Great Blogs of Fire!

It’s been a slow day at work today.  So I did a little surfing of the Blogosphere and I figured I’d share some of the better reads:

Damon Beres usese the Return of Bruce Wayne as an opportunity to write nothing less than a Comics Manifesto.

The Weekly Crisis takes on the Moments of the Week to hilarious effect.  (Or, if not hilarious, very funny effect.)

Final Crisis vs. Blackest Night – the debate rages on.  The Mindless Ones weigh in with one of the best comparissons I have seen.

Looks like Marvel got in on pissing readers off last week.  All Things Fangirl speaks out against last week’s revelation about Rogue’s sex life.

Every Day is Like Wednesday echoes a thought about the so-called “Brightest Day” that has been rattling around my head lately as well.

Let’s Be Friends Again has a clever little comic about the racism charges that have been levelled against DC lately.  I smailed at the title: Geoff Johns, you blockhead!

Comics Daily wonders Who’s Regressing Next.

I think it’s one of the signs of the apocalypse, but I have a new found respect for Shia LaBouf who admits he botched the last Indiana Jones.

Happy reading!

read/RANT!

Top Ten Best Comics of 2009

Better late than never, eh? This is my list for the top ten stories of 2009! Woo hoo! Now, before we get to all the fun of me voicing my opinions and you disagreeing with them, I have to get a few rules out of the way.

1. These are the top ten stories/arcs/whatever. Not comic in general, not trade, but best stories (What can I say, I’m trying to be somewhat unique).

2. These are stories that ended in 2009. They could begin at any time, but as long as they concluded in 2009, they’re eligible.

3. I tried to keep the list as diverse and reader-friendly as possible. I love certain writers, but it would be boring if it was three Morrison books, two Kirkman books, etc. So, a writer/artist will only appear once on the list. I tried to spread the love evenly. You will see Marvel, DC, and even indies on this list.

Wow, with all those rules, how did I come up with a great top ten? Well, I hope I did. Anyway, let’s begin the fun!

Review: Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds #5

I’ve been holding off writing a review of this series until the whole thing was done.  It’s been a long wait, but here we are.  Was it worth the wait?  Mostly.

There’s no getting around the fact that this mini-series was solicited as a Final Crisis tie-in.  Like most of the FC tie-ins, this story had little if anything to do with Final Crisis.  Ultimately, it’s irrelevant.  But I wish they had left the words “Final Crisis” out of the title.

As is to be expected, the series was filled with characters.  As someone who has come to tolerate the Legion of Superheroes, I sometimes found it difficult to know who was who.  But I expect to see a big cast in a book like this – especially one drawn by George Perez.  And the book did a pretty good job of narrowing its focus to specific characters when needed.

The story was a bit of a mess.  Ultimately, we’ve got the culmination of all the Legion-related plot threads Johns has been sowing over the last several years.  Mix that in with plot threads from Green Lantern, Infinite Crisis, Countdown and probably a half dozen other books and you’ve got a recipe for confusion.  But again, the book manages to be accessible when it needs to be.

A lot of the plot just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.  Stuff happens.  But there’s so many characters and so many plot threads, it can be tough to sort out.  Plus, it’s nearly impossible to wrap your mind around the colliding alternate realities.  And if either side can pull allies from alternate realities at will, shouldn’t there have been infinite heroes pairing off against infinite villains?

Well, if you think about any of this stuff too long, you’re going to go cross-eyed (thank you, Austin Powers).  So it’s best just to turn your brain off and enjoy the ride.  If you’re able to do that, Johns serves up the kind of fan-baiting moments he’s known for.  Lots of cool stuff for fans of Superman, Superboy, Sodom Yat, Bart Allen, the Titans, the Legion and most anything else Geoff Johns has ever written.

And if you love to hate Superboy Prime, you get plenty of opportunities to do so.  Honestly, Superboy Prime is my biggest gripe with this book.  Johns has beaten this dead horse a bit too much for my liking.  He’s a popular comic book writer.  Does he really need to take so many swipes at fanboys?  I hope Prime has been put out to pasture for a good, long while.

Little of substance really happened in this mini-series.  If you’re planning to read Adventure Comics (as I am) I’m sure some of the plot threads will be followed up there.  But otherwise, I think it’s enough to know that Conner and Bart are back.

If you were expecting a masterpiece (or a story remotely associated with Final Crisis) I don’t think this mini series delivered.  But fans of Johns’ take on the Legion were well served.

read/RANT

DC Solicitations for October 2009 + Commentary

For anyone who hasn’t read one of these before, here’s the deal: I rundown the lastest DC solicits and give my thoughts.  Hilarity ensues.

Blackest Night books:

I’m just going to cover all of the Blackest Night books in one entry this month.  Otherwise, I’ll run the risk of repeating myself.  Last week’s review of Blackest Night #1 proved quite polarizing.  Most of the fan community seemed to think the book was a masterpiece.  To say the least, I disagreed.

I have read a 6-page preview of this week’s issue of Green Lantern and I am happy to say I liked it better than anything in Blackest Night #1.  The pages I read featured a conversation among Barry Allen, Hal Jordan and Martian Manhunter as a Black Lantern.  What I liked about what I saw was that J’onn was not an “Evil Dead”-style demon like Ralph and Sue Dibny in BN1.

(For all I know, he vowed to swallow Hal’s soul on page 7, but 6-pages without an “I smell a mystery” was a big improvement in my book.)

One of my big problems with BN 1 and last month’s issue of Green Lantern was all of the recapping.  A few people have assured me that all of this recapping was necessary.  And while I’m not necessarily sure it was, hopefully we’re all past it and the story can get started.

I still have some reservationsabout the premise of this story.  And BN #1 kind of confirmed some of my worst fears about what Blackest Night would entail.  But the vast majority seem to be eating this up, so what do I know?

Well, I do know this.  Tales from the Corps #1 was a big, fat waste of money.  I never got around to writing up a proper review.  But save your $4.  DC had the sheer audacity to reprint the various corps pages from Blackest Night 0 – which was, you know, free!

Based on this, I have really low expectations of the tie-ins.  For my money, these tie-ins just look horrible.  And DC has a really lousy track record with tie-ins.  So, buyer beware.

GREEN LANTERN #47

Written by Geoff Johns
Art and cover by Doug Mahnke & Christian Alamy

    BLACKEST NIGHT continues! The war between the Blue Lanterns and Agent Orange implodes as the universe darkens! But a strange turn will send this epic battle in an unexpected direction when Larfleeze has something he desperately hordes taken away from him!

The war between Larfleeze and the Blue Lanterns is STILL going to be going on in October?  I kind of expected that to be a one-pager since the Blue Lanterns are pretty much helpless without a nearby Green Lantern.  This had better be good stuff if it’s going to hold my interest until October.

GREEN LANTERN CORPS #41

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

    The intense and horrific battle between the Green Lantern Corps and the Black Lanterns on Oa takes a turn for the worse! The Corps realizes that the abominable, ultimate goal of the Black Lanterns is not only to feed off the Corps’ emotions, but to consume and decimate the main power battery and destroy Oa forever!

Someone remembered John Stewart.  I think I may pass out!

Final Crisis Aftermath Books:

I haven’t been following these books (see earlier comment about DC’s track record with tie-ins) so I’m just going to lump them all together.

Seventh Soldier is still posting reviews for Ink and Dance.  Check them out if you are so inclined.

I wouldn’t mention these books at all except that they all end in October!  Any bets as to whether or not they end before Legion of Three Worlds?

BATMAN AND ROBIN #5

Written by Grant Morrison
Art and variant cover by Philip Tan & Jonathan Glapion

    Are two Dynamic Duos too much for one city? Batman and Robin find themselves at cross-purposes with Red Hood and Scarlet. Who’s right? Who’s wrong? And who will end up being the chosen protectors of Gotham City?

Check out our round table on B&R #1.  And here’s Bruce Castle’s review of B&R #2.

I have pretty mixed feelings about Morrison’s run on Batman.  To be sure, there was some crazy, brilliant stuff in there.  But I often found individual issues to be frustrating.  I’ve gone back and read his issues several times since Batman RIP and they definitely read better this way.

But I love the freshness of Batman and Robin.  This book just feels like a great super hero comic.  It’s still got the crazy Morrison touches.  But it’s totally accessible.  And there are Easter eggs for those of us who read Morrison’s earlier Batman tales.

BATMAN ANNUAL #27

Written by Fabian Nicieza
Art by J. Calafiore & Mark McKenna

    A murdered priest. A desecrated grave marker. A kidnapped child. A secret key. A mystery whose solution could upset the world order. For Batman and Robin to stop the rampage of a zealot named Amon, the Sixth Sinner, they first have to halt a deadlier foe intent on making sure Amon succeeds. To end the killer’s mad scheme, Batman faces Azrael, Death’s Dark Knight! “The Eighth Deadly Sin” continues in DETECTIVE COMICS ANNUAL #11 and sets the stage for this month’s premiere issue of the AZRAEL ongoing series!

DETECTIVE COMICS ANNUAL #11

 

Written by Fabian Nicieza
Art by Tom Mandrake

    Picking up where BATMAN ANNUAL #27 left off! A lock without a key. A murder mystery whose solutions could lead to countless deaths. An answer in search of – the Question! Renee Montoya must help Batman save Robin from Amon, the Sixth Sinner, while keeping the fanatic killer from uncovering a 2,000-year-old religious secret. But is Azrael willing to risk Robin’s life in order to see this secret revealed? “The Eighth Deadly Sin” sets the stage for this month’s premiere issue of the AZRAEL ongoing series!

AZRAEL #1

 

Written by Fabian Nicieza
Art by Ramon Bachs

    Following the events of “The Eighth Deadly Sin” in BATMAN ANNUAL #27 and DETECTIVE COMICS ANNUAL #11, the new monthly series starring Death’s Dark Knight begins! Michael Lane is a man in search of redemption, but does serving the Order of Purity as God’s Angel of Justice bring him closer to achieving his goal – or simply send him further down a road paved with good intentions? When a hired killer comes to Gotham City seeking revenge for crimes committed decades in the past, Azrael faces an impossible conflict: What if God’s justice forces the hero to claim one of God’s servants? From writer Fabian Nicieza (SUPERMAN, TRINITY) and artist Ramon Bachs (RED ROBIN)!

I lumped these three books together.  Unless you are really interested in Azreal, those two annuals are going to be massively skippable.  I read a lot of the original Azreal series.  I guess that makes me an Azreal fan.  I’ll pick up #1 and give it a look.  But I doubt I’ll pick up those annuals.  And shame on DC if they are required reading to enjoy Azreal #1.

ARKHAM REBORN #1

Written by David Hine
!Haun and artist Jeremy Hine ASYLUM creative team of writer David ARKHAM illness, the building soon mutates into a torture house, and the inmates find themselves trapped in a living hell. And when Jeremiah starts hearing a voice from beyond the grave, it becomes painfully clear that the lunatics really have taken over the Asylum! Beginning a 3-issue miniseries from the BATTLE FOR THE COWL: al has rebuilt the Asylum following the design of his mad Uncle Amadeus. Intended as a model for enlightened treatment of mentArkham Asylum in BATTLE FOR THE COWL, Dr. Jeremiah Arkham    Following the Black Mask’s destruction of

HaunArt and variant cover by Jeremy

I didn’t read most of the Battle for the Cowl tie-ins (see earlier comments about DC’s track record with tie-ins) so maybe I missed the boat on Arkham Asylum.  But the solicit for this issue just sounds unpleasant.  This sure isn’t something I want to read!

BATMAN: THE UNSEEN #1-2

Written by Doug Moench
Art and cover by Kelley Jones
    The fan-favorite Bat-team of Doug Moench and Kelley Jones reunite to introduce the newest member of Batman’s rogues gallery in this twice-monthly, 5-issue miniseries! Horrible and unexplained murders have Gotham City held captive. Bizarre deaths have been occurring throughout the city, but the perpetrator is unknown. Even when the crimes have been committed in view of witnesses, all that is seen is a glimpse of a weird, skinless “meat-man” who seems to fade away after the crimes. Gotham’s only hope is their Dark Knight Detective, but how can Batman find and fight an Invisible Man?

Lots of Bat-books this month!  I’m skipping over that Kevin Smith book because really, I don’t care.  This mini-series seems equally skippable.  But I am more intrigued by a Doug Moench and Kelley Jones reuninion than I am a Kevin Smith bat-book.  So, maybe I’ll give it a try.

BATMAN #691

 

Written by Judd Winick
Art by Mark Bagley & Rob Hunter

    BATMAN double-ships this month as Two-Face and the new Batman throw down in the Batcave. And the fight is a vicious one, but just as Two-Face begins to get the upper hand…Batman shows up? The final chapter of Dick Grayson’s first adventure as Batman is a can’t-miss!

I didn’t expect to like Winick’s return to Batman.  Winick has been seriously disappointing me for the last year or so.  But his first two issues of Batman were surprisingly readable.  Even good!  So, I’m looking forward to more.

One of the best things about Winick’s Batman so far is that it more less makes Battle for the Cowl irrelevant.  Which brings me to:

BATMAN #692

Written by Tony Daniel
Art by Tony Daniel & Sandu Florea

    BATMAN double-ships this month with Tony Daniel returning to the series as the new writer and artist after his best-selling BATTLE FOR THE COWL miniseries! With Batman pounding the pavement in search of Black Mask, Penguin on the run, and the completion of the new Arkham Asylum looming close, Gotham City has reached a boiling point! Guest-starring Catwoman and the Huntress and featuring the return of Gotham City’s most notorious crime family!

I never thought I’d say this, but thank god Winick’s coming back!  Who knows, maybe Daniel will surprise me.  I never thought I’d be enjoying Winick’s Batman, so I guess anything is possible.

But, what’s up with the revolving door on this book?  Batman is one of DC’s best selling titles.  We’ve had three artists and two writers since the revamp of the line.  There has to be a better way to handle one of your flagship books!

DETECTIVE COMICS #858

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

    The shocking and tragic origin story of Batwoman begins here! In “Go” part 1, young Kate Kane and her family are kidnapped by terrorists, and Kate’s life – and the lives of her family – will never be the same! Plus, the mystery behind the villainous Alice is at last revealed!
    Then, in The Question co-feature, Renee’s search for a missing girl comes to a bittersweet end, leaving Renee with more questions and an even bigger mystery for her to solve. As long as she can survive the night, that is…

I’ve only got one issueof Detective to go by so far, but it was a good one.  Since we really don’t know much about Batwoman at this point, this story sounds like a good one.  Hopefully, it will fill in the gaps the same way Rucka’s Action Comics Annual did for that book.  Although it’s a shame that story was stuck in an Annual instead of folded into the main book the way this one is.

BATGIRL #3

Written by Bryan Q. Miller
Art by Lee Garbett & Trevor Scott
Cover by Phil Noto
    It’s a new look and a new costume for the all-new Batgirl! As crime in Gotham City continues to rise, the newest member of the Bat-family vows to wear the mantle of the Bat and fight alongside Batman and Robin in their war on crime. There’s just one problem: She hasn’t told Batman and Robin yet!

Love the Noto cover!  DC sure is being secretive about who will wear the Batgirl costume.  If the book is good, I won’t care who’s wearing the costume.  Having said that, if it’s Barabara Gordon that’s going to be somewhat anti-climactic, donchathink?

BATMAN: STREETS OF GOTHAM #5

Written by Chris Yost; co-feature written by Marc Andreyko
to hunt him down!Manhunter co-feature, Jane Doe is in custody and claiming that Two-Face asked her to kill the former D.A. Since Kate Spencer can’t find the bipolar baddie, it’s up to Manhunter    Meanwhile, in the

    The 2-part “Leviathan” story begins from guest writer Chris Yost (RED ROBIN) as the Huntress finds herself in an unusual position – the responsible one! Because when Huntress hunts down a violent new criminal, she finds herself stuck with a violent, loose cannon of a partner on the case – the Man-Bat.
Haun; co-feature art by Jeremy FridolfsArt by Dustin Nguyen & Derek

Since the Batbooks relaunched, three titles have really stood out; Batman and Robin, Detective Comics and Streets of Gotham.  So, I’m a little disappointed to see a fill-in writer already.  I’m ready to see the Huntress get the spotlight, but a team-up with Man-Bat makes that prospect a lot less appealing.

RED ROBIN #5

Written by Chris Yost
Art by Ramon Bachs

    “Council of Spiders,” Part 1 of 4! Ra’s al Ghul goes from hunter to hunted! What is the Council of Spiders, why have they been killing assassins, and who is the Wanderer? After the death of Red Robin last issue, the League of Assassins now must – wait, WHAT? Everything shifts into insane overdrive as the daughter of Wayne Enterprises CEO Lucius Fox completes her quest to find Red Robin, only to get caught up in one of the deadliest games on the face of the planet.

Red Robin #1 was a surprisingly good read.  Issue 2 hit a lot of the same story beats.  So, issue three had better be pretty good or I won’t be around for issue 5.  Robin + the League of Assassins is usually not a good mix.  The League has not been used to good effect in recent years.  So, my expectations are pretty low for this series.  But not as low as they are for…

GOTHAM CITY SIRENS #5

Written by Paul Dini
Art and cover by Guillem March
    Harley Quinn takes center stage this issue as the girls deal with the after effects of Hush’s deadly manipulations over the last few months. Plus, don’t miss a surprise guest-star!

Issue onesure blew.  Read Seventh Soldier’s review for the gruesome details.  All I’ll say is that this book reminds me of Dini’s work on Countdown…

OUTSIDERS #23

Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Art by Fernando Pasarin & Jay Leisten

    “The Hunting” continues as Halo, Katana and The Creeper attempt to capture Killer Croc and return him to Gotham City before more dead bodies surface in the Louisiana swamps. But when Man-Bat joins the fight, will he side with the monster or the monster-hunters?

I’ve been planning to give this book a try for a long time now, but every time I think about picking the book up it is in the middle of a massive story arc.  So far, no one has recommended this book to me.  Maybe I’m not missing anything.

WORLD’S FINEST #1

Written by Sterling Gates
Art by Julian Lopez

    After tracking down a threat to The Man of Steel – and all of Metropolis – Red Robin must team up with the new Kryptonian Nightwing to end this mysterious threat and rescue Flamebird. But is all this just a red herring to distract the heroes from an even bigger threat to Gotham City and New Krypton? Be here to find out in this 4-issue miniseries from rising star writer Sterling Gates (SUPERGIRL) and artist Julian Lopez.

I’m looking forward to seeing the new Batman and Superman families interact.  I’m a fan of Sterling Gates’ work on Supergirl.  Looks good!

SUPERMAN: SECRET ORIGIN #2

 

Written by Geoff Johns
!Luthor Lex and see how meeting the Legion of Super-Heroes shapes the Superman he will one day become! Plus, more on the beginnings of the young Superboy century as th journey into the late 30alof all time continues! In this second issue, readers will witness young Clark Kent’s initi

    Geoff Johns and Gary Frank’s exploration of the origin of the greatest Super Hero
SibalArt by Gary Frank & Jon

I’ve been accused of hating on Geoff Johns a lot lately based on the fact I haven’t been drinking the Blackest Night Kool Aid.  But I have been a huge fan of his work on Superman.  This series is bound to be chock-a-block with Geoff Johns retcons.  But they will be drawn be Gary Frank.  And odds are there won’t be any superheroes revived as Evil Dead-style zombies. 

Geoff Johns, if you’re out there, more like this please.

ACTION COMICS #882

 

Written by Greg Rucka & Sterling Gates; co-feature written by James Robinson & Greg Rucka
Art by Julian Lopez; co-feature art by CAFU

    “The Hunt for Reactron” part 3! Supergirl and Flamebird continue their slugfest, with poor Nightwing caught in the middle! Wait, isn’t that man standing over there the same Reactron who murdered Supergirl’s dad and Flamebird’s surrogate father? Get him! Continued in SUPERGIRL #46…
    And in the new Captain Atom co-feature, the mystery of where (and when) Captain Atom is heats up when someone with a connection to Metropolis arrives on the scene. But are they friend or foe?

I didn’t get around to writing up a review of the last issue of Action Comics which featured the debut of the Captain Atom back-up feature.  So, let me just say right here: WTF?  I had read that Rucka and Robinson knew the first installment would leave people scratching their heads.  But that was so not cool.  You’ve got 10 pages.  At least give us something!

Of the Superman books, Action has been the weakest.  Which is not to say it’s bad.  It’s better than a lot of the Bat-books.  But it’s not living up to the high standards of Robinson’s Superman, World of New Krypton or Supergirl.  I’ve even considered dropping the book.  But since I’m reading Supergirl, I’ll stick around through the Reactron storyline.

Hopefully the Captain Atom co-feature will make sense by then.

ADVENTURE COMICS #3

 

Written by Geoff Johns; co-feature written by Geoff Johns & Michael Shoemaker
Art by Francis Manapul, co-feature art by Clayton Henry

    Superboy is back and hunting for Lex Luthor! He can’t find Luthor on his own, and he needs help from his best friend Tim Drake, a.k.a. Robin. But Tim’s now traveling the globe under the alias of Red Robin! The boys’ reunion isn’t all smiles and hugs, as Conner discovers that Tim has been hiding a great many secrets from the newly returned Boy of Steel. And they’re secrets that could destroy their friendship!
    Plus, in the Legion of Super-Heroes co-feature, the intergalactic odd couple known as Sun Boy and Polar Boy team up to figure out what’s up with the menace trying to destroy the universe.

To date, I still have no idea how Conner came back (although rumor has it Legion of 3 Worlds comes out today.  Maybe that will finally explain it.  Honestly, I don’t care.  I’m just glad to have him back.  And I’m glad to finally see these Titan reunions.  I hope this book lives up to my expectations.

SUPERMAN #693

Written by James Robinson
Art by Fernando Dagnino & Raúl Fernandez
    It’s a special issue set entirely within General Lane’s Project 7734 headquarters! Learn more about the mysterious Mirabai, Codename: Assassin and Atlas, and witness Lane ply information out of his latest…acquisition. All this plus revelations about Lex Luthor and Brainiac!

I think we can all agree that Cry for Justice was a joke, right?  (If you liked it, please write me a 1,000 word essay on why you like crappy comics.)  But Robinson’s Superman has been a really under-rated gem.  And this looks like a pivotal issue.  Can’t wait!

SUPERMAN: WORLD OF NEW KRYPTON #8

Written by James Robinson & Greg Rucka
Art by Pete Woods

    On a mission in space, Superman and his fellow Kryptonians encounter the might of the Thanagarian Army. Can Superman keep things peaceful between the two races – or will The Man of Steel discover that Hawkman’s legendary temper is shared by all his people?

I’m on the record as loving this book.  Kryptonians vs. Thanagarians?  Yes please.  But please don’t pull another Green Lantern issue.  I think it was issue 3 where the cover depicted Kal vs. Hal.  But the actual issue had them shaking hands and slapping each other on the back.  Not a punch was thrown.  I may be mistaken, but I think they had tea and scones. 

Anyway, since there’s no fight on the cover maybe we can expect one within the pages of the book!

SUPERGIRL #46

Written by Sterling Gates & Greg Rucka
Art by Jamal Igle & Jon Sibal

    Continuing from ACTION COMICS #882, “The Hunt for Reactron” concludes! It’s the final showdown between Flamebird, Supergirl and the man who killed their father. And for the Daughters of Zor-El, that means it’s payback time. Will Reactron make it out alive? Or is Nightwing the only one who can save
them all?

Hold on!  Did we know previously that Flamebird was Supergirl’s sister?!?  I think not.  Ooops.

THE BRAVE & THE BOLD #28

 

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Art and cover by Jesus Saiz
    J. Michael Straczynski (Amazing Spider-Man) and Jesus Saiz (OMAC PROJECT) continue their series of unlikely pairings with a match that spans the decades! When an experiment meant to alter the speed of light goes awry, Barry Allen finds himself face-to-face with some surprising allies – World War II’s legendary Blackhawks! But Barry isn’t the Flash they know, and he’s not even the kind of hero they need to help fight history’s most grueling war! What must Barry sacrifice to serve his country – and his world?

Another odd pairing from JMS.  Barry + Blackhawks really isn’t doing it for me.  JMS is going to have to really deliver the goods to win me over with these kinds of team-ups.

BOOSTER GOLD #25

Written by Dan Jurgens; co-feature written by Matthew Sturges
Art and cover by Dan Jurgens & Norm Rapmund; co-feature art by Mike Norton
    “Day of Dead” concludes as Booster Gold battles Black Beetle in the past and jumps through time to team up with the new Batman and Robin in the future. But how are these events connected – and what is the Black Beetle really after?
    Then, in Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes must stop the Blue Beetle scarab from trying to kill him…and everyone else on the
planet Earth!

If you left Booster Gold when Geoff Johns left (as I did) it’s time to come back.  The book is just as much fun now as it was then.  In fact, the addition of the Blue Beetle back-up feature has made it a party.  You like parties, don’t you?

DCU HALLOWEEN SPECIAL 2009 #1

 

Written by Joe Harris, Billy Tucci, Jake Black, Franco, Adam Schlagman, Mandy McMurray and others
Art by Rags Morales, Joe Prado and others

    Darkness falls across the land as the DC Universe faces its greatest horror in this Halloween special filled with all-new stories! Watch as Guy Gardner continues his quest to share Halloween with the cosmos and his fellow alien Green Lantern Corps members. In another tale, Red Robin finds the true, deadly meaning of the sinister holiday while overseas on his quest to find Bruce Wayne. Meanwhile, Bizarro receives neither trick nor treat in his own backwards celebration of the spookiest night of the year on his home world. Plus, 10 other ghoulish tales to fill you with fright this Halloween!

By now, I think everyone knows these holiday specials are pointless.  Seriously, who’s buying them?  Save your $6!

DOOM PATROL #3

Written by Keith Giffen; co-feature written by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis
Art by Matthew Clark & Livesay;co-feature art by Kevin Maguire

    Remember Mento? Yeah, that guy – goofy helmet, lightning bolt on his chest. After reading this issue, it’s a sure bet you won’t forget him again any time soon. Oh yeah, and the resolution of that whole “black hole” thing from last issue adds a kinda-sorta new member to the Doom Patrol roster. As for everyone’s favorite Metal Men, it’s the dynamic debut of Douglas, Robot Hunter! We’re too good to you.

I’ve never been a fan of Doom Patrol or the Metal Men.  But the creative team on this book pretty much guarantees I give it three issues to win me over.

GREEN ARROW & BLACK CANARY #25

Written by Andrew Kreisberg
Art by Renato Guedes, Mike Norton, José Wilson Magalhães & Bill Sienkiewicz

    The main story this month focuses on the sudden and strange return of Green Arrow! Of course, we’re talking about the Green Arrow that Black Canary stabbed on her wedding night!
    And in this issue’s co-feature, Black Canary is stunned to find that Cupid can’t tell the difference between the two Green Arrows – which could lead to one of the deadliest Super-Villain teams of all time!

I have to admit my heart sank a little when I saw Kreisberg was still writing this book.  Every month, I check the solicit to see if he’s been replaced yet.  No such luck.  This solicit suggests that Green Arrow/Black Canary is going to continue to suck well into the fall.

Sigh.

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #32

Written by Matthew Sturges & Bill Willingham
Art and cover by Jesus Merino
    The seismic rift among the members of the Justice Society deepens due to the strange actions of several new team members as well as some long-seeded conflicts! It all leaves them dangerously weakened as their home base faces assault from an army of bounty hunters who plan on collecting the price on the head of each and every member of the Society!

I remain cautiously optimistic about the new creative team on JSA.  They have some big shoes to fill!

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #38

 

Written by James Robinson
Art and cover by Mark Bagley

    A new era begins for the World’s Greatest Heroes as superstars James Robinson (STARMAN, SUPERMAN) and Mark Bagley (TRINITY, Ultimate Spider-Man) take over! It all begins as a one-time member of the JLA falls before he can warn the team of looming peril while what’s left of the JLA journeys to the heart of their past to decide if the team has any future at all.
    Of course, that means this is the best time for a savage villain from the team’s past to attack the demoralized heroes! The team will have to muster enough will to win not only today, but in the harrowing months to come. It’s the start of a spanking new odyssey for the JLA that will lead in the coming months to a fresh line-up for DC’s flagship team. Get onboard now for the next epic chapter of the Justice League’s legacy!

I’ve been waiting for DC to make JLA relevant again.  And ordinarily, Robinson and Bagley would be cause to celebrate.  But Cry for Justice #1 was really, really bad.  You know it was.  Stop fooling yourself just because Mauro Cascioli painted Wonder Woman in a thong that would make a porn star blush.

Hopefully, the Robinson of Superman will show up instead whoever it was that wrote Cry for Justice #1.

JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE #4

Written by James Robinson
Art and cover by Mauro Cascioli
    How far would you go for justice? The heroes have found themselves turning to darker tactics in their search for retribution. Starman and Congorilla have captured the killers who took down some of their friends, but now what do they do with them? Meanwhile, Green Lantern and company wrestle with the idea of torturing villains for information in order to save lives.

It burns!  It burns!

MAGOG #2

Written by Keith Giffen
Art by Howard Porter & John Dell

    Magog’s got a problem: How does he use the Justice Society and their vast resources and abilities without their knowing he’s going against their standard operating procedure? And that doesn’t even compare to his more immediate problem: coming face-to-face with the putrid villain known as Miasma beneath New York City! Continuing the all-new series from writer Keith Giffen (JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL) and reuniting the best-selling JLA art team of penciller Howard Porter and inker John Dell!

This is officially 1 issue longer than I thought a Magog on-going series would last!  (I tease!)

Gotta say, the Porter/Dell art doesn’t exactly excite me.  The Morrison era JLA was one of my favorites.  But that was in spite of the art, not because of it.

POWER GIRL #6

Written by Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray
Art and cover by Amanda Conner

    “Space Girls Gone Wild!” part 3 of 3! The trio of sexy alien marauders continues their rampage across Earth, and Power Girl makes her last stand against these seemingly unstoppable foes. But even Power Girl has her limits…

I’m here for the Amanda Conner art.  I’ll probably stick around as long as she does and not an issue longer.  The book is just enough fun to justify my $3 purchase. 

RED TORNADO #2

 

Written by Kevin VanHook
Art by Jose Luisí & J.P. Mayer
    He thought he was alone, but Red Tornado’s on track to meet the family he never knew he had! And in issue #2 of the 6-issue miniseries, Red Tornado discovers the next member: Red Torpedo! Hold on to your hats as this exciting new series from writer Kevin VanHook and artist Jose Luisí whips up a zephyr of excitement!

DC, why do you keep trying to make Red Tornado happen?  He’s so not fetch!

THE SHIELD #2

Written by Eric Trautmann; co-feature written by Brandon Jerwa
Art by Marco Rudy & Mick Gray; co-feature art by Greg Scott

    The Shield’s mission deepens as he struggles to free himself from the mind-washed hordes. Unfortunately, someone else is on the same mission despite no official sanction. Can The Shield control the situation – or will he be forced to scrub out, thanks to Magog?
    Plus, Inferno takes on Black Canary on her own turf! Will she catch him before he’s even started to run?

THE WEB #2

Written by Angela Robinson; co-feature written by John Rozum
Art Roger Robinson & Hilary Barta; co-feature art by Tom Derenick & Bill Sienkiewicz
Cover by Stanley “Artgerm” Lau
    The Web finds himself in over his head as he plunges deeper into the criminal underworld looking for the elusive villain Dr. Archer. With his calls of duty piling up, The Web gets caught in a terrible death trap and in his civilian I.D., he’s found himself rolling with made men. Has the new hero overplayed his hand already?
    Plus, the Hangman begins tightening the noose on San Francisco’s organized crime, but he finds resistance in the form of the Ugly Man!

Not much to say on these Red Circle books at this point.  I hope they are good.

I had really expected DC to do more with the Milestone characters than they did.  I hope the way they screwed over Dwayne McDuffie didn’t screw that deal up to.

SECRET SIX #14

Written by Gail Simone
Art by Nicola Scott and Doug Hazlewood

    The shattering conclusion to “The Depths” is here! The Six find themselves pitted against Artemis, Wonder Woman and the hideous secret being from deep within the new Devil’s Island!

This book is pure awesome.  And “The Depths” promises to be one of the best arcs yet.

I know you’re not reading this book.  It doesn’t have Superman or Batman in it.  It’s not written by Geoff Johns and there are rarely any zombies.  That’s no excuse!

Secret Six is the essence of awesomeness!  Buy two copies of each issue and read them both!

TITANS #18

Written by Bryan Q. Miller
Art by Angel Unzueta and Wayne Faucher

    With the Titans team slowly dissolving as members drift their own way, only the empath Raven recognizes the mounting disconnection. With her only friends drifting apart, Raven makes a surprising life choice that will affect the course of her strained relationship with Beast Boy.

Titans has slowly grown from a train wreck into a mediocre book spotlighting 1 Titan per issue.  The last two issues have both been readable.  But you had to really like the character who was receiving the spotlight.  This issue looks about the same.  Still, it beats the train wreck Titans used to be.

TEEN TITANS #76

Written by Felicia D. Henderson; co-feature written by Sean McKeever
Art by Joe Bennett & Jack Jadson; co-feature art by Yildiray Cinar & Júlio Ferreira

    Guest-starring Beast Boy and Raven! With the Teen Titans unraveling at the seams, two former members must return to Titans Tower to help Wonder Girl right the sinking ship! If only it were that easy…
    And in the Ravager second feature, Rose uncovers a horrific
black market. And she deals with it the only way she knows how: with blood.

Teen Titans has also gotten better since the exit of Sean McKeever.  Now if only we could get him off the co-feature!  I look forward to seeing what Felicia Henderson brings to the table.  I hear she’s a Gossip Girl writer.  That sounds like a pretty good fit for the Titans…

WONDER WOMAN #37

Written by Gail Simone
Art by Bernard Chang

    It’s a civil war – and the world hangs in the balance! Zeus has made Achilles ruler of the Amazons, and Diana finds herself in battle against the people she loves most! And what is the secret behind the sudden rash of pregnancies on Paradise Island?

It looks like Rise of the Olympian was only the beginning!  I can’t wait to see what Gail has in store for us next.

DC Solicitations for September + Commentary

Same drill as always.  Just like the title says, this is the DC Solicits for the month of September + my commentary (for what it’s worth).

BLACKEST NIGHT #3

Written by Geoff Johns
Art and cover by Ivan Reis & Oclair Albert

As the dead attack in full force, Green Lantern is faced with an impossible decision and the scattered remains of the Justice League suffer a terrible loss. Who can stop the Black Lanterns? Why are they rising? And how can the Spectre help?

Not a whole lot of info there.  I think DC may be trying to thwart my snarky commentary.  Frankly, what is here doesn’t sound all that appealing.  The JLA is already scattered.  How much more scattered can they be?  Another terrible loss?  Meh.  Another death in a mini-series in which the dead have come back to life seems pretty meaningless to me.

BLACKEST NIGHT: SUPERMAN #2

Written by James Robinson
Art and cover by Eddy Barrows & Ruy José

    It’s a crisis in Smallville as Psycho Pirate attacks! Plus, Superman’s dead bride returns as a Black Lantern! And she joins in on the haunting of Smallville in the second part of this terrifying 3-issue epic from writer James Robinson (SUPERMAN, STARMAN) and artist Eddy Barrows (TEEN TITANS, ACTION COMICS)!

Superman’s dead bride?  I assume we are talking about Earth-2 Superman and Earth-2 Lois.  Surely DC wouldn’t put such a huge spoiler in the solicits, right?  Hopefully, this will be better than it sounds.

BLACKEST NIGHT: BATMAN #2

Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Art by Adrian Syaf & John Dell

    The Dark Knight continues his journey into BLACKEST NIGHT! Will the new Batman join his predecessor in the grave? Will Red Robin’s reunion with his father be bitter and bloody? Can anyone escape the horror of the Black Lanterns? Find out in this new installment of the 3-issue miniseries from writer Peter J. Tomasi (GREEN LANTERN CORPS, THE MIGHTY) and up-and-comer Adrian Syaf!

I like Tomasi.  So much like the Superman mini-series, I am going to assume this is better than it sounds.  But I think this solicit kind of hits on part of the reason Blackest Night just doesn’t appeal to me.  Of course Tim’s encounter with his father will be bitter and bloody.  DC seems to think that all comics should be bitter and bloody these days.  Thank goodness for fun comics like Power Girl and Booster Gold!

BLACKEST NIGHT: TITANS #2
Written by J.T. Krul
Art and cover by Ed Benes & Rob Hunter

    Titan-on-Titan violence! Black Lantern Hawk has his talons set for the female Hawk and Dove! Meanwhile, Red Star faces a frightful family reunion with Black Lanterns Pantha and Wildebeest, and Donna Troy faces her worst possible nightmare! Plus, Black Lantern Terra terrorizes Beast Boy! Continuing the 3-issue miniseries from writer J.T. Krul (JSA CLASSIFIED, Fathom) and superstar artist Ed Benes (JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA)!

Holy crap!  That cover is disturbing.  It beats the zombie butt-shot from issue 1.

Buncha dead Titans fighting living Titans.  Zzzzzz.

GREEN LANTERN #46

Written by Geoff Johns
Art and cover by Doug Mahnke & Christian AlamyOh, man!  I have to wait until September for the Mongul vs. Sinestro throwdown?  I was thinking that was coming right up.  No wonder the last issue of GLC seemed a little padded out!

    BLACKEST NIGHT continues! For months, Mongul has wrested control of the Sinestro Corps. Now Sinestro wants a word with him. And Hal wants a word with Sinestro. But in the midst of BLACKEST NIGHT, they’ll all become the hunted as the fallen Sinestro Corps members rise. What will happen? Here’s a hint: Sinestro gets some serious payback.

 

What else?  Well, looks like Hal has two arms.  Big flipping surprise!

GREEN LANTERN CORPS #40

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

    The battle continues on Oa as the honored dead of the Green Lantern Corps and the recently deceased Sciencell convicts who lost their lives in the riots have all become Black Lanterns and will not rest until the bloody hearts and minds of the Green Lanterns are literally in their hands. Kyle Rayner, Guy Gardener and John Stewart resort to their most brutal fighting yet as the Blackest Night threatens to envelop Sector Zero and send the universe reeling into chaos!

Buncha more zombie stuff.  All these Blackest Nights solicits read the same.  I sure hope the books are more interesting than the solicits.

WEDNESDAY COMICS #9-12

Yay!  Wednesday Comics!  Best idea in years.

FINAL CRISIS AFTERMATH: <Fill in the Blank> #5

I haven’t been reading any of these aftermath minis and I’ve made my feelings about them known for the last few months.  Seventh Soldier has been reading them and posting reviews so far.  Since I’ve run out of things to say, I’ll just lump them all under one entry and post links to 7th’s reviews:

Run!

Escape

Dance

Ink

(Ink gets the picture since 7th liked it best.)

BATMAN: WIDENING GYRE #2

Written by Kevin Smith
Art by Walter Flanagan & Art Thibert

    Kevin Smith’s newest Batman adventure has only just begun and already the surprises are pouring in! This issue has more guest-stars, more twists, more turns and more Batman than you can handle. Don’t miss the sensational second issue from Smith — the fan-favorite creator behind GREEN ARROW and Daredevil — and artist Walter Flanagan (BATMAN: CACOPHONY)!

Personally, I think Smith is way overrated.  But if you’re into him, more power to you.  I don’t know of anyone who’s into Walter Flanagan.  I found his art distracting in Cacophony…

BATMAN AND ROBIN #4

Written by Grant Morrison
Art by Philip Tan & Jonathan Glapion
All of us at read/RANT really liked Morrison and Quitely’s first issue.  I’ve got high hopes for this new dynamic duo.  Obviously Tan is no Quitely.  But it’s a trade-off I’m willing to make for a monthly comic as opposed to whatever schedule Quitely would keep.  Plus, Morrison is notoriously good at tailoring his scripts to the artist he’s working with.  So, I expect Tan to really shine here.

    Meet the Red Hood and his sidekick Scarlet, Gotham City’s vicious new “protectors,” in the start of a new arc! This dangerous duo is out to destroy the very reputation and legacy of the Batman by replacing it altogether. Writer Grant Morrison (FINAL CRISIS) teams with hot new artist Philip Tan (GREEN LANTERN) to bring you what’s sure to be the new Batman and Robin’s biggest challenge yet!

DETECTIVE COMICS #857

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

    “Elegy” part 4 of 4! Batwoman faces off against Alice in an attempt to stop the villainess from unleashing a toxic death cloud over all of Gotham! But Alice has more up her sleeve than just poison, and Batwoman’s life will never ever be the same again.

This is bound to be a popular book here at read/RANT.  Usually, Seventh Soldier is all over the Rucka stuff.  But he’s going to have stuff competition from Bruce Castle who just can’t stop geeking out about this one.  I swear, you’d think he never saw a lesbian in a rubber suit before!

BATGIRL #2

Written by Bryan Q. Miller
Art by Lee Garbett & Trevor Scott
Cover by Phil Noto
    As the new Batgirl continues her nightly mission, the mystery of her secret identity intensifies. Now she has become the target of both Gotham City’s heroes (who don’t take kindly to a new person wearing the cape and the cowl) and its villains (who want to see the entire Bat-family six feet under)!

Please don’t let this be Barbara Gordon!  Please don’t let this be Barbara Gordon!

(The solicit says a new person wears the cape and cowl – so maybe there’s hope!)

Seriously, with Hal Jordan, Ollie Queen, Kara Zor-el and Barry Allen all back, I don’t think I can handle another Silve Age revival.  Please don’t let this be anyone but Barbara Gordon!

Also, if I don’t find out who the new Batgirl is in Batgirl #1, you can bet I will be ranting. 

BATMAN #690

Written by Judd Winick
Art by Mark Bagley & Rob Hunter

    Penguin ups the ante in his bid to become Gotham’s top crook and enlists a few of Arkham’s finest to keep Batman busy. Meanwhile a mysterious presence enters the scene to aid the Penguin – or is there another motive at play? And Two-Face takes a massive leap forward in uncovering one of Batman’s greatest secrets.

I know it’s a backhanded compliment to praise Winick’s first issuefor being surprisingly good.  Coming from most any other writer, I would have considered it pretty average.  But these days I am surprised any time I don’t hate a book by Winick.  And I didn’t hate the first issue.  Good job, Judd!

BATMAN: STREETS OF GOTHAM #4

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

    With Batman’s recent “Bruce Wayne” problems barely contained, Gotham City’s new Dark Knight must now deal with the most lethal arm of Black Mask’s growing empire – Victor Zsasz!
    And in the Manhunter co-feature, now that Kate has Jane Doe under arrest, what does Jane have to say about why she killed the former DA? Will she flip on her actual leader, the Black Mask – or will she continue to point the finger at Two-Face?

It’s funny.  For the last few months, I’ve been reading the solicits for the new Batbooks with little to no enthusiasm.  As good as RIP was, it kind of ruined the Batbooks for a while.  The main books were good.  But everyone else just passed the time until their books got relaunched.

Now that I have been pleasantly surprised by all of the Batbooks so far this month, all of these solicits sound a lot better.

GOTHAM CITY SIRENS #4

Written by Paul Dini
Art and cover by Guillem March
    Bruce Wayne has always been considered the quintessential ladies’ man. But he’s never faced ladies quite like this before! Has Gotham City’s playboy prince finally met his match?

Paul Dini is just writing soft core Batporn now, is that it?  We have text that doesn’t make any sense (seeing as how Bruce is currently dead) and a cover that seems to portray Harly on Catwoman action (with a whip, of course).  And, oh yeah, there’s Poison Ivy’s ass!  This isn’t even Ed Benes slipping in an ass.  No, this is just Poison Ivy mooning the reader for no apparent reason (other than readers seem to like shapely asses – even green ones.)

Will I be buying this book?  You bet your (shapely green) ass I will.  But I think I may have to hide it from my wife…

OUTSIDERS #22

Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Art by Fernando Pasarin

    “The Hunting” continues as Metamorpho, Black Lightning and Geoforce scour the globe to track down Clayface. But when tensions rise, Lighting and Geoforce will find themselves at odds over the control of the team. Plus, the Creeper and Man-Bat head down to the bayou to catch themselves a Killer Croc!

These days, the JLA is scarping the bottom of the barrel.  Teams like the Outsiders are basically stuck with C-listers.  So it makes sense that they would pack the book with as many C-list Batman villains as possible.  Next month, the team will battle Poison Ivy’s ass.

RED ROBIN #4

Written by Christopher Yost
Art by Ramon Bachs

    “The Grail” part 4 of 4! In this explosive conclusion to the debut arc, Red Robin’s search leads him to the deserts of the Middle East with the League of Assassins by his side. How many lines will he cross to prove that Bruce Wayne is alive? One journey ends, but a far deadlier one begins as Red Robin learns the truth – although he may not survive to tell anyone, because back in Gotham City, Red Robin faces off with the one man who could stop his quest: Batman!

I can admit when I am wrong.  For months now, I’ve been expecting the worst of Red Robin.  And while I still think it makes no sense whatsoever for Tim Drake to start calling himself Red Robin, the first issue was actually pretty damn good.  So, keep it up!

SUPERMAN: SECRET ORIGIN #1

Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Gary Frank & Jon Sibal

    Hot on the heels of their acclaimed run on ACTION COMICS, superstars Geoff Johns and Gary Frank reunite to present a 6-issue event that spells out the definitive origin of Superman for the 21st century – and it all starts with a gigantic 48-page issue! Chronicling Clark Kent’s journey from the cornfields of Smallville to the skyscrapers of Metropolis, you’ll witness a whole new look at the beginnings of Lex Luthor, the Legion of Super-Heroes, Lois Lane, Metallo, Jimmy Olsen, the Parasite and more! It’s a look at the mythic past of the Man of Steel with an eye toward the future!

Forget Blackest Night!  Forget Flash: Rebirth!  (Please let me forget Flash: Rebirth!)  This is the Geoff Johns book I am looking forward to!  I loved Johns and Frank on Action.  It was my favorite monthly comic at the time.  So even though they appear to be crapping all over Mark Waid’s “definitive” Superman origin from just a few years prior, sign me up.

ACTION COMICS #881

Written by Greg Rucka; co-feature written by James Robinson & Rucka
Art by Julian Lopez; co-feature art by CAFU

    “The Hunt for Reactron” starts here! Spilling out of the stunning finale of “Codename: Patriot,” Supergirl and Flamebird find themselves at each other’s throats! What’s happened to these two childhood friends to put them at such odds, and can Nightwing calm them down before the situation escalates? And just what are they going to do about all of the guys who are surrounding them? You know, the guys in the tanks? Continued in SUPERGIRL #45!
    Plus! James Robinson and Greg Rucka’s Captain Atom co-feature continues! What is happening to Captain Atom, and more important, what’s happening to his mind? Team Breach is on hand to lend some answers, but Atom probably isn’t going to like them.

I expected to like Rucka’s Action Comics more than I liked Robinson’s Superman-free Superman.  But frankly, the book has been something of a disappointment.  Hopefully, things will improve when the book crosses iver with the always excellent (since rge new team took over) Supergirl.

And, I’m still hoping the Captain Atom back-up rocks!  If there’s one character in the DCU who needs some love, it’s Captain (What the hell has been going on with all the Monarcg shit) Atom.

ADVENTURE COMICS #2

Written by Geoff Johns; co-feature written by Geoff Johns and Michael Shoemaker
Art by Francis Manapul, co-feature art by Clayton Henry

    Superboy is back and living out his teenage years in Smallville. But all is not as it seems in Superman’s hometown. And while Conner reunites with his former girlfriend, Wonder Girl, to see if they have a future together, Lex Luthor and Brainiac form a partnership that will cause havoc throughout the DC Universe. But what do their plans have to do with Conner and the other students at Smallville High?
    Plus, in the Legion of Super-Heroes co-feature, which takes place all the way in the 31st century, Lightning Lad travels to the prison planet of Takron-Galtos to confront his brother, Lighting Lord. There, Lightning Lord informs Lighting Lad of a shocking family secret that sets the pieces in motion for a war that will decide the future of the universe. Yeah, the universe. No big.

Awwww.  What a sweet cover!  I’ve been waiting for this for a long time.  It takes me back to the days of Young (So much better than Johns’ angst-filled Titans) Justice.  Of course, this being a Johns book, I expect that after a bloody trauma, the couple will realize they have no future together.  And there will be angst.  Angsty angst.  Like in Twilight but without the vampires.

SUPERMAN #692

Written by James Robinson
Art by Renato Guedes & José Wilson Magalhães

    Tragedy strikes in the aftermath of “Codename: Patriot” as Metropolis buries one of its own! And with a man down, the Science Police are on their own to stop a cadre of Super-Villains from stealing a formerly common commodity that has suddenly become rarer than gold!

I have to admit to being wrong again this month!  I wasn’t really all that interested in Robinson’s take on the Guardian and Mon-el.  In fact, I let the book slip off my radar for a little while.  But once I got caught back up, Robinson hooked me!

Hopefully, I’ll have to apologize to him again when Cry for Justice comes out.  Because that 5-page preview was bad.  Real bad.

SUPERMAN: WORLD OF NEW KRYPTON #7

Written by James Robinson & Greg Rucka
Art by Pete WoodsThere ain’t a whole lot I like better than World of New Krypton.  Maybe a mutton, lettuce and tomato sandwich where the mutton is cut real thin…

    It’s never a dull moment on New Krypton – just when Superman was getting used to his place on his reborn homeworld, he’s thrust into a new position that makes his previous duties look like a cakewalk. And thanks to the fallout from the “Codename: Patriot” storyline, New Krypton’s ruler – and Superman’s aunt – Alura has her hands full keeping the people of Kandor from panicking. So of course it’s the perfect time for an alien threat to arrive and declare war…

 

SUPERGIRL #45

Written by Sterling Gates
Art by Jamal Igle & Jon Sibal

    Continuing from ACTION COMICS #881 – “The Hunt for Reactron” part 2! Can Supergirl rely on her seemingly unstable childhood friend to help her track down her father’s assassin? Or will she ultimately get burned by Flamebird?

If Bruce Castle does another list of the best covers of the month, he better remember this one!  I love the expressions on both characters’ faces.

Gates and Igle have been consistently excellent since they took over the book.  (Last issue made my list of the top 5 books of May.)  If you’re still hung up on all those years Supergirl sucked, it’s time to get over it!  Read Supergirl!

SUPERGIRL ANNUAL #1

Written by Sterling Gates
Art by Fernando Dagnino & Raúl Fernandez

    In SUPERGIRL #34, Supergirl took the new secret identity of Linda Lang. But how long until someone finds out her secret? Now, for the first time ever, witness Supergirl’s initial attempt to live her double life in “Linda Lang: Day One”!
    Plus! The secret origin of Superwoman revealed! What drove Lucy Lane to become the superpowered threat known as Superwoman? How did she transform from Lois Lane’s little sister into Project 7734’s secret weapon? Find out here!

And as a bonus for being so awesome, Supergirl gets… an annual full of filler material.  Read Supergirl, but this looks utterly skippable.

THE SHIELD #1

Written by Eric Trautmann; co-feature written by Brandon Jerwa
Art by Marco Rudy & Mick Gray; co-feature art by Greg Scott

    Spinning out of August’s “Red Circle” event from superstar writer J. Michael Straczynski comes the new ongoing adventures of the patriotic Shield and the mysterious man on the run, Inferno! Eric Trautmann (CHECKMATE) and Marco Rudy (FINAL CRISIS) take Lt. Joe Higgins, a.k.a. The Shield, into the hotspots civilians dare not go. His first mission takes The Shield to the razed country of Bialya, destroyed by the rage of Black Adam in 52. Something lurks in the mountains beyond militia activity, and The Shield must investigate!
    Plus, Inferno stars in a fast-paced co-feature from writer Brandon Jerwa (G.I. Joe) and artist Greg Scott (GOTHAM CENTRAL)! Who is Inferno, and why is he being pursued by the Dark Men? He’d better find out fast because Green Arrow and Black Canary have questions of their own for the new hero!

Hey look, DC bought their own Captain America knock-off!  Too bad they don’t have Ed Brubaker to write it.  (I tease!  I tease the Red Circle!)

I’m not sure what to make of these Red Circle on-goings.  I guess DC has to get their money’s worth since they bought the characters.  I hope they’re good.

THE WEB #1

Written by Angela Robinson; co-feature written by John Rozum
Art by Roger Robinson & Hilary Barta;co-feature art by Tom Derenick & Bill Sienkiewicz

    Spinning out of August’s “Red Circle” event from superstar writer J. Michael Straczynski comes the new ongoing adventures of the selfish rich-boy hero the Web, and the mysterious-undying Hangman. Writer/director Angela Robinson (D.E.B.S.) and artist Roger Robinson (BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHTS) spin the tales of The Web, a man who has only recently come to understand the burden of true heroism. He’s fighting crime on his own terms, and for his first mission he’s hunting down the men responsible for killing his brother!
    Plus, the Hangman stars in his own co-feature with a touch of urban noir from writer John Rozum (DETECTIVE COMICS) and artists Tom Derenick and Bill Sienkiewicz, the team behind REIGN IN HELL! The Hangman haunts the streets of San Francisco and touches lives as he works to discover whether his powers are a blessing or a curse.

See The Shield.  Nice cover though.

Also, I wouldn’t brag about having the art team from Reign in Hell on the back-up.  the weakest thing about that mini-series was the art.

THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #27

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Art & cover by Jesus Saiz
    The wait is over as J. Michael Straczynski arrives on THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD! First up, the best-selling scribe pairs Batman and…Dial H For Hero? Robby Reed and his grandfather thought their brief visit to Gotham City would go smoothly until one of Gotham’s petty thieves made the score of the century in the form of Robby’s H-Dial! Batman’s on the case, but The Joker’s crime wave has the city in a panic, and the power of the H-Dial has had a very unexpected effect on the hood who stole it. The choices he makes could change his life – and Robby’s – forever! Features the stunning art of Jesus Saiz (OMAC PROJECT)!

After waiting for what seems like years, JMS kicks off his B&tB with Dial H for Hero?  Oookay.  Well, at least the book promises to look good!

BOOSTER GOLD #24

Written by Dan Jurgens; co-feature written by Matthew Sturges
Art and cover by Dan Jurgens & Norm Rapmund; co-feature art by Mike Norton
    Booster Gold faces off against Black Beetle for the fate of the entire Justice League. But Black Beetle isn’t all he seems, and his one, true identity is revealed at last! Plus, Matt Sturges and Mike Norton take Blue Beetle out of El Paso and drop him directly into harm’s way in a battle against…Black Beetle!

I finally got around to catching up with Booster Gold last issue and I am so glad I did.  This book is perfect for anyone who likes fun comic books.  (And if you don’t like fun comics, well, phooey on you!)  The new Blue and Gold make a great double feature.  I’ll stick around as long as they stay this much fun.

DOOM PATROL #2

Written by Keith Giffen; co-feature written by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis
Art by Matthew Clark & John Livesay; co-feature art by Kevin Maguire

    It’s a black hole, but it’s not a black hole. If you’re a Doom Patrol fan, that made perfect sense. And even if not, then you’re in for one hell of a ride as the Doom Patrol face off against the most annoying alien this side of G’nort. Who’s G’nort? What, do we have to spoon-feed this stuff to you?
    Oh, and we send the Metal Men into space. Just because.

I’ve never been a fan of Doom Patrol or the Metal Men, but I am really hoping this book can change both of those things.

THE FLASH: REBIRTH #6

Written by Geoff Johns
Art and covers by Ethan Van Sciver
    In a battle along the outskirts of time, the secrets of the Speed Force have been revealed! The new archnemesis of those who ride the lightning is coming for Iris Allen. And the Barry Allen you knew is gone forever…or is he? What change does Wally West face? What destiny will Kid Flash choose? Prepare to meet a Flash Family that’s both familiar and different…and get to the starting line for the next epic adventures of the Speed Force!

It’s not like we didn’t all know Barry was returning to the role of the Flash.  But that cover pretty much ruins what little drama this tepid mini-series had left.  I’m looking forward to wrapping up this Rebirth nonsense and moving on to the actual series.  Honestly, Green Lantern Rebirth was terribly over-rated too.  Johns didn’t hit his stride on Green Lantern until he was about a year into the on-going.

GREEN ARROW & BLACK CANARY #24

Written by Andrew Kreisberg
Art by Mike Norton, Josef Rubinstein and Bill Sienkiewicz

    The main feature this month focuses on the DC Universe’s bizarre answer to Thelma & Louise as Black Canary and her rival Cupid end up on the lam from both Big Game and the Star City Police! Meanwhile, this issue’s co-feature sees Green Arrow doing his best to bring down Big Game himself before the baddie can find either woman in GA’s life!

I seriously hate this book.  Please do something, DC.  Both Green Arrow and Black Canary deserve better.

And while I sometimes rant against senseless killing in comics, please kill Cupid dead.  Let Sean McKeever write it if you have to.  Just kill her as soon as possible before she can further stain the pages of this comic.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #37

Written by Len Wein
Pencil art by Tom Derenick

    It’s the epic finale of the 3-part Royal Flush arc as Roulette and Amos Fortune raise the stakes, and the JLA go all in! But with the odds against them, the team had better pray for a last-minute miracle before their chips are cashed in for good.

As much as I am excited to see Plastic Man back on the team, this is clearly just filler until DC is ready to move forward with a new direction for the book.  DC, you screwed this book up!

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA 80-PAGE GIANT #1

Written by Chuck Kim, Josh Williamson, Rich Fogel and others
Art by Mahmud Asrar, Adrian Syaf and others

    With a tale this massive, we could only fit it in an 80-page giant! When a battle between Epoch and the Time Commander spills over into our era, the Justice League finds itself scattered throughout time. That leaves Superman and Dr. Light fighting alongside a tornado-powered Samurai, Green Lantern and Red Arrow locked in a showdown with Cinnamon in the Old West, Green Arrow and Firestorm facing the Bride of Frankenstein in WWII, John Stewart and Vixen drawing swords alongside the Shining Knight, and Black Canary and Zatanna evading gangsters with the original Crimson Avenger!

Looks like someone had a little extra filler in their JLA drawer.

The Samurai?  Was Apache Chief too busy?

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #31

Written by Bill Willingham & Matthew Sturges
Art and cover by Jesus Merino
    Magog and Wildcat square off as the team traitor involved in the attack on a fellow JSAer is revealed! It all leads to greater tension and permanent rifts within the most storied Super Hero team of all time! Clearly, this was an inside job, and though they may not realize it now, the damage to the group is deeper than any of them suspects.

Now this sounds good.  Why are JSA and GLC the only decent team books DC is putting out these days?

JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE #3

Written by James Robinson
Art and cover by Mauro Cascioli
    The team welcomes two new members as Supergirl and Shazam join the roster! And it’s just in time, too, because when Prometheus is finally caught and his evil machinations are revealed, the League finds out they may be unable to stop him.

Oh boy!  That 5-page preview for this book was awful.

I wanted to punch Hal Jordan in the face.  This was Hal at his worst!  Where the hell does Hal Jordan get off getting on a soap box.  Hal, you are one massive retcon away from being a supervillain and now you’re going to lecture Superman about how to get the job done?

For 5 pages?!?

Oh boy!

I couldn’t stand that the rest of the Justice League sat there and listened to him go on and on.  I lost respect for them.  Superman or Wonder Woman should have put the little crybaby in his place.  And Ollie should have shut his buddy up instead of standing on the sidelines saying “Oh boy!”

The upside is that this book can only get better.  Because those 5 pages were some of the worst I’ve read this year.

And please, someone show Mauro Cascioli how to draw Wonder Woman so that her crotch is covered.

JSA VS. KOBRA #4

Written by Eric Trautmann
Art by Don Kramer & Michael Babinski

    The trail of Kobra leads the Justice Society of America to Fawcett City! Jason Burr may think that it’s safe to venture into former Shazam territory, but he’s about to learn that the JSA protects each other’s turf no matter what. And now that Burr has gotten them mad, there’s no holding the Justice Society back!

I wasn’t going to buy this book.  It just looked like another unnecessary mini-series from DC.  But I skimmed through the first issue and it looked pretty darn good.  I brought it home, but I haven’t read it yet.  I spent the weekend catching up on a pile of Dark Reign books.  But, this looks like good stuff.

Check back later.  I think we may have a review of the first issue coming from Seventh Soldier.

MAGOG #1

Written by Keith Giffen
Art and variant cover by Howard Porter & John Dell

    Introducing the latest member of the Justice Society of America to break out into his own monthly series! Tired of chafing at the restraints that being a member of the JSA put upon him, Magog decides to take justice into his own hands and track down who’s behind the dealing of high-tech arms to lowlife scum around the DC Universe! Be here as the hunt starts Magog on the path to discovering his own unavoidable destiny thanks to writer Keith Giffen (JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL, DOOM PATROL) and artists Howard Porter and John Dell, the acclaimed team behind JLA!

When I heard DC was putting out a Magog on-going, I was confused.  Of all the JSA characters out there who could be getting their own on-going series, Magog seems like an unlikely candidate.  If nothing else, he has the least track record.

(For the record, I’d buy a Mr. Terrific series, DC.)

I’m not a huge Giffen fan.  And I usually dislike Howard Porter.  So, I’m far from sold on this on-going.  But I will say that I read Dan Jurgens’ issue of Brave and the Bold in which Magog took on Booster Gold.  And it was good.  So, maybe this character has some life in him beyond JSA.

By the way, read Booster Gold.

RED TORNADO #1

Written by Kevin VanHook
Art by Jose Luisí & J.P. Mayer

    Think you know everything there is to know about the mighty Red Tornado?
Well think again!
    This miniseries shines a new light on the true origin of Red Tornado, the Justice League of America’s resident android Super Hero! You’ll not only discover a crew of characters new to the DC Universe, if Red Tornado has his way, you’ll also uncover the hero’s true android family! But will it cost him the love of his adopted human one?
    Get caught in the whirlwind of this exciting new series from writer Kevin VanHook and artist Jose Luisí!

I may not know everything there is to know about Red Tornado, but I’m pretty sure I know everything I want to know about him.  Frankly, I got my Red Tornado fix when Brad Metzler shoved him down my throat, ruined the Justice League, wrote a multi-part JLA story centering on this third-tier character.

Although, in a world where Magog gets an on-going, I guess a Red Tornado mini series makes sense.

POWER GIRL #5

Written by Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray
Art and cover by Amanda Conner
Variant cover by Guillem March
    “Space Girls Gone Wild!” part 2 of 3! As the trio of sexy alien marauders continue their rampage across Earth, Power Girl tries to figure out how to stop ’em! But with aliens this gorgeous, readers won’t ever want them to leave!

PG is a fun comic book.  On that basis alone, issue one made my top books of May list.  Yes, you should be reading it…

SECRET SIX #13

Written by Gail Simone
Art by Nicola Scott & Doug Hazlewood

    War breaks out on the new Devil’s Island and the Six are split in half. Now they’re on opposite sides and ready to die (or kill) for their cause! But what in the world are they fighting over that’s strong enough – and brutal enough – to take down Wonder Woman?

I love this book.  Last issue kicked off this storyline on a high note.  You know this is going to be a classic.  I can’t wait.

And lest you think I am alone in my praise of the Secret Six, issue 9 (which was a bit of an off issue) also made Seventh Soldier’s top 5 list for May.

TITANS #17

Written by Pat McCallum
Art by Angel Unzueta & Wayne Faucher

    Spotlight on Beast Boy! Gar Logan grows tired of not being taken seriously by his Titans teammates. And what he plans on doing about it will shock you!

Confession: I sort of half-read the last issue of Titans that spotlighted Cyborg.  It wasn’t half bad.  Which is a giant leap above Winick’s run on this title.  Is it possible that the Titans franchise is righting itself?  Am I wrong to get my hopes up?

Probably.

TEEN TITANS #75

Written by Felicia D. Henderson; co-feature written by Sean McKeever
Art by Joe Bennett & Jack Jadson; co-feature art by Yildiray Cinar & Júlio Ferreira

    Come celebrate our gala 75th issue with an all-star cast of Titans past and present! Joining this issue for the extravaganza is new ongoing writer Felicia D. Henderson, a co-executive producer on TV’s hit show Fringe! Don’t miss this start to a fresh new take on DC’s premier teen team!
    And in the Ravager co-feature, Rose lies nearly dead in the Arctic when a horrific discovery chills her even more!

Well, the book needs a fresh start.  Hiring TV writers is often times a deal with the devil.  They tend to put their comics work on the back-burner.  And rightly so.  The money’s in TV.  But it sucks when your favorite comic is a low priority for its creative team.  After the train wreck that was McKeever’s run, I’ll take any change and hope for the best.

Unfortunately, McKeever’s still here writing his own Mary Sue, Ravager.  That main story is going to have to be pretty darn good to make up for the annoying back-up feature.

WONDER WOMAN #36

Written by Gail Simone
Art by Aaron Lopresti & Matt Ryan

    “The Rise of the Olympian” has changed Wonder Woman’s life completely, and it’s not over yet as repercussions are still being felt all over the world! In this issue, Diana finds herself fighting for her life against the man destined by the gods to take her place – Achilles, the Warkiller!

A few people have asked me why I haven’t written up anything on Rise of the Olympian.  Honestly, I’ve been stock piling issues.  I’ve found that Gail’s big WW stories read better when you have the whole thing in front of you.  So, I plan to read the whole story at once and do a write-up then. 

Thankfully, Seventh Soldier has been following this story monthly.  And his write-ups are far better than my ranting anyway.

That’s it for this month!

read/RANT

DC Solicitations for August + Commentary

Same drill as always.  This is the newly released DC solicitations “enhanced” by my colorful commentary.  No deeper meaning.  Just a few cheers and jeers.  And hopefully a funny line or two.

BLACKEST NIGHT #2

Written by Geoff Johns
Art and cover by Ivan Reis

The event of the summer continues! The dead rise across the DC Universe, bringing terror and darkness with them. What are the Black Lanterns? What do they want? Will Earth’s greatest heroes survive long enough to find out – or will they join the Black Lantern Corps?

Neither the art nor the cover tell me anything I didn’t already know.  But then, DC really doesn’t have to sell anyone on Blackest Night at this point.  A lot of fans get down right voilent if you suggest this will be anything less than the greatest story ever told.

BLACKEST NIGHT: BATMAN #1

Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Art by Adrian Saef & John Dell

Deadman can’t shut out the cries of the dead rising as he comes to the aid of the new Batman. It’s just in time, too, as the duo face a circus of zombies including the Black Lantern Flying Graysons!

Just what we need.  More Blackest Night and more Batman.  DC wasn’t putting out enough Batbooks, so I’m glad Blackest Night has provided a way to spotlight him.  And *spoiler aler* if Dick Grayson isn’t the new Batman, why on earth would the Flying Graysons be appearing in this book? 

By the way, am I the only one who thinks Flying Grayson zombies just sound stupid?

Also, while I like Tomasi, this seems like a piece of crap tie-in like Final Crisis: Requiem.  Tomasi doesn’t seem to have the best luck with tie-ins.

BLACKEST NIGHT: SUPERMAN #1

Written by James Robinson
Art and cover by Eddy Barrows & Ruy Jose

Black Lantern Superman has unearthed Pa Kent’s grave! But that’s only the beginning of the horrifying things he’s about to unleash on an unsuspecting Smallville.

Ew.  Is this really what we’ve come to, DC?  Digging up Pa Kent.  I sure hope the main story is better than these tie-ins.

BLACKEST NIGHT: TITANS #1

Written by J.T. Krul
Art and cover by Ed Benes & Rob Hunter

    Black Lantern Titans are descending together onto Titans Island! Will the Titans be prepared to fight off their deceased allies? And how can Beast Boy not lose his heart to Black Lantern Terra?

If I were Beast Boy, I don’t think I’d have too much trouble resistinng Terra’s advances considering the fact that she’s a freaking zombie!  Come on, Beast Boy!  What is wrong with you?

If all the dead Titans come back, the DCU is in a whole heap of trouble.  For the last several years, DC has done nothing but kill and maim Titans.  Sometimes, DC creates Titans for the sole purpose of killing them.  (RIP Power Boy.  No, seriously.  Don’t come back.)

GREEN LANTERN #45

Written by Geoff Johns
Art and cover by Doug Mahnke & Christian Alamy

    BLACKEST NIGHT continues! The Black Lanterns descend on all the Corps throughout the universe! Sinestro’s assault on the Star Sapphires’ homeworld of Zamaron is interrupted by another Sinestro Corps – one made up of those who died during the Sinestro Corps War! And while the War of Light flickers, deep in the darkness of space, John Stewart comes face-to-face with his deceased wife – and longtime Green Lantern – Katma Tui.

Personally, I really couldn’t care less about Katma Tui, but if John Stewart gets the spotlight for an issue, I’m all for it. 

Pointless question: If this other Sinestro Corps consists of “those who died during the Sinestro Corps War”, wouldn’t they be Black Lanterns?

GREEN LANTERN CORPS #39

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

    Just when things couldn’t look any darker after the death and chaos of the Sciencell riot, Blackest Night descends on Oa! The black rings tear into the planet and the Lantern Crypt causing all the dead Corps members to rise and wreak havoc as a new and deadlier battle threatens to engulf not only the Corps, but the Universe itself!

Is it just me, or did the first 6 books in this month’s solicitations have pretty much the same plot?  I’m running out of things to say (and that never happens!).  I guess this is a great month for those of you who like to see zombie superheroes.  Maybe next, the DC Universe can be invaded by Skrulls.

FINAL CRISIS AFTERMATH: RUN! #4

Written by Matthew Sturges
Art by Freddie E. Williams II

    In this issue, someone dies! Actually, in this issue, tons of people die! If you thought RUN! was full of trashy humor and unnecessary violence before this issue – you ain’t seen nothing yet! We cause more property damage and hideous disfigurement in the first half of this issue than any other comic you’ll read this year (besides RUN! #5 and #6, because those are pretty ridiculous too). Join in the fun!

Join the fun?  Does this sound like fun to anybody?  Power Girl #1 was fun.  This sounds like everything I hate about DC Comics these days.  No thanks!

There’s also three other Final Crisis Aftermath series trudging along.  Maybe Infinite Crisis would have been a better name.  This thing just won’t end!

WEDNESDAY COMICS #5-8

Not much to say here.  Wednesday Comics still looks like the best idea anyone’s had in a long time.  I sure hope the excution is there.

BATMAN: WIDENING GYRE #1

Once again, Kevin Smith – the fan-favorite creator behind GREEN ARROW and Daredevil – teams up with Walter Flanagan – the artist on the acclaimed series BATMAN: CACOPHONY – for an all-new adventure starring The Caped Crusader. The stakes are high as Batman encounters a new vigilante under his wing amidst what Smith describes as a “backdrop of romance, intrigue, and geek-bait guest stars galore.” Trust us when we say that it’s as awesome as it sounds.

Oh goodie.  More Batman.  Glad to see someone’s giving him a chance.

Kevin Smith is okay if you like late comic books filled with poop jokes. 

BATGIRL #1

Written by Bryan Q. Miller
Art by Lee Garbett & Trevor Scott

    In the wake of “Batman R.I.P.” and BATTLE FOR THE COWL, a new heroine has emerged in Gotham City, and as she begins her nocturnal crusade to take back the night, she will truly learn what it means to wear the mantle of the Bat. But who is this young woman, and why has she donned the cape and cowl?

Look, I don’t really care who Batgirl is.  There was nothing wrong with Cassandra Cain until DC decided to crap all over her.  But if they replace her with Spoiler or Misfit or someone else who is, you know, a girl… I’m fine with that.

What I don’t want to see happen is for Barbara Gordon to return to the role.  She’s outgrown it.  You don’t have to turn the clock back on everything, DC.  Let Babs remain Oracle!

(And put her in a good book instead of that trashy Battle for the Cowl tie-in.)

BATMAN AND ROBIN #3

Written by Grant Morrison
Art and cover by Frank Quitely

    “Batman Reborn” concludes the explosive reteaming of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, WE3, New X-Men)! Witness Batman and Robin’s final showdown against Professor Pyg and the Circus of Strange! The future looks bright for the new Dynamic Duo as they prove themselves in battle, but lurking in the shadows is a mysterious red-hooded vigilante. Also, the origin of Scarlet!

So, Frank’s only doing 3 issues?  Bummer.

I’m assuming this solicit will make more sense once I’ve read an issue or two of Batman and Robin.  Then again, it’s Grant Morrsion.  So, maybe not.

DETECTIVE COMICS #856

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

    “Elegy” part 3 of 4! Batwoman unites with an unlikely ally to momentarily defeat the fairytale villain known as Alice. But when Kate is forced to attend a high society event, she soon learns that her worlds are colliding as Alice’s plans for Gotham’s elite put Kate’s father directly in harm’s way.
    Plus, in the next part of The Question co-feature, writer Greg Rucka and artist Cully Hamner bring Renee’s search for a missing girl to new depths when The Question is trapped inside a sinking car. Will her life and her leads end up at the bottom of the river?

I am moderately excited for this book.  That JH Williams art is a knock-out.  And I’m confident Rucka will deliver.  I’m not the biggest fan of Batwoman or Renee Montoya (that would be Seventh Soldier) but I hope I will be by the end of this storyline.

BATMAN #689

Written by Judd Winick
Art by Mark Bagley & Rob Hunter

    “Long Shadows” continues! Batman forges ahead in his battle to retrieve the escapees from Arkham Asylum, while Two-Face begins a ground war of his own. Elsewhere, Penguin wants to become Gotham City’s new king of crime, but to do so he has to make a deal with the devil.

Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Judd Winick.  Which of these three is not like the others?

Winick, please take this chance to redeem yourself.  I hate the hack you’ve become.  Please never write Titans again.  Yours truly, Lebeau.

BATMAN: STREETS OF GOTHAM #3

Written by Paul Dini; co-feature written by Marc Andreyko
Art by Dustin Nguyen & Derek Fridolfs; co-feature art by Georges Jeanty & Karl Story

    Bruce Wayne is dead…long live Bruce Wayne! Gotham’s favorite son has miraculously returned, promising to lead his city into a new golden age. But while Wayne devotes his limitless fortune to rebuilding Gotham City, he fights violent opposition from Batman, Robin and a host of DC Universe heroes!
    And in the Manhunter co-feature, now that Manhunter has found the previous DA’s killer – or, rather, the killer has found her – what is she going to do about it? Bringing the killer in for a trial may not result in the justice Kate’s been dreaming of.  But is she ready to kill for justice so soon after a fresh start in Gotham?

This looks like Dini’s follow-up to Heart of Hush.  So, I’ll give it a look.  I followed Manhunter casually.  So, I look forward to checking out the co-feature too.

GOTHAM CITY SIRENS #3

Written by Paul Dini
Art and cover by Guillem March
    With their uneasy alliance in place, the sirens encounter trouble in the form of the mysteriously returned Bruce Wayne. He’s dazzling, he’s dangerous and he’s got his sights set on Harley Quinn! Has romance sparked between these two long-time enemies – or is Wayne playing a more sinister game?

As I said last month, I’ve got some misgivings about GC Sirens.  I’m giving you three issues, Dini.  Don’t pull any of that Countdown crap this time!

OUTSIDERS #21

Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Art by Fernando Pasarin

    “The Hunting” begins here! With Arkham Asylum’s most dangerous inmates running free, The Outsiders are charged with returning them to Gotham City – by whatever means necessary. Batman and Alfred split up the team in order to track down Killer Croc, Mr. Freeze and Clayface before the rogues kill again!

Batman RIP totally derailed this book for me.  It’s not that I minded seeing Batman leave the team.  But I wanted to read about Batgirl stepping up to lead the team.  Instead, everyone cried about how they couldn’t possibly continue without Batman.  which is ridiculous considering how many times Batman has left the Outsiders in the past.

The problem is, I have no interest in this line-up.  Still, I like Tomasi okay.  So maybe I’ll give this issue a chance.  If anyone is actually reading this book, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

RED ROBIN #3

Written by Christopher Yost
Art by Ramon Bachs

    “The Grail” part 3 of 4! “Batman Reborn” continues, but is Red Robin’s quest to find Bruce Wayne at an end? Because in a German museum, answers await. But to get to those answers, Red Robin has to go through the Global Guardian known as the Wild Huntsman. Making matters worse, Red Robin’s got an unwanted ally – Ra’s al Ghul! Also, discover what happened in the days after BATTLE FOR THE COWL?

Rounding out the umpteen dozen Batman books DC is offering this month is Red Robin.  And once again it just looks awful.  It’s like DC decided to round up all the worst Batman-related ideas of the last couple of years and put them in one book.  Let’s never mention Battle for the Cowl again, okay DC?

ADVENTURE COMICS #1

Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Francis Manapul, co-feature art by Clayton Henry

    It’s the return of one of DC Comics’ longest running books and one of its greatest modern-day heroes – Conner Kent! In our first heroic issue, Superboy can’t wait to jump back into his life – but which life will it be? With a clarity he’s never had before, Conner makes a beeline for the greatest place on Earth…Smallville?
    Plus, in the wake of FINAL CRISIS: LEGION OF THREE WORLDS, Starman heads off on an all-new mission in the present. And it’s one that will not only impact Superboy, but the future of the DC Universe itself. Fortunately, the off-kilter Legionnaire won’t be dong it alone! And in the upcoming months of ADVENTURE COMICS look for Lex Luthor! Brainiac! Lightning Lad! Superboy’s pal Simple Simon! Sun Boy and Polar Boy! Ultra, the Multi Alien! Wonder Girl! Black Lantern Alexander Luthor! And many, many more new and familiar faces!

I’m sick of death and resurection in the DCU.  But I am genuinely excited to see Johns bring back Conner – even if he was the one who killed him off in the first place.  Yeah, Johns pretty much completely changed Conner when he got a hold of him in Titans.  But, I’m stil a fan of the character.  It’s good to have him back.  And I enjoyed Johns’ take on Starman in JSA.  So, this is a win-win for me.

But I don’t really want to see Alexander Luthor again.  Ever.  Not even as a zombie.  Actually, especially not as a zombie.

SUPERMAN SECRET FILES 2009 #1

Written by Sterling Gates, Geoff Johns, James Robinson and Greg Rucka
Art by Pete Woods, Jamal Igle, Renato Guedes, Julián López and various

    There’s never been a better (or busier) time to be a Superman fan! With so many new characters and locations to keep track of, DC brings readers the definitive guide to the ever-expanding world of Superman. Here you will get profiles of characters like Nightwing and Flamebird, General Zod, Supergirl, Mon-El and more, plus maps of locations such as New Krypton’s Kandor and Metropolis.
    Also included is a bittersweet story about the friendship of Supergirl and Flamebird, and a story revealing the dark legacy of Pete Ross’ brief time as President of the United States. Plus, a week in the life of Science Cops Billi Harper and Jonathan (Mon-El) Kent. This SECRET FILES issue serves as an excellent primer to this month’s “Codename: Patriot” crossover in the Superman titles, so don’t miss out!

So, you need a scorecard to keep track of what’s going on in the Superman books these days?  Not exactly a trong selling point, guys.  Secret Files books are rarely more than $5 filler material.  I strongly doubt this will be any different.

SUPERMAN ANNUAL #14

Written by James Robinson
Art by Javier Pina

    Since Superman freed him from the Phantom Zone, Mon-El has spent all his time learning about Earth and its diverse cultures. But how much does he really know about Daxam, the homeworld he fled years ago? A gift from the Legionnaire Tellus allows Mon-El to explore the ancient history of Daxam – from its founding as a Kryptonian colony to its connection to the Mayans of Earth to its bloody civil war. Join Mon-El as he discovers that the planet he always believed to be peaceful and dull is actually anything but.

And the Superman-related filler continues.  At least it’s a buck cheaper than the Secret Files book. 

SUPERMAN: WORLD OF NEW KRYPTON #6

Written by Greg Rucka & James Robinson
Art by Pete Woods

    It’s chaos in Kandor as the 4-part “Codename: Patriot” storyline kicks off here and runs through the August Superman titles! Someone has been shot and Superman will stop at nothing to find the culprit! But when the shooter flees to Earth, can Superman stop him in time to prevent making the two planets even more hostile toward each other? Continued in ACTION COMICS #880!

As the only Superman book to actually feature Superman these days, World of New Krypton has been the most reliably good read of the bunch.  I’m in for all 12 issues.

 ACTION COMICS #880

Written by Greg Rucka; co-feature written by James Robinson & Rucka
Art by Julián López; co-feature art by CAFU

    “Codename: Patriot” part 2! Nightwing and Flamebird are hot on the trail of the psycho sleeper agents Nadira and Az-Rel when the heroes run into another deadly duo – Reactron and Metallo! What do these two want and how does it tie in with General Lane’s plans? Meanwhile, Superman and Supergirl arrive on Earth searching for the shooter – but will their actions here cause more harm than good? Continued in SUPERGIRL #44!
    And in part 2 of the new co-feature, Captain Atom’s memory is falling apart right in the heat of battle – can he keep it together without annihilating an entire town? Luckily a deadly new player is about to take that choice out of his hands – permanently!

In for a penny, in for a pound.  I’m sure I’ll read all 4 parts of “Codename: Patriot”.  Although Action is teetering on the edge of losing me.  Check out Seventh Soldier’s review of the last issue here.  He raises a lot of good points. 

Also, I’m looking forward to seeing Rucka and Robinson redeem Captain Atom.  He’s on the short list of characters who desperately need to be rehabbed.

SUPERGIRL #44

Written by Sterling Gates
Art by Jamal Igle
    “Codename: Patriot” part 3! It’s Supergirl and Mon-El versus Nightwing and Flamebird! Find out what happens when the Girl of Steel has to face off against Flamebird, one of her oldest and dearest friends! At Project 7734, General Lane puts the next part of his plan into action – with the help of the man known as Atlas. Concluded in SUPERMAN #691!

Yay, Supergirl!  After years of being the worst book DC was publishing, you’re now one of the best.  This makes my currently unwritten list of books you should be reading.  I’m going to have to write that list sometime…

SUPERMAN #691

Lane wants…al! Except one key player is missing – Superman! He has to stop the shooter from taking yet another course of action that would cause the situation between Earth and New Krypton to grow exponentially worse. Which, of course, is just what GenerSuperfans chapter of “Codename: Patriot”! What are the stakes, and who are the players? Everything and everyone, al    It’s a slam-bang, knockdown epic fight in the sewers of Metropolis in this fourth and finish.

Superman is the one Superman book I’ve kind of lost track of.  Mon-El and Guardian just aren’t draws for me.  I plan to jump back on this book sometime, but I say that every month.  Unless Codename: Patriot sucks, I’m sure I’ll be following the conclussion here.

SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN SPECIAL #2

Written by James Robinson
Art by Matt Camp

    Jimmy Olsen has put all the pieces together regarding the mysterious Project 7734, and it’s worse than he imagined. With The Man of Steel temporarily out of the picture, though, it’s all up to Superman’s Pal to take action. Thankfully he has the help of Mon-El and Steel’s niece Natasha Irons – but will they be enough to defeat Codename: Assassin?

I didn’t read last year’s Jimmy Olsen special.  But everyone I know who did read it, hated it.  I was warned against it very strongly.  The phrase “biggest waste of money” was used a lot.  Kind of hard to believe they came back for seconds.

THE RED CIRCLE

J. Michael Straczynski dives into the DC Universe at last – and he’s bringing four of the finest heroes of the Golden and Silver Ages with him!
    Completely reimagined for the modern world from their original appearances in Archie/MLJ publications, these four heroes will show you a side of the DC Universe you’ve never seen before!

I like this idea on paper.  I don’t know the first thing about the Red Circle characters.  But I’m all for having some new blood in the DCU – assuming DC treats them right.

I’m not the biggest JMS fan, but he’s a capable writer.  He’s obviously investing a lot in this project.  Hopefully he’s the right guy for the job.

I figure this has to turn out better than when Marvel integrated the Ultraverse into the Mavel Universe, right?

DOOM PATROL #1

Written by Keith Giffen; co-feature written by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis
Art by Matthew Clark; co-feature art by Kevin Maguire
Cover by Matthew ClarkMen today?al for just under four American dollars. So why not try some Doom Patrol with a side order of Metbookery team that brought you JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL! That’s 40 full pages of comic-ve Men, featuring the triumphant return of the creatial, the Meteverymen al and art by Matthew Clark! Whether you think you know ‘em or you wouldn’t know ‘em if they bit you on the behind, this Doom Patrol’s for you! But that’s not all! Read all the way to the back cover for the all-new adventures of those elementGiffen    Come one, come all! The world’s strangest Super Heroes are back, and they brought those robot guys along with ‘em! Thrill to the strange adventures of the Doom Patrol, with script by Keith.

Doom Patrol and Metal Men are both DC concepts I’ve just never gotten into.  I’ve wanted to, but they’ve never clicked for me.  This creative team seems like as good a team as any to change that.  So, sign me up!

BOOSTER GOLD #23

Written by Dan Jurgens; co-feature written by Matthew Sturges
Art and cover by Dan Jurgens & Norm Rapmund; co-feature art by Mike Norton
    “Day of Death” continues! Booster Gold reveals the Black Beetle’s plan to wipe out the entire JLA by going after their most incompetent former member – Booster Gold! Plus, Blue Beetle comes face to face with the mad scientist who created the robot army that’s destroying Texas!

Ah, Booster.  I’ve been a bad fan.  I promised not to abandon you when Geoff Johns left the book and then I totally did.  I’ll be back.  I promise!  But then, you’ve heard that before.  I have issue 20 at home.  I just haven’t read it yet.  But I look forward to touching base with you again soon, old friend.

THE FLASH: REBIRTH #5

Written by Geoff Johns
Art and covers by Ethan Van Sciver
    The greatest threat to face the Flash Family in decades stands revealed! A new hero will step into an old speedster’s boots! And Barry Allen will make the ultimate sacrifice: his life! Oh yeah, you read that right, but you’ll never believe just what it means! They always say nothing will ever be the same, but trust us, this one will rewrite the history books!

Yeah, you brought Barry Allen back just to kill him all over again.  Pull the other one, DC!

The first two issues of this series have me feeling underwhelmed. Read my review of issue 2 here.  I’m not sure why they bothered bringing Barry back if they were just going to retcon him beyond the point of being recognizable as Barry.  But then again, I don’t think Geoff Johns can stop himself.  The other day I saw him photoshopping Hal Jordan into my wedding pictures.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #36

Written by Len Wein
Art by José Luis & J.P. Mayer

    In part 2 of the 3-part “Royal Flush” arc, it’s the Justice Society of America villain Roulette vs. the JLA’s old foe, Amos Fortune. And the stakes are high as the two baddies pit the JLA against itself!

Man, this book just stinks on toast these days.  After reading McDuffie’s complaints about editorial mandates, I have stopped blaming him for the failure of JLA.  I’m now fully blaming DiDio.  And frankly, he seems to be taking the blame given his comments on “editorial mandates” in the recent Newsaram interview.

It doesn’t change anything.  The book is still a snorefest.  Hey, waitaminute!  Is that Plastic Man on the cover?  Okay, I’ll stick around a little while longer!

JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE #2

Written by James Robinson
Art and cover Mauro Cascioli
    The team continues its proactive hunt for justice as the trail leads to an army of Super-Villains. But the big bad may be deadlier than all of the new team combined…

The art looks fantastic!  The story actually sounds pretty lousy.  And I am carrying a bit of a grudge against this book for helping to derail the regular JLA book.

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #30

Written by Matthew Sturges & Bill Willingham
Art and cover by Jesus Merino
    “Bad Seed” part 2 of 5! The JSA feels the strain when battling a monstrous collection of villains who’ve mounted an all-out war on the team to collect a bounty placed on the head of everyone in the group except Stargirl! Tensions flare, and the group is forced to make a compromise in order to chase their fleeing enemies or return to the mansion to find out why Mister Terrific’s communications have suddenly stopped!

A bounty on everyone but Stargirl?  Is Geoff Johns behind this?

I’m committed to giving the new team on JSA a shot.  They’ve got big shoes to fill.

GREEN ARROW & BLACK CANARY #23

Written by Andrew Kreisberg
Art by Mike Norton, Bill Sienkiewicz and Josef Rubinstein

    “Big Game” part 1 of 2! In the main feature, Green Arrow investigates a crime with all the earmarks of his old nemesis known as Big Game – which is made extra-mysterious by the fact that Cupid killed Big Game. And in this issue’s co-feature, Black Canary attempts to save her rival’s life when Cupid is attacked in police custody!

More Kreisberg!  More Cupid!  If Kreisberg can find a way to make Black Canary look stupid, he’ll manage to include everything I hate about his run in one issue!  (I have confidence he can do it.  He has yet to let me down since he took over the book.)

Seriously, Cupid’s in both the feature and the co-feature?  In the words of Charlie Brown, good grief!

I continue to petition DC for a new writer.

POWER GIRL #4

Written by Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray
Art and cover by Amanda Conner

    “Space Girls Gone Wild!” part 1 of 2! A trio of sexy alien marauders hits Earth for the ultimate party. Unfortunately, by their standards, that means destroying it! Of course, it’s up to Power Girl to crash their festivities.

Power Girl 1 was just good, fun comics! Don’t believe me? Here’s a second opinion.   So, now that we’ve got that out of the way, read Power Girl!

SECRET SIX #12

Written by Gail Simone
Art by Nicola Scott & Doug Hazlewood

    A crisis of conscience splits the Secret Six right down the middle and puts them on opposite sides of a horrific war involving Amazons led by a deluded Artemis! But that’s just the opening bout for the main event: Jeannette vs. Wonder Woman!

Best book DC is putting out.  Believe it!

TEEN TITANS #74

Written by Bryan Q. Miller; co-feature written by Sean McKeever
Art by Joe Bennett & Jack Jadson; co-feature art by Yildiray Cinar & Júlio Ferreira

    The assault against the Teen Titans continues this issue as the team struggles to even the odds. Will they be defeated by a foe with superior leadership?
    And in the co-feature, Ravager is attacked in her arctic hideaway. Who wants her dead? That’s what she wants to know…

I want Ravager dead.  Does that count?

(I don’t really, but I am sick of Sean McKeever writing her.  Then again, I am sick of Sean McKeever.)

And how about that cover?  A casket with a Titans symbol on it.  How original!   Never seen DC kill a Teen Titan before.  When’s Geoff Johns bringing them back?

I kid the Teen Titans!  But only because I care.  Please make this book good enough that I can start reading it again!

TITANS #16

Written by Christopher Yost
Art by Angel Unzueta & Wayne Faucher

    Why has Starfire been acting odd the past few issues? Turns out the warrior woman has major rage issues coming out of her recent breakup with Dick Grayson, the events of FINAL CRISIS and more. Her super-powerful emotions could very well rip the team apart!

Gee, I can’t remember ever reading a story in which Starfire was portrayed as a hothead…  Next thing you know, they will really shake things up by putting her huge orange hooters on the cover.  What are the odds we’ll get a three-page spread of Starfire naked?  (Yep, that phrase is the number one search result here at read/RANT.  So, I’m using it every month!)

At least Deathcrap is over.

WONDER WOMAN #35

Written by Gail Simone
Art by Aaron Lopresti & Matt Ryan

    “Birds of Paradise” part 2 of 2! A gaggle of super-powered cage fighters find themselves in the worst possible place to be – on the bad side of Wonder Woman and Black Canary! Also, find out the final resolution between Diana and Nemesis along with much, much more!

Thanks, Gail.  The DCU was getting to be a hard place to be for this Black Canary fan.  Thanks for showing everyone else how it’s done.

How Many Green Arrows is Too Many?

First, I want to thank geist0 for the link to his article about the number of potentially redundant characters running around the DCU these days.  You can read his original article here.  In the article, geist0 suggests that all of these characters shouldn’t be running around the DCU at the same time.

It’s a difficult situation.  And as a big fan of some of those characters, it’s one that’s near and dear to my heart.  So, I’m going to borrow/steal his topic and ramble on for a few paragraphs.  Thanks again, geist0! 

I started reading comics in the early 90s.  It was a strange time to get into comics.  Superman had just died.  And suddenly, every character in comics was getting replaced with a newer, hipper, edgier version.  Most of these replacements were never intended to go the distance.  But some of them had pretty good runs.

I remember when Kyle Rayner first replaced Hal Jordan.  I’ll admit, I was won over really quickly.  I grew up on Hal, but was never really attached to him as anything more than a cool costume and cool powers.  But I could relate to Kyle.  We were about the same age and we were both struggling to find our places in the world.

In those early days, I was always afraid someone was going to pull the rug out from under Kyle.  DC frequently hinted that Hal Jordan might return as Green Lantern.  Each time they pulled that stunt, it worried me a little less.   Eventually, I accepted that Kyle would have a good, long run as Green Lantern.

I always figured one day he would be replaced.  But to tell the truth, I didn’t think Hal would ever be back as GL.  DC had gone to great lengths to make that seem impossible.  First they turned him into a sympathetic villain.  Then they gave him a redemptive death.  And finally, they turned him into the Spectre!  It just got cazier and crazier.

Probably my favorite book at the time was Mark Waid’s the Flash.  I came on board at the same time as the late, great Mike Wieringo.  But I quickly caught up on back-issues to the beginning of Waid’s run.  Wally was my Flash and I loved him.  I related to him just as much as I did Kyle.

I came to know Barry Allen too in flashbacks or the occasional time travel story.  I liked Barry in his role of patron saint of Flashes.  And I was fine reading about his past adventures.  But it always confused me that anyone wanted this guy back as the Flash.  Wally was just so much more interesting to me.

Another phenomenon of the 90s was the creation of new teen heroes.  The third Robin was getting his own mini-series which eventually let to his own series.  One of the replacement Supermen became Superboy who also got his own series.  And a new Kid Flash (but don’t call him that!) showed up in the form of Bart Allen/Impulse.

Yep, I loved all these guys too.  Even with Superboy’s ridiculous costume.  They were just a lot of fun.  To tell you the truth, I miss fun comics.  There’s still a few of them around, sure.  But it seems like they are fewer and fewer in the post-Identity Crisis DC.  (And yes, I still miss Young Justice.)

Well, nothing good lasts forever.  Although sales on his book are still solid, the Connor Hawke Green Arrow book was canceled to make room for Kevin Smith’s relaunch featuring Ollie Queen.  While I enjoyed Smith’s take on Ollie’s return, I read each issue waiting for the inevitable.  I figured Connor would have to be bumped off to make room for Ollie.

To me, the smartest thing Smith did in his relaunch was to keep Connor alive.  He even made room for him as a supporting character.  It seemed like the best of both worlds.  To my surprise, the DC Universe was big enough for two Green Arrows plus Arsenal.

Later on, Judd Winick took over the book.  One of his largest contributions to the GA mythos was transforming Mia Dearden from a wayward teen into the new Speedy.  As the Green Arrow family grew, you started to wonder how many archers the DCU really needed.

Meanwhile, Kyle Rayner’s run as Green Lantern came to an unglamorous end.  Hal Jordan’s return was the next big thing at DC.  And once again I read each passing issue with a sense of dread.  Surely, Kyle was a goner.

To my surprise, Kyle stuck around.  DC didn’t seem to know what to do with him.  But they kept him around nonetheless.  The Green Lantern book belonged solely to Hal.  There was no room for Kyle even as a supporting character.  Instead, he would be part of the ensemble cast of the Green Lantern Corps.

And then, he wasn’t.  Instead, he was turned into Ion and given his own on-going series.  Then the series that had been previously announced as on-going became a 12-issue maxi-series.  The maxi-series just kind of ended in an unsatisfying non-conclusion that set things in place for Kyle’s next transformation.

In the Sinestro Corps War storyline, Kyle was stripped of his Ion power and possessed by Parallax.  I had a bunch of reactions to this.  One was that it was a pretty cool, unexpected twist.  But I also knew right away that Kyle would be forced to kill someone as Parallax to even the score.  Kyle fans could no longer hold Hal’s crimes as Parallax against him.  The score would be evened up.

Then things got weird.  Unfortunately, Kyle got dragged into the mess that was Countdown.  The less said about Countdown, the better.  But dammit, I don’t know when to shut up.

When I saw the teaser art for Countdown, the thing that excited me the most was the shot of Kyle standing next to Donna Troy.  In the early days, the Kyle/Donna relationship was one of the things that sucked me in.  And thanks to John Byrne, that relationship ended suddenly.  Byrne wanted sole use of Donna.  So she was ripped away from Green Lantern.

For years, I waited to see some kind of resolution to the Kyle/Donna relationship.  I didn’t need to see them back together, but I wished DC would give them a better parting.  But with Donna’s death and resurrection, DC just never got around to it.  So, when I saw that image on the Countdown teaser, I thought I would finally get the resolution I was seeking.

Instead, Donna had a weird and uncharacteristic crush on badboy Jason Todd through most of Countdown.  And when Kyle showed up, everyone started acting weird.  Kyle seemed jealous of Jason in spite of the fact that 1) there didn’t seem to be anything going on between Donna and Jason and 2) Kyle and Donna had broken up years ago.

Anyway, Kyle finally settled down in Green Lantern Corps.  He gets treated pretty well there.  But he’s definitely been marginalized as a character.  Personally, I’m just happy to have him around in a book I can read without wretching.

Connor and Kyle are one thing.  Wally West is something else entirely.  Wally has been the Flash for a long time.  Barry Allen died over 20 years ago.  His death was considered one of the few constants in the DC Universe.  Anyone else could be brought back.  But bringing back Barry was considered a sacrilege.

Besides, Wally had gotten very popular as the Flash.  Mark Waid had a long and popular run which was briefly interrupted by a year-long run by Grant Morrison.  And when Waid finally left the book, a young upstart named Geoff Johns took over the book.  Johns stepped up with a long, popular Flash run of his own.

Little by little, the seeds were sown for Wally’s downfall.  Mark Waid ended his run with a wedding.  In interviews, he said he did so to keep DC from killing off Linda Park – a character he had grown to love.  Later, Johns had the couple get pregnant.  At first, the storyline seemed to end in a miscarriage.  But through the magic of comics, Johns ended his run with the Wests having twins.

Suddenly, the former Teen Titan seemed older than most of the other superheroes in the DCU.  He had more responsibilities than Superman.  The once relatable Wally West was starting to seem like dad.  Or worse, Reed Richards.

DC’s solution was to more or less move Wally and the Wests off stage for a while.  In Wally’s place, we got an age-accelerated Bart Allen as the Flash. 

(Age-acceleration is never a good idea.  Remember I said that.  It will come back later.)

DC has said that they never intended Bart to be the Flash for long.  But surely they never imagined the backlash that followed.  Bart’s run was a disaster.  Bart was quickly killed off and Wally was brought back from the Speed Force limbo he had been sent to.

Fan-favorite Mark Waid was brought back to write the new adventures of the Flash.  But Waid had a problem.  What do you do with the twins?  His solution was to age-accelerate them to a more acceptable age.  Suddenly, Wally seemed a lot like Mr. Incredible.

No one wanted to read about Wally as a suburban dad and Waid was more or less booed offstage.  Wally’s book ended again and the once-unthinkable happened.  Barry Allen was brought back.

There was a time when I would have been outraged by such a move.  Barry’s death should never be reversed.  Wally has earned his place as the Flash.  But by now, DC had screwed up Wally so badly that I almost welcomed Barry back.

We’re merely two issues into Barry’s return.  So, who knows what the future holds.  So far, I’m a little underwhelmed (read my review of issue 2 here).

Back to the original question. How many Green Arrows (or Flashes if you will) are too many? Some people feel like having a bunch or archers or speedsters (or Kryptonians) running around dilutes the concept. It’s hard for me to argue against that.

But, we’ve also seen what happens when DC limits itself to one version of each character. When DC enforced a 1-Kryptonian law after the John Byrne reboot, the old Superman concepts slowly crept back into continuity anyway.

During the Kyle years, there was a decree in place that Kyle would be the last and only Green Lantern. Guy was stripped of his ring and given ridiculous new powers. Alan had to change his name. But eventually, the whole Corps came back.

DC EIC Dan Didio came very close to killing off Dick Grayson based on the idea that he was just a watered-down Batman. Thank goodness Geoff Johns talked him out of that one.

My point is, I don’t think having these characters around is inherently a problem. What I do see as a problem is when DC tells bad stories just to keep them around. (See Kyle Rayner in Countdown.)

Recently, Judd Winick ended his run by revamping Connor Hawke. It was the kind of hatchet job Winick’s critics expect of him. Everything that made Connor unique was stripped of him. The peace-loving vegetarian who was raised in a monestary started wolfing down meaty chili and beating thugs to a pulp on rooftops. Suddenly, he couldn’t shoot an arrow to save his life. But he had a kewl new healing factor to make up for it.

And then he was written off stage. DC butchered the character only to write him off stage anyway. Why?

Needless to say, I’d have been happy if they just sent Connor back to the monestary without the extreme make-over. He’s got a built-in way to be moved on and off-stage as DC sees fit. This one seemed like a no-brainer.

But what about Wally? Didio has said in interviews that he sees Wally’s future being bright just like Kyle Rayner’s. What? Look, Kyle’s got a pretty good thing going all things considered. But in no way is this a fitting treatment for Wally. Wally should not be marginalized to a supporting role in Titans (a book in desperate need of a new creative team).

I’d rather see Wally written off stage for a while. Let him live with his family. (No getting rid of them now!) He can come back in a dramatic fashion for the big Flash stories and DC events.

But, here’s my concern with the “off stage” solution. I don’t trust DC to handle it elegantly. When a character moves off stage in the DC Universe, they become cannon fodder for those “event” stories DC is addicted to these days.

In order to justify it’s existence, every event story needs at least one “shocking” death or resurrection.  It’s sad.  But as long as people keep buying these things, DC’s going to keep killing off and resurrecting characters in a morbid, vicious cycle.

So, what’s the answer?  Do we need two Green Arrows a Red Arrow and a Speedy in the DCU?  Is the world better off if Connor Hawke or Mia Dearden are killed off in some bloody fashion?  Can we trust DC to keep them off stage until a story warrants their return?

I don’t know.  But I love a lot of these characters.  And I can only hope that DC does right by them.  Unfortunately, DC’s track record tells me to expect otherwise.

For more comic goodness, go here.

Review: Final Crisis Aftermath: Run! #1

Final Crisis was an epic series – say what you want about the quality, but the scope was undeniably enormous.  When it was announced that there would be a series of titles spinning out of it, I was reluctantly excited.  Though Escape made no sense and had a minor-league creative team at best, the other three had, I felt, some promise.  

Run!, the first of the four minis, does not live up to any of that promise.  Sturges has done some excellent work, most recently over in Blue Beetle, and his Vertigo titles have generally been fairly high quality, but Run! feels bland through and through, with none of the boundless creativity of Final Crisis, the wit demonstrated in Blue Beetle, or the darkly comic horror seen in House of Mystery… and the book desperately needs to be grounded in one of those.

Instead, it, much like last year’s Salvation Run, is a generic book about a villain in over his head.  It is by no means a bad book – the art by Freddie Williams II is great throughout, aptly illustrating just how much of a slob the Human Flame really is – but there just isn’t anything to get excited about.  It’s too slow for a balls-to-the-wall action book, but with no compelling drama to back it up and a purposely witless narrator telling us the story, the human element doesn’t work either.

Final Crisis Aftermath: Run! is a book that could’ve gone anywhere, and, faced with so many choices, couldn’t make up its mind.   Sturges is clearly a competent writer, but he just doesn’t seem to have a handle on villains just yet, and while there are a number of genuinely fun moments in the comic backed up by some solid art, there’s little that begs for five more issues.

Grade: C

Read/RANT

Review: Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds #4

(***)

Nice cover trick, putting Bart on the cover is a nice touch. This series feels like Geoff Johns’ version of Sin City. No, it’s not full of hookers, but like Sin City, this comic is incredibly indulgent. Just about everything and everyone Johns loves is in this book. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Hal Jordan showed up in the last chapter. I won’t even bother to mention that Final Crisis, which finished late, ended three months ago.

I’m actually going to keep this review spoiler-free. I’m pleased with the return in this issue. If you want to know who came back, check this out. Even though there are too many characters returning from the grave, especially in DC, I was happy with this. It had a great “Hell Yeah!” feel to it, and it was explained well. I am, however, not that fond of Bart’s return. The Legion bottled his youth? WTF!? It’s a bit nonsensical.

George Perez provides the art, and it looks very pretty. “Some of his best work,” I would say. However, with the way Johns is writing this comic, and with Perez on the interiors, this really does feel like a 70′s comic, and that’s a bad thing. Now, I’ve talked about how Hulk feels like a modern Stan Lee comic, but it’s still modern. Legion of 3 Worlds seems to be leading the charge of an old man telling kids to get off their lousy skateboards. Attempting to regress the medium is horrible.

However, even with all of this book’s flaws, I’m still enjoying it. This issue is filled with exposition and action. Also, if you’re a fan of Johns’ recent Legion work, there are a couple of nice character moments. Once again, this comic provides a last-page reveal. I have a feeling that a lot of fans are going to be pissed about it.

For more comic goodness, go here.

DC July Solicits + Commentary

BLACKEST NIGHT #1

Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis raise the dead in the most anticipated comics story of the year! Throughout the decades, death has plagued the DC Universe and taken the lives of heroes and villains alike. But to what end? As the War of Light rages on, the prophecy of the Blackest Night descends upon us, with Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps at the center of it all.

Review: Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds #3

(***1/2)

The third issue is here! Only two issues of Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds left. Final Crisis…already concluded? Yeah, that’s pretty ridiculous. I find it amusing that Final Crisis finished one month after it was supposed to and everybody bitched about the delays. I haven’t heard any complaints about this book’s punctuality. I think it’s nice that Morrison included LO3W into Final Crisis continuity. So, in FC #3, Superman goes into Superman Beyond to save Lois. He returns immediately. Then he goes to LO3W. The Legion have always returned him to the right moment in the past, but this time he comes back in FC #6 to find Batman dead and Earth in the firm grasp of Darkseid. Oops! I hope Johns actually mentions this in the fifth issue. If not, why wasn’t this called, “Buy Adventure Comics!”

Having said all that, I actually do enjoy this series. It’s kind of a Silver Age throwback with a modern twist. That’s a good summary of most Geoff Johns books, actually. It’s not just Perez’s art. It also shares the Silver Age spirit of packing as much story as possible into every issue. This will take you a half an hour to read. That’s pretty refreshing in these decompressed times of ours.

While I’m on this Silver Age rant, why not talk about George Perez’s art? I’ve never been much of a fan. Perhaps it’s because I wasn’t reading comics during his hay-day. I do admire his work. If you want to cram an entire universe into two pages, he’s your man. But other than that, his art always looks bland and even a bit uninspired to me. However, LO3W is the best George Perez has ever looked. Maybe it’s because of a fantastic supporting team, but Perez’s work here looks genuinely epic. His renderings capture the book’s scope perfectly. And Perez makes the large quantity of story content possible. So much is crammed into every page, but thankfully, it doesn’t feel forced.

If you’re a fan of Johns or Perez, this series is a must. Both men are at the top of their game. They provide a thoroughly entertaining and dense adventure. It’s not perfect and I’m not the biggest Legion fan, but it undeniably gives you your money’s worth. Oh and as usual, this book is an essential part of the Geoff Johns mythos. This issue in particular. “Something big happens! Go buy now!”

Review: Final Crisis: Revelations #5

(****)

Ah, Final Crisis: Revelations, I had such high hopes for you. Hindered by your promises and title and in the end, you really had nothing to do with Final Crisis. In fact, you suffered because of it. With a better shipping schedule, no tie-in obligations, and it all would’ve been more impressive if bigger and better things weren’t happening in Final Crisis. Seriously, could you imagine if this was just a usual in-continuity book? The zombie heroes and villains would’ve been much more impactful. Still, you were a pretty good mini, right?

I think your biggest claim to fame will be the recognition of newcomer, Phillip Tan. Fans (Including myself) were so impressed with his art that he already has a gig on the new Orange Lantern story. That’s pretty cool. Tan’s art was often the best part about Revelations. His skills were needed to capture the tone and scope of this biblical series. Though at times it looked like a 90′s Image book (Possibly because of his inker or colorist), Tan has established himself as an artist very much worthy of the big books in this medium.

As for Greg Rucka, this book was most rewarding for the fans of his earlier works. Those who’ve followed Renee and Crispus since the beginning were treated to some hard-hitting drama. Those who haven’t can still enjoy this thought-provoking epic. Though most of this series was knee-deep in oblivion, I’m happy to report that it all has a happy ending. Since Final Crisis’ conclusion is still very fresh in my mind, I have to ask Rucka to follow the story Morrison gave him, Montoya’s journey through the Multiverse. I believe it would challenge Rucka and such challenges often lead a writer to be the best he can be. After all, Crispus’ journey seems to have a nice conclusion for now. It’d be refreshing to see a new direction. At the end of the day, I think it’s safe to say that Final Crisis Revelations was not the story we expected. However, it was a fantastic tale that actually offered a positive, but not preachy, religious message.

Review: Final Crisis #7 – Spoilers!

(*****)

Cover: I know a lot of you bought the Jones covers. For those who did, check the other covers out: one, two, three, four, five, six, and seven. Notice something? They get darker as they go along. It’s a nice Apocalypse Now trick. Cool, huh?

Pages 1-3: Anyone else get that Obama vibe? I’m sure that was intentional, especially with that Alex Ross thing. What’s funny is that Obama actually outsold Final Crisis #6. Can Morrison see the future?

Pages 4-5: Ok, if there was anyone who didn’t read Superman Beyond, GO READ SUPERMAN BEYOND! It’s great. It also features Mahnke art (Only it looks a lot better. This issue was VERY rushed and he had an army of inkers and colorists working with him) and it’s a BIG part of Final Crisis. Seriously, you will be almost lost without the knowledge of Superman Beyond. For those who did read it, remember all those Supermen Zillo Valla mentioned in the second issue? Some (All maybe?) appear here. Oh and Mahnke drawing Frankenstein again, total fanboy moment!

Pages 6-7: So this Lois scene is in the future. What do we see? Batman’s cowl (Shouldn’t someone be battling for that?) and he’s dead. Wonder Woman’s Furie plague thingy, so I guess she’s ok. Hawkman’s helmet, oh no, will something happen to Hawkman?! Lois sends a story (What Superman Beyond and now Final Crisis has been about) somewhere in a Superman rocket. That’s pretty cool. I wonder where that will end up. It’s been a while, but is this the same robotic JLA from that Classified Morrison story? I like how Luthor has an Anti-Superman ray.

Pages 8-9:“You turned your back and I wrecked your world.” Ooo, sick burn! That’s what you get for being selfish in issue #3, Superman! Punch him Superman! Rip out his…oh that’s Turpin, damn! “How can you hurt a foe made of people?” Darkseid is an evil bastard!

Pages 10-12: The Flashes are back, Darkseid! Here comes death! So this is when the time bullet is fired. Death comes to Darkseid. It appears to be normal Turpin here. Although “In all of us” is the last thing Orion said to Turpin. Could the son be reborn in the father? Arthur Curry is back and kicking ass as well. This is Morrison basically handing new stories to writers if they want it.

Pages 13-14: Superman is building the Miracle Machine (The culmination of the technology theme) we saw last issue with the help of others including the humorously disgruntled Luthor. Page 14 is a tip of the hat to Rucka. This is a reference to FC: Resist. The Black Gambit is failing. Rucka has something to work with including the Renee Montoya Global Peace Agent we saw on page 4.

Pages 15-16: Ollie and Dinah floating in space is awesome. Lord Eye is screwing things up of course. Carter and Kendra get the operatic lovers treatment. The Super Young Team and crew Boom away thanks to Sonny Sumo!

Pages 17-18: Yay! They all made it to Earth-51 and Kamandi is there too! Super Young Team, Shilo, Sonny and Kamandi is another story waiting to be told. Poor Overman, Morrison just had to get a Superman holding his dead cousin into this story. So Darkseid’s done, but what about the furies. And what about Luthor and an army of mind-controlled villains?

Pages 19-21: Yes, Frankenstein riding a big dog decapitating enemies and subduing Wonder Woman is very cool. The Luthor/Superman team-up where Lex takes all the credit is also sweet. Putting citizens in the “fridge” in the future is very…zany? Wonder Woman finally has a nice moment in this series. Read that Morrison interview at the bottom. He has some interesting things to say about this.

Pages 22-23: Even though he has no psychical body, Darkseid (Bastard!) continues to drag Earth down towards Mandrakk. Superman beats Darkseid with his voice. Again, you’re either on board with the creativity or you’re not. The lone Superman toils away on the Miracle Machine when suddenly…

Pages 24-25: Aaahhh! It’s Mandrakk! Again, go read Superman Beyond! He looks very creepy here, but Ultraman…not so much. But that bastard does have Kara. Why must the Crisis’s always pick on Supergirl? Hey, another tip to Rucka! Mandrakk has been snacking on the Spectre and Radiant. Actually, since Mandrakk feeds on stories, does this mean FC: Revelations was meaningless? It certainly didn’t have much to do with this book. Ha Ha! Mandrakk is screwed! The Miracle Machine works! The Green Lanterns can come in.

Pages 26-27: An Army of Supermen!!! Evil is toast! Oh and they’re apparently singing! “Let the sun shine in!” 

Pages 28-29: The heroes gather to thwart evil. And what a special gathering it is. Nix Uotan in his new badass glory, the Supermen, the GLs, the “Forever People of the 5th World” (Super Young Team) and three awesome animals that Mandrakk failed to eat. Man is that Rabbit hilarious! Those vampires get spiked!

Pages 30-31: I like the cowl, pyramid, and feather panels. To symbolize those we’ve lost (Except the Martian, but I guess he’ll be a Black Lantern). “Earth Endures. It’s as if we don’t know what else to do.” Aww, that’s nice to read in these dark times. It looks like the heroes are pulling (See the chains?) Earth out of oblivion. The Flashes are back and Nix Uotan wants to sever contact with our world.

Pages: 32-33: The New Gods are back! At least the New Genesis ones (Even Highfather). It almost appears they’re going to Earth-51 along with the new Forever People and even Kamandi I believe. All the Kirby characters alive and well. Kamandi even has a new tiger tribe. It also appears that this was the Final Crisis for the Monitors. They are gone now.

Pages 34-36: The Monitors end with the young lovers. Superman wished for a happy ending with the Miracle Machine. But it looks as though Nix is back on Earth. Hopefully he and Weeja can reunite. And so our tale ends the way it began. With the first boy, Anthro, who is now an old man. He was the original superhero and storyteller and as he dies, we see something else. The rocket sent in the beginning of the issue has landed. A utility belt lies gently on Anthro.

Page 37: Ah, this page makes me all warm and fuzzy. Batman is marking a bat on the wall.

For a very good reason, read Morrison’s interview.

Well, that’s it folks. I’ve already expressed what I love about Final Crisis. Morrison mentions more in that interview. It’ll be nice to not have to write these big articles anymore, but I had fun. Hopefully you did too. Final Crisis had some flaws (Mostly editorial), but it was the most dense, unique, and enthralling event I’ve ever read. It challenged the reader. You actually had to use your imagination. The birth of new characters, the death of old. The complete and utter shattering of current writing techniques. This series would have been forty issues long if Bendis had written it. Final Crisis is not for everyone, but I think the ones it was for, had a hell of a good time reading it. I know I did.

Review: Final Crisis: Superman Beyond #2

(*****)

Wow! This issue just blew me away. I find it interesting that so many people hate this comic because they “don’t get it”. Whereas others like me, love it. I can understand the complaints a little. Superman Beyond is a lot to take in. Heck, even the visuals (Does anyone else’s vision get weird after wearing the 3D glasses?) can be jarring. But I for one adore this book.

First off, just look at that art. It’s truly stunning. Mahnke produces the best work of his career. Morrison challenges him for sure, but he hits the right notes every step of the way. In a fantastic voyage (It even has a yellow submarine) such as this, the art is crucial. Mahnke captures both the epic (And boy are they epic) battles and the tender scenes beautifully. Even the 3D works better here. I read the 2D art with my normal vision and the 3D art with my funky (Can they seriously change the design of these things already) glasses. In the first issue, I had to constantly switch between the two, but here the first several pages were normal, then 3D, and then back to normal for the conclusion. It was more of a pleasant read and damn those 3D pages were awesome!

As for the story itself, it’s just packed with goodies. Some of the more subtle stuff (Although I don’t think it’s that subtle sorry) may be missed. But I would think that if nothing else this is a psychedelic journey about the original superhero trying to save his dying wife. This is the spiritual sequel to All Star Superman. Both portray Superman as the quintessential hero in new ways that don’t come off as cheesy.

Now, I’ll try to delve beneath the surface without spoiling anything. I love that the citizens of Limbo (Where forgotten characters go to rot. A concept that’s not only awesome, but also fits the book’s theme) fight the “yet to be”. I love that Morrison explains why these Supermen were chosen. Morrison acknowledges all the Supermen (Majestic, Icon, etc.) and even here he uses Captain Adam (Based on Captain Atom from Charlton Comics) and Captain Marvel (From Fawcett Comics). Hell, even Overman (The German word for Superman) comes from Friedrich Nietzsche’s original influence on Superman. I love the fact that Superman Beyond is a study of the story itself. It’s all about the pros and cons that stories bring to our society. I love that the villains are Vampire Gods. Vampires and Gods are two fictional (If God doesn’t exist. Just think of the Roman Gods. Please don’t hate me) creations that will outlast us all, much like Superman. And finally, I absolutely love the last page of this comic. Seriously, it’s the best last page in recent memory.

Review/RANT: Final Crisis #6

So I read Final Crisis 6. Was quite looking forward to it, considering that I enjoyed issues four and five, and the buzz for six was pretty positive on the boards I frequent. I had heard vaguely about what happens to Batman, but in general I was going into this clean. Well guess what…this was a terrible issue. This thing was incomprehensibly messy in so many ways. Morrison isn’t even bothering trying to explain himself or his characters or his plot movements anymore. Things just happen because they have to. Case in point: The book opens with Superman and Brainiac 5.1 presumably in the 31^st century. So when did this happen? Superman Beyond? Legion of Three Worlds? Didn’t read ‘em, don’t care. Even still, wasn’t Superman supposed to be at Lois’ bedside using his heat vision to make sure her heart wouldn’t stop? Didn’t the crazy monitor chick from issue two tell him he’d be back from his journey nigh instantaneously? Wasn’t that the whole point of why he decided to go with her? So where the hell has he been in the past three issues? And why does Lois show up halfway through the book showing no ill effects of a building falling down on top of her? There’s no way enough time has passed for her to heal from her injuries. This is abjectly ludicrous storytelling.

To further compound things, we have Batman. This would be the same Batman that got put into Granny’s crazy machine thing in issue two. Like Superman, he shows up out of nowhere in this issue. But this is even worse, considering Batman was CAPTURED, somehow escaped, somehow found Darkseid, somehow got his hands on a time traveling God bullet firing pistol, AND somehow managed to hold onto the bullet from Orion’s crime scene. Did no one search his damned belt? And what the blue hell is the “Omega Sanction”? Is it different from his Omega beams? And why the fuck should I care? Then Superman shows up and unleashes hell, and we’re treated with another example of how bad this issue is. Ever read a book and feel like you’re missing some pages? The transitions in this book are DREADFUL, and one of the best examples of that is the move from the penultimate spread to the final page. Sure, it follows that Supes goes nuts because Batman died. But from a script and sequential art perspective, moving from Superman devastating everything in sight to suddenly holding Batman’s desiccated corpse Crisis 7 style is just badly done and jarring. But this isn’t jarring in such a way that helps the tone or aids some kind of a reveal. This just sorta happens.

These types of bad transitions happen throughout the book, which basically consists of various snapshots of everything that’s going on. But each scene is too short and chaotic, and it all boils down to a manic jumble of white noise. People do things, battles take place, Checkmate has some crazy Brother Eye thingie that may have something to do with the return of Superman. Both Luthor and the Flashes seem to have no problems overriding Anti-Life. Considering that all you have to do is scramble a signal or prove true love exists (or whatever the hell Barry Allen’s been doing), this diminishes the dread nature of Anti-Life a bit. I get that it’s basically just Apokolips on Earth, but I feel like the events are no longer justifying the tone. Especially considering how easily Darkseid was taken down by a mortal man (yet another example of Batman being written too strong, but this has gone on for years, so I can’t really grouse about it now). Does this mean that some crazy new villain is going to show up for half an issue? Is this finally becoming a multiverse story? I mean, we’ve seen the Monitors and a few other things, but this series has been contained on Earth so far. It’s a dangerous situation where Morrison might try and blow this up too huge for one issue to handle. Darkseid’s death didn’t really feel like a climax. I guess we’ll find out soon enough if they keep their new schedule, and get issue seven out at the end of the month.

Really, what we have here is a situation where Morrison just doesn’t have enough pages to cohesively tell the story he wants to. He’s probably getting his point across to the DC historians and die hards who know these characters and are reading the tie-ins (and Seven Soldiers), but this just does not work on its own as a mini series. It’s been a weird read, because he completely lost me with the first three issues, got me back with four and five, and lost me all over again with issue six. It’s incredibly frustrating.

Review: Final Crisis #6 – Spoilers!

(*****)

I’m exhausted. My brain is mush. Yet I must press on because I love this book so much. It’s killing me.

Page 1: Why are Superman and Brainiac 5 here? Last time we saw Supes he was trapped in Limbo and Brainiac 5 was…well, the last Legion of 3 Worlds came out months ago. Who can remember? So, I guess this takes place after those two books?

Pages 2-3: Superman is “fading”. Probably because of that “time breaks down” nonsense Brainy was talking about. You’ll find a lot of techno-babble in this issue. I like Renee Montoya’s line later, “Enough of this sensory %$%@$ overload”. Anyway, Brainiac introduces the Miracle Machine. You like awesome technology right? Hmm, you can only think positive thoughts, who can do that better than the “Big Blue Boy Scout”?

Pages 4-5: Look out! Here come the baddies! Tattooed Man is an honorary JLA member? They’re really going for the old “Anyone can join the Justice League” maxim. I wonder how long any of this will last. Oh wait, it’s Morrison. All his continuity gets washed away once he’s gone.

Pages 6-7: Catfight! The Supergirl vs. Desaad Marvel fight continues! Beautiful action and good banter, let’s move on.

Pages 8-9: Hopefully Black Adam fans can calm down now. Yes he got hit hard last issue, but his power is fading and Desaad Marvel is very powerful. Oh and Mary is Desaad, it’s official.

Pages 10-11: The Tawky Tawny vs. Tigerbak fight continues! Desaad uses innocent people to attack Supergirl. That bastard! He’s so evil!

Pages 12-13: Whoa! Tawny guts Kalibak! Freddie and Mary go back to kids thanks to magic. Darkseid can’t control everything! Mary says, “I can never say it again”. Again, how long will this last?

Pages 14-15: Tawny gets respect! It’s the moment you never knew you wanted to see! Shilo explains more about that face paint. Mr. Terrific mentions “Black Gambit”. Will those OMACs ever come? Uh, if you’re not familiar with that reference, it’s just more evidence that the tie-ins have meant nothing. Unless of course reality is just really messed up. Hey, that’s a good excuse.

Pages 16-17: Ooh! A pretty New Furies splash! But that is nothing compared to that Super Young Team dialog. “Most of our powers are cosmetic!” and “I have the greatest power of all, Mister Miracle. I am so rich I can do anything” are pure genius. But there’s also the young love! So much awesome, I would be very happy with a Morrison Super Young Team mini.

Pages 18-19: Hero against hero, the soul mate and the person that showed a villain the light. This comic has everything! I’m still curious about Tattooed Man’s new tattoo.

Page 20: The Atoms together, more great stuff. “And here, our mystics attempt to contact the Spectre in the afterworlds”, but isn’t the Spectre Vandal “Cain” Savage’s slave?And Renee Montoya is in New York or something but she’s here too and…

Page 21: This is that “sensory overload” Montoya line I was talking about. Lord Eye, this is the whole Black Gambit business? Hmm it sounds like they’re preparing another Earth in case this one dies. I hope thatdoesn’t backfire.

Pages 22-23: I love that advertisement! You know, the one for the issue I’m reading. Way to go DC! Whoa! Calculator gets lynched! The villains unite to say “Fuck you aliens!” which is totally Luthor. Libra “dies”, but even Sivana says, “And that’s a classic “We haven’t heard the last of him!” if I ever saw one”. So, Libra will be back?

Pages 24-25: Did you forget about the Flash family? Will they stop Darkseid (If he hasn’t been stopped by the end of this issue)? Will Barry outrun the Black Racer (Barry has a new mini coming up so I’d guess yes)?

Pages 26-27: Batman pops up like a daisy! Ok, let’s just consider Batman #682-683 part of this issue. That’s where he broke free and got that nifty gun. Oh, so Darkseid shot Orion. Of course! Ah, but Orion caused Darkseid’s fall. “Wounded you beyond repair”, it sounds like it, right? Batman has the time bullet with him? That’s so Batman, but he wouldn’t use a gun would he? Hey that bullet looks familiar. Remember that weird thing from the last page of Final Crisis #2? I wasn’t sure what it was, but it was the time bullet. Anyway, Batman shoots Darkseid! Yay! Batman will be ok, right? He won’t get vaporized by Omega Beams like he was in JLA: Rock of Ages will he?

Pages 28-29: NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! Batman!!!! They took my buddy away, damn it! At least he got a two-page death that looks great (In a book with more artists than Batman: Black & White). I’ll talk more about this “death” later.

Pages 30-31: Is that Lois in the upper-left panel? Again, what’s up with that? The Hawkman/Hawkgirl scene may seem a bit random, but it continues the rebirth theme. I’ll talk more about that later. The GLs aren’t here yet. Metron is still around. Nix Uotan’s new look “inaugurates the Fifth World”. “These new humans face a greater menace than Darkseid if they breach the Bleed Wall.” Ah crap, that’s what this whole Black Gambit stuff is doing isn’t it? I knew it would backfire! Oh well, bring on Mandrakk (The Evil Monitor from Superman Beyond)!

Pages 32-33: Superman is blowing stuff up. Because of Batman I would guess. I wonder what he wished for. A lifetime supply of Popeyes Chicken? Or maybe it was to get back from wherever he was (The future?) and perhaps Lois’ good health as well.

Page 34: Ah, this image (From Doug Mahnke I believe. His name isn’t on the cover even though two inkers are) brings the Crisis trilogy full circle. Superman likes to hold cadavers.

And now for some more words. I want to talk about Batman’s death. I’m going to avoid the whole “This isn’t Morrison’s vision” and “Fuck Dan DiDio” stuff. I’ve covered that in my other Final Crisis reviews (You can read those, issue two, three, four, and five).

Again, I’m really tired so this won’t be as long as I planned (Which is good for you). Supposedly, Morrison’s original idea for this series was for the Magnificent Seven to all die and become New Gods. Do you remember those “Heroes Die, But Legends Live Forever” posters? Well that was the idea. Get the old guard out of the way (But still in the DCU) and make way for the kids. That idea was immediately shot down with the classic “Not the big three!” answer. Anyway the point is resurrection was on Morrison’s mind. Do you remember Superman’s Martian Manhunter eulogy in Final Crisis #2 and that hilarious “And pray for a resurrection” line? Well, Morrison talked about it on Newsarama (See it here) and said “This line foreshadows a major theme which will be played out as this series progresses”. He goes on to say “Now that I think about it, the whole story revolves around Superman’s (Pray for a resurrection) line”. So this may have been Morrison’s actual plan. We all know Batman will be back. Morrison certainly knows that as well. In fact, I believe his recent Batman run was all about how cool Bruce is and that no one could ever replace him. Heck, Batman could even be back in Final Crisis #7, but I doubt it. DiDio want his money. So we’ll go through all the Battle for the Cowl nonsense and filler crap. I just hope Final Crisis isn’t too compromised and that Grant (And maybe even Frank freaking Quitely) will be back on Batman soon.

Just for the hell of it, here’s what Grant Morrison thinks about this issue. Enjoy!

Review: Final Crisis: Secret Files #1

(***1/2)

I love Final Crisis, but this issue demonstrates my biggest problem with the whole thing. Well, it’s more of a fear. What if this isn’t Morrison’s vision? I don’t want to go too much into it so I’ll just focus on this issue. Check out the solicitation. Grant Morrison didn’t write this issue. Peter J. Tomasi didn’t write this issue. Frank Quitely, other than the cover, did not draw this issue. Instead, we get a mediocre Libra tale that’s mostly been told before. It’s from Len Wein and Tony Shasteen and it should have come out after Final Crisis #2. The big kick in the pants? SPOILER Libra is just Libra END SPOILER. So, that’s a bumber. Anyway, this is important stuff people. It gives some Libra back-story. Len Wein provides a decent story and Shasteen’s art is…frankly, pretty ugly. But the last six pages are pure gold. We get some more Crime Bible from Mr. Rucka himself. This is about all that Revelations nonsense. Then we get a page from Morrison that explains in detail about the Anti-Life Equation. If I had a dollar for everyone who asked me about the Anti-Life Equation I’d be…well, not rich, but I’d have about thirteen dollars! See what I mean about the “this should have come out a long time ago” thing? We then get four pages from Morrison and JG Jones that explain all those Nix Uotan drawings. I hope we get to see more of these creations. Morrison has invented elaborate histories like he’s J. R. R. Tolkien. Again, Superman Beyond #2, Final Crisis #6 and 7 should blow some damn minds. This, not so much, but it’s still worth your time and money.

Bruce Castle Presents: Batman vs. Daredevil!

Batman #683 (****)

Morrison’s retelling continues. We get to see the shirtless Neal Adams Batman again. The world gets darker for Bruce. The issue ends promising the Dark Knight’s last adventure in Final Crisis #6, but as Morrison has proved over the last few years, Batman can’t die. Even in this issue, Batman continues to beat everyone. It doesn’t matter that Dark Space Gods are trying to screw with his brain, he’s Batman. He’ll always win. He can even make his enemies turn against each other. One of the many gems in this issue is an alternate reality where Bruce never dressed up like a bat. Do you remember that great episode of the 90′s cartoon? It’s kind of like that. Bruce is a bit of a pansy. He even gets conned. Oh, and something bad happens to Dick. Heck, the Joker doesn’t even exist. It’s kind of the Batman version of “It’s a Wonderful Life”. This is a fitting end to at least the first chapter of Morrison’s Batman epic.

Daredevil #114 (****1/2)

We’re half way there. I still don’t know how this will end. What I do know is that this is Brubaker’s best Daredevil arc. Matt continues to get dragged through the muck. There is no happiness. There is no hope. Every glimmer of happiness gets ripped away from him. He even thinks about living in a cave in this issue. Get away from the people he cares about and just be Daredevil full time. Will he lose Milla soon? Will he lose Dakota? And I haven’t even talked about his villain problems yet. Along with the main players, an additional cast of interesting characters are present. Heck, we even get a new villain. I’m still not sure how I feel about Lady Bullseye yet. All she’s had to be so far is threatening. At least she’s achieved that. So if you’ve thought about getting back into Daredevil’s whacky adventures, now is the time.

SeventhSoldier Presents: War

War, huh? What is it good for? Some pretty good comics, that’s what.

Wonder Woman #26

The beginning of Simone’s Rise of the Olympian arc, Wonder Woman’s big shake-up for this year, it also serves as the introduction of her brand new villain – Genocide.  And, to get this out of the way right smack-dab in the beginning of the review, it’s a solid opening issue, if not a stellar one.

Genocide is, to my surprise, a terrible villain.  Thankfully, Simone smartly avoids the issue, because while Genocide, like most one-note characters, is not a particularly compelling personality, she is an excellent monster – and I feel that her costume and dialogue accurately reflect this.

The story is brief – I could sum up everything that happens in about two sentences.  That said, as in every issue, the characterization was spot-on, there was wit, danger, some great action, and even Tresser had a pretty awesome moment.

A good opening, it makes me hopeful for the remainder of the arc, but it doesn’t quite grab me the way I think it should.  Lopresti’s art is magnificent – woo! no cheesecake! – and while he handles everything the issue demands of him with grace and style, a fight as apparently brutal as this one needs an artist willing to get significantly dirtier than Lopresti looks able to get.  The panelling is brilliant, the coloring is great, everything is well handled… but the action of the issue just doesn’t quite feel particularly urgent.  Normally, I don’t mind that in Simone’s WW comics, as we get a series of great character moments and dramatic scenes, but this issue is a fightin’ issue, and as that, it fails to be all it can be.

Grade: B

Unknown Soldier #1

Unknown Soldier is one of the newest Vertigo books, an action-heavy comic taking place in Uganda just a couple years back.  It’s pretty violent, and while its decent set-up, I’ve never been a fan of the device in which a character ‘just knows stuff’, and the issue relies pretty heavily on that.  A promising beginning, but nothing special, lacking both heart and urgency.

Grade: C+

Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns

A poorly executed thirty-page long ad for another event, clumsily shoe-horned into Final Crisis continuity.  As much as I love the concept of the War of Light, all desire to read it has been killed.  So, to that one guy who absolutely hates me for not loving Geoff Johns, congratulations – I won’t be reviewing very many of his books from here on out.

Grade: D+

DC March Solcitations

Last month, I did a write-up of the DC solicits largely because I was irritated with the blandness of them as well as some rumors I’d been hearing about the direction things were taking.  The article was fun to write and I got some good feedback.  So, I figured I’d try it again now that the March solicits are available.  This time, I haven’t read through the solicits first.  So, you’re getting my uncensored first impressions.  So, here goes: