Flashback Friday: 1 For 1 Ghost #1

I need to point out that this is the original cover for this comic.  The one I have is a special edition that was part of a $1 comic special where Dark Horse put beginning issues out to allow for new reader's to access them better.  The price I snagged this one for was 60 cents.  It confirmed what i already suspected, I would be enjoying this book if I were collecting it.

Ghost will be on my list as I look through collected editions at HeroesCon.  I will be getting Dark Horse that way for now.  They do seem to be producing some good books.  I just don't have the cash to commit $3.50 an issue to them.

The character has been around for some time now.  This rendering is the first time I have felt I understood and could follow her adventures.  The explanation on the inside cover page was helpful.  I am told how Elisa Cameron was an investigative reporter that uncovered a demonic conspiracy which lead to her banishment to a hellish dimension.  She comes back, sort of, as a supernatural being with fragmented memories.  She took down her original adversaries and now hunts down the demons that worked for the demonic mayor she beat.

Ryan Sook is well suited as artist on this book.  I know his work from the early days of Buffy The Vampire Slayer.  He has a good balance of realistic people and scary good monsters.  I am glad that he has pulled back on the use of shadow here that was a trademark of his early Buffy TVS work.  Likewise, Kelly Sue DeConnick & Christopher Sebela have crafted a plausible backdrop for this woman caught between to realities.  The supporting cast come off as well rounded and all things make you want to know more.  It is a good book.

I will be looking to get the first two volumes of this current Ghost series.  It has sparked more interest.

BDS

Flashback Friday: Danger Girl Trinity (All four Issues)

I really should have had this done earlier in the week, but the antibiotics and cough pill have really made me tired and dizzy.  Still, I did pull out my guilty little pleasure of comicbook collecting and reading.  I didn't fall for the Danger Girls when they first appeared.  I saw the cheesecake covers (and yes I do own a copy of the famous Abbey Chase Bubble Bath cover) and was not a purchaser of comics for art.  I was in my early days of returning to comics as well.  I didn't delve into the Image waters much.  It would be many years later that I would find some Danger Girl comics in collected and single forms for a steal and buy them.  I liked those early issues well enough.

What has really captured my imagination has been the last ten years or so of Danger Girl.  It has comeback in limited series forms many times and I like that.  I have bought a few and really have enjoyed how the characters have grown since those early cheesecake days.  TRINITY was the last one I purchased and IDW now has the franchise.  The downside of which is the cost of a single issue, $3.99.  Still, I was doing better back when this came out and picked each issue up off the shelf.  I have put the covers I own in the posts.  If you know anything about Danger Girl, it is that there are always multiple covers.

For those that do not know about Danger Girl, it is a great spy/action/adventure comic.  It all started with the recruitment of Abbey Chase, Archaeologist and Relic Hunter.  She gets brought into the Spy group Know as Danger Girl.  There are sisters Sydney and Sonya Savage as well as Deuce and Valerie.  Deuce is a former British Intelligent Agent and the surly leader of the team.  Valerie is the teenage tech whiz that aspires to be like Abbey.  It is Abbey, Sydney, and Sonya that are the three main femme fatales.  Each gets there own cover this series.

That is good since it reads as a three part action tale that will converge in issue #4.  Abbey is abducted very politely by a desert king and taken for some unknown reason.  She always is falling into trouble like this and it leads to her Indiana Jones like saving of the day.  It was Sydney that got some of the sex appeal action and funny relationship stuff as she is called to save Abbey while with a nice guy.  He ends up in some strange situations because of her.  Oh, there is also a group of assassins that are after her.  That leaves Sonya as she is retrieving a bounty and anther group of killers have it out for her.  The guy she has captured ends up as her buddy during many high octane escapes.
 
All this leads to Abbey figuring out who is the baddies and who needs help.  Her Danger Girl pals arrive and everything gets explosive.  This is a group of characters that are used as typical sexy women in comic art ways, but stories like this feel more rendered as it has some well done writing to accompany all the great art.  People will buy Danger Girl stories for different reasons.  So far, I have enjoyed the recent adventures.  I would urge you to not just judge these gals by there covers, but try out the stories.  You might be surprised at how independent and strong these female characters have become.

BDS 

Flashback Friday: Grilfrenzy! Superman: Lois Lane #1

DC used to love to do what was called a Fifth Week Event.  There are a slew of these collections of special and themed comics out in the Universe that were produced when a month had five weeks.  The Girlfrenzy! event is no big surprise, focused on female characters.  Some were newbies that were being introduced or fleshed out more as a character, some were like the lead in this book, old stalwarts of the DC Universe.  This is a great solo tale of Lois Lane.

One of the great things about this story is that Lois sees her love Superman in the very start of the book, but he leaves and the adventure is all hers.  It is good to see this intrepid reporter excel at the craft she practices.  It has been easy over the many years of stories with Lois and Superman in them to see her as the "damsel in distress" all to often.  Here we are reminded that the character could anchor her own title.

In the Arctic Wilds we have Lois awaiting a source that never appears.  This has her striking out on her own with the local sheriff and a woman that takes an interest in the polar bears that are missing.  Seems some kids are missing as well.  It turns into a freakish corporate experiment when Lois infiltrates and discovers the secrets of a research station on the ice.  This is a good story and there is a surprise guest that I will not name.  I will hint that it is a secondary DC character.  Lois still controls the spotlight throughout the tale.

This is a must for any Lois Lane fan.  It also is a good comic that you could give to a young female reader to enjoy.  It has a strong female lead and the testosterone fueled art is left off the radar in this one.  A good back issue find if you come across it sometime.

BDS

Flashback Friday: Anne Elizabeth's Pulse of Power

One of the awesome things about quarter and fifty cent boxes are little gems like this one.  When at my shop's Toy and Comic Fair I found Pulse of Power, a $7.99 dollar book when it came out new, for fifty cents.  I knew zero about this book.  I have never read Anne Elizabeth's work that I know of for sure.  I do read a bunch of anthologies of supernatural or paranormal romance so it is possible.  I only knew that the character had to be a magical red head.  So I bought it.  If she had held a sword in her hand there would not even had been a hesitation.

It is really well done.  It has a world where magic is around the real world but hidden.  Those with magic have rules to follow and evil stuff can skirt around from what I gathered.  Tia, the main character uses her meager abilities to hunt the bad magic users and eliminate them.  Here though we see her dealing with strange dreams and there are three dudes casting spells concerning her.

She has a best friend that plays heavy into the story.  There is a cop love interest that goes no where.  The big bad is gruesome enough and looks funny in the three piece suit.  The magic building where Tia works is really cool.  There are many crazy looking beings that are in and out of the place.  Best way to describe it is by comparing it to the arrival and departure area in Men In Black.  Just a mish-mash of weirdness.

It was a good buy.  Apparently there is a second book that came out in Oct. of 2011.  The link for PULSE OF POWER has a link to the next book.  I will be watching for it in the long boxes at HeroesCon.

BDS

Flashback Friday: Kitty Pryde and Wolverine Limited Series

     I opened a short box and began reading random comics this week as I felt bad.  One series in this box was Chris Claremont's great tale of Kitty Pryde and Wolverine.  This is an old series and many would say hard to find.  I found all Six Issues in a back issue sale some years ago.  Since then I have seen all six at Conventions and other places lots of comics are for sale.  I would say that they are more available than one might think.  It is a pivotal series as it takes Kitty and evolves her from Ariel or Sprite and being just a genius who can phase into a master Ninja that takes the Shadowcat.  Granted, one must suspend disbelief to accept this transformation, but this story does it in excellent fashion.

     Kitty has been dumped by Colossus after the Secret War and his falling for an alien hottie who could heal others.  It shows her as a carefree teen with a few problems to work through.  She is skating and decides to go see her Banker father.  When she arrives he has some strange associates from Japan and Kitty soon is afraid that harm will come to him.  They all leave for Japan and the adventure begins.  It is cool seeing her use her powers to sneak in places and get herself across an ocean and continent.  She leaves the X-Men out of it and is on her own.
 
     Things just go from bad to worse for Kitty as Japan is not a hospitable place and she refuses to seek aid from Wolverine's love Lady Mariko.  So she is sick and ill dressed as the bad guy Ogun takes her and manipulates her mind.  Later in the series Wolverine tells her Ogun had her for a week.  When I first read this it was never really something I thought about, but the implications can become very dark if you open you mind to run wild.  Needless to say, Kitty becomes a mind controlled ninja that takes on Wolverine.  The fight is vicious and in the end she impales Wolverine in his heart.

     Yukio, another woman who is smitten with Wolverine is apart of the story.  She is an assassin that is known as "The Wild One."  Without her much of the story cannot be as good.  Kitty's Dad interacts a bunch with her and she is the reason he lives through many encounters.  She also has a great fight with a big sumo bodyguard of the bad guys.  The recovery of both Wolverine and Kitty's mind is a great two issue part of the story.  Kitty must become able to help herself and Wolverine is pushing her hard.  This is an awesome bit of story on its own.

     Ogun is the man that trained Wolverine.  He could be an immortal swordsman from legend.  He does have demonic powers now and is a person of pure evil.  The fight to the end starts with Kitty protecting Lady Mariko and her adopted daughter, Wolverine's family.  Once that happens we get the last issue where it is Wolverine against Ogun.  You should know the outcome.  It is a great fight on so many levels.  It is just one of the best things ever printed in the X-Men mythology.  

     Seek it out and you will not be disappointed.  You will read this book however.  It is full of dialogue and narration boxes.

BDS

Aquaman #6

Mera unleashed indeed!  I have been looking forward to this issue since the preview tag came out.  Mera goes shopping for dog food.  It has a great deal of fun and humor while also having a good way of showcasing Mera.  What you need to know is that Mera is in exile with Arthur.  When the Reach story ended there was a golden retriever that was left homeless because their owner died in the massacre.  

Mera heads out to the local grocery store and is trying to figure out just what kind of dog food she needs.  The creepy manager gets too frisky and learns a lesson.  You don't tug on Superman's cape and you Definitely DO NOT put your hand on Mera's derriere.  She handles the faux pas in a very violent fashion.  I kinda liked that she cracked his wrist.  As she said, "I could have done much worse."  Still, we know what happens next.  She gets hassled by the law.  What is funny is how she resolves the fight and the way she helps out after the fact.

 This is really a great stand alone story that has some nuggets of what is to come.  We see a bit of Mera's back story and it humanizes her.  There is a definite "fish out of water" vibe to Mera.  She can be so innocent about the world around her and that is endearing.  What is a great aspect is how she can go into a 0 to 60 rage and become a Warrior to be reckoned with and feared.  This is not in a bimboish sort of way.  It is more the idea of a woman that is a warrior trying to be something else as she lives this life.

A great showcase for the other half of the Aquaman book.

BDS

Mantra Mondays: Mantra #16

It is the issue I have been waiting for.  Lukaz has finally grown an attitude of caring and compassion for Eden's family.  It took his falling in love with Eden's soul which is in her body he still inhabits.  We end this issue as we finished the last.  Mantra is saying good-bye to Kevin, aka Prime, after failing to get a new male body.  So now it is back home and see where the family is and how they are doing as mom has been away for who knows how long.

The problem is that as Mantra returns home and is accidentally discovered by little Evie she learns that Eden is already there.  What?!?!  Yes, Eden Blake has been creepily coveting the Love of those around her and soon a mystery must be solved.  Lukasz is for the first time the stand up guy the reader has sought since the beginning of the series.  No whining about the female body, although he still is wanting out and Eden in charge so they can be together.  Instead he is out to discover what is happening and protecting Eden's loved ones.

It all leads to that weird construct from Issue #3 Kismet Deadly and then an appearance of Thanasi, the Knight who betrayed Archimage.  He takes over Gus, Eden's ex-husband who is about to remarry the faux Eden.  It ends up a great action story that has one person learning Mantra is Eden.  It is one of the best issues of the series.

BDS

Mantra Monday: Mantra #15

We are at the end of the mission of freedom for Archimage.  You see last issue of Mantra, Boneyard tricked Mantra and she took the Sword of Fangs and sliced his head right off.  The man that Lukasz had pinned all his hopes of being a man again now lays dead at her feet.  The spirit of Eden Blake attempts to speak wisdom to him, but the rage and mindless anger just explodes.  Notch and company get eviscerated and maimed as they attack and Boneyard has slipped away and soon Mantra heads back to the Malibu Universe Earth.

Now you would think that Lukasz would focus on checking on Eden's kids.  He professes to love her and so he is concerned right?  Nope.  Mantra heads to see the young man that is the hero Prime.  Kevin is eager to help her and we learn Topaz ending up on Earth after disappearing during the Archimage Quest.  They are off to check on the whereabouts of the Doctor that is responsible for creating the Prime and other bodies.  So Lukasz is wanting a male body still.

The look-alike Eden is heading to the alter with Eden's ex-husband Gus.  All seems happy with the Blake family.  Something has to be off.  We know that Lukasz is Eden right?  Just some weird stuff ahead for Mantra.  It is the beginning of a bit of a new road.  Boneyard is going to be gone for a long while and we will see more of Mantra as an agent of Aladdin and the family life.  That is a welcome change.  There will be more acceptance coming for Lukasz as well.  This starts him in that direction.

I like the series better going forward.  It is more of what I would want in this title based on the issues I have collected.

BDS

Catwoman #6

I must start this post by giving congratulations to Judd Winnick.  I know he probably could care less that some person in rural North Carolina has finally enjoyed a series of his, but I do.  I have never thought he was a bad writer or anything like that emotion.  No, I just never really have ever connected to his stories.  He took over Green Lantern way back when I was a subscriber.  Not any dislike, but just felt the adventures fell flat for me.

I steered away from his work for a long time.  When I would come across it, the same emotion was present.  While I could like the work, it just never felt more than just reading along over an article in the newspaper.  I was really bummed when he was given Power Girl after it had such a fun and great start.  We get bogged down in the Brightest Day story with Max Lord.  I held on and stayed until the DCnu came to be.

The New 52 hit the stands and from the beginning I have absolutely LOVED Catwoman.  She has style and sass that I like.  It has a crime undertone that is out from under the Sahadow of the Bat even when he appears.  High action with amazing cliffhangers have just made this one of my wait until the end of the stack reads.  I keep the books I think I will enjoy most for the last part of reading when I get a stack of books from the shop.

Each issue Winnick has delivered a great adventure and a very detailed look at Selina Kyle.  It is a character driven book, that character being Selina, the woman who happens to be Catwoman.  I think that has been important.  It also is where I believe the critizism of the book come from as people adjust to the DCnU.  We were use to Catwoman and her adventures.  This takes us in from a different Point of View.  We see the world through Selina's eyes and her back story.  If anything this has brought a neat perspective to the myth of Catwoman.

You did it Winnick, I can praise a book you do.  Please keep up the good work on Catwoman.

BDS

Wonder Woman #6

I will admit, I was unsure when I heard that Wonder Woman would be considered a horror comic.  I was really disappointed in the run by J. Micheal Strazynski.  I expected more, but in a way the DCnU washed that reality warping tale away and I will let it go gladly.  I felt no sense of loss like I did with Batgirl, Zatanna, and Power Girl.  So I was taking a chance while determined to support Wonder Woman.  The verdict from me is that Brian Azzarello has crafted a great mythological horror book.  It is subtle horror though.  Muted by the art and the way the story flows.  You have finished reading and all of a sudden you realize just how creepy a scene was in the book.

I do not think anybody thought Wonder Woman would be this good.  Why then is no one really talking about this in great detail.  I figure that this is a title that few picked up because it was Wonder Woman.  She has always had trouble in many ways with the greater male comic reader.  So in a years time we will be hearing all the Johnny Come Latelys telling us how great the Trade is and we should have been reading.  Well, I AM READING!  You should be as well.

The godlings that are here and the new idea of Zeus being Diana's daddy has made for some interesting twist.  Hera basically turned all the Amazons into snakes and Diana's mom into a statue because she couldn't keep her hubby faithful.  This issue sees Diana as the strategist to make Batman proud.  She turns the table on the naked except for a peacock cloak queen of the godlings.  The godlings are odd looking.  Poseidon is a crazy quilt of sea creatures and Hades has his head on fire.  He looks like a Tick character.  SPOON!

Sorry, got carried away.  Wonder Woman is well written and well crafted.  I say read it now and be a head of the crowd.  Do not wait for the bandwagon to jump on and read.  It is one of the best things out there in the DCnU.

BDS

Mantra Mondays: Mantra #13

Mantra Monday makes its return!  It has been a bit since the last installment of Mantra Mondays.  It was Giant Size Mantra #1 where Mantra ends up in the dimension that Boneyard dwells and terrorizes in part, just not the correct part of the planet.  Instead she ends up having to fight Topaz and then saves the women of Gwendor securing an alliance.  The beginning of Mantra's quest to take the fight to Boneyard has her being outfitted with a high tech mystical armor.  Topaz and a group of the warrior women are with her as they set out.  Soon the men of Neros ask to go as well to make up for the man in their company that worked with Boneyard and attacked Gwendor.  We end up with a jumpy group of men and women who normally only see each other when they are so full of lust they cannot do anything but reproduce.

Lukas still whines, but a bit less.  He is too busy trying not to be called Lady Mantra.  The remaining wife of Boneyard attacks and Topaz is hit with a mystical bolt and disappears.  She is thought dead.  Mantra takes over.  She has an army now and the fight is moving to Boneyard.  I will not say much more.  This is a good read with action and less male trapped in a female body whining.

There is a strange happening with little Evie.  She visits a nice old lady and soon she has an amulet that she wishes upon for her Mommy's return.  The odd thing is that Eden Blake shows up.  But, wait, Eden has been talking to Lukas on the Soulscape when he dreams.  So who is the woman that is with Evie and Gus?

Resolutions are coming soon in the original plotlines.  

BDS

Batwoman #6

Are you reading this title?  If not, then why not?  Batwoman has been a constant delight as a book.  Each and every appearance has been an artistic overload with interesting stories.  Maybe some were worried as Amy Reeder took over the look of the book, but WOW do I like her work.  I loved the high concept look of the first five issues, but I love the way Amy Reeder has brought back a more comicbook look to the series.

I normally am not one to gush over the art in a comic.  I go with the flow, like nice art and tolerate the art that doesn't quite look like I would imagine the characters to be.  The thing about Batwoman in issue 6 is that she looks like I see in my mind.  I like that Kate Kane has a bit of color to her skin when not Batwoman.  This is due to the work of Guy Major.  She needed this look.  In fact the coloring through the issue is just perfect.  Before moving on to the story I want to also say that Amy Reeder does a great job of keeping the odd panel layouts going.  That is a staple of this book and not ever artist could step in and work within those layouts with the ease she does.

Our story took some nasty turns as Kate became mad at her father knowing her sister was alive and then cutting him from her life.  We watch Bette be gutted and left for dead, then drugged and interrogated while still on death's door.  Kate is then coerced into becoming an agent of the D.E.O. and has Agent Chase as a watcher.  Now we get back to finding those behind these missing children.  Long form stories are so well done in Batwoman.  It really is nice to see the plot unfold and each issue being a nice morsel to savor.

The direction is nice.  Breaking her away from Batman works well.  She can be aligned, but Batwoman works best as her own woman.  This book has never really been about the shadow of the Bat.  Her role is now one of being under a government thumb, while protecting Batman's secrets and still operating as her will guides her.  It makes for interesting plot possibilities.

This is one of the most visually appealing comicbooks in The New 52.  It has one of the coolest female characters in the DCnU.  It is action and adventure that should be enjoyed by all.

BDS

Birds of Prey Writer Suggestion

It has been five issues and the story running in Birds of Prey (BoP) is a mess.  I am really just talking about the mind manipulation aspect.  Let me be clear on that fact.  The background character stories are being done fairly well.  Setting up Poison Ivy they way they have really works for the BoP motif.  All that good is being sucked under a quicksand of confusing action that makes little sense.  If it is by design as part of the story, then maybe it seemed better in the head of the writer than on paper.
 
Why should we care?  Birds of Prey has long been the one comic where Women have been portrayed as able competent warriors in their own right.  They are shown as the best of what women are and can be along with the worst.  Strong female characters that shine among a marketplace of testosterone heroes.  These women have always been a place where role models for girls can be found.  Set aside the marketing need or practice for them to constantly be perfect of body, they have always carried a spirit that shines through the sexism that may rise from time to time.

Cards on the table, this male loves this title and has for years.  Besides the pretty girls, I see the female friends I have had over the years.  I see the compassion of some of these women that were kind of heart, but when they felt someone they cared for threatened would rise up and protect those they cared for.  I understand that some women have concerns when the art shows strange contortions to show off a behind while the side boob is there as well.  Yet, I also know that a book like this is rare and if it falls that makes it harder for other comics with female characters to be approved.


How do we solve the problem with the direction of story?  Bring on Bryan Miller.  He took Stephanie Brown and made her Batgirl.  His writing displayed a sense of characterization that was far above most writers.  Romance, humor, action, and connectedness to the larger DCU was all present in his Batgirl.  He could make you laugh while also understanding the dire danger of the story.  Stephanie was what the females of the BoP are and should be.  His take on these women would bring the fun and the excitement back to the BoP.  DC made a mistake not having him on a DCnU title of some kind to begin with.

So as you are shuffling writing chores on the New 52 DC, put Bryan Miller on Birds of Prey.


BDS

Flashback Fridays: Robin #35 (The Final Night)

Today we go back to the DCU crossover event called The Final Night.  I have the collected version of this in a single form.  It had the series and a related Green Lantern issue collected in a cardboard framed holder.  One of the thing about this era of DC Comics is that if something major happened in the Universe of the DCU, it was reflected by all the lines.  Each book dealt with the effects the eradication of Earth's Sun was having on the planet.  How were the heroes responding to what appeared to be the end of the world.

 

Robin was in his thermal underwear and patrolling Gotham.  He ends up with Stephanie Brown, The Spoiler, tagging along.  This is a early version of Stephanie and really shows her carefree attitude.  She also loves teasing and flirting with Robin, even when the world is freezing to death.  Robin continues to move forward and to teach Steph as he goes.  They soon find so criminals and take them on.

The action leads to some exciting and life threatening stuff.  Stephanie is not happy as Robin tries to save one of the criminals they had been fighting.  She soon learns a lesson about being a hero as events take a turn the reader is not expecting.  Soon there is a big lesson given and Stephanie has a piece of the puzzle that will one day make her the best Batgirl Gotham has seen.

 

Like many of the DCU events of the day The Final Night is a good set of comics to get when you find them in discount boxes.  Issues like this one were mainly stand alone stories dealing with the end of days and can be enjoyed without having the main series or the entire collection of The Final Night crossover books.

BDS

Flashback Fridays: Lara Croft Tomb Raider #1 Take Over

Back in the day I tried to play Tomb Raider on my PC.  I am not good at games really so I lost interest once I got stuck on a level.  What I have always loved were the Tomb Raider comicbooks.  Was there ever a better character for comics?  I mean you have a very curvaceous female that can have scorching hot covers while also being a highly intellectual adventurer.  It just makes for great marketing scheme.

Some writers just saw the sex appeal I am sure, but most realized that this was an over the top character that also could be a very intelligent and brave female character.  Lara Croft is tough as nails, but when it is needed the compassionate figure as well.  There are always explosions and guns.  The possibility for magic and wild stunts just make for a book that appeals to many different readers.

This one shot is filled with all the contradictions and the great action one would expect from a Tomb Raider comic.  Lara Croft is dressed to accentuate her female form and even mentions how she feels naked without her guns.  This is a story of mythology and magic as an old foe of Lara's rears his ugly head to steal the way to rob anywhere and escape without unlocking a single door.  There is a side discussion of fame and the way an unknown actress is paired with Lara is just a great addition of humor and the compassion of Ms. Croft.

There is also a great back story shown here of tragedy and loss.  Lara Croft has a habit of losing the few close friends she has in her adventures, but here there is a loss of a childhood friendship in a most extreme way.  It sets the stage for a long running vendetta between Lara and the bad guy of the story.  I always cringe a bit when I see the victim and realize that two lives are being written out.

I am surprised that Top Cow has not returned Lara Croft to its world since so many other great characters she has had connections to are being so well done.  I miss this book.  I have always liked the genre and really miss this type of comic.  These are great books if you find them in some back issue box.  There are great artist and the writers that began here have moved on to bigger companies.  So check 'em out.  You might just be surprised and love the character as much as I do.

BDS

Perfect Dark Second Front

I found this book at the Used Bookstore the other day when I was taking stuff in for store credit.  I was aware of their being a follow up book after the first called Perfect Dark Initial Vector.  I really liked that book and found a graphic novel, Perfect Dark Janus Tears, which I have written about on the Blog.  So to find the continuation of Joanna Dark's adventures was a great surprise the other day.  I read it in about a day and a half.  I guess you could say I devoured the book.

That is a luxury you have when you are poor and part time in your job.  You have little money or time for many avenues of entertainment and long periods where you can just read.  The adventures in a world of hypercorporations is scary when you stop and think how close we are in the world to this type of reality.  Sci Fi has always been close to the truth of reality.  Into this world of computer and monetary connectedness stride Joanna Dark.  She was trained by her father to be the best weapon ever.  Now she is caught in between corporate heads and the children of the man she killed after the death of her father.  Vengeance and manipulation is an undercurrent that constantly moves this book.

The reader is always wondering if the allies Joanna has are really people she can trust as she moves ever forward.  Still, she walks her own line as other think they are guiding her actions.  There is gunfire and battles like nothing one would ever really think possible when you are dealing with corporate dealings.  The battle at the end is insane in more ways than one.  I wish there was a third book.  The book has unanswered questions about Joanna and her dad, her connection to the world she is loose in.  There is more than is being seen about her that would be nice to have a resolution to as a reader.

These books are great and entertaining reads.  One should seek them out.  Greg Rucka is one great novelist, maybe even better novelist than comicbook writer.

BDS

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

I know, I was probably the only geekily inclined person that had not read THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO.  I did know about the well done movie in Sweden, the setting for this tale.  The movie hits here one week from tomorrow.  I thought about the book and on Monday, I bought a copy at SAM's and finished it this morning about ten 'til 2.  It was a good read.

There is a warning.  This is a graphic depiction of how women are sexually abused and treated.  It does not shy from the dark corners it peers into and that gives it an intellectual aspect that allows for the language and themes.  It is not a book for children.  This is a book that does not flaunt its academic levels, but is straight-forward smart book that will not suffer those looking for an easy read.  The only negative is the massive amount of family members one must keep up with in the mystery that is being studied.  There is so many that at times you might get dizzy.

Crimes of the secondary villain will strike a chord with those fed up with greedy corporations that have destroyed economies the world over.  One might even wonder if the author who has passed away might have a similar ability as his title character.  It is eerie how the crimes in the financial world now are the ones we read about.  I hope that it comes over as strong in the film.

A strange thing was in this mornings paper, an advanced review for the movie.  A positive review in a small Southern paper that never gets the movies like this one.  I know many people fretted over the fact that the Swedish woman that had played Lisabeth Salander in the original film was not in the Hollywood one.  Apparently Rooney Mara, the American actress that has taken the role did a good job handling the role.  In fact, the entire cast, crew, and creative team was praised.  I am really looking forward to next Friday.  I hope to see the movie and have the book so fresh in my mind.

So, I proved my excellent reading skill and speed.  The fact that this book is so good helped greatly.  If you were like me and have not read the book, do so.  It will make the movie better I believe.

*** Last night Charlie Rose had the Director David Filcher and many in the cast around his table.  It was interesting and Rooney Mara is so cute.  Anyway, not sure if it was a dry joke or real, but they mentioned that they changed the ending.  This bothered me.  I thought the book ended in a perfect way to lead into another story.  So, this is troubling.  Otherwise the cast was so cool discussing things.  I did not know my high school soap opera crush Robin Wright was in the movie.  Still will see it, but with an eye to how it ends.

BDS

Mantra Mondays: Giant Size Mantra vs. Topaz #1

I figure Malibu is getting ready to introduce Topaz as part of Ultraforce with this Giant Size issue that interrupts the regular Mantra series.  This is coming off the crossover with the Strangers just an issue before.  It is also the day and age when gimmick covers and special editions were running amok all over the landscape.  Still, this is one of the better issues of Mantra in any form up to this point in the Malibu Ultraverse.

Lukasz is beginning to dream of a woman that any reader has already realized is Eden Blake.  In true form the dullard is instantly stricken by technically his own form.  It really adds a new element to the story and plot.  We also are getting more of Lukasz the mother.  He is a crap mother.  Little Evie cries her eyes out after what he does in this book.  I really get upset at him sometimes still over his callous emotions towards the children of the woman who's body he stole.  Still, it will set up an interesting development in later issues.

We find out that the armor and the Sword of Fangs were stolen from the land of Gwendor, an all female society.  They are kinda like technologically advanced Amazons.  The big difference is that the Valley that divides the area is also a divider between Gwendor and the City of Neros, a society of men.  Once a yearly cycle they all get in the valley and have this great madness where apparently children are conceived.  Otherwise they are very suspicious of each other and have a tortured peace.

Typical comicbook fare as Mantra fights first the Nerosians, then is sent to Gwendor, challenged by Topaz for the Sword of Fangs, and then helps protect the Gwendorians as a rogue group of Nerosians attack.  So all this leads to Lukasz losing the costume I prefer to a techno armor the Gwendorians make for him (next issue of Mantra).  Then the quest for Boneyard begins.  Many cool action scenes and less whining by Lukasz makes this a fun and good read.   This is a really well done book with nice artwork by Mark Heike.  I really like the way he draws the characters throughout.

So this is the Archimage Quest part Four and the next issue of Mantra resolves somethings that have been dangling since the very first issue.  Be here for the next Mantra Mondays for all the twists and turns.

BDS

Mantra Monday: Mantra #3

Since I am getting back into the swing of Mantra Mondays I decided to fill in the missing issue from this series look at the Mantra comic.  I picked this issue up this summer and just wanted to be a bit complete as we go forward.  So prepare to backtrack as we return to the early days of Lukasz becoming a woman.  He is the whiner of old and very mean to Eden's kids.

So Issue #2 had Lukasz taking little Evie and Gus to the movies.  The collector Strauss had sent these weird Repo Men after the Mask that Lukasz had stolen and now wears as Mantra.  So that is where the action picks up.  Mantra in her first real public battle.  She is now that smooth as Lukasz is still trying to be "the man" as he fights.  When he embraces Eden's natural magical abilities he Becomes powerful.  Soon the Repo Men are burning carcasses and Mantra is heading to talk with Strauss, leaving the kids behind.

Much of the book fills in some of my missing impression of Lukasz.  he uses Eden's womanly curves when it suits him and advances his quest to uncover the traitor in an attempt to get his maleness back.  This leads him to find two of Archimage's warriors that also survived.  They are in a blind black man and a dog.  The problem is that now a predetermined message and test has been awakened to put Lukasz through his paces as a magical woman.  Kismet is born and causes trouble for the warrior.

Who is Kismet?  Well, Archimage had this magic set up to create a being to test Lukasz.  Kismet formed after Eden and the kids walked past this Hippie type store, so she formed as a flower child with a wicked magical ability.  Kismet decides she wants to live, it was kind of cool so she wants Eden's body.  In the end she kills Hamath and Yaron, the warriors that had survived the betrayal of Archimage.  Seeing death, Mantra convinces Kismet to rethink the entire being alive thing.

One important thing this issue is the interaction with the kids.  Lukasz is really hateful towards Evie.  Gus takes it as just more of his growing resentment of his mother, but Evie is a smart little girl.  She is seeing the person behind the eyes and realizing that it is not Eden.  The way the kids act is very convincing and I want to stress that fact.  It is one of those parts that the creators are seen as really trying to do right by there characters.


So another Mantra Monday is in the books, and we fill in the missing issue.  If all goes well, we will get back to where we left off by adding the crossover issue with the Strangers.


BDS

A Well Said Comment On Loyalty and the LCBS

This is one of my favorite Bloogers that I follow.  She has an article at Newsarama about something many of us have dealt with, the loss of a Local Comic Book Shop.  Go and read it please:  http://www.newsarama.com/comics/hey-thats-my-cape-goodbye-comic-shop-111102.html

BDS