Doctor Who #5

         I am a huge, huge fan of the new Doctor Who series, and Matt Smith being the Doctor. I also think that Amy Pond is one of, if not the best companion that any Doctor has ever had, so when I finally found an issue with Matt Smith as the Doctor and Amy Pond as the companion I had to pick it up. I did like the classic Doctor Who series, but I do like the new Doctor Who series better than the old one, so I thought that the comics would go the same way.
         In this issue the Tardus winds up on earth, just a thousand years ago. The Doctor was attempting to go to a soccer game. He winds up in the middle of a Viking/Saxon conflict. Finally peace arrangements come along between the Viking king and the Saxon King, but the Viking king's son wants war so he kills his father, blames it on the Saxons and kidnaps Amy. The Doctor and Rory challenge the Vikings to a soccer match, and through many cheap moves, the Doctor and Rory win. The Viking king then dishonors himself by trying to kill the Doctor and Rory, but Rory fights back and the Vikings turn on their king. The Saxon king and Amy are released from Jail, and then the trio go to the soccer match.
      I liked the classic issue better. This story was a little too "cutesy" for my taste. I was fine up to when the Doctor challenges the Vikings to soccer. I did enjoy the entire issue, but it wasn't very good. I expected the comic to be near the quality of the show, which has turned into a very serious and thoughtful science fiction show, but instead I got this. I have mentioned that I love fun reads some times, and that is what this was (just lower quality than the DC/Marvel fun reads) so if someone just wants something to pass the time then I would recommend this, just be warned, that this is not like the TV show.




Grade: 6/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Flashpoint #2

         I am not crazy about the idea of Flashpoint, it is just a massive alternate reality story. Although since it does lead up to the re launch I can bear it. I do like alternate reality stories, but Flashpoint is getting more hype than the idea deserves, but again, since it leads up to the relaunch then it's okay. The first issue of the series was decent, but the most shocking thing that happened is it, is that we found out that Barry Allen didn't have his power which has been done before, but if you just take the comic alone then it was okay.
       In this issue Deathstroke was sailing with a bunch of other comic characters, but their boat gets stopped by Aquaman and Ocean Master, and they kill them all. Then the Thomas Wayne Batman is interrogating Barry Allen. During this interrogation Barry Allen finds out that Professor Zoom is behind this, and explains to Wayne that in his world Bruce lives and he dies. So Thomas Wayne decides to help him. Meanwhile Steve Trevor goes looking for Lois Lane and the Amazons catch him and he tells them all about his mission to find Lois. After that Thomas Wayne and Barry Allen try to recreate the accident that made Barry the Flash, but it just ends up severely burning him.
      I was not a fan of the interrogation scene with Barry Allen and Thomas Wayne, it seemed the entire point of it was to explain things that I assume most people had figured out already, I understand it for people just hearing about the whole idea of Flashpoint, but if you already know what is happening then the entire section is very dull. I did enjoy the rest of the comic, I found a lot of it was just "hey look at what we are doing to all of these characters" and DC just showing how a bunch of different characters ended up, but when you have an alternate reality story you need some of that. The best part of the comic was the very end. I thought that Barry Allen was going to get his powers back and that would be that, but the burn was most surprising. I honestly don't know where the Flash/Batman part of the series will go after this. I have no predictions besides Barry is in the hospital for the rest, but I know that can't be true. I am beyond excited for the next issue, and this issue definitely made me feel better about Flashpoint. It really wasn't the story, more just the last pages, but it definitely made me feel better.




Grade: 7/10 (This is the grade for the entire issue)
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

The Relaunch

                  This post is not the usual review of a comic book. In this post I will talk about the need for DC' relaunch, what I expect, what I'm looking forward too, and also what I'm dreading. I do not think that many fans of DC will disagree with me when I say that this relaunch is long overdue. I love DC but one of the things that DC and Marvel do is they get too rapped up in there own stories and stray too far from the character's original origin. The two top examples of that are Green Arrow and Batman. While I do understand that Green Arrow and Robin Hood share many of the same attributes (the bow, the hat, green etc.) They were far from the same character until J.T Krul moved him into the forrest with a man who carries a sword. He even through in a couple of scenes where Green Arrow stole from the rich and gave to the poor. I am very hopeful that in this relaunch Green Arrow will go back to his roots as the voice of liberal America. What I am expecting is that Green Arrow will go from being like a character from folk lore (like he is right now) and then turn back into a political figure, and have each comic book have a meaning, because if he is not like that, then he is just another boring character with a bow. Batman's problem is easier to see. Batman is Bruce Wayne. When someone else is wearing the same costume there is no more Batman. What I am expecting and hoping will happen is that the Batman series will be turned into more of Batman the Dark Knight and Dick Grayson will do well as Nightwing. (I recently read a couple of old Nightwing Comics and loved them, I really hope they will return to that quality)  I am still a little worried because Batman Inc. is on the list of series to be relaunched, but I still have hope that Batman inc. will be kept very separate from the rest of the Batman series. I am very much looking forward to some B-list characters getting a series devoted to them. I'm especially looking forward to Captain Atom and Deadman, although I am a little worried that too many B-lists are getting series, for instance I don't know if Mr. Terrific needs a series, but I'm not to worried about that. I am worried about series that really shouldn't exist. I don't think New Guardians or Red Lanterns should exist. I thought with the relaunch that it would go back to just Green and Yellow lanterns, I don't object too highly that the other lanterns still exist but I don't think the entire Red Lantern Corps should get a comic series. The main series I'm excited for is Aquaman. The series will have Aquaman and Geoff Johns, I really don't see how it could go wrong. The series I plan on following are: Deadman, Captain Atom, Green Lantern, Green Lantern Corps, most of the Batman series, JLA and JLI, The Flash and finally Blue Beetle. I might not get around to all of those, it will most likely all depend on which series are offered as subscriptions, but I'm very excited for the series. I almost wish that Marvel would do the same thing. The pictures that are seen around are some of the covers that are going to be in the relaunch

Superman/Batman #85

         This series is never consistent. It is never consistently good, but it is consistently bad. This also means the story types are never consistent. That last part I like a lot. While I didn't like the arc where Superman goes to the magic run future, it was much different than the story with a battle between the two. I didn't see a series called Batman/Superman in the relaunch but I'm sure these two will team up again after September.
        In this issue a reporter who supposedly found out Batman's secret identity is found dead, people suspect Batman. Superman goes to help him but Batman doesn't want his help. Batman goes to the apartment where the reporter lived and burns all the evidence that leads toward Batman being Bruce Wayne. Now the cops are even surer he killed the reporter. Batman discovers the reporter had an old baterang, but one where one of the components in it still had the patent number on it, which links Batman and Bruce Wayne.
      This was a really cool, and a really fun story. It does bring Batman back to where he originally was with his dark "I work alone" attitude. I also liked that the reporter had hard evidence, usually when these things are attempted by comic writers, the person just seems to take a wile guess and has limited amounts of evidence to back it up, but this was different and I give the writer, Joshua Fialkov, credit for that. I'm not really sure how this is going to be dragged out into three issues. I could understand two, one is this, and the second is Batman finding the actual killer, but I really don't know how three can work, or how Superman can get involved. But in terms of this comic, the writing was well done, the story was interesting, and the art work was jaw dropping . Although it is missing something so I can't quite give it a 10/10 but I can give it something really close, and I do recommend this comic to all comic book readers.




Grade: 9.5/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Birds of Prey #13

            This arc is definitely better than the previous ones. It is a shame that this series is going to be re launched, because while I couldn't say any more bad things about it in the beginning this arc is incredible, and what is being done with the Question, The Huntress, and Oracle is outstanding. Gail Simone really came back with these past couple issues.
            In this issue Huntress and the Question go run off to help Black Canary while she's fighting Junior. Dove gets stabbed and is out of the fight. Hawk and Lady Black Hawk both get attacked by other people in the building, but they both fight back. Oracle calls Catman to find out Junior's weakness which is exposure. Eventually the Birds get out, and when they are back in the headquarters Oracle makes Huntress the new field commander. Then Oracle declares they are going back to find and get Junior,
          I loved this issue. There was a lot of fighting at the beginning which i didn't mind too much because even though i don't like comics that are completely fighting, these are superheroes so there is going to be a lot. Also because the person the Birds were fighting was so scary the fight was not just a normal superhero brawl, I actually thought that maybe one of the members of the Birds of Prey might die. I am also thrilled that Huntress is the new field commander, because it is no secret that I am not a big fan of Black Canary, but I am a huge fan of the Huntress. Judging mainly off of the cover for the relaunch of Birds of Prey I'm not sure who all the members will be, but I don't think I saw Huntress in there. I am a little worried it's going to turn into something a little close to Gotham City Sirens so this relaunch could go either way and I'm really excited for it. However I am upset that Gail Simone is gone.
But this issue and this arc was fantastic, I hope the arc ends as strong as it has been.





Grade: 9/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Booster Gold #45

          I only picked up this series recently (one issue ago) but I really enjoyed that issue and decided to keep going with it. This is the only thing about Flash Point that I'm reading, mainly because I always forget to pick up other things when I'm in the comic store. As I've said before: I am not a fan of the Flash Point idea (although I don't know if that's going to lead up to the relaunch which I am a big fan of. I'm probably going to make a post just on that in a little bit.)
       In this issue Booster is still wondering what happened to Rip Hunter and now he is in the middle of a battle with Doomsday, just this Doomsday is being controlled by Captain Atom. (because this is an alternate reality Captain Atom isn't Captain Atom, he's just Nate Adam. The American government think Booster is an Atlantian, and Atlantis is at war with the surface. This war has flooded Europe. Booster meets someone named Alexandra Gianopoulos who is royalty of the now flooded Greece. With her Booster figures out that this is all the work of professor Zoom. Then Alexandra flies away after Booster does. (Booster has no idea this woman has superpowers) Then Doomsday, still being controlled by Captain Atom, attacks Booster, but then Doomsday breaks free of Atom's control and now is just trying to kill Booster.
      I was slightly confused about the whole thing with Alexandra Gianopoulos and her superpowers, but other than that this was an excellent issue. Before I even talk about the story I have to point out that the art was stunning. It was absolutely stunning. This probably wasn't the best time to jump onto the series because I'm biassed against Flash Point and I would much rather be reading a more classic Booster Gold Story, but this one was still incredibly enjoyable.  The war with Atlantis is interesting but it's not the most original idea, and it was kind of cool to see Captain Atom, and I know these two characters are linked, but i wasn't a huge fan of Jurgens just throwing in a reference for no reason. Really anyone could have been controlling Doomsday, but that wasn't even a at the bottom of the scale for complaints. It was really insignificant. I am really excited to see how the thing with Alexandra Gianopoulos turns out, and I am very excited to continue with this series.





Grade: 8/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com