Comics: Better Late than Never.

Alright. I said I'd do it 2 days ago but never got around to it.

I got meself a bundle of new comics the other day and most notable of them was the entire run of Brubaker and Nguyen's Authority: Revolution.

While it is no secret that this is my favourite superhero team I feel that it has been handled poorly. A few years ago Wildstorm did a crossover called Coup d'Etat where the Authority (a more "adult" rendition of the Justice League for those who don't know) found out something horrible about the American government and decided to take over. Cool right? Superhero heads of state.

It was a cool and original idea. Cue Robbie Morrison. This guy took the brand new idea of The Authority and immediately ran it into the ground. It aready felt cliched by the first issue. While I immensely enjoyed the Scorched Earth special he did for the Authority, this wasn't working.

Morrison's run lasted the entire 13 issues of the second volume of the series.

Where Brubaker (who I can usually give or take) starts off, the Authority are still in charge but he plants seeds early in which we know that this won't last. It is no secret because of the subtitle that the Authority don't come out of this story in charge. It is an incredible story of defeat and self-sacrifice even though they could have continued for years with the "in charge" premise. It was far from played out.

Nguyen's artwork is top notch and very cinematic. Lots of good action scenes and some great contemplative stuff too. The way he draws Bendix is terrifying.

Yeah, I said Bendix. I wished that I was the one who got to bring ole Henry Bendix back to life in comics (in fact I now have to modify my work-in-progress Wildstorm proposal) but at least it was one well. That was only one of the plot points I enjoyed. Jenny Quantum aged herself from 4 to 14? Seems a bit of a copout due to the amount of teen heroes running around but I was getting a little bored about reading stories involving a four year old in a mature readers book. Rose Tattoo? Yes thanks, she was one of my favourite parts of Ellis' Stormwatch and it's only fitting that she's around if Bendix is back.

Something else that should have bothered me: Hawksmoor used to be my favourite comic book character but over the first few isue of this series I really started to put The Doctor in that position. Of course, Doctor doesn't make it out alive but his replacement is interesting and since The Authority is about legacies if it's about anything I'll be around for the next incarnantion.

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I also picked up the Ultimate Fantastic Four "Crossover" storyline where the Marvel Zombies are introduced. I feel like I should have enjoyed it more. I'm not sue if I'll be continuing on t that Marvel Zombie mini. Maybe I'll wait for the trade.

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Brashly bought the latest JSA issue thinking it was stand-alone. Damn! Another storyline I just started.

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Desolation Jones #4 is just as vile and depraved as I'd expect it to be. Not as illuminating or interesting as other issue in the series so far but still good.

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Other comic news: Father-in-law Rick brought over the comic box Dav had borrowed a year ago when I went to Scotland so I've gots me some good readin'. I forgot all about Flinch and Weird War Tales. Yippee!