Indestructible Hulk Agent of T.I.M.E. #11

Indestructible Hulk Agent of T.I.M.E. #11 – alright that was a very fun read.  The story continues the trend of Hulk / Banner stories being smart.  The timeline / universe has been broken for a number of reasons related in no small part to the Age of Ultron storyline.  S.H.I.E.L.D was trying to make a fix but failed.  It turns out that only the Hulk can survive this journey through time.  We are introduced to Zarrko a time traveling villain who wants to help in no small part because this is the Zarrko before he became a bad guy fighting the Hulk and Thor.  Zarrko has provided technology from the future to try and help fix the timeline.  While I agree sending the Hulk out to fix something as breakable as time is a bad idea this would not be a Hulk comic without him.  So there was some smart sounding dialog along with some nifty art.  The issue ends with the Hulk entering the time stream with a robot version of Bruce Banner along for the ride.  They emerge from the timeline at the feet of some cowboys who do the only smart thing when faced with the Hulk, RUN!  But when the camera shifts we see that it was not the Hulk who scared the cowboys but it was a T-rex.  If I was not clear I enjoyed this comic and thought it was not just entertaining but good.

Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #1

Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #1 – This comic was actually better than I expected.  So far my exposure to the updated Spider-Man has been subpar as this is a terrible character.  It was also annoying that the entire conceit of the comic is that Spider-Man is an asshole who goes around beating and nearly killing people.  But with the help of others he saves the day so everything is ok.  It would be nice if the creative team at Marvel Comics was not so bent on destroying Peter Parker and the  Spider-Man character.  I have said this before but it bears repeating it makes me sad that the Comic Book character that helped me got through life as a teen has been destroyed.  I am sad to see this trend continues and really if the creative team wants to stop publishing Spider-Man stories they should just stop.

Batman Annual #2

Batman Annual #2 was interesting.  This was the story of Arkham Asylum, an orderly’s first day and the asylums first patient.  We also had Batman because without him there would not be a Batman comic book.  Batman was at the Asylum to test some new security features.  The new orderly was there on his first day to try and help people, there was a joke about him being from Metropolis.  The first patient was there because she felt guilty for accidentally killing her parents back in the day before there was an Arkham Asylum.  She was still alive because she had a power that let her travel through walls and the rest what we call solid objects.  She was unhappy with Batman for turning her home and place of healing into a place of punishment where people such as the Joker are sent.  So she decides this time she will try to kill Batman in payment for how he changed her safe place.  It was an interesting and sad story, well done.  But the tie-in to the Zero Year was clumsy and not more than a single page – basically Zero Year was mentioned simply to help sell this comic.  If you bought this comic just because of the Zero Year tie-in you were robbed.

Batman Detective Comics Annual #2

Batman Detective Comics Annual #2 – This issue tells three related stories.  The first one is Batman tracking down a person who could make herself the perfect copy of a person but her copy was only a mask as she was no Clayface.  I am not really sure why but there is a one page appearance of the Wrath who saves the bad lady called Jane Doe.  She takes the identity of the person she copies and then does something bad, a bank robbery or jewelry store heist.  Batman figures it all out at the last moment and saves the day and Harney Bullock’s life.  The next story is kind of interesting in it appears to be Bullock going to confront Jane Doe about why she picked him.  But in the end it turns out to just Jane Doe being somewhat crazy.  The final story was kind of disappointing in that it is just Bullock feeling sorry for himself.  Apparently Bullock is unable to be the great cop that Jane Doe was while impersonating him.

Hunger #1 - Age of Ultron Aftermath

Hunger  #1 – Age of Ultron Aftermath.  It figures that Rick Jones would have something to do with the end of a Universe.  I just kind of expected it to be the end of our universe – but I kid - I always liked Rick Jones.  The problem is he was just in way to many other comics as the side kick for way to many years so what to do with him now?  Apparently he has been working for a group of Watchers as a Guardian of the Universe and it looks like the Ultimates Universe is where this story takes place.  Rick is visiting Earth to get a burger but gets grabbed by his Watcher and taken to a battle in space between the Kree and Chitauri to observe and not be seen apparently.  They watch the fighting until that Universes version of Galactus shows up (apparently just a giant robot swarm in that universe) and then something weirder happens.  Then another Galactus shows up from our Universe because of how Wolverine and others broke time in the Age of Ultron comic.  So our Galactus attacks the Ultimate Galactus and instead of absorbing (eating) each other they merge into a Super Glactus.  I said things got weird; the story was interesting so I hope the rest of the story is good.  To be continued….

All Star Western #22

All Star Western Featuring Jonah Hex #22 – I admit to not really being a fan of this story line.  Having Booster Gold show up in the past could have continued for another issue or two before wearing out the storyline.  But having Jonah Hex in the future and no one believing that he is a time traveler even after checking out his gun and clothes were authentic.  Not to mention if this is an unaltered timeline for the DC Universe time travel happens all the time so someone should be able to check his time particles or something to prove he was out of time and not just another Gotham nut job.  Why the JLA or Justice League or Superman was not called is just not believable.  I realize the writers were trying to contain the story but not having other heroes called just breaks my suspension of disbelief needed to read this comic.  What is worse is the fishy way Batman was finally contacted to see if Hex was telling the truth or not.  The escape from Arkham Asylum and eventual fight with the bank robbers was much appreciated as it got us the readers to some action.

Batman the Dark Knight #22!!

Batman the Dark Knight #22 – continues the Clayface is suddenly all powerful and unstoppable storyline.  Really the only person being fooled by this story is the creative team and maybe the people who thought a five issue Mad Hatter story was a great idea.  Because as a long time comic book reader I knew Jim Gordon would not just kill in cold blood a bunch of criminals with no real reason.  So it was obviously not him.  Just as it was obvious that Batman was not doing those bad things Clayface did while looking like Batman.  Just wake me when the Zero Year storyline starts.