What I Read This Week

Iron Man: Legacy Of Doom #3 -- Fresh from escaping from Hell, Iron Man runs into Merlin -- whom he has not yet met -- and has to stop Dr. Doom from acquiring the scabbard of Excalibur, which will make completely unstoppable.  Of course, Doom has other ideas.  I know that this series is just a one-off, with no bearing on the ongoing title, but as far as I am concerned this is part of my so-called "personal canon" for Shellhead.  Bob, Dave, and Ron nail the classic tone and look of Iron Man and so far have really delivered on their promise to produce a third installment of the Iron Man-Doom trilogy which lives up to the others.  Top notch stuff which should make a good trade paperback in a few months.

Captain Britian and MI:13 #2 -- Did not ship locally, evidently.  Hopefully it'll be in this week.

Caliber #2 -- In the West, Arthur nearly runs into his lady friend Gwen, while his party runs afoul of the local law.  Meanwhile, the keeper of the great weapon finds his Chosen One.  This series has a great setup, but it's just confusing as all get out.  Garrie Gastonny's artwork is beautiful, but his storytelling is a little iffy, and his characters tend to look alike, so it's difficult to tell one from the other.  Sam Sarkar's script doesn't help differentiate them as much as I would like, either, so while it looks amazing, the overall effect is frustration as I try to puzzle out just what is happening.  Would probably benefit greatly from a second reading, or perhaps read in one sitting.  Still, I am going to stick with it.

Tiny Titans #5 -- Say hello to the Tiny Titans East!  Marvel at just how fast Inertia can run around the world!  Shiver at Enigma's nonstop knock-knock joking -- and Speedy's inability to escape it!  Witness the lamentation of Brainiac... I mean Psimon!  All this, and is it Robin or Nightwing?  Simply TOO CUTE for words.  It's fun and funny, and that's all I ask for from this title, and it consistantly and effectively delivers.

Robin/Spoiler Special -- Two tales from recently-destaffed scribe Chuck Dixon focusing on Spoiler, her relationship with herself, her relationship with Dr. Tompkins, her relationship with Robin, and finally, her relationship with her foot -- namely, driving it into punks' faces.  The first feature, with art by Rafael Albuquerque, details Spoiler and Robin have a "non-date" which ends with them tracking down a kidnapped little girl and laying some down some smack.  The backup, pencilled by Victor Ibáñez, flashes back to Stephanie's time in Africa with Dr. Tompkins, and her decision to return to Gotham City.  I picked this up on Lilbones' suggestion, and was very satisfied with it.  Doxon has a knack for writing the Bat-characters, and Steph and Tim are no exception.  As someone who came in with little-to-no knowledge of Spoiler, I walked away liking her as a character, and not adverse to seeing more of her adventures.  Ibáñez's art in the backup is smooth and eye-pleasing, while Albuquerque's is more of an urban take, harsh and immediate.  I like both of them -- Albuquerque's Robin has a sort of punk face which I would not like for Dick Greyson but looks great for Tim Drake -- and thought they both worked well for their stories.  As a one-shot, this is a solid pickup for Bat-fans or those who are interested in either Robin or the newly-returned Spoiler.

The Pick Of The Pile is a no-brainer with Iron Man: Legacy of Doom.  I had three really, really good reads this week (Caliber just didn't have it), but the combination of a personal favorite creative team with old school armored action that speaks to this fan specifically, I had to go with it.