A week in ink: issue No. 8

Bruce Wayne – The Long Road Home: Ra's al Ghul

Ra's is, beyond a shadow of a doubt, one of the scariest and most powerful men alive in the DC universe. The man has his own criminal syndicate; now that's true power.

With that said, give any man 500 years, the secret to eternal life and a vast fortune of wealth, and see if he doesn't become the only person to make Bruce Wayne feel a little uneasy.

In "The Long Road Home" series, Ra's plays a crucial part in testing the second of Batman's padawan learners, Tim Drake, as Drake takes the helm of Wayne Enterprises.

In this one shot of the 700-year-old terrorist, he actually tries to be helpful in his own twisted and predominantly vile way by attempting to kill Vicki Vale. Vale, as it turns out, has discovered Bruce Wayne's disappearance and intends to publish what is certain to be a Pulitzer Prize-winning article that investigates how Batman went M.I.A.

Ra's burns down Vicki's apartment and raises a blade against the young reporter's life. Before the despicable demon casts his blow, the Caped Crusader busts onto the scene, saving Vale's life and revealing that Bruce Wayne is back to restore order to Gotham.

The plot line of this issue won't turn any heads, nor will its twist ending have any lasting impact on its readers. Overall, this story is a mediocre read in a week that is rather lacking in the DCU department.

Captain America No. 611

James "Bucky" Barne's bloody history was thought to be behind him when he took up the shield and fought in the decked out red, white and blue spandex. His former life as the Winter Soldier, a brainwashed assassin controlled by Soviet Russia, has been discovered. Now it's up to the U.S. government to decide the fate of the American hero.

The original Captain America, Steve Rogers, is back from the land of the dead and must aid his fellow compatriot by clearing his name. Proof of a psychological takeover is tough to come by, and without any, Rogers' only advice for his brother in arms is to run before the U.S. government seizes him.

In this issue's conclusion, Bucky, being a man who is dedicated to the American way, refuses to evade the law and now stands trial before the country he's worked so hard to protect.

The panels depicting Bucky's life as the Winter Soldier are absolutely phenomenal. True to action hero form, the Winter Soldier has his back turned to a scene of mass chaos engulfed in flames, which is essentially the pinnacle of the word "cool."

Also, getting the chance to see the two shield-bearing Captains interacting with each other again brings back the nostalgic feeling that everything is right in the Marvel Universe, at least for now.

Star Wars: Blood Ties No. 3

Star Wars: Blood Ties has been consistently surprising every issue, and this week's release is no different. For those who missed "A week in ink: issue No. 5," this ongoing tale of legendary bounty hunter Boba Fett has become one of the best stories on this side of the Outer Rim.

Jango Fett was contracted by Count Dooku to kill a masked individual who was a spy of the Republic on the planet Atzerri. Making this a family outing, Jango brought his beloved clone son, Boba, on the excursion. As Jango ends the spy's life, it is revealed that he shares a face with the bounty hunter. This was a clone from Kamino, who had gone rogue.

Years later, as Boba takes the helm of his father's business, he is contracted to kill Connor Freeman, a drunk wanted by a bloodthirsty crime lord. As Boba swoops in for the kill, he sees that he too shares a face with Freeman. Freeman was the name of the Republic spy Jango killed years ago. The hunter and his prey are half-brothers in the most abstract of ways. Family, as Boba discovers, is tough to kill.

This issue has one of the coolest fight scenes in the series thus far, as Boba, outnumbered 10-to-1, faces down a coalition of rival bounty hunters. Underestimating a Fett is a severe miscalculation; one that often costs others their lives.

The issue concludes with Connor stolen away and Boba facedown on the ground with a burning hole in his Mandalorian Armor.

Visually stunning and mentally stimulating, "Star Wars: Blood Ties No. 3" induces a feeling that can only be described as "nerdy euphoria." Take the nearest T-16 to the local literature outlet and pick up this comic, and don't shoot any womp-rats on the way. They're endangered.