What Do You Mean They're Not Superheroes?: Sneak Peek Reviews 12/09/2008

Secret Invasion: Dark Reign
Written by: Brian Michael Bendis
Art by: Alex Maleev

Brian Bendis loves the threatening shadowy figure. A whole lot. His Dark Illuminati ... or ... Illumi-naughty (I still giggle a little bit every time I say that) is not exactly what I expected. What pretty much everyone and his brother expected this coalition to be is not what it is. I think I might actually be a little excited about Dark Reign. Bendis pens an issue that is very much the dark mirror of his New Avengers: Illuminati one shot that preceded Civil War. Alex Maleev manages to make this rather interesting cast of characters look even more menacing than one might expect (though his Namor looks a whole lot like Ben Kingsley ... which kind of made me giggle). This is the beginning of what is to come for quite a while in the Marvel Universe, and I have started to think that while the initial invasion might have been by the Skrulls that the real Secret Invasion might have just begun.




Green Arrow/Black Canary #15
Written by: Andrew Kreisberg
Art by: Mike Norton

For 5 years Judd Winick has been the man behind Ollie Queen, to have someone else penning the Emerald Archer seems a little odd. When Andy Diggle wrote Green Arrow: Year One it took a little bit to wrap my head around but I still managed to really enjoy the story he had to tell, but that was just a mini-series. Now Andrew Kreisberg, a man who has one mini-series and the beginnings of a story arc on Batman: Confidential under his belt, is now writing the ongoing Star City Robin Hood. And I have a secret to tell you ... it was good. Kreisberg doesn't jump right in to a whole new arc, first he has to show that he knows what Ollie and his family are all about, and this first issue proves that he does. He also has to show that he knows his history, this issue proves he does. And finally he has to show that he knows how to create a memorable new villain, and he proves that he does ... I'll give you a hint ... it doesn't happen until the last page. So, if you've been reading Green Arrow/Black Canary and were thinking that the end of Winick's run would be a good time to leave, you were wrong. And if you were thinking that you might like to start reading Green Arrow/Black Canary ... Now is the time.

Wonder Wizard of Oz #1
Written by: Eric Shanower
Art by: Skottie Young

Frank L. Baum was a really weird guy. But I'll be damned if he didn't write an incredibly memorable story. Eric Shanower isn't a household name with most comic fans but for fans of indie comics or fans of historical fiction comic fans he's well known as the writer and artist of Age of Bronze, the totally amazing Trojan War comic that is published by Image and far too few people are aware of. Skottie Young is an artist who over the last few years has done more to hone his craft and his acceptance among fans than almost any other artist in the industry. This is perhaps one of the best projects for both of these creators to work on in order to instantly raise their stock value in the industry. This comic is phenomenally well done. Anyone who is at all familiar with the book or the movie is going to instantly identify with and enjoy this series. I don't know if there is a book on the shelves this week that I suggest more highly that everyone, every comic fan, serious or casual, check out.