2.254 (619) Blue Beetle (1986) ...

A few reviews ago we did number one and now we are in number two. Why? For some reason, we

actually like Ted Kord's version of BB and in fact we like BB better than most DC Heroes. Go figure, huh?

SPOILER ALERT

At the end of issue 1, as it was an 80s style comic, naturally it ended with a cliffhanger as the fire-bug villain bombed out an entire old building while our Beetle hero tried to do his bit combating the villain and helping out innocents. So we opened this issue with him pinned under tons of stuff and without real superpower of sorts or even body armor, Ted is hard pressed to get out of this but get out he does. Otherwise the issue would be the end of this run, eh?

Naturally as the villain is new, we are given a run down on how he became who he is in terms of his choice of powers and his anger towards who and why. Now to ensure you don't get bored, there is the usual added layer of foreshadowing of future problems to come including potential sabotage and betrayals by those who know Ted in his civilian guise. Naturally these are old in short panels leaving more to be developed at a later stage and trust us, the writer did build up in later issues for all these to come to a head

However, at this point, after he rested a wee bit, our man Beetle is back on the case trying to find out more on the villain and how to nail him the next time they meet and meet they did for the climatic battle and it was a decent battle. What is awesome is we see the Beetle doing Daredevil style moves with leaps and punches instead of depending on gadgets except for the fact that Beetle is more of any style fighting goes kinda chap, know what we mean?

The ending is kinda abrupt yet climatic and because this is issue 2, we are only left with a blurb of the villains of issue 3 at the closing credits box. As we are not fans of DC, we have no idea if the next round of villains are already active in the DCU or again newly created for this and honestly, they do not look that interesting just like this fire setting character. The saving grace is still the Beetle

Ratings: 6/10

2.248 (613) Blue Beetle (1986) #1 ...

Well, there are so many volumes of the Blue Beetle and so many people who have held onto the title that it will be a chore to just iron it all out. So for the sake of this review, the main hero is Ted Kord. And he is the guy who bit the dust a while back in DCU, got it?

In our opinion, we actually enjoyed all 24 issues of his series which we collected from back issue bins and find him to be more entertaining than later volumes including current day

Ted Kord - in his human alter ego guise is another rich industrialist like Batman and Iron Man. The only difference is that when he suited up, he has a decent suit but still with underwear on the outside and a lame ass weapon of a gun. His cool bit is his Bug, the transport airship

Anyway this issue starts off quick because Ted is already the Blue Beetle and he is hitting the scene of a fire growing out of control. At its epicenter is a man in a fire retardant suit spreading ... fire (you guessed it). Well what did you expect for a villain if the hero is still so weak, eh? Naturally even this, Ted couldn't handle and the villain escaped

SPOILER ALERT

Writer Len is awesome as he takes the downtime to immediately fill us in on the history of the Beetle from Ted's predecessor who seemed to possess some sort of real super power and then how Ted came into the role. This is fast paced and a good read

Naturally in the vein of 80s comics, there must be a cliffhanger to rope you in for issue 2 and if you think so far the hero is lame, then probably you wouldn't think much of the cliffhanger as it promises more bouts with that fire setting freak. For us, something about that blue suit makes us interested to come back for more. Yes, shocking, if you read our review you wouldn't think we are fans, eh? But we are and we loved every issue of it. Or perhaps artists on this title played a pivotal role, eh?

Ratings: 5/10

2.246 (611) Batman New 52 #1 ...

I love the campy tv series with Batman and Robin for some odd reason and I love the Robin series with Tim as the third Robin but for some reason, unless there is something special in the Batman universe, I hardly ever even bother to flick through the comic be it Batman or Batman Beyond or Detective Comics or any other of his mini series etc

So when New 52 was introduced years ago, I decided to pick it up primarily because out of curiosity and artist Greg Capullo. Now while the story was highly entertaining Greg's artwork has taken a new turn with linework being more sparse and I am undecided if I actually like this new style

Anyway storywise we open up with Batman in another one of his beat-em-up adventures kicking many villainous thugs and what-not SPOILER ALERT before ending with a chat session with his fav police chapppie (guess who). At this point in his career, we see a Batman who has had his fair share of adventures in the form of trophies in his Batcave and he is joint in his civilian human guise by trio of Robins (yes you read that right). So none of that angst and what-not. Everyone got along which is a nice change for a first issue. Who are the Robins?

Dick Grayson the first and who looks like a teenager here in this series. Tim the third and who looks on the brink of teenager dom and finally Damian, Bruce's supposed real blood relative as his bratty but adorable self

For those in the know, you can expect that every writer tries to inject a bit of Detective work in each Batman saga and no different here. As we see, after a social event to lighten the mood but which also sets up point for the future storylines, Batman investigates a gruesome murder scene and one that immediately throws him in turmoil because of direct correlation to his human alter ego, Bruce. What that embodies and forbode is where the writer leaves us hanging and hopes that we are interested enough to pick up the next issue

Which means at the end of the tale while enjoyable we are not given an inkling as to who the master villain will be for this first arc. This is a high risk because for the casual fan, it may not be enough to pull them back just like us. We decided to wait for the TPB

Ratings: 6/10

2.240 (605) All Star Superman #2 ...

This is one of the oddest comic mini or maxi series I have ever read - not because it is by Grant Morrison but because of the tone of the entire series. If you read each comic by itself, it feels so self contained which is awesome and yet as the series progresses (because each issue is so good both art and storyline that you are drawn to come back for more) you get to see the overall arch and its linkages sprinkled throughout each issue in minute amounts

This entire issue deals with the fact that Superman is in love with Lois and wants to give her a special birthday surprise. However, she doesn't know yet that he is Clark. So he whips her up on his broad shoulders or should we say he hoist he car and flew her to his fortress

And then he gives her a tour of the mysteries contained

We are given access to her thoughts when Superman went somewhere private (to prepare for her present which we will not SPOIL for you readers who have yet to try this) .... as Lois does what a nosey reporter does ... nosing around and her misunderstanding of so many things there made her think that perhaps her own life is in peril for discovering some shit about Superman's lineage! Hah!

It is light hearted, it is funny, it is charming and Frank Quitely's controlled linework tells this tale so wonderfully!

Ratings: 9/10

296. GCPD #2 ... DC ...

Honestly, this is a hard issue to review and we are not just talking about the themes and diverse characters because this book ... though is about the police officers in Gotham where Batman lives and operates ... reads more like adult-oriented or a Vertigo slice of life book

As this is issue 2 in the series (that lasted more than 3 years) ... I didn't pick it up owing to its "average" covers ... and only tried one issue that had Robin on the cover ... but when it came out on digital and I sampled issue 1, I was hooked

It is great reading!

We have the entire squad of GCPD as potential main stars for each issue along with all others including the coroner, ambulance drivers, etc

And in issue 2, we start off with a crime ... or a murder ... and all evidence points to Mr Freeze. The only challenge here is that Mr Freeze kills his victims now by freezing them ice-solid. But why? He is not a petty criminal. So what is he after? And as it is a supers type of crime, should they call in the Bats or not?

Some are agreeable, others not so and want to prove that the GCPD is equipped to handle all sorts of crimes. Raveling or rather unraveling alongside the clues comes the lives of a few selected officers. We get more hints in each issue as stuff like lesbianism, corruption, drugs etc move to centerstage

And finally because it is early days in this series, we get the bits and pieces of Batman as if he is merely one of an ensemble cast

All in all, a good read

Ratings: 6/10

295. Crisis on Infinite Earths #1 ... DC ...

Well, well, well we were going to save this particular review for our 300th but seeing things as it is, we thought after the success of Fear Agent, how do we follow it up with something that is NOT Marvel but equally huge? And this is it!

First up, while Marvel had its Secret Wars, DC decided at that time that its loooooong history with alternate histories make for a very convoluted universe or universes. And thus they decided to dream up a very very very detailed and huge storyline to sort of clean up their entire multiverse. Did they succeed? Well you read it and decide for yourself

On the art front, all we have to say is that Perez did some of his best work here. There is not a single panel that read as if it is disjointed or felt rushed. Every little detail and emotional nuance is in place and when there is a need for action or some energy signature, it is magnificent. Mind you, this is before the advent of computer colouring and when there is light or energy or glistening ... well ...

Next up, in this first issue, while it has many pages, all we get is a wee bit of the overarching plot. Yet, it is so engaging that it makes you want to read more. Basically we are introduced to a few main players that appear up front. First chap is the crying man who appears as a witness from one dying universe to another as a ... witness. He cannot be seen and he cannot affect anything or anyone ...

And how does each universe dies? A disappearance as if a big eraser is erasing them. So on each Earth, there abounds heroes and villains who will band together in desperation

And amidst all these chaos, we are given witness to a beautiful lady who is transformed and sent to seek out those they believed may assist in stopping the villainy that is afoot. However, all is not right with this lady nor with the one who sent her nor even with ... a shadowy villain ... who is not the shadow beings that attacked the first gathering of heroes ...

Is that enough? Is that confusing? If you answer yes, then please get it and read it

Ratings: 9/10

274. Global Frequency #3 ... Wildstorm ...

I cannot remember if this limited series came out when Wildstorm was part of Image or when it went to DC but whatever it is, that's not important. What's important is that this is an AWESOME comic and I kid you not. No hype. This is not a comic about superheroes and even though it is a 12-issue limited series, you can pick up the earlier issues as a single issue and still know what's going on.

A good example is this - 3

We start off with a regular lady receiving a phone call from a unique phone while going about her daily chores and that unique phone? It's part of a global aid organization called Global Frequency and she has just been summoned for the first time in her life ... why? Not because she has some special powers but because of a thesis she wrote on something very unique ... that's it

So out she dashes in reply because ... hey ... a car is coming to pick her up ... and it all sounds so dramatic because the caller is arranging for car ... clearing traffic lights ... and even police escort!

Now let's side track a bit. That girl? She is a lesbian because we are shown a few scenes a few pages in. And the lady who called her? Well she is base at HQ having sex ... how do we know? Because we have one word balloon conversation and one pic

See? That's wildstorm trying to be mature by throwing in sex wherever possible and in odd situations. While I find it "funny" but to me, it doesn't matter if there is regular sex or no sex. Sorry!

Anyway, what's the mission? It appears that someone dialed into a virus that spreads and controls people ... not zombies or death but basically turns you into a hive mind and is spreading fast ... and it has control of one whole neighbourhood ... anyone going in gets converted ... so our team has to figure out how to get in alive and fix the problem

Suffice to say there is no continuation ... it ends in one issue ... brilliant pacing!

Ratings: 8/10

210. Justice League new 52 #1 to 6 ... DC ... Jim Lee ...

Can Jim Lee still draw? Yes

Is his work still relevant and up to the times? Yes

Is this work awesome? Yes

Okay. So I am not a fan of DC but I have to admit that a few years ago, when JLA was relaunched, I actually followed it for 2 years enjoying both stories and artwork. So when new 52 states that there was going to be a new Justice League, I waited and waited for the TPB to arrive ... no onlines please ... and finally couldn't wait anymore and decided to splurge on the hardcover edition

First up, if you are not a DC fan like me, or you have given up on comic continuity like me, then you will, more or less enjoy this series because this first story arc has it all. It checks on every tiny square box on that checklist: good story, good pacing, enough action, enough villains, enough drama, good artwork, good colouring and good origin story where relevant

Sure we know from here, if you read the new 52, some of the timelines do not make sense. But forget about it

Basically it is about a boom tube appearing on Earth and depositing alien warriers in humanoid forms. What are they after and why are they here? Well Earth's heroes have banded together to find out. Note that in this series, they may or may not know each other but generally have never worked as a team and some like Cyborg are totally new having his origins happen in the course of this series

Who is the baddie?

None other than DC super-baddie Apokolips! And what a show. We see the team fighting with each other as they try to confront Apokolips ... only to realize that inspite of their crazy super powers, none of them are a match for the bad guy not even Supes!

So while they thought they were so hot, Apool showed them all and managed to trounce them one after the other

SPOILER ALERT

Ummm ... nah we better not. Suffice to say action takes place on more than planet Earth. And that there is reveal after reveal until we reach the awesome me-punch-you-me-blast-you ending!

AWESOME!

Ratings: 10/10

170. Psyba Rats #1 to 3 ... DC ...

Pssst for those who do not know, in the world of Batman, there have been tons of Robin ... some you can say are "canon" ... and some are "alternate realities" ... anyway the main few (please don't PM for those who will say I miss some because this is not meant to be exhaustive listing) are Dick Grayson (1st chap), Jason Todd (the one who got killed via phone call survey back before the internet), Tim (the one with the longest running solo series) and Damian (Batman's son) ...

This limited series is during Tim's era

And Tim is one of those non-super-powered but seemed like super-powered type of character. He is smart at everything, intuitive, super athlete, super agile and super fast at picking up fighting styles! I kid you not. If you meet him in school, you will hate him. Hahahahaha!

I am not sure why they did a limited series when it could have easily been slotted into his then ongoing series but this series focuses on some of the "lucky" people who have gained their abilities overnight and what they did with them

So here are 3 persons, youthful who decided not to be altruistic but to make a living. As the cover shows, the girl has arms that are metallic. Her mates inc the chap on the left typing away and another that is inside the screen!

As for the military chaps, basically they stole some info to sell to others and naturally the bad guys do not want to leave evidence behind. So they are attacked viciously and in comes Robin to save the day. While I bought the 3 issues, I have to wonder ... although the bad guys are bad guys ... but these 3 kids are not angels either ... Robin should have thrown their asses in jail or brought them to the law!

Still, the workmanlike artwork ... works ... and the storyline is decent enough (although nothing special) for an afternoon's read

Ratings: 6/10

161. Weird War Tales #55 ... DC Comics ...

Although it is short but the main story in this comic is interesting

During the war, the axis discovered a powerful creature and instead of panicking and killing it, the axis powers decided to train it to kill allied soldiers. The technique employed? Pavlov's experiment style ... so it came to the Allied soldiers who infiltrated ... that they were being decimated by this strange creature ...

... until one chap managed to turn the tables on the bad guys ... without harming the innocent creature

Ratings: 6/10

160. Weird War Tales #82 ... DC ...

The good thing about comics like these are that you do not need to read them in any proper sequential order. O sure there are occasionally references to a previous issue (like origins) and once in a blue moon a storyline that runs beyond one issue but they are straightforward and you can more or less understand with little confusion

This particular issue's cover is the main story and again, it more or less tells us what happens within

Basically, in an occupied territory of the Nazis, some of the soldiers took advantage of their positions by looking for local ladies to serve them. Some are nothing more than sex slaves while others fall in love. Unfortunately being the brutes that they are depicted, naturally they offended the wrong people

So one of the ladies decided to do ... as the cover shows ... a little magic ...

The head honcho falls head over heels in love with his little lady ... and every trip, she asks for a little souvenir/ keepsake. If he rejects or refuses, then she rejects or refuses him ... and to his own surprise, he finds he wants her so badly that he would do anything or rather give anything ... and so ... over time, she assembles enough pieces of souvenir from him to exact her own brand of revenge

No this is NOT a spoiler ... the cover has already told you all that much without spelling it out, that's all

Ratings: 6/10