Press her buttons

I wish I could do this 'right' like other blogs- reviewing what was new that week. But I tend to get my books every 2-3 weeks, so this is what you get--

Superman Returns- saw it yesterday and loved the homage to the comic, movies, TV (like Noel Neill, the original Lois, as the dying Gertrude); the flying and smoking lines; the tension between Lois and Superman over his leaving without a word; Jimmy Olson and Perry White as supporting characters. It's so nice to see Lois not all cheesecaked up-- she's smart, beautiful, not as feisty as Kidder but so great to see a female lead not in a tank top! Just a woman torn between her decent and dependable husband, and Superman and what they had.


JLA Classified 21 [Gail Simone, writer]
JLA Classified 22 [Steve Englehart, Derenick, Farmer pencils]

Just as the JSA classified, I think I will stop buying this title {now that Simone is off it}.
JLA Classified 22 involves the Detroit League, a new JLA without Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern. Steel ponders "I get secong stringers, third stringers and rookies" as he and 4 others work with J'onn to team build, and fend off almost all of the Royal Flush Gang. "The JLA has gone to hell" Part 1 of 4. The theme of the 2nd stringers yet again banding together to form a team as strong as the big guns...sigh...too tired to invest.

JLA Classified 21 was the end of the 6 story arc for Simone, where the JLA fought a ruthless dictator General Tuzik and the large scale release of a virus- and huge fight with the "Hypotheticals" engineered just to counter each league member. Marieke could cause ocean storms, Velocista speed force, Ghost lion-spectral summon, etc.

WW "switch opponents- we even have a name for it. We call it the fox defense."
"It's war. Do something when politics have kept us out of so many tragedies in the past."

My favorite was the reference to the song "Kryptonite" -- "if I go crazy will you still call me.."

This series was a solid effort with a Bosnia type dictator, themes of war crimes and how superheroes fit into a UN world.

Shrugged [Michael Turner, Maestromaro]
I don't like titles from Aspen as a whole. Scantily clad fairies and fantasy, like Soulfire, just aren't my cup. The art is well done for what it is, and I like Turner covers on superhero titles, but Aspen. I know the long lines for the Aspen booth form every year; but is that just for the Turner variant covers? Are there Soulfire or Fathom fanatics out there?

I got a preview of Shrugged, and sort-of liked the hormone driven Theo torn between the voices in his head, literally- the What If? mafia of Dev(beastly underbite monster) and the fairy type blonde. Turner draws hot women, and Ember, the devil's mistress is very provocative for the next issue.

Overall, while it says the title will be about big choices, love or hate, and the fate of the universe, it didn't grab me. Not as much as the Top Cow booth, but something makes me feel these titles are too juvenile or male for me. Sometimes it just comes down to personal preference, and the fantasy art, while well done, just doesn't please me. Shrug this one off.

Ion 2 [Ron Marz, Tocchini]
Wow, another title that I think I'll drop. Kyle Rayner is likely connected to the destruction of worldships, roughed up some Green Lanterns. He lost his dad, became Ion, and wants to just work on his art. Wrong! Tarra Khan comes to claim the most wanted man in the galaxy. There are headaches, and lost time. This description makes the title sound more interesting than I found it. The starry art and green lanterns were nice, but "eh".

Guardians proclaim: "Kyle Rayner is not to be sought out or aided in any way" "greater purpose served".

KR: "Care to try again? Because I can keep this up all night!"
Tarra: "Bet you've used that line before..."

Kyle: "Can't remember anything...fingers in my brain..."

52 6 and 7
52 Week 7 is remarkable for the appearance of a blue eyed redhead knockout in a red dress- Kate Kane, Renee's Montoya's old lover and soon to be revealed Batwoman. So far, I love this redhead!

Kate has they kind of beauty that leaves your breathless- and the kind of temper that leaves you bruised.

I could always press her buttons, and she could always press mine. Once we thought we were in love with each other, and maybe we even were.

The Booster Gold "time is broken?" "It's all my fault?" storyline is getting more interesting with Ralph Dibny's call out; the pacing on this series has been very good. Pacing is important- well written characters can wither with bad pacing. A weekly series, juggling all the characters, has to balance the reveals carefully.