I think my fever has something to do with this but I have decided to bring back the Best Bang Reborn for yer Comic Buck on books that came out on June 11th. Likely no republishing on Z2H. Best Bang Reborn will now be done for fun (not scheduled and published when it is published) with little to no scheduling. This week it’s The Last Defenders, Gotham Underground and Eternals are the YAYS while Salvation Run, Secret Invasion: Who Do You Trust and Angel: After the Fall round out the NAHS.

This weeks books are from Port Moody’s own Hourglass Comics. Let’s get to it…

PICK OF THE WEEK: Gotham Underground #9 of 9 (DC Comics) – The final moments of The Penguin goes down like a good glass of champagne. This was a great final issue of the mini-series and ends on a high note for all involved. Extremely enjoyable and well worth the money! Thanks to all involved!

The Last Defenders #4 of 6 (Marvel Comics) – Joe Casey crafts a great story while the art team of Jim Munitz, Cam Smith and Antonio Fabela give us more about dear Nighthawk and his continuing struggle to be a hero in the new post-Civil Bore Marvel world with Iron Man ego and the Initiative red tape. Exciting ending and little teases along the way to the old core of the original Defenders team. Love to see Hellstorm return.

Skarr: Son of Hulk #1 (Marvel Comics) – Greg Pak and Ron Garney remind us of what is still happening on planet Sakaar with the birth and susequintial early years of the son of the Hulk the Green Skar, Skarr. After reading the Planet Hulk trade, I am very excited that Pak has returned to this planet to see what happens now plus it is interesting that this title exists as it bring the later idea that The Hulk may find out he has a son back on his home planet.

Jamie Delano Narcopolis #3 (Avatar) – If you want a good future story wrapped up in a nice comic format, this is the book. Wild and trippy story, dialog and fun for the continuing adventures of Rookie Gray. Suck, shitbird!

Young Liars #4 (Vertigo) – David Lapham’s Young Liars reminds me of a remix album where you think you know the song (or you do) but it’s been remixed by someone else to give the tune a different listen. This book has a great deal of wild, fun and bizarre stories (or story) all running at once with this wild bunch. At times I catch myself enjoying it and trying to figure it all out as well which can get a touch huh… wha? Still very enjoyable.

Green Arrow and Black Canary #9 (DC Comics) – It is funny how later I will mention how Winick does not work for me on Titans but on this book, it is great. Good fun, great dialog and everyones favorite – Plastic Man! How can you go wrong with this? Well the next issue has me in dreads with the Dark Knight dropping by (I really hope he just drops by, no need him to overshadow another book is it? Doesn’t we get enough of that everywhere else in the DCU?)

Eternals #1 (Marvel Comics) – Absolutely stunning, breath taking artwork that will make this book amazing if this art team keeps on the title more than 5 issues. That said, the story is interesting as it brings you up to speed (if you never read the Eternals series by Neil Gaimen & John Romita Jr.) and keeps moving forward on with a good head of steam. Love the panel of Reed & Sue Richards and great last page. I am really enjoying Druig as the Eternal playing the big bad dictator as for any book to be good, you need a very good villain!

Number of the Beast #5 of 8 (Wildstorm) – I thought that maybe I would be kinda scratching my head on this series but this issue came along and made a great deal more sense to me. What a mess that seems to be leading the entire Wildstorm universe down the path of Apocalypse. Interesting way to change Wilstorm’s paradigm for the foreseeable future.

The Twelve #6 (Marvel Comics) – The Twelve mix into the Marvel Universe and trying to make a go of it. Some dealing with old memories, others with past deeds and a twist on the “origin” of Rockman. Sadly all this did not give me a solid feel for this issue as it kinda felt all over the place but this issue is likely setting the scene for the second half of the series.

Simon Dark #9 (DC Comics) – I love this title because it does such a good job keeping itself outside of the DCU while at the same time being apart of it within Gotham City. This book is more solid by it’s supporting characters (both good and bad) while Simon just moves from point A to point B of the tale. It is an interesting book to say the least, at times I wonder if this is intentional or not but at times I wonder if that is a lacking for the book.

Trinity #2 (DC Comics) – As much as I enjoyed this issue I also found it a touch bothersome (especially after seeing a preview of issue #3 at Emerald Con at Kurt Busiek’s table) but as fun as the book is, the villain(s) just do nothing for me. I guess I wanted a big villain I could love right away from the get go, I am sure it will come and I know this series will get better. I really enjoyed that the backup story was very closely tied to the main story. This will not stop me from buying more issues but I do think that the main logo for Trinity does nothing for me. Too large and kinda boring.

Action Comics #866 (DC Comics) SIGHTINGS ISSUE – It was suggested that I check this book out if I enjoyed the Sinestro War. I did enjoy that “series” and think it was the best series for DC since Infinite Crisis but this issue of Action did nothing for me. I am not a huge Superman fan these days as I used to be (outside All-Star Superman which is hitting it out of the park with each issue) and I had to *shrug* at the ‘return’ of Brainiac. Won’t get another issue of this even if it has the SIGHTING logo atop the book.

Titans #3 (DC Comics) – Winick does not put together a very strong issue and I know I am one of the very few who finds this series very boring and a yawner of a book. I guess I just remember when Titans used to be a good book and not just a shelf filler. Also Cyborg now looking all Xavier does sweet f***k all for me, if anything when I saw that on the cover, I just dropped my head, shaking and asking myself why I like to torture myself like this. I think this will be the last issue of Titans I get ’cause Wow it just sucks.

Angel: After The Fall #8 – I really HATED the 3 issue “First Night” story arc BEFORE the end of the last storyline / climax and I know why they did this — if they did this after the current storyline ended, no one would pick up the book. I should have just skipped but I had hopes that this story would be good. Sure it is kinda interesting but man, I thought that all the info within this story could have been meshed into the main story rather than being its own story arc — very boring. Please get back to the main story before I stop caring for Angel as a comic book series. Please.

Secret Invasion: Who Do You Trust #1 (Marvel Comics) – WHY the HELL is this not apart of the Secret Invasion main book? It boggles my mind. Blah. Just as I and others have said numerous times, the idea of having to buy all these other bloody stories to fill the stories from Secret Invasion #1 makes me not care for any further “big event” books for both of the big two. I am getting tired of having to read stories OUTSIDE the main series. F**K!

WORST BOOK OF THE WEEK: Salvation Run #7 of 7 (DC Comics) – First. The Cover is terrible. Lex looks bad, who thought that this made for a good cover? Seriously? Alright so once in the book, what started so strong with Willingham went very sour with Matthew Sturges and what looks like very very rushed artwork by Sean Chen and the various inkers. The final issue of the book was all over the place and made no freaking sense. This was not Lex Luther — this had to be a Skrull ’cause why Luther did not leave the planet but had to go talk to those that “sacrificed” themselves was more so WE the readers understood how he did it but don’t give me the idea that he had any remorse. In 52, Luther went atop his building to watch the heroes he made fall from the sky and die while cheering them with a glass of champagne (to quote William S). No this was not Lex Luther and I am now glad that this is done… not that it matters, it seems that Final Cri$i$ is just doing what it wants regardless of what happened in the book before it.

Trades for this week:

The Vinyl Underground: Watching The Detectives (Vertigo) – An interesting series that has that groovy Vertigo feel of magick, music, sex, drugs and murder (sure I kinda quote the trade) and I am slowly reading through this trade. Very enjoyable.

Wolverine: Enemy of the State (Marvel Comics) – This is both volume 1 & 2 together. One of the few things that Mark Millar has done in the Marvel Universe that I enjoyed. An entertaining read thru.

Coming out this Week:

Batman and the Outsiders #8, Bomb Queen V #2 of 6, Checkmate #27, Fear Agent: Hatchet Job Vol 4 TPB, Guardians Of The Galaxy #2, Incredible Hercules #118, Justice League Of America #22, Scalped #18, Secret Invasion: Fantastic Four #2, Shadowpact Volume 3: Darkness and Light TPB, Star Wars: Legacy Volume 3: Claws of the Dragon TPB, Trinity #3, The Un-Men #11, Wolverine #66 (Old Man Logan begins)