Who'd Like A Cocktail? #112

Ah, Hourman - how often have I felt like that?

DC start their run of gorgeous, minimalist covers and what do I do? Go and splash a whole bunch of text over them.

• BRIGHTEST DAY #17 - so Firestorm ends up in the Antimatter Universe amongst a bunch of Shadow Demons while Deadman gets to wake up with Dawn - unfair, much? We also catch up with the Hawks and have them rescued by Carol Ferris which ends up with the old school, classic Predator back in action. Still barreling along nicely, this series.
• DOOM PATROL #18 - I really like these Aristocrats; they work as a mirror image of the Doom Patrol without being cliched dark versions of them. With a bit of luck, we'll see them again fairly soon. Meanwhile President Cale's going to be in the Patrol's debt for rescuing her and the team cross over with the Secret Six next issue.
• FREEDOM FIGHTERS #5 - wow, who knew mainstream superhero comics could be so political? King Bullet rails against the American government and it's illegal incarceration of himself and his compatriots while the Freedom Fighters try and talk things down before the violence escalates. Not often you see that sort of thing in the funny pages. Excellent issue all round.
• JSA ALL-STARS #14 - Hourman pops back in time to say hi to Roxy; Citizen Steel gets a kiss; Power Girl gets a logo of her own; and Arthur Pemberton's back. Top stuff!
• STARMAN/CONGORILLA #1 - it seemed a little contrived, Congorilla explaining what was happening every step of the way, but somehow this one-shot works a treat. As nice as it was to see Tasmanian Devil back, I have to wonder: is he the first hero to return from the dead following the end of Blackest Night where it was decided that dead meant dead? Sure, it was by means of a Lazarus Pit, but if that's the case does it mean that the revolving door on Death has been replaced by a cat-flap? Or maybe a dog-flap considering it's Taz that's come back? And if Taz is back, can we get some others as well? Ryan "The Atom" Choi for starters?

And what made me smile:

Negative Man's try, try again attitude!