Short Takes for May 8

Villains United #1 (of 6): This book was my pleasant surprise of the week. The thought of competing villain groups sends chills down my spine. No longer are heroes the only enemy – now there are two groups looking to avenge Doctor Light and take the prize. I especially liked the all-new, badass Catman. Holy Crap! Watching Talia look at him like he was a meal after thirty days of starvation was another plus. I love all the mini-series so far, so it should be interesting to get hold of the Rann-Thanagar War next week.

Superman #226: The official prologue to Days of Vengeance, which answers my Jean Loring question from issue one. Watching Superman and Captain Marvel do battle was especially a treat as the stakes were different than before. The art gets an A+ also.

Fallen Angel #20: The last issue of a fantastic series. I am so sad that this is over. The Angel was a favorite of mine, and the city of Bete Noire a tantalizing mix between New Orleans and Gotham City. I hope to see Fallen Angel picked up somewhere else, or brought back under the Wildstorm or Vertigo label, where readers would have a better understanding of the mature label.

GLA #2 (of 4): After crying in my cheerios about the demise of the She-Hulk title, GLA comes my way to save the day. Brought to us by the above said creative team of Dan Slott and Paul Pelletier, GLA has an innate silliness with a festering underlying sadness. It reminds me of the Formerly Known as the Justice League title, but with a different agenda. Where the Justice crew plays it strictly for laughs, GLA wants you to know the team is pathetic and even they know it. This is good stuff, People.

Excalibur #12: I have a love-hate relationship with this book. The latest inclusion of Archangel and Husk just makes things more confusing. The concept of taking Professor Xavier and Magneto back to basics appeals to me, but the inclusion of so many obscure and fringe characters takes away from it. With the advent of House of M, and the lack of solicitations for future issues, I have no idea where this book is going. Sigh.

Ultimate Fantastic Four #18: The final story in the N-Zone arc. I have enjoyed Warren Ellis’ take on the team, and love the ending to this story. I am crossing my fingers that the new creative team can do it justice.

I have more comic books to read and the weekend is almost over already! Have a great week all!

Comic Reviews, Comics