Quick Reviews - Comic Collections Catch Up

Fallen Angel vol. 1: To Serve In Heaven
I loved this series when it was published – and too quickly cancelled – by DC Comics a few years back. When it switched publishers to IDW, and lost its artist, I pretty much gave up on the series. Flipping through an issue on the stands, I simply couldn’t imagine the book with out its original artist. I am so glad I, in a moment of whatever, decided to give the first volume of the new series a try. I shouldn’t be surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did. Even the new, painted artwork by J.K. Woodward, has grown on me. Peter David, master comic storyteller that he is, has continued the story of Lee, a fallen guardian angel, and the town – Bete Noire – she protects/haunts. If you like some dark, supernatural/spiritual action, you might want to give this series a shot. Start with the DC Comics collections first, and then move to this book, and the following volumes from IDW. Very good reading.
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JSA Presents: Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E vol. 1
I just love those teen superheroes. The Ray, Hourman, Robin, Blue Beetle - they all are fun and smart and heroic. Courtney Whitmore, the Star-Spangled Kid, is no exception. I’m so happy that this series is finally being collected. I had only picked up the first couple of issues from back issue bins, and always wanted to see where the series went. Now an integral part of the Justice Society of America, Courtney has grown into a full-fledged superhero. These early adventures sure are a kick to read. Nothing too dark, just a lot of secret identity woes, teen angst, and bad guy butt-kickin’. Good stuff.
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Wasteland Book 1: Cities in Dust
Civilization is rebuilding itself, and it is not pretty. It looks like it will be up to a mysterious stranger to lead a band of villagers into one of the few remaining cities, a city with troubles hidden behind its utopian veil. This great post-apocalyptic series with mysterious strangers, dying villages, evil rulers, sand creatures, and religious natives, has started out strong and will be a welcome addition to my must-read catalog of ongoing series.
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Pears Before Swine: Sgt. Piggy’s Lonely Hearts Club Treasury
Such an amazing collection of weekly comic strips. The best part is the creator’s commentary that runs throughout the collection. Why does it always seem to be the case that my favorite comic strips don’t even run in the local paper? For every stupid Judge Parker and Rex Morgan, we lose out on The Boondocks, Liberty Meadows, and Pearls Before Swine. If you have never read a Pearls strip, you should get yourself a book, or check them out on the Internet because they’re a riot. The art is simple, but the humor is strong.