Bit of a mixed bag this week comics-wise.

First up, and possibly the biggest release of the week for DC fans is the Final Crisis sketchbook.

As a tease of what’s upcoming I think it works well.  We get a look at the redesigns instore for some of the New Gods as well as a look at some of the new superhero teams Morrison has lined up.

As I’ve said before, I’m not a big fan of the New Gods, but I liked the look of these redesigns, and the concepts behind them (although I’m still unsure about the Darkseid having trouble moving thing).   We get a really interesting tease in terms of the “Multiverse Machine” (perhaps a sign that there’s a larger plan for the multiverse which will definitely see it sticking around?  I hope so), and a look at some of the new Japanese super teams (I love the Super Young Team a crazy Japanese version of the JLA).

Less successful for me, was Titans #2.   I’m not a dyed-in-the-wool Titans fan, although I enjoyed Geoff’s relaunch of the Teen Titans, and I like the characters well enough.   I thought I’d give this series a couple of issues, but to be honest, its not grabbing me.  Some of the characterisations felt a bit off to me, and I’m not big on the art.   The three crossovers going on that I’m picking up, I’m going to have to get brutal on titles that I don’t love, so I can’t see me picking up the next issue.

The first part of Batman RIP though, I enjoyed.  While it very much felt like a first part, with not a huge amount happening, and more introducing things, I’m definitely intrigued enough to be sticking with this crossover for now.  I have to say though, as someone who’s not been buying Morrison’s Batman, I loved the interaction between Bruce, Tim and Alfred.

From the non-DC side of things, I had Knights of the Old Republic #28.  Although not a series I talk about a lot on the blog, its one I’ve enjoyed immensely, possibly ranking alongside GL in terms of my pull list.

I have to say though, that the much-vaunted Vector crossover has done nothing for me.   I disliked the fact that most of the main cast were missing for the last 4 issues, and I found the art badly off-putting.   I can’t say I’ve been left with any real desire to pick up the rest of the crossover, and I’m really hoping that now its over, the series will get back to telling stories I more enjoy.    I will say though, that I did appreciate the writer trying to fit the crossover around his ongoing story of Zhane being on the run from the Jedi Masters.

From Marvel, I picked up Captain Britain #1.   Now being written by Paul Cornell (of Dr Who fame), and with “Secret Invasion” stamped on the top, I couldn’t resist.

I really enjoyed this book.  It was probably the surprise hit of the week for me, as something I ended up enjoying a lot more than I thought I would.  Its really grabbed me, and its really nice to be reading about a British hero, and set in Britain as well.   In that regard, I think Marvel have probably done a very wise thing in getting a British writer on board.   However, I’m going to stop saying “Britain” now, lest I end up sounding like an episode of League of Gentlemen.

I do love the setup though, with Captain Britain resolving to be more like a proper counterpart to Captain America, and the Skrull disguised as John Lennon who’s working with MI 13 (the agency Cap works for) to help find other Skrull infiltrators.  I’m definitely onboard for the next issue.

Well, this week saw the return of Peter Tomasi to Green Lantern Corps, and Part 2 of Ring Quest.

Its another cracking issue. Once again, Tomasi juggles the large cast admirably, showcasing most of the main characters with a page or two showing them being hauled back to Oa by the Guardians, as they are recruited to hunt down the remaining Sinestro Corps rings.

Mongul, meanwhile, has wasted no time in recruiting other Sinestro Corps members to follow him. Well, by that I mean he’s killed them all and taken their rings, as they refused to join him. We also get a taste for his larger plans, and that they involve the infamous Black Mercy plants.

Prior to this, Mongul I’d always viewed as a fairly generic alien war lord. However with this arc, Peter Tomasi’s infusing him with a real sense of menace. He’s been nicely setup as a formidable threat, as we know he’s already taken down Sodam Yat and Arisia.

Pat Gleason’s art continues to shine as always. Special mention must go to a panel of the assembled GLs, as they go to face the Guardians and get their orders. It was incredibly effective.

The other big release this week was Titans #1. A book reuniting the New Teen Titans from the Wolfman/Perez run. I’m not a huge Titans fan, but I enjoyed this book well enough. It did a good job of introducing the characters (although after reading Geoff Johns’ Teen Titans, this take on Raven felt a bit off to me - I understand its more rooted in the cartoon series). The art was pretty (with some really nice inking), conveying the action scenes well (such as Nightwing being attacked at one of Batman’s safehouses), but also amusingly cheesecake for the Starfire sequences.

It was nice to see Starfire still living at the Baker’s house following Countdown to Adventure as well. Nice little bit of continuity. I’m not liking Donna’s new costume though. I far preferred the starfield effect, rather than these red stars on it.

Booster Gold continued the Blue & Gold storyline with Booster and Ted trapped on a world where Max Lord managed to eliminate most of the meta-humans. To be honest, most of the issue still felt like setup for getting the gang back together next month. JLI reunions always go down well. It was great seeing Dan Jurgens drawing Superman again though.

I also picked up Countdown. I must admit, Mary beating the tar out of Donna with Kyle’s unconscious body got a laugh out of me. JSA was a good read too, although I feel I’ve lost some momentum with this story. Great scene with Alan grabbing Gog though as the pair of them are surrounded by the green flame. I’ll be intrigued to see how Alan reacts next month as well, when faced with his Kingdom Come self.