Green Lantern Plastic Man Weapons of Mass Deception #1

As a kid, I loved Plastic Man because he could turn into all kinds of stuff and shapes and I loved Green Lantern because of the cool stuff he could do with his ring!

I’m an adult now. Though Plastic Man is a little too childish for me, I’m a huge Lantern fan, him being my #6 all-time favorite superhero.

This is a classic pairing of a straight cop/ rogue cop pairing. Like Lethal Weapon or CHiPs, you got Hal Jordan being the serious type to Plaz being the wacky Mel Gibson archetype. That’s a unique twist, as Hal Jordan is usually portrayed as being reckless and taking huge risks.

A very funny buddy cop style comic in which the duo go undercover to infiltrate an alien invasion plot.

WORTH CONSUMING!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Spider-Man Family, Vol. 1: Back in Black

Though reprinted in digest form, Spider-Man Family was published in glossy magazine style, similar in size and shape to MAD or Sports Illustrated. These issues originally came out during the hype for Spider-Man 3 in which Venom and Spidey’s black costume were integral plot points. It also coincided with ASM’s Back in Black storyline in which Peter Parker must don the black and white again minus the alien symbiote.

The first issue features a flash black story in which we see how Spidey’s alien infested black costume had a mind of its own. Each issue continues to tell a lost tale about Spider-man in a manner geared for kids but fun for all ages. These issues featured a back-up story starring members of the Spider-Man family, such as Venom, Scorpion, Black Cat, and more.

Really enjoyable. But, I think the Marvel Adventures Spider-Man series was better. They seemed to cater to fans both young and established. This series is somewhere in the middle and it lacks the charm and nostalgia of MASM. Still, it’s very kid friendly, so parents should approve and it’s not dumbed down, so serious readers will delight as well.
WORTH CONSUMING!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Justice League America #95

When you commandeer an alien spacecraft, formerly owned by a collector of nearly extinct alien races, it’s a good idea to see if you’re alone. The League meets the residents of the ship acting as their new headquarters and it’s a laugh riot!

There is at least one stand out character, called The Snazz, who’s just brilliant. He’s one of those characters who just seems to have taken on a life of his (or her) own. Hope to see more done with this character!

WORTH CONSUMING!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Justice League America #94

The battle over Power Girl’s infant son continues as the child seems to age rapidly while throwing protective force fields over himself and his mother.

This issue is good. It just suffers from a critical flaw in comics, the adversary's monologues just wayyyyyy to much. This conflict would be about 10 pages shorter if he’d just shut up and fight. But, then I guess he’d be breaking a cardinal rule of comic book villainy.

Worth Consuming, just not on par with the level of excellence in previous issues of this series.

WORTH CONSUMING!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars

Justice League America #93

During Zero Hour, Power Girl finally gave birth to her mystery baby. Seeing as it’s a virgin birth and that there’s been complications during the pregnancy, Kara has been staying with Leaguers as they look for answers. In this issue, one of those answers seems to be coming to roost as a demonic force named Scarabus has come to claim Power Girl’s baby for himself. Not if grandpa Arion, Lord of Atlantis has something to say about it.

Lots of great mystery, action, and adventure. Though Zero Hour weighs heavy in the plot, you don’t have to have read that mini-series to understand what’s going on here. So, you miss really nothing except for the birth. I really enjoy the new members Obsidian and Nuklon from Infinity Inc.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

JUSTICE LEAGUE AMERICA #0

WORTH CONSUMING

After the events of Zero Hour and following the death of Ice, the Justice League is left without leadership, a home, and not that very many members. Wonder Woman hopes to fix this problem by appropriating an old foe’s spaceship and leaving membership for the league open to any and all. But that new policy might just be the nail in this new League’s coffin as one of the new recruits is more than meets the eye.

I like this new approach. Very little is made of Zero Hour, which I’ve yet to read, so that’s really good. Oddly, this is issue #0, and that’s usually set for an origin or year one story. Not the case here, though. No matter, this issue rocks!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Captain America and the First Thirteen #1

A flashback tale involving Captain America, the first woman in his life to be code-named “Agent 13” and the French resistance; all set during WWII. It’s a fun espionage tale that’s been rebooted somewhat for the feature film “First Avenger” as opposed to the backstory set by Lee and Kirby during Capt’s reappearance in the mid '60s.

Great art and a pretty good story to boot. I’m just an old-school comic collector and preferred the original Agent 13 storyline better. I thought it was more exciting, less sexually charged and was slightly more plausible in having this 13 be the (much) older sister of the later 13, Sharon Carter. Here, she’d have to be Sharon’s mom or grandmother.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.