My (Delayed) Week in Comics

I hate work, coz it distracts me from blogging all the cool stuff (and horrible stuff...find out next Monday!) that happened this week on time. But hey, better late than never! So here's my Delayed Week in Comics, where we have Aspen and co., Captain Britain, and another issue of Final Crisis! Do they stack up? Do they live up to the hype? Let's find out!

First up is Captain Britain and the MI: 13 #8, which sees our heroes in all sorts of deep shit. Plotka's plan for Earth is revealed, while the team deal with both stunning revelations and the oh-so-confusing mechanics of the Dream Corridor! Paul Cornell and Leonard Kirk just keeps ratcheting up the tension with each issue so much I'm afraid of exploding next month! We get to see just how badass and level-headed Captain Britain is that he's starting to become a bloody favorite of mine. Also, Lady J (Spitfire) and Blade make a cute couple...if your idea of a cute couple involves mortal enemies locked in eternal struggle for the decimation of either species. This issue ends with the mother of all cliffhangers that this practically compels you to get the next issue to see how (and if) they get out of this one! A solid 8 out of 10.


I sooo wanted to get this cover (see left) but for some reason it disappeared faster than Sentry in a straight-up fight. Why do people keep thinking the same things I do?!

Anyhoo, Fathom #4 continues its steady pace, as Aspen finally reunites with her long-lost brother, all the while the world is gearing up for war with backroom deals, sinister plotting, and paranoia. Writer J.T. Krul is obviously having fun with this series...I mean, where else can you find a Big Bad whose idea of payback on the human race is basically ginormous water balloons dropped on major cities across the globe? That's downright mean, yo! And I'm sooo man-crushing on Ale Garza right now. He can't draw an ugly Fathom comic even if his life depended on it. The series continues to be newbie friendly, so don't be afraid to pick this one up. This one scores a very wet 8 out of 10.


And finally, Final Crisis #5 arrived, and arrived like the fist of an angry New God, as the remaining heroes are making their one final push against Darkseid reborn! The Green Lanterns, Checkmate, Mr. Miracle and even the Super Young Team make their last stands, and some of our heroes start pairing off with Darkseid's minions for the final dance of flesh and steel and DOOM!

The moment Hal Jordan spoke "Then I say we go after him, Guy...and we kick his ass.", you just know the shit is on. Frankenstein and the Titans and the JSA riding to battle on the Metal Men shaped like motorcycles and humvees? It's like Grant Morrison thrives on exploding peoples' heads all over the world! And while I can give Marvel's Secret Invasion its due, Final Crisis is a whole different animal. Every detail is done with purpose, every decision has weight, and you're actually scared for the heroes...and actually excited to see how they'll get out of this one! Though I have to admit that this isn't for everyone, and anybody expecting a straight-up read is going to have a headache. Disjointed scenes are still here, but there's just enough context for you to understand them, provided you just take them at face value.

And the art? Even though FC #4 drawn by, like, 4 different people, you'd hardly notice, and the realism of the pencils work to tell a story this epic. Though they've got to hire a more competent colorist who knows that Shiloh Norman (Mr. Miracle) is black, so as to avoid all the irritable confusion and fanboy whinings (including my own) that pop up from these mistakes. But that's a nitpick at best, and Final Crisis is shaping up to be the book to watch. This one's a 9 out of 10.


So what's the verdict? It's actually been a great week for me, so that took the bad taste from my mouth. Hope my luck keeps goin' till next week!

Got any comments? Suggestions? Agree or disagree, or just want to puke at Jean "Namor" Reno in Secret Invasion: Dark Reign? Let's laugh about it after you leave a comment below. My Week In Comics is up every Friday...so, sorry. Thanks for reading!