CandidGamera vs. Comic Books

Now I have a little time to take a look at some of the books I picked up yesterday, with an eye towards reviewing them.

The Incredibles - If you're a fan of the movie, I think you'll enjoy the book. Boom Studios is doing a pretty good job so far. The art style's a good match for the film, and the writing has the right feel. The first four-issue arc has filled out a little more of the Incredibles' super-universe, too.

The Incredible Hercules - I do not exaggerate when I say that this is the single best thing Marvel has ever published in the history of time. Not even a little. It's got the perfect blend of action and humor. The interaction between Herc and his de-aged dad, Zeus, is a laugh riot. Plus, the first page is a recap of Thor's origins, with Herc providing color commentary.

Red Circle : Inferno - I want to give the Red Circle properties a fair shot, but going into this, the only one of them that even interested me a little was the Shield. The Hangman one-shot last week was surprisingly solid, though - and apparently all the one-shots dovetail together, so I picked up the Inferno as well. It was not as entertaining - not by a long shot. Kinda forgettable, really. There are some teases at a mystery, but it's not enough to encourage me to read more about the character.

R.E.B.E.L.S. - I was extremely skeptical that this title would interest me, when it was announced, but I have to say, it's kept me hooked. It's not the best thing in my pull-list, but it's pretty solid. And this latest issue was no exception - it reads like real science fiction that happens to be set in the DC Universe.

Adventure Comics - The triumphant launch of a new, old franchise. Superboy and the Legion, sharing space in Adventure Comics. Connor is quickly re-established in the modern era, and we get some hints about a potential new enemy for him, as he undergoes a little self-analysis. Fortunately, Geoff Johns pulls that off without making him mopey. The Legion back-up is pretty light on content, but we're teased with a couple of Legion members in the 21st century who still have some business to attend to.

Blackest Night - Spoiler warning. I would give the first issue of Blackest Night a B+, but this second issue takes us right up into A territory. I counted one 'Aww, Yeah!' moment, two 'Hmmmm!' moments, and three 'Oh, S#!t!" moments - which are pretty good metrics for any comic book.

Spoilers On!

Aww, Yeah! : "Flash Fact."

Hmmmm! : Deadman's dual existence gives us a very interesting fact about the Black Rings. And "Don Hall of Earth. Ri- ... Don Hall of Earth at Peace."

Oh, S#!t! : Pariah?? "Crispus Allen of Earth. Rise." The last page - Ralph, Sue, Carter, Kendra, Ronnie, and J'onn, together again.

Spoilers Off.

Blackest Night #2 and Incredible Hercules are both vying for my favorite book of the week. And I really need to nail down a catchy format for these reviews, if I expect anyone to come read them.

Tomorrow, time permitting, I'll take a look at Wednesday Comics so far.