Reviews, ruminations, and (occasional) ramblings.
Legion of Super-Heroes #44 – “Quislet’s Story” – Paul Levitz/Greg LaRocque/Mike DeCarlo
This one starts with Brainiac 5 examining the miniature “black hole” in Quislet’s quarters and concluding it isn’t necessarily linked to his (and Wildfire’s) disappearance. Brainy and Polar Boy leave to attend to other matters, while Tellus and Invisible Kid remain to wonder where their teammates vanished to. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Legion of Super-Heroes 44, New Teen Titans 41, Suicide Squad 11”
Justice League International #11 – “Constructions” – Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis/Kevin Maguire/Al Gordon
This one starts with Maxwell Lord welcoming J’onn J’onzz and Captain Atom to his office. Max looks pretty good for someone who was shot a couple issues back, but he has a problem and was hoping J’onn and Captain Atom’s friends from Millennium (especially Superman and Green Lantern) could help him with it. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Justice League International 11, Infinity Inc. 48, Young All-Stars 10”
Past Imperfect – Director: Garth Maxwell/Writer: Steven L. Sears
This one starts with Xena (finally) telling Gabi about the vision Alti showed her of them being crucified by Roman soldiers. Xena’s pretty freaked out, but Gabi refuses to believe it. Continue reading “Xena Reviews: Season 4, Episode 9”
Batman #417 – “Ten Nights of the Beast” – Jim Starlin/Jim Aparo/Mike DeCarlo
This famous storyline begins with a bunch of DEA agents waiting on a deserted beach to catch some smugglers. Instead they run into a pair of mysterious (and completely silent) guys, one of whom is a powerhouse who kills every agent without even dropping the huge box he’s carrying. Later in Gotham, a top Soviet official named Andrei Yevtushenko tells an assembly of CIA and FBI gents (plus Commissioner Gordon) about a secret Soviet program called Hammer. It was disbanded and the leader killed himself, but he set one last plan into motion: Operation Skywalker. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Batman 417, Detective 584, Green Arrow 2”
Wonder Woman #13 – “Demonplague” – Len Wein/George Perez/Bruce Patterson
This one starts with Hippolyte still reeling from finding Heracles turned to stone, but still tormented by the Harpies despite his new form. She can’t spare much compassion for him, as she’s determined to go deeper beneath Paradise Island to find her daughter Diana, who’s currently undergoing the Trial of the Gods. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Wonder Woman 13, Firestorm 68, Vigilante 50, Warlord 126”
Crusader – Director: Paul Lynch/Writer: R.J. Stewart
This one starts with a woman riding across some grassy hillsides. I’m not sure if we’re supposed to think this is Xena, but it really doesn’t look like her and she’s not riding Argo. The woman hears that some of her men are being pounded over the hill, so she rides to the rescue. It’s Xena and Gabi doing the pounding and the woman (who’s a pretty formidable fighter) is about to kill Gabi when she stops fighting and starts mumbling to herself. She then kneels and begs Xena and Gabi to forgive her. Continue reading “Xena Reviews: Season 4, Episode 8”
Legion of Super-Heroes #43 – “And Wake to Find a Dream” – Paul Levitz/Greg LaRocque/Mike DeCarlo, Arne Starr
Last issue, the Legionnaires found out their Academy trainee Laurel Kent wasn’t really a descendant of Superman, and in fact wasn’t even human; she turned out to be a Manhunter robot, activated after a thousand years to kill the descendants of the humans chosen by the Guardians of the Universe to become immortal (in the Millennium mini-series). Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Legion of Super-Heroes 43, New Teen Titans 40, Suicide Squad 10”
Justice League International #10 – “Soul of the Machine” – Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis/Kevin Maguire/Al Gordon
This continues the Millennium storyline that ran through most of DC’s books for the first couple months of 1988. A contingent of superheroes (Superman, J’onn J’onzz, Hal Jordan, Katma Tui, Arisia, Hawkman, Hawkwoman, Dr. Fate, Captain Atom, and Firestorm) have gathered near the planet Orinda, the Manhunter homeworld. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Justice League International 10, Infinity Inc. 47, Young All-Stars 9”
Locked Up and Tied Down – Director: Rick Jacobson/Story: Rob Tapert, Josh Becker/Teleplay: Hilary J. Bader
This one starts with Gabi giving Xena a massage, but before they can achieve a happy ending, they’re accosted by some guys. Xena and Gabi pound them, but one of their attackers has an arrest warrant for Xena, accusing her of killing a woman named Thalassa years ago. Xena remembers Thalassa and admits she did kill her … not because she was a threat, but just because it suited her purposes at the time. Xena hands her chakram over to Gabi and surrenders. Continue reading “Xena Reviews: Season 4, Episode 7”
Batman #416 – “White Gold and Truth” – Jim Starlin/Jim Aparo/Mike DeCarlo
This story is set “one year ago”, which I think is a neat way of avoiding all the Millennium bullshit going on at the time. Jason Todd is still getting used to his role as Robin and when he tracks some cocaine dealers to a manufacturing plant, he figures he’s hit the jackpot. But he’s caught by a guard and about to get pounded by all the thugs inside when he’s rescued by … Nightwing! Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Batman 416, Detective 583, Outsiders 28, Green Arrow 1”