POBB May 22, 2019

Pick of the Brown Bag

May 22, 2019

by

Ray Tate

The Pick of the Brown Bag begins anew with reviews of Batgirl, Detective Comics, Iron Man, Miles Morales Spider-Man, Scooby-Doo Team-Up and the Unstoppable Wasp.  As usual, should you lack the time or patience with the thick and meaty reviews, you can always get the low-down on Twitter: #PickoftheBrownBag.

In Sholly Fisch's and Dario Brizuela's latest Scooby-Doo Team-Up, Freddie, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and Scooby receive a summons from Flash.  The Gang joined forces with the Flash on several occasions, sometimes alone and sometimes with the Justice League.  

Scooby-Doo Team-Up exists in its own continuity.  Tom King is unlikely to mention Batman partnering with Mystery Inc.  Although, you never know.  Certainly, it's in Peter Tomasi's wheelhouse.  

Because of Scooby-Doo Team-Up's stand-alone nature, Fisch can always start from scratch.  He never chooses to do so, and the internal consistency helps strengthen the storytelling.  The Flash by the way is with the League in another galaxy.  The call a ruse.  

The Flash Rogues generally speaking are only interested in the money.  If they threaten anybody, they do so with the knowledge that the Flash will speed to the hapless' rescue.  Thus cementing civilian use as effective distractions.  Make no mistake.  

They are still bad guys and gals.  However, because the Flash Rogues are just greedy bank robbers and not truly evil, they are willing to on occasion throw their lot in with the Flash or seek out help from his compatriots when necessary.  In this case, Scooby and the Gang.   

The Top is a classic Silver Age Flash foe and a former Rogue.  The Top died during the Bronze Age, a rare occurrence.  Fisch accurately describes the death of the Top, minus Golden Glider psychopathically blaming the Flash for the demise.

Brizuela designs the Rogues with some edge to them, using sharp angles for their faces and sneers for expressions.  Including as you see Golden Glider.  

Golden Glider is Captain Cold's sister Lisa Snart.  If you’re wondering about Golden Glider's Glitter Gun from The Flash, that's all television series invention.  

In the comics, Glider is a figure skater, trained by the Top.  This as well Fisch acknowledges.  She turned criminal when the Top died, but with a different set of gimmicks.

In the end, the Golden Glider’s relationship with the Top and her unusual skill-set proves key to the real villain’s defeat.  Ah, yes.  Spoiler Ahoy.  The Top isn't really haunting the Rouges.  

Before the unmasking happens, our sleuths offer and strike out suspects.  They unfortunately inspire the Rogues to pull off a super-heist as bait for the Top's manifestation.

I am totally tickled that the Rogues refer to Mystery Inc. by name or as "you kids."  It's actually quite plausible that the Rogues would behave in such a civil manner.  

Once at the scene of the crime, things get even more interesting.  Shaggy proves to be an asset.  We get some more characteristic Rogue behavior, with Captain Boomerang adding some comedy, and a timely rescue from some surprise guest-stars. 

Batgirl in one sense is lovingly nostalgic.  The Terrible Trio haunt Gotham City with the same masks but different faces beneath.  Indeed, originally these villains arrived in the fifties as scientists specific to their chosen element: air, water, earth.  Nowadays, they're greedy psychopaths.  Though don't confuse them with the Flash Rogues.

Despite Vulture’s warning to keep out of Batgirl’s way, in fact out of the way of all of the Batman Family, last issue Fox lures Batgirl into a mystery and a trap.

The smart thing of course would be to kill her on the spot.  Fox however wants to prove a point.  So, he sets up Batgirl in an escape proof chamber, filling with water, as a stage show for the opening of The Den.

This kind of death trap used to be the pride of comic book writing.  Nowadays, seldom do writers actually construct a death trap for the character.  It's after all more realistic to describe a no-win situation for the protagonist or frame a consequence of the fight to prove a hero's potential downfall.  

Rarely do we see a villain stop himself from delivering the final blow and deciding, "No.  I'm going to stick her in a straight-jacket upside down in an impenetrable tube filling with water."  This is an honest to goodness death trap, and it's a beauty based on Houdini.

Of course this whole thing could have failed without the proper art team enhancing the drama.  Fortunately we have Paul Pelletier, Norm Rapmund and Jose Marazan Jr. and colorist Jordie Bellaire combining with Mairghread Scott's honest Batgirl narration.  Together they convince the reader that this is the moment that Babs can die.

Scott like Alan Burnett and Michael Reaves imbue the Terrible Trio with a nuance of perversion and sickness.  In Batman: the Animated Series, the Terrible Trio are rich dilettantes, committing crimes for kicks.  They corner an acquaintance, Rebecca, when she discovers the truth and they decide to kill her.  The Shark's off hand comment about dying with out clothing is particularly nasty and in that vein of seemingly normal individuals putting on masks and turning out worse than Gotham City's usual suspects.

Of course Batgirl escapes, but not before she uses every trick in her utility belt, every muscle in her body to no avail.  In the end, she takes a page from Batman and cheats.

Batman #295

Thus endeth the lesson until Shark pulls a fast one outside of the Golden Age and forces Batgirl to conduct another knock-down, drag-out fight.  This is all on the artists, who remind the reader of Batgirl’s martial arts mastery.  

Scott juxtaposes the battle to the death with a hostile take-over of Barbara Gordon’s clean energy company.  The British buyers force Babs’ partner Alyssa into an ethical corner and reveal a connection between Barbara and a Batman villain. This may come as a shock for Alyssa, but not to any Batgirl fan.  I’ll give you a hint.  It’s not Catwoman.  Batgirl and Catwoman loathe each other.

This issue of Detective Comics dishes the origin of Peter Tomasi’s and Brad Walker’s Arkham Knight.  The origin is elegant and answers every question posed in previous chapters.  

Who is the Arkham Knight? What is the meaning of the Knight’s name?  Why does the Knight hate Batman? 

Why does the Arkham Knight work with Arkham Inmates? Why does the Knight save police officers caught in the crossfire?

New character Ingrid Karlsson is not the Arkham Knight.  Karlsson though is connected to the Arkham Knight.  

Ingrid is a medical doctor responsible for the care of the Arkham inmates.  The inmates—yes, even the Joker—trust her because of her dedication and honesty.

Arkham Knight’s trigger occurs when a riot breaks out in the Asylum.  The usual suspects however are not the cause.

What happens next is a remarkable story of madness and one man’s foolishness, perhaps animosity, toward Batman that helps shape the Knight’s skewered viewpoint.

In the present day, the Knight employs the Arkham inmates to fruit the plan.  This includes a surprise villain from another title, but associated with Gotham City.

The Arkham Knight story is fascinating and entertaining.  It’s a straight up mystery with a satisfying reveal and explanation.  The Arkham Knight is truly insane, but not in a crazy, comic book character kind of way. 

In the real world, the Arkham Knight is certifiable. The grand delusions the Knight harbors for Gotham City lack the egotism of Bond-type villainy.  The Knight bears no criminal nor evil intent.  Instead, the Knight fosters a distinctive worldview that’s far off tangent from any recognizable sphere. 

Oh, for pity’s sake.  What the hell’s up with Iron Man’s covers! The imagery makes little sense—I can’t even tell what that is—and lacks any bearing to the tone of the book.  Sorry, I had to get that off my chest.

Writer Dan Slott recapitulates everything he introduced and reintroduced in his ten issue run.  This is why the conclusion feels particularly deep. 

Slott’s Iron Man began with old Iron Man foe the Controller living up to his name through stalwart head of security Bethany Cabe becoming an unwitting mole at Stark Enterprises.  

Around the same time, Tony Stark unveils a virtual reality platform that sweeps the world.  The Controller however digs in and via manipulating internet trolls succeeds in vampirizing the mental energy of users.  The result is this fellow.

Stark enters the eScape and discovers his parents alive, not well and twisted.  Stark frees himself from their ideal of him, restores the eScape, rescues his birth mother Amanda and finds himself out of power and dying within his armor.

While the Controller undertook a personal stake in the eScape, Slott debuted a business rival in Sunset Bain who recruited Tony’s brother Arno Stark as her idea man.

Safe, Tony immediately begins to work on the problem.  That naturally manifests in a new suit of armor.

The ridding of the Controller should feel anti-climactic.  Like the popping of a big balloon, yet thanks to Valerio Schiti it’s anything but.  Slott furthermore adds commentary and creates a sneaky bit of comedy with Stark depriving Sunset of even a Pyrrhic victory.

Iron Man and the Wasp are an item, and the Wasp leads the attack on the Controller.  Fortunately, the Champions show up for backup.

This makes sense since the Unstoppable Wasp Nadia Van Dyne is the original Wasp’s stepdaughter.  I mention this for Wasp Nadia completists.

Jeremy Whitley's Unstoppable Wasp seems straight forward but surprises on a number of levels.  One of those levels I will spoil, but it’s a small spoiler that you’ve probably already concluded anyway.  Last splendidly Tigra-filled issue ended with Nadia’s previously though dead mother contacting her.  Now, you must have thought like I did.  It’s a trap.

What surprised me is that writer Jeremy Whitley didn’t go the old, Nadia betrayed by her emotions walks into a trap routine.  Instead, between issues, she asked for help from Bobbi Morse alias Mockingbird, and Bobbi’s plus one at Nadia's birthday party, Winter Soldier.

What’s weird is the Red Room is expecting them, which begs the question how did they know?  It’s certainly possible there’s a mole among Nadia’s group.  On the other hand perhaps electronic surveillance is the answer.  Alternatively, Nadia’s party may have attracted media attention.  The Mother of Red Room could have spotted Winter Soldier or learned of his appearance and made some clever deductions.

While Bobbi and Bucky do a Bond in Siberia, Nadia prepares for hosting the first GIRL Expo.  GIRL for those not in the know is Nadia’s think tank of girl scientists.

Despite being issue eight of a two volume series, this chapter is actually a pretty good jump-on point for those who haven’t yet experienced the femme positive adventures.  Whitley introduces the ladies of GIRL with narrative asides and exemplars of their brilliance.

The subplot involving the Red Room plunges you into Nadia’s background.  Let me just say.  I am not a fan of the Red Room themes in Black Widow comics.  Call it familiarity breeding contempt.  I will give the Unstoppable Wasp team this.  Whitley expands on the Red Room motif while also returning to the theme of AIM attempting to steal GIRL’s inventions and perhaps combining the two. 

Miles Morales Spider-Man is interested in stopping Tombstone from taking over a chunk of his neighborhood.  In the process of stopping the power grab, he encounters the new hero Starling.

Not to be confused with one of the original Birds of Prey conceived by Duane Swierczynski.  Miles is down with Starling for a number of reasons, many of them obvious.  There's a big no-go as far as he’s concerned.  She’s just too rough.

As the story progresses, Starling reveals much of her history, and it’s interesting stuff that surpasses her motive for hunting Tombstone; this storytellers Saladin Ahmed and Javier Garron wisely downplay.

In addition to Starling's history, the kinetic art of Javier Garron, the popping colors of David Curiel, the crafters entice with a fascinating problem for Miles Morales that spans his entire life and not just his costumed self.

It's funny.  The Flash's spectacular season finale just dealt with the secret identity issue in a mature way.  I don't know how long Miles and Barbara were dating, but maybe she deserved to know if the relationship were serious.  Starling on the other hand just met Spidey, and it's difficult for me to think he would tell her.  The fact that he's tempted indicates just how dangerously smitten he is with the new protagonist.

POBB May 15, 21019

Pick of the Brown Bag

May 15, 2019

by

Ray Tate

So hey, the Pick of the Brown Bag gets political sometimes.  Like right now I could say that Alabama is the state that’s most likely the product of incest-rape by their White Nationalist brother-cousin Georgia.  I could say that, but I won’t.  

Instead, let’s celebrate Mick Jagger’s recovery from cardiac surgery.

Wayne Newton’s six decades of work in Las Vegas.  Bless his heart.

Let’s rejoice in the return of John Wick.

Let’s wow over Avengers: Endgame and killer CW show season finales.

Yeah.  

These celebrities do more for us than our elected officials.  They distract us from a disturbing world that grows darker and darker with the consuming shadow of right-wing fascism.  I will never vote Republican.  Never.

This week I review the blissfully distracting Adventures of the Super Sons, Batman, Black Widow, The Immortal Hulk, James Bond, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Spider-Man and the League of Realms and War of the Realms Strikeforce.  If the juicy full-length reviews are too much for you, check me out on Twitter: #PickoftheBrownBag.

More anything can happen from Peter Tomasi’s Adventures of the the Super Sons.  In the future Grandpa Jonathan Kent, son of Superman and Lois Lane, relates a story to his super-powered grandchild and Robin's granddaughter.  

Old Damien Wayne joins the book club to share his more “accurate” version of the tale.  Young Damien is hard enough to take.  He doesn’t mellow with age.

Although he is carrying the chocolate milkshakes to the tykes.

The Super Sons, robot Jonah Hex and Green Lantern Cadet Al-X battle against Rex Luthor and his miniature DC Villain Cosplay Mob.

Rex Luthor sounds like Lex Luthor as pronounced by Scooby-Doo, but that doesn’t make him less dangerous.  Tomasi’s smart plot twists add to good, solid super-hero vs. super-villain action.  

Luthor’s plan depends on a Grant Morrison creation from JLA.  Bizarro Kid is constantly confused about how he should speak.  The villains of the piece are way over their tiny heads.

Hex turns the tide by doing something really clever.  The ramifications of which make sense.  The cliffhanger diverts this story to even whackier territory.  Dialogue and action restore a modicum of decency to our surprise guest that seemed lost in the previous chapter.  If you like the nuttiness of comics, this book is for you.  Tomasi nevertheless laces objectivity to the insane world that the super-heroes live in, and that's what keeps his story from descending into chaos.

The entirety of Tom King’s new long game seems to arise from the psychological aftermath of The Wedding.  Batman first made a mistake.  He jumped to the conclusion that Mr. Freeze perpetrated a series signature murders.  Turning out to be copy-cats.  He atoned by serving on jury duty as Bruce Wayne to exonerate the Arkham inmate.  

Batman did something even more unthinkable that strained his relationship with Jim Gordon.  Knightmares manifested, followed by an exhilarating escape and now this.  Whatever this is.  Here’s what I can tell you.  

The Gang’s all here, with only one of the original Batman Family present.  Unfortunately she sports green eyes instead of blue.  Still, Mikel Janin draws her so beautifully I can almost forgive the slight.  Almost.  The fact is because Janin graces Barbara, her eyes positively glow.  Green.  Damn it.  

Dick Grayson by the way is still not dead.  He’s screwy in the head.  Ha-Ha.  I’ll never get get tired of typing or saying that.

Naturally, I expected to see Damien Wayne who’s seldom far from his father’s side.  What puzzles me is how Tim Drake returned.  

Last I heard, unknown parties trapped Tim in limbo, and why is Huntress amongst the group?  It’s not Helena Wayne who would have revisited Earth One if summoned by Batman.  

It’s not the Post-Crisis poseur.  It’s the SPYRAL agent from Grayson who as far as I know, never met Batman.  Fine.  Now, she apparently does.

Batman alerts the team to combat two opponents he believes to be behind all his problems.  They may be the ones on the cover.  Then again, maybe not.  I’m not telling.

Batman’s trouble lies in the lack of evidence.  You can believe Batman’s deductions.  Batgirl’s testimony however is damning.  

Batgirl is always the voice of reason.  That leaves three possibilities.  Batman never escaped his Knightmares, and this episode is a continuation.  Batman is losing his mind, or his antagonists are good enough to fool Batgirl.  

That last option doesn’t seem likely does it?  Suppose though we take Batman at his word.  What does that mean?  Somebody shot Dick Grayson.  Batman wreaked vengeance on the shooter who neither confirmed nor denied the identity of his employer.  The Penguin came clean after the Big Bad killed his heretofore unknown sister.  Given that the Penguin’s confession factored into the nemesis’ plan, he must have known what the death would set into motion.

The Big Bads of the story collude to drive Batman mad.  The number one of the partnership may use a drug, possibly diluted tetrodotoxin, to fake his comatose state.  The number two of the story just may be able to fool Batgirl because he evolved in a technologically superior world.  Thus giving him an edge even over Batgirl.  Both of them can frighten, pay off or replace people to create a facade of normalcy.  

On the other hand, what if Batman is an unreliable narrator? What if Dick Grayson is fine and still Nightwing? What if Batgirl’s eyes are in fact blue and Batman imagines them green? What if Batman only created phantasms after the Wedding, and he’s trapped not in some villainous plot but his own damaged psyche? None of Batman’s actions however extreme are unpardonable should his detective work be true. 

I don’t believe a Batman title has ever been this suspenseful.  Back in the seventies, the Powers That Be set Batman up for the murder of Talia.  Nobody bought the shred of possibility.  In the eighties, supposedly one of Batman’s rogues’ gallery killed him.  No one thought that for a second.  Forget the nineties.  This run though is different.  I can see Tom King being audacious enough to follow through on Batman’s psychological breakdown.  I can also see him pursuing the opposite.  King successfully presents arguments for both.

If Greg Pak had put as much energy in last week’s piñata Agents of Atlas as he did for James Bond I would have been much more lenient.  Pak rewrites Ian Fleming’s Goldfinger. 

Look, don’t get bent out of shape.  I’m a James Bond fan, and I’m not incensed.  Goldfinger still exists in two different forms: original novel and film.  Pak’s approach to rewriting Goldfinger is actually very clever.

Pak takes advantage of James Bond’s perpetual fictional youth.  If we accept Bond as a normal individual who ages in a reflection to the real world, Bond never could have faced Goldfinger.  

Pak started with that as a premise.  In Pak’s story another agent investigated a gold smuggling operation.  Another agent encountered the original Oddjob and paid for that meeting.

Pak introduced John Lee, the new Oddjob, but he’s an unique creation.  A spiffy hat is the only thing they share.  Lee is a loquacious South Korean secret agent skilled in the martial arts.  Oddjob is Goldfinger’s flunky.  A monster in the novel.  A Hawaiian wrestler in real life and a mute Japanese bodyguard assassin in the film. 

In a very roundabout way, Pak drew the John Lee story headlong into Goldfinger.  Auric Goldfinger is a younger individual, carrying out criminal activities through a new organization called ORU.  Perhaps Goldfinger's father headed the original "grand slam." 

ORU acquires fealty from its agents through the torture of technology and biochemistry.  John Lee is in this to save a fellow South Korean operative Aria Kim.

Bond’s orders are to kill John Lee.  Everybody but Bond believes in Lee’s defection.  As in the original Goldfinger, Bond pretends to be a business man and meets Goldfinger on the field of chance.  

He catches him cheating, but there will be no poisoned, gold-painted women paying for his observations.

If painted gold, don’t panic.  You’ll still live.  Humans breathe through their lungs not their skin.  We’re not frogs.  The painted victims in fiction and real life died from poisoning due to mercury in the paint.  Stringent regulations banned mercury from paint long ago.  So should you accidentally find yourself covered in paint, you’re good.  Go take a shower.

As in the film, Bond lures his prey with gold provided by MI-6.    Goldfinger’s motive shifts to a surprising degree.  In the novel, he intends to rob Fort Knox.   In the film, he plans to irradiate the gold in Fort Knox and subsequently increase the value of his private stash.  Pak excises the golf game where Bond exposes Goldfinger cheating a second time.  He once again draws in the John Lee story, and there’s no Pussy Galore anywhere to be seen.  In fact, Bond’s focus is on the mission and his personal aim to see John Lee exonerated.  In this way, Pak preserves Bond’s heroism.

The Black Widow recently returned from the dead via cloning.  She now suffers from PTSD involving her death and the cumulative violence running through her life.  She decided to work through her anger in Madripoor, a lawless island nation once frequented by Wolverine.

Tyger Tiger is a stabilizing force in Madripoor, and when Tyger Tiger learns of No Restraints Play, she knows exactly where Black Widow can rage.

No Restraints Play, is the next devolution of the snuff film, which let me emphasize does not exist.  The villains conducting No Restraints Play torture and maim children.  They tried to pull that crap on Natasha, and she promptly and literally burned down their operation.

Last issue the Big Bad attempted to kill she and Tyger Tiger with a guided missile.  Needless to say, he fails, and Natasha deduces his next move.

In a perfectly timed piece of suspense, Nat races to save the loose ends set up to die.  

The Soskas grant no empathy to the Big Bad, up to this issue a secret player in an unexpected fair play mystery.  He spouts all the usual excuses.  She tries to guard herself with the best mercenaries money can buy.  

They don’t stand a chance.  When the Widow confronts the Big Bad, Nat very clearly wants him to suffer, but she approaches him like a superhero.  Fortunately, the Big Bad leaves Nat with no choice.  In so doing, Natasha reclaims her identity.

Even the cleanup in the story is interesting.  Natasha inspires the survivors to become something better, and she gives a gift to the girl that helped bring down the heinous ring.  No doubt calling in a favor from Tony Stark, in a scene perhaps inspired by Robert Downey Jr. delivering a specially designed gift to a child in the hospital. 

Nat furthermore returns to where her problems triggered.  She visits Steve and absolves him.  

Steve really had nothing to do with killing Natasha.  She appears to blame him in issue one, but Nat comes full circle in the fifth.  The Soskas’ take on Natasha, her history and future resonates.  Their ideas should be incorporated in any future story.  Hopefully this isn’t the Soskas final word and they’ll revisit the web of the Black Widow.

Black Widow is the second best character in War of the Realms Strikeforce.  Writer Dennis Hopeless directs the Widow with the Soskas’ characterization in mind.

Acerbic and angry, the Widow steals every scene that she’s in.  She only levels when she’s paired with Deadpool, the real star of the comic book.

Every moment with Deadpool is a joy.  He’s as funny as the Ryan Reynolds portrayal and serves as the Everyman that sees the insanity in the War of the Realms.

I’m also impressed by the scope of the one-shot and the intrinsic continuity enmeshed in the plotting.  

Deadpool’s encounter with the Flame Sharks, or whatever they are, leads him organically to Atlantis.

The cameo appearance by Namor is a domino.  Its fall leads to Deadpool joining Captain Marvel’s team.

Unfortunately Hopeless hasn’t a clue about how to write Captain Marvel.  Her gung-ho military attitude reminds me of how she behaved during the first Civil War, when she was an out of character Iron Man lieutenant martinet.  That event should not be considered a template.  Just bad writing.  Not that Hopeless is a bad writer.  He’s simply basing Carol’s characterization on a blip on her personal radar, which in DC’s universe would have been expunged.

Malekith sightings in England draw the team to unexpected allies.

Roy Thomas and Frank Robbins created World War II heroes Union Jack and Spitfire for The Invaders.  Roger Stern and John Byrne introduced the Northern current Union Jack in a pivotal Captain America.  Somewhere down the line Spitfire became a vampire, which I loathe, but isn’t Hopless’ fault.

Honestly, I didn’t know that the Black Knight still lived.  In an eponymous comic book published by Marvel during the nineteen fifties, the original Black Knight fought evil in medieval times at the behest of King Arthur.  The third and current Black Knight is a descendent named Dane Whitman.  He became an Avenger in the mid-sixties.  I last saw him in the jacketed Avengers during the nineties.

Even more surprising than the appearance of Marvel’s British heroes.  Malekith actually shows his face.

It’s weird that Malekith appears in what amounts to a one-shot spin-off of The War of the Realms.  You would think to see him in the main title and Thor but not here.  I only bought the comic for the Black Widow, certainly not Venom and whatever the grey claymation-looking thing is.  This story however gains import when Malekith arrives.

Apparently Heaven is part of the Eight Realms already conquered by Malekith.  Devout comic book readers need not be offended.  Marvel’s Heaven is based on Angel mythology, not so much The Bible.

The Angels occupy Nigeria and serve as High Command for Malekith’s Dark Elf infantry.  Enter the League of Realms led by Spider-Man.

I’ve never stopped liking Spider-Man.  I disagreed with Marvel’s decisions regarding the character and cast: his split from Mary Jane Watson and other things that actually make me vomit a little.  Overall, Spider-Man’s continuity grew too complicated.  That said.  I’m always willing to give Spidey another chance.

Spider-Man proves his worth as a contrast to his more bellicose companions.  Just as Thor predicted.  While you need creatures willing to get Norse on the Dark Elves’ asses.  You also need a compassionate hero focused on the rescue operation and the heart of the problem.

I’ve said in the past that I’ve never really been a Hulk reader.  When I read the Hulk it was usually part of a collection: an Incredible Hulk pocket book, Son of Origins, Bring on the Bad Guys.  My exposure to the Hulk mainly derives from The Avengers and The Defenders, as well as the Bill Bixby/Lou Ferrigno television series.  When I flipped through the Joe Fixit era of the Hulk, the weird Las Vegas Hulk bouncer thing, I said a resounding no.

So here I am reading The Immortal Hulk, and Al Ewing even persuades me to like Joe Fixit.  I’m as dumfounded as you.  

General Fortean hatched an evil scheme.  Lure Bruce Banner and the Hulk by stealing Rick Jones’ corpse.  Fortean is a real dick.

The General figured that sunlight is the Hulk’s weakness.  It turns out that he’s right.  I know what you’re saying.  You’ve read scenes where the Hulk is smashing all sorts of things in broad daylight.  That’s whom the original Hulk refers to as The Big Guy.  Each Hulk must have a different tolerance for sunlight, and the Big Guy.  The Hulk-No-Like-Hulk-Smash incarnation is nearly immune.

Fortean trapped Hulk in a sunlight flooded Gamma Base.  He reverted him back to Banner and sent his assassin Burbank to finish the job.  Burbank is a sadistic bastard who can form a gun out of his hand, kind of like a Doctor Who Auton, but only disgusting.  When Burbank shoots Banner, the pain and fear drives Banner deep inside.  What comes out is Joe Fixit.

Maybe this was Joe’s personality all the time.  Maybe not.  What I can tell you is that Joe meets the criteria of an archetype.  A smarter than average bear that you consistently underestimate.  I’ve seen Joe in lots of pulp media.  Al Ewing demonstrates Joe’s cunning in many entertaining ways while the other Joe, artist Bennet depicts a complete change in body language and expression that advertises Banner’s not home at the moment.  Leave a message with Joe.

Sabrina the Teenage Witch’s second issue picks up right where we left off.  Sabrina learns a secret about school bully Radka and her brother.

But that revelation is nothing compared to the sudden interruption of a true giant monster.  Sabrina must use her magic to fight the beast.

At this point let me just say that the colors with the art make this book pop.  I loved the zaftig original Sabrina but the creepy art in her recent horror title just didn’t do anything for me.  Once again, Veronica and Andy Fish’s art hits a lovely aesthetic middle ground.  It’s optimized for vibrant sorcery, slice of life high-school and action-adventure.

The latest incarnation of Sabrina The Teenage Witch is definitely an action-adventure book.  The tiresome no magic rule quickly falls by the wayside.  It was already on the ground last issue, but this issue confirms the drop.  Sabrina’s aunts Hilda and Zelda reveal numerous things to the audience and a special secret to Sabrina, but writer Kelly Thompson cleverly isolates Sabrina while accounting for magic.