This week in the Checklist we lay some hard truth on the JLA, knock around the Punisher, and introduce you to the City of Dust.

And remember, the fun doesn’t stop here. We have even more news, reviews, and haiku’s in this week’s episode of The Watchtower. OK, maybe not the last one, but you get the idea.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #25
This special Double-Sized 25th issue was… well, it was terrible. The only redeeming thing about this book was the few pages that Darrick Robertson drew. It was nice to see him do some work a mainstream book for a change. The good stuff stops there though, as we are presented with ANOTHER story that features “What If” different versions of the JLA. I am so done with this kind of storytelling. Yes, it was kind of a cool image of Batman as a gunslinger, but can we not just tell a good story about the League that we have now? Honestly, I don’t understand how Marvel’s Avengers titles are so far ahead of JLA. This book deserves more, and it deserves better.

BATMAN #680
This latest instalment of the RIP storyline was actually pretty good. I have long poo-poo’ed Morrision’s storytelling here, but this issue was fun, fast-paced, and looked great. I still hate the idiotic costume and still find the idea of Batman inventing a “second” Batman somewhat laughable, but with this issue at least we got a straightforward story, some good fight scenes, and a sense that this is leading somewhere.

ROBIN #177
I bought this book because it has the Red Robin on the cover, and I love that character. I was pleasantly surprised with the story I found within. The obvious notion that Jason Todd is the Red Robin is quickly dispelled and an excellent mystery begins to unfold. Throw in some double-dealing on Spoiler’s part and you have a great issue, way better than the current state of Teen Titans.

PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL #24
At the end of the last issue, Frank Castle was hauled off to jail to face Secret Invasion behind bars. Or at least that’s what I was led to believe. In this issue, Frank leaves jail (he doesn’t break out, he simply leaves) and wanders off to kill as many Skrulls as he can. Not too bad, but then he starts to take a very creepy joy in his work that puts me off the book entirely. I don’t know if Matt Fraction is trying to compete with his MAX counterpart, but it’s disappointing because I liked War Journal because it WASN’T like that.

SUPERGIRL #34
A new creative team for Superman’s woeful cousin, but does it make a difference? Yes and no. Yes because I like how we are now exploring Kara’s personality a bit as opposed to just her trying to “fit in.” Much like the book itself, it’s time for Kara to make decisions and choices that will have real impact on her life. No because I think that the art is somewhat inconsistent. There are some great splash pages, but when we get into the nitty gritty (Kara’s conversation with Superman for example) things tend to look a little off. That said, I think that this book is starting to grow up a bit, and as a reader and fan, I’m excited by that prospect.

THE BOYS #23
Still the best book on the market. I really don’t know what else to say. In fact, that’s all I’m going to say.

CITY OF DUST #1
Our friends at Radical Comics launched another new series this week in the Steve Niles-penned City of Dust. Set in an Orwellian future, it follows the story of Officer Philip Krome as he investigates a brutal murder. It’s really well written and the digital painting is absolutely gorgeous. This is a great read, and I am in for the series.

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This entry was posted on Monday, October 6th, 2008 at 6:10 pm and is filed under Reviews, The Checklist. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.