Review: Final Crisis Aftermath: Ink #2

As you may have seen in my last review, the first issue of Final Crisis Aftermath: Ink was a surprise favorite of mine.  Yes, it’s cliche that the new African American superhero has to deal with gang violence in the ghetto, but comics fans have long since learned that there’s nothing new under the sun: what matters is how you tell it.  And Ink #1 was told with style.  You’ll be pleased to know, then, that #2 continues that trend.

After a bumpy opening detailing a little about the origin of Mark Richards – an origin we didn’t particularly need, with too little space to make it interesting – we get back into the meat of things: Mark’s tattoos are operating independent of him.  He doesn’t know why.  He doesn’t know how.  All he knows is, there’s something big going down and he can’t trust his powers to help him deal with it.

Fiorentino and Dimotta still provide slightly muddied, but generally gorgeously painted interior art.  They shine most notably in the book’s generally well-handled action scenes.  The dramatic tension of some scenes doesn’t come out quite as well as it might under a clearer art team, but it rarely impacts the read as a whole.

The book still deals heavily with gang violence and corrupt cops, and I’m completely fine with that.  It’s part of the genre as a whole, and it’s a relatively realistic threat for a character who grew up in a poor neighborhood.  I’m not sure how well, necessarily, Wallace deals with some of the gang members as characters, as they’ve come off as perilously one-note thus far, but the book as a whole is good enough to warrant checking out on a monthly basis despite its frequent, minor flaws.

Grade: B+

- Cal Cleary

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Other FCA Reviews

Final Crisis Aftermath: Run! #1

Final Crisis Aftermath: Escape #1

Final Crisis Aftermath: Dance #1

Final Crisis Aftermath: Dance #2

Final Crisis Aftermath: Ink #1

Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Utopia #1

 

The Writing: Fraction puts on his Claremont hat, going back to a theme that has been done to death. “Let’s make the X-Men about intolerance.” A fine message, for sure, but it’s all been done before in the X-Men. That said, Fraction is still writing better-than-the-rest here. He packs this issue full of cleverness. So, you get your money’s worth, but a lot of this stuff feels a bit unnecessary, and it all could’ve fit in a regular issue. But no, these X-Men events have to be oversized and feature Marc Silvestri art.

The Art: Silvestri is Silvestri. I’m not too fond of his work, but he’s a god to some. And, to be fair, he rendered one of the best X-Men tales ever, “Here Comes Tomorrow.” The problem here is that Silvestri needed four additional artists to provide the crowd for Fraction’s script. So, needless to say, all the additional pencilers create a slightly jarring reading experience, and a few continuity mistakes along the way. Also, and this is the problem with nearly every artist Fraction works with, Silvestri renders the action scenes well, but struggles with some of the quieter moments.

Final Word: The last page of this issue is supposed to have a big impact, but it’s already been spoiled. This is Marvel’s only crossover this summer, and, thankfully, it’s completely in Fraction’s hands. As a huge Fraction fan, I couldn’t be happier. However, this special, while good from a technical standpoint, doesn’t provide an interesting enough premise, and, really, isn’t very entertaining.

Grade: C+

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Review: Runaways #11

Confession time: despite being a hardcore Whedon fan and generally enjoying Moore, I haven’t read Runaways since BKV left the title a few years back.  When it premiered, it was one of the cleverest new titles on the shelves, and it hung onto that for a good little while.  I hadn’t heard enough good things about the book to get back on board, and so, for a long time, it lingered, a largely forgotten pop culture relic in the back of my brain.

When I heard that writer Kathryn Immonen was coming on the title… and that it had nothing to do with this Dark Reign nonsense… and that it was one of the few Marvel titles remaining at the crucial $2.99 price tag, I decided to jump back on board.  I miss my Marvel Universe, I’ve found, at least until I read anything that takes place in the mainstream setting.  Besides that, though, Immonen’s recent Patsy Walker: Hellcat was one of the most quirky, charming minis in recent memory, and I wanted to see what she could do with a slightly more high-profile title.

Runaways #11 is not without flaws, especially not to readers who’ve been away for awhile.  Little information is given on the new Runaway, Klara, and little personality, too.  Meanwhile, the death touted on the cover of the issue seems a bit too random, and the return doesn’t actually seem to happen.  And while Pichelli’s art is gorgeous, it is perhaps a little bit too much so – Chase looks like the platonic ideal of a boy band idol, just to give one example.

That said, those are mostly nit-picks.  Pichelli does  fabulous job with 99% of the issue, and her cartoony style is a joy to look at.  Immonen isn’t quite as quick as she was in Hellcat, but she still provides a solid opening issue, and her snappy style works well with Pichelli’s art.  The book is fun, different, and just a little confused, but it definitely makes me curious to see where they’ll go next issue.

Grade: B+

- Cal Cleary

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Advanced Review: Irredeemable #4

Note: Irredeemable #4 arrives in stores Wednesday, July 1.

Writing: “Mark Waid is Evil.” That was the teaser for this series. Of course, I never actually thought of Mark Waid as evil, until now. This issue plays out like the first three have. A flashback here. Some Plutonian hints there. And then there’s the usual, mind-melting massacre! What set this issue’s WTF moment apart from the rest? Because this one is on a much more global scale, and that’s all I’ll say about it.

Art: I don’t think enough has been said about Krause’s art. The man never misses a beat. Alien worlds, people exploding, disintegrating babies, Waid has thrown a lot of crazy stuff at Krause and he’s always captured the right image. Even though Waid is still having fun being cruel, there are plenty of character-driven scenes that require the right pose, facial expression, etc. And Krause renders those well too.

Final Word: Waid, or the Plutonian, (They’re both evil) is still on a rampage. We’re getting to know the characters, but it’s hard to connect because they keep dying. Besides the superhero-caused-carnage, Irredeemable is also at its best when we catch a glimpse of the Plutonian’s motive or the reason behind his newfound evil. Thankfully, both are in this issue.

Grade: B+

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SeventhSoldier’s Top Five for June

There were a lot of honorable mentions this month – June 2009 was one of the best months for comics in a good long while.  From Gail Simone’s always fun Secret Six to the sleeper hit of the month for me, Rucka’s Action Comics Annual #12 – and, spoiler alert, tomorrow’s review of Kathryn Immonen rock-solid first issue on Marvel’s Runaways – June made this a pretty damn hard call to make.  I’ve given out a few pretty bad grades this month, but for the most part, the average was high – there were more A-’s than B’s for the first time in my reviewing history on the site!

To my surprise, as someone who doesn’t particularly care for Batman as a character or as a mythos terribly much, three of the best books I read this month were newly-launched Bat-books/arcs.  Also a first?  Two different Marvel books were edging in on the top 5.  Any other month, Runaways #11 or Captain Britain and MI:13 #14 would’ve had a strong shot at prime placement.

Edit: Since I hadn’t put the review up yet, I forgot, but a Marvel title actually did make the Top 5.  Sorry, Paul Dini.

#5 Incognito #4

There hasn’t been a bad issue yet of the Brubaker/Phillips collaboration Incognito.  I don’t yet know if it’ll be able to match Sleeper or Criminal - two absolutely stellar works in a similar vein… and yes, they have one or two other things in common with this book – but this issue kept the story moving along faster than I could believe and with a great deal of style and a sense of pulp adventure.  Incognito is a blast to read, without a doubt.

#4 Batman and Robin #1

Splashy, gorgeous art?  Check.  Interesting new villain?  Check.  Rousing adventure?  Check.  Batman and Robin #1 has all that along with great panelling and the coolest sound effects you can imagine.  Morrison and Quitely make quite a team, as they’ve illustrated numerous times in the past, and this looks to be no exception.

#3 The Unwritten #2

Carey and Gross continue on with a second issue every bit as good as their first in one of the strongest Vertigo launches I’ve seen in awhile.  There are so many small touches that go into making this book great that I can hardly list them, but this is definitely a title to be on the lookout for.  If you aren’t picking it up monthly, be sure to be on the lookout for the trades.

#2: Detective Comics #854

Together, J.H. Williams III and Greg Rucka delivered a stellar opening issue to Batwoman’s stint on Detective Comics… and that’s before you add the talented Cully Hamner into the mix with his and Rucka’s The Question backup.  The book was fast-paced and exciting while still introducing a supporting cast, a new villain, and a personality in the formerly personalitiless Kate Kane.  It did a whole lot in a tiny space, and left me eagerly awaiting more.

#1: Seaguy: Slaves of Mickey Eye #3

God, what a strange, strange book.  Wonderful, though.  As a surreal adventure books, Seaguy: Slaves of Mickey Eye is a satisfying book with a sharp edge of humor and a knack for innovation.  As a meta-commentary on super-hero comics, it was cutting, clever and fun.  As the finale of a three-issue mini that wrapped up the middle-child of Morrison’s planned three-volume Seaguy trilogy, it was pretty nearly perfect.

- Cal Cleary

May

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Top 5 Best Comics of June 2009!

It’s that time again! Boy, June went quick. We’re halfway through 2009? Wow. Anyway, I read 19 comics in June, and these were the best.

5. Invincible #63

I hate putting this at number five, but this comic is hindered in a monthly format. There is no good jumping-on point. You have to read the whole thing, and rating one issue is like judging twenty minutes of a movie. That said, this is an emotional issue. I’m sure it’s no secret by now that a major character dies. Hell, it was already pretty obvious if you looked at the cover of Invincible #64, but even so, this is one of the best Invincible issues. And that’s saying something.

My Review

 

4. Detective Comics #854

Even if this issue would’ve been terrible, I would’ve forced my brain to like it. Thankfully, to preserve what little respect I have as a comic critic, this actually is a great issue. Greg Rucka finally gets a chance to define his Batwoman, and he doesn’t waste a panel. We’re not going to get the official origin until the next arc, but even after one issue, I know a good deal about what makes Kate tic. But what really makes this comic special is the pure brilliance of Williams’ art. The co-feature is the icing on the cake.

Seventh Soldier’s Review

 

 

3. Batman and Robin #1

June was a great month for comics. Want proof? The new Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely comic wasn’t the best of the month. How the hell did that happen? Ok, I do wish this comic had more depth and weight, like Morrison’s earlier Batman work, but other than that, this issue is near-flawless.

Group Review

 

2. Astonishing X-Men #30

Ellis’ first Astonishing X-Men arc finally concludes. Was it good? You bet your ass it was. I can almost guarantee you I’ll think of it in January, when I post the best stories of the year list. Ellis, in just one arc, has already done a few things. First and foremost, he’s provided possibly the greatest characterization of the X-Men ever. They’re all real characters. They all have their own unique voice. Second, Ellis has taken the X-Men to the perfect genre, sci-fi. I want my X-Men to occupy the realm of science, instead of the done-to-death, political commentary genre. And this first arc was not only sci-fi, it was a mystery too!

DC Lebeau’s Review

 

1. Uncanny X-Men #512

This issue is a done-in-one. So, yes, it does have an advantage in this format, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t deserve this spot.  This issue is a done-in-one, time-travel adventure, filled with science, mutant history, originality, and humor. It’s also wonderfully rendered by the great Yanick Paquette. Is that not enough? Well, then I’ll also mention that this is one of the few comics that nearly brought me to tears. It’s good readin’.

My Review

So there it is! Agree? Disagree? Please, let me know!

May’s List

April’s List

For more comic goodness, go here.

Review: Uncanny X-Men #512

The Script: Ah, now this is the Matt Fraction I know and love! Fraction is at his best here. This issue is intelligent, witty, dense, and tragic. It also features the return of steampunk Fraction, the one that fueled the early career success, The Five Fists of Science.

The Storyboard: Why isn’t Yanick Paquette on a monthly? Seriously, he’s awesome. He works his magic here. The setting and emotion are captured perfectly. Hey, Marvel, can Paquette become the new, regular-series artist and replace Greg Land? Please?

Final Word: This is easily Fraction’s best Uncanny X-Men issue. In fact, it’s one of the best issues of the year. Truly remarkable, really. By the end, I was almost in tears. I don’t want to oversell it, just do yourself a favor and pick this issue up. It’s completely self-contained.

Grade: A

For more comic goodness, go here.

Review: New Avengers 54

In addition to Dark Avengers, I started picking up New Avengers as a result of my recent
Dark Reignexperience.  I had read New Avengers from time to time prior to Dark Reign, but invariably I would lose interest.  Dark Reign brought me back in spite of the fact that the current story in New Avengers is only tangentially related to the reign of Norman Osborn.

Truthfully, this isn’t really even an Avengers story.  It’s a Dr. Strange story in disguise.  I’ve always liked Dr. Strange more in principle than in practice.  While he has a cool costume and powers, he is generally used either for exposition or as a plot device.  So, I didn’t really have a great deal of interest in who would be chosen to replace him as the Sorcerer Supreme.

*Spoilers*

The fact that the eventual replacement turned out to be Brother Voodoo didn’t really heighten my interest at all.  While I’ve seen a few Brother Voodoo guest spots in my day, I don’t really know anything at all about the character.  However, Bendis did a pretty good job of introducing me to the character and making me like him (and his deceased brother I never knew existed).

The issue turned out to be a fairly by-the-numbers “passing the torch” story with Strange agreeing to serve as Voodoo’s mentor.  But the execution was strong enough to make up for the fact that the predictibility of the story.  Plus, there were cool mystical explosions like this:

That is exactly the sort of thing I want to see in a Dr. Strange story. 

After the battle concludes, Hellstrom gives the Avengers a dire warning which teases at yet another big Marvel event following Dark Reign (uh duh).  Then we get a rather intriguing scene with Loki visiting the defeated Hood.  And finally, we get back to Norman Osborn… which is perhaps the weakest part of the story.

read/RANT

Review: Dark Avengers 6

Recently, I spent a weekend catching up with Dark Reign.  I posted a lengthy rant about some of the problems I have with this event as a whole.  But I also noted that some of the individual comics grabbed my attention.  One such comic was Dark Avengers.  Dark Avengers is actually a book that is at the heart of Dark Reign.  As such, most of the problems I have with the premise of Dark Reign also apply to this mini-series.  Even so, there were aspects of Dark Avengers that grabbed my attention.

I think the thing I enjoyed the most about the previous issues was watching Norman Osborn form a relationship with the Sentry.  The two characters have a lot in common.  And Norman has definitely used that to his advantage.  This issue pays that relationship off in a pretty big way.

The story begins with Norman calling together yet another meeting of his Cabal.  I hate these scenes.  There’s no way I can see Loki, Dr. Doom or Namor sitting around a table at the beck and call of Norman Osborn.  Even if it were in their best interests to do so, these characters have huge egos.  I just can’t see them taking his crap.

That’s why it was somewhat refreshing to see Namor finally act like Namor and storm off in a huff when Norman demands that he turn on a group of Atlanteans that have attacked the surface world.  Although I still don’t believe for a second that Dr. Doom would just sit there sulking about being summoned to a meeting that has nothing to do with his interests.

Since Namor refused Norman’s request, he turns to the Sentry.  Actually, that’s not entirely true.  After months of telling Bob that there is no Void, Norman asks to speak with the Void directly.  And it is the Void that does Norman’s dirty work.  You know that;s going to have consequences.  And I am actually interested to see how it plays out.

The art is good.  Sometimes it was even great.  But I wish Mike Deodato didn’t draw Norman to look exactly like Tommy Lee Jones.  It is extremely distracting.

read/RANT

Review: Astonishing X-Men 30

In my recent effort to expand my comic book reading horizons, I’ve been picking up a few Marvel books from time to time.  At Bruce Castle’s recommendation, I picked up Astonishing X-Men.  Like Amazing Spider-Man, I was jumping into a story that was already in progress.  But, I gigured what the hell.

I haven’t picked up Astonishing since Joss Whedon left the book.  And I am definitely not a fan of the X-Men.  But even though I was jumping in at the tail end of a multi-part story arc, I have to admit that I enjoyed the book.  Frankly, they story was pretty much superfluous to Simone Bianchi’s art.  Wow.  I don’t typically read comics for the art.  But I would read this comic based solely on the strength of the art.

The story was another matter.  It was bound to suffer since I came in during the final act.  And I was able to follow the big plot points.  It just wasn’t especially gripping stuff.  Forge has apparently l0st his mind and has taken drastic measures to prevent an invasion from another dimension.  The X-Men try to stop him and a battle ensues.  Pretty typical super hero fare really.

I suspect if I had read the previous chapters leading up to this, I may have been more engrossed in the story.  As it was, there was a lot of talk about “ghost boxes” and things that went over my head.  Basically, I didn’t fully grasp the stakes.  So, I can’t be completely fair to the story as a whole.

*SPOILERS*

The ending was somewhat dis-spiriting.  Beast basically annihilates the would-be invaders before they have a chance to launch their invasion.  It makes me wonder why the conflict with Forge was really necessary.  Perhaps they all could have just agreed to blow their enemies to hell and gotten on with their day.

Basically, the heroes won the day by taking measures every bit as drastic as the villain.  And no one seemed remotely disturbed by the idea.  At least at the end of Watchmen, someone objected.  Here, everyone seems to agree that the ends justify the means.

As I said before, I may not be completely fair here.  Perhaps I missed key story elements in previous chapters.  Based on the art alone, I’ll give Astonishing X-Men another look.  Warren Ellis is a strong writer and I look forward to reading one of his stories from start to finish.

read/RANT

Review: Superman #689

I don’t envy James Robinson or Greg Rucka – placed on two of DC’s premier titles, Superman and Action Comics, the titles were stripped of Superman and left with C-listers like The Guardian, Mon-El, Nightwing and Flamebird.  That couldn’t be an easy sell to audiences, and not every change has worked across the board… but Superman #689 continues to maintain the relatively high standard of Robinson’s recent issues.

The bulk of the issue follows Mon-El as he travels around the world.  In it, he meets a wide range of heroes and villains, and we get a page on each of his world-spanning adventure as he teams up with the Rocket Reds to defend Moscow on one page before helping Dr. Light (Kimiyo Hoshi) fight Robo-Octo-Ape in Tokyo.  We meet a dozen or more characters briefly and Robinson leaves plenty of fascinating fodder for future issues while building a character and a history for the slowly-dying Mon-El.

It isn’t hard to imagine a 6 issue or more arc detailing these adventures, especially in today’s writing climate.  But there’s something charming about hearing simple snippets of Mon-El’s adventures.  That’s not to mention how successfully it keeps the story moving along at a brisk pace without reflecting too heavily on Mon-El’s slow death.  We finally find out more about the mysterious man with whom John Henry Irons is speaking, Jim Harper speaks out publicly in Mon-El’s favor, we learn a little more about the alien freed in the last issue, and even more.

All this is accompanied by stellar art from Renato Guedes, whose style is clear and recognizable and oh-so-lovely.  He isn’t a flashy artist, but this issue does a great job of highlighting his talents as he gets to illustrate a ton of new characters in a number of interesting locales.  Guedes is just a great overall fit for this book.

Robinson isn’t trying to rewrite all the rules with Superman.  What he is doing, however, is introducing a bevy of interesting supporting characters in loosely connected situations that seem to be hovering on the edge of explosion.  And I can’t wait for more.  Superman can take his time coming back to Earth.

Grade: A-

- Cal Cleary

Read/RANT

review/RANT: Green Lantern 42

Earlier this week, Bruce Castle posted a mixed review of GL 42.  My take on the book is less of a review and more of a rant.

I know that Geoff Johns is popular.  I know that comic fans have embraced Hal Jordan since his return to being the lead character in Green Lantern.  But I don’t understand some fans’ insistence that this is a great book.  Sure, the SinestroCorps War storyline was one of the better crossovers in recent years, but that’s pretty faint praise.  And since the conclussion of SCW, Johns has taken the book in some rather unfortunate directions.

The last ten or so years have been dedicated to the War of Light.  (At least it feels like it’s been going on that long.)  The War of Light isn’t really a storyline.  It’s kind of the build-up to the (almost sure to disappoint) event Blackest Night.  Basically, it’s a bunch of story arcs in which the same things happen over and over again.  But the lights change colors every time.

The latest such arc was Agent Orange.  And it’s the worst of the bunch.  This arc came to a sputtering conclusion this week in GL 42.  And even the most die-hard Johns fans should be able to admit, this issue reeked.

Johns has said in many interviews that the story’s villain, Larfleeze, is one of his favorite characters to write.  That seems to be Johns’ code for saying that he is going to use the character to parody comic book fans.  (See also: Superboy Prime)  I fully expect that the main villain behind Darkest Night is going to turn out to be this guy:

Larfleeze whines about Hal stealing his idea.  Check out the evil fanboi:

Groan.  But it gets worse:

Geoff Johns, why do you hate you fans?

This issue makes it clearer than ever that Larfleeze is nothing more than a Gollum rip-off.  Right down to his burning desire to be the Lord of the Rings.  But at least Gollum had better dialogue.  Check out some of these Johns-penned howlers:

“Oh!  OHHH!  Thisn is the most wonderful smell since the spiced cider I brewed from sin!”

Gotta love that spiced sin cider…

“You can’t hold a mirage!  Lest it be bottled up with raspriver sauce!”

Well, you get the idea.  Larfleeze (who Hal insists on calling Gonzo despite the fact that he looks absolutely nothing like Gonzo) is basically Gollumwith worse dialogue.

The cliffhanger from last issue is wrapped up by page three.  It’s the cheapest of cop-outs.  Hal explains that it was all a dream… or a mirage… with raspriver sauce of course.

Johns is known for ending nearly ever issue of every book with a shocking cliffhanger.  But it’s stunts like this that suck all the drama out of Johns’ technique.  If I know he’s inclined to chop the lead character’s hand off at the end of an issue only to pull the rug out from under me in the first few panels of the next issue, why should I ever care about any shocking changes he ever writes?  Odds are, they will be mirages (with or without sauce) too.

Obviously, I knew Johns wasn’t introducing hook-hand Hal.  That’s why I rolled my eyes last issue.  It was a cheap stunt to get people talking about the last page.  And the way it was wrapped up was cheaper still.

Before I move on, the issue includes an interlude between John Stewart and Fatality.  Personally, I was really looking forward to an upcoming issue that seems to focus on these characters.  Now, quite frankly, I am not.

Fatality was never a great character.  But she served a purpose.  Created by Ron Marz during the Kyle Rayner era, Fatality was a vengeful hunter of Green Lanterns.  It made sense to have a Green Lantern hunter as a villain given that Kyle was supposed to be the last Green Lantern at the time.  As a simple, vengeance-driven villain, Fatality was probably the most interesting character in Kyle’s limited Rogues gallery.

(Side rant: Apparently, Fatality wasn’t nearly as good of a GLhunter as she thought she was.  Because in those stories, she boasted that she had killed every living Lantern other than Kyle.  But with Johns’ retcons, there are now plenty of other Lanterns who apparently escaped Fatality’s notice.)

When the Corps returned, you would think Fatality would have become a more active villain than ever.  But without a single Lantern to hunt, Fatality became one of those villains you would see in group shots whenever the Secret Society got together.  Sad, but at least the character was still out there should some other writer decide to tell a story of her ultimate vengeance against the Green Lantern Corps.

Johns did have Fatality join the Sinestro Corps during the Sinestro Corps War storyline.  Even though Fatality wasn’t exactly known for inspiring fear per se, the move made a certain amount of sense.  Certainly if an army was forming to wage war against the Lanterns, Fatality would have wanted to have been a part of it.

But now, Johns has literally reprogrammed Fatality.  She’s been indoctrinated into the Star Sapphires or the Violet Lanterns or whatever they are being called.  This group is supposed to use love the way the Lanterns use willpower.  But instead, they just get tarted up and throw themselves at Green Lanterns (usually Hal – because he’s so awesome!).

I’m sorry, but seeing Fatality reduced to this:

It’s just sad.  Why is it that every female character in this book winds up in a purple G-string making out with disinterested Lanterns?  Why do you hate women, Geoff Johns?

(Yeah, I’m teasing about that last part.)

So, eventually Hal gets his hand of the Ring of Power… or I mean the Orange Battery and he goes all Frodo on us.  But, well, you just need to see this for yourselves:

Next issue: Hal eats a Whopper!

The conflict ends in the most ridiculous way imaginable.  Even Hal is shocked by it’s lameness:

So, the big fight just ends when Hal’s blue ring flies off to find a new wielder.  The Guardians, in their infinite stupidity, decide once again to make a deal with Larfleeze.  This time, they throw the Blue Lanterns under the cosmic bus to buy their own safety.

To further hit you over the head with foreshadowing, Johns gives Hal a glimpse of the future in which Sinestro asks for his help.  Johns has only been laying the groundwork for Hal and Sinestro to team up against the Guardians since forever ago.  At this point, it has been teased so much that I just want to get it over with.  Kind of like Blackest Night.

Speaking of which, the issue ends with yet another Blackest Night tease that doesn’t really tell you anything you don’t already know.

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Review: Daredevil #119

The Writing: Brubaker is placing all the necessary pieces for the endgame. He does so with ease. The issue flows nicely and it left me wanting more. Yes, just as Brubaker finally hit his stride on DD, he’s out the door.

The Drawing: This book looks beautiful. Well, as beautiful as the dirty, murky city of Daredevil’s New York can. Lark & Gaudiano do their job well, as always, but, to me, Matt Hollingsworth’s colors almost steal the show. I’ll be sad to see this team go as well.

Final Word: Just a completely solid comic, in every way. It looks like Brubaker is setting Daredevil up for more tragedy. Poor, poor Matt. Why do writers love the taste of your tears?

Grade: A-

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Review: Wonder Woman #33

Gail Simone’s Wonder Woman has been fairly uneven, but it must be said that, at the very least, her eight-part “Rise of the Olympian” arc has been exciting and action-packed without sacrificing the wit or character moments for which Simone is rightfully known.  This issue is no exception.  To wind down her most widely publicized arc yet, Simone gives us a fun, exciting, slightly flawed issue that nonetheless offers up a more-than-satisfying conclusion to her massive story.

The series has had a fair number of epic moments, and this issue is no exception.  With Genocide finally handled – or was she? – by Wonder Woman last issue, it seemed like things were finally being toned down for the last issue… at least until it was revealed that there was another side in this fight.  Long-time Wonder Woman villain Ares makes his appearance, a traitor is unmasked, and war breaks out.

Lopresti is better than ever.  When asked to illustrate a fight that Simone’s dialogue made out to be Hurricane-like in its devastation to the surroundings, he seemed ill-suited to the task, but there’s something about this issue that suits his talents much better.  Perhaps its that we’ve been trained to largely ignore the carnage of war, or perhaps its the larger-than-life nature of the participants, but Lopresti’s art was top-notch for this final issue, illustrating the monstrous sea-beasts as well as a variety of Amazons with skill and distinctive designs.

The issue also brought about, to my surprise, a rather immense change to the status quo, one which Simone has in some ways been building up to for the entirety of her run.  I’m not sure how I feel about it – from a storytelling perspective, it provides a lot of interesting opportunities, but there are a few moments that I’m not quite sure the book earned, a few shortcuts seemingly taken to the book’s detriment.  One in particular, at the climax of this issue.  

Despite those, however, it can’t be denied that Simone did an excellent job subverting the expectations of her audience in a fun, exciting way, and if her new status quo has any sort of staying power in an era of retcons gone wild, she’ll be an influence on Wonder Woman writers for years to come.

Grade: B+

- Cal Cleary

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Review: Teen Titans #72

I’ve been a vocal critic of Sean McKeever’s run on Teen Titans for a long time now.  Last issuewas McKeever’s last as the writer of the main feature!  This issue kicks off the run for new Titans scribe, Bryan Miller.

Any time a new writer comes on board a book I have not been enjoying, I am always hoping for a Supergirlsituation.  For years, Supergirl was unreadable no matter who was writing her.  But when Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle took over the book, it became a great read month after month.

On the other hand, you have something like Green Arrow/Black Canary.  By the time Judd Winick left the book, I was more than happy to see a new writer come on board.  But Andrew Kreisberg has somehow found a way to drive that book even more of course than it already was.

Miller’s first issue of Titans fits somewhere in the middle.  It’s certainly not worse than McKeever’s Titans.  But it’s also not a staggering step up in quality.  Having said that, it is substantially better than the best issue of McKeever’s run.   So, at least it’s an improvement.

The issue starts off easing the reader into the new line-up.  Each character gets a short introduction courtesy of narration by Wonder Girl.  It’s nothing special, but I appreciated the effort to reach out to new readers at this jump-on point.

The best part of the issue was this: for most of the book, the Titans are just having fun and hanging out.  After McKeever’s blood-soaked angst fest, it was a relief to see the Titans kick back and relax.  The character interaction even had me warming to Bombshell, a character I usually deplore.

The lone hold-out on the reveling is Wonder Girl.  Ever since Infinite Crisis, it seems like every writer portrays her as a whiny, broody teen.  (Kind of like the Loeb take on Supergirl, actually).  And even with Wonder Girl, there is some hint that Miller might be lightening her up – which would be a welcome change!

Of course, first Wonder Girl had to get her ass handed to her by the “new Fearsome Five”.  A couple of thoughts:

• Doesn’t it seem like every time the Fearsome Five appear in a comic book, they are billed as “new”?
• Why does every writer since Infinite Crisis feel like they need to tear Wonder Girl down and build her back up?  How many times is she going to go through the exact same story arc to realize she is a hero, leader, whatever?
• Why are the Titans investigating a prison?

Oh wait, I got ahead of myself.  Wonder Girl sits out on the Titans’ fun because she is inspecting a prison?!?  Why would anyone want the Titans to inspect a prison?  Apparently, the Titans inspect this particular prison every week. 

At one point, the guard accompanying Wonder Girl even asks her if she wants to finish the inspection because there are bound to be some super villains who would love to take down a Titan.  Gee, do you think?

Of course the inspection is really a trap.  The Fearsome Five overwhelm Wonder Girl and for some reason they broadcast the fight for all to see.  This conveniently allows the other Titans to see Wonder Girl in trouble and presumably come to her rescue next issue.

Plotwise, this issue left a lot to be desired.  But the change in tone and increased focus on character over shock is enough for me to recommend the book to Titans fans who have been hungering for a change.

Unfortunately, not everything changed.  McKeever is still writing the back-up feature starring his favorite character, Ravager.  The first thing that struck me about this back-up feature is that McKeever spent his last issue of Titans setting up a new status quo for Ravager and then he ignored it here.

Last issue, we saw Ravager ditch the drugs that allowed her to glimpse into the future.  This issue, she’s back on them.  Last issue, she left with the former Red Devil in tow.  This issue, he’s back with the Titans and Ravager is traveling solo. 

Both of these things could have changed between the end of last issue and the start of this one.  But then why spend an entire issue setting up a new status quo if you’re just going to ignore it anyway?

The other thing that struck me about the co-feature is that with very few changes, this story could have been about Wolverine.  Ravager is having trouble with her memories.  She’s stumbling around a frozen tundra and finds her way to a bar.  The patrons of the bar are unfriendly, so she makes with the bad-assery.  Snore.

The back-up ends pretty abruptly when McKeever seems to have run out of pages.  As back-up features go, this one was easily the worst of the bunch.  By and large, I’ve enjoyed these features as a bonus in the face of increased prices.  But in this case, no value is added.  Hopefully, McKeever can be chased off this book entirely and someone else can take over the back-up feature as well.

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Review: Secret Warriors #5

Story: After four issues of boring talking, we get action, Jackson! Hickman throws in a few flashbacks, but it’s pretty much all “Krak!” and “Pow!”

Art: Well, this was Caselli’s issue to shine, and he did! Caselli is a capable artist. I’m not sure if his art is right for this series, since he struggles with many of the quieter moments, but on an all-action bonanza? He’s gold.

Final Word: Though this issue may seem as short as this review, I enjoyed every second of it. Hickman proved that he can write a good action scene, and he sold me on the characters and premise in the first four issues.

Grade: B+

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Review: Gotham City Sirens #1

I hadn’t planned to pick this up, based on the previews, but after Dini’s fantastic Batman: Streets of Gotham and following his great run on Detective Comics, I though the book deserved a chance.  Gotham City Sirens operates as a team-up book between Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy in the extremely chaotic new Gotham City.  Alongside the recent Batman & Robin #1, Detective Comics #854, Batman #687, and Red Robin #1 (and, of course, Dini’s other title, Streets), Sirens is also about the efforts of a number of former supporting characters trying to carve out their own piece of the City, in one way or another.  But how does it work?

Despite some quality work, both from writer Paul Dini and artist Guillem March, though, the answer for the book is largely ‘no’.  It’s a slight, breezy read, and Dini does a better job than I thought he would in introducing Catwoman into the beloved Harlvey/Ivy mix, but where it ultimately fails is in the art.  March and Dini appear to have taken the theory “Give them what they want” to rather extreme lengths – the amount of cheesecake in the book is absurd.

Which is unfortunate.  When March isn’t concerned with arching backs just enough to highlight both the breasts and the butts of the anti-heroines in every panel they’re in, he draws some genuinely dynamic fight scenes that were a pleasure to watch.  His style is a little too cartoonish for the book at times – it seems like he’s trying to go for funny through exaggerated and never quite gets there – but his work is far from bad, it just isn’t used as well as it could be.

I’m also glad that Dini is following up on what happened to Catwoman in Heart of Hush, even if what happened to Catwoman in Heart of Hush was absolutely ridiculous (in a bad way).  Dini provides the core of an interesting book here – Catwoman recovering from a recent trauma with two people she absolutely can’t trust… but the last she heard, Bruce was dead, Tim was seriously wounded, and the guy dressed as Batman beat the tar out of her, so her circle of ‘friends’ is diminishing quickly.

All that could be very, very interesting, played the right way.  But instead, Dini and March seem to have opted to play it Charlie’s Angels style, a concept that may not exactly have staying power when you consider the fact that two of the three of them are two of Gotham’s most hardcore villainesses.  And, to be entirely frank, I’m not sure I’d miss it if it were gone.

Grade: C+

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Review: Green Lantern #42

The Words: Johns, as he has in all of the “Prelude to Blackest Night” issues, spoon-feeds us a lot of information. Johns sold me on this series long ago, so, of course, the exposition is fascinating to me. And those jumping on board for the mega-event shouldn’t be too lost. What’s interesting is that this issue is as goofy as Johns has ever been on this series. Do you even remember when this book was wacky? It got very serious during the “Sinestro Corps” stuff, which was basically a war comic, but this issue features a half-dozen moments that will either leave you chuckling or booing. I fell into the former category.

The Pictures: Oh, lord. This issue is even more of an artistic mess than last issue. There are two completely different art teams working here. That’s right, two pencilers, two inkers, and two colorists. There’s no rhyme or reason to the change in art, and the effect is jarring. Oh, and Hal’s two rings change places as well. Tan might be a slow artist. Or maybe he was busy or DC screwed him, I don’t know. What I do know is that I’m looking forward to Doug Mahnke’s future issues even more right now.

Final Word: I had fun, and I thoroughly enjoyed the “Blackest Night” info and hints. However, the poor art and sheer goofiness may repel some readers. 

Grade: C+

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Review: Detective Comics #854

Detective Comics, the title for which DC Comics is actually named, is no longer headed by Batman, at least not for now.  No, for the next few months, Detective Comics will be led by the mysterious Batwoman.  It’s a risky move, but if Detective Comics #854 is any example of what we can expect from future issues, it’s one that should work very, very well.

Introduced in 52, Batwoman drew a lot of ire from a lot of fans as being just another token minority character (in this case, a lesbian).  That said, her appearances as a supporting character in the interesting relationship between Vic Sage and Renee Montoya didn’t exactly give her too much screen time in which to flourish, and the complaint came at a time when DC was introducing a rush of new characters to the scene, almost every one of which was met with similar complains.  Despite constant promises for the last three years that the character would be fleshed out in her own mini, DC (perhaps) smartly waited until now to do so.  A mini starring a female character is a risky proposition at best in today’s market.  But put that same character headlining in their oldest title in place of the missing Batman?  Well, we’ll see how that works out… but it’s certainly brought the character back to the spotlight in a big way.

So, now that Kate Kane is there, how does she fare?  Quite well!  To no one’s surprise at all, Rucka delivers a quality opening issue working with J.H. Williams III, one of the most talented artists in comics.  The pair offer up a tense, action packed issue that fulfills the promise to begin fleshing out Kate Kane as a character while continuing the ongoing saga of the Crime Bible.  A new villain is introduced, and a supporting cast is started.  Not a bad beginning for a character who was, coming into the issue, largely a blank slate.  There is one worrying moment in the issue, dealing with a potential motivation for Kate, in which it is hinted that Kate has the most trite origin imaginable for a modern female hero, but the remainder of the issue is of such high quality that I am willing to wait and see where Rucka takes this.

The real star here, though, is Williams and colorist Dave Stewart, who’ve given the book a rather haunting look in its frequent contrasts of white, red and black and its absolutely stellar panelling.  By now, you’ve likely all seen the preview pages that have been posted on every comics site in existence.  Suffice to say, the entire issue lives up to that level of quality with ease.  It’s very nearly worth the price of admission to see the art alone.

The second part of the book – and the reason for the dreaded $3.99 price tag – is the backup feature, this one also by Greg Rucka.  Cully Hamner (Blue Beetle) is given the unenviable task of following up on the JH Williams III main feature, but he does an excellent job in giving Renee a physical personality and sense of style that easily could have gotten lost in the shortened page count.  The story is brief and compelling, every bit as good as the excellent backup from Streets of Gotham.  It’s a more-than-worthy addition to an excellent first issue.

Grade: A-

- Cal Cleary

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Review: Power Girl #2

Fair or not, it’s hard to think of a comic solely by the name of the artist, much harder than it is to think of it solely by the name of the writer(s).  More people say “Moore’s Watchmen” than Gibbons’ Watchmen” or even “Moore and Gibbons’ Watchmen“.  Still, this is unquestionably Amanda Conner’s Power Girl.  Conner carries the success of this book on her shoulders, her expressive art and unique style offering up an absolutely lovely take on the old, underused character.  But is her art enough?

Palmiotti and Gray have teamed up a number of times before, but have achieved little critical or devoted fan following over the years.  Power Girl illustrates why – the plot is overly simplistic and the dialogue trite, as they fail to fully make use of their talented art team or free reign with an interesting character.  The book is often fun, and the pair seem to be having a blast, but not all of that energy makes it to the page.  There is the argument that it’s simply traditional super-heroics in a more cynical age, but many of us have experienced ‘traditional super-heroics’ in a more complex form – traditional or even simple doesn’t have to translate to lazy.

Power Girl is not a bad book by any means.  Admittedly, this is only because of Amanda Conner, but still – for $2.99 you get an absolutely lovely 22 pages of story.  It may not be the most compelling story on the stands, but as far as fluff goes it nonetheless remains satisfying.

Grade: B-

- Cal Cleary

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