What I Read This Week

Final Crisis #6 -- After the jumbled confusion of the last issue, everything starts to hit the fan in this one, as Morrison throws everything but the kitchen sink into his blender that contains the DCU as we know it.  The brawl in Bludhaven continues, as Checkmate enacts its doomsday scenario plans, the Flashes get ready to make their final strike, Superman's anger is unleashed, and the Batman stands before Darkseid.  This is epic, sweeping superhero stuff, grand and gigantic in scale.  No page is wasted as there is something to marvel over on every one.  And where we go from here, both for this story and the larger DCU, is anyone's guess.  Given the choice between an event which leaves everything on the table and goes all out to use the strengths of the comic book format, and one which tries to be like a cinematic event, I will take the former every time, and this title is no different.

Invincible Iron Man #9 -- This FINALLY was in my mailbox when I got home from Florida on Sunday.  And after all the waiting, the verdict is... just okay.  It's more of the same from last issue, as Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, and Maria Hill wrestle with their new status, and Tony puts into motion his plan to make sure that Norman Osborn never gets his hands on all of SHIELD's information and intelligence, no matter the cost.  Fraction tries very hard to make Tony into the loveable smug-faced Cool Exec which we know and love, and he does a good job in achieving that goal.  The dialogue between the three leads is natural and enjoyable.  La Rocca's is consistant but still has some weird touches.  Tony, for instance, looks like a big goober on more than one occasion.  Not a bad issue but not a great one either, a good second installment of the story with a good cliffhanger.

The Phantom Annual #2 -- Gone missin'.  My LCS owner wasn't sure if they had simply not gotten it from Diamond or if it wasn't shipped, but he's working on it.

The Pick Of The Pile was Final Crisis, no doubt.  Some folks online may have gotten bored with this story, but in all honesty I cannot fathom how that is even possible.  Great issue all around and now I am really impatient for the finale!