A Few Thoughts on Comics from The Past Few Weeks

Mickey Mouse and Friends #297 continues the 'Wizards of Mickey' storyline. One piece of the puzzle is resolved in this issue, much earlier than I expected but, if I know Peg-Leg Pete, he's not done yet. The art is vibrant and energetic. The story in this issue makes it feel like this is the earlier beginnings of an epic story, not unlike finishing the training level of a role-playing game and realizing you have hours and hours left to play. Bother, now I want to start playing Kingdom Hearts again.

Walt Disney's Comics reaches issue #700. It earns its 700 issues despite not being continuously published since its launch in the 1930s. The issue is extra-sized, has no ads, and is still only $2.99. Marvel, I love you, but you're getting the 'see here' dirty look from me at the moment. Humph. More Disney superheros in this issue with Super Goof getting the spotlight. I love Super Goof. A pretty standard storyline at play with a 'super machine that was split into parts to keep it safe but now we have to collect it before the bad guys do' plot. It's a Golden Age era plot. It's being told in a fun manner and it's enjoyable to read. Art's good too. We also get a short story with the ducks that's really weird, told mostly in closeups, but is clever. Very clever. This is good stuff.

Speaking of stories told in a weird manner, both Futurama Comics #46 and Simpsons Comics #160 are weird. Futurama is a 'choose your own adventure' story and the Simpsons issue is an anthology of shorter stories with the framework of the stories being told by Bart and Nelson's great-grandsons. Or something. I don't know what the heck was going on. Amusing tho.

The Assault on New Olympus begins in Incredible Hercules #138! Hera is up to no good working to cause the 'Fourth Extinction' of man and the Avengers must assemble to stop her. Clean art with a gently cartoony style to it. Some good 'oh crap!' moments. Long storylines paying off. I like! And a Agents of ATLAS backup story. Yay!

Giant-Sized Thor Finale is the end of J.M. Straczynski's run on the book, ergo the 'finale' of the title. Evidently JMS didn't want to have to deal with the other crossovers that would be soon happening with the book and left rather than deal with it. Fair enough. Considering Thor is a founding member of the Avengers and it looks like the plan is to 'get the band back together', not wanting to play in that pool seems selfish. But whatever. In this issue, Bad Things happen, Doom moves against Thor and his friends, Don Blake is left crippled again, and we find out why Volstagg is 'the Mighty'. Doom seeks the secret of the Asgardians long lives by dissection and science. Balder finds out. This shall not stand! We also get a preview of the next regular issue and a recolored reprint of the first Thor story in Journey into Mystery #83. Good stuff.