Well, that’s another year gone by in my comics reviews and it’s time for my 1986 preview. 1985 was a big year at DC, with the Crisis turning everything upside-down. 1986 will finish that process and give us the first steps into the new, amalgamated universe that came about as a result of Crisis. The real changes don’t start until 1987, but the die was cast and the differences could be felt in 1986. As always, I’ll break my preview into blocks corresponding to the way I’ll be doing the reviews. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: 1986 Preview”
Xena Reviews: Season 1, Episode 23
Death Mask – Director: Stewart Main/Writer: Peter Allan Fields
This one starts with Xena and Gabi discussing how Xena catches arrows (by listening with her whole body) and when a couple of guys in iron masks ambush them, Gabi actually stops an arrow with her staff. She and Xena pound the ambushers and Xena interrogates them, learning they work for Cortese … the raider who attacked Xena’s village ten years ago and set her on a path of revenge and darkness. Continue reading “Xena Reviews: Season 1, Episode 23”
Comics Reviews: Firestorm Annual 3, Vigilante Annual 1, Warlord Annual 4
Firestorm Annual #3 – “Sparx” – Gerry Conway/Rafael Kayanan/Ian Akin, Brian Garvey
This story takes place just before Ronnie’s graduation and Professor Stein’s move to Pittsburgh. It starts with some modern-day pirates robbing a tourist boat on the Hudson River. Firestorm tries to stop them, but his powers conk out when he makes himself intangible (not the first time that’s happened), which results in the Statue of Liberty being damaged. Firestorm fixes it, but he still looks like an idiot for letting it happen in the first place. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Firestorm Annual 3, Vigilante Annual 1, Warlord Annual 4”
Comics Reviews: Legion of Super-Heroes Annual 1, New Teen Titans Annual 1
Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #1 – “Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold” – Paul Levitz/Keith Giffen, Karl Kesel/Mike DeCarlo, Ernie Colon, Steve Mitchell
This one starts with a handful of Legionnaires (Brainiac 5, Shrinking Violet, Colossal Boy, Chameleon Boy, and new recruit Magnetic Kid) sitting around headquarters bored while everyone else is off on a mission. Brainy suggests they do something constructive and Magnetic Kid reminds them that they never figured out who tried to kill Laurel Kent with a kryptonite bullet in issue 8. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Legion of Super-Heroes Annual 1, New Teen Titans Annual 1”
Xena Reviews: Season 1, Episode 22
Callisto – Director: T.J. Scott/Writer: R.J. Stewart
This one starts with a blonde warrior leading an attack on a village. She’s pretty intense, wasting men, women, and children indiscriminately, but spares one old woman. She tells the old woman to spread the word about what happened and claims to be Xena. Continue reading “Xena Reviews: Season 1, Episode 22”
Comics Reviews: JLA Annual 3, Infinity Inc. Annual 1
JLA Annual #3 – “Force of Nature” – Dan Mishkin/Rick Hoberg/Mike Gustovich
This one starts in orbit, with Red Tornado on the remains of the JLA Satellite. Reddy is trying to activate what’s left of the JLA computers so he can analyze himself. While fighting the Monitor (this takes place during the Crisis), someone remarked that Red Tornado was “more than machine and more than man”, so he wants to figure out what that means. But he ends up overloading the computers and the bulk of the Satellite catches fire and plummets toward Earth. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: JLA Annual 3, Infinity Inc. Annual 1”
Comics Reviews: Superman Annual 11, DC Comics Presents Annual 4
Superman Annual #11 – “For the Man Who Has Everything” – Alan Moore/Dave Gibbons
This one starts with a weird prologue of Kal-El living on Krypton, working as a scientist, and celebrating his birthday with his family … including his wife (Lyla) and kids. The story moves to Earth, where Batman, Robin, and Wonder Woman arrive at the Fortress of Solitude to celebrate Superman’s birthday. This is Jason’s first trip to the Fortress, and his first time meeting Wonder Woman; hard to say which he’s more impressed by. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman Annual 11, DC Comics Presents Annual 4”
Xena Reviews: Season 1, Episode 21
The Greater Good – Director: Gary Jones/Writer: Steven L. Sears
This one starts with Gabi practicing her fighting moves (using Argo as an opponent) until Xena whistles and Argo kicks the staff out of Gabi’s hand. Xena wishes Gabi and Argo could get along, but Gabi thinks Argo hates her. Xena goes to a well for a drink and meets a girl who asks her to help Lord Seltzer, who’s being attacked by the warlord Talmadeus in a nearby village. Xena calls Argo (who tosses Gabi out of the saddle onto her ass) and rides to help Lord Seltzer, who turns out to be Salmoneus. Xena runs off Talmadeus’s men, but ends up getting shot with a dart by a woman in a tree outside the village. Continue reading “Xena Reviews: Season 1, Episode 21”
Comics Reviews: Batman Annual 9, Batman & the Outsiders Annual 2
Batman Annual #9 – “The Four Faces of Batman” – Mike W. Barr
This annual features four stories highlighting different facets of Batman’s character: the Child, the Avenger, the Detective, and the Man. Every story was written by Mike W. Barr but illustrated by different artists, who I’ll list separately for each story. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Batman Annual 9, Batman & the Outsiders Annual 2”
Comics Reviews: Firestorm 42, Green Lantern 195, Wonder Woman 328, Warlord 100
Firestorm #42 – “A Long Night’s Journey Into Day” – Gerry Conway/Rafael Kayanan/Ian Akin, Brian Garvey
This one starts with Lorraine (Firehawk) Reilly and Donna (Wonder Girl) Long flying around over Manhattan (or what’s left of it) discussing all the crazy crap they’ve seen since the Crisis started. Firehawk has a new look, with a better colour scheme and more bad-ass flames. The two heroines are looking for their loved ones (Donna’s husband Terry and Lorraine’s father), but New York has been altered by the Crisis. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Firestorm 42, Green Lantern 195, Wonder Woman 328, Warlord 100”