Green Lanterns #12

Green Lanterns, Issue #12 continues the "Phantom Lantern" arc, which I've been a big fan of.  At the end of Issue #11, Frank Laminski began to lose control of the Phantom Ring, becoming an Orange Lantern, defined by avarice.  Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz are the Green Lanterns of Earth, and they're in charge of containing Lamiski (the other Green Lanterns from Earth are a part of the Hal Jordan and the Green Lanterns series).  Baz is a Muslim who first appeared in Geoff Johns's epic Green Lantern run, and Cruz popped up some time after that.  Cruz is arguably the more interesting of the two, as she suffers from anxiety and can't create a construct with her ring.

There's a lot I like about this title, which I've covered in my reviews of Issue #1 through Issue #11 and Green Lanterns Rebirth, Issue #1: the two-week turnaround, the $2.99 price tag, the Phantom Lantern, and the two Green Lanterns.  It's usually one of the first titles I read after buying comics on Wednesday, mostly because I've gotten so used to the characters and the writing.

Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #1

Star Wars: Doctor Aphra, Issue #1 is a double issue, hence the $4.99 price tag.  It's in two parts, the first part taking place beneath the Cosmatanic Steppes in the Outer Rim, right after Dr. Aphra faked her death at the hands of Darth Vader in Darth Vader, Issue #25.  The second part takes place years earlier, when Dr. Aphra was a doctoral candidate.  It involves Abersyn Symbiotes, a mechanical being so dangerous that it must be incinerated on sight.

I've only read the first 12 issues of Star Wars: Darth Vader, along with Dr. Aphra's appearance in Star Wars, Vol. 3: Rebel Jail, but I have a fairly good feel for Dr. Aphra and her colleagues, a pair of homicidal 'droids and an equally homicidal Wookie.   The series is written by Kieron Gillen, the author of Star Wars: Darth Vader.  I don't recognize any of the other creators, aside from the letterer, V.C.'s Joe Caramagna.

Dr. Aphra is a popular character, and according to some, one of the saving graces of Star Wars: Darth Vader, which takes place between Episode IV and Episode V, I think.  Most people prefer Jason Aaron's Star Wars, and while I'm a big fan of Aaron's work, part of the reason why Aaron's Star Wars is so popular is that it contains Han Solo, Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, and the rest of the main characters in the original Star Wars trilogy.  Darth Vader is a compelling character, but the bureaucrats and grand generals he competes against aren't as memorable as Dr. Aphra.

Sea Urchin

Sea Urchin, like a lot of Retrofit comics, is a humorous look at mental illness.  The protagonist and author, Laura Knetzger, begins the story telling a friend that she likes to bite herself and scream.  Later, she writes that she thinks she has a sea urchin in her brain.  If she's half as disturbed in real life as she is on the page, I have to commend her for being able to draw this comic in the first place.  One of the theories about Nietzsche is that he had syphilis, and that it got into his brain later in life; that's why so much of his work (besides The Antichrist) is aphoristic and unorganized.

Being mentally or neurologically ill is like being drunk.  You always either exaggerate it or try to hide it.  I'm neurologically ill; my left hand shakes.  I haven't played the piano in six months, and my scholastic and professional life has deteriorated.  I love comics like Sea Urchin because I can relate to their creators so well, only I can't draw comics because my hand shakes.  Charles Schultz, the creator of Peanuts, has essential tremor, and you can see it in his work over the past 30 years or more.  The reason he got away with being so shaky is that he'd already become beloved.

Romulus #2

Romulus, Issue #2 introduces the Illuminati, which is dedicated to fighting the Order of Romulus.  Its spokeswoman is a psychic pop star, reminiscent of Lady Gaga.  There's a neat fight sequence on top of one of the higher-ups in the Order of Romulus giving a speech about investing in education in war-torn countries.  And sexism.  This is a very feminist title, and Bryan Hill is commended for having realized it.

Romulus wasn't on my radar at first.  It took me nearly two months to start the first issue, which I bought on the recommendation of a friend.  There was a time when I bought just about any Image Comics title coming out.  I've switched more to Marvel these days, but this title reminds me that there are still great titles being created and written for Image.  Buy it.

Empress #7

Empress, Issue #7 is a double-issue that ends the first book.  Issue #6 ended with the revelation that Valeria, the queen's sister, wasn't really Valeria. The real Valeria was on vacation while an alien with the ability to switch bodies takes her place and does exercise all day.  Captain Dane Havelock, meanwhile, ends up in bed with the fugitive Queen Emporia in Issue #6, and he comes head-to-head with her husband, King Morax in Issue #7.

I'm very happy that this series is continuing.  I'd heard rumors that it was, but not until I got to the last page, where there is a bit of a cliffhanger as to the identity of Dane Havelock, did I know that this series is almost definitely going to continue.  Like anyone who's read his work, I'm a Mark Millar fan, and through this series, I've become a fan of Stuart Immonen as well.  Together, they have created one of the best sci-fi series in the history of Western comics.

Old Man Logan #14

Old Man Logan, Issue #14 starts the new arc, "Monster Wars," where the old Wolverine (in the present) comes into contact with S.T.A.K.E., the paranormal division of S.H.I.E.L.D.  In Romania, the members of S.T.A.K.E. storm Dracula's castle as Old Man Logan sneaks in through the back to rescue Jubilee, who went missing a few days earlier.  The attack goes as planned until Logan comes face-to-face with Dracula, himself, with whom he'll square off in Issue #15, coming out December 14.

This would have been a great "Halloween" issue, but I'm guessing that the "Silent Order" arc went on a little longer than planned.  I visited the Carpathian Mountains in Romania, where this story takes place, in 1995.  It's a beautiful country, reflected in the art of Felipe Andrade and new colorist Jordie Bellaire.  I do love Bellaire's work, but I had gotten used to the colors of Maiolo in this particular title.  I don't know Andrade off the top of my head, but he uses a lot of thin lines to create texture, and I'm looking forward to this new team's work.  There's no flashback to the Wastelands.

Titan #4

Titan, Issue #4 is just the mini-comic I needed today.  I didn't know it was coming out yesterday, but my local comic book store knew I was a fan of it, so they kept a copy for me.  Like the previous issues, Titan, Issue #4 is in two parts.  The first part is the aftermath of Asst Mngr Joans killing 27 striking titans and injuring over 100 others.  The second part is Phoebe and a few other titans breaking into the terran section with the idea of killing Joans.

Like the previous issues, Issue #4 is bichromatic, this time black and purple over white.  The cover and the back cover are in color, the back cover drawn by Brandon Graham.  This is a very disconcerting title.  I love the union aspect of it, but my favorite part of the comic is the titans, themselves.  Three or more meters tall, weighing up to half a metric ton, they're simply imposing.  Francois Vigneault does a great job of portraying them in this classic sci-fi adventure.