Justice League International No. 1
As Geoff Johns leads DC's flagship series, Justice League, with a strong first issue, the team at DC has left the fate of the comic's corollary in the capable hands of Booster Gold creator Dan Jurgens. While the rest of DC's launch went off without a hitch, JLI begins on a bit of a rough patch.
Though it lacks the same following of the vastly popular Justice League franchise, JLI represents a legitimate attempt to reboot a series that has generally been run into the ground. Thankfully, for all intents and purposes, Justice League International has made it up into the air, albeit just barely.
This issue sets up an interesting premise, but the lack of distinct flow seriously hurts this comic's chance at survival. JLI has long been known for its humorous characters and its more light-hearted tones; even after the events of Flashpoint, the typical tenets of the series remain unchanged...for better or worse.
In some ways Jurgens relies too heavily on the situational humor of Booster Gold fronting the team, and at times forgets that this league just doesn't bring with it the same crowd of DC's other properties.
While DC's other works are up, up and away, Justice League International will struggle just as much as the team it works to portray. In their defense: who doesn't like an underdog?
Wolverine No. 15
After Wolverine literally clawed his way out of hell, one would think that there'd be little to stop this adamantium war machine. As it turns out, you'd be right.
"Wolverine No. 15" explores Logan's guilt-ridden mind in one of the most sadistic ways the team at Marvel has ever dreamt up. After slaying nearly every child he's ever sired and dragging their corpses around the country as a form of penance, Wolverine is a psychological mess. He spends night and day climbing the vast peaks of the Yukon, only to plunge off their cliff-faces just to forget what he did for a brief moment or two.
Writers Jason Aaron and Goran Sudzuka bring this distraught shell of a man to life with stunning, bloodied visuals. A disgraced member of the X-Men is a terrific launching pad for this series' continuation, but after being spoiled by the fray of hell and the heat of battle for the last 10 issues, "Wolverine No. 15" seems a little too lax.
Wolverine has been an emotional roller coaster, and it seems that has finally caught up with the invincible mutie, placing Aaron in the driver's seat once more to weave another heart-wrenching tale.
Irredeemable No. 29
Mark Waid, the main mind behind the '90s' Flash, does two things really well: craft intelligent plots and write some of the most brutal, hard-hitting, stomach-churning stories of all time. His Irredeemable series is a prime example of both.
For those unfamiliar with its premise, Irredeemable follows a hero gone rogue, pushed to his limits by the people he set out to save and now seeks the slow, complete annihilation of the planet. Needless to say, the series' "protagonist" isn't like the Boy Scout in blue and red.
This issue is of particular note as it contains one of the biggest pay-offs for the series yet, concluding with an aptly obvious, but completely unpredictable, twist.
Eduardo Barreto's art style is entirely unlike his predecessor's and can be slightly off-putting for some. Undeniably, the use of deeper reds and appropriate shading enhance the extreme morbidity that serves as the series' cornerstone, but it still feels slightly out of place.
Mark Waid, and for that matter the entirety of the BOOM! imprint, should be on comic fans' radars as the company continues to produce spectacularly entertaining issues week after week.
Those looking to satisfy their indie fix can pick up "Irredeemable No. 29" at the reasonable price of $3.99.
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