Post-Crisis Comic Book Previews for 05/28/08

Before getting into the previews, I need to pimp my new archives section to everyone. If you missed the announcement on the weekend, I completed the archives section and you can read them by clicking the link in the navbar above the banner. I'll be regularly updating them with my current posts, such as this one, and filling out any reviews I may have missed along the way and even with reviews of older titles that pre-date the creation of the blog, so be sure to check back regularly!

Concerning this week's previews, it looks like the ol'wallet is taking a beating again. The biggest release is probably Final Crisis #1. I mention this in my comments about it, but I'm really looking forward to this, but there's also very little information available about it and it leaves a lot to the imagination in regards to what to say about it.

Other big releases from DC are All-Star Superman, which has Lex initiating his plans for revenge, Green Lantern and Batman RIP Part 1 Part 2.

On the Marvel side of things, we've got the prerequisite Secret Invasion tie-ins over in New Avengers and Ms. Marvel, Rucka teaming with Brubaker on Daredevil and Giant-Size Astonishing X-Men finally coming out. Oh, and Mark Millar's Marvel 1985 finally sees the light of day.

These are just some of the preview highlights and there's plenty more, like Blue Beetle and Immortal Iron Fist, after the jump!

ALL STAR SUPERMAN #11
Written by Grant Morrison
Art by Frank Quitely and Jamie Grant

Superman…dead? What is the secret behind the Daily Planet's ominous headline from the future? And what does Clark Kent have to say about it? All the pieces of Lex Luthor's master plan to kill Superman begin to come together, building up to the All Star big bang in story's finale!

Kirk Says: Lex Luthor cures cancer, saves humanity from the evil alien and everyone is happy! Yay! Wait, that's not what this is about. Lex gets the electric chair, gains super powers from something whipped together from his last meal and starts killing everyone, starting with Superman. Good times. Should be awesome.


BATMAN #677
Written by Grant Morrison
Art by Tony Daniel and Sandu Florea

Continuing "Batman R.I.P," the epic story that will change the legend of the Dark Knight forever! As the life of Bruce Wayne takes an interesting turn with Jezebel Jet, the life of Batman falls into the ultimate downward spiral.

Kirk Says: Continuing? That would mean we started Batman RIP. If that non-issue from last month counts, I guess we could make the entire Morrison run part of Batman RIP, as all the last issue did was introduce the "new" Batmobile and have Batman kissing Generic Girlfriend #10820. I'm going to consider this the first part of Batman RIP and hope they give us something of substance.


BLUE BEETLE #27
Written by Will Pfeifer
Art by Rafael Albuquerque

Hold me closer, tiny demon! Blue Beetle and Traci 13 are just trying to have a normal date, but when that old black magic kicks up, there can't be anything normal about it!

Kirk Says: Didn't much care for the all-Spanish issue last month. Not because of the actual story, which was a lot of fun, but because I had to keep flipping back and forth to the translation page to understand what was going on. Nice experiment, but I'm glad they're back to the regular format this month.

I had no idea who Traci 13 was before she showed up in Blue Beetle back during the, "I am a dentis.", Eclipso story, but I'm loving the fact she's a part of the book now and glad the new writers are giving her a bigger focus in the book.


DAREDEVIL #107
Written by Ed Brubaker & Greg Rucka
Art by Michael Lark

MATT MURDOCK TAKES A NEW CASE!
Still reeling from the conclusion of his battle with Mr. Fear, an old friend drags Matt Murdock back into the light of day by bringing him the last-minute appeal of a Marvel villain now sitting on DEATH ROW. What will Matt do, is the question, when confronted with a bad guy who is completely innocent of the crime he was convicted of?
"OTHER PEOPLE'S PROBLEMS" Part One!

Kirk Says: Rucka and Brubaker are back together for this storyarc and I'm hoping Rucka can rein in some of the problems with inconsistency that Brubaker has been having on Daredevil. Aside from the opening arc, Devil in Cell Block D, Bru has been ranging from incredible to issues that felt like complete filler and it's really put a damper on my overall enjoyment of the book. I'm hoping this will result in a Fraction / Brubaker-like chemistry that Rucka and he had on Gotham Central several years back.


FINAL CRISIS #1 (OF 7)
Written by Grant Morrison
Art by J.G. Jones

Witness the historic start of the final chapter in the Crisis trilogy that could only spring from the mind of Grant Morrison — Final Crisis, featuring stunning art by J.G. Jones (52 Covers)! Worlds will live and heroes will die in this epic tale spanning the beginning and end of the DC Universe!

The entire Multiverse is threatened as the mysterious Libra assembles an army of the DCU's most terrifying super villains. But what is the ultimate plan, and who will live to find out?

Kirk Says: Well, it's finally here. DC's big event for the summer is finally kicking off this week and I'm honestly looking forward to it.

I'm a little curious about the whole Multiverse being threatened. Are we going to see the Monitors and the other Earths or is that just hyperbole and DC trying to exaggerate the threat of Libra and Darkseid?

There's not much else I can say about this, as there's almost nothing really known about it aside from "evil wins" and Darkseid and Libra play a part in it. Hopefully there's more to discuss after we get our greedy little paws on issue one.


GIANT-SIZE ASTONISHING X-MEN #1
Written by Joss Whedon
Art by John Cassaday

Too big to be contained in a normal issue, the grand finale of Joss Whedon (Buffy, Firefly) and John Cassaday’s (CAPTAIN AMERICA, Planetary) landmark run is right here! The powerlords of Breakworld bring the fight to Earth. Can the X-Men stop them from destroying the whole planet? Will the Avengers join their fight? What we do know is this: one of the X-Men won’t walk away from this fight. Plus spotlight interviews with Whedon and Cassaday!

Kirk Says: This reminds me of the recent Action Comics Annual. I don't even really care how it ends anymore. Kitty is supposed to "die" based on Colossus' reactions in Uncanny X-Men, but I'm sure his description as, "lost", instead of dead will lead to her just joining SWORD or going missing in space or what have you. My opinion on the series will probably change in a year's time when I sit down and read through it again, but, for now, it'll take a miracle for me to be impressed with this conclusion.


GREEN LANTERN #31
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Ivan Reis and Oclair Albert

Part 3 of "Secret Origin" explores the beginnings of Earth's Green Lantern — Hal Jordan! Hal meets the Green Lantern who will teach him everything he knows: Sinestro! But Sinestro has another mission on this primitive mudball called planet Earth…a mission not even the Guardians of the Universe are aware of.

Kirk Says: Secret Origin has been not-so secret over the course of the first two parts. We've had a grand total of about five new pages of origin and the rest has been a rehashed origin with great art. Good for new readers, but this should have been a mini-series instead of wasting space in the build up to Blackest Night. Maybe the introduction of Sinestro in this issue will give this sagging storyline some life.


IMMORTAL IRON FIST #15
Written by Matt Fraction
Art by Khari Evans

TALES OF THE IRON FIST! When we last saw Bei Bang-Wen, he was leaping to what seemed to be a certain death off the top of the Taku Forts -- would you believe us if we told you that was only the beginning? Join us as we take a look at another one of the fabulous Iron Fists of years past and his legendary legacy in “The Story of the Iron Fist Bei Bang-Wen -- The Perfect Strategy Mind and his Miraculous Travels to the Dark Continent, and What Mysteries of the World and of the Self that He Learned There (1827-1860)” By Matt Fraction and Khari Evans!

Kirk Says: I think this is the last issue for Fraction on Immortal Iron Fist. I know Brubaker bowed out last month. I'm still not sure if I'm going to continue with the book or just throw in the towel. The new writer writes what I consider to be one of the worst books on the market, Cable, and does little to inspire my confidence, especially after one of the greatest single runs in comic histroy from Bru and Fraction.

Regarding this issue, I loved Immortal Iron Fist #7 and the various flashbacks to previous Iron Fist users and expect this to be one of the best single issues of their run.


LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #42
Written by Jim Shooter
Art by Francis Manapul and John Livesay

The war against the powers from beyond the fringes of the universe forces the Legion into the most terrifying fight of their lives on Rimbor, homeworld of Ultra Boy — where he's wanted for murder!

Kirk Says: I've said it almost every month since I started reading this title and I'll say it again, I am really glad I jumped in when Shooter took over the book. It's a bit slow paced, but it never feels like "decompression" or filler. It's great introduction, I assume, for new readers like me, to a large and varied cast of characters and, unlike Johns' recent Legion arc, which featured a different version of the Legion (don't ask), it actually feels like I'm getting to know them and I find myself eagerly awaiting each new issue. Unless you're a long time Legion fan, I'd recommend starting with Shooter's first issue over jumping right into the current issue, but I think it'll be worth your time to give this book a try.


MARVEL 1985 #1
Written by Mark Millar
Art by Tommy Lee Edwards

Before SECRET INVASION…before WORLD WAR HULK…before CIVIL WAR… The most powerful super-villains in the Marvel Universe gather their might to wreak havoc on the one place they’ve never before set foot—YOUR WORLD! As mankind’s enemies cut a swath of destruction with unprecedented ferocity and ruthlessness, the fate of the planet rests in the hands of one person: Toby, a 13-year-old boy who holds the key to uniting his comic-book idols, the Marvel Heroes! Superstars Mark Millar (CIVIL WAR, FANTASTIC FOUR) and Tommy Lee Edwards (BULLET POINTS, The Question) deliver a Marvel Event the likes of which you’ve never seen!

Kirk Says: I have no idea how this will turn out, but I'm very interested in picking it up. The story is, to my knowledge, about all the villains from Secret Wars landing on the "real" Earth and we get to see the story through the eyes of a 13 year old boy who loves comics and was actually reading about these characters and their adventures before they showed up in the real world. While I don't think it'll be as ground breaking, I'm getting a Marvels vibe from this book and, like I said, can't wait to see how it turns out.


MS. MARVEL #27
Written by Brian Reed
Art by Andres Coelho

There is a Skrull in Lightning Storm's midst. There is a secret truth to the life of Ms. Marvel's lover, William Wagner. Something happens between Ms. Marvel and Wonder Man that can never be undone. And an era comes to an explosive end in a pivotal moment in the life of the most important woman in the Marvel Universe.

Kirk Says: I think I've paid my dues on Ms. Marvel and, after these Secret Invasion tie-ins, I'll probably be dropping the book unless something drastic happens. I like the Ms. Marvel character and was hoping she could capitalize on the House of M version she's been trying to live up to and have given her more than her chance to do that, but, outside the random Machine Man scenes, I just haven't been that impressed and, lately, it's just been getting worse. Time to throw in the towel or weird red scarf thingy that she wears.


NEW AVENGERS #41
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Billy Tan

SECRET INVASION TIE-IN!
The Avengers are trapped in the Savage Land, battling friend and foe. And Spider-Man heads to the one person in the entire place he knows he can trust: Ka-Zar!! But is it really him? This important chapter rewinds the events of the very first New Avengers story and shows how it connects to the Invasion.

Kirk Says: I'm actually looking forward to this. I know, shocking, since I've been completely underwhelmed with Secret Invasion so far. But, after seeing the previews for this issue, I couldn't stop laughing at the Spider-Man and Ka-zar / "Sheena" pages. I think it'll be worth it just for those pages, but maybe there'll be some actual story to go along with it.


THOR #9
Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Art by Olivier Coipel

The smash-hit mega-sensation barrels on! After an astonishing two-part arc with art by none other than Marko Djurdjevic (DAREDEVIL), Asgard and its people have been fully restored…and now Thor can turn his attention beyond the shining city! Fan-favorite superstar Olivier Coipel makes his return to THOR to re-team with writer J. Michael Straczynski and make the Thunder God greater than ever!

Kirk Says: Loki is quickly returning to form, which is both good and bad, in my opinion. The series really needed an antagonist and some direction now that nearly all of the Asgardians have been freed, but I was hoping Loki would take a more subdued role and play the devil's advocate to everything Thor was doing instead of the more proactive role he's always played in his male incarnations. I'm also starting to wonder if the female aspect is just an illusion to stir up sypmathy.

Anyway you cut it, the book needed some direction, despite being one of Marvel's best as of late, and I'm happy to see JMS addressing that one complaint I have with the book.


ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #122
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Stuart Immonen

The worst day in Peter Parker’s life! Spider-Man has been defeated and kidnapped! Wait till you see who did what the Green Goblin, the Kingpin and Doctor Octopus couldn't do! And can Kitty Pryde and Mary Jane team up to save him in time?

Kirk Says: I love that cover. It just screams, "READ ME!", for some reason. As for the mystery villain, it looks like the Shocker's hand and gun at Peter's head, so I'm going to go with it being him. For those unaware, the Shocker is a nobody that Peter routinely beats up on, to hilarious effect, in just about every new storyarc or single issue. Should be fun, if it actually is him, to see him "win" for a change.


X-FORCE #4
Written by Chris Yost & Craig Kyle
Art by Clayton Crain

The Purifiers have gathered the most deadly pieces of the X-Men’s past— but their plans are far from over...While Bastion continues to shape the future, Mathew Risman sets in motion an attack that will forever change two of our heroes. If the team can’t stop them from achieving their ultimate goal, mutantkind has little hope of survival.

Kirk Says: Previews show some pretty gruesome stuff happening this issue and, considering this is the best X-title going right now (hopefully X-Factor steps up to its former glory soon), I'm chomping at the bit for more.




YOUNG AVENGERS PRESENTS #5
Written by Kevin Grevioux
Art by Mitch Breitweiser

Young Cassie Lang has an encounter with Kang’s ubiquitous enforcer the GROWING MAN! However, her ordeal ends in tragedy as someone close to her is gravely injured in the process. And the effect on Cassie causes some unexpected problems from which she might never recover. Can the Young Avengers help Stature before an even greater tragedy befalls her?

Kirk Says: Um, didn't Cassie just team up with the Vision for her "Young Avengers Presents" appearance? Shouldn't it be Hawkeye's turn or is there a sixth issue of this in the works (too lazy to check solicits, but thought this was only a five issue deal)? I like Cassie, so I'm not complaining, but I like Hawkeye more and was hoping to see her get a spotlight at some point.

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