Review: Superman #692

When last we left Superman, Mon-El had been beaten up, a bomb had gone off, Lane’s plan was revealed to us, and Superman himself, back on Earth for a brief time, had tried to stop a Kryptonian agent from a devastating strike.  And while this issue is in many ways a direct follow up to that, it feels painfully schizophrenic in doing so.  The world now believes Mon-El to be dead, a water shortage has caused its value to skyrocket, everyone thinks Superman is a traitor, Lane is a national hero, John Henry Irons is in a coma and Zatara has been kidnapped, taken to an alternate dimension, and is being pumped for infor… wait, what?

Before “Codename: Patriot”, Robinson’s Superman was a stellar blend of action and drama that managed to turn Mon-El and the Guardian into compelling characters.  Now, we skip entire story-lines – such as the Zatara one – and get our exposition through psychopathic rants from Morgan Edge, who spend the entire issue enraged and half-shaven and just generally looking homeless.  Anti-Kryptonian sentiment runs rampant as Edge and Lane stir up an insultingly jingoistic humans-first agenda, but the plot is missing exactly what Robinson normally does best: the human touch.  Frankly, every single one of us knows how the bulk of this story will play out.  What we don’t know is, how are the people in Metropolis reacting?  Why?

Unfortunately, when a book’s scope magnifies and the crossovers begin, one of the first things we lose is almost always that human element.  New artist Fernando Dagnino is given little to do with this issue, so it’s hard to judge how well he’ll fit on the title.  His brief action scenes seem competent, but then, his Morgan Edge looks like a complete lunatic.  Though it is impossible for me to make any long-term statements about him on this title and nothing in the issue sets him apart as a particular talent, he does a fine job with illustrating most of what Robinson throws his way.

Pre-”Codename: Patriot”, Superman was only a crossover in name.  It was given space to explore its own world and tell its own stories, and it had a great deal of potential there.  With “Patriot” come and gone, however, the book is rushing headlong into the master-plot.  If that master-plot was fascinating, perhaps this wouldn’t be a problem, but  Superman is offering nothing you haven’t seen before.  It isn’t terrible, it’s just painfully average.

Grade: C-

- Cal Cleary

Superman #691

Superman #689

Double-Review: Final Crisis Aftermath: Dance #5 & Immortal Weapons #3

Final Crisis Aftermath: Dance #5

Dance continues to be a pleasant surprise, though one that is running a bit too long.  The first three issues did little besides establish a status quo – one that was reinforced time and time again throughout.  #4 picked it up again, however, and #5 continues to show some signs of improvement as we race towards the finish line, including the book’s most well-constructed fight-scene as the team confronts Rising Sun and a great teaser for the next issue.  A fun read from start to finish, the issue was also helped by yet another replacement artist – Eduardo Pansica.  Pansica manages to keep the energetic cartoonishness of ChrisCross without sacrificing his own style, which is a bit more crisp than ChrisCross’.  One of the book’s strongest issues.

Grade: B+

Immortal Weapons #3

Last month’s Immortal Weapons one-shot focusing on the Bride of Nine Spiders was disappointing enough to have me rethinking my commitment to the series.  After all, with a revolving team of creators and no linking idea or theme beyond the back-up feature, not only was there no guarantee of quality, there was no way to know at all what you’d be getting.  This issue proved that point, though for the better: though Aaron’s “Fat Cobra” story was slightly stronger, Spears brings an unpredictable, emotional issue that manages to flesh out the mysterious Dog Brother #1 amidst the ravages of the Opium Wars.  The story is quick and tragic, expertly illustrated and quite memorable.

Faring less well is Foreman’s replacement on the Immortal Iron Fist back-up feature, Hatuey Diaz.  Diaz’s style is extremely exaggerated and cartoonish, which is a rather sudden break from not only Foreman’s crisper style, but also any of the other artists working on the mini.  There may be many books to which Diaz is suited, but his action scenes – one of the things that Immortal Iron Fist has rightfully become recognized for – are static and a bit sloppy.  The Immortal Iron Fist back-up is hardly the strongest thing about the mini, at least when placed against this month’s “Urban Legend” or the stellar “The Book of the Cobra”, but, as brief as it is, it should at least be consistent.  Swierczynski’s story, potentially gripping though it may be, moves along slowly, and Diaz slows the book’s momentum down significantly.

Grade: B+

- Cal Cleary

Read/RANT

Final Crisis Aftermath: Dance #4

Immortal Weapons #2: Bride of Nine Spiders

December 2009 DC Solicits + Commentary

I’ve been doing these for a little while now and they always seem to be popular.  So until people stop reading them, I’ll probably keep doing them.  For those who are new, here’s what you can expect.  I go through the latest DC solicits and add my (sometimes snarky) commentary.

I actually skipped the November solicits because Blackest Night took over the majority of the DC books.  One of my problems with Blackest Night (and I have many) is that the story is already getting repetitive.  We’ve seen the same couple of scenes repeated ad infinitum.  When you go through the solicits and every book has the same basic premise (Hero A comes into contact with Dead Person B!) it gets boring.  I couldn’t stand the thought of writing up all of those Blackest Night tie-ins, so I took a month off.

December is really no different.  So I’m going to be more selective about which books I include in this write-up.  And some books will no boubt be lumped together.  That way, I don’t bore you with the same entry 15 times.  (I’ll only bore you with it once – ba dum dum.)

Now that I’ve set the comedic bar at a level I can reach, let’s look at what DC will be offering in December:

Blackest Night Books

BLACKEST NIGHT #6
Written by Geoff Johns
Art and cover by Ivan Reis & Oclair Albert

    The secrets of Nekron are revealed as darkness consumes the DC Universe.
    Everything else: TOP SECRET.

GREEN LANTERN #49
Written by Geoff Johns
Art and cover by Ed Benes

    BLACKEST NIGHT continues! John Stewart comes face to face with his greatest failures, the planet Xanshi and his wife and fellow Green Lantern, Katma Tui. Plus, what does Fatality truly want with John?

These solicits are a little light on details.  But that’s a good thing in my book.  My concern is that from the details that are included in the solicits, it sure doesn’t sound like a whole lot has happened from Blackest Night 0 up to Blackest Night 6.  Doesn’t it sound like we’re in pretty much the same place we’ve been in from the start of this thing?

Also, did you see that Ed Benes is drawing GL 49.  You know what that means?  Fatality butt floss on every page!  Plus, zombie cleavage I would think.

Review: Blackest Night #3

Rant: Blackest Night #3

Review: Green Lantern #45

GREEN LANTERN CORPS #43

Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Art and cover by Pat Gleason & Rebecca Buchman

    Red rain falls! As the Black Lanterns continue their reign of terror and chaos on Oa, things go from bad to worse when a horrible loss for the Green Lantern Corps results in Guy Gardner becoming so enraged that he becomes a Red Lantern! And hell breaks loose as the Central Power Battery faces an attack from the newly arrived Black Lantern Corphans!

I split this one out from the other BN books for a couple of reasons:

1. Something happens!
2. An angry Guy Gardner is a good thing.

Yes, it kinda sucks that they went and spoiled this development a full 3 months before it happens.  But at this point I’m pretty glad to see any sign of forward plot movement from Blackest Night.  So I’ll take what I can get.

Also, I’ve seen a lot of Guy fans complaining about this already.  Come on, guys!  You know this isn’t going to last any longer than when Kyle got possessed by Parallax.  And that was the single coolest thing to happen in the Sinestro Crops War storyline.  So you should just be grateful that Guy is getting a spotlight.

Turing into a Red Lantern sure beats the one-panel “death” Jeph Loeb gave Guy in “Our Wolrds at War”.  It pretty much guarantees Guy’s going to be around at the end of Blackest Night.  But those close to Guy (whose deaths might push Guy into a rage) better watch their backs.

Review: Green Lantern Corps #39

Blackest Night Mini-Series

BLACKEST NIGHT: THE FLASH #1
Written by Geoff Johns
Art and cover by Scott Kolins

    The Flashes of Two Cities – Barry Allen and Wally West – battle the undead Rogues. Will the legendary speedsters be able to handle the Black Lantern Rogues’ revenge? Plus, witness the resurrection of Barry’s greatest enemy, the Reverse Flash in this hyper-speed miniseries event reuniting the fan-favorite FLASH creative team of Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins!

BLACKEST NIGHT: JSA #1
Written by James Robinson
Art by Eddy Barrows & Ruy José

    The mystery men of yesterday are back and they seek the hearts of their new counterparts! It’s Mr. Terrific vs. Mr. Terrific, Dr. Midnite vs. Dr. Midnite, Sand vs Wesley Dodds! Can the new generation of heroes survive the rise of the Black Lantern JSA? Find out in this all-new miniseries from original JSA co-writer James Robinson and rising star artist Eddy Barrows (BLACKEST NIGHT: SUPERMAN)!

BLACKEST NIGHT: WONDER WOMAN #1
Written by Greg Rucka
Art by Nicola Scott

    Fan-favorite writer Greg Rucka returns to chronicle the adventures of the Amazing Amazon in the DC Universe’s darkest hour! Black Lantern Maxwell Lord has risen and he seeks revenge and retribution for his murder at the hands of Diana. Look for unexpected changes to await Wonder Woman in the course of this series as she plays a major role in the War of Light against the Blackest Night.

I had pretty low expectations of the first batch of BN tie-in mini-series.  And so far, they have met or exceeded by expectations.  BN: Superman actually had a pretty strong first issue.  But it seems like you can skip all three and not miss anything.  And Tales of the Corps was an embarrassing money grab.  DC should be ashamed of that one.

This crop of tie-ins seems a little more promising to me.  I was a fan of the Johns/Kollins run on Flash and I liked the first 2/3 of their “Rogues Revenge” mini-series.  So while “Rebirth” isn’t to my liking, I expect I’ll like BN: Flash okay as long as Johns can keep the retcons to a minimum. 

The stand-out to me promises to be BN: Wonder Woman.  I know Rucka was upset he never got to deal with the fallout from the death of Max Lord.  Now, it looks like he’ll get that chance even if it years a few years late.  Plus, you’ve got Nicola Scott.  Nicola Scott + Wonder Woman is worth my $3 every time.

Review: Blackest Night: Superman #2

ADVENTURE COMICS #5

Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Jerry Ordway; co-feature art by Francis Manapul

     Concluding the 2-part BLACKEST NIGHT tale of Superboy-Prime! The Black Lanterns have forced Prime to face his deepest and darkest fears, but what – and who – are they? And how will Superboy-Prime strike back after this devastating attack?
    Plus, Conner Kent faces off with Superman’s greatest enemy in an exciting co-feature by Geoff Johns and Francis Manapul. That’s right: Superboy confronts Lex Luthor!

I’m truly torn on this one.  On the one hand, I’ve been enjoying Adventure Comics so far.  On the other, I’m really sick of Johns’ take on Superboy-Prime.  The end of Legion of Three Worlds totally crossed a line for me and I was hoping not to see the character again for a while.  But Johns just can’t seem to stay away from him.  On the upside, I’m looking forward to the Conner/Lex confrontation.

Review: Adventure Comics #2

BOOSTER GOLD #27

Written by Dan Jurgens
Art and cover by Dan Jurgens& Norm Rapmund
    Black Lantern Ted Kord is out for blood in this BLACKEST NIGHT tie-in issue! Blue Beetle Jaime Reyes joins forces with Booster Gold in an attempt to take down Black Lantern Ted Kord once and for all. But the battle will have consequences for the Blue and the Gold, and Booster and Beetle’s lives will be forever changed!

This is another tough one.  This issue definitely fits into the “Hero A comes into contact with Dead Person B” formula I talked about earlier.  And there’s no way I won’t be sick of that by the end of the year.  And DC has already gone to the Ted Kord well at least one time too many since killing him off in Countdown.  But still, I really like Booster Gold.  I feel like Jurgens does a great job with the book and I’d like to see it get some attention.  Hopefully Jurgens can rise above the formula and deliver one of the better tie-ins to this event.

TEEN TITANS #78

Written by J.T. Krul
Art and cover by Joe Bennett & Jack Jadson
    An unexpected BLACKEST NIGHT team-up! Ravager has sworn to kill her father Deathstroke. But what happens when they’re forced to fight side-by-side against their dead friends and relatives? Will they kill each other before the Black Lanterns do?

Remember when Titans was the goose that laid the golden eggs?  Well, DC totally killed that goose.  (I think that goose may even be a Black Lantern!)  This franchise is in a tail spin and DC doesn’t seem to know what to do to pull out of it.  I’ll give you a hint, DC, a Deathstroke/Ravager issue is NOT the answer.

On the upside, I don’t see Sean McKeever’s name anywhere on this comic book.  Therefore, I will buy it on principle.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #40

Written by James Robinson
Art and cover by Mark Bagley & Rob Hunter
    The JLA can’t escape the BLACKEST NIGHT! Faced with the continuing threat of the Black Lanterns, Zatanna, Vixen and the rest of the team confront their pasts when fallen friends and foes return for blood!

I can’t be the only one who finds Bagley’s cover to be hideous, right?

I recently posted an article about the new JLA line-up.  Interesting to see Vixen and Zatanna featured so prominently after not being included in the official line-up.  I guess the rumors that Robinson’s team will be super-sized are true.

As I said in my article, I really can’t muster up any excitement for Robinson’s JLA after 3 issues of Cry for Justice.

JLA: the New Line-Up

BATMAN #694

Written by Tony Daniel
Art by Tony Daniel & Sandu Florea

    While Black Mask and his Ministry of Death struggle to maintain control of Gotham City, The Dark Knight sets his sights on Kittyhawk – a young thief pivotal to the outcome of Black Mask’s gang war. But will a powerful adversary thought long dead spoil all of Batman’s plans? Guest-starring Oracle and the Penguin!

Not too much to say here.  I’m having some trouble keeping up my enthusiasm for Batman with the back-and-forth writing from Winick and Daniel.  I mean, these are two of my least favorite writers in comics these days.  Black Mask and Penquin both feel over-used these days.  And I’m enjoying them more in Dini’s Streets of Gotham.

*shrug*

DETECTIVE COMICS #860

Written by Greg Rucka
Art by JH Williams III; co-feature art by Cully Hamner

    Batwoman’s origin story concludes here! In “Go!” part 3, Kate Kane becomes Batwoman and goes after a terrorist cell in Gotham, but all does not go according to plan. Plus, in the present, Kate confronts her father about her supposedly dead sister!
    In the co-feature, the Huntress joins The Question in her quest to track down the leaders of the human trafficking ring. But finding them – and bring them to justice – will be harder and more dangerous than either hero thought!

Confession time: I’m a behind on this title.  But I love the art on the book.  Rucka’s writing hasn’t completely won me over to Batwoman yet.  But maybe I’ll feel differently once I catch up.  I am looking forward to seeing the Huntress and the Question though!

Review: Detective Comics #857

BATMAN: STREETS OF GOTHAM #7

Written by Paul Dini; co-feature written by Marc Andreyko
Art by Dustin Nguyen & Derek Fridolfs; co-feature art by Jeremy Haun

    Paul Dini returns to STREETS OF GOTHAM as Batman and Robin uncover a sinister plot involving dozens of Gotham City’s young runaways. Is Arkham Asylum escapee Humpty Dumpty at the center of the scheme – or is he just the tip of an even more dangerous iceberg? Guest-starring Abuse and Zsasz!
    And in the Manhunter co-feature, now that Kate has finally tracked down Two-Face, she’s ready to confront him for the hit he ordered on Gotham’s former D.A. But their confrontation is not going to go the way she planned!

I haven’t gotten around to writing up a review for Streets of Gotham, but I have been keeping up with the book and mostly enjoying it.  I wasn’t thrilled with the 60′s-TV show-worthy bad guy, The Broker.  But if you’re going to do the character, last issue was about as good of a story as you could possibly tell.  I am enjoying watching Dini re-invent Mr. Zsasz.  And I am enjoying the build-up in the Manhunter back-up to the inevitable showdown beteen the former DA of Gotham and the new sheriff in town.

Review: Batman: Streets of Gotham #1

BATGIRL #5

Written by Bryan Q. Miller
Art by Lee Garbett & Trevor Scott
Cover by Phil Noto
    It’s Bat vs. Bat in “Core Requirements” part 1! As Gotham City burns, the new Batgirl comes face-to-face with Batman and Robin, who are anything but happy about her running around with a bat-symbol on her costume. Batman confronts Oracle as Damian confronts Stephanie in the ultimate Bat-family feud.

My favorite thing about this series so far is the Phil Noto covers.  And I think this is Noto’s best cover yet.  But the first two issues were pretty mediocre.  And it’s not promising that the solicit for this issue reads an awful lot like the one for the first issue.

In all honesty, if the next issue is a marked improvement over the first two I am unlikely to be here for issue 5.

Review: Batgirl #2

Review: Batgirl #1

GOTHAM CITY SIRENS #7

Written by Paul Dini
Art and cover by Guillem March
    Catwoman takes charge as the other Sirens fall victim to their most dangerous challenge yet!

Does the text for this solicit even matter?

Hey, I like Catwoman’s boobs as much as the next guy.  Depending on who the next guy is, I may like them more.  I’ve got a healthy collection of Jim Balent’s boobtastic run on Catwoman to prove it.  But even I got sick of this bad girl retread after the first couple of issues.

Can this book really be written by the same guy who is writing Streets of Gotham?  Maybe there are two Paul Dini’s.  One of them worked in animation and wrote Detective Comics and Streets of Gotham.  The other guy wrote Countdown and this.

It’s the best explanation I can come up with.

Review: Gotham City Sirens #1

SUPERMAN: SECRET ORIGIN #4

Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Gary Frank & Jon Sibal

    While everyone wants something from Metropolis’ first Super Hero, Superman must fight his first Super-Villain – someone who wants everything – the Parasite! Meanwhile, Lex Luthor turns his attention toward The Man of Steel…
    Geoff Johns and Gary Frank continue their bold reinterpretation of the origin of The Man of Steel for the 21st Century!

Geoff Johns can hand in a blank script for all I care.  I’m on board this mini-series for Gary Frank’s art.  As I said in my review of the first issue, the art pushes all my Superman fanboy buttons.

Review: Superman: Secret Origin #1

ACTION COMICS #884

Written by Greg Rucka; co-feature written by James Robinson & Greg Rucka
Art by Pere Pérez; co-feature art by CAFU

    When Lois tries to run the story that will clear Flamebird and Nightwing once and for all, she finds herself blocked at every turn. With the world’s anti-Kryptonian sentiment escalating to a near-frenzy, not even being General Lane’s daughter will keep her safe!
    Plus, to the shock and horror of Flamebird, the problems with Nightwing’s uncontrolled aging reach a critical juncture! and in part 6 of the new co-feature, Captain Atom squares off against his old adversary Major Force just as some troubling memories start to resurface – one word: Monarch!

I’m not loving the Anti-Krypton story that seems to be taking hold of the Superman books post Codename: Patriot.  It just feels like watered-down X-Men.  Are you really going to cover any new territory here?  I don’t think so.

As I mentioned in my review of the latest issue, the Captain Atom back-up is just getting tiresome.  The word “Monarch” does nothing to improve my outlook on that subject.

Review: Action Comics #881

SUPERMAN #695

Written by James Robinson
Art by Fernando Dagnino & Raúl Fernandez

    Part 2 of Man of Valor! Metropolis gets a chance to see the new Mon-El in action. But now the stakes are raised even higher and the action escalates as Mon finally goes mano-a-mano against the Parasite! This is a battle that’s been brewing since Mon’s emergence on Earth and now it explodes into the streets and skies of the city.
    Plus, with Mon-El’s secret identity publicly known, how will the Science Police react to him now that they know he’s been living among them all this time? All this plus the return of Natasha Irons and the fate of Steel!

I’ve actually enjoyed most of Robinson’s run on Superman.  But even I have to admit that the pace has been somewhat slow.  Some issues have felt like padding.  But this issue looks like it will finally advance some long-dangling plot threads.  And that’s good – as long as they aren’t tied up as sloppily as the Codename: Patriot finale.  That was a stinker.

Review: Superman #691

SUPERMAN: WORLD OF NEW KRYPTON #10

Written by Greg Rucka & James Robinson
Art by Pete Woods

    New Krypton is a planet so fresh, it’s experiencing countless things for the first time. Its first spring. Its first blooms. Its first birth of a child. And now its first homicide. When an important figure in Kandor is murdered, the suspect seems obvious to everyone but Superman. But can he make Zod or the Council believe this is more than an open-and-shut case? And can he uncover the real killer in time to save the life of the accused? It’s a dark mystery, but R.E.B.E.L.S. star Adam Strange arrives in time to help find answers…even though the truth may blow apart the civilized trappings of Kandorian society in the process.
    This action-packed arc leads all the way to the series’ final issue, which itself sets the stage for huge happenings in the DC Universe next summer!

The other Superman books have their charms.  But I can certainly understand why fans would be disappointed in them some times.  World of New Krypton, on the other hand, always delivers.  Next to Secret Six, it is the book I look forward to the most from month to month.  I’ll be sad when it’s over!

Review: Superman: World of New Krypton #7

SUPERGIRL #48

Written by Sterling Gates
Art by Matt Camp

    Uh-oh! The Silver Banshee is back in Metropolis! This time she’s after an artifact that could finally break her family’s eternal curse. When Inspector Mike Henderson gets involved, Supergirl is pulled into the conflict! Meanwhile, Lana Lang’s mysterious condition takes a turn for the worse. Will the Girl of Steel be able to save her only two human friends? Join fan-favorite writer Sterling Gates and guest artist Matt Camp (SUPERMAN: SECRET FILES 2009, Zero Killer) to find out!

I hate to say it, but the usually reliable Gates/Igle team has hit a bit of a speed bump with the last couple of issues.  Crossovers into Codename: Patriot and Hunt for Reactron have pushed the book slightly off track.  Hopefully, now that those crossovers are in the past, the team can get back to delivering very good (maybe even great) Supergirl stories.

Hey!  Where’s Igle?

Review: Supergirl #44

WORLD’S FINEST #3

Written by Sterling Gates
Art by Jamal Igle

    The Toyman has crafted the ultimate killing machine to protect himself from the Kryptonian menace, and Oracle has sent Supergirl and Batgirl to stop it. But when Supergirl faces off against the Kryptonite Man while the new Batgirl takes on Catwoman, they both find themselves in over their heads.This looks like a job for…

Oh, here he is.

This solicit sounds good enough to me.  So, I’ll use this space to address something that has been bugging me.  With no Birds of Prey book, I’m not sure what Oracle’s role is in the DCU.  She just seems to be all over the place.  Is she running The Network, mentoring Batgirl, or just setting up random operations like this one?  I don’t know.  But I’d really like to see her concentrate on setting up a regular group of operatives like what she had in Birds of Prey.

I really miss that book!

GREEN ARROW & BLACK CANARY #27

Written by Andrew Kreisberg
Art by Renato Guedes & Jose Wilson Magalhaes and Mike Norton & Bill Sienkiewicz

    First up: “Five Stages” part 3! Cupid and Green Arrow team up against Black Canary and Green Arrow (?!) just as the mysterious soldiers of Cobalt make Star City their own battlefield!
    And then in the co-feature: Just where did this mysterious second Green Arrow come from? And how is Cobalt connected to his recent past?

Every month, when the solicits come out, Green Arrow/Black Canary is one of the first things I look at.  It’s not because I am anxiously awaiting hints of what is to come on the book.  It’s because I desperately hope that DC will replace Andrew Kreisberg.

Every month, I am disappointed.

And then I see Cupid on the cover and I can barely contain my fanboy rage.  Please, DC, do something about this book!

Review: Green Arrow & Black Canary #21

JSA Books

Written by Bill Willingham
Art by Travis Moore & Dan GreenJSA ALL-STARS #1
Written by Matthew Sturges
Art and cover by Freddie Williams II

    The Justice Society struggles to pick up the pieces after the team’s devastating break up! Regrouping at a new, temporary home base, the smaller team reflects on the recent infiltration of their ranks and how they can protect themselves from another such attack in the future! And why is the new Dr. Fate acting so weird?

 

    An all-new ongoing series! The Justice Society spin off group struggles to pull itself toward some semblance of order after the JSA’s devastating split! New home base, new training methods, new villains – all bringing the JSA All-Stars face-to-“face” with one of their greatest villains again – for the first time! Join writer Matthew Sturges (JUSTICE SOCIETY, JACK OF FABLES) and artist Freddie Williams II (ROBIN) for a new chapter in the JSA legacy.

Well, the cast is definitely big enough to support two books.  So, this seems like a no-brainer to split the team.  I don’t know if I’ll follow both books or not. 

Review: Justice Society of America #29

POWER GIRL #7

Written by Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray
Art and cover by Amanda Conner
    A blast from the past! The alien Vartox has come to Earth to claim a wife—and her name is Power Girl! PG may have wanted a boyfriend, but not quite like this! The fan-favorite team of Palmiotti, Gray and Conner craft another winner!

I’m a big fan of Amanda Conner’s art.  And I feel she is the perfect artist for Power Girl.  But the writing team of Palmiotti and Gray always leaves me feeling underwhelmed.  This book is a great book to thumb through at the comic shop for the art.  But reading it sometimes feels like a chore.

I appreciate the light tone and the art.  I just wish the writing were a little more interesting.

SECRET SIX #16

Written by Gail Simone
Art by Peter Nguyen & Doug Hazlewood

    The supremely powerful and infinitely dangerous Black Alice returns and she’s decided she wants to be a member of the Six – even if someone has to die to make room!

Of all the books coming out in December, this is the one I’l looking forward to the most!

And yay Black Alice!

Boo no Nicola Scott!

Review: Secret Six #13

WONDER WOMAN #39

Written by Gail Simone
Art by Aaron Lopresti & Matt Ryan

    This is it! The secret behind Wonder Woman’s new power and the true meaning of the Olympian are revealed right here!
It’s an all-out action issue as Diana faces an old foe with a hideous new face!

I’m still hoping Gail Simone can make me love her Wonder Woman as much as I love Secret Six.  This issue sure sounds like a winner.  You know I’ll be there.

(But odds are Seventh Soldier will beat me to the punch when it comes time to write a review.)

Review: Wonder Woman #34

TITANS #20

Written by Mike Johnson
Art by Angel Unzueta & Wayne Faucher

    Spotlight on Donna Troy! What happens when a young twenty-something woman feels like she grew up too fast and deprived herself of a twenty-something kind of life? As Donna ponders this, the Fearsome Five continue their Titans revenge streak. They picked the wrong time to do it…

Seriously, if you’re not going to do anything with this book, just cancel it and spare us all the trouble.

read/RANT

Video Review: Superman/Batman: Public Enemies *Spoilers*

This is an early review of Warner Brother’s latest direct to video DC animated feature.  WB Animation has a really good track record with these releases.  I feel that the production values of the DCU features have been superior to most direct-to-video releases.  And “Public Enemies” is no exception.  In fact, it may be the best-looking release to date if you like the Ed McGuiness-inspired artwork.

When “Public Enemies” was announced, I have to admit I was a little disappointed.  I read Jeph Loeb’s run on Superman/Batman.  For me, Superman/Batman was when Loeb embraced big, stupid spectacle over well-written comics.  “Public Enemies” made no sense.  But Loeb didn’t seem to care as long as he gave McGuiness plenty of big, splashy fight scenes to draw.

The animated adaptation of “Public Enemies” is no different in that respect.  The plot follows the same thin storyline.  A huge Kryptonite meteor is headed to earth and President Luthor uses it as an opportunity to vilify Superman and Batman.  It’s mostly an excuse for Batman and Superman to square off against guest star after guest star.

If anything, the animated version of “Public Enemies” is even bigger and more stupid than the comic book source material.  Just about every action any character takes is completely devoid of any rational explanation.  If the plot requires that a character needs to be convinced of Superman’s innocence, then one of Luthor’s conspirators conveniently confesses to his crimes within ear shot.  It’s that kind of movie.

However, big, dumb animated fight scenes are not without their charms.  There’s a certain fanboy thrill to watching Superman and Batman duke it out with Hawkman and Captain Marvel even if the fight defies any kind of logic.  And the scene in which an army of villains descend on the heroes in order to collect Luthor’s bounty of one billion dollars is fun if for no other reason than to see the random assortment of villains who are included.

This sort of spectacle plays better in a cartoon than it does a comic book.  And the fact that the cartoon does not include Loeb’s annoying Batman/Superman alternating narration is a big plus.

Another major selling point is the voice work.  The main voices are familiar to long-time fans of Bruce Timm’s animation.  Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly and Clancy Brown all return as Batman, Superman and Lex Luthor respectively.  Also, CCH Pounder reprises the role of Amanda Waller from Justice League Unlimited.  If only they could have gotten Macolm McDowell and Dana Delaney to reprise their roles as Metallo Lois Lane.

The numerous guest stars in the film include a number of notable cameos.  Smallville’s Allison Mack plays the buxom and doe-eyed Power Girl.  And John C. McGinley of “Scrubs” takes over the role of Metallo.  These are probably the most significant supporting roles and honestly they are too minor to make much of a difference.

Much like the comic it was based on, “Superman/Batman: Public Enemies” wears it’s stupidity like a badge of honor.  There’s no reason to buy this disc.  No one is going to want to watch it repeatedly.  But if you are in the mood for some truly mindless superhero smashing, “Superman/Batman” is worth a rental.

Compared with other WB releases, this one ranks high for its production values and low in just about every other way.  “Wonder Woman” is still the disc to beat overall.

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Review: The Web #1

Last week, The Shield #1 pleasantly surprised me.  Though the recent set of Red Circle one-shots from JMS did not draw my attention, I was intrigued enough by the creative teams for the main books to give them both a shot.  Angela Robinson, The Web‘s writer, is another import from film and television (“Hung”, “The L Word”, “D.E.B.S.”), and she makes her comics debut here on the main feature.  Her specialty is LGBT stories, but that doesn’t come out, at least not in any obvious way, in the opening issue of The Web.  Where Trautmann, now a veteran comic writer, felt comfortable just diving into his story and letting us keep up, Robinson’s approach is slower, and has less pay-off.

The bulk of the story fills us in on the history and family situation of John Raymond, aka the Web.  Though the information is certainly handy to have, especially since the issue strongly suggests that the death of John’s brother David will be the driving motivation of the book’s first arc, she drops a lot on us through a great deal of exposition.  That’s hardly uncommon in a first issue, and the amount of forward momentum Robinson provides throughout the issue is definitely promising, but it made for a slow start.

Also promising?  John solves just as many problems by knowing who to bribe as he does by putting on the suit.  Though artist Roger Robinson’s pencils are clean and crisp throughout much of the issue, his action scenes in the book appear fairly stiff, more a gathering of action poses than a genuine fight.  On the whole, however, Robinson’s work outside the in-costume scenes prove him to be an apt choice for the book.

The Hangman back-up feature is the issue’s biggest weakness.  Writer John Rozum’s first 10-page story is in large part an info-dump about who the Hangman is, how he operates, his secret identity, etc….  Unfortunately, Rozum doesn’t seem quite sure at all where to go from there – for ten pages, the story tries to do a lot of different things.  Is it a gritty urban anti-hero story?  How does that mesh with his ‘tortured hero lacking control’ bit?  Is that an element of supernatural noir I see?  Derenick and Sienkiewicz, reunited after Reign in Hell, offer up gritty, scratchy art that fits the Hangman sections quite well, but don’t quite fit his secret identity.  They also have a little trouble with the cramped space in which they’re working – forced to cram a whole night’s worth of fighting onto a single page, the result looks sloppy and confusing.

Still, a high concept character that few readers will be familiar with is a tough one to introduce so quickly.  Both the main feature and the back-up to The Web #1 are fairly flawed, but both have a great deal of room to grow.  Whether Rozum and Robinson are up to the task remains to be seen, but both introduce more than enough potentially interesting ideas into their story to warrant giving them a second chance.

Grade: C+

- Cal Cleary

Read/RANT

The Shield #1

Review: Superman: Secret Origin #1

As a reviewer, I like to be upfront with my biases.  Case in point, I don’t care for the mix of straight-up horror and traditional super heroics that is currently all the rage in Blackest Night.  On the other hand, I have great affection for Richard Donner’s “Superman: The Movie”.

I point this out because my nostalgia for the Christopher Reeve Superman greatly influenced my enjoyment of this issue.  Obviously Johns, who started as an assistant to Richard Donner, has a great deal of affection for the 1978 classic.  And Gary Frank’s take on Superman is highly evocative of Reeve.  As a fan, I could almost hear John Williams soaring film score as I turned the pages.

When I was a kid, my least favorite section of the movie was the middle chapter set in Smallville.  After the explosion of Krypton, I was ready to get to Superman.  But with repeated viewings, I gre to appreciate the Americana of the Smallville scenes.  As an adult, I consider the Smallville section to be the highlight of the movie.  So, this issue was practically guaranteed to be a home run for me. 

I have on occasion ranted against Geoff Johns for his habit of retconning the DC Universe to suit his purposes.  And that’s what Geoff Johns is doing here.  He’s rewriting Superman’s origin to line up with his plans for the Superman books going forward.  While that bugged me on Flash: Rebirth and Green Lantern, I have no problem with it here.  Maybe it’s personal preference or maybe it’s superior execution.  I leave that to you, the reader, to decide.

When this mini-series was announced, some people groused about the need to retell Superman’s origin again.  This is understandable given that it is one of the most oft-told stories on comics.  When you add in other media, the story of Superman’s origin has been done to death.

But Johns wisely assumes familiarity with the Superman mythos.  He skips over the traditional scenes of Krypton exploding.  Instead, he dwells on the parts that usually get glossed over in the typical telling of the origin.  In this issue, Johns explores young Clark’s experiences as he discovered his powers in Smallville.

For a die-hard Superman fan, there’s an abundance of geeky joys to revel in.  From Clark saving Lana from a wheat threasher (right out of Superman III) to a message from Jor-el (looking sort of like Marlon Brando and practically quoting the script to Superman I) to Clark’s first time in tights.

By far my favorite aspect of the book was the art.  Gary Frank is a super star.  He has been criminally under-rated for years now.  And I’m glad to see him finally getting his due.  Page after page, his art took my breath away.  I could have read this story with no text whatsoever.

The book is by no means perfect.  It reads like a typical Geoff Johns book.  If you’re not a fan of his work, this issue isn’t likely to change your mind.  But if the idea of reading another take on the Superman origin story has any appeal to you, odds are you’ll get your money’s worth out of this retelling.

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Review: Detective Comics #857

It’s relatively rare that the paneling in a comic – not the pencils, not the colors, but the layout itself – can make me sit up and take notice.  And yet, every month, J.H. Williams III uses the layout of Detective Comics in strange and interesting new ways to move the story along without letting it get bogged down by his somewhat stiff action sequences.  Sequences like the fight between Alice and Batwoman that is paneled within the small confines of their flowing capes gives Detective Comics #857 a visual dynamic that more than makes up for whatever shortcomings the book may have.

Rucka doesn’t manage quite as well as an out-of-left-field late-game twist hurts the book a bit.  While he continues to do fine work on the main feature, the brief Question back-up he does with Hamner generally features more focused writing.  In this issue’s main story, Kate and Alice come head-to-head after the kidnapping of Colonel Kane.  Master plans are revealed, secrets come out, and, unfortunately, there’s significantly more flash than substance to the conclusion of “Elegy”.  Despite all that, however, Rucka’s work on the title is still more than competent.  No matter how much the Alice story slipped by the end, Rucka still used the opportunity to begin fleshing out Kate’s backstory and supporting cast, two things the character desperately needed.

The issue was more than just a showcase for Williams, however, as Hamner steps up in the 8-page Question back-up feature and brings some of his best work to date.  A pair of brief sequences in particular stand out, the first coming as Renee breaks into a well-guarded mansion and the second featuring her daring escape.  The art is dark and slightly cartoonish, but it’s also fluid and lifelike in a way very few running scenes are in comics.  Though there appears to be no thematic or literal crossover between the two parts of Detective Comics, the Question back-up has quickly become a worthy piece of one of DC’s most entertaining, visually dynamic packages.

Grade: B+

- Cal Cleary

Read/RANT

Detective Comics #856

Detective Comics #855

Review: Blackest Night: Superman #2

Blackest Night: Superman #1 was handily the best thing to come out of Blackest Night thus far.  An excellent blend of superheroics and horror, it managed to do more with a few off-panel deaths and the color yellow than any ten gore-splattered comic corpses could.  Though Robinson carries over some of the semi-horror traditions – the idyllic small town, especially – to Blackest Night: Superman #2, this issue is much more of a straight-up superheroic battle.

Clark and Conner continue to battle zombie Superman in the skies above Smallville while zombie Lois Lane holds Martha (and the corpse of Jonathan) Kent hostage on the streets below.  The tension this issue, however, comes from the sudden arrival of a new player: Psycho Pirate.  As he incites all sorts of colorful emotions on the unsuspecting populace of Smallville, the idyllic town descends into utter chaos… and becomes the perfect food for the Black Lanterns.

Barrows is on more solid ground than he was last issue – he’s far more capable at showing bad-ass superpeople fighting than he is at creating a pervasive atmosphere, and this issue is far more about the fight than it is about the horror.  Along with Ruy Jose, he also manages to wring a lot out of the Black Lantern emotional spectrum schtick, giving us snapshot reactions of the characters without looking ridiculous.

Psycho Pirate is a natural villain for Blackest Night.  In fact, there’s absolutely no reason he should be here rather than in the main mini, where his ability to manipulate emotion could bring the book down to the personal level it very much needs to reach.  Though he has some fine scenes as he terrorizes Smallville and forces people to become the perfect food for his companions, he serves no real purpose in the narrative.  Normally, I wouldn’t mind a loosely connected side-plot, even in a three-issue mini… but Blackest Night: Superman already has a loosely connected side-plot in the form of Supergirl’s plight on Krypton.  With one issue to go, can Robinson bring those stories to a meaningful resolution?

We’ll find out in a month.  Regardless of the side-plot issue, however, Blackest Night: Superman #2 remains a decent read.  It lacks the grace of the mini’s opener, but it’s replaced it with some solid action scenes, a tongue-in-cheek tone that doesn’t break the drama, and the set-up to what promises to be the fight of the century.  After all, what mother hasn’t wanted to beat up her daughter-in-law at some point?

Grade: B

- Cal Cleary

Blackest Night: Superman #1

Blackest Night: Batman #1

Blackest Night #3

JLA: the New Line-Up

So, this is the new Justice League, huh?

First reaction: I don’t love the art.  Mark Bagley’s DC work has been solid.  And I applaud any artist who can meet deadlines these days.  But I haven’t loved his work at DC and this image is no exception.  The characters always seem a little “off” to me.  And what’s up with the weird size discrepancies?

Honestly, I don’t much care who is on the JLA.  It’s all about execution to me.  I’d rather have a good book filled with 3rd stringers than a crap book starring the Big 7.  But, the line-up is more important to the JLA than it is to almost any other team in comics.  People have certain expectations of the JLA that they don’t have for the Titans for example.

With that in mind, I thought I’d run through the new line-up and share my thoughts.  In alphabetical order we have:

The Atom:Ray Palmer is the first of Robinson’s “pet characters” to make the list.  Ray’s been on the League plenty of times before.  Even when he wasn’t a member, he was one of the first reserves to get the call to action.  No doubt that he has a place on the team.  Unfortunately, Robinson has written him really poorly in “Cry for Justice”.  I really don’t want to see more of the same here.  Also, a part of me really wishes DC would have given Ryan Choi more of a chance.

Batman:Sure, Batman belongs on the League.  Okay, so this is not Bruce Wayne.  Doesn’t really matter.  Dick’s lead the JLA before (in the Obsidian Age storyline).  Being Batman means being in the JLA.  This one is a no-brainer.

Congorilla:If any new member is going to raise eyebrows, it’s Congo Bill.  When people heard he was going to be featured in “Cry for Justice”, they scratched their heads.  Most people took a wait-and-see attitude.  Robinson swears he’s going to make all of us love Congorilla.  I’m still waiting for that to happen.  Based on what I’ve seen so far, there’s no way I think he belongs on the Justice League.  But as Robinson’s pet character, he makes the cut.

Cyborg: Really?  Cyborg?  Okay.  I mean, if Steel isn’t available, sure.  I guess.  I’m not sure why Cyborg needs to make the step up from Titans to the League.  But I have no problem with it… except… well, more on that later.

Donna Troy: Hey, what do you know?  Another Titan.  I really don’t have a problem with Donna on the League.  I’m not sure why Wonder Woman is unavailable.  But I guess we’ll find out in due time.  The problem is that this line-up has 4 Titans on it (5 if you count Ray Palmer who was a Teen Titan in the 90s).  It just seems like over-kill.  It’s okay to have a Titan or two on the roster, but they shouldn’t be the dominant force.

Dr. Light:First of all, the name is most commonly associated with a villain.  One of the most hated villains in the DCU to be specific.  On the other hand, she’s got the power level to be on the League.  And as an Asian woman, she adds some diversity to a mostly white team.  I’ve never been a fan of the character, but I’ve got nothing against her.

Green Arrow: Much was made of Roy Harper taking on the name Red Arrow and taking Ollie’s place on the League.  So in a way it feels like a step backward to bring Ollie back this soon.  Then again, with so many Titans on the roster, something had to give.  There’s no doubt that Ollie belongs on the League.  But there may be a few reasons why he doesn’t belong on this League.

1. He’s married to Black Canary.  Black Canary led the last incarnation of the League and was fairly humiliated when Hal told the League why they sucked and stormed off.  Ollie should be standing by her side, not Hal’s.
2. When you have Ollie on the League, there are certain characters you want to see him interact with.  And almost none of them are here.  No Black Canary.  No Hawkman.  Just Hal Jordan.  And…
3. Robinson’s take on Hal and Ollie’s banter has been one of the most painful things about “Cry For Justice”.  I doubt he’s learned how to write either character any better.

Green Lantern:See point 3 under Green Arrow.  Also, Hal Jordan is dangerously close to being over-exposed in the DCU these days.  It would have been nice to see another GL featured here.  With Hal getting the main book, Kyle and Guy in GL Corps, I would really like to see John Stewart on the League.

The Guardian:Like Congorilla, the Guardian is anything but a household name.  In and of itself, that’s not a problem.  But this team is sorely lacking heavy hitters.  The only reason the Guardian is getting the nod is that Robinson likes him.  And I’ve enjoyed Robinson’s take on the character in Superman.  But Superman already stars Mon-el and the Guardian.  Did we really need to have both characters here too?

Mon-el:The Superman family’s pretty darn big.  I’d rather have Supergirl or Steel fill in for Superman while he’s off planet.  For story reasons, I understand why Supergirl wouldn’t make a good fit.  Kryptonians aren’t real popular these days.  And Steel may not be in fighting shape after the ass-whooping he got from Atlas a couple months ago.  So, I guess Mon-el makes the most sense.  But I really don’t care for that “S” they added to his costume.

Starfire:Another Titan.  I’m not sure I understand what Starfire is brining to the table.  Sure, she’s powerful.  But so are a lot of other characters who could have brought a little more of a “JLA” feel to the book.  On her own, I can see it.  But with all the other Titans floating around, will this book still feel like the JLA?

Which brings me to my next point.  What’s going to happen to Titans?  Surely these four characters’ aren’t all going to be pulling double duty on both teams.  Rumor has it Beast Boy is also leaving the Titans for Teen Titans.  So, it seems likely that book may be headed for cancellation.

 If Titans does get cancelled, it’s no big loss.  The book has stunk from day one.  (Honestly, Billy’s blasting of Titans 1 is the most read article on this blog of all times.  And not just because he included screenshots of all the naked pictures of Starfire!)  But I thought Wally West fans were being told they could read about their favorite character in Titans.  Now I have to wonder if Wally still has a home.

Which brings up another point: the team is lacking a Speedster.  With both Wally and Barry running around, it seems like at least one of them should be on the League.  With Barry getting the main book, it would have been nice to see Wally here – as long as he wasn’t one more Titan.

There’s a few other surprising omissions.  Vixen was confirmed as being on the team at one point.  Maybe she’ll show up later on.  Who knows?  also, after all the hub-bub around McDuffie not getting to pick his League, you have to wonder why DC was so quick to throw aside the members of that version of the team.  Zatanna, Firestorm, the recently returned Plastic Man… what happened to those guys?

There’s still some story left to tell.  And maybe it will all make more sense when we see how Cry for Justice leads into the main title.  I’ll be interested to see why Starman, Supergirl, Captain Marvel, etc didn’t make the cut.

I’m a huge fan of the Justice League.  It’s my favorite team in comics.  And I really want the book to be good.  This line-up could work, but it doesn’t really excite me.  My main reservation about the book is the creative team.

I like Robinson’s work on Superman.  But man-oh-man do I hate Cry for Justice.  There’s no reason to think his take on the main JLA book will be any better than his mini-series.  So, my expectations have been lowered to zero for that reason alone.

Couple Robinson with the capable but “off” artwork of Mark Bagley in the DCU and a line-up I just don’t care about and you’ve got a recipe for another lack luster Justice League.

This is one case where I would definitely like to be proven wrong.

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Review: Action Comics #881

Last issue was part of the Codename: Patriot story that crossed over all of the Superman titles in August.  The opening chapters of C:P was very promising.  And I thought Action Comics in particular benefitted from all of the characters coming together to face a common threat. 

But then things went off the rails.  The Supergirl chapter of the story just stalled out.  And the entire affair crapped out completely in Superman.  Codename Patriot started off well, but ended us a thudding disappointment.

This issue of Action is the first book to really deal with the fall-out of Codename: Patriot head-on.  (WoNK was wise enough to largely steer clear of it.)  Unfortunately, that means the first half of this issue suffers from a lot of the same weaknesses as Codename: Patriot.

By the end of last month’s crossover, it was hard to remember who was fighting who and why.  The first half of this issue sees the characters just as confused as the readers about everyone’s true identity.  Accusations and punches are thrown about freely before anyone starts to catch on that things may not be what they seem.

The second half of the book narrows the focus to the characters who are participating in the “Search for Reactron” storyline.  Once this issue pulls away from the mess of Codename: Patriot, things improve mightily.

It makes sense that Supergirl and Flamebird would have some issues to resolve.  Kara’s father, Zor-el, was a surrogate father to Thara in Kandor.  Both Kara and Thara hold her responsible for his murder at the hands of Reactron.  When Kara finally voices her resentment, an emotional fight ensues.

But there is also conflict between Thara and Lor Lor “>Zod.  During a quiet moment, Supergirl explains that Flamebird and Nightwing are Kryptonian myths.  For the first time, Lor starts to doubt Thara.

After being stung by Codename: Patriot, I’m a little gun shy about the Hunt for Reactron.  However, this issue did a pretty good job of putting the former mess in the rear view mirror and focusing on some genuine conflict.  The second half of the book is all about the characters’ emotions and it gets past all the shape shifting shenanigans that marred Codename: Patriot.

Then we come to the back-up feature.  Chapter three still doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.  Honestly, I’m starting to get frustrated with Rucka and Robinson intentionally leaving the reader in the dark this long.  Yes, we’re getting closer to some kind of explanation.  But it’s hard to imagine the pay-off being worth the slow build-up at this point.

read/RANT

Review: Batgirl #2

If there was one word to describe Batgirl #1, it was probably this: average.  It had reasonably  competent action sequences, but suffered in the character-driven drama. Even if you hadn’t read enough past Bat-books to see how horrendously out-of-character Barbara Gordon was, say, or Cassandra Cain especially, the fact of the matter is that the characters weren’t terribly interesting.  Except for Stephanie, of course, which is vital to why the book was readable at all.

Batgirl #2 continues along the same trend.  It is, in fact, almost the exact same issue.  Stephanie is having trouble balancing her normal life with her new career as Batgirl – and, in a much better twist on the same old idea, having just as much trouble adjusting to the new dangers and responsibilities of being Batgirl over being the Spoiler – Babs is trying to convince her to quit, Stephanie’s mom is oblivious, crime is happening.  There isn’t a whole lot going on, but at least what’s going on has the potential to be interesting.

Garbett is faring slightly better.  His illustration throughout is clean and crisp, with solid, fluid fight scenes.  There’s on scene in the middle that’s a little tough to follow, though I don’t know if that’s Miller, Garbett, or an indicator of a communications issue between the two.  Still, Garbett’s workmanlike skill is currently holding the book up.

Still, there are flashes of a genuinely enjoyable comic in here.  The action is well-handled, and there are interesting characters here… assuming that Miller ever gets a handle on them.  Batgirl #2 continues to be purely average, but given some of the recent Batgirl publications we’ve seen, that may be the best we can expect for now.  I’m willing to give Miller an arc to grow into the character.  Right now, it could go either way.

Grade: C

- Cal Cleary

Read/RANT

Groovy Blog

Hey all,

I discovered The Groovy Age of Horror when its author posted a link to Cal’s latest Blackest Night reviews.  I’ve been reading the blog quite a bit lately and enjoying the heck out of it.  So, I wanted to give GAoH a shout-out.  His Blackest Night coverage is top notch.  And if you’re a horror fan, you owe it to yourself to check out his site.  I’ll stop blowing smoke up Curt’s ass and just give you the link:

http://groovyageofhorror.blogspot.com

Check it out.  Good stuff.

Review: Adventure Comics #2

I’m getting to this book a week late, but I still wanted to go ahead and give it a full write-up as it’s an issue I have been looking forward to for some time.

I’m a long-time fan of this incarnation of Superboy.  No one was happier to see him resurrected than me.  There have been stumbling blocks to be sure.  The lateness of Legion of Three Worlds made Conner and Bart’s return to the DCU something less than seemless.  They appeared in minor roles in some books with little to no explanation.  As a reader, I kept waiting to see Superboy and Kid Flash reunited with their Teen Titans teammates.

The most anticipated reunion was definitely Conner and Cassie.  These two had a long history together before Conner’s death in Infinite Crisis.  Frankly, no one has known what to do with Wonder Girl since Conner’s death.  She’s been written as the dumbest blonde in the DCU for a long time now.  (And given the way DC writes women these days, that’s saying something.)

But as much as I was looking forward to seeing Cassie reunited with Conner, I was also dreading it a little.  An entire issue dedicated to the reunion seemed like a recipe for disaster.  Geoff Johns had a tendency to overdo the “teen angst” stuff when he wrote these characters in Teen Titans.  I didn’t want to read an issue of “Dawson’s Creek” in spandex.

The actual issue exceeded my expectations in some ways while living down to them in others.  Johns definitely wallows in the teen angst as I feared he would.  The dialogue is syrupy enough for they cheesiest daytime soap.  But the rest of the issue more than made up for that in my book.

Francis Manapul’s stellar artwork put me in a forgiving mood.  I mean look at Cassie:

Manapul’s Wonder Girl is just too adorable for words.  So of course I want to see the two of them go out for a cuddly little moonlight picnic.  And of course I want to see Krypto light candles with his heat vision.  I even want to see the two of them floating with a picnic table in front of the moon ET style – even if that makes no sense at all.  It’s just so adorably cute.  And we’ve waited a long time for this.

Yeah, the cynical part of me thought the whole thing was over the top sugary sweet.  It was an indulgence.  But after waiting so long, I was ready to indulge.  Even if it meant dialogue that makes “You complete me” sound fresh by comparisson.  Frankly, after the over-the-top grimness of Blackest Night, I was ready for the sugar overload that is this issue.

The issue also includes a Legion back-up story.  As I’ve said before, I’m far from a Legion fan.  But for the most part, I’ve enjoyed Johns’ take on the Legion.  Like most Johns books, you have to read everything he’s written and forget anything written by anyone else.  But since I’ve read very little of the Legion outside of Johns’ work, that’s very easy for me to do.

I found the back-up feature enjoyable.  Johns is clearly setting up a story he will follow up on either in this book or some other.  That’s what Johns does.  I wouldn’t buy the book for the back-up Legion stories, but I didn’t feel cheated by having paid for this one.

On the whole, this issue was another solid outing for Adventure Comics.  It’s been announced that Johns and Manapul will eventually leave this book to work on the Flash and I have to admit I’m bummed.  I’m really enjoying their work here.  I’m not sure I’ll stick around for Levitz’s take on the Legion.  But that’s a worry for another day.

For now, I’m enjoying one of the few upbeat superhero comics DC is offering these days.

Adventure Comics #1

read/RANT

Rant: Blackest Night #3

Seventh Soldier has already written and excellent review of this issue for read/RANT right here.  His review is far more fair and objective than I am capable of being.  So, I’m going to live down to the name of this blog and rant about Blackest Night #3.  For a more reasonable write-up, please make sure to read Cal’s review.

I’m going to start with the first page.  The minute you see two characters you don’t expect to see in a big line-wide crossover having a deep conversation about their future, you know something bad is about to happen to them.  If that cross-over is being written by Geoff Johns, you know that one or both of these characters are going to be killed in a grisly fashion.

It’s like something right out of the movie “Scream”.  If you want to survive a Geoff Johns cross-over, never ever say something like “It’s hard not to think about our future.”

The minute you say that, you have no future left to think about.  It’s like the cliche of the cop talking about his retirement.  That cop is going to die before the movie’s over.  Anyone who read this panel and didn’t see the end coming hasn’t read a lot of comics.

Next page, we get Barry and Hal fighting off the Black Lantern members of the Justice League.  And during the fight, the Black Lanterns make with the taunts in a big, big way.  In the first panel alone, Elongated Man rambles on for three very full word balloons. 

The taunting is just embarrassingly bad.  It reminded me of the “Evil Dead” movies, but not in a good way.  The demons in that movie were always saying over-the-top evil things like “I’ll swallow your soul.”  Which was fine for those kinds of movies.  Maybe that’s what a demon would say, I don’t know.  But if Sam Raimi had stretched “I’ll swallow your soul” into three paragraph, you get the gibberish that passes for bad guy taunting in Blackest Night.

Check out this zinger from Hawkgirl:

I have no idea what Hawkgirl is going for here.  What kind of reaction could she possibly be trying to elicit from Hal?  That she’s kinda trampy now that she’s dead?  I half expected Hal to channel Bruce Cambpell and say, “Baby, you got real ugly.”  And poor Hawkman is standing right there!  Maybe she’s trying to make him jealous. 

Or maybe Geoff Johns just thought that line was cool.  God knows he can’t resist an opportunity to show women – even dead ones – throwing themselves at Hal Jordan.

The next page, Black Lantern Firestorm taunts Barry Allen for three consecutive panels!  It ends with the sure-to-be-classic, “How about you be my new nerd brain, Flash?”  Suddenly, “I’ll swallow your soul” sounds somewhat poetic by comparison.

Barry then pulls off Firestorm’s Black Lantern ring which is a really good idea.  It kind of makes you wonder why Barry didn’t think of it much sooner than he did.  But oh, well.  The reader is teased with a few clues as to the nature of Black Lanterns which is a good thing given how little we know about the Lanterns 3 months into the event.  But more importantly, Johns set’s up Ray Palmer’s super-cool entrance:

It’s a pretty cool entrance, I’ll grant you.  Except that Johns really forces the dialogue to set up this moment.  And why would Ray have stayed in the ring that long while Barry and Hal were fighting for their lives?  Was he sitting in there waiting for someone to say something that would set up his dramatic entrance?

Meanwhile, at the Hall of Justice, Firestorm 2.0 has answered his emergency beeper to find Mera.  Just, don’t call her Aquawoman:

I’m showing this panel because a bunch of posters at the DC forum went nuts over Mera’s “not Aquawoman” line.  They thought it was really cool.  But is it really?  It just came across like forced badassery to me.  If you’re really trying to fight off zombie super heroes, do you want to take the time to make sure everyone knows you don’t have a super hero name?  And even if you did, is this the way you’d say it?  I think most people would have said, “Please, call me Mera.” or something to that effect.  Please, someone explain to me why people think this line is anything other than stilted dialogue.

After the introductions, Mera goes on to explain more about the Black Lanterns and we get this subtle piece of foreshadowing:

Okay, so I lied.  There’s nothing subtle about it.  Geoff Johns may as well have put the ending of this book on the first page.  I’m not sure if he thinks that telegraphing his every move will build up suspense, but it’s really not working.

Out of no where, the Indigo Lanterns arrive.  Good thing too, because if they hadn’t Ray Palmer would have been sporting a new Black Lantern ring.  And then we’d have been stuck with legacy hero, Ryan Choi.  Only, we all know that isn’t going to happen.  So really what we have here is a really tired plot device.

Naturally, the plot device saves the day.  but Indigo-1, the leader of the Indigo tribe, is a multi-purpose plot device.  Not only did she save the heroes from certain death in a very convenient fashion, she also provides exposition.  Lots of it.  Look at all these word balloons:

And she’s not even done yet!  She drones on and on nonsensically describing the “Care Bear Stare” that will no doubt save the day in Blackest Night #8.  And of course, only Hal Jordan can save the day because Geoff Johns wouldn’t have it any other way.

Anyone remember Blackest Night 0?  The entire issue was a conversation between Hal and Barry brining readers up to speed on the events leading to Blackest Night.  That conversation continued into Blackest Night 1 and 2 and an issue of Green Lantern.  And it’s still going:

Thank goodness the Black Lanterns finally arrived to save the day!  Please don’t let these two girls start gabbing again in Blackest Night #4!

All kidding aside, what follows is absolutely reprehensible.  It really pissed me off.  I’m talking about the death of Gen that was telegraphed way back on the first page of this book.  I don’t really care that they killed off the character.  I never had any attachment to her and I still don’t.  But the way in which her death was portrayed was just offensive.

Look, anyone who’s read comics knows about the “Women in Refrigerators” thing.  Comics have a long history of gruesome ends for female characters.  That’s unfortunate, but it’s nothing new.

However, it seems like DC isn’t satidfied with merely killing off women.  Instead, we get pages of women begging for their lives at the hands of a ruthless killer.  Not long ago, Teen Titans featured such a sequence and I had hoped not to see another like it in a mainstream super hero comic.  Unfortunately, Blackest Night #3 raises the bar in the complete objectification of women.

Check out this panel:

And fans on the forums are lavishing this book with praises.  It’s so cool and so “bad ass”.  Really, it’s just sad.  And this is just one panel out of a death scene that stretches on for over three pages!

Critics have long blasted slasher movies for objectifying women.  It’s common that we see their deaths from the killer’s point of view.  Comics often come under fire for presenting the deaths of female characters from the point of view of the male heroes who are left behind.  The femal character’s death is meaningless except that it drives the male hero on.  This death scene is guilty of both.

After three pages of watching a young girl beg for her life, she is turned into a pillar of salt!  Posters at the DC forums are hailing this as “biblical.”  Who can blame them?  The scene is presented in a way that glorifies violence against women.  In fact, it’s “bitchin”:

I am seriously amazed by the lack of controversy surrounding this scene.  No comic has made my stomach turn quite like this one did.  DC should be ashamed of this book.

All kidding aside, I am sickened by Blackest Night.  I can’t believe how it is being embraced by fan boys everywhere.  It makes me feel like an old fuddy duddy, but this crap ain’t cool.  It’s just cheap shocks and exploitation.  And it’s got no place in a super hero comic.

This book just made me ill.  Ill and sad.

read/RANT

Review: Batman and Robin #4

There’s no question: Quitely leaving hurts the title.  While he isn’t the most popular artist on the planet, his work has an undeniably creative sense of energy and physicality that few other artists working today can match.  Replaced for this arc by Philip Tan (Final Crisis: Revelations), his absence is felt.  Thankfully, Morrison adapts the story to Tan’s talents.  After a particularly wild first arc introducing the Circus of the Strange, we now meet the new Red Hood and his sidekick Scarlet, the Dollotron Damian failed to save, set up as Gotham’s dark new anti-heroes.

Red Hood’s writing is interesting.  At times he seems almost sympathetic to Scarlet’s plight – not fatherly, but comforting nonetheless.  At times, he’s written almost like a companion to the Super Young Team, more concerned with being the Next Big Thing in crimefighting.  Still, with the focus more on him than on Batman and Robin in this issue, we definitely get to know him more than we did any of the Circus.

Tan’s art tends to be fairly dark, so giving him a couple new anti-heroes tearing through Gotham’s night seems to be the perfect story to put him on.  His fights are quick and dirty, and he displays a talent for facial expressions I hadn’t before noticed: see Damian’s smug, mean facial expression as he endures the socialite dinner with Dick.

Batman and Robin remains one of DC’s strongest new titles as Morrison’s story continues to build off itself.  Tan turns out to be a solid fit for the book, providing it with a gritty feel well-suited to the current story, but without abandoning the book’s peculiar streak of humanity.  Batman and Robin hasn’t had a bad issue yet, and #4 continues the book’s trend of fast-paced, exciting action that manages to introduce some much-needed new blood to Gotham while fleshing out the dynamic between Dick and Damian.

Grade: B+

- Cal Cleary

Read/RANT

Batman and Robin #3

Review: Blackest Night #3

Blackest Night, the summer’s mega-event at DC, bears all the signs of  a true, unapologetic Geoff Johns book.  If you’re a fan of Johns’ work, then Blackest Night has it all – exciting, well-constructed action set-pieces, the surprisingly organic nods to continuity stemming from twenty different sources, and the dark, violent plot.  If you aren’t, however, the book is similarly filled with all the pitfalls of his work: an obsession with minutiae and origins, needless slaughter, extreme focus on the Silver Age heroes of his work, and the ability to, in a room full of characters, only kill the legacies and women.

Blackest Night #3 moves the plot ahead a good deal through the use of a massive exposition drop that kills any and all momentum the book had built up partway through the issue.  Despite the well-conceived set-up in Blackest Night: Batman #1 that suggested that Oracle, Batman and Robin would be the ones to fill Hal in on the nature of the threat, this issue sees an Indigo Lantern pop in in the middle of the fight with zombie Justice League, single-handedly turn the tide of the fight, unite the good guys at the Hall of Justice for no reason, and then explain the entire conflict just in time for another fight to break out.

This is not to say that the book is bad, exactly.  Ivan Reis does a fine job on art, managing to blend high-powered fights with a bleak, horror-movie tone in a way the writing just isn’t managing to do yet.  Despite the relentless darkness, though, Reis manages to keep his figures distinct and physically emotive, demonstrating a definite improvement over previous works.

Blackest Night #3 suffers a little from being a middle child, as Johns rushes to fill everyone in on all the back story.  The book has its first truly chilling moment in the final pages of the issue, but it’s undermined by all the previous not-really-shocking moments and the fact that you can see it coming from page 1.  The action is well-done, as previous collaboration between Johns and Reis pay off most in these energetic, surprisingly low-scale fights.  Blackest Night still has a lot of potential to go either way, ultimately: this issue featured both the best and the worst of the series, side by side.

Grade: C

- Cal Cleary

Read/RANT

Blackest Night: Batman #1

Blackest Night: Superman #1

Review: The Unwritten #5

The fifth issue of The Unwritten takes a break from the established story to take us back in time.  Looking at the life and works of Rudyard Kipling (most notably today of Jungle Book fame), The Unwritten #5 at first feels fairly self-indulgent.  Kipling, a struggling writer, is contacted by the mysterious Mr. Locke.  Shortly after that meeting, circumstances begin to arrange themselves in his favor and his writing proclaims the grandeur of the British empire wide and far.  The issue follows him from there to the downfall of his career, to the birth of his children and on through the rest of his life.

For much of the issue, I was confused.  The shift in tone, theme and setting was so vast that it seemed wasted on so utterly unnecessary an issue.  As it moved along, however, and the issue came into focus, I found it more and more impressive.  The tale is, for the most part, engaging, though the extreme amount of narration slows it down to a crawl at a few points through the issue.  The plight of Kipling is creepy and insidious, which Carey does quite well.

The Unwritten #5 is creative and clever.  Despite occasionally suffering from cramming too much information into too little a space, it remains a worthy entry into Vertigo’s newest series, and a surprisingly vital one.  Late game revelations give some of the biggest hints thus far at the backstory of the series.  ”How the Whale Began” serves most of the functions of a great one-shot in its lush sense of history and more personal feel, but it certainly isn’t a jumping-on point in the series.  Slow, ponderous and powerful, it resembles in some ways the whale of it’s name.

Grade: B+

- Cal Cleary

The Unwritten #4

The Unwritten #3

Review: The Shield #1

This is one of the relatively rare titles about which I had no pre-existing knowledge whatsoever.  I know that both the Shield and Inferno were recently brought back in the series of JMS’ “Red Circle” one-shots, but I had little desire to read those.  I picked up The Shield #1 largely because of how much I enjoyed Trautmann’s collaboration with Greg Rucka on DC’s stellar Checkmate.  The Shield #1 follows a young American soldier given amazing powers in the form of his ‘war suit’, a nanotech combat mod that increases his speed, strength, senses, and more.

The book follows more of the fall-out of Black Adam’s rampage across Bialya a couple years back.  Insurgents have taken over much of what remains of the country, and as you can imagine after the slaughter of millions of their countrymen, they aren’t terribly pleased with Americans or superpeople.  So when American troops begin to mysteriously go missing, the government decides to send in the Shield.  

The book never gets much more complex than that, but it doesn’t have to.   Trautmann does a good job at giving us a few important character beats in what is otherwise a relatively slow set-up issue, giving the title character some much-needed humanity before diving fully into the action.

Marco Rudy does an all-around excellent job on art.  Whether it’s the joyous smile on the main character’s face as he freefalls through the air or the stretch of creative shield-themed panelling, Rudy’s work fits much more comfortably here than it did rushed into Final Crisis as one of a number of replacement artists.

The book’s back-up feature, an Inferno story written by Brandon Jerwa and illustrated by Greg Scott, doesn’t quite fare so well.  Though both are clearly competent, the relative unknown nature of the character doesn’t exactly help as they have to establish a few things about him – namely, that he looks like a completely different person when he’s on fire, that he remembers almost nothing about his life before now, nor about who is after him or who is helping him.  All this helps those who didn’t read the Inferno one-shot, but it doesn’t make for a particularly gripping 8 pages of comics.

Overall, The Shield looks like it has the potential to be a well-handled replacement for those who miss Checkmate.  Meanwhile, Inferno doesn’t seem like much of anything at all, but it’s hard to judge the back-up’s potential after only 8 pages with an unfamiliar character.  The Shield could very well fill a niche that DC and Marvel are largely ignoring right now, but a potentially bland back-up may make audiences wary of paying the full 3.99$.

Grade: B

- Cal Cleary

Read/RANT

JSA vs. Kobra: Engines of Faith #1

Review: Superman: World of New Krypton #7

Picking up almost exactly where Robinson’s recent Superman #691 left off, Superman: World of New Krypton deals with the first bits of fall-out from the inferior “Codename: Patriot” story that ran through all the Superman family titles recently.  As Kal flies the murdered Ral-Dar back to New Krypton, the planet moves towards war.  The military is itching to strike back after the attempted assassination of General Zod, the council is divided, and there is worry as to just how far the infiltration goes, and how it even happened in the first place.  

This is all very familiar stuff.  Anyone who has ever read, for example, a single X-Men comic published in almost any era will be familiar with the “powerful minority who is hated and misunderstood and wants to fight back” story.  But where Superman #691 (and many X-Men comics) fell prey to the absolute worst tropes of that genre, Superman: World of New Krypton smartly avoids cliche by focusing on how things changes Kal’s responsibilities to his home planet.  In a brilliant move, to spoil a plot point of the book, Kal is placed in temporary command of the armies of New Krypton by a barely-conscious Zod.

Woods continues to do stellar work in making the Kryptonian technology and fashion look both appealingly retro and utterly alien, and the increased drama that comes from Clark’s sudden promotion brings out a gift for recognizable and diverse facial expressions that I haven’t noticed much in his previous work.  Though I was at times unimpressed with him in earlier issues, it is becoming more and more clear that he really does have a handle on the alien feel of New Krypton and the massive design issues the book demands.

The issue does a good job largely ignoring the impending Earth/Krypton war for the issue’s action in favor of a skirmish with some Thanagarians and a tragic accident that happens because of it.  Meanwhile, Robinson and Rucka are giving World of New Krypton‘s villains subtlety and grace utterly lacking in the “Codename: Patriot” story, as well as putting Kal through one of the biggest challenges of his career.  It will be interesting to see how Superman reacts in the heat of battle as the leader of his fighting force, especially with the knowledge that each Kryptonian death brings his species that much closer to extinction.  World of New Krypton remains the strongest Superman title available.

Grade: A-

- Cal Cleary

Superman #691

Superman: World of New Krypton #6

Review: Secret Six #13

Gail Simone has always had a talent for writing fast-paced action punctuated with brief character moments and more black humor than most writers would be comfortable with, and Secret Six is the book that lets her and artist Nicola Scott get really filthy as they take a team of supremely broken individuals through the wringer, with few pretensions of good and evil in the traditional sense.  ”The Depths”, the book’s current 5-part arc, tears the team apart with ruthless efficiency, but the marvel of what would otherwise be a relentlessly grim arc is how heart-wrenchingly believable it is… and how much fun.

Secret Six #13 follows the now-split team in two directions.  As Catman, Ragdoll and Deadshot stay faithful to the mission and learn more and more about the island’s purpose, they’re also tasked with hunting down their renegade teammates.  Scandal Savage, Bane, Artemis, and a still-recovering Jeanette, meanwhile, decide to take the island’s security forces on in a bid to save the enslaved Amazonian prisoners.

With all that action, it may come as a surprise, then, that the book has a number of the very brief moments at which Simone excels to familiarize us with these characters.  From Bane’s admiration at the precision of the prison to the single panel daydream of a bored Deadshot, the book revels in just how broken these characters are without asking for pity or compassion.

Scott contributes more than her fair share, meeting every single one of Simone’s twisted demands with what I can only imagine as a malicious sort of glee.  The action sequences in the issue, though brief, are quick and gorgeous, with a keen eyes for setting up surprisingly natural panels and sequences that highlight just how dangerous, and how cool, these characters are.  She also manages to illustrate a wide cast of characters, a number of different settings, and even a sepia flashback to Scandal’s past with equal skill.

Though the book is far from over, Secret Six is shaping up to be Simone’s masterpiece.  Even by the high standards to which the book is generally held here, however, Secret Six #13 was an fun, exciting, downright excellent issue of comics.  Along with Scott, Simone seems to be well on her way to crafting a cool, bloody modern classic.

Grade: A

- Cal Cleary

Secret Six #12