The Week in Comics #9

This post covers the comics that I bought the week of Mar. 9 (remember, kids, a comics week begins on Wednesday!)...

Legion of Super-Villains #1 - This titular Legion has fought the Legion of Super-Heroes a number of times over the years and with this one-shot, Paul Levitz begins to assemble to new iteration of the LSV. Saturn Queen is the driving force not only of the group but by use of her telepathic power - she is cold and cruel and calculating. We have familiar faces and new iterations of old villains plus some new ones. The big plot point is the destruction of The Rock of Eternity by the group. This will all continue in the Legion book but I like the approach of getting to know the villains in a little more detail before the inevitable conflict.

Batman Incorporated #3 - Ah, Grant Morrison does it again. After an opening that shows us a super-team we haven't seen in the past, we dive into a team-up between Batman and El Gaucho. El Gaucho doesn't want to join Batman Inc.; Batman dances the "tango of death" with a girlfriend of El Gaucho's who isn't pure and innocent; and the two run into a death trap by El Sombrero. That's just scratching the surface too. All of this is presented with wonderful art by Yannick Paquette and Michel Lacombe (and Pere Perez for two pages). Comics are fun.

Batman and Robin #21 - This is the middle issue of Peter J. Tomasi's "White Knight" story, in which a new villain is targeting the families of Gotham villains. It's a solid comic book and I'll read the next issue without a doubt.

Batgirl #19 - This is such a fun comic and I'm really sad I didn't start reading it before this. Stephanie is such an engaging character and I love the interactions she has with Detective Gage, her mother, Proxy, and the Grey Ghost. Outside of her mother, I had no idea who anyone else was and it's a testament to Bryan Q. Miller that I didn't mind in the least.

Venom #1 - This follows on the heels of the recent "Point One" issue of Amazing Spider-Man in the introduction of Flash Thompson as the new Venom. He hits a war zone and deals with super-powered threats and then comes home to a gut-punch of an ending. Tony Moore's visuals are perfect for the emotional and physical portions of the book. I'll queue up for another helping.

Power Man and Iron Fist #2 - Speaking of comics that are fun, this issue starts off with the pair battling Commedia Dell Morte and ends with the introduction of Poker Face, who literally has a fireplace poker through the eye. Yup. Really, do you need more of a reason to read this? I sure don't.