My Week In Comics 9-23-09

I'm going to start with, sadly, the worst of the books I bought this past week...

The Simpsons' Treehouse Of Horror 15: Just like the TV show, Bongo Comics puts out a special Simpsons Halloween-themed book each year. The problem with this is, the whole thing seems to be an excuse to experiment with different artists and writers. In the past this has included a lot of well-known comic creators. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. This book features a bunch of people, none of whom I've heard of. Between the art and the stories, the entire book reminds me of these comic strips that appear in alt-weekly papers -- the ones with writing that makes no sense whatsoever and art that is often just ugly.

Blackest Night: Superman 2 (of 3): This, on the other hand, continues to impress on all levels. As Superman and Superboy battle Black Lantern Kal-L (Superman of Earth-2), another black ring-wearer arrives and creates havoc in Smallville (one scene in particular is priceless) and Martha Kent is about to fight back against her Black Lantern captor. Meanwhile, there are four pages from New Krypton, where one punch from Supergirl obliterates the top half of her re-animated father's skull, only to watch as it grows back. Ewwwww, creepy!

Supergirl 45: Part 2 of "The Hunt for Reactron" finds Supergirl, Nightwing and Flamebird still on the run after battling "Squad K," a special military anti-Kryptonian unit, while Lois Lane is furious at a fellow Daily Planet reporter's fanning the flames of Kryptonian hatred. I'm furious...well, really just a little annoyed, because this particular storyline won't continue for another 3 weeks, as the Super-books focus on other parts of the larger story for the next two weeks.

Superman: Secret Origin 1 (of 6): The 35, 239th (okay, slightly exaggerating) and definitive re-telling of the beginning of the Man of Steel. As various writers put their own spin on Superman over the years, it becomes necessary to put it all together into one story and put it out for sale. Example: once upon a time Lex Luthor lived in Smallville while Clark Kent was Superboy. Then Clark Kent didn't don the cape and tights until he was grown up and Luthor never lived in Smallville. Now, Luthor did grow up in Smallville after all, and it's safe to say that Clark as Superboy will be back as well. Having said that, this is very well-done, both in story and art; also, it successfully borrows one or two elements from the "Smallville" TV series.

Superman/Batman 64: Still telling stories featuring Bruce Wayne as Batman. In this book we learn that Batman has a spaceship. Where does he get those wonderful toys? Anyway, Batman makes a discovery out in space that is merely a prelude to a story that will occur, according to the title page, three months away. My question is, will it still be Bruce Wayne/Batman that's featured, and if not, will Superman be out of New Krypton by then?

Detective Comics 857: The conclusion of the "Elegy" storyline in which Batwoman goes after her father, being held captive by Alice and the Cult of Crime, who are attempting to murder everyone in Gotham City. And Alice's last line in this book would seem to open up a whole new mystery.