Review: Smallville, Season Eleven, #6

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Batman goes toe to toe against Superman and stands his ground, and he does it without kryptonite. So what's his secret? You'll have to read the issue to find out.

Smallville_6

This face off makes the whole issue. The reason is personal to Batman. Clearly, he hasn't left his emotions out of it.

Later, Lex studies the match. Who knows where this will lead.

Get Rid of Otis!

I missed a few issues, but jumped into this one for obvious reasons. There's one major flaw to be found: Otis. Otis is a mistake. Unless there's a huge plot twist involving Otis, he needs to pack his suitcases. Otherwise, at this point, he appears to be the pointless character we've already seen elsewhere. One thing is certain: The Lex Luther of Smallville would never surround himself with the likes of Otis.

Let's hope the get back to the spirit of the original Smallville television series. Let DC not fool itself, the only readers of this comic book series are the fans of that show. Don't ruin it.

Supergirl #1 - Simply Good Storytelling

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Supergirl #1
Story: Last Daughter of Krypton
November 2011
Rated T
Supergirl_1_panel_father_would_love_this_dream
Writers: Michael Green & Mike Johnson
Penciler: Mahmud Asrar
Inkers: Dan Green with Asrar
Colorist: Dave McCaig

It's simplicity is elegant. The story is poignant.

A young girl feeling lost in a nightmare awakens to an even more painful reality, and you, the reader, feel that pain. That's the story of Supergirl waking up on Earth.

Don't let the simplicity fool you. It's a powerful story you'll be glad you read, and along the way, you'll have enjoyed the perfect marriage of words, pencils, inks and colors.

That's my review. Yes, that's it. To say more would be to ruin it.

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Abnormal Like Captain Atom

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by RonOfTheEmpire

Dated: November 2011
Released: September 2011

Writer: J.T. Krul
Artist: Freddie Williams II
Colorist: Jose Villarrubia

Captain-atom-1-losing-control

Synopsis

Pit one giant robot against one atomic energy man and you'll have a super-sciencey throw down.

Best of all, the combination of Williams' art and Villarrubia's colors cast a spell on your eyes, so that they won't want to turn away from the page. I'm no art specialist, but the softness of the colors has the feel of the most elegant colored pencils ever (if that makes any sense at all).

Captain Atom saves the day more than once, however as a result of using his powers, a serious problem develops.

For more background, read the awesome Captain Atom review at DadsBigPlan.com.

Review

There's no doubt in my mind that I'll pick up this book again - for the art and colors alone. At the same time, Krul also captured my interest. For a reason I'm unclear about, I care about Captain Atom. Perhaps it's because, his power - which could equally be called his "condition" - prevents him from leading a normal life, leaving him feeling abnormal.

And who doesn't feel like that.

Not Your Grandpa's Aquaman

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By RonOfTheEmpire

Aquaman_fish_and_chips

Artist: Ivan Reis; Colorist: Rod Reis

Trust Geoff Johns' writing. You read and loved his run on The Flash and Green Lantern. Don't doubt him now (Sure, there was the Green Lantern movie bomb, but that can hardly be blamed on Geoff).

Immediately, in the first issue, Geoff turns the reader's preconceived, ill-conceived and misconceived notions upside down. The writing is art, the art is poetry, and the colors are vibrant. This is the Aquaman you were meant to read (if you can find it!). Aquaman is portrayed as strong, commanding and decisive. He is, after all, the ruler of 70% of the planet (as some quaintly refer to it, the seven seas). It's about time he gets some respect, and oh! he does.

If you need more information, Newsarama's interview with Geoff Johns will shed more light on what you need to know about Aquaman. The book has even received some positive buzz from USAToday.com and NYTimes.com.

All I can tell you is this: If Aquaman can eat fish and chips, then you can read Aquaman #1. Issue #2 hits stands on October 26, 2011.

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O.M.A.C. #1 - Rollercoaster Ride

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by RonOfTheEmpire

Dated: November 2011
Released: September 2011

Story and Art by: Keith Giffen and Dan DiDio
Inks: Scott Koblish
Colors: Hi-Fi

Synopsis

O.M.A.C., like an army tank on legs, crashes through a mission. Some freakish creatures attack, then "BARR-SOOM," he disposes of them. Something or someone controls him. Who or what could it be? All the while O.M.A.C.'s peacockish mohawk blazes overhead like a national banner.

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Review

O.M.A.C. reads like a sci-fi rollercoaster ride - you get in the car, it clanks to the summit and then Vrooom! From another perspective, O.M.A.C. feels like a one-man A-Team, and that's for real!

Reading is believing. Read this book for a rollercoaster ride experience. This one goes on my comic book saver. It's 100% saver worthy.

Incidentally, if you'd like a bit more background, you can read the O.M.A.C. review on Dubiosity.

DC Reboot: Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird, it's a plane, it's... Aquaman?

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Story by Phil Gonzales



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About The Crew

Phil Gonzales is a film student at the Art Institute of California - Sacramento. His works include a German Expressionist styled horror short, "Der Rote Geist" (The Red Ghost), and Applauding The Jester, a documentary about stagecraft. He is currently working on bringing to life his horror short film, called "The Mind of Isaac." Phil was born on the 4th of July. To follow Phil's work, visit his YouTube channel, gonzo99x.

Empire's Comics Vault's DC Relaunch Events

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We are in love with geekdom and so are you! August marks the beginning of DC's Relaunch of 52 titles, and we, at Empire's Comics Vault, are as excited as Ben at a Chinese Buffet. In honor of this historic occasion we've lined up all kinds of events this month. Please join us all this month (and next!) for fun, freebies and savings.


Save $52 Across ALL #1s or 10% on any #1
Sign up for all 52 new releases from the DC Relaunch and you'll save $52 - that's $1 off each title; or take only select #1s and we'll give you 10% off. That's like rolling back prices to 1980. Offer good while supplies last.


DC Relaunch Sale
Saturday, August 27
In addition to FREE comics for kids and Green Lantern swag for anyone who can recite one of the Lantern oaths, we're offering you ultra-delightful savings. Plus, we'll be having a raffle for fun prizes.

75% OFF DC Back Issues (50% OFF All Others)
25% OFF DC Current Comics (10% OFF All Others)
35% OFF DC Toys and Statues (15% OFF All Others)
35% OFF DC Graphic Novels (15% OFF All Others)


Justice League #1 Midnight Release Party
Tuesday, August 30, 11 p.m.
On August 31 at 12:01AM, Flashpoint #5 and Justice League #1 go on sale right here at Empire's Comics Vault and everyone is invited. The party starts goes from 11:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 30 to 1:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 31. RSVP on our Eventbrite page. Snacks and beverages included.


EmpiresCV.TV and Empire's Open Podcast
Every Tuesday night, catch a new episode of our comic-related show, discussing the medium, new books, movies, tv, and really whatever Ben Schwartz feels like talking about.

Also, every Friday night at 6:00 p.m., join Ben for our community podcast to discuss movies, comics, video games, conventions, action figures, books or pugs! The mic is wide open. If you are interested, contact us or just show up. The podcast site will soon be announced. Stay tuned.

A special announcement and a DC Relaunch Party

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Every major news source has covered DC Comics' upcoming relaunch. Every hot comics blog has dissected the issue. At every turn on the internet, you'll find the same images of the known covers for the new titles.

But tell us,

Who is throwing the hottest DC Relaunch Party in town?

We are. These are exciting times and we're going to be there in full force, enjoying every minute of it.

So, quickly, some things you need to know.
  1. Anyone who buys any of the new #1s from DC's relaunch will get 10% off. Period. Yes, and you'll still get a free bags and boards for each new comic. Or...
  2. If you want to go in whole hog on all 52 new #1s, you'll enjoy what you used to pay back in the late 90s (that was the late 90s, wasn't it?). You'll get $1 off  every title when you commit to all 52 and fill out and submit our special form to us by July 23, 2011. You'll also receive an invitation to our DC Relaunch Party in September.
And just in case you missed the first appearance of this special announcement - and the episode of EmpiresCV.tv that contained it - here it is: