Formerly Known as Justice League #6:
A truly "bwa-ha-ha" worthy tale closes "negotiations" with Manga Khan in a way that can only be described as "disturbing," brings out all the old gang (only Superman and Lantern managed not to make an appearance from the JLA, I think), and of course Booster and Beetle are in the middle of things going wrong. With in jokes aplenty, nods to the old series, and more hilarity ensuing than federal law allows, this was a great close to a great mini series and I am left chomping at the bit for more.

Crimson Dynamo #4:
All the principals -- US arms inspector, French spy, Soviet teen -- know who each other is now, as everything comes closer and closer to the source. This book is so well done, with steadily improving art, that it almost has no choice but to be cancelled. Argh.

Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye #8:
Riveting details about Transformers history and backstory, looking at combiner technology and Cybertron's tech specs in the final chapter of this exhaustive mini series. I can't applaud this accomplishment highly enough, a resource that Transformers fans will adore forever, one that melds together all the disparate eras of Generation One into a logical whole. No easy feat, and done so with great care and skill.

Y: The Last Man #17:
In the middle installment of Brian Vaughan's "Comedy & Drama" storyline (called "&" or Ampersand, as the monkey is named) the drama troupeputs on its play about the last man on earth (strange to everyone involved) as a mysterious ninja hunts the monkey. I can't believe I typed that last part. Anyhoo, Paul Chadwick continues to fill in on art, servicaeably enough, but many of the women in the drama troupe seemed indistinguishable from one another visually. The dialogue and interplay remain splendid, and I am again left wondering "what the heck is next?" A good feeling to have.

G.I. Joe/Transformers #5:
Fight fight fight. Eh. It contains none of the rich subtext or gritty visuals of its John Ney Reiber-fueled counterpart, and with the bright colors and semi-detailed art, seems like an episode of the cartoon got fast forwarded in places. Not bad, but not great.

Noble Causes: Distant Relatives #4:
Whither Frost? Jay Faerber deals with the Krennick/Zephyr issue in a manner that's inevitable and sad, handles Frost with amazing care and skill, and closes this mini out with great news -- full color, ongoing Noble Causes this summer. Yay!

Star Wars: Empire #13:
A self-contained story that was all Empire all the way, following a single stormtrooper (of course he's a clone) try to investigate potential sabotage through the haze of his limited intellect. It's a refreshingly different look at the Battle of Yavin and that day, from more of the perspective of that Mara Jade six part mini of a few years ago, portraying the Rebel Alliance as terrorists and power-mad ingenues. I liked this a great deal. A surprise jump from the read pile.

Elektra #30:
Elektra the killing machine does her thing, and suspension of disbelief is in effect as her "ninja whamma jamma" is turned up to twelve. The face of the hidden "savior" is seen, and it's strangely apropos. Corpses pile up, explosions explode, and yet another war gets the Elektra treatment. High octane pop comics.

Buy Pile Breakdown: Is it because I somehow woke up after two hours of sleep that made me think Crew was finishing up today? No matter. Several favorites sang their swan song with gusto for a really amazing week on the buy pile.

Then there's the stuff on the "read pile" that I don't bring home ...

Authority #8:
Good heavens, Morrison is almost getting what made this title interesting. The grim seriousness of his run is gone, and he's almost realizing how ludicrous all the situations are, and playing them for camp, as creator Warren Ellis suggested. Not there yet, but at least in the right direction.

Captain America #21:
I am amazed to report that this is actually pretty good. Not great, but good, which is an amazing accomplishment after the time traveling, cry-into-the-flag whiny Steve Rogers we've endured of late. Robert Morales (who's written for Vibe but is not "Rags," he insists) shows a decisive, clear thinking Steve Rogers, a soldier in word and deed with no prevarication about what he is. It's not as kick-in-the-face as Ultimate Cap, who's now my favorite depiction of the character, but again it's moving in the right direction. I watch this progress with interest.

Batman: City of Light 3:
Bat whining continues in a way that's just ... just not attractive.

Hammer of the Gods: Hammer Hits China #3:
Oh, what cruel tricks the gods play on mortals, and Modi has suffered worse than many. Taunted by his Norse masters time and time again, he really has a bad experience in this issue, the last one of the mini. I found it less than entertaining, as I could relate to Modi's struggle and the meaningless of his obedience to these capricious gods.

Hulk #64:
After months of dim lighting and talking heads, all the "Hulk Smash!" in this issue plays out like an orgasm of destruction, one Jones has held back for effect. It's not bad. I'm not excited by it, however. Love the cover, though.

Plastic Man #1:
The long awaited, anticipated debut of Kyle Baker's Plastic Man is, sadly, a dud. Too gimmicky by far, with gags that fall flat and stale characterization, maybe it'd work for kids ... but maybe not.

Star Wars: Dooku Clone Wars Special:
After some very thin five dollar special spotlights, this one has serious meat on it. Providing both intricate characterization for Quinlan Vos and showing Dooku as a master manuipulator and warrior in his own right (despite the fact most of my friends and I call him "Count Swishray" for reasons arcane and unimportant), this book would have made the jump if not for its exaggerated price tag. Fine work.

Promethea #28:
After reading this, I felt as though I'd taken some LSD -- Moore is bringing his "A" game to wind down (or blow up, it's hard to tell) Promethea in a story with action, surprises, plot threads closed from waaaaaaay in the start of the series, and some surprisingly tender moments. If I understood more of it (admittedly, I'm sleepy), this would have made the jump.

Thanos #3
Galactus hungers! And feels guilt! Huh? Galatus seems to have found a method of feeding his endless hunger without, you know, killing off worlds in the process. Sort of. Thanos is too inquisitive to let it stand, and in his machinations allows the Rigellians to get away, but there's more afoot here than simple research. This issue, like many others this week, takes a step in the right direction while not yet achieving a quality that could be considered "good." With Starlin gone in a few issues and Giffen in, who knows what's next for "purple puss."

Action Comics #810:
In a gimmick issue where Superman follows "new year's eve" around the globe, performing miracles along the way and romancing Lois to boot, it managed not to suck and actually had some moments of genuine sentimentality that gave the Last Son of Krypton back some of his sense of wonder. I'm surprised to say any of that.

Star Wars Infinities: Return of the Jedi #1:
All hell breaks loose when Jabba breaks Threepio in early goings, and things change significantly. Luke never makes it back to Dagobah in time, and that of course means lots of things will go differently. Almost made the jump, but I'm gonna want to see more of what they intend, especially with the Emperor's surprise on the last page.

Superman/Batman #4:
More of the "I find his man-tights strangely attractive" homoerotic subtext, as Bruce and Clark compliment each other under their breath before having a really surprising showdown with Captain Marvel and Hawkman. Another issue long fight scene with tons of fun and of course McGuinness' amazing artwork to show for it. They keep alluding to a bigger plan, but I'm flarked if I can figure what it is.

Read Pile Roundup: Despite being sure I missed some stuff, I was vastly entertained by most of the stuff here.

An overwhelmingly good week for comics despite Kyle Baker's high profile nosedive.