Category Contributors

Apr 23 2013

Nova 1-3

Alternating Currents: Nova 1-3, Drew and Patrick

Today, Drew and Patrick are discussing Nova 1-3, originally released February, March, and April 17th, 2013, respectively.

Drew: Cliche is a complicated subject in genre fiction. We tend to characterize predictability as bad, but it’s only by setting up expectations that writers are able to thwart them. Moreover, those tropes may be the very thing that draws us to those genres in the first place — we want the hero to beat the villain, get the girl, and ride off into the sunset. As a veteran writer conversant in a number of genres, Jeff Loeb understands the power of those tropes, mixing them potently in his take on Nova. Continue reading →

Apr 23 2013

Birds of Prey 18-19

birds of prey 18-19

Today, Shelby and Taylor are discussing Birds of Prey 18-19, originally released March 20th and April 17th, 2013.

Shelby: I have the most trouble writing beginnings and endings. Beginnings are hard because you have to draw the reader in, entice them enough to keep reading. Endings are hard because you have to conclude your message with enough finality that there’s a sense of closure without being too abrupt. My biggest complaint about  Duane Swierczynski’s run on Birds of Prey was his endings; story arcs just sort of … stopped. There is little I find more frustrating than a well-written story that doesn’t deliver on the ending, that simply ends. Birds finds itself with a new beginning, though, as Christy Marx wraps up Sword of Sorcery and takes over writing duties here; her strong, female-centric take on Nilaa won me over from day one, and would seem to make her a perfect fit for this superheroine team title. Continue reading →

Apr 22 2013

Captain America 6

captain america 6

Today, Mikyzptlk and Shelby are discussing Captain America 6, originally released April 17th, 2013.

Mikyzptlk: Rick Remender has pleasantly surprised me with his take on Captain America. I’m a fan of the character, but he can come off as a little dry from time to time. Remender has solved that issue by not only transporting Cap to a strange and twisted place, but pushing Cap to some pretty intense extremes. Each issue seems to take Cap further and further to his limits, but his new found fatherhood may push him further than he’s ever been pushed. Continue reading →

Apr 22 2013

Green Lantern: New Guardians 19

new guardians 19 wrath

Today, Spencer and Drew are discussing New Guardians 19, originally released April 17th, 2013. This issue is part of the Wrath of the First Lantern crossover event. Click here for our First Lantern coverage.

Spencer: Tragedy and loss are inevitable parts of life. We can’t escape it, but we can deal with it, and how we do so tends to reveal our true priorities and who we really are deep inside. Continuing Green Lantern: New Guardian’s habit of turning crossover issues into journeys through its characters’ psyches, writer Tony Bedard uses not one, but two tragedies—the destruction of the planet Korugar and the “death” of Hal Jordan—to shine a light deep inside Sinestro, Carol Ferris, and Kyle Rayner.

Continue reading →

Apr 19 2013

Sword of Sorcery 7

Today, Taylor and Shelby are discussing Sword of Sorcery 7, originally released April 17th, 2013.

Taylor: The last bite from a bag of Doritos is not the best. Having eaten more than my fair share of Doritos, I feel as if I can speak with some authority on this issue. So trust me when I say that Doritos are not good until the last crumbs. A much better bite is that last full chip you get in the bag. You know the one: it’s still a perfect triangle, it’s evenly coated in faux cheese powder, and it delivers the perfect crunch between your teeth. This last full chip is made all the sweeter by knowing it is the last of its kind, never to return until you make the shameful trip to the grocery store for more junk food. And while the crumbs and the half-chips at the bottom of the Doritos bag are tasty, they don’t come near the tasteful bliss that is a full chip, the way the gods intended Doritos to be eaten. In just the same way, the penultimate issue of Sword of Sorcery delivers on all of the hallmarks that make this short lived series so good, giving us an issue that is perhaps the last, best taste of the title. Continue reading →

Apr 19 2013

DC Universe Presents 19

dc presents 19

Today, Shelby and Patrick are discussing DC Universe Presents 19, originally released April 17th, 2013.

Shelby: I won’t lie to you, gentle readers: I wasn’t especially excited to write about this issue. I had heard rumor that the secret hero from the future was going to be Booster Gold. I don’t have anything against ol’ Booster, but I don’t feel any strong connection, either, so I wasn’t particularly joyful about it. But, as I took a closer look at the cover and saw the giant sword impaling Flash, and remembered the last time I saw Tony Bedard and Jesus Saiz [editor’s note: the issue was actually drawn by Javier Pina – Patrick talks about it in his response] team up, I grew more and more excited. I won’t spoil it here, in case you haven’t read it yet and want to be surprised. Continue reading →

Apr 19 2013

Age of Ultron 6

age of ultron 6 AU

Today, Mikyzptlk and Ethan are discussing Age of Ultron 6, originally released April 17th 2013. This issue is part of the Age of Ultron crossover event. Click here for complete AU coverage.

ultron-div

Mikyzptlk: Age of Ultron has taken us to some pretty extreme places. We’ve seen cities destroyed, deaths of countless civilians, and heroes taken out left and right. In a series that’s all about going to dark places, this issue really manages to go to some darker places. Essentially, it asks us if the ends justifies the means. More importantly, it asks us what we would do to protect the ones we love.  Continue reading →

Apr 18 2013

Wonder Woman 19

Alternating Currents: Wonder Woman 19, Drew and Scott

Today, Drew and Scott are discussing Wonder Woman 19, originally released April 17th, 2013.

Drew: Wonder Woman 18 ended on an atypically happy note — Zola was reunited with her baby, Diana and Ares seemed to have patched things up, Hera had found a bottle of wine — but the end of those good times is lurking around every corner. Unfortunately, Diana and friends may be caught unawares, mistaking their recent battles for the coming war. Indeed, when wagering on the outcome of that war, Poseidon discounts Diana, suggesting that he “always bet[s] against a player who doesn’t know they’re in the game.” Poseidon has made the mistake of underestimating Diana before, but he may have a point: while her adversaries are arming themselves, Diana seems to be distracted by more basic team maintenance. Continue reading →

Apr 18 2013

The Superior Spider-Man 8

superior spider-man 8Today, Patrick and Drew are discussing Superior Spider-Man 8, originally released April 17rd, 2013.

Patrick: How do we measure the “good” a superhero does? By how many supervillains they fight or alien worlds they protect? Or maybe by how many times they save the world? Those are some impossible benchmarks to understand — no matter what kind of life you lead, you’re never going to meet someone who achieves victory on the scale of an Avenger. That level of “good” is alien. Real life heroes address much more personal issues — hunger, disease, poverty, crime. Y’know, like a doctor. Hey, wait, Dr. Octavius is a doctor. Continue reading →