I think my brain must be getting more absent-minded, or forgetful, as I can hardly remember from month-to-month what is going on in some of these comics.  Especially when there is more than one of a "type."  I am not sure how many GL comics we are getting now, but this seems to be one of a few.  I should start thinking of them as "The One with Hal," "The One with Guy," and "The One with Kyle."  (I think we dropped "The One with Guy," even though he is my favorite GL.  But he is in JLI, too.)

I really have no idea how a new reader could understand anything going on in this book.  We have so many characters from the Blackest Night saga, and the story that was going on before "The New 52" that if you had never read this before, you would be lost.  I am lost and I read them before.  And now, with issue 5, they are pulling in worlds that were supposedly destroyed in previous continuities (and, I thought, in this one?).  I pity the new reader. 

I am even confused by the title of this book.  Are the "New Guardians" the various Crayola Lanterns?  Or are they the old Guardians that are now acting different?  Or have we not met the New Guardians yet? I got to thinking that maybe this whole thing with a big white hole at the center of the universe might be some other Guardians.  But probably not.

I did like issue 5 better than the previous issues, and I am guessing now that the Crayola Lanterns are indeed the New Guardians.  I, like Kyle, needed to look up the word ORRERY.  I did not have a ring to do so.  I have a laptop.  Almost the same.  

I am looking forward to finding out more about Invictus, which is a movie, a poem and now a villain?  

Do we need to thank "The Big Bang Theory" for making that a common knowledge thing?  A lot of my friends and family now know that comics come out on Wednesday.  But I also think we have to give them a wag of the finger for perpetuating the idea that comic book stores are only for males, and socially awkward ones at that.  Our LCB store is a great place, run by a family (husband, wife, kids) and I have, on many occasions, seen other women there.  I think if we look at the demographics of the "typical" comic buyer, we might even see that more of them are like Mark and me than like Sheldon and Leonard.  

But back to the comics I am reading today!  

Justice League Dark #5

This pretty much completes the first story arc of the New 52 JLD.  The team gets together and "fixes" Enchantress, but then breaks up right away.  Madame Xanadu feels she has failed.  Apparently, she just did the whole separate Enchantress from June Moon to get the team together.  Really, Madame X, you didn't think that through very well.  Since the book is continuing, I am sure the team will come together in some way.  I am looking forward to seeing how this continues.  In fact, I like it better than I like…

Justice League #5

The Justice League is trying to fight Darkseid, and, of course, they try to do it individually.  Well, it is issue 5 and they aren't the Justice League yet.  (But I guess, to be fair, JLD isn't the Justice League yet either).  I am wondering if they aren't ever going to be called "The Justice League."  Just because it is the name of the comic, doesn't mean they actually have to name the group.  

Anyway, everyone is going at Darkseid in a free-for-all, and getting beaten.  Batman, in a daring move, reveals his true identity to Green Lantern ("Who's Bruce Wayne?"), and talks him into trying to get the team working as a group.  Meanwhile, he goes after Batman.  And then finds himself, I am guessing, on Apokolips.    Still not a lot of story. 

Legion Secret Origins #4

This book is a really nice retelling of the Legion origins.  I am enjoying it, but don't have much more to say about it.

Superman #5

Seriously unimpressed with this title.  Why does it bore me so?  There is a fake Superman in Metropolis.  Yawn.  I guess that I was so invested in the previous story line (pre-New 52) and the relationships in it, that I am having problems caring about these new people who haven't really (in 5 issues) coalesced into people for me.  I haven't really gotten anything about their relationships to each other or to Superman.  I really don't care about anyone in this comic, let alone Clark/Superman.  

The Flash #5

The art in this book is nice.  The frozen scenes at Iron Heights were really well done.  While I think Iris and Patty look very much alike except for hair color and glasses, that may just be because Barry has a "type."  I'll give the artist the benefit of the doubt, there.   

Catwoman #5

Poor Selina.  First she gets her fence killed, then she steals from the Gotham PD. Inadvertently, but she is, nonetheless, on the bad side of Gotham's dirty cops.  This title has done a pretty good job of redeeming itself from the first (post New 52) issue.  

This book is probably one that would have been better purchased as a trade.   Since it is only seven issues, it will probably come out as one volume.  Seven seems like a weird number though…  I wonder if it was supposed to be longer.  Hmmmmm.

And here is a correction from my last point.  As Mark pointed out (and I did realize after I posted), the comic I last discussed is not "Deadman #4".  It is, in fact, "DC Presents..."

In this issue, Deadman deals with Lucifer to try to find out why Rama is having him possess certain people.  Lucifer has Boston play "20 questions" until Boston figures out what Rama is looking for.  Then an angry Rama confronts Boston.  Lots of philosophy, lots of pretty pictures, but too much mythology for too little story.  I really like Deadman and hope this picks up soon, otherwise it will join my growing list of "Meh" comics.  After all, I have other books to read, too!  

I am not much of a fan of the Bongo comics.  I will read them at Mark's request, but otherwise I tend to skip them.  

My absolute favorite out of the pile I have left is Fables, so that is where I am starting today!

This was a special extra-large issue for the Christmas holiday.  We got to see most of the Fables, all of whom are making their way back to the Farm from Haven, and hopefully back to Fabletown from there.  Even the Wolfs' came home from North Winds for the "second best Christmas ever!"  The Little Match Girl, Santa, and The False Bride all made appearances as Rose Red had her first foray out as a symbol of hope.  She has to find what hope she will represent.  Very Dickensian.  I am sure I am missing a thousand things when I read these issues, which is why I like to go back and read them again once an arc is finished.  I wish we had room to keep trades of these around!  But I want to buy the issues so they keep coming out.  And I can hardly wait for the new Fables series, Fairest, on sale March 7!

Doesn't this look good?