The 1000 Tsweep Contest!

Hi, everyone!

I know that I have missed a couple of weeks so to make up for that & to celebrate my 1000th follower on Twitter, I have decided that I want to run a contest!

The rules are simple......in 140 characters or less on Twitter or on Facebook or in the comment box of this blog tell me what the best way to commit career suicide would be......i.e. tweet, "@SupergirlofArgo moon ur parishioners from the pulpit" X)) !

I will pick the post I find the funniest received by 3pm eastern standard time December 14th, 2010. The winner will get a signed copy of my bf's comic book "The Arcadian's #1" & it will be open to anyone in continental North America........yes the prize is free to me & I am trying to limit the mailing costs! This blog is just for fun & does not make any money!

Once I pick the winner I will get back to you to get a mailing address.......it just better be in America, Canada, or Mexico!!!!!! Please? I will even bag it & board it!

You can reach me at Twitter or Facebook from the Profile Badge at the top of this page & if you reeeeeaaaaalllllllly need to email an entry let me know & I will privately send you my email address.

♥ you guys! ツ*

Fables #99 (Vertigo/DC)

"Yes, I do believe a teaching moment is upon us."~The Dark Man

Writer/Creator: Bill Willingham
Artist: Inaki Miranda
Colors: Eva de la Cruz
Letters: Todd Klein
Cover: Joao Ruas
Associate Editor: Angela Rufino
Editor: Shelly Bond

Comic Book Week: October 20, 2010







Umm..............omg! 8O ❤

I know I reviewed the last issue of this book, but "Dark City" was just soooooo much more deserving I had to give you the scoop on this book!

I mentioned the villain the Dark Man last time (bit.ly/buHRzV)-he's a very bad guy who is about to face off against the heros-and in this issue he takes the front seat as we only see the regular Fables in passing. The story is told from the perspective of the witch Ozma's familiar in the form of a black cat, who is spying on the Dark Man for Ozma (btw-Ozma is probably Princess Ozma from the Land of Oz by Frank Baum! Cool beans! ;) ).

Willingham tells perhaps his best story in about half the series in an almost stand alone tale that is nonetheless leading into a bigger showdown. But in this issue its the artwork that blows me away! Klein & de la Cruz contribute but Miranda's linework depicting the architecture & people of New York city as pawns of the Dark Man is fabulous! The cover by Raus is hot but the first inside panel of the New York skyline just puts it to shame!

I'm dying to read the next issue! I hope Miranda is back! X9 ❤

RATING: 8 black cats out of 10!
 
Happy Halloween everybody! ツ*

Here is my favorite way to celebrate Halloween........Michael Jackson's Thriller!!!!!!!! 

ツ❦ Autumn Extravaganza! ツ❦

Comic Book Week: October 6, 2010

Hi! Guess what? I missed a week! Kay so that is a bad thing. But to make it up I am going to do the short review thing again & run down all of my fabulous reads from this week!

American Vampire #7 (Vertigo/DC)
(Scott Snyder & Rafael Albequerque, American Vampire created by Scott Snyder)

I AM STILL LOVING THIS SERIES!!!! I went back & realized this was my favorite book the last time I did these short reviews too. Well it has not lost any steam even with the loss of Stephen King......which says a lot!
"Devil in the Sand, Part Two" continues a vampire tale set in the early days of Las Vegas as it is becoming Sin City (not the Frank Miller 1, the actual 1). The art is wonderfully graphic & the story pulls me in......Eric Northman who? Skinner Sweet is the badboy sexy vampire for this gal! :9 ♥
I'm going to use the same rating system as last time cause I think it worked so very well (bit.ly/9FLZHa)......
9 ½ sunny days!!!!!!
☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☁

iZombie #6 (Vertigo/DC)
(Chris Roberson & Michael Allred, iZombie created by Roberson & Allred)

I am really loving this series too! I have more than once mentioned how great Roberson's writing is on this series & Cinderella, & Allred is like a living legend on the art. "I, Were-Terrier" is all about the supporting character Scott who turns into a were-terrior during the full moon. He is of course friends with Gwen the zombie & Ellie the ghost. And in this issue we find out how he became a were-terrier & meet his grandfather who looks to be the newest cast member in a strange way. This book is just so much fun which says a lot for a comic centered around dead characters!
9 ½ sunny days!!!!!!
☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☁

Hawkeye & Mockingbird #5 (Marvel)
(Jim McCann, David Lopez, Alvaro Lopez, Nathan Fairbairn....& I have to mention Paul Renaud for that beautiful cover! )
I said after the first issue of this series that I hoped it stuck around & for 5 issues it has just gotten better! The art is beautiful! The story is character driven & action packed! And that cover is worth framing! ♥
"Ghosts Part 5: Let Go" seems to end the series' first story arc where Bobbi & Clint have been fighting off a new Phantom Rider.....the first of whom Bobbi (Mockingbird) let fall off a cliff......& Crossfire.....the villain from Clint's (Hawkeye) first miniseries where Bobbi & Clint got married. But saying that, the letter column seems to imply next issue is the last & that that was always the plan! Not according to the first issue letter column! Boooo!!!!!!
9 sunny days!!!!! (ignoring the last ish announcement!)
☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☂
 
 

Secret Six #26 (DC)
(Gail Simone ♥ & Jim Calafiore)

I cannot possibly gush over this book any more than I already have! Read it! It is funny & exciting & touching & beautiful & just consistently the best "mainstream" comic book that is currently being made! "The Reptile Brain Part Two of Four: Forced Merger" sees 2 Secret Six teams fighting in Skartaris where Warlord was once set (it is like DC's version of Marvel's Savage Land). This is not the best issue in the series but this book not at it's best is still very much better than almost everything else.....& it makes Bane look formidable again!
8 ½ sunny days!!!!

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☁ ☂

 
 
 
 

Incorruptible #10 (Boom!)
(Mark Waid & Horacio Domingues, Incorruptible created by Mark Waid)
 
Incorruptible is a spinoff of Mark Waid's other series Irredeemable. In the other series a Superman standin goes bad & kills a lot of people. In this one Max Damage was one of his worst villains who decided to go good to balance the scales. In many ways it shares a lot of the same character as Secret Six. The art is not quite to the same level but the way the story is proceeding is fascinating with a villain who is trying to not be a villain anymore mostly because he just does not seem right in the head! And in this untitled issue he must face a white supremacist cult devoted to the Plutonian....the "hero" I just mentioned.
8 sunny days !!!
☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☂ ☂
 
 
 

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #37
(Joss Whedon, Scott Allie, Georges Jeanty; based on the television series created by Joss Whedon)

What more can I say about this series? I love Buffy. I love Joss Whedon. I have grown to love Georges Jeanty. The art is great & you can see the characters from the television series brought back to life, & the story is by Joss (& Scott Allie) so it cannot be anything but good. But "Last Gleaming Part Two" is kind of a place filler story where nothing much happens.....just travel time mostly......but it does have both Spike and Angel (♥!) so that makes up for a lot!
8 sunny days!!!
☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☂ ☂
 
 
 
 
 

Superman: The Last Family of Krypton #3 of 3 (DC Elseworlds)
(Cary Bates & Renato Arlem, Superman created by Siegel & Shuster)
 
This is the final issue of a 3 issue miniseries about what would have happened if Jor-el (Superman's father) had a chance to build a rocket big enough for his son & his wife (Lara) & himself instead of just Kal-el (Superman). Jor-el advances the science of the Earth while Lara brings the religion of Raoism to its people. The story is quite interesting and the art is quite pretty......kind of sketchy but realistic. In this issue the Guardians confront Jor-el & tell him he has changed the proper order of things because no superheroes but Superman came into being because he removed the necessity. This seems kind of odd in that the Guardians seem to have no problem with Superman being a hero just Jor-el. Then Lex Luthor basically shows himself to be the same as "our" Luthor & Superman saves the day. Good but not great.
7 sunny days!!
☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☂ ☂ ☂
 
I think a low mark of 7 out of 10 makes for a great week! I hope you agree & thanx for reading! ツ*

Fables #98 (Vertigo/DC)

"Rose? You're out of bed!"~Snow White

Writer/Creator: Bill Willingham

Penciller: Mark Buckingham

Inkers: Steve Leialoha & Dan Green

Colors: Lee Loughridge

Letters: Todd Klein

Cover: Joao Ruas

Associate Editor: Angela Rufino

Editor: Editor

Comic Book Week: September 22, 2010

Unfortunately Kara's Comic this week is a little bit of a default.......there was not really anything I loved. But I have a little bit of a crush on Fables since it started so here is "Red Dawn: Chapter Five of Rose Red".

Fables if you have never heard of it is all about all the characters from the all the stories you have ever read. They are all real and were chased into the real world by Gepetto (of Pinnochio) who became an evil dictator in the fable world. The characters that looked like people lived in a neighbourhood of New York called Fabletown and the animals-like pigs and mice and horses and dragons-lived at the Farm in upstate New York. They eventually overthrew Gepetto & he now lives with them while an evil character called the Dark Man.......who is kind of like the Boogeyman.......has driven the human fables out of Fabletown and everyone is now on the Farm. The leader of the Farm is Rose Red, Snow White's sister (Snow White now being married to the Big Bad Wolf), who has been in a depression for what seems like centuries because she fell in love with Little Boy Blue who was killed defeating Gepetto. *whew!*

So last issue Rose came out of her funk and this issue she asserts her authority and prepares to defeat the Dark Man.

That all seems complicated but really it's a summary of 98 issues so its really not that bad. But the backstory has started to get a little bit overwhelming. The story looks to finally start moving now that Rose seems to be back to her old self which is a badgirl with a heart of gold.

The art and colors and letters have been consistently good since the beginning of the series with a feel like a children's story........sketchy linework with an almost watercolor palette except a little darker like the stories grew up.

The covers are always pretty with a painted ethereal feel to them.

And the characters are always fun........imagine for instance the 3 little pigs smoking & drinking & cussing! ツ

Hopefully next month I can get back on track & write a little bit more but for now........

RATING: 6 roses out of 10

As always thanx for reading! ツ*

& you may or may not have heard........Fables is being developed as a TELEVISION SERIES! But it's not far enough along for a trailer so watch this instead!

Zatanna #5 (DC)

arrataZ annataZ~"!naicigam a egatspu ot yrt reven dluohs uoy yhw si TAHT dnA"

Writer: Paul Dini
Penciller: Chad Hardin
Inker: Wayne Faucher
Letterer: Pat Brosseau
Colorist: John Kalisz
Assistant Editor: Chris Conroy
Editor: Joey Cavalieri
Cover: Stephane Roux/Karine Boccafuso
Variant Cover: Brian Bolland

(Zatanna created by Gardner Fox)

Comic Book Week: September 15, 2010


Kara's Comic this week is "Double or Nothing"......issue #5 of the new Zatanna series and the middle part of the current story arc. In it a casino owner has to try to get Zee to marry him in order to sacrifice her to a demon and give him immortality. And Zee's cute cousin Zacahary Zatarra (from the Teen Titans with powers similar to Zee's) also makes an appearance.

Oh! In case you don't know, Zatanna (Zatarra) is a magician who can pretty much do anything by just saying here words backwards. Its hard to read but its simple to describe which is good. And she's generally a really cool competent smart chic! I like her! Even if she does dress kindof trampy....... :(

So Zee is pretty much all powerful as long as she can talk so all of her stories pretty much center around the villains trying to take her voice away. So they can be very formulaic but that can be comforting......like Scooby Doo! ツ

Dini tells an okay story, although I preferred the first arc. The cover is very pretty (the variant too! see this? http://www.comixology.com/previews/JUL100188/1/). Unfortunately it kindof detracts from the interior art which is nice but does not quite meet the same level. (and the letters & color are nice too!)

Sorry this week is short but........

RATING: !01 fo tuo tah a morf )❤( seinnub 6 ;)

p.s. This website mite help read this week's review! http://www.bored.com/writebackwards/

Batgirl #14 (DC)

"Hopefully you won't--*hurk*--hold this against me."~Batgirl (Steph Brown)

"That's what she said."~Supergirl (Kara Zor-el/Linda Lang)

Writer: Bryan Q. Miller

Penciller: Lee Garbett

Inker: Trevor Scott

Colorist: Guy Major

Letterer: Travis Lanham

Cover: Stanley "Artgerm" Lau

Editors: Michael Siglain & Sean Ryan

(Batman created by Bob Kane)

Comic Book Week: September 8 (9), 2010

Kara's comic starts this week with an old joke..........that still makes me giggle! lol!

The story, "Terror in the Third Dimension", is also a throwback to one of the first comic books I remember reading (it was old at the time) which was a teamup between Batgirl & Supergirl. Neither one was the same characters that they are now but both stories were just a lot of fun!

I forget what happened in the old comic but in this one the two ladies teamup to take on an army of Draculas pulled straight out of an old 3D movie by a scientific accident. As with all the stories of a bat & a super character there needs to be some catch that makes the super powers ineffective & in this case it has something to do with hard light. But other than that rather silly premise we get some fun interaction between the two characters that seems true to two 19ish girls just spending some girltime together. The fight with Dracula is secondary but just as fun. And the art, color and letters are all top notch.........although I must say that I really luved the cover! :-) But it made me expect to find 3D glasses inside! :-( Not to say that it was bad but in the interest of not seeming to biased I would have to say that the inking on the inside was the weakest part of the book. But really this was just a great girls night out oneshot and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

RATING: 7 ½ cool retro 3D glasses out of 10!

Thanx again for reading! ツ❤

Here is the Batgirl theme!

Avengers: The Children's Crusade #2 of 9 (Marvel)

"Sure, when Magneto says it, you believe it."~Wiccan (Billy)

Writer: Allan Heinberg
Penciller: Jim Cheung
Inker(s): Mark Morales with Jim Cheung
Colorist: Justin Ponsor
Letters: VC's Cory Petit
Associate Editor: Lauren Sankovitch
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Editor in Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley
Executive Producer: Alan Fine

Comic Book Week: September 1, 2010




Okay so Kara's comic this week is part 2 of a 9 part limited series that may or may not bring the Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff)-whom I love-back into the Marvel U after she kindof disappeared in the "House of M" limited series. It stars the Young Avengers who are like the Tiny Toons or Teen Titans or Muppet Babies of the Avengers. Two of them may or may not be the twin sons of the Scarlet Witch, a mutant witch, and the Vision, a synthetic man sort of like a robot and now a teammate of his potential sons (sortof). The twins were originally supposedly imagined into existence by the Scarlet Witch and then absorbed back into Mephisto, Marvel's version of the devil (*scary!*). Then Scarlet Witch went crazy and the twins showed up as identical teenagers with 2 different sets of parents but the same first names and looking just like their grandfather Magneto (Erik Lehnsherr) as noted in this issue by Luke Cage of the New Avengers. The 1st, the quoted Wiccan, has the same powers as his potential mother , and the other, Speed (Tommy), has superspeed like the Scarlet Witch's brother Quicksilver (Pietro Maximoff). Tommy & Billy are joined on the team by Teddy's boyfriend (he is gay just 2 clear things up) Hulkling (Teddy), who is not related to the (or any!) Hulk but is actually the son of the Avenger Captain Marvel (Captain Mar-Vell) & a Skrull princess; the aforementioned Vision, who is now a teenaged robot; Vision's girlfriend Stature (Cassie), daughter of the second Ant-Man (Scott Lang), who can shrink & grow; team leader Hawkeye (not that Clint Barton Hawkeye, Kate Bishop Hawkeye.......no relation), who has a bow & arrow & a staff & some other weapons; and her boyfriend Patriot (Eli), who is the grandson of Isaiah Bradley, who was the original African American Captain America.

*whoa!* Out of breath! *gasp!*

So unless you have not figured out the Young Avengers are basically a soap with cheesie names. And in this issue they are joined by Magneto to find the Scarlet Witch at Wundagore Mountain where she was born. And then the New Avengers try to stop them because they think Magneto's still a bad guy but he says he's not. Then Quicksilver shows up & they seem to find Wanda very quickly. And then there's a quick appearance by one of the few bigger bad guys there are than Magneto. And Billy demonstrates that he's gay by making everyone dress as the Von Trapp family.......that just seemed odd. O,o

The artwork is magnificent! The story's pretty good if really decompressed. The letters & colors are pretty. What I just do not understand is the way the characters talk. While the Young Avengers seem in character based on what little I know of them, the other characters just do not seem in character. Magneto seems to be more of a kindly grandpa who may have done something bad in the distant past. Wolverine (a New Avenger) seems more cold, calculating and almost villainous than he should. Ms.Marvel and Spider-Man (also New Avengers) seem to have reversed personalities if not memories (and yah.......that's weird! O,o).

I hope the story picks up 2 months from now (it's bimonthly, btw!)........because its honestly too complicated to make up for its strong points.

RATING: 6 ½ good Wandas out of 10

Thanks 4 reading guys! ツ*

The Arcadians #1 (Wild River Studios)

"Quite impressive, is it not, Milady?"~Dionysius

Comic Book Week: August 25, 2010

Sorry! I just ran out of time this week! I feel really bad so hopefully this makes up for it.......it's my boyfriend's comic book, issue #1. I have been thinking about maybe having a contest for somebody to win a copy of it. There are only 76 copies in all & he is VERY talented (lol) so it will be VERY valuable someday in my not so humble opinion! ツ

It would be limited to probably continental North America because I have no idea what postage might cost otherwise.......but I am not sure how to judge it. If you have any suggestions let me know! You can tweet me @SupergirlofArgo or friend me on facebook (SupergirlofArgo) or leave a comment here........have not figured out the best way to give out my email address yet but you can find it in either of those 2 places.

And since I am a little biased I don't feel right reviewing it so lets say Kara's comic this week is DC's "Legacies" #4 (of 10). It is a fun little retro biweekly that is worth the read.......and its got short-shorts Dick Grayson ( :9 ♥ ) on the cover!

Sorry to disappoint! I hope to get back on track next week! :( xoxoxoxo!

The New Avengers #3 (Marvel)

"Do you see me skimping out on the nervous patter that covers up the fact that I've wet myself because it looks like we've been replaced as the dominant species on the planet?!"~Peter Parker, the Spectacularly Amazing Spider-Man

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Penciller: Stuart Immonen
Inker: Wade von Grawbadger
Colorist: Laura Martin
Letters & Production: Chris Eliopoulous
Associate Editor: Lauren Sankovitch
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Editor in Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley
Executive Producer (what! really? ~8-O): Alan Fine

Comic Book Week: August 18th, 2010

I have said before that I am not the biggest Marvel fangirl but I do mostly like the Avengers titles. Of course since Brian Michael Bendis writes all of them they are all pretty much the same. 9,9

Kidding!

Kindof.

He is good with the dialogue and the characters and has been doing better mixing up the pacing of the stories........but there is ALWAYS that back and forth 'jibba-jabba' ( ツ ) that can be funny........just it is ALWAYS there.

The artwork is fantastic.......I have also said that I LUV Stuart Immonen (sorry Kathryn ;-) ) and von Grawbadger, Martin & Eliopoulous just enhance the fabulous look of this book!

The current issue is part three of the new opening storyarc where Dr. Strange and Daimon Hellstrom (those go to the characters' wikis btw cause I know a lot of you might not know who Daimon Hellstrom Son of Satan is.........scary!...........especially! ~8-( ) are possessed by the mystery villain, who wants Dr. Voodoo's (the recently annointed Sorcerer Supreme) Eye of Agamotto. He (Voodoo) sends it to Luke Cage, leader of The New Avengers (dum-diddee-DUM!), since they are apparently old friends! And so the fight begins!

The pretty cover I have shown is the variant edition by Immonen and part of Marvel's weird celebration of the "Women of Marvel"........not that I do not approve it just seems very out of the blue! ':-\

The story & art as I have said are great.

I like the characters, who are, besides Luke......or Power Man as he used to be called; Ms. Marvel/Carol Danvers-Marvel's version of Supergirl (I guess?), who is to Captain Marvel what Supergirl is to Superman sortof; Jewel/Jessica Jones-Luke's significant other with powers pretty similar to Ms. Marvel (she's kindof of a 'made up' character......like Dawn from Buffy the Vampire Slayer); Mockingbird/Bobbi Morse-athlete/scientist/spy who in only two issues seems to have replaced her ex-husband Hawkeye on the team; Spider-Man/Peter Parker-okay, like do not try to tell me you do not know who Spider-man is okay?; Wolverine/Logan/James Howlett-again really?; The Thing/Ben Grimm-big rocky member of the Fantastic Four; Iron Fist/Danny Rand-former partner of Luke & a kung fu guy with an.......iron fist.......also he does not show off his chest anymore like in his wiki (poop! :-( ); and 'administrative assistant' (I guess?) Victoria Hand-former assistant of Norman Osborn/Iron Patriot(/Green Goblin) and appointed to help the team by Steve Rogers, the first Captain America.

*whew!*

I have mentioned the lead up for the plot of this issue which continues into the next as the mystery villain is revealed at the end of the issue and all the heroes are fighting an invasion of demons from a mystery dimension. Also, Victoria throws a (funny) tantrum & carries a really big gun (I kindof like her! ツ ).

So it is all very good. Except!

I have to complain about the editing because I think that may be where the problem is!

First on the splash page, the characters are all standing around looking up at the sky and as the camera shifts they keep moving around without actually moving! One could blame Immonen but it really seems like something the editor should have picked up.

Second, Victoria somehow has time to change clothes in the middle of the invasion as she is clearly wearing a different skirt in her two different appearances. Again Immonen is partly to blame (I am SOOOOO sorry, Stuart, my love! ;;-) ) but also should have been picked up in editing.

Third is the aforementioned confusion over whether it is Hawkeye or Mockingbird that is on this team! I mean I love them both and this is partly Bendis' (or maybe mostly Bendis') fault but it is too much like the original series where we waited like a year and a half so Ronin (Echo) could join for like one issue!

Fourth, the team lineup I listed may not be the team since Iron Fist is not on the recap page (which is actually a good editorial call).

I don't want to be so hard on Brevoort or Sankovitch but someone has to have a better grip on this book.......it is good but it could be great.

RATING: 7 gun-toting-Victorias out of 10

Gotta run! Love you all! ツ* *kisses!* This week's present is "The Avengers" teaser trailer!

morning glories #1 (Image Shadowline)

"I dunno . . . I think I just fell in love or something."~Hunter

Words: Nick Spencer

Art: Joe Eisma

Colors: Alex Sollazzo

Letters: Johnny Lowe

Design: Tim Daniel

Covers: Robin Esquejo

Editor: Kristen Simon

Publisher: Jim Valentino

Comic Book Week: August 11, 2010

So this week's Kara's Comic is the first of a new series from Image, morning glories....& I am not forgetting the name of the story....it does not seem to have one ("For a Better Future" maybe? O,o). Basically, Morning Glory Academy is "one of the most respected preparatory academies in the country" (3 countries really since some of the students come from Canada & Japan) and their "methods are unconventional". This comic is "Degrassi" if "Degrassi" were a comic book (I know! I know! There's a graphic novel! But I was hoping to make a point here! ツ) & set in a boarding school & with a horrible secret. Okay, its more like "The Covenant". Happy? ツ

We learn very quickly about MGA and find out that it really has a big secret at the heart of its program. Then we meet 6 new students.......the quoted Hunter from Toronto, Casey Blevins from Chicago, Ike from Manhattan, Zoe from San Diego, Jane/Jade from Des Moines, and Fukayama Jun from Tokyo. These students meet & talk & it looks like some of them might be pairing up shortly (maybe Hunter and Zoe/Casey/Jun-Jun's a boy 2 btw-or Ike & Casey). Then they find out that they all have one thing very strange in common (besides all being 16) & that MGA is much more dangerous than they thought.

All in all there is nothing in this story (yet) that is all that original but the art/colors/letters are magnificently beautiful and very reminiscent of Marvel's Runaways.....there is one splash page near the end although that does not seem to entirely fit.....weird! The characters are likable & original. And the story is well told even if it seems very familiar. And the last page cliffhanger is enough to make me want to see what happens next month.

I am not sure why but I like it!

RATING: 6 ½ morning glories out of 10

Morning glories are so pretty! ♥ them! (& the 'not morning glories are supposed to be men in the moon..... 9,9).

Just want to mention a couple of other books that I luved this month. Birds of Prey #4 (DC) was sooooo great, but I almost feel bad for so often rating Gail Simone (♥)! Justice League Generation Lost #7 & Booster Gold #35 (DC) are carrying on the tradition of the Justice League International.......love it! And Zatanna #4 (DC) has been so much fun since the series started, although the artwork was not quite as outstanding this issue.

As always thanx for reading! ツ* xoxoxo!

Here is a beautiful morning glory picture to thank you all! http://bit.ly/morning_glories

iZombie #4 (Vertigo/DC)/Secret Six #24 (DC)

Bogo! 2 Kara's Comix this week because I could not decide which one to review! Ick! Last week's six books are gonna haunt me forever..........

Comic Book Week: August 4, 2010

"Still, not everything buried remains lost and forgotten..."~Amon the mummy

Writer: Chris Roberson
Artist & Cover: Michael Allred
Letters: Todd Klein
Colors: Laura Allred
Associate Editor: Angela Rufino
Editor: Shelly Bond

(I, Zombie created by Roberson & Allred.......wait! Is that rite?.......hmmmmmm........well, according to imdb there's a movie by that name too: http://imdb.to/bPuSCx)





iZombie-or I, Zombie, depending on who you were to ask-is the story of gravedigger Gwen Dylan, who is herself a zombie. But unlike other zombies she's pretty normal so long as she eats a brain every once in a while. Being a gravedigger, she just digs up a dead body when she needs to and gets by. Unfortunately she then gets the memories of the person who's brain she's eaten and is forced to fulfill some untended to last wishes. So in "The Magical Memory Tour", Gwen's trying to solve the murder of Fred, the latest man who's brain she ate. The killer appears to be another zombie, the aforementioned Amon the mummy.

Funny but I never thought about the fact that mummys and zombies are really the same creature before! 9,9

So now that Gwen and her bff (literally), the ghostgirl Ellie, have tracked down Amon, who has been a zombie/mummy much longer than she has, he is explaining to her the nature of what she is, while her ex and his partner track down a vampire coven and her current interest, a "were-terrier", plays video games.

And that brings you completely up to speed!

I have sung the praises of Chris Roberson on Cinderella before and Mike Allred is a living legend. Allred's wife Laura is as always along for the ride on colors and Klein's letters are perfectly suitable.

The whole formula is somehow completely complicated and yet so simple. This book is not really stand alone, but you could probably pick up this issue and fall in love. The review is short and sweet but so is the book-not the best but always enjoyable...........

RATING: 8 brains out of 10

"Thought......we might be heroes."~Thomas Blake (Catman :-9)

Writer: Gail Simone (♥)
Artist: Jim Calafiore
Colorist: Jason Wright
Letterer: Travis Lanham
Cover: Daniel Luvisi
Editor: Sean Ryan










When I turned the first page of this comic I had to review it. Calafiore and Wright created the most beautiful splash page I have ever seen! ♥

Simone (♥) tells a western tale of the main characters that has nothing to do with anything that we have read in this book before & may have nothing to do with anything we will read again but it is powerful and moving and returns the best villain since the Joker in Junior (Ragdoll's sister if you know anything about this book-read my last review here: http://bit.ly/dD9hHs). I really have no idea what this story (called "Unforgivable" btw!) has to do with anything as the Secret Six characters fight Deathstroke and Junior in the old west (Again with the old west! Two reviews of westerns last week & now this!). Catman (yum! 9,9) and Deadshot prove to be total badboys and then everyone dies! The artwork is fantastic (I am a little sorry to say that the cover doesn't quite live up to the inside...... :-( ), the story is thrilling, the characters are great, the letters actually stand out (you need to read Ragdoll's "Punch & Judy" routine!),.........the only fault I can find with this comic book is that it might not make sense to a new reader. I think that it would still be a fun read even if you had no idea who my Catman (again.....yum! :-9) is, but I am not sure-so I am asking anyone reading this right now please read this book and let me know, if you haven't read it before do you like it? I'll be your best friend! ;;-*) lol!

RATING: 9 ½ kittens out of 10

Thanx for reading! ツ* *mwah!*

ツ ☼ My Summer Vacation! ☼ ツ

Comic Book Week: July 28, 2010

Hi, everyone! This week I'm trying to do a little chilling, but I did not want to do what I did last time & end up not posting for a whole bunch of months! :-( So I'm going to try something new & run through all the comix I read (& loved! ツ) last week, but keep the reviews short............here goes!



American Vampire #5 (Vertigo/DC)
(Scott Snyder, Rafael Albequerque, and Stephen King)

I am LOVING this series! The art is dark and moody and romantic and gorgeous! The story is split in two, one half told in the old west and one half told in the 1920s; both halves are intimate and luscious and scary! OMG I really love this book! If your are not reading this book I envy you because you can pick up the trade and enjoy it for the first time. It is really that good. But if you may be turned off by the vampire thing, please keep reading.......this book will grow on you! If you like noir, westerns, 20's fashions, mystery, a little bit of romance, or even a little bit of violence something in this comic will grab you.

Now.....how am I going to do the ratings? How about 9 ½ sunny days (with a little cloud for the ½ ツ)............!!!!
☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☁


Thor: The Mighty Avenger #2 (Marvel)
(Roger Langridge, Chris Samnee, and Matt Wilson)

I wish all of Marvel's titles could be this good! This is an out of continuity tale of Thor (the norse god of thunder if you don't know!)......at least I hope it is. Thor in this book has no past Marvel history and there may or may not be other Marvel characters in this universe (besides, you know, those that show up to interact with Thor, like a museum curator Jane Foster and a Mr. Hyde that nobody really recognizes), and I hope they keep it that way. The art and story feel like a nice little fairy tale and I'm loving it! ❤

8 sunny days!!!
☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☂ ☂




The Return of Bruce Wayne #4 of 6 (DC)
(Grant Morrison, Georges Jeanty, and Walden Wong)

To be honest this mini series started off confusing me. But with each issue the stories seem to be getting more "complete" while making more sense in the story of how Bruce Wayne (Batman) is coming back (he died........didn't you hear! ツ). Grant Morrison is too smart for his own good but if you hang on for dear life he will always bring his stories home. He is amazing! And the artwork is so delicious! And I'm not even a western fan! And I read 2 westerns this week! WTH!

7 ½ sunny days!!
☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☁ ☂ ☂




Jack of Fables #46 (Vertigo/DC)
(Bill Willingham, Matthew Sturges, Tony Akins, and Andrew Pepoy)

I have every issue of this series so far. It is consistently fun. The art is consistently clean and clear. And even though the story seems to be diluting with 2 different Jack of Fables, and I'm not a huge fan of the Page Sisters (the 3 ladies on the cover), and even though he's cute ( ツ❤) the Babe the Blue Ox stories have started to run their course, but this comic still deserves a review. In fact it deserves a good review! If you read it, you will like it!

7 sunny days!
☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☂ ☂ ☂





The Flash #4 (DC)
(Geoff Johns and Francis Manapul)

I miss Wally West ( ☹ ). I miss Linda Park-West (OMG! I never got that joke till I just wrote it! :-P ). I don't miss their kids that much but..........

I am liking the new Barry Allen! The CSI feel is obvious but it works! And who knew Iris Allen-West could be such a great character? They seem to be trying to make her a bit Lois Lane-ish, but distinct enough that you won't mind. The artwork is nice, maybe a little bit gritty for a fun character like the Flash but the current story is about a murder after all.

7 sunny days!
☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☂ ☂ ☂


[The All-New] Wonder Woman #601 (DC)
(J. Michael Straczynski, Don Kramer, and Michael Babinski)

This is the first official issue with the new creative team, the new costume, and the new history. It's okay. I might even buy it next month too. I like the art, I can live with the costume (for now! ~:-( ), and there is nothing wrong with the story. It just feels like they broke Wonder Woman to put her back together but they did not make her any better........just different. (And I think I might like Diana's new costume better if her top was the same as her old top........that thin little accent along her neckline just is not doing it for me.)

6 sunny days.
☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☂ ☂ ☂ ☂




Hugs & kisses until next week! (I hope! ヅ )
♥ Kara ♥ xoxoxoxoxoxoxo!!

True Blood #1 (IDW)

"It's a good thing that boy is pretty."~Lafayette Reynolds


Cover (D) by: Joe Corroney (shown)
Story by: Alan Ball with Kate Barnow & Elisabeth Finch
Written by: Mariah Huehner & David Tischman
Pencils by: David Messina
Inks by: David Messina & Gaetano Carlucci
Colors by: Giovanna Niro
Lettering by: Neil Uyetake
Edits by: Scott Dunbier


Based on the "True Blood" television series from HBO which in turn is based on "The Southern Vampire Mysteries" by Charlaine Harris


Comic Book Week: July 21, 2010

It's funny........I've always been a sucker for vampires (oops! no pun intended! lol!). Damon, Edward, Angel, Spike, Dracula..........yum-me! ;-9

So why do I prefer Sam Merlotte (♥!) to Bill Compton & Eric Northman (Sam's a shapeshifter btw)? Maybe I just want to leave them for Sookie I guess! 9,9

But this was a week of contradictions. I LUV (♥) True Blood the television show, currently in its third season on HBO in case you were wondering, & I bought a LOT of comix but nothing really stood out above the rest. So Kara's (my!) comic for this week is True Blood the comic book mostly by default.

And for a book with soooooo many writers (five!.....what is the difference between "written by" & "story by"?) why is it the art (by one penciller who does at least some of the inks too!) what  stands out?

The cover for starters was sooo pretty (even with no Sam ♥.......booo!........but Eric & Bill, & Lafayette, do look pretty good, I get a bit of a sick kick out of Jessica and I love Sookie's dress ♥!). This is only one of twelve (!!!) covers by all kinds of artists so I'm going to break a rule just this once & show you the checklist from inside the book:

You figure out which one you like best!

Okay.......on to the inside!

The artwork is great! It really captures the actors from the show while not being stiff & posed as is typical when an artist tries to draw from life. And the colors and letters pop off the page right along with the artwork.

The story, though is very short. It actually doesn't even have a title! The characters are very true (oops! I made another punny..... X-b) to the television show, as they should be since Alan Ball is the show's creator. The dialogue though is a little stilted, making sure we learn the full names of every character by getting someone to say their full names and a brief bio. Oddly, this almost works due to the nature of the characters.

Without giving the story away (I hope!) we meet Sookie Stackhouse (played by Anna Paquin on the television show so you can get an idea of the quality of the artwork) who's the central character and a waitress at Merlotte's Bar and Grill in Bon Temps, Louisiana. She's being spyed on by someone or something that will reveal itself before the end of the story. And in the story vampires are real and known to the general public ("True Blood" is like beer for vampires that is not real blood but that they can drink instead......meaning they can live with humans peacefully). There is pretty much a chance that every other monster and creature you ever heard of in stories and fairy tales is real too, but vampires are the only creature that people know about.

We then proceed to meet the rest of the main characters and the story ends, to be continued. And there's a nice pull out poster in the middle (its the twelfth cover shown above).

So short and to the point.......

RATING: 5.5 puppies out of 10 (psst! watch the show ツ)

If I've left you completely confused.........I understand! Sorry! 9,9

Here's a link to the HBO "True Blood" website that mite help to clear things up: http://itsh.bo/93nW7B

And to Charlaine Harris' official website for the original story: http://bit.ly/aPghgv

And one final present...........the "True Blood" theme song, "Bad Things" by Jace Everett (yah, I've never been a countrygirl, but Sam Merlotte (actor Sam Trammell) ♥ can do bad things with me anytime he wants!) ツ*:

Doctor Who Annual 2010 (IDW)

"I'm the Doctor."~The Doctor

Cover: Kelly Yates

"Ground Control"
Story: Jonathan L. Davis
Art:  Kelly Yates
Colors: Phil Elliott
Letters: Robbie Robbins and Neil Uyetake

"The Big, Blue Box"
Story and Art: Matthew Dow Smith
Colors: Charlie Kirchoff
Letters: Neil Uyetake

"To Sleep, Perchance to Scream"
Story, Art, and Colors: Al Davison
Letters: Neil Uyetake

"Old Friend"
Story: Tony Lee
Art: Matthew Dow Smith
Colors: Charlie Kirchoff
Letters: Robbie Robbins

Comic Book Week: July 14, 2010

This week, Kara's (my 9,9 ) pick is something a little bit different. My friend (hi, Christina! ;-*) ) asked me to review IDW's Doctor Who. She's (I think!) a big fan and was surprised that there was a current American comic based on the character. Honestly I was too when I came across the annual at my LCBS (local comic book shop, d'uh! 9,9 ). See I haven't really been a big fan for very long, but then my boyfriend got me hooked on the most current season and I have been catching up.......although I have a long way to go! You see, if you don't know Doctor Who is a British sci-fi series that has more or less been on television since 1963.......ALMOST CONTINUOUSLY! ( 8-O ) That's three years before the first Star Trek went on the air!! And in that time, if shows like Star Trek & the X-Files have influenced modern life, Doctor Who is what influenced them! (Not to spoil anything, but--SPOILER ALERT--in the most recent episode of the television show that I have seen, an OLD villain of the Doctor, the Cybermen, say, "Prepare to be assimilated." Sound familiar? ツ).

Quick background: the Doctor is the last of the Time Lords of the planet Gallifrey. He is over 900 years old and travels through time and space in the TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimension In Space), which looks like an old-timey blue British Police Box (phone booth) on the outside and Legion of Super-Heroes HQ on the inside. The Doctor can be 900 years old because occassionally he regenerates into a new form enabling a new actor to take the role. He will be able to do this 11 times before he finally dies (and we're currently on the 11th Doctor so it will be interesting to see what happens!). The Doctor generally picks a human Companion to accompany him on his adventures, which in addition to three television series (one animated) have been chronicled in any number of novels (graphic & otherwise), several films, on the web, and in audio plays, as well as several spin-offs. The IDW comic book series tells of the 10th Doctor played by David Tennant (he also played Barty Crouch, Jr., in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire). The series is characterized by low budget special effects but screamingly good scripts and plots that make it all seem natural.

The first story in this anthology, "Ground Control", opens with a floating Panda. If you are familiar with the Doctor at all, this is not surprising. The Doctor has been apparently grounded by an authority that has taken control of the TARDIS. The art in this story is fantastic, including the coloring, depicting Mr. Tennant almost perfectly, but the story is mostly just a background of the Doctor. The cute Pandas help though ツ. The story misses a Companion though, as the Doctor's human assistants are what ground him and allow his quirkiness, what being a Time Lord and all, to shine through. Also hurting the story is a panorama of the Doctor's enemies that DOESN'T INCLUDE THE DALEKS (they're like a race of evil R2D2's)! Sacrilege! (Probably IDW doesn't have the license......booo!)

The second story, "The Big, Blue Box", is sortof centered around a new Companion, for this story at least. The Companion turns out to be more than human and very important to two alien races. As is typical of Doctor Who, the Doctor pretty much just helps him help himself. This is probably the strongest story of the book in the art and story, with the art being a little more stylized than in the first tale, and the story a little more active and human. The color was a little inconsistent, very dark in some seens and almost distractingly bright in others.

The third story, "To Sleep, Perchance to Scream", tells the tale of the Doctor having a dream. The art is very pretty and painted, but there is no story really. But we do get a surprise cameo by the 11th Doctor (played by Matt Smith, the man who made me love bowties!)!

The fourth and final story, "Old Friend", feels more like a classic time travel story, where the Doctor meets a future Companion for the first time.....of course, the Companion remembers the Doctor from his own past. They talk and something happens to the Companion that isn't really surprising, but I won't spoil it. It's very short, kindof touching, and leads directly into Doctor Who #13. The art is nice, but I personally preferred the other three stories' art, possibly because the color was a little bit muddies than in the others.

The lettering is well done and suitable in all four tales.

Overall this squarebound book is great for Doctor Who fans and could probably at least interest some non-fans into taking the TARDIS for a spin.........but the $8 price point is just ouch! I mean, I don't usually stick on the price........I've never mentioned in this blog before..........but this book isn't really much longer than an average book, it doesn't have any really big name creators, the character's not that well known to a lot of the fans that are going to see it and one would think that IDW is hot enough to drop that price a bit! That doesn't really make sense! But it does have a flying Panda holding an arrow..........so...............

RATING: 7 flying pandas (sooooo cute ツ♥) out of 10

Once again thank-you for reading. I got a lot of the background for this week from the Doctor Who Wiki-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who#Dr._Who_films, and please visit the lovely & talented Aurey Sorrow/Christina Nabity's website at http://bentrealm.com/.

And one last link to one of the best Doctor Who Trailers........"Blink".......don't ;-*):

Hawkeye & Mockingbird #2 (Marvel)

"Vengeance never dies."~Jaime Slade/Lincoln Slade/Phantom Rider

Writer: Jim McCann
Penciller: David López
Inker: Alvaro López
Colorist: Nathan Airbairn
Letterer: VC's Cory Petit
Cover: Paul Renaud
Assistant Editor: Rachel Pinnelas
Editor: Bill Rosemann

(Rumors of Death: Part 2 of "Ghosts")

Comic Book Week: July 7, 2010




And for my second week back, I have decided to review the second issue of Marvel's "Mr. & Mrs. Smith". Not that I'm trying to be sarcastic......they keep calling it that much, including this issue's cover, that they're lucky Twentieth Century Fox doesn't sue. I suppose that they're probably hoping DC doesn't sue for the more than obvious play on Black Canary & Green Arrow. Criticisms aside, there is a reason this is Kara's (my!) book of the week: its good! Very good!

To start, I've always liked Bobbi Morse (Mockingbird) and Clint Barton (Hawkeye). They're fun, real people with real problems, except they happen to be costumed superspies. The previous issue gave a quick recap of their history, and it wasn't easy or quick.......which is probably why I didn't really enjoy the 1st issue as much as the 2nd. It may be important to the review for you to know this though, so let's give it a quick try in point form:

1. Clint Barton was a circus performer trained by a fellow performer (Swordsman) to shoot arrows, at which he was very good. He tried to become a super-hero but got mixed up with the Russian spy Black Widow and mistaken for a villain. He became an Iron Man enemy briefly until he was given membership in the Avengers and a pardon.
2. Bobbi Morse was Agent 19 of S.H.I.E.L.D. (does anybody know what that stands for this week? ^9,9^ ), and a biologist desk jockey who discovered she preferred field work and became a spy.
3. Bobbi & Clint met in the field on a case that's very important to this issue. By the end of that mission they had run off and gotten married.
4. Clint was made leader of the West Coast Avengers and he made Bobbi a member. They stayed there a long time until the team was trapped in the old west and Bobbi was violated by Lincoln Slade, the original Phantom Rider. She allowed him to "accidentally" fall to his death, which was against the Avengers code of ethics, and upset Clint greatly. The two eventually separated over it.
5. At sometime around this point, Bobbi was about to ask for a divorce when she was kidnapped by Skrulls and replaced by a sleeper agent. The sleeper agent was killed by Mephisto (the Marvel devil).
6. Clint went on while the West Coast Avengers were disbanded. He was eventually killed pretty much by the Scarlet Witch during "Avengers Disassembled". Then he was resurrected by the Scarlet Witch in "House of M". He took the name Ronin from super-heroine Echo because a teenage girl had taken his name in the Young Avengers, and then Daredevil villain Bullseye took it in "Dark Reign".
7. Bobbi......the REAL Bobbi......came back to Earth at the end of "Secret Invasion". Though she was tentative about getting back with Clint, their attitudes had both changed from their time apart; especially Clint, since he seems to have taken to killing /:-L . So now the exes are dating and they're members of Bobbi's World Counterterrorism Agency ("W.C.A." get it? 9,9 ).

*whew!* That was more complicated than I thought! I think explaining the backstory just made me rethink my rating!

The backstory aside, I see a lot of potential in the book. The story is that the main villain of the Bobbi & Clint's first adventure together , Crossfire, has teamed up with the reincarnated Phantom Rider to kill Bobbi in revenge for rejecting him. We add in the side story of Clint trying to help Bobbi get over her time in Skrull captivity by digging into her past......which she does NOT appreciate. The strength of this book is on the character and interplay between Bobbi and Clint and the supporting characters, particularly the lovable cad Dominic Fortune. Bobbi & Clint's relationship just seems very genuine, as they are, to borrow from "Friends", each other's "lobster".

The artwork is fantastic! To me, the storytelling of the 1st issue needed work, but there are no such problems in this issue, so we can only hope it keeps up to this level. And I'll throw in that the colors and letters are a perfect fit!

And the last page of the story was a great sign of the potential of things to come!

All this said, the only flaw to this book is a backstory that would probably lose Lewis & Clark, its so complicated. The book does a good job of giving you the information you need to get up to speed, though. It just takes extra effort that detracts from the story itself. I really think that once the book gets rolling past this first storyline though, that this problem will go away, as we seem to be heading for breakneck high action spy stories that will be about the mission only. And I hope it happens quickly, because I really don't want this book to get cancelled as I love the interplay between Bobbi & Clint ♥!

Oh! And what's this! There's a letter's page! OMG! Awesome! O,O!

RATING: 6.5 Brad Pitt's ( ;9 ) out of 10

At this point I was going to do one of two things. I was going to mention Marvel's one-shot "X-Women", which at first glance I thought looked like just some T&A, but found out the story was pretty okay, and the art was pretty.......if not targetted at a teenage boy demographic! 9,9

Or I was going to mention Hawkeye & Mockingbird's "name the letter column" contest. Until I checked online where I was supposed to go to vote and found that I couldn't find the poll! Nice one, Marvel!

So instead of that, here's a link to a beautiful Jo Chen (♥) wallpaper of Bobbi & Clint at popcultureshock.com: http://bit.ly/cMMnRL.

See ya next week! ツ*

Wonder Woman #600 (DC)

"If Einstein is right, and imagination is more important than knowledge, then maybe what we need is to "wonder"...to open our minds and our hearts, to believe what we cannot see."~Lynda Carter

Creators (because breaking them all out may drive me insane! O,o ):
Adam Hughes/George Pérez (♥!) (covers--Pérez shown); Lynda Carter (prologue); Adam Hughes (pinup); Gail Simone (♥!), George Pérez (♥! again!), Scott Koblish, Hi-Fi, Travis Lanham("Valedictorian"); Nicola Scott (♥!), Jason Wright (pinup); Ivan Reis, Oclair Albert, Rod Reis (pinup); Amanda Conner, Paul Mounts, John J. Hill ("Fuzzy Logic"); Guillem March (pinup); Greg Horn (pinup); Francis Manapul, Brian Buccelato (pinup); Phil Jimenez, Hi-Fi (pinup); Louise Simonson, Edward Pansica, Bob Wiacek, Pete Pantazis, Travis Lanham ("Firepower"); Jock (pinup); Shane Davis, Jamie Mendoza, Nei Ruffino (pinup); Geoff Johns, Scott Kolins, Michael Atiyeh, Nick J. Napolitano ("The Sensational Wonder Woman"); J. Michael Straczynski, Don Kramer, Michael Babinski, Alex Sinclair, Travis Lanham ("Odyssey: Prologue--Culture Shock"); Jim Lee, J. Michael Straczynski (afterword); Sean Ryan (associate editor); Brian Cunningham (editor) *whew!*

(Wonder Woman created by William Moulton Marston)

Comic Book Week: June 30th, 2010

So big news! I'm back! ☺

Little joke! ^9,9^

See, I found out I have a kindof famous kindof fan, so I couldn't very well sit by and disappoint her (or him!) could I? And then issue 600 of the second greatest female hero (*cough* supergirl *cough*) IN THE WORLD drops! Kismet!

Oh! And have you heard? Diana went shopping? But that doesn't happen until the the end of the book, so let us start at the beginning.

George Pérez cover. Adam Hughes is nice. George Pérez is "Péreztastic"! And no, Perez Hilton, you can't have it! :-b

Prologue by the lovely Lynda Carter on page 1. Funny but that threw me! It works if a book has a hardcover, but somehow in a comic book it's disorienting! But what she says is as beautiful as she is (Oh my gods! How can she look that good at her age! Not that she's old........but she could quite easily pass for half her age and STILL look good!).

Adam Hughes' pinup is pretty, but cropping the elephant Diana's lifting out of the picture just makes it all the more "cheesecakey". Hmmm......

The wonderful Gail Simone teams up with the magnificent George Pérez to say goodbye to Princess Diana. The story is short and does more to highlight Pérez than Simone, but I think it covers all the bases. Really would have liked it to be less "compressed". And although I have read mixed reviews, I for one would like to thank Ms. Simone for her Wonder Woman run. I thoroughly enjoyed it, even if I can't say that I'm completely disappointed, since I get my girlz in the Birds of Prey back! Yay! ツ*

Nicola Scott's pinup is gorgeous and powerful and sexy and regal! Nicola Scott IS Wonder Woman! ツ*

Ivan Reis' pinup is also beautiful but it looks like it started with a story that didn't go anywhere.........hmmmm.......!

The next story "Fuzzy Logic" looks like it was just pulled off the shelf from some unused bits of the Power Girl series. Not that it isn't good! To the contrary, Amanda Conner's artwork is always so much fun! She is a mistress storyteller and a joy to read. And the story was SO much fun too! I got to the end and wondered were Palmiotti and Grey had pulled this from, so I turned back to the first page........OMG! It was written by the amazing Ms. Conner! I had no idea! But getting back to the story itself, the purpose doesn't seem to be anything beyond showcasing a mostly forgotten "Wonder-Power". Not sure why it was included, although I am so glad it was! ツ*

Guillem March's pinup is pretty. But its just a pinup.

Greg Horn's pinup is pretty. But its just a pinup (and very dark!).

Francis Manapul's pinup is pretty. But its just a pinup.

Phil Jimenez's pinup is...............ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENT!!!!! ツ**** Do you think he would be offended if I said Phil Jimenez IS Wonder Woman? 9,9

The next story is "Firepower", and it reads like a Brave and the Bold submission that never got printed, as Diana teams up with Superman to take on a forgotten golden age villain, Aegeus. Okay, not completely forgotten, and a smart update on him that makes him look credible, but the story just doesn't seem to fit.....other than proving that "Weezy" is a pretty good writer and this Pansica guy draws a pretty darn nice Wondie and Supey! Very Pérezish! ツ*

Jock's pinup is pretty, but it looks more like Elektra! ^O,o^

Shane Davis' pinup is pretty. But..........actually it's quite pretty! I'd like to see his version of Supergirl.......hmmmmmm.........

Scott Kolins' pinup is..........oh wait! This is a story! Silly me! But did they really need Geoff Johns to write this seemingly unrelated string of pretty pictures to somehow transition into the last story? Gotta say, this one's a bit of a "booooooo!"

And with that we get a glimpse of the Straczynski and Kramer Wonder Woman. You may, like I did, have read about Diana's new origin and seen her new costume. You may, like I did, have thought this must be a joke, right? Well, this story proves it's not a joke. It's actually an alternate reality! So don't worry......I'm sure all will go back to normal in a couple of months. Although, the Straczynski afterward doesn't completely fill me with confidence. Fortunately, I like the way Kramer draws the new costume better than Lee so.........

That new costume thing actually made me angry. And I came up with this long rant that I was going to write about it. Then I read the story and realized that I think I, along with many others, probably over-reacted. But I still want to rant so let me first get this issue's rating out of the way (and as with the other "jam" issues I've reviewed in the past, I'm just giving one rank, but I hope my review clears up which parts were the best and which were not so good)..........

RATING: 7 REAL Wonder Woman Costumes out of 10:

And now...........

Dear, DC;

You know that I love you like a member of my own family, but we have to talk.

This thing with Wonder Woman's costume has to stop. Yes, it's impractical for fighting bad guys, but so is that mammoth cape that Batman wears! (Especially acrobatic Bat-wing! ;9) And yes it shows a lot of skin. But, boys, as a girl, let me let you in on a little secret: we don't really care that much! Most of us actually WANT to look sexy from time to time, we just don't want to be sex objects! We like to be pretty, sometimes just for ourselves. It makes us feel good! And because of that, if I had Diana's body I'D WEAR HER COSTUME, TOO! It's not like she's Vampirella (and PLEEEZ don't get me started on Vampirella!).

Wonder Woman's costume is iconic. The reason it's still mostly the same as it was in the 1940s is because IT WORKS! And this whole pants thing, I think, has been blown way out of proportion. When the right artist draws Diana's "bottoms", they work. Not as a thong, not as a g-string, but as we used to call them in Volleyball "bum-huggers". Women wear them all the time to play sports. And you don't see wardrobe malfunctions all over the news, do you? Speaking from experience, it's the top half that's the problem. Diana's "assets" in the real world would have trouble being contained in anything strapless, but COMICS AREN'T THE REAL WORLD!! And she has that breastplate to help.

The key to Wonder Woman is defined in this very issue, first in the prologue by Lynda Carter, and then by the best artists of the issue: George Pérez, Nicola Scott, and Phil Jimenez. Treat Diana as a real woman, with respect and poise and dignity and intelligence and grace and, yes, sometimes even a little sex appeal, and her costume works. And Wonder Woman works.

And one more thing, just before I sign off: please DO NOT HAVE JIM LEE REDESIGN WOMEN'S COSTUMES ANYMORE!!! I'm sorry. I LOVE Jim Lee's art! His work on "Hush" was AMAZING!!!! Especially the "wash" scenes........absolutely breathtaking! But what he did to the Huntress's costume, and Wonder Woman's costume, and many others..........just no! The previous Huntress costume was to me a classic in the making! The all leather bodysuit, with purple straps indicating a subtle "H" and the gold crucifix, just screamed off the page! Her current costume only started to not make me sick to my stomache once Ed Benes tweeked it in Birds of Prey (and the navel-gazing window is still silly!).

Once again, I still love you, but I want MY Wonder Woman back! *hugs and kisses!*

Love,
♥ Kara ♥