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Snapshots for 9/10
There's no way that Don and I can cover all of the material we have for review in full reviews, so these capsule reviews will offer some brief comments on other recent releases.
BATMAN: DEATH AND THE MAIDENS #2
by Greg Rucka & Klaus Janson (DC Comics)
 After two issues, it's clear to me that Death and the Maidens is a story that I probably won't be able to really judge until it's finished and I've seen where it all goes. However, I will say that at this point, I'm intrigued, if not bowled over, by Rucka's tale of another immortal who is haunting Ra's Al Ghul and by the interaction between Batman and Ra's, which raises questions about Batman's morality that should be interesting to watch him wrestle with. Janson's artwork is a little sketchy for my tastes, but it tells the story well enough, and has occasional great moments (like the cover, or the opening page) that make me see what others are clearly seeing in the artwork. There are some questions which come to mind that haven't been addressed yet (like why Ra's doesn't threaten Batman with revealing his secret identity, for instance), but with seven more issues to go and plenty of potential, I remain curious about where the story is going from here. 7/10
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #60
by Fabian Nicieza, Cliff Richards, Will Conrad & Brian Horton (Dark Horse Comics)
 Though Buffy moved into "arc" or "mythology" stories as it matured, what drew me to the show in the first couple seasons was how Whedon and company would use various monsters as metaphors for teenage problems with dating, parents, peers, etc. For the last arc of the ongoing Buffy series, Nicieza takes the story back into this territory, exploring the reactions of a child whose parents are getting divorced with a Slayer angle. The internal questions and anger become actual manifested demons, and when Buffy can act out in lethal ways, that gives the story some pretty powerful and suspenseful moments. It's a neat idea that never rises above an average, if technically sound, performance for me. The witty dialogue that defined Buffy isn't really to be found here, but then Whedon was one of the only writers who ever really captured that anyway, and it's certainly interesting to see some of the backstory that we saw referenced in the show explored in the comics. The artwork is of the competent but unspectacular nature, although Brian Horton's painted pages are neat, and certainly the art tells the story effectively enough. With the show gone, though, Buffy fans can probably get one last good fix out of this final storyline. 6/10
FABLES #17
by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham & Steve Leialoha (DC Comics/Vertigo imprint)
 The end of the "Storybook Love" arc brings a violent confrontation, more than a few twists in the status quo of the Fabletown community, some large and some small and one big surprise ending. The centerpiece of this one is the confrontation between Snow, Bigby and Goldilocks, and it's a lot of fun to watch, with Willingham really running with the idea of popular Fables being tough to kill that he established with Snow in the last arc, and Buckingham and Leialoha doing a particularly good job with the creepy zombie-like aspects that such an idea entails. There are also some wonderfully twisted moments with Prince Charming, whose uncharacteristic altruism from last issue takes on a more selfish tone this issue and lays ground for future stories, as well as a couple interesting developments in the relationship of Bigby and Snow. In other words, it's another fantastic issue of Fables. 10/10
FALLEN ANGEL #3
by Peter David, David Lopez & Fernando Blanco (DC Comics)
 With Fallen Angel #3, David breaks with his tradition on the book and begins a multi-part story, and he also increases the surface complexity (as opposed to the complexity that has lurked beneath the surface since issue one) a bit by telling the story in a time-jumping fashion. Though I wasn't entirely certain what was going on in every page as a result of some of this moving around, this issue has made me realize that there are enough mysteries in the book, both the obvious (who is Lee, and where does she come from?) and the less-so (what is the nature of Bete Noire and its inhabitants?) that I've become completely wrapped up in it. David seems to have created a title that can appeal to his diehard fanbase as well as to those who normally wouldn't give his books a second look, and if you like mysterious noir stories bonded with strong storytelling, now might be a good time to give Fallen Angel a look. Each issue has drawn me further and further in, and I find myself anxiously awaiting each issue more and more. 9/10
GREEN ARROW #30
by Judd Winick, Phil Hester & Ande Parks (DC Comics)
 The penultimate issue of "Straight Shooter" brings a big brouhaha, a big (and brief) guest star, interesting ramifications from Ollie's personal life screw-up and one hell of a shocker ending. It also brings more fantastic Hester and Parks artwork, which gets across the angry and frosty reception Ollie is getting from his surrogate family thanks to his thoughtless actions as well as the action-oriented fight in the middle of the issue and the creepy, effective cliffhanger ending. Winick continues to capture the self-destructive tendencies of Green Arrow along with his professional skill, and it makes for an intriguing and flawed hero, and he's built up an interesting adversary with Drakon, all the more interesting for his actions in this issue. I'm not sure how I feel about the cliffhanger ending, which was certainly a shocker but which also doesn't feel quite right, but I'll wait and see what happens next issue before getting too worried about it. 8/10
H-E-R-O #8
by Will Pfeifer, Patrick Gleason & Christian Alamy (DC Comics)
 The two-parter that features the Hero device being used in a sort of Jackass/Fear Factor style online video production ends this issue, and it's another great character piece from Will Pfeifer. He manages to skirt the stereotypes (hormone-driven, short-sighted teens and slimy Hollywood producer) while getting mileage out of the expectations those stereotypes bring, and tells another story that gets the key element of realistic characters: None of these guys see themselves as the bad guys. They're all just looking out for themselves, and though their actions can endanger or embarrass others, it's hard to really hate them because we see it all from their point-of-view. Gleason's guest art is a treat, as he does really great character designs for the super-heroic manifestations of the H-Dial as well as believable normal life stuff, and his last-page splash captures both the fun and the "more things change, more they say the same" point of it all very well. Pfeifer's stories have been fairly episodic, moving the device from one person to another without building much of a larger arc, but that makes for accessible stories that are always something a little different. 7/10
HELLHOUNDS #2
by George T. Singley & Joe Abraham (Image Comics)
 In my first review, I compared Hellhounds to a Paul Verhoeven movie, violence and futurism with a satirical bent. That tone continues in the second issue, but the humor isn't quite as sharp, even if the violence is still pretty extreme. There's also a feeling that Singley is trying to work too many stories and characters in too fast, as we dash through two interrogations, a setup, two fight scenes and a revelation about the subject of the investigation, all without much in the way of transition or explanation. Though I'm enjoying Hellhounds because of the style, and because of the impressive artwork by Joe Abraham and colorist David Self, I'd be enjoying it more if Singley would focus a little bit more. Cutting out some of the extraneous characters (why introduce another bounty hunter, instead of using Shock, to free King, for example?) and providing a little more context for the story (is it still shocking in the future that two women sleep together, or is the shock that the call girl knew the scientist? What's the deal with the setup at the end?) as opposed to rushing from action scene to action scene, would make for a much stronger read. These days, you have to work fast to grab your audience, but throwing too much information can be as bad as throwing too little, and Singley is teetering on the edge of the former, even though I admire his ability to avoid the latter. 6/10
HUMAN DEFENSE CORPS #5
by Ty Templeton, Clement Sauve Jr. & Dennis Janke (DC Comics)
 The men of the Human Defense Corps land in Hell after that impressive sweep from last issue, and we get to see them in a much less conquering posture as they are forced to scale a huge hill with no air support. Templeton is doing a great job of blending military fiction tradition with the supernatural, and I loved seeing these guys in such a bizarre situation, not only seeking an objective but reacting as people might in that kind of situation. Templeton has built up several characters during the first few issues of this book, and in this issue we get some interesting twists as their personalities react with Hell. All the while, there are fantastic battle scenes, with Sauve Jr. and Janke doing a really nice job on the technology, and if their fight choreography is a little scattered, it actually works to simulate the chaos of the battle and doesn't overly confuse the reader. This is a neat big idea married to smaller scale characterization and strong artwork. Too bad next issue will be the last, because I'd love to see more of this kind of thing in the DC Universe. 9/10
INCREDIBLE HULK #60
by Bruce Jones & Mike Deodato Jr. (Marvel Comics)
 If this were the first issue of Bruce Jones's run, I think I might be just as impressed as I was when Hulk #34 (the actual first issue of his run) came out. However, after more than two years of the same stuff, I recognize this for what it is: more stalling. Jones has raised some interesting questions, but he rarely seems to get around to the answers, and when he does, he tends to give them out several times, replaying old revelations instead of introducing new ones. It appears that this story is finally going to reveal the truth about Mr. Blue, but the revelation of her identity seems likely to be dissatisfying to me unless Jones is using Betty Banner as a huge red herring, and I feel like this is about the fifth time I've learned the true story of Ricky Myers, although we haven't seen hide nor hair of the actual kid for two years of real time. Deodato's artwork, colored by Studio F, is phenomenal, but the endless conspiracies of The Hulk have just grown frustrating to me, and at this point I'm just waiting it out until we get a new direction and some much tighter pacing. 5/10
REX MUNDI #5
by Arvid Nelson & Eric J (Image Comics)
 For five issues now, we've followed Dr. Sauniere as he was drawn deeper and deeper into a mystery consisting of murder and conspiracy, and in this sixth issue of the book (I'm not bad at math, there was a zero issue) brings the mystery not to a close but to a stopping point, a breather before the creative team takes us deeper into the over-arcing story. There are two big story moments that occur in this issue, one the introduction of a political element that seems to have been drawn from the war politics surrounding the United States these days and the other a confrontation between the Man in White, the enigmatic assassin and Dr. Sauniere, the protagonist of the series. The former is an interesting addition, upping the stakes of the story and working surprisingly well as a parallel to the modern politics of the Middle East and the latter a very satisfying chase sequence from Eric J and colorist Jeromy Cox, with perfect pacing and some great cinematic style. Since Image has decided, for reasons that are unfathomable to me, not to produce a trade of this first arc, it seems worth noting that issues one through five are all in print and issue zero is available online, so now is as good a time as any to look into Rex Mundi, just in time for the second arc to begin in a month or two. 8/10
TEEN TITANS #3
by Geoff Johns, Mike McKone & Marlo Alquiza (DC Comics)
 Given the sales figures and the buzz, you'd think that Teen Titans has it made. But the same familiarity of character that gives the book a leg up in getting noticed is a double-edged sword, because if you fudge the continuity too much, the fans who love the characters might just take off in a huff, loudly, and start a backlash. Some were concerned that Deathstroke was wildly out of character, or just over-the-top, in the second issue... OK, I admit it, I was a little concerned too, even though I enjoyed the issue. However, in this issue, Johns addresses some of those concerns, with a big twist on the character that came as a shock. He also introduces a subplot in the form of another Titans adversary (and a former Titans ally) who seem to be somehow linked, in another surprise. What isn't a surprise is how great McKone and Alquiza's artwork looks, and if George Perez's definitive work on the New Teen Titans is part of what made him an industry legend where super-heroes are concerned, I can easily see McKone reaching those same heights if he sticks around on Teen Titans, given the quality of work he's doing. However, with all the great art and big shockers, my favorite moment in this issue is one of character, one that illustrates why Geoff Johns has my trust even when things don't immediately make sense. Not wanting to give the entire moment away, all I'll say is that "I lie to Batman" is both a very telling bit of characterization and a laugh-out-loud funny line to this Titans fan. 9/10
TRUE STORY SWEAR TO GOD #6
by Tom Beland (Clib's Boy Comics)
 Tom Beland is facing a challenge in his True Story Swear to God stories. He's already established the perfect romance, anyone who's reading it knows that there's a happy ending coming, and with the ending revealed, the story in between could easily seem boring or even pointless. How is it, then, that he manages to make it all look so easy? As always, he blends just the right amount of sappy romance, pointed humor and realistic tension to make the book accessible to anyone, even those who aren't in love or haven't had long-distance love affairs or don't share any of a hundred characteristics that make Tom and Lily who they are. Tom's frustration with the mundane parts of work, as something much more important to him is going on elsewhere, comes through loud and clear, and he manages to make us share his frustration while also keeping us enough on the outside that we can see the humor in some of it. Meanwhile, the story of Lily in the hurricane, for which Lily no doubt deserves a little bit of writing credit, shows not only the big problems of the hurricane like the weather and power and shopping for supplies, but the smaller ones, like friends getting on your nerves as you're all stuck together. As always, True Story is funny and sweet, one of the best comics on the stands. 10/10
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