The List - 8/12/09

Well after a really slow week for comics last week, it looks like DC is trying to make up for it with one of the heaviest weeks I've seen in a while...

BATMAN #689 - "Long Shadows" continues! Batman forges ahead in his battle to retrieve the escapees from Arkham Asylum, while Two-Face begins a ground war of his own. Elsewhere, Penguin wants to become Gotham City's new king of crime, but to do so he has to make a deal with the devil. - As we're now knee deep into the Batman: Reborn event, I think it's safe to make assupmtions about the books now. Batman has been a decent read, nothing fantastic but not bad. Winnick is doing well keeping this a straight forward Batman story, much to the delight (or despair) of his detractors.

BLACKEST NIGHT #2 - The event of the summer continues! The dead rise across the DC Universe, bringing terror and darkness with them. What are the Black Lanterns? What do they want? Will Earth's greatest heroes survive long enough to find out – or will they join the Black Lantern Corps? - I'm really excited about this one, mostly because I don't know where it's heading next. Yeah, we're going to see more Black Lanterns of course, but it's now the overall story that I'm most looking forward to.

BLACKEST NIGHT: BATMAN #1 - Deadman can't shut out the cries of the dead rising as he comes to the aid of the new Batman. It's just in time, too, as the duo face a circus of zombies including the Black Lantern Flying Graysons! - I've always liked Deadman as a character, and I think that this might be the perfect vehicle for him to step out in. Seeing how Deadman reacts to his corpse being raised is going to be interesting, as well as how Dick Grayson handles his first big event in the Cowl.

GREEN LANTERN CORPS #39 - Just when things couldn't look any darker after the death and chaos of the Sciencell riot, Blackest Night descends on Oa! The black rings tear into the planet and the Lantern Crypt causing all the dead Corps members to rise and wreak havoc as a new and deadlier battle threatens to engulf not only the Corps, but the Universe itself! - This is where it all starts for the GLC. Previews show that the issue opens with Lanterns; Guy, Kyle, Soranik and Iolande arriving on Oa right after the onslaught of black rings tear through the crypts. This one is right up there with Blackest Night #2 on top of the "must read" pile.

RED ROBIN #3 - "The Grail" part 3 of 4! "Batman Reborn" continues, but is Red Robin's quest to find Bruce Wayne at an end? Because in a German museum, answers await. But to get to those answers, Red Robin has to go through the Global Guardian known as the Wild Huntsman. Making matters worse, Red Robin's got an unwanted ally – Ra's al Ghul! Also, discover what happened in the days after BATTLE FOR THE COWL? - I've always been a huge Robin fan, and while I've enjoyed this series so far, it hasn't wowed me yet. The premise for it is strong, but I'm still waiting for that moment where it really hits. Hopefully it happens soon, I probably won't be dropping this anytime soon since Tim Drake remains one of my favorite characters in the DC Universe, but I would like for this book to cement why.

TITANS #16 - Why has Starfire been acting odd the past few issues? Turns out the warrior woman has major rage issues coming out of her recent breakup with Dick Grayson, the events of FINAL CRISIS and more. Her super-powerful emotions could very well rip the team apart! - ...speaking of dropping books, I don't think I can do Titans anymore. I was originally excited to see the old guard back together, but this book has just been treading water for a while. When I go through my Previews and order for this month I'm really going to be thinking about whether or not the next Titans issue makes the List.

FABLES #83 - Part 1 of "Witches"! The business office got lost somewhere when Fabletown collapsed into ruins. Now Bufkin, the meek and mild flying monkey, is trapped inside with the evil witch Baba Yaga – and she's in a really bad mood. How is poor little Bufkin going to survive her tantrum? At the same time, Frau Totenkinder and the witches upstate at the Farm prepare to deal with Mister Dark down in what's left of Fabletown. - Bufkin has always been a great background character, and it's good to see him getting some attention. The Witches of Fabletown have been an overarching precense throughout the books entire run, but now they are also stepping into the limelight. After the fun but ultimately unfulfilling Great Fables Crossover, it's good to see the main Fables book back on track.

FABLES Vol. 12: THE DARK AGES - The 12th volume in the best-selling, award-winning FABLES series collects the epic from issues #76-82 of the acclaimed monthly series. If you've ever craved a guided tour of Fabletown's secret Manhattan location, prepare to be thrilled. Pinocchio has a field day taking a certain VIP around the city. And exactly which Fabletown denizens are no longer active (dead, alive or otherwise) just might shock you into a comic book coma. Also in this volume, you'll find the 4-part story featuring Freddy and Mouse, two local rogues who just want to get along and perhaps turn a bit of profit in the post-war, topsy-turvy world. Meanwhile, in Fabletown, a new political group forms called the Society of Seconds, and what they want doesn't seem very reasonable at all. - Finally another Fables trade to throw onto the shelf. This arc is still pretty fresh in my head but I can't wait to go through it again.