Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis 40

Publisher: DC
Price: $2.99
Cover date: May 2006
W: Kurt Busiek
A: Butch Guice

Synopsis: A new Aquaman is born.

Thoughts: One of my biggest storytelling pet peeves is the use of a wise, old sage to confuse both the protagonist and the readers. While it can be a great asset to certain types of books — mostly fantasy and some forms of sci-fi — more often than not it's used poorly and muddies everything. A:SoA does just that when a squid-faced sage tells a new Arthur Curry his fate. However, this so-called fate seems all too familiar, and, thus, the sage winds up doubting himself. So now everyone — from the entire cast to the readers — is needlessly confused.

Batman Annual 25

THIS ENTRY CONTAINS SPOILERS!
Publisher: DC
Price: $4.99
Cover date: May 2006
W: Judd Winick
A: Shane Davis

Synopsis: The truth behind Jason Todd's resurrection is revealed.

Thoughts: This is the perfect example of why compression isn't always a good thing. Jason's rebirth, struggle to regain control of his life and realization that Batman did next to nothing to avenge his death could and should have led to a heartbreaking tale — one that could have justified Jason's vengeful actions. But instead of spreading the story out over four to six issues, Winick jammed it all into 48 pages. The result is a choppy, rushed and sadly forgettable story that needlessly ties into Infinite Crisis and has several glaring plot holes.