Tarot Witch of The Black Rose # 53

  I have been debating whether or not to review this book, but that one phrase inside of the book made it a must review, sheerly for the title. A gaggle of dead nurses, are taking back body parts that were donated or not real from the living. There are the obligatory T & A shots as well. Not much substance to the book, but then again I think the audience for it is defined to a certain genre. I generally like most horror books, especially those that deal with magick and witchcraft themes, but this book is nothing more than a collection of pin-ups. I will refrain from a rating on the book since it really has nothing of comparable quality of genre to relate it to. However, it is definitely designed for readers 18 and up. 

Indie books either tonight or tomorrow.

Captain America #44

  A flashback to a Winter Soldier moment in China, and Cap VS Batroc the Leaper. Good Pacing, Good Art. Overall 4 out of 5 New Avengers.

Daredevil # 113

  Lady Bullseye continues with the "death" of the White Tiger. Artwork is hit and miss, Brubaker is a very solid storyteller. 3 out of 5 Marvel Zombies.

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COVER BY: STUART IMMONEN
WRITER: BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
PENCILS: STUART IMMONEN
INKS: WADE VON GRAWBADGER
COLORED BY: Justin Ponsor
LETTERED BY: VC-Cory Petit

We start off with Eddie Brock on a bench talking with a guy who says to him nice day isn’t it. Brock then tells him that he has thoughts in his head that are not his own and that he is always hungry. We then flashback to one day earlier inside Peter Parker’s attic where we see the supposedly dead Gwen Stacy with the face of Carnage.

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Thought I would change it up this week. There will be a full review of one Marvel book and a full review of an indy book followed by their own quick fire reviews.

Birds of Prey #124

  Cool Issue with some guest stars and an Oracle Joker confrontation that leaves the Crown Prince of Crime with a new "smile". 3 out of 5 Bat-Villains.

Justice Society of America The Kingdom #1

  Another chapter in the saga of GOG and the 2 JSA teams. Moves a little slower than the past two parts, but the last page sets up a very interesting JSA issue next week. 3 out of 5 JSAers.

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OCT084483H  ALTER EGO #82 (C: 0-1-2) $6.95
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SEP080111D  BATMAN #682 $2.99
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  The Final Chapter of Batman RIP kicks off with Batman still trapped in a casket buried alive where he has a flashback about being poisoned and dialoguing about always being prepared for every situation. We then cut away to see Robin fighting Pierot and the Swagman. He is rescued by the League of International Batmen who decided to help out Batman. We then cut back to Dr. Hurt going into detail about how he will exhume Batman just about the time he is delusional from oxygen depravation and have his final bit of fun then.

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Final Round For this past week’s books.

Batgirl #5 (of 6)

  Batgirl rushes to save Oracle from an assassination attempt by David Cain. Great book, wish Batgirl had a regular title again. 4 out of 5 Bat-Villains.

Brave and the Bold #19

  The Phantom Stranger and Green Lantern team up to stop the destruction of a planet and possibly much more. Interesting issue. 3 out of 5 Green Lanterns.

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Looks like there will be a round 3 as well, maybe even a round 4.

Fantastic Four # 561

  The Galactus Engine saves the future and Dr. Doom Kills the Invisible Woman, just not the one you think. 4 out of 5 FF-ers.

Iron Man Director of Shield #35 Secret Invasion

  War Machine and The Crimson Dynamo demolish a bunch of Skrull ships. Lots of explosions. 2 out of 5 New Avengers.

Robin # 180  Battle for The Cowl

  Red Robin is unmasked and Anarky reigns by the end of the issue. Solid Writing and Art. 4 out of 5 Batmen.

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There may or may not be a round two this week. I will see how much time I have.

Amazing Spider-Man #578

  Great Issue writing wise by Mark Waid, but once again the artwork is only so-so. For a flagship book the art should be much better. 3 out of 5 Spider-Villains.

Avengers/Invaders #6

The original Torch leads the life model decoys on a revolt and Toro visits his own grave. Not sure where continuity wise this takes place. 3 out of 5 Marvel Zombies.

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JUL084391F  1001 ARABIAN NIGHTS ADVENTURES OF SINBAD #5 $2.99
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AUG080132D  BATMAN #681 RIP (NOTE PRICE) $3.99
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Andy Diggle   ART BY  Roberto De La Torre    COLORS BY  Frank Martin 

COVER BY Francesco Mattina

This issue really spoils the ending of Secret Invasion by revealing that Norman Osbourne saves the Earth from the Skrull Invasion and is now adored by the public. The issue sets about the deconstruction of the team by taking out several members in various ways. Penance is drugged and will be sent off to a mental institution. The Radioactive Man is sent back to China and Songbird appears to be one second away from death at the hands of Bullseye. Norman Osbourne appears before a Congressional committee and blames them for the Skrull invasion. He also resigns as head of the Thunderbolts and says that he is disbanding the team. He also states that he has a meeting with the President to discuss a new role for himself. This will probably be as the head of SHIELD or another organization which will tie into the Dark Reign storyline as he will effectively be in charge of all heroes.  The story pacing and artwork are phenomenal. Marvel should have held this issue until after SI #8 since it spoils the ending but it is a great issue. It gets 5 out of 5 Spider-Villains.

Written by Frank Tieri; Art by Ryan Benjamin and Saleem Crawford; Cover by J. Calafiore and Jack Purcell

When this issue first started out I was having a hard time figuring out exactly how this was going to tie into the Batman RIP storyline. Killer Croc is involved in a fight at Penguin’s Iceberg Club. Then Man-Bat arrives and takes on some Intergang thugs at the same club.  Batgirl arrives and tells him that she needs his help. We then cut to a scene of Vigilante invading Intergang’s club and killing a bunch of their members. Spoiler is there also and fights him until Batgirl arrives and tells them she needs their help. This is where the story actually becomes interesting and some Batman RIP storyline points are hinted at. Batgirl goes into the Batcave and starts viewing files to put together a team of characters including the Riddler, Spoiler, Wildcat and others that each possess an aspect of Batman in hopes of replacing him with a group, since no one character can replace him. Alfred arrives and notices that Nightwing is not on the list and suggests that she talk to him. Batgirl avoids that and leaves and we see Nightwing in the cave stating that they will have a talk. The real interesting part of the book is the DC Nation page that has a bunch of spoilers for the Batman line.

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We just uploaded a whole new bunch of toy lots featuring Dr. Who, Batman, Superman and even some Disney Import figures just in time for holiday shopping. Follow the link here.

It appears that DC has spoiled the ending of  Batman RIP with the February solicitation of Nightwing released today. Bold print is mine.

NIGHTWING #153
Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Art and cover by Don Kramer & Jay Leisten
It’s the fateful, final “Batman” Last Rites” issue featuring an “Origins and Omens” backup! As Robin, Dick Grayson fought alongside Batman as part of the dynamic duo, the greatest crime-fighting team in history. As Nightwing, he teamed up with his peers to combat injustice in the Titans and the Outsiders. Now, Dick Grayson faces the most important battle of his life. Batman is dead. The Mantle of the Bat must be passed, but it will require all of Dick’s training and skills to carry out the last wishes of Bruce Wayne and protect Gotham City.

Will it be enough to protect himself from the dangers that await him? Or is this the last the world will see of Nightwing?
FINAL ISSUE • On sale February 4 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Amazing Spider-Girl #26

  Spider-Girl and Arana switch bodies and the hunt for Peter Parker continues. 3 out of 5 Spider-Villains.

Booster Gold #14

  Starro conquers the future and Booster makes a deal that may come back to haunt him and Rip Hunter. Fun Issue. 3 out of 5 Metal Men.

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In the fall out of Topps announcing the end of the WizKids Games two former employees formed a new company Pinata Games to acquire the highly sought after Heroclix portion of the business. Brand Manager Jake Theis and Director of Brand Management and Marketing Justin Ziran, supported by a Save HeroClix movement centered around HeroClix fan sites, are seeking investment and other support for their new company and its efforts to acquire the brand. A SaveHeroClix.com Website is up and operational as the current center for the new company’s activities.

Source ICV2

Every now and again my wife and I  like to go to antique/flea markets. You never know what kind of things you can find and every now and then I end up buying an entire collection from a few of the dealers there. Today there were very slim pickings as far as comics, some 90’s Valiant and Image books and the random 80’s Batman title. Since most antique dealers know very little about the specific market of comics the prices are usually ridiculously high or the books are in such bad shape that they are not worth looking at. I did come across one table today that had 2 1960’s issues of Strange Tales and that is where the real story begins.

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There may be some more later if there is time this weekend:

Amazing Spider-Man #577

  Just a horribly ugly issue artwork wise. For a major book in the Marvel U to look like this is a shame.

Zero out of 5 Spider-Villains. Just like the Black Cat this issue is bad news.

Justice Society of America Kingdom Come Special : Superman #1

  A simply stunning book artwork wise. Great origin on how Super-Man KC made it to Earth 1.  5 out of 5 Dark JLAers.

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SEP082383D  AGE OF SENTRY #3 (OF 6) $2.99
SEP080215D  AIR #4 (MR) $2.99
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AUG080122D  AMBUSH BUG YEAR NONE #4 (OF 6) $2.99
SEP084103E  ANGEL AFTER THE FALL #14 $3.99
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JUL084301F  ARCHER & ARMSTRONG FIRST IMPRESSIONS HC $24.95
SEP083725E  ARCHIE DIGEST #249 $2.49
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Written by Kevin Smith ; Art by Walt J. Flanagan and Sandra Hope; Cover by Adam Kubert

The first question anyone will ask once they see Kevin Smith’s name attached is whether or not the story will ever finish. Supposedly all 3 issues are done and will be released on time. With that out of the way, this is a very enjoyable Joker story. The Joker is in Arkham and Deadshot has been hired to kill him, so he breaks in to accomplish this for a father who’s son has died from a new designer drug "Chuckles". Before Deadshot can kill him, Onomatopoeia arrives and breaks the Joker out of Arkham and hands him a briefcase full of money. It turns out Maxie Zeus is behind the new drug and there is the inevitable confrontation between he and the Joker resulting in a lot of carnage. I was impressed by the pacing of the story and realize that it has to pay off quickly since it is only a 3 issue mini series. The other really impressive aspect of the book is the art by Walt Flanagan. When I saw his name attached, I had only heard of him from Smith’s films. His artwork is surprisingly solid. I am looking forward to the next issue and have high hopes for the series. It earns 4 out of 5 Bat-Villains.

Written by Geoff Johns ; Art by Pete Woods; Cover by Alex Ross

The New Krypton saga continues with some very interesting developments. Lex Luthor is recruited to General Lane’s program to try to decipher Brainiac’s files. The General is also behind the source of most of the action of this issue in the form of a newly unleashed Doomsday. Superman and Supergirl take the fight to Doomsday and they are then joined by about a dozen Kryptonians  as they fight Doomsday to the moon. Once there they kill the monster. Meanwhile two disenfranchised Kryptonians decide that General Zod was right and they attempt to release him from the Phantom Zone only to be quickly defeated by the new Nightwing and Flamebird. Johns is quite possibly the best superhero writer in the business right now and this book is fun and action packed. Woods artwork is very detailed, especially his backgrounds. Overall this book gets 4 out of 5 Justice Leaguers.

 Written by Paul Dini; Art by Dustin Nguyen and Derek Fridolfs; Cover by Dustin Nguyen

This is the final part of the "Heart of Hush" storyline which is a tangent to the current ongoing Batman RIP storyline. So far Hush has struck at Robin, Nightwing, and has literally stolen Catwoman’s heart with the help of Mr. Freeze. The story opens with what appears to be Bruce Wayne asking Alfred for help into the cave. Alfred turns on the man and it is revealed Hush has had plastic surgery to look like Batman. Batman arrives and of course there is a fight through the cave incorporating several elements of the trophies. Nightwing and Robin arrive to lend a hand, and Hush attempts to escape only to blow up in the mini Bat helicopter. Catwoman’s heart is restored by Dr. Mid-Nite and she decides to take her own form of revenge against Hush, which is removing the only thing he loves in life: money, with a little help from her friends. Overall nice pacing to the story and we get a little more insight into what brought about Hush’s obsession with destroying Bruce Wayne. The artwork has a slightly muddy feel in some parts and it is clear which parts of the book are drawn by Nguyen and which are drawn by Fridoldfs. Not a bad wrap up to an interesting story. Overall it earns 3 out of 5 Batmen.

Amazing Spider-Man #576

   Kind of sappy ending to the Hammerhead story. And it appears Spidey has a new woman in his life. 2 out of 5 Spider-Villains.

Civil War House of M #3

  Relatively interesting story of Magneto’s rise to power, but at the end of the day this story already has its ending. 3 out of 5 New Avengers.    

Final Crisis: Resist #1

  Great Issue. Mr. Terrific organizes a resistance and plays the OMAC trump card to take on Darkseid. 4 out of 5 JSAers.

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A lot of books this week, so the quick fire is split in two.

Adventure Comics The Guardian #1

  Not too much happens here except returning the Guardian to Metropolis. Would have been better as a backup feature.  2 out of 5 JlAers.

Cable #8

  Bishop captured and tortured by the X-Men, Cable fights future bugs. 3 out of 5 X-Villains.

Marvel Zombies 3 #2

    I had started to get tired of the whole zombie thing, but this series has been interesting. 3 out of 5 Marvel Zombies.     

More Reviews to come.

Looks to be the next DC Franchise.

SEP080214D  100 BULLETS #97 (MR) $2.99
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SEP080121D  BATMAN CACOPHONY #1 (OF 3) $3.99
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SEP080128D  BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #23 $2.99
AUG080177D  BATMAN EGO AND OTHER TAILS TP $17.99
JUN085046I  BATMAN METAL WALL CLOCK (C: 1-1-3) $19.99

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COVER BY: David Finch
WRITER: Jeph Loeb
PENCILS: David Finch

This book was surprisingly good. I had low expectations based on the Ultimate Origin mini that was only so so . This book however is grand in scale. We start with a quick go around the entire Ultimate Universe. Catching up with the X-Men, Ultimates, Spider-Man and Fantastic Four. Then things go bad very quickly. The ocean floods into New York and the death toll reaches into the millions as we find out that this is happening worldwide, even in Lateveria as we see an enraged Doctor Doom without any of his subjects. Professor X contacts the survivors and tells them who is behind this. From the cover above (which is also the last panel of the book) it is not hard to guess. Loeb writes a very tight, connected tale that is on a grand scale. Finch’s pencils are very good and only in one panel was it hard to figure out who a character was.(I thought the Human Torch in non-flame form was Mr. Fantastic) Overall this is an interesting start to the destruction of the Ultimate Universe and receives 4 out of 5 Fantastic Fourers.

Written by Billy Tucci; Art by Billy Tucci; Cover by Billy Tucci and Mark Sparacio

I generally do not like war comic books. Most of them all seem the same, especially when I was younger and every single one of them was set in WW2. This book however, is a phenomenal exception to the rule. While it is set during WW2 it also has the distinction of being set during real events. Billy Tucci has done an amazing amount of research to keep this a fairly accurate tale based on actual events and incorporating DC’s war heroes into the mix. I have had the pleasure of seeing most of the original pencils for this issues and they are amazing.A look at the last panel of the book gives you some idea of what they look like. I hope that in the trade there is ample room to show more of them. Unfortunately, I feel some of the beauty of the work is lost in the light palette that was chosen to color the book. The narration style is perfect for this book and I can not wait to see future issues. I believe this will stand out as one of the best war stories ever told once it is completed. Overall it gets a 5 out of 5 Batmen.

Its that time again, a sentence or two review and a rating.

Amazing Spider-Man #575

    I have hated most of the post OMD stories, but this one was fun. Great new take on an old villain.

3 out of 5 Spider-Villains.

Avengers The Initiative #18

A lot of Skrull reveals and a well told Secret Invasion Tie In. 4 out of 5  New Avengers.

Final Crisis Rage of the Red Lanterns #1

Awesome story introducing not one but two new colors of Lanterns. Great artwork as well. 5 out of 5 Green Lanterns.

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COVER BY: Simone Bianchi
WRITER: Warren Ellis
PENCILS: Alan Davis, Frank Cho

Wow, where to begin. This is a summary book of sorts that interviews the mutant from a parallel dimension that showed up in the first few parts of the new run of Astonishing X-Men. He summarizes the take over of the Marvel Universe (Earth 616) and this story only lasts about 10 pages. The second story in the book shows us Earth 889 which is a pretty lame attempt at putting the X-Men in for the characters in League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. It is a pre-digital world, yet somehow Cyclops still has ruby quartz goggles, while the rest of the X-Men move about in the late 1800’s. This is another very short story. The rest of the book is filled up with writer notes and sketches. They could have just eliminated all of the fluff and turned this into a one-shot or even part of the regular series. So for $3.99 you get 16 pages of actual story, and the other half of the book is filler and ads. For that reason alone I have to give this book 0 out of 5 X-Men.

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