Who is capturing the Entities?

Over at the DC Blog they placed this page up and started running the question of who this guy is that has captured some of the entities, including Parallax, and now has made his presence know.  The comments surprised me.  No one had mentioned in the seven comments made the one I think it is in the rags.  They write some dude named Apa Ali Apsa who has John Stewart connections.


See I have been thinking Krona.  It fits to me that Johns would use Krona next.  His history fits the actions and his reappearance.  There were ties to Nekron.  I think that the Worldsoul thing will become tied to the White Lantern and the discovery of the White Entity.  So there is my official guess, Krona.


For the record, I called the White Lantern scenario in a close way.  Hal Jordan did become one like I said and I had the color thing nailed.  I hope to be proven correct once again.


BDS

Birds of Prey #6

            I was so glad when this title returned.  I knew I would like the book because I like Gail Simone as a storyteller.  Still, I admit that the restart has been bogged down some.  I wonder if Simone asked for Hawk & Dove, or if they said that the duo had to be placed in BoP because they needed somewhere to tell there Brightest Day tales that are out of the main title?  So the story of the return of the Birds gets a heavy handed treatment because we have this dual layer.  Simone does a good job of weaving her tale in with these two characters. 

            The payoff comes in this issue.  So much  been done in the life of Dinah Lance when the BoP was dissolved to carry the larger DCU pail of water.  She had to give the adopted daughter, Sin up to protect her, She got married, her husband died by her hand, her husband was alive and she had to rescue him, her husband’s son gets shot and brain drained,  Arsenal loses an arm, Ollie kills Prometheus, and she leaves Ollie.  Oh, Dinah also lead the Justice League as well.  Simone had to bring these characters back to the strength she had given them.  Dinah and the rest were not treated as well as we might think they would have been.

            A story carried from the previous run of Gail Simone on the title is continued here.  The only girl of a group of martial artist that Dinah had defeated and humiliated is manipulating things.  This White Canary has back both the Black canary and Lady Shiva into a match to the death.  Sin’s life is hanging in the balance.  The events lead Helena and Zinda to follow Dinah to Bangkok and they immediately get a surprise as they are facing her with a group of fighters.

            This is where the story begins for this issue.  Helena realizes that she has to do something that only she can do.  You miss this if you do not read carefully.  It leads to a fight between Huntress and Lady Shiva.  There is a great scene where Helena screws up the plan White Canary was forcing by using what she knows of honor and stuff because of her mafia background.  Her actions also bring us a new name for Lady Shiva, Drippypants.

            Drippypants was just a small bit of humor in this deadly serious fight between Huntress and the DCU’s deadliest women.  Never would you give Huntress a chance to get in one good moment, but she does.  It is great reading the fight, but the emotional stuff Helena is going through during this part of the story really hits her roots excellently.

            I recently purchased the entire Dennis O’Neal run of Huntress back in the late 1980’s.  Simone captures that essence of the character.  This was a Huntress that was just beginning and finding her feet.  All that was wiped out as reality was adjusted and readjusted.  We forget that Huntress was and is a strong woman that is not a shadow of Batman.  That is the best thing Gail Simone has done, bring Huntress to a level she should be at as a character.

BDS

Green Lantern Corps #54

            The cover says it all, Sinestro Vs. Kyle Rayner.  The main and baddest Weaponeer of Qwad has taken Soranik Natu captive and demanded Sinestro come face him or he will kill her.  Now Kyle and dead girlfriends is something we are use to, but I think he has decided that he is tired of them expiring.  He goes has far last issue as punching Sinestro.

            That is where we get to this issue.  Sinestro decides that they can fight without rings and keep the truce.  So we see Sinestro in a way that we have not seen in many years.  We get a look at why before Hal Jordan, Sinestro was the top Green Lantern.  Kyle holds his on for a bit and delivers a cool line, but really, he is a lover, not a fighter.  Sinestro really shows why he will never win father of the year.

            The current grouping of the Corps that this title has been following takes up the cause as Kyle heads to Qwad.  Meanwhile Natu learns a bit about Qwad and the planet’s history.  She is a great character that gets to shine even as a captive.  I really like the way they have developed her.  I have a feeling the Weaponeer might get his butt handed to him by her before all is said and done.

            Green Lantern Corps brings the greatness every month.  Tony Bedard is an excellent writer for this cosmic tale of the Green Lanterns.  I loved his work on Negation at the now gone CrossGen and he continues to amaze me here.

BDS

Batwoman #0

            So the restructuring of the Batman Family must have played into this title being so long in coming as a solo.  Issue #0 is our teaser.  The title is still a few months from launching, but we just know Batman had to check out this new player with his family’s motif that has taken to Gotham’s streets.  That is what this issue is about.  It brings the Detective Comics stories into the core and sets up what Bruce Wayne thinks of the new Batwoman.

            We watch Bruce basically stalk Kathy Kane to see if she is this Batwoman that has been seen in Gotham.  There is the dual page storytelling that J.H. Williams III seems to like.  I can be disconcerting for the reader.  Not sure I like it myself, but the story is good so I handle it.  I am disappointed in the art.  I dislike Kathy looking like a Jokerized female Batman.  The harshness is not nice to look at to me.  I am not asking for the typical glamorized look, but it just looks grotesque to me.

            Bruce does his thing and we get a nice look at the new defender of the weak in Gotham.  Whether she will get funding and a permit from the Batman Incorporated empire is unclear.  Sorry, the idea of Batman as a business tickles me.  This is just a nice setup for the title to come.

BDS

Batgirl #15

            A new art team lead by Dustin Nguyen brings us the continuing drama of Stephanie Brown.  This issue opens with an excellent look at the history of the Bat-Family as told by Stephanie.  It is a priceless bit of art and story.  They should make a poster out of these pages.  That would be so cool.

            The Return of Bruce Wayne one shots saw Stephanie stand up to the man and claim her mantle.  He seemed pleased.  The smug creators that poo poo on the Stephanie Fanbase probably did not get the joke there.  Now we are at issue #15 of the new Batgirl.  It is the title I most want to read each month.  I have stated time and again how much this book rocks.

            Here is the chance to jump on board.  This issue is perfect to begin reading if you have not been doing so.  The humor and action is well balanced as Stephanie makes her rounds at college and ends up battling a bunch of robed figures.  She has a new bit of help in the form of the “Grey Ghost.”  Eventually the kid she was trying to save is found dead by the detective she has befriended and Barbara has been flirting with and dating.  Guess who their prime murder suspect becomes? 

Nice cliffhanger on this one folks.

BDS

Flashback Friday: Mutant X #1

 

            In the late 90’s I had begun reviewing comics and like many reviewers at the time I was being critical of Howard Mackie.  Remember that these were the days of Ben Reilly as Spider-Man.  The poor fellow that was burdened with the whole Clone Saga was Howard Mackie.  He was being complained about and even from his writing on the Spidey titles one could feel his heart might not have been in the stories.  Along the same time Mackie was handed the reins of a new title.  The name of that book was Mutant X.

            The TV Show strangely would not be far behind, but they were totally different.  The set up is simple.  Take Alex Summers and blew him to bits in X-Factor.  Let his spirit float into a nexus of all realities then meld with a dying Alex Summers of an alternate reality.  Then you have an entire new set of Marvel characters that are similar yet drastically different.  It was a really under appreciated comic.  Mackie was set free to play in a cool sandbox where he could imagine the toys.

            Alex comes to in the middle of a battle with weird looking Sentinels.  His teammates are his wife, Madelyne Summers, the vampiric Storm, Bloodstorm, a horribly mutated simple-minded Henry McCoy, The Brute, the Loki cursed Ice-Man, a creepy Warren Worthington III, The Fallen.  A very disturbing team of mutant heroes.  Let me just say that Alex was very confused, and that was before he met his son Scotty.  It is a wild beginning that just gets better as the issues come out.

            One great thing about this series is the way that they are so common in the back issue bins and out in the flea market circuit.  I would guess that maybe stores bought this book like they did anything with an “X” on the title.  That might explain why it is an easy book to buy as a back issue collection.  It is a great and fun read that really brought my respect for this awesome writer back.  He was saddled with an impossible task during the Clone Saga.  The greed that took that story farther than planned drug him down and you could tell with the work product.  Mutant X reminds us why Mackie was the writer chosen to write the titles before the Clone Saga.

BDS

GETTING BACK ON TRACK.

     I hope to get to the shop late tomorrow or Saturday.  I am really looking forward to reading Batwoman #0 and The current issue of Batgirl that has the new art team.  I did get a Flashback Friday written, so it will be up and though it is short I hope it reminds us why sometimes the odd titles become the best over time.

     So my ever continuing battle with kidney stones hit hard this week and I am still recovering.  I do not seem to form them thanks to the medicine, I have the kind that are uric acid, but I do experience the symptoms that are horrible.  It came at a bad time and I hope is gone for a long while.

     Hope to have some current reviews soon.

BDS

Why No Marvel?

You stumble across this Blog and see about 90% DC Comics reviewed.  You are a follower and wonder why I never really talk about current Marvel comicbooks?  Well, I do not buy any Marvel books currently.  The last series I was reading involved Nova.  When the constant crossovers kept intruding I just gave it up.  Sadly I left a company I at one time was supporting fully.  I recently reread my Nova series until I stopped buying.  I still love the character and love Marvel.  I was reminded how perverse the Marvel Universe had become to me.  Heroes becoming fascists and Spider-man making deals with the devil so writers could have him with multiple sexual possibilities.  I could go on and on about the way these characters just did not feel right.  The strange relationship fans and corporate leaders have was broken for me.  I took to heart the  idea Quesada snidely gave of reading the back stock of Marvel Comics if I (fans) did not like the direction the company was going creatively.  I have.  I read the glorious old comics where integrity and responsibility mean something.  I read about heroes that sacrifice real and substantial things for the greater good.  Marvel currently is for a type of reader I am not.  I suppose they are selling books, and a friend of mine would say they do not care if they lost my business.  Still, are there more "mes" out there?  I am not alone right?  Others became feed up and broke the mentality of just overlooking and buying anyway, right?  Truthfully, this came at a good time.  $3.99 is too much for a 22-page story, especially if you dislike the way things are.  I have decisions to make as DC will one day have to decide a new price rate.  So far their tiered pricing has kept most of my reads at $2.99  So I hope you realize why things are so unbalanced.

BDS

The Green

Before I saw the resulting comments on the Internet I watched The Green Lantern Trailer on TV.  My gut reaction was one of anticipation.  The one hero that this overweight kid had always seen as the one accessible to them was there on the screen.  See the thing about the Green Lanterns has always been for me the fact that anyone of any shape, size, color, and alien race can become a Lantern.  Now the once impossible special effects were coming to a movie theatre near me.  I was looking forward to the movie.

One the Internet it seems comicbook fans have decided that the trailer, "Looks good, but..."  Can we not just once be glad that we have the Green Lantern Movie and just wait until we tear it apart?  I could moan that the two times Blake Lively was on the trailer she sounded wooden and looked like she had no emotion.  Yet, there is the visual buffet of Killowog, Sinestro, and a host of other Lanterns.  The look of Oa was cool.  Here we have something that was thought forever out of reach in terms of being able to replicate the powers and we already are griping.  Jonah Hex stunk.  I can say that after watching it.  I reserve judgment to say that if Green Lantern stinks.  Until then I am just going to enjoy the fact that a favorite group of characters will see widespread exposure.

BDS

Bruce Wayne The Road Home: Batgirl #1

            While reading this story that is a part of the larger Return of Bruce Wayne story I had an odd thought.  Was Bryan Q. miller trying to make a statement?  The Fangirl cry for a Stephanie Brown case memorial in the Batcave was the rallying point of a much larger concern with the treatment of female characters.  Stephanie was the first female Robin.  She ends up tortured and then murdered.  Yes, they retroactively brought her back and covered the whole mess up in a comicbook cliché way.  The bosses and creators from that period have sarcastically mentioned and very crudely talked about those wasting energy over the Death of Stephanie.  It has been a poorly executed meeting of corporate company and the fans that buy the product.  I just wonder if Miller is telling us he gets it and his Batgirl will treat Stephanie as a character to be respected.  That has been the tone in the series so far and it certainly is a strong tone here in this one-shot.

            Stephanie Brown as Batgirl has been a wonderful story to see unfold.  I have been reading the regular series since the beginning.  Batgirl is one of my enjoyable reads.  I make sure I savor it.  Sometimes I read it first and others I leave it to the end of the pile when I have slowed down my devouring of the stack of books.  It is one that I would hold on to if I had to start purging the pull list at the local shop.  From her costume to the witty thoughts and dialogue she has I just love this character.  She is very much like the kids I work with, slightly scattered, but so good hearted.  Each issue of her book has been a slow build of how the characters that knew her as Spoiler are seeing the growth of this amazing young crime fighter.

            She does something in this issue I have seen Black Canary do and that is slap Bruce.  It was just a well written scene.  Stephanie responds with shock at herself as she realizes she just slapped Batman.  It was deserved though.  Bruce has always treated her so hard and with an edge he never had with any of the others.  I even feel he treated Huntress better.  To see Stephanie stand her ground against him is wonderful.  It also is why I wonder if Miller is signaling something to Steph’s fanbase.  A promise maybe that as long as he is in control the girl will be the hero we love and treated as a true part of the Batfamily and the DCU.

I know I have rambled for a bit.  The thing I guess I will leave you with is that this book and the next Issue of Batgirl, number 15 are great jumping on points for a reader to try Batgirl out.  Stephanie is worth a read for a true fan of comicbook stories.  So try out Batgirl #15 and this book as well.

BDS

Wonder Woman #604

            Do you get that I am liking the story of Wonder Woman right now?  I am not happy she is separated from the rest of the DCU, but JMS is crafting a good tale.  This is the issue we get some action.  Not really any answers.  It has one awesome battle sequence.  Just page to page fiery action.  Diana faces her mother’s attacker.  She faces the “big bad” that we have seen so far.

            She gains one of her weapons in this issue and one of her lost abilities.  I really do not want to say a whole lot about the story because it would give so much away.  I am really liking the story.  As I have stated I see it not being a status quo.  When JMS ends his story the reality of Wonder Woman will return to the warrior we know.  It is still a weird way to treat a character that has been touted as part of a DCU Trinity.  

            I do not think she gets the respect that the male dominated DC Comics Corporation say they pay her.  It is almost as if she is tolerated because they need her as the DCU female icon.  When people that do not know comics think of female characters they do remember Wonder Woman and that she was the one who spun around.  To me she is and can be so much more.  Strong and independent women scare people.  What really scares people is the woman that can be both warrior and nurturer.  That is what Diana is in a nutshell.  If the need arises she can beat down any threat.  When someone is broken and hurting she can cradle them into safety.  Why can’t we have that Wonder Woman?

            Until that day I will support this character as much as possible.  Luckily for me I currently am enjoying the book and story in a way that secures its place on the pull list.

BDS

Brightest Day #12 & #13

            I will double up on this quick review of the Brightest Day series.  It has been good so far, slow in places.  Here in these issues we get two of the faster paced parts of the story.  In case you have been under a rock and do not know what this is about I will give you my explanation.  The end of Blackest Night saw a number of individuals brought back from the grave permanently, kinda.  See we learned that each has a task to perform to remain alive.  Boston Brand, or Deadman, is one of the people brought back and he now has a mission to find the new Guardian of Earth.  He has a White Ring as well.  The series is the tale of his mission and the tasks that the others are to undertake.

            Issue #12 is a Martian Manhunter centric story that also has Firestorm in it.  The Firestorm story has a Black Lantern return in the form of Deathstorm and a crew of Black Lanterns that we all thought gone.  It is the Martian Manhunter story that is most tragic and intriguing.  He is apparently able to return “the Green” to Mars.  The problem is that another Green Martian is there on the planet as well.  They are a former Martian Murderess that had escaped the destruction of the race of Green Martians.  She wants J’onn to be her mate.  She wants to repopulate a genetically designated race to replace the flawed one she was glad to see gone.  There is fighting.  There is a surprise resurrection.  There is a twist ending that chills the spine.  Poor J’onn is all I can say about it.

            The central characters of Issue #13 are Hawkman and Hawkwoman.  There is a great telling of their history and how the current state of them and Hawk World came to be.  All the secrets that currently were hidden are revealed.  We see some gruesome fighting as Carter Hall battles to his love.  She is facing her mother and the reason apparently for all the troubles the Hawks have faced over the centuries.  Really cool story here.

            Boston and Dove are the other part of the book.  They are looking for the new Guardian and I think they are kind of sweet on each other.  The big twist here is who might be this Guardian.  The newly returned……well that would be telling would it not?

BDS

Superman/Batman #77

            I admit that the cover drew me in.  When I saw Kara with a mushed Jack O’ Lantern on her head beside the smug Damien (Robin) I knew I had to read the book.  I really dislike the character of Damien, not as a character, as a person in the DC Universe.  He is an arrogant little jerk that has serious problems with his demeanor.  I can see him being a sociopath one day.  That said, when he interacts with other characters it provides a wonderful story and some awesome quips.  Batgirl’s run in with him was just great.  So how did the Maiden of Might fair?

            I agree with Dick, he has a crush on her.  Still, he called her alien and used her as a tool to investigate the deaths she was concerned about.  It was Supergirl who needed a detective and she sought out Batman, but Dick was with the JLA.  Next she asked about Red Robin, but Tim was apparently out as well.  She relents and tells Robin to find his own way to Metropolis and he can help.  The set up was very well conceived.  It also had a bit of an introduction of Robin by showing him facing off with Killer Croc.

            The two end up at a Halloween party in costumes no less.  They find the killer and the resulting attack places Supergirl against Robin in an interesting way.  The story is very well written and just a wonderful team up of these two DCU characters.  I also like the hood Damien has added to his Robin costume.  It makes it his style while adding something different to a classic look.  Kara is still in the midriff baring top and short skirt.  No wonder Damien has a crush.  This was a great read.

BDS

Rapid Remarks!

Untold Tales of Blackest Night #1                Think of this as the “Deleted Scenes” of the Blackest Night.  That is what we get here.  The book has tales that are glimpses of moments we did not get to see.  Donna Troy and the effects of the baby bite.  Some dumb Flash villains trying to become Black Lanterns.  Animal Man in the middle of his struggle with being a former dead person.  Scarecrow and his Yellow Ring, which I had hoped for more of a tale.  A tragic look at the result of the Black Rings on Ragman.  Costly, it runs $4.99.  Might be for completist only.  It will probably be collected with the trades.

Power Girl #17                       Why does Winnick have to write this?  I want to follow this character.  I really do.  I am not liking Judd Winnick on this book.  I rarely enjoy his work.  I am trying to wait out his run and see if someone else takes the writing chores soon.  If not, then I might be dropping PG in the near future.

Secret Six #27             Spawn is on the cover.  Not really, but that is what it looks like to me and apparently many of the people who saw the cover in the store.  I like Simone’s writing, but this piecemeal story telling is getting old.  Back to basics please.  Still, an Awesome Amanda Waller tale in these pages.  So that is worth the price of Admission.

Green Lantern Emerald Warriors #3                       Still great.  Has some of the best of the Lantern Corps present.  Other Lanterns here as well.  $3.99 price so you must weigh the financial side of reading this in single issues.

Green Lantern #58                The mystery of the Lantern Entities continues.  Looks like Carol will be Queen of the Zamorans.  This book has Hal Jordan, Sinestro, Atrocious, Carol Ferris, and Larfleeze.  C’mon you know you are reading this in single of trade versions.  This issue has the Blue Entity saving a child and choosing her as the vessel.  Plus Atrocious kills a bunch of murderers.  What I want to know is when are we getting the DexStarr One Shot?

Green Lantern Corps #53                  One image.  Kyle punching the crap out of Sinestro.  We see what the Weaponer did with the White Lantern Ring energy net that Boston Brand made.  It is intriguing that he can use it that way.  All action issue with cool concepts for ring energy.  This is a must read right now.  Been where the cool stories have been.

Batman Beyond #5 of 6                    You know they gave Terry McGuiness his own series right?  This issue shows us why it is a great book.  Bruce expresses his softer side.  A Dick Grayson cameo times two and the new Catwoman.  It is just a great read.

Zatanna #6                 A really good book so far.  I like the almost Fanfiction mind-control element here.  This is a nice look at the magical side of the DCU.  We get her cousin Zach here as well.  Very good read.

            This may become a regular post.  I can cover what I am reading and get just the basic thoughts out there.  What do you think?  Hey tell a friend.  I really hope to have rebuilt some recognition before I get to the Convention buys.  I want the people to get a bunch of coverage if I can.  Thanks for dropping by.

BDS

Flashback Friday: Robin + Impulse #1

Yes, I at long last got this one up.  I know it is short, but really didn't want to ruin the story.  After all, these should be just a peek at some great reads that are in back issue and discount boxes, right?  I hope to get some of the stack of books I bought Tuesday reviewed today.  There were some good reads in that pile, Wonder Woman being one of them.

            I enjoy picking up these DC Comics one shot and Fifth week books.  One I found sometime along my journey in the Comicbook Rescue Project (what I call my back issue buying) was the Robin plus Impulse story.  It begins with Robin investigating a theft from the Gotham telephone Company’s storage warehouse.  He gets punked after finding out the stolen tech was way outdated.  We then flash forward to an arranged ski trip that Tim and his classmates are treated to as a cover for Robin to do a bit of recon for Batman.  Bart Allen just happens to be there as well.  As usual Bart is impatient and we find he dislikes snow.  It is a cool bit of lighthearted fare missing in so many books today.

            Mark Waid is good at balancing lightheartedness and serious comicbook action.  Here he kicks it into high gear as Robin gets shot at while snooping.  Impulse shows up and the fun begins.  The two team up to discover a large army of baddies and the babe who punked Robin at the warehouse.  Things are fast paced which fits Impulse.  The humor is never lost as laser fire and explosions happen all around our two young heroes.

            I will say little else because I do not want to spoil the ending.  It has some mystery as well as an awesome Impulse nail biting ending.  These are cool books to seek out and why I chose to use this title as a Flashback Friday offering.

BDS

Bat Family History, Stephanie Brown Style

 This was posted on the DCU Blog the other day and I wanted to post it to make sure it was seen.  I was lazy until Rich Lovatt saved me the time in gathering it up easily.  I really think this is a funny retelling of the Bat Family history.  Stephanie Brown has been my one bright spot in my buying and reading this year.  Issue #15 is probably a good jumping on point if you want to see what all the fuss is about.  This history is a follow up to Stephanie feeling Wendy needs to know the background on what she is stepping into as Proxy.  Wonderful tease here in these panels.

BDS

The Colorado Kid & Haven

            I have been watching the TV Show Haven on my Hulu account.  Haven is one of the SyFy channel’s crop of shows that started this past summer.  It revolves around a seaside community in New England that is a place of quiet living and strange occurrences.  It is not the “troubles” or awesome Agent Audrey Parker that I write about this post, but the small book by Stephen King that inspired the show.  The book is a short and very focused on the characters that reveal the story that is not a story.

The Colorado Kid is not what I expected.  I figured maybe the characters in the show would appear in the younger days of their life and be involved in a mystery that has been mentioned as a way to intrigue Audrey’s past to the viewer.  Instead it is a stand alone and apart tale of a young girl who is learning the journalism ropes from a couple of fellas that clearly are the inspiration for the show Haven’s resident small town paper men.  It is they that decide to explain to Stephanie about why they did not share the tale of The Colorado Kid with a big time reporter from The Boston Globe.

            What is revealed is a story of a dead man that has no resolution.  There are facts and questions that come from his being found, yet it is not a story.  The facts surrounding the events could be told in any fashion.  For as the men tell us there is no beginning, middle, and end like we would like.  Just questions and some speculation.  I had a college English professor that I figure would have hated this book.  He was a nasty sort that always wanted the tidy wrapped up packages for his literature.  The Colorado Kid provides us with no tidy package and teaches us that some tales do not deserve to be shared so a forced ending can be written.

Agent Audrey Parker (Emily Rose)

            The TV Show Haven can be seen clearly in the tale.  It is the tiny island that we see here.  It is filled with the easy going folk that are mention.  Even the way Stephanie describes how she is slowly accepted as a member of the community fits with how we watch Audrey slowly become a trusted member of the town of Haven.  Sometimes the seed of an idea can bear fruit.  Stephen King discusses the seed that created The Colorado Kid and from that fruit a seed was taken to grow an intriguing TV Show.  Many compared the show to Warehouse 13, which I believe is wrong.  If anything, The Gates is closer.  I feel that Haven is named that for a reason.  Like that ABC show with a gated community for “monsters” Haven seems to be a place where people cursed or afflicted with “troubles” find a life.

            It will be intriguing to see how the latest revealed about Audrey Parker fits into the Show's continuing mythology.

BDS

Green Arrow Images

Images I had running as a Slide Show during the Trunk-Or-Treat.

Oh Well

 

I got behind because of work and just feeling a bit like no one was reading so I put it on the back burner.  I am pondering when to go to the shop.  Might be tomorrow or wait until Tuesday when I have to go that way for another reason.  Sorry about the Flashback Fridays.  I have a book, well, many books to use, just haven't written anything.  I will try and see if anyone has a pic of me in my Trunk-Or-Treat costume this year.  I was Green Arrow.  Not too happy with it.  I had hoped to put a pick of the Iron Man pumpkin a man at church craved for me, but he looks a bit off.  He fell because of some reason and the mouth frankly looks like a blow up doll's.  Anyway.  I do hope to get some reviews of books from HeroesCon up soon.  One is a Christmas release and it is really neat.

BDS 

Birds of Prey #5

                It is no secret that this is one of my favorite titles written by one of my favorite writers.  I must do something rare and brag on the cover this issue.  I really like it.  The way Huntress and Lady Blackhawk are presented on the cover just pops off the page.  It has some grit to it that fits these two characters.  This is the aftermath of the White Canary story.  The Penguin has really taken a harsh blow to the Birds.  He placed two in the hospital and one quits the team.  Still our women remain strong.  I like how Huntress gets angry and ready to just chuck it all and then calms down after venting a bit.  It fits her personality.  I have just finished reading the 19 issue run of The Huntress from 1989.  She is the skeleton for our Huntress today.

                Lady Blackhawk is another excellent character.  She is sometimes ditzy and very flirty acting.  This is an act in many ways.  This is great writing on Simone’s part.  The character is one that gets underestimated.  She might look twenty, but in reality she is much older.  Zinda Blake is a displaced in time WWII fighter pilot.  When she sets her mind to something she gets her way.  Now that is her and Huntress going to Bangkok and getting Black Canary back.  They really are very different from the old days of Oracle and Canary that Chuck Dixon started with his Birds of Prey series.  I bet many people would not believe the series to still have life now.

                The addition of Hawk and Dove is interesting.  It makes for yet another layer.  Barbara Gordon is becoming more adept than Bruce Wayne at gathering those needing special attention and rehabilitation.  The way Savant and Creole have been re-gathered into the fold is nice.  The way hawk fits I am not sure.  I know they needed somewhere to drop him and Dove during the Brightest Day period.  They fit in the way that these characters are interesting but do not fit in any other team or in an ongoing series format.  They at the very least fit the Birds of Prey title.

                I am just glad to have this book back and rolling along.  It is one of my look forward to reads every month.

BDS