Flash #10 – DC Comics $2.99
A time thief is on the loose. It may or may not be this new kid in town who goes by Hot Pursuit and claims to be from the future to prevent a catastrophic time anomaly from occurring. Oh yeah, and Hot Pursuit is a genetic match of Barry Allen. Dizzy yet? Despite it’s tangled premise this is actually a good jumping on point for those who would like to get the basic idea of what’s going on with The Flash before reading Flashpoint. The Flash is one of the funnest superhero books I’ve ever read. Too bad DC says it’s cancelled. What?!
Wonder Woman #609 – DC Comics $2.99
Don Kramer’s back to penciling the whole book – after a slew of fill in artists – just in time for some big thematic payoffs. Most of the issue takes place in Diana’s mindscape where Dr. Psycho lets her in on the fact that all is not as it should be in Diana’s world. The interplay between Hero and Villain here is particularly well done and highlights one of Wonder Woman’s distinguishing characteristics, empathy. The last page leaves you wanting more. Issue 610 can’t come soon enough.
Green Lantern #64 – DC Comics $2.99
The poop is hitting the fan in a big way in War Of The Green Lanterns part one. Krona has obviously left his mind way back in some dark corner of the universe somewhere and he seems quite intent on leaving it there. What Krona does with the captured entities had me saying “oh crappity crap crap” out loud to myself (my wife is used to that sort of thing by now though). Definitely not a jumping on point for those who have not been reading Green Lantern. Unless you like diving in the deep end first.
Blue Estate #1 – Image Comics $2.99
This might’ve been an interesting crime comic if not for the choppy narrative style and incessant Law & Order references – “DUN DUN”, it was funny once. The other three times? No thanks. Blue Estate was drawn by several artists each tackling a different scene. It’s nice to look at but there’s only so much a strong artist can do with a subpar script. I can’t say this book won me over. Fans of Get Shorty and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang might get a kick out of this but I wouldn’t bet on it.
The Ten Cent Plague: The Great Comic Book Scare And How It Changed America – By David Hajdu
This non-fiction book dissects the early days of American comic book history (roughly 1900-1950) and chronicles how the medium suffered much prejudice and came under multiple attacks culminating in the senate hearings on juvenile delinquency in 1954. This is an in-depth research of the events leading up to the formation of the Comics Code Authority which recently folded. Excellent read for fans of comic books or people interested in early 20th century North-American history. Subjects discussed: Cold War, McCarthyism, patriotism, Frederic Wertham, EC Comics. Check your local library or buy it from Amazon.
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