DONE-IN-ONE REVIEWS: JUNE 7, 2008

[Blake Petit]

Once again, friends, it’s Saturday. That means it’s time for some Done-In-One reviews: short, capsule reviews of a few comics that didn’t get the full review treatment in the last few weeks. Enjoy!

American Dream #3 (Marvel Comics)
By Tom DeFalco, Todd Nauck & Ron Frenz

This issue, American Dream sets out to find the man behind the crystal creatures she battled last issue, unaware that Red Queen and Ion Man are in the wings, watching the entire procedure. The best bit of the issue, however, is an extended flashback sequence to Shannon's origin story. I never read the original A-Next series, so I don't know if this is new information or a recap, but it was certainly appreciated. It helps give the character a bit of an identity, reflecting the will and drive and desire to help people that characterize Captain America. As this whole series is, in large part, about Shannon's lack of an identity outside of a costume, covering the origin helps us to understand that American Dream really is her true self, again, making her similar to her inspiration. Todd Nauck's artwork is as spiffy as ever, and the book ends on a nice little cliffhanger. Very solid issue with which we pass the halfway point of this miniseries.
Rating: 4/5 --Blake M. Petit

Betty #174 (Archie Comics)
By Barbara Slate, Kathleen Webb, George Gladir & Stan Goldberg

School's out in Riverdale, and Betty and company are taking advantage of it! In the first tale this issue, Betty is down on an overcast day, and decides to boost her spirits by painting her room -- but making a color choice isn't as easy as she would have thought. It's a cute little story, if not a spectacular one. "The Late Late Show" features a Betty whose sleepign patterns are being disrupted by staying up late reading books (do teenagers still do that?) and watching movies -- something that seems unimportant, until it impacts her love life. The final story, "Weather Tether," is the best in the issue -- Archie and Betty decide to defy the overcast skies and spend the day at the beach, but when they get there, the sand is deserted. Of course, the benefits of an empty beach aren't lost on Betty. I guess I'm just an old softie -- I like stories like this one, where Betty gets to put one in the "win" column of the neverending battle for Archie's heart. Good issue, overall.
Rating: 3.5/5 --Blake M. Petit

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight #15 (Dark Horse Comics)
By Drew Goddard, Georges Jeanty & Jon Foster

Well, the Joss Whedon consortium has done it again -- another relationship shattered. These guys REALLY don't believe in "Happily Ever After," do they? After the brutal killing that ended last issue, the Scooby gang and their uneasy ally, Dracula, find themselves facing a legion of vampires in the heart of Japan. The battle takes up the bulk of the issue but, true to form, the character stuff is sprinkled throughout the issue as well. Buffy and Willow have some great stuff here, and the closing scenes between Xander and Dracula are fantastic. This issue also takes advantage of the comic book format to do a few things (which I won't spoil here) that just would have been impossible to do effectively with the budget of a TV show. Some of them are a little silly (but highly appropriate, considering writer Drew Goddard's most recent screen credit), but they work in the context of the Buffyverse. This book continues to be a favorite of mine, and even moreso as I approach the end of my first view-through of the entire TV series.
Rating: 4.5/5 --Blake M. Petit

Infinity, Inc. #10 (DC Comics)
By Peter Milligan & Pete Woods

This is a book that's been saved from the drop bubble for me. It has a lot of interesting ideas, but until the last couple of issues, it didn't necessarily feel like it was going anywhere. As the Infinitors try to take down a kid whose Everyman metamorphosis has left him transformed into a true monster -- or so they thing. Milligan throws a nice twist at us this issue, and we see two of the Infinitors make pretty big decisions. I really like Pete Woods' artwork on this series, although the new costumes are a little bland. We got to see a little more from John Henry Irons this issue, too, which (if we're being perfectly honest here) is the main reason I bought this series in the first place. Hopefully the "prologue" at the end of this issue will promise even more from him, although the last panel is a little too Heroes.
Rating: 4/5 --Blake M. Petit

Jonah Hex #32 (DC Comics)
By Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray & Jordi Bernet

A typically good issue of Jonah Hex begins at a bullfight, where a man wants to pay Hex to kill a Matador that had an affair with his fight. When Hex refuses, he finds himself the target of a murder attempt. But even an enraged bull may not be a match for Jonah Hex. Everything you want in a Jonah Hex comic is right here -- it's a brtual, violent tale with a dandy little twist at the ending, turning the story into a sort of warped morality play. Jordi Bernet's art style may not be as hyper-detailed as some of the artists who work on this title, but somehow, it's a perfect fit. Some of his characters, particularly the women, look a little cartoony, but blended with grimmer male characters and excellent colors by Rob Schwager, it's a perfect fix. This book really is the gold standard of a comic book western.
Rating: 4.5/5 --Blake M. Petit

Justice League Unlimited #46 (DC Comics/Johnny DC)
By Matt Wayne & Carlo Barberi

And sadly, the end has come for Justice League Unlimited. I guess I should be grateful that the comic has continued for this long after the end of the TV show, but it still bums me out to see this book finish. Matt Wayne and Carlo Barberi take us out in rather unusual fashion here, with a story focusing on an attack on the Green Latnern Corps by Sinestro and the Weaponers of Qward. John Stewart is the only JLU member to have a big role in this issue, leading a group of Green Lantern cadets into battle. This is a nice character piece and really helps establish several Green Lanterns in the Diniverse. However, this is the last issue. If this had been any other issue, it would have been great, but to close the series, I can't help but with that the series would have finished with a slam-bang story focusing on the entire League. This is a good issue for Green Lantern fans, and a good issue for JLU fans, but it would have been nice to see the team as a whole get a better send-off.
Rating: 3.5/5 --Blake M. Petit

Noble Causes #34 (Image Comics)
By Jay Faerber & Yildiray Cinar

With Frost in a coma, Doc Noble is desperate for a means to save his sort-of-son. Celeste, meanwhile, wants his attacker Amy brought to justice, but Frost's stepbrother Surge disagrees. Amy, his girlfriend, claims Frost tried to rape her. Neither Surge nor anyone else knows, of course, that Amy is in the employ of one of the Nobles's nastiest enemies. And that, my friends, is what we call "dramatic irony." As always, this issue is chock full of twists and turns, including a big mother of a last-page reveal that is sure to have the fans chattering until next issue. Faerber also continues to share characters between his various titles, picking up on a Dynamo 5 enemy, Bonechill, who just may hold the key to saving Frost's life. We learn a good bit more this issue about Doc's new wife and stepkids, and of course, this makes the book even richer. Another great issue of one of the best superhero comics on the market.
Rating: 4/5 --Blake M. Petit

Scream Queen #1 (Boom! Studios)
by Brendan Hay, Nate Watson, & Andrew Dalhouse

The inaugural issue of this miniseries is exactly the classic horror movie set up you probably imagined it was: the grumpy loner janitor at the mall has a secret, a mutated, violent secret named Wrighty. And when the janitor falls victim to an accident, Wrighty has no choice but to enter a world he’s been insulated from, and take revenge on the awful people whom he holds responsible for George’s death: teenagers. Those damn disrespectful teenagers who littered and never cleaned up their own messes. But there’s this one named Molly who was always nice to George … is Molly a friend? Does that mean all who wrong her need to be punished too? You can pretty much see all the plot turns coming in this story, but the point of these stories is never really twists. What it comes down to is violence and momentum, the tale holding your attention long enough to distract you from the mechanical plot machinations, and this issue succeeds there very well. You have a deranged killer you kind of feel bad for (a bit), some victims who kind of deserve what they get (kind of), and a decent “survivor girl” type who isn’t too virginal or angelic (although that could change; she’s riding a thin line here, especially when we get to the squirrel bit). The artwork is fairly sturdy, with the violence actually being fairly muted considering this is a comic book slasher story. It breaks no new ground, but it isn’t meant to. It’s a slasher tale that could have been a relatively decent B-list shocker from the early ‘80’s or ‘90’s, and the plot doesn’t get in the way of the story. I felt curiously nostalgic reading it, although that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Predictable, but better than I expected.
Rating: 4/5 --Andrea Speed

Supergirl #30 (DC Comics)
By Will Pfeifer & Ron Randall

Now here's something you don't see too often anymore: a true fill-in issue. The cancer storyline is abandoned for an issue for Will Pfeifer and Ron Randall's "Acceptance." An encounter with Livewire leaves Supergirl pondering her place in the world relative to her more illustrious cousin, including something she can do that he simply can't: reflect on the dead planet Krypton. This actually isn't that bad an issue -- while the "Supergirl-seeks-an-identity" thing is terribly played out, this is better than most of the issues that preceded Kelley Puckett's run, and there's actually a very nice observation here about something Supergirl and Batman have in common that Superman can never really understand. As a standalone issue, it's decent enough. But considering just how darn good the current storyline of this title is, it's a tad disappointing to have to step away from it for a month.
Rating: 3.5/5 --Blake M. Petit

[TobiasJeth]

Damn Blake, you shouldnt be spoiling yourself with the season 8 comic if you're not done with the series yet!!

[Blake Petit]

Originally Posted by TobiasJeth

Damn Blake, you shouldnt be spoiling yourself with the season 8 comic if you're not done with the series yet!!

Eh -- I was reading the comic before I even STARTED watching the TV show. I know most of the broad strokes of the canon (who lives, who dies) already. It's not really a big deal.

[Wolfwood]

Are there any Noble Causes trades? It sound cool.

[Blake Petit]

Originally Posted by Wolfwood

Are there any Noble Causes trades? It sound cool.

They actually just released an omnibus edition of the first three mini-series and the first several issues of the ongoing series. There are several smaller minis available as well.

[Wolfwood]

Originally Posted by Blake Petit

They actually just released an omnibus edition of the first three mini-series and the first several issues of the ongoing series. There are several smaller minis available as well.

Ah sweet. Thanks for the info man .

[gregorv]

Originally Posted by Blake Petit

Eh -- I was reading the comic before I even STARTED watching the TV show. I know most of the broad strokes of the canon (who lives, who dies) already. It's not really a big deal.

when I started the comic I had only watched Season 1 of the TV Series...now Im completely hooked and just started season 6 yesterday...where abouts are you in the series blake?

[Blake Petit]

Originally Posted by gregorv

when I started the comic I had only watched Season 1 of the TV Series...now Im completely hooked and just started season 6 yesterday...where abouts are you in the series blake?

Actually, we're also in Season Six. Episode four or five is the last one I watched -- the one where the Trio took turns trying to mess with her.

[gregorv]

ha! that episode is the next one for me =P

but Im also starting to watch through Angel...its a shame I started reading all the comics before so I kinda already know whats gonna happen

[TobiasJeth]

I have another friend who is also watching Buffy and Angel for the first time... For some reason, having someone close to me watch it for the first time makes it more exciting for Me... I love hearing reactions to certain parts of the series. Im just glad my friend hasn't been spoiled on much.

[gregorv]

wow...just wow...Supergirl was actually amazing this week for me...a brilliant character analysis that actually makes me care for Kara once more...I want Pfeifer to take over the book...NOW

[Terry Verticchio]

Originally Posted by gregorv

wow...just wow...Supergirl was actually amazing this week for me...a brilliant character analysis that actually makes me care for Kara once more...I want Pfeifer to take over the book...NOW

I was just about to ask if Will is taking over this book.

Well, he needs a job, seeing as Catwoman is coming to an end. I think he'd fit in perfectly on Supergirl.

[Blake Petit]

Originally Posted by Terry Verticchio

I was just about to ask if Will is taking over this book.

Well, he needs a job, seeing as Catwoman is coming to an end. I think he'd fit in perfectly on Supergirl.

Puckett is far too good on this book to lose. Nothing against Pfieffer, but this book has FINALLY got a good creative team, and I don't want to see that change.

[Ammar Al Subahi]

The same guy who writes Jonah Hex is also currently writing The Spirit, right? Both books are pretty similar structurally and even artwise.

[Blake Petit]

Originally Posted by Ammar Al Subahi

The same guy who writes Jonah Hex is also currently writing The Spirit, right? Both books are pretty similar structurally and even artwise.

No, it's not the same team. Jonah Hex is written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, and The Spirit is written by Sergio Aragones and Mark Evanier. And neither of them has a "regular" art team -- they have different artists each month.

[Ammar Al Subahi]

I could swear I've seen Palmiotti's name on a Spirit book once before. Still feels awfully similar though.

[Blake Petit]

Originally Posted by Ammar Al Subahi

I could swear I've seen Palmiotti's name on a Spirit book once before. Still feels awfully similar though.

There were a couple of issues with lots of short stories by various writers -- I think he may have written one of those.

[Ben Lehnsherr]

Supergirl #30 was really bad. Just when things were starting to pick up....