What I Bought 7/12/06

Hmm, I'd been having some trouble adding pictures to these posts lately, but I seem to have found a solution. Add the pictures first, then type, then just maneuver the pictures around as you need to. Which is handy when you've got six comics to review this week. Eclectic bunch too. Two mini-series conclusions, the end of one long-running series, the beginning of another (well probably not long-running) and two other books besides. We're going from first impressions here, so beware of spoilers.

Annihilation: Silver Surfer #4 - See Silver Surfer survey smashed ships. See Ravenous dumbly threaten Silver Surfer. See the two fight. See Silver Surfer play tricks of Ravenous with his surfboard. See Galactus get a bit testy. Enough of that. The Surfer and Ravenous have it out on a Badoon Fringe World. If I remember the galactic map from Annihilation: Prologue, that means they're in the Milky Way Galaxy. Up until now, I'd figured they were confined to the Andromeda Galaxy. Not really that important because those two were going to throw down regardless. Ravenous enjoys the Surfer in his new state. If I had to guess, the Surfer's a bit more determined than he was before. Either way . . . Holy crap he just blew up a planet! Ravenous, what were you saying about being his equal?

Afterwards the Surfer sets off on his job as the Big G's personal assistant, and we see Thanos meeting with Tenebrous and Aegis, who don't seem particularly pleased to find that life exists in this universe. Given that they seem to be striking a partnership with Thanos, I'd say the Galactus and the Surfer are in for it. Pretty good ending, not quite as cool as last month's issue, and I can't figure out why they didn't release it last week, so 4.2 out of 5.

Annihilation: Super Skrull #4: Both these books have done a little recap on their first two pages. Just a quick little monologue from the title character as to what transpired before, so someone could follow it if they just picked it up. I like that; it seems to suggest that things are going to move quickly and they want you to be able keep up. Note to Annihilation forces: Super Skrull has more than just the Fantastic Four's powers to be neutralized. Remember this the next time you catch him. The Skrull and his allies are loose, R'Kin is on the run, and thousands of soldiers are bearing down on these rebels. And whether he meant to or not, Super Skrull really has earned their respect, because Phreak and Praxagora are going to lay down their lives for him.

Upon catching up R'kin, Super Skrull finds out just what the hell is wrong with this kid. Suffice to say, my theory that it was actually his kid in disguise was off the mark. Still, the Super Skrull does teach R'Kin a valuable lesson about double-crossing him, namely, don't.

The rebels are falling, but Super Skrull and Praxagora make it to the core together. She's ready to blow up, but wait, what's Super Skrull doing? Oh, I see, he's going to absorb the heat she releases in her immediate area so she survives when she. . . blows . . . up. Wait that doesn't make any sense, what the heck is he do. . . Oh. Wow. Not expected, but hell yes, 5 out of 5.

Ghost Rider #1 - Yeah I know, Daniel Way writes this, and he's the dude that drove me off Wolverine. What can I say? I have hope, and since I'm not trapped in Hell, hope isn't such a terrible thing.

Unfortunately for him, Johnny Blaze is trapped in Hell, and as we see in this issue, hope is a very bad thing to have there. Hope is the football, Rider is Charlie Brown, so guess who that makes Satan? Johnny tries a couple of different ways to get out, just like in the Ennis mini-series. The second time he even rescued a little demon to help him. Yeah, neither one worked out quite like he planned. But, come the end of the issue, there he is, cutting across the waves, chasing after a bunch of zombies by the looks of it. Gee, I guess we'll have to wait and see what that's all about, huh?

Well, I liked it enough to give the next issue a shot. Whether you would or not depends on you. If at all possible, I'd read it first, then buy it if you really liked it. 3.3 out of 5.

Warbird #5 - Man, I really hate that cover. In other news, congratulations to Dr. Strange for not falling unconscious after being hit over the head with the Wand of Watoomb. And guess who the Doc calls for help? While she's dreaming? About being pestered by reporters while in the tub? At least it was a bubble bath. Carol gets there a bit late, and winds up getting tossed into an alternate dimension by Traveler. He wants to chat in private you see, and on this world, all life has been devoured by an insectile swarm from outer space. Which he demonstrates by pulling the top of the deceased Dr. Strange's skull off. Yuck. Then he decides to move to a few days before it happened, and let Carol get eaten, while he flits off. Too bad he forgot Villain Rule #1, which is: "When you blab too much, expect the masked opponent to bust you in the face."

Which is how he loses the Wand of Watoomb and goes back to being crazy. See the Eye of Watoomb in his head is the melted down Wand from another reality. He needs the Wand to keep the Eye under control, so he stays sane. Got that? I don't. God, I hate magic. Anyway, with no other option, he sends Carol back to her time, but gets her there early enough to help Dr. Strange. Great, now we've got time paradoxes. *hits head on desk*. The have a team-up, save the day, and you know what? Dr. Strange didn't seem like a complete boob. He seemed like an honest-to-goodness well-meaning mystic, who was simply at a bit of a power disadvantage at the moment.

Then the Civil War tie-in ruins all the fun. Phooey. 4.4 out of 5.

Spider-Girl #100 - So The Little Comic That Could rolls into the station. May Parker is bleeding from a pretty severe looking stab wound. Plus, the blades were poisoned. Overkill? Just a bit. Kaine's displeased, and when he shows up, Normie Osborn isn't too happy either. Fortunately, he's apparently had a claming effect on the symbiote, because it actually wants to save May's life.

Meanwhile, Peter finds the Hobgoblin and starts a brawl with him. The Black Tarantula challenges Raza, head of the Scriers, for leadership of the group, as the only way to get them to leave May alone. And May is missing Moose's going away party, naturally. Unlike the Hobgoblin, Peter shows his age, and gets outmaneuvered, until May shows up, fully healed and wearing the symbiote?! Good thing the Scriers had heard the Venom symbiote was around, because they equipped Hobby with some ultrasonics. The symbiote attacks Hobgoblin, and May swears to get the Hogoblin for what he did, except she's slamming her father up against the wall when she's swearing it. Focus, May. You're enemy is the one on the glider.

Let's skip to the end. May fights with Hobgoblin. Peter, Kaine, and Normie Osborn fight a bunch of Scirers, until their leader calls them back. The fight between raza and Black Tarantula has concluded. Mary Jane is worried about her family. Given how they look by the end of the episode, I can understand why, but does she really think she'll get her wish? May talks to Courtney, and they sort things out, because that's what friends do. There is nothing here I didn't like. Some things wrapped up, while plenty of others are still open for future exploration. 5 out of 5.

Ultimate Spider-Man #97 - And then there's this. Do teens in love really act like this? I mean Kitty's mad because Peter was freaked out about the Morbius thing and MJ noticed this and comforted him? After Peter had been unable to get Kitty on the phone because she was off on some X-thing? Bloody hell, the female mind is unfathomable *ducks bricks*. Anyway, Peter's somewhat fed up with that phone conversation, and ends up at the mall with MJ. They're talking, Peter meets the guy in the band who wants to date MJ. He clearly is not too impressed with Peter, and probably a little annoyed he's sitting there with her. Whatever, cue explosions.

You know, I've said this before, I'm sure I'll say it two dozen more times before I'm done (whatever it is I'd be done with). If every time I put on my costume and tried to save the day, people called me "monster" and accused me of being behind the destruction I was trying to prevent, not to mention the cops trying to arrest and/or shoot me every time they see me, pretty soon I'd say to hell with those people. Let Lunatic-'O-The-Week Man wipe them out.

Fortunately for residents of the Ultimate Universe, Peter Parker is not like me. So he continues to fight the crazy person in the weird armor - with a tail - while all the stuff I described above goes on. The fight goes back and forth, like usual, because as always, Peter's a lousy fighter. And Crazy Tail Guy (I will not call him Scorpion) has a bunch of weapons. I got to admit, I thought the tail had a missile. If it does, it didn't demonstrate that ability. I guess the point is just for stabbing and not for firing. Finally he beats his enemy to the point the mask shatters, and his enemy is. . . Peter Parker?!

Oh wait, that's right. Bendis thinks Ultimate Clone Saga is a good idea. You mean Like Ultimate Deadpool, dipstick? Argh, I was all set to enjoy this as a crazy villain versus hero romp that would ultimately prove to be the work of that manipulative bastard Nick Fury, but nooo, we've got clones. And I think another one of them just abducted Mary Jane. Fan-tas-tic. I'm going to be generous, and not judge this by the original Clone Saga, or by my feelings of impending doom, so 3.1 out of 5.

That's it, I'm done.