NEW 52 Month 33, Part 1

ACTION COMICS #33: Previously reviewed in a blog about the first four chapters of SUPERDOOM.

ALL STAR WESTERN #33: Jonah Hex and Tallulah Black been captured by bandits but, as always, find a way into a gun battle and a way out of trouble. They head back to Clearwater, only to find a host of dead bodies in the street. A gang of masked gunmen came into town and took Amos Blackthorne, killing many of the townspeople in the process. As night falls, Jonah and Tallulah have found the riders' camp and a young man hiding in the brush in front of them. After all the riders had fallen asleep, the young man  approaches Blackthorns but is caught by one of the riders who shoots him. This leads to Jonah and Tallulah to kill the riders. The dying boy tells how Clearwater's water supply had been tainted and he was to get Blackthorne back so they could use the bounty to buy the medicine to save his sick parents. Jonah heads off to Palomar while he orders Tallulah to stay with the dying boy. Jonah turns Blackthorne in to the police in Palomar and returns to Tallulah. Returning to Clearwater, they find that everyone except for one woman has died from the tainted water. That night, the pair talks of taking a break from all the killing. Next issue: The Death of Jonah Hex.

Can we make that the death of Jonah Hill instead? Not that I have anything against Jonah Hill, but I really like Jonah Hex and will totally miss this series. Jimmy Palmiotti Justin Gray, Staz Johnson and Fabrizio Fiorentino prepare to ride into the sunset as this title comes to an end next issue. This book deserves a far better fate than cancellation but, the fact the DC kept it alive this long with low sales is admirable. And, you get a KILLER cover from Dave Johnson

AQUAMAN #33: Aquaman battles Chimera and, when the Creature King reads his mind, becomes baffled how the King of the Sea is also a human. Soon Arthur is rescued by Atlantean sentries and returned to Atlantis, where he learns of the attempted assassination of Mera by some rebels. Unfortunately, his return causes seaquakes and has since he first arrived in Atlantis. Meanwhile Chimera heads to Amnesty Bay where he camouflages himself as other humans as he searches for Aquaman. He attempts to attack Erika, Jenny and Salty but finally locates Aquaman in Boston, where he is visiting with Dr. Shin and getting the Chimera’s back story. But Chimera is there, disguised as the diver he once was and now is poised to attack his “savior”

Jeff Parker and Paul Pelletier bring us the next chapter in the Creature King saga. It is better than the last, but still doesn’t live up to the earliest issues of this series when Geoff Johns was throwing in some great dialogue. Hopefully next issue, which should be the big battle issue between the two Sea kings, will be a blow-out issue, to be followed by the “Five year Leap” for all titles in September.

AQUAMAN ANNUAL #2: Aquaman and Wonder Woman, in their civilian guises, investigate a series of disappearances in Carcassonne, France. It seems a group of monsters has taken over a church, and most of the city. Under the guise of a film crew, they are actually possessing people with the help of the song of their leader, Celeana. During the battle, our heroes get possessed and then turned to stone. It takes the ingenuity of Daniel Evans, the man who was responsible for unleashing them in the first place, to come and save the day,  In the second half of the story, Mera and Wonder Woman battle more sea creatures.

As happens with many of the DC Annuals, this was a total waste of five bucks! Jeff Parker and Yvel Guichet give us the first half of the tale. It is incredibly long, incredibly boring and does nothing but let us know that Daniel Evans, the archeologist who used the key to open up a sort of Pandora’s Box to the world of bad monsters, is truly sorry for what he did and will spend the rest of his days being sorry. Whoopie! Then it’s Wonder Woman and Mera who get to battle more nasty creatures in the second half, which is by Parker and Alvaro Martinez. I’m sorry: is this a Wonder Woman Annual or an Aquaman Annual, because the Amazonian is spending an awful lot of time in this title. Too much time for me and too many unintentionally silly moments.

AQUAMAN AND THE OTHERS #4: Aquaman is not dead, having been almost killed last issue by Legend(his chain mail vest saved him). And Ya’wara is communicating with Kahina and Vostok-X, both of whom are still dead, in the Ghost Lands. Vostok instructs Va’wara to use her Globe of Transportation to retrieve his Atlantean helmet to use in the fight with Legend, who appears to need the Atlantean gold to continue to live. Prisoner-of-War, The Operative and Sky arrive to join the battle and to try and stitch up Aquaman’s wound. Meanwhile, Ya’wara finishes her journey to the moon, retrieves the helmet and finds Vostok very much alive.

Dan Jurgens and Lan Medina continue to bring us a lackluster title that will hopefully resolve this storyline soon so I can walk away feeling complete. The story is so Eighties and the art is just there with it. I have no love for or interest in any of these characters except for Aquaman…and even he is a bit hard to live with in this book. This title needs to go into the land of The OTHER DC books that have been cancelled

BATGIRL #33: Batgirl and Black Canary have a run-in with The Huntress, who wants to help protect Gotham City. Batgirl wants her to reveal her secret identity but Dinah talks her out of it. Batgirl explains that every time she tries to take down one of Knightfall's cells, she moves the remaining members of the gang. Later that night, Barbara asks her roommate Alysia who hired her and her friends to sabotage the Carter Reznik Foundation building. She says her contact was a man named Michael. Batgirl, Black Canary and Huntress capture Bleak Michael and hold him captive. While they are interrogating him, Knightfall's men come to kill him. After saving his life, he reveals the plan to kill every criminal in Cherry Hill. Needing backup, Batgirl calls in help from Melody McKenna, Katharsis, and Obscura, who she will have to work for in trade for Obscura’s help. Batgirl also gets to borrow the Batboat.

Now THAT is the kind of comic book story I am talking about! Gail Simone and Fernando Pasarin gives us a fun ride with guest stars, shoot ‘em up action and a bunch of unexpected twists. Alysia thinks Babs is an undercover cop while no one know that The Huntress wants to protect THIS Gotham City because she misses HER Gotham City. All of this leads to a bang up showdown next issue between the assembled team and Knightfall. I can’t wait!

BATMAN #33: The Riddler offers Batman twelve chances to save Gotham by answering twelve riddles.  Meanwhile, Lucius Fox and Jim Gordon are trying to figure a way to call off the air strike. Batman answers the first two riddles correctly and then apparently misses the third. But, in actuality, he has outfooled The Riddler and gotten it correct, in addition to using a Giant Penny as a conductor for his blocker. With that, he knocks out Nygma. At the same time, Gordon uses a bucket of paint and a floodlight to make a Bat-Signal, which the pilots see and pulls back from their attack mission. Batman learns that The Riddler has an electrode attached to his chest. Remove it and the city permanently loses power. Or a jolt of a thousand volts will reset the system. Batman removes the electrode and, remembering how he had undergone electroshock therapy, uses a defibrillator to shock himself, just as the jets get the word to re-engage. He takes the shock and wakes to the sight of Alfred Pennyworth resuscitating him, bringing him back to life, turning the power back on and having the pilots turn back.

One month later, Bruce explains that Wayne Industries and Lucius Fox will help to rebuild the city from Zero Year. New commissioner Gordon meets with Bruce and explains that he had Nygma has been placed at Arkham Asylum and hoped that Arkham would get accustomed to holding a criminal madman for trial. He also mentions that ne noticed his coat had been replaced. Alfred interrupts and explains that a girl he dated in school, Julie Madison, has come to see him. He tells Alfred he once had gone to Arkham to have them erase his memory with electroshock therapy, but changed his mind seconds before it was to happen. Instead, he would use his paid to help Gotham. Alfred, after much thoughts of seeing Bruce and Julie growing old together, informs her that Bruce is spoken for…by Gotham City.

After all these months, Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo bring this epic to a right and just ending. What a wild ride! Parts of Batman’s history have been rewritten, especially the whole addition of him seeking to eradicate his memory by going to Arkham and seeking electroshock therapy. I like the re-introduction of Julie Madison, who we saw in BATMAN #30. The story, although borrowing some elements from BATMAN: YEAR ONE, was fresh and original and was a great yearlong treat. I can’t see what this team drops in next.

BATMAN ETERNAL #13-16: In issue #13, Jim Gordon is visited by his presumed to be dead son, who tries to convince his father that he truly hates Gotham for what it has done to him. The son warns his father that his cell door will open at 2:46 in the morning, allowing him to walk out of prison. Gordon refuses to do it. Meanwhile, Bard and Bullock present evidence, false though it is, to Forbes that they have located Batman's munitions stash. Forbes sends Bard back in the field with his personal choices: Bullock and Maggie Sawyer: all of whom are working to bring Forbes down. Vicki Vale is trying to convince her boss to drop the Gordon story in the Gotham Gazette and pick up on the GCPD pursuit of Batman. He orders her to get a big story and back off on the gang war stories or he will have her fired.  That night, Bard leads his teams to the alleged Batman munitions stashes, which are actually The Roman’s munitions stashes. When they return to GCPD headquarters, Forbes yells at Bard for arresting The Roman's men and orders them released. With Vicki Vale present, he has no choice but to backtrack and change his decision. The Roman warns Forbes that he must release his men or lose his position as Commissioner: all of which is being listened to by Bard and Vale, who have tapped Forbes phone. Meanwhile, Harper Row makes her way into Red Robin’s Nest and spies on him as he works on a connection between the nanobots and Professor Pyg. It seems the nanobots had to be engineered by former KGB scientist Sergei Alexandrov and he was last seen in Tokyo. And at the Gotham Library, Stephanie Brown gets an instant message from her friend Beth, who tells her about a box that arrived wrapped in orange and blue. Steph warns her not to open the box, which explodes killing her friend. Arthur Brown watches it all unfold and now knows his daughter will try to come after him.

In issue #14, the Scarecrow has been sending messages out of Arkham Asylum, Something came out from under Arkham and he has been on the run ever since. Meanwhile, The Penguin is hiding out at the Golden Lark Motel and planning revenge. At the Mayor's office, Bard plays recording of Forbes to Mayor Hady. The Mayor could care less, as he too is connected to The Roman. Bard explains there is a story waiting to run in the Gotham Gazette and he can have the Mayor’s name added to it if he doesn’t implicate Falcone. Hady reveals that Falcome is at the "Roman Holiday Florist". At Blackgate Penitentiary, Gordon contemplates the concept of escaping during the night. Meanwhile, Cobblepot visits Falcone and stabs him through the wrist. Prepared to slice his thought, he gets blinded by Vicki Vale’s camera flash. Bard places the Penguin under arrest for both murder and attempted murder while he arrests Falcone for criminal conspiracy and trafficking contraband. Falcone claims that Forbes will get him out and is informed that Forbes was arrested this morning. That night, Gordon hears the door of his cell unlock and realizes that Batman is there. Batman believes Gordon was framed, and is still looking for evidence to prove it. Gordon admits he feels a bit like Rex Calaberese and they he can’t stay on top forever. Batman warns him that Blackgate will get very dangerous soon with Falcone and the Penguin arriving. Up in the Batplane, Red Robin discovers he has a passenger in the form of Harper Row. On the roof of the GCPD Headquarters, Bard gets a visit from Batman, who admits that he knows that the tip to The Penguin came from Bard's cell phone. At Arkham, the Joker’s Daughter informs a captured Scarecrow that Red Robin and the Spectre are coming has captured Scarecrow.

In issue #15, Batwing and Jim Corrigan make their way into Arkham, where a woman Corrigan recognizes as Magpie greets them at the reception desk. They sedate her and also find a collection of long-dead guards and realize there is magic afoot here. When they reach Jonathan Crane’s cell, they find a pillar of blood is rising from the floor. Corrigan says this is Batwing’s last chance to get on, but insists on staying, even though the Scarecrow's body being used to fuel this Aetheric Pylon. Corrigan attempts to call on The Spectre as the inmates drag Batwing down through the floor, where he finds himself at the feet of the Joker's Daughter. Corrigan is brought to the person responsible for this dark magic: a man named Mister Bygone. Knowing Harper Row is in the cargo bay of his jet, Red Robin decides to leave her there on his long flight to Tokyo. Meanwhile, Batgirl and Red Hood are in Rio de Janeiro, where she tells him she doesn't want his help to clearing Jim Gordon’s name. They break into the office of the plastic surgeon named by Gonzolo Dominguez and find Batwoman interrogating Dr. Mangaravite. And it seems he has ties to the Religion of Crime.

In issue #16,  Jim Corrigan learns that the creatures down here are caused by the Spectre and now they are prepared to kill him. And the Joker's Daughter uses Batwing’s communicator to tell. Batman everything is fine at Arkham. The Joker's Daughter explains that the inmates are going to remake the asylum. She calls on Maxie Zeus to battle Batwing, allowing her to escape. Above it all, Professor Pyg arrives where Doctor Milo brings him down into the tunnels and his fate. Batwing leaves to search for Corrigan while the Arkhamites take Zeus’ body to be used as a vessel for something more sinister. Batwing finds Dr. Simon Ecks, who warns him there is something inside him that kills what it touches. Just before the Spirit of Tulpa leaves Ecks body, Corrigan arrives and knocks the doctor unconscious. And that is when they discover that Deacon Blackfire has returned. Meanwhile, Batman is observing another GCPD bust of Falcone's operations and receives a surprise when he sees Vicki Vale cross the police line to flirt with Lt. Bard. Over in Tokyo, Red Robin gets attacked by some mechanical tentacles. Harper Row finds the control signal and shuts it down. Tim orders her back to the Batplane when the voice of Sergei Alexandrov tells them they have earned the right to speak to him.

Again: four huge issues filled with storylines crossing all over the place. Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Ray Fawkes, John Layman, and Tim Seeley contributed to the plot and the dialogue while Mikel Janin, Jason Fabok, and Dustin Nguyen handled the art duties. What can I say that I haven’t said before? The four issues are loaded and, for the astute reader, clues abound!

BATMAN AND ROBIN #33: Previously reviewed as part of the ROBIN RISES saga.

BATWOMAN #33: We begin with Kate waking from a nightmare where she and Nocturna terrorize Maggie Sawyer and her daughter Jamie. Meanwhile, Alex Witherspoon has her assassin wait on killing Nocturna, who is attending a party. On the way in, a man called Barry Daniels, who escorts her into the party when he catches her after she has a high heel snap. After one night together, he proposes to her. Kate discusses her dream with her therapist. Later, Kate does some research and finds that Natalia Mitternacht has a collection of dead husbands under her belt. She also makes a call to Maggie's ex-husband with a proposition. That night, Natalia and Barry and Alex Witherspoon gives the green light to have her shot. But Killshot's bullet hits Barry instead and soon it’s a three way battle between Batwoman, Killshot and Night-Thief. That’s when Nocturna herself enters the fray.

Okay, this issue was a little more confusing than most and that makes for a disappointing read. Natalia seems to be a “black widow” who is taking out husbands in great numbers. And it’s up to Batwoman to stop her. Yawn. Mark Andreyko’s story and  and Jeremy Haun’s art seems surprisingly uninspired this issue. Maybe next month…

BIRDS OF PREY #33: The Birds of Prey seem to be facing off against the Suicide Squad while trying to rescue Dr. Amadou Mambety from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As the two teams fight, Black Canary demands to see Amanda Waller and she appears just long enough for canary to snatch her away with the Suicide Squad in close pursuit. But the Birds get into another tussle with them, which give Dinah time alone with Waller. Waller explains that Kurt Lance was dead and she brought him back to life using technology she learned from Resurrection Man. She also explains that Black Canary was being hunted because she destroyed an island with her cry, NOT because she allegedly killed Kurt. Amanda agrees to tell everything, even if it’s not what Canary wants to hear

Okay, so lose the ridiculous fight sequence and realize that this is the start of the story we have been waiting to hear since issue one, and it’s not that bad an issue. The two fights are just dumb and no matter how you spin it, a waste of pages. We should just have been given a small intro fight, Waller showing up and the truth being told. But then again, it is Waller so how much truth is truth is a good question! Either way, Christy Marx and Robson Rocha are on their way out as this title ends next issue.

CATWOMAN #33: Catwoman is still mad that Roulette fixed the Race of Thieves and intends to get revenge. At the same time, Selina is trying to get closure on the Victoria Viceroy case. It is believed that a servant fathered her child, as he was left all of her money, and that one or both of her children were responsible for her death. Gillbrite is going to try to pull a fingerprint of Victoria's from the child's clay death mask Selina had found at Hunt Stone's mansion. That night, she visits Hunt Stone and finds him burning the evidence he had paid Gillbrite to retrieve, as it does incriminate his ancestors. Catwoman reveals that he is the rightful heir of the viceroy fortune and now Rita Viceroy can now make a claim as the rightful heir. In exchange, she wants him to tell her where she can find Roulette. He tells her that Roulette suffers from OCD and every part of her day is planned out with little room for change. So Catwoman begins messing with simple things in her routine, like adding weight to her workout. She even goes so far as to replace her driver and speeds away following an accident on her way to a meeting. At the meeting, Catwoman intervenes and, after a battle, convinces her that she needs to admit Catwoman has won. In the end, she places a file in her vault with a list of who she owes and who owes her, along with a note that says "Don't get cold."

Cold? And that means…? Don’t know, but I miss Selina the slut from the first few issues. The murder mystery and the Great race were so boring. I look forward to next issue by
Ann Nocenti and Pat Olliffe in hopes that it will be better than this one!

CONSTANTINE #16: Constantine is in Donaueschingen Germany to protect a mystic who he thinks is going to be targeted by the Cult of the Cold Flame. Before he gets to the mystic’s cabin, Constantine sees a group of hunters called the Stained Claw and manages to elude them and make his way into see Albrecht Zimmerman. The Stained Claw burst in and John takes out one of them with enchanted silver. They quickly find him and subdue him. Albrecht transforms into a werewolf and knocks John out. When he awakes, he tries to convince him that he is here to save him but the old man puts him back to sleep. Waking a second time, Albrecht offers him some tea that will help him free himself. But as he attempts the spell, John's head explodes! Meanwhile, we learn that Sargon has warned Tannarak that Constantine is working against the cult and they use the magic kill-switch spell that was designed to kill Constantine instantly.

Ray Fawkes and Edgar Salazar seem to have painted our mage into a big corner by having his head explode. That sucks! Hope he gets it together before next issue or else this series can be considered cancelled! Actually, of the “magic based New 52” series, this is the one I enjoy the most, despite our trenchcoated hero having moments of being an absolute jerk.

DETECTIVE COMICS ANNUAL #3: We see Annette Aguila beat her boyfriend Dante in a dirt bike race. He begs her to go with him to New Orleans, as he has one more job that will get them all the money they need. She agrees with some hesitation. Meanwhile, Batman has learned that a bunch of weapons was stolen from police impound by the Bastards of Black Gate and takes them out. He discovers, from a boy named Aden, that the stolen weapons were from the haul when The Wrath was captured and were coming from the Salt Yard. Batman also discovered the boys’ father had been beating him. Meanwhile, the Kings of the Sun biker gang have Dante taking care of the Icarus waiting to be delivered to The Squid. Jonny Loman and the Squid meet with Julian Day in the back of their limo. Squid had put Day in charge of the deal with the Kings of the Sun. But, in a nearby bar, Matches Malone beats up Julian for missing his son’s birthday, leading Jonny to decide to carry out the deal with the Kings of the Sun. Annette calls Dante and reveals that he is protecting a shipment of Icarus. But he soon gives into to his drug craving as he hears gunfire outside. Jonny and his men open the storage unit, find Dante engulfed in flames and shoot him dead. When Annette can’t reach him on the phone, she knows he must be dead. Batman goes to the Salt Rock Depot and takes out the Bastards of Blackgate. Later, Squid promises the Kings of the Sun that he had nothing to do with the ambush. Jonny pinned the blame for the theft on Julian Day. Batman went to Day’s house to reward Aden only to find a note claiming the Bastards of Blackgate had kidnapped him. But it’s Batman who shows up in an armored suit to rescue him. The following day, Aden was sent to Elena Aguila's Aguila Family Shelter for Women and Children.

Not to confuse anyone, this tale occurs before DETECTIVE COMICS #30 but, obviously, ties in to the Icarus story running through recent issues of DETECTIVE COMICS. Brian Buccellato, with art by Werther Dell'Edera, Jorge Fornés, Scott Hepburn tells a great tale that give background to the current story and reveals the fate of Annette’s boyfriend and gives us some more information about The Squid, Jonny and Julian Day. By the way, clever comic fans will note that Julian Gregory Day is Calendar Man who, in this continuity, appears in the Channel 52 backup stories. Will this thug become THAT villain? Maybe. But that remains to be seen. Maybe his son will grow up to become him. Either way: great story and worth the five bucks.

DETECTIVE COMICS #33: Holter has shot the Squid, although the bullet was meant for his brother Jonny, leaving Jonny seeking revenge. The police arrive to arrest the people involved, forcing Batman to toss a smoke grenade to escape. Meanwhile, Bullock is interrogating the Wayne Industries executive who signed off on the shipping containers that had been used for human trafficking. The man admits it was Congressman Sam Young. Maggie Yip contacts Bullock to tell him she has a lead on one of the missing shipments and that they ended up at the abandoned Kane Power Plant. On the outskirts of Gotham, Batman has found the home of the Kings of the Sun and it seems they have an interest in the goings on of Annette Aguila. She is awakened at her hotel room by Holter, who has brought her a badly beaten Jonny Loman andf told her he is responsible for her mother’s death. He also confesses that he believes he is her father and will hunt down the men who hired Jonny. Giving her a gun, he tells her to make things right. At the Kane plant, Bullock runs into Batman and tells him he doesn’t need his help.Batman accuses Bullock of planting evidence, falsifying reports and knows what he did to his partner six years ago. He spits in Batman's face and a fist fight begins that is interrupted by a huge explosion caused by an Icarus victim.

Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato hit another home run in the penultimate chapter of  the Icarus Saga. The writing is stellar and it is no surprise the work on THE FLASH turned heads. The art is a bit quirky but I am getting used to it. This book has seen many creative changes in almost three years but each one has had just enough creativity and enthusiasm to make the book a must read. Tune in for the final chapter next month. I know that I can’t wait!

EARTH 2 #25: Things are going bad in the war. Hawkgirl and Green Lantern have managed to break Flash out of jail but they are missing and Flash is being pursued by Beguiler. The heroes end up in the area of the Indian Ocean, Beguiler breaks Green Lantern's shield, knocking him into the water. Aquawoman arrives, catches Green Lantern, and destroys the Parademons. As Beguiler prepares to attack them, Flash steps in to the rescue, running so fast that it causes her to disintegrate. Meanwhile Val has shown that his spacesuithas the symbol of the House of El. His parents tried to warn Krypton that their planet would explode and they were punished. Jor-El and Lara took him in and, when Krypton was on the verge of being destroyed, four rockets left Krypton carrying Kal, their niece Lara, himself, and one other. In Kansas, Superman has decided to have dinner with his parents when Pa Kent gets into an argument about how his son is an emissary of Darkseid. Superman kills him with his heat-vision. With this, a devestated Lois totally refuses to believe he is the Superman she knew and loved. He receives a message from Bedlam, informing him the plan is now complete and he flies away from what was once the Kent home. The plan is to open a Boom Tube big enough to transport the whole planet to Darkseid. As the Boom Tube fires up, Green Lantern heads into space to try to hold the Earth in place. Doctor Fate places his cracked helmet on Val, who uses his heat vision to fix the helmet. Then he flies off to help Green Lantern, who is being attacked by Superman.

Tom Taylor, Nicola Scott and Trevor Scott bring this story to the very end of the Earth and the beginning of a whole new chapter that will lead into a weekly series. Now, that doesn’t mean this book is ending. But these issues and this storyline is that fuse that will set future events in motion. The story is killer(literally-look what happened to Pa Kent!) and so is the art. This should be on everyone’s list!

THE FLASH #33: Barry continues to push his theory about how a number of homicides are connected to a number of stolen super-villain weapons. Director Singh wants to hear no more and insists that the case be closed. After this meeting, Iris West stops Barry, who wants to talk about her nephew Wally. Later, Barry explains his theory to Detective Seborn, who promises to have an informant check on the info Barry has given him. Flashing ahead to a time seven years in the future, Flash grabs Axel Walker and dangles him from the top of a building before letting him drop towards his death. Axel’s robots get involved and slow him down, but Barry intervenes as claims he doesn't want to die. Barry was here to stop him from pulling a job that would have killed a family with a one month old daughter. Barry leaves him with a copy of the newspaper reporting his suicide. Back in present day, Barry follows a tip he received from Seborn and it results on a man becoming a rampaging beast who dies from an overdose of the drug Venom that made him this way. The incident causes Barry to be late to stop a crime Wally was involved in and he gets arrested in the process. Back at work, Patty tells him the toxin was more stolen evidence. Barry now knows who the killer is: Detective Seborn.

Bad cops copying villains and superheroes trying to change the future. That’s what we get here and it’s great! Robert Venditti and Van Jensen continue to weave a great story and Brett Booth does great art, as always. I love this run by these creators! I am truly curious to see when the future Flash manages to intersect with the current Flash and what the results will be. Until then, please keep me on the edge of my sat, because I don’t know where this is going next!

GREEN ARROW #33: We begin four years ago, when Oliver Queen's mother died of cancer, he found himself wallowing in drinking. John Diggle and Oliver argued about how he had climbed in a bottle and had already fired Roy Harper because of his self-destructive behavior. So Diggle took up the mantle of Green Arrow to take down Ricardo Diaz. Unfortunately, Oliver believed he could do everything by himself and fired Diggle. In the present time, Richard Dragon and his team is at war with Oliver, who is being aided by his half-sister Emiko. She is thrown into a wall by Brick which causes Oliver to nearly beat him to death. Killer Moth arrives and, distracting Oliver, allows Red Dart to take Emiko as hostage. Naomi Singh and Henry Fyff team up to save her while Killer Moth gives up Richard Dragon's location to Oliver. Billy Tockman arrives and threatens Naomi and Henry, saying that Dragon wants him to bring him the heads of Henry and Naomi. Tockman fires his weapon and Henry takes the bullet meant for Naomi. Meanwhile, Oliver arrives at the location Killer Moth gave him only to find Diggle is being held captive. Oliver asks that he be let go and Dragon agrees-to let him go out the window.

Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino continue their awesome run on this book, which will unfortunately be ending sooner then most of us would want. They have totally redefined who the character is, introduced a great supporting cast and it looks and feels awesome. The new creative team will have a very big mountain to climb to keep up the buzz on this book. I hope they can maintain it!

GREEN LANTERN #33: The Lanterns are on their way to the planet Zezzen to defend them against the invading Durlans who are trying to become Daxamites. The Lanterns form a wall to keep the invaders out while Mogo drops bombs on the invaders on the outside of the wall. Eventually the wall begins to crumble and the Green Lanterns and the Durlans begin to battle in the form of hand-hand combat. Luckily Anj and her Clann arrive to join the battle. As the battle winds down, John Stewart and his band of Lanterns arrive to mop up. But mop up may be the wrong description as Hal gets a message later from Stewart saying that the battle is not over. Communications is terminated and it concludes in GREEN LANTERN CORPS #33.

And I have NO IDEA how this ends because I don’t care enough for this cross-over to go out and buy the other book. And I didn’t buy any of the cross over titles throughout the UPRISING arc. Robert Venditti and Billy Tan do the best they can with the characters they have been given. And these characters are simply boring. I think the only thing that keeps me on this book right now is tradition. But even that is wearing thin.

GRAYSON #1: We begin with Dick Grayson in his newest role: as a super-spy. He is in Russia and his handler is a woman known as Matron. Currently, her target is a man named Ninel Dubov who is chatting up a young lady on the train they are riding. Dick intervenes and spills wine onto thew woman, When she goes to the bathroom to wash it off, the paralyzing agent in the wine takes effect and she passes out. Dick gets an unconscious Dubov onto the roof of the train and comes under fire by the Russian Foreign Intelligence. Dubov wakes and Dick convinces him, via a hypnos implant, that they should work together and they take refuge in a nuclear silo. In the silo, Midnighter tranquilizes Dubov, saying he is too dangerous. Dick tries to use his hypnos implant on him which doesn’t work. As Midnighter prepares to battles, Dubov throws him through the wall of the silo. Dubov is filled with radioactive energy and Dick has him attack him with his radioactive blasts to to burn off that energy. With that accomplished, Dick carries him to the extraction point. Returning to Spyral Headquarters, Dick and Matron receive congratulations from their leader, the mysterious Mister Minos. That night, Dick That night, Dick prepares to send a message to Batman when Matron, Helena Bertinelli, interrupts. Elsewhere, a Spyral scientist tells Minos that an organ she harvested from Dubov is part of the Paragon Protocol. Minos is using the organization to the identities of many of the Earth's heroes.

Okay, so a bunch of the comic fans out there seem to think that only homosexual men and boys buy DC titles featuring Dick Grayson title. Personally, I won’t use the language one comic fan used to refer to him and the fans: that would make me as rude and ignorant. On to the real story: on the surface, Dick Grayson is now a cross between James Bond and Bucky Barnes. In actuality, he is neither AND both. Working for a mysterious agency called Spyral, run but an even weirder and more mysterious guy by the name of Mister Minos, this book actually has a feel like SECRET AGENT meets THE PRISONER meets every spy cliché out there. To that end: this book is a blast! And who is his potential love interest? Helena Bertinelli. No…not THAT one! This is the one from OUR Earth. Confused? YOU BET! Kudos to Tim Seeley and Tom King for delivering a great looking, fun reading first issue that could turn out to be the surprise hit for DC, if it gets the proper push. We all know Batman makes the money but emphasis on more of the Bat Family, make that PROPER EMPHASIS, will make that brand even stronger.

HARLEY QUINN #8: Harley and Big Tony try to pawn off Ivana Brekemoff’s ring at Sal's pawn shop when a pair of robbers break in. She manages to get $140,000 and a samurai sword in exchange for the rings and eliminating the bad guys. Afterwards, they Tony asks her for twenty thousand to finish working on the contraption she is having him build on the roof. She obliges as she goes off to her night job on the Brooklyn Bruisers. During the match, she looses her favorite tooth to Bertha Bensonhurts, prompting Harley to break out the giant mallet and risking being fired. As she exits the arena, she is given a card for something Top Secret called Skate Club. The following day, we learn the device on the roof is a giant pooper scooper lovingly named the scatapult. This results in several test firings of the scatapult, with bags of excrement being fired at the Brooklyn Bridge, the roller coaster at the Coney Island amusement park, and the J Train. But the best of all is when several sacks of poop explode on the windows of DC Comics where Dan DiDio is proposing changing all of DC’s heroes into Antelopes and Wildebeests and calling it all The Gnu 52. Unnoticed during all the poop flinging, another assassin arrives to take out Harley. But she takes him out with a shovel and loads him into the scatapult where, upon launch, he bounces off a blimp before he moves through the propeller of a biplane. Meanwhile, on a nearby train, a man spies at her and vows she will never have to scoop another poop when they're together.

You have either got to love the work that Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti and Chad Hardin are putting into this book or you hate it. But c’mon: a ginat pooper scooper catapult firing poop across New York. Dan Didio creatinbg the Gnu 52. This is all great stuff. It reminds me of times when comics were fun, like THE INFERIOR FIVE. They only were around for 13 stories(three in SHOWCASE on 10 original in their own title), but it was pure parody at its’ best. Welcome to this generation’s INFERIOR FIVE! If the sight gags don’t get you, then the quickly spewed own name puns should. Oh: and please tell me that even though the first rule of Skate Club has been broken, our heroine will make a trip into the world of underground skating! Maybe we’ll even get loosely disguised versions of Edward Norton, Brad Pitt and Helena Bonham Carter. Better yet: give me a side of Meat Loaf and some Jared Leto please!

HARLEY QUINN INVADES COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL SAN DIEGO #1: Harley and Queenie go to Comic Con, and Harley has brought her portfolio, featuring her character "Hurl Girl". Apparently this mild mannered teacher is so insulted by her student’s stupidity, she becomes Hurl Girl, where the corrosive power of her vomit kills her students and creates a hole in the earth. She jumps into her costume and the hole and meets Rick Robertson. He is a geology professor and explorer extraordinaire whom subterranean monsters that she eliminates with her vomit are chasing. While walking the streets of San Diego, Harley gets hit by a truck. After a go around, she takes his convention merchandise and offers them to the homeless people at a nearby shelter. She then goes to Rude Rick's Hateful Hideaway where, after almost killing the waitress for her rudeness (it’s a part of the act), she orders a cheeseburger. Eventually, Harley gets to the show, is informed by Katie Kubert that she missed the portfolio review, and will have to come back tomorrow. Or go see Editor-in-Chief Bob Harras now, which she does. Unfortunately, she yanks down the pants of a cos-playing Batman and is hauled away by security, who confiscates her badge, before she and Harras have a chance to chat. She eventually gets past security to meet up with what she believes is HER Joker. What she finds is a room FILLED with Jokers and proceeds to have her way with every one of them. Later, she gets kicked out of the hotel and ends up in a limousine full of Harley cosplayers, where they proceed to have an all-Harley girls' night out. She manages to trash the limo, get the cops involved and they all end up in a police line-up. Unable to identify the REAL Harley, the police release them all.

On the next day, she runs into Dan DiDio, and photobombs his interview, requiring her to be banned from the DC Booth. When it is suggested she try to company across the way, she responds they are “looking for anything new and original”.Back at the merch booth, Tony suggests she spend her time selling shirts. By the end of the 5th day, she has put her name into a drawing for a portfolio review by Jim Lee. To get to the closing dinner on time, she steals the 66 Batmobile and drives through town at high speed. Reaching the restaurant, a man in a costume reveals she is in the wrong place. As she leaves, the man removes his helmet, showing us he is really Geoff Johns. Harley wins the lottery and gets good comments from Jim Lee. Before the Con is through, she meets a man in a trenchcoat who claims he is The Flash, blows off Stephen Amell and gets autographs from Bruce Timm and his friend Paul Dini. In the end, she decides to buy BATMAN ADVENTURES #12-her first appearance. When the price is too high, she takes the book and robs the store.

What can I say: pure, silly magic! Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner write the book with art by a stellar cast including Paul Pope, Javier Garron, Damion Scott, Amanda Conner, John Timms, Marco Failla, Dave Johnson, and Stéphane Roux. I am sure this 5 dollar one shot fell off a lot of people’s lists and will end up being sought after, if not reprinted. Harley is HOT, HOT, HOT! And the fact that DC can jump back to the old days of touring the Marvel Offices with Smilin Stan and Jolly Jack and the Marvel Bullpen: stuff most of today’s collectors don’t recall or even care about. But this sure FELT like those days. Okay: we have had serious books for five bucks and books that sucked for five bucks. This is neither. More fun than an issue of SANDMAN and nowhere near as taxing on the brain. Find this, just for the artists collected inside alone!

INFINITY MAN AND THE FOREVER PEOPLE #2: We begin with beautiful Dreamer having to be awakened by Mark Moonrider as her dream has brought Darkseid to life. Vykin comes in, causing an argument between Mark and himself. Dreamer remembers a single word in a song being sung in her dream: Taaru. Meanwhile, Big Bear shows the kids how Feast of Eden was created to combat world hunger. They catch a Boom Tube to the farm and are quickly attacked by giant bug creatures. They all battle and, during the battle, Big Bear transforms ever so slightly to a creature actually born on Apokolips. After defeating the first line of creatures, Mantis arrives with a second wave.  Mother Box calls the Forever People together and they all say the word Taaru. A gigantic explosion rocks the area and destroys all the creatures except for Mantis, who meets Infinity Man.

Well, at least it’s not the Gnu 52(see HARLEY QUINN entry from earlier). Dan Didio and Keith Giffen collaborate, with some incredible art from Tom Grummett, to finally introduce us to Infinity Man. And, at the same time, we learn something about Big Bear that we never saw in the original Kirby series: he is from Apokolips. Looks like the New 52 has attributed his origin to the same place where the OLD DCU had Orion coming from. I still like the idea of the computer being called Kirby. I’m sure some will see it as an insult why I see it as a nice homage. I love the book. But, then again, I liked OMAC and am DYING to see Didio resurrect KAMANDI

Chapter 1-4 of DOOMED: SUPERDOOM reviewed

ACTION COMICS #33: Chapter 1 Superdoom. Lana Lang and Steel prepare to head into space and find a way to help Superman. In space, Superman’s cousin, the Red Lantern Kara, sends him to Akron 23 where the people are being attacked by a being called Harak. Making sure the last Chars get to evacuate, Superman attacks Harak, who leaves the fight to save members of the Char's fleet who would be killed by planetary debris. Lana and Steel, finally making it to space, try to get help in the form of Lois Lane, who seems unconcerned about the spreading epidemic on Earth. That is when they see the Cyborg Superman making his way towards them.

Greg Pak and Aaron Kuder continue to make this book have the biggest quality turnabout
Of all the NEW 52 titles. The writing is smart and exciting, the art is crisp, and the story is a lot of fun. I am looking forward to the DOOMED storyline to end and to see where Pak and Kuder is going from here. Certainly, it’s a far cry from the early issues where Superman was in a T-shirt and cape.

SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN #10: Chapter 2 of Superdoom. Lana Lang and Steel get attacked by the Cyborg Superman and his army. They contact Superman to tell him about the Brainiac situation regarding Lois. Controlled by the Doomsday virus, he attacks the unmanned ships that are attacking Lana and Steel's ship. Steel space walks and tells Superman that this is only a small part of a larger fleet headed for Earth and they believe the signal calling the aliens is coming from Smallville and Metropolis. Back in Metropolis, the entire city has fallen into a coma except for Lois, who transforms into Brainiac before attacking Wonder Woman. In the process, she uploads John Corben’s memory back into Metallo so he can attack Wonder Woman. Diana destroys the machine, but Lois grabs John's head and flies off. Off in space, Cyborg Superman explains that Brainiac and the Phantom King are responsible for the Doomsday experience. Superman plans to let the virus loose so he can deal with the situation.

Charles Soule turns in the newest chapter of the Doomsday Saga and we now get to see that Brainiac and the Phantom King are involved with this whole Doomsday mess. With art by Paulo Siqueira and Pascal Alixe, the issue looks okay. It’s not Tony Daniel, but it will do. The story does a nice job of giving us revelations and action and I’m GREAT with that, as we don’t have to deal with the messy Superman/Wonder Woman relationship thing.

SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN ANNUAL #1: Chapter 3 Superdoom. As the Brainiac invasion fleet nears the Earth, Superman battles it out with the Cyborg Superman. But this whole battle is merely a ruse to keep Superman from stopping the invasion. Meanwhile, the Justice League assesses the situation as Steel and Lana Lang warns them of the invasion. The ships have been set up in a pattern designed to boost the signal that shut down Smallville and Metropolis. It is decided that they need to shut down 36% of the nodes to decrease the signal. They also know that Superman’s returning to an Earth surrounded by a Kryptonite cloud will just cause the Doomsday virus to control him and result in the death of everyone. Wonder Woman tells Batman he needs to find a way to get rid of that cloud and then heads to Romania, where she battles with a Doomsday infected Superman. Batman manages to clear the cloud and Clark is able to gain control of his body and mind once again. Meanwhile, Steel is battling Cyborg Superman and is losing. Lana uses their weapons to assist, but he severely damages the life support systems. Steel returns to the ship to rescue her, allowing Cyborg Superman to continue on his journey to Earth. The battle is far from over for Earth.

Charles Soule continues his tale, with art from a host of artists including Ed Benes, Tony Daniel, Pascal Alixe, Cliff Richards and Jack Hebert. Now that the beast within is being held back, maybe the Big blue Boy Scout can put his energies into stopping the invasion and saving Lois Lane. While this was fun, it was one of the weaker chapters just because we get to see the Justice League hunkering down in their disaster bunker. Really? The Justice League needs a place to hunker down in case the world ends? Okay. Somehow, after all that transpired with the Crime Syndicate, you would think they had this thing figured out by now.

ACTION COMICS ANNUAL #3: Chapter 4 Superdoom. (This story runs concurrently with the events in SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN ANNUAL #1). Lois Lane has had her mind taken over by Brainiac and is desperately trying to find a way to break out of her mental prison. Meanwhile, Batman has made his way to Superman’s Fortress of Solitude and is now working with Lex Luthor, Harrow, Ghost Solder, and Dr. Veritas to find a way to defeat Brainiac if Wonder Woman cannot. Batman is aware that the only person who could get rid of the Kryptonite is Xa-Du, who was the first prisoner of the Phantom Zone. Meanwhile, Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter struggle with Superman, warning him that he must leave before his condition gets worse. Ghost Soldier arrives with Baka, who transforms into a monster and fights alongside the transformed Superman to fight off Brainiac's ships. They return to Metropolis where Superman, momentarily cleansed of Doomsday, confronts a possessed Lois Lane. He destroys all of the nanobots that have been keeping her under Brainiac's control. Despite it, she retained her telepathic abilities, sending Clark a message of support as she turned her attention to a deeply wounded John Corben. At the Fortress, Harrow gets Xa-Du to open portals to get rid of the Kryptonite. But that also means Xa-Du can now free himself. Superman, back in control of his body, reunites with Wonder Woman and Krypto. But Lois warns something bigger is on its’ way.

Greg Pak writes a chapter that, although referred to as Chapter Four, actually runs concurrently with Chapter Three, going as far as to have both books end on the same final two page spread. Art is provided by Ken Lashley, Aaron Kuder, Jack Hebert, Cliff Richards, Julius Gomez, Will Conrad and Pascal Alixe. This chapter fills in a ton of gaps that the previously chapter did not. We now know how the Kryptonite cloud was eliminated by Xa-Du and that Xa-Du is probably going to be a major problem in the next arc of this tale. And what of Lois, who is now free of Brianiac’s control, but still has the telepathic ability and knows that Clark is Superman? How will all this play out? Tune in next month for the next installments.

ROBIN RISES: Parts 1 and 2 reviewed

ROBIN RISES OMEGA #1: As we may remember, Batman was once chosen to replace The Demon's Head. He refused that role, but had a child with Talia, who she raised to become the leader of the League of Assassins. When he finally got to meet him and attempt to raise him in his own way, Batman died and Dick Grayson stepped in. Bruce returned and they work at fighting together until they faced Talia and her return eventually cost Damian his life, along with that of his mother. Ra's al Ghul stole both bodies and now Batman, Frankenstein and Ra's al Ghul are facing Glorious Godfrey, who wants a Chaos Shard he believes Batman has. Ra’s tells Bruce that the shard is in Damian's sarcophagus and the pair fight together to defend the corpses. During the battle, the casket opens and Batman retrieves the Shard, but that allows his mind to be filled with his first encounter with Earth 2.Godfrey grabs the coffin and prepares to take it back to Apokolips. The Justice League arrives, but too late to stop Godfrey from escaping in a Boom Tube. Batman tells them he knows of a way to bring Damian back to life. But he needs to go to Apokolips to do it.

Peter J. Tomasi and Andy Kubert throw down the first chapter in what may be the rebirth of Damian Wayne. Or it could result in one of the other contenders to the throne ending up in the suit. Either way, this is a great place to start, as Tomasi and Kubert gives us the history of Damian Wayne, followed by the fight to return him to Wayne Manor. Seeing Ra’s and Bruce side by side was cool and Kubert is at his best on this. I cannot wait to see where we go from here!

BATMAN AND ROBIN #33: Part 2 of Robin Rises. The Justice League forbids Batman from heading off planet on the personal mission to retrieve his son's sarcophagus. But he uses Cyborg’s suit to short out the League's transportation devices. Then he heads to the Justice League Satellite and attempts to get his hands on a special Batsuit called the Hellbat. But the League has already returned and locked him out of the computer. After a battle, he gives his resignation. On Apokolips, Godfrey gives the Chaos Shard to Kalibak, who decides to use the sarcophagus as fuel for the Chaos Cannon. Back at Wayne Manor, Bruce smashes Damian’s gravestone with a shovel. Superman watches and feels sorry for his friend. Batman explains that they were right and he knows he was being selfish. When Superman leaves, Bruce calls the Bat Family together and explains they have a mission.

Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason keeps this tale rolling along as Batman goes from the dark place to the desperate place and now has progressed to the rebellious place in his life. It’s obvious Bruce wants his son back and the loss of Damian’s life has truly left him in an extremely dark place. But now, by putting together the ‘Bat Squad’ to achieve those means, shows he is a desperate man and, unfortunately, may find that the apparent introduction of the Anti Life Equation into the NEW 52 (just guessing here) could spell a more zombified Damien Wayne than he would like.

And now for something completely different...

Well, summer is almost over and in a few short weeks, school will begin again for my girls and that will leave me alone with the four pets inside and the gathering of wild and not so wild animals outside that will be my world for me. This is an awful weird way to begin a blog but…so be it. This is also a point where I need to put some cards on the table and talk about what my life has been like for the last almost two years.

But a quick back story.

In 2005, I had knee surgery to treat torn cartilage that I had suffered at work in either 1997 or 1998. I don’t recall which, all I know is when 200 pounds of sheet steel bends your knee in a grotesque direction it isn’t meant to be bent in, things happen. And, over the years, things get worse. My own fault: I should have sought treatment the minute it happened rather than strap on an ice pack and go back to work. By 2005, I could hardly stand on it, so it was time to go under the knife, followed by eight weeks of intensive therapy to get me back to work in time for the Black Friday rush.

So I got through surgery, rehab, and the Christmas Rush and here it is January and I’m getting ready for the Lawn and Garden Season. And that was when I noticed feelings of panic and depression like I had never felt before. I mean, depression to the point of considering ways that I might take the pain away. Yes, that included surveying the pill bottles in the house and wondering what combination would best take away all of this stress and pain. I knew I had a problem and so did my family. So my family physician recommended a psychiatrist and pretty soon I was medicated. The long and short of the psychiatrist was I waited two and a half hours to see him, spent eight minutes with in, was told he didn’t know my problem and was told to come back in a month. Oh, and here’s some free meds…”see what works for you”.

I was unimpressed, more freaked than usual and looking for any kind of solution. That was how, by a sheer accident, I ended up with my therapist, who has been caring for me since then to today. He is the only person who could have gotten me into an airplane in a post 9/11 world. He is the only person who could help be control my anxiety. He is the only person who convinced me to get out of management before I ended up in a psychiatric ward. In 2006, I was diagnosed with Bi-Polar Disorder Type 2, with severe depression and we used a combination of meditation and homeopathic medicines to try and control it. But even those methods couldn’t prepare me for a new baby and a new job and once again, in 2008, I found myself in the well at the bottom of the world. A change of job, a pay decrease, and I moved on with my life.

My boss was kind enough to let me step down, although she still relied on me for many things and I was still considered to be privy to offer her advice on many things. In 2012, the homeopathic medicines stopped working and my mood became beyond dark. Suicide was a common thought that crossed my mind, violent verbal outbursts among my family and friends, and a total lack of belief in myself, my abilities or anything I could do. I loss my desire to write and began to drink regularly (red wine was my preferred drink. Although it was recommended for health reasons, I often found it had become an excuse to drink a lot more than I should). I talked to my family doctor and was told it was time to see a psychiatrist again. And, the name at the top of the list was the same clown I dealt with in 2006.

Luckily an emergency call to my therapist led to an emergency call to the person who eventually became my psychiatrist. With the proper medication in my system, things were looking up after such a long battle with depression and anxiety.

Then the walls came crashing down. Within a period of just about a year, my family suffered a devastating illness that is still being dealt with today and the deaths of two members of my family. Add into that mix my oldest child was diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder that resulted in her missing a ton of school. Then she found herself being threatened with arrest for her school absences (despite the fact that the school was quite aware of her issues) and then, to top it off, having the police called to ARREST her for her absences. This was more than she or my family could bear. We pulled her out of school and made arrangements to have her take a home schooling course.

I survived in my mental place until January when it all came crashing down pretty badly in the course of a week. My anxiety level was so high I couldn’t function at work, didn’t care to go to work and actually found it nearly impossible to leave my house. I found my depression deepening and my cyclings more rapid, including what I later realized were issues with agoraphobia. A family meeting was held and, with myself in tears, it was decided I needed to take time away from my job of 36 years. My family came to my aid to make certain that, although I would have no income, things would run just as before. That means the people who love me more than I can imagine stepped up and made things happen so I could take care of getting myself better and still making sure we had a roof over our head.

If there was a silver lining in this dark cloud it was that I was able to help my daughter complete her home schooling and do it in six months time. Yes, we worked our tail off. I suddenly found myself trying to relearn 8th Grade Algebra and having to read literary classics so I could teach. In my youth, I had always wanted to be one of two things: a writer or a teacher. My wonderful wife had always said I would have been a good teacher. She is an excellent one and I guess she was right about me. Seven major subjects in six months. And we always had a plan: give me four days of work and we went shopping on the fifth day.

And we HAD to go shopping together. Part of my issues that developed, and had only gotten worse in the first few weeks after my leaving work, were increasing feelings of extreme agoraphobia. I began to feel trapped in my own head. To quote Gary Numan: “Here in my car, I feel safest of all.” Put me behind the wheel and let me drive to my dad’s, or my doctors and I was fine. Let me go to band practice and, although I feel a little tenuous every time I enter and fire up my gear, I can handle it. Ask me to go shopping at the local Stop & Shop or Target or, Heaven Forbid, A MALL, and I am a basket case. There used to be a time I enjoyed window-shopping and spending as much time picking out a CD or DVD as some people do picking out a pair of shoes. No longer, I’m afraid. And when I do go, it is either the quickest trip in the world or someone needs to be with me.

Thus shopping as a tag team was not only a good way for her and I to bond but was essential for me to get out of my house. So, on a typical Friday, we would head to one of the local malls, have lunch, and then hit the clothing stores and Newbury Comics for a comic book/DVD/CD/Pop figure fix. We would stop for a tea break in the middle of it all and then hit the Goodwill Store on the way home for some bargains and, if we were real lucky, some good condition classic vinyl records.

The good news is she passed and will enter high school in a few weeks. Currently she is knee deep in volleyball camp, as that is the next sport she wants to dive into. I know people that have called her a pure athlete since she was able to pick up a bat or kick a ball. Now she needs to use those talents, if she chooses. Of course, I always said I was happy having my children stretching their imagination and using their mind as opposed to building their bodies and doing the competitive sports thing. Like my little one. While she wants to play sports like her big sister, she has allowed her mind to create in the most amazing ways possible.

Also, by having this time on my hands, I have been able to attend all of her softball tournaments and take a boatload of pictures. Taking pictures is great therapy for me as I put myself into the event and the job and forget about how scared I am to be in a strange place. I used to utilize the same technique back when I was doing wedding videos. You find yourself in a room with total strangers and have to put yourself on the stage without being obtrusive. You have to make new friends, especially with the working folks, and just forget you are an outsider looking in. That was always a mental chore but I got through it. And, if it wasn’t a wedding, it was working with some high profile clients like Tavares, Chuck Negron, UCONN, Johnson and Wales and the Battleship Massachusetts Memorial Committee.

But now I take pleasure in taking pictures, being with those closest to me, writing this blog and trying to finish up those many Great American Novels (there are two completed, a collection of short stories and two in progress. Actually, one is in progress and the other is trying to be repaired as the transfer from one data base to another other the years has left a gaping hole I need to plug and fix). Somewhere in the middle of that, there is time to do housework, yardwork and write material with the band Briar Rose. And, when my family is with me and give me the strength, it’s shopping, concerts and other fun stuff. My kids and I spent two days at the first Rhode Island TerrorCon Convention. My oldest and I spent two days shooting pictures for it and got to meet and hang out with some of the coolest people. Where else could I have had the chance to chat with Nicholas Brendan, Fred Williamson, Lita Ford, Kane Hodder, Cherie Currie, Linda Blair, Lisa Loring, William Forsythe, Ironie Singleton and so many other cool celebrities? And did I mention the 10 minute conversation by youngest had with Kane Hodder about playing on her XBOX 360? Yeah-that TOTALLY HAPPENED!

And I hope, with every thought in my head, we get to do the job again in November for the Rhode Island Comic Con. The list of stars is lengthy, and I can’t wait to get into Celebrity Alley, suck back my anxiety, and do my job.

Now, you might be saying that it seems that I HAVE NO PROBLEMS. It seems like I get out quite a lot and have no issues. Well, you may feel that way but just remember: you are not living in my head and fighting the battle every day. If I was 100%, I would be at work, bringing home a paycheck and writing a blog NIGHTLY. But the fact is some days I can’t get out of bed and some days I can’t put thoughts together. I have literally found myself trying to describe something to my wife and my brain just shuts off. I find it extremely scary and wonder when or if I will completely lose my ability to communicate.

Yes, this is the world I daily live in.

So, as August becomes September, I worry about my future and hope that I con continue to do what I do here in this blog. I hope to get some painting done both inside my home, as there are some renovations that can be done. And I also hope to get some painting done as part of my hobby. I’m a long ways away from being able to pick up a brush and practice my art. I need to do it, get back on that horse and spending that time with my dad will be a good piece of therapy for me. Reading, writing, watching the DVD collection while I work on stuff: all things that need to keep my mind active. I look to the future with trepidation and joy as I know my life can only get better…as long as I put my mind in proper mode. I’ll get to prepare meals for my family and get creative in the kitchen like I haven’t in so long. And I’ll get to experience total joy when my family comes home and we are all as one.

The future is before me and I hope to be entertaining you in these posts throughout.

As I always say: thanks for reading, following and sharing. If you do that for me, I can only know that I will get better over time.