Ultimate Human #3 Review

Writer: Warren Ellis
Art: Cary Nord

Summary:
We start with Mr. Wisdom talking to the Director of Intelligence. He wants a promotion, but the promotion can only be handed in by the Deputy Chief. The D.INT will be the new Deputy Chief, and tells Wisdom that he is going to stay on the project for another 2 years. That makes Wisdom suicidal. Wisdom meets the Special Selection guy. He says that the Deputy Chief is going to screw him unless they kill him. Then he goes on to say that they need to worry about the Bruce Banner because he can tear up half the country without trying (they are all British). They are worried for Britain's security, and they don't want to piss off Stark. Wisdom goes into the office of a top boss. The boss says he is approving the European Defense Initiative, and that makes Wisdom mad. Wisdom comes back and proposes a British Enhencile Program. This is basically making superheroes for Britain to protect them. He says stuff like they could have found Bin Laden in 4 months and stuff. And more importantly, this program will protect them against the Hulk if it becomes necessary. The higher-up tells him he has a month to prove that his program can exceed the Euro Initiative Program. Wisdom tells Dr. Stagg to get his shit ready for testing. He says that he will be the recipient of the Enhancile procedure. Wisdom goes to the testing site. He gets strapped in to the machine, and figures out he is going to be stabbed with 6 large needles. He gets stabbed. We go back to the British intelligence office, where the large headed guy from the first 2 issues comes in. That is Wisdom. The supersoldier serum just gave him a big head. He kills Stagg with some ability. The higher-up gets security and tells him to go and hide because if he doesn't, he will get shot. Back to the present, where Wisdom tells Stark and Banner to give him their blood. He says they will be dead soon, and calls himself the Ultimate Human.

Comments:
That was a great issue. I got really confused in the beginning with all that government intelligence jargon, but it really cleared up later. So the whole thing was a backstory. I didn't know who "Mr. Wisdom" was, but it as clear he is a disillusioned nationalist. He wants British to be on top, but he also wants to be the one to be on top. He starts out being all about Britain, gets shot up with drugs, grows a big head, gets exiled, and becomes a villain. This was a really nice issue if you follow the series. We didn't know who this big headed guy was in the first 2 books, but it all becomes clear at the end. That ending was sweet, and how he pronounced himself the Ultimate Human was really cool too. I always wondered who was the Ultimate Human. I thought it was the Hulk because he turned gray and shit, but who knows. This was a very good read.

OWN IT

Legion of Superheroes #40 Review

Enemy Rising (Part 1- Headlong Into Darkness)
Writer: Jim Shooter
Art: Francis Manapul

Summary:
We start the issue with Shadow Lass fighting a monster. She stabs him, but the monster keeps coming back for more. Brainiac 5 comes to help her, and tells here where to cut him. She cuts the monster down and kills it. We go to Lightning Lad, who just wakes up and figures out his 7 am meeting was canceled. it is 8:14 am. We have a broohaha in the main room with all the legionnaires talking. The crew from the planet they were in comes. Timber Wolf is freaking out and hitting things. We learn that Saturn Girl had to control Wolf's mind, which is a felony apparently. This causes a ruckus with the legionnaires. Lightning Lad steps up and just wails on the 2. He tells Wolf to get control of himself and tells Saturn Girl to never invade anyone else's mind. Lad and some other legionnaires go chill out in a room. Lad says that they will get to the matter at hand after some coffee. Princess joins the fray. Just then, a bunch of people head up to the Legion's Tower. Some bio-tech people and electricians come up, much to Lad's dismay. We find out that the Princess is being sued. We go to another room, with the top people in it. Brainiac fills them in on some space jargon, and they all get to it. We go to the training center, where Lad is taking some target practice. The sister comes in and tells him that he handled himself well, and that the Legion needs a strong leader. We go to a space sector with Karate Kid. He is doing some useless garbage. Phantom Girl, too, is not finding anything. We have Invisible Kid going to someone's house and telling them how tight her daughter is. Turns out, she was in jail and escaped. Invisible Kid goes to check out some computer stuff. He says all of the city's deflectors are down except for one. Someone approaches. We go to Princess with a set of judges. The judges tell her to renounce her throne, and she refuses. The judges explain that the U.P needs a ton of cash, so they sued the hell out of Orando. Princess walks through the streets very angry and upset. We end the issue with Saturn girl getting out of the infirmary. To be honest, I am watching the UNC game and not really paying attention, so i have no idea what the fuck happened at the end.

Comments:
That was a solid issue. Despite my distracted state, i still felt good about this issue. It is tough to follow because there are so many characters, but that is what makes it fun. I appreciate that Shooter is developing Lad into an able leader. His scene with Timber Wolf and Saturn Girl was good, and it was supplemented by the scene where his sister backs him. I don't really understand why everyone is running around the universe, especially when every scene that happened in resulted in nothing constructive. But i still had a good time reading it. The art is really good.

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All Star Superman #10 Review

Neverending
Writer: Grant Morrison
Art: Frank Quietly

Summary:
I just got a little heads up that this issue kicks ass, but lets see for ourselves. We start the issue with Superman helping out little children in Africa i am guessing. We see Kal-El talking to his computer about his last testament. He says that he has to do 12 tasks that bring him close to his death. He has done 7 of them so far. We see people in Kandor carrying about their business. I think the city is in a bottle. Well, Superman turns Quintim into a miniature version of himself so he won't be affected by the gravity of the bottle city. Quintum is at a meeting with the bearucracy to discuss how to de-maniaturize the people. He says he has a solution. We go back to Superman's monologue, where he talks about he couldn't imagine a world without Superman. He created an artificial world without Superman to see how it goes. We have Superman back on earth, and a giant robot heading his way! Louis and Superman team up to demolish the robot. Then, Louis asks Superman why they never talk. She reveals that she knows that he is suffering from solar radiation overdose. We see Superman leaving the scene to save a girl from jumping off the roof. Back on Kondor, they are debating on whether they want to leave the bottle or not. Then, the Kondor Emergency Corps comes up and says they have a plan for saving Superman. Superman is slowly dying as his skin is deteriorating. Superman goes to Lex and tells him that he is indeed dying. He gives Lex 3 weeks to do whatever to the world. All of those plans he had that he couldn't do because Superman was around. Well, he has 3 weeks to do whatever before they execute him. Superman tells him that he knows he has good in him. Superman breaks open a box, and figures out that his 8th challenge is solar intelligence systems. We go to Superman and a Professor. Superman gives him his entire gene sequence and instructions on how to combine human DNA with Kryptonian DNA. We find out that the Emergency Corps could not help Superman beat his disease. Being the class act he is, he goes back to the hospital to give the dying children the Kandorians so that they can get better. What a man. We end the issue with going to Earth-Q (the one without Superman), and we see an artist drawing Superman.

Comments:
That was a fantastic issue. I love DC's All Star series. It is some of the best stuff around in comics. Where AS Batman is all about ridiculousness, jokes, and fun, AS Superman is just a very well crafted story. This book has everything you look for in a comic- dialog, plot, characters, and intrigue. I love how Morrison deals with all of his characters. He makes Superman just come out like a champ. The reader legitimately gets behind the character. Reading this, i was pretty depressed that Superman was dying. That might seem like bullshit, but Morrison really makes Superman seem like a genuine human being that cares about people (that scene with the dying hospital kids was excellent). Superman is also a man that really looks for the good in people. In this issue, he tells Luthor to do the right thing, because he knows there is still good in him. We see Superman giving over invaluable information to a common man, just because he trusts his nature. The whole death of Superman thing was done really well. The end was great, as he just reminisced all the things that are important to him. I can't really find any fault with this issue so you should definitely

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The Brave and the Bold #11 Review

Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Jerry Ordway, Bob Wiacek

Summary: The Brave and the Bold is a fun little title that DC puts out. It is a fun little title about superhero team ups. It starts Metamorpho who is being possessed by an alchemist (makes sense), he has just taken Green Lantern's lantern and combines with it to make a super terrorist guy. He takes out some time travelers with much ease. At the Daily Planet some bastard is pranking Clark by putting cheese and Olsen is about to snitch (nobody likes a snitch mmmmkay). Clark has just grown a pair and kicks some ass and breaks some wrists. He makes out with a blonde reporter then goes into the broom closet to change into Ultraman (what a twist). Superman happens to be hanging outside the window and they start brawling. It turns out that the alchemist is getting ready to do some real shit and the MXYZPTLK sent Ultraman to help Superman end this threat. They are flying towards the sun because his base is there but the super Metamorpho terrorist guy turns it green and Ultraman and Superman are screwed pretty hard, like prison sex hard.

Comments: I like this title is because it is a fun issue. Not much here. They have solid art, solid dialog, and it is all around a good time. Not much to say other than...

SKIM IT

Countdown #06 Review

Writer: Adam Beechen
Artist: Mike Norton

Summary: We are having such a great comics week that I felt it is necessary to start posting reviews of some crappy comics. Face it, we're due so here it is in all its glory, the Countdown to nothing review. This issue is meant to be the start of the Great Disaster and it begins with a thud. The story is told without dialog and is all narration boxes. Just a quick note before the review. We start with Buddy walking down the halls recapping what happened. Karate Kidd is died due to lack of Mr Migagee (I miss you Pat) and now they are about to autopsy. They are watching the news and the virus has spread and is infecting some people. They haven't picked up on that and continue the autopsy when the virus pops out and starts attacking them. Green Lantern catches it but it has gone airborne so everyone is screwed. The first city that goes to hell happens to be Gotham because it just happens that way. Kyle brings Jason in and in true inept writing fashion he is written as a complete douchebag. The disaster really hits home when female scientist #2 goes crazy and takes out random scientist guy #5. Ray's stressed out, Mary Marvel punches Jason, and Hal takes the virus into space. Buddy decides to fuck it and go home and be with the grandson and daughter. Una decides to tag along and the Great Disaster is upon us.

Comments: The word lame gets tossed around a lot lately and this issue really redefines the word. First how are you going to have something with a name like the Great Disaster and not have any dialog in that same issue. If this is the climax of Countdown they should at least have someone say something out loud. That'd be nice, all I'm saying. Another thing is due to the way this title treats the Multiverse I really don't care whether it lives or not. It seems like it was nothing but cannon fodder. The virus won't spread to the Universe-Alpha or whatever the prime universe is. Look I am going to be straight, bad dialog, ok art, terrible story, don't buy it, move on...

FUCK IT

Robin #172 Review

The Takedown
Writer: Chuck Dixon
Art: David Baldeon

Summary:
We start with Tim investigating an illegal casino which Violet broke into. We see Robin (I am assuming this is before the first scene) talking to some detectives, who tell him to testify in court on some guys. Robin gets a location of the off-the-books casino and heads over there. He checks out the casino from a vent, and tells some cops to make a move. We see the detectives talking about if they can trust Robin, and the other one assures him that Robin is a chump. Tim calls his girlfriend's dad and tells him that he is sorry that he had fell asleep on the first date. While he does that, Violet is robbing the casino. There is a big shootout. All the guards shoot at Robin, who ducks out and eventually escapes. The GCPD comes in and makes some arrests, while Violet is long gone with the cash. Robin goes after her, and Stephanie hung around back. We see Oswald gleeful about what took place, and says that Robin and Violet are going to die.

Comments:
This was a solid issue. You can't take this issue too seriously, as it is just a light read. Not too much deep thought here, just a lot of fun. Dixon does a good job with Tim Drake, and he uses him better than anyone else I have seen. The plot is very basic, but that is not a bad thing. It has one layer, and it is easy to follow. We get a lot of action from Tim, and there were some funny moments in here. If you don't take this title seriously, it is a very fun read.

Verdict:
GET IT

Incredible Hercules #115 Review

Glory of Hera
Writer: Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente
Art: Khoi Pham

Summary:
We start the issue with a strike team hoping to strike it rich by blowing up a semi that contained adamantium, but nothing was in the truck. We see somebody let out a the legions of Sakaar out of prison. We go to Amadeus and Hercules, who stole a SHIELD ship. SHIELD officers tell them that missiles are on the way to destroy the ship if Amadeus doesn't discharge the virus he is about to set off. Hercules wants him to shut off the virus, but Amadeus is a bitch and he won't do it. Ares comes out and beats the hell out of Hercules, while ranting about how he doesn't get any love, and how Hercules gets all the glory. Herc eventually finishes off Ares, telling him that he gains strength from men or something heroic like that. He tells a little story to Amadeus about how he destroyed his family out of anger, and tells him that destroying SHIELD is not the right way to go, because it would be done out of anger. He tells him that because he is immortal, no one can stop him from doing the same stupid things, but Amadeus is not immortal, so he should think about his choice carefully. Amadeus conforms. We see the negative zone emptying. Hercules and Amadeus go back to Athena, who tells them to prepare for war.

Comments:
That was an awesome issue. I have really enjoyed this title, and it is one of the better titles in Marvel right now. We get a good mix of dialog and action. The fight scene with Ares and Hercules was awesome, and the dialog between the 2 really added to the fight. I really liked how Marvel is giving Hercules a slight face turn now, since he stopped the virus and all. He is coming across as a people's champ (gains his strength from men or something), and he is a father-figure to Amadeus. Amadeus is such a little bitch its not even funny. I am not sure i appreciate it that much. If i saw him in the street, I would beat his ass for being such a little prick. I am glad he listened to Hercules, or that would make Herc look like a bitch. I don't really understand the ending, or the negative zone stuff, but i really enjoyed the issue because of Hercules. Getting a better supporting cast would push this title over the top. The art is below average to average.

Verdict:
OWN IT