Superman/Batman #59 Review

The previous issue of Superman/Batman found The Man of Steel going head to head with the Prankster who shrunk our hero and is stranded in a microscopic world called Nanopolis. Time in this world moves differently and although it appears Superman has only been missing for a few hours, on Nanopolis it has been two months. Our hero soon encounters hostile machines and must fight for his life.

 

With the assistance of John Henry Irons, formerly known as Steel, Batman is shrunk  to microscopic size ( along with his sub) and is on a rescue mission. After crash landing he is helped by locals who claim  The Dark Knight's arrival was prophesied long ago. The Nomads have been waiting for a savior who would "match the metal ones power".  They  help Batman in tracking Superman's location but when Bruce finds him it appears to be too late.

 

Issue #59 will conclude this three part story written by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning and Mike Johnson. The pencils are done by superstar artist Whilce Portacio (BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL) and are pleasing to the eye. Find out what happens when #59 hits store shelves April 29!

 

Beyond Wonderland #6 Guest Review

Beyond Wonderland issue 5 ended with a cliff hanger for fans; Calie (our heroine who goes by the alias 'Lacy' in the series) was being forced back into Wonderland through the infamous looking glass by The Mad Hatter. This occurs on the top of the Empire State Building and issue 6 opens with a flash back of Calie, her brother Johnny (now the Mad Hatter) and their grandfather enjoying the sites on top of that very building. What ensues next between the two siblings is dramatic, gory and will not disappoint.

 

The Zenescope writing team closes the series with a shocking event that will no doubt continue in the next series lineup. Three new one shots centering on the Chesire Cate, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb and the Red Queen are slated for a Spring 2009 release as well as the Wonderland Annual.

 

A few bonus features are in this issue; a five-page preview of the new Zenescope title 'Salem's Daughter' and a preview/interview of the new Calie Wonderland statue sculpted by Clayburn Moore. Calie is by far my favorite Zenescope character and I won the Zenescope January Girl of the Month  for my Calie Liddle costume so please excuse me as I drool over this statue.

Brave New Worlds Second Look - Angel

It is a tale as old as time, a tale of a vampire (or two) with a soul on their eternal quest to redeem themselves, and look good in the process.  Of course I am speaking of Joss Whedon's Angel, which the nice folks over at IDW Comics were kind enough to give us all new adventures picking up from the conclusion of the series finale a few years back.

Angel After the Fall picks right up from last we saw Angel and the gang getting ready to rumble with the worst Wolfram & Hart had to offer (which included, but was not limited to, a dragon - just wait until you see how that ended for Angel).  

The series has almost completed year two and after a bump in the road seems to have righted itself with some fresh new story telling.  The After the Fall storyline, written by Brian Lynch with plot points provided by Mr. Whedon himself, was decent.  It started off very interesting but seemed to get mired in its own mythology after awhile.  I am not sure if Lynch or IDW realized this, or planned to come out of it the way they did, but the conclusion was satisfying and sort of restarted the series allowing casual fans to jump back on board now under new writer Kelley Armstrong.

Now that Angel has saved LA from Hell, he is a celebrity with everyone happy to have this vamp on their side.  Some of the group has dispersed, but Connor is back and Gwen in hanging around.  And Angels' season one buddy, Kate the Cop, has returned to assist Angel in his continuing mission - to help the helpless.

If you are a fan of the TV show and if you have been enjoying Dark Horse Comics Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8, give Angel a try.  Its not as solid as Buffy, but still entertaining and is doing the characters proud.