Geek of All Trades

The first week of books for the new year. This may actually be one of my last real posta for a while. I’ll see. Obviously I haven’t had a lot of time to keep this up and I’m not really sure if I have a readership out there. (I haven’t had a comment in 2 years.) Update will be coming on that. But until then, the comics…

Archie #5 – Jughead, Betty, and Reggie try to cause problems between Veronica and Archie. Of course, things backfire and Archie separates himself from his friends instead and continues to let Veronica use him. The regular Archie comics were so much more fun. The revamp is kind of interesting but is falling pretty flat. I’m really having a hard time staying interesting and the “funny” part really aren’t all that funny.

Doctor Strange #4 – OK. I’ve hit the limit on this title. It’s just plain stupid now. It’s bad enough that we’ve got Magic, Scarlet Witch, Son of Satan, Talisman, Shaman, and others hanging out in a pandimensional bar. (Last I checked, Hellstrom had been on the side of evil in Avengers Undercover so why would he be hanging out with heroes? And the various characters really don’t tend to mix at all anyway.) Then we have a book dying. Then, we have Stephen eating all sorts of gross mess which he says tastes like leprosy because “magic energy changes a mortal body”. Seriously? He suddenly can’t eat normal food? Can someone please make me forget this comic even exists?

Green Arrow #48 – After getting bitten in the annual, Oliver has taken George out into the snowy wilderness somewhere to hide. He’s actually staying with the caretaker of his parents’ land. He’s pretty under control so far but you can tell it’s not 100%. There is mention of that caretaker’s son being killed but you know something is up. Oliver helps out a couple who are lost out in the snow and tells them to get out of the weather quickly. He then returns to find the caretaker beaten up on the floor by… who else? His son. And, of course, 2 random characters introduced into the middle of this can’t be safe. The son, who looks like Lon Chaney in the Werewolf movie but without clothes, attacks them and kills the guy. Green Arrow fights him until the father finally kills him and then Oliver takes off into the woods. It’s a decently written story but a bit predictable.

Green Lantern #48 – After his nephew is put in the hospital following the bombing, Hall takes off to find Sonar and the army behind it. The soldiers have bombs triggered by words and kill themselves though. Meanwhile, Parallax find a destroyed Oa and a lack of the Corps and decided he needs to kill this universe’s Hal Jordan. Looks like he’s still an ass even after it looked like he was going to turn things around.

Guardians of Infinity #2 – Part one is a continuation of last issue with the three Guardian teams teaming up and discussing plans to stop the army of the Newcomers. Given the sheer number of them, it’s not easy, especially since the invaders have a way of taking over the body of those they conquer. This is something they do to one of the Guardians 1000 that they capture. And then, an explosion happens presumably because of another one of the team from the past who loses control of his powers. This time around, the back up story isn’t bad. It is about Drax and a female warrior caught in a dream world where they have a family together. Tho it saddens them, they break out of it but you see an interesting side of Drax. A Drax that could have been if his life had gone better.

Midnighter #8 – This has to be the most bizarre issue so far. What else would you expect when you encounter B’wanna Beast. While chasing down another result of the Garden being broken into, Midnighter comes across some creatures who turn out to be chimera and who else is better to fight that problem. It’s definitely an interesting battle and story. And just as Midnighter gets home, things turn for the worse as Spyral shows up to get him to take on the Suicide Squad.

Uncanny X-Men #1 – For taking over the classic title’s name, I guess you couldn’t have a worse crew. This team is comprised of Magneto, Sabretooth, Monet, Psylocke, and a psychically controlled buy otherwise catatonic Archangel. (I can never keep track of what Warren looks like any more. Every time I turn around, he’s changing skin color or what his wings are made of.) The team frees some mutants who voluntarily went into cryogenic slumber and one of them gets off right away as the Dark Rider show up. I’m not intrigued by this team at all. Hell, Monet is so annoying that her being in it is enough right there for me not to buy it again.

There’s a pretty obvious split for this week and an easy top 3. The top of the list this week goes to Green Arrow, Guardians of Infinity, and Midnighter.