CD Giveaway - Sam Shrieve, "Bittersweet Lullabies"
Ends Nov 29, 2009
The current student at Berklee College of Music has a rock 'n' roll pedigree, but delivers a pleasing and diverse collection of soft pop on his debut record. Enter our contest for your chance to win!
The Twilight Saga: New Moon Prize Pack
Ends Nov 29, 2009
The second installment of the Twilight saga is hitting theaters, and we've got the stylish goodies you'll howl over!
When the first issue of The OMAC Project wrapped up, readers were left with lots of questions. "Does Batman know he's been mind wiped?" "Who is the Black Queen?" "Who are the White King and White Queen?" "Does Max know Sasha betrayed him?"
In this, the second issue, you learn the answers to all of the above.
The story opens with Batman in the JLA Watchtower, explaining the situation of the stolen satellite to Superman, Wonder Woman, and Booster Gold. He tells them why he built it, and what's happened to it.
Does he know? Oh yeah... he knows.
And he tells them what's happened to Blue Beetle.
As one might expect, Booster Gold does not take the news well:
Batman: I believe Ted discovered who stole Brother I... and I believe that's why he was murdered. Booster: You SON OF A BITCH! Ted went to you at the start! He went to you and you knew what he was getting into and you refused to tell him! Wonder Woman: Booster... Batman: I didn't-- Booster: YOU GOT HIM KILLED! (Booster fires an energy blast.) Wonder Woman: Michael, stop--! Superman:(intercepting the blast) That's enough. Blame will be laid later. Booster: ...Who're you kidding? No, it won't... He'd have to admit he was wrong first.
Meanwhile, Sasha Bordeaux accompanies Black King Maxwell Lord to a full meeting of the Checkmate royalty, who are planning a coup to get rid of Max. But with Brother Eye at Max's disposal, who not only sees all but hears all (and you can really appreciate the details in Rucka's writing by paying attention to the satellite transmissions in the borders) Max goes into the meeting fully aware of their intentions--and surprises them with the revelations of his own meta abilities! Thus far, Sasha is still his trusted knight, but Max has to wonder how Batman got Blue Beetle's goggles, and he sends his knight to Chicago to "clean up" the rest of Ted Kord's mess.
Which is where Sasha once again encounters Batman... and right about the time Max puts some critical pieces together.
What happens next doesn't look good for our heroes.
Rucka is the perfect choice for writing this particular facet of the Infinite Crisis countdown. Political intrigue has always been his forte' -- in fact, I'd like to see how he would have handled a full-blown Checkmate series. But I'm more than satisfied with how he's handling this six-issue mini, and I'll continue to come back for the writing alone. Although the artwork of Jesus Saiz is also worth mentioning, with his fine lines and granular pencil shadings. Some of his face portraits remind me of Gene Ha's work, and that's a compliment in my world.
Recommendation: Buy it--we're watching you.
In stores Wednesday, May 25, 2005.
Advance comics are provided courtesy of The Comic Book Store of Little Rock. Michael Tierney, proprietor, even has his own book out, Wild Stars. Check it out.
