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By John, on November 5th, 2010
 In Imaginalis by J.M. DeMatteis, 12-year-old Mehera Beatrice Crosby is devastated when her favorite fantasy book series is cancelled. For Mehera, the fantasy world of Imaginalis is more important than her own reality. She feels a closer affinity with the characters in the books than she does with her own classmates. Deep in her heart, she knows they are real. After all her attempts to bring back the series have failed, she makes a final, desperate wish. Defying reason, logic, and the possible, the characters of Imaginalis are drawn into Mehera’s world. She learns that the series was cancelled because the world of Imaginalis is dying. And she alone holds the key to its survival: belief in the impossible.
Follow here to read the rest of Ex Libris Review: Imaginalis
By John, on October 21st, 2010
 The Last Days of Krypton, by award winning science fiction author Kevin J. Anderson, tells the story of the events that led up to the destruction of Superman’s home planet. Anderson distills close to 70 years worth of continuity into one concise and definitive novel that chronicles Krypton’s doom.
Follow here to read the rest of Ex Libris Review: The Last Days of Krypton
By John, on September 30th, 2010
 Superman/Batman: The Search for Kryptonite by Michael Green, Mike Johnson, and Shane Davis is the seventh collected edition of the Superman/Batman comic book. After a near fatal exposure to kryptonite, Superman enlists the aide of Batman to help him rid Earth of the remnants of his home world. Along the way, they encounter resistance from unlikely sources as a darker side of the Man of Steel emerges. But in the end, it is a betrayal by one of Superman’s closest friends that threatens to destroy everything he holds dear.
Follow here to read the rest of Off the Rack: Superman/Batman: The Search for Kryptonite
By John, on September 28th, 2010
 Shooting at Midnight is the fourth book in Greg Rucka’s Atticus Kodiak series and it differs from the previous novels in two ways: the book does not have a one-word title and Atticus is not the main focus. Instead, his on again, off again girlfriend, Bridgett Logan is given center stage. When Bridgett’s childhood friend is accused of murder, she takes up the case and is dragged into a world she has struggled to leave behind. Ashamed of her past, she goes deep undercover in New York City’s sordid, drug infested ghettos. As she infiltrates the inner sanctum of a powerful drug syndicate, she is once again confronted with the personal demons of her former life.
Follow here to read the rest of Ex Libris Review: Shooting at Midnight
By John, on July 6th, 2010
 In Lowboy by John Wray, William Heller is a 16-year-old boy suffering from a severe case of paranoid schizophrenia. Upon release from a psychiatric hospital, he escapes into the vast subway tunnel system running underneath New York City.
Will believes that the world is being destroyed by climate change and that he holds the key to the planet’s salvation. To cool down the planet he must first cool down his overheating body. As William embarks on his righteous quest, his illness prevents him from functioning in normal society. As a result, he finds refuge in New York City’s sordid underbelly, associating with drug addicts, prostitutes, and other mentally ill, all forgotten or ignored by the rest of modern society.
Follow here to read the rest of Ex Libris: Lowboy
By John, on April 17th, 2010
 C2E2 DC Nation – April 16, 2010
Dan DiDio
Brian Azarello
Geoff Johns
Jim Lee
James Robinson
Scott Snyder
DC Comics opened the convention with the DC Nation panel, featuring some of the masterminds of the DCU (and Vertigo). After a brief introduction by Dan DiDio, fans lined up and began asking questions.
Follow here to read the rest of Live From C2E2 – DC Nation
By John, on February 20th, 2010
 DC’s Blackest Night mega-event is moving towards its finale. With the third and final installment of the Blackest Night: The Flash miniseries, we are finally seeing the literal light at the end of the tunnel. For the most part, the various Blackest Night miniseries and crossovers have done little to progress the overall meta-story forward. Instead, they have followed a predictable formula of pitting Black Lanterns against those with whom they share an emotional bond. Arguably, that is the entire premise of the Blackest Night, but these miniseries and crossovers have had minimal impact and were nonessential. This is not the case with Geoff Johns’ final issue of Blackest Night: The Flash.
Follow here to read the rest of Off the Rack: Blackest Night: The Flash #3
By John, on February 5th, 2010
 Well, here we are, the 12th and final issue of Superman: World of New Krypton. It has been an interesting ride, complete with exciting ups and lackluster downs. Superman has been living on the recently formed planet of New Krypton, a planet of supermen and superwomen. He was promoted to Commander of the military guild where he has been fighting for truth, justice, and the Kryptonian way. The series has had a strong political bite, focusing on the inner workings of Kryptonian government. But at times it has strayed from this theme, and when it has, the series has suffered.
Follow here to read the rest of Off the Rack: Superman: World of New Krypton #12
By John, on January 28th, 2010
 It is amazing what an artist change and a three-month break can do to rejuvenate a comic book. After a mediocre three issue stint with artist Phillip Tan, Grant Morrison is back with a new artist and a new direction for this cornerstone title.
Follow here to read the rest of Off the Rack: Batman and Robin #7
By John, on January 24th, 2010
 Geoff Johns and Scott Kollins’ run on The Flash represented comic book perfection. The two were operating at an unparalleled creative level. While the series was still good after Kollins’ departure, it definitely lost some of its magic. The two reunited for the Final Crisis: Rogues’ Revenge miniseries in 2008, which was arguably the best thing to come out of the controversial Final Crisis event. The DCU has since moved from the Final Crisis to the Blackest Night. Geoff Johns and Scott Kollins have teamed up once again for a three issue miniseries following the Scarlet Speedsters and the Rogues as they battle Nekron’s legion of Black Lanterns.
Follow here to read the rest of Off the Rack: Blackest Night: The Flash #2 (of 3)
By John, on January 23rd, 2010
 You know the story by now. The War of Light has segued into the Blackest Night, which has engulfed the DCU. Undead heroes and villains are running amok and this guy Nekron is behind it all. The past few issues of Green Lantern Corps have focused on the battle between the Green and Black Lanterns on Oa with the central power battery at stake. There were some major developments in issue #43: the resurrection of Kyle Rayner, Red Lantern Guy Gardner, and the appearance of Mogo. The latest issue of Green Lantern Corps does not skip a beat and amps up the action to an unbelievable degree.
Follow here to read the rest of Off the Rack: Green Lantern Corps #44
By John, on January 22nd, 2010
 Superman/Batman is a series that has not been on my radar in a long time. Despite featuring two of DC’s powerhouse characters, its lack of stable continuity rendered it irrelevant. If you have read a DC comic in the last year, then you know Batman is dead (or lost in time) and Superman is off world gallivanting around New Krypton. Truth be told, I miss Bruce Wayne and I miss Clark Kent. Therefore, I am willing to forgive stringent continuity in favor of quality storytelling involving the two most iconic superheroes in history.
Follow here to read the rest of Off the Rack: Superman/Batman #68
By John, on December 17th, 2009
 J. Michael Straczynski and Jesus Saiz are back at it with issue #30 of the Brave and the Bold. The first three issues of their run paired popular heroes (Batman, the Flash) with relatively obscure ones (Dial H for Hero, the Blackhawks, Brother Power, the Geek). This installment represents a slight derivation from this technique. Issue #30 of the Brave and the Bold stars two A-list superheroes: Green Lantern and Dr. Fate.
Follow here to read the rest of Off the Rack: The Brave and the Bold #30
By John, on December 9th, 2009
 The first three issues of Geoff Johns and Francis Manapul’s Adventure Comics were fantastic. They were full of beautifully crafted character moments that helped re-establish Conner Kent as a major player in the DC Universe. Even the second features offered some interesting possibilities for the Legion of Super Heroes. Then issue #4 hit the stands with a Blackest Night stamp and a different Superboy on the cover.
Follow here to read the rest of Off the Rack: Adventure Comics #5
By John, on November 18th, 2009
 With his third issue of the Brave and the Bold, J. Michael Straczynski pairs another popular character with a relatively obscure one. Issue #29 features Batman and Brother Power, the Geek. We all know the Batman but Brother Power is a little less known. Joe Simon, as an analogy to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, created him in the late 1960’s. A store mannequin who gained sentience and superpowers after a bolt of lightning struck him, Brother Power travels the world having psychedelic counter culture adventures.
Follow here to read the rest of Off the Rack: The Brave and the Bold #29
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