The Fanboy Planet Preview Spotlight 03/29/06
Page 1 -- The New Avengers: Illuminati

Blue Beetle #1: In perhaps the best tease for Infinite Crisis, the just introduced new Blue Beetle returns from space (we hadn't even seen him leave yet) after successfully aiding some of the big guns in saving the world. The fly in the ointment, however, is that an angry Guy Gardner attacks before the new Beetle can get his bearings. Something happened to make everybody hate him. This new take on a tyro hero's insecurities has an interesting freshness to it, and the quieter moments of his previous "normal" life hit the right notes. But there's also an ugliness to this that's quietly off-putting. I can't say I hated it, but I wanted to more than just kind of like it.

Captain America 65th Anniversary Special: For Captain America's anniversary, we get a tale of young Bucky in love. Though well told, it plays out rather predictably, a set-up for a couple of future arcs in the regular book - indeed, it could have just been done in a short arc for the regular book. Still, Eric Wight does a good job drawing a story that falls somewhere between the specialties of Jack Kirby and Mike Mignola.

Fantastic Four #536: Yes, they're homicidal, among other things, but when J. Michael Straczynski writes them, Doombots are funny. The soldiers defending a certain mystical object (totally blown by the cover) probably wouldn't agree. Nor would the Fantastic Four, each given a great moment to shine in this issue. Though it's almost all set-up, JMS and Mike McKone have the story hopping along at such a great clip it's hard to notice that it's almost one big fight scene. Pay attention to this issue, too, for its promise of "another story for another time." In a couple of months, I suspect that one or two panels will have fanboys jumping up and down in glee as they pay off.

Lucifer #72: Mike Carey's story here is so densely layered, I'm afraid I have to say you might want to wait for the trade if you haven't already been into this series. Lucifer reads richly when digested in huge chunks. In this issue, new "creator" Elaine Belloc works on the vision of reality, while Lucifer tries to leave his old ways behind. Again, a worthy heir to The Sandman, Lucifer stands as a series that proves over and over how worthwhile a comic book can be to stand as literature.

The Sentry #7: Though this book is better than it should be, it's been going in circles. Every issue has pit the same question against reality, with differing results. For at least two issues, the Void has had some vague secret that he keeps vaguely allowing others to taunt the Sentry with. I'm entertained, but come on, it's getting old. Like House of M before it, The Sentry feels like a good story that could have been told twice as well in half the space.

Spider-Man/Arana: The Hunter Revealed …to be just as boring as it ever was. But this time, Spider-Man gets dragged down for an entire issue, instead of just a token one-page appearance.

Uncanny X-Men #471: Billy Tan does some cool work on a story that has to make you wonder about the Marvel U.S.'s PR team. Already little kids are playing with Sentinel toys? The visuals of the fantastic underscore the franchise's strengths while also highlighting a weakness - the casualness of traumatic events. Rachel Summers has just lost her entire extended family, gets revenge with the help of her team and can end it all with a hug and shrug saying, "I'm my mother's daughter."

The Warlord #2: Bruce Jones keeps turning the Mike Grell classic on its head. In this retelling, Travis Morgan doesn't find that he fits in to the lost world of Shamballa perfectly; instead, it's his modern military knowledge that makes him fit to lead the people to freedom. Though the story suffers from a few sword and sorcery clichés, an occasional nice touch from Jones and still pretty interesting artwork from Bart Sears make this book worth a look.

Zombie Tales: The Dead Another winner from Boom! Studios, the third in their series of zombie anthologies. Not every story is a winner, but "Zoombies" is almost worth the price of the book by itself. Out of five tales, three have unique takes and are a lot of fun. The other two will still probably satisfy zombie fans. The undead just keep on shambling toward good sales.

Sight Unseen:

Action Comics #837: It's One Year Later, and Superman knocked us for a loop. So it's a foregone conclustion that we have to pick this one up.

All-Star Superman #3: While the other Super-books look one year later, Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely look back to a silvery age that never quite was, infusing new ideas with good old-fashioned mile-a-minute storytelling. They absolutely get Superman, and while other writers and artists can say the same, right now none of them are working to prove it with such conviction.

Lost In Space: Voyage to the Bottom of the Soul TPB: Bill Mumy himself orchestrated this serious follow-up to the television series that made him a star. Well over a decade ago, Innovation Comics began the mini-series, then went belly up through no fault of Irwin Allen's classic franchise. At last, I get to see how it ends. And you should pick it up to see the whole thing.

The Thing #5: Speaking of Things, this book rocks. It doesn't tie in to any larger event. It's appealing to adults and children. And it's got lots of superheroes doing what they do best. Keep this book alive, if for no better reason than it's funny, heartfelt and again, best of all, IT ROCKS.

Victoria's Secret Service #1: No clue. But I love the title. Is that so wrong?

Hey, write to us and let us know what you think, or talk about it on the forums!

Derek McCaw