Wednesday has come and gone. The heroes have fought their battles and villains have hinted at things to come. Now it’s time to review the game tape…

This week’s set of reviews is a team-up. Like any good team up, it began with a fight. Jesse mistook me for a criminal breaking into his house. We fought and broke some furniture; Jesse threw me through a brick wall, and then he remembered that he invited me to visit. After clearing up the misunderstanding, we fought some crime then read some comic books. The deal was he read whatever I bought, and I read whatever he bought. So here we go: the Joker/ Penguin Team-up!

THE GOON #33 – Eric Powell goes out of his way to prove he’s a master of the medium with this silent issue.  He tells a funny, done-in-one story where all of the characters express themselves through graphic thought balloons.  It’s very well done, and is a great way to demonstrate what only comics can do.

I agree with everything you just said. Is it me, or do the Goon issues always feel like they go by too quickly?

It is not just you.

GREEN LANTERN #48 – A stong showing by Johns and Mahnke as representatives from each of the Corps put aside their differences to fight the Black Lanterns.  I’m also starting to like Larfleeze, whose insistence at getting his own Guardian was a highlight of the issue.

I liked this issue too. It gave some nice depth to Atrocitus. That neither Sinestro’s wheeling and deal nor Hal’s “nice speech” swayed Atrocitus and Larfleeze is quite interesting to me. I just wish there was some model for Larfleeze and that the artists would work harder to follow it. The only reason I can recognize the character is his orange outfit. He’s alternately appeared as a warthog, and Predator, and something closer to any and all versions of G’Nort.

While technically correct that GL #48 happens before the events of BLACKEST NIGHT #6, it’s more accurate to say that it happens before BLACKEST NIGHT #5. That potential confusion sets the stage for the flaming turd that BN is becoming. If you’re wondering who Nekron is or why and how a z-list villain suddenly caused all this trouble, good luck getting answers. On the other hand, if you’re wondering why Black Hand has been fondling Bruce Wayne’s skull, you’ll get your answers here. It’s pretty lame and quickly over. Worse is the turn of events at the end of the book…damn it Johns! Such a great start is turning into a crappy wrap-up. Oh and for that Dove fan out there, you’ve got a nice surprise.

I would say the same thing was true for Libra in Final Crisis, too.  He was set up to be some major badass, but the story was really about Darkseid.

IMAGE UNITED #1 – As frenzied as I’ve been making myself for this book, I had to hold off until I could find the Jim Lee cover.  For some dumb reason it means a lot to me to pick up the cover that brings
back the one Image founder who couldn’t make it.  Hopefully I’ll get a review up when I look at This Week’s Comics (Link to the This Week’s Comics tag?) on Monday.

So you’re saying that IMAGE UNITED was really IMAGE UNAVAILABLE? IMAGE DENIED?

SPIDER-MAN 1602 #1-2 – This is one that Matt picked up, but I was pleasantly surprised with this one.  It was a surprisingly strong story, but one that felt inherently weaker every time Parker was forced to shoehorn Marvel trademarked characters into the plot. Pilgrim Peter Parquagh (take THAT, Stan Lee) vs Harbormaster Norman Osborne is a good story, but when the captain of the ship taking them back to England is Captain Stacy…Well, we already know where some of this is going.  When pirates attack and we see they are The King’s Pin and The Bull’s Eye — whatever those are — I just had to groan.  More original plot, less “I know who that is!” moments, please.

I don’t understand how you’re down on this idea of fitting known characters into this unknown world. It’s sort of the whole premise of the original and subsequent books. I thought it was clever to give The Bull’s Eye tattoos in a Maori warrior fashion like Quequeg from Moby Dick. I’m looking also forward to the developing plot with Otto Octavius and the dinosaur eggs. Feels like we’ve got a Curt Connors showing up soon, and I doubt we’re done with Osborne.

I like the idea, and I loved the original mini by Neil Gaiman, it just seemed forced.  Maybe I’m just crazy, maddened after the thrill and adrenaline of throwing a man through a brick wall.

There’ll be a more comprehensive Game Tape when I finally get home and can get my books from the LCS. Enjoy Turkey day and the rest of the weekend. Me? I’m hitting up some crazy sales at some comic shops in Jesse’s area tomorrow.