DARK HORSE COMICS
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Page 30 - Indiana Jones and the Tomb of the Gods #1, $2.99, 40 Pages
Written by Rob Williams, Art by Steve Scott and Michael Atiyeh

Last month we saw the first part of the movie adaptation solicited - this month sees the beginning of a brand new original Indiana Jones comic mini. Not a bad idea at all - Indiana Jones really hasn’t seen much exposure in comics, at least not recently. There were about 8 stories in the mid-90s published, also from Dark Horse, and a 34 issue Marvel run in the 80s. Seems like a lot, but Indiana Jones seems like the sort of concept that could be the basis for almost continuous stories. I suppose readers just got bored. This Indiana Jones story is more traditional, with Indy facing off against the Nazis once more. No doubt if you are excited about the movie, you will buy this one up.

Page 34 - Fear Agent #22, $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by Rick Remender, Art by Tony Moore and Lee Loughridge

Finally Dark Horse has stopped monkeying around with the mini nonsense, and officially made this series ongoing (dropping the confusing arc numbering in the process). Perhaps a sign that the creative team is finally serious about getting this book out on time? Don’t get me wrong - Fear Agent is nothing short of amazing, but the constant delays have added an element of frustration that this book doesn’t need. Dark Horse is celebrating a “Fear Agent Month,” what that means is a little uncertain, beyond a variant cover and an extra page in their Preview solicits, but if it leads to more sales on this book, who am I to complain?

It can’t be said enough - you need to be buying this title. If you call yourself a sci-fi fan of any sort, you owe it to the genre to read Fear Agent.

DC COMICS
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Page 67 - Trinity #1, $2.99, 340 Pages
Written by Kurt Busiek and Fabian Nicieza, Art by Mark Bagley & Art Thibert

For those of you who thought that DC might finally quit with the weekly stuff after Countdown ended - well, that theory can be put to rest. Trinity is the latest step in that direction, featuring the obvious team-up of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman.

First you have to point out the good - the writing team of Kurt Busiek and Fabian Nicieza. Busiek especially has been producing some of the best Superman stories in years, and Nicieza is no slouch when it comes to crafting a good story. If this project is to be a success, DC put it in capable hands.

The bads? Well, there are plenty. The art team they have selected features some good names - Mark Bagley for starters - but it is rotating. Each issue is going to have a different look, in some cases, a very different look. That isn’t insurmountable, but it is a problem off the bat.

Secondly, just what does this title bring to the table anyway? We already have Superman/Batman - the only difference in this title is Wonder Woman. And we already see the three of them in the Justice League of America. This title brings nothing new to the table, and in fact is the exact opposite of what was behind the initial success of 52 (something DC’s weekly books haven’t yet managed to duplicate). There really isn’t a hook here to really overcome the third major strike against this book - event fatigue. Readers felt betrayed about the way 52 wrapped up and let down early by Countdown. Will they really embrace another weekly, especially with event fatigue at an all time high, and getting worse by the week?

The writing team might still overcome it all - it is worth watching, at the very least.

Page 69 - Reign in Hell #1 (of 8), $3.50, 40 Pages
Written by Keith Giffen, Art by Matt Clark and Stephen Segovia

Books like this will go one of two ways - great, or unreadable. It is a quirk of the subgenre I suppose, but there are very few magic-based Superhero books that are just plain average.

Art, though, plays a big part in the success of books like this - especially the coloring. Too often art teams opt for this muddy dark red color palate. Sure, it fits the tone of the book, but it makes it nearly impossible to see what is going on. However, this isn’t really a concern we can have until we see some preview pages. Keith Giffen is a real asset as a writer here - it is kind of exciting to see what he will do with some of these characters.

Page 75 - Superman #677, $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by James Robinson, Art by Renato Guedes & José Wilson

Nothing against James Robinson, but this is horrible news! Having never been a real Superman fan (the character is great, but the comic has rarely held my interest for long), I was blown away by Kurt Busiek’s recent work on this title. He elevated Superman from the occasional bored read to a must-have-in-the-stack book. Of course, news of his departure has been floating around for a couple of months, but mow that it has hit the solicits, it is all the more real. Busiek is really going to be missed on this book.

What will James Robinson bring to the table? Well, his past work at DC has focuses on the Golden Age, with his award winning Starman series and his acclaimed The Golden Age. Will that translate well to Superman? Possibly - he is an old, storied character with origins in the Golden Age. As unfortunate as Busiek’s departure is, Robinson has enough credibility to continue to give the title a chance.

Page 79 - Robin/Spoiler Special #1, $3.99, 48 Pages
Written by Chuck Dixon, Art by Rafael Albuquerque and Victor Ibanez

So, is she Stephanie, or not? In Robin #174 (out in May), we are supposed to get the answer. All signs point to yes - beyond the recent hints about Stephanie’s return (in Booster Gold, Dan Didio’s column, etc), her eventual return was telegraphed from the moment of her death. Beyond the fact that deaths seem to have little meaning in comics these days, Stephanie was never treated like she was dead for good.

Many people talk about what makes a good comic death, and a bad comic death. Stephanie’s “Death” was a mixed bag. It has been bashed as being an example of “Women in Refrigerators” - but I have to call shenanigans on that one. Sometimes, heroines are tortured and killed - that isn’t always misogyny. Yeah - comics are a male dominated industry, and there are plenty of examples of women being objectified, but the idea that Stephanie’s death was somehow sexist is completely ridiculous. This example really wasn’t all that different from Jason Todd’s death. Actually, her manner of death, while tragic, was actually pretty powerful. Stephanie made a horrible mistake trying to prove herself, and she took it upon herself to try and repair the damage. She failed, but her effort (and failure) made plain Batman’s own culpability, his failings as a mentor to both her and Robin.

That actually was a decent start. If a hero is to die, it should be for a good cause, and the impact of that death should be felt deeply. But right after that story, she was almost forgotten. Batman moved on as if she didn’t exist - Tim Drake did as well, after a ridiculously short mourning period. Batman didn’t finally realize his paranoia and selfishness until Infinite Crisis came along, and didn’t do a thing to memorialize a heroine who lost her life for Gotham. While her death was powerful, it had absolutely no impact on the other characters in Batman’s universe. So while this does seem like a typical comic resurrection (again), it doesn’t lessen the impact of her death, because it had none at all. As a fan of Spoiler, I therefore welcome it!

Page 90 - Manhunter #31, $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by Marc Andreyko, Art by Michael Gaydos

It’s about time! It has been a long, long time since DC announced that Manhunter would be spared the cancellation axe. Fans waited, and waited, and waited - and it seemed to many that Manhunter had just been swept under the rug. Could it be that DC dashed hopes that this title would be another Spider-Girl by simply telling people it would come out, and letting time calm the angry masses?

Thankfully no. Manhunter is finally back in June, and it looks like it is going to pick up right where it left off. Of course, Manhunter would never have been in trouble if it was getting the sales to stay safe - which means that not nearly enough of you were reading this title. This is the best chance you will ever get to correct that mistake, and finally show that as an informed comic fan, you appreciate quality in your comics. Buy this issue!

Page 112 - The New York Four, $9.99, 176 Pages
Written by Brian Wood, Art by Ryan Kelley

Honestly, knowing Brian Wood’s style, it is kind of a surprise that he hasn’t been all over Minx before this. He seems to be the logical choice to tell a story aimed at this market. The preview pages seem kind of neat - a story combined with a tourist guide to downtown New York City. There are some preview pages available out there that are well worth a look.

Page 115 - Madame Xanadu #1, $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by Matt Wagner, Art by Amy Reeder Hadley

Not a bad idea here. This character has popped up here and again in the DC Universe, most recently in Countdown, but she had a fairly decent role in the outstanding Day of Vengeance mini. Of course, this is a Vertigo series, so it is going to fall into that odd gray continuity area currently occupied by John Constantine. This series looks like it is going to delve into her her medieval origins, which seems an appropriate timeframe for a series like this. Could be good.

IMAGE COMICS
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Page 152 - A Red Mass For Mars #1 (of 4), $3.50, 32 Pages
Written by Jonathan Hickman, Art by Ryan Bodenheim

The whole “If you like All-Star Superman, you’ll love A Red Mass For Mars!” thing seems a little off to me - it is really kind of hard to see what a far future sci-fi epic has in common with a book like that. Regardless, this looks kind of interesting. Just about every sci-fi book warrants at least some attention these days, and this one seems like it might be worth a look. The art seems pretty fitting for the story - could be a real visual treat.

Page 154 - Vix #1 (of 3), $3.50, 32 Pages
Written by Rantz A. Hoseley, Art by Matthew Humphreys

I can’t say I am too familiar with either Rantz A. Hoseley or Matthew Humphreys, but this one seems kind of interesting. Of course, in general, your standard “young girl gets superpowers” story is a little played out, but this one seems a little different. Maybe it is because the heroine isn’t a hyper-sexualized floozy, but that is just one of many reasons. This one might have some potential.

MARVEL COMICS
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Page M11 - Ultimate Origins #1 (of 5), $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Art by Butch Guice

Yikes - an Ultimate event mini. It is always scary to see these, because really there hasn’t been a good one yet. Bendis as the writer does give this book some hope - he is the one writer who you can almost always count on to tell a good story. And since he has been there since the very beginning, he is an ideal choice to tell a story like this. I am not entirely sold on the idea that there is a grand conspiracy behind the whole Ultimate Universe, but as long as a good story comes out of it, it shouldn’t matter too much.

Page M12 - Ultimate Spider-Man #123, $2.99, 32 pages
Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Art by Stuart Immonen

Of course, when speaking of Bendis, it does always come back to Ultimate Spider-Man. This issue begins a brand new Venom arc, and a story that promises to tie back into the old Ultimate Spider-Man video game story that Bendis helped write. Or maybe even a little more than that, “adapts” has been used as well, so it is possible that the story is going to be completely reworked (at least the Venom parts) and inserted into the current Ultimate Spider-Man continuity. Not a terrible thing really - the story for the game was a little shallow, as game stories often are, but with some work it could make for a good read.

Page M24 - Eternals #1, $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by Charles Knauf and Daniel Knauf, Art by Daniel Acuna

An Eternals ongoing huh? Could be interesting. I honestly expected to see an Inhumans ongoing before this, but it is an interesting surprise. Marvel promises that this series will follow up on the Neil Gaiman mini, as well as an upcoming Incredible Hercules issue. If you liked the Knauf’s on Iron Man, this should be a good series to check out. It won’t quite be Neil Gaiman, but the style should be better suited to a mainstream Marvel ongoing title. Worth checking out.

Page M27 - Guardians of the Galaxy #2, $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning, Art by Paul Pelletier

Abnett & Lanning have been rather coy about who is actually going to make-up the Guardians, but from the cover and solicit text of this issue, it seems pretty obvious that Groot and Rocket Raccoon will indeed be members. That is outstanding news. Nova was the shining star of the first Annihilation event, and these two have been the same for the second. With Annihilation: Conquest finally behind us, at this point, the Nova series should be on fire once again, and this series will no doubt be just as good. Marvel’s cosmic universe is going to have a great summer. Let’s just hope that the top editors don’t see its popularity and decide to wreck a good thing (Like we have seen so many times in the past). This series and Nova will continue to be awesome so long as Abnett & Lanning are left alone and allowed to do their thing.

Page M28 - Hulk: Raging Thunder, $3.99, 48 Pages
Written by Jeff Parker, Art by Mitch Breitweiser

Strange - I was just thinking about Thundra! From the presentation, this seems less like a Hulk book and more like a Thundra story, though they probably called it a Hulk book to generate sales. I wouldn’t mind seeing Thundra get a higher profile in the Marvel Universe again, though if Thing isn’t involved in some way after this story, it won’t be nearly as good.

This issue is also going to feature a reprint of an old Thundra story, for those of you who have no idea who she is. This is the kind of thing Jeff Parker can handle well - so overall this should be a good issue to check out.

Page M29 - Skaar: Son of Hulk #1
Written by Greg Pak, Art by Ron Garney

It is kind of sad to think that once anything and everything Hulk-related was a must read. But somewhere around the mid-point of World War Hulk, that all changed. This is a huge reason I fear Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy getting too big - for some reason, Marvel will take outstanding titles and get event happy with them, over edit and micromanage, and end up killing a good thing. This happened to the Hulk. It is only natural that another Hulk-related title at this point might cause you to roll your eyes. Not so fast.

First off, Greg Pak is writing - a great start. To boot, it looks like this story is going to be set on Skaar, linking it to Planet Hulk and not to World War Hulk. Another great sign. Ron Garney’s art should be another boon - he handled Hulk well almost a decade ago, and having him on a title like this seems a natural fit.

This title has the makings of a quiet hit. Recommended.

Page M47 - Secret Invasion: Runaways/Young Avengers #1 (of 3), $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by Christopher Yost, Art by Takeshi Miyazawa

As time goes on, I think more and more that Secret Invasion is just one event too many. Event fatigue has been an issue for a long, long time, but this one seems even more contrived and implausible than Civil War. Seriously - the minute they discovered that there were Skrulls infiltrating Earth, wouldn’t they just call 3-D Man and be done with it? Problem solved!

This team-up was OK during Civil War - could have been better. This time around, the fact that both teams actually have a Skrull on their rosters adds an element that could be a real spark for this latest collaboration. This is one of the few Secret Invasion stories that really looks somewhat promising.

INDEPENDENT COMICS
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Page 326 - Hero by Night #4, $.99, 32 Pages, Platinum Studios
By D.J. Coffman, James Patrick, and Jason Embry

It is often difficult to recommend small press titles, because they are so difficult to come by. Well, not so much hard as inconvenient. Any Marvel or DC book you will readily find on the shelf, but with smaller press, you often need to ask your shop owner to order a copy for you. Yeah, it is one tiny step, but it is a degree of forethought most consumers don’t want to bother with. Who doesn’t like rolling into their local comic shop and just grabbing something off the shelf, or clicking on a box on the screen?

If you are going to sample a small-press book, it should be worth it. Well, Hero by Night is one of those books. As an added incentive, June’s issue has been discounted to a mere $.99. Hero by Night is worth checking out at full price - but perhaps the discounted issue will be enough to get you to make the leap. Check this one out, you won’t regret it. I’ve enjoyed Coffman’s work since back when he was working on Yiryumah!, it is great to see him in print.

Craig’s Top Five of the Month

5 - Ultimate Origins #1 (of 5), $2.99, 32 Pages, Marvel Comics - This has all the signs - it could be the first decent Ultimate Marvel event.

4 - Hulk: Raging Thunder, $3.99, 48 Pages, Marvel Comics - Should be fun.

3 - Madame Xanadu #1, $2.99, 32 Pages, DC/Vertigo - Vertigo is due for another long term winner. This character should fit well with the Vertigo style.

2 - Robin/Spoiler Special #1, $3.99, 48 Pages, DC Comics - It better be Stephanie.

1 - Manhunter #31, $2.99, 32 Pages, DC Comics - The long wait is finally over.

NOTE: Opinions here may not reflect those of X-World Comics LLC or its staff and are solely the opinions of the writer.

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