All-star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder #8
What’s this? An issue of All Star Batman that I didn’t really have any problems with? That’s right; this is probably the first issue that I really enjoyed the whole way through. Maybe I’ve just grown used to [Frank] Miller‘s portrayal of Batman in this series as a lunatic jack-hole, and I can just have fun with it. It probably helps that I’m not so attached to Batman that anything outside the norm becomes sacrilege. That said, this whole series will read much better once it’s finished, because every issue tends to go by too quickly. Jim Lee’s art is up to his usual standards though, so at least it’s always good looking. Maybe this series will take a good upswing just as it’s coming to an end. —4 out of 5

PULL LIST 11-29-07 All-star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder #8 Green Lantern Corp #18 Supergirl and the Legion of Superheroes #36 Dan Dare #1 Ultimate Spider-man #116 Casanova #11

Green Lantern Corp #18
This is kind of a disappointing issue in the otherwise great saga of the Sinestro Corp Wars. This issue has the big slugfest between the new Ion, (who happens to be a Daxamite, basically an alien with all of Superman’s powers) and Super (boy) man Prime. While the fight is pretty decent, and very brutal, it’s not really wrapped up very well. I also didn’t really like the flashbacks that were used throughout to give some background on Ion. It just didn’t tie in with the main story very well and felt very superfluous. It’s not awful, but was till a bit of a letdown compared to previous issues. Hopefully there’s full payoff in the final chapter of the war. —3 out of 5

Supergirl and the Legion of Superheroes #36
I guess I get to go back to just calling this Legion of Superheroes next month, as Supergirl is shipped back to the 21st century. A lot of this issue felt like clearing the deck for Jim Shooter’s run, so there was a lot of rushed explanation, and quick resolution. Kind of a disappointment and I have to give a thumbs down to Tony Bedard‘s run as a whole. Too much of it was spent cleaning up from Mark Waid’s run and Bedard was never really given a chance to tell his own story. It probably didn’t help that I never really enjoyed Dennis Calero‘s pencil work. His realistic look and heavy line was never a good fit for this title. However, we can now look forward to seeing what a classic Legion writer can do with the series, and I for one am looking forward to it. —2 out of 5

Dan Dare #1
Bought on a recommendation from my good buddies Jimmy and Steve at Graham Crackers Comics of Wheaton IL (Packers still suck Jimmy), and while it wasn’t bad, I kind of felt like I was missing some vital information. This is a relaunch of an old British series about a space pilot and his adventures, and to it made me want to read some of the older stories to fill in the background. Writer Garth Ennis does a good job of bringing the reader up to speed, I was never lost in the story, but I think I’m missing out on the nostalgia that this series might bring to other (read: English) readers. Dan Dare is a former pilot who has retired to the seclusion of an asteroid, until the leader of the world comes to re-enlist him for another fight. Most of the plot is setting up the world, but there’s still time for a bit of action. Gary Erksine handles the art, and while most of what he has here is character scenes, the few scenes in space are well done, and his designs for the ships are great. It interests me enough to come back for the second issue, so I’ll give this a recommendation, especially if you’re enjoying Fear Agent, or are just a fan of sci-fi in general. —4 out of 5

Ultimate Spider-man #116
This is one of those series that is kind of a chore to review month in and month out, because there’s only so many good things you can say about it. Yes, Stuart Immonen‘s art is great, and he has picked up right where Mark Bagley left off. His characters are expressive and his action is easy to read and exciting. Yes, Brian Michael Bendis has the voices of these characters down and brings plenty of twists to each issue. This issue has a great ending, as Peter and Norman Osbourne have a heart to heart, and then they see a surprising press conference that means bad things for the Green Goblin. Forget about the regular universe Spidey titles (I know I have), this is the only series you need to be reading to get his adventures. —5 out of 5

Casanova #11
Here’s another one I heap praises on every month, so if you’ve read a review from me on an earlier issue, I’ll be saying the same things pretty much. The first thing I have to say is that if you’re not reading this book, do yourself a favor and pick up an issue. For only 2 dollars, you get a better and more fulfilling read than pretty much any other book. Matt Fraction and Fabio Moon pack each issue with crazy ideas and beautiful art. There may only be 16 pages of story, but there’s so much going on, and fortunately, Fraction has found a way to make it easy to follow. The last four pages are text mixed in with sketches from Moon, and give an intriguing look into the creative process, one that you really can’t find anywhere else. This is a book for any fan of comics and should be read by as many people as possible. —5 out of 5