JUSTICE LEAGUE #15: This issue features the start of the THRONE OF ATLANTIS crossover with AQUAMAN. Something or someone causes a U.S. Naval ship to fire missiles at Atlantis, causing death and destruction. Atlantis, led by Ocean Master Orm, retaliates, attacking Boston, Gotham City and Metropolis. Along the way, Vulko appears in Metropolis looking for Aquaman and we learn that Aquaman and Orm wrote the Atlantean War Plans which are apparently in effect. And we also learn that wearing glasses DOES conceal your identity, as Clark shows Diana Prince. In the back-up story, Shazam and Fredie Freeman continue to explore the lengths of Shazam’s powers by stopping crime and getting junk food. But then Black Adam arrives and all the good times seem to come to an end.
Well, it’s time for another bug crossover, which is what the NEW 52 seems to be made of. Right mow, DEATH OF THE FAMILY, H’EL ON EARTH the RISE OF THE THIRD ARMY and this are running, with more on the way. STOP ALREADY!!! That having been said, this issue does a nice job of ramping up into that storyline and setting the table for what is too come. A Geoff Johns story with a bit of humor, specifically the glasses as a disguise bit, is a good thing. It’s nice to see he has stopped writing for the average thirteen year old! And we welcome aboard Ivan Reis as the former AQUAMAN penciller and new JUSTICE LEAGUE penciller. Because honestly: you didn’t think Jim Lee would be here forever did you? Regarding the backup: can you please stop toying with us and give us a regular CAPTAIN MARVEL series. As a side note: Gary Frank’s art seems a little more rushed than I am used to. Can someone at DC get this guy an inker and lighten his work load?
JUSTICE LEGUE DARK #15: Zatanna and Timothy Hunter have a confrontation with a giant. Zatanna uses her power on someone named Epoch who is wearing a digital protective suit. Her power has been amplified and it could possibly kill him if she is not careful. Suddenly, vines and arms reach up from the ground and drag the pair beneath it. In the cavern underground, a group of magical beings explains that they have been waiting for a long time to meet Timothy Hunter. Meanwhile, Constantine and Dr. Peril are trying to figure out how to unlock the Books of Magic to free Tim and Zatanna. Peril presumes that Hunter's DNA could open it, so they get Tim's father from the House of Mystery.Once there, they use his blood to open the Books and a magic portal taking them to their missing companions. But they only have 48 hours to get back.The trip messes them up badly as Madame Xanadu begins to age rapidly. Black Orchid morphs and begins to look like Swamp Thing. Constantine finds he can't lie.And Deadman, who is now human, is apparently killed by a blast from Epoch.
I so love this book. We get all of the classic magic characters in one place, trying to act like a superhero team and failing miserably. I feel this title is a major cornerstone of the NEW 52 Universe. Check it out!
NIGHTWING #15: With Haly's Circus ready to open the Amusement Mile, Jimmy the Clown gets attacked by The Joker, who infects him with Joker Venom and kills him. Nightwing is convinced the Joker knows the identities of Batman and all of his allies and decides to get Haly's Circus out of Gotham to protect this family. Then he learns that Joker broke Raya Vestri out of Blackgate. On his way to the Circus, Dick sees Jimmy's body tied to a gate with a note reading "Nobody Likes a Knockoff." Doing some detective work after the fact, Dick discovers Jimmy's blood contains traces of kerosene jet fuel. A little later, during what could be an intimate moment between Dick and Sonia, Dick gets a telephone call telling him the fuel formula was stolen from a Wayne Enterprises knockoff. Nightwing arrives at Kline Industries and is attacked by an infected Raya. While they fight it out, Nightwing struggles to inject her with an anti-toxin. But he is too late and his former friend dies in his arms. Finally he notices a message carved across her chest suggesting Joker is about to target Haly's Circus.
Kyle Higgins, Eddy Barrows, and Eber Ferreira turn loose the next chapter in the DEATH OF A FAMILY storyline and do so by taking two characters out before the end of the issue. Jimmy the Clown and Raya become the latest casualties in this epic, muli-title story. Where does that leave our former Boy Wonder mentally? How will he retaliate against The Joker? Next issue will tell the tale.
PHANTOM STRANGER #3: The Phantom Stranger wants nothing to do with Dr. Thirteen or his issues with the Haunted Highwayman. He and his wife head to a going away party for one of his neighbors. Soon Dr. Thirteen calls to him again for help and he’s pretty upset about it. No sooner does he arrive and the Highwayman does too.By calling on the spirit of the original Terrence Thirteen, he is able to destroy the Highwayman and end the curse. Next issue: Justice League Dark.
Please make them stop! Dan Didio writes a real stinker here and the fact that Brent Anderson’s artwork, looking like rough pencils, is held together by Phillip Tan and Rob Hunter’s even rougher inking. This book is a mess that I keep praying will get better. The fact that I am now four issues in means I keep PRAYING it will get better. Somehow, I think it won’t.
RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #15: GPCD has shown up at a bad time: Jason’s girlfriend has overdosed and Jason needs to fight all the GPCD officers to get out and steal Harvey Bullock's cruiser. But Joker is in the back and hits him with the gas. When he wakes, Joker explains he has been paralyzed. Joker also insists that he was the one responsible for everything that happened in Jason’s formative years, including his mother’s death. He produces the bullet that came out of his father on the day he was shot. Joker gets ready to beat Jason with a crowbar but Jason breaks free and prepares to do the same when he is electrocuted by a charge in the crowbar. After the Joker declares that they are practically family, Jason falls next to the unconscious body of Red Robin. Meanwhile, Starfire is becoming more attracted to Roy. They pick up a phone call from Bullock, who has realized that Jason was set up. Roy and Starfire head to Gotham to help.
Yeah...okay. Another episode and I find myself not really caring. Red Robin held captive by the Joker and he dangles the carrot in front of him about how much he knows. Do you believe him, because I don't. It's a half-hearted attempt from Scott Lobdell that just falls flat for me. But the art by Timothy Green II is nice.
RED LANTERNS #15: We begin with Zox and Skallox looking at the severed arm of a Red lantern killed by the Third Army. Meanwhile, Atrocitus is being forced to see the massacre of his home planet again, but this time attacks them. This is all just a dream caused by a space creature. Atrocitus uses the creature's blood to ressurect the Manhunters and use them against the Third Army. Unfortunately, they attack him.Back on Earth, Rankorr goes to visit his brother, who is repulsed and begs him to leave.Rankorr goes after Baxter, who is under police protection. he sees the police officer was burned by Rankorr rebirth and feels sorry, but still wants revenge. Off on Ysmault, the Centreal Power Battery is still not responding.
I’m still not a huge fan of this Peter Milligan outing but it IS getting better. I find it way too disjointed and far too many cardboard charactersa. These Lanterns had so much life in earlier incarnatiuons(i.e. the old DCU) and now nothing!. However, the art by Miguel Sepulveda is pretty awesome.
SUICIDE SQUAD #15: When last we were here, Joker was choking out Harley Quinn in the basement of the Ace Chemical Plant. She passes out and when she awakes he informs her that she needs to be redunked into the chemicals that created her. At Belle Reve, Waller and Yo-Yo watch all of this through camera lenses in Harley's eyes. Waller tells Yo-Yo she wants him to be her spy within the Suicide Squad. Harley gets free and attacks Joker, leaving him dangling over the edge of the chemical vat. But he sets her pet hyenas on her, infected with rabies, on her. She is forced to kill Bud and Lou and promises Joker she will kill him too. He bites a chunk out of her ear, poisoning her, and he attempts to cut off her face. She kisses him, but bites off the tip of his tongue. He drags her into a dark room and chains her to the wall, where many other skeletons that he claims were previous Harleys, reside. Hours later, Waller and Captain Boomerang spot Harley approaching the Task Force X field-office. Meanwhile, Deadshot wakes up in a hospital bed.
Adam Glass and Fernando Dagnino totally rock this book. The read is awesome, the art is killer and the characters are totally engaging. There is nothing else I can or need to say about this. This is still my favorite of all the NEW 52.
SUPERMAN #15: The H'EL ON EARTH story continues. Superman and Superboy arrive at a government prison facility where Lex Luthor is being held. Currently, The Fortress of Solitude is under H'El's control, so he needs the greatest mind on Earth to help stop him. Luthor, his face horribly scarred on one side, agrees to help, but only if he gets a chance to talk to Superboy. Superboy agrees with Luthor intimidating Superboy with his knowledge of Superboy's genetics. he has also deduced that H'El is looking to cause a reverse Big Bang to generate enough power to go back in time and stop Krypton from being destroyed.. As they leave the facility, the Justice League arrive, ready to attack the Fortress of Solitude.
I am not a fan of this crossover and, in fact, I am only reading this title because I grew bored with SUPERBOY and SUPERGIRL. but I guess that is where a good chunk of this storyline is running. Anyway, I am not reading them and I don't particularly like the idea the Superman may have tried to kill Luthor in the past, which is why he is so scarred. Scott Lobdell's writing is his usual standard fare but I truly detest Kenneth Rocafort's art style. It is somewhere between painted and digitally painted and does nothing for me. Get me someone who can draw for real and we will talk!
SWAMP THING #15: When last we saw Swamp Thing and Deadman they were being attacked by William Arcane on their way Gotham City. Anton Arcane gave William the Trident of Neptune and now he sets Starro upon them. Alec uses the power of The Green to cut right through the creature's middle, destroying Starro. William sends forth another sea-monster and promises to tell him how Abby died at some point. Deadman possesses William's body, causing him to lose control of the monster. Meanwhile, Alec continues on his journey to Gotham. We learn that a year ago, Abigail was captured by her uncle. He took a bite out of her and kept her genetic material in his mouth to create Un-Men clones of her. She kept trying to use her powers to defeat him but he would always make her forget with the use of his rot flowers. She eventually broke free, attacked her uncle and made his body unravel. She heads to a room containing the other Parliament, but is too late. Arriving in Gotham, Swamp Thing finds the Batcave and a Batman who has been taken by the Rot. Although he is chained to the floor, Batman lunges at Swamp Thing and takes a chunk out of his shoulder. But a shotgun blast obliterates Batman's head: a blast from a humanoid bat-creature. It transforms into a human. It’s Barbara Gordon who welcomes him to New Gotham.
WOW! Scott Snyder and Marco Rudy continue this chapter of ROTWORLD and it’s a doozy! We have a Rot infected Batman that gets it’s head blown off by a Barbara Gordon who can transform? How much does that make my inner geek love this?
TEAM 7 #3: THE BLACK DIAMOND PROBABILITY continues. Team 7 is headed to the dark prison on Sentinel Island. They discover that the natives' village has been destroyed and men and children have been killed. Fairchild spots a survivor. Then Essence arrives, telling them that the survivor is warning them not to enter the "Heart of Hell", but they should. The mercenaries have captured a tribal elder and a young girl from the tribe. They are rescued by the island’s sentinels, which are the spirits of everyone who has died on the island. Team 7 heads in to help, trying to keep the Gamorrans from getting to the prison but Kaizen Gamorra’s all-seeing children make the mercenaries aware. The perimeter is wired with explosives and everyone but Slade is forced to retreat. Slade kills the mercenary leader but ends up touching the black diamond and becomes Eclipso.
This is one of the most confusing NEW 52 reads. Writer Justin Jordan does the best he can to try to make the characters interesting but he just can’t.. These are cornerstones of many of the “present day” NEW 52 titles but these versions are bad action figures or at least cardboard cutouts of action figures. Julius Gopez art is nice and fairly inoffensive. Right now, I am reading this to see how it all ties in to the BLACK DIAMOND PROBABILITY. Once that is concluded, I can only hope either a new writer can put something worthwhile into this or else I’ll put my money elsewhere.
TEEN TITANS #15: The Teen Titans contact Batgirl in order to help them find the missing Red Robin. He wakes up in his original costume and being mentally tortured by The Joker, who convinces him that he knows all about the Teen Titans. His plan is to put powdered Joker Venom in various locations and Kid Flash's speed spread it around, causing people to become hostile and kill him. Meanwhile, Wonder Girl and Bunker find the rest of the Titans being attacked by a crowd of Jokers. Help comes along in the form of Arsenal and Starfire of the Outlaws.
This is the weakest and lamest book yet in the DEATH OF THE FAMILY crossover. Scott Lobdell, whose writing I normally like, crafts everything in this issue as wooden. The central piece revolves around Tim Drake and The Joker, but too little time is sopent with them and too much time spent with the rest of the team and Batgirl. Stop with the unneeded crossovers! The highlight of this issue is Brett Booth’s art. other than that, I could have done without this stinker!
WONDER WOMAN #15: New God Orion goes to Brooklyn, to visit an old friend. To get some help, Orion offers him a ride on his Astro-Harness. Meanwhile, Wonder Woman has everyone else holed up in a hotel in Manhattan while she figures a way to find half-brother Milan. Zola and Hera find themselves arguing about which television program to watch. And, since this is aggravating both Lennox and Diana, they head off together to find Milan. As the pair go through an abandoned section of the subway, Hephaestus arrives to fiddle around with her Bracelets of Submission. Lennox finds Milan, who is the blind homeless man Orion was with at the beginning of the issue. Milan is angry about something Lennox did to their sister seventeen years ago. Orion attempts to attack Lennox but Diana steps in, with two swords coming out of her bracelets. Milan lets loose with a swarm of flies coming out of his mouth and covering them. Off in the Antarctic, ice rises as monsters. They call the giant “nephew” and make a promise to kill him once again.
Welcome to the wild ride that takes the mythology of the various gods and turns them sideways. Your hosts, Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang hope you like what they have done to Wonder Woman and her legend. They know many of you don’t care for it, but they don’t seem to mind. After all, it’s only a funny book. READ THIS!
WORLDS’ FINEST #7: Huntress convinces Power Girl to trust Damian Wayne and together they are going to attempt to find out who is stealing money from Bruce Wayne's bank accounts. While Huntress and Robin follow one lead, Power Girl follows one to the French Republic of the Congo. She sees a hut with a satellite dish affixed to it. As she approaches, several child-soldiers step out with alien guns that fires through the jungle. She destroys the weapons while a loud boom destroys the hut. All of the children and the dish gets sucked into a Boom Tube portal. Meanwhile, Helena and Damian are attacked by a pack of wolves. She leaps onto the roof of a nearby cabin, which also has a satellite dish on it.. She plugs in a USB stick and pulls data off the dish. She sees Robin being attacked by a wolf creature and takes it out with a makeshift arrow. They guess that it must be from Apokolips. Robin says he will tell Batman about this development, but will keep her a secret from him.
As I pretty much say every issue: I do not quite know whether I want to like this book or not. Paul Levitz writes some witty dialogue, much better than in some of his more recent titles, but the plots tend to fall flat. Case in point: we have Huntress and Robin fighting men-wolves from Apokolips, Seriously? And Power Girl fighting against native children with guns from Apokolips? We all get the whole Apokolips connection to Earth 2 and that is how these heroes got here. We also know that Darkseid has been on THIS Earth and a New God is here now in WONDER WOMAN. I GET THAT! Let’s continue to explore the whole “we’re related to Batman and Superman in another world” and possibly have them all meet up. Until then, give us something worthy of my time. However, the art by Kevin Maguire and George Pérez is mighty purty!
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