Post-Crisis Comic Book Previews for 12/09/09

Pretty light reading week for us here at the Weekly Crisis, but any week with a Secret Six release is a good week for me.  For the uniniated, the Post-Crisis Previews consist of the solicit information for the comics on Ryan and my pull lists for the coming Wednesday.  They come with commentary featuring our thoughts and expectations for each of the books on our lists and also serve as a place for readers to offer suggestions or request comics we should review or simply talk about their own pull lists and planned purchases.  Hit the jump to read more and feel free to contribute in the comments below!

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #614

Written by Mark Waid

Art by Paul Azaceta

POWER TO THE PEOPLE Finale! Spidey and Mayor Jameson have to put their differences aside to pull the plug on the supercharged Electro once and for all--but at the cost of one of the best-known and most beloved landmarks in the Marvel Universe as THE GAUNTLET continues to rock Spidey's world!

Ryan: This storyline started promising, but really tanked last issue. With Electro looking to take down the Daily Bugle for good (and its owner Dexter Bennett), this promises lots of action, but it will take more than that to salvage this storyline. I’m certainly not holding my breath for this one.

Kirk: The last couple of arcs on Amazing Spider-Man has really killed my interest in sticking with the title.  Previously, the One More Day references and constant winking and nudging at the reader about how great this new direction is (things like MJ having a Faust book, random jokes about deals with the devil, etc) pulled me out of books and killed any interest I had in the new direction.  I was enjoying some of the recent work from around the 600th anniversary, so added it back to the pull list since I'm a longtime Spider-Man fan and wanted to fill the void.  If things don't improve soon, I'm going to cut ties and wait for something big to get my attention again.

BATGIRL #5

Written by Bryan Q. Miller

Art by Lee Garbett

It’s Bat vs. Bat in “Core Requirements” part 1! As Gotham City burns, the new Batgirl comes face-to-face with Batman and Robin, who are anything but happy about her running around with a bat-symbol on her costume. Batman confronts Oracle as Damian confronts Stephanie in the ultimate Bat-family feud.

Ryan: This series has gotten better and better with each new issue and I’m very excited to see how Bryan Q. Miller handles Batman and Robin’s reaction to Stephanie as Batgirl. More importantly, however, I’m interested in seeing Batman confront Oracle as I’ve long been a fan of the Dick/Babs relationship. This could be a defining moment for this fledgling series.

BOOSTER GOLD #27

Written by Dan Jurgens

Art by Dan Jurgens

Black Lantern Ted Kord is out for blood in this BLACKEST NIGHT tie-in issue! Blue Beetle Jaime Reyes joins forces with Booster Gold in an attempt to take down Black Lantern Ted Kord once and for all. But the battle will have consequences for the Blue and the Gold, and Booster and Beetle’s lives will be forever changed!

Ryan: This first part of this story was a lot of fun, but mostly setup. Now that Booster Gold and Blue Beetle will officially team up, it’ll be fun to see if the new Blue and Gold have the same chemistry that the old team did, especially since they’ll be facing Ted Kord.

DC HOLIDAY SPECIAL 2009

Written by Scott Kolins, Sterling Gates, Amy Wolfram, Fred Van Lente, Jay Faerber, Beau Smith, David Tischman, Jay Torres and others

Art by Scott Kolins, Jeff Lemire, Daniel Liester and others

It's that time of year! You can't miss your favorite characters bringing good cheer to all. Even Deadman and B'wana Beast find ways to celebrate the spirit of the season!

Kirk: While most holiday specials (Halloween, etc) are typically lackluster, the Christmas ones for both Marvel and DC are usually a load of fun (Santron?  Santa giving Darkseid coal every year?  Need I go on about past glories?).  With that in mind, I'm going to have some faith and pick up this one from DC.  

ENDER’S GAME: WAR OF GIFTS

Written by Jake Black

Art by Timothy Green II

Zeck Morgan was raised by his minister father to be a pious, God-fearing child, devoted to his church. Unfortunately, when the International Fleet decides Zeck is a candidate for training in Battle School, they tear him from his home and prepare him for war. Zeck refuses to participate in the school’s war-games due to his pacifist religious beliefs. When he sees another student celebrating Christmas--seemingly violating Battle School's rules against religious practice--he raises an uproar that may tear Battle School apart. Can even Ender Wiggin calm this furor? Find out in this double-sized adaptation of Orson Scott Card’s Ender Universe novella, War of Gifts.

Ryan: I’m on the fence about picking this up. I was never too thrilled with the original War of Gifts story, but I’ve been loving Marvel’s adaptation of the main Ender’s Game story. A big part of that is the great cohesion from writer Chris Yost and artist Pasqual Ferry, so I’m hesitant to put too much stock into another creative team. This is going to be an in-shop decision.

GHOST RIDERS: HEAVENS ON FIRE #5

Written by Jason Aaron

Art by Roland Boschi

The battle against Zadkiel, usurper of heaven, nears its conclusion as the all-new Orb and all-new Vengeance enter the fray, leading an army of zombie bikers against an army of Gun Nuns, with Johnny Blaze and Danny Ketch caught in the middle. Plus, Jaine Cutter versus the Son of Satan and the junior Anti-Christ, Kid Blackheart, makes his move.

Kirk: Heavens on Fire has been a lot of fun to read.  I haven't followed Ghost Rider before this series concluding mini-event and frequently have no clue who some people are, but it's just so damn entertaining, I have no choice but to stick with it.  Look at that cover!  It's got some kind of flaming motorcycle race with Vengence and some eyeball for a head badguy (no, I do not know his name nor care) chasing Ghost Rider.  Words cannot describe that much awesome and it only touches on some of the craziness going on in here.

GREEN ARROW/BLACK CANARY #27

Written by Andrew Kreisberg

Art by Renato Guedes and Mike Norton

First up: “Five Stages” part 3! Cupid and Green Arrow team up against Black Canary and Green Arrow (?!) just as the mysterious soldiers of Cobalt make Star City their own battlefield! And then in the co-feature: Just where did this mysterious second Green Arrow come from? And how is Cobalt connected to his recent past?

Ryan: I’m not thrilled about Everyman being the second Green Arrow, but I’m glad to see Ollie and Dinah back on the same side again. I just hope that the phenomenal character writing from Andrew Kreisberg can outweigh the relatively dull twist on the second Arrow and my disappointment that Mike Norton is no longer drawing both features.

NATION X #1

Written by Various

Art by Various

A mutant nation has been created on UTOPIA, off the coast of California. But what does that mean to the X-Men? Don’t miss the series that delves into the lives and minds of your favorite X-Characters. This issue stars Colossus, Wolverine, Nightcrawler and others!

Ryan: The X-Men anthology books that seem to follow every major X-storyline are pretty hit-or-miss. You take the good and you take the bad. This is a relatively light week, so I might check this one out, if for no other reason than to see some different mutants in action than those spotlighted in the main X-titles.

REALM OF KINGS: IMPERIAL GUARD #2

Written by Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning

Art by Kev Walker

Is Black Bolt alive? The Imperial Guard's mission into the bizarre and dangerous realm of the Fault begins! Their objective: to find any remaining evidence of the two missing kings! Patience and restraint are put to the test as the Guard is obliged to work alongside the pirate Starjammers they have spent so many years pursuing. Can they learn to get along...or will the Fault finish them before they get the chance?

Kirk: First issue of this was fairly bland. Some okay moments, but mostly dealt with people I have no vested interest in and come off as "red shirts" (you know, the guys that die on every away mission from Star Trek) that may or may not survive the miniseries.  With the Realm of Kings one-shot and crazy Cthulhu monsters running around in the Fault, maybe this mission into the Fault will provide the spark this miniseries needs to define itself.

R.E.B.E.L.S. #11

Written by Tony Bedard

Art by Claude St. Aubin and Scott Hanna

BLACKEST NIGHT spreads across the galaxy! Super-genius Vril Dox might be the newest Sinestro Corps recruit, but Black Lanterns Harbinger and Stealth still hit the intergalactic renegade right where it hurts! And while we wish we could say that's the absolute worst thing that happens to Dox in this issue…we can't.

Kirk: REBELS #10 was a very good Blackest Night tie-in, but failed to really sell me on the REBELS series for the longterm.  It was good, so I'm back again this month for the follow-up, but will it be good enough this month to keep me on board the series after Blackest Night moves on?  We shall see...

RED ROBIN #7

Written by Christopher Yost

Art by Marcus To

Tam Fox versus the Council of Spiders! Red Robin and the White Ghost have been tricked, and now only Lucius Fox's daughter is left to defend the League of Assassins! Using her Ivy League education and sorority house training, Tam Fox faces off against two of the most lethal killers on the planet...Goliath and Sac! Can she defeat these villains and save Ra's al Ghul without Red Robin by her side? Most definitely not!

Ryan: I’m hoping that this solicitation is a swerve and that the issue won’t be focusing solely on Tam Fox taking on the Council of Spiders assassins. One of the few weak points in the series has been her development, so I’m hoping that we’ll see more of Red Robin in action than her in peril, especially since there is no way she can survive this one without some help.

SECRET SIX #16

Written by Gail Simone

Art by Peter Nguyen

The supremely powerful and infinitely dangerous Black Alice returns and she's decided she wants to be a member of the Six – even if someone has to die to make room!

Ryan: Secret Six has already amassed more Book of the Week honors this year than any other title in the history of my Rankings (7 thus far in 2009) and it looks promising that it could pull in one more, especially with Black Alice making a guest appearance. Artist Peter Nguyen is the wild card, but I’m still considering this the issue to beat!

Kirk: Last issue was by Ostrander as Simone took a break.  It was focused on Deadshot and really diverged from the direction the ongoing was taking, almost feeling like a random one-shot than a continuation of the dramatic conclusion to the last arc.  I liked it, but it wasn't the usual Secret Six goodness.  Really looking forward to the follow up by Simone with Bane "taking over" the Six and kicking Scandal off the team and other dangling threads from the previous arc.

S.W.O.R.D. #2

Written by Kieron Gillen

Art by Steven Sanders

Extraterrestrials are no longer welcome on Earth. So say goodbye to Marvel Boy, Beta Ray Bill, Karolina from the Runaways and a ton of others…including Agent Brand and Lockheed! Henry Gyrich has turned the tables on our heroine and her time as head of S.W.O.R.D. is coming to a close.

Kirk: SWORD #1 failed to impress like Gillen's other offerings from Marvel, like Beta Ray Bill: Godhunter or Dark Avengers: Ares, but wasn't a complete failure either.  I want to like this series, but it needs to define itself in my eyes.  It feels like it's trying to be an extension of Astonishing X-Men, a cosmic story, a new concept following the cosmic version of SHIELD with the space agency SWORD and their adventures and a mix of Buck Rogers all in one.  It can't be all at the same time and needs to just buckle down and focus on establishing the cast, the setting, the basic concept (I really don't know where the book is going and wouldn't know where to being describing it in one or two sentences) and so on. 

X NECROSHA: THE GATHERING #1

Written by Craig Kyle & Chris Yost

Art by Kalman Andrasofszky, Leonardo Manco, Ibraim Roberson & Mateus Santolouco

Selene's Inner Circle stand revealed... Wither, Mortis, Senyaka, Eli Bard and Blink. But what led Selene to gather some of the deadliest mutants in the world? Why would one of the X-Men's students join her? Who is Mortis? How is Blink alive? The stories of the Black Queen's death dealers are told in this anthology one-shot by some of today’s hottest artists!

Kirk: The Gathering is one of the few ancillary tie-ins to Necrosha that I will be picking up, mainly due to Kyle and Yost, the architects of the event, handling the writing chores.  It shows how Selene gathered her Inner Circle and reintroduces some of these older characters.  I don't expect anything major that will progress or impact the story to come of this, but it should be a good tie-in that adds some extra information and background details to the event. 

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