Collecting #27-33 of The Brave and the Bold. Terrific super-heroics, well written, aimed exactly at the nostalgia gland of old nerds like me. Digging through the vault to feature lesser knowns like Dial H for Hero and Brother Power the Geek, JMS uses DC's heroes to tell very human stories of hope and joy and despair and love. That's really the key to how powerful and well-done this is: the human qualities he explores, in the principals and in the normals that are touched tangentially by the heroes and villains. The last story, featuring Zatarra, Wonder Woman, and Batgirl, is an honest-to-God tearjerker. [4]
THOR SON OF ASGARD #1: THE WARRIORS TEEN - Akira Yoshida
The somehow teenaged Thor, Sif, and Balder have adventures, bicker, and reconcile. Teen Loki is unequivocally bad-natured, which is boring. Lots of punching and smashing; very little cleverness. Characters are fairly one-dimensional: Thor is hot-headed and brash; Sif is constantly trying to prove her worth as a female warrior, etc. Juvenile and mostly uninteresting. [2]
The Three Thieves - Scott Chantler [Kids Can Press]
- Tower of Treasure - The adventures of a young girl acrobat, a goblin-type juggler, and a giant strongman on the run, trying to find out more about Dessa's past and her murdered family. Exciting, vibrant, detailed color art that brings to mind Bone and Tintin; a stirring, suspenseful plot with many twists and turns. Truly excellent. In this volume Topper the juggler has his sights on the queen's treasure, locked in a tower set with traps. [4.5]
- #2 THE SIGN OF THE BLACK ROCK - The three thieves take shelter from a storm in an inn where the queen's dragoons have also come. Hiding from them proves difficult, as the innkeeper, a smuggler, tries to use them to his own advantage, while his scarred wife holds some secret that links to Dessa's past. [4.5]
- #3 THE CAPTIVE PRINCE - The three thieves rescue a kidnapped prince; Dessa falls in love with him, but the king scorns her common heritage, and they must run again when their past is made known. [4]
T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents - Phil Hester
- Vol. 1 - Agents NoMan, an android with multiple bodies, and Lightning, a super-speedster who ages quickly, have been captured by the mysterious armored Iron maiden. A new recruit, Dynamo, is chosen to put on the gravity belt that grants strength and durability, but causes pain. Things are complicated by a race of underground dwellers who want to resurrect their ancient god to judge humanity. This is standard superhero stuff with nothing new to add to the genre, but it does the superhero stuff quite well, and is refreshingly positive in outlook; I enjoyed it. [4]
This Was Our Pact - Ryan Andrews
Trashed - Derf Backderf
The fictional memoir of a young garbageman in a small town. Absolutely hilarious, quite gross, and also quite informative, with B&W pictures extremely reminiscent of Joe Sacco and R. Crumb, and I guess shades of Peter Bagge. "There's no one left in this town I don't loathe." Also, "Think of the economy as a giant digestive tract. And we're here at the rectum of the free market to clean it all up." Just perfect. [5]
Tresspassers - Breena Bard
Gabby Woods and her family are going to their lake house, possibly for the last time, since her father seems to be having job woes. While her siblings love all the things that come with the lake, Gabby would rather bury herself in a mystery novel than make new
friends. When she meets Paige, a snarky kid from Chicago, and they
get caught up in a local mystery: the sudden disappearance of a
glamorous couple and the extravagant lake house they left behind. To
gather clues about the missing couple, Paige and Gabby break into the house, while Gabby writes an imaginative story about what may have happened. But was there really a murder? Is the murderer still around? And is Paige a jerk, or a friend? Really well-done teen drama. [4.5]
Tune (1 volume) - Derek Kirk Kim [First Second]
Very well told tale of a young art-school dropout recruited to be an exhibit in a zoo in another dimension. The first volume, which is quite funny, shows his boring and stressful life until he is offered the "job." Cute pictures. [4]
Turtle in Paradise - Jennifer Holm
The Twelve (2 volumes) - J Michael Straczynski
An homage to several pre-Marvel WWII heroes, now largely forgotten, brought back to glorious life with a sympathetic eye. Part Watchmen-like murder mystery, part rumination on how the past shapes our present, and how some react to being taken out of their element, and a glorious reimagining and integrating of public domain characters. Also a tribute to war heroes and the war comics. One of JMS' best works. [4.5]-two
