? Passably interesting at best, I'll admit. But everything after that has just been a great Legion story--enjoyable, easy to read, and, as previously mentioned, fun. I loved the take on the Amazons--as far as I can recall, that's never been explored in a Legion story before. Circe's involvement basically gave the whole plot away, yeah, but for non-comic readers just picking up this title, that wouldn't happen. And even when it does happen, it doesn't prevent the story from being enjoyable. I can't help but wonder how long the series will stay in this light-hearted, "Silver-Age-y" tone, though, what with the television show going to darker routes this season.

Superman 667: The first issue of this story arc completely reaffirmed my Superman love. This issue was good, but not great, unfortunately. The quality? Excellent. But I can only deal with so much sci-fi exposition at once, and having an entire issue of it pushed me past my limits. I'll give it another read, though, and maybe I'll enjoy it more. Still, this is already an excellent arc, by an excellent writer. I'm on board again for the long haul.

Teen Titans 52: Woah. That last page...big thing there. Can anyone tell me who the girl between Luthor's is (...inuendo ftw?), and who that big rocky guy is? Anyway, I'm a bit confused as to the artists now--Ale Garza seemed ready to be on Supergirl for the long haul, then transferred to this title after a few issues, and has now basically vanished, being replaced by Jamal Igle for now, and (I'm pretty sure) other artists on future solicits? What does that mean? I loved Garza's work here, and while I love Igle's as well, I just don't think know if this is the best title for him to shine. As for the writing side of the story...Sean McKeever is giving us an enjoyable Titans story. He's not really pushing any crazy boundaries, but it's far from being even mediocre. This is the sort of story that is, theoretically, the bread and butter of comics.

Quick Marvel Rundown: The only titles I got this week were X-Men: Die By the Sword and...well, X-Men. You know, the adjectiveless title. X-Men: Die By the Sword was decent, and X-Men was a lot more readable with the artist change. I liked certain aspects of the previous artistic team, but overall, I just couldn't enjoy the full book. This is much better. Endangered Species ended not with a big reveal, as I had expected, but with a somber acceptance of the mutant situation. I'm not sure how I feel about that--it sort of makes the back-up irrelevant, having not contained anything important other than "Yeah we can't fix it," even though we know it's going to change with Messiah Complex. Ah well.

And now, a quick glance at some independent titles...

Madame Mirage 1-3: Woah. And to think, I only grabbed this title due to interest with someone's avatar on a messageboard (thanks, Josie!) Paul Dini is doing pretty well with this title, I have to say. The major delay between issues 1 and 2 almost destroyed my interest, but things seem to be back on schedule (well, 2 and 3 were released a month apart, I think) and issue 3's revelations about Madame Mirage's identity, origins, and motives pulled me back in. For those who haven't tried this book, I'd really recommend giving it a shot.

Umbrella Academy 1-2: If you aren't reading this, start. Wow. I would have completely ignored this title if someone at my local comic shop hadn't suggested it, and I'm glad he did, because...wow. This is the sort of book that becomes a classic, and then, ultimately, a movie. I don't even know what to say about this book, other than a constant endorsement. Buy it.