If anybody is still reading it, keep us updated if something important happens. :)

Yeah, I assume it is him, I doubt someone else would have "Ethan Van Sciver" as a forum name. But the last time I noticed him posting, he started his own thread, & all wannabe mods here kind of flamed him for starting the thread wrong. I haven't seen him post since.

Ah, the DVDtalk elite. I love those guys.

Wow, Black Mask from the Batman comic book is going to be on the "The Batman" cartoon. I don't know why that shocks me but it does.

FYI, the google/buy deal ($10 off every $30 order) was extended until 11/06.

52 #26 - it's the half-way point through the run, and I'm still ambivalent to this concept because these secondary characters aren't very interesting, but I can't quite quit the year-long series. Now, Osirus getting to name a mutated crocodile isn't your average storyline.

Superman Confidential 1 - not a bad start in a story arc featuring Superman's impending first encounter with kryptonite a week after he makes a huge splash saving a plane full of passengers for his first document super-feat. (Obviously no ties to Superboy or Smallville in this title).

Justice League of America 3 - The writing's a little wordy, a little confusing with all these tornadoes spinning around, but I'm still going to hang with it for now. Plus the sniping between the big 3 and their own membership status is sort of funny.

Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes - this was actually a promising start to getting to the bottom of the very presence of Supergirl in the 31st century.

The Authority 1 - that was a brisk read, maybe too brisk for such an anticipated title relaunch for me (with Morrison and Ha on board).

I still have 3 other issues to read: She-Hulk, Agents of Atlas, and Mystery in Space.

I did make use of the $10 Google checkout deal at buy.com and ordered Absolute New Frontiers.

This past week I liked JLA #3, a lot more than I did the second issue. My problem, though, is that STILL we have Supes, Bats, and Diana all sitting around a table choosing the team. I enjoyed the fight at the beginning of the issue, though - Brad Meltzer seems to know how to write awesome fight sequences(see Identity Crisis also). I've said it before - this is JLA, and we should be seeing the Justice League fighting baddies.

Hulk #100 was decent, if not a total retread of the last couple issues. Hulk fights, Hulk wins, Hulk and his crew move on to another location. The prophecy of the Sakaarson is discussed. Rinse, repeat. The best part was the side story that was drawn by Gary Frank involving Reed Richards discovering that Hulk isn't on the planet that he and the Illuminati sent him to. Methinks big things are in the works...

Ex Machina #24 was yet another amazing issue from BKV, who is definitely my fav writer working today. The ending was worth the price of admission alone.

I'm hopin'! Your review reflected my feelings - I was pretty sure the 100th issue would return Hulk to Earth, and I'm kinda glad it didn't happen, but the story is getting too repetitious. If things don't improve soon, Bronkster smash!

Do you know when the 4th TPB is coming out? I picked up the first 3 a few months back but I've been out of the loop since then.

Here you go: http://www.dccomics.com/graphic_novels/?gn=6145

11/29/06 :)

I was a little late to the series, but love everything about it (writing, plot, art)

I know this is pretty much an all spandex Marvel/DC crowd, but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, take my word for it, & pick up The Damned tomorrow. Issue #2 comes out, so make sure your LCS orderes it if he hasn't done so already. #1 is still available for reorder, so your local fat comic book clerk is lying to you if he says he can't get it.

Like Wasteland (another vastly underrated comic) this is a brilliant new series from the always amazing Oni Press. It's basically an old fashioned 50's gangsta comic/noir series crossed with Kolchak. Awesome stuff with amazing art by Brian Hurt.

http://www.thedamnedcomic.com/smallerDamn1.jpg

I'm still ordering it, though I haven' read a single issue yet. Half way there, might as well finish.

What are you paying for it. $2.50 per issue? Do yourself a favor and read the first couple of issues. If you like it, more power to you. If not, cut your losses and spend the money on an Absolute Edition or something.

I would read at least the first 5 issues, and if you don't like it then definitely stop buying it because it hasn't gotten any better. Seems like a huge waste of money for something that you don't even know if you're going to like.

I have to agree with the other responses... read what you have so far, at least the first 10 issues (the beginning was good, but then it went downhill). See if you like it, or if you have faith that the writing will return to what it was in those first 5 or so issues.

I'll say it again, the problem with "52" is that although it's supposed to be giving readers "all the answers" to what has happened to characters during the past year, it instead spends most of its time just shitting out more situations that keep you in the dark thus stringing the reader along.

I mean come the hell on, we should be reading this every week and saying "Ooooh, that's why that happened or Ooooh, that's where that came from!". Instead it's, "Huh? Ok, I guess I'll have to wait til next week to find out what that's all about. Assuming of course next week's issue will even have this part of the story in it".

I mean why don't we know why Hawkgirl was 25 ft tall? Why don't we know what happend to Alan "JSA Green Lantern" Scott's eyes and why does he have someone else's eye? I mean we know it had to do with some accident while returing to Earth, but that's it. But by now we should have TONS of answers.

And now I see that the number "52" is turing into some weirdness that's on it's way to the DCU. WTF????

The whole series...
 

is sitting up the return of Earth-2 and the use of magic in the DC universe. I've liked it so far, largely because it's the anti-big event book. Also the stuff with Skeets turning badass is just...interesting.

I think at this point the only other issue of 52 I plan on getting is....#52.

They should also be having new things spring up in the various DC titles that jumped ahead one year, and then say "if you want an explanation, check out this week's issue of 52." It'd draw some complaints, but it would help tie the series into the DCU better. Right now, as I've said before, we're not seeing any of the 52 characters in the other DCU books, so it feels like we're reading a different line of comics.

I'm paying around $1.60 an issue, though the first 4 were .75 cents I think. I'm not worried about the cost and at the very least it'll give me somehting to read at breakfast for 52 days.

That's because they're all dead at the end of 52.

Oops, should I have used spoiler tags? :D

Anyone read SUPERMARKET? I have that on my reading list for the weekend.

^Never heard of it. Time to do a little searching. Blurb sounds interesting enough. I'll have to look for it at the LCS when I go there next week.

Really?

Don't get me wrong, I like "52" more than the rest of the folks 'round here but I still think it could be better. I would love if it was a longer book each week.

While I agree with some of the points others are making here, mainly that we should be finding out a bit more information wise, I'm still enjoying this book. It's usually one of the first comics I read every week.

For a good anaolgy I'd say reading this book is a lot like watching the TV show LOST - lot's of questions, with not too many answers being given without raising even more questions. You just kind of want them to start getting to the meat of it all.


Brisk read, but also looks to be a slow set up, too, as the title characters didn't even appear in the book at all. Wonder how long that will continue for?