JUSTICE LEAGUE #21: The back-up becomes the feature as we get the
final act in the origin of Shazam. We begin in Philadelphia where the Seven Deadly Sins are
laying waste to the town, as Doctor Sivana realizes that they are too powerful
for him. They find Mr. Bryer, enter him and he becomes a flaming devil with a
pentagram on his chest. Black Adam threatens to kill Freddy if Shazam doesn’t
release his power to him. So Billy says the magic word and suddenly Pedro, Mary,
Eugene, Freddie and Darla are transformed into the Marvel Family. They join
together and attacked Black Adam and the transformed Mr. Beyer. Billy applies
some power to Tawny and the tiger attacks Black Adam, but in doing so, drains
powers from the rest of the Family. Billy realizes he can’t beat Adam, says his
magic word and returns to his old self, as do his brothers and sisters change
back. He challenges Adam to a fair fight and Adam changes back, grows old and
turns to dust. In the process, the Seven Deadly Sins leave Mr. Beyer and he is
left naked in the st6reet. Everyone is happy, Magic has a new champion once
again and all have a merry Christmas. Except for Doctor Sivana who discovers a
talking worm in a bottle named Mr. Mind.
Okay…NOW I WANT MY REGULAR SERIES!!! Geoff
Johns and Gary Frank have revitalized the Big Red Cheese for the new Millennium
and I LOVE IT! The whole creation of the Marvel Family was pure genius; even if
they don’t resemble the Marvel Family of old (Captain Marvel Jr. with long
flowing Thorlike locks?). The dialogue was smart and snappy and this whole epic
was a blast to read. Gary Frank’s art screams off the pages and you can credit
a lot of that to colorist Brad Anderson. I so want this book to be a regular
series that someone CAN’T SCREW UP! C’mon DC: you owe this to us after having
shoved so many awful NEW 52 titles on us!
JUSTICE
LEAGUE DARK #21: Madame Xanadu
sees visions of death and destruction twenty years in the future, where most of
the Justice League Dark are murdered by Doctor Destiny, leaving only her and
Constantine, who is possessed by Deadman. Destiny calls her mother, she kisses
Deadman and the end of the world begins. Xanadu wakes as Doctor Destiny informs
the team that she is indeed his mother. Frankenstein attacks as Deadman goes to
free Swamp Thing. Destiny is protected by a demon and Frankenstein is trapped in
the Den of the Firefeeders. Destiny explains that he was raised by his father
and nurtured by the Cult of the Cold Flame who gave him the Dreamstone. Deadman
enters the Swamp Thing’s body and uses the wood from the House of Mystery to
create an army that traps Destiny. Flash arrives, having taken care of the most
of the nightmares that were causing havoc in Manhattan. Flash searches for Frankenstein
and rescues him for the second time. Xanadu, having seen the future, grabs
Frankenstein’s sword and cuts the ruby from his chest, reducing him to nothing.
She gives the Dreamstone to Constantine
and he asks her who Destiny's father was. She replies that some secrets are
best left that way. She also knows that, if the world is to survive, she must
walk the path alone.
Jeff Lemire and Ray Fawkes end this tale, which
sets up the TRINITY WAR beginning next issue, with a bang! Xanadu obviously has
secrets in her closet after all these years with the Demon Knight and, for all
we know, Jason Blood or his alter ego is Doctor Destiny’s father. I could buy
that. For that matter, it could be almost anyone in the mystical corner of the
NEW 52. Either way, this was a nice ending to a cool lit5tle story that reminds
us that there is a sordid past here or this may all come into play during the
TRINITY WAR Great looking art from Mikel Janin and Vicente Cifuentes helped to push
the story along, along I could have done without the Flash/Frankenstein
connection. Does that mean our stitched together creature will be the new Kid
Flash?
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #5: Green Lantern Simon Baz gets his criminal
record wiped by A.R.G.U.S. and joins the JLA., just as they received word that
something bad has happened to Dr. Light. Elsewhere, we have a dead Catwoman
that turns out to actually be Martian Manhunter in disguise and very much
alive. Ivo sends his robotic Justice League after Hawkman, who is saved by
Stargirl while Blockbuster and the Society’s leader are attacked by Manhunter
and Catwoman, who has been hiding in the rafters. Green Arrow, who along with
the other JLA members, has been freed by Stargirl, chases Ivo until he corners
him in the same room as Chronos, who causes
a temporal neutral field to that freezes the manor in time. The Society can
stay in the manor because of their coins, but the JLA must leave quickly. As
they leave, the mysterious leader of the Society tells Martian Manhunter that
it was nice to see him again. Despite capturing some of the members, the house
disappears and takes the leader with it. Later, Amanda Waller tells Steve
Trevor that she is disbanding the current JLA. Trevor fights for this team and
she allows him to make this team into the team he thinks they can be. She gets
a call from the Puzzler, explaining that the stained glass that got pieced
together from the manor is part of an image of the Pandora Box. She checks in
with Dr. Light and tells him she will help him if he helps her. In the back-up,
we see how Martian Manhunter took Catwoman’s place and he remembers a parasite
named Thoth who could inhabit any body with his thoughts. Could this be the
leader of the Society?First off, several buckets of rotten tomatoes need to be tossed at Geoff Johns for the swerve regarding Catwoman’s death. Sure, we all knew there was a way to get out of it, but with the whole stolen identity thing floating about from pieces laid down in her own title, I thought sure that would be the payoff. But Martian Manhunter? Hell, you may as well have gotten Plastic Man involved, or is he not here yet? Discounting that, this was an average issue that showed the good guys beating the bad guys, the mysterious leader still being mysterious and Steve Trevor standing behind his team, just as Amanda Waller had hoped for. Brett Booth and Norm Rapmund do a nice job on the art and we fly headlong into JUSTICE LEAGUE #22 where the TRINITY WAR goes on. Regarding the back-up: I tire of these tales. Okay, so we see how Martian Manhunter did the switch and then get a lame tale of his past that may or may not have anything to do with the current story. Seriously, find a way to get these back-ups gone, or do an anthology title which could have a BUNCH of these together for $3.99.
LARFLEEEZE #1: The issue begins with Larfleeze and his space butler, Stargrave, floating towards potential death. They are heading towards the edge of the universe, Larfleeze’s ring will be out of power in fifteen minutes and he’s lost all of his stuff, including his Power Battery. So he relates his origin story as the pair head towards doom. We see his birth and how he fought to survive being one of seventeen children. Eventually he finds the Orange Ring and Power Battery on Okaara. Stargrave realizes that Larfleeze’s ring should have died and believes that Larfleeze has become the battery. That is when Starjumper leaps from the void of creation at the edge of the universe and attacks, eating Larfleeze. His ring allows him to explode out of Starjumper’s stomach. The Laord of the Hunt emerges from the Void of Creation, upset that his dog was just killed. Larfleeze sees all of the potential treasures The Laord is carrying and, since he is all about material goods, he attacks. That doesn’t sound like such a great idea.
This is certainly a title that
isn’t for everyone, even fans of the Green Lantern portion of the universe. Keith
Giffen is responsible for the plot and the artistic breakdowns, J. M. DeMatteis
is handling the script and Scott Kolins is the finish artist. The opening
credit list is hilarious and right off the bat you KNOW this book seriously
does not take itself seriously (credits like “Joey Cavalieri is worried” and “Kevin
McGuire” will enjoy seeing his name in these credits. Larfleeze’ birth,
complete with him dropping out of mom who continues to drag him, still attached
by his umbilical cord, for several panels, is insane and just a small example
of Keith Giffen’s crazy sense of humor. The art is quirky, the story is wacked
and this book could be the sleeper of the year. Again, it’s not for everyone as
Larfleeze is pretty much a one sided character who lives for what he can
acquire. But Stargrave is the voice of reason, kind of the Alfred to an
intergalactic Batman who is more like Lobo than Bruce Wayne. I figure to give
it a few issues until, much like DEADPOOL was known to do, the joke runs thin.
THE MOVEMENT #2: Virtue leads Officers Witt and Peña to their
headquarters in an old garment factory. Long ago, women died in a mudslide at
this sweatshop. They meet the same girl they tried to assault last issue who slaps
Whitt across the face before Virtue gets to lock them in a cell. Vengeance Moth
informs Virtue that Mouse is in anguish because one of his favorite rats. has
died. Although Virtue tries to comfort him, he feels the need to eat the dead
rat named Trouncer. The teens have a meeting to discuss what do to next. Amongst
much disagreement, Tremor threatens to quit if any harm comes to the policemen.
Katharsis accuses Tremor of being a traitor and leaves to find the Cornea
Killerby herself. She breaks into James Cannon’s penthouse and accuses him of
ordering teams off the Cornea Killer case. He has two barely dressed women pull
guns on her and tells them to shoot her. She overcomes the girls but Cannon has
a group of police to apprehend her,
insisting that she IS a cop. Meanwhile, Captain Meers accounts for all of the
missing police men except for the captured pair. Eric Yee insists they go back
to the 'Tweens neighborhood to get them, but Meers squashes that plan because
of the rats and the earthquake. Virtue and the rest visit the witch, only to be
attacked by a group of thugs who find they are no match for the team’s abilities.
The thugs run off as the Weather Witch known as Rainmaker appears.
I still have mixed emotions
about this series as I still haven’t figured where Gail Simone is going with
it. What I DO LIKE is the introduction of the Weather Witch known as Rainmaker.
Could this be Sarah Rainmaker from the old GEN 13 series? Is THE MOVEMENT the
new GEN 13, especially since THE RAVAGERS is no longer. Anyway, I like Simone’s
writing, always have, and she is doing a nice job of dropping the smallest
number of clues possible around this book. So your either give up on it now or
hang in for the long haul. And Freddie Williams II’s art is cool. There is just
something special and creepy about having a character wanting to eat his own
dead rat friend and Williams pulls it of beautifully. So, I’m going to hang in
for awhile, solely on Simone’s name and ability. Now, how this ties into THE
GREEN TEAM is still anyone’s guess.
NIGHTWING #21: We begin with the
back story of how Chocago’s super hero population was declining, due to a
series of vigilante murders known as the "Mask Murders". The last
known hero was Slipshift, who was gravely wounded but managed to use his ability
to escape his intended killer. Meanwhile, Nightwing has been trapped by The
Prankster and can only save himself by removing his mask. He douses the flames
with a flame retardant capsule and gets free of his glass prison. The police
arrive and Nightwing cons The Prankster into getting his vision back and
actually rescues the villain from the police, and then knocks him out. When The
Prankster wakes, Nightwing explains that he needs help tracing an email back to
its source. The Prankster determines that Tony Zucco sent the email from inside
City Hall and points to someone known as Billy Lester, who didn't exist until
three years ago. Nightwing, despite promises otherwise, handcuffs the Prankster
and leaves him for the police. Nightwing finds Lester's house and photos
confirm that Lester is Zucco. When the police get to the roof where the
Prankster was, all that is there is his mask. Meanwhile, Dick's roommate
Michael is offered a video camera from the incident the night before. If
Michael uses it, it could make his career. And why IS the police giving up
evidence anyway?
Kyle Higgins and Brett Booth continue Dick Grayson’s Chicago adventure and
this is some of his best adventures since he dug himself out of the sewer known
as Bludhaven. The concept that Tony Zucco is alive and well will upset, and I
am sure already has, many fans. But we all know that a tragic character comes
full circle when they meet the source of their origin. Bruce Wayne dealt with Joe
Chill, Peter Parker dealt with the burglar and Bruce banner has learned to
embrace the Gamma Bomb. I’ve always been a fan of Brett Booth and that
continues here. This is a totally fun book with Higgins managing to keep Dick
away from the rest of the Bat Universe and stand on his own. Great job!
PHANTOM STRANGER #9: The issue begins with The Phantom Stranger
strung up in a tree in Hell while Etrigan plays a pan flute. Through flashback,
we learn that with the help of Justice League Dark, he has managed to descend
into Hell to find his family. Once he arrived, Etrigan and The Sin Eater took
him through a tour of Hell. Once he finds his family, they turn out of be
soulless shells that are eating rats. To save his family, The Phantom Stranger
offers Etrigan a deal, which is how he ended up strapped to the tree? The Sin
Eater refuses to let the family go until The Stranger gives up his love and his
memory of them. He agrees, but then we find out that Etrigan is really the
Godhead that appears as a dog and gets his memories back. To truly get them
back, The Stranger has to climb the spiral staircase to heaven. Meanwhile,
Terrance Thirteen sits drunk in a bar mourning the fact that he killed The
Phantom Stranger.
Now that Dan Didio is no longer
plotting this title and it’s all in the hands of J. M. DeMatteis, the book
actually ALMOST makes sense. Anytime you have a book with a whole bunch of the
characters from The Dark in it, you should have a winner. And the fact that it
took THIS LONG I blame on Dan Didio, because we all know how BADLY I HATED the
first issue for it’s less than intelligent plot and super dumb dialogue. And
you have to figure it needs to start working as this book gets renamed with the
next issue to TRINITY OF SIN: THE PHANTOM STRANGER. When you throw in the art
of Fernando Blanco, the book visually takes on this weird Dore style to it. It
was a long wait but I’m glad to see it’s finally paying off for me!
RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS:#21: Roy Harper is venting his
frustrations about Jason Todd being mind wiped to his therapist Dr. Hugo
Strange. Essence arrives and tells Starfire that Hugo Strange sold them put to
claim the bounty on their heads. Starfire bursts into the session and tells Roy this news just as the
Untitled shows up, causing Hugo Strange to run for his life. They reveal that Jason
has been taken by the League of Assassins. Drakar says if Roy and Kori help
them storm the Assassin's gates, they will let Jason go free, and they will
never hear from the Untitled again. Kori refuses to join him as she knows they
will be betrayed by the Untitled. Roy
insists that he and Jason will come back and find her when they get out of
this. Meanwhile, Jason finds himself
under attack by Rictus, Lady Shiva and Cheshire,
who trained him even though he has no memory of it. Shiva suggests they
reconsider the plans they have for Jason as they believe he is not ready. Jason
gets led into the hidden city by December Graystone and Bronze Tiger: the city
that Ra’s al Ghul has spent centuries building.
RED LANTERNS #21: Atrocitus kills
Red lantern Phist because there is a Guardian listening device inside of him.
He declares they are done being tools of Guardians. He sends out ten more rings
to find ten new recruits while ordering the other Lanterns to take Rancorr’s
constructs from him by force. Meanwhile, Hal Jordan informs Guy Gardner of how
he has been appointed leader of the Green Lanterns and how he needs Guy to go
undercover in the Red Lanterns. Guy is hesitant after having gone through being
a Red Lantern before. Finally, at the Warrior’s Bar on Oa, finds a way to
channel his rage and decides he must do as Jordan has asked. Guy returns to
Ysmault, almost kills Atrocitus and takes his ring, thus becoming the new
leader of the Red Lanterns.
And now this title gets good again! Charles Soule and
Alessandro Vitti are the new creative team and infuse this book with something
that Peter Milligan just couldn’t. I don’t know if I like it because it’s a new
direction or because Vitti’s art is clean but also quirky enough to fit with
this title. Soule has earned his spot on two very good books with dedicated
fans: this one and SWAMP THING. He has a lot to prove, but apparently has some
fans in the mainstream comic world as he starts writing THUNDERBOLTS for Marvel
with issue #12. Let’s hope he can keep his momentum and focus in check on this
title
SUICIDE SQUAD #21: We start seventeen days from now as
Deadshot and the team battles a giant with the promise that they will be free
of the Squad. Flashback to now where Amanda Waller and her new adviser James
Gordon Jr. watch thrusts a knife into the Unknown Soldier's gut. Harley heads
to Waller’s control room and manages to knock her out with the butt of her
knife and takes the remote detonator from her. Meanwhile, Deadshot learns he
and Voltaic have survived death becausde they have received the Samsara serum
made from Mitch Shelley's (Resurrection Man) DNA. Harley releases him and, when
Cheetah begs him to let her out, he refuses and leaves her behind. Deadshot challenges
the Soldier to hand-to-hand combat and defeats the bandaged soldier with a headbutt,
before Gordon knocks him unconscious. Gordon arrives in the control room and
cuts a deal with him that would allow the team to work better. Seventeen days
later and Waller has been allowed to live provided that the team, consisting of
Harley, Deadshot, King Shark and Cheetah, will be freed in 11 months.
Another fun filled issue of the best guilty pleasure title
in the NEW 52. New writer Ales Kot(who will be leaving this title after issue
#23), along with artist Patrick Zircher, continues to take this book so far
away from the old DCU version that they should almost lose the SUICIDE SQUAD
name and call it something different…but I guess THUNDERBOLTS was already
taken! Based on the fact that we never got to see a proper end to TEAM 7, we
really don’t know how Amanda Waller managed to get this gig and how she decided
to pick the villains she did. But we do know that the addition of James Gordon
Jr., who is NOT as dead as his sister, father and mother think, adds a whole
new dimension to a team that is already the most unpredictable in comics today.
Not only do we not know who will survive from issue to issue(although the body
count has dropped substantially since the early issues), we don’t know which
lunatic is running the asylum. Yes, this is still one of my favorite titles and
has been that way since issue #1.
SUPERMAN #21: The
Queen of the Holistic Integration for Viral Equality (H.I.V.E.) is
observing Hector Hammond and manages to get one of the S.T.A.R. Lab scientists to
infect the other scientists with H.I.V.E. mind. This allows The Queen’s army to
kidnap Hammond.
Meanwhile in Gotham City, Clark Kent meets with a confidential
source who turns out to be a female in battle armor toting a very large gun. She
presents Clark with a folder with information on
“The Twenty." Back at the kidnapping of Hector Hammond, a loose wire on
his chair touches the water of the sewer he is beingi carried through and suddenly,
and momentarily, he enters the minds of everyone in Metropols. But his presence
leaves after effects that Superman is soon investigating. He rescues Lois when
she thinks she’s invulnerable, he talks Jimmy Olsen off a ledge and has to
convince Perry Whites that he isn’t Superman. At last, the drones bring Hector
Hammond to the Queen. Unfortunately for her, he’s not unconscious and she is
not in control.
How do you take one of the iconic characters in pop culture and ruin him? First make a pretty awful movie and then turn at least one of his FOUR comic books into a pile of poop! The Holistic Integration for Viral Equality? Well, that really isn’t much better than the Hierarchy of International Vengeance and Extermination as it was known in the old DCU. Also, when did this become the adventures of Hector Hammond? If you really want to use the character, than USE HIM! Stop this whole “I’m a big headed comatose bad guy with potential”. By the way, did we forget that last issue ended with a disfigured Lana Lang wandering through a destroyed city in Superman’s mind? Apparently Scott Lobdell has phoned in another truly awful story with plotlines that just are silly. Perry White is Superman and Lois in invulnerable. When did this become the Silver Age of Comics again? Can we get a revived LOIS LANE SUPERMAN’S GIRLFRIEND? No, because they aren’t together in this NEW 52 Universe. And we’re are treated once again to Kenneth Rocafort’s art, which some folks may like but I find leftover from the Image school of minimalistic art. I cannot believe the Big Blue Boy Scout is playing second fiddle to just about everybody in the cast.
SUPERMAN UNCHAINED #1: We begin in Nagasaki during the Second World War, where a bomb falls. When it opens, it reveals a man. Jumping to present day, Superman is trying to save a prototype space station called the Lighthouse that is just one of eight objects that have been hurled out of orbit today by an unknown enemy trying to destroy Earth. Not only is the station manned, it is also nuclear equipped. He uses his X-Ray vision to short out the nuclear battery, grabs the astronauts in mid-air and saves them, even as the Lighthouse lands hard. Jimmy Olsen calls Clark Kent to inform him of Superman’s successful mission and informs him he believes that this could be the work of a cyber-terrorist group called Ascension. Meanwhile, prisoner Lex Luthor quietly reads as his fellow prisoners cause havoc on the helicopter they are riding in. Superman saves the day and believes Luthor may be involved in all of these incidents. Luthor explains that his research was stolen years ago, in a well-documented theft. Later, Jimmy credits Clark for quitting the evil empire known as The Daily Planet, while Lois critiques him for writing a story about the lighthouse and not mentioning Superman and to suggest that Ascension might have been responsible. She also tells him that the seventh object had hit the water near Thailand, which is not what Superman believed. When he arrives there, he discovers a giant hand-print on the side of it. He finds himself fired upon by submarines, under the orders of General Sam Lane, who wanted the sub destroyed. General Lane is in a secret underground base with a weapon they have hiding for 75 years-a weapon that has been working for the US government.
I don’t quite know what Scott Snyder and Jim Lee have in
mind for this title but I fear that FOUR Superman titles is at least two too
many and harkens back to the bloated days of the Old DCU. And what timeline are
we working with here. I assume this is modern day as Luthor is under arrest.
But wasn’t ACTION COMICS set five years in the past at one point and we know
the near Batman team-up title is set in the past. So, where does this fall in
continuity? On the plus side, Snyder’s writing is as satisfying as ever and Jim
Lee’s art is…well: it’s Jim Lee. I was a little pissed off about the fold in,
semi glued posted that you needed a road map to undo without screwing up your
mint comic!
Charles Soule and Jesus Saiz
try and establish themselves as the new kids in the swamp. This is a nice
effort which propels future stories forward. Soule’s writing has a cool flair
to it and Saiz’ art is clean and not as artsy as Paquette’s was. Still,
something seems missing. Oh…I know: Abby. I’m sorry: without the love of Alec
Holland’s afterlife, the character feels empty and alone. It remains to be seen
how this works in future issues. Who knows: maybe Capucine will be the next
Abby. After all, if Doctor Who can change companions like some folks change
socks…
TEEN TITANS #21: The Teen
Titans fight the sons of Trigon. Beast Boy transforms into a T. Rex to help in
the attack. Superboy gets sheathed in Raven’s Soul Self energy while Bunker and
Wonder Girl battles their demon in Central Park and Kid Flash and Solstice
battle the other demon brother downtown. Superboy’s enhanced power soon fades
and Belial attempts to finish him off when Robin cuts off Belial’s hands with
the wings on his costume. Bunker finishes off his demon by turning into a pile
of bricks and burying him. Kid Flash has been possessed by his demon but Solstice
hits him with a rock which knocks the demon out of him. Then they kiss.
Meanwhile, Raven pulls out Belial’s heart, subduing the last of the brothers.
Suddenly Trigon returns and takes possession of Bunker, Superboy, Kid Flash,
and Wonder Girl.
Just when you thought it couldn’t
get worse…it does! Scott Lobdell gets credit for the story, but Tony Bedard
wrote the dialogue, so I haven’t quite figured out who to blame the most, but I
think I lay this one at Lobdell’s feet. The cover shows the Titans on a WANTED
poster. Apparently, the closest we get to that is them being watched by Amanda
Waller and her cronies. So, last issue we had a bogus cover and we get another
this month….with NOTHING TO DO with ANYTHING IN THIS STORY! Eddie Barrows and Jesus
Merino do a bang up job on the art, but that really can’t save this title. Put
the fork in it: I am done!WONDER WOMAN #21: Lennox, Hera and Zola find themselves being held at bay by the First Born and Cassandra. Wonder Woman arrives and attacks the First Born. Cassandra chases after Zola and explains how she was raised by Lennox. Suddenly a Boom Tube appears to save Wonder Woman and Lennox, who are taking a severe beating at the hands of the First Born. Orion arrives and realizes that the First Born is truly the threat he has been sent to end. His Astro Harness gathers up Zola and Zeke and she warns the rest to join her so they can escape into a Boom Tube. The First Born tries to pry open the Tube and it brings the Boom Tube to critical mass. Lennox decides to sacrifice himself, leaving the Harness and knocking the First Born out of the Tube. On the other side, they are greeted by Highfather, who welcomes them to New Genesis.
Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang do a
fantastic job of bringing this story arc to a close. We lose Lennox
to the graveyard of heroes, but we gain Highfather and New Genesis in the
process. I continue to be a big supporter of this title as I think Azzarello’s
spins on these classic characters is going to go down as being as important to
the Amazon as some of the other legendary creators’ runs. And Cliff Chaing’s
often imitated style is a perfect fit. Now that the characters of New Genesis
are being reintroduced, I can’t wait to see what comes next.
Paul Levitz continues on with the tale of the Earth 2’s
version of THELMA AND LOUISE and it continues to be kind of a fun trip. Robson
Rocha is the artist this time around and it’s okay. There is nothing
spectacular about his work, but it doesn’t make me want to throw up! And
Lezitz’ work on this is much more intelligent than it was on THE HUNTRESS
mini-series.
No comments:
Post a Comment