FIRST NEW ISSUES OF REBIRTH DROP THIS WEEK!



June 01, 2016 Releases

BOOM! STUDIOS

Big Trouble In Little China #22 #23 #24
This entire series has been one fun roller coaster ride that brings the heart of the movie into it. While the movie itself didn't do well in theaters, it has become a cult classic. The series continues the misadventures of Jack Burton and the Pork Chop Express.
Jack has time traveled, been killed, resurrected and time traveled some more, all with the campiness of the movie. This could be considered a sequel to the movie and it feels like it. The series is coming to close with issue #25 and the reason I had 3 issues is because I was waiting for #22 since it was damaged in the original release date.
Overall,  a good series on par with the recent Escape From New York series. Always been a fan of Kurt Russell and glad they took 2 of his most iconic characters and gave them a story his fans would love.

Dark Horse

Predator: Life and Death #4 (of 4)
Continuing where Fire and Stone left off, the Predators and Marines get into it big time. The gist of the story is that there is an Engineer ship on a distant planet that Weyland-Yutani is attempting to claim. With the Marines as backup and help, they discover the ship and investigate it. Meanwhile,  a group of Predators are also there and it's possible they want the ship for themselves or just want to destroy it, nothing's for sure.
If you read and liked Fire and Stone, then Life and Death will be a good read for you. It's a crossover series with the same antagonists as Fire and Stone. The overall writing and art is better than the typical stand alone Predator stories. That being said, ever since the Prometheus movie came out, the mythology have evolved and hopefully future stories will enhance instead of dilute it.

DC COMICS

Batman Rebirth #1
The Rebirth is here, starting with Batman. There are other issues out there, but again, I concentrate on my pull list. The issue brings back Robin member Duke as Bruce wants him to be a new type of crime fighter and also re-introduces the Calendar Man as the villain. The apparent origin of Calendar Man has been changed again, and this time it states he lives and dies as the seasons change, becoming a new person with the previous person's memories. It's an interesting thought about a character that mostly has never been taken seriously. I believe that the recent incarnations of him in the video games have somewhat led to the fact of him being changed like that.
Just like when the Calculator and The Catman were revamped, 2 other villains who were not taken seriously at point, it's being done here to show how someone with a non-threatening name like Calendar Man can be a truly dangerous person once you figure out how to make his "shtick" work in his favor. If you think about it, the changing of seasons can be a dangerous thing and there are dates in history that are infamous, so if you think about it, with a little ingenuity, you can make them dangerous.

Bloodlines (2016-) #3 (of 6)
When I first heard that this series was being reintroduced, I was skeptical. I was expecting the same hokiness from the 90's crossover series.
A little backstory: in the early 90's DC had a crossover series with the majority of their titles, published in the annuals, as they were doing in a couple before. One in particular was Bloodlines.
The series went like this: a group of travelers from a parallel dimension invaded ours and had multiple antagonists. These creatures could shape shift into whatever they wanted to and they had a mission to collect spinal fluid for their master. Normally, they way they got the spinal fluid was at the base of the neck and shoulders and would kill the majority of people. But for the few who were not killed, something happened to them: they gained super powers. Some were good. Some were evil. Some straddled the line, the most famous of them was Hitman Tommy Monaghan, who went on to his own series just like some others, but his was the most successful.

Back to the series, the new series introduces new characters who are affected by the alien parasites. But for some of them, they are not able to control the transformation and are put down by a vigilante monster hunter, so to speak. It mostly follows a local high school disabled kid whose powers turn him into a blue giant and restores his ability to walk, but only in the giant form. He has a couple of friends who are also affected by the parasites as well and they are attempting to determine how and why they have their abilities and how they were infected.
Overall, I liked the story and it's not as hokey as the original series. The art on the page is perfect for the subject and representation of the series and hopefully we may get to see these characters in the Rebirth universe, just like the original ones were in the DC universe back in the 90's.


Green Arrow Rebirth #1
Green Arrow and Black Canary back together again. One of the things missing from New 52 was the relationship of Arrow and Canary. They never crossed paths in it and for the people who read the previous stories, these two were supposed to be destined to be with each other. The Birds of Prey series showed us that Canary was previously married to a man named Kurt, who was supposed to be dead according to Canary. It felt like a betrayal to Arrow since these 2 were together for so long. The LongBow Hunters series revitalized both of these characters in the mid 80's and had them be together. Even after Arrow died in this series and came back, there was still a spark between them and they eventually got married.

Part of the reason I didn't like the New 52 Green Arrow was his youthfulness and basically making a lot of bad judgement calls. Sure I get he was young, but it seemed to conflict with the story of him when compared to the regular DC universe.
This issue gets them back in the mix as formally getting back together while investigating a new case. Once again, Arrow is the hero of Seattle and Canary is his reluctant partner in the investigation. It will be good to see them back together again after being apart so long it seemed that the New 52 version was more of a child than man-child. That being said, the new series will hopefully be more of what they were, a crime fighting couple who love what they do and each other.

IDW

TMNT Bebop & Rocksteady Destroy Everything #1
Two of the Turtles roughest and toughest villains get their own series!!
Bebop and Rocksteady have always been the a duo who have not shied away from trouble or the turtles and in this story, it's no different. This time, the series helps us reintroduce a character we haven't seen for a long time and another who's always a fan favorite.
If you like craziness, time travel and mayhem, then this book is for you. But be warned, it is a weekly series so you're gonna have to keep up.

MARVEL

All-New Wolverine (2015-) #9
Continuation of the crossover with Civil War 2. Fin Fang Foom is still causing some issues and X-23 is there to try to stop him. Guest starring Iron Man and Capt Marvel, the issue also has Old Man Logan. Where as X-23 is a byproduct of the Weapon X program, Old Man Logan is a man without a world to live in. The issue isn't really actiony except with dealing with Foom and some comedy aspects of it, which the book seems to cross with.

Deadpool (2015-) #13
This multi chapter issue deals with DP acting as a bodyguard for a mob investor who happens to lose all their money on the stock market. Slightly subtle dig at the exchange by the various mob groups in wanting to take out the exchange simple because their money was lost, as if that will fix the problem.
The book is broken up into 4 chapters and guest stars DareDevil, Iron Fist and Power Man, who are all used for comedic effect. The only serious guest star would be Typhoid Mary and a very nasty secret that Wade has.
Pretty much what you can expect from a Deadpool book, mayhem, destruction, banter (not all of it witty) and all around craziness.

Old Man Logan (2016-) #7
The conclusion of Logan and the Reavers fight. Lady Deathstrike returns and threatens more of the villagers. The grittiness of this book is basically what gives it the edge it has. A man with the belief that he has nothing to lose is a very dangerous man. As Logan finishes this story, we wonder how he will interact with the others in the Marvel Universe.

The Punisher (2016-) #2
With the new series, Becky Cloonan is doing a great job of writing this series. It seems on par with Garth Ennis in relation to the stories he wrote and Steve Dillon is back as the artist. I've seen a lot of artists who drew the Punisher and I would have to say that Steve is in the top five.
Again, someone from the Punisher's past is back and it seems interesting because I would think no one from his past would be of any importance. But I was wrong and it's a good read.

Spider-Man 2099 (2015-) #11
Miguel is in 2099, but is it his reality? A new Sinister Six. Since the inception of the 2099, the Spider Man title has been the only one to survive the integration into the Marvel Universe.
It's a different take on the Spidey myth and has Miguel more as an angry avenger than a regular one. A very good series.

X-Men '92 (2016-) #4
 Coming off the Secret Wars series, this series brings back all the nuances of the X-Men series that was released in 1992. It's a different X-Men than the current ones and there is more levity in it. It also brings back a lot of characters we haven't seen since then and overall, it's a great read. If you're looking for something and not take it too serious, read this book.