New Comics! (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Batman:  The Dark Knight #2:  OK, here's the thing.  I've got to be honest:  I'm kind of tired of the "girls Bruce Wayne loved" schtick.  We saw it with the Absence in "Batman and Robin," we see it in "Batman, Incorporated" #4 (see below), and we see it here with the second installment of "In Golden Dawn."  Based on information we got last issue, Dawn Golden was a childhood friend who broke Bruce's heart after college graduation.  OK, sure.  That sucks.  Do I believe that his love for her and his need to find her are so strong that he would savagely break the Penguin's arm and leg?  Um, no.  I mean, we're talking about a guy who manages not to do that to the Joker, who beat Jason Todd to death with a crowbar and paralyzed Barbara Gordon.  But, Dawn Golden is the one to really push him over the edge?  I just don't buy it.  Also -- and I think I might raise it to status as pet peeve #3 soon -- the Penguin and Killer Croc really didn't take the chance to peak under Bats' mask to see who he is when they had him unconscious?  Or, you know, just kill him, like Penguin tried to do at the start of the issue?  Really?  Speaking of pet peeves, per pet peeve #2, we see Bats holding Dawn Golden on the cover of this issue, but he doesn't actually find her in the book.  Also, why is a mutated Ragman killing homeless people?  (Maybe something was supposed to happen in the Ragman secondary feature in "Batman:  Streets of Gotham," but the series got canceled before we could see it?)  I'm not sure Finch is a talented enough writer to keep all the balls in the air that he's got going here.  After waiting three months, I needed something more than essentially a poorly-written "Detective Comics" issue to justify keeping this title.  I'm not sure if I got that here. 

Batman:  Streets of Gotham #21:  I read this issue first before re-reading the entire arc.  I can say now that "House of Hush" will make a really great trade paperback.  The plot is compelling, we get new insights into old characters, and the insight into old-school Gotham is fun.  However, as a storyline with installments of varying length spread over eight issues, it was hard to stay engaged with the story to the level necessary to fully appreciate it.  For example, it wasn't until I re-read the entire arc that I remember Judson Pierce's connection to Roger Elliot (Hush's father) and I had totally forgotten about the Bedbug sub-plot.  (Although Bedbug is actually a cool idea for a character, I think it would've been better to save that story for a different arc or a secondary feature, rather than wasting the pages on a story that only served to draw out the primary storyline.)  My guess is that the blame here lies with the editors who recommended the page lengths and chapter divisions than Dini, who really delivers a great story.  I'm pretty sure they could've had Hush encounter Jane Doe to the same effect (Hush losing Bruce Wayne's face, an important moment in the post-"Return of Bruce Wayne" world) in a three-issue arc that didn't bring us on the convoluted ride we've experienced here.  Moreover, if this issue is indeed the last issue of the series, then I'm pretty sure we're denied a conclusion to the Ragman secondary feature, which sucks because it was, for the most part, more compelling than "The House of Hush."  In the end, it's a sad ending to a series that showed a lot of promise.  (P.S.:  After I read the first issue and wrote the original version of this review, I read some other reviews online and someone noted that this arc gives us the origin -- or at least a glimpse into the past -- of the Joker.  When I re-read the overall arc, I'll admit my mind was BLOWN.  I give Dini a lot of credit for the way he subtly and deftly wove that in that plot.  The boy who would become the Joker suffers terribly and it really gives us insight into why he becomes who he becomes.  However, it's not enough to make me wish that the overall storyline hadn't been partially ruined by editorial interference.) 

Batman Incorporated #4:  OK, I've read issue #3 three times and #4 twice, and I've been able to piece together the following:  Kathy Kane, the former Batwoman, is the biological daughter of Agent-Zero, the head of the spy ring for whom Agent-33 (now known as the Gaucho) worked.  Agent-33 recruited Kathy into the ring for an as-yet-unnamed mission for Agent-Zero, who also happens to be an "unrepentant Nazi master criminal" known as Dr. Dedalus, who was locked into some cave (or something) in the Falkland Islands by a group of British superheroes during the Falkland War.  Meanwhile, Batman is trying to bring the Gaucho into "Batman, Incorporated," only to learn that he's the one that got Kathy Kane involved in the spy ring that allegedly killer her, and the new Batwoman is on the trail of an Argentine gang who killed three Marines.  Um, yeah.  I get that, to understand (and appreciate) Morrison, you've got to put in work.  I get that.  I also appreciate what Morrison does here with the original Batwoman, bringing her back into continuity.  In fact, the flashback sequences are amazingly well done, both in terms of the scripting (where I can almost hear Adam West's voice every time Bruce or Batman speaks) and in the art (aping the 1950s and 1960s style, right down to the original Batmobile design).  But, I still feel like Morrison is suffering from being too clever and sacrificing some coherence in the plot to do it.  I mean, we're juggling A LOT in these two issues (I didn't even mention "oroboro" in the above recap, and it's pretty much central to the plot), and I think Morrison forgets sometimes that he's competing with ten other Bat-books.  That said, this issue is a vast improvement over the last one and I'm now at least interested to see where it leads. 

Captain America #615.1:  I read the other day that Marvel has announced that Steve Rogers is going to take over the role of Captain America again, something I figured was going to have to happen given the upcoming movie.  This issue sets that stage, with Cap encountering a faux Captain America who steps into the vacuum left by Bucky's ongoing legal troubles.  I can't say I'll be disappointed to see Steve return, since, to be honest, I've missed reading about him, having to settle only for his appearances in "Secret Avengers."  But, I hope Bucky gets his own kick-ass series, because, if he doesn't, THEN I'll be disappointed.  Maybe he, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Mockingbird can get a combined series called "Love Rectangle" or something. 

inFAMOUS #2:  The plot continues to build here.  Moya, who last issue was working with the First Sons, appears to resume her government role here, ordering the capture of Sasha and the invasion of Empire City.  Cole is still trying to put himself back together, and works with the Warden and Zeke to fend off the invasion.  The Beast is loose in the city, but Moya appears to have another version of him ready to go.  This issue really builds on the energy of last issue, clarifying some mysteries and deepening others.  For example, Moya mentions that Sasha got her powers at the same time as Cole, which I don't think we knew before.  (I'm not really sure how that happened, unless she was holding some secondary Ray Sphere that also absorbed the abilities of all the people who died.)  Also, one of the soldiers refers to Moya as "Mother," which makes me wonder whether that's her First Sons codename and where the line between the First Sons and the military is drawn.  You get the sense that things aren't going to go well for our guys... 

New Mutants #23 (Age of X:  Chapter 4):  As expected, Legacy and Gambit survive Magneto dumping debris on them.  In fact, Magneto dumped debris on them on purpose, so he could hide them in an underground tunnel and reveal that he's the one who sent Kitty Pryde outside the walls.  (He realized it's pretty bizarre that they all keep repeating the same day, over and over again, like "Groundhog's Day.")  It's revealed here that the reason Kitty's camera was full of blank pictures is because nothing exists outside the wall; when she said she saw "nothing," she meant it literally.  (I'm not sure, logistically, how they're going to make that work, since the humans have to be attacking from somewhere.)  Magneto goes into full revolt to distract attention from Legacy and Gambit going to a newly-discovered room in the center of Fortress X.  Magneto liberates Professor X, who speaks to him cryptically, but he's interrupted by Dani's squad, who's been sent by "X" to capture him.  Just as he convinces Dani to listen to Professor X (when he regains consciousness), Magneto is defeated, and removed from command, by the Force Warriors.  Meanwhile, Legacy discovers that someone (a "she") has stolen the universe and put it in a box.  This cross-over event continues to be interesting, with Carey doing a great job of making it a good read not just because we can see what's different in this world but because it's a fascinating story.  I'm wondering now if "X" isn't Cassandra Nova or even Jean Grey.  Guessing is half the fun! 

Uncanny X-Men #534:  The "Quarantine" storyline wraps up here in a more or less satisfying way, with the humans who took Sublime's drug learning the hardships of mutanthood in a way that borders on "After-School Special" territory but doesn't cross into it.  The Sebastian Shaw sub-plot is resolved oddly, though.  If wiping his mind of his memories was such an easy solution, I'm confused why Emma just didn't do it in the first place, since it's pretty clear it was the only option other than killing him.  Then again, Professor X wiping Magneto's mind didn't turn out so well, so maybe that gave her pause (though I think I'm giving the writers too much credit for thinking about her motivations).  The main problem with this series for me, at this point, is the same I have with the other two main X-books.  We see little in the way of character development (Dazzler learning Welsh slang from Pixie doesn't count) because every character appears in practically each issue of each series.  We need to return to the days where each book had a set roster.  I mean, you can still handle 18-21 characters over three books if you put six or seven people on each team!  Also, I'm kind of ready for Kitty to be able to talk again.  To the extent character development occurred in this arc, I think it's due to Gillen's addition to the writing team, so I'm looking forward to his reign beginning soon on the book.

New Comics! (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Batman:  Streets of Gotham #20:  For the love of Alfred, could something actually happen in this series?  Last issue, we got to hear all about how Judson Pierce's henchman had a run-in with the Joker as a kid.  The issue before that one, the "House of Hush" storyline was only a handful of pages long, with the bulk of the issue dedicated to the Ragman secondary feature.  In this issue, we get the weird back story on Dr. Death.  Seriously, it's been months since the "House of Hush" plot moved along at all.  Plus, for the second issue in a row, we don't get the Ragman feature.  The first few arcs of this series were really good, and helped moved along some smaller plot points (like Hush's time as Bruce Wayne) that the main books in the larger "Batman:  Reborn" storyline didn't have a chance to cover.  But, at this point, it seems like they're just stalling for time until the last issue, which I think is the next one.  Between the dangling plot points from this issue and the still-unresolved Ragman secondary feature, it'd have to be a damn good issue for me not to feel cheated at the end of a series that showed a lot of promise. 

Dark Sun #2:  I'm already finding myself wishing this series wasn't only going to be five issues long.  Alex Irvine's sparse dialogue occasionally makes it hard to follow the plot and the main characters aren't really all that well developed yet.  (For example, in the first issue, Aki is asking Grudvik about how far they are from Tyr and is taking advice from Grudvik on how to survive in the desert.  However, in this issue, he's the one who knows how to get to Tyr and is telling Grudvik how to survive in the desert.)  However, I'll forgive Irvine the inconsistencies here because this approach to the dialogue conveys an amazing sense of isolation that adds to both to the feel of the comic as well as the mystery of the characters.  Peter Bergting's pencils further this sense of desolation, as does even the rough paper on which the comic book is printed.  In just two issues, Irvine and Bergting have created a complicated world where danger lies around every corner and the motivations of the two major characters are intriguing (if still mostly hidden).  I find myself wishing I knew more about the Dark Sun campaign setting.  If you're reading (and enjoying) the "Dungeons and Dragons" title also published by IDW, I'd recommend picking up this series while it lasts. 

Dungeons & Dragons #4:  This issue continues letting the good times roll:  a talking skull with vocabulary problems, elaborate dwarven-crafted traps, multi-planar conspiracy revelations.  This issue has everything!  I'm really starting to love this group; as someone notes in the letters page, it reminds me of the first "Dragonlance" trilogy.  If you enjoy D&D and comics, you should absolutely be reading this series.  I can't wait to see how they wrap up this storyline next issue! 

X-Factor #216:  I'm concerned that Spidey's going the way of Wolverine.  After the announcement that he was going to be in the new "FF" series in addition to his appearances in "Avengers" and "New Avengers," I groaned inwardly.  I mean, isn't it bad enough the guy has to live down the musical?  But, this month, he's in both "X-Factor" and "X-Men" and we've clearly moved into "marketing is running the show" world.  (The last time that happened is the "Clone Saga" and, um, [shiver].)  Moreover, his appearance here is kind of weird.  He crashes the rooftop where Monet and Shatterstar are playing chess, because he happens to see JJJ, Jr.'s motorcade out front.  Um, OK, is he stalking Jonah now?  Also, Peter David, who's so good at so many characters, makes Spidey into a bumbling idiot, which, um, he's not.  Moreover, I don't buy the main story.  With all the resources he has at his disposal, I don't really believe JJJ, Jr. would go to X-Factor to track down his buddy's killer, particularly since he doesn't seem (from what we know) to know a mutant might be involved.  The back-up story, involving the woman who suddenly remembered who she was thanks to Monet from a few issues ago (and about whom I'd completely forgotten), is also a stretch.  This character is presented as if she were so memorable that I'd, um, remember her.  Maybe if this arc happened right after the arc in which she was introduced, I would.  Instead, I spent most of the comic having no idea why I should care about her.  If I cared more, I'd try to look up how many issues it's been since she appeared, but I don't.  Needless to say, I can't say I'm anxiously anticipating the next issue. 

X-Men #8:  Huh.  I don't know what to make of this issue.  Gischler comes close to making it an "After-School Special," with each X-Man narrating the story of a troubled teen.  He comes close, but he doesn't actually cross the line, and I have to applaud him for that.  As a kid who had his own share of problems with classmates who could sniff the dork on him, I felt for each of the kids here.  I liked how Gischler gets Spidey here, who, after all, spent years with Flash Thompson calling him "Puny Parker."  The "I don't know what to make of this issue" part comes more from the fact that I don't entirely get the Lizard connection.  Why exactly is the Lizard, who actually appears not to be Dr. Connors, preying on troubled teens?  Why not regular teens?  It seems to me it wouldn't be too hard to convince any teen to meet in a basement, be it with the offer of snacks for dorks or beer for jocks, if we're embracing stereotypes.  But, Gischler navigates the social minefield of high school well enough that I'm intrigued by what the next issue brings.  In terms of the art, it's pretty great.  You've got some moments, typical of Bachalo, where it's a little hard to follow the action.  But, the two-page spread of Emma enjoying the best hotel room that Warren Worthington III can afford is worth the confusion. 

New Comics! (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Avengers:  The Children's Crusade #4:  Ok, I love the Young Avengers.  I do.  I'd love them even if they didn't have the most functional gay couple depicted, like, anywhere in fiction.  The first few issues of this arc were great, because the Young Avengers are at their best when they're doing what adults tell them not to do.  But, here's the thing.  This series feels more like a companion series to what should be a much larger series, one detailing the return of the Scarlet Witch.  I mean, at the end of the day, we don't know that Billy and Tommy are the Witch's "spiritual" children, so it's still a little weird every time they're presented as such, no questions asked.  Plus, the bi-monthly format is really starting to get to me.  Is it really going to be a year before it's resolved?  At this point, given that the story is spinning its wheels a bit, I feel we probably could've had a six-issue monthly series and felt satisfied.  Hopefully Heinberg's got some great stuff in store.

Batman #706:  The latest installment in the "Hear No Evil/See No Evil/Speak No Evil" story arc is great.  I've really enjoyed this arc, because it's fleshing out Dick's cast of characters.  Catwoman, Catgirl, Robin, Peacock, I Ching, Sensei:  some old, some new, all awesome.  I loved Dick noting Damian's sudden interest in girls and Damian denying it in a perfectly adolescent way.  Their dynamic is the best part of "Batman and Robin" and I'm really glad to see Daniel keep it going in "Batman."  (Plus, can you imagine how much trouble a horny Damian could find?  The mind boggles.)  I liked how Dick defied Bruce by asking for Catgirl's help.  It shows that he's still running the show in Gotham and he'll do what he needs to do, even if it's not exactly what Bruce told him to do.  Like most Batman stories, I'm still a little lost with the plot mid-way through the arc, though I'm sure all will be revealed in the end.  I'm still not sure who actually walked into the antiques shop in issue #704 (I thought it was Sensei, but, based on his comments in this issue, I think he had already killed the proprietor before the shadowy figure arrived) and I'm still not sure how Dick knew to go to Prof. Sinnot's home in #705.  The Riddler connection is intriguing, and I hope we get to see some great Riddler/Robin banter in the next issue.  In other words, it's vintage Batman.

Batman: Streets of Gotham #19:  The "House of Hush" story arc continues here.  It's kind of been on a slow burn, and it doesn't get faster here.  The bulk of the story is a recollection by one of Judson Pierce's henchmen of his teenage encounter with the Joker.  It's a pretty good story, but I have to say that I'm ready for something to happen in this arc.  Despite being billed last issue as the primary feature, the "House of Hush" story actually took a back seat, page-wise, to the Ragman second feature (which doesn't appear in this issue at all), so it's been a while since something, you know, happened.

Dungeons & Dragons #3:  This series is seriously well written.  The characters are really well defined, despite the series only being three (well, four, including #0) issues into the run.  Rogers does an excellent job, for example, making Bree Three-Hands into a really fun character while, at the same time, setting up the possibility that she's going to sell the entire team down the river at some point.  The running jokes about Adric's poorly-laid plans haven't gotten old, and I'm always surprised how, at the end of the issue, Fell's Five find themselves in a worse position than they were at the end of the previous issue.  It's occasionally a little hard to follow what's happening, given how fast the action moves, but I'll forgive that just because the action is so well depicted.

Legion of Super-Heroes #9:  Um, I think I'm kind of done with the Legion.  I subscribed to the stand-alone comic based on the Legion back-up features during Superboy's run in "Adventure Comics."  But, I just ended "Adventure Comics" because I have no interest in the Legion Academy and I can't say the Durlan assassination plot is really all that interesting.  This storyline clearly could've been handled in one or two issues, rather than four or five.  Watching everyone just stand around the United Planets hall waiting for poorly-executed assassination attempts isn't exactly worth $2.99 a month, to my mind (nor, apparently, to Timber Wolf's).