ACTION COMICS #36: While the people of Metropolis clean up the city following the recent events, Lana Lang is still suffering the pain of losing her parents. She keeps having this dream where her parents haunt her. Lana insists on staying in Smallville with John Henry. When a fog rolls in along with a hearse, which she and John follows to the graveyard. There, the sheriff tells her that her parents' graves have been dug up. Superman arrives and sees the dense fog. But when he tries to fly through it, it transports him miles away. He puts a call into Hiro Okamura to use satellites to see what this fog is. But Hiro can’t find Smallville at all. In the fog, the sheriff moves through the cemetery while Lana’s dead parents accuse her of allowing them to die. Superman flies back and realizes that the fog is alive. Superman knocks the creature out and, as the fog fades, he sees the sheriff is dead and the corpses of Lana’s parents are on the ground. Clark promises to figure out what happened, but she pushes him away and asks for time apart to forgive him. Clark finds himself trapped in the fog and, when he attempts to fly out, he just keeps getting teleported. At the barbershop, the regulars say that Superman is going to find out what is going on and they are worried about that.
Greg Pak and Aaron Kuder deliver another outstanding issue here. This is one of the most improved titles of 2014 and I can’t say enough about it. Suffice it to say that Pak’s writing is top notch and Kuder’s art has never looked better. This should be on your pull list every month-it’s that damned good!
AQUAMAN #36: We begin with Aquaman breaking Vulko out of his prison cell and taking him to Atlanna’s empty tomb. He has also brought Martian Manhunter with him as he wants him to examine the murder scene from long ago. Vulko explains that Orvax, who had a mean moments, made a lot of enemies and that led to his assassination. Not long after, she had planned to leave Atlantis and Vulko had arranged passage to the surface world. During a theater performance, a prop exploded near the Royal Box, killing Atlanna. Martian Manhunter uses his powers to read what truly happened. Atlanna was made aware of the assassination attempt by one of her loyal followers and this allowed a corpse to be planted in her place. Aquaman has Koah open a sealed door which releases a creature that possesses J’onn. After a battle, Aquaman uses fire to subdue his friend and drive away the madness. Later, J’onn reveals that he saw a portal within the memories of the event and that leads all to believe Atlanna is alive…somewhere.
Jeff Parker and Paul Pelletier combine to bring us the second chapter in the Maelstrom storyline and it takes what we knew of Aquaman’s mythos and turns it sideways. Orvax, Atlanna’s first husband (you know-that’s how Orm got here) was an abusive husband and Atlanna faked her own death. Is this how she made her way to the surface world? And where is she now? I guess we’ll know next month when the third chapter rolls in.
AQUAMAN AND THE OTHERS #7: Over in Tehran, Sayeh visits her family when she receives a vision calling her and Ya’Wara away. In New York, Vostok is making the save on teammate Cole as the KGBeast is on a rampage. He is in the process of grabbing a very important flash drive, causing Vostok and the Beast to battle. That is when Cheshire arrives, as does Aquaman. When things look grim for the bad guys, they call on Maelstrom to help them make their getaway. Although he cannot remember, it seems that Vostok and the Beast may have trained together. Over in Pennsylvania, Torrez tells Gary’s widow how he died at the hands of the KGBeast But Torrez finds that maybe a false memory. Sayeh and Ya’Wara arrive to tell him that The Operative killed Gary Korec. Later, on the moon, Cheshire and company relish that the flash drive has launch codes and they now control a Soviet satellite filled with nukes.
Too many subplots…head exploding…must stop! Oh for crying aloud: someone make Dan Jurgens stop writing these characters. Actually, I still like Jurgens’ work. It is these CHARACTERS THAT I HATE! On the art side of the ledger: I like Lan Medina’s art, but I’m not too fond of Allen Martinez’ inks. Another average issue here-no worse than some and better than most that came before. Read it now because it ends in March.
ARKHAM MANOR #2: Posing as Jack Shaw, Batman is now an inmate at Arkham Manor as he tries to solve a double murder. In group therapy, he listens to the tale of Seth Wickham, who suffers from a fear of falling after the collapse of Arkham. Then words comes out that Zsasz is missing. Later, Shaw is painting the manor’s walls when he spies Eric Border pushing the wheelchair of a mute John Doe inmate. He examines the man and believes he knows who he might be. Shaw makes his way to Dr. Arkham's office, where he calls Eric Border to warn about the mute inmate. Back in his cell, he sees that Seth is the newest victim. He sees that he has had a power drill driven through his head when the killer attacks him, trying to finish off Seth. They fight and Shaw attempts to unmask the killer but is clubbed by one of the guards. He tells Border that the killer is still in the room, but all they find is Seth’s body.
Gerry Duggan and Shawn Crystal deliver another oddball issue that leaves me with mixed emotions. I like the idea of Batman being undercover in his own home, but I’m not a fan of Wayne Manor being turned into Arkham in the first place. Duggan’s writing is crisp and fun and I find myself adjusting to Crystal’s art. So, the jury is still out on this one for me. For now, I’ll stick with it, as DC has already cancelled this title as of March.
BATGIRL #36: Babs is out shopping with Frankie and Dinah. The next day, she meets Jeremy, who shows her to her new office as she begins crushing on him. Jeremy will be sharing the office with her and her research assistant, Nadimah. She borrows a portable drive from Nadimah's brother Qadir and corrects a formula on his whiteboard. Meanwhile, someone has stolen two special motorcycles. Back at her office, she hears them being used to terrorize students and races into action. But they have swords and she is far from ready for them. Later, Babs asks Frankie about an old Anime called Atomina. Without revealing to Frankie, it is because one episode featured twin assassins on motorbikes. The following day, she hits up an otaku shop who points out two huge fans of the show are Yuri and Yuki Katsura. That night, Batgirl, sneaks into Qadir's lab and asks for his help. Using the GPS on the bikes, she tracks them to the Factory District. There she encounters the twins and uses her brand new grappling gun to knock them off their bikes. Jumping on one of the bikes, Batgirl engages in a game of chicken with the pair, which she wins. As they are being tied up, they tell her they received texts from Batgirl giving them half a million dollars for killing her-to prove they were real Jawbreakers. Later, Barbara presents her thesis data to Jeremy and Nadimah, but are interrupted by Qadir. He is thrilled that Batgirl returned the stolen bikes. Frankie shows up for lunch and says that Jeremy must be the guy Bab’s is crushing on. Guess who’s embarrassed now?
OMG Babs: let’s go to the mall and shop for cool clothes while we talk about Anime. THIS IS BATGIRL NOW? She is an Anime fan, a genius when it comes to formulas, a superhero, a student and everything else a teen girl would want to read in a superhero. Someone please tell Cameron Stewart and Brenden Fletcher that most teen girls would throw up after reading this! And the simplistic art by Babs Tarr and Stewart doesn’t help either. Somewhere, Gail Simone is laughing…loudly! And personally: I’D PAY someone half a million to knock this shadow of a heroine off! If it turns out Black Canary is the fake Batgirl, I will scream so loud DC will hear me in their new WEST COAST OFFICES!
BATMAN #36: Superman, totally under the control of Joker Venom, is ready to kill Batman when the Dark Knight tries to fight back. So Superman collapses a building on him before taking him high above Gotham and tearing off his Batsuit. Batman spits in the Man of Steel’s eye with the liquid from some Kryptonite gum, causing Superman to pass out and drop them both into the ocean. Back in the Batcave, Batman discovers that each Justice League member was infected by Joker Venom specifically designed for them. He goes to the ruins of Arkham to search for clues. He steps into what was The Joker’s cell and is greeted by Eric Border, who shuts the cell door and locks it shut. He announces that Eric Border means "Eternal Prince Jester.” Eric Border is now and has been the Joker. He unleashes a paralyzing gas from his old face and crows that Batman will not be able to stop his plans. He pulls out a gun and fires.
So here is the problem with multiple titles running at different timelines. In ARKHAM MANOR, we see Eric Border as Eric border. Now we all know he is really The Joker. So, that kind of ruins the surprise of who is bumping off people at Arkham! And where did he get his old face? The Joker’s Daughter is wearing it. Or, when she ended up in Arkham after the most recent Suicide Squad mission, did he take it back? Or did he just buy the DC Limited Edition DEATH OF THE FAMILY that came WITH THE MASK? Either way, this story arc by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo continues to make this a must read DC title!
BATMAN AND ROBIN #36: Batman has finally gotten his hands on Glorious Godfrey and wants to know who Kalibak is and where Damien is. He is told that Kalibak is Darkseid's son and he is using Damian’s body to power the Chaos Cannon. Batman knocks him out and heads out to find his son. Kalibak is getting ready to test the cannon when he is informed Batman is en route and sends Parademons to stop him. The Bat Family have arrived on Apokolips and barely survived a confrontation with the Lowlies. They find Batman standing on the Parademons he has defeated and head towards Kalibak who is getting ready to fire the cannon. Batman attacks Darkseid’s son while Titus finds Damian as Cyborg learns of a far greater threat.
How will this all end? I’m guessing it won’t end well for the Bat Family or at least some of them. Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason continue their awesome run on this title. It reads great and looks better. There is no question in my mind that the Bat books are among the best being published by DC today.
BATMAN ETERNAL #31-34: In issue #31, we see Alfred being saved by Bane from the collapse of Arkham. Alfred leads Bane through the tunnels for a ways until Bane insists on taking the lead. They meet Deacon Blackfire's cult and manage to take them all out before Alfred leads them to a wall where a code word emits a knock out gas and opens a portal to a hidden Batcave. Meanwhile, Joker's Daughter tries to trigger her explosive vest, but the detonator fails. Julia tells Batman that many of the most dangerous inmates are attempting to escape and he goes about subduing most of them. That’s when he finds that the GCPD is waiting for him and is ready to take him out, leading him to use the Batplane to help get him out of this mess. At the same time, Vicki Vale sees The Spoiler on her motorcycle are taken out by a GCPD sharpshooter. And, if that wasn’t bad enough, it places her right at the feet of Hush.
In issue #32, Stephanie sprays mace into Hush’ eyes but he strikes her with his pistol and prepares to kill her. Just then, Batman comes to her rescue, allowing her to jump on her bike and tries to run Hush down. He tosses a grenade at her and it takes Batman to save her yet again. When the smokes clears, Hush is gone. He leaves her and heads to Arkham to rescue Batwing, picks up Alfred and returns to the Batcave. Batman learns that someone has gotten into the database lists all the bunkers and weapon sites. Meanwhile, Bard meets with Hush on the roof of the GCPD before going to visit Vicki Vale, where he informs her of all of Batman’s secret hideaways. He also informs her that they have been paid for and built by Wayne Enterprises. Later that night, a military vehicle is destroyed by Hush, using an explosive he stole from one of Batman’s hideaways.
In issue #33, Julia tries to convince Batman to make a statement saying he is not responsible for the explosion that ended the last issue. He says that the first priority is to take back the weapons sites from Hush. He explains to Julia that they must be careful as a wrong move could trigger an explosion in any of the sites. Once they get inside the sites, they just need to pull down a lever that will cause an acid shower and it will destroy all weapons there. Meanwhile, Bard confronts Hush about allowing his officers to be injured by the blast. Hush tells Bard to speak with an officer named Gilpatrick who has a plan. Later, while Batman and Julia are working at one of the sites, Gilpatrick arrives and ties to trap the Dark Knight in quick-hardening foam. Unfortunately, Batman turns the tables on him and Gilpatrick ends up in the foam. Julia goes to her first site alone and Hush arrives, wanting to know who she is. At Wayne Enterprises, Lucius Fox is forced to deal with the news that the company funded Batman.
In issue #34, Hush taunts Julia until she shoots him in the arm with a grappling gun. He cuts the cable and shoots her, while setting off an explosive. When Batman gets there, he discovers a hole melted through the floor and Julia at its bottom; wounded but alive. Meanwhile, Mayor Hady grills Lucius about where Bruce Wayne has disappeared to and wants the folks connected with Wayne to find a way to stop the attacks against Gotham. In the Batcave, the computers signal that Hush is at the Martha Wayne Foundation Hospital. There, Batman finds Hush sitting on a throne made all of the weapons he had found there. He then puts on one of Bruce's armored Batsuits and attacks. Batman head butts him, causing him to drop the detonator he carried. He tears the bandages off Tommy’s face and shows him his reflection in a mirror. As Batman brings Hush back to the Batcave, Lucius calls a press conference to announce that Bruce has been removed from his function as Chief Operating and that this is the end of Wayne Enterprises. Batman also realizes that Hush was not the mastermind after all-he was just a pawn.
Four more issues that weave this great story. This tale is racing towards an end, but not yet. The book will end in March, but expect it to be resurrected after CONVERGENCE. Thank you Ray Fawkes, Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Kyle Higgins, and Tim Seeley for this multi-layered tale. And thanks to Fernando Pasarin, Jason Fabok, and Álvaro Martínez for bringing it to visual life!
BATMAN SUPERMAN #16: While Superman, Supergirl, Steel and Krypto are rescuing some Orca whales, an unseen attack occurs, injuring three of the team and killing a whale. At the same time, a Superman impersonator entertaining in a kid’s ward at Metropolis City Center Hospital is killed by an unknown assassin’s bullet. He calls Batman in to help with the investigation and the Dark knight decides that there is someone out there who is Superman’s “Joker”: an arch enemy willing to do anything to hurt the Man of Steel. As the try to figure who it could be, three people across the world, including Lex Luthor, taken shots from an unknown assailant. And Superman hasn’t been fast enough to stop it.
He may be faster than a speeding bullet but I guess he is not fast enough to save three lives. Who will he choose? My guess is it is going to be Lex Luthor because, hey-he IS in the Justice League now! This is just another great example of Greg Pak’s writing that puts him at the top of his game. And Adrian Syaf art shines too! This book has great moments and just okay ones. This is looking to be one of the great ones!
BATWOMAN #36: We begin with a ritual sacrifice gone bad and a whole bunch of people burned to a crisp by magic energy. Meanwhile, Batwoman finds herself standing over a pair of teens she had been threatening to kill for vandalism. She finds the remains of the burned bodies but can’t figure out what happened. When Maggie Sawyer arrives, she gives Batwoman the cold shoulder, especially when Kate wants to ask about Maggie’s current personal life. She orders her off the crime scene. As the lone survivor is rushed to the hospital, he awakens and says that a woman must be brought back. Back at her apartment, Natalia Mitternacht, greets Kate, kisses her and tells her that she belongs to her. Later, Kate removes the band-aid off her neck and, when she touches the bite marks, she sees herself kissing Nocturna while bathing in blood. Over at the Rags 'n Tatters antique shop, Rory Regan buys a Celtic amulet that is the one used in the ritual that opened the issue. At the Gotham International Airport, Beth Kane returns minus luggage. And Dr. Jason Blood slips on the bathroom floor in his apartment and crawls out, where he sees Etrigan standing over him.
It’s a shame this book is being canceled in March because Marc Andreyko and Georges Jeanty have just introduced a whole batch of characters into the story, including a new one in the NEW 52 mythos. For the younger fans, Rory Regan first appeared in DC Comics in 1976 and was created by legends Bob Kanigher and Joe Kubert. Rory was secretly the “Jewish superhero” Ragman. And since we see him running his Rags ‘n’ Tatters antique shop, can Ragman be far behind? Oh yeah: and we have a modern Jason Blood who gets surprised by Etrigan, who I am sure he knows NOTHING ABOUT. And just how many women can Kate be involved with. Man-this book is starting to get good again and now it'’ soon to be gone. Bummer!
CATWOMAN #36: Catwoman rescues a Calabrese Family messenger from Bone before she makes her way to the rooftops where she watches Selina Kyle visit the various Gotham crime families. Detective Alvarez is watching her too, although he has been told to stay off this case. Later, Selina and Antonia tell Nick and Ward how their meetings went and Nick warns her that the Hasigawa Family will let them run guns, as long as they also agree to distribute heroin. Selina is against the idea, but keeps it to herself and tells Ward she will do what is safest for Gotham City-meaning she will allow the drug distribution. She also has suspicions about Nick’s ability and loyalty but is assured by Anotonia that all is well. After a meeting of the families, Ward hands Selina a her a newspaper that came straight from Alvarez' desk. Nick warns Antonia, who knows he is feeding information to Alvarez, to stay away from the deal at the docks. That night, Nick meets with Alvarez and tells him about the deal. He makes Alvarez promise that no harm will come to Antonia. As they part, someone grabs Nick who wakes to find himself alone with Bone. At the same time, Selina goes to the roof and fights with Catwoman, who turns out to be Eiko Hasigawa. Defeating her, Selina tells her that, in her current role, she can do more for the city than she ever could as Catwoman.
Novelist Genevieve Valentine and FIVE GHOSTS artist Garry Brown continue their run on this title. Now that Selina Kyle is out of the business of Spandex and leather costumes to run the Gotham Crime Families, can we change the title? Should we? I mean, Catwoman, with the exception of a fake one, does not appear in the book any longer. Selina Kyle wears pantsuits now! And what about her supporting cast? Who wants to make a bet that nick is going to end up sleeping with the fishes? While this is no longer a Catwoman action adventure book, I love the look and the feel of it. And at least we don’t have any more dumb “race issues”(not that kind of race!)
CONSTANTINE #19: Constantine is in another universe and it is in complete chaos. He knows he needs to find this world’s version of him, so he heads off to Liverpool. On the drive, he comes across a faerie ring of mushrooms which represents a portal to somewhere else. But he can’t risk using it because of the presence of his other self. Later, his car gets hit my a meteor and he is knocked unconscious. While dreaming, a voice tells him to hurry to Liverpool so they can meet. When he wakes, he hot wires the car and heads off, stopping to help a family he had seen earlier. The parents have been murdered and the girl he had seen in the back seat of the car is missing. He casts a spell to find that the girl has been cut to pieces, so he instructs the murderer to shoot himself in the head. He gets to Liverpool and heads to where he knows his double is. What he finds is that this is his old house. He knocks on the door and his father answers it-a father he knows is dead.
Okay-when did John Constantine become a nice guy? This is the guy who is only out for Number One, right? But he stops to help a family and then takes out revenge on the guy responsible for killing them and cutting up their daughter. This is pretty sick stuff! Ray Fawkes and Jeremy Haun do a great job retooling this magic man who is now a stranger in a strange land. This book hasn’t been this much fun in ages!
DEATHSTROKE #2: Slade Wilson has found out that the I-Ching has turned back the hands of time and made him young again. Someone who calls himself Red Fury greets Slade and tells him that his next target is someone named Odysseus. Red Fury claims he had hired Slade before but had Slade's memory erased in exchange for 25 million in gold. They get attacked by a team of swordsmen who represent Odysseus and apparently thinks Deathstroke can make him into a god. Meanwhile, Lady Shiva tells Bronze Tiger that he needs to lead the League of Assassins and hunt down Deathstroke. Deathstroke is in eastern Europe and he samples the truth serum he was given and immediately sees him trying to fight his way towards his son, Jericho.
Tony S. Daniel continues to do his take on the lethal assassin. His story telling ability is good, but I miss his work on THE TENTH(can someone resurrect that series?). His art rocks like always and I have always been a huge fan of Daniel’s work. This book should NEVER have been cancelled and, knowing fickle fans, this one will take a powder early. I do recommend getting it and riding the wave of action!
DETECTIVE COMICS #36: With Gotham International under quarantine and Magnus Magnuson withholding the cure, an infected Batman has eight hours to solve the mystery. He puts a call into Dick Grayson looking for help, who finds out Magnuson is dating a woman who runs a disco named Club Hell. At Club Hell, she tells Dick that Magnuson is at Gotham International Airport and he is the vaccine. Meanwhile, the CDC gets involved and makes a mess of everything. Batman sneaks into the Air Traffic Control tower and knocks out the CDC agent threatening Ed. Batman explains that he thinks the coffin with a soldier in it is the source of the outbreak. Ed tells him he can’t help because of the cancer he got during the Gulf War and asks to be sent to Hawaii to die surrounded by white sand and hula girls. Agent Tusk and his companion find patient zero. But the companion reveals himself to be Magnuson, tears off Tusk’s protective mask and shoves him into the coffin. Batman arrives and uses his gauntlets to shock Magnuson into unconsciousness. Taking a blood sample, he is able to make a vaccine and administer it to the airport. Ed Boar wakes in a hospital bed to find a plane ticket to Hawaii in an envelope.
This story started out great and just kind of fizzled in the end. Don’t get me wrong: I still found this book better than a good chunk of titles on the racks today. Nice writing and plotting from Benjamin Percy, who provides some nice dialogue (and what is with Dick Grayson getting laid so much? Become a spy and BAM!?). John Paul Leon gives us some really moody art and makes us remember that his style was cool even before the recent minimalist movement that started with DAREDEVIL and HAWKEYE.
EARTH 2 #28: We are told the story of a woman on Czarnia who listened to her friend Lobo, got caught doing a crime and went to prison. While in prison, her parents die and she is told that she is immune to the virus that is on the planet, but she is a carrier. They ask her to go to Apokolips and bring the virus to the one responsible for it-Darkseid. In exchange, her family would get the medicine and be spared. Although she knew it was a lie, she agreed. Arriving on Apokolips, she is immediately recruited by DeSaad to serve Apokolips. She became the Fury of Pentilence. On Warworld a slave of Mongul is recruited by Steppenwolf to serve Apokolips and become a Fury. She agreed and became the Fury of Famine. Elsewhere, a Tamaranean spaceship crashes on Armaghetto. Barda & Kazana, find the lone survivor, K'li and was trained to be a warrior of Apokolips, becoming best friends with a girl named Eila. When they grew up, they were asked to prove their devotion to Darkseid and K'li killed Eila and then Kazana. Darkseid made her his Fury of War. On Mars, the forces of Apokolips came and, as friends and family died, a healer did not. She was brought to Darkseid who convinced her to be with him. She lay down with him and, when she arose, she was the Fury of Death.
This is what I would call a fill-in issue as we prepare for the repercussion from this month’s WORLD’S END book in next month’s issue. Marguerite Bennett Tom Taylor bring us the stories of the origins of the Furies of Apokolips while the art is by Alisson Borges, Andy Smith, Javier Fernandez, and Diogenes Neves. Again, a fill-in issue that does a nice job of giving us the back stories on these all-important characters. Join us next month as all hell breaks loose on Earth 2.
EARTH 2 WORLD’S END #5-8: In issue #5, the Green forces Alan Scott and Solomon Grundy to strike a truce in order to save Earth 2. They must go seek out the other colors of the Avatars of the Earth. Meanwhile, Aquawoman defends her kingdom and goes to meet with the eater of worlds. Below Amazonia, Jimmy Olson converses with the Mother Box and is told that this is the day he dies. On the surface, Mr. Terrific gathers his team together within his Boom Spheres and prepares to assault Apokolips. In London, Flash, Hawkgirl and Dr. Fate battle Famine. Beneath the firepit in Geneva, Val, Lois, Kara and Batman seek out the kidnapped Huntress when they come across Clark’s body
In issue #6, Dr. Fate defeats Famine, but not well enough as the effects are being felt in London and beyond as the plague reaches out to Amazonia. Mister Miracle activates his Mother Box, which is in the possession of Jimmy Olsen. Just as Dr. Fate arrives, Jimmy is suffering the effects of that Mother Box. In Atlantis, Aquawoman offers herself to the eater of worlds and promises to free it to save her people. At the World Army Stronghold, Barbara Grayson and her deputies try to quell an uprising and find some help in the form of Ted Grant. In Geneva, we learn that Clark is actually a clone and that there are many, many more clones in stasis tubes here. As Desaad prepares to do his worst to Helena Wayne, Batman, Val, Kara and Lois find his cloning facility and Thomas Wayne prepares to rescue Helena. But he will have to do it without Miraclo, as Val destroys it so Thomas will have a clear head when he attacks. Alan Scott and Solomon Grundy head to China in search of the Avatar of the White. They end up at Sam’s chateau where Alan finds the wedding ring that was meant for him. That is when he is interrupted by the Avatar of the White-Sam Zhao.
In issue #7, the furies of Apokolips gather and prepare to attack the Avatars and the Parliament. In Geneva, Desaad makes his final plans to convert Helena while her rescue team battles failed clones. In China, Alan and the former Sam Zhao have a reunion before they all go in search of the Avatar of the Blue. Below Amazonia, Dr. Fate merges his helmet with the Mother Box and Jimmy Olsen is transformed into a god. In London, the John Constantine of our Earth transports himself to the Arkham World Army Base where he finds an army of super powered people at the ready. In space, as Mister Miracle and his team head towards Apokolips, they discover that they don’t have far to go-Apokolips is here.
In issue #8, Alan Scott is desperately trying to keep parts of the exploded moon from hitting planet Earth while Fury and Barda land on Apokolips to begin their mission. In Amazonia, Jimmy Olsen uses his new powers to restore a dying Dr. Fate while Commander Sato lays down the law to Chancellor Hagen. In China, the Furies of Apokolips make their presence known by spreading war, pestilence, and death. Grundy and the Avatar of the White arrive. Grundy is cut in half and Sam begs for the Avatar of the Green to come and help. In the labyrinths of Desaad, the team finds part of Clark’s uniform. They also discover that Helena’s monitor has flatlines, meaning she is dead. In the World Army Stronghold, Ted, Dick and Barbara fight for their lives as a virus has turned the people there into madmen and is causing the dead to rise. Then the camp is hit by a meteor shower that lands near Barbara’s position. At the Arkham World Army Base, Constantine has assembled a team made of Brain Wave, Obsidian, Jonni Thunder and Karnevil. But Karnevil has a problem with working with Obsidian because he is black, so John kills Karnevil. Flash races to New York to save his mother. Unfortunately, a possessed Hawkgirl is now ready to kill him.
Here we have four more action packed issues that all seem to be directing Earth 2 to its’ ultimate doom. 80 pages of fun (I especially like that classic JSA hero Ted Grant shows up!) courtesy of Daniel H. Wilson, Marguerite Bennett, and Mike Johnson. The art is by Tyler Kirkham, Eduardo Panacia, Eddy Barrows, Jorge Jimenez, Eduardo Panacia, Robson Rocha, Stephen Segovia, and the legendary Jan Duursema. Overall, although we know this title ends when CONVERGENCE begins, this is required reading-especially since there will be a final crossover point between this and FUTURE’S END in the final issue of each. Stay tuned!
THE FLASH #36: The Flash is trapped somewhere with a bunch of robot dinosaurs. He gets rescued by a masked man known as Selkirk. Figuring they are within the Speed Force, Barry explains how he needs to get home and is told this is their home now. Meanwhile, the future Barry is in our present and has de-aged, so he can take Barry’s place, leading to him taking up with Patty Spivot. At work, he sees Wally West waiting for him.He gives him a tour of the police garage and leaves him with the mechanic. Back in the lab, Barry, who has forgotten how much Director Singh hates him, invites him on a double date. Later, Barry shows Wally how he uses the police database to track criminals. When he returns Wally to Iris after lunch, he gives her a scoop that could make her career. That night, while Patty sleeps, Barry chases down Kyle Korot. He hasn’t done anything wrong yet, but will one day become a killer. Knowing the future, Barry has decided to track down murderers and killing each one of them.
Robert Venditti, Van Jensen and Brett Booth turn in another great episode in the tale of two Flashes. A captivating story coupled with dynamite art makes this book a major winner! It is almost on par with the previous creative team and we all know how awesome that was. This title should be on your “must read list”.
GOTHAM ACADEMY #2: Olive Silverlock reads Millie Jane Cobblepot’s diary when she sees the Bat-Signal in the sky. Looking outside, she sees Batman staring back at her. The next day, the students are all talking about the ghost haunting the North Hall. Professor MacPherson makes Olive and Pomeline Fritch partners in their Gotham History projects. During lunch, Olive notices a boy sketching her friend Maps. Later, Olive and Pomeline work on their project separately and Mr. Scarlett hands Olive a note with the name of a book he thinks will help them. As Olive searches for the book, which is the DIARY OF MILLIE JANE COBBLEPOT, she notices a handsome but strange young man. But this copy has handwritten notes in it along with a map of the cemetery behind North Hall. Pomeline texts Heathcliff and takes the book. After a scare during Chemistry class, Olive hides under the bleachers and watches her ex-boyfriend practice tennis serves. Ms. MacPherson sits with her and gives advice while her dog digs up a very large bone. Back in her room, Olive and Maps decide to go check out the map from the diary and head to the old cemetery. They find the door to the Cobblepot crypt and it’s been opened. They hear chanting inside and go down where they see three cloaked and masked figures chanting over an alter. Olive sees the diary on the altar and grabs it. Pomeline says she has no idea what she is doing taking the book. Olive says says Pomeline has no idea who she's dealing with. Flames surround her and she says she is her mother's daughter.
Who is Olive’s mother? I don’t really care! I still haven’t figured out who this book is aimed at. If they are shooting for the pre-teen/teen girl, they are all reading Manga or Tween titles on the bookshelf, if they are reading books at all. The adult female reader is going to balk at this nightmare and the male comics’ fan? I cannot even believe one of them would even admit to reading this. All but me, that is. This book didn’t get the axe in DC’s recently announced cancellations but it sure should. Becky Cloonan, Brenden Fletcher and Karl Kerschl need a new gig.
GOTHAM BY MIDNIGHT #1: The book begins with Sergeant Rook being assigned to Precinct Thirteen by Internal Affairs so he can report what Precinct Thirteen does. This is the home of “the Midnight Shift”. It is the Gotham City Police Department's Detailed Case Task Force. Lieutenant Weaver explains that they handle the unusual cases. The team includes Dr. Szandor Tarr, a forensic scientist, Sister Justine, a nun and Detective Jim Corrigan, who is absent at the moment. He is with Detective Lisa Drake, who warns him that Internal Affairs is getting involved with The Midnight Shift’s business. Jim arrives at The Midnight Shift with news of their case. It’s a kidnapping at Gotham Heights and he invites Rook to ride along with he and Drake. They quiz the parents of the missing Atwood girls and are told that the girls did come home. But Julie and Francine are speaking in what Jim believes is a made up language and insists that they be seen by Sister Justine. Based on a mark they had seen on the front step, they head to Slaughter Swamp. En route, Jim says he knew that someday someone would come to investigate the Midnight Shift. Rook admits he is ready to shut the Shift down and is prepared to order psych evaluations for the whole team. They stop in front of an old schoolhouse and begin to feel dread. As they move closer approach to it, Julie and Francine scream at the sight of Sister Justine and Lisa can feel the presence of death. Jim opens the door of the classroom, and finds the desks of a class being taught by a ghost nun.
Okay, here is my prediction for this series: gone in 8 months. While the story by Ray Fawkes is weird and gives Jim Corrigan to hang his hat every month (SANTA-I WANT A SPECTRE SERIES FOR CHRISTMAS!), I don’t think there is enough reader interest in these characters. And you either love Ben Templesmith’s art or you absolutely hate it. There is no in-between. Personally, I like it, but I think most of the DC readers will turn thumbs down to it. Too bad: this title has potential.
GRAYSON #4: Mr. Minos assigns Dick and Helena to infiltrate Checkmate to retrieve a hard drive. While they go off on their mission, a bunch of girl’s have a bit of a party when one of them comes in with photos of Dick with his shirt off. Lotti thinks it’s a good idea to go check out his room. When Dick returns, he checks in with Batman when he hears the girls outside of his room. He lets them know he has seen them and lures them away from the area. While he is gone, Helena sneaks into his room as Minos has charged her with finding out where a detected signal came from. The girls continue to give chase, stopping only when they see Helena is behind Dick. She orders the girls back to their room and has Dick go to see Mr. Minos. Because he has been outed by the girls, he orders Dick to teach two classes of acrobatics per week. His new cover story is that he is a gay former French gymnast. When he leaves, Helena tells Minos she found hidden cameras that Lotti has placed to spy. Later, Dick wakes to find Helena sitting next to him. She tells him she knows he was once Nightwing and he came here to let the world believe he is still dead. Then she challenges him to chase her across the campus. In Dubai, Midnighter is searching for body parts from the Paragon Project. Apollo interrupts him from his torturing of a man. He is told it is time to come back to both Stormwatch and his boyfriend. His answer is to drop the man off the tall building, causing Apollo to give chase.
This is another one of the new titles that I am not sure if I like, love or hate. The idea of Dick Grayson as a super spy doesn’t do a thing for me. But Tim Seeley, Tom King and Mikel Janín make this so much fun I have to convince myself this guy is ANYONE but Dick Grayson. Maybe he’s a beefy 21st Century version of John Steel and Helena is Emma Peel. Yeah-I can get behind that. This is a fun read and it looks great. But Dick-he’s getting more action, in many ways, since he became a super spy. Maybe Tony Stark will get jealous…
GREEN ARROW #36: A pair of homeless teens run into three men who have been after them for some time. The girl, Mia, tosses her friend Trevor into the tasers of their attacker and runs. A fourth man shows up and shoots down the other three, saying he can get her to safety and that he knew her mother. Meanwhile, Felicity Smoak admits to Green Arrow that she was hired to kill him but didn’t know a superhero was the target and offers to help him. But she doesn’t know who hired her because they hired her anonymously through World of Warcraft. He doesn’t trust her but convinces him she is one of the best hackers around. Mr. King is questioned by a reporter about his meeting with Carmine Falcone and he later tells one of his men to have the reporter killed. It was King that hired Felicity and ios looking to kill Mia Dearden. Felicity hacks into the network to discover the middleman is Garret Diamond. They break into Garret’s house and find him killed by an arrow. Felicity hacks into his computer and realizes there is a connection to Mia. Oliver and John go searching for her and Felicity locates her by satellite-she is with Mack Morgan. His car gets run off the road by King’s men but Green Arrow catches up with the men and they turn their guns on him. One of King’s men tosses her into a trunk and drives off, but is saved by Oliver before the car crashes and falls from the bridge. Mack says he has enough evidence to put King away but is killed by an arrow before he can give it to her.
Ben Sokolowski, Andrew Kreisberg with art by Daniel Sampere continue the new direction for the Emerald Archer. As I mentioned last time, I am not quite certain if I like this or not. But you have to understand that Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino set the bar ridiculously high and you would pretty much have to be Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams to cross the bar. So, I continue to be amused and intrigued and note that is truly along the lines of the ARROW show. We shall see how this all plays as we head towards CONVERGENCE.
GREEN LANTERN #36: Previously reviewed as part of GODHEAD ACT 2.
GREEN LANTERN CORPS #36: Previously reviewed as part of GODHEAD ACT 2.
GREEN LANTERN NEW GUARDIANS #36: Previously reviewed as part of
GODHEAD ACT 2
HARLEY QUINN #12: Power Girl and Harley get into a fight with Sportsmaster and The Clock King at the mall, but fall through a teleportation ring the Clock king has put out. The girls, along with an accountant sent by the Clock King, find themselves surrounded by alien soldiers. Before the accountant can tell the alien queen that Harley is not a hero, she disintegrates him, which upsets the queen because he was her lover. The Queen’s husband, a giant pug dog, sits on Harley and demands they all stop the violence. Then, after an argument about the accountant lover, he eats the Queen. He then tells them to get home they need another teleportation ring and it is owned by Manos, Ruler of the Infinity Rings. The pair fly to Manos’ home where they are greeted by a giant alien that looks like a slice of pizza. It refuses, forcing Harley to destroy it. Manos agrees to let them use the ring after they get him to cosmic cubicle from Elder-7. Power Girl refuses as Harley steals his rings and destroys him with it. They destroy the cosmic organ and his children show them how to use the teleportation ring, if they return the other rings. They come back through the Clock King's ring and he pushes them through it again. Seconds later, although it is two weeks in our time, they return after escaping from a forced marriage to Vartox.
Manos? Certainly not MANOS THE HANDS OF FATE?! No, we all know this is Thanos and he has an Infinity Gauntlet and is looking for the Cosmic Cube! Terrific stuff! Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti and artists John Timms and Chad Hardin crank out yet another humorous issue that makes HARLEY QUINN DC’s answer to DEADPOOL!
INFINITY MAN AND THE FOREVER PEOPLE #5: The issue begins with the end of the Old Gods signaled by Darkseid murdering his father. Meanwhile, Guy Gardner and the Forever People spent the next 11 pages battling each other. Defeated, he gets lucky as the Green Lanterns currently watching over Earth, arrive to save him.
I would say this was a complete waste of three bucks except Tom Grummett did the art and I can think of no one else I would rather see draw and 11 page fight sequence except maybe George Perez. Other than that, this was a big stinky diaper! Shame on Dan DiDio and Keith Giffen for delivering this to us. Maybe they got the world that they had been cancelled and lost interest. Maybe they didn’t want to deal with the whole New Gods thing appearing in the Green Lantern titles and just kind of wrote this thing. Either way, thanks for nothing!
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Friday, December 19, 2014
GODHEAD ACT 2
GREEN LANTERN #36: GODHEAD ACT 2, PART 1: Orion and Highfather get into an argument about the way Orion has been used and abused in the ongoing battle with the Lanterns, causing Orion to storm out. Meanwhile, Sinestro joins up with Hal Jordan and the Green Lanterns as they learn that Kyle is still alive and that Highfather plans to turn him into the ultimate weapon. While Hal tries to find a way to save his friend, he and Sinestro get into a fight which eventually leads to a temporary truce between the two. On Earth, Black Hand is running his own circus, complete with the dead bodies of Dick Grayson’s parents. Hal arrives to ask for the Black Lantern’s help.
I have to say that I didn’t see that coming! Robert Venditti and Francis Portella turn in a super issue here with some great action, not too much corny dialogue and some of Portella’s best art yet! Just the whole Black Lantern circus is worth the price of admission to this book. This is probably one of the best issues of GREEN LANTERN I have read in a while.
GREEN LANTERN CORPS #36: GODHEAD ACT 2, PART 2: Sinestro informs Jon Stewart and the Green Lantern Corps that Hal is enlisting the Black Hand in the fight against the New Gods. Stewart visits The Weaponer, who makes him a sword that may be strong enough to take down the Gods. Later, Jon and Soranik discuss his feelings for the Star Sapphires and how he plans to get his revenge upon them. The Star Sapphires are attacked by the New Gods and Jon and the Corps, as much as it pains him, come to their aid. Lady Shadowfall from New Genesis traps our heroes. They can only manage an escape when a dying Star Sapphire, Sister Gnell, apologizes for deceiving Jon and her ring goes to him, making him a Star Sapphire.
Van Jensen and Bernard Chang deliver the next chapter in this saga and it just goes to show me how Jon Stewart is a far cry from the strong character he used to be. I normally don’t read this title and, after March, no one else will as DC is canceling the book. The story is okay, the art is typical Bernard Chang and there is way too much PINK in it! This is a Green lantern book, not a Star Sapphire one. Sigh-see what happens next in…
GREEN LANTERN NEW GUARDIANS #36: GODHEAD ACT 2, PART 3: Highfather, Kyle and Carol arrive on New Genesis where Kyle gives up his ring and Highfather gloats that the Life Equation is where it belongs. Kyle and carol realize that Highfather do not intend to return the other Lantern rings and they battle him with disastrous results. With Kyle and carol stranded somewhere on new genesis without their powers, Highfather goes to the city of Muz to test his new power, converting the entire population into White Lanterns. Sinestro is told that the ring is now in Highfather’s possession and it is too late to save the universe.
Uh oh: things look bad in Green Lantern land! Justin Jordan and Diogenes Neves. Present the next chapter in this saga. I hope that everything gets wrapped up by March, as CONVERGENCE is coming and this title is going! I have never gotten used to Kyle and Carol being together like I haven’t gotten used to Clark and Lois NOT being together. I know: it’s a comic-deal with it. Anyway, the story is okay and so is the art. And come April, this loving couple will be looking for somewhere else to hang out besides this title!
RED LANTERN #36: GODHEAD ACT 2, PART 4: As Simon Baz tells Guy about what is going on with the New Gods, Guy fills Simon in on the trials and tribulations HE has had to endure as part of the Red Lanterns. On New Genesis, Highfather demonstrates his power to Malhedron, who is concerned about the balance in the conflict between Darkseid and Highfather being upset by these developments. Back on Earth, Guy convinces Cyborg to send he and Simon to New Genesis via a Boom Tube, leaving B’dg to monitor Earth. Reluctantly agreeing, Cyborg sends the pair packing and they end up in Malhedron and Dia’s bedroom. A fight occurs and that ends up with our heroes being locked in a cell by Highfather’s orders.
I have been saying for months how much I will miss Charles Soule’s work on this title. Well, come March, I’ll miss the whole title. And that really sucks because I love J. Calafiore’s art! This was a fun issue but, anytime you let Guy loose is ALWAYS a fun issue! My biggest gripe is seeing Guy pop Malhedron in the mouth on the cover, which kind of spoils the surprise coming at the end of the book.
SINESTRO #7: GODHEAD ACT 2, PART 5: Sinestro battles some warriors of New Genesis and the space pirates they control and defeats them. Then we learn it is all in Sinestro’s head as he walks with Jon Stewart and doesn’t bother to listen to him. The two teams, Corps and yellow, are forced to team up although they really don’t get along with each other. As the teams begin their mission, we see Sinestro offering Bekka of New genesis, one of the warriors he “battled” before, a yellow ring. Soon the team is betrayed by Indigo-1 and find themselves surrounded by Orion and his warriors.
I have a question for Cullen Bunn about these Sinestro/Bekka sequences. Are they real or are they dream? Because I am starting to think that Sinestro has HAD this happen already and this is just a flashback in his misshapen pink head. Either way, the book reads well and all. But the highlight is the art by Ethan Van Sciver, with inks by Geraldo Borges and colors by Jason Wright. The images literally fly off the pages. This is also the most fun I have had with a copy of SINESTRO since the first issue. I look forward to seeing where the next chapter, next month in GREEN LANTERN #37, takes us.
I have to say that I didn’t see that coming! Robert Venditti and Francis Portella turn in a super issue here with some great action, not too much corny dialogue and some of Portella’s best art yet! Just the whole Black Lantern circus is worth the price of admission to this book. This is probably one of the best issues of GREEN LANTERN I have read in a while.
GREEN LANTERN CORPS #36: GODHEAD ACT 2, PART 2: Sinestro informs Jon Stewart and the Green Lantern Corps that Hal is enlisting the Black Hand in the fight against the New Gods. Stewart visits The Weaponer, who makes him a sword that may be strong enough to take down the Gods. Later, Jon and Soranik discuss his feelings for the Star Sapphires and how he plans to get his revenge upon them. The Star Sapphires are attacked by the New Gods and Jon and the Corps, as much as it pains him, come to their aid. Lady Shadowfall from New Genesis traps our heroes. They can only manage an escape when a dying Star Sapphire, Sister Gnell, apologizes for deceiving Jon and her ring goes to him, making him a Star Sapphire.
Van Jensen and Bernard Chang deliver the next chapter in this saga and it just goes to show me how Jon Stewart is a far cry from the strong character he used to be. I normally don’t read this title and, after March, no one else will as DC is canceling the book. The story is okay, the art is typical Bernard Chang and there is way too much PINK in it! This is a Green lantern book, not a Star Sapphire one. Sigh-see what happens next in…
GREEN LANTERN NEW GUARDIANS #36: GODHEAD ACT 2, PART 3: Highfather, Kyle and Carol arrive on New Genesis where Kyle gives up his ring and Highfather gloats that the Life Equation is where it belongs. Kyle and carol realize that Highfather do not intend to return the other Lantern rings and they battle him with disastrous results. With Kyle and carol stranded somewhere on new genesis without their powers, Highfather goes to the city of Muz to test his new power, converting the entire population into White Lanterns. Sinestro is told that the ring is now in Highfather’s possession and it is too late to save the universe.
Uh oh: things look bad in Green Lantern land! Justin Jordan and Diogenes Neves. Present the next chapter in this saga. I hope that everything gets wrapped up by March, as CONVERGENCE is coming and this title is going! I have never gotten used to Kyle and Carol being together like I haven’t gotten used to Clark and Lois NOT being together. I know: it’s a comic-deal with it. Anyway, the story is okay and so is the art. And come April, this loving couple will be looking for somewhere else to hang out besides this title!
RED LANTERN #36: GODHEAD ACT 2, PART 4: As Simon Baz tells Guy about what is going on with the New Gods, Guy fills Simon in on the trials and tribulations HE has had to endure as part of the Red Lanterns. On New Genesis, Highfather demonstrates his power to Malhedron, who is concerned about the balance in the conflict between Darkseid and Highfather being upset by these developments. Back on Earth, Guy convinces Cyborg to send he and Simon to New Genesis via a Boom Tube, leaving B’dg to monitor Earth. Reluctantly agreeing, Cyborg sends the pair packing and they end up in Malhedron and Dia’s bedroom. A fight occurs and that ends up with our heroes being locked in a cell by Highfather’s orders.
I have been saying for months how much I will miss Charles Soule’s work on this title. Well, come March, I’ll miss the whole title. And that really sucks because I love J. Calafiore’s art! This was a fun issue but, anytime you let Guy loose is ALWAYS a fun issue! My biggest gripe is seeing Guy pop Malhedron in the mouth on the cover, which kind of spoils the surprise coming at the end of the book.
SINESTRO #7: GODHEAD ACT 2, PART 5: Sinestro battles some warriors of New Genesis and the space pirates they control and defeats them. Then we learn it is all in Sinestro’s head as he walks with Jon Stewart and doesn’t bother to listen to him. The two teams, Corps and yellow, are forced to team up although they really don’t get along with each other. As the teams begin their mission, we see Sinestro offering Bekka of New genesis, one of the warriors he “battled” before, a yellow ring. Soon the team is betrayed by Indigo-1 and find themselves surrounded by Orion and his warriors.
I have a question for Cullen Bunn about these Sinestro/Bekka sequences. Are they real or are they dream? Because I am starting to think that Sinestro has HAD this happen already and this is just a flashback in his misshapen pink head. Either way, the book reads well and all. But the highlight is the art by Ethan Van Sciver, with inks by Geraldo Borges and colors by Jason Wright. The images literally fly off the pages. This is also the most fun I have had with a copy of SINESTRO since the first issue. I look forward to seeing where the next chapter, next month in GREEN LANTERN #37, takes us.
THE MULIVERSITY: PAX AMERICANA #1
Set in 1974, we see comic creator Vince Harley, in his guise as vigilante Yellowjacket, sneaking back into his own house and getting accidentally shot and killed by his son. Many years later, he was visited by Captain Atom, who gave him an idea and his blessing. Later, we see Blue Beetle and The Question catching a drug dealer, with The Question making him swallow a bag of heroin and overdose. Moving ahead to 2005, Harley had become a governor in the George W. Bush administration. America had developed a super soldier to protect the country. When terrorists broke into the White House, The Peacemaker was called by Harley to kill them. Some time later, he visited with the newest superhuman, Allen Adam. Harley explained how, over the years, he uses an algorithm to predict events. He told Allen the future solution was in Major Comics MAJOR MAX MEETS JANUS THE EVERYDAY MAN.
In 2008, Harley was elected President and created a government run team called Pax Americana that consisted of Blue Beetle, The Question, The Peacemaker, and Captain Atom. It turns out that the Vice-President was corrupt and The Question, still using his street level tactics of interrogation and justice, discovered that Sargeant Steel was involved and there was a plan to kill Captain Atom. Meanwhile, Peacemaker and his girlfriend Vincent Harley's last comic book work, MAJOR MAX MEETS JANUS THE EVERYDAY MAN. He challenged her to find the secret of Algorithm 8 within the next two years, when Harley would win the 2015 election. In January of 2015, Captain Atom was in a particle accelerator reading the cursed Ultra Comics when he revealed to the scientists there that he knew of their plan to destroy him. They activated the particle accelerator that created an artificial black hole in his head and apparently destroyed him. At this point, Sergeant Steel shot each of the scientists and eliminated those loose ends.
Harley reveals that he would have to be assassinated for there to be world peace, but he needed Captain Atom to return so he could bring him back. Peacemaker revealed that he would assassinate the president for the sake of world peace. In November, The Question began investigating Nora’s murder. She was beaten to death with a Janus-head sculpture.
The Question gets pursued by his old friend Blue Beetle, but is able to trap him. He then encounters Nightshade, defeating her too. President Harley was assassinated by Peacemaker, making the manipulative Eden the new President of the United States. Later, Chris told Eden he had killed the President to save the world from Eden. Finally, at Vincent Harley's grave, Captain Atom appeared to deliver Algorithm 8 to the 23-year-old Harley. This is an event that would happen over and over again.
If you haven’t figured this out my now, this is Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s vision of that classic Charlton Comics characters. In other words: this is GRANT MORRISON’S WATCHMEN! And, if you can’t see those characters presented here, then you really don’t know Watchmen. Especially when you see that Blue beetle IS OWLMAN and The Question IS RORSCHACH. This is a wonderful book and may be the best of the MULTIVERSITY titles yet. Great story and fantastic art by Quitely. Of special note is the way that ALL STAR SUPERMAN and JLA: EARTH-2, by the team of Morrison and Quietly, find their way into this comic. who both worked on this issue. Once again, Grant Morrison shows us that he is a genius!
In 2008, Harley was elected President and created a government run team called Pax Americana that consisted of Blue Beetle, The Question, The Peacemaker, and Captain Atom. It turns out that the Vice-President was corrupt and The Question, still using his street level tactics of interrogation and justice, discovered that Sargeant Steel was involved and there was a plan to kill Captain Atom. Meanwhile, Peacemaker and his girlfriend Vincent Harley's last comic book work, MAJOR MAX MEETS JANUS THE EVERYDAY MAN. He challenged her to find the secret of Algorithm 8 within the next two years, when Harley would win the 2015 election. In January of 2015, Captain Atom was in a particle accelerator reading the cursed Ultra Comics when he revealed to the scientists there that he knew of their plan to destroy him. They activated the particle accelerator that created an artificial black hole in his head and apparently destroyed him. At this point, Sergeant Steel shot each of the scientists and eliminated those loose ends.
Harley reveals that he would have to be assassinated for there to be world peace, but he needed Captain Atom to return so he could bring him back. Peacemaker revealed that he would assassinate the president for the sake of world peace. In November, The Question began investigating Nora’s murder. She was beaten to death with a Janus-head sculpture.
The Question gets pursued by his old friend Blue Beetle, but is able to trap him. He then encounters Nightshade, defeating her too. President Harley was assassinated by Peacemaker, making the manipulative Eden the new President of the United States. Later, Chris told Eden he had killed the President to save the world from Eden. Finally, at Vincent Harley's grave, Captain Atom appeared to deliver Algorithm 8 to the 23-year-old Harley. This is an event that would happen over and over again.
If you haven’t figured this out my now, this is Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s vision of that classic Charlton Comics characters. In other words: this is GRANT MORRISON’S WATCHMEN! And, if you can’t see those characters presented here, then you really don’t know Watchmen. Especially when you see that Blue beetle IS OWLMAN and The Question IS RORSCHACH. This is a wonderful book and may be the best of the MULTIVERSITY titles yet. Great story and fantastic art by Quitely. Of special note is the way that ALL STAR SUPERMAN and JLA: EARTH-2, by the team of Morrison and Quietly, find their way into this comic. who both worked on this issue. Once again, Grant Morrison shows us that he is a genius!
Monday, December 8, 2014
Some quick looks at some Marvel books:
DEATHLOK: I must be out of the loop because I know who Luther Manning is and I know who Michael Collins is, but this new guy….Henry Hayes? Apparently he was a combat medic who got fixed up by Biotek. He goes into war zones working for Medics Without Broders. Actually, even though he doesn’t know it, he is working for a covert organization as Deathlok, going off killing as a soldier of fortune. In his spare time, he’s a single father trying hard to raise he teenage daughter. Honestly, we have great looking art by Mike Perkins and the usual catchy writing by Nathan Edmonson. But this character does nothing for me and I have less of an attachment than I do with the Deathlok of the TV show. Read the first two issues…thanks: I’m good with that.
THE WEAPON X PROGRAM: So, Wolverine is dead and now a whole bunch of people who were subjected to the experiments of Dr. Abraham Cornelius seem to be set up to become a new super team. Oh yeah: one of them may be Wolverine. I wasn’t a big fan of the mini-series that ended the life of the most popular mutant because we all knew he was coming back in the end. So, despite an impressive story from Charles Soule and killer art from the always dependable Salvador Larroca, I’ll be giving this book a pass. When he gets his old self back, call me. Until then, they can keep it.
By the way, this will lead into a WEEKLY WOLVERINES series in January by Soule, Ray Fawkes, Nick Bradshaw and Juan Doe. And I won’t be reading that either!
ALL-NEW CAPTAIN AMERICA: So it seems that Steve Rodgers had his Super Soldier Serum drained by some bad guy called the Iron Nail. Steve is now old and can’t cut it anymore. In the meantime, Sharon Carter and Arnim Zola’s son, who Steve raised while he was stuck in Dimension Z, arrive back in our time and space and Ian is all grown up. So Steve decides to settle down with Sharon and Ian becomes Nomad and partners up with the new captain America: Sam Wilson. So now the New Captain America takes on crime and the Rogue’s Gallery of old Cap villains in a swanky new costume, accompanied by his ever true sidekick Redwing the falcon. Rick Remender and Stuart Immonen serve up politically correct superheroes and politically incorrect villains(do we really need Batroc to return and then throw anti-American fat jokes around?). I didn’t read the LAST Cap series because the whole Dimension Z thing aggravated the heck out of me. I won’t be reading this one either.
ALL-NEW INVADERS: Jim Hammond, the original Human Torhc, is working for S.H.I.E.L.D. now. Along the way, he has joined up with Captain America, the Winter Soldier, Toro, Namor and new hero Radiance to fight evil. Along the way, we get Deathloks, a Martian invasion, Killraven and a whole host of goodies to make a fan like me smile. James Robinson and Steve Push have done wonders with this series. UNFORTUNATELY, Marvel is ending this title soon so look for the back issues or keep your fingers crossed for a TPB. This was a treat and I’m sorry to see it go.
AVENGERS/X-MEN AXIS: So, Charles Xavier is dead and the Red Skull ended up with his brain and thus became Red Onslaught. The Avengers and the X-Men came together to stop him but failed. Eventually, Doctor Doom and the Scarlet Witch used their magic to put a spell over Genosha. That stopped the Red Onslaught BUT the Avengers who were on Genosha have put most of the remaining heroes in the world in jail. Apocalypse has arrived to lead the X-Men and has declared war on mankind. And, if that wasn’t enough, any villain who was on Genosha are now behaving as heroes. And Tony Stark has turned out to be more concerned with making money off a new unstable app version of Extremis. This is Marvel’s newest blockbuster by Rick Remender and Adam Kubert, Terry Dodson, Leinil Francis Yu and others. In a nutshell, heroes have become villains and vice versa. Does it work? I enjoyed the first arc, but the follow-ups, where the actual swticheroo has happened, have left me cold. I can’t wait for this to end and see what the repercussions of it are. Every time there is an “event” there are repercussions that change the “Marvel Universe forever”. Let’s see what happens. If you can wait long enough, get it as a TPB. Realize that it’s four bucks an issue and they’ve been dropping about three issues each month.
SUPERIOR IRON MAN: Did you hear the one about Tony Stark and how he really isn’t the natural born child of Howard and Maria Stark? It’s true! Tony was adopted and the REAL child that Maria Stark gave birth to is Arno Stark, who was affected by the experiments of Rigellian Recorder 451. Anyway, he has done some time with the Guardians and worked with his brother to build the city of tomorrow. And now, with his mind being somewhat scrambled during AXIS, he has gone off the deep end. The person that the OLD Tony Stark once was, the irresponsible playboy and egotistic alcoholic, has appeared again. He has moved to San Francisco, built some new cool blue and white armor and has given the citizens of the city by the Bay Extremis 3.0. It offered anyone who downloaded it beauty, health or immortality…for free. But then our boy ended the free trial and began charging users a daily fee, making people desperate and making Stark richer than before. I went into this title expecting I would hate it but found myself pleasantly surprised. Tom Taylor gives us a great story and Yildiray Cinar’s art, with great looking colors from Guru-eFX, sucked me right in. It looks like Pepper is going to play a major role and, since he IS in San Francisco, a certain red headed lawyer/superhero is sure to be involved. This looks to be a real winner!
CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE MIGHTY AVENGERS: Spinning out of the events that have been occurring in AXIS, the NEW Captain America and Luke Cage are working with a little more attitude than before. A violent attitude. An attitude that means neither one cares if criminals die along the way. And, if that wasn’t bad enough, Tony Stark is getting involved and there is a plan afoot to take out the existing Mighty Avengers because they are threats. Interesting concept that will work fine until this whole AXIS thing ends and then what? Al Ewing and Luke Ross combine for a rough and tumble, ultra violent team of superheroes who just don’t care as long as their will is done. Again, this looks and feels really nice now…let’s see how it plays out down the road.
IRON FIST-THE LIVING WEAPON: I don’t want to say too much about this book. All I want to say is that you have to pick it up and read Kaare Kyle Andrews’ one-man show. History is slightly rewritten, the past collides with the present, the story keeps you turning page after page and the idea that flashback are presented as an old, folded comic book, colored dots and all, makes me just totally love where this book goes. This is not the Iron Fist I grew up with and is not the guy who ran around with Luke cage in Heroes for hire. This is a conflicted hero, much the way Matt Murdock is. But Andrews work is the real star here and this title is sure to elevate his status to the next level and cause comic fans to go scrounging through the back issue boxes looking for his earlier work.
BUCKY BARNES: THE WINTER SOLDIER: Spoiler time-The Watcher is dead, Nick Fury is the “new Watcher” and Fury’s old job as the “Man on the Wall”, where he is responsible for stopping intergalactic threats before they happen. The whole ORIGINAL SIN story just bothered me no end, especially killing the Watcher, removing his eyes and everything that came with it, including retconning a bunch of Marvel stories and characters. This picks up where that left off, only Bucky has a team helping him and the whole book, illustrated by Marco Rudy, looks like a bad drug induced dream. Actually, it would probably read better too as Ales Kot’s story is overly wordy and boring. Bye bye Bucky: liked you better when you were a distant WWII memory.
THOR: Hey-have you heard that Odin is back and is ruling Asgard, which is now called Asgardia? Did you know that Odin’s wife was rulling Asgardia in his absence and she’s not thrilled that the old man is back? Did you know that Thor has forgotten to take his Wheaties after Nick Fury whispered sweet nothings into his ear and now he can’t lift Mighty Mjolnir anymore from where it sits on the moon? Did you know that the only person of lifting it is some blonde woman in a silver helmet with mask? You know what: this was a big deal on news boards and even TV! I don’t care! I read the first issue by Jason Aaron and Russell Dauterman and was blown away by Dauterman’s art. But the whole story left me weak and to see Thor reducing to a whiny version of Hal Jordan left me angry and disappointed. For crying out loud, you could have given us Beta Ray Bill and it would have sat better with me than this? How many female Asgardians are crawling out of the woodwork? First we have this and then there…
ANGELA ASGARD’S ASSASSIN: yeah, from Todd McFarlane and company comes the story of the lost sibling to Thor and Loki. She popped up in GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY and now she has become a staple of the Marvel Universe. The main tale in issue #1 by Kieron Gillen and Phil Jimenez LOOKS AMAZING, although it looks NOTHING like Phil Jimenez’s normal style(he of the years worth of “George Perez clone” jokes).As far as the story goes: sure-reads well. BUT I’M NOT INTERESTED in a female version of The Punisher. Asgard’s Assassin? Really, Marvel: that’s the best you can give me? The back-up story, by Gillen, Marguerite Bennett and Stephanie Hans, is also very nice. But I also don’t care about that either. Bottom line: I personally don’t need this character in my Marvel Universe. And Marvel doesn’t need my money. I’m sure, if she’s a hit, they can work her into the next Guardians or Thor flick!
GUARDIANS 3000: Well, here’s a novel concept: let’s bring back the ORIGINAL GUARDIAN OF THE GALAXY in a NEW book for NEW readers. Yeah: I’m liking that! We have Vance Astro and Yondu and Martinex and Charlie-27 and Starhawk and they’re hear to fight the big, bad Badoon. I loved their adventures as a kid and then Marvel decide to completely change the origins and throw this team together that are film stars but not MY Guardians! Well, this IS my Guardians! Dan Abnett and Gerardo Sandoval throw an action adventure at us that totally sizzles! This is MY GUARDIANS! And there are plot twists throughout. This is THE book to jump on to now before everyone else catches up with the curve. Us old timers always knew these were the cool team. Let’s hope sales on the book are good enough to support it.
And then there’s THE SPIDER-VERSE. This has to be one of the dumbest concepts I have ever seen thrown at the comic reading consumer. Well, maybe not THE dumbest, but it ranks up there. It seems there is this nasty family called The Inheritors that are traveling throughout the Multiverse, killing off members of the Spider Totem and draining their life energies. Name the Earth and there is a Spider man for it. This is Marvel’s way of pulling together all of the various Spider Men we have seen over the years, in stand alone tales, in issues of What if, as back-ups in Annuals…even with their own series. So, among the various Spiders running around are the 1930’s Spider Noir guy, Peter Porker Spider Ham, Kaine, Jessica Drew, Mayday Parker, etc. They have even figured a way to drop Doc Ock Peter Parker into the mix as he ended up in the Spider-Verse during a time when he was still in control, so now we have a new timeline. There have been specials, one shots and the new series: SPIDER-VERSE TEAM-UP, SPIDER-VERSE, SPIDER-WOMAN, SCARLET SPIDERS and SPIDER MAN 2099. I’m sorry: this is just a way to sell comics and make a total mockery of the Spider Man legacy. I was never to keen with the whole Spider Totem idea when it got introduced but I dealt with it and let it go. I DESPISED the wiping out of so much history by Mary Jane making a deal with Mephisto and making their happy life go away to save Aunt May. I TOTALLY HATED Doc Ock Parker, but new our boy would return one day. This…this is going WAY TOO FAR. I can only hope that the crossover with the AMAZING SPIDER MAN title lasts a little longer and we go back to a normal storyline.
If this is how you cross-market your characters, get a new marketing genius!
THE WEAPON X PROGRAM: So, Wolverine is dead and now a whole bunch of people who were subjected to the experiments of Dr. Abraham Cornelius seem to be set up to become a new super team. Oh yeah: one of them may be Wolverine. I wasn’t a big fan of the mini-series that ended the life of the most popular mutant because we all knew he was coming back in the end. So, despite an impressive story from Charles Soule and killer art from the always dependable Salvador Larroca, I’ll be giving this book a pass. When he gets his old self back, call me. Until then, they can keep it.
By the way, this will lead into a WEEKLY WOLVERINES series in January by Soule, Ray Fawkes, Nick Bradshaw and Juan Doe. And I won’t be reading that either!
ALL-NEW CAPTAIN AMERICA: So it seems that Steve Rodgers had his Super Soldier Serum drained by some bad guy called the Iron Nail. Steve is now old and can’t cut it anymore. In the meantime, Sharon Carter and Arnim Zola’s son, who Steve raised while he was stuck in Dimension Z, arrive back in our time and space and Ian is all grown up. So Steve decides to settle down with Sharon and Ian becomes Nomad and partners up with the new captain America: Sam Wilson. So now the New Captain America takes on crime and the Rogue’s Gallery of old Cap villains in a swanky new costume, accompanied by his ever true sidekick Redwing the falcon. Rick Remender and Stuart Immonen serve up politically correct superheroes and politically incorrect villains(do we really need Batroc to return and then throw anti-American fat jokes around?). I didn’t read the LAST Cap series because the whole Dimension Z thing aggravated the heck out of me. I won’t be reading this one either.
ALL-NEW INVADERS: Jim Hammond, the original Human Torhc, is working for S.H.I.E.L.D. now. Along the way, he has joined up with Captain America, the Winter Soldier, Toro, Namor and new hero Radiance to fight evil. Along the way, we get Deathloks, a Martian invasion, Killraven and a whole host of goodies to make a fan like me smile. James Robinson and Steve Push have done wonders with this series. UNFORTUNATELY, Marvel is ending this title soon so look for the back issues or keep your fingers crossed for a TPB. This was a treat and I’m sorry to see it go.
AVENGERS/X-MEN AXIS: So, Charles Xavier is dead and the Red Skull ended up with his brain and thus became Red Onslaught. The Avengers and the X-Men came together to stop him but failed. Eventually, Doctor Doom and the Scarlet Witch used their magic to put a spell over Genosha. That stopped the Red Onslaught BUT the Avengers who were on Genosha have put most of the remaining heroes in the world in jail. Apocalypse has arrived to lead the X-Men and has declared war on mankind. And, if that wasn’t enough, any villain who was on Genosha are now behaving as heroes. And Tony Stark has turned out to be more concerned with making money off a new unstable app version of Extremis. This is Marvel’s newest blockbuster by Rick Remender and Adam Kubert, Terry Dodson, Leinil Francis Yu and others. In a nutshell, heroes have become villains and vice versa. Does it work? I enjoyed the first arc, but the follow-ups, where the actual swticheroo has happened, have left me cold. I can’t wait for this to end and see what the repercussions of it are. Every time there is an “event” there are repercussions that change the “Marvel Universe forever”. Let’s see what happens. If you can wait long enough, get it as a TPB. Realize that it’s four bucks an issue and they’ve been dropping about three issues each month.
SUPERIOR IRON MAN: Did you hear the one about Tony Stark and how he really isn’t the natural born child of Howard and Maria Stark? It’s true! Tony was adopted and the REAL child that Maria Stark gave birth to is Arno Stark, who was affected by the experiments of Rigellian Recorder 451. Anyway, he has done some time with the Guardians and worked with his brother to build the city of tomorrow. And now, with his mind being somewhat scrambled during AXIS, he has gone off the deep end. The person that the OLD Tony Stark once was, the irresponsible playboy and egotistic alcoholic, has appeared again. He has moved to San Francisco, built some new cool blue and white armor and has given the citizens of the city by the Bay Extremis 3.0. It offered anyone who downloaded it beauty, health or immortality…for free. But then our boy ended the free trial and began charging users a daily fee, making people desperate and making Stark richer than before. I went into this title expecting I would hate it but found myself pleasantly surprised. Tom Taylor gives us a great story and Yildiray Cinar’s art, with great looking colors from Guru-eFX, sucked me right in. It looks like Pepper is going to play a major role and, since he IS in San Francisco, a certain red headed lawyer/superhero is sure to be involved. This looks to be a real winner!
CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE MIGHTY AVENGERS: Spinning out of the events that have been occurring in AXIS, the NEW Captain America and Luke Cage are working with a little more attitude than before. A violent attitude. An attitude that means neither one cares if criminals die along the way. And, if that wasn’t bad enough, Tony Stark is getting involved and there is a plan afoot to take out the existing Mighty Avengers because they are threats. Interesting concept that will work fine until this whole AXIS thing ends and then what? Al Ewing and Luke Ross combine for a rough and tumble, ultra violent team of superheroes who just don’t care as long as their will is done. Again, this looks and feels really nice now…let’s see how it plays out down the road.
IRON FIST-THE LIVING WEAPON: I don’t want to say too much about this book. All I want to say is that you have to pick it up and read Kaare Kyle Andrews’ one-man show. History is slightly rewritten, the past collides with the present, the story keeps you turning page after page and the idea that flashback are presented as an old, folded comic book, colored dots and all, makes me just totally love where this book goes. This is not the Iron Fist I grew up with and is not the guy who ran around with Luke cage in Heroes for hire. This is a conflicted hero, much the way Matt Murdock is. But Andrews work is the real star here and this title is sure to elevate his status to the next level and cause comic fans to go scrounging through the back issue boxes looking for his earlier work.
BUCKY BARNES: THE WINTER SOLDIER: Spoiler time-The Watcher is dead, Nick Fury is the “new Watcher” and Fury’s old job as the “Man on the Wall”, where he is responsible for stopping intergalactic threats before they happen. The whole ORIGINAL SIN story just bothered me no end, especially killing the Watcher, removing his eyes and everything that came with it, including retconning a bunch of Marvel stories and characters. This picks up where that left off, only Bucky has a team helping him and the whole book, illustrated by Marco Rudy, looks like a bad drug induced dream. Actually, it would probably read better too as Ales Kot’s story is overly wordy and boring. Bye bye Bucky: liked you better when you were a distant WWII memory.
THOR: Hey-have you heard that Odin is back and is ruling Asgard, which is now called Asgardia? Did you know that Odin’s wife was rulling Asgardia in his absence and she’s not thrilled that the old man is back? Did you know that Thor has forgotten to take his Wheaties after Nick Fury whispered sweet nothings into his ear and now he can’t lift Mighty Mjolnir anymore from where it sits on the moon? Did you know that the only person of lifting it is some blonde woman in a silver helmet with mask? You know what: this was a big deal on news boards and even TV! I don’t care! I read the first issue by Jason Aaron and Russell Dauterman and was blown away by Dauterman’s art. But the whole story left me weak and to see Thor reducing to a whiny version of Hal Jordan left me angry and disappointed. For crying out loud, you could have given us Beta Ray Bill and it would have sat better with me than this? How many female Asgardians are crawling out of the woodwork? First we have this and then there…
ANGELA ASGARD’S ASSASSIN: yeah, from Todd McFarlane and company comes the story of the lost sibling to Thor and Loki. She popped up in GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY and now she has become a staple of the Marvel Universe. The main tale in issue #1 by Kieron Gillen and Phil Jimenez LOOKS AMAZING, although it looks NOTHING like Phil Jimenez’s normal style(he of the years worth of “George Perez clone” jokes).As far as the story goes: sure-reads well. BUT I’M NOT INTERESTED in a female version of The Punisher. Asgard’s Assassin? Really, Marvel: that’s the best you can give me? The back-up story, by Gillen, Marguerite Bennett and Stephanie Hans, is also very nice. But I also don’t care about that either. Bottom line: I personally don’t need this character in my Marvel Universe. And Marvel doesn’t need my money. I’m sure, if she’s a hit, they can work her into the next Guardians or Thor flick!
GUARDIANS 3000: Well, here’s a novel concept: let’s bring back the ORIGINAL GUARDIAN OF THE GALAXY in a NEW book for NEW readers. Yeah: I’m liking that! We have Vance Astro and Yondu and Martinex and Charlie-27 and Starhawk and they’re hear to fight the big, bad Badoon. I loved their adventures as a kid and then Marvel decide to completely change the origins and throw this team together that are film stars but not MY Guardians! Well, this IS my Guardians! Dan Abnett and Gerardo Sandoval throw an action adventure at us that totally sizzles! This is MY GUARDIANS! And there are plot twists throughout. This is THE book to jump on to now before everyone else catches up with the curve. Us old timers always knew these were the cool team. Let’s hope sales on the book are good enough to support it.
And then there’s THE SPIDER-VERSE. This has to be one of the dumbest concepts I have ever seen thrown at the comic reading consumer. Well, maybe not THE dumbest, but it ranks up there. It seems there is this nasty family called The Inheritors that are traveling throughout the Multiverse, killing off members of the Spider Totem and draining their life energies. Name the Earth and there is a Spider man for it. This is Marvel’s way of pulling together all of the various Spider Men we have seen over the years, in stand alone tales, in issues of What if, as back-ups in Annuals…even with their own series. So, among the various Spiders running around are the 1930’s Spider Noir guy, Peter Porker Spider Ham, Kaine, Jessica Drew, Mayday Parker, etc. They have even figured a way to drop Doc Ock Peter Parker into the mix as he ended up in the Spider-Verse during a time when he was still in control, so now we have a new timeline. There have been specials, one shots and the new series: SPIDER-VERSE TEAM-UP, SPIDER-VERSE, SPIDER-WOMAN, SCARLET SPIDERS and SPIDER MAN 2099. I’m sorry: this is just a way to sell comics and make a total mockery of the Spider Man legacy. I was never to keen with the whole Spider Totem idea when it got introduced but I dealt with it and let it go. I DESPISED the wiping out of so much history by Mary Jane making a deal with Mephisto and making their happy life go away to save Aunt May. I TOTALLY HATED Doc Ock Parker, but new our boy would return one day. This…this is going WAY TOO FAR. I can only hope that the crossover with the AMAZING SPIDER MAN title lasts a little longer and we go back to a normal storyline.
If this is how you cross-market your characters, get a new marketing genius!
Sunday, December 7, 2014
The NEW 52, Month 35, Part 2
JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK ANNUAL #2: Zatanna and Constantine meet in Paris, although she is suspicious that he is trying to take back the House of Mystery and Justice League Dark. Catching him in a number of lies, she accuses him of trying to manipulate her and she leaves. Later, he shows up at her door, insisting that he truly loves her. They kiss and he soon finds himself in what he believes is another dimension or some twisted version of the House of Mystery. He frees himself from the allure of a strange book containing many of his secrets. A mysterious woman arrives and introduces herself as the House of Secrets. Zatanna wakes to find that the rest of Justice League Dark has been transported here against their wills. A man appears and introduces himself as the House of Mystery. He tells them he has come to stop the destruction of humanity that he says will be brought on by his sister, the House of Secrets. Meanwhile, Constantine is told that the House of Mystery is manipulating the inhabitants and that she has been raising an army to defeat her brother. Suddenly, Frankenstein, Andrew Bennett, Black Orchid, and Madame Xanadu appear and are told they have been brought here to stop the House of Mystery. As the two Houses approach each other, the team learns that both were in alliance and have formed a new house called the House of Wonders and used the love between Constantine and Zatanna to make it happen. Soon the House will control all of the houses and minds on Earth. Xanadu explains that John and Zatanna need to use the K'am'deva curse to erase their love. For one, it will be like it never existed. For the other: they will remember it forever. Swamp Thing and Deadman attack the House and possess it, allowing Xanadu to perform the curse. John and Zatanna decide who will remember and she shoves her fist into his chest, tearing his heart out. The House of Wonders is blown apart and the team is pulled into the vortex. Constantine discovers he has been sent back to Earth, telling himself that he never really cared for her although she will always remember the truth.
J.M. DeMatteis and the legendary Klaus Janson combine on this tale of trickery and heartbreak. And with that being said, it was pretty darned good, although I could have used a bit less of the drama at the end with Z and John suffering through their heartbreak. As expected with Janson, the art was great and DeMatteis kept the action moving while revealing bits of plots for futures issues. Because, you know, this does continue into JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #35.
JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #35: The team has used a curse to destroy the House of Wonders which consumes Constantine and send the rest of the team hurtling through time and space. Zatanna finds herself in a dreamlike landscape where she meets up with her long dead father Giovanni Zatara, who saves her from a monster and implores her to go back to sleep. When she wakes, Zatara is called to breakfast by her father and sits with her mother Sindella and a child version of herself. Her father explains he believes they are 6 billion years in the past and had been transported here from 1992. "Dorothy", as she refers to herself, and her father fly off on his magic carpet as he explains about his family’s time here and how he has no idea how long that has been, as they never age. She decides to search for her team and finds them. Constantine kisses her and, realizing it’s only an illusion, she returns to her father’s cottage where he now realizes his family has also been only an illusion. They are again attacked by the mome-raths and Zatanna flashes back to her childhood when she dreamed of fighting the same monsters. She finally realizes that realizes that everything here is manifested from her own memories. Crying, her father says he can no longer stay with her with and that she needs to find her way home. The world she has been in disappears and all that remains is the vortex and Zatanna. Meanwhile, the rest of the team have reached the end of wherever they truly are.
J.M. DeMatteis and Tom Derenick pick up where JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK ANNUAL #2 left off. With the team lost in space, it’s up to Zatanna to reunite them or die trying. Not a bad issue, but not the best in the series. Apparently, there is enough interest in the series to cause it to become a big enough blip on the movie radar to put it into production. We shall see how much that news affects sales on this title.
JUSTICE LEAGUE 3000 #10: The team has escaped from the Five and made their way to Camelot Nine, seeking the help of Arthur and his followers. Since King Arthur is not too thrilled to have the Five come to his peaceful world, the Justice League 3000 begins to set a trap for when the Five arrive. When they get to Camelot Nine, they are immediately greeted by Etrigan and his army of demons which leads to a fight before the Five can teleport out of that room and into the one where the League is waiting. Both teams battle, leading The Five being defeated, Coeval retreating and Terry being beat up by his sister. With the battle won, it may be time for the team to think about establishing a headquarters-one Camelot Nine.
Well, it’s nice to see that Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis and Howard Porter can continue along the same wacky road they have been travelling since issue #1. This book is so much fun to wade through, especially when you break down the individual NEW personalities of the World’s Greatest Heroes. I love that Superman is so full of himself that it must be next to impossible for him, to get his head through most doors! And they promise a big surprise for next issue and, knowing what Giffen and DeMatteis have done in the past, I am psyched and afraid at the same time because, outside of dropping Ambush Bug, I have no idea who could make this book even wilder.
JUSTICE LEAGUE UNITED #5: Martian Manhunter has taken Ultra to Earth, where the team meets Miiyahbin and Heather. Miiyahbin explains that Whitagos are monsters that were once people. Hawkman, who is supposed to be dead, has triggered Green Arrow’s transmitter leading Oliver to head a team to the Polaris System, where they find the beacon is coming from a bounty hunter bar. Meanwhile Alanna, Miiyahbin and Heather go to learn more about Miiyahbin’s powers. Miiyahbin says her word of power and transforms into Equinox, causing her grandmother to explain they are Midayos and have the power to be protectors of the land. She also explains that Miiyahbin's father lost to the Whitago and that it cannot be destroyed-only stopped from harming others. Miiyahbin and Alanna go to the cave and are attacked by the Whitago. Miiyahbin reaches out to her father’s spirit, who apologizes to her and fades back to the spirit world. They return to J'onn and discover Ultra can speak and is warning them that someone is coming. And that someone comes crashing through the bunker in the form of the Mon-El, who says he must kill Ultra or the Legion of Super-Heroes will die.
Well, it’s nice to see the legion region to comics, courtesy of Jeff Lemire and Timothy Green II. The previous incarnation in the NEW 52 left me extremely disappointed and I hope that Lemire won’t mess things up. I mean, I do come from the Jim Shooter era and the runs that followed it, so I am pretty picky when it gets to the Legion. Making sure this teams is in top shape is a pretty tall order to ask for. All we need now is the Legion Lost. Oh wait…maybe I’m speaking too soon!
JUSTICE LEAGUE UNITED ANNUAL #1: Picking up where JUSTICE LEAGUE UNITED #5 left off, Mon-El has broken into the team’s headquarters to kill Ultra. Equinox manages to freeze him in a block of ice. As Martian Manhunter attempts to gain Mon-El’s identity and purpose from his mind, Saturn Girl and Phantom Girl stop him. On the Plexus-6 Pleasure Station, the rest of the team is looking for Hawkman and Supergirl catches up with the person carrying Hawkman’s transmitter. He reveals that Hawkman's body was being kept on one of the moons of Thanagar by a priest named Byth. Brainiac 5 explains that they have used a Time Bubble to return from the 31st Century where a being called Infinitus has been consuming planets like Thanagar and Psion While defending Rann, Shadow Lass was wounded badly. Brainiac had discovered that Infinitus energy signature matched Ultra’s. On the moon of Ryngor, Supergirl and the others company have arrived and so has Byth. He has revived Hawkman and brainwashed him to attack the team. Meanwhile, Brainiac 5 explains that he is prepared to use the next 24 hours to figure out how Ultra becomes Infinitus. If that can’t be done, the rest of the Legion will come to this time and destroy Ultra. Green Arrow appears via hologram to say that Hawkman is alive and that Byth wants Ultra. The League battles Byth, he explains that this has happened before and he has sent a Cadre to Earth to get Ultra. On Ryngor, Supergirl and the others see that Byth has opened a doorway and is ready to implement the birth of Infinitus.
Jeff Lemire and Neil Edwards continue this tale of the potential origin of Infinitus and continue to make good use of the Legion. Sure, some of the dialogue is a little on the corny side, but it is better than the last time we saw these characters. I honestly can’t wait to get into the next issue to see where we go with these folks. And, I’ll say it again: can the Legion Lost be far behind?
KLARION #1: Somewhere at the crossroads of the Multiverse, Klarion finds himself hitching a ride to Earth in a sweet looking Mustang driven by Beelzebub the barber. Klarion has left Witchworld after he disintegrated his teacher because the smashed Klarion’s hands with a ruler. Landing on Earth, Klarion helps a boy named Rasp, who is also a witch, from being beat up by two other kids. He asks Klarion to move in with him at The Moody Museum, where he hopes to be a Sous Chef. And he also carries around his dead cat Teekl, who he keeps in a jar of formaldehyde. Later, Klarion discovers that the first rule of magic is “don’t hurt anyone…not even a bird.” Later that night, Klarion takes Rasp’s lady friend Zell to the Neapolitan Club which leads to a fight between Rasp and Klarion. While they battle, the cook from The Moody Museum(Noah) and the landlady(Piper) discuss what might happen when Klarion and Zell become a couple.
I can tell you what might happen: they’ll cast a spell on this title and we will all forget this ever existed. What a monumental pile of festering doogie poop! Ann Nocenti and Trevor McCarthy has taken one of my favorite Jack Kirby characters and turned him into something completely unrecognizable and totally unreadable. He hitches a ride to Earth in a Mustang driven by Beelzebub, makes friends with another witch, goes to work as a sous chef, meets the hot girl and gets into a fight. And Teekl is dead in a jar? Okay-so I’ll forget how creepy this guy was in THE DEMON and how cool and creepy he was on the BRAVE AND THE BOLD cartoon and realize this is the one and only Klarion from now on. HELL NO! This is possibly the worst thing I have read all year. Oh wait…there IS our next entry!
LOBO #1: The book begins with the NEW 52 Lobo talking to the decapitated head of the “Classic”Lobo: The Main Man. Lobo passes out and dreams of his past. He is painting and romancing the daughter of the kinf of Czarnia and that soon dissolves into a vision of everyone turned into zombies. When he awakens, Rhialla assigns him to kill eight of the universe’s most deadly assassins before they can kill their target on Earth visits him. Arriving on Earth, he meets Gus and then proceeds to battle and decimate most of the aliens (except for the monster dogs, because he doesn’t kill dogs). He returns to Gus, cuts off all of his arms, gets his information and decapitates him. He still has an army of assassins to kill and that takes him to…Florida.
Let it be said: this is NOT MY LOBO! Cullen Bunn and Reilly Brown deliver an ultra violent, metrosexual Lobo. The Lobo I know and love killed everyone on Czarnia. I think this one killed them all with his ridiculous bondage inspired outfit and his even more ridiculous Duran Duran inspired haircut. This book is such a mess and I’m insulted about what has been done with the coolest bounty hunter in comics. The thing I love the most about this book is Brown’s art which I’m sure is totally enhanced by Pete Pantazis’ color work. I will give this title an issue or two, just to see where our guy ends up. But I don’t see this book as being long for this world.
NEW 52 FUTURE’S END #22-25: In issue 22, Jason Rusch meets with Dr. Yamazake who believes that the Justice League is hoarding their special technologies and he wants his transporter ready as soon as possible because no one can trust the League anymore. At the Wounded Duck, Cal turns Billy Batson away because he is underage when Ronnie Raymond arrives to apologize for his previous bad behavior. In Las Vegas, Voodoo, Mercy and company find that breaking into a building was way too easy, which means to keep their guard up. At the same time, Justin hacks into Cadmus to see what they have on his partners. In New York, Terry McGinnis explains everything to Plastique including how the world will be wiped out in thirty years. She offers to help him just so she doesn’t end up as the creature she saw. In the Huron System, The Engineer explains to the S.H.A.D.E. agents that the Collector doesn’t know where to put them. When they ask who their captor, she shows them the Blood Moon where Brainiac is. That is when Ray Palmer and Black Adam arrive.
In issue #23, Ray Palmer and Black Adam help the S.H.A.D.E. agents in fighting off Brainiac's robots. Adam calls on the lighting to allow them to escape while reminding Ray that he promised to get Adam back to Earth. In Central Park, Madison Payne runs into Ronald Raymond, who offers her a cup of coffee to apologize for his recent bad behavior. Unknown to them, Tim, has been watching her from behind a tree. In Las Vegas, Voodoo and her company meet with Sgt. Rock, who admits that he sent people after them in order to get them to him. Mercy realizes Rock is working for Faraday and he wants them to take out Fifty Sue. Thirty years from now, Michael Holt learns that Brother Eye has created someone to go back in time to find and hunt Terry: he has merged Bruce Wayne with the Joker.
In issue #24, The Engineer is returned to her old self by Hawkman but there are so many robots it looks like they may tear the ship apart. On Cadmus Island, Scott Free has been able to remove the implant that had been controlling him and does the same for Fury. Scott now plans to find a way to remove Brother Eye's programming from the island. At Columbia University, Madison hears Ronnie’s tale of woe as he heads off to watch a football game. Tim Drake comes out of the shadows to apologize, which she is not willing to accept. Elsewhere, Dr. Yamazake is becoming suspicious that Jason is trying to sabotage his attempts to create a teleportation device. In Africa, the entity appears, killing Tommy and torturing Midge. Superman arrives to save Constantine’s life.
In issue #25, The Engineer discovers that the navigational system for the ship is destroyed. If they jump, they could end up anywhere in the Multiverse, but they do indeed jump. On Cadmus Island, Fifty Sue shows off her secret bunker. Deathstroke explains that Brother Eye still controls the teleportation system and King Faraday, unable to hide HIS super-human ability, teleports away and strands the others there. In Africa, Superman battles Brainiac in Africa. But with Brainiac’s defeat, Constantine tells Superman that all he has done is send the real Brainiac a gauge of his abilities and offers to take him to him. At Columbia University, Madison and Ronnie hear of a Tsunami warning for Samoa. Ronnie seeks out Jason, who refuses to become Firestorm, forcing Ronnie to leave the lab. But Doctor Yamazake was watching all of this by webcam and now knows that Ronnie and Jason are Firestorm. Now he is completely convinced that Jason has been sabotaging the experiments in the name of the Justice League.
Four more issues of futuristic goodness courtesy of Brian Azzarello, Jeff Lemire, Dan Jurgens, Keith Giffen with art by Patrick Zircher, Aaron Lopresti, and Jesus Merino. I realize that all of this future stuff will probably reset following CONVERGENCE but, for now, I’m loving this alternate future something fierce!
NEW SUICIDE SQUAD #3: Deadshot has been found alive and he is brought to the Russian general who orders his team to divert the rest of the Suicide Squad and deny the existence of the Rocket Red Brigade. Black Manta is too bust trying to keep Harley Quinn and Joker's Daughter from killing each other. Amanda Waller and Vic Sage call and Sage demands they don’t look for Deathstroke but track down the Rocket Red Brigade. Harley finally knocks out Joker's Daughter, leading Manta to decide that he and Harley should search for Deadshot. Sage orders Waller to set off the nanobomb in Manta's head for disobedience and she refuses, giving Manta Deadshot's location instead. Meanwhile, Deadshot is being tortured for refusing to give up the rest of the Squad’s locations. The man giving the orders: Deathstroke.
You have really gotta love Slade Wilson. One minute, he’s a rotten bastard and the next…he a rotten bastard for the bad guys! Sean Ryan and Tom Derenick bang out another cool issue in the new series, which really should have just stayed the OLD SERIES with the numbers continuing but, we won’t go there. Anyway, I love this series and the continuing oddball cast of characters. And hey: we’re gonna get a movie out of this franchise, so everyone rejoice!
RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #35: We begin with Jason by a badly burned Roy Harper’s bedside. From there, we go back to four days earlier when the pair discovered the remains of an intergalactic slave trader that Starfire was after. After cleaning up the mess and eliminating the evidence, they search for and find Kori, who appears in some sort of a trance. She awakens from it and the next morning observe her to make sure she is normal. Man-Bat contacts Jason to tell him that S.H.A.D.E. has come across evidence that exonerates her. Not long after, the team is in New Orleans searching for a terrorist only to find they have been set up. As the team battles, Jason discovers each of their enemies have devices attached to them that seems to contain Venom and considers using it to help get him through the battle. Kori leaves the battle, forcing Roy to find her. She admits that she is weak and needs to go away and, as she blasts off, the explosion from within her lights Roy on fire.
This title continues on it’s up and down, uneven ride. Scott Lobdell and Geraldo Borges(with inking by the legendary Paul Neary) presents one of the better issues in the run. There is a bit of confusion regarding Kori’s problem and what happened to the slaver. And there are a few plot holes too, like how it took them two issues of drama to get to the point where they are going after the terrorist in New Orleans. But, as a rule, this was a fun issue. Let’s put it this way: if it was the first issue I had ever read, I would be convinced to hang with it and move it to a proper spot on my read list. Nicely done!
RED LANTERN #35: Previously reviewed as part of the GODHEAD review
SECRET ORIGINS #6: In the first story, we see an youthful Princess Diana of Themyscira sparring with Aleka, who is surprised that a princess like Diana one day wishes to leave Paradise Island. Diana recalls how she had often been called clay, as an insult to her “birth”. But what she never knew was that Hippolyta had actually mated with Zeus and hid the truth to protect Diana from Zeus’ wife, Hera Aleka became angry with Diana, wanting to know how she could turn her back on her sisters. That night, Diana received a visit from the goddess Athena, who explained that Diana’s journey from Paradise Island would be a struggle but she would support her. Meanwhile, Captain Steve Trevor found his plane going out of control and crashed on Paradise Island. Diana discovered him and brought him back to the Amazons. While she faced serious resistance from her mother and sisters, Athena reminded her of her faith in Diana.
In the second tale, Gary and Barbara Brand tormented their son Boston with their constant fighting and bickering. Boston wished he could fly off to a magical land. But when he realized that would never happen, he attacked his parents and left, never to come back. Eventually, after much wandering, he the circus and became a skilled acrobat. But he also carried the anger he felt with his parents and became dependent on alcohol. He adopted the guise of Deadman, which seemed to fit his nature. Then one night, he was shot and met Rama, who allowed him to live on as a spirit who could do good for others. He followed Rama’s directions until the Son of Morning painted her as more dangerous than she had seemed. At his parents’ grave, Brahma Dass, who offered him a chance to move on or stay on Earth to help those he could, visited him. Deadman decided to go back to Earth and, before he began his missions, forgive his parents.
In the final tale, we see a young Thaal Sinestro playing with blocks, which led to his interest in archaeology and ancient ruins. While on an exploration, he found a crashed spacecraft and a dying Prohl Gosgotha who gave Sinestro his ring. No sooner did that happen than a Weaponer of Qward, forcing Sinestro to put the ring on and transforming him into a Green Lantern, attacked him. When the battle was over, Prohl Gosgotha demanded that Sinestro return the ring, but he kept it for himself and traveled to Oa where he became what he believed was the greatest of all the Green Lanterns. He trained Hal Jordan, the first human Green Lantern, and they became best friends. But Sinestro’s lust for control led him to give his daughter up and use his powers to police Korugar. But the resistance of Korugar took his wife and his friends in the Corps called him tyrant. He was banished to the planet Qward, where he forged an alliance against the Guardians of the Universe and forged a yellow ring. Leaveing Qward, he fought with the Guardians and with the person he hated the most, Hal Jordan. Over time, he corrupted Hal with his yellow ring and formed his own yellow-based army. The Guardians destroyed Korugar before Sinestro made them pay.
This was a mixed bag of tales. The Wonder Woman piece, by Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang, art by Goran Sudzuka, followed the revamped origin we have had handed to us over the last three years but also added some new pieces, specifically the inclusion of Athena and Steve Trevor. The Deadman story by J.M. DeMatteis and Kevin Stokes was the weakest of the three, spending too much time on the previously unknown issues with Boston Brand’s parents. My favorite tale was the Sinestro story by Cullen Bunn And Igor Lima. While it managed to tread over much of the story that we already knew, it did so in a new light and added a bit of history regarding his childhood and the discovery of his Green Lantern ring. Each month goes by and I wonder if this title is worth the five bucks we are being charge. But when I hit a two good tales vs. one fair one, I guess I can swallow that.
SINESTRO #6: Previously reviewed as part of the GODHEAD review
STAR SPANGLED WAR STORIES #3: G.I. Zombie has set a missile towards an animal hospital in Sutterville, Tennessee which is having disastrous results on the animals. A pair of cops at the animal hospital are attacked by a dog and one of the men behave as if he has acquired rabies. Jared now understands that this is a biological attack with a very short incubation period. He puts a call to Gravedigger, who is tracking the missile's trajectory now that he has busted the terrorists who fired it, with the bad news. A doctor at the hospital named Pam note that it appears the bitten man has gone into hibernation. Jared seeks out the mayor of town and tells him they need to quarantine the place. He heads towards the south bridge when infected people overrun him. Meanwhile, Carmen, still posing as “Tiffany”, continues to head west with one of the terrorist scientists and a virus. The scientist claims that the rocket contains a payload guaranteed to end life as they know it.
Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti and Scott Hampton continue to pepper this “war title” with more zombie action than you can shake a stick at! We have zombies, terrorists, more zombies, hot looking women and even more zombies! I’m sure there will be some necrophilia down the road in a tasteful, comic book kind of way. What else could I expect from this crazy creative team. After all: how cool was ALL STAR WESTERN?
SUPERMAN #35: Superman and Ulysses are still dealing with the Machinist, who caused Ulysses to commit murder by taking control of Neil's voluntary functions. Even thought the victim was already dead when Ulysses “killed” him, Superman warns him never to use his powers like that against someone ever again. They head to the North Atlantic, where the Machinist sits on a freighter waiting for his customer to arrive, and lift the ship out of the water. The Machinist sends his giant robotic crows to attack them, which the pair quickly defeat. Ulysses gets frustrated by Superman’s belief of not destroying all the weapons of the world but to stop the people selling them. Ulysses flies off and Superman gets caught in the Machinist’s self-destructing blast. Back at the Daily Planet, Ulysses' appears on every TV screen in the country, revealing his real name, place of birth, and origin story. He also reveals that he sees the Earth is full of hate and offers the opportunity for six million to join him in the Fourth Dimension.
You now: when this guy showed up I didn’t exactly like him or trust him, as he reminded me so much of a certain blonde haired, John Romita Jr. illustrated character known as The Sentry. Well, Geoff Johns and Romita are back at it again with a seemingly innocent superhero who may have more of an agenda than we first dreamed. While I am finding this series to be running a bit long and hoped that the Johns/Romita era would hit with a bang instead of a slow build, I still find it far more satisfying than the last creative team
SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN #12: After defeating Giganta at London's Wembley Stadium, Wonder Woman gets the surprise of Superman’s return and their kiss ends up on the jumbo screen. Several months ago, Clark gave Diana a Kryptonian flower from the Fortress of Solitude that needed to be fed with cooking oil. But with everything happening, it never got fed and now has transformed into a hungry monster which makes its way to a gas station and feeds on gas and oil. The creature makes its’ way into a reservoir that leads to the pipeline feeding most of the United Kingdom. Superman gives Diana attitude about not feeding the gift and look what has happened. She too returns the favor and realizes something is affecting both of them, causing them to act this way. She heads to Mount Olympus where she finds the conflict between the couple has been caused by Strife. Superman gets Swamp Thing to communicate with it and soon the flower returns to normal. In the end, they sit on the Cliffs of Dover where they admit that some of what they said they meant, despite Strife’s involvement.
I still haven’t figured out if I have any kind of good feelings about two of the most powerful beings in the universe being together in a romantic way. Sorry, I’m spent way to many years with Lois and chasing after Superman and then she and Clark being together at last. I love Charles Soule’s writing and I’m okay with Jack Hebert’s art. I just have a hard time with this soap opera involving the world’s mightiest heroes.
SWAMP THING ANNUAL #3: After defeating some monsters in the swamp, Capucine admits that they came for her. She passes out and is carried into the house where Guarav and Alec care for her. She explains that her thousand years are coming to an end. She asks him to tell her a story that will make her laugh. He tells of his going into a movie theatre to see a movie and after five minutes, the police were called and the theatre was evacuated. But he did admit that the five minutes of the movie he saw was awful. She admits that she doesn’t want to continue her life, but wishes that he finds a way to keep Etrigan from taking it. Alec exchanges bodies with Capucine to trick Etrigan. The demon insists that Capucine is evil and always has been, relating the tale of many of her thousand years, including being known as the "The Murder Poet". He tells Alec that everything Capucine has ever done regarding Alec was to manipulate him. But Capucine, in Swamp Thing’s body, has figured out how to control plants and traps Etrigan within a tree. She also tells the demon that it was his dark magic that turned her into a killer and offers up a bargain. Returning to her body, and Alec to his, he offers to tell her another story. He opens a place for her within The Green and she can find peace with Brother Jonah there. He carries her over to the glade and drops her into Brother Jonah's arms.
Charles Soule gives us a wonderfully touching ending to the story of Capucine with the help of artists Javier Piña, Ryan Browne, Dave Bullock, Yanick Paquette. In the end, she changes her evil ways, avoids the everlasting touch of Etrigan and settles peacefully in the Green with Brother Jonah. A beautiful, touching story. Poor Alec: he’s lost her and Abby. Now what?
SWAMP THING #35: The Calculus begs Swamp Thing to open the wall of trees that is hiding The Wolf's remains. He agrees and finds that they are alone, as The Calculus has made all the people go away by issuing a fake news story about a Cat. 5 hurricane coming. The Calculus believe they can run The Green and don’t want him to give up his role as Avatar. He is tempted by the offer but demands The Calculus leave. Alec returns to the Grove where he asks Brother Jonah how new kingdoms are born, based on meeting someone who represents the kingdom of machines. Jonah responds that Alec must wipe them out at once or the only thing that will remain is dust and then returns to the Green to prepare for the inevitable war that is coming. Alec goes to the Arctic and discovers a fortress called Servus where it seems the machines are preparing to invade the Grove.
Charles Soules and Jesus Saiz continue on the road to the end of their final story arc and it seems that this war won’t end well. It’s another well-written, well-crafted tale from Soules who will totally be missing from the DC lineup when he competes all his work and does his writing exclusively for Marvel. Saiz’ art gets better with each and every issue and I can only hope that he will continue on this series once Soules is gone.
TEEN TITANS #3: Raven is dancing at a club in the Bowery when the singer in the band notices her and proceeds to call her out. From there, almost everyone in the club comes to her, some saved by her and others just inspired by her. Suddenly, the terrorist who was responsible for events in the first two issues arrives and begins to battle. Raven calls for help from her teammates, including Beast Boy and Bunker who just finished taking out a mugger in Battery Park. The rest of the team arrives and Cassie, upon learning that the terrorist is truly a robot, smashes it into millions of pieces. Later, josiah Power from S.T.A.R. Labs arrives to investigate, unaware he is being watched by Manchester Black and…the previously mentioned terrorist who is no longer destroyed. The team eat a late night snack while Cassie’s mom warns her that the streets are filled with roving gangs of girls dressed like Wonder Girl. One of those gangs confronts her mom as the team decides if they should help Red Robin investigate S.T.A.R. Labs. They should have joined him as the robot terrorist arrives and, knocking him out, prepares to eliminate him.
Will Pfeifer and Kenneth Rocafort continue their revamp of this book which should never have been cancelled in the first place. If they had just replaced the creative team, which they have done, and continued the numbering, all would be right with the world. While not anywhere near the classic Teen Titans that existed before the NEW 52, it is a far better book than the last run was. And luckily, this issue seems to downplay the whole social media connection that the first issue boasted. While not a great read, it has gotten better since issue #1, so they get a little more time from me.
TRINITY OF SIN #1: The Question, who really has no idea who he is after all these centuries, is about to have a deep conversation with his landlady when the landlady turns into a creature named Ya’Aka. Meanwhile, The Phantom Stranger and Terrance Thirteen are in Golden Gate Park battling a gigantic green ghost in Golden Gate Park. The Stranger learns that the ghost is a manifestation of a boy who was murdered and buried in this spot over thirty years ago. With his divine powers, he frees the boy and allows his spirit to go to Heaven. Suddenly, Thirteen is stabbed through the chest with a flaming sword by a female serpent creature named Zalkoat. Meanwhile, Pandora is enjoying the beaches of Southern India when a giant water monster named Sydenn attacks her. The three heroes manage to defeat or evade their demons and all end up on the beach, where the toll in lives is devastating. The Question leaves to mourn his landlady while The Stranger and Pandora attend to Thirteen’s body and decide to investigate a way to save his soul. The pair heads off into space to meet some birdlike creature that may be named Nimraa.
Wow! This is REALLY AWFUL! This is a worse read than the two previous TRINITY titles COMBINED! J.M. DeMatteis delivers a title that just wallows in emptiness. We still don’t kow who The Question is and frankly don’t believe this book will be around long enough to answer that for us. The Phantom Stranger is still a man on a mission who needs to grow a set of testicles. And Pandora? She goes off to the beach because her deceased mentor Marcus thought it would be good for her soul. The art by Yvel Guichet is the best part of the book, even if it looks an awfully lot like the art stylings that dominated TRINITY OF SIN: PANDORA. DC: why oh why do your replace awful books with worse ones?
WONDER WOMAN #34: With Wonder Woman seeming to be dead, the First Born brings his war to Themyscira. Zola tries to find a place to hide herself and Zeke and runs into Hera, who refuses to help as now her immortality has been restored and Zola and Zeke are no longer her concern. The First Born and his army become encased in stone at the hands as Milan appears and takes Orion and Artemis into a Boom Tube. Meanwhile, we learn that Diana IS alive and has a conversation with her predecessor Ares. Diana admits she cannot give up the fight as the vision fade and she sees that she has been speaking with Strife. Strife toasts her failure and Diana decides it is best she die and find peace at last. Strife will have none of that, drags Diana into the pool of blood, and then drops her at the stone feet of Hippolyta. Orion arrives and tries to heal Diana’s wounds, but the First Born has also arrived and interrupts that. Diana distracts him with the robot army of Hephaestus and Eros and begins to search for Zola. About to be attacked by Cassandra and the hyena warriors, Hera arrives, turning the Hyenas to crystal, and knocking Cassandra unconscious. Diana decides it may be time for the last born to take the throne of Olympus. Diana takes Zeke from Zola to place him on the throne. That is when Poseidon rises from the pool of blood.
And thus begins the penultimate chapter in the epic story that Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang has brought to us over the last three years. And this truly has been an epic that has polarized fans like never before. People who were polarized by J. Michael Strazinski are now wishing he was back on this title. Personally, anyone who has read my reviews from Day One know how much love I have for this book. I think that Azzarello is a great writer and have had much respect for his work, especially his 100 BULLETS work. But this is just on an entirely different level. And Cliff Chiang? Great stuff! One more issue to go and I will admit that I will be sorry to see this part of the ride end.
WONDER WOMAN #35: Poseidon has decided to claim the throne for himself in the First Born's absence. He demands Zeke be given to him and he causes Diana to drop Zeke. Zola begins to transform and she uses her talons to cut Poseidon, sending him back into the pool of blood. The First Born arrives, thrusting a spear into Hermes while the Minotaur knocks Diana unconscious. The First Born decides to throw Zeke into the void as Diana wakes. He orders the Minotaur to kill Diana off, but it remembers that she had shown it mercy in the labyrinth, causing the First Born to kill the Minotaur. Diana drops her bracelets to the ground, saying all she needs to defeat him is herself. Hermes teleports away Diana’s friends, saving them from being tossed into the void. She wraps him in the Lasso of Truth to show him the true meaning of love and compassion. Zola and Hermes carry Zeke up to the throne and he begins to with generate electricity. A bolt of lightning splits the earth where Diana and the First Born are fighting. He lands safely, but Diana barely holds on, begging him to give her his hand. If he saves her, they will be suffering forever. He does so, but she throws him in saying it is tough love and a lesson for him for the next seven thousand years of solitude. Diana returns to the throne to find that Zola is actually the goddess Athena. This was Zeus’ plan all along that would result in Diana becoming a God. Now, Zeus, in the form of Zeke, is back on the throne. Diana begs Athena not to eliminate the Zola persona, eventually she concedes, allowing Zola to remain human, and Athena returns to the form of an owl.
And thus the epic ends, not with a whimper but with a well crafted bang. I have nothing more to say about this. Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang have created a series that will set a very high bar for the creative team to follow. This will be talked about and examined by comic scholars for years to come. Thank you for all the great memories!
WORLDS’ FINEST #27: As Lois Lane and the New Wonders fight for the survival of Earth 2, she tells the origins of Suprman and Batman. Jor-El tries to save Krypton by creating a gravity well that will restore their yellow sun. Unfortunately, he didn’t ignite the sun, he destabilized it which leads to the certain destruction of Krypton. As the El’s plan for their death, Intri of Apokolips arrives with an offer to save the world in exchange for taking the baby Kal-El to become a Lord of Apokolips. Jor-El turns her down and sends her away, ordering Lara to get Kara and Val so they can be placed in an experimental rocket before the planet explodes. Meanwhile, on Earth, Thomas Wayne has decided he no longer is going to work for Frankie Falcone. They met and Frankie explains how he wants to put pressure on the father of a very young Alan Scott and needs Thomas’ hospital badge to make that happen. Wayne refuses and beats up Falcone threatening to sent him to prison for decades if he ever touches his son.
With Power Girl and The Huntress on Earth 2 fighting to save their world, that leaves this book in search of characters to populate it. And so, Superman and Batman step in, just as they used to be in the old days. I found the story interesting, especially now learning that Jor-El caused the destruction of Krypton and that there is an early connection between the Waynes and Alan Scott. Paul Levitz and Jed Dougherty give us a well written, nicely drawn issue that leaves me wanting to see where the next chapter takes us.
J.M. DeMatteis and the legendary Klaus Janson combine on this tale of trickery and heartbreak. And with that being said, it was pretty darned good, although I could have used a bit less of the drama at the end with Z and John suffering through their heartbreak. As expected with Janson, the art was great and DeMatteis kept the action moving while revealing bits of plots for futures issues. Because, you know, this does continue into JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #35.
JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #35: The team has used a curse to destroy the House of Wonders which consumes Constantine and send the rest of the team hurtling through time and space. Zatanna finds herself in a dreamlike landscape where she meets up with her long dead father Giovanni Zatara, who saves her from a monster and implores her to go back to sleep. When she wakes, Zatara is called to breakfast by her father and sits with her mother Sindella and a child version of herself. Her father explains he believes they are 6 billion years in the past and had been transported here from 1992. "Dorothy", as she refers to herself, and her father fly off on his magic carpet as he explains about his family’s time here and how he has no idea how long that has been, as they never age. She decides to search for her team and finds them. Constantine kisses her and, realizing it’s only an illusion, she returns to her father’s cottage where he now realizes his family has also been only an illusion. They are again attacked by the mome-raths and Zatanna flashes back to her childhood when she dreamed of fighting the same monsters. She finally realizes that realizes that everything here is manifested from her own memories. Crying, her father says he can no longer stay with her with and that she needs to find her way home. The world she has been in disappears and all that remains is the vortex and Zatanna. Meanwhile, the rest of the team have reached the end of wherever they truly are.
J.M. DeMatteis and Tom Derenick pick up where JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK ANNUAL #2 left off. With the team lost in space, it’s up to Zatanna to reunite them or die trying. Not a bad issue, but not the best in the series. Apparently, there is enough interest in the series to cause it to become a big enough blip on the movie radar to put it into production. We shall see how much that news affects sales on this title.
JUSTICE LEAGUE 3000 #10: The team has escaped from the Five and made their way to Camelot Nine, seeking the help of Arthur and his followers. Since King Arthur is not too thrilled to have the Five come to his peaceful world, the Justice League 3000 begins to set a trap for when the Five arrive. When they get to Camelot Nine, they are immediately greeted by Etrigan and his army of demons which leads to a fight before the Five can teleport out of that room and into the one where the League is waiting. Both teams battle, leading The Five being defeated, Coeval retreating and Terry being beat up by his sister. With the battle won, it may be time for the team to think about establishing a headquarters-one Camelot Nine.
Well, it’s nice to see that Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis and Howard Porter can continue along the same wacky road they have been travelling since issue #1. This book is so much fun to wade through, especially when you break down the individual NEW personalities of the World’s Greatest Heroes. I love that Superman is so full of himself that it must be next to impossible for him, to get his head through most doors! And they promise a big surprise for next issue and, knowing what Giffen and DeMatteis have done in the past, I am psyched and afraid at the same time because, outside of dropping Ambush Bug, I have no idea who could make this book even wilder.
JUSTICE LEAGUE UNITED #5: Martian Manhunter has taken Ultra to Earth, where the team meets Miiyahbin and Heather. Miiyahbin explains that Whitagos are monsters that were once people. Hawkman, who is supposed to be dead, has triggered Green Arrow’s transmitter leading Oliver to head a team to the Polaris System, where they find the beacon is coming from a bounty hunter bar. Meanwhile Alanna, Miiyahbin and Heather go to learn more about Miiyahbin’s powers. Miiyahbin says her word of power and transforms into Equinox, causing her grandmother to explain they are Midayos and have the power to be protectors of the land. She also explains that Miiyahbin's father lost to the Whitago and that it cannot be destroyed-only stopped from harming others. Miiyahbin and Alanna go to the cave and are attacked by the Whitago. Miiyahbin reaches out to her father’s spirit, who apologizes to her and fades back to the spirit world. They return to J'onn and discover Ultra can speak and is warning them that someone is coming. And that someone comes crashing through the bunker in the form of the Mon-El, who says he must kill Ultra or the Legion of Super-Heroes will die.
Well, it’s nice to see the legion region to comics, courtesy of Jeff Lemire and Timothy Green II. The previous incarnation in the NEW 52 left me extremely disappointed and I hope that Lemire won’t mess things up. I mean, I do come from the Jim Shooter era and the runs that followed it, so I am pretty picky when it gets to the Legion. Making sure this teams is in top shape is a pretty tall order to ask for. All we need now is the Legion Lost. Oh wait…maybe I’m speaking too soon!
JUSTICE LEAGUE UNITED ANNUAL #1: Picking up where JUSTICE LEAGUE UNITED #5 left off, Mon-El has broken into the team’s headquarters to kill Ultra. Equinox manages to freeze him in a block of ice. As Martian Manhunter attempts to gain Mon-El’s identity and purpose from his mind, Saturn Girl and Phantom Girl stop him. On the Plexus-6 Pleasure Station, the rest of the team is looking for Hawkman and Supergirl catches up with the person carrying Hawkman’s transmitter. He reveals that Hawkman's body was being kept on one of the moons of Thanagar by a priest named Byth. Brainiac 5 explains that they have used a Time Bubble to return from the 31st Century where a being called Infinitus has been consuming planets like Thanagar and Psion While defending Rann, Shadow Lass was wounded badly. Brainiac had discovered that Infinitus energy signature matched Ultra’s. On the moon of Ryngor, Supergirl and the others company have arrived and so has Byth. He has revived Hawkman and brainwashed him to attack the team. Meanwhile, Brainiac 5 explains that he is prepared to use the next 24 hours to figure out how Ultra becomes Infinitus. If that can’t be done, the rest of the Legion will come to this time and destroy Ultra. Green Arrow appears via hologram to say that Hawkman is alive and that Byth wants Ultra. The League battles Byth, he explains that this has happened before and he has sent a Cadre to Earth to get Ultra. On Ryngor, Supergirl and the others see that Byth has opened a doorway and is ready to implement the birth of Infinitus.
Jeff Lemire and Neil Edwards continue this tale of the potential origin of Infinitus and continue to make good use of the Legion. Sure, some of the dialogue is a little on the corny side, but it is better than the last time we saw these characters. I honestly can’t wait to get into the next issue to see where we go with these folks. And, I’ll say it again: can the Legion Lost be far behind?
KLARION #1: Somewhere at the crossroads of the Multiverse, Klarion finds himself hitching a ride to Earth in a sweet looking Mustang driven by Beelzebub the barber. Klarion has left Witchworld after he disintegrated his teacher because the smashed Klarion’s hands with a ruler. Landing on Earth, Klarion helps a boy named Rasp, who is also a witch, from being beat up by two other kids. He asks Klarion to move in with him at The Moody Museum, where he hopes to be a Sous Chef. And he also carries around his dead cat Teekl, who he keeps in a jar of formaldehyde. Later, Klarion discovers that the first rule of magic is “don’t hurt anyone…not even a bird.” Later that night, Klarion takes Rasp’s lady friend Zell to the Neapolitan Club which leads to a fight between Rasp and Klarion. While they battle, the cook from The Moody Museum(Noah) and the landlady(Piper) discuss what might happen when Klarion and Zell become a couple.
I can tell you what might happen: they’ll cast a spell on this title and we will all forget this ever existed. What a monumental pile of festering doogie poop! Ann Nocenti and Trevor McCarthy has taken one of my favorite Jack Kirby characters and turned him into something completely unrecognizable and totally unreadable. He hitches a ride to Earth in a Mustang driven by Beelzebub, makes friends with another witch, goes to work as a sous chef, meets the hot girl and gets into a fight. And Teekl is dead in a jar? Okay-so I’ll forget how creepy this guy was in THE DEMON and how cool and creepy he was on the BRAVE AND THE BOLD cartoon and realize this is the one and only Klarion from now on. HELL NO! This is possibly the worst thing I have read all year. Oh wait…there IS our next entry!
LOBO #1: The book begins with the NEW 52 Lobo talking to the decapitated head of the “Classic”Lobo: The Main Man. Lobo passes out and dreams of his past. He is painting and romancing the daughter of the kinf of Czarnia and that soon dissolves into a vision of everyone turned into zombies. When he awakens, Rhialla assigns him to kill eight of the universe’s most deadly assassins before they can kill their target on Earth visits him. Arriving on Earth, he meets Gus and then proceeds to battle and decimate most of the aliens (except for the monster dogs, because he doesn’t kill dogs). He returns to Gus, cuts off all of his arms, gets his information and decapitates him. He still has an army of assassins to kill and that takes him to…Florida.
Let it be said: this is NOT MY LOBO! Cullen Bunn and Reilly Brown deliver an ultra violent, metrosexual Lobo. The Lobo I know and love killed everyone on Czarnia. I think this one killed them all with his ridiculous bondage inspired outfit and his even more ridiculous Duran Duran inspired haircut. This book is such a mess and I’m insulted about what has been done with the coolest bounty hunter in comics. The thing I love the most about this book is Brown’s art which I’m sure is totally enhanced by Pete Pantazis’ color work. I will give this title an issue or two, just to see where our guy ends up. But I don’t see this book as being long for this world.
NEW 52 FUTURE’S END #22-25: In issue 22, Jason Rusch meets with Dr. Yamazake who believes that the Justice League is hoarding their special technologies and he wants his transporter ready as soon as possible because no one can trust the League anymore. At the Wounded Duck, Cal turns Billy Batson away because he is underage when Ronnie Raymond arrives to apologize for his previous bad behavior. In Las Vegas, Voodoo, Mercy and company find that breaking into a building was way too easy, which means to keep their guard up. At the same time, Justin hacks into Cadmus to see what they have on his partners. In New York, Terry McGinnis explains everything to Plastique including how the world will be wiped out in thirty years. She offers to help him just so she doesn’t end up as the creature she saw. In the Huron System, The Engineer explains to the S.H.A.D.E. agents that the Collector doesn’t know where to put them. When they ask who their captor, she shows them the Blood Moon where Brainiac is. That is when Ray Palmer and Black Adam arrive.
In issue #23, Ray Palmer and Black Adam help the S.H.A.D.E. agents in fighting off Brainiac's robots. Adam calls on the lighting to allow them to escape while reminding Ray that he promised to get Adam back to Earth. In Central Park, Madison Payne runs into Ronald Raymond, who offers her a cup of coffee to apologize for his recent bad behavior. Unknown to them, Tim, has been watching her from behind a tree. In Las Vegas, Voodoo and her company meet with Sgt. Rock, who admits that he sent people after them in order to get them to him. Mercy realizes Rock is working for Faraday and he wants them to take out Fifty Sue. Thirty years from now, Michael Holt learns that Brother Eye has created someone to go back in time to find and hunt Terry: he has merged Bruce Wayne with the Joker.
In issue #24, The Engineer is returned to her old self by Hawkman but there are so many robots it looks like they may tear the ship apart. On Cadmus Island, Scott Free has been able to remove the implant that had been controlling him and does the same for Fury. Scott now plans to find a way to remove Brother Eye's programming from the island. At Columbia University, Madison hears Ronnie’s tale of woe as he heads off to watch a football game. Tim Drake comes out of the shadows to apologize, which she is not willing to accept. Elsewhere, Dr. Yamazake is becoming suspicious that Jason is trying to sabotage his attempts to create a teleportation device. In Africa, the entity appears, killing Tommy and torturing Midge. Superman arrives to save Constantine’s life.
In issue #25, The Engineer discovers that the navigational system for the ship is destroyed. If they jump, they could end up anywhere in the Multiverse, but they do indeed jump. On Cadmus Island, Fifty Sue shows off her secret bunker. Deathstroke explains that Brother Eye still controls the teleportation system and King Faraday, unable to hide HIS super-human ability, teleports away and strands the others there. In Africa, Superman battles Brainiac in Africa. But with Brainiac’s defeat, Constantine tells Superman that all he has done is send the real Brainiac a gauge of his abilities and offers to take him to him. At Columbia University, Madison and Ronnie hear of a Tsunami warning for Samoa. Ronnie seeks out Jason, who refuses to become Firestorm, forcing Ronnie to leave the lab. But Doctor Yamazake was watching all of this by webcam and now knows that Ronnie and Jason are Firestorm. Now he is completely convinced that Jason has been sabotaging the experiments in the name of the Justice League.
Four more issues of futuristic goodness courtesy of Brian Azzarello, Jeff Lemire, Dan Jurgens, Keith Giffen with art by Patrick Zircher, Aaron Lopresti, and Jesus Merino. I realize that all of this future stuff will probably reset following CONVERGENCE but, for now, I’m loving this alternate future something fierce!
NEW SUICIDE SQUAD #3: Deadshot has been found alive and he is brought to the Russian general who orders his team to divert the rest of the Suicide Squad and deny the existence of the Rocket Red Brigade. Black Manta is too bust trying to keep Harley Quinn and Joker's Daughter from killing each other. Amanda Waller and Vic Sage call and Sage demands they don’t look for Deathstroke but track down the Rocket Red Brigade. Harley finally knocks out Joker's Daughter, leading Manta to decide that he and Harley should search for Deadshot. Sage orders Waller to set off the nanobomb in Manta's head for disobedience and she refuses, giving Manta Deadshot's location instead. Meanwhile, Deadshot is being tortured for refusing to give up the rest of the Squad’s locations. The man giving the orders: Deathstroke.
You have really gotta love Slade Wilson. One minute, he’s a rotten bastard and the next…he a rotten bastard for the bad guys! Sean Ryan and Tom Derenick bang out another cool issue in the new series, which really should have just stayed the OLD SERIES with the numbers continuing but, we won’t go there. Anyway, I love this series and the continuing oddball cast of characters. And hey: we’re gonna get a movie out of this franchise, so everyone rejoice!
RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #35: We begin with Jason by a badly burned Roy Harper’s bedside. From there, we go back to four days earlier when the pair discovered the remains of an intergalactic slave trader that Starfire was after. After cleaning up the mess and eliminating the evidence, they search for and find Kori, who appears in some sort of a trance. She awakens from it and the next morning observe her to make sure she is normal. Man-Bat contacts Jason to tell him that S.H.A.D.E. has come across evidence that exonerates her. Not long after, the team is in New Orleans searching for a terrorist only to find they have been set up. As the team battles, Jason discovers each of their enemies have devices attached to them that seems to contain Venom and considers using it to help get him through the battle. Kori leaves the battle, forcing Roy to find her. She admits that she is weak and needs to go away and, as she blasts off, the explosion from within her lights Roy on fire.
This title continues on it’s up and down, uneven ride. Scott Lobdell and Geraldo Borges(with inking by the legendary Paul Neary) presents one of the better issues in the run. There is a bit of confusion regarding Kori’s problem and what happened to the slaver. And there are a few plot holes too, like how it took them two issues of drama to get to the point where they are going after the terrorist in New Orleans. But, as a rule, this was a fun issue. Let’s put it this way: if it was the first issue I had ever read, I would be convinced to hang with it and move it to a proper spot on my read list. Nicely done!
RED LANTERN #35: Previously reviewed as part of the GODHEAD review
SECRET ORIGINS #6: In the first story, we see an youthful Princess Diana of Themyscira sparring with Aleka, who is surprised that a princess like Diana one day wishes to leave Paradise Island. Diana recalls how she had often been called clay, as an insult to her “birth”. But what she never knew was that Hippolyta had actually mated with Zeus and hid the truth to protect Diana from Zeus’ wife, Hera Aleka became angry with Diana, wanting to know how she could turn her back on her sisters. That night, Diana received a visit from the goddess Athena, who explained that Diana’s journey from Paradise Island would be a struggle but she would support her. Meanwhile, Captain Steve Trevor found his plane going out of control and crashed on Paradise Island. Diana discovered him and brought him back to the Amazons. While she faced serious resistance from her mother and sisters, Athena reminded her of her faith in Diana.
In the second tale, Gary and Barbara Brand tormented their son Boston with their constant fighting and bickering. Boston wished he could fly off to a magical land. But when he realized that would never happen, he attacked his parents and left, never to come back. Eventually, after much wandering, he the circus and became a skilled acrobat. But he also carried the anger he felt with his parents and became dependent on alcohol. He adopted the guise of Deadman, which seemed to fit his nature. Then one night, he was shot and met Rama, who allowed him to live on as a spirit who could do good for others. He followed Rama’s directions until the Son of Morning painted her as more dangerous than she had seemed. At his parents’ grave, Brahma Dass, who offered him a chance to move on or stay on Earth to help those he could, visited him. Deadman decided to go back to Earth and, before he began his missions, forgive his parents.
In the final tale, we see a young Thaal Sinestro playing with blocks, which led to his interest in archaeology and ancient ruins. While on an exploration, he found a crashed spacecraft and a dying Prohl Gosgotha who gave Sinestro his ring. No sooner did that happen than a Weaponer of Qward, forcing Sinestro to put the ring on and transforming him into a Green Lantern, attacked him. When the battle was over, Prohl Gosgotha demanded that Sinestro return the ring, but he kept it for himself and traveled to Oa where he became what he believed was the greatest of all the Green Lanterns. He trained Hal Jordan, the first human Green Lantern, and they became best friends. But Sinestro’s lust for control led him to give his daughter up and use his powers to police Korugar. But the resistance of Korugar took his wife and his friends in the Corps called him tyrant. He was banished to the planet Qward, where he forged an alliance against the Guardians of the Universe and forged a yellow ring. Leaveing Qward, he fought with the Guardians and with the person he hated the most, Hal Jordan. Over time, he corrupted Hal with his yellow ring and formed his own yellow-based army. The Guardians destroyed Korugar before Sinestro made them pay.
This was a mixed bag of tales. The Wonder Woman piece, by Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang, art by Goran Sudzuka, followed the revamped origin we have had handed to us over the last three years but also added some new pieces, specifically the inclusion of Athena and Steve Trevor. The Deadman story by J.M. DeMatteis and Kevin Stokes was the weakest of the three, spending too much time on the previously unknown issues with Boston Brand’s parents. My favorite tale was the Sinestro story by Cullen Bunn And Igor Lima. While it managed to tread over much of the story that we already knew, it did so in a new light and added a bit of history regarding his childhood and the discovery of his Green Lantern ring. Each month goes by and I wonder if this title is worth the five bucks we are being charge. But when I hit a two good tales vs. one fair one, I guess I can swallow that.
SINESTRO #6: Previously reviewed as part of the GODHEAD review
STAR SPANGLED WAR STORIES #3: G.I. Zombie has set a missile towards an animal hospital in Sutterville, Tennessee which is having disastrous results on the animals. A pair of cops at the animal hospital are attacked by a dog and one of the men behave as if he has acquired rabies. Jared now understands that this is a biological attack with a very short incubation period. He puts a call to Gravedigger, who is tracking the missile's trajectory now that he has busted the terrorists who fired it, with the bad news. A doctor at the hospital named Pam note that it appears the bitten man has gone into hibernation. Jared seeks out the mayor of town and tells him they need to quarantine the place. He heads towards the south bridge when infected people overrun him. Meanwhile, Carmen, still posing as “Tiffany”, continues to head west with one of the terrorist scientists and a virus. The scientist claims that the rocket contains a payload guaranteed to end life as they know it.
Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti and Scott Hampton continue to pepper this “war title” with more zombie action than you can shake a stick at! We have zombies, terrorists, more zombies, hot looking women and even more zombies! I’m sure there will be some necrophilia down the road in a tasteful, comic book kind of way. What else could I expect from this crazy creative team. After all: how cool was ALL STAR WESTERN?
SUPERMAN #35: Superman and Ulysses are still dealing with the Machinist, who caused Ulysses to commit murder by taking control of Neil's voluntary functions. Even thought the victim was already dead when Ulysses “killed” him, Superman warns him never to use his powers like that against someone ever again. They head to the North Atlantic, where the Machinist sits on a freighter waiting for his customer to arrive, and lift the ship out of the water. The Machinist sends his giant robotic crows to attack them, which the pair quickly defeat. Ulysses gets frustrated by Superman’s belief of not destroying all the weapons of the world but to stop the people selling them. Ulysses flies off and Superman gets caught in the Machinist’s self-destructing blast. Back at the Daily Planet, Ulysses' appears on every TV screen in the country, revealing his real name, place of birth, and origin story. He also reveals that he sees the Earth is full of hate and offers the opportunity for six million to join him in the Fourth Dimension.
You now: when this guy showed up I didn’t exactly like him or trust him, as he reminded me so much of a certain blonde haired, John Romita Jr. illustrated character known as The Sentry. Well, Geoff Johns and Romita are back at it again with a seemingly innocent superhero who may have more of an agenda than we first dreamed. While I am finding this series to be running a bit long and hoped that the Johns/Romita era would hit with a bang instead of a slow build, I still find it far more satisfying than the last creative team
SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN #12: After defeating Giganta at London's Wembley Stadium, Wonder Woman gets the surprise of Superman’s return and their kiss ends up on the jumbo screen. Several months ago, Clark gave Diana a Kryptonian flower from the Fortress of Solitude that needed to be fed with cooking oil. But with everything happening, it never got fed and now has transformed into a hungry monster which makes its way to a gas station and feeds on gas and oil. The creature makes its’ way into a reservoir that leads to the pipeline feeding most of the United Kingdom. Superman gives Diana attitude about not feeding the gift and look what has happened. She too returns the favor and realizes something is affecting both of them, causing them to act this way. She heads to Mount Olympus where she finds the conflict between the couple has been caused by Strife. Superman gets Swamp Thing to communicate with it and soon the flower returns to normal. In the end, they sit on the Cliffs of Dover where they admit that some of what they said they meant, despite Strife’s involvement.
I still haven’t figured out if I have any kind of good feelings about two of the most powerful beings in the universe being together in a romantic way. Sorry, I’m spent way to many years with Lois and chasing after Superman and then she and Clark being together at last. I love Charles Soule’s writing and I’m okay with Jack Hebert’s art. I just have a hard time with this soap opera involving the world’s mightiest heroes.
SWAMP THING ANNUAL #3: After defeating some monsters in the swamp, Capucine admits that they came for her. She passes out and is carried into the house where Guarav and Alec care for her. She explains that her thousand years are coming to an end. She asks him to tell her a story that will make her laugh. He tells of his going into a movie theatre to see a movie and after five minutes, the police were called and the theatre was evacuated. But he did admit that the five minutes of the movie he saw was awful. She admits that she doesn’t want to continue her life, but wishes that he finds a way to keep Etrigan from taking it. Alec exchanges bodies with Capucine to trick Etrigan. The demon insists that Capucine is evil and always has been, relating the tale of many of her thousand years, including being known as the "The Murder Poet". He tells Alec that everything Capucine has ever done regarding Alec was to manipulate him. But Capucine, in Swamp Thing’s body, has figured out how to control plants and traps Etrigan within a tree. She also tells the demon that it was his dark magic that turned her into a killer and offers up a bargain. Returning to her body, and Alec to his, he offers to tell her another story. He opens a place for her within The Green and she can find peace with Brother Jonah there. He carries her over to the glade and drops her into Brother Jonah's arms.
Charles Soule gives us a wonderfully touching ending to the story of Capucine with the help of artists Javier Piña, Ryan Browne, Dave Bullock, Yanick Paquette. In the end, she changes her evil ways, avoids the everlasting touch of Etrigan and settles peacefully in the Green with Brother Jonah. A beautiful, touching story. Poor Alec: he’s lost her and Abby. Now what?
SWAMP THING #35: The Calculus begs Swamp Thing to open the wall of trees that is hiding The Wolf's remains. He agrees and finds that they are alone, as The Calculus has made all the people go away by issuing a fake news story about a Cat. 5 hurricane coming. The Calculus believe they can run The Green and don’t want him to give up his role as Avatar. He is tempted by the offer but demands The Calculus leave. Alec returns to the Grove where he asks Brother Jonah how new kingdoms are born, based on meeting someone who represents the kingdom of machines. Jonah responds that Alec must wipe them out at once or the only thing that will remain is dust and then returns to the Green to prepare for the inevitable war that is coming. Alec goes to the Arctic and discovers a fortress called Servus where it seems the machines are preparing to invade the Grove.
Charles Soules and Jesus Saiz continue on the road to the end of their final story arc and it seems that this war won’t end well. It’s another well-written, well-crafted tale from Soules who will totally be missing from the DC lineup when he competes all his work and does his writing exclusively for Marvel. Saiz’ art gets better with each and every issue and I can only hope that he will continue on this series once Soules is gone.
TEEN TITANS #3: Raven is dancing at a club in the Bowery when the singer in the band notices her and proceeds to call her out. From there, almost everyone in the club comes to her, some saved by her and others just inspired by her. Suddenly, the terrorist who was responsible for events in the first two issues arrives and begins to battle. Raven calls for help from her teammates, including Beast Boy and Bunker who just finished taking out a mugger in Battery Park. The rest of the team arrives and Cassie, upon learning that the terrorist is truly a robot, smashes it into millions of pieces. Later, josiah Power from S.T.A.R. Labs arrives to investigate, unaware he is being watched by Manchester Black and…the previously mentioned terrorist who is no longer destroyed. The team eat a late night snack while Cassie’s mom warns her that the streets are filled with roving gangs of girls dressed like Wonder Girl. One of those gangs confronts her mom as the team decides if they should help Red Robin investigate S.T.A.R. Labs. They should have joined him as the robot terrorist arrives and, knocking him out, prepares to eliminate him.
Will Pfeifer and Kenneth Rocafort continue their revamp of this book which should never have been cancelled in the first place. If they had just replaced the creative team, which they have done, and continued the numbering, all would be right with the world. While not anywhere near the classic Teen Titans that existed before the NEW 52, it is a far better book than the last run was. And luckily, this issue seems to downplay the whole social media connection that the first issue boasted. While not a great read, it has gotten better since issue #1, so they get a little more time from me.
TRINITY OF SIN #1: The Question, who really has no idea who he is after all these centuries, is about to have a deep conversation with his landlady when the landlady turns into a creature named Ya’Aka. Meanwhile, The Phantom Stranger and Terrance Thirteen are in Golden Gate Park battling a gigantic green ghost in Golden Gate Park. The Stranger learns that the ghost is a manifestation of a boy who was murdered and buried in this spot over thirty years ago. With his divine powers, he frees the boy and allows his spirit to go to Heaven. Suddenly, Thirteen is stabbed through the chest with a flaming sword by a female serpent creature named Zalkoat. Meanwhile, Pandora is enjoying the beaches of Southern India when a giant water monster named Sydenn attacks her. The three heroes manage to defeat or evade their demons and all end up on the beach, where the toll in lives is devastating. The Question leaves to mourn his landlady while The Stranger and Pandora attend to Thirteen’s body and decide to investigate a way to save his soul. The pair heads off into space to meet some birdlike creature that may be named Nimraa.
Wow! This is REALLY AWFUL! This is a worse read than the two previous TRINITY titles COMBINED! J.M. DeMatteis delivers a title that just wallows in emptiness. We still don’t kow who The Question is and frankly don’t believe this book will be around long enough to answer that for us. The Phantom Stranger is still a man on a mission who needs to grow a set of testicles. And Pandora? She goes off to the beach because her deceased mentor Marcus thought it would be good for her soul. The art by Yvel Guichet is the best part of the book, even if it looks an awfully lot like the art stylings that dominated TRINITY OF SIN: PANDORA. DC: why oh why do your replace awful books with worse ones?
WONDER WOMAN #34: With Wonder Woman seeming to be dead, the First Born brings his war to Themyscira. Zola tries to find a place to hide herself and Zeke and runs into Hera, who refuses to help as now her immortality has been restored and Zola and Zeke are no longer her concern. The First Born and his army become encased in stone at the hands as Milan appears and takes Orion and Artemis into a Boom Tube. Meanwhile, we learn that Diana IS alive and has a conversation with her predecessor Ares. Diana admits she cannot give up the fight as the vision fade and she sees that she has been speaking with Strife. Strife toasts her failure and Diana decides it is best she die and find peace at last. Strife will have none of that, drags Diana into the pool of blood, and then drops her at the stone feet of Hippolyta. Orion arrives and tries to heal Diana’s wounds, but the First Born has also arrived and interrupts that. Diana distracts him with the robot army of Hephaestus and Eros and begins to search for Zola. About to be attacked by Cassandra and the hyena warriors, Hera arrives, turning the Hyenas to crystal, and knocking Cassandra unconscious. Diana decides it may be time for the last born to take the throne of Olympus. Diana takes Zeke from Zola to place him on the throne. That is when Poseidon rises from the pool of blood.
And thus begins the penultimate chapter in the epic story that Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang has brought to us over the last three years. And this truly has been an epic that has polarized fans like never before. People who were polarized by J. Michael Strazinski are now wishing he was back on this title. Personally, anyone who has read my reviews from Day One know how much love I have for this book. I think that Azzarello is a great writer and have had much respect for his work, especially his 100 BULLETS work. But this is just on an entirely different level. And Cliff Chiang? Great stuff! One more issue to go and I will admit that I will be sorry to see this part of the ride end.
WONDER WOMAN #35: Poseidon has decided to claim the throne for himself in the First Born's absence. He demands Zeke be given to him and he causes Diana to drop Zeke. Zola begins to transform and she uses her talons to cut Poseidon, sending him back into the pool of blood. The First Born arrives, thrusting a spear into Hermes while the Minotaur knocks Diana unconscious. The First Born decides to throw Zeke into the void as Diana wakes. He orders the Minotaur to kill Diana off, but it remembers that she had shown it mercy in the labyrinth, causing the First Born to kill the Minotaur. Diana drops her bracelets to the ground, saying all she needs to defeat him is herself. Hermes teleports away Diana’s friends, saving them from being tossed into the void. She wraps him in the Lasso of Truth to show him the true meaning of love and compassion. Zola and Hermes carry Zeke up to the throne and he begins to with generate electricity. A bolt of lightning splits the earth where Diana and the First Born are fighting. He lands safely, but Diana barely holds on, begging him to give her his hand. If he saves her, they will be suffering forever. He does so, but she throws him in saying it is tough love and a lesson for him for the next seven thousand years of solitude. Diana returns to the throne to find that Zola is actually the goddess Athena. This was Zeus’ plan all along that would result in Diana becoming a God. Now, Zeus, in the form of Zeke, is back on the throne. Diana begs Athena not to eliminate the Zola persona, eventually she concedes, allowing Zola to remain human, and Athena returns to the form of an owl.
And thus the epic ends, not with a whimper but with a well crafted bang. I have nothing more to say about this. Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang have created a series that will set a very high bar for the creative team to follow. This will be talked about and examined by comic scholars for years to come. Thank you for all the great memories!
WORLDS’ FINEST #27: As Lois Lane and the New Wonders fight for the survival of Earth 2, she tells the origins of Suprman and Batman. Jor-El tries to save Krypton by creating a gravity well that will restore their yellow sun. Unfortunately, he didn’t ignite the sun, he destabilized it which leads to the certain destruction of Krypton. As the El’s plan for their death, Intri of Apokolips arrives with an offer to save the world in exchange for taking the baby Kal-El to become a Lord of Apokolips. Jor-El turns her down and sends her away, ordering Lara to get Kara and Val so they can be placed in an experimental rocket before the planet explodes. Meanwhile, on Earth, Thomas Wayne has decided he no longer is going to work for Frankie Falcone. They met and Frankie explains how he wants to put pressure on the father of a very young Alan Scott and needs Thomas’ hospital badge to make that happen. Wayne refuses and beats up Falcone threatening to sent him to prison for decades if he ever touches his son.
With Power Girl and The Huntress on Earth 2 fighting to save their world, that leaves this book in search of characters to populate it. And so, Superman and Batman step in, just as they used to be in the old days. I found the story interesting, especially now learning that Jor-El caused the destruction of Krypton and that there is an early connection between the Waynes and Alan Scott. Paul Levitz and Jed Dougherty give us a well written, nicely drawn issue that leaves me wanting to see where the next chapter takes us.
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