With all the Civil War hullabaloo going on in the Marvel Universe, none of the heroes seem to be thinking too much about what the old rogues gallery might be up to. Seriously, if the Avengers and the Fantastic Four are all busy beating the stuffing out of each other, who's keeping an eye on the bad guys? OK, Steve (Captain America) Rogers has been trying, but in Captain America #22, it's clear that he has way too much on his to-do list to stay on top of everything.

Even if you haven't been keeping tabs on all the Civil War madness (which you really should be, cause it's an awesome story), you can easily jump in with this first part of the "Drums of War" storyline. Sharon Carter, AKA Agent 13, AKA Cap's main squeeze, tries to warn her S.H.I.E.L.D. bosses that Cap is not going to take kindly to their attempts to take away the freedoms of heroic folks who've risked their lives to protect others. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s current leader, Maria Hill, still acts all surprised when Cap refuses to play ball and kicks S.H.I.E.L.D. agent butt all over the map.

Agent 13 suddenly finds herself with some tough choices to make between her personal feelings and her duty. Should she help her boss (who, for the record, is a big jerk) capture Captain America, the leader of the anti-registration resistance? Or should she help Steve stay one step ahead of his fascist former friends at S.H.I.E.L.D.? Of course, it might be easier for Sharon to make these choices if her psychologist didn't seem to have a rather fishy agenda of his own. Remember those unsupervised villains I mentioned earlier...?

Captain America #22 is written by Ed Brubaker, with art from Mike Perkins and Frank D'Armata. Brubaker has already proven himself as a great writer AND someone who really gets what Captain America is all about. Afterall, he found a cool way to bring back Bucky, which no one else ever thought possible. This issue does an amazing job of tying into the events of Civil War, while not being dependent on them. Despite all the big events, this is a very character-driven story. The art from Perkins and D'Armata is also excellent. It has loads of detail, dynamic action, and a dark, painted look that really adds gravity to these events.

If you are reading Civil War, you definitely can't miss Captain America #22. If you aren't reading Civil War, you should still support America's Super-Soldier and read Captain America #22. If you don't support Cap, Tony "Iron Man" Stark wins, and Tony is a bigger jerk than Maria Hill. Stupid Iron Jerk.

Roughest, Toughest, Manliest: Goon:Noir #1

Hey, you! Yeah, YOU, you no-account, comic book readin', mouth breathin' weirdo! What do you know about The Goon? You better know that The Goon is the roughest, toughest, manliest comic ever to see print from Dark Horse Comics. You better also know that The Goon is more fun than a hootenanny with fireworks, ice cream, and blueberry pie. And you better have a real good reason if you ain't been readin' The Goon on a regular basis.

The monthly comic, written and drawn by the mighty talented Eric Powell, tells the funny, violent, and occasionally tragic tales of the Goon. With a childhood that made Peter Parker's early life look like smooth sailing, the Goon is a big, tough, scarred thug who runs the rackets of his hometown with an iron fist. Goon is no heartless criminal though. He always keeps an eye out for the little guy, and he keeps the common folk safe from the super-natural horrors that tend to crawl the city streets. You know, slack-jawed zombies, tentacled monstrosities from the bottom of the sea, werewolves, that kinda thing. Goon doesn't do it all alone, of course. He gets a lot of help from his foul-mouthed little buddy Franky.

Maybe you've been worried that you couldn't just jump in and read any old issue of The Goon. That would really be a mistake on your part, cause almost every issue is self-contained. However, if you have been thinkin' that way, now is your chance to try The Goon at no personal risk to yourself. Apparently, creator Eric Powell needed some time to work on his upcoming Goon epic, Chinatown, so he is letting his former publisher (and all-around obnoxious guy) Dwight T. Albatross put together some black and white "jam" issues under the title Goon: Noir.

This three issue series was going to feature Goon stories by comedy giants like Jimmy "JJ" Walker and Carrot Top, but Albatross couldn't get them. He had to settle for great comic book creators instead. The first issue of Goon: Noir has three stories by creators taking their first turn on the Goon's turf. Guys like Mike Ploog, Steve Niles, Ryan Sook, and many more. There's also part one of a three part story drawn by Powell himself, just in case people missed him too much. Each of these creators takes a slightly different approach to the Goon's crazy world and each stand-alone story is pretty darn entertaining.

If you ain't never been brave enough to try out The Goon, pick up Goon: Noir #1 and see if you're man (or woman) enough to hang with the Goon and Franky. You'll have a good time if you do, and you might get your kneecaps all busted up if you don't. Plus, this book is Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week, and you don't get many guarantees in this world.

Movie Thrills Meet Comics: Rush City #2

Rush may sound like the name of an energy drink or a protein bar, but it's also the name of DC's newest hero on wheels. Rush is the star of Rush City and, as his name suggests, he tends to move fast.

As any fan knows, lots of movies are being based on comics these days. It seems only fair that a comic or two may take some cues from the big movie guys in return. Rush City is a noir-ish book loaded with hot dames, a tough guy hero, and loads of car chasing with flashy cars. It has the non-stop action feel of movies like the Transporter series or The Italian Job.

Rush is a guy with a mysterious past who can find anyone who's lost, whether they want to be found or not. If the price is right, that is. In the second issue of the series, Rush finds himself tracking down a nerdy little French guy. Not so much for the money, but because the woman claiming to be the French guy's sister is incredibly hot. Of course, it seems a little odd that the stipulations of the job demand the missing brother be delivered alive, alert, and awake. Not to mention that Rush is far from the only person hunting down this apparently inconsequential movie geek.

Rush City is written by Chuck Dixon with art by Timothy Green II. The story and the art both keep things moving at a break-neck pace. Reading this book really feels like watching a big-budget action film. Dixon's dialogue is all very terse yet memorable, with our hero getting in an occasional action guy one-liner. The car chases and fist fights all convey the constant movement of a summer blockbuster. The only thing missing to complete the experience is a butt-kicking soundtrack. Hopefully, you can provide your own.

If you like action, cars, sexy women, and mysterious, brooding heroes, you should love Rush City. If you don't like those things, go watch some Matlock reruns. Either way, you should pick up Rush City #2 while it is Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week. Just don't blame me if you break any traffic laws on the way to the shop!

Forget about science. If you've read enough comics, or watched enough TV, you know that space is a crazy place. If we haven't been misled (and I'm sure we haven't), space is full of weird energies, horrific monsters, probing aliens, and gorgeous but naive space babes. I'm sure NASA tries to tell us otherwise just so they can keep all the fun for themselves. (Though if they showed us more evidence of space babes, I bet NASA could get all the funding they need...)

Anyway, all this space weirdness is why Mystery in Space is the perfect title for DC's new anthology title. Mysteries and space are a can't-miss combination! Jim Starlin is the perfect creator to bring us all the Space Mystery we can handle, too. Starlin is most well-known for his various series set in the cosmic fringes of the Marvel Universe. He has been responsible for pretty much anything with Infinity in the title and he has been behind the most acclaimed stories featuring Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock. It would take all day to list all of Starlin's sci-fi work, so trust me, he knows space!

Mystery in Space is a little bit unusual in that it seems to be an anthology title. The first issue features two stories, both starring resurrected protagonists. First up is Captain Comet. I was unfamiliar with the Captain before reading this issue, but I learned everything I needed to know about the man and his history to enjoy the story. Starlin is joined by artist Shane Davis for the Comet tale, and the artist is a perfect fit for the story. Davis has designed some excellent and unusual looking aliens, and he does a great job with space-tech as well. He also draws a very believable talking bulldog, which is a selling point in and of itself.

The second story in this issue features another character who was unknown to me, The Weird. Again, I learned everything I needed to know about the character in this issue. Starlin handles the art himself for this story, which should be a relief for all the fans who most appreciate Mr. Starlin's work as a writer/artist combo. The two stories are connected, but it remains to be seen whether these characters will continue to influence each other's crazy, mysterious lives. I have a feelng that they will.

If you like your superheroes to have a sci-fi edge, you don't want to miss Mystery in Space. Try it out now, while it is Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week! And don't forget to keep an eye peeled for those space babes!