Time Bomb #1- It kind of feels like most Radical books are mostly stories they hope will be made into movies. Short miniseries with a catchy premise, this one being a Nazi biological death bomb goes off and the government sends a group of specialist into the past to prevent it from ever launching. And there’s nothing really wrong with it feeling like a movie pitch I suppose, other than it feels a little obvious. Palmiotti and Gray put together a decent script, although so far they haven’t done anything to separate most of the main characters from each other or to make any of them likable, which isn’t a requirement but it might help make the two white guys feel like different characters. And yeah, it's just white guy, white guy, black guy, and sexy girl. Some easy to fill roles, just toss a couple popular actors in there and don't worry about fleshing out the character too much. I’ve never been a huge fan of Gulacy, but that’s just a style thing and nothing to do with his skills as an artist. He tells a solid and easy to follow story and he is unique in his style, he’s just not my cup of tea. 51 pages of story with no ads makes this a decent book for $4.99, but it’s probably something that reads better as a trade. B-

Green Lantern #56- I find it interesting that Larfleeze was a bit more monstrous in the way he was depicted and was basically a horrible murderer, and yet now he actually fairly lovable. I’m not complaining, I actually love the way Mahnke draws him and this is great Larfleeze showcase issue. Plus, about time we actually get some Hector Hammond action considering they’ve been teasing him in the title since like issue 3 or 4. A

The Return of Bruce Wayne #4- I liked this issue a lot, but I would have to say it’s the weakest so far in the sequence. I can’t really place it either. I don’t want to blame the art because Jeanty is solid and does a good western atmosphere, although it felt a little rushed in the detail. It was nice to see Morrison pull back Vandal Savage again, I find it interesting the way they’ve connected him with Batman’s past so much. It brings back memories of the Dark Knight Dynasty Elseworlds book and the eternal battle between the Wayne bloodline and Savage. A good issue, I think I’ll be less complainy when I read it in the trade. B

Alan Moore’s The Courtyard Color Edition TPB- I wanted to reread this since it’s been like seven years since the last time and the new Neonomicon series just started up. And yep, seven years makes a difference because I was less impressed with this back then and it felt like a much better read on this go. Partly because originally it was black and white and while Jacen Burrows is nice in B&W a good colorist can make him incredibly striking. I had also forgotten how much of a racist asshole the main character was, and I think originally that turned me off completely regardless of the way he’s used in the context of the story. I think I also read the thing in a rush back then, so taking the time to take everything in and find all the references and all that made it much more enjoyable. I wouldn’t say it’s completely necessary for enjoying Neonomicon, but it is a good stepping stone and worth checking out, especially if you’re a Lovecraft fan. A-