The List - 7/1/09

Another week, another wednesday and thusly another edition of The List. And if things looked sparse last week, well things are downright lonely for tomorrow.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Season 8 #28 - Team Buffy has become all about sneaky in a world where Slayers are now feared and hated, and vampires would rank at the top of a popularity poll. All hands are on deck as Scotland's brand-newest Slayer headquarters comes under attack; but, when things get more than a little fried, Buffy has to punt. There are yaks. - I love Buffy. I have since I caught the fourth episode of the first season of the show when it was on the WB network on monday nights. I have an abundance of Buffy statues. I like Buffy the comic. I'm worried about this issue though.

I hope you were paying attention to that bit earlier, you know the one, where I gushed over how much I adore Buffy in all it's forms. This issue is being written by Buffy-alumn Jane Espenson, and while that would normally be cause to do the Snoopy dance, she's written an issue of the comic before and it was, well as Buffy would say, "gahh". Hopefully this issue will make up for that as Jane, who wrote two of the best Buffy episodes (Earshot and Conversations With Dead People) gets back into Buffy-mode.

Which leads to a sidebar, while researching this article I came across this little fun bit:



I really wish this show had happened. But I'll probably write about that another time.

BATMAN AND ROBIN #2 - "Batman Reborn" continues with the reteaming of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, WE3, New X-Men)! In a blazing Gotham City police department, the new Batman and Robin face the bizarre, fighting freakshow that is the Circus of Strange and find that they don't make as good a team as Batman had hoped! Meanwhile, the mysterious Sasha escapes from Professor Pyg and vows vengeance on the people who killed her father. - Hard to believe it's already been a month since the launch of Batman And Robin. The first issue was fantastic and I'm really looking forward to more. As long as Morrison stays in this mode and doesn't veer too far to the sides and kick into his crazy story mode, we're set.

GREEN LANTERN CORPS #38 - "Emerald Eclipse" hits its shocking conclusion leading directly into BLACKEST NIGHT. The sciencell riot causes a new law to be doctored into the Book of Oa as Kyle and Guy fight against it. What fate awaits the honor guards, and who will be left standing from the riot that shook Oa to its core? - Oh man, this is it. This is the final issue of GLC until the official start of DC's Blackest Night event and I'm beyond jazzed for this. GLC continues to knock it out of the park, and if it can keep at this pace Blackest Night is going to blow the Sinesto Corps war out of the water.

GREEN LANTERN: RAGE OF THE RED LANTERNS HC - The War of Light begins in this hardcover collection! First, a ruthless, by-the-books new task force of Green Lanterns known as the Alpha Lanterns is born, creating tension within the heroic ranks of the Green Lantern Corps. Then, Hal Jordan battles for his life when the Red Lantern Corps, a brutal brigade of monsters fueled by rage, attacks! But nothing could prepare the heroes for the arrival of even more colored Lanterns! - Green Lantern is one of four titles that I buy both monthly and by trade (the others being Green Lantern Corps, Fables and Jack of Fables). I'm really excited to go back and revisit these issues featuring the debut of the Red Lanterns, my favorite of the new Corps (second going to either the Blue or Orange depending on how I feel that day). With the exciting direction that Geoff Johns has taken the Green Lantern franchise in since he took over in 2005, I've gone back and reread the trades countless times, so some "new" material is greatly appreciated.