Lasso of Truth – Weekly Comics Round-up: 30th September 2009

Lasso of Truth is your weekly guide to what’s hot and what’s not in the DC Universe.  Each week, the Red Baron goes through his comics haul to tell you what’s worth buying and what’s best left alone.

Here’s the key:

Must have – there’s no question, you should buy this great book.
Buy it – a high-quality read that won’t disappoint.
Check it out – pick it up if you have some extra cash.  May be an acquired taste.
Avoid – a disappointing read.  Save your money and steer clear.

Batman: The Widening Gyre #2
Written by Kevin Smith ǀ Art by Walter Flanagan
The Widening Gyre, despite its wanky title, is shaping up to be an interesting deconstruction of Batman and Bruce Wayne.  Silver St. Cloud’s return to Gotham is a pleasant surprise, and doesn’t feel at all forced.
Verdict: Buy it.

Green Lantern #46
Written by Geoff Johns ǀ Art by Doug Mahnke
The Green Lantern series refocuses on the uneasy alliance between Hal Jordan, Sinestro, and Carol Ferris.  Sinestro returns to Korugar to reclaim his Corps.
Verdict: Must have.

Wonder Woman #36
Written by Gail Simone ǀ Art by Aaron Lopresti
Equal parts charm, wit and action, this is Wonder Woman as she always should have been.
Verdict: Must have.

Lasso of Truth – Weekly Comics Round-up: 23rd September 2009

Lasso of Truth is your weekly guide to what’s hot and what’s not in the DC Universe.  Each week, the Red Baron goes through his comics haul to tell you what’s worth buying and what’s best left alone.

Here’s the key:

Must have – there’s no question, you should buy this great book.
Buy it – a high-quality read that won’t disappoint.
Check it out – pick it up if you have some extra cash.  May be an acquired taste.
Avoid – a disappointing read.  Save your money and steer clear.

Blackest Night: Superman #2
Written by James Robinson ǀ Art by Eddy Barrows
Blackest Night: Superman #2 drops the horror movie tone of the first issue and opts for superhero fisticuffs instead.  It’s a pity, because depicting horror is Eddy Barrows’ specialty.  This book reads as a who’s who of Crisis on Infinite Earths, which will no doubt excite long-time DC readers.  It does lack a little in the emotional pay-off department, though (which is surprising considering the re-appearance of the Psycho Pirate).
Verdict: Check it out.

Detective Comics #857
Written by Greg Rucka ǀ Art by J.H. Williams III
Bold and beautiful artwork, coupled with DC’s most interesting new villain makes this comic hard to fault.
Verdict: Must have.

Final Crisis Aftermath: Dance #5
Written by Joe Casey ǀ Art by Eduardo Pansica
The Super Young Team finally awaken to their destiny, as their leader Most Excellent Superbat proves he is worthy of both names.  The art holds up surprisingly well, considering ChrisCross’ absence once again.
Verdict: Buy it.

Superman: Secret Origin #1
Written by Geoff Johns ǀ Art by Gary Frank
It’s great to see these two back on a Superman title again, and boy, do they knock this one out of the park.  It’s simply beautiful, human drama.
Verdict: Must have.

Lasso of Truth – Weekly Comics Round-up: 16th September 2009

Lasso of Truth is your weekly guide to what’s hot and what’s not in the DC Universe.  Each week, the Red Baron goes through his comics haul to tell you what’s worth buying and what’s best left alone.

Here’s the key:

Must have – there’s no question, you should buy this great book.
Buy it – a high-quality read that won’t disappoint.
Check it out – pick it up if you have some extra cash.  May be an acquired taste.
Avoid – a disappointing read.  Save your money and steer clear.

Batman & Robin #4
Written by Grant Morrison ǀ Art by Philip Tan
Grant Morrison shifts gears for his next story arc, while Philip Tan turns in his best work since, well, ever.  “Revenge of the Red Hood” trades day-glo for bold black and red.
Verdict: Must have.

Blackest Night #3
Written by Geoff Johns ǀ Art by Ivan Reis
I’m sorry, but if you’re not reading Blackest Night, you’re a damn fool.  First go back and read every single Green Lantern-related thing Geoff Johns has touched, then come back here when you’re done.  The Indigo Tribe make their true debut here, and they bring a lot of answers with them.  Of course, if they didn’t bring even more questions, then this wouldn’t still be the most intriguing event book in comics history, now, would it?
Verdict: Must have.

The Brave and the Bold #27
Written by J. Michael Straczynski ǀ Art by Jesus Saiz
Okay everyone, it’s safe to come out now – DC’s put a decent creative team back on the Brave and the Bold!  JMS turns in a rather poignant one-and-done story starring Batman and “Dial ‘H’ For Hero”.  Sounds like an odd team-up, but he really makes it work.  I’m not so sure I appreciate his take on the Joker, though…
Verdict: Buy it.

Lasso of Truth – Weekly Comics Round-up: 9th September 2009

Lasso of Truth is your weekly guide to what’s hot and what’s not in the DC Universe.  Each week, the Red Baron goes through his comics haul to tell you what’s worth buying and what’s best left alone.

Here’s the key:

Must have – there’s no question, you should buy this great book.
Buy it – a high-quality read that won’t disappoint.
Check it out – pick it up if you have some extra cash.  May be an acquired taste.
Avoid – a disappointing read.  Save your money and steer clear.

Adventure Comics #2
Written by Geoff Johns ǀ Art by Francis Manapul
A heart-warming tale of love re-kindled, with some surprising developments on the Luthor/Brainiac front.  The best Superman book since Johns left Action.
Verdict: Must have.

Blackest Night: Batman #2
Written by Peter J. Tomasi ǀ Art by Adrian Syaf
Without a doubt the best Blackest Night tie-in on the stands.  It’s simple enough to stand on its own, and Tomasi does even more to flesh out the new Dynamic Duo.
Verdict: Buy it.

Green Lantern Corps #40
Written by Peter J. Tomasi ǀ Art by Patrick Gleason
Tomasi continues to mine the rich landscape that he himself created.  The return of the dead means the return of past plot threads, and Tomasi weaves them together beautifully.
Verdict: Buy it.

Secret Six #13
Written by Gail Simone ǀ Art by Nicola Scott
I’m really digging this “Depths” story arc.  Secret Six continues its proud tradition of anti-heroics and black humour.  If you haven’t been reading this book, you really ought to be.
Verdict: Must have.

Superman: World of New Krypton #7
Written by James Robinson & Greg Rucka ǀ Art by Pete Woods
The entire Superman line has been a real disappointment to me since Geoff Johns and Gary Frank left Action Comics.  Everything just feels so…orchestrated, contrived, storyboard-ed – so many adjectives spring to mind, few of them positive.  I expect more from James Robinson and Greg Rucka individually, but together!  This should have been the Golden Age of Super-storytelling.  Instead, the whole thing’s mired in uninteresting political posturing.  “Phantom Menace” continually springs to mind.
Verdict: Avoid.

Wednesday Comics #9 & 10
Written by Various ǀ Art by Various
Wednesday Comics just keeps getting better as it sprints towards the finish line.  There’s really only one weak story in the bunch.
Verdict: Buy it.

When 45 Equals 600: Wonder Woman and the Issue of Numbering

Can Diana fight her way back to 600? You decide!

A very vocal group of Wonder Woman fans have petitioned DC Comics to return their favourite comic book series to its original numbering. By their math, that would make the upcoming 45th issue number 600. They reason that as part of DC’s holy trinity, Wonder Woman deserves a numbering reflective of her standing in the industry. By way of comparison, both the Man of Steel and the Caped Crusader are well on their way to issue 700.

Senior VP and Executive Editor of DC Comics, Dan Didio has thrown down the gauntlet, promising to meet those demands if he receives 600 postcards before the book goes to press. Which is rather big of him, considering his personal opinion on the subject:

“I believe the current numbering is more inviting to the casual fan who might want to come in and sample a series without feeling like the story is weighed down by over 65 years of history.”

A fair point, Dan; a fair point.

Still, if you feel that Wonder Woman deserves a landmark 600th issue, rise to the challenge and send a postcard to the following address:

Dan Didio
c/o DC Comics, Inc.
1700 Broadway
New York, NY 10019

And do it quick, because Gail Simone and Aaron Lopresti can’t hold off forever!