RAPID REVIEWS FOR SEPTEMBER 1999: Akiko #35 Aquaman #63 (preview pages on DC's Website) Archie's Weird Mysteries Astro City #19 Avengers #1 1/2 Avengers #22 Avengers Forever #10 Avengers United They Stand #1 Batman Beyond #1 Batman/Tarzan: Claws of the Cat-Woman #1 Batman: The Gotham Adventures #18 Birds of Prey #11 Brainbomb Catwoman: Guardian of Gotham #2 Chuck and the Chickencow Colonia #3 Earth X #8 Flash and Green Lantern: The Brave and The Bold #2 Green Lantern #118 Hourman #8 Iron Man #22 JLA #35 JLA 80-Page Giant #2 JLA Superpower JSA #4 Kyle Lantern 12" Figure League of Extraordinary Gentlemen #4 Legends of the DCU #22 Martian Manhunter #12 National Geographic September 1999 Platypus Rex #0 (Ashcan) Previews Vol IX #9 Previews Vol IX #10 Rampage Rising Stars #2 Smithsonian August 1999 Smithsonian September 1999 Speed Racer #2 Supergirl #38 Superman Adventures #37 Thieves and Kings #28 Thor #17 Titans #9 Treehouse of Horror #5 Usagi Yojimbo #31 Usagi Yojimbo Book One (Fantagraphics) Weird Al Yankovic in Concert Wizard #98 Wizard #99 Xena: Warrior Princess #1 Young Justice #14 Rapid Reviews for 1 September 1999: Astro City #19, Batman: The Gotham Adventures #18, Birds of Prey #11, Green Lantern #118, Martian Manhunter #12, Thor #17, Thieves and Kings #28, Young Justice #14, Previews Vol IX #9, Weird Al Yankovic in Concert, and Smithsonian August 1999. Astro City #19 How long have I been waiting for this? Well, my last review of Astro City says June 23rd, so not as long as I have in the past, I think. Still, the payoff is here, and I really enjoyed it. Everything is finally hitting stride, and the next book will be the last in the arc. This is still the best superhero book on the market right now. RAPID VERDICT: Excellent issue. Batman: The Gotham Adventures #18 It's a bad sign when you forget the plot of a book only twenty minutes after reading it. Still, this wasn't a bad issue. It involves Man-Bat and a healthy dose of mystery for the detective to solve, although the clues *do* seem to drop right into his lap. Not the best issue I've read. RAPID VERDICT: An average issue. Birds of Prey #11 Well, *that* was unexpected. For me, at least. So a mystery remains, but the clone was taken care of a little too handily. This was probably the weakest issue so far, in my view. RAPID VERDICT: Not too bad. Green Lantern #118 This picks up nicely from last issue (except no Peter Parker this time). The cover is just annoying. The relationships are just annoying. Does the writer know any actual women? RAPID VERDICT: This left me cold, but boys will like it. Martian Manhunter #12 Crossover fever... this tied in closely with the Day of Judgment storyline, but at least we get to see J'onn in more than just a flashback. This issue was clearly meant to bring new readers up to speed, so there is too much rehashing. And I never was a fan of the Detroit League... RAPID VERDICT: Eh, it's ok. Thor #17 Avast ye, me mateys! oh, wait... no. That's not it. Um, methinks this issue goes overboard on the dialogue. And if *I* think it went overboard (I've been defended Jurgens on the dialogue front for some time), then it was probably too much. But then, all the action this issue was Thor... except for a bit that ties in with yet another crossover. Argh. No real plot movement, and too much blabbing. RAPID VERDICT: Avoid this one, folks. Thieves and Kings #28 The plot moves along, and a HUGE amount is explained in a long text piece. I'm sensing a clash coming up very soon, and I'm eager to see it. I miss Rubel, though. The story has moved away from him and Heath, and I hope to see more of them soon. RAPID VERDICT: Another good issue of a great book. Young Justice #14 Coming hard on the heels of a crossover with Supergirl is... another crossover. Well, this one is better done than the last, in my opinion, and moves the overall plot of Young Justice ahead nicely. Yes, Secret's brother did her harm. At least I mostly get along with my sibs... RAPID VERDICT: Ok story, hardly marred by the crossover. Previews Vol IX #9 Dark Horse managed to annoy me this month with an ad on cardstock. I like laying Previews open on my lap or desk, and it always opens up to the stupid ad. So I'll rip it out and avoid the book it advertised. On to other DH books... Xena, more of the Batman/Tarzan almost Elseworld, a short Xena story in Dark Horse Presents #148. On to DC... Superman, Inc Elseworld looks fun. Aquaman #63 gets a full page ad! Boy, that Kaluta cover looks way better than any Aquaman cover for the last few years. New DC Direct action figures, including a Hal Jordan that my husband will get. Nice looking figures, too. Astro City #20, finally! Image has Rising Stars #3, otherwise a bore this month. Marvel... blah. Colonia #4! Wahoo! RAPID VERDICT: A light month... whew. Weird Al Yankovic In Concert at the Evergreen State Fair Now, I like Weird Al's music, sometimes a lot. I enjoy his parodies, and his original songs are even better. But I don't like crowds much, so concerts generally disappoint me. But this... Al is different. You don't know anything about this guy until you see him in action. And he is always amazing. This particular concert, the second Al concert I've been to, was punctuated by a wild hailstorm that missed the venue to the south but lit up the sky in time to the music. Although the concert itself ran a little short, my husband and I had won coveted backstage passes and got to meet the band and Al in person. All-in-all an enjoyable night, despite several mishaps leading up to the fun. RAPID VERDICT: If you've never seen Al in concert, try to sometime. Smithsonian August 1999 Turquoise on the cover, and a nice article about it inside. Enough to make me almost want to get a piece of turquoise jewelry, even though I don't wear any jewelry generally. Maybe a nice pendant or something, someday. Anyway... other articles include info on Javelina (pig-like creatures), Mount Athos (you thought *comics* has a problem with women), Gustave Moreau (always lots of paintings in this mag), and Checkers (almost enough to make me take up the game again). RAPID VERDICT: Another strong issue of a continually strong magazine. Rapid Reviews for 9 September 1999: Avengers United They Stand #1, Colonia #3, Hourman #8, Iron Man #22, JLA 80-Page Giant #2, JLA Superpower, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen #4, Legends of the DCU #22, and Superman Adventures #37 Avengers United They Stand #1 Kurt Busiek is to blame for getting me hooked on the Avengers, and Paul Dini is to blame for getting me hooked on superhero cartoons. They are both represented in this new series from Marvel, and amusingly enough the first issue deals with the creation of a villain that Kurt's heroes are facing over in the "real" book! I haven't decided if I like the book yet, but I'm actually eager to check out the show now. RAPID VERDICT: Not bad... not bad at all... Colonia #3 Not even three full issues into this book, and I've been recommending it back and forth. This is one of the most imaginative and unusual books I've read recently, and it just keeps getting better. I was rather surprised at the news that it's going bi-monthly, but I'm pretty happy, too. I really want to see where this tale goes. And Jeff Nicholson printed one of my typically abrupt letters, too. RAPID VERDICT: Buy this book! Hourman #8 Snapper, the truly annoying character we first met in the original Justice League story, is on his own in this issue. And he's facing some very hard inner demons that force him to examine a past that is far from spotless. Of course... this *is* a Day of Judgment crossover, so not all the demons in the book are inner. Added at the end is a nice little set-up for a future issue and... RAPID VERDICT: Wow! A good issue despite (or even because of) the crossover! Iron Man #22 Part two of a crossover that I'm only getting the first two parts of. I get the whole build-up thing, and I guess I like the story... ok, I'll be honest. Busiek's excellent writing couldn't save this concept. Although the story held together ok, the crossover failed to draw me in. Add in the *@$!^#%! annoying Spider-Man preview in the middle of the book, and we have a very skippable comic book. RAPID VERDICT: Skip it. JLA 80-Page Giant #2 Anthologies are so often a mixed bag that if they don't completely focus on a character I like, I usually expect less from them. IN this case, I lowered my expectations quite a bit based on previous 80-pagers. But I needn't have worried. This was an anthology in which I enjoyed almost every story, and I didn't actively dislike any of them. The Wonder Woman, Huntress and Barda story was my favorite for reasons that should be clear to anyone who knows I'm an Aquaman fan. I also liked the Justice Legion A story, surprisingly. RAPID VERDICT: A decent collection of stories. JLA Superpower I was expecting to hate this one-shot. I expected it to be more ho-hum, supervillain infiltrates the league again. It wasn't. And, in fact, it answered a very important question that I never expected would *ever* be answered in a superhero book. I don't particularly like the main character (I agree with Kyle on something!), but I understand. And that makes for a good tale. RAPID VERDICT: Not incredible, but certainly worth a look. League of Extraordinary Gentlemen #4 This has been renamed on my pull list as the "League of Extra-Late Gentlemen", but it finally came. And some wow-gosh revelations are made that, to be honest, I didn't expect at all. Hyde's abilities surprise me the most, but the players that I didn't expect to show up surprise me too. This book will be good to read in one sitting, if the final issue ever comes out. RAPID VERDICT: An intriguing tale. Legends of the DCU #22 I got this book because my good friends Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier wrote it, even though I had sworn to not buy anymore Legends of the DCU featuring popular characters that I don't like a lot. I was not disappointed. My friends turned in a truly bizarre story that is helped along by interestingly detailed artwork. This isn't the best Superman story I've ever read, but it's a nice change of pace. RAPID VERDICT: An odd story that delivers plenty. Superman Adventures #37 A decent story with a returning villain, but it left me... cold. I didn't really enjoy it, although it was clever enough and fun enough. Had it been the first ever issue of Superman Adventures I read then no doubt I would've loved it. But this one just seemed like too much of the same-old for me. RAPID VERDICT: A good story with ok art. Rapid Reviews for 15 September 1999: Akiko #35, Avengers Forever #10, Flash and Green Lantern: The Brave and The Bold #2, JSA #4, Titans #9, Usagi Yojimbo #31, Wizard #98, and National Geographic September 1999. Akiko #35 What a cool cover! Crilley is doing homages to classic art (in this case a portrait by Hans Holbein) and the result is astonishingly neat. On to the story... King Froptoppit (who apparently keeps odd hours) asks Beeba to go Moonshopping. So Beeba gathers the crew and they take off for the Farflux dimension. Saying much more would spoil the fun, but trust me, it's good. I want to know what the Guller Cups taste like. The fan art in the back and the backup story are also excellent. RAPID VERDICT: Don't miss this one, folks. Avengers Forever #10 Back to the story after last issue's interlude, the Avengers meet their future spawn face-to-face and don't like what they see. And they get to meet one of the forces behind their situation as the whole thing builds up to a climax. At least I've got enough of the facts marshalled that I was able to follow the story this time. RAPID VERDICT: A hard read with lots of references to the past. Flash and Green Lantern: The Brave and The Bold #2 I liked this issue. I like Kid Flash, and having him do the Lantern thing was also fun. The story itself was a little uneven, but there were so many good bits along with a nice Silver Age feel, that I can forgive the flaws. RAPID VERDICT: A pretty good story. JSA #4 Battle from the start, between the new Fate and this Mordru guy. I like the jaunt into hypertime (for lack of a better term) and hope to see more of those Elseworlds someday. I don't recognize the guy who is revealed to be the new Fate (though after the explanations are passed around, I at least know who he is). This is really part four of the first story arc, and at the end of the issue, the JSA is really formed. I'm just not sure I liked it, overall. RAPID VERDICT: Average issue. Titans #9 Another Day of Judgment crossover. I really dislike the art in this issue, very jarring. By the end of the issue I was almost used to it, but I prefer the regular penciller. This issue is a lot less impressive than previous ones. I admit I've been a drooling fangirl over Devin Grayson's Titans so far, but this issue really seemed off to me, with more than just the art. The return of Goth was boring, the crossover bits were boring, the part with Deathstroke was incomprehensible to me... but I liked Roy and Chanda discussing Cheshire... although parts of that rang false also. Other short character bits were ok, but too disjointed to work well. RAPID VERDICT: Not something for new readers to pick up. Usagi Yojimbo #31 I bought the last issue of Usagi Yojimbo but had intended to follow my usual pattern of buying new books like this. One taste, then do the back-issue search, THEN buy the series regularly. I knew the back issue search was going to be difficult with this title, though, so I ... um... put it off. When I went into my shop to get this week's comics, I noticed another customer with his Usagi (I recognized it by the back cover!), and thought maybe I'd check the shelves for a copy. To my surprise, a copy was waiting in my box. My shop owner hadn't known to take it off my pull list. So, joyfully, I got a copy without lifting a finger. And from now on I'll be pre-ordering it, too. For a comic book that's been going on so long, this comic is remarkably easy to get into without any back-story whatsoever. Two issues now, and both have been excellent stand-alone tales. This one, about a haunted inn and a foolish bet, is a keeper. I *really* need to hit the back-issue bins for Usagi Yojimbo, and I urge anyone who likes strong stories to do the same. RAPID VERDICT: This is one of the best on the market. Check it out. Wizard #98 I didn't get my Wizard on time this month, and so got to test the service department of Wizard subscriptions. I went to their website and found a likely e-mail address, and asked if my subscription had run out. I got a very prompt reply (less than a full day): no, your sub runs out in Mar 2000, and I'm sending you a replacement issue. Way cool, I didn't even have to use snailmail. Kudos to the behind-the-scenes folks at Wizard. As for the issue... a nice cover of the new animated Avengers, which I'll be checking out. A fairly interesting article about Morrison's last stand with JLA. A VERY good answer to the first letter in the Magic Words column (my husband's comment, "Is this really Wizard?"). Basic Training is about feet, and was so-so (an artist should find it useful). Drawing Board has one really nice fan piece of The Hulk in Black & White. And that's really about all I liked this issue. The news I'd mostly heard before, the features mostly didn't interest me... RAPID VERDICT: Slightly sub-par for Wizard. National Geographic September 1999 Cover story is about Betrand Piccard's successful attempt to circle the globe in a hot air balloon, and is an interesting, if oddly slanted, article. I followed the attempts in the newspapers for some time, and notice that the competitors aren't given a lot of credit in the article, for the most part. Other articles include an enlightening piece on Kashmir (the place), a... disturbing (to me) article on Masai Initiation, a great article on Olive Oil, a nice piece about preserving pre-historic artworks in the Sahara, a bit on Mongolian Eagles, a down-home bit about Rodeos, and an article about the Galileo mission with very nice images of the moons of Jupiter. All-in-all an average issue, and one that reminds me again that the writers of this magazine are also only human. RAPID VERDICT: Average for this mag is good, pick one up! Rapid Reviews for 22 September 1999: Batman/Tarzan: Claws of the Cat-Woman #1, Batman Beyond #1, Catwoman: Guardian of Gotham #2, Earth X #8, Speed Racer #2, Supergirl #38, Treehouse of Horror #5, and Xena: Warrior Princess #1. Batman/Tarzan: Claws of the Cat-Woman #1 Oh yeah! This *IS* an Elseworld, don't let the lack of the Elseworld logo fool you. Bruce Wayne meets up with Lord Greystoke, and they quickly join forces to stop a thievery that disgusts them both. The art bothers me in places, but the writing is solid. RAPID VERDICT: Check it out, especially if you like Tarzan and have read the first book. Batman Beyond #1 Not a bad first issue, really. Batman against Batman is a nice way to start, and manages to establish the characters well. Bringing back an old villain wasn't bad, but his "minions" needed more explanation than my rapid reading revealed. Altogether a pretty good first start. RAPID VERDICT: Worth a look if you like the character. Catwoman: Guardian of Gotham #2 The art seriously detracts from this story for me, but despite the blatant nature of it, I liked this part of the story more than the first part. If you are tired of endless Batman Elseworlds, avoid. If you like Balent's top-heavy art, check it out. RAPID VERDICT: Slightly worse than average. Earth X #8 I can't believe there are four more issues to go after this one. Well, the cliff-hanger was eventually resolved, I think. I'm not sure what to make of this one, except that it seems to be changing the rules established so far in the series. That may not be bad, but it sure makes it confusing. This series would be too much for one sitting when it's done, I think, but reading it less spread out could only help. RAPID VERDICT: Wha' happened? Speed Racer #2 In this issue we get more of the story of the family, including the fate of Hank. There's also a flashback to World War II and Nazi Germany that is powerful in what is not actually said. For a kids book based on a campy kids series, this is some really deep stuff. With the motive of Racer X set up, and Speed all ready to take to the track, I wonder if this concept could sustain a series. I would buy it. RAPID VERDICT: Pretty good! Supergirl #38 Again with the crossover. Not a very coherent issue, all things considered. I don't like Zauriel, though he's used well in the context of this story. All things considered, a very skippable issue. RAPID VERDICT: Pass. Treehouse of Horror #5 A handful of stories: "Dark Lisa" by Jill Thompson was a somewhat silly tale taking advantage of Lisa's beliefs and turning her into a super-hero for a bit. "Xt'tapalatakettle's Day" by Sergio Aragones is about what you'd expect from Sergio. "Apu on Rigel 7" was odd, but amusing. RAPID VERDICT: Average. Xena: Warrior Princess #1 The story starts with the heroes getting nailed to crosses by nasty Romans. And goes downhill from there. The characters don't bear a lot of resemblance to the actors who play them in the show, oddly enough. Gabrielle looks very different than I recall. Callisto shows up... and I'm not really sure what to think. RAPID VERDICT: Not the best start to a new series. Rapid Reviews for 23 September 1999: Brainbomb, Chuck and the Chickencow, Platypus Rex #0 (Ashcan), Rampage, Usagi Yojimbo Book One (Fantagraphics), and Smithsonian September 1999. BRAINBOMB I haven't finished this yet. And I probably won't tonight. This is a book that I will savor as long as possible. This is a GIANT book. This is worth more, to me, than the meager $20 I paid for it. This is a really, really, cool book. It's aimed at an all-age audience, and has specific information to make it usable in a classroom setting. In addition to "Amy Unbounded" (why I bought it), it's got "Clan Apis", "Patty Cake"... if I list them all I'll go nuts... 23 stories, and bonus features on creating comic books, drawing, writing, and even lesson plans for teachers! Write to wingnutibh@aol.com (Brian Clopper) and ask for more information about how to get it, or wait for it to come out in shops early next year. RAPID VERDICT: I already know I like this, and I've only read the first four stories. Buy it. CHUCK AND THE CHICKENCOW This is an origin tale, put together by writer Rick Garland and artist Rich Werner. Werner's work is detailed and yet *very* cartoony (he did an Aquaman sketch for me at the con, http://www.eskimo.com/~tegan/aqua/artwork/Werner_Richard.jpg). The style is both unique and fun, and for the most part tells the tale very well. The problems I have with this book are with the story itself. As an silly and overly biased reader, I saw two main flaws: - The first is a simple case of characterization. This is an origin story, but cliches are used to carry the parts: obnoxious and curious kid, mad but well-meaning scientist, misunderstood monster. I wished for a little more development on Chuck's part, at the least. - The second is the language. This could, very easily, be an all-ages book that I would recommend to all my readers, but adult language is used that jolted me right out of the story. People might argue that such language is realistic, even from a kid of Chuck's apparent age, but I'll argue right back that the last thing this book needs is realism. Still, despite the flaws, this one is worth a peek... I really do like the art, even if it's not the style I usually pursue. I will be watching for more copies at future cons. If you want a copy, send a couple of bucks to Rich Werner, 1425 West Smith, Apt 1041, Kent WA 98032, and tell him to get an e-mail address. RAPID VERDICT: Could be better, but worth a peek. PLATYPUS REX #0 (Ashcan) Platypus Rex is by Quenton Shaw and Mark Brill. Mark Brill was kind enough to do an Aquaman sketch for me at the con I bought this book at (http://www.eskimo.com/~tegan/aqua/artwork/Brill_Mark.jpg). He was originally going to do a sketch of his character (a platypus) as Aquaman, but chose instead to do a classic version. As for the book itself, hmmm. Maybe "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" meets "Howard the Duck"? Maybe a little better. Not for kids, but pretty fun, nonetheless. I probably won't go after more copies, myself, but I can recommend it as something fun to try. Write to the creators at platypuspress@hotmail.com and tell them the Aquaman fan sent you. RAPID VERDICT: Not bad at all... RAMPAGE Like Brainbomb, only smaller and for an older audience. It's also got an "Amy Unbounded" story in it, which of course makes it worth what I paid (can you tell I like Amy?). I will also probably buy "Son of Rampage" once I'm through with this and "Brainbomb". Look out Brian... Want a copy? Write to wingnutibh@aol.com (Brian Clopper) and ask for more information! RAPID VERDICT: Not as highly recommended as Brainbomb, but worth a look or two. USAGI YOJIMBO Book One (Fantagraphics) While at the con I used the opportunity to pick up a copy of the very first Usagi Yojimbo trade paperback from Fantagraphics. This one reprints various stories that came before the first ongoing series. Need I say I loved it? I kind of wish I'd grabbed all the others that the dealer had on his table. This is a very well-organized and nicely designed book that introduces us to Miyamoto Usagi and the world around him, and tells several exciting tales as well. Not only is it a good read, it's a good second-read, and I'm already reading every story again, mere days after getting it, for the sheer pleasure of it. RAPID VERDICT: HOW DID I MISS THIS SERIES?!?!?!? SMITHSONIAN September 1999 Another good issue, with tales of bird banding, the future of kitchens, Grunewald's artwork, poison bites, Durians, Art of Egypt, and the deadly hurricane that hit Galveston, Texas, in 1900. I enjoyed the tale of banding birds, and even identified with the banding teams ("collectors" of living beings without trapping them... cool!). The kitchen article irritated me, possibly because I'm a lousy cook. I don't see the genius in Grunewald's artwork, and in fact, find it kind of dull and stiff. All those comic books have spoiled me for true art appreciation, I guess. The article on bites made me paranoid for several days, even though there are *NO* poisonous creatures native to Western Washington at all. The article on durians made me not in the least bit curious to try this smelly fruit native to Malaysia, and that's a good thing since finding one in Seattle might be tough. The next article covers some *really* stiff art: the art of Egypt at the time the pyramids were built. Despite the style, I love this stuff and my only complaint about the article was that there should have been more pictures. The Galveston Hurricane was a lesson in humanity's ego, and a terrifying story. RAPID VERDICT: A great issue, find it and check it out! Rapid Reviews for 29 September 1999: Aquaman #63 (preview pages on DC's Website), Archie's Weird Mysteries, Avengers #22, Avengers #1 1/2, JLA #35, Rising Stars #2, Kyle Lantern 12" Figure, Previews Vol IX #10, and Wizard #99. Aquaman #63 (preview pages on DC's Website) I had hoped the DC website would get updated to include a few pages of the new Aquaman, and lo! There they are: The cover in B&W along with the first three pages! Jurgens uses a flashback to tell his opening tale of Aquaman, thus distancing himself appropriately from Larsen's series and allowing the inclusion of elements that might otherwise be out-of-place. Epting's art is quite good, and the story *flows* through the three pages we get. RAPID VERDICT: November 17th can't come soon enough. Archie's Weird Mysteries This is that comic that I was so excited that Archie had come out with... the one bundled for Halloween. This comic is small and thin, but packs a decent story that kind of introduces characters and definitely sets up for a couple of series. The insdie front and back covers have information on how to get comics. RAPID VERDICT: This will be a pretty good Halloween treat. Avengers #22 I really hate the extras in this book: the NextPlanetOver/Fox Kids ad, and that annoying Spider-Man preview. Had I *any* desire to pick up that Spider-Man issue, it's gone now. I never want to see it again. It's a pity the extras annoyed me so much, since the book itself is fantastic! This is a great issue, the end of an arc, and has all the best elements of spandex superheroes. RAPID VERDICT: Worth checking out! Avengers #1 1/2 This issue combined the feel of the Marvel Silver Age with in-jokes and silliness all for today's audience. From start to finish it was a comic book fan's delight. It is simple story, and well worth checking out. RAPID VERDICT: Don't miss this one, Silver Age Fans. JLA #35 So it happened. Hal was brought back. This issue deals with the repercussions of Day of Judgment, and at times I found myself going from "Yeah, right (ug)" to "Wow, that's cool!" Overall, the story was good, but the telling came across as clumsy at times. I'll take a "wait and see" attitude towards the events, but I think DC may have finally done something right by Hal Jordan. RAPID VERDICT: I've got mixed feelings about it, read and judge for youself. Rising Stars #2 I was annoyed that this didn't come out on time, but I'm used to waiting for good books I want to read. I keep thinking that this series will have to let me down at some point, but it hasn't yet. This issue is about a mysterious murder, and reveals more about Poet in the process. I'm looking forward to the next issue, which covers the tale of Lee. RAPID VERDICT: Check it out. Kyle Lantern 12" Action Figure My husband, a GL fan, bought this figure for his collection. I'm a little amused by this Kyle Lantern doll. I don't know exactly why he's grimacing so painfully. It looks like he just got kicked in the naughty bits or something. The lantern accessory is ok, but the gun and bandolier are rather blah. The articulation is ok, nothing to sneeze at, but that horrible face pretty much ruins the appeal of the figure for me. Just a note: apparently a lot of shops were shorted on this figure, getting only a small portion of their order. Don't blame me if you can't find it. RAPID VERDICT: At $25 a pop, not worth it. Previews Vol IX #10 It is going to be a month of hard decisions. My husband and I budget about $100 a month for comics for both of us, and this month my quick reckoning of what I want to get (me alone) comes to over $150... ouch. So it's finally time to cut out some superheroes that I'm not enjoying as much as the rest. - Dark Horse - Usagi Yojimbo now has a place of honor on my order, and won't be budged for anything. I'll certainly get the last issue of Batman/Tarzan. I would drop Xena if not for my Xena Comic Book Website (http://www.eskimo.com/~tegan/xena), the first issue was uninspiring. Thanks to the website, it gets a reprieve. - DC - The choice of millennium editions doesn't impress me, and I'll probably only get Detective #27. Three Elseworlds this month, one of them at $7. I might have to reconsider being an Elseworld completist. The only other DC books I know for sure I will continue getting are Aquaman, Birds of Prey, and Titans. All the others I usually get are now on the bubble. - Image - Age of Bronze and Rising Stars. Nothing else appeals. - Marvel - We'll probably drop Thor, and Iron Man #25 is the last we'll get. Avengers might be it for Marvel after this month. - Other - Four new comics caught my eye: Rare Creature #1 (of 4), Alphabet Supes #1, Fly Boys #1, and Universe So Big #1. Even with the massive cuts I'm making to the order, I'm going to try to fit in two of these series. I'm leaning toward Alphabet Supes and Universe So Big. Xeno's Arrow, Thieves & Kings, and Akiko all make the list. - Toys - I have to get the Aquaman 12" figure, of course. It's just fate, you know. Yes, it's probably overpriced, and maybe I could find it at that toy store for a little cheaper, but I support my comic shop, and I want this Aquaman. I'll put it on a seperate order, though, so it won't figure into the regular budget. RAPID VERDICT: A painful month, but one we knew was coming. Wizard #99 I've recently been taken to task by a "feminist" comic book fan who claimed that Wizard is "misogynistic" and so offensive that I'm betraying my gender by buying it. To that I say "Huh?" Wizard is, admittedly, aimed at boys. Their are times when the juvenile humor gets to be too much (quite often, actually) and I can only roll my eyes at their stupidity. However, I see no hatred towards women in their pages... certainly not any more than I see in every single issue of Previews Magazine. I admit that I don't read the thing cover to cover, but I rarely come across anything truly offensive in Wizard. Silly, yes. Stupid, yes. Obnoxious, yes. Offensive? No. Since I've been subscribed to Wizard (I'd rather pay half price) I've seen a progression toward better coverage of non-mainstream books, a wider look at the industry as a whole, more responsible journalistic standards... overall a better magazine. They certainly are nowhere near the standard of other comic book mags, but they aren't trying to be perfect. That said, this month's issue was ok. The Alex Ross cover was (dare I say it?) a little too crowded for me (I can identify every character, anyone could, but they seemed too jam-packed). The alternate cover had Darth Maul. The best thing I've ever seen in Wizard happened on Page 6, but the joke got old a little too fast in the following pages. Wizard has a tendency to take jokes to their extremes, which is not always a good thing. The Letter Art this month was good, with a handful of grim but cool envelopes. Wizard finally covers the Elseworld 80-pager this issue, but thankfully didn't inflate the price in their listings. There is a good article about "War on Crime" with lots of sketches (I'm a sucker for sketches). The Eighth Annual Halloween Costume Contest results are up, and they aren't pretty (as usual). Casting Call was a bore, and Basic Training had Scott McDaniel showing you "How To Make Your Characters Spooky"! Drawing Board has a great "Junior League of America" drawing by Sean Izaakse... I want this guy to sketch me an Aquaman. Toy Chest has a good picture of the Aquaman 12" action figure, but otherwise is boring. The Homemade Hero is Luke Cage. RAPID VERDICT: About average. These reviews are copyright 1999,2000 by Laura Gjovaag.