THOR Vol. 1-6

I've always felt that The Mighty Thor was one of the most underutilized heroes in the Marvel Verse. It was always troubling to me to see him, even during his Avenger days, take a backseat to other characters like Captain America or Iron Man. I mean, get a load of the giant winged helmet! He's the God of Thunder of crying out loud.

Then the Civil War and Initiative story lines came along and used the ridiculous Thor clone plot line. Sure, reading a comic book requires a suspension of disbelief. That's a given. But how do you clone a god exactly?

I'll admit it had been awhile since I had picked up a Thor comic. And it was with some trepidation that I purchased the Thor 1-6 trade paperback at New York Comic Con. But I'm happy to report that my worries were completely unjustified. This is a great book and a first rate story.

J. Michael Straczynski's writing is immediate and swift. As the creator of Babylon 5 and having written for many television shows, he has a gift for dialogue and it shows here. But he doesn't try to get by on snappy dialogue alone. There's a real story here. From the heartfelt discussions between Thor and his mortal alter-ego Donald Blake, to Thor's hilarious encounters with the local populace when he raises Asgard in the Middle of Nowhere, Oklahoma, this is a tale with depth.

And for me, the best part of the book is Thor's thorough ass-kicking of Iron Man. And let's face it, who doesn't need an ass-kicking more than Iron Man these days? The whole scene is fantastic fun. Iron Man just never learns. Rule number one in Super-Hero team relations, whether it's The Avengers or The Justice League : Never piss off the big guy.

Straczynski, accompanied by at times stunning artwork by Olivier Coipel, has brilliantly rebooted the Thor franchise. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Problem no. 1 with Thor vol. 1-6: There are no problems. This is a brilliant story, beautifully told.

Reason to buy no 1: See above. Run don't walk (or do us a favor and purchase through one of our advertisers) to your local comic shop and pick up a copy. You won't be disappointed.

Batman: 8th Grader's Journal

Argument: Batman: Private Casebook is a good take on the Bat Detective, but essentially there is a lack, an empty space in what should be a classic. What could have been a defining moment in the Bat ouevre isn't as pulpy, noir, or definitive as the cover art suggests.

There is a lot of Bat-dross to navigate, and luckily Private Casebook doesn't fit the DC mold of outrageous plotlines. Dini understands the Batman, even if the ordinary and stage-managed plots won't release as much seratonin as the attractive title and excellent cover suggest.

Problem one with Private Casebook: Really, Paul Dini? Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum? In Red Hoodies that say "Dee" and "Dum"?

Problem two with Private Casebook: When I stumble across good bat product, I get all woozy and forget lesser moments in his written history, i.e. several JLA arcs. The Bat is at his best when he's humbled, on the edge of descending into an abyss of hatred and anger, and when he's not flirting with hot magicians. I understand the appeal of bringing together Batman's existentialism-to-the-extreme with Zatanna; opposites attract, etc., etc. One small problem here: Zatanna and Bruce have a history of frontal lobotomies, and if there's one thing that's pretty clear about Bruce Wayne, it's that he doesn't let things go.

Reason to buy 1: Ra's al Ghul makes an appearance.

Reason to buy 2: The Scarface plotline is pretty good. At least I think it's good. Then again, I've always had an unhealthy fear of ventriloquist dummies.

Add to library: yes.