Post-Crisis Comic Book Previews for 10/31/07

Another Monday means it's time for Post-Crisis Comic Book Previews, which are basically previews of all the comics in my pull list for the upcoming week. Seeing as this Wednesday is Halloween, I want to point everyone to the Comics 4 Halloween initiative. Instead of rotting the teeth of millions of kids, they want you to round up as many comics, be they quarter bin issues, new releases or anything in between, and give them out instead of candy this year. It's designed to help bring in new readers as well as being a healthy alternative to junk food. So feel free to check that out. If you already bought candy, just keep it for yourself and give the kids comics. =p

Back to the previews, Countdown is shifting to Countdown to Final Crisis this week, so check out the reviews that I've done for all the major storylines in Countdown for that past half a year by clicking here. I'm only about half way through the reviews, so make sure to check back later today and tomorrow for more updates for that.

Also, remember, if you think I missed something in my pull list or you think I should be picking up a book that's not listed for the upcoming week, feel free to comment and let me know. With that said, on with the previews!

ANNIHILATION: CONQUEST - QUASAR # 4
Written by Christos Gage
Art by Mike Lilly

The entire Conquest event changes here – in the hands of the daughter of Captain Marvel! Quasar and the former Avenger Moondragon have closed in on the supposed savior of the Kree -- but will the Super-Adaptoid beat them to their quarry? And just who or what is the object of their quest? The answers lie in the issue that leads directly into ANNIHILATION: CONQUEST #1!

Kirk Says: Quasar started out pretty good, but has been fairly average the last couple outings. Hopefully the supposed savior reveal this issue will be enough to make this series memorable.

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #10
Written by Geoff Johns and Alex Ross
Art by Dale Eaglesham and Ruy Jose

Alex Ross joins Geoff Johns as co-writer for Part 1 of "Thy Kingdom Come," the epic story years in the making, springing from KINGDOM COME! Not a hoax! Not a dream! Not an imaginary story! Welcome the newest member to the Justice Society of America: the Kingdom Come Superman!

Coming from an Earth plagued by heroes-gone-extreme, how will this Superman react to an incarnation of the Justice Society he never knew? This Superman's world needed better heroes. So does ours.

Kirk Says: Wow, I remember having this in my previews a month or more ago. The interiors aren't incredible and Ross' cover has been in the solicits for a long time, so I'm not sure what the delay was on this book. Johns too busy with Green Lantern and his other half a dozen books?

SUB-MARINER # 5
Written by Matt Cherniss and Peter Johnson
Art by Philippe Briones

Time is running for the monarch of the seas! Wolverine and Professor X could offer no help; the Atlantean terrorists responsible for the destruction of an entire U.S. town stand ready to strike the surface again; Iron Man, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., is poised to invade Atlantis; traitors within the kingdom are about to topple the Sub-Mariner’s rule…and before Namor can confront any of these problems, he has to survive fighting Venom and the Thunderbolts! But which of Namor’s countless enemies will be responsible for the destruction of Atlantis?

Kirk Says: This mini-series has some mindless super hero fights and just enough plot to make it a fun read so long as you check your brain at the door.

CRIME BIBLE: THE FIVE LESSONS OF BLOOD #1
Written by Greg Rucka
Art by Tom Mandrake

A Monk of the Dark Faith is moving through the DCU, seeding evil in his wake, as he prepares for a final, potentially devastating act. Trailing him is The Question, who seeks to save the life of the author of a best-selling expose about the Dark Faith. But is The Question simply playing a part in a much larger game? All will be revealed when The Lesson of Deceit is foretold.

Kirk Says: Man, DC sure is late to the party. Don't they realize 52 ended like 6 months ago? Good job killing most fans interest in all the characters featured in that series with these follow ups. It's like they were all an after thought. Not sure if I like the premise of this book based on the solicits, but I'll give it a crack with this first issue at the least.

DAREDEVIL ANNUAL # 1
Written by Ed Brubaker and Ande Parks
Art by Roy Allen Martinez

Daredevil's having a tough week. A flu bug has rendered his radar power useless, a Yakuza gang is trying to reclaim their power in Hell's Kitchen, and there's a murder to be solved. Now, he has to deal with a visitor from his time in prison–Carlos LaMuerto, a.k.a. the Black Tarantula. Carlos has been released, and he's looking to Matt Murdock for some help in setting up a new life on the outside. Will Murdock and LaMuerto end up as allies, or foes? Will Black Tarantula really go straight, or will his inner demons lure him back to his crime-lord past?

Kirk Says: I'm a fan of Black Tarantula from his post-Clone Saga Spider-Man days and how it was carried into the Spider-Girl MC2 Universe later on. Seeing Brubaker taking an interest in him and that awesome cover made this a must buy for me.

COUNTDOWN TO ADVENTURE #3
Written by Adam Beechen and Justin Gray
Art by Eddy Barrows and Julio Ferreiro and Fabrizio Fiorentino

Starfire’s powers are still in flux, leaving her defenseless against a new evil that’s plaguing Earth! And elsewhere in the multiverse, Forerunner faces off against the heroes of sorcerous world that include mystic versions of Batman and Superman.

Kirk Says: I've been enjoying this series. I like the new Forerunner character and think she's the best thing to come out of Countdown. Tossing her around to different Earths showcasing various takes on the mainstay heroes and you've got a solid premise for me. The Starfire / Strange / Animal Man story was surprisingly good as well considering it's coming from Beechen. Actually looking forward to this week's issue.

IRON MAN # 23
Written by Daniel and Charlie Knauf
Art by Roberto de la Torre

Plagued by the ghosts of his past, Iron Man continues his investigation into the tragedy in Omaha despite being pressured by the Commission on Superhuman Activities to close the case. But troubling questions remain unanswered. Who is really behind Gadget's murder, and what marked her for death? The only witness is a madman named Graviton.

Kirk Says: Iron Man has been a pretty good read under the Knauf's and this comic, combined with Captain America, showcases the best and most accurate Tony Stark post-Civil War in the Marvel Universe. Really digging the build up to the Mandarin arc and Gadget's murder mystery has been rock solid.

COUNTDOWN PRESENTS: LORD HAVOK AND THE EXTREMISTS #1
Written by Frank Tieri
Art by Liam Sharpe

Don’t miss this special 6-part COUNTDOWN miniseries featuring the most powerful beings on Earth-8 — Lord Havok and his Extremists — written by Frank Tieri (GOTHAM UNDERGROUND) and illustrated by Liam Sharp (TESTAMENT)!
Lord Havok! Dr. Diehard! Tracer! Gorgon! Dreamslayer! Carny! Meet these dangerous individuals and learn why they are so integral to COUNTDOWN and the fate of the Multiverse! Guest-starring Monarch, the Monitors, Donna Troy, Jason Todd and Kyle Rayner!

Kirk Says: This is basically DC's Squadron Supreme, except where the Squadron is Marvel's JLA, the Extremists are DC's evil, world conquering Marvel villain's team featuring the likenesses of Dr Doom, Magneto, Doc Ock, Sabertooth and so on. Previews for this look good and I'm enjoying their appearances in Countdown, so this was a no brainer pick up for me. However, they should have had this out a couple weeks ago when the Extremists first debuted.

52 AFTERMATH: THE FOUR HORSEMEN #3
Written by Keith Giffen
Art by Pat Olliffe and John Stanisci

Murphy’s Law tells us that “whatever can go wrong will go wrong at the worst possible moment.” Ask Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman about that and they’d probably tell you Murphy was an optimist. The FOUR HORSEMEN are fully renewed and more powerful and dangerous than ever! Let the terror begin!

Kirk Says: Giffen has delivered one slow paced issue after another in this 52 follow up series. I could probably sum up everything that's happened in like 2 sentences and that's being generous. Hopefully something happens in this issue or I might just drop it altogether.

BATMAN #670
Written by Grant Morrison
Art by Tony Daniel

The next chapter of Batman’s life starts here! The shadow of Batman’s archfoe Ra’s al Ghul still looms large over the head of the Dark Knight. Is Ra’s al Ghul destined to live again? Batman begins his quest for the truth in this special prelude to “The Resurrection of Ra’s Al Ghul,” guest-starring Talia al Ghul, Damian, the Sensei and I-Ching!

Kirk Says: Seems like forever since this book came out. Not sure if I'm imagining a delay or not with this though as I do recall the recent end to the League of Batmen storyline. This is the first major prelude to Batman's first inter family crossover in a long time, so I'll definitely be picking it up. Tony Daniel's art is looking incredible as well.

DC INFINITE HALLOWEEN SPECIAL #1
Written by Various
Art by Various

Don’t miss this collection of 13 stories of tricks and treats by some of comics’ top creators, including writers Steve Niles, Mark Waid, Steve Seagal, Dan DiDio, Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, Peter Johnson (TV’s Supernatural), David Arquette (Scream), Cliff Dorfman (Entourage) and many more with art by Ian Churchill, Dean Ormston, Dustin Nguyen , Bernard Chang and others! The inmates of Arkham horrify each other with terrifying tales involving Superman and zombies, Batman and vampires, Robin and werewolves, Aquaman and witches, Flash and the dead, and more! Plus, the return of Resurrection Man!

Kirk Says: The Infinite Christmas Special had several good stories and the Batman / Superman as Santa story was hilarious. I'll be taking a quick flip through this at the shop and if it's appears to be any good, I'll be picking it up.

ACTION COMICS #858
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Gary Frank and Jonathan Sibal

Welcome superstar Gary Frank as he kicks off his run as the new monthly artist on ACTION COMICS with the extra-length first chapter of “Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes”! Spinning from “The Lightning Saga,” the original Legion of Super-Heroes returns! When he was a boy, Clark Kent was isolated and alone until he met this teen team from the 31st Century. Today, it’s been years since Superman saw his childhood friends. Why haven’t they returned to visit him? What’s become of the symbol of Superman in the future? And just why is the future so dangerous for Superman? They warned him away, but now he’s determined to help his friends — even if it means his life!

Kirk Says: I wonder if we'll be seeing Action on the stands every month for this storyline? Will they toss the cliffhanger ending of this arc into next year's annual and move onto another storyline? Do I sound bitter over the Zod storyline? You bet your ass I am. Pretty damn tempted to just drop this book altogether and spend my money elsewhere. First delay this book gets and it's dropped. I can handle delays on out of continuity books like All-Star Superman or Ultimate titles, but this is one of the biggest in-continuity books being published by DC and the longest running comic ever. Delays like the Zod story just shouldn't happen.

NEW X-MEN # 43
Written by Christopher Yost and Craig Kyle
Art by Skott Young

The enemies of the New X-Men are on the move. Ever since Decimation, the students of the Xavier Institute have been depowered, blown up, shot down and tortured. Now, on the eve of an event that will change mutantkind forever, the kids have to wonder... are they doomed? Could the last generation of X-Men be ending now? And does one of the New X-Men have the Messiah Complex? Part 2 (of 2)

Featuring Endangered Species Chapter 16 – Beast comes face-to-face with someone you won’t believe!

Kirk Says: New X-Men is one of the best X-books going and this short 2 issue storyline started off great last month. Seeing books like this and X-Factor slated for tie-ins for the big Messiah Complex crossover and retooling post-MC makes me sad. Hopefully it doesn't impact the creative team's momentum too much.

COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS #26
Story by Paul Dini
Breakdowns by Keith Giffen
Script by Paul Dini
Art by Tom Derenick

Karate Kid confronts Brother Eye! Jimmy Olsen is grabbed by Forager! Shadowpact tries to subdue an out-of-control Mary Marvel! The Crime Syndicate, the Extremists and Monarch gather against the Challengers! Holly and Harley arrive on Paradise Island — and begin their "training"! A lucky coin-toss might have Two-Face save Piper and Trickster from Checkmate! And who is the mysterious— but funny — Jokester? Oh, and Mister Mxyzptlk explains it all!

Plus, more DC villains origin back-up stories written by Scott Beatty, including Zod, Deadshot and Two-Face. The COUNTDOWN continues

Kirk Says: Countdown has seen significant improvements over the last month and with this renaming to Coundown to Final Crisis, I honestly believe we can expect the upward trend in quality to continue to improve. If you've been avoiding this series up until now, make sure you catch up on it in my midway Countdown reviews for all the major story arcs by clicking here.

ULTIMATE POWER # 8
Written by Jeph Loeb
Art by Greg Land

A new player has been thrown into this cosmic game of survival, upsetting the plans of S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury. The Ultimates suddenly find themselves at the lowest point in their struggle against the Squadron Supreme. And that’s very bad news for our Earth.

Kirk Says: I must hate myself for continuing to stick with this series. Does anyone actually care about this series anymore? I know I don't, although wasn't the premise of this that one of the Ultimate characters is traded for a Squadron character? I can't remember and don't honestly care at this point. At least Greg Land's badass depiction of Dr Doom will be present in this issue.

ROBIN ANNUAL #7
Written by Keith Champagne
Art by Jason Pearson and Derec Donovan

A special issue tying into next month's Batman event, "THE RESURRECTION OF RA'S AL GHUL"! Fan-favorite artist Jason Pearson illustrates "The Festival of Angry Ghosts," featuring Damian. Plus, in "The Great Pumpkin," Robin races the clock to solve a series of Halloween-themed murders so grotesque, they leave even the most jaded detectives in Gotham shocked. Plus, a special "Times Past" story focusing on Dick Grayson's first Halloween as Robin.

Kirk Says: I just know I'm gonna get suckered with this "prelude tie-in" to the Resurrection of Ra's, but the damn collector mentality refuses to let me not pick this up.

X-MEN: MESSIAH COMPLEX # 1
Written by Ed Brubaker
Art by Marc Silvestri

The biggest event to hit the X-Men in ten years is here! Superstars Ed Brubaker (UNCANNY X-MEN, CAPTAIN AMERICA) and Marc Silvestri (UNCANNY X-MEN, NEW X-MEN) bring you the first chapter of the story that fans will be talking about for years. Just when it looked like there was no possibility of a future for mutants, hope arrives. But the X-Men aren’t there to meet it—The Marauders and Purifiers beat them to it. Now the race is on to get the first new mutant since HOUSE OF M! The story that begins here continues through all the X-Men books. Don’t miss it!

Kirk Says: This event has been hyped for so long I honestly have no major interest in it. If anything, I almost despise it for interrupting X-Factor and New X-Men. Silvestri's art reeks of the 90's and all the males look like metrosexuals. When Wolverine looks like he's wearing eye liner, there's something wrong. I may as well pick this special up though as the storyline will interrupt every other story I was currently enjoying in other books. May as well understand what's going on.

COUNTDOWN TO MYSTERY #2
Written by Steve Gerber and Matt Sturges
Art by Justiniano and Walden Wong and Stephen Segovia

Doctor Fate faces a steep learning curve when it comes to mastering his new powers. Uneasy lies the head who wears the helmet when he faces “The Devourer of Souls” in Las Vegas! Plus, Eclipso has discovered Plastic Man’s weak point: attacking him through his son, the Titan known as “The Offspring!”

Kirk Says: This was carried over from last week due to delays. Here's what I said last time.

"I enjoyed the first issue of Countdown to Mystery. However, the Dr Fate section spent a bit too much time giving us backstory and not enough action. The Eclipso part of this book suffered from the exact opposite problem. Both did a good enough job to get me to pick up this issue though and I expect an even better offering this month."

*Note* Solicit information and covers from DC and Marvel respectively. This post does not contain all comics coming out next week, just the ones I intend on purchasing.

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