What I Bought 12/2/2010

Actually got involved in a little sports discussion at the store yesterday, which was strange. It used to happen all the time, when Ken owned the store. If he wasn't too busy, we might talk on Wednesday, and I'd almost certainly show up on Friday and we'd chew the fat for two or three hours. Doesn't happen much these days, my not being around for months at a time doesn't help.

Heroes for Hire #1 - Well, the team's more fluid than I expected. At this stage, anyway, it looks like Misty Knight's simply going to call in whichever "hero" she can make arrangements with that she thinks is suitable for a mission. It's almost "Dial H for Hero" when I think about it, since you'd never be sure just who she'll call. Misty's not the one really running things, and I'm not sure yet what the mastermind gains from all this. Also, Paladin is silently observing stuff throughout, not certain what his involvement is. And when did Misty and Danny break up? They were engaged the last I saw them! And a phantom pregnancy? This is all Shadowland's fault, isn't it?

I'm not sure how much I liked this. More on the second read than the first, and the mysteries do intrigue, but I have this vague feeling I expected more. More what I'm not sure. I'm probably comparing it to issues of Guardians of the Galaxy after that book had already gotten established, which isn't really fair to this book. Plus, Guardians had Cosmo, any other book is going to struggle next to that. I liked Brad Walker's art quite a bit, especially how he fit some of the panels together, to keep the eye moving from one place to the next.

Secret Six #28 - The two Sixes stop fighting to try and deal with Giant Snake Bad Guy Deimos. Ultimately, Alice takes care of Deimos, Deadshot gets his payback on Lady Vic, Alice comes up with a way to help her father, and Waller sort of gets what she wants. Oh, and Dwarfstar definitely gets what's coming to him. I thoroughly enjoyed the end of the issue.

The whole trip to Skartaris itself seemed kind of pointless, but I guess it was. Spy Smasher arranged it entirely to try and set Waller up, so it was all for nothing. Still it was interesting to see all the interplay as usual. Bane and Scandal. Deadshot and Alice, Ragdoll and Alice. Hmm, I wonder if a team can handle having both 'Doll and Killer Shark? One thing I noticed was there were a lot of characters defining certain terms. Bane gave us his idea of love. Ragdoll had his "arithmetic of the inferno". Then there was Deadshot's understanding of the basis for a good relationship. Don't know quite why there'd be so many of those in one issue, other than the team coming back together after their recent split.

She-Hulks #2 - I figured I'd pick up the second issue. It's not like my pull list is filled to the bursting these days. Besides, Red Ghost and his Super-Apes. I have been informed by the Internet this is a good thing.

Jen and Lyra do capture Red Ghost and his Super-Apes, in case you were worried about that outcome. It doesn't go smoothly, but I'd say Lyra had a better go of it than she did in the first issue against Trapster or the Wizard. The complications come in Lyra's attempts to fit in, both in school, and in her non-Hulk body. The second part works pretty well with her being in high school, and being a teenager. Bodies going through changes and all, hers may not feel entirely foreign to her, but there's (as you'd imagine) a huge gap between what she can do as She-Hulk, and what she can do as just Lyra.

I'm really liking this a lot. There's just enough super-heroics to keep it from being non-stop chatter. There's humor to it, as I found Wyatt Wingfoot's completely nonchalant reactions to the details of Jen's life amusing. Obviously he's been around super-heroes enough to be used to stuff like teenage daughters from the future, so that, or the Hulk checking in through a wrist communicator doesn't surprise him. Also, watching Jennifer try to be a mentor to Lyra's kind of new. It's not a role I can recall seeing her in previously, so that's cool.

I'm still liking Ryan Stegman's artwork, mostly. The characters are expressive, the fight scenes are easy to follow, I liked the touch of Jen and Lyra dressing for the weather on a trip to Russia (though I'm not sure Hulks are all that bothered by cold, but why take chances?). I do think Jen especially, should be more muscular. Not to the extent Hulk is, but similar to McGuiness' cover would work. Not detracting from my overall level of enjoyment, though.