Issue #22: Comic Books For The Week Of July 2, 2008

Joe Kubert's Tor #3 (of 6) (DC)
Echo #4 (Abstract Studios)
Legion of Super-Heroes #43 (DC)
Noble Causes #35 (Image)

Joe Kubert's Tor #3 (of 6) (DC) * * * * *
Joe Kubert continues to show his seventy years of experience and mastery of the comic book form. The story is done like an old fashioned adventure strip, with no word balloons. Instead captions narrate the story. Even though the characters do not speak they carry emotional weight, drawing me into caring what happens to them. We learn the secret of the four-armed giant and are introduced to another character that Tor is attracted to. And we learn of previously unknown dangers in this prehistoric land. When this mini-series is completed it will rank up there with Wathcmen as textbooks on how to create a comic book story.

Echo #4 (Abstract Studios) * * * * *
This story is really getting rolling now. We see the aftermath of the attack on the computer guy by the berserk old man with the metallic hand. Julie downloads the photographs she took in the first issue into her computer. They lead her to return to the desert area to investigate, drawing some unwanted attention. Annie's boyfriend visits the offices of the defense contractor to look for her. And we see a flashback of Annie with the mysterious alloy on her body. To tell any more would spoil the scene. In the back we also have some development sketches by Terry Moore. His realistic portrayal of people, especially women, and strong story development guarantees any comic book Terry Moore does will be an excellent issue.

Legion of Super-Heroes #43 (DC) * * * * *
The Legion team on Rimbor are on the run from the Science Police, and Legion HQ is searched by the SP as well. The Legion team in the Rigel system tries to rescue the SP and the UP'
s Young Heroes who have been captured by the planet's new tenants. It seems the whole universe is conspiring against the Legion, and there seems to be no way for the Legion to triumph. I can't wait to see how they do it, as well as how LSH leads into the Final Crisis tie-in Legion of Three Worlds. This is the only Final Crisis mini-series I will be reading; I'm not picking up the main event series itself, for budgetary reasons.

Noble Causes #35 (Image) * * * * *
The issue opens with a body found at the edge of a body of water. Olympia's visit with Gaia develops in a way I didn't expect (not that it's hard to do) butis very dramatic nonetheless. The Nobles discover the cause of their brief security blackout and leave to investigate. And at the end of the issue we find the real reason for the infiltration of Noble Island. The intrigues and story twists make Jay Faerber another must read every month.

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