Ms. Marvel #1

Here's the thing, I have an obsession with wanting to be a superhero. Like I am planning on starting martial arts training so that I can kick butt and satisfy some bit of my dream. And now I know that I am not alone.

G. Willow Wilson has managed to write a story about an entirely unique character, and at the same time write a story about every kid who has ever dreamed of being something more, of every outcast who wanted to fit in, of every boy and girl who has wanted to change the world. Kamala Khan could be me. There is something so radical about a story that makes you feel like it could be about you. 

The thing about Ms. Marvel that I think I liked the most, though, was that while reading this book I stepped into the life of a Pakistani-American Muslim girl. I was able to draw connections between my life and hers, and I was able to look at the world through her eyes. I feel confident that Wilson's writing was true to what that life experience would be like. It is so easy for me to believe that someone might say to someone "Ugh, Kamala -- no offense, but you smell like curry. I'm gonna go stand somewhere else." 

So while I have fallen madly in love with Kamala Khan because I can relate to her on a level that I normally cannot relate to others, I have also fallen in love with the fact that she is so different from me, and yet exactly the same. Just ask my mom how many times I have said, "Don't you trust me?" and "If I was a boy, you'd let me go to the party."

Let's also not forget the AMAZING art work by Adrian Alphona and coloring by Ian Herring. I love superhero comics that don't necessarily look like superhero comics. And of course I love when women look like real women. Really I have very few words for how beautiful it is. Good job guys.

Get it here dude!

Shaolin Cowboy #1 and #2

Shaolin Cowboy #1 is an action-packed, zombie-slicing adventure story.  The story starts out with a bloody and bruised Shaolin Cowboy punching his way out of hell to find himself in a remote desert.  He appears to be relieved to be finished with his previous adventures, but the relief doesn't last long and his adventure is far from over. 

The rest of this book is filled with the Shaolin Cowboy taking on the hoard of undead that has followed him from hell.  The best part of this zombie slasher is the Shaolin Cowboy’s weapon of choice.  We've all seen a zombie slashed with a chainsaw but a chainsaw looks like a child’s play toy compared to the double-ended chainsaw staff that the Shaolin Cowboy wields.  This is the weapon I want when thousands of undead are chasing me through the desert.

The art and the story are fantastic.  The meticulous coloring of the desert and zombies next to the Shaolin Cowboys red shirt and yellow handkerchief is absolutely gorgeous.  The story is fantastic and leaves you wondering what will happen next as the Shaolin Cowboy jumps into a crowd of zombies that fill the last two pages of this issue.

Two out of Two Chainsaws

Shaolin Cowboy #2 picks up right as the Shaolin Cowboy is jumping into the crowd of zombies from the last pages of the first issue.  And what does the Shaolin Cowboy do as soon as he lands? He starts to cut through the hoard of zombies with his double ended chainsaw staff.  There are so many ways to destroy zombies with a double chainsaw staff and writer/artist Geof Darrow wants to show his audience each way in full beautifully gory detail. 

Intense undead destruction is featured on every double page of this issue.  No words are needed as the Shaolin Cowboy cuts zombies heads off, cuts zombies in half, and cuts zombies from top to bottom with the grace and patience of a Shaolin monk.  His motions are fluid and precise and he is calm and collected through out each slaughter-filled scene.

The detail in each scene is incredible.  This issue seems to be simple, scene after scene of the Shaolin cowboy destroying zombies, but it is so much more than that.  So much attention is given to each individual zombie and their gruesome demise.  My favorite scene is when the Shaolin Cowboy slashes ten zombies with his double ended chainsaw staff as he’s open palm striking a zombie’s heart with his free hand.  This issue is epic and should be read over and over again in order to pick up on all the gory details.

4 zombie heads out of 5

You can find Shaolin Cowboy # 1 here

And here is Shaolin Cowboy # 2

Moped Cow: Who Are You, Moped Cow? / Moped Cow in Atlantis

The first book Who Are You, Moped Cow? Starts with the question, “Hey, Moped Cow, what’s your story?” asked to an upright cow, wearing a scarf, driving goggles while he is drinking a bottle of beer. Coy on the story of his life, and claiming he has actually lost it, the trusty moped, Vesperina decides to dive in and tell his. It is an unbelievable life story that is full of laughs, a bit of sorrow, but ultimately groovy one.

On the hunt for the ultimate good time, Moped Cow along with Vesperina come across the legend of Atlantis. How did the mythical city sink into the ocean? Was it a giant earthquake? Could it have been due to their legendary parties? Moped Cow and Vesperina search for the truth in this fun read! Also there is a bonus comic staring Galaxy Cow! All I will say is, the earth owes a lot to Galaxy Cow.

Self-published, written and illustrated by Grand Rapids local Anna Bowles, both of which are very short and fun reads. Who Are You, Moped Cow?, is produced in the style of black and white while, Moped Cow in Atlantis is colored.

Manifest Destiny #1

We all know the story of Lewis and Clarke. They traveled through the western United States, establishing contact with different Native American groups and cataloging all manner of flora and fauna. At least that's what we thought. Manifest Destiny #1 reveals the truth. The actual purpose of their expedition was to clear the land of monsters in anticipation of American settlement.

 The writing of Chris Dingess, the art of Matthew Roberts, and the fabulous coloring of Owen Gieni play beautifully off of each other resulting in a comic that captures the wonder Lewis and Clarke must have felt exploring an unknown landscape. I truly enjoyed this comic and am eagerly anticipating the next installment.

4.5 out of 5 Lewis and/or Clarkes

Thor: God of Thunder

Thor: The Dark World is finally hitting theaters this weekend and guess who's totally pumped! Its been over 2 years since the first Thor film came out and i'm feeling so ready for some sweet Asgardian action.

If you've never read any Thor comics before, or you're looking for a great Thor title to get you hyped for the new film, this is the comic for you. Read on for my appropriately timed review of Thor: God of Thunder!

Thor: God of Thunder was one of the first titles to come out with the new Marvel Now! reboot that took place last year. I had never been much of a Thor fan but had my mind completely blown when I first started reading this. Written by Jason Aaron (Scalped, The Incredible Hulk, and a multitude of other awesome books), the pacing of Thor is quick and compelling. You'll be hooked within one issue guaranteed. For fans of the films, this comic series might be a bit of a departure. It hardly ever takes place on earth and goes heavy on the Asgardian stuff, which is part of the reason I love it so much. During the first story arc, Thor travels from world to world hunting down Gorr, The God Butcher. Jason Aaron's writing is spectacular here and is only amplified by the impressive art of both Esad Ribic and Bruce Guice. The story concludes perfectly in 11 issues and has now been collected into two hard cover books.

Don't feel like hunting for back issues or dropping some bux on a couple of books? Fortunately, the second story arc is only 2 issues in. If you're planning on seeing Thor 2, then I highly recommend you pick up on this arc as it's main villain, Malekith the Accursed, is the same villain you'll see in the film. In addition to having a super cool name, Malekith is a fantastic and terrifying character. I also find it important to note that he rides a flying white tiger. Jason Aaron's writing continues to be drool inducing and the new artist ,Ron Garney, rules!

Whether or not you intend on seeing the new Thor movie this weekend, you can't pass up on Thor: God of Thunder. Simply put, it's one of the best comics out there.

4.5 mjolnirs out of 5

Check out Thor: God of Thunder Volume One here!
Part One of the new "Accursed" story arc is here!
Or mosey on over to the Vault to see 'em for yourself!

Captain Marvel - Earth's Mightiest Hero #17

If you haven't been reading Kelly Sue DeConnick's amazing Captain Marvel run, then you need to get out and buy the first two trades right now.

That being said, this finale for the current arc was inspiring, to say the least. I don't want to give too much away, but after Carol Danvers lost her memory at the end of Enemy Within she was left trying to put her life back together piece by piece. We saw some of that in the Captain Marvel and Avengers Assemble Infinity crossover, but this issue really brings us back to her personal life away from the Avengers. Despite not remembering who the people helping her out, she still stays true to herself. She is just as caring and sassy as usual.

We are also introduced to a new villain for Captain Marvel. The (definitely insane) Grace Valentine. Not to worry though, the good citizens of New York along with Captain Marvel foil her plans. I am certainly interested to see what happens next with her and her vendetta against Captain Marvel.

One of the most exciting parts of this issue though, is the very last page, where we are introduced to the next Ms. Marvel. If you haven't heard about the new Marvel series coming out this February, read about it here.

And don't forget to jump on the Captain Marvel train in a few months for the new Captain Marvel re-start. Don't worry, DeConnick is still writing the Earth's Mightiest Avenger's leading title.

4.5 Kree Stars out of 5 Kree Stars

Sex Criminals #1 & 2

It's about time we revived this blog thing. Stay tuned for future reviews on the best and worst comics, graphic novels,manga, and board games! For now, here are my thoughts on Sex Criminals.

Written by Matt Fraction

Art by Chip Zdarsky

We all love Matt Fraction. Not only has the dude written some of the coolest comics out there (Hawkeye, FF, Casanova)  but he's also crankin' out new series like hot fire. It's no wonder we sold out of Sex Criminals #1 the day it came out.

Sex Criminals features two lead characters, Suzie and John, who are both able to "freeze time" after having an orgasm. After meeting each other and quickly gettin' it on, they realize they have the same ability and use their time-stopping skills to rob banks and get into all sorts of sexy shenanigans.

It's a super unique story and definitely a compelling read. While Fraction isn't shy when it comes to sexual content in this comic (it may be awkward for the easily embarrassed) , it never feels sleezy or over done. I could do without the "breaking the fourth wall" style commentary and the art is so-so, but overall, I recommend Sex Criminals.

3.5 out of 5 leather whips.

Buy the first issue online here, or stop by your local Vault of Midnight to check it out!

The Hypo: The Melancholic Young Lincoln

Does anyone still read this blog? No matter. Hopefully you'll see more posts more regularly in the very near future. But if you're not reading, you won't notice either way.

Written and Drawn by Noah Van Sciver

For fans of Lincoln, fans of history, fans of comic books, fans of historically based comic books, and fans of melancholy, The Hypo is not to be missed. Focusing on the late twenties of one of the most famous and mythologized people in history, The Hypo gives us a view of Lincoln (backed up by his and his contemporaries' correspondence) as a depressed failure. At twenty-eight he has foundered as a lawyer, a politician, and a fiancee. He suffers from the bummers so severely that it's become one of his most defining characteristics to both friends and strangers alike. The story follows Lincoln through this strange period in his life as he grapples with an overriding wish to make a difference and be remembered, even while there is absolutely no indication that he will accomplish any such thing.

Sciver absolutely nails it. It's so easy to think of Lincoln or any figure of his stature as these great freight trains of Mighty Righteousness, barreling through life to their ultimate, kick-ass destiny with grace and aplomb. We can't separate what we know of Lincoln without remembering his really astonishing accomplishments, so those accomplishments necessarily color our interpretation of him. Sciver's approach to this problem (if it is a problem) is subtle, setting melancholic young Lincoln against our knowledge of what he will become, while at the same time showing us the seeds of what will make him great. Take a look at this page from early on in the narrative:

Setting aside the fact that these dudes are deciding on a platonic bed-sharing together after, like, 30 seconds of meeting (which apparently wasn't so weird in the frontier states during that period), look at how much Sciver accomplishes on this page. We see Lincoln's plain spoken style, his humbleness, his self-doubt, and his honesty here with so much fucking economy and elegance. And look at the expressions on Lincoln's face. Big ol' goofy doofus. You just wanna comb his hair and give him a hug and then let him save modern democracy as the last, best hope for mankind. The whole book pulls this off.

It's not all old-timey moping, for those of you afraid of words or feelings. We also see the combative, childish side of Lincoln as he pisses people off, falls in love, tries (and fails) to buy a hooker, and accidentally instigates a duel (with sabers!).

I recommend The Hypo highly. The pacing is perfect, the art is effective and sometimes super-moving, and the story is fascinating.

Four and a Half out of Five Top Hats

Saga #1

W - Brian K Vaughan  A - Fiona Staples

Planet vs Moon.  Weirdo humanoids.  War torn travels.  Secret map!

I thought this comic was pretty awesome.  The dialogue is frank and modern, the art is well suited to the story. That Fiona gal draws real pretty.  I'm interested in seeing the story take us on a trip that brings us to our narrator in a current time. 

3 horns out of 5 wings.

Stuff I read this week.

Saucer Country #1:  Meh. It might be ok, but politicians and aliens didn't really hook me.

Dominique Laveau Voodoo Child #1:  I don't think I'm going to like it, but I'll try one more issue.

Conan the Barbarian #2:  Hubba hubba!  Still bitchin good.

Fairest #1:  It has personality and pretty sweet art, I'll give it a go.

Murky World one-shot

W/A - Richard Corben

Wow.  What a perfect, weird little story.  This shit rules.

Word.

Prophet #21

W - Brandon Graham       A - Simon Roy

Alright!  I'm not gonna lie and say I was excited about it, or even thought it was a good idea to revive dead 90s characters from Image.  I read Glory, it was decent.  Prophet already looks like a badass on the cover.  It's great!  I feel like I could've understood the whole story even without words.  The visuals are awesome.  The textures are gross (in a good way).  My personal favorite moments?  The vagina-faced contact, a shared food moment with the Dolmantle, and the awesome map at the end.

5 out of 5 crazy looking, mutant animals.

Something has certainly changed for the better.

Red Wing #1-4 (Hickman/Pitarra - Image Comics)

Some comic books force "writers" like me to come back from the cyber-dead and blog about them.

What.  The.  Fuck.  Was going on in this comic book?!

Let me start over.

I love Jonathan Hickman.  You could say that I'm a Jonathan Hick.... fan.  Even when he phones in work-for-hire for Marvel, I still enjoy it.  I picked up the first issue of this book solely based on the fact that his name was on the cover; didn't hurt that the cover looked like it had been drawn by Geof Darrow.
 
But...

You know what I hate?  Time travel.

You know what I really hate?  Trying to read a book about time travel... monthly.

You know what I really really hate?  Father/son melodrama.

You know what I really really really hate?  This book looks like it was drawn by Frank Quitely when he was 12.

Amazingly, I still thought this comic was fun.  I have no idea what happened, because the characters all kind of looked the same AND because it was monthly and involved time travel.  I plan on re-reading it and trying to figure it out.

Panels were frequently rough to follow, or vague, or disjointed, and a lot of the backgrounds looked like they had been drawn in Microsoft Pain.  BUT the coloring was good, and pretty much carried the art on its shoulders.  However, for all the crap I've said about Pitarra's art, the covers are fucking gorgeous.  It's obvious that the dude can draw very very well.

All in all, read this if you have the opportunity, or if you love Jonathan Hickman, but it's pretty much like going out to eat at a mediocre Thai restaurant.

Holy Terror......HOLY SHIT

dudes.this is the opposite of whats right.

Near Death

W - Jay Faerber   A - Simone Guglielmini

Crime time!  I really liked this comic!  Bad guy...really bad guy has a brush with death and decides he needs to make amends.  His amends begin with interference that will cause him much strife, but he seems just gritty enough to work it out.  The art is loose and shady without an overkill of detail, it matches the story quite well.  Bravo!

4 out of 5 lessons learned.

Star Trek #1

W - Mike Johnson   A - Stephen Molnar

I guess I'm not a secret Star Trek fan, really, I'm just not a public one.  I have a sentimental affection for Star Trek, so I decided to give this comic a go.  There are (or have been in the last couple of years) SO MANY Star Trek comics popping up that I've had no interest in even looking at them.  I'm not entirely sure why this one grabbed my eye, but it did.  And, it was awesome.  It has all of the classic Star Trek elements that we love: the bridge, the "Oh my god, what is that?! Put in on screen!", the mysterious affect of whatever "it" was on the crew.  Awesome.  The art isn't my all time favorite, but it's good and the characters look like the respective, real life, people that played them in the most recent movie.  I think I'll probably read this series on a regular basis.  Nice work, dudes.

4 out of 5 problems with the teleporter.

Half World

W - Hiromi Goto  Illustrations - Jillian Tamaki (Skim)

Let's start with the fact that this book is a novel, and not a comic.  There are sparse black and white illustrations, but the writing is so succulent that every detail was fully animated in my imagination.  I think that this is, ultimately, a coming of age story.  A tale of transition from girl to woman, body and mind.  The bad guy in this shit is straight vile.  His depravity is palpable.  He's just disgusting and gives me the heebie jeebies.  The main character is pretty whiny at times, but she man's up in the end.  Yeah!

3 out of 3 realms brought back together.

Liz is diving into DC!

Well, I'm not swimming laps or anything, but I'm gonna get my feet wet.

Catwoman #1

W - Judd Winick  A - Guillem March

Whoa, DC!  Racy with a capital R.  The story works, and the art is seductive.  25/30DD.


Wonder Woman #1

W - Brian Azzarello   A - Cliff Chiang

I thought Wonder Woman looked really weird on the cover, but I liked it a lot!  The interior art isn't quite as angular.  Good, classic storyline...damsel in distress carrying a VIP baby.  Yep, dope.  4 deflected arrows out of 5 horse bodied assailants.


Supergirl #1

W - Michael Green and Mike Johnson   A - Mahmud Asrar

Straightforward entrance, excellent narration from multiple points of view and smooth art that's easy on the eyes.  I, all around, liked it.  I even got a little choked up at the end.  4 Supergirl's against 5 robots.

Batman Incorporated #8

Error
404 - the fun in this comic could not be found.

all 0's out of 0101010101

The Punisher

W - Greg Rucka
A - Marco Checchetto


A classic Punisher tale.  Vigilante justice at it's best.  Merciless righting of wrongs.  The writing is good, it has an excellent flow and pace.  It's easy to digest and I don't mean that in any kind of bad way.  I'm a little iffy on the art.  It's mostly ok, but Punisher too pretty!  It doesn't fit.  Regardless of my opinion of the art, the comic was good!  Fun!  Hard core!

4 out of 5 fully spent clips.

Binky to the Rescue

W/A - Ashley Spires

Fun for everyone!  This is the 2nd Binky book so far.  Admittedly, I'm a huge fan of anything to do with cats, but still: The art is HILARIOUS!  The facial expressions and body language of Binky are expertly rendered and portray the exact emotion intended.  The story is simple, straightforward and appropriate for cat lovers of any age.  It didn't get an Eisner nomination for nothin!

5 out of 5 on the Space Cat Academy entrance exam.

The Bombyce Network

W/A - Cecil and Corbeyran

I was drawn in by the cover art.  What a stroke of luck, this book is AWESOME!

Flea and Elmore are thieves.  They're part of a network.  The Bombyce Network.  They have gotten themselves into a bundle of trouble by robbing the wrong powerful people.  Nasty things are going on amongst the upper echelon of the French elite and this burglary could expose them all!

As indicated by the cover, the art is amazing.  It's rich like a painting and still maintains the crispness of penciled lines.  The story is gripping.  Originally 3 issues, Corbeyran left the series after issue two.  There was a three year wait between the first two, and an EIGHT year wait for issue three.  Yeesh. The split-up is noticeable in the writing even though it's not directly made clear.

Cool shit.  4 out of 5 gold schillings.

JONAH HEX!

Written by - Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti Art by - Ryan Sook
.......So its been a while since a posting, huh? We've been attempting (with phenomenal success and disparaging results) to read all of Flashpoint and Fear Itself.With such an extreme consumption of mediocrity we have dashed our ability to describe or transmute our indifference into words.Fear not!Hark!Out of the deluge of humdrum storytelling arises.........JONAH HEX #70! Alright Jonah Hex is great.Not as a human but as a monthly,on time comic,and as a character.Month after month for near on six years Palmiotti and Gray have brought a wrinkle to my brow and a smile to my lips.( also my hand to my mouth while i exclaim an "oh snap!". Because you do not mess with Hex and tons of characters seem lose sight of this,and then lose a chunk of their head....which i love!) But i digress.Jonah Hex has a rotating cast of phenomenal classic western comic artists and the best guest artists in the biz.They get artists that typically only do cover illustrations do to whole interiors because these high profile artists WANT to draw an awesome western....and that be Hex.Issue #70 is no exception,with the amazing Ryan Sook shaming lesser artists with his interior art.Hex has always done amazing single issue stories and rarely did multi part stories,which amongst the spate of crossovers and clifhangers based storytelling, was a gale of fresh air.This is the final issue before the enormous relaunch of DC comics in september....wait....i know. Maybe you dudes are like "hold on Christian,you just sold us on a great monthly series just to tell us its over!? what the hey!?" Fear not! DC comics is not completley brain dead, and Jonah will be back in the pages of "All Star Western"! This series will feature Jonah in Gotham! when its a frontier town! He'll be reluctantly teamed up with Amadeus Arkham the founder of Arkham Asylum, to catch criminals! The writing team remains the same! I know! Totally awesome right!? Read it!

two out two six guns firing on all cylinders
it would have been awesome if Paul Pope and Frank Quitely had each done a single issue of Jonah Hex.im just sayin.

Fear, Continued (Part 2 of Fear)

Man. I had a copy of Journey Into Mystery in my pile this week that I was just SAVORING. I had it on the very bottom of the stack, waiting like an elegant digestif: it would end my Fear Itself session on a high note and my entire review would be better as a result. But when I cracked it open I realized it was last month's issue. There was no new Journey Into Mystery. I fabricated a new issue out of childish, baseless desire.

Whatever.

So here's my continued review of a backlog of Fear Itself issues. I hope that my bitterness doesn't bleed through too heavily.

• Invincible Iron Man #504-505 - Xmas said recently (and I paraphrase): "the best crossover writers are the ones that write whatever the fuck they want whilst the 'event' is just happening. " I agree with him (though not with his lifestyle or the choices he's made). When Fear Itself is just a context, a sort of background thing to other, better stories, this whole series becomes pretty damn sweet. And while most Fear Itself books don't seem to be heeding to this guideline (and are suffering accordingly), Matt Fraction, the event's architect, really hits the nail on the head in his flagship Invincible Iron Man series. These were a great couple of issues. The Grey Gargoyle, in his turn as the coolest hammer-wielder thus far, is turning the citizens of Paris to stone. When Iron Man shows up to shut that shit down, he realizes (mid-melee) that all of the rubble he crashes and is punched through...is peoples!!! This is pretty weird and gross for the I-Man, as you can imagine, and you get a real sense of all this FEAR that everyone's been talking so much about. I liked!
• Fear Itself: Fearsome Four #1 - Man...Howard the Duck...what the damn...huh? Forget it.
• Fear Itself: Deadpool #1 - Funny! Deadpool is funny sometimes! He's just such a scamp, you know? Always getting into some type of mischief. This adventure finds our protagonist scamming a suburban couple before tricking a hard-luck villain named "The Walrus" into thinking he's found one of the Serpent's Hammers. But who is that other inner-thought dialogue box? The white one? I didn't get that. If someone could explain that to me, that would be great.*
• Secret Avengers #14 - Nick Spencer's back again, obeying what I will henceforth refer to as the "Xmas Event-uality," using the larger "Fear" stuff to execute an almost stand-alone story. I didn't get into this one as much as the last issue (with Congress and The Beast and what-not), but it was a pretty fun ride. Points for good use of Odin and Valkyrie, demerits for having the two main characters being all kissy face in the middle of a giant Nazi robot fight. Like Secret Avengers #13, this one was just so close to great.
• Thunderbolts #159 - I was a third of the way through this giant sized, special issue of Thunderbolts when I realized I had no idea what was going on. I was enjoying it, I think, but I was pretty much totally lost. I leave a review of this issue to a certain co-blogger who knows better, who might have something substantive to contribute. He knows who he is.
• Fear Itself: Black Widow - I am not an expert in terrorists. I will be the first to admit this. But do terrorists refer to "terror" as often as they do in FI: Black Widow? Don't they usually employ terror incidentally, in service of some greater cause? The goal being X, with the "terrorists" wiling to employ violent means to achieve X, with terror being a bi-product or ends towards X? Am I splitting hairs? Isn't this just a comic book? Yeah ok, but this issue was still stupid. A group of bad guys, looking to capitalize on the craziness happening in France, are in the middle of doing some "terror." Do they want money? Prestige? I don't know and neither do they. For a better example of Cullen Bunn's writing, please see Sixth Gun, which is fantastic. And then let's all pretend that this didn't happen.

I'm all caught up! Hopefully the next thing I review won't have anything to do with Fear Itself! Until Next Time!



* Before I even finished writing, I was informed that the other dialogue box is...also Deadpool. Because he's, like, crazy. So it's his inner dialogue, apparently. Maybe you knew that, but there we go.

Flashpoint #1

W - Geoff Johns
A - Andy Kubert

So, you're probably like "Whaaaaaat?  Wait, Liz is reviewing Flashpoint?  Liz, that has nothing nice to say about core Marvel and DC titles?  Why do you guys keep letting her review these books?!"

Calm your worried mind.  I'm going to read the five issue, main series of Flashpoint.  Guess what?!  I thought issue #1 was pretty dope.  Somebody is seriously f*%$ing around with Barry Allen!  One second, everything is normal.  He's got Iris, love of his life.  He's got super powers, he's the Flash, duh.  And then in the next moment, after waking from a little cat nap everything is BONKERS!  Nothing makes sense!  His mom comes to meet him for birthday dinner, whaaaat?!  His beautiful Iris is clearly involved with someone else.  Wonder Woman and Aquaman are the bad guys?!  Batman is super mean!  What the hell?  Little by little, the pieces start to come together and bring some sense to what's going on.  But...it can't all be peaches and cream.  I'm not terribly fond of the art.  It reminds me of Michael Turner, no disrespect.  Yep, I liked it and am actually looking forward to issue #2.  Stay tuned!

4 out of 5 whacked out realities.