What I Read This Week

Well, between having three weeks worth of comics on hand this week coupled with being out of town this weekend, I didn't quite get finished with everything I bought on Wednesday for the first time in quite a while.  So, I figured, something is better than nothing, so here is what I DID read!

Justice Society of America Kingdom Come Special: The Kingdom -- The Justice Society of America is fractured.  Half of the team distrusts the "god" known as Gog who is walking across Africa, while the other half believes he is there to do good.  This sets up a collision between Stargirl, who doesn't trust Gog, and Damage, who has essentially become Gog's herald.  Of the three specials, this one reads most like a regular issue of JSA -- not that that is a problem, mind you.  The big surprise return of a personal favorite character really puts this one over for me.

Futurama Comics #40 -- It's Xmas time once again, and you know what that means -- run for your life!  Hijinks ensue when Bender becomes a Mall Robot Santa, while Fry, Leela, and Dr. Zoidberg head to Neptune to deliver weapons for the Robot Reindeer's "Reindeer Games."  Great fun just in time for the Holiday season.  The cover is a great Kirby homage.

glamourpuss #4 -- Everybody in the mood for some Really Good Advice?  Good!  It's the First Annual Swimsuit/Really Good Advice issue, as glamourpuss advises us in everything from the proper way to use hairspray to avoid the "blocky 80's look" (as well that "burning sensation" in the eyes) to how to deal with personal fears and reservations using fire.  Meanwhile, Dave Sim continues to explore the history of the photorealistic style of Alex Raymond, including an idea of just how time consuming the "ink by brush" technique was.  I'm madly in love with this series.  

Haunted Tank #1 -- In the early days of the Iraq War, an American tank crew is met by a rather unusual ally -- a Confederate cavalry general named JEB Stuart who just happens to be a ghost!  The racial tension angle is obviously a new twist in the old Haunted Tank story, but the way in which JEB presents himself -- a Southern gentleman, who fought for his rights as a Virginian -- impressed me.  I'll be picking up the rest of this series.

Justice Society of America #21 -- The truth about Gog stands revealed -- and the Justice Society now must choose whether they will band together in this time of crisis, or will they let their differences tear themselves apart.  Maybe I am just a naive fanboy, but it's comic books like this that got me hooked on the medium and on superheroes in general.  Everything about this works -- from the introductory conflict to the twist to the cliffhanger.  This title just hits it for me every month.

Final Crisis #5 -- Grant Morrison's bizarre trip into the collapse of the DC Universe continues in appropriately bizarre fashion.  I thoguht this issue was "just alright," which is a bit of a letdown considering the big responses I had to the first four issues.  Still, the story here is interesting even if overall I got a feeling of confused choppiness rather than cohesion.  This has not dampened my enthusiasm for the balance of the story, though!  Strange note: DC changed the paper to the normal DC glossy stock!  No!  Go back to the Vertigo style!

House of Mystery #8 -- Harry, Fig, and Anne move deeper into the basement... but if the upper levels of the House are bizarre and strange, what horrors can possbibly be housed down there?!  Also, we get a look back at when Harry first found himself in the House, and his unusual guests, a scared little man named Abel and his pet homonoculus Goldie.  I've said before that this series is like the 00's Sandman, and that holds even more true here: this House has mysteries piled upon mysteries, and I am really enjoying reading about each and every one of them.

The Pick Of The Pile is Justice Society of America #21, but there was a lot of great comics in this section of the haul.  Just goes to show that there's lots of good stuff out there if you look.

So what did YOU read this week?