Issue #16: Catch Up Week #4

Comic books for the week of Wednesday, May 14, 2008:
Project Superpowers #3 (Dynamite Entertainment)
Superman #676 (D C Comics)
From the 5 for $1.00 bin:
Go Girl #1 (Image)
Dynamo 5 #6 (Image)
Fables #1 (Special Edition) (Vertigo / DC)
A Distant Soil #38 (Image)
The Boys #8 & #10 (Dynamite Entertainment)
Queen & Country #10 (Oni Press)
Queen & Country: Declassified #3 (Oni Press)

Comic books for the Week of May 21, 2008:
Terry Moore's Echo #3 (Abstract Studios)
Fantastic Four #557 (Marvel)
Justice Society of America #15 (DC Comics)
From the back issue bin:
Superman Batman Generations 3 #10 (of 12) (DC Comics)

Comic books for the week of Wednesday, May 14, 2008:
Project Superpowers #3 (Dynamite Entertainment) * * * *
Shangri-La comes under attack and we see some more heroes pop back into the world. In the middle of the action we are introduced to the superhero Samson. The action and story development still holds my interest, but we're still meeting new heroes who are popping back into the physical world from the urn they had been trapped in since the end of WW II. They are popping in at different parts of the world, and we have to wait for future issues for them to develop. This story structure is starting to seem routine, but the plot development remains intriguing. That is why I'm only giving this 5 *'s instead of four. After I read future issues I might like this issue even better. I have a lot of confidence in the creators of this title.
Superman #676 (DC Comics) * * * *
This is a filler issue before James Robinson takes over as writer. It is a flashback to the early part of Superman's career, when he first meets the original Green Lantern Alan Scott. Together they battle Solomon Grundy. It is fun to read Superman and Green Lantern getting to know each other in the midst of the battle, and Superman mentions his father's admiration for Green Lantern. It's a funny line when Superman tells him his favorite golden age hero as a boy.
Frm the 5 for $1.00 bin:
Go Girl #1 (Image) * * * *
Writer Trina Robbins creates a great female hero, who is the daughter of the original Go Girl. She discovers her own powers after one of her firends is kidnapped. The b/w art is sharp and the story is excellent as mother and daughter come to terms with this development in their relationship.
Dynamo 5 #6 (Image) * * * *
This is the first issue of this title that I have read. Created by Jay Farber, who also created Noble Causes, Dynamo 5 is a team of heroes who were fathered by a city's hero who fathered children from numerous affairs, and is killed during another tryst in an issue of Noble Causes. If my budget would allow I would have collected this title from the first issue.
Fables #1 (Special Edition) (Vertigto / DC) * * * * *
This is another title I would collect if my budget would allow. It has been published for several years now. All of the fairy tale characters have been exiled from fairy-land and must line in the "real" world. Snow White runs their little town. Just don't mention the dwarfs. The issue ends with an investigation of the apparent murder of one of their numbers.
A Distant Soil #38 (Image) * * * *
This is another great title, and creator Colleen Doran is an excellent storyteller, but it's hard for me to describe this story, especially with an issue this far into the story. I'll just recommend going to her web site http://www.adistantsoil.com/, and reading the first issueof A Distnat Soil on line at http://www.imagecomics.com/.
The Boys #8 & #10 (Dynamite Entertainment) * * * *
This is definitely for adult readers only, as the Boys go after some super heroes who caused someone to fall off the top of a building. The only reason I dropped this title was because of trying to fit my comic hobby within my budget.
Queen & Country #10 and Declassified #3 (of 3) (Oni Press) * * * * *
I can't wait until writer Greg Rucka creates more issues of this title, put on a back burner because of his hectic schedule with DC Comics in recent years. This is a realistic look at Britian's MI5, minus the James Bond gimmicks (as much as I enjoy James Bond, especially Sean Connery). Until new issues are published, if not this year then next, filling out my collection with back issues like these will have to do.

Comic books for the week of Wednesday, May 21, 2008:
Terry Moore's Echo #3 (Abstract Studios)
Fantastic Four #557 (Marvel)
Justice Society of America #15 (DC Comics)
From the back issue bin:
Superman Batman Generations 3 #10 (of 12) (DC Comics)

Terry Moore's Echo #3 (Abstract Studios) * * * * *
Julie's back story becomes more familiar as she visits her tragic sister at a mental institution. The corporation begins to target her more as they attempt to retrieve the bits of their mysterious suit, some of which has bonded to her. We also meet some of the other people who live in Julie's general area, and how the strange explosion has impacted them.
Fantastic Four #557 (Marvel) * * * * *
Reed returns from his exploration to join the FF to deal with the rogue CAP robot. He has his ex-girlfriend completely figured out, and the end of the issue has a nice moment between he and Mrs. Fantastic.
Justice Society of America #15 (DC Comics)
The JSA continues their battle with Gog, and the mysterious head that Gog bowed down to in an earlier issue is revealed to the JSA. The end of the issue contains a few teasers to future issues that seem to point to some interesting developments in the JSA that will probably keep me reading.
From the back issue bin:
Superman Batman Generations 3 #10 (of 12) (DC Comics) * * * * *
John Byrne may seem to be a cranky guy lately, but I've enjoyed his art and story telling. I enjoyed his original Generations mini-series, and have slowly been collecting back issues of the subsequent mini-series. The fleshing out of the history of Superman's and Batman's descendants is always interesting, and I haven't found a bad story yet.
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