Did you know there was at one time a proposed sequel to Tim Burton's Beetlejuice titled, I kid you not, Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian? I don't know about you, but I'm not sure if Beetlejuice would've benefited from a tropical setting.
(What does this have to do with the 3-month gap between installments of The Pull List? Nothing at all.)
Green Lantern #0 (Johns, Mahnke, Alamy, Irwin, Champagne)
Plot: Last issue, Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and Sinestro make a last-ditch effort to find a replacement seconds before apparently being killed by the villainous Black Hand. This
book opens as an American family with a clear Middle eastern background watches the 9/11 tragedy on their television, and quickly jumps through the next 11 years, showing how those events shaped their future, most importantly the family’s son, Simon Baz. Now a car thief in Michigan, Baz is caught in an ultimate case of “wrong place, wrong time,” as the van he ah stolen contained a massive bomb. Arrested for terrorism, Baz is about to be water-boarded (despiute having no ties to any terrorist cells) when the aforementioned replacement GL ring saves him. The ring is malfunctioning, however, and setting up possible plot points for later in the story arc. We then cut to an all-black page where Jordan and Sinestro ask each other where they are.
Opinion: When DC announced that there would be a new character headlining the main GL book a few months back, I was a little wary to say the least. I mean, there are already FOUR Earth Green Lanterns, and adding a fifth into the mix seemed like overkill. Also, making him a minority seemed to be dripping with editorial mandate. Having now read the debut of the character and the circumstances in which he was chosen to become the new GL, I gotta say I am on board. Mahnke’s art is top-notch here, and the use of three separate inkers was hardly noticeable. The last bit with Hal Jordan and Sinestro seemed very tacked-on, almost to the point of jarring me out of the story. All in all, a strong first showing, and I look forward to the future adventures of Simon Baz.
Grade: Buy
X-Factor #243 (David, Kirk, Leisten, Milla)
Plot: Times have been tough for Jamie Maddrox and his mutant detective agency, X-Factor - members leaving, members being forced in my other X-teams, a bout with resurrection with or without souls, the works. Newer team member Polaris is a little on-edge as the yearly anniversary of her parents’ death at the hand of her (maybe) biological father Magneto is coming up. Another team member, Longshot, gets a psychic read off of an old heirloom and, long story short, we are given a definitive history for Polaris and a reason for her somewhat flakey characterization over the years.
Opinion: This is another plot-heavy “talkie” issue of X-Factor, and that’s not a bad thing. Peter David really shines when it comes to adding depth and backstory to some of the lesser-used or underdeveloped cast in this book (i.e. Layla Miller and Darwin), or in this case, Polaris, a character who’s history has been murky at best. X-Factor continues to be consistently excellent.
Grade: Buy
Godzilla #4 (Swierczynski, Gane, Pattison)
Plot: Giants monsters have been relentlessly attacking every major city in the world, and it’s been up to ex-bodyguard and ex-British Intelligence officer Boxer and his rag-tag team of likeminded mercenaries to put the monsters down. This issue deals with a battle between the team, Rodan, and the T-Rex-like Titanosaurus. The book ends with the revelation that all defeated monsters are being taken to the island of Hunt Atol, aka “Monster Island” (as seen in 1969’s “All Monsters Attack!” and “Destroy All Monsters!”) and are being adapted into living weapons. Boxer then proclaims that he won’t rest until Godzilla is dead.
Opinion: Four issues in, I’ve noticed a pattern develop in this book – find a lesser-known monster, zap it with a gun, grumble about said monster… wash, rinse, repeat. The reveal of where the monsters are going once they are captured was interesting, and the prospect of possible government-controlled Kaiju WMDs gives me hope that this book will eventually break out if the rut it’s in. The splash page teasing the next issue promised an appearance by Mechagodzilla, so I’m eager for that at least.
Grade: Skim
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Micro-Series: Fugitoid #8 (Allor, McCaffrey)
Plot: Dr. Honeycutt was a brilliant scientist from a race of people who were enslaved by the alien brain-thing known as Krang. Honeycutt developed a synthetic, shape-changing robot for scientific purposes, but after a number of mishaps, Honeycutt’s consciousness became trapped inside the robot. Deemed a “fugitive android” (get it? FUGItive andrOID?), Honeycutt reaches out to the only person he thinks can help him take down Krang… the Shredder! Also, he helped make the ooze that transformed Master Splinter and the Turtles. Thought I should mention that.
Opinion: I vaguely remember the Fugitoid from the 80s TMNT toyline and the 2003 series, but apparently this is a character that was a pre-Turtles comic creation that was absorbed into TMNT cannon. But that’s neither here nor there. I could be wrong, but I’ve yet to see Fugitoid or Dr. Honeycutt appear in the current comic run, so unless he’s going to play a big part in upcoming storylines, this issue is mostly unnecessary.
Grade: Pass
Phantom Stranger #0 (DiDio, Anderson, Hanna)
Plot: The issue opens with a man who is heavily implied to be Judas (yes, THAT Judas) attempting to hang himself. He is saved and brought before a council of what appears to be major deities from every culture, lead by Zeus. The man is convicted of being one of the three worst criminals in the universe, and is punished by being forced to wander the Earth as a “stranger of humanity,” marked by the silver he was paid for this original transgression. Cut to modern time, when the man, now calling himself the Phantom Stranger, is summoned by a voice to assist a police officer named Jim Corrigan in finding a missing woman. Things go awry, and Corrigan is killed, becoming an avenging ghost, the Spectre. The Spectre is taken away, and the Stranger is left to ponder his existence once more as one of the silver coins disappears from his necklace.
Opinion: Where to begin with this one. First off, I’m not the biggest fan of giving the Stranger a definitive backstory… a large part of the character’s appeal for me was that despite being around (publication-wise) since the 1950s he was mostly a mystery, and having a defined origin, in my opinion, cheapens the character. Also, the dialogue in this book is very stilted and lacks the polish I would expect from a Phantom Stranger book. The creation of the Spectre in this issue was weak; however I do like the idea that the Stranger is performing action for a higher power in the hopes of working off his debt for being a terrible person. This book is going to have to pick up quick or it’s getting dropped.
Grade: Pass
Defenders #10 (Fraction McKelvie, Bellaire)
Plot: Things have not been good for Doctor Strange, Red She-Hulk, Iron Fist, Black Cat, and alternate reality Nick Fury. They have been bouncing around for reality to reality courtesy of a machine called the Concordance Engine, this time ending up on what appears to be the main Earth after a galactic being called a Death Celestial has wiped out most of everything. Red She-Hulk punches a bird, which gets the attention of the Celestial, which is not good. Meanwhile, the Silver Surfer has died and meets “god” (or a Jack Kirby drawing, I’m not sure which).
Opinion: It’s taken me ten issues, but I think I’ve finally gotten a grip on what’s happening in this series. Too bad it’s ending in two months. Jamie McKelvie’s art is top-notch here (although I wish the Dodson’s were still on the book), and the under-the-panel ad space is a nice touch as always. I’m really looking forward to rereading this series once all twelve issues are out.
Grade: Buy
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