The List - 8/26/09

Man, for some reason posting this tonight has been a real hassle, here's the books I'm grabbing this week, attempt number four...

It's also a special edition of the list as right now I'm right there with Paul, in the fact that I need to drop some stuff. With the November Previews coming out this week, you can be sure the Lists within the upcoming months to be MUCH shorter :

BATMAN AND ROBIN #3 - "Batman Reborn" concludes the explosive reteaming of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, WE3, New X-Men)! Witness Batman and Robin's final showdown against Professor Pyg and the Circus of Strange! The future looks bright for the new Dynamic Duo as they prove themselves in battle, but lurking in the shadows is a mysterious red-hooded vigilante. Also, the origin of Scarlet! - I dig Grant Morrison, and I dig Frank Quitely just as much. This book defintitely see Morrison on his A-game. It's out there, but not too much. Also the stuff Quitely is pulling off in the panels is fantastic. I think at next years Harvey's we'll see Batman and Robin nominated all across the boards, much like All-Star Superman was this year.

BLACKEST NIGHT: TITANS #3 - Black Lantern Titans are descending together onto Titans Island! Will the Titans be prepared to fight off their deceased allies? And how can Beast Boy not lose his heart to Black Lantern Terra? - Here's where it gets tough. I've always like the Titans and Teen Titans, but the books have just left me feeling empty lately. I'm hoping for more from this Blackest Night tie-in though.

DETECTIVE COMICS #856 - "Elegy" part 3 of 4! Batwoman unites with an unlikely ally to momentarily defeat the fairytale villain known as Alice. But when Kate is forced to attend a high society event, she soon learns that her worlds are colliding as Alice's plans for Gotham's elite put Kate's father directly in harm's way. Plus, in the next part of The Question co-feature, writer Greg Rucka and artist Cully Hamner bring Renee's search for a missing girl to new depths when The Question is trapped inside a sinking car. Will her life and her leads end up at the bottom of the river? - Consistently one of the strongest books since the Batman: Reborn launch. Rucka and Williams blow it away every month, and while I like the Question co-feature, it's been leaving me wanting for the most part. I wish the Manhunter one was in this book. Then I'd be truly happy.

THE FLASH: REBIRTH #4 - Barry Allen left a legacy that thrived after his death. Now his return threatens it all. What secrets does Barry hold inside him about the fate of the Flash Family? What destiny awaits Wally and his twins? What murderous force targets Bart Allen? And what does it truly mean to be a speedster? - Here's the thing. I love the Flash, but I'm not overly hyped about this book like I was Green Lantern: Rebirth. Now I was at the begining, but now it's just kind of like "oh the Flash is coming out". It's going to be interesting to see where this goes and how it will impact my Flash ordering in the future, since there's a rumoured two Flash titles coming out of the conclusion to Rebirth.

GOTHAM CITY SIRENS #3- With their uneasy alliance in place, the sirens encounter trouble in the form of the mysteriously returned Bruce Wayne. He's dazzling, he's dangerous and he's got his sights set on Harley Quinn! Has romance sparked between these two long-time enemies – or is Wayne playing a more sinister game? - I like this book, I like the characters, I like the writer but I think I found one of the easiest titles to drop out of the Batman: Reborn books. I don't mean any slight to the book because I dig it, but in the scope of things I don't think it's a must read. Sorry Mr. Dini.

GREEN LANTERN #45 - BLACKEST NIGHT continues! The Black Lanterns descend on all the Corps throughout the universe! Sinestro's assault on the Star Sapphires' homeworld of Zamaron is interrupted by another Sinestro Corps – one made up of those who died during the Sinestro Corps War! And while the War of Light flickers, deep in the darkness of space, John Stewart comes face-to-face with his deceased wife – and longtime Green Lantern – Katma Tui. - Finally, a book I KNOW I'm not dropping or worried about. With Blackest Night firing on all cylinders, all the Green Lantern and Blackest Night books easily find their way to the top of the read pile.

TEEN TITANS #74 - The assault against the Teen Titans continues this issue as the team struggles to even the odds. Will they be defeated by a foe with superior leadership? And in the co-feature, Ravager is attacked in her arctic hideaway. Who wants her dead? That's what she wants to know… - This is kind of tough. I've been on board with Teen Titans since the Geoff Johns relaunch a few years ago, but sadly the book has benn floundering a lot lately. I'd hate to drop this now that Superboy and Kid Flash are back, because I want to see them turn up again. But I guess I can always pick it up again later.

COVER GIRLS OF THE DC UNIVERSE: ZATANNA - Seductive sorceress Zatanna Zatara casts a spell on the DC Universe as she becomes the second Adam Hughes Cover Girl to appear as a stunning statue. With a pose taken directly from the cover of CATWOMAN #58. - This is one thing I hate about using Previews to order my books. I ordered this statue MONTHS ago, and then of course I lose my job the week before it comes out and my money situation is tight. I guess it's time to tap into that $50 emergency credit I put down at the store a few months ago...

INVINCIBLE PRESENTS: ATOM EVE - To commemorate the tragic events involving Atom Eve in recent issues of INVINCIBLE, Image is reprinting her acclaimed solo series for the first time ever. See Eve’s beginnings as she gets her powers and trains herself to the hero we all knew and loved. Don’t miss out a second time! - This is the OTHER thing I hate about ordering through Previews. I only read Invincible through trade, so I try to avoid any spoilers as this is a book I love reading in one sitting when ever the collections come out. So when it comes to ordering the new ones I HATE when they give something big away. Thanks Image.

RUNAWAYS #13 - It’s the end of the Runaways’ California dreamin’ as they attempt to make their escape from Klara’s chlorophyll lockup…only to be denied by heavily armed outside forces who are about to foreclose on the property in a big way! Chase finally tells the truth about a violent event in his past. And when the kids have no choice but to turn to Hunter Stein to find a way out of this mess, he reveals a Malibu Beach House secret they never would have guessed. But it’s not easy sailing because Chase is about to make a unilateral decision that looks a lot like...murder?! - Runaways has gotten MUCH better under the guiding hand of Kathryn Immonen, but the book is still missing the fun and danger it had under Brian K. Vaughan. It's tough, but this book may be on the chopping block eventually.

Making the Cut

It's time like these when I look at my finances and realize that my saving account has been growing at a slower pace then it should. Now, I'm not saying it's comic books fault, but is a contributing factor. This is a cyclical phenomenon in my budget. I cut back on the books I buy about twice a year, and a few months later I'm spending too much again. The process of cutting back is almost like looking through a year book or photo album for me, remembering the good and not so good time I've been having reading all these 22 page delights. Now, I'm not going to list all my drops and all my keeps here just some highlights, keep in mind that my goal budget is about $15 or 4 comics week.

"Wednesday Comics" with it's high relative price point of $15.96 a month puts it squarely on my chopping block. $3.99 a week does take up a large percentage of my allotted comic money, but with only one month to go on this revolutionary series I can't give up on it now. Also, the amount of talent and enjoyment on each wonderful page is well worth it. I have taken more time reading and staring at the beautiful art in a single Wednesday Comic, then some week reading the rest of my comics' stack.

Major cross-over events, such as "Blackest Night" have caused me to spend more then I normally would and cuts will be made here. Just the shear number of book coming out with a "Blackest Night" banner on the top makes my wallet cringe. On the other side it allows me a one to two month reprieve from a series I normally pick up. When "Teen Titans", "The Justice League of America", and "The Outsiders" have their own tie-ins I can safely leave those books on the self without missing too much in the ongoing stories. As for the tie-in mini series, I have to make the difficult choice of not picking up any. I really enjoyed the first issue of "Blackest Night: Batman", with the way Peter Tomasi has a grip on the character of Dick Grayson, though I'm already picking up three series all dealing directly with "Blackest Night". If I cannot get a full story from reading "Green Lantern", "Green Lantern Corp" and "Blackest Night" then DC Comics really doesn't deserve the rest of my paycheck.

With the recent "Batman: Reborn" shake up, the amount of Bat-books I was buying also went up. "Batman and Robin", "Detective Comics" and "Batman" all seem like a premier book. The amount of talent and unique feel of each is making it impossible for me to choose between them. Not to mention the Paul Dini books and "Red Robin" that have been stellar as well. So who wins, other then myself after all I have six great books to pick from? So, I go to the upcoming schedule for release to see if some if not all come out on "slow" weeks. It seems the only way I can make this work is to drop "Red Robin" and "The Outsiders" along with some non Bat titles... "Secret Six", "Justice Society of America", "Justice League: Cry for Justice" and "Justice League" (until James Robinson takes the reigns).

I believe now that "Superman" is no longer on Earth, I no longer need him in my stack. Honestly, it was only Geoff Johns that was able to muscle Supes' into my stack in the first place. Though, James Robinson and Greg Rucka have made a compelling argument in their "World of New Krypton" series for me to keep buying Big Blue's books. The pair are writing an intriguing take on a man stuck between two cultures and two worlds. But, I just can't anymore the "Superman" books are crossing over with each other so much that they are an event onto themselves. I only can allow for one at a time right now, so "Up Up and Away" from me with all these titles.

Alright so I've only just been through the DCU so far and some deep cuts have been made. Maybe I'll be posting another article soon about books that I'll be dropping from the other comics companies, but for now I'll see if this can keep my wallet a little more full.

The List - 8/19/09

Time again for another edition of The List, but some of the books on here might not stick around on the List for too much longer...

BATGIRL #1 - In the wake of "Batman R.I.P." and BATTLE FOR THE COWL, a new heroine has emerged in Gotham City, and as she begins her nocturnal crusade to take back the night, she will truly learn what it means to wear the mantle of the Bat. But who is this young woman, and why has she donned the cape and cowl? - I've always been a fan of the Batgirl character if not the Batgirl book, so with the debut of a "new" Batgirl I'm excited for this book. This probably won't be something that stays on the List for a while, as I'm mostly just sampling the new title and seeing how it fits into the new status quo set up in the Bat-universe.

BATMAN: STREETS OF GOTHAM #3 - Bruce Wayne is dead…long live Bruce Wayne! Gotham's favorite son has miraculously returned, promising to lead his city into a new golden age. But while Wayne devotes his limitless fortune to rebuilding Gotham City, he fights violent opposition from Batman, Robin and a host of DC Universe heroes!
And in the Manhunter co-feature, now that Manhunter has found the previous DA's killer – or, rather, the killer has found her – what is she going to do about it? Bringing the killer in for a trial may not result in the justice Kate's been dreaming of. But is she ready to kill for justice so soon after a fresh start in Gotham? - I've always been a Batman fan and right now I'm buying more Bat-books than ever, due to the Batman: Reborn push. I'm jsut wondering how long I can keep on it though. I'm still looking forward to these books but the excitement has started to wane. We'll see what falls off the List in the coming months.

BLACKEST NIGHT: SUPERMAN #1 -Black Lantern Superman has unearthed Pa Kent's grave! But that's only the beginning of the horrifying things he's about to unleash on an unsuspecting Smallville. Discover the demented evil of BLACKEST NIGHT in this 3-issue miniseries from writer James Robinson (SUPERMAN, STARMAN) and artist Eddy Barrows (TEEN TITANS, ACTION COMICS)! - The BN: Batman book last week was solid and I'm expecting the same from this weeks offering as well. While I've never been a big Superman fan I'm excited about this becuse well, just look at that cover. Everything about that screams "buy me" from the zombie Superman standing there to the grave of Jonathan Kent in that familiar chest-diamond shape.

OUTSIDERS #21 - "The Hunting" begins here! With Arkham Asylum's most dangerous inmates running free, The Outsiders are charged with returning them to Gotham City – by whatever means necessary. Batman and Alfred split up the team in order to track down Killer Croc, Mr. Freeze and Clayface before the rogues kill again! - Here we are again, I'm trying to make a decision about the Outsiders. It's hard because I've made this decision before: should I keep picking it up? or should I drop it? The last few months "Insiders" arc ran for what seemed like forever and kind of meandered about. It's hard when writers you love put out arc like that, because is it worth sticking around to see where it goes next?

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.

The List - 7/29/09

Another pretty light week of comic's coming out this week but there are a couple shining stars:

BLACKEST NIGHT: TALES OF THE CORPS #3 - In this 3-issue miniseries, writers Geoff Johns and Peter J. Tomasi (GREEN LANTERN CORPS) reveal the secrets behind the Lanterns of BLACKEST NIGHT! Bear witness to Blue Lantern Saint Walker's pilgrimage of hope, Star Sapphire Carol Ferris' sacrifice for love, Green Lantern Kilowog's courageous beginnings, Red Lantern Vice's source of rage, Orange Lantern Blume's bizarre creation, and the first appearance of the mysterious Indigo, leader of the Indigo Tribe! - So most of what has been teased in the solicitations for this 3 issue mini happened in the past two issues, so we know we'll get to see the origin of Kilowog in this one, but the other stories are a mystery. I'm hoping for a good Sinestro Corps story, and since there hasn't been one in the book yet a Black Lantern story maybe. Black Hand has been pretty well fleshed (pun kind of intended) out over the past few issues of the core (notice not "Corps" issues) of Green Lantern, so I'd like to see a story from the point of view of one of the Black Lanterns (namely Martian Manhunter).

DETECTIVE COMICS #855 - Elegy" part 2 of 4 by Greg Rucka and JH Williams III! Batwoman captures her enemy, a madwoman known only as Alice who sees her life as a fairy tale and everyone around her as expendable extras – including Kate! But when the tables are turned, Batwoman finds herself in a hallucination slamming the present into a collision with the past, and the hints of a threat that will claim the lives of every man, woman and child in Gotham City. And in the all-new co-feature starring the Question, Montoya's quest to find a missing young girl turns deadly. - I have to say that Detective Comics has been the most surprising of the Batman Reborn titles, based solely on the fact that in her previous appearances Batwoman didn't wow me at all. Now that writer Greg Rucka has more of a chance to explore her I'm excited to learn more about the character, and JH Williams artwork doesn't hurt at all. On the flip side while I've always loved Renee Montoya in her journeys throughout the Batman books, Gotham Central and ultimately 52, I feel like the back up might not be enough to really get into her story. But this is only the second batch so we'll see how things turn out.

TEEN TITANS #73 - In the first feature, the team attempts to rescue Wonder Girl from the new Fearsome Five, as Calculator enacts his revenge on the team for not protecting his children. In the 10-page co-feature, Ravager faces the drug problem that could kill her! - Both Teen Titans and it's sister title, Titans, have been floundering for a little while. Beyond Blue Beetle and Static there aren't many other characters on the cast that I care enough about. New writer and Smallville producer, Brian Q. Miller may change that though as DC is giving him a big vote of confidence handing him the keys to one of the DC Universe's key franchises, as well as the upcoming Batgirl book.

What's got me and the crew pumped for next week? Make sure you listen to this weeks episode of the Bagged and Bored Cast for our collective List!

Bagged and Bored Cast Episode 3

Episode number 3 of the Bagged and Bored cast is now up for listening on the iTunes store! In this episode we bring you as always:

Week In Geek - We gush over the new Magic: The Gathering core set, and talk about Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, and the rerelease of Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 for download on the XBox Live Marketplace

The List - Next weeks comics that are going to have us rushing to the Comic Shop to get our

Main Topic - DC's growing Green Lantern-centric event: Blackest Night

Movie Fix - We hit up the Spanish film [REC] and the American adaptation Quarantine

So Subscribe today and make sure to review and rate us on iTunes, and check us out at http://twitter.com/BaggedandBored today!

Bagged and Bored Cast Episode 2

As of tonight Episode 2 of the Bagged and Bored Cast is officially live on iTunes!

In this episode we debut our new segment the Week In Geek, then we dive into The List and talk about whats got us pumped for next weeks new books. Then we head right into our main topic where we discuss the weekly comics past and present from DC's 52 to Wednesday Comics. Finally we bend into our Movie Fix where we talk about the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender and the upcoming movie by M. Night Shamalyan.

If you haven't already, nows the perfect time to subscribe and join us for some weekly discussion!

Exciting News!

Hey everybody, an exciting bit of news, the first episode of the Bagged and Bored Cast is now live! This little project will be our grand venture into the world of podcasting, with each episode bringing you a roundtable discussion of the comics were most looking forward to in The List, a rotating weekly rotating topic as well as a movie review.

This week's episode has us tackling The List in which we discuss the upcoming Blackest Night #1 from DC Comics, then we discuss the rising cost of comics today, and finally wrap up with some words about the film Time Crimes.

Give it a list at at the streaming site: http://baggedandbored.mypodcast.com/ or make sure you subscribe for FREE on the iTunes store, and soon the Zune Marketplace as well to have the newest episodes downloaded directly to your portable music machine of choice.

So please subsribe and rate us today, and thanks for the support! This is just the start...

The List - 6/24/09

Another week, another List of books to grab from the comic shop. As with the past couple weeks this one sees the release of a couple new titles and some old favorites:

DETECTIVE COMICS #854 - "Elegy" part 1 of 4! A new era in the history of DETECTIVE COMICS begins as Batwoman is unleashed on Gotham City! Marked by the blood-red bat, Kate Kane is a soldier fighting her own private war – one that began years ago and haunts her every waking moment. With a script by Greg Rucka and breath-taking art by JH Williams III, you've never seen anything like this! Featuring the debut of a new co-feature starring The Question written by Rucka! Odds against you? Alone and nowhere to turn? Willing to fight, but you don't know how? When you're searching everywhere for an answer, sometimes all you need to do is ask the right Question. Renee Montoya again dons the faceless mask to help those in need, all the while searching for her own answers in this new adventure with art by Cully Hamner (BLUE BEETLE). - Batwoman finally makes her monthly debut years after her initial debut in the pages of DC's 52 and her appearance in last years Final Crisis: Revelations mini series. The books being handled by one of DC's best, Greg Rucka, who not only knows his way around strong female characters (see Whitout, Wonder Woman and Gotham Central) but also the character since he's almost exclusively written her since her inception. The books also being drawn by one of the industry's best and most underrated artists JH Williams, so it's going to be beautiful to boot. It'll be interesting to see how long this title, which has always been one of the flagship Batman books of the company, will flourish without the character that made it popular for the better part of 70 years.

This issue also features the first co-feature starring the Question, which is also being written by Rucka. The two characters, Batwoman and The Question, do have a shared history so it will be interesting to see if there are any carry-over threads from one feature to another.

GOTHAM CITY SIRENS #1 - This all-new series features the bad girls of Gotham City! Catwoman, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn are tired of playing by other people's rules regardless of which side of the law they're on. These tough ladies have a new agenda that's all their own, and they'll use any means necessary to pursue it. But can they get along and work as a team? And who will get hurt along the way? DETECTIVE COMICS and STREETS OF GOTHAM writer Paul Dini kicks off this brand-new ongoing series with amazing artwork by Guillem March (JOKER'S ASYLUM: POISON IVY, GOTHAM GAZETTE). - The next of DC's new Batman-family titles (alongside Batman and Robin, Streets Of Gotham, and Red Robin), features a couple familiar faces handled by the writer who made them famous, Paul Dini. Also on the title is artist Guillem March, most known for his coverwork. As much as I'm looking forward to this book, I can't say it's something I see lasting for too long, although it is possible since Catwoman sustained a solo title for more than 50 issues. It'll be interesting to see how this one goes as well.

GREEN LANTERN #42 - The conclusion to "Agent Orange"! Hal battles the leader of the Orange Lanterns in a bizarre confrontation between will and avarice! But what is the true secret behind the power of the Orange Light? And what value does it hold for the other Corps? -While both Green Lantern titles have been exploring the various new Corps involved in the coming War of Light and next months looming Blackest Night event, the two titles have done so in different ways. While Green Lantern Corps has juggled various plotlines in each issue, Green Lantern has focused more on one solid storyline at a time. While both books handle their respective stories well, seeing how the threads from each come together in the near future is going to be really exciting.

THE LITERALS #3 - "The Great Fables Crossover" part 9 of 9! In this issue it's all over. No, we don't just mean that the big crossover event is over, we mean it's all over for the universe and everyone in it. Kevin Thorn, the Literal embodiment of storytelling, wants to rewrite the universe, beginning again with a new blank page. In this issue he gets his wish. What more is there to say? - Fables has continued to be a solid read since it's debut, and while it's spin-off title Jack of Fables has had it's own moments of greatness, the book has been just ok. Thankfully all the Fables books, including the three issue The Literals title that helped make the Great Fables Crossover an almost weekly event, have been fantastic.

TEEN TITANS #72 - Thirty pages of story content! In the first feature, Wonder Girl's leadership is put to the test as the team faces the all-new Fearsome Five! In the debut of the 10-page co-feature, Ravager goes solo for the first time, continuing her descent into darkness begun in TERROR TITANS. - Unfortunately Teen Titans has become a real hit or miss book ever since the departure of Geoff Johns. The book hit a good stride during the One Year Later jump following the Infinite Crisis event a few years ago. Between constant lineup changes with both the titular title team and the creative team involved, Teen Titans seems to still be looking for it's sweet spot. Hopefully it finds it soon or both this and the ancillary Titans book may find their way off of The List.

Not to sound like I'm going in with low expectations, because I am looking forward to this issue since it also boasts the begining of the Ravager cofeature in the back. The character of Ravager was one of Geoff John's best contributions to the Titan's world, and the character has always been a highpoint to the book in my opinion.

RUNAWAYS #11 - “Homeschooling” New creative team! Cataclysmic new direction! In this arc, one Runaway will die, and one Runaway will live! Rising star Kathryn Immonen (PATSY WALKER: HELLCAT) and Sarah Pichelli (NYX) take the reins of the Runaways. Making out? Check. Cliffhangers? Check. Silly hats? Check. This is the Runaways arc you CAN’T miss. - Oh Runaways, what to do with you. I was lucky enough to get in on the ground floor with this book when it was launched by the ever guiding and loving hand of Brian K. Vaughan as part of Marvel's Tsunami line of comics. Being the only title to survive the line, the book floundered during a Civil War meet up with Marvel's other teen characters the Young Avengers. Then Joss Whedon delivered an underwhelming (I can't believe I just had to type that) time-travel tale, then another, suprisingly ok this time though, meet up with the Young Avengers during the Secret Invasion event, and finally a "meh" run from Strangers In Paradise's Terry Moore. It was at that point I did something I never thought I'd have to do: Runaways fell from The List.

Then something surprising happened. An issue of Runaways I ordered before the decision to drop the book arrived in my pull box, and I found it to be quite entertaining. So Kathryn Immonen, you have my attention... for now.