Runaways, Batman: Creature of Night, Mister Miracle

I think I’m caught up on writing…

Rest of this week’s new stuff:

Batman: Creature of the Night

I had completely forgotten that this miniseries existed, which isn’t the most ringing endorsement for it.  I am, unfairly or not, constantly comparing it to Superman: Secret Identity, and it constantly comes up short.  Secret Identity had a perfect hook: What if a regular kid in the real world named Clark Kent found himself with the powers of Superman?  We’re three quarters of the way through Creature of Night, and Bruce Wainwright is still trying to understand what’s going on with the Batman manifestation.  The story is as muddled as Bruce’s purpose. Busiek’s still wrapping up the origin, as opposed to the full, satisfying story that he told with Secret Identity.  Let’s see how he wraps it up in the final issue.

Mister Miracle 8

With this issue, Tom King illustrates a universal truth: It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do, raising a newborn child is the most exhausting, rewarding thing you will do in your life.  Everything else takes a backseat. If the wife has to take the kid to the doctor’s and miss her previously scheduled one on one versus the opposing army’s champion, you’d better step up and fight in her stead.  It’s worth getting your ass kicked and having to retreat with your army to know that you’re properly feeding your son. It doesn’t matter if you’re fighting an intergalactic war, hearing your kid’s first words will put a spring into your step.  And the fleeting moments of peace you manage to catch with your partner will invariably be interrupted by the waking screams of your offspring. Weird, foreboding static effects or not.

I’m not a dad yet, but I can’t wait.

Runaways 1-6, X-Men Runaways FCBD

Volume 2 continues right where volume 1 ended.  The kids are living in one of their parents’ old lairs.  Rick Jones hires some C-list former child heroes to find them.  Brian K Vaughan introduces the world to Victor Mancha, son of Ultron.  It’s interesting to think about how one never knows if a new character is going to resonate beyond their first appearance.  Those C-listers - Turbo, Julie Power, Darkhawk, and the rest - show both sides of the coin. On the one hand (mixing metaphors, I know), they’re here because they’ve been otherwise discarded by Marvel, languishing away with no comic for a home.  On the other, they’re here, given another chance to prove themselves, like minor leaguers called up for a cup of coffee in the bigs. Julie Power is still in the current day Runaways, dating Karolina. Darkhawk showed up in Avengers Arena. And Victor Mancha is perfectly content as a head, still with his impromptu family.  (After playing a pivotal role with his immediate family in Tom King’s Vision.)

Here’s another Jo Chen cover!  (I’ll talk about Adrian Alphona, the interior artist, one of these days, I swear.  He’s also brilliant.)

Regret buying? No

Would buy again? Yes

Would read again? Yes

Rating: Pretty good