The Leader

[Click to enlarge]

[Click to enlarge]

[Click to enlarge]

Firestorm: The Nuclear Man #24 (D.C. Comics)

As far as B-list superheroes go, Firestorm ranks up there as one of the most beloved. He's always had a strong fan base that supported his numerous titles over the years. But this fan base knew Ronnie Raymond as Firestorm, so when D.C. launched a new title with a new character taking the mantle of Firestorm it left a lot of fans scratching their heads. Then D.C. unceremoniously killed Ronnie Raymond. Cue in Jason Rusch, one of the many next-generation heroes that are popping up (see the new Blue Beetle, and its original, Kyle Rayner). As the new Firestorm, Jason flew off to Infinite Crisis and has been a hero now for just over a year, thanks to D.C.'s big "One Year Later" event.

Firestorm is made up of two people simultaneously, ergo, Jason needs to be bonded with someone in order to turn into Firestorm. Though a year ago the other person could've been anyone, it's now another B-list superhero named Firehawk. But there's more to it-turns out even when they're not bonded together, if they get over a mile apart Jason explodes into a nuclear blast (he lives mind you, but that would be bad for...oh say...us). After getting jumped in the desert by some mysterious masked commando types, Jason explodes and the baddies disappear. Before being able to solve all the questions that are posed, Firehawk needs to get to Washington D.C. before they both hightail it back to Jason's apartment. Less than a mile away, Killer Frost and her new "One Year Later" partner are freezing up the town and it's up to Firestorm to stop them.

Firestorm: The Nuclear Man is one of those books that is a good, solid read, a flip-through book. The characters are interesting enough, and the new situation between Jason and Firehawk is creative, but the book doesn't have that certain edge that it needs to make it a "must-read." Writer Stuart Moore has quite a cult following with this incarnation of Firestorm but that isn't enough to sustain the book for much longer. If he wants to make it, he needs to amp it up soon.

-3.5 of 5, Jo Schmidt

Girls #12 (Image Comics)

Flesh-eating monsters? Check. Army of hot naked chicks? Check. Giant, man-eating, glowing sperm? Um...check? The Luna Brothers' Girls has it all, and then some. Issue 12 is about the fallout from the most recent attack of an army of naked monster girls. Instead of focusing on the violence and carnage, the issue focuses on the impact it has on the survivors, something any good zombie story is full of. Tensions run high, as the women survivors argue with the men over fears that they might be lured in by the siren song of the "girls." The dialogue is fantastic; each character has his or her own distinct voice and personality that can easily be felt, even with the limited dialogue a lot of characters are given. One can almost feel the stress from the characters, something that makes this story even more disturbing. The Luna Brothers' art is great; it's surreal, which fits this dark, eerie tail perfectly. Each panel looks like a still from a high budget anime, something that will immediately catch any art fan's eye. Girls is something very unique, a zombie comic, where the zombies are attractive naked girls, monsters you'd rather not run from. It is something unique and new in an industry that feels like everything's been done. But here the Luna brothers are, doing something new and different, and doing a hell of a good job with it.

-4.5 of 5, Chris Burke

New X-Men #25 (Marvel)

New X-Men just keeps getting better and better. When the series was conceived it was more of a take-off of a teen drama than a regular hard-hitting action comic. The overall buzz was good and it gained a nice cult following thanks to former writers DeFilippis and Weir. But when the Decimation event hit the Marvel Universe a shakeup was called for and new writers Craig Kyle and Chris Yost took over. Visibly inspired more by the old New Mutants series of the 80s than anything, they turned New X-Men into an action-packed thriller.

Over their first issues Kyle and Yost killed a majority of the de-powered mutants and have created scenarios that have boosted sales and alienated some of the original readers. After burying the dead students in the last issue, it's time for the first training session of the new main team of young X-Men and things go horrible. They're unfocused, over-emotional and argumentative and it costs them their proverbial lives. William Stryker, the villain behind X2 and the amazing God Loves, Man Kills graphic novel, has returned with a new congregation and a plot to destroy mutant kind in his mission from God, and it all seems to be coming to fruition. The end has not one, but two jaw-dropping cliffhangers and, as the cover proudly exclaims, if you're a true X-Men fan then this is a surprise you've been waiting for.

The new direction the book has taken is a mixed blessing. Those who were big fans of the original teen drama might dislike this straight-out superhero book, but at its core it seems to be so much more than that. Kyle and Yost have crafted a very well-told, intricate story even with all the unabashed action. They are achieving something that a lot of writers would like to do. In a world of that kind of danger the body count would be significantly higher than it is, and although it angers many people when their favorite characters get killed, there's a sense of realism that comes along with it. People die, and when you're battling those who want you dead, they die even faster and that's what is being shown in New X-Men. Granted, it would be nice to have something good happen soon.

-4 of 5, Jo Schmidt

Ultimate Spider-Man #93 (Marvel)

Writer Brian Bendis is known for his experimentation when it comes to laying out comics. He's covered entire pages with internal monologues with just a single picture on the page. An entire issue of Alias read like a script, nothing but dialogue with a couple still pictures inter-spliced throughout the issue. Ultimate Spider-Man 93 can be added to that list. Spider-Man has been kidnapped alongside the X-Men, and they are being hunted for sport on an isolated island, something that's being broadcast to the world, live. As the story unfolds it is accompanied by the host of the show giving commentary as well as an interview with the villain of the story, Deadpool, featured as side notes along the bottom of each page. These sidebars allow for lots of extra information and story without breaking up the action of the comic. The problem, however, is that the action isn't very entertaining. Sure there are explosions and mutants fighting cyborgs, but this is the second issue in a row like this, and it can only be entertaining for so long. Like most issues of Ultimate Spider-Man, the highlight is the dialogue between Spidey and whatever girl he's currently dating. Right now it is the X-Men's Kitty Pryde, something that has caused some of the most entertaining stories of the past year. Spidey remarking every chance he gets that he is not a mutant, and therefore shouldn't be hunted, gets some great reactions from Kitty, as she finds the remarks belittling and offensive to her people. As always, Mark Bagley's art is great-a perfect blend of Western and Eastern styles, making it something not to be overlooked. Overall Ultimate Spider-Man 93 is a solid issue, a little boring at times, but with a cool twist on story-telling. And if you don't buy it for that, buy it for possibly one of the most random endings in comics, ever.

-3 of 5, Chris Burke

Article Tools