COOL SHIT 2-10-11

THE TRANSFORMERS #16: Ultra Magnus vs. the new, improved, more-powerful Megatron. Thundercracker vs. Starscream. Brawn vs. Starscream. Bumblebee and Gears fucked up beyond all recognition. And humans attacking all Transformers, regardless of their affiliation. Things are cooking up in this book, folks. All right, fine. No one ever truly dies in the world of Transformers. They always find a way of coming back. Alliances have been shaken up, though; things may never be the same.

INCOGNITO: BAD INFLUENCES #3: It’s not often that we get a look into the heads of the other characters in this series (aside from Zack Overkill, of course), and Ed Brubaker gives us a peek in this issue. Though we don’t learn who he is through his thoughts, we learn a bit about the villain, about his attitudes and how he views the human race. We also learn a bit about Zoe’s past and how her father tried to instill optimism into her. “Everything begins with a wish.” We even get a vague walk through of Simon Slaughter’s thoughts.

But as always, Overkill is the star, and he makes a spectacularly bad mistake in this issue. This is what nostalgia gets you: broken promises and a lot of battered and broken bodies around you.

COOL SHIT 10-28-10

GRAVEL #21: I hope this isn’t the last issue, I really do. This is Avatar’s only monthly, and it’s a hell of a fine book. I’ve been a fan of William Gravel since his first appearance in STRANGE KISSES #1, and I’d hate to see the last of him. You see, this reads like a last issue. There are a few loose ends, but a lot of major storylines are tied up and . . . well, Avatar hasn’t been advertising future issues. In this book, Gravel meets his match (kind of) in Bible Jack as the magical fate of London hangs in the balance. If you haven’t read of Gravel’s adventures in the past, you might be too late. If not, buy this book! Save it! Please!

INCOGNITO: BAD INFLUENCES #1: Yes, Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips have returned with another pulpy superhero/crime adventure! In case you don’t know, Zack is formerly a super-powered villain, but when his twin brother was killed during a job, he was put in a witness protection program. But staying on the straight and narrow didn’t sit well with him. These events were covered in the first series. Now, Zack works for the people who once protected him, and he enjoys taking down villains like Dark Leopold and his Nuclear Nazis and Zhing Fu, the Asian underlord. But when he’s living his cover-life, he’s bored titless . . . until the day an old man tries to ambush and kill him. Why? Read the book.