Solo (2004 DC) 7

Written by Mike Allred & Lee Allred Art and cover by Mike Allred. Join Mike Allred, the creator of Madman and The Atomics, as he takes a whirlwind tour of the DCU! First stop: Hourman, as we find out exactly how much super- heroing a hero can do. The craziness continues as two super-teams are pitted against each other in "Doom Patrol vs. Teen Titans." In "Batman A-Go-Go!", the Caped Crusader is taken on a kooky psychedelic journey. Allred visits Jack Kirby's Fourth World as Lightray and Orion put Mister Miracle to the test in "Fourth World Wager." Can Scott Free really get out of any trap? And it's all capped off with "Comic Book Clubhouse," featuring just about every DC hero! On sale October 26 ? 48 pg, FC, $4.99 US. GREG THOMPSON, writing in the Mycomicshop.com weekly email newsletter: SOLO 7 - This issue features the talents of Mike Allred. If you have read his creation Madman, you know Allred is a geek for pop culture and a bit of the weird, and it shines through brilliantly in this issue. In this issue, we have a manic story of Hourman, looking for things to do during his hour of power, a swinging story of the Teen Titans and Doom Patrol and the mishaps at a party, Batman A Go Go, where Bats gets knocked on the head and imagines a dark and gritty world, and a personal piece about Allred and his brother and their young love for comics. This book is unapologetic in its fun, and that's a good thing. In my opinion, most superhero books have tried to act too grown up and, in that process, have lost what made them appealing in the first place. Mike Allred brings all that back in focus, showing that comics can be fun and be for adults, as well as kids, too. Cover price $4.99.