Review: Green Lantern #50

I admit, I’ve been rather hard on Geoff Johns’ work on Green Lantern over the last two years.  I won’t rehash all of the reasons why the War of Lights has left me cold.  I’ve written enough on that already.  Just read any GL-related article I’ve written since the end of the Sinestro Corps War.

On the whole, I’ve found Johns to be a mixed bag on this book.  No doubt, he’s had lots of cool ideas.  And he’s added to the GL mythology in a way that has the fans clamoring for more.  And yet, there’s almost always some “Johnsism” that makes his GL less than satisfying for me.

When I’ve written reviews of this book in the past, I think the reviews tended to be dominated by discussions of the lastest derailment.  Even if I made a point of saying I enjoyed the issue as a whole, readers certainly focused on the things I didn’t like.  And in fairness, I’ve probably given the negatives more space than I have the positives.

So let me say up front that Green Lantern 50 was the most enjoyable issue of GL in a long, long time.  Doug Mahnke’s art is the star here.  There were pages where I just stopped and took it all in.  I didn’t even care about the words on the page.  Mahnke is a great artists and he’s at the top of his game right now.  This issue may be his best work since Superman Beyond.

As for the writing, well of course there were some “Johnsisms” that really had me rolling my eyes or scratching my head in bewilderment.  It wouldn’t be a Geoff Johns issue of Green Lantern if he didn’t write things that were just plain stupid in an attempt to be cool.  That’s what he does.  But this time, I had to admit, some of the things that happened were pretty darn cool.

The big plot twist is spoiled for you on the cover.  Hal decides that the only way to defeat the Black Lantern Spectre is to free Parallax and to become his host.  It’s a bit of a WTF moment.  Surely there are other solutions that Hal hasn’t considered.  Doesn’t this seem like Shadowpact territory?  Why is Hal the only suitable host for Parallax and why is Parallax suddenly the only way to defeat the Spectre.

If this was real life, probably every one of Hal’s allies would have told Hal he was crazy and refused to go along with the plan.  But this is super hero comics.  So they go along with it.  And so did I as a reader.  It makes no sense, but I don’t want to read an entire issue of exposition that makes it make sense either.  So you just go along for the ride.

If you’re willing and able to do that, Green Lantern 50 is a heck of a ride.  It has the “epic” feel that the last issue of Green Lantern Corps was lacking.  Whereas GLC just felt like Tomasi pulling big plot twists out of his bag of tricks to generate buzz, GL 50 really feels like the culmination of all of Johns’ work on the title to date.

I am going to end the review on a positive note so Bruce Castle won’t call me a “hater” this month.  GL 50 was a fun book.  There, I said it.

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PS. I’m going to rant in the comments section.  Don’t tell Bruce Castle!

Top 5 Best Comics of January 2010

I read 17 comics in January, and these were the best.

Review: Detective Comics #861

For those that hadn’t heard the news: Detective Comics #860, the final, fabulous issue of Batwoman’s origins, was also the final issue of collaboration between Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams III.  In fact, Batwoman herself only has a few short months remaining, with David Hine launching a two-part arc continuing his story about the rebuilding of Arkham Asylum with #864.  And while Rucka and Williams III have stated that they are interested in and are fighting for a Batwoman ongoing, for now, it seems like the character’s brief, critically acclaimed time in the spotlight may be coming to a close as DC attempts to wrap up its surprisingly bold moves on their flagship titles.  This issue, launching an arc titled “Cutter”, sees Williams replaced by the talented Jock and Batman largely taking over from Batwoman, though Rucka remains as writer, and Hamner stays on art duties for Renee Montoya’s back-up feature.

Jock occasionally tries a little too hard to mimic Williams’ style, and while he achieves a surprising amount of success, he just doesn’t have Williams’ eye for memorable, creative scene and structure.  He does seem, however, to have inherited Williams’ rather stiff action segments.  Still, he proves a surprisingly apt replacement for Williams.  While he doesn’t help raise the quality of one of Rucka’s more mundane scripts up, the pair nonetheless work well together, and suggest that Detective Comics is in good hands for now.

The back-up continues to run along the same, lengthy story as we continue to deal with the fall-out of Renee’s recent attacks on the mob.  With Tot and the Huntress at her back, the Question deals with the assassin who trailed them, leading to some questionable decision-making (and characterization).  Rucka and Hamner both display confidence, here, though the need to set-up the next part of the conflict and the cramped environment play to neither creator’s strengths.  Like the main feature, the work is quality, just not up to the level to book has led us to expect.

Grade: B-

- Cal Cleary

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Detective Comics #859

Review: Batman and Robin #7

Though the series suffered a bit with Tan’s too-dark art, Batman and Robin makes a relatively strong return to form this month, now with talented Seaguy artist and past Morrison collaborator Cameron Stewart on art duties.  Morrison doesn’t quite manage to hit the highs that the book’s first issue delivered, but it nonetheless seems to be a return to the kind of gorgeous, rousing adventure for which the book quickly developed a reputation.  Damian is out of the picture, either from his injuries in the previous issue or a Blackest Night related injury with which I’m unfamiliar, so Batman has a new pair of partners in this issue: Knight and Squire, the Dynamic Duo of the UK.

Morrison uses this opportunity in a number of ways.  The dynamic between the jaded, cocky Damian and the warm, professional Squire was a welcome change of pace, and the easy camaraderie and unwavering trust between the pair only served to illustrate how much further Damian really needs to come.  At least one comparison is drawn between legacy Knight Cyril and legacy Batman Dick, and I suspect we’ll see that played with more throughout the arc.  Batwoman’s presence, meanwhile, is a little bit harder to explain, and while I relish anything that spreads the profile of the current, stellar Detective Comics run, she seems a bit out of place here, at least right now.

Stewart’s art is as smooth and comfortable as ever.  Though he isn’t given anything as strange and memorable as Quitely or Tan, at least not yet, he performs competently and keeps the eye moving.  A glaring error partway through the book when Batman and Batwoman accidentally swap lines will confuse some readers, but otherwise, the creative team seems much closer together than they did during Tan’s sometimes confused arc.

Morrison tosses in new villains and half-cocked mythologies with a great deal of ease, something I hope other writers follow up on at some point, but while the issue is jam-packed with creativity, it’s a little light on the excitement.  This set-up heavy issue may not be among the book’s best, but it’s well-made on all fronts and a pleasure to read.

Grade: B+

- Cal Cleary

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Batman and Robin #6

Batman and Robin #5

Advanced Review: Irredeemable #10

Note: Irredeemable #10 arrives in stores Wednesday, January 27.

Review: Green Lantern Corps 44

I’ve had something of a like/”meh” relationship with this book.  Tomasi is a capable writer who delivers plenty of action and reasonably strong characterizations.  But I find his pacing is usually off by at least one issue for every story arc.  And while he frequently entertains, he never really wows.

To be fair, GLC seems to always draw the short straw when it comes to source material.  This is especially true with the Blackest Night issues.  Yes, Tomasi has done a good job of delivery buzz-worthy plot twists.  Kyle died!  (And was resurrected in the very next issue.)  Guy, consumed by rage, became a Red Lantern!  (And will likely be back to normal next issue.

There’s been plenty of carnage on Oa.  Lots and lots of cannon fodder got chewed up over the last few issues.  And the landscape of  Oa is changed.  But no one’s going to miss the characters who died and Oa will no doubt be rebuilt shortly after Blackest Night wraps up.

I’m not bored.  But I keep getting this nagging feeling that by the end of the story, none of the events of Green Lantern Corps are really going to matter much.  It’s almost like Tomasi was told, “You can do whatever you want.  Just be sure to trash Oa and keep the rest of the Corps busy for a while.”

Regular readers know I love Gleason on this book.  His art and my affection for the characters is what keeps me coming back.  Gleason’s take on a rampaging Guy was worth the price of admission alone.

All in all, this is an entertaining issue.  I just wish it felt a little more central to Blackest Night.  As it is, it feels marginalized.

Review: Incorruptible #2

Incorruptible’s premise is best summed up by its main character, “World’s greatest superhero has gone berserk. He’ll destroy the world. Somebody needs to step up.” Max Damage, former feared supervillain, is trying to be that somebody. The world’s greatest superhero in question is the Plutonian, the main character of Irredeemable. Incorruptible is Irredeemable’s companion, and you really shouldn’t read it without reading Irredeemable first. That’s probably Incorruptible’s biggest flaw. However, as a companion, Incorruptible works quite well.

While Irredeemable deals with larger than life superheroics and messages about the abuses of power and Internet trolls, Incorruptible is a more intimate look at a turning point in a bad man’s life, as well as the consequences of the actions we see in Irredeemable. Not only do we see shots of mass devastation, we’re informed, “Church attendance is up six hundred percent. Suicides, sixteen hundred, and that’s nationwide.

Besides further establishing the book’s tone, Mark Waid familiarizes us with his characters, mostly the aforementioned Max Damage and the hilariously adorable Jailbait. There’s a terrific shaving scene where Jailbait attempts to seduce the newly reformed Max. Not only does this provide some humorous antics, it informs us that Max Damage’s power is near-robotic after he’s awake for an hour or so in the morning. Not only does Max become impervious to bullets, he can’t eat or shave either.

Jean Diaz draws the book, and you’re almost sure to like his work. He’s able to handle the quieter, comical scenes with Jailbait, as well as Max’s first outing as a superhero. Diaz’s style is like most popular realistic artists these days, like Ivan Reis, and his style fits the down to earth feel of the comic.

Mark Waid is producing some of the best work of his career at BOOM! Studios. If you can only read one Waid comic, make it Irredeemable. And, if you like that, give Incorruptible a try. It’s worth it.

Grade: B+

-Bruce Castle

Review: Joe the Barbarian #1

Grant Morrison’s newest Vertigo title, Joe the Barbarian, opens with one of the most relaxed first issues I’ve seen from notoriously energetic creator.  Joe Manson is a diabetic kid, an outcast in his class, being raised by a single mother and on the verge of losing their house after his father died in a war.  After an incident with some bullies deprives him of his candy, Joe returns home, low on blood sugar, and that’s when things get weird.  The first three quarters of the issue, in fact, play almost like a low-key domestic drama, but the narrative and visual detail they give fits together so well it’s easy to get sucked in.

Sean Murphy, whose work I’ve never read, proved to be the issue’s star.  With Morrison playing it so low-key for the opening issue, it was up to Murphy to construct a compelling, if mundane, world around Joe.  And from the Joe’s jacket to his lovely bedroom in the attic, from Joe’s sullen expression in the book’s opening pages to his confused, frightened one as it closes, Murphy nails it all.  I’m definitely excited to see Murphy handle the more action-oriented future issues, but he’s proven himself here to be capable of compelling, coherent design work.

Joe the Barbarian #1 is all set-up.  It’s extremely good set-up, of course – Morrison makes a solid, frightening transition from reality to fantasy, wonderfully illustrated by Murphy – but the fact is, very little actually happens.  Still, as ever, Vertigo is a line with a well-deserved reputation for quality, Morrison is a creator with a well-deserved reputation for creativity, and the opening issue only costs a dollar.  The book’s low-key beginning may mean some will appreciate it more once it is collected and some won’t appreciate it at all, but it is absolutely worth a shot.

Grade: B+

- Cal Cleary

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Review: The Unwritten #9

#9 marks the conclusion of The Unwritten‘s second arc, and gives the book another huge push forward as Carey and Gross take Tom and Lizzie, along with a few new companions, out of the jail.  While the events of “The Inside Man” have certainly wrapped up, once again, Carey and Gross have dramatically changed the book’s status quo, moving forward at a lightning pace towards a conclusion I couldn’t begin to predict.  It’s exciting, well-characterized and excellently illustrated – “The Inside Man” did not serve to deepen the world quite as much as “Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity” or the excellent “How the Whale Become”, but it nonetheless illustrated the book’s many strengths while moving yet more pieces into place.

Gross continues to provide some memorable images to the issue, from tragic death to shocking transformation, as he illustrates the chaos Tom’s present has brought to Chadron’s French prison.  Gross’ action remains a little static, but otherwise the issue finds him in top form.  The Unwritten suggests with every issue that it is a future Vertigo classic in the making.  Even if it doesn’t live up to that promise, however, “The Inside Man” definitely ends with a bang.

Grade: A

- Cal Cleary

The Unwritten #8

Review: Secret Six #17

Beginning only moments after last week’s Suicide Squad #67 ended, Secret Six #17 is the second part of a three-part “Blackest Night” tie-in that follows a three-way conflict between Amanda Waller’s Suicide Squad, the Secret Six and the homicidal Black Lantern Suicide Squad.  The fight began last issue, and it gets complicated in this one – as Waller and Multiplex burn down the house of Secrets, Belle Reve turns into a bloodbath.  The Six and the Squad are too busy fighting each other to notice that the dead rise until it’s too late.  Simone and Ostrander pack the issue with quick, clever character moments in between fast-paced action segments that vary in style from a brutal martial arts battle between Bronze Tiger and Catman and a futile confrontation between Bane and the superpowered team of Count Vertigo and Nightshade.

Kudos go to colorist Jason Wright, who, alongside artist J. Calafiore, have crafted the most memorable and realistic images seen yet in Blackest Night‘s emotion-o-vision.  Seeing Deadshot on the ground, veins of powerful emotions surging up through cracks in his near-sociopathic emotional armor is a clever image that also fits with everything we know about the character.  Secret Six #17 ups the tension dramatically from the previous issue, maintaining a breakneck pace as it dashes towards next month’s conclusion.  Exciting, well-characterized and fun, it’s just another issue that suggests that Secret Six is one of the best books on the shelves today.

Grade: A-

- Cal Cleary

Suicide Squad #67

Secret Six #16

Review: Superman: World of New Krypton #11

Superman: World of New Krypton continues its renewed creative upswing with this issue.  After floundering a bit in the middle, #11, the penultimate issue of the series if I recall correctly, suggests a fine return to form as it has a little bit of everything that made the title so very fundamentally enjoyable.  Nothing gets wrapped up in these 22 pages, but an awful lot gets set-up for what will hopefully be a stellar finale.  Adam Strange and Superman team-up to find out who attempted to assassinate Alura.  Though evidence suggests the leader of the Labor Guild, neither Superman nor Strange believe it.  The Council is divided on what the attacks mean and how he should proceed, and Zod seems to be on the way to a speedy recovery.  And just what is that mysterious, lead-lined military structure that they ‘forgot’ to mention to Kal-El when he took over?

It’s a lot to cram in here, but Rucka and Robinson make it work.  Pete Woods continues to turn in excellent work, delivering exciting action sequences and a bizarre panache of sci-fi scenery to give Krypton an alien feel.  Rucka and Robinson have escaped the formula that so made the middle of the series drag, and have instead returned to the book’s strongest elements: the collapsing politics of an alien planet.  Anyone who claims to be a Superman fan should be reading this book, but it’s reach is beyond that: despite a few slip-ups, Superman: World of New Krypton often delivers a fun, engaging pulp sci-fi adventure that digs into Superman’s character without hinging upon it to drive the book.

Grade: B+

- Cal Cleary

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Superman: World of New Krypton #10

Superman: World of New Krypton #9

Review: Suicide Squad #67

The month of January will see the latest, and most ingenious, of DC’s “Blackest Night” cash-grabs as they go after that ever-elusive audience that absolutely despises what Big Event Mentality has done to an industry that can’t even approach affording it (so, uh, me) by reviving a selection of critically-beloved fan-favorite titles that were cancelled (or ended) some time ago.  This begins this week with Weird Western Tales #71 (which I will not be covering unless someone at DC wants to send me a free copy… please?) and Suicide Squad #67.  Co-written by John Ostrander and Gail Simone, Suicide Squad #67 has precious little to do with Blackest Night, and is all the better for it.

Instead, Ostrander and Simone use it to kick off a new Secret Six arc, featuring a three-way battle between the Suicide Squad, the Secret Six and the ‘Homicide Squad’, the Black Lantern members of each team, out for blood.  Though it seems like this could get chaotic and cluttered, especially given the size of each team and the B/C-list nature of its characters, but Simone and Ostrander handle it well, keeping things light and extraordinarily exciting, with the usual dark touch of humor.

Calafiore does excellent work on art, capturing the eerie intensity of the Black Lanterns and the easy violence of… well, every character in the book.  The book’s many action sequences are quick and exciting, and Calafiore does an excellent job setting up the pace and keeping the action moving.  It may not be important to the events of the main mini, but it is nonetheless a thoroughly satisfying tie-in, keeping things quick and trusting the audience to catch up.

Grade: A-

- Cal Cleary

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Secret Six #16

Review: Blackest Night: Wonder Woman #2

Blackest Night: Wonder Woman #1 was an exciting, well-written dive into Wonder Woman’s character.  There were some clunky moments as Rucka tried to shoehorn in the fact that Diana very clearly would become a Star Sapphire in the near future, but otherwise, it was one of the event’s few true bright spots.  Comparatively, Blackest Night: Wonder Woman #2 is a fairly confused mess of an issue.

Beginning after Wonder Woman became a Black Lantern in an incomprehensible scene in Blackest Night #5, BN:WW#1 doesn’t even attempt to fill its readers in of this fact, confident that everyone alive is reading Blackest Night.  This gives it more a feeling of the second one-shot in a series of three than any sort of ongoing narrative.  Rucka manages to give Wonder Woman more of a personality than we’ve seen any Black Lantern thus far display, which manages sidesteps the idea that they are peresonalitiless husks being worn by the black rings.  It also means that most of the issue’s genuine conflict is taking place beneath the surface of the fairly placid Black Lantern Wonder Woman exterior, which Rucka and Scott never quite get to work as well as it could.  A late game twist makes sense for the character and the mythology, but takes away any sense of consequence for the issue, while also reintroducing one of the character’s most boring romances.

Scott’s work remains utterly gorgeous (though not even she could save the hideous WW Star Sapphire costume).  Her crisp rendering of Black Lantern Diana, the BL insignia now etched into her tiara and ax, is a lovely sight to behold, and her action scenes are smooth, exciting and, at times, surprisingly brutal.  Her work, and Rucka’s ability to write a powerful, intriguing Diana save the issue from hitting the depths it otherwise may have, but make no mistake: Blackest Night: Wonder Woman #2 is utterly trivial.

Grade: C+

- Cal Cleary

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Blackest Night: Wonder Woman #1

Review: Siege #1

Built on an undeniably flawed premise – that somehow, by shooting someone once, a known and medicated sociopath would be given control of the vast bulk of the world’s metahuman forces with absolutely no oversight - Siege #1 nonetheless manages to be Bendis’ most focused work in some time, avoiding most of the traps his earlier events all fell prey to.  Osborn, finally going completely off the hinge, follows the advice of Loki and sets events in motion meant to kick start a war with Asgard.  Instead of waiting for the President’s say so, which he would almost assuredly get, he uses his lack of oversight and the ramshackle nature of the hastily-assembled HAMMER infrastruction to launch the war himself, gathering his Avengers and the Initiative and storming the gates of Asgard.

Coipel did not impress me in the preview, but his versatility is on good display here, easily handling everything Bendis asks him to.  The action scenes are quick and dynamic, while the larger-scale images are often quite memorable, from Volstag riding out of Asgard early in the issue to Thor rocketing down from the skies above near the end.  Adept at both epic action and quieter scenes of dialogue, Coipel has proven an excellent choice.

Bendis and Coipel work well together here, and the story moves quickly and believably into place with this issue.  Siege #1 pairs an intriguing, action-packed premise with a pair of fine storytellers turning in good work.  While there’s still room to go sour, especially given the borderline nonsensical conclusions to House of M and Secret Invasion, this issue nonetheless gives me a great deal of hope.  Quick and exciting, Siege #1 delivers exactly what it needs to in order to get you hooked.

Grade: B+

- Cal Cleary

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