Post-Crisis Comic Book Previews for 12/12/07

Another week, another batch of previews in this week's Post-Crisis Comic Book Previews! After looking over Diamond's list of comics coming out this week, I just don't know what to think. They have the finale of the Sinestro Corps War in Green Lantern #25, Green Lantern Corps and the Ion special all slated for this week. On top of that, Nova, Black Adam and Booster Gold are all slated for this week as well. Hopefully Diamond's listings are correct because it looks like Christmas came early this week based on these comics! Anyways, on with the previews.

AMAZING SPIDER-GIRL #15
Written by Tom DeFalco
Art by Ron Frenz

Double-sized issue! Celebrate the 10th year anniversary of the first appearance of Spider-Girl in What If #105 as the daughter of Spider-Man becomes the widow of the Black Tarantula! Featuring guest-stars galore as Spider-Girl battles a horde of her greatest villains!

Kirk Says: Amazing Spider-Girl has been improving over the last couple issues and, while I still don't consider it to be as good as the previous series, I've still be enjoying it. It's always good for solid, done-in-one tales with a classic spin to them.


BLACK ADAM: THE DARK AGE #5 (OF 8)
Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Art by Doug Mahnke and Christian Alamy

Black Adam comes closer to retrieving one of the final pieces of Isis's magical amulet, but even he can't contemplate how far a secret group would go to bring his bloodshed to an end.

Kirk Says: Probably the best new series this year and one of my favourite books. Expecting big things from this book this week.



BOOSTER GOLD #5
Written by Geoff Johns and Jeff Katz
Art by Dan Jurgens and Norm Rapmund

"52 Pick-Up" continues! Booster Gold has been tasked with preventing the origins of the world's greatest heroes from unraveling. Next up is his greatest challenge yet: preventing one of the most horrific wrongs that's ever befallen a hero in the DC Universe.

Leaping into the pages of BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE, Booster attempts to stop a tragedy that he discovers never should've happened — the Joker shooting and paralyzing Barbara Gordon, Batgirl.

Plus, what dark secret is Rip Hunter keeping from Booster?

Kirk Says: I doubt anyone believes they'll be retconning Bab's paralysis, but Booster Gold has been pure, well, gold every issue so far and I expect the trend to continue. This issue will probably teach Booster that he can't change the past like he wishes to do with Ted Kord's death.


COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS #20
Story by Paul Dini
Breakdowns by Keith Giffen
Script by Adam Beechen
Art by Dennis Calero

Karate Kid meets an all-new/old OMAC at the Command D bunker! Jimmy Olsen crosses paths with Mister Miracle! Mary Marvel is taken to Paradise Island! One of the Rogues becomes a real drag! Things are changing for the Monitors! And…at long last…Ray Palmer!

Plus, more DC villains origin backup stories, including Granny Goodness and Sinestro! The COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS continues!

Kirk Says: Countdown has bi-polar disorder. It's a rollercoaster ride of questionable quality and I don't know if we'll be getting a decent issue or a terrible one each week. Hopefully this one will be the former.


COUNTDOWN: ARENA #2 (OF 4)
Written by Keith Champagne
Art by Scott McDaniel and Andy Owens

Get ready for COUNTDOWN: ARENA — a 4-issue weekly event written by Keith Champagne (JSA) with art by Scott McDaniel and Andy Owens (GREEN ARROW) that pits the DCU's greatest heroes against themselves!

The villainous Monarch begins the last chapter of his campaign against the Monitors, combing the entire Multiverse to enlist the most powerful — or deadly — heroes and villains from throughout existence to join his army. The abducted must battle one another in Monarch's specially constructed Arena, where only the strongest will survive to join his battle against
the Monitors.

Carefully selected from worlds throughout all 52 universes, including characters from SUPERMAN: RED SON, DC: THE NEW FRONTIER, BATMAN: GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT, JSA: LIBERTY FILES, JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE NAIL, and TANGENT, among many others, three versions of each hero will walk into the Arena, and only one will walk away. Welcome to THE ARENA, where Monarch's only rule is to survive at all costs.

Kirk Says: I enjoyed the first issue of Arena. It's not the greatest book, but the fanboy in me likes to see the hero battles. However, any good will I have towards this book could quickly go south based on what happens with this follow up issue.


FANTASTIC FOUR #552
Written by Dwayne McDuffie
Art by Paul Pelletier

Dr. Doom has come from the future with a message: Reed Richards must be stopped now, before his ultimate Civil War plans come to fruition. What was Mr. Fantastic really doing during Civil War? The answers are finally revealed.

Kirk Says: Last issue was surprisingly good and had one of the best cliffhangers in recent memory when Reed Richards blew the head off the future Namor when he admitted to stealing Sue from him in the future. Looking forward to seeing how McDuffie follows that issue up.


GREEN ARROW/BLACK CANARY #3
Written by Judd Winick
Art and Cover by Cliff Chiang

Black Canary and Green Arrow conclude their mission on Paradise Island and are stunned to find out what's really been going on there — and just who's been behind the kidnapping of their missing friend!

Kirk Says: The first issue was a little rough around the edges, but the second issue sold me on this series. It's far from being the greatest comic on the shelf, but last issue was fun and entertaining and there's not much more you can ask for in any form of entertainment.


GREEN LANTERN #25
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Ivan Reis, Ethan Van Sciver and Oclair Albert

This is it! The most talked-about storyline of the summer, "The Sinestro Corps War," concludes in this double-sized anniversary issue! Why does Sinestro believe he has won? How will Hal Jordan stop his greatest enemy? What is the truth behind the prophecy of "The Blackest Night"? Where will the end results of this battle take the Green Lantern Corps? What is the bizarre fate of the Anti-Monitor? Why has Earth been assigned so many Green Lanterns? Learn all the secrets! Witness all the battles! Prepare yourself for the startling ending of the greatest epic in the history of Green Lantern!

Kirk Says: Finale of the Sinestro Corps War. Need I say more? My only fear is that Johns has left far too many plot points to be wrapped up in this final issue. I get the feeling this might be a rushed conclusion based on how much is left, but SCW has yet to disappoint, so maybe it can exceed my lofty expectations.


GREEN LANTERN CORPS #19
Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Art by Patrick Gleason & Prentis Rollins

The pieces of the Sinestro Corps War are still falling as Guy is finally reunited with his lost love, Ice! And as Kyle Rayner tries to start his new life as a Green Lantern, Sinestro rings continue to empower new and deadlier forces in space.

Kirk Says: From what I understand, this is an epilogue to the Sinestro Corps War and I think the solicit might not have been updated from when they added that extra GLC issue with the Prime / Ion fight a few weeks back. Either way, more GL is always welcomed.


NEW AVENGERS #37
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Leinil Francis Yu

It’s the throwdown of the year. The New Avengers versus the Hood's gang of super-villains, bloody, angry and shocking to the end. But still they have to ask: WHO DO YOU TRUST??

Kirk Says: I hope this issue is better than the last one. If it's anything like that uneven mess of a symbiote storyarc / recap, I might just put this back on the shelf this week. Hopefully Bendis delivers some goods with this supposedly action packed brawl with the Hood's team.

NEW WARRIORS #6
Written by Kevin Grevioux
Art by Paco Medina

With one team-member dead, and another in the ICU, a distraught Night Thrasher disbands the New Warriors. But will Jubilee take this lying down? Meanwhile, Detectives Sykes and Givens discover the terrifying secret of who’s really behind the new New Warriors.

Kirk Says: I wasn't sold on the earlier issues of New Warriors, but the last couple have really wow'd me and, while this is kind of like New X-Men-lite, it doesn't feel like an X-book and I'm looking forward to seeing more of this.


NIGHTWING #139
Written by Fabian Nicieza
Art by Don Kramer and Wayne Faucher

"The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul," Part 6 of 7, guest-starring Damian and Talia al Ghul! Is this the Nightwing vs. Robin battle that we've all been dreading? Meanwhile, Ra's moves one step closer to his goal at Nanda Parbat — but will Batman and crew arrive too late?

Kirk Says: Fabian did an incredible job last issue and it was easily the best part of the Ressurection of Ra's storyline. Can he one-up himself with this issue? Who knows, but I can't wait to find out.


NOVA #9
Written by Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Art by Wellinton Alves

New allies – new foes – the new story-arc kicked-off last issue rockets onwards! What is the haunted place known as
Knowhere? Who are Xarth’s Mightiest Heroes? And why will the new character called Cosmo quickly become one of your favorites? Oh…and what well-known Annihilation characters are hot on Nova’s trail? Wizard just named NOVA their “Book of the Month” – find out why right here!

Kirk Says: Why do Marvel and DC do this to me every month? I shouldn't have to pick between Green Lantern, Black Adam and Nova for who gets read first or decide which was better. Can't wait to see more of Cosmo the talking space dog and the rest of this Knowhere arc.


SALVATION RUN #2 (OF 7)
Written by Bill Willingham
Art by Sean Chen and Walden Wong

Who will end up as leader of the pack? Joker? Lex Luthor? One of the Rogues? Is there any chance of escape? Each issue brings some closer to control…some closer to conscription…and others closer to death!

Kirk Says: I'm giving this series another crack with this issue. I hope they don't make me regret it like the first issue, which did absolutely nothing for me.


TALES OF THE SINESTRO CORPS PRESENTS: ION
Written by Ron Marz
Art by Michael Lacomb

Ion is the chosen one of the Green Lantern Corps, whose coming was foretold as a prophecy in the Book of Oa. But now that Kyle Rayner has been possessed by Parallax, can he ever bear the mantle of Ion again? Or will it pass to a completely new bearer? This all-important Sinestro Corps War tie-in reveals the answers, and sets the stage for Green Lantern — and Kyle Rayner — for years to come!

Kirk Says: These "Tales" tie-ins have all felt like they were tacked on at the last minute when DC found out the Sinestro Corps War was a huge hit. The only one that hasn't felt like this is the one penned by Johns. Maybe Marz can deliver something with this Ion special, but I'm expecting it to be average at best.


ULTIMATE IRON MAN II #1
Written by Orson Scott Card
Art by Pasqual Ferry

The untold origin of Iron Man continues – written by international best-selling author Orson Scott Card! When last we saw him, young Tony Stark was nearly blown to bits. How much of him survived his initial Iron Man trial run – and where does the young genius go from here? Plus: How does James Rhodes fit into Tony’s plans for the perfect fighting machine? Four-time Hugo Award-winner, two-time Nebula Award-winner and World Fantasy Award-winner Orson Scott Card (author of Ender’s Game) returns to the Ultimate Universe, now joined by Ultimate Fantastic Four’s Pasqual Ferry!

Kirk Says: I enjoyed the first Ultimate Iron Man series. While it was pretty off the wall and didn't seem to jive with the Ultimates at the time, I still liked it and I'm happy to see some more from Card in this second go around.


WONDER WOMAN #15
Written by Gail Simone
Art by Terry Dodson & Rachel Dodson

The stunning "Circle" story arc ratchets to a new level of intensity as Wonder Woman's acclaimed new creative team deliver never-before-revealed secrets of Diana's origin! Who tried to assassinate her on the night of her creation? Special Agent Diana Prince may not live to find out, as she faces a brutal Captain Nazi alone, unable to use her powers. And the re-forming army of the Society of Super Villains hunts her mother on Paradise Island! You've never seen a Wonder Woman like this!

Kirk Says: Simone made me enjoy Wonder Woman for the first time in, well, ever with her debut last issue. I'll definitely be picking this issue up and, unless something drastic happens, will be sticking around for the duration of her run on the title.


X-FACTOR #26
Written by Peter David
Art by Scot Eaton

A squad of X-Men track the mutant baby and its captor. But they’re not alone in the hunt. Layla Miller and Madrox explore the future and learn the terrible fate of mutants. And Predator X claims another victim. And who is that woman with the finger claws?!

Kirk Says: You've got X-Force in my X-Factor! Messiah Complex has been getting better with each issue, but, for all the hype, I'm still not feeling it. This X-Force team just seems forced and I don't see Cyclops making or condoning a kill squad, especially one with an underaged teenager, but I'll wait and see how this plays out before passing judgement.

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