Dakota Graves

Wednesday is a very special day of the week to comic book fans. It is the day that new issues of monthly comic book titles are put out onto the sheloves of our beloved dark, cramped, poster laiden comic books stores. If you’re a comic book fan, this is all old news (which I hope you are if you’re reading this blog). Today was Wednesday.

As always we (my room mate Adam and some friends) made the journey to the comic book store, Comics To Games. Albeit this time to its new loacation, which sadly is nothing like the traditional, homey comic book store mentioned above but more like a gleaming shopping mall and comic book shop’s love child with marble, bright lights, gleaming glass and its strip mall location. No complaints though, its a great store, especially the rewards policy. 

Adam likes to collect the books but I could care less. Comic books aren’t worth anything anymore, (*See Marvel’s attempt to make the Obama comic worth something by screwing up the printings or their foil covers from the 90′s*) I just like to read the stories and follow the medium. Anything I buy is for my own enjoyment, not for the sake of “collecting.” That coupled with the fact I have no money, and I know Adam will be buying the books we both like to read anyways I did not buy anything. What was brought home however was Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds #3 of 5, Secret Six #6, Star Trek: Countdown (The official movie prequel) and Adventure Comics #0.

SPOILERS!

I was thoroughly pleased to see Bart Allen’s return in Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds. As someone who grew up with Geoff John’s version of the Teen Titans, I was not pleased with his treatment in the aftermath of Infinite Crisis. I like what I think Geoff was going for in the series. By aging Bart and getting rid of Wally, it seemed like he was trying to do another generation leap for the Flash in Infinite Crisis. Didn’t go over to well tho with me and a lot of other people. Bart had barely been Kid Flash, I wanted to see more adventures with that generation of Titans (Cassie Wonder Girl, Tim Drake Robin, Superboy, Bart). Then the story of Bart got even worse with The Flash’s mediocre relaunch, series, and eventual “death.” So as a fan of the character I’m glad he’s back and in the right costume. 

Secret Six? No huge reveals, or anything, though I am surprised by Deadshot’s betrayal in the series for the card. I like that Jeanette is brought more front and center. She is an interesting character I would like to see more of.  The best things about that book continues to be its best attributes in this issues. Stellar, consistant writing and art. The art is not my particular favorite, but it is consistent and makes the story easy to understand. Not to gritty, not to clean, just where it needs to be, which is odd since its done by two people Nicola Scott and Doug Hazelwood. An odidity in dual comic book art.  The same applies to the writing, always consistent. Characters and situations are what they are supposed to be and the story plays out in a way thats entertaining but is not hard to follow issue to issue. The fact that every issue is absolutely entertaining and very tastefully done is Gail Simone’s (the writer) other great feat. As this is the only book I’ve read by her I can’t say if all her books read like this or not or if she is just lucky with this book. 

Adventure Comics was just a reprinting of the original story from Adventure Comics #267  circa 1958 in which Superboy meets The Legion Of Super Heroes for the first time. The real action came at the end of the issue with the Origins and Omens back up featuring Scar (the “dark?” Gaurdian of the Universe), Lex Luthor, Brainiac and…………..Superboy?

Yes, the Conner Kent, Kon-El Superboy, another one of my favorite characters “taken” before his time. Conner died in the hands os Wondergirl/Cassie Sandsmark in Infinite Crisis due to the explosion of the Anit-Monitor husk-tower caused by his fight with Superboy-Prime. There have been rumors that Conner was the new Nightwing appearing with the new Flamebird in the recent New Krypton story arc. This was only intensified by the fact we saw Conner using tactile telekinesis on opponents weapon. Nightwing and Flamebird will be featured front and center in Action Comics starting in March. In an interview writer Greg Rucka stated that the identites of the pair will be revealed in that first issue staring them. This made me very happy since if Conner was to come back as someone other than Superboy, the soon to be vacant role of Nightwing (another one of my favorite heroes) would be aperfect choice. This belief was challeneged however by Adventure Comic’s Origins and Omens back up story.

The story picks up where the New Krypton arc left Brainac and Luthor with Scar narrating. Luthor attempts to use Brainiac to escape when Brainiac reveals that it was he that was using Luthor. It is then that the Black Book of the dead is shown and Scar narrates that the only on who can save Luthor is dead and that they control the dead. A picture of Connner flying on the (presumably) the Kent farm in his well known black t-shirt costume is shown. Agh, I hope this doesn’t mean he won’t be Nightwing in Action Comics and that he’ll be a Black Lantern in Blackest Night. This may sound oddly sentimental, but I want more for Conner Kent than just being a emotional conflicting bad guy in Blackest Night. 

I have never read a Star Trek comic before. I’m a huge trekkie and I was very pleased. I don’t know how Data got to be Captain of the Enterprise-E  after he died in Star Trek: Nemesis.

In other news, I’m still sick. Going home tommorrow though, can’t wait to see Caitlen (this weekend is our anniversary!!)….. and the doctor. Finally get this bug out of my system.

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