February 14th, 2007 Reviews
Batman #663
Wow. This was really different. Grant Morrison is very innovative, but this is truly something new. This is no comic book. It is a prose story, starring Batman. I commend Morrison for trying something new. However, even though it was innovative, it wasn't executed perfectly. First off, Morrison gets a little bit too detailed for his own good. At points, I almost wanted to just close the book, and forget about finishing it. Thankfully I didn't do that. The story, even though tedious at times, really provided a really cool look at the Joker's inner psyche. Morrison really knows how to make him crazy. The psychotic dialogue, and inner thoughts oozed off the page, and made me feel a bit crazy myself. I guess that you have to be a bit crazy yourself to understand the Joker, and I think Morrison fits that bill of being a crazy genius. So this issue was a really intriguing look at the clown prince of crime, plus it reinvents him for a new generation of Batman fans.
John Van Fleet does a pretty good job with the art chores here. I probably wouldn't enjoy a comic if he did all the interiors, but he fits the bill for this story. So overall, this was a change from a regular comic. I enjoyed it, but I will enjoy the next issue of Batman when Kubert returns to do regualr interior art. This book wasn't without its flaws, but hey, Morrison had the courage to try something different.
Grade: 8/10
Review by Christopher Hoerdemann
Astonishing X-Men #20
GRRRRRRR! Why Whedon Why!?!? Why must you write a comic book where there isn't a whole lot happening, yet it still is ten times better than most other comics? Joss Whedon could make being an actuary interesting. I don't know what he eats for breakfast but I sure want some of it. So, now that I'm done showering praise on Joss Whedon, I think I'll talk about the issue at hand.
In the last issue, we leave the X-Men as they are being tracked by the Breakworld's air force (for lack of a better term). Things look bleak, but lord knows that they would make it out safely. They do make it to the Breakworld's surface, but not as planned. Peter (Colossus, the mutant destined to destroy the Breakworld) and Kitty Pryde end up separated from the rest of the team. The same thing occurs with Wolverine, and Hisako. So the team is splintered across a hostile planet, and they are all looking to get to one place: The Palace of the Corpse. So, as the issue comes to a close, Peter is talking to Kitty, scared about the fact that he might truly destroy a whole planet. Kitty tries to talk sense into him, telling him that nothing is set in stone. Too bad the last page reveals Emma Frost, Cyclops, Beast, and Agent Brand (who have already journeyed to the Palace) standing in front of a huge stone carving in the Palace of the Corpse, which depicts Colossus destroying the Breakworld. Whedon…….Man, you really know what you're doing. I look forward to the conclusion of your epic X-Men run. You have the uncanny ability to tell a story were character beats rule over flash, and flare. It really is too bad that it has to end......oh, wait....since you aren't doing the Wonder Woman movie any longer, it looks like you'll have some spare time. Do you see what I'm getting at?
I can't end this review without mentioning John Cassaday's awesome cinematic art. He continues to be one of the best in the business. Hopefully they stick him on another top notch Marvel book when, or if, this Whedon/Cassaday run ends. If you like superhero comics, you'll love this book, and if you're not buying it, start now!
Grade: 9/10
Review by Christopher Hoerdemann
52 #41
 The closer and closer that 52 gets to its' finale, the more I start to realize that all of these story lines really aren't going to converge. Renee Montoya finally decides to accept her destiny, which seemingly is to become the new Question since Vic Sage has died. In outer space, Starfire, and Adam Strange keep getting dealt a bad hand, or so it seems. At the end of the issue, it looks like their luck might be changing as Mogo, the Green Lantern planet saves them from plunging into a sun. In the other storyline touched upon this week, Ralph Dibny finds the final piece to the puzzle on his quest with the Doctor Fate helmet. So once again, it was another solid week, but not a whole lot of huge things happen. Like I mentioned, it looks as if some of these individual storylines are going to wrap up before the impending World War III. I guess I was expecting all the storylines to meet at the end, but I think it wouldn't all fit together. All of the plots have very different feels to them, so I think it might be better that they stay separate from each other.
The art in this issue, provided by Giuseppe Camuncoli, was a nice change of pace. I think that this series is still chugging along with a consistent quality each week, but I also think that this was one of the weaker issues in awhile. The preview for next week does get me excited for the next issue. It's going to be a long wait to find out why the Helmet of Fate is being held, or holding itself, at gunpoint.
Grade: 7/10
Review by Christopher Hoerdemann
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