A Few Thoughts on Comics from this week

I really enjoyed 'Captain America: Reborn' but lucked out in that I found a number of books I really enjoyed this week. This is rare. I generally enjoy most of what I buy every week but rarely really enjoy more than a book or two.

Fantastic Four #568 is part three of four of the 'Masters of Doom' storyline. Having dealt with Latveria, said Masters come to punish the Fantastic Four. Much of this surrounds putting Reed Richards through some torturous ethical situations. Reed's answer? 'There's always another way, and we're going to teach you.' Reed is awesome. This story is great. I did have some concerns when Millar and Hitch came to take over the book. I was concerned it was going to get all 'Ultimate' freaky but it's been largely awesome.

The Simpsons Super Spectacular #9 completes the three-part 'Radioactive Man Event' storyline. The three issues make up a three-act Simpsons episode of sorts. The first issue set up the basis of the story: a big change is coming to the Radioactive Man comics and the hype gets people interested. Act/Issue two builds the hype and the situation. Act/Issue three delivers the big change. While the story has built up that hype in comics never seems to pay off, the 'non-hype' of this story pays off big. It's funny, it's Simpson-y, and it gets to make a comment about comics in general. It largely becomes a love-hate letter to comics, mocking all the things we love about comics and love to hate about comics while we still read them. Well, those of us who do read them anyway. These were great. If you like watching the Simpsons on television, you should give the Simpsons Comics a try.

Muppet Robin Hood #2 introduces a few more characters to the story while building the Robin Hood/Maid Marian relationship. Fozzie Bear appears as Friar Tuck. Link Hogthrob appears as Prince John's primary knight. And Prince John? Johnny Fiama! And Sal! Woo-hoo! Some of my favorite characters from Muppets Tonight! Uncle Deadly appears as one of Prince John's monsters. Once again, the 'actors' in the book react with the knowledge that they're doing a 'performance'. Wonderful stuff.

As wonderful as Muppet Robin Hood is, the Muppet Show Comic Book is that much more wonderful. Issue #4 featured Miss Piggy's story. It's mostly about her fear of losing Kermit and her anger issues. :) This issue features a panel that made me laugh out loud, lean back and laugh out loud, lean over the comic again, see the panel again and start laughing all over again. That is beautiful. On another note, the Talking Houses sketch returns! More Pigs in Space! Vet's Hospital! Sweet moments, funny moments, laugh out loud moments. I love this book! As they're releasing the Muppet Show series in four issue installments, no doubt to release each as a trade paperback with its own title, there will soon be a collection of four issues to be bought. Getting this is highly recommended by me. For whatever that's worth.