Holy Cliff-Hangers!

This week has been nuts for me work-wise. I am in my hotel room in glorious BC supposedly getting ready for a trade show when really I'm reviewing comics. Sweet, sweet deception!

First up: Brightest Day: Generation Lost # 11. One word. TORA. Tora really comes into her own in this one, fueled by the fact that she thinks her best friend Bea has been killed but does the team need what she's turned into? Also: enter Metal Men. I love these guys. The appearance of the Metal Men under Lord's control plus the fact that Batman and Power Girl were inches away from discovering Lord's plot before they blanked out raises this question: Who can't Maxwell Lord control? Guess we will have to wait and find out.

Green Lantern #58 was a pretty good read. I enjoyed Carol throwing the line 'I'll be home when my job is done', back in Hal's face. It is surprising to me that although he is the Earth's Greatest Green Lantern, he is completely stupid when it comes to women. He want Carol to give up the throne of the Star Sapphires and do. . . what, exactly? That's right, wait for him. While he's still seeing Cowgirl. Hmm. Maybe what Hal Jordan needs is a lesson in humility, and by the looks of the ending of this issue, he just might get it. In between the Carol-Hal situation, it seems as though Adara has finally chosen. The Blue Entity chose Nicole, a young girl who had been kidnapped by a very bad man, to bond with and it looks like she chose well. So far.

What would the universe be without Guy Gardner? Probably very dull and boring. Thankfully, he's still around and in Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #3, he makes a rather tough decision after coming face-to-face with Bleez. Thats all I can say about this one; you really need to read it yourself to actually see what I'm talking about. Plus Sodom Yat. But that's all I'm saying. Really.

I would like to talk about the whole Batman/Bruce Wayne: The Road Home but I am in BC without the benefit of the rest of my comic arsenal so for now I will just say that I am glad Bruce Wayne is back but I think he's a dick. Done.

Knight and Squire on the other hand is a lovely deviation from the heavy 'is he really dead/nope just kidding' Batman situation and I love it. I love everything about these two: costumes, banter, accents. Hopefully they will cross over into a few other books but if not, the six issue series will be great on its own.

What would October be without a couple of horror comics? This week I picked up two: Tomb of Terror #1 and House of Mystery: Halloween Annual #2. One Marvel, one DC. I cannot say enough good things about either of these books for different reasons.

Tomb of Terror goes back to the heart of true horror; something that Marvel has always done quite well. This book hearkens back to the glorious age of black and white horror comics. Featuring Swamp Thing, a werewolf, Hellstorm, and a short story about a mummy, this book blends together classic horror with solid art and makes it a great read. Just not before bed; it is in black and white and sometimes the shapes on the walls look like images from the book. Maybe it's me.

House of Mystery tells the tale of four trick-or-treaters who have been cursed to wander forever in costume trick-or-treating. Sounds fairly innocent, but when you see the various takes on the foursome you quickly realize they are definitely not children and they most definitely do not want the curse lifted. Which is why I don't open my door to children after dark. Ever.

That's what I read this week. What did you read?

Death is the new Black

Have you spent sleepless nights wondering what happens after we die? If you've lost someone close to you, do you ever wish you could bring them back? And if you could bring them back, would you really want to?

The recurring theme of bringing loved ones back from the dead with dire consequences is one that audiences, be them readers or moviegoers or both, have become enthralled with. The idea that with a bit of luck, science, or magic you could be reunited with your recently deceased lover is usually greeted with enthusiam on the part of the bereaved. One of the biggest moral questions is whether or not it's right to interfere with the natural order of things. Many people feel that people die when it's their time and they should be allowed to go peacefully. If you mess with that, you could potentially open the door to something darker, like when Buffy was resurrected by Willow and lost her place in the peaceful after-life. Buffy was so pissed at being wrenched away from what she felt was a well-deserved rest back into a world full of hate that she. . . well if you don't know, you'll have to google it.

Comics are famous for killing and resurrecting heroes. When Superman died, the whole comic world mourned. When he came back, we hated his new costume but loved the fact that he was back. When Joker was beating the shit out of then-Robin Jason Todd, DC held a contest to decide his fate. Yep, he died. Beaten to death with a crowbar. Superman, Aquaman, Flash, Supergirl, Hal Jordan, Oliver Queen, the list of resurrrected heroes goes on. Point is: should they have come back?

DC's 'Blackest Night' and the on-going 'Brightest Day' series have both killed and brought heroes back to life that perhaps should have been left dead. When the twelve were resurrected, I cheered to see some of my favourites drawing breath again and silently despaired that others had been forgotten. The latest issue of 'Brightest Day' is far from disappointing even though it is a bit confusing. Here's my question: the heroes who have been brought back are still very much 'alive' yet their Black Lantern counter-parts are also 'alive'. How can this be? We thought that Black Lanterns could only be formed from the essence of the one they killed/possessed? And why is Mars green? So many questions, although the chance to see the Hawks in Black Lantern gear again? Priceless.

That's comics for you. Always throwing you a curve ball.

I picked up a comic called 'Shield' not realizing it wasn't the one I thought it would be and now I am completely confused as to why Leonardo da Vinci is the saviour of the world. I suppose I will have to hunt down the previous issues so that I can sleep again. Dear Hickman: What the hell is going on here? Robots living in the sun, secret socities, death; why wasn't I reading this before? Anyway. I will talk about that comic once I figure out what it's about.

'Batman Odyssey' is becoming a yawn. While I love Neal Adams, this just isn't doing it for me. Having said that, I still intend to pick up every issue because Neal Adams. D'uh. In issue #26, 'Secret Six' has finally remembered that the team functions best when it's disfunctional so. . . good job there. Wow, Catman. 'Hawkeye and Mockingbird' have broken up. Sorry, but they did. Marvel's answer to power-couple Black Canary and Green Arrow have called it quits. Like DC's team though, I wonder how long before they are back at it? Now it's time for my favorite book this week and if you didn't buy it WHY ARE YOU STILL SITTING THERE?!

Two words. Deadpool. Max.

Thank you David Lapham and double thank you Kyle Baker. Together, these guys have managed to capture the insanity and humour that is Deadpool. One of my favourite characters, Deadpool yuks it up while he's ripping your heart out and when you kill him, he comes back. Like in the just-wrapped Punisher series about the end of the world with zombies. In that, he keeps trying to deliver a message to Frank Castle and Frank keeps dismembering him. Good stuff.

Lapham's writing has allowed Baker's art to capture the essence of crazy, and there is plenty of that. The story centres on an undercover agent who is supposed to be working with Deadpool. Right off the bat you know it's going to go horribly wrong and the fact that the operative looks as though he's gone ten rounds with Mike Tyson is an indication of the hell he's going through. Trust me when I say you will need to pick this one up if for no other reason that to find out how to make an impression of a key using a turd. You heard me.

What are you waiting for? Get out to your nearest comic shop and get reading!